Michel Platini confirms he will run for FIFA president

Michel Platini says he will run in the election to succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA president.

Platini, the UEFA president and a FIFA vice president, has written to member federations in Europe saying he will stand and is counting on their support.

The FIFA election is on February 26 and would-be candidates must apply by October 26.

Platini has for years been the obvious candidate to succeed Blatter, his mentor in FIFA politics. But a rift between the long-time allies deepened when Blatter broke a promise to leave office in 2015.

Platini chose last year not to oppose Blatter, who won a fifth presidential term on May 29. Four days later, Blatter announced his resignation plans under pressure from American and Swiss federal investigations of corruption implicating FIFA.