Former France captain Michel Platini beat Lennart Johansson in a close contest for the post of UEFA President on Friday. UEFA's 31st Congress went with Platini by 27 votes to 23. The 51-year-old Platini put an end to Johansson’s 17-year reign as European soccer's chief. 

 "I'm moved, enormously moved, but I am happy," said Platini in his acceptance speech. "This is the start of a great adventure." However the election was not without rancor as Johansson criticized Fifa president Sepp Blatter for publicly backing Platini at the Congress yesterday.

"I appreciate the Fifa president's words about what we have achieved in the 17 years of my presidency but I cannot appreciate it when the Fifa president interferes in an election process here in Uefa," he said. "It's not the Fifa president, it is you the Congress taking the decision."

But English clubs are worried about Platini's new proposals that are to be presented in April. These proposals call for limiting Champions League teams to three from the current four.

Platini has been vocal in supporting a changed format. "You have the European future in your hands. The new format of the Champions League is for 2009. I talked about finding a better equilibrium for the number of clubs and that's for 2009-10," he said. "The final decision will be (by Uefa's executive committee) in April so we have a few months still to see which way we will go, but I would like a better equilibrium, it is very close to my heart."

In other decisions, the Congress voted to accept Montenegro as its 53rd full member.