UEFA official threatens to withdraw support for suspended Michel Platini

A senior UEFA official has threatened to withdraw his support for suspended president Michel Platini if he fails to prove his innocence.

Allan Hansen, the former head of the Danish Football Association (DBU), is a member of the UEFA executive committee and has been an active supporter of Platini for a number of years.

But Hansen has told media in Denmark that he knew nothing of the £1.35m payment Platini received from Sepp Blatter that is currently being investigated by FIFA’s ethics committee, and if Platini cannot prove this payment was legitimate then he “can no longer support him” .

Hansen said: “I was deeply disappointed when the story of the two million francs appeared. It raises the many questions for which we have still not received a reply.

“I expect we will have on Thursday. Such a payment requires that there is a contract, and it also must appear on FIFA’s accounts.

“I did not know about the payment, and I am sure that if there had been a guilty post so would FIFA’s auditor, KPMG, have made us aware of it.”

UEFA’s executive committee will meet on Thursday but Platini will not be present after he was suspended by FIFA from all football-related activities for 90 days last week, over the payment in question.

Blatter has also been suspended by the FIFA executive committee for 90 days, and both men have lodged appeals against this decision, but reportedly there is no written contract that exists in relation to this payment.