The president of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) said Thursday the organisation will support Michel Platini’s bid to replace Sepp Blatter as head of global governing body FIFA.
CONMEBOL chief Angel Napout told AFP that South America would support UEFA chief Platini after describing him as an “exceptional man.”
“We believe that Michel Platini meets the necessary qualities to be a great president,” Napout said.
“He is an exceptional man, a man who will do a lot of good for football. Just look at his record as head of UEFA,” said Paraguayan official Napout, a serving FIFA vice-president who has been head of CONMEBOL since August 2014.
Former French international Platini is aiming to succeed outgoing President Blatter, who announced he was stepping down as FIFA chief in June in the wake of a corruption scandal which engulfed the organisation.
Blatter’s successor will be chosen at an election in Zurich on February 26, with Platini the early front-runner to replace the Swiss.
Jordan’s Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, who made an unsuccessful challenge to Blatter in May, Liberian Federation chief Musa Bility, South Korea’s Chung Mong-Joon, former vice-president of FIFA, and Brazilian legend Zico are the other candidates in the race.
Napout, meanwhile, spoke warmly of meeting Platini during the 1998 World Cup in France, when Les Bleus defeated Paraguay after an extra-time winner from Laurent Blanc.
“He was gnawing his fingernails until the 114th minute when Blanc scored,” Napout said.
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