PtG Article 22.11.2010

Platini wants independent agency to combat corruption in sport

Michel Platini, President of UEFA, believes that setting up an international sport police force is necessary in order to battle corruption and match-fixing in football.

"What we need is an agency that operates across borders, an international sport police,” Platini said to the German Welt am Sonntag newspaper. “Interpol contacted us recently to offer us a working group. That is a start.”

“We are the only investigators when it is about a sporting matter. When it comes to a criminal matter then we hand that over to the authorities. It has become too dangerous to investigate these things on our own. We are UEFA, not Scotland Yard,” said Platini.

Platini also criticized FIFA over its decision to award the rights to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups at the same time.

“It's a bad idea,” he said. “2022 is in 12 years, why do we have to make a decision about it today? The awarding of the right to host a World Cup, European championship or Olympic Games simply involves too much money. Perhaps we should be looking to find a better system.”  

SOURCE: IOL Sport