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Berlin - European football supremo Michel Platini believes that Sepp Blatter is not corrupt but reiterated that the planned introduction of goal-line technology is a bad idea of the FIFA president.
"Football is the most popular sport in the world because it has simple rules which work everywhere. I consider it nonsense to upset the apple-cart," Platini said in an interview with German Sunday paper Welt am Sonntag.
"When I introduce a camera to keep the goals under surveillance I also need one for the surveillance of offside. There are 10 offsides per game. But a goal like that of the English at the 2010 World Cup against Germany, which was wrongly not given, happens only once every few years."
Platini said he preferred goalline assistant referees already used by his body UEFA in the European club competitions.
"We are very satisfied. It is always better to use humans who can judge a situation, such as handling the ball, than to instal complicated technology," Platini said.
The Frenchman said he had little hope of convincing Blatter to stop goalline technology, but said the final decision is with the International Football Association Board which is to reach its verdict in summer.
Blatter hopes that the IFAB will give the nod to introduce the technology which would be used at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Platini did, as usual, not say in the interview whether he planned to run for the FIFA presidency when Blatter's final term ends in 2015.
Looking at the ongoing corruption allegations and probes around the FIFA leadership, Platini did not want to gloss over but expressed his belief that Blatter was clean.
"There have certainly been cases of corruption within FIFA. But I do not include Blatter. I am convinced that he is clean," he said.
Platini added that Blatter must live up to his reform and clean-up plans.
"Change must always come from the president. Blatter has said he wants to make changes: fight corruption and change the statutes. But I believe it depends on the president. We have the same structures at UEFA. Is anyone talking about corruption? No," Platini told Welt am Sonntag.
"We will see whether it works out. If not, we will have to wait until a new president is elected. But that won't be until 2015."
