Chris Maduewesi
Member
UEFA president Michel Platini is adamant that he will not return the commemorative watch gift he got from the Brazilian Football Federation (CBF)
FIFA executives have come under criticisms after a report indicted them to have collected some gift items which were given to them at the FIFA congress in Sao Paulo.
Worth £16,000,presidents of the 32 football Associations who qualified for the 2014 World Cup; some FIFA executive members are all said to been recipients of the controversial watch.
FIFA Ethics Committee on Thursday,warned it officials to return the watches or risk disciplinary actions.
However,Platini has refuted claims the he was going to return his watch,adding that you don't return gifts.
"I'm a well-educated person. I don't return gifts,"Platini said.
"If the [FIFA] ethics committee was not pleased, they should've told us that four months ago in Brazil, when we received the watches," Platini said.
"They were aware that we were receiving these watches because everybody received them.
"Let me tell you, I was surprised. I was surprised, first of all, by knowing the value of the watch. I didn't realise it was that expensive.
"We receive many watches, just like journalists - you receive many watches. Just like the associations receive watches. Yes, yes, you receive watches occasionally. Every now and again, you do receive watches.
"But these are advertising watches and so forth. We all receive watches. I've received several.
"But I was surprised on the one hand to see the value of the watch.
"Secondly, I was very surprised by the press release of FIFA. I think that the best thing would have been to call us, to say that the ethics committee has done 'so and so' and they're not pleased.
"Because there's an article in the British press, all of a sudden FIFA says that they need to return the watches. There's something that's very surprising to me in the way that this process has played out and I do not like that."
FIFA executives have come under criticisms after a report indicted them to have collected some gift items which were given to them at the FIFA congress in Sao Paulo.
Worth £16,000,presidents of the 32 football Associations who qualified for the 2014 World Cup; some FIFA executive members are all said to been recipients of the controversial watch.
FIFA Ethics Committee on Thursday,warned it officials to return the watches or risk disciplinary actions.
However,Platini has refuted claims the he was going to return his watch,adding that you don't return gifts.
"I'm a well-educated person. I don't return gifts,"Platini said.
"If the [FIFA] ethics committee was not pleased, they should've told us that four months ago in Brazil, when we received the watches," Platini said.
"They were aware that we were receiving these watches because everybody received them.
"Let me tell you, I was surprised. I was surprised, first of all, by knowing the value of the watch. I didn't realise it was that expensive.
"We receive many watches, just like journalists - you receive many watches. Just like the associations receive watches. Yes, yes, you receive watches occasionally. Every now and again, you do receive watches.
"But these are advertising watches and so forth. We all receive watches. I've received several.
"But I was surprised on the one hand to see the value of the watch.
"Secondly, I was very surprised by the press release of FIFA. I think that the best thing would have been to call us, to say that the ethics committee has done 'so and so' and they're not pleased.
"Because there's an article in the British press, all of a sudden FIFA says that they need to return the watches. There's something that's very surprising to me in the way that this process has played out and I do not like that."
