Platini to Head UEFA

Johansson had actually planned to leave his seat at the top of the Union of European Football Associations to German soccer great Franz Beckenbauer, who was elected by UEFA officials as the European representative on the executive committee of world soccer body FIFA on Friday.

But the Kaiser's decision not to run for UEFA's top job set off a bitter race between Platini and Johansson, who felt compelled to keep the position he's had since 1990 out of the Frenchman's hands.

A former world soccer star and three-time European Player of the Year, Platini made his intentions to lead the European federation years ago, but Johansson's hold on the job had kept him out of the post.

The UEFA presidency feud was decided in Düsseldorf with a secret vote on Friday. Platini won 27 votes, while 23 chose Johansson. Two votes were invalid.

"It's the start of an adventure," said an emotional Platini after winning the vote. "I want to thank everyone who have stayed loyal to me. I'm delighted to be able to represent European soccer."

Years of ill will

The election race was the most recent example of years worth of bad blood between the two men. Platini was quick to take sides against Johansson in a 1998 dispute, complete with scandals and bribery allegations, over who should head FIFA, world soccer's governing body, and threw his support behind Germany's Sepp Blatter, who went on to win the position.

"I would flee to a monastery so I didn't have to watch the massacre," Platini said of what he would do if Johansson won the FIFA job.

Not to be outdone, Johansson also did his part to keep Blatter from rewarding his supporter with a job as FIFA's technical director, saying there were "200 people in the world" who met the job description, but that Platini wasn't one of them.

"He is a nice person, but I don't see him as qualified," Johansson said. "But maybe he has talents I don't know about."

All countries created equal

Prior to the election, Platini had been doling out UEFA cash for development programs in smaller member states such as Andorra and Moldova, which have as much say as large nations like France and Germany.

"I'm one of soccer's romantics," Platini has often said, explaining why he chooses to focus on expressions like the "soccer family," "solidarity" and "equal chances for everyone."

Blatter has also shown that he has not forgotten his former adviser.

"I would rather have a player," he said. "As a player, I know when my time is finished."

The power of money and exposure

Johansson, on the other hand, was generally regarded as honest, faithful and upright. He turned a shabby UEFA into a rich, business-like federation leading to billions of euros of income from the Champions League and European Championships. The influx of money allowed Johansson to give each member country, large and small alike, about 370,000 euros ($480,722), a third more than expected.

Johansson also tried to sway smaller countries by promising to increase the number of teams in the European Championship finals from 16 to 24 in 2012. That would allow nearly half of the federation's 52 members to participate. The expansion gamble has paid off in the past: Former FIFA president Joao Havelange won the job in 1974 after upping the number of World Cup participants from 16 to 24 and used the same trick to keep his post in 1994 with another increase to 32 teams.

Past vs. future

Platini, 51, however, had indirectly called Johansson's promises for the future into doubt by questioning what kinds of promises a 77-year-old should really be making.

"It is up to the federations to decide if they want to vote for someone who is for the future or someone who represents the past," said Platini, who has also come out for age restrictions on federation officials and told Johansson to concentrate on his hobby of fishing.

The German federation had made its intention to support Johansson clear, partly as a sign of thanks since Johansson's support was an important part of FIFA's decision to let Germany host the 2006 World Cup.

"There has never been a better UEFA president," Beckenbauer said. "We have a lot to thank Lennart Johansson for."