Platini officially announces candidature for FIFA presidency

Michel Platini, president of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), has officially announced running for the presidency of world soccer's governing body FIFA, reported the UEFA website.

In a letter sent to the presidents and general secretaries of the 209 member associations of world football's governing body, the French football legendary player said: "This was a very personal, carefully considered decision, one in which I weighed up the future of football alongside my own future."

"I was also guided by the esteem, support and encouragement that many of you have shown me," said the 60-year-old, who has been the UEFA president since 2007 and a member of the FIFA Executive Committee since 2002.

The election to replace Sepp Blatter will be held at an extraordinary congress on February 26, 2016.

As reported earlier, Argentine football legend Diego Maradona also has confirmed that he will vie for this position.

"There are times in life when you have to take your destiny into your own hands," said Platini in Wednesday's statement. "I am at one of those decisive moments, at a juncture in my life and in events that are shaping the future of FIFA."

"During this last half-century or so, FIFA has only had two presidents. This extreme stability is something of a paradox in a world that has experienced radical upheavals and in a sport that has undergone considerable economic change.

"However, recent events force the supreme governing body of world football to turn over a new leaf and rethink its governance," he added.

Platini, who's long been expected to seek the top office of soccer once Blatter had departed, chose not to stand against the Swiss in the ballot earlier this year.

Following the arrest of several FIFA officials and soccer marketing executives before the FIFA Congress in Zurich in May, however, he led calls for Blatter to resign rather than seeking a fifth term.

The UEFA President said that in recent months, he had defended his ideas and proposals "to give FIFA back the dignity and the position it deserves."

"I am counting on your support and our common love of football so that, together, we can give the tens of millions of football fans the FIFA that they want: a FIFA that is exemplary, united and shows solidarity, a FIFA that is respected, liked and of the people," he said.

The deadline for submitting applications is October 26, four months before the extraordinary elective congress. Prospective candidates will require the nomination of at least five member associations of FIFA and enable investigation conducted by the Ethics Commission. Endi