UEFA president Platini hopes for third candidate in FIFA presidential election

UEFA president Michel Platini is hopeful a third candidate will emerge to challenge incumbent FIFA president Sepp Blatter and former FIFA executive Jerome

UEFA president Michel Platini is hopeful a third candidate will emerge to challenge incumbent FIFA president Sepp Blatter and former FIFA executive Jerome Champagne in next year’s FIFA election, the BBC reported Tuesday.

Platini withdrew his support of Blatter in June but said in August he won't step forward as a challenger to Blatter. Champagne, a former FIFA deputy secretary general, has emerged as Blatter's main challenger.

“Neither,” Platini said when asked who he would support in the election. “I hope others will run. Another European candidate would have very little chance of winning.”

• Klinsmann, U.S. Soccer officials reveal plans for youth development

Blatter initially said he would step down in 2015, but he announced in September his candidacy for re-election to the post he has held since 1998.

Platini told France’s Europe 1 radio station he would not support Blatter with FIFA’s reputation having been damaged by allegations of corruption concerning the bidding process for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, which were awarded to Russia and Qatar, respectively.

“The image of FIFA is very, very, very bad so that’s why I think it would be good that [Blatter] stops, but I don’t think he wants to,” Platini said.