The Uefa president Michel Platini has insisted Qatar's bid to host the 2022 World Cup was never mentioned in a meeting between him and the disgraced former Fifa vice-president Mohamed bin Hammam on the eve of the vote that secured the event for the tiny Gulf state.

The role of Platini has come under scrutiny amid renewed corruption claims over the Qatari's conduct in 2009 and 2010, when it was bidding for the World Cup and Bin Hammam was mulling over a challenge to Sepp Blatter for the Fifa presidency.

But Platini said it would be unusual for him not to meet a fellow executive committee member. At that stage Bin Hammam had not been accused of any wrongdoing. He later resigned from football after his bid to unseat Blatter was derailed by a string of bribery allegations.

In a strongly worded defence the leader of European football, who has been open in admitting he backed the Gulf state but whose meeting with the then French president Nicolas Sarkozy and the now emir of Qatar before the vote has come under intense scrutiny, said Bin Hammam was trying to persuade him to stand for president.

"I find it astonishing that conversations with a fellow member of the executive committee of Fifa could suddenly transform into a state plot," he said.

"I have obviously met with Mr Mohamed bin Hammam on many occasions in 2010 as we were both members of the same executive committee since 2002. During those conversations with Mr Bin Hammam, the topic of the discussions was my candidature for the presidency of Fifa."

Platini said Bin Hammam "was indeed trying to convince me to become a candidate for the 2011 presidential elections". When he failed, he decided to run against Blatter himself.

There are extensive trade links between France and Qatar, including the purchase of Paris St Germain by QSI, and in early 2012 Platini's son Laurent was employed by a Qatari sportswear firm it also owned.

But Platini has consistently maintained the decision was his alone and that he was not influenced.

"I wish to reiterate that I am the only member of the Fifa executive committee who publicly said for which bid I have voted – proof of my full transparency – and that no one ever dictates terms to me," he said.

"I am no longer surprised by the circulation of unfounded rumours which aim at tarnishing my image in such an important moment for the future of football."

Blatter is preparing to stand for a fifth term as president and there is a suspicion within Uefa circles that the ongoing controversy around the Qatar 2022 World Cup is being used to damage Platini, seen as a potential challenger.

Uefa is considering registering its disapproval with Blatter by staging a sit-down protest when he announces his plans to stand again next week.

In the wake of a wave of new corruption allegations involving Bin Hammam in the Sunday Times, the Qatar 2022 organising committee has insisted the former Fifa vice president Bin Hammam had no "official or unofficial" role in the bid.

Meanwhile, the chairman of Fifa's audit and compliance committee, Domenico Scala, admitted the biggest risk to Fifa's integrity was the 25 members of its executive committee.

"The highest single risk at Fifa is the executive committee and its members," Scala told Bloomberg.

"Which is why the reforms have all tried and have actually achieved the limitation of their decision-making powers by introducing several checks and balances. The single individual missing point now is the limitation on the terms of office."