Platini to give fans voice

Platini, who was elected UEFA president in January, will hold meetings with supporters' clubs and associations from around Europe in the coming months with a view to giving them a seat on UEFA's new Strategic Board.

The highly influential sub-committee - due to be endorsed at a special UEFA congress in May - will comprise of representatives from the national associations, the leagues and the clubs and players, each with four members.

This strategic board will then make direct recommendations on how the game should be run to UEFA's executive committee which makes the body's day-to-day decisions.

"The idea is to maybe give fans observer status at the beginning and then to eventually give them the same say (as the others). We hope to have a plan by the end of the year," said William Gaillard, a special advisor to Platini.

"Platini is a firm believer that there is no soccer without the fans. We are the producers and they are our consumers. He wants to make this happen sooner rather than later."

Gaillard pointed out that the main problem facing UEFA is the "lack of Europe-wide coordination" by those representing the interest of fans.

"In some countries such as England and Spain for instance, fans groups are very well organised, but in other nations they are very weak," he added.

"Our first aim or objective will be to help them get themselves organised on a European level which has already started with our support."

The British-based Supporters Direct - a supporters' trust with a financial stake in over 150 clubs - described the move as "very shrewd".

"UEFA are showing remarkable progress in understanding the benefits of democratic representation, especially by including the fans," commented Philip French, chief executive of Supporters Direct.

He added that UEFA had recently agreed to finance a feasibility study to form a European-wide body similar to his organisation, which he said "helps enhance the relationship between clubs and their fans".