Michel Platini and charisma are like strawberries and cream: synonymous with one another. But after his recent comments, one wonders if Michel Platini and egomania would be a better fit.
Platini, a Frenchman and the head of UEFA – two reasons many don’t like him right off the bat – had the audacity to claim recently that his unpopularity in England could be attributed to the tabloid journalists that write about him.
Surely Platini isn’t so out of touch that he can’t see that the resentment towards him stems from a spate of negative comments on English football, including a reference to Chelsea and Manchester United as being “cheats”?
The man was a fantastic player.
A once-a-generation type, he was successful at both club and international level for well over a decade. He obviously made a lot of friends in the game, whom he used to help him oust Lenart Johansson to ascend the UEFA President’s throne.
But since then, he has since made a lot of foes amongst both football fans and media pundits alike.
Being the head of UEFA is in many ways even more powerful than the head of FIFA. With two huge competitions held annually in football’s heartland Europe, the money that they rake in is ridiculous.
While Blatter has had agendas since becoming president of FIFA – in many ways he got there as a mere puppet of Horst Dassler and João Havelange – he hasn’t been able to implement sweeping changes and most of his proposals have fallen at one hurdle or another.
Platini, on the other hand, while not being entirely effective, has been far more ambitious in what he wants to achieve with the power he has as he continually tries to force changes in European football.
The problem for many fans is that Platini’s proposals – no matter which way he spins them – seem anti-English and pro-French.
Having three English teams in the semi-finals of the Champions League two years running irked many on the continent, but it seems to have really gotten under the collar of the powers that be.
Amongst Platini’s proposals and supported reforms have been the 6+5 rule (even though the European Parliament has rejected it); caps on player wages; the prohibition of the transfer of players aged 18 and under; and stricter qualification rules for his prize asset, the Champions League, whereby only those teams operating within their own means (not having large debt against the club) would be eligible to compete.
Every single one of these proposals would fly in the face of how English clubs have become successful over the last decade.
Arsenal often field a side without an Englishman in the starting 11, therefore the 6+5 rule would be particularly difficult for them as their youth teams are generally filled with the finest talent from France, Spain and Africa while all the other Big 4 clubs have become increasing reliant on Continental Europe’s brightest talent to bolster their academies.
The capping of player wages would be a step back in time.
Rules existed up until the early 60s to cap player wages, until George Eastham took his case to court.
The judge ruled in his favour, stating that the cap was a “restraint of trade”. Almost 50 years on, it’s hard to see any judge coming to a different conclusion.
The mooted prohibition of youth players has been a particularly sore point, especially after Chelsea was hit with a transfer embargo a few months ago.
The Big 4 clubs have been raiding French clubs for their finest talent as they can offer higher wages at more prestigious clubs.
Platini feels it is harming the game in his homeland in particular, and no doubt many in Italy would agree where the current system allows young players as talented as ‘Kiko’ Macheda and Davide Petrucci to be poached by foreign clubs without them having to pay a realistic transfer fee.
Platini also has a bee in his bonnet about the amount of debt English clubs, in particular, have amassed.
Manchester United and Liverpool have generally been his two favourite examples. And while he has also mentioned Chelsea, he knows they have solid financial backing from Abramovich.
Perhaps all this goes back to English football’s darkest night, the 29th of May, 1985 when the tragedy of Heysel took place.
Platini scored a penalty to win the match 1-0 and briefly celebrated the goal, for which he was criticised in the English press.
It has been alleged that since that night, he has begrudged English football.
Whether it’s true or not, it seems Platini is hell-bent or wresting the power away from England.
It’s time Platini got out of Nyon, and had an open ear for some of the real problems in the game, rather than simply pushing on with his own agenda, pleasing his buddies and alienating those who fund his “product”.
The fans.
Daniel
Guest
Sorry for commenting under a different pseudonym. I use the name Frank in another forum.
Daniel
Guest
"Firstly the point is moot as it is against the law but if it weren’t, take the german league as you case in point, they have one of the highest domestic player rates in Europe ." You don`t know anything about German football. The German league has the 2nd highest rate of foreigners out of all European leagues. Why do you talk so much about the Bundesliga without knowing the basics? The Bundesliga is certainly not an attractive league for plastic fans like yourself who support a team that plays and reaches the latter stages of the CL every year. Could you at least have a little bit more respect for fans who are not gloryhunters...
Daniel
Guest
"Not to mention the bigger clubs in Italy are better than their German counterparts, Bayern are all but out of the CL already and they were meant to be “contesting” this year according to the papers here with Robben on the other flank it was going to be their year.Not to mention the bigger clubs in Italy are better than their German counterparts, Bayern are all but out of the CL already and they were meant to be “contesting” this year according to the papers here with Robben on the other flank it was going to be their year." I doubt that Bayern would be in the same position in their CL group if Robben and Ribery had been fit. They only played together for 45 minutes against Juventus and looked quite dangerous. Juventus has not played great football either. They managed to beat Haifa twice but that`s about it. The English teams look worse than last year and that might open up the CL this season a bit.
Frank
Guest
"he german league as you case in point, they have one of the highest domestic player rates in Europe " You know nothing about the Bundesliga. Only the Premier League has more foreign players. Do you make up statistics just for fun?
dasilva
Guest
Platini said the Ronaldo transfer was a threat to fair play. It was Blatter that supported Real Madrid not Platini http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/jun/11/cristiano-ronaldo-80m-michel-platini-gerry-sutcliffe ______ The English owner you can pretty much argued that from alot of other clubs in the world as well. No clubs don't need billionaires. They only need multibillionaires to financially compete with other clubs who are able to be successful with local owners or club membership ownership due to better club design, youth development or more fans. The fact is other clubs in the world deliberately handycap their own financial success by limiting foreign ownership due to some sense of nationalistic pride. Your statement that clubs need multi-billionaires and England don't have any multi-billionaires can apply to virtually any other country in the world Don't you think some of the non-English clubs (let say Germany) would have been more successful if they did allow foreign ownership. Of course so. But they don't due to political reasons as they believe that German clubs should stay german. That's the whole crux of the argument, not holding back English success. The fact is Platini believes the English club should be owned by ENglish, Spanish clubs should be owned by Spanish, Italian clubs should be own italians. Therefore any success of those clubs are more representative of success of your own country. If England dominated the UEFA champions league with local money, I doubt Platini would have a problem with that. I don't agree with that as I'm not a nationalist but at least I see the argument in those terms rather then some anti-English crusade.
pernunz
Roar Rookie
The 6+5 rule was declared illegal, but I believe Platini is trying to appeal the decision, because it is not a restraint on the number of foreigners the club can employ, but how many can take the field.
The Truth
Guest
Aww, the Anglophiles are upset. You criticize a man who seeks parity in a world of predictable competitions and you justify this merely with conjecture about his feelings being hurt. Oh, the irony is rich!
Freud of Football
Roar Guru
Pip, I'd say it's not what the powers that be prefer but what the friends of the power that be prefer. Most of their decisions are favours which they can call in. Blatter's predecessor was particularly a godfather type man who bribed and bought his way into the FIFA presidency, most of his votes were gained through cash+favours.
Freud of Football
Roar Guru
Platini criticised Man City wanting to buy Kaka for 150Million as he considered it ridiculous money but thought 120 Million for C. Ronaldo was ok when it came out that Real were willing to pay that much for him. He is hardly known for his consistency. In regards to "However just because PLatini agrees with it and that phenomenon has been widespread in English club. That doesn’t mean PLatini is somehow prejudice against the English. Hell How could forcing clubs to be own by English be anti-English" that. It's simple, English owners don't have the finance of overseas owners. Look at Mike Ashley, he basically sunk Newcastle. Clubs need multi-billionaires at the helm, just being a billionaire isn't enough anymore and obviously that cuts a few people out of the market
Art Sapphire
Guest
Thanks for the somber response, Pip - I know what you were getting at I was just having a bit of fun. According to your rationale - don't you think the world would have wanted the Italians to have beaten the South Koreans in 2002 :)
SImone`
Guest
FOF way off the mark with this one... Platini is the only bloke with half a clue. That said despite my hatred of the French (though i do have a love for his former club Juventus).
Pippinu
Roar Guru
Art it's not about you or I, it's what the powers that be prefer - and they know that everytime a world power drops out of the race to reach the top 4, a big chunk of the world switches off and FIFA loses money. FIFA loves the illusion of the romanticism of any country on Earth being able to make the actual final - but deep down they know that only the having the big names in the final really brings in the money.
Art Sapphire
Guest
Unless you are an avid, uncritical fan of the EPL like Herr Freud, you would find most of Platini's thoughts on the game to refreshing and a challenge to the festering, debt-laden status quo that is modern European football. His brief is to look after the health of the game in his confederation and to all the members in the UEFA confederation. His brief is not to suck up to debt addled ego-tripping owners who are in the game for all the wrong reasons.
Art Sapphire
Guest
I'd love to see Honduras make the final 4 of the WC. What have you got against Hondurans, Pip? And since when did you start talking on the world's behalf :)
Pippinu
Roar Guru
I'm sure Platini's motives are pure. But all he will effectively succeed in doing is creating the European Super League. Just has his French team of 1982 were the "last of the romantics", so is it with Platini today. But he has had trouble accepting that the days when clubs like Standard Liege or Red Star Belgrade might challenge for the CL are long over. People cling to these romantic ideals - but it's all rubbish - the world is only interested in the best of the best. They don't want Honduras making the top four in the World Cup - they only want to see the very best. It's the same in the CL.
dasilva
Guest
I actually do believe that Blatter has something in it for the English. He has shown a double standards already especially when he goes out criticising CHelsea on buying success whilst praising Real Madrid for similar spending spree saying that it shows the game is healthy. However Platini, I think he has been rather consistent. Whether you agree with his points of view or not, he was equally disgusted by REal Madrid spending spree as he was with English Club. He punish Italian clubs who poached players with out compensation as much as he done with Chelsea. Let just say all the issues you mention can be argued purely on football terms and whether that is good for the game. Rather then be reduce to simple this is hurting the French league and this will damage English league. I don't particularly agree with the no foreign owner stance. However just because PLatini agrees with it and that phenomenon has been widespread in English club. That doesn't mean PLatini is somehow prejudice against the English. Hell How could forcing clubs to be own by English be anti-English. I'm certainly against Platini modifying national team rules to prevent people who lived in the country for 5 years to represent that country. However that's got nothing to do with prejudice. Platini certainly comes from a rather old-school nationalism but I wouldn't call him anti-English for his plans. yes, all the points you mention have referred to means for why the EPL has been successfull. However that is pretty much irrelevant to whether those issues are right or not.
Jamie McTaggart
Roar Rookie
i think you need to analyse what Platini is actually saying rather than pick up on the tabloid headlines which have been turned into another opportunity for some Euro bashing. This is a recent interview with the Daily Telegraph in which Platini makes some valid points. He cares about where football is at and where it is going and I would rather have him at the helm than some patsy pandering to the billionaire owners who only care for ego, profile and money. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/6488300/Michel-Platini-who-would-be-stupid-enough-to-buy-Manchester-United-or-Chelsea.html
Robbos
Guest
Best way to show the difference between the top 4 in England to the rest is simply this, for the past 2 years 3 of the 4 semi finalists in the Champions league are English clubs & the 4th invariably knocked out in 1/4 finals & by another English club. In the last couple of years how English clubs have not fared that well in the Europa cup. There is a big difference between the big 2 in England & then the big 4 with only Man City with their extra cash can bid to intervene. So I too think this can only a good thing for EPL, if only if the rich clubs would trust Platini
Freud of Football
Roar Guru
The way I'd judge a league is by its strength in depth. England has actually gotten better this year even as some of the "lesser" clubs have provided more competition, yes Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso have headed over to Spain but Man City has greatly improved, Arsenal (who I thought would struggle this season) has been phenomenal, Everton, Villa and Tottenham in particular have all closed the gap on the Big 4 and only Hull and Pompey look out of their depth. If I were to judge on that basis then I'd say Italy has more depth than Germany. I unfortunately don't get to see as much of the Serie A as I'd like, I generally watch it with a group of Italians, in Italian which is a fantastic experience but have been on the road most weekends and living in Germany I see a fair bit of the Bundesliga whether it be live or on Tele. Italian sides have better quality players in general, what can pass for a Starting XI in the Bundesliga certainly wouldn't be acceptable in Spain, England or Italy. Not to mention the bigger clubs in Italy are better than their German counterparts, Bayern are all but out of the CL already and they were meant to be "contesting" this year according to the papers here with Robben on the other flank it was going to be their year.
albe
Guest
which is why i reckon their WC finals bid was always doomed...