noelyf
VIP Member
Wednesday, 14 September 2011
FIFA president Sepp Blatter has described as "pure nonsense" a report that he may stand down early and make way for Michel Platini.
The report quoted "insiders" saying Blatter was considering such a move but he insists that is not the case.
Blatter was re-elected unopposed in June but has promised to step down at the end of his four-year term. Platini, the UEFA president, is seen as his most likely successor.
Blatter said on his Twitter account: "The existence of a reported 'deal' between me and Michel Platini for the FIFA Presidency is pure nonsense.
"The suggestion that I intend to stop my four-year mandate before its end is simply ridiculous."
Blatter had been challenged by Mohamed Bin Hammam, who pulled out of the race days before the election after being charged with bribery during his presidential campaign.
The Qatari was banned for life by FIFA's ethics committee in July but has appealed against the decision.
FIFA's appeals committee will hear his case in Zurich tomorrow. The hearing could be completed on the day although it could spill over into Friday.
Bin Hammam was banned after the ethics committee ruled he was responsible for cash gifts totalling around £1million to officials from associations belonging to the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) at a meeting in Trinidad on 10 May.
FIFA have charged 16 of those officials with rule breaches in connection with that meeting.
If Bin Hammam's appeal fails, he can then go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, and possibly after that to the Swiss federal court.
In a letter to the ethics panel chairman Petrus Damaseb sent last week Bin Hammam insisted he had not bribed anyone and claimed FIFA would never have dared to take action against him if he were European.
The letter, published by Bin Hammam, states: "I have never tried to bribe people and all the attendees of that CFU meeting are sure of this fact and you, yourself, heard this from all the witnesses that [were] brought to testify against me".