FA Still Backing Platini Amid Bribery Inquiry
The FA says Michel Platini has its support for the FIFA presidency but adds there are issues which need to be "fully examined".
20:47 Wednesday 30 September 2015
Sepp Blatter (left) and Michel Platini
The Football Association says it will continue to back Michel Platini for the FIFA presidency but has warned there are still problems that need to be "fully examined".
Mr Platini, currently UEFA president, is being investigated by Swiss officials and FIFA's ethics committee over a £1.35m payment he received from FIFA for work as an adviser between 1998 and 2002.
But he was only paid in 2011, and has now claimed that FIFA president Sepp Blatter told him the organisation could not afford to pay him earlier.
Mr Blatter has also written to all FIFA's member associations to convince them that the payment to Mr Platini was legitimate.
In a statement, the FA said: "In July, The FA board decided unanimously to support Michel Platini if he intended to stand for the presidency of FIFA.
"We did so because we thought he was an excellent president of UEFA and could bring those same leadership qualities to FIFA.
"We are still of that view.
"However, events of recent days have raised a number of issues which do need to be fully examined.
"We are following the ongoing investigation initiated by the Swiss attorney general with which Mr Platini is co-operating with in full.
"We also recognise that Mr Platini has contacted the FIFA ethics committee inviting them to look into the matter and to interview him.
"As we said back in July, the most important matter is the urgent reform of FIFA.
"We believe the whole structure of FIFA needs to be fundamentally changed and we are committed to our efforts to ensure this happens."
