The president of South American football’s governing body said on Friday he supports Michel Platini to succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA president despite an ongoing investigation involving two of the most powerful men in world football.
Blatter and Platini have become entangled in a Swiss criminal probe and were recently handed 90-day suspensions by FIFA’s ethics committee. The sanction practically ended Blatter’s 17-year rule as FIFA president and will likely hurt Platini’s chances of replacing him.
But CONMEBOl President Juan Angel Napout said he continues to stand behind the UEFA president even after Platini lost England’s support for his FIFA presidential bid on Friday, signaling the first crack in the European unity behind the Frenchman.
“I have no reason to change my opinion of Michel. I think he’s an excellent leader and I hope the appeal and the investigation bring to light what we all hope,” Napout said after a CONMEBOl meeting in the Chilean capital.
The suspensions for Blatter and Platini were imposed after Swiss authorities began probing a payment from FIFA to the former France captain in 2011 for work carried out at least nine years earlier. Both deny any wrongdoing.