FIFA crisis: UEFA members back Platini

All 54 member nations of European Football Federation have thrown their weight behind Mitchell Platini despite being suspended by world soccer ruling body, FIFA.
Austrian federation president Leo Windtner, speaking Thursday after attending an emergency meeting at UEFA headquarters, said the member nations agreed to stand by Platini, who last week was suspended for 90 days by the FIFA ethics committee.
“We got a unified position of UEFA,” Windtner said. “All nations give all support to Mr. Platini.” Earlier, a statement from the Russian Sports Ministry said the UEFA executive committee expressed its “full support” for Platini.
Russian soccer union president Vitaly Mutko, who is also Russia’s sports minister and a member of the FIFA executive committee, attended the meetings.

Read also: UEFA denies knowledge of Blatter’s payment to Platini

“During the first meeting, which was chaired by UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino, all members of the UEFA executive committee expressed absolute trust and full support for UEFA president Michel Platini,” the ministry said in a statement.
Platini and FIFA President Sepp Blatter were suspended for 90 days last week by the FIFA ethics committee following an investigation into a 2011 payment to the former France captain. Both Blatter and Platini deny wrongdoing.

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