Platini, head of European soccer’s governing body, is the only candidate in Tuesday’s election held against the backdrop of campaigning for the FIFA presidential election in June.

Both Sepp Blatter, who is standing for a fourth term as FIFA president, and his challenger Mohamed Bin Hammam, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president, are in Paris as is Grant Wahl, the U.S. journalist standing as a protest candidate.

Wahl is searching for written backing from one of FIFA’s 208 member associations which he needs in order to register for the election by the April 1 deadline.

Wahl has so far approached more than 150 associations but had a setback on Monday when Mauritania replied that he needed to write to them in French rather than English.

Seven places on UEFA’s executive committee are also being contested.

Malta’s Joseph Mifsud is the only incumbent not standing for re-election, leaving six candidates trying to hold on to their places and seven more hoping to displace them.

These include Lato, who played at the 1974, 1978 and 1982 World Cups.

The 60-year-old, topscorer at the 1974 World Cup with seven goals, has been president of the Polish federation since 2008.

https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/8294.aspx