LENNART JOHANSSON (Incumbent)
BORN Nov 5, 1929 in Bromma, Sweden HAS been active in soccer administration since 1962 when he becamethe chairman of the football section of AIK Stockholm. Progressed tobecome chairman of the club, which embrace 20 sports, and in 1979became chairman of the Swedish League. IN 1984 he was elected chairman of the Swedish FA and progressedfrom there to the UEFA Executive Committee in 1988. Was electedpresident of UEFA in 1990 and has since served four terms ofoffice. HAS not faced an election for his position as UEFA presidentsince beating Freddy Rumo of Switzerland by 20-15 votes atthe UEFA Congress in Malta when he was first elected. INVOLVED in the creation of the Champions League in 1992,which superseded the European Cup and has proved tobe one of the most profitable and globally syndicatedsports events in the world. HAS overseen the rapid expansion of UEFAfrom a 35-country confederation in 1990 tothe 52 nations it now embraces. STOOD for the presidency of FIFA in 1998but was beaten by Sepp Blatter after a bitterlyfought election campaign. After losingby 111-80 votes in the first ballot,Johansson declined a second ballot, towhich he was entitled. Famously told thedelegates: “Gentleman, the game is over.It's time for lunch.” HAS twice fought off cancer and says he isfitter than many men in their 50s. MICHEL PLATINI (Challenger)
BORN June 21, 1955 in Joeuf, France AFTER starting at his local club AS Joeuf, he was with AS Nancy from 1972-79before moving to St Etienne and then Juventus in 1982 where he finished hishonour-laden career in 1987. FIRST attracted international attention when France reached the 1976Olympic Games quarter-finals and lost 4-0 to East Germany. He scored threegoals in the tournament. PLAYED 72 times for France (50 as captain) between 1976 and 1987, scoring arecord 41 goals including nine in the 1984 European Championship when heled France to victory on home soil. Two years previously he was in the Frenchteam that reached the World Cup semi-finals, a feat they repeated in 1986. WON honours throughout his club career: the French Cup with Nancy in 1978and St Etienne in 1979 and 1982. Won the French League title with St Etiennein 1981. With Juventus won the Italian Cup in 1983, the European CupWinners Cup and Italian League in 1984, and the EuropeanCup on the night of the Heysel Stadium disaster in 1985when he scored the only goal against Liverpool from thepenalty spot. IS the only man to have been named EuropeanFootballer of the Year for three successive years in 1983,1984 and 1985. Retired in 1987 after 648 professionalmatches and 348 goals. BECAME French national team coach in November1988, holding the position until 1992 when he joinedthe organising committee of the 1998 World Cup. IN 2002 became a member of both the UEFA andFIFA executive committees and among many otherresponsibilities worked as the personal advisor to FIFApresident Sepp Blatter from 1998-2002.
