Blatter praises Platini but falls short of full support

FIFA president Sepp Blatter expressed his "sympathy" for Michel Platini's attempt to become the next president of UEFA yesterday, but stopped short of declaring his full support for the Frenchman.

Platini, 51, is standing against the incumbent Lennart Johansson, 77, in a two-way fight for the presidency which will be decided by a vote of UEFA's 52-member associations at its Congress in Duesseldorf on January 26.

Blatter, who will be 71 in March, has also endorsed Johansson's candidature during the run-up to the election, but again hinted he thought Johansson was too old to seek a fourth term as president.

The Swede has held the position since 1990.

"When you play soccer there comes an age when you are not capable of playing any longer," Blatter said at a news conference marking the official opening of the French federation's new headquarters where he was the guest of honour.

All three men were present at the ceremonial opening of the new offices on Boulevard de Grenelle in Paris on Thursday, but Johansson was not at the news conference yesterday.

Blatter said: "If you ask me to choose between a football player and a director, my sympathy will go to the player."