Players involved in match-fixing should be suspended for life, UEFA president Michel Platini said this morning.

Addressing a news conference following his arrival in Malta for the derby between champions Valletta and Floriana at the National Stadium this afternoon, Mr Platini said match-fixing was one of the biggest threats to football.

He noted that Malta's case was now being investigated by UEFA's control and disciplinary board.

A long investigation by the Malta Football Association into match-fixing claims on Malta's Euro 2008 away qualifier against Norway unearthed "overwhelming" evidence and the findings were passed on to UEFA.

Mr Platini said players had the biggest responsibility when it came to match-fixing and if caught they had to be suspended for life.

"These things kill the game... They touch the soul of the game."

UEFA, he said, has zero tolerance on match-fixing.

Photo: Mark Zammit Cordina

Mr Platini praised the work of the Malta Football Association and referred to the newly inaugurated pitch at Fgura saying this was the way forward.

Asked about the financial fair play rules, he said UEFA had given clubs three years to prepare for these regulations and from next season, action would be taken against clubs that failed to observe these regulations.

Photo: Saviour Cassar, DOI

UEFA, he said, had had to take unpopular decisions which were ultimately intended to help clubs, some of which would disappear if they continued to spend at their current rates.

On the Euro 2012 games, starting in June in Poland and Ukraine, Mr Platini said these were a challenge as the organising countries had no previous experience in the organisation of such games.

However, he was convinced of their willingness and they have done more than they could.

He said he believed the Euro 2012 games would be successful.