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Michel Platini was re-elected as UEFA president on Tuesday and pledged to tackle the “scourges” of violence in stadiums and match-fixing during his new four-year term.

The former France captain stood unopposed at the UEFA Congress after his policy of opening up UEFA competitions to more mid-ranking teams and introducing financial rules to curb clubs’ reckless spending proved popular with the 53 European nations.

Platini, who will remain office until 2015, said there had been “incidents in far too many grounds around Europe” and praised the Scottish FA’s stand against sectarianism during Old Firm clashes between Celtic and Rangers.

Platini told the UEFA Congress in Paris: “As George Peat and Stewart Regan (president and chief executive of the SFA) so rightly put it in a recent statement on behalf of the Scottish association: there is no place in football for those who transform passion into violence and pride into sectarianism.

“Every country should establish a whole battery of legal measures enabling them to ban hooligans from stadiums. Every country should appoint a prosecutor in charge of illegal betting and corruption in sport.

“I have started meeting the heads of state and government of countries particularly affected by this problem. It is important that their countries realise the seriousness of the situation and that they find a way to help us, you and their national associations.”

Platini also reiterated his belief in UEFA’s financial fair play rules protecting club football. The rules mean clubs in European competition will only be able to spend on transfers and wages what they earn in revenues.

He added: “This project should enable us to prevent some of our most time-honoured clubs from going under because of risky management by an irresponsible few.

“In 1984 Jacques Georges (ex-UEFA president) used a phrase that I have been drumming home constantly for months and thought I had coined myself: ‘We all know what it means if we spend more than we earn, and in football it would mean the end of the game.’

“So… perhaps history does sort of repeat itself after all.

“On the topic of club finances, allow me to remind you of just one figure: together, Europe’s professional clubs accumulated net losses of €1.2 billion in 2009 alone.

“So yes, there is a huge amount of money in football, but more importantly there is a moral problem in the way this money is sometimes generated and used.

“Financial fair play is a crucial project that will enable us to clean up certain practices within our game.

“It will be implemented in full in the course of my next term and we will apply the rules with the courage and resolution for which UEFA should be known.”

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Rafael Van der Vaart has hit back in the face of criticism following his controversial substitution at the weekend, with the Dutchman unhappy about Tottenham’s apparent failure to let him play 90 minutes.

Van der Vaart was taken off with 18 minutes remaining of Spurs’ 0-0 draw with West Ham. Instead of taking his place on the bench, the forward went straight down the tunnel – actions which angered manager Harry Redknapp.

“I didn’t like that at all,” Redknapp added. “If you are part of a team I think you should stay and watch the game. I will speak to him about it. He is a good lad. I just wanted to make a substitution.”

Van der Vaart did not speak to Redknapp after the game and has since returned to his native Netherlands for international duty. The former Real Madrid man feels the furore will blow over, but is far from happy with how he is being handled.

“I read that Harry Redknapp wanted a conversation with me, but I had to return to the Netherlands so I did not see him,” he said. “Tottenham should not be angry with me. I also did the same thing against AC Milan [in the Champions League].

“I played well, and did not find the substitution necessary. Often I like to play 90 minutes, but at Spurs that hardly ever happens.

“I am away for 10 days. When I return it is likely to have blown over.”

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Fernando Torres insists he is not suffering any anxiety over his failure to open his account for Chelsea.

Torres has failed to score in his seven appearances since making a £50 million move from Liverpool in January, and his form has been scrutinised on a regular basis in the national press.

He is now on international duty with Spain but, ahead of Friday’s Euro 2012 qualifier with Czech Republic, he has insisted that he has not lost confidence as a result of the drought.

“I am not anxious about the fact that I haven’t scored my first goal for Chelsea,” Torres said. “This is an issue for the papers, not for me.

“I am confident that the goals will soon come, but it is more important that Chelsea win than I score.”

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John Terry feels he has learned from the mistakes of the past and claims there are no problems within the England squad over his re-appointment as captain.

Manager Fabio Capello, who stripped Terry of the armband just over a year ago after problems off the field, has taken the contentious decision to ditch injured successor Rio Ferdinand and return the captaincy to the Chelsea defender.

There have been reports that the decision has caused a rupture in the camp, but Terry claims the players have been offered the chance to voice their concerns and there were no problems.

“The manager pulled everyone together to say I was captain and asked if there were any problems and nothing was said,” Terry said. “If anyone had any problems I would respect them if they came to me.”

An allegation of an affair with Wayne Bridge’s former girlfriend was the catalyst to Terry’s downfall as captain last season and he claims to have learned plenty from the past.

“I am very much wiser as well,” he said. “I have concentrated on and off the field. I have am fully fit as well and looking forward to staying fit and playing well.”

“I am delighted to get the armband back. When I did not have the armband my passion and drive was still there and that would never change. But on a personal note I am delighted and looking forward to leading the team out.

“I know what is asked of me on and off the pitch. Maybe the manager has looked into that as well. I have kept my head down on and off the pith and concentrated on playing well for club and country and have done that for the last year.

“I am not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, as I have read and seen, but it is a decision the manager has taken. I had to respect that when he took it away from me and I did that. I think he has looked at that.”

Terry also confirmed that Ferdinand contacted him to wish him well with the captaincy ahead of England’s Euro 2012 qualifier against Wales on Saturday.

“Rio called me which was a very nice touch and goes to show what a great man Rio is,” Terry said. “We had a 10-minute conversation and he wished me well. He cares about England and said the most important thing was to keep winning.

‘He was naturally disappointed, but said the most important thing was to keep winning.”

He added: ‘I feel for Rio. Even though I’ve got the armband back, I can see myself we’ve got leaders in dressing room. The guys have still got a massive input in and around the dressing room.”

Terry insisted he was ready to deal with the pressure that would come with his re-appointment, and claimed his passion for playing for his country never left him even when he lost the armband.

On Saturday’s opponents, the 30-year-old continued: “I think we can expect a very tough game and we must make sure we match them in every department.

“Our players have played at the Millennium Stadium, which will naturally help – but they have a great spine in the side with James Collins, Gareth Bale and Craig Bellamy. They can pose a real threat.

“For me the most important thing is to top the group and make sure we are there (at Euro 2012). I would love to lead the team into that tournament.”

Just over a year ago Bellamy was a team-mate of Bridge when Manchester City won at Chelsea in the Premier League – and the striker was none too complimentary about Terry in a post-match interview.

However, Terry said: “He is a player I have a lot of respect for in the game – maybe sometimes he’s been misrepresented in certain ways… he wants to win, be it at Manchester City or Cardiff.

“But we must win. Wales have had a bad start, conceding a lot of goals and not scoring too many – but they pose a real threat individually. They’ve got a good young squad.”

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Wales youngster Aaron Ramsey says “it is good to be back” ahead of the country’s Euro 2012 qualifier against England, admitting his lengthy spell on the sidelines was a “frustrating time”.

Ramsey has recently returned to the Arsenal side following nine months out with a broken leg, and his encouraging form has seen him called up for Saturday’s clash at the Millennium Stadium.

The 20-year-old, who has not represented his country since November 2009, is relishing the chance to return to the international fold, claiming he is nearly back to his best.

“I’ve been out for a while so it’s good to be back among the set-up and hopefully get my opportunity to play at the weekend,” he said.

“I feel like I’m nearly there, very close to where I was before my injury. I feel that I’ve put in a few good performances recently and hopefully I can continue that against England.”

The former Cardiff City midfielder revealed how tough it had been to see his promising career come to a standstill following a tackle from Stoke’s Ryan Shawcross, although he reserved special mention for his fans for helping him cope.

“I was out for nine months. It was a bit of a frustrating time for me,” Ramsey told Sky Sports. “Before my injury I thought I was doing very well. I was just about to really kick on and play regularly and I felt good about myself and strong.

“Obviously when the injury happened, your career just stops and is put on hold from that moment on for a long time.

“I sort of dealt with it pretty well I thought. I had my friends and family around which took my mind off football. Another thing was a few people who have previously had injuries like mine were kind enough to ring me up as well and reassure me.

“Obviously the fans as well who sent me all their support messages, things like that helped me through the tough time I was going through.”

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