Johansson: "I'm confident"

With seven days to go until the election at UEFA's Congress in Dusseldorf, Germany, the 77-year-old Swede told reporters he was optimistic of garnering enough votes from the body's 52 member associations to secure him a final four-year term of office.

He has been president of UEFA since 1990 but next Friday's vote is widely predicted to be very close.

"This is a secret vote and that means people can say one thing and do something else, which makes the situation more difficult to predict," Johansson acknowledged.

"But from the countries I have known for 40 years, and the new presidents with whom I have good relations, if they vote as they tell me they will vote -- which I have reason to believe they will -- then I will win."

Johansson, who has elected president at UEFA's Congress in Malta in 1990 when he defeated Swiss Freddy Rumo by 20-15 votes in the last election he fought for the position, said the main difference between himself and the 51-year-old Platini was experience.

"Michel Platini was an excellent player and he is a nice man but for me it is not enough that he was on the local organising committee for the (1998) World Cup. I think he should have started from the ground up.

"He has gained no experience in administration and it takes experience to administer and lead 52 nations with different religions, languages and views. It is not enough to go around and show yourself. It's hard work."

With apparently little in their official manifestos to differentiate the two candidates, much has been made of Platini's proposal to reduce by one the four Champions League places currently awarded to Europe's four top-ranking nations.

Johansson said he remained firmly opposed to any alterations in the competition's format.

"I'm not going to make any changes to a competition which is praised by the players, the clubs and the small nations," Johansson insisted.

"I see no reason why we should change such a success story that is broadcast all over the world, and that many other sports try to copy."

Despite his stated confidence ahead of the election, Johansson said he hoped that FIFA president Sepp Blatter would not come out in favour of Platini.

Blatter and Platini are both due to attend a meeting of Eastern European associations in Moscow this weekend, but although praising Platini in Paris last week, Blatter has not actually come out publicly for either candidate.

"I think it's a must that the president of FIFA stays neutral so we can show that in football we know how to handle these things in a non-political way," Johansson said.

"It's hard for me to say if it would harm my campaign. But I'm talking about the principle that the president of FIFA should stay out of the election. That would solve the problem."

Johansson also insisted that he would serve a full four-year term if re-elected, rejecting the suggestion that he could quietly step down once Platini was defeated.

"There have been rumours here and there that I am doing this for tactical reasons. Not at all. If re-elected for four years then I would go the full four years because it would be very unfair to use tricks just to hinder somebody else."