Soccer-Former president Johansson full of praise for Platini

By Mike Collett

ZAGREB, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Former UEFA president Lennart Johansson has been impressed with what Michel Platini has achieved in his first year in office since beating him in the presidential election.

Johansson, 78, who served 17 years as UEFA's president until losing by 27-23 votes to Platini 12 months ago, was speaking before the start of this year's Congress in the Croatian capital.

"I must say I have been very impressed with him," Johansson, now UEFA's honorary president, told reporters late on Wednesday.

"I look at him as a good friend. I didn't know much about his abilities when he came into the administration, but I must say I am impressed. He has guts, he has the ideas, he is very open about them, and he is coming through with them.

"He is being supported by members of the executive and I must say it was not a bad change.

"The time had come for me to leave and I have no hard feelings against him."

He singled out Platini's biggest achievement as the agreement he has reached with the G14 group of rich and powerful clubs, ending their impasse with the ruling body. The clubs have decided to dissolve the G14, drop various court cases and become part of a new club association within UEFA.

"That is his biggest achievement," Johansson said. "He has brought the football family together. It cost something for both parties, but they sat down together and worked it out, and it has been good for European football."