Platini will intensify bid to control spending

UEFA president Michel Platini is to write to all European clubs urging them to curb spending excesses.

Platini has made imposing Uefa's new financial fair play rules one of his top priorities for his new four-year term as president. He said following the Uefa Congress in Paris: "Financially speaking football is driving itself against a wall. If it doesn't stop, some clubs are going to kill themselves. Two years ago, I took the bull by horns and we're not going back on it. This year alone we have taken five clubs out of European competition under our licensing system. They have had four years' notice to put their accounts in order.

"I'm going to write a letter to the European clubs saying 'watch out, in 2014 we will take decisions'."

Platini said the rules to make clubs in European competition only spend what they earn were "a sort of salary cap". Platini also refused to rule out standing for Fifa president in four years' time and admitted that Europe could play the decisive role in the election contest between Sepp Blatter and Mohamed Bin Hammam in June. Blatter significantly promised to step down in 2015 if he is re-elected - an implicit message to the 53 European countries that if they back him he will make way for Platini in four years' time.

The Frenchman would not be drawn on which candidate he would support but admitted that Uefa's role could be decisive.

He said: "We have 53 countries so yes it could be (decisive]. If they follow the vote of the Uefa president it could be but I don't know if that will happen. But to have two candidates is good for democracy, good for ideas, for change, for everything. It's good for Fifa."

Asked whether he would consider standing for the Fifa presidency in 2015, Platini did not rule it out. "Let's meet again in three years and then I will tell you," he said.

Meanwhile, with Uefa's proposals for changes to the international calendar from 2014 being put together by the European governing body's general secretary Gianni Infantino, Platini said: "It could be an evolution or a revolution, we don't know."

The Uefa president has long favoured playing more football in the summer months but insists that is a personal opinion rather than one that will be taken up by Infantino. "It would be nice to play more in the summer but that's my personal feeling, not as president of Uefa," he added. "We can think of what should be the ideal. It is because the British decided to play football and rugby in winter and cricket in the summer when the playing fields are beautiful and when it is hot. Because of you we play in the snow and we play in the rain! But I don't know what will be the general secretary's proposal to Fifa."