Well, that was a madcap ending to Sportsday. You can continue to follow Sportsday on this very website, chiefly through this story, which will tell you all you need to know (further reporting and reaction to follow).

That is all from Sportsday for now, though. We will return tomorrow at 08:00 GMT.

Breaking away from Platini for a second and Chelsea midfielder Oscar has tweeted to tackle reports in today's papers which suggested he and team-mate Diego Costa had been involved in a training-ground bust-up...

More from Michel Platini on his decision to withdraw from the Fifa presidential race:

"I had 150 associations thinking that I'm the right person to solve Fifa's problems. It won't happen. But there is no age limitation, so maybe I'll come back in 20 years. Who knows?'' 

Here are the quotes from Michel Platini himself, on why he has withdrawn as a candidate in the race to become the next Fifa president...

"I'm withdrawing from the race for Fifa presidency," Platini told the Associated Press in an interview. "The timing is not good for me. I don't have the means to fight on equal terms with the other candidates. I have not been given the chance to play the game. Bye bye Fifa, bye bye Fifa presidency.

"I'm taking this philosophically, let's wait and see what happens. But injustice is revolting me and I'm trying to fight it.

"I can't have any regret in that story because things fell upon my head while I haven't done anything wrong.

"I'm struggling to understand what happened, unless there was a will somewhere to prevent me from bidding."

More details on Michel Platini's withdrawal from the race to be the next Fifa president...

The 60-year-old Frenchman has told the Associated Press that he remains determined to overturn the eight-year ban he was handed by Fifa's ethics committee last month, but that the deadline for the 26 February Fifa presidential election is too short and renders his candidacy impossible.

You'll probably remember that Uefa president Michel Platini failed in his bid to have his 90-day provisional ban from football lifted last month.

Platini's request was denied by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which means the Frenchman will not be allowed to attend the Euro 2016 finals draw in Paris on Saturday.

The 60-year-old was suspended in October, along with Fifa president Sepp Blatter, while corruption claims are investigated.

Both deny any wrongdoing.

This now looks to have scuppered his hopes of succeeding Blatter at Fifa.

Image source, AFP

Big news! Suspended Uefa president Michel Platini has told the Associated Press that he is withdrawing from the Fifa presidential election.

Major League Soccer's newest club, Los Angeles FC, have revealed their crest ahead of the new season. You can have a gander at it on their official Facebook page., external

It's got a wing on it. City of Angels, you see.

In addition, I've just been handed an urgent and horrifying news story. I need all of you, to stop what you're doing and listen.... cannonball!

Ahem, sorry, what I meant to say was that LAFC have also unveiled a new co-owner. Some bloke called Will Ferrell. Great Odin's raven!

Image source, PA

FA Board member Dame Heather Rabbatts has told 5 live that football "owes a duty of care" to women like former Chelsea doctor Eva Carneiro. She told Afternoon Edition's Dan Walker that Dr Carneiro was one of "very few high profile women working at the top end of football."

Dame Heather has publicly supported Dr Carneiro, who has now begun an employment tribunal for constructive dismissal against Chelsea.

Dame Heather told 5 live that the case represented a "significant moment for football" and added "for us at the FA it means that we need to absolutely look at our processes again to ensure that women who are in the game get support".

Image source, Getty Images

And here is Alan Curtis himself, on his appointment as Swansea manager until the end of the season...

"It’s an honour to be asked to manage this club until the end of the season. If the club believes I am the right man to take things forward then I will give everything I have to the role. 

"As the weeks have gone on I feel I have grown into the job and I’m a lot happier now taking it until the end of the season. I firmly believe we can get the results required between now and the end of the campaign to push us up the table."

Image source, Reuters

Huw Jenkins on the appointment of Alan Curtis as Swansea caretaker boss until the end of the season part 3:

"Finding a replacement hasn’t been easy because we didn’t want to make a short-term decision that would be detrimental to the club long-term. It’s a unique situation for us and I think we are only now appreciating what other Premier League clubs in our position have gone through in the last five years. 

"We’ve spoken to a lot of potential managers. Some didn’t want to leave the clubs they were at this late stage in the season, while others didn’t want to put their reputation on the line by joining a club at the wrong end of the table. 

"In the end, we felt the best decision was to keep things in-house and change as little as we can until taking stock in the summer."

Image source, AP

Huw Jenkins on the appointment of Alan Curtis as Swansea caretaker boss until the end of the season part 2: 

“We believe there is nobody with more knowledge and experience of the club to do that than Alan Curtis. He has served Swansea City so well for more than 40 years and played an integral part in our recent success under the likes of Roberto Martinez, Paulo Sousa, Brendan Rodgers, Michael Laudrup and Garry Monk. 

“We have a person at the helm who fully represents all Swansea City stands for; has the respect of the players and who will provide the calm reassurance and encouragement of our footballing beliefs. 

“We have all been impressed with the way he has improved performance levels over the last five games. The players have obviously responded to him because we have seen an uplift in performances."

Image source, Reuters

In a lengthy statement on the Swansea website,, external chairman Huw Jenkins has discussed the decision to appoint Alan Curtis as caretaker manager until the end of the season. This is what he has had to say...

“We firmly believe it is the right decision for Swansea City. 

“Alan has been with us through good and bad times and was part of the management team that helped the club secure its Football League status over 12 years ago. 

“He is fully aware of the next important job he has ahead of him to dig deep and find the required levels of performance and motivation to secure our Premier League status – our main goal this season." 

Image source, PA

Tom Garry
BBC Sport

Swansea City have announced caretaker boss Alan Curtis will remain in charge of the Premier League club for the rest of the season.

The 61-year-old took over after Garry Monk was sacked on 9 December.

Former Swans player Curtis has since led the side to one win, two draws and two defeats in five games at the helm so far, including three clean sheets.

Swansea lie 17th in the table, two points above the relegation zone, after Saturday's loss at Manchester United.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, OfficialBHAFC

Championship side Brighton & Hove Albion have signed winger Anthony Knockaert from Belgian club Standard Liege for an undisclosed fee. 

The 24-year-old, who joined Standard from Leicester City last summer, has agreed a three-and-a-half-year contract with the Seagulls. 

"He was somebody I was interested in for a number of reasons," Albion manager Chris Hughton said. 

"He is a good technical player and has experience of the Championship."

Exclusive: France win Euro 2016... in a simulation of the event by the creators of Football Manager.

According to the simulation, the hosts will beat Italy 2-0 in the final thanks to goals from Alexandre Lacazette and Rafael Varane.

You'll be glad to know that both England and Wales make it out of the group stage. But both exit in the quarter-finals, with the former knocked out by Italy and the latter falling to Austria.

Unfortunately, neither Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland make it out of their group.

Have a look here., external

Doesn't look like we'll be seeing Alexis Sanchez in action for Arsenal this weekend. The Gunners face Sunderland in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday but the Chilean forward, who has been suffering from a hamstring injury, will not be risked.

"The bad news of the week is that Alexis is not quite ready," the Gunners boss told arsenal.com. 

"It is a precaution because of his hamstring, and it takes a few more days. He's not bad but he's not ready. 

"The thinking is to give absolutely everything to qualify. We are the holders of the cup and I know as well by experience that it is very important that you get in the competition and that you have a successful third round. It's a tricky one, always, the third round." 

Image source, PA

Stoke boss Mark Hughes is confident the club's ongoing contract talks with Marko Arnautovic will result in an agreement being reached. Reports have suggested 26-year-old Arnautovic, who is being linked with Paris St Germain, has rejected a new deal offered by the Potters and is holding out for one that would make him their highest-paid player. 

When asked about Arnautovic's situation on Thursday, Hughes said: "It is where it was just before Christmas I think. 

"As with all negotiations, usually people representing players go in high, we go in low and somewhere in the future we come to a middle ground and it gets done. That is what is happening in terms of Marko's situation. 

"We are having negotiations. Sometimes they take longer than others. But we are very hopeful Marko will be a big part of what we are doing going forward, and I think that is what he would like." 

Image source, Reuters

Fancy attending a Euro 2016 match in France? Well you better hurry up because there are only 11 days left to secure tickets for the event before the deadline to apply passes on 18 January.

Each of the competing teams has a dedicated portal, although this public portal allows fans to apply for any match in each of the ten host cities. It is also possible for fans who are not members of their respective FA’s supporters clubs to apply for tickets for the matches of their team.

You can find said portals here., external

Image source, PA