UEFA defy FIFA and back their president Platini

By Simon Evans ZURICH (Reuters) - UEFA defied FIFA’s suspension of Michel Platini on Thursday when it said he would not be replaced as head of European soccer’s governing body and gave him its backing in the appeal process. The Ethics Committee of world soccer body FIFA handed Platini a 90 day provisional ban earlier on Thursday at the same time as giving an identical sanction to FIFA president Sepp Blatter. FIFA moved quickly to replace Blatter with interim president Issa Hayatou and announce that Blatter was “relieved of all duties”, but UEFA took a very different stance. Under UEFA’s rules, if their president is not available to conduct his duties, the highest ranked vice-president of the organization takes over but the European body declined to take that step. “The UEFA Executive Committee saw no need, at this moment in time, to invoke Article 29(5) of the UEFA Statutes… this is because the UEFA Executive Committee is aware that the UEFA President will immediately take all necessary steps to appeal the decision (and) to clear his name," a UEFA statement said. “The UEFA Executive Committee expressed its full confidence in UEFA president, Michel Platini and stands fully behind him,” the statement said. (Reporting by Brenna Hughes Neghaiwi; Additional reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Toby Chopra)