Platini rules out FIFA role

UEFA president Michel Platini is adamant there is "no possibility" he will run for the presidency of FIFA after the election next week was thrown into chaos by bribery allegations.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter will appear at a FIFA ethics committee hearing on Sunday to answer a complaint made by his rival for the presidency Mohamed Bin Hammam, who faces a separate charge of bribery along with one of the organisation's vice-presidents Jack Warner.

"I have just been voted in for four years at UEFA and there is just no possibility (of going to FIFA)," Platini told BBC Sport.

"If there is an election then a new president will be elected for four years.

"If there is no election then it will be complicated, but I don't know what will happen."

Blatter admitted he also did not know what would happen if both presidential candidates were suspended on Sunday and that this was a "strange moment" for the governing body.

"I am concerned because I am vice-president," he added.

"The governing body of football has to be clean, has to be good, has to think about what the values of football are and things like that.

"We know perhaps in the big assemblies there are not so clean people, like with journalists, football players, in music, politicians. Let's go to the executive committee, the disciplinary committee, let the people have some evidence and take a decision after that."

Warner and Bin Hammam face lengthy bans should the corruption allegations made by fellow executive committee member Chuck Blazer be proven.

World Cup - Platini rules out FIFA role

FIFA president Sepp Blatter will appear at a FIFA ethics committee hearing on Sunday to answer a complaint made by his rival for the presidency Mohamed Bin Hammam, who faces a separate charge of bribery along with one of the organisation's vice-presidents Jack Warner.

"I have just been voted in for four years at UEFA and there is just no possibility (of going to FIFA)," Platini told BBC Sport. "If there is an election then a new president will be elected for four years.

"If there is no election then it will be complicated, but I don't know what will happen."

Blatter admitted he also did not know what would happen if both presidential candidates were suspended on Sunday and that this was a "strange moment" for the governing body.

"I am concerned because I am vice-president," he added.

"The governing body of football has to be clean, has to be good, has to think about what the values of football are and things like that.

"We know perhaps in the big assemblies there are not so clean people, like with journalists, football players, in music, politicians. Let's go to the executive committee, the disciplinary committee, let the people have some evidence and take a decision after that."

Warner and Bin Hammam face lengthy bans should the corruption allegations made by fellow executive committee member Chuck Blazer be proven.

PA Sport

World Cup - Embattled Blatter to miss Champions League final

Blatter's spokesman said he had too many other things on his plate and had decided to skip Saturday's match at Wembley whereManchester United face Barcelona.

"He has other things on his mind and hasn't got the time," Brian Alexander said.

Blatter will face the hearing along with Mohamed Bin Hammam, his challenger for the FIFA presidency, following a report on a meeting of Caribbean officials connected to the campaign earlier this month.

The report, prepared by FIFA executive committee member and CONCACAF secretary general Chuck Blazer, mentioned possible violation of the FIFA's ethics code by officials including "allegations of bribery".

Blatter, standing for a fourth term, has not commented on the procedings but has said that "the facts will speak for themselves." Bin Hammam has denied any wrongdoing.

CONCACAF president Jack Warner will also appear before the committee on Sunday along with two Caribbean officials.

Reuters

Bin Hammam denies wrongdoing in FIFA ethics case

* Bin Hammam denies wrongdoing on "painful" day

* Qatari still expects to stand for FIFA presidency

* Allegations will "vanish in the wind", says challenger (adds details)

FIFA presidential candidate Mohamed bin Hammam denied any wrongdoing in an alleged bribery case on Wednesday, suggesting the investigation was "little more than a tactic" from his election rival Sepp Blatter.

FIFA rocked the election campaign on Wednesday when it said it had begun ethical proceedings against Bin Hammam, the Qatari head of the Asian Football Confederation, along with CONCACAF president Jack Warner and two other officials.

Bin Hammam, the only challenger to incumbent Blatter in the June 1 vote, responded by dismissing the allegations.

"This has been a difficult and painful day for me today," he said in a statement. "But, if there is even the slightest justice in the world, these allegations will vanish in the wind.

"This move is little more than a tactic being used by those who have no confidence in their own ability to emerge successfully from the FIFA Presidential election."

FIFA said it had received a report from Chuck Blazer, another executive committee member, which included "bribery allegations".

The report referred to a Caribbean Football Union meeting which was attended by Warner and Bin Hammam on May 10/11 and was linked to the election campaign.

Bin Hammam said in the statement: "Here I completely deny any allegations of wrongdoing either intentionally or unknowingly while I was in the Caribbean.

"I will speak to Mr. Warner on this subject and offer him my full support in ensuring we are discharged honourably by the FIFA Ethics Committee, a body which I hold in the highest esteem.

"I am confident that there is no charge to answer and that I will be free to stand in the FIFA Presidential election on June 1 as originally planned."

reuters