FIFA's president uses Twitter to reject rumors

FIFA President Sepp Blatter has used Twitter to dismiss suggestions he will stand aside early to let UEFA counterpart Michel Platini take over the governing body of world soccer.

Blatter tweets that ''the existence of a reported 'deal' between me and Michel Platini for the FIFA Presidency is pure nonsense,'' and adds ''the suggestion that I intend to stop my four-year mandate before its end is simply ridiculous.''

Unsourced reports of a deal were published Wednesday ahead of a strategy meeting involving UEFA's 53 member countries in Cyprus next week.

Blatter began posting on Twitter at last year's World Cup and his support for vuvuzelas became a global story. His 100-plus tweets since have been more cautious.