ZURICH: A day after UEFA President Michel Platini was questioned by Swiss authorities over a FIFA payment, presidential election rival Prince Ali bin al-Hussein touted himself as the safe choice to rid the governing body of corruption.

In a statement Saturday, the prince says national federations should not be "worrying about the next scandal or criminal investigation involving FIFA leadership."

The Jordanian prince is Platini's main rival in a February election to replace Sepp Blatter, who became a formal subject of a criminal investigation into football corruption on Friday.

Blatter was questioned over a 2011 payment of 2 million Swiss francs (about $2 million) to Platini for work carried out at least nine years earlier.

Platini, who was questioned as a witness, denies wrongdoing.