Diego Maradona says Michel Platini cannot be trusted to lead the clean-up operation at FIFA after being dragged into the ongoing investigation into corruption.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter is under criminal investigation over a suspicious payment of €1.8 million to Platini in 2011. The UEFA president said it was for advisory work done nine years before and that the governing body couldn’t afford to pay him at the time.
The Swiss authorities have questioned Platini and their attorney general Michael Lauber describing the 60-year-old as ‘between a witness and an accused person’.
Maradona says the former Juventus star’s u-turn before the last FIFA presidential election proved he’s untrustworthy.
“I remember well his attitude and his words,” the Napoli legend said in Argentina. He said he would support the candidacy of Ali Ben Al Hussein, however we know how it ended. Platini is simply a liar.
“He goes hand in hand with Blatter and corruption; he who walks with the lame learns how to limp. Who will clean up this mess because there are still a lot of people to be sent to jail. I still support Prince Ali’s project to bring transparency to FIFA.”
The 1986 world cup winner was in a far better mood when asked about Carlos Tevez’s emotional return to Boca Juniors from Juventus in the summer.
“I love him, he is an idol,” said Maradona. The Boca fans and all Argentines should thank him forever for having decided to return. “No one is able to wear the number 10 shirt of Boca better than him.
“Carlitos is simply extraordinary. I would give an arm to be able to play alongside him.”
