Uefa Elections: Johansson V Platini

The vote between outgoing president Lennart Johansson and rival Michel Platini 
in the UEFA presidential elections was one of the closest in the governing
body’s history. Sportindustry.biz outlines the policy
manifestos of the two nominees.

On Friday at its executive committee meeting in Dusseldorf, the UEFA Congress
voted in the organisation’s presidency elections with the ballot taking the form
of a straight shoot-out between the current serving president Lennart Johansson
and executive committee member Michel Platini.

Platini emerged as a winner and will now serve a four-year term of office
beginning from the start of the 2007 season through to 2011.

At 77 years old, Johansson had to field questions regarding his ability to
continue to perform his duties for another four years but with UEFA enjoying a
highly prosperous period under his presidency, Platini’s claims were not clear
cut.

With so little to divide the two candidates, Friday’s vote was one of the
closest in the governing body’s history. The UEFA members effectively deciding
between sticking with the tried and tested Johansson who has served the clubs
and associations well and lucratively or supporting the reform approach of
Platini designed to make European football more all-inclusive.

Here, Sportindustry.biz outlines the principal policy points
around which the election revolved:

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE:
Johansson did not want to change
the format of the Champions League. Platini wanted the big countries like
England, Spain, Germany and Italy, to lose one place which would be allocated to
other countries, effectively limiting the number of clubs from the top nations
from four to three.

ROLE OF THE PRESIDENT:
Johansson had been continuing to
promote himself as the steady hand guiding the UEFA ship, effectively allowing
the various executive committees to run day-to-day operations. The governing
body – and as a result the national associations and competing clubs – has never
been as prosperous as it has under the Swede’s reign and his policy manifesto
very much revolves around more of the same. Platini on the other hand advocated
a much more hands-on role for the presidency emulating that of FIFA president
Sepp Blatter, who outwardly voiced his support for Platini.

PRIMARY PROBLEM AREAS:
Both candidates identified
racism, agents, match-fixing and doping as the vital problems that need
addressing.

EUROPEAN LAW:
Both also agreed on closer ties with the
European Union although this is to safeguard the belief that football should
govern itself, not national courts of law.

SOLIDARITY IN FOOTBALL:
Both men agreed that UEFA’s
financial muscle should benefit the national associations and soccer at all
levels, not just at the top of the pyramid although Platini’s stance,
particularly with regard to the Champions League, appears to act on this policy
more aggressively.