Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/554768
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 12 AUGUST 2015 20 MALTA will be hosting a meeting of some of European football's na- tional presidents to hear details of Michel Platini's manifesto for FIFA takeover. The September 15-16 meeting will be attended by UEFA members who mostly supported Jordanian royal Prince Ali bin al-Hussein in his lead- ership bid against FIFA president Sepp Blatter. The meeting is one of few sched- uled meetings where large numbers of FIFA voters will gather before the election congress in Zurich. Malta Football Association presi- dent Norman Darmanin Demajo was a supporter of Prince Ali's lead- ership bid. On Monday, Prince Ali said FIFA – football's international governing body – cannot make credible chang- es in the last months of Blatter's leadership of the scandal-hit body. He also doubted the worth of FIFA's in-house reforms task force, which is supported by Platini, his former ally and now frontrunner to succeed Blatter in an election to be held on 26 February, 2016. "I don't think anybody will take any decisions that are credible in the current situation," Prince Ali told the Associated Press in a telephone interview Monday. "I think that the important thing is that you need an overall change in leadership," said the prince, who de- scribed Platini as "not good for FIFA" when the UEFA president launched his campaign two weeks ago. "The entire football world would like to see a change." Prince Ali has not committed to making a second bid to be president and enact that change. "Right now I'm talking to our national associa- tions, listening to their opinions," said the prince, who got votes from 73 of FIFA's 209 member federa- tions when Blatter won re-election in May. But Blatter announced he would leave office under pressure from dual American and Swiss federal investigations of corruption that finally drove World Cup sponsors to demand a change of culture at FIFA. Prince Ali could outline campaign plans in September as a keynote speaker at the Soccerex confer- ence in Manchester, England. "It's a place where I will obviously want to present my ideas for what I think is best for the organization," said the prince, who served as Asia's FIFA vice president for four years until May. Sport SPORTTODAY FOOTBALL Malta hosts UEFA supporters of Michel Platini's FIFA bid September 15-16 meeting will be attended by UEFA members who mostly supported Jordanian royal Prince Ali bin al-Hussein in his leadership bid against FIFA president Sepp Blatter Michel Platini, left, wants to take outgoing FIFA president Sepp Blatter's post United should sign Lloris if De Gea leaves, says Schmeichel PETER Schmeichel has criticised Manchester United's handling of David de Gea's situation at the club and says they should sign Hugo Lloris instead of Jasper Cil- lessen. Schemichel believes the situ- ation with De Gea, who was left out of the first game of the season at Old Trafford, should have been resolved long before the season started. De Gea watched from the stands as United began their season with a 1-0 win over Tottenham on Sat- urday. Manager Louis van Gaal se- lected Sergio Romero ahead of De Gea as he felt the 24-year-old would not have been able to fo- cus properly on the match after a summer of speculation regarding a transfer to Real Madrid. "If the player is not happy; his agent, himself and the club that want him should have sorted this a long time ago," Schmeichel told talkSPORT. "It's sad that it's dragged into the season. "I'd really like De Gea to stay. Two years running he's been play- er of the year. You don't let play- ers like that go but if he wants to go, let him go and let Manchester United move on." Both Cillessen, who played un- der Van Gaal for Holland, and Spurs keeper Lloris have been touted as potential replacements for De Gea should he be sold. Van Gaal substituted the Ajax goalkeeper for Tim Krul in the dying minutes of extra-time dur- ing Holland's win over Costa Rica at the World Cup last year be- cause he felt the Newcastle man was better at saving penalties. Cillessen did not respond well, kicking a water bottle as he walked off the pitch, but the tac- tic worked as Krul saved two spot- kicks to send Holland through to the semi-finals. Schmeichel thinks the substitu- tion showed Van Gaal does not have complete faith in Cillessen and he believes Tottenham goal- keeper Lloris would be a bet- ter option for United if De Gea leaves. "Cillessen is a good goalkeeper, but (Van Gaal) took him off for the penalty shoot-out at the World Cup and that shows some kind of no trust," Schmeichel said. "I think he doesn't trust him 100 per cent and I wouldn't like a goalkeeper like that at Manches- ter United. "If De Gea goes I would love Lloris to come to Manchester United. He has exactly the style of play and he is proven in the Premier League." Situation should have been resolved - Peter Schmeichel