Beckenbauer tips Platini for top FIFA job
German football legend Franz Beckenbauer on Monday tipped UEFA chief Michel Platini to succeed Sepp Blatter as the next president of world football governing body FIFA.
- Agence France-Presse
- Updated: October 10, 2011 05:33 PM IST
German football legend Franz Beckenbauer on Monday tipped UEFA chief Michel Platini to succeed Sepp Blatter as the next president of world football governing body FIFA.
In an interview with sporting magazine Kicker, Beckenbauer hailed "the super work" being carried out by Platini as UEFA president where the Frenchman "makes a great effort and gets his ideas across".
"I think he'll (Platini) be the next FIFA president. Sepp Blatter will finish by no longer being a candidate because of his age," said Beckenbauer.
Blatter, 75, was re-elected for a fourth four-year term in June.
Beckenbauer added that he was very concerned by the Financial Fair-Play project adopted by UEFA last May, designed to crack down on debt-laden clubs.
The initiative aims to prevent clubs from spending more than they generate to play in European competition and will progressively come into force with the first sanctions from 2014-2015.
"I hope that it will be enforced. It's time for a serious clean up," said Beckenbauer.
"I hope that Michel Platini will take the appropriate action. Progress is not without risk. Numerous clubs in Italy, Spain and France are wiped out and depend on donations."
Beckenbauer also reiterated his support for Blatter, stating he was "sorry" for the criticism levelled at the FIFA boss by fellow Germans Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, president of the European Club Association, and Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness.
"They said things that didn't tally. And we mustn't forget the human element. You can talk to Sepp Blatter," added the 66-year-old, who stepped down from his position as European representative on FIFA's executive committee in 2007.