The Movement To Strip Qatar Of The 2022 World Cup Just Got Its Biggest Endorsement Yet
Platini, who has long been considered the most likely successor to Sepp Blatter as FIFA president, voted for Qatar back in 2010.
"I do not regret anything. I think it was the right choice for FIFA and world football. But if corruption is proven, there will need to be a new vote and sanctions," he told the paper.
His comments come after the Sunday Times dropped a bombshell report on corruption surrounding the 2022 voting process. According to "millions" of emails and documents obtained by the paper, ex-FIFA VP Mohamed Bin Hammam allegedly paid $5 million in bribes to secure votes for Qatar, largely to 30 African soccer officials.
Bin Hammam was banned from FIFA for life in 2012 because of a different bribery controversy when he was running for president of FIFA.
The new allegations have prompted some key figures in world soccer to call for a re-vote. FIFA vice president Jim Boyce - one of the 24 officials on the FIFA executive committee that votes for World Cup hosts - also voiced his support for a re-vote if the allegations are proven true.
Behind Blatter, Platini is perhaps the most influential person at FIFA. Until Blatter surprisingly announced his intentions to run for a fifth term as president in 2015, it was assumed that Platini would take over the organization. It's currently unclear if he will run against Blatter for president next year.