Blatter exit flags Platini's emergence as potential heir

Rio de Janeiro

IT didn't take long for oddsmakers to get over the surprise resignation of Fifa president Sepp Blatter and anoint his probable successor.

Michel Platini, a former protege turned fierce critic, is the man most likely to lead soccer's governing body into a new era, according to the bookies.

Mr Blatter's announcement on Tuesday that he'll step down for a new leader came four days after he won a fifth term and less than a week after his…