Johannesburg: UEFA President Michel Platini was taken to hospital in Johannesburg on Friday night after fainting in a restaurant, UEFA official William Gaillard told a news agency.
“He is fine. He had been suffering from a cold and a bit of flu and he fainted before eating in a restaurant,” Gaillard said of the former French international player and coach.
“He is still in hospital now undergoing tests but he is conscious and is fine. It is not true that he has had a heart attack.”
Gaillard, who is a special advisor to Platini, said the 55-year-old had fainted before eating in the early evening at the Pigalle restaurant in the suburb of Sandton.
“His blood sugar was a little low because he hadn’t eaten and had a little fever. He stood up and just fainted.
“All the tests so far have shown there is nothing to worry about,” Gaillard added.
“I spoke to somebody who was with him in the hospital about five minutes ago and he said Michel was fine.”
Platini is one of the greatest players in the history of the sport and helped France win the 1984 European Championship. He was national team coach between 1988 and 1992.
He was elected president of European soccer’s governing body in 2007.
Bureau Report
First Published: Saturday, July 10, 2010, 13:26