Michel Francois Platini is a French football player, coach and sports figure. According to France Football magazine, he is the best French player of the XX century, and in the ranking of the best players of the last century, published by the IFFIIS, Michel takes the seventh line out of 66 possible. The light and technical midfielder, who sees the field perfectly and feels the ball, became the European champion with the French national team and the winner of the Champions League in the Turin Juve, and repeatedly won national championships and other cups. Over a short coaching career, he managed to get the title of the best trainer in the world and proved himself as a sports functionary. However, since 2015, an investigation has been conducted against the Frenchman for violation of official ethics, because of which he was removed from his post as president of UEFA. In 2018, the investigation was terminated due to insufficient evidence, and now Platini intends to restore his honest name.
First steps in football
Michel Platini was born in the French commune of Jeff on June 21, 1955 in the family of Italian immigrants Aldo and Anna Platini. His father played football at an amateur level. Young Michelle decided to follow in his father's footsteps and at the age of 11 began to play for the local team "Jeph". The player was noticed when he was 16 years old. Then Michelle's team won the Mets finals, and maroon invited the player to watch. Platini did not pass it, so he had no choice but to agree to his father’s offer to join the ranks of Nancy as a reserve player.
Career at Nancy
For the "thistles" Michelle spoke from 1972 to 1979. Michel Platini first entered the field when the 1972/73 season came to an end. It was a game against the Nimes team. Then the young football player could not distinguish himself. But in the next match against Lyon, he scored a double. However, in the next season, the player appeared on the field once and scored only two goals. But the 1974/75 season was successful for the football player: he managed to hit the opponents' goal 17 times and gained a foothold in the base.
It was during Michelle's time that the Lorraine team experienced its best years. In the 1976/77 season, she took 4th place in the national championship, and in 1978 won the French Cup. The match was held at the Paris stadium “Park de Prens” against “Nice”, and it was Michel Platini who scored the only goal in that meeting. Michelle is the club's top scorer: as part of the "thistles" he scored 127 goals. The young nugget perfectly fulfilled standard provisions, and he began his path to the title of “master of penalties” precisely with “Nancy”. The French club was one of the first to use mannequins in the training process to break free throws. Platini remained after training and honed his punches. It was hard work and perseverance that became a key component of a football player’s success.
Career at Saint Etienne
The second club of Michel Platini was the French "Saint-Etienne" - one of the leaders of the French championship of that time. Michel did not play for the greens for long: from 1979 to 1982, and won the national championship with the team in 1981. For 145 games, the footballer scored 82 goals. The refusal to renew the contract was logical: the Frenchman was offered several leading European clubs in the English, Spanish and Italian championships. Michelle chose the Italian Juventus. Either the call of the ancestors acted, or the conditions of the Turin were the most advantageous, but since 1982 Michel Platini began to play in the Italian series A.
Career at Juventus
Platini played for “Old Senior” 5 years (from 1982 to 1987), and these were the most successful years in the career of a football player. The first three seasons, the midfielder became the top scorer of the Italian championship. In addition, Michelle organized many attacks of his team. In the 1982/83 season, Juventus won the Italian Cup, and in the 1983/84 season it became the Italian champion, and won the Cup of European Cup and Super Bowl Holders. In 1985, Bianconeri won the European Cup (Champions League). In the final match against Liverpool, Michel Platini's only goal against the Reds decided the outcome of the meeting. Unfortunately, that happy day for the Turin team turned black for world football, as one of the stands collapsed in riots at the Eisel stadium in Brussels, which killed 39 people under the rubble.
In 1985, Juve won the Intercontinental Cup, defeating the Argentinos Juniors team. Platini scored one goal from the game and decisive one-meter in the penalty shootout and became the best player in the match. In the 1985/86 season, Juventus won the national championship again, and Platini took third place in the list of snipers. The 55th season of the Italian championship was the final for Michel as a player. In 1987, the football player completed his career. The statistics of Michel Platini's appearances for Turin players totals 104 goals in 224 games.
France national team
The debut of a football player as a player of the national team took place in 1976. It is symbolic that he scored the first goal for the “blue” in the 76th minute, throwing the Czechoslovak “wall”. At the 1978 World Cup, the footballer scored one goal for Argentina, however, in the end, France lost to future champions with a score of 2: 1. With the same score, she lost to Italy and was unable to leave the group. Michelle, meanwhile, became the captain of the team, and at subsequent world championships he led the team to the field. At the next world championship in 1982, France reached the semifinals, but lost to the German national team.
European Champion 1984
The finest hour of the player of the French national football team took place at the European home championship in 1984. The team confidently left the group, largely thanks to Michel. His only goal allowed to beat the Danes. In the next match, the Belgians were defeated, and Platini made a hat-trick. In the final battle of the group round, the Yugoslavs were defeated with a score of 3: 2, and Michel wrote all three goals at his own expense. The hat-trick in two matches of the European Championship in a row can be called Michel Platini's personal achievement, since before him this was not possible for anyone. In the dramatic semi-finals with Portugal, the midfielder scored a decisive goal in overtime and led his team to the finals. There, the "team of musketeers" defeated Spain and won the first international tournament. The match ended 2-0, and one of the goals scored by Platini. He became the undisputed leader in the scorers list, scoring 9 goals in 5 matches (with only one goal from the penalty spot).
For comparison, the second line was taken by Dane Frank Arnesen with three goals, two of which are from the penalty spot. This year Michel Platini received the Golden Ball: almost the entire panel of judges voted for him. In 1983 and 1985, he also received this award and became the only player who received the “ball” three times in a row. In 1986, France was close to winning the World Cup. She left the group and confidently beat the Italians in the 1/8 finals. Michelle scored a goal in that match. In the quarterfinal, thanks to Michel's goal, the French team reached the penalty shootout with the Brazilians and eventually won 4: 3. But the Germans blocked the way to the finals, and Platini with the team was content with only third place.
Coaching career
In 1990, the ex-footballer received an offer to lead the national team. He led the team to the 1992 European Championships. Players of the French national football team confidently defeated all the rivals who participated in the selection, and Platini was recognized as the best world coach in 1991. However, in the championship itself, France was not able to leave the group and compete for the title. Considering himself to be too soft and intelligent to work as a coach, Platini retired in order to reveal himself from a new perspective in football management.
Administrative activities
After a short coaching career, Michel began working as a sports functionary. He was co-chairman of the organizing committee of the 16th World Cup, which took place in France in 1998. In 2000, he became vice president of the French Football Federation. In 2002, Platini rose one more step in administrative activities and became a member of the executive committees of FIFA and UEFA, and in 2007 - the president of UEFA. It was under his leadership that two tournaments - the UEFA Cup and the Intertoto Cup - were combined into the Europa League. He also decided to hold the European Championship in 13 countries at once. In 2011 and 2015, Platini was re-elected president of UEFA. Under his leadership, European football was actively developed. Income from various kinds of competitions allowed to invest large sums in the development of national associations. Thanks to the organizational skills of the Frenchman, he managed to establish management in UEFA.
Corruption scandal
Michel Platini’s biography also contains dark spots. This is a corruption scandal surrounding the UEFA president. In July 2015, Platini put forward his candidacy for the presidency of FIFA, but in September a case was opened against Joseph Blatter, the then head of FIFA, on suspicion of illegal transfer of funds in the amount of 2 million Swiss francs to Platini's account. According to the Frenchman, this was a legitimate transaction made on the basis of a contract for the work that Michel Platini did for FIFA from 1998 to 2002. Since neither Blatter nor Platini provided the contract, citing an oral agreement, it was decided to conduct an investigation, and remove the Frenchman from membership in FIFA for 90 days.
UEFA members stood up for Platini, expressed their confidence and asked to leave him as a candidate for the post of head of FIFA. Platini filed an appeal with the CAS, which the court rejected, but demanded that FIFA not expire the term for membership in the Federation. Nevertheless, at the end of 2015, the International Football Federation suspended Platini from any football activity for a period of 8 years. The FIFA Ethics Committee found Blatter's explanation of the amount transferred to the French unconvincing. CAS later commuted the sentence to 4 years. In 2018, the Swiss prosecutor dropped the charges against the ex-president of UEFA. Michel himself expressed the hope that FIFA will have the courage to admit wrong and remove the suspension. If this does not happen, the Frenchman plans to continue the lawsuit and achieve a complete purification of his name. As for FIFA itself, she does not plan to drop the charges, because she punished Platini for violating ethical standards, and this has nothing to do with criminal law. Platini sees his future fate in football, as this is a matter of his life, which he does not plan to refuse, despite all the accusations against him.
Personal life
Platini married in 1977 compatriot Cristel Bigoni. The couple has two children - son Laurent and daughter Marin. Platini always put family first, which is his main support and support, especially in these difficult times for the Frenchman.
Finally
Football player Michel Platini is a legend not only in French, but also in world football. He is a true fighter and workaholic. As a child, he was physically weak, and doctors suspected that he had problems with his heart and breathing. For these reasons, he did not qualify for the Mets club. But in “Nancy” young Platini was able to show himself 100% and go to one of the strongest teams at that time “Saint-Etienne”, and then to the Italian “Juventus”. In the club career, Platini took all the trophies except the UEFA Cup. As part of the national team, he won the European Championship and won the bronze of the World Cup. Michelle is among the top ten football players of the 20th century and is the "king" of standards. After completing his career as a player, Platini devoted himself to administrative activities and did a lot for the development of European football. Perhaps when the disqualification ends, the legendary football player will continue his work as a functionary again.