Platini saddened by threats to Lennon

20 April 2011 19:00
UEFA president Michel Platini has condemned the parcel bombs sent to Celtic manager Neil Lennon and two high-profile Celtic fans and insisted that politics and religion had no place in football. Lennon was targeted by two separate parcels, while Paul McBride QC, who represented Lennon in his recent disciplinary dealings with the Scottish Football Association, and MSP Trish Godman, a Celtic supporter, had one addressed to each of them. Strathclyde Police revealed the packages were "designed to cause real harm to the person who opened them", but all four were intercepted before they reached their intended targets. Platini, who spoke out against sectarianism at the UEFA Congress last month, said the whole of UEFA was supporting Lennon. The Frenchman, in London for the Champions League trophy handover ceremony, told reporters: "It's a pity in football that we have these problems. "We have to keep politics and religion out of football and sport, that is very important. It's a very bad thing that has happened to the manager of Celtic and the whole of UEFA support him. "We have to do try to help football and to do something. With my heart I am with him. You hope we can conduct these conversations and disagreements in the correct manner."

Source: PA