Bigger finals would not dilute quality, says Platini

By Mike Collett

VIENNA (Reuters) - UEFA president Michel Platini said on Saturday that increasing the size of the European Championship to 20 or 24 teams from 16 finalists would not necessarily diminish the quality of the competition.

UEFA, the governing body of European soccer which organizes the tournament, has been studying proposals to increase the size of the finals since early last year.

It will decide whether to expand the tournament by four or eight teams, or leave it as a 16-team event, at its executive committee meeting in Bordeaux on September 25/26.

Platini reminded reporters that when he won the tournament playing for France in 1984 it was only half the size it is now.

"Remember, I won the Euros when there were only eight teams. It is not certain it was better with eight teams than 16 or that 16 is better than 24 or 32 or 54," he told a news conference.

"I am not worried about the quality by increasing the number of teams. Countries like England, Denmark, Scotland, Ireland, Belgium, Serbia, Ukraine and Bulgaria all have the ability to participate in a European Championship.

"Would they reduce the quality of the Euro? I believe they have the quality to take part, yes sincerely, there are teams that could be at the Euro and even enhance the quality of the competition."

The first five finals were staged as four-team events from 1960 until 1976 and were increased to eight teams in 1980.

The first 16-team finals were in 1996, but pressure has come from some countries to increase the size of the finals again.

If the tournament was increased to 24 teams, it would mean nearly half of UEFA's 53 members associations would take part in the finals.

(Editing by Ken Ferris)