English FA suspend support for Platini’s FIFA president bid

The Football Association say they are suspending support for Michel Platini in his bid to become FIFA president.

Platini, the UEFA president, is being investigated over a £1.35m payment he received from Sepp Blatter in 2011.

Blatter, the outgoing president of FIFA, is under criminal investigation over the payment.

Both men deny any wrongdoing.

The FA made its decision following a UEFA meeting on Thursday.

“The FA wishes Mr Platini every success in fighting these charges and clearing his name, and has no interest in taking any action that jeopardises this process,” an FA statement read.

“However, notwithstanding the above, at the Uefa meeting on Thursday, the FA learned more information relating to the issues at the centre of this case from Mr Platini’s lawyers.

“We have been instructed that the information must be kept confidential and therefore, we cannot go into specifics.

“As a result of learning this information, the FA Board has this morning concluded that it must suspend its support for Mr Platini’s candidature for the Fifa presidency until the legal process has been concluded and the position is clear.

“A decision can then be taken on who to support in the presidential election on 26 February 2016.”

Blatter and Platini, along with secretary general Jerome Valcke, are serving 90-day suspensions imposed by FIFA’s ethics committee, which is investigating the three over corruption allegations.