Platini disagrees with Blatter over Boateng

PARIS (AFP) –

UEFA president Michel Platini smiles prior to the draw for the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League, on December 20, 2012 at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon. Platini differed with his FIFA counterpart Sepp Blatter on Monday in applauding Kevin-Prince Boateng leading his AC Milan team-mates off the pitch after receiving a torrent of racial abuse in a friendly earlier this month.

UEFA president Michel Platini differed with his FIFA counterpart Sepp Blatter on Monday in applauding Kevin-Prince Boateng leading his AC Milan team-mates off the pitch after receiving a torrent of racial abuse in a friendly earlier this month.

Blatter had said players should not take matters into their own hands although he has since said that clubs whose fans are guilty of racial abuse could end up facing either points deductions or even demotion.

However, Platini told French radio station RTL on Monday he had been delighted by Ghanaian international midfielder Boateng’s gesture in walking off after some fans of Italian fourth division side Pro Patria showered him with racial abuse.

“It is wonderful, I appreciated it enormously,” said the 57-year-old former French playing great.

“It was excellent, in fact I later called Milan to congratulate them.”

Platini, though, said that UEFA already had regulations in place should racial abuse take place during matches.

“We implemented rules for Champions League and Europa League matches for the referees to follow,” he said.

“If they hear racist chants, there is an appeal for them to desist over the public address system and the match is stopped for a minute. After that if the chanting resumes there is a stoppage of two minutes and a new appeal for them to stop.

“A third time and the referee can call the match off. It is the referee who is the boss in the stadium.”