UEFA president Michel Platini ruled himself out of the running for the most powerful job in football on Thursday, the Frenchman deciding not to oppose incumbent Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency next year.
Platini told the chairman and general secretaries of UEFA's 54 member nations that he had decided not to stand against the 78-year-old Swiss, who will be seeking a fifth term when the election is held.
"This is the decision I have made. I wanted to do what is best for UEFA," the 59-year-old former France international told reporters.
He had previously called for a "breath of fresh air" at FIFA and said during the recent World Cup in Brazil that a new mandate for Blatter would not be good for football.
UEFA member Michel D'Hooghe, who also sits on the FIFA executive committee, told reporters after a meeting with the fromer French ace that it was a very positive meeting and he was very pleased with the outcome of it.