Michel Platini is a Football French or born with Jœuf (Meurthe-et-Moselle) the June 21st 1955. It is regularly quoted among the largest football players of all times in competition with Brazilian the Pelé, Argentinian the Diego Maradona and Alfredo Di Stefano, Dutch Johan Cruyff, Marco Van Basten, German Franz Beckenbauer and French Zinédine Zidane. These last years, he was elected twice better French footballer of all times by France Football.

The January 26th 2007, it is elected president of UEFA succeeding thus Lennart Johansson. It was also selector of the team of France of football of 1988 with 1992 and Co-organizer with Fernand Sastre of the Football world cup of 1998 in France.

Biography

Its beginnings

Michel is the son of Aldo Platini, football player amateur then trainer of the team of division 3 of the ACE Nancy-Lorraine. This last leaves much freedom to his/her son in his progression. Michel thus learns art from the dribble in the street. It is the antithesis of the players passed by the training centres, then just being born in France. It is with the small local club of the ACE Jœuf that it makes its classes. He signs there his first license in pupil (September 10th, 1966). Aldo very early informs however Michel on some simple but paramount concepts, anticipation in the highest degree. It is already necessary to know to which one will pass the ball before receiving it.

Michel magnifying glass completely the finale of the contest of the young footballer in 1969, but manages to point out himself at the time of a match of Coupe Gambardella. He is only sixteen years old, and he shines already of thousand fires within the formation junior of the ACE Jœuf which faces the juniors of the FC Metz. Convened with the training course of preselection of the Metz-native club, Platini, casualty, cannot take part in it. The Metz-native trainer changes club then, and Michel Platini is striped lists. He finds his team of Jœuf in Promotion of Honor.

The FC Metz invites again Michel Platini with a training course of preselection, but the famous test of respiratory capacity turns badly. After step less than ten tests to the spirometer, Michel disappears. The verdict of the doctor is radical: very low respiratory capacity. Cardiac failure. Platini will not play for the FC Metz, the club of heart of his childhood. He joined finally the team holds ACE Nancy-Lorraine in September 1972. He becomes acquainted with Jean-Michel Moutier, young gatekeeper of the reserve, which quickly becomes his/her friend.

Platini in Nancy (1972-1979)

As of his beginnings under the colors of Nancy, Platini makes speak the powder: he marks three goals vis-a-vis Wittelsheim in D3 with the reserve. Multiplying the exits of this type, Michel finds himself quickly with the doors of the flag team. Its first contact with the elite is however painful. He is substitute vis-a-vis Valencian and assists, impotent bench of key, with a true riot in platform. He is reached several projectiles and spittles… A few days later, it is descended by a defender of Strasbourg at the time of a match from reserve: double fracture of the malleolus of the right leg. This delicate season is completed well with its great beginnings in Division 1. Platini is aligned of entry vis-a-vis Nimes at the stage Marcel Picot the May 3rd 1973.

Located by the Parisian authorities after its first blows of glares in Cut Gambardella, Michel Platini forever who been able to honor the least selection in team with France junior because of wounds. He thus carries out his great beginnings with the blue shirt of the team of France amateurs on September 26th, 1973. All seems to be held perfectly, but a new wound, in March 1974, call all in question. With Nice, Michel is victim of a double fracture of the left arm. There is not present on the ground at the end of the season, and remains completely impotent when its club is relegated in D2 at the end of the season.

In D2, Nancy walks and finds quickly the elite. Platini becomes during this beautiful season the true owner of the team. He also marks 17 goals. Some of them are registered on frank Coup, of which it is made a speciality as of this period. Even large the Ivan Curkovic, guard of the ACE Saint-Etienne, is let mislead twice in Coupe de France by these first blow frankly diabolic which circumvented the wall of the defenders while following an always unforeseeable curve to go to place itself in the attic window of the guard… and Nancy eliminates the Greens. Platini works his frank blows with his friend Jean-Michel Moutier. The foam mannequins which form the wall are already there.

The military obligations of the Platini soldier make him cover the uniform during the summer 1975. Like all the high level sportsmen, it is affected with the Bataillon of Joinville where it makes team with a promotion of talent at the sides of Maxime Bossis, Eric Pécout and others Omar Sahnoun, without forgetting his Nancy friends: Olivier Rouyer and Jean-Michel Moutier. At the time of his military service, Michel defends the colors of France as a soldier, hopes and Olympic. With the Olympic team, Platini and his friends eliminate, with the manner, the frightening formation of Romania, which however aligned its team A. the match outward journey is held the December 3rd 1975 with Brest. Platini is brilliant during this part which the young French gain by 4 to 0. Platini becomes a high-speed motorboat in France after this match. With the return match, in spite of a defeat 1-0 with Bucharest, France qualifies itself for OJ of Montreal in which Platini will take part.

Three days after this qualification, Platini is selected with the team of France has. It is also a first for the new selector of the Blue ones: Michel Hidalgo.

Simultaneously with its military activities, joined Michel, as often as possible, his club which evolves/moves from now on again in D1. At the time of a played match with Laval, the public mayennais Platini room. This last, upset, mark three goals. Alas, the evening finishes badly, with a new wound. The press titrates then: the season of Platini is finished, and to announce a new operation of the meniscus for Michel. It of it is nothing. Platini avoids the operation and finds the grounds two weeks after the incident of Laval. This return falls well, because Nancy faces in the tread the Olympique of Marseilles to the Parc of the Princes in semi-final of the Coupe de France. Michel signs head the single goal Lorraine, but it is constrained to leave the ground on wound. ASNL is inclined finally 4-1.

The Olympic tournament 1976 begins for the Blue ones from Platini the July 19th vis-a-vis the Mexico, swept 4-0. Even score vis-a-vis the Guatemala with two signed goals Platini. The hen phase is completed on a tie vis-a-vis Israel; Platini marks a goal on Penalty. France then disputes the quarterfinals vis-a-vis in East Germany. This formation is in fact the team has GDR. With an arbitration more than doubtful, the French finish the match with nine and the Germans pass the turn…

Of return of Montreal, Platini signs its first professional contract with Nancy for two seasons. It is however the team of France which occupies all the spirits with, in point of test card, the qualification with World Argentinian. The decisive match is held the November 16th 1977 with the Park of the Princes vis-a-vis in Bulgaria. Platini is perfect in his role of leader and the Blue ones are essential 3-1. They will dispute the final stage of the World cup 1978 after a twelve years waiting.

Divine surprised at the time of the publication of the classification of the Balloon of gold at the end of December 1977: the young person Michel Platini points with the third rank.

At the time of the matches of preparation for the World cup, it is advisable to announce that disputed to Naples vis-a-vis the Italy on February 8th, 1978. Platini is dazzling in front of all the recruiters of the Italian clubs come to supervise the news little marvel French. Platini twice astounds everyone while misleading, back-to-back, the legendary guard Dino Zoff, on frankly direct blow. The first attempt is not validated by the man in black which had not whistled… Zoff thinks of having avoided the worst, because Platini finds the wall at the time of his second attempt. A few minutes later, new frank blow with the accesses of Italian surface. Zoff then takes well guard to cover its right angle, but Platini misleads it by the left. Zoff remains petrified. Its private conversations with Zoff and its class, during this retransmise part by Italian television, make a high-speed motorboat in Italy of it. The largest European clubs will fight from now on to stick its services: the PSG and Saint-Etienne in France, the Juventus, the Inter Milan and Naples in Italy, Barcelona and Valence in Spain, Arsenal in England, to quote only some of them.

Before disputing the World cup in Argentina, Platini offers the Coupe de France 1978 with Nancy. Michel signs the single goal of the finale against OGC Nice. He receives, as a captain of ASNL, its first major trophy of the hands of the President of the republic Valery Giscard d'Estaing.

Between the final of the Coupe de France and the kickoff of World, fifteen days only! Not question of training course of preparation for the Blue ones. Hustling Italy and the Argentinian , France is too tender to hope to leave such a group. Platini does not have large thing to reproach himself at the time of this World, but with the attack the season 1978-1979, it is taken in influenza by the public, which considers it responsible for the failure in Argentina. Platini evolves/moves under the whistles until the match of Geoffroy-Guichard. Galvanized by the whistles which are addressed to him, Platini puts the twice the work vis-a-vis the Greens. He disputes each balloon, and on one of the tacles which he tries, its ankle blocks itself: triple fractures malleolus. Michel is thus absent at the time of the matches of Coupe of Europe of the winners of cut of ASNL. The contract binding Platini and Nancy arrives in the long term in June 1979. The Nancy president then tries a takeover by force to preserve his player, but Platini does not appreciate this intervention at all. He will leave the Lorraine club at the end of his contract. Three clubs are detached then: inter Milan, the PSG and Saint-Etienne. The first two quoted clubs are lures, because Saint-Etienne is the objective of Platini. It signs at the Greens a three year old contract.

In spite of the wounds and the whistles, humor remains one of the principal features of the character of Michel. Let us quote here two of the many gags which it signed during its Lorraine period. During displacements, Michel had fun to explode a detonator with wick in a public place, then to do it dead, inevitably causing an assembly… At the time of the stay in Argentina for the World cup, he had fun, like a schoolboy, to empty tubes of toothpaste in the beds of his fellow-members…

Platini at the Greens (1979-1982)

The three years of Michel Platini to Saint-Etienne show a mitigated assessment. The objective of the club by recruiting Platini was to gain a Cut of Europe, but in spite of some blows of glare (in particular against PSV Eindhoven and Hamburg), the Greens will never rise with the height of their glorious elder of 1976. Over the national plan, Platini gains his ultimate championship of France in 1981, but fails twice finally of the Coupe de France. First of all vis-a-vis Bastia in 1981 then against Paris Saint-Germain in 1982, his last match with Saint-Etienne before its departure for Juventus. He will then have played under the green shirt 146 matches for a total of 82 goals.

During its period inhabitant of Saint-Etienne, he affirms himself in team of France, within which he becomes under number 10 an essential captain. In 1981, Platini extirpates the Blue ones of their group of qualifications for the World cup 1982 thanks to a frank blow “platinien” marked against the Netherlands at the time of the decisive match for the qualification.

With the World Spanish of 1982, the Blue ones rise until in semi-final against the FRG, for a meets of legend lost at the conclusion of the test of the shootings to the goal. Paradoxically, Michel Platini regards today this match as the greatest memory of his career.

Platini in Juve (1982-1987)

With the Juventus of Turin, within a team made up quasi entirely of players world champions (the Italy has just been essential on the Mundial ), Platini knows delicate beginnings. Taken in influenza by an extremely demanding specialized press, it is even very close to leaving Italy during the winter. With the truce, Michel and his fellow-member Polish Zbigniew Boniek types fist on the table and obtains a tactical evolution of the team. The second part of season 1982-83 is much more interesting for the Old woman which gains the Cut of Italy 1983. Juve flies then of success in success.

It gains the championship of Italy in 1984 and 1986, the Cut of Europe of the winners of cut in 1984, the Supercoupe of the UEFA in 1984 the Coupe of Europe of the Clubs Champions in 1985, and the Intercontinental Coupe in 1985. From 1984 to 1986, it also finishes three times consecutively better striker of the championship of Italy. He is recognized like the best European player by receiving with three recoveries the Ballon of Gold of 1983 to 1985.

The European final of 1985, disputed in Heysel against Liverpool should have been the top of its career with Juventus. But the Drame of Heysel constitutes without question the most painful memory of its career. Author of the only goal of the meeting, Michel Platini finds himself in the center of a media polemic in the days which follow the drama, some reproaching him his lack of reserve in the celebration of the victory. But Platini will defend himself while supporting that just like the whole of the players of the meeting, it had been left in the ignorance of the extent of the drama.

The state of grace of Platini in club is also reflected in national selection. In 1984, it gains the Championnat of Europe of the nations organized in France by marking nine goals (three of the right foot, three of the left, three of the head) in only five meetings. It resolves in particular the final against the Spain thanks to a frank blow which misleads the Spanish gatekeeper Luis Arconada and thus offers to France its first major title in football.

But weakened by a tough pubalgie, playing under infiltration, Michel Platini its reputation of better player of the world at the time of the Football world cup 1986 in Mexico is not truly able to justify. It is however shown decisive on several occasions, in particular against the Italy in eighth of finale (opening of the score) and against the Brésil in quarterfinal (equalization). This goal registers the day of its birthday will remain the last of its career at the Blue ones. After a new elimination in semi-final against the FRG, Michel Platini must be satisfied with the third final place (it did not dispute the small finales tournaments 1982 and 1986).

Used physically, Platini disputes an ultimate season in Juventus before taking his sporting retirement in June 1987. Taking part in dotted in the qualification campaign (unfruitful) for the Euro 1988, Platini honors his last selection in blue on April 29th, 1987 against the Iceland. In team of France, of 1976 to 1987, it marked 41 goals in 72 selections, which will remain the record at Blue the until October 2007.

Platini since his end of a career (1987-2007)

Hardly more than one year after its retirement as a player, it is named selector of the team of France of football on November 1st, 1988. It replaces Henri Michel, thorough outside following the bad one starts the Blue ones in the eliminating heats of the World cup 1990. But the arrival of Platini does not change anything and France is absent from World Italian. It is then time to concentrate on the eliminating heats of the Euro 1992, organized in Sweden. The men of Platini leave themselves with brilliance their group qualification by gaining their eight matches (victory in particular in Spain and Czechoslovakia) and, forts of a series record of 19 matches without defeat, affirm themselves among the favorites of the competition. But a poor series of preparatory friendly matches, then especially the failure with the Euro (elimination with the first turn, not only one victory) push it to resign in July 1992.

It is the last carrier of the Olympic flame to the Winter Olympics of Albertville in 1992.

Copresident of the Steering Committee of the World 1998 with Fernand Sastre, then special adviser of the president of FIFA after the election of Joseph Blatter in 1998, he becomes vice-president of the FF in January 2001, and charged since March 2005 of the international department.

He was also consulting on Canal+ at the time of the evenings of the Ligue of the Champions.

The leader: Platini, president of the UEFA (since 2007)

Member of the executive committee of the UEFA and member of the Executive committee of FIFA since April 2002, he becomes President of UEFA the January 26th 2007 for one 4 years duration. He is elected in the majority absolute with the first turn of the poll of the Congress of Düsseldorf in Germany by the 52 members federations of the UEFA (1 federation is worth 1 vote), with 27 votes against 23 (2 votes being null). Its adversary, the Swede Lennart Johansson, 77 years, was president of UEFA since 1990.

Its program

Michel Platini based his speech on virtues of solidarity and universality with in particular 5 major points:
  • Legitimacy: more of being able at the executive committee which will be reinforced like authority décisionnaire and which will open more with the small nations football, too often forgotten.
  • Solidarity: with the Executive continuation of the programs Hattrick and Signal intended to help the small federations and a better redistribution of the receipts of the great competitions organized by UEFA.
  • Universality: a system of qualification to the Championship of Europe of the Nations (Euro) maintained but a project of widening of the number of participating teams passing from 16 to 24 (to allow countries to have their chance). Within the framework of the assistance to the smallest nations, Michel Platini also proposes to limit to 3 the number of clubs per nation directly qualified for the Ligue of the Champions to allow nations seldom represented to have their chance (project largely criticized by its adversary owing to the fact that it is “a problem, a business of business” and that Platini takes too much into account football by forgetting the business having made grow UEFA).
  • Unit: with the development of a European Charter of football defining and allowing to preserve the values of football as well as the bringing together enters national associations, UEFA and FIFA.
  • Fight against the plagues of football: a will to fight “racism, xenophobia, the financial affairs doubtful, the clandestine bets, the drifts of the profession of agent, doping”.

Football, a cultural exception

Once elected, Michel Platini militates to make football a cultural exception protected from the economic rules and legal constraints inherent in the European Union.

Prize list (player)

Equip with France

  • 72 selections in team of France A.
  • Captain with fifty recoveries, of 1979 to 1987.
  • Old record of the number of goals marked in team of France with 41 goals between 1976 and 1987 beaten since by Thierry Henry (all the more remarkable record as he played in the middle of ground, and played 72 matches).
  • Semi-finalist of the World cup 1982 vis-a-vis the FRG.
  • Champion of Europe of the Nations: 1984 (France has).
  • Better striker of the Championship of Europe: 1984 with 9 goals (France has).
  • intercontinental Cut of the nations (Crossed Artemio trophy): 1985 (France has).
  • Semi-finalist of the World cup 1986 vis-a-vis the FRG.
  • took part in the French detention of the Bâton of Nasazzi to 5 recoveries between 1977 and 1985, including 3 as a captain of 1982 to 1985 (France has).

Clubs

  • Victorious of the Cut of the clubs European champions: 1985 (Juventus).
  • Finalist of the Cut of the clubs European champions: 1983 (Juventus).
  • Victorious of the Cut of the Cuts: 1984 (Juventus) (1st French to gain this test).
  • Victorious of the intercontinental Cut: 1985 (Juventus).
  • Victorious of the Supercoupe of the UEFA: 1984 (Juventus).
  • Champion of France: 1981 (Saint-Etienne).
  • Champion of Italy: 1984 and 1986 (Juventus)
  • Victorious of the Coupe de France: 1978 (ACE Nancy).
  • Finalist of the Coupe de France: 1981 and 1982 (ACE Saint-Etienne).
  • Victorious of the Cut of Italy: 1983 (Juventus).
  • Victorious of Mundialito of the Clubs of FIFA ( Coppa Super Clubs ): 1983 (Juventus, in Milan).
  • Champion of France of D2: 1975 (ACE Nancy).
  • Better striker ( capocanoniere ) of the championship of Italy: 1983, 1984 and 1985 (Juventus).
  • Better striker of the League of the Champions: 1985 with 7 goals (Juventus).

Distinctions

Selections and statistics

  • 1 selection equips FIFA with it: it beats the Argentinian world champion the June 25th 1979 in Buenos Aires (with the young person Diego Maradona)
  • 1 selection in the team of Europe in 1982 (vis-a-vis team FIFA)
  • 72 selections in team of France has (captain with fifty recoveries, of 1979 to 1987), for 41 goals between 1976 and 1987 (the 41 goals with the blue ones constitute a record, which is all the more remarkable as Platini was medium ground). It is necessary to await the October 17th 2007 to see this record beaten by some Thierry Henry.
  • 104 goals all competitions confused with Juventus
  • 28 goals out of cuts of Europe of clubs
  • 52 matches of cuts of Europe of clubs
  • Selection of the century FIFA 1998
  • Player of the century of Juventus FC
  • French Player of the century the Team 2000
  • 6th footballer of the century Football Family FIFA 2000
  • 8th footballer of the century Placar 2001
  • Elected French footballer of the century by France Football in 1999.
  • Elected better player of all the history of blue by France Football in 2004.

Career (leader)

  • Vice-president of the ACE Nancy-Lorraine
  • Copresident of organization of a World cup
  • Vice-president of the FF
  • To advise presidency FIFA
  • Member of the Executive committee of the FIFA
  • Member of the Executive committee of the UEFA
  • President of the UEFA (elected by 27 votes against 23 with the outgoing president Lennart Johansson)

Statistics detailed in club per seasons

Quotations

  • “One hour with Marguerite Duras, that was harder for me than any match of my career. Sometimes, there were even certain questions which I had of the evil to include/understand. (...) I was never questioned by somebody of also ignare of the things of football. ” Release , April 4th 1996.
  • “No film in the world, no part could transmit as many contradictory currents, as many emotions as the lost semi-final of Seville.” Football game France - FRG (1982)
  • “the street, it is the best way of becoming a good footballer. ”
  • “the trouble, it is that it is always necessary to be justified. I spent more time explaining why I made such or such choice, that to make this choice. ”
  • “Those which spoke about France black-white-beur were in delay of thirty years. France is for a long time black-white-beur. In 1998, I was shocked by this speech. I said myself: " hold, people discovered that France was like cela". These people do not look at much around them. The considerations of the French on the immigrants have practically not changed for hundred years. One day, I was received by an assistant of the mayor in Belfort as a trainer of the team of France. In his speech, the elected official spoke about me like an good example of integration. I failed to insult it. I was very surprised because I never regarded myself as foreigner. I had never spoken Italian, my father either. My grandfather spoke him also French. I am of third generation. It was time that I would be integrated! The history of the foot is interesting to observe. When one looks at the four French gold balloons, it is exactly the history of immigration in France. There are initially Kopa, Platini, then, after Papin, Zidane. That recuts perfectly the times of the integration from abroad in France. In 1998, France had been black-white-beur for at least twenty years. I think that certain people who direct us do not know their country. It is not to make of the policy only affirm that. ” ( Humanity , December 9th 2005, p. 20)
  • “football is a play before being a product, a sport before being a market, a spectacle before being a business” (Düsseldorf the January 26th 2007).

Random links:Davron | Jan Bruegel the Young person | Michael Frayn | Air harmful effect | Henry Every

© 2007-2008 speedlook.com; article text available under the terms of GFDL, from fr.wikipedia.org