[arivanjj]

UEFA President Michel Platini and FIFA President Sepp Blatter were involved in a conference room bust-up in Nyon, Switzerland, after the two got into a heated argument at a panel discussion on violence in football. Zinedine Zidane broke up the fight.

This morning, during a breakfast-time panel discussion at the UEFA summit on violence in football in Nyon, an ugly brawl broke out between FIFA president Sepp Blatter and UEFA president Michel Platini. The two men had to be separated by several members of the panel, which includes former French captain Zinedine Zidane.

FIFA representatives pointed the finger at Platini for instigating the fisticuffs when the former France and Juventus midfielder began the day's forum by immediately calling FIFA’s “Fair Play” program a joke.

“FIFA’s Fair Play program consists of nothing more than yellow flags held up by cute children,” Platini reportedly said. “Does Monsieur Blatter believe a piece of cloth and a cute face will keep a player from punching another player? Did it keep David Navarro from punching that Inter player, even though every Inter player deserves to be punched because they are not Juventus players?”

To this, Blatter allegedly responded by reducing Europe’s World Cup slots to five instead of the originally allotted thirteen for 2010. The remaining eight slots will be divided between CONCACAF and Oceania.

Upon hearing this, Platini then made a daring run across the conference room and executed a slide tackle on Blatter. In the absence of a ball, it is unclear whether the Platini got the ball or not.

Either way Blatter jumped to his feet in a fit of Swiss anger, obviously believing it was a red-cardable offense. In the absence of a referee, however, he had no one to complain to immediately. Blatter’s frustration was amplified when he was informed that because the summit was a UEFA-sponsored event, any formal complaint would be addressed by the UEFA president, Platini himself. Then Blatter headbutted Platini in the sternum, according to witnesses.

The two quickly wrestled each other to the ground. Platini reportedly tried to gouge Blatter’s eyes out, while Blatter attempted to accelerate Platini’s receding hairline with some strong yanks at the Frenchman’s curly locks and, in an ironic twist, smashed a piece of French toast in Platini's face. The fight broke up a few seconds later when Zidane stepped between the two combatants, hurling insults at their mothers to distract them from each other. Zidane, a violent footballer in recovery, is due to speak at the conference on Monday.

Afterward, FIFA spokesman Hun B. Lievabel contended that Blatter had no choice but to take action of his own accord. "He is the president of FIFA," Lievabel said. "He can do whatever he wants whenever he wants."

Lievabel also suggested the FIFA Disciplinary Committee may launch a formal investigation into Platini’s actions and possibly impose some sort of penalty. The probable punishment, according to insiders, would be a fine and a crowd ban at Platini’s next several press conferences.

UEFA spokesman Löw deKraap declared that Platini would appeal any sort of disciplinary decision. “I hope the disciplinary committee will remember what is on FIFA’s yellow flags and come to a satisfactory resolution,” deKraap said.


goal.com

[arivanjj]

they disgust me. both of them. (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

[Tennie]

Er. Is it just possible this is an April Fool's Day article? (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[arivanjj]

Er. Is it just possible this is an April Fool's Day article? (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

(IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/blush.gif) , yep. they certainly got me .

but really, i would expect this of Platini! (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

it's too late in Sydney for this (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

This post has been edited by arivanjj: Apr 1 2007, 12:15 PM

[dst]

Er. Is it just possible this is an April Fool's Day article? (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Of course, those two buddies would never have a fight... (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

This post has been edited by dst: Apr 1 2007, 12:22 PM

[Rossoneri7]

Of course, those two buddies would never have a fight... (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

Or would they (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

[dst]

Or would they (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

They wouldn't! (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

[MizNelson]

I admit, I fell for that article hook, line and sinker until I saw the names "Hun B. Lievabel" and "Low deKraap." The rest is history. (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)