Blatter denies deal with Platini

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has moved to deny claims of a “Blair-Brown”-style deal with Uefa counterpart Michel Platini.

There had been suggestions that Blatter would step aside for the France legend in 2013 rather than serve his full term to 2015. The deal would have been reminiscent of the ‘agreement’ said to have been hatched by Tony Blair and Gordon Brown over the Labour leadership at Granita restaurant in Islington.

But Blatter tweeted: “The existence of a ‘deal’ between me and Michel Platini for the presidency is pure nonsense.”