UEFA head Michel Platini announced on Wednesday his intention to stand for presidency of FIFA in place of Sepp Blatter.

"This was a very personal, carefully considered decision, one in which I weighed up the future of soccer alongside my own future," he said in a statement published on the UEFA website (www.uefa.org).

"There are times in life when you have to take your destiny into your own hands," added the former France international player.

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