FIFA: "Michel Platini is a unique candidate" (Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, president of the AFC)

"We have of course noted Michel Platini’s decision to stand, and he is certainly a unique candidate who would bring stability and a smooth transition to normality for FIFA in this difficult situation," said Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa (Bahrain), AFC president and vice-president of FIFA, on 30/07/2015. Michel Platini (FRA), president of UEFA since 2007, announced his candidacy for the presidency of the international federation on 29/07/2015.

The Asian confederation did not officially announce its support for Michel Platini on 30/07/2015. It said in a statement that it is "a new FIFA and a new FIFA President who can bring stability, leadership, experience, ideas, credibility and, above all, football back to the very heart of the world governing body."

In previous elections, the AFC had supported the candidacy of Joseph Blatter (SUI), who was re-elected to a fifth term (2015-2019 period), on 29/05/2015. "The AFC confirms its decision to support the president of FIFA, Sepp Blatter," said the Asian confederation, on the eve of the re-election of the Swiss leader on 28/05/2015.

Joseph…