Michel François Platini (French pronunciation:[miʃɛlfʁɑ̃swaplatini]; born 21 June 1955) is a Frenchfootballadministrator and former player and manager. Regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, Platini won theBallon d'Or three times in a row, in 1983, 1984 and 1985,[4] and came seventh in theFIFA Player of the Century vote.[5] In recognition of his achievements, he was named a Knight of theLegion of Honour in 1985 and became an Officer in 1998. As the president ofUEFA in 2015 he was banned from involvement in football under FIFA's organisation, over ethics violations. The ban lasted until 2023.[6]
Following his retirement as a player, Platini was the France national team coach from 1988 to 1992, and was the co-organizer of the1998 World Cup in France. In 2007, he became the first former player to be elected as thepresident of theUnion of European Football Associations (UEFA). He also held the positions of chairman ofFIFA's Technical and Development Committee and vice-president of theFrench Football Federation.
Early career
Michel François Platini[8] was born on 21 June 1955 inJœuf, Meurthe-et-Moselle,[1] the son of Aldo and Anna (née Piccinelli), both ofItalian ancestry. Anna's family has its roots in theprovince of Belluno, while Aldo's father, Francesco Platini, was an immigrant fromAgrate Conturbia, in theprovince of Novara, and settled in France shortly after the end of the First World War.[9] Aldo was a professional footballer and a long-time director forAS Nancy, the club where Michel started his professional career.
After performing poorly in the final of a 1969 young footballers' competition, Michel Platini attracted attention at 16 years of age in aCoupe Gambardella tournament match with an impressive display for Jœuf juniors against aMetz junior side. Platini was called up for a trial with Metz, but missed out on the opportunity due to injury, and was not immediately invited back after the Metz coach moved to another club. He returned to regional league football with Jœuf. Another trial at Metz went horribly wrong when a breathing test on aspirometer caused Platini to faint. The doctor's verdict on Platini's breathing difficulties and weak heart ended any hopes Platini had of playing for his boyhood favorites. He then joined the reserve side of his father's club Nancy in September 1972, and became friends with team goalkeeperJean-Michel Moutier.
Club career
Nancy (1972–1979)
Platini was quick to make a big impression at his new club, scoring ahat-trick in a reserve team match against Wittelsheim. Further outstanding displays put him in contention for a place in the Nancy first team. His introduction to the first-team squad was inauspicious. On the substitutes' bench for a match againstValenciennes, Platini was spat on and hit by various objects thrown from the crowd when a fight broke out in the stands. Playing for the reserves a few days later, a hefty challenge from an opponent left Platini with a bad ankle injury. His season would finish on a more positive note, and he would go on to make his league debut againstNîmes on 3 May 1973.
In March 1974, he suffered a setback when he sustained a double fracture of his left arm in a match atOGC Nice. Platini missed the remainder of the season as a result, unable to assist Nancy in an unsuccessful bid to avoid relegation fromLigue 1. The following season saw Nancy win promotion back to the French first division with ease. Platini became the team's most important player, scoring 17 goals, a number of which were scored from free-kicks, as was becoming Platini's specialty.Saint-Étienne, the then reigning French league champions, were knocked out of theFrench Cup with two goals from Platini free-kicks. Platini practised his free-kicks with the help of his friend, goalkeeper Moutier, and using a row ofdummies to form a defensive wall of sorts.
With Nancy back in Ligue 1, Platini's military service reduced his availability for matches, but he continued to make himself available to play when possible. In a match away toLaval, Platini, angered by the taunts of the home supporters, scored a hat-trick, but sustained another injury. Press reports claimed that Platini's season was over and that he would require a knee operation, but neither claim proved to be correct. Instead, Platini returned to first-team football two weeks later for Nancy's French Cup semi-final againstMarseille at theParc des Princes. Platini headed the only Nancy goal in their 4–1 loss and was forced to leave the field injured. Following his participation in the1976 Montreal Olympics, Platini signed a two-year contract with Nancy, his first professional contract.
Before travelling to Argentina for the World Cup, Platini won the first major trophy of his playing career, captaining Nancy to victory in the 1978 French Cup final againstNice and scoring the only goal of the game.PresidentValéry Giscard d'Estaing presented him with the trophy. However, with the World Cup scheduled to start two weeks after the cup final, there was little time left for preparation.
Although Platini was not disgraced by his performances at his first World Cup, fans held him responsible for the French team's failure to progress in the tournament, and in the season that followed he was a target of jeering crowds. The situation came to a head in a match away to Saint-Étienne. Spurred on by booing fans, Platini competed for every ball, and he picked up a bad ankle injury in a tackle. As a result, he was ruled out of Nancy'sCup Winners' Cup campaign. His contract with the club expired in June 1979, andInternazionale,Paris Saint-Germain, and Saint-Étienne emerged as the clubs most likely to sign him, although the Nancy club president had been unwilling to let Platini leave the club. Having set his mind on a transfer to Saint-Étienne, he signed a three-year contract withles Verts.
In spite of his injuries and the boos that would greet him, Platini maintained his pranksterish sense of humour. On away trips, he would set off firecrackers in public places and then pretend to be dead, inevitably drawing a crowd. While inArgentina for theWorld Cup, he would squeeze tubes of toothpaste into his teammates' beds.
Saint-Étienne (1979–1982)
Platini's three years at Saint-Étienne were a mixed success. The club had signed him with a view to success in theEuropean Cup, but despite some excellent results (including a 6–0 win overPSV in the1979–80 UEFA Cup and a 5–0 win atHamburger SV in theUEFA Cupthe following season), the club were unable to surpass the feats of the Saint-Étienne side that had reached thefinal of the1976 European Cup.
Platini won the French league title in 1981 withLes Verts, but was on a losing Saint-Étienne side in two French Cup finals, againstBastia in 1981 and against Paris Saint-Germain in 1982, in what was his last match for the club before joining Juventus. He left for a nominal transfer fee (under UEFA regulations) despite being out of contract and no fee being necessary under French regulations at the time.[10]
Juventus (1982–1987)
At Juventus, Platini inherited thenumber 10 shirt from the recently departedLiam Brady.[11][12] In a team featuring numerous members of Italy's victoriousWorld Cup squad, Platini had a difficult introduction to Italian football. He was a target in the demanding Italian sports media, and even came close to leaving Italy in the winter of his first season. Platini and teammateZbigniew Boniek successfully called for a change in tactics, and in the second half of the season Juventus saw an upturn in their fortunes. They reached theEuropean Cupfinal, losing toHamburger SV, but won theItalian Cup, the first of many club honours to follow for Platini in the coming seasons.
"We bought him for a morsel of bread and he putfoie gras on top of it!"
He won theSerie A title with Juventus in1984 and1986, the European Cup Winners' Cup in1984 (setting upVignola's opening goal in the Turin club's 2–1 victory overPorto in thefinal of the competition),[14][15] the 1984European Super Cup, the European Cup in1985 and the1985 Intercontinental Cup. He finished top scorer in Serie A for three consecutive seasons (1982–83, 1983–84, and 1984–85), and won a hat-trick of European Footballer of the Year awards (1983 through 1985). He was also votedPlayer of the Year byWorld Soccer magazine in 1984 and 1985.
"I played for Nancy because it was my hometown club and the best in Lorraine, for Saint-Étienne because it was the best team in France, and for Juventus because it is the best team in the world!"[16]
—Platini after his final match in Serie A againstBrescia, in 1987.
The 1985 European Cup final againstLiverpool at theHeysel Stadium inBrussels should have been the crowning moment of Platini's Juventus career, but was instead overshadowed by theHeysel Stadium disaster in which 39 people died, and 600 more were injured. It was decided to proceed with the match in order to avoid inciting any further trouble, and after both captains had appealed for calm, the match began just under an hour and a half beyond schedule, with riot police still engaged in a pitched battle with Juventus fans. Platini scored the only goal of the match from a penalty kick, which had been controversially awarded for a foul just outside the area on Zbigniew Boniek, after the Frenchman had met his run behind the defence towards goal with a long ball.[17] In the days following the final, Platini was criticised in some quarters for his lack of restraint in celebrating Juventus' win. In his own defence, Platini maintained that he had not been made fully aware of the scale of the disaster. In the 1985 Intercontinental Cup final againstArgentinos Juniors, Platini scored from a penalty during regulation time, also having another goal disallowed, and later assistedMichael Laudrup's equaliser; he subsequently netted the match-winning penalty in the resulting shoot-out, and was namedMan of the Match.[18][19][20] Following the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, Platini spent another season at Juventus before retiring from football in June 1987.
International career
Having first attracted the attention of national team selectors in theCoupe Gambardella tournament, Platini was selected for the French junior team, but injuries prevented him from playing. He made his first appearance for a French national selection playing for the French amateur side on 26 September 1973.
Platini began his military service in summer 1975. He was assigned to the Joinville battalion, as were all talented French sportspeople fulfilling their military obligations. His colleagues in the battalion included his Nancy teammates Olivier Rouyer and Jean-Michel Moutier, as well asMaxime Bossis, soon to become a regular in the French national team along with Platini. Platini would turn out for the French military team, in addition to representing theFrench under-23s and the French Olympic team. He impressed in the Olympic team's 4–0 win over Romania inBrest, a result made even more impressive by the fact that Romania had fielded a full international side for the Olympic qualifier. Platini's performance made him a star in France. The away leg of the qualifying tie was a mere formality, France coming away with a 1–1 draw. Three days after the draw inBucharest, Platini received his first call-up to the national team for what was coachMichel Hidalgo's first game in charge, a friendly againstCzechoslovakia inParis (27 March 1976, 2–2), and scored his first goal with a trademark free kick.
1976 Olympics
Platini was a member of the French football team at the1976 Summer Olympics inMontreal. Their tournament began on 19 July with a 4–1 win overMexico. They registered another 4–1 win in their next match againstGuatemala, with two goals from Platini. The French team completed the group stage with a draw against Israel, Platini scoring from a penalty. France progressed to the quarter-final stage, where they would face a full-strengthEast German team. France lost 4–0 and finished the match with nine men.
With a 3–1 win overBulgaria at theParc des Princes on 16 November 1977, a match in which Platini excelled in the role ofplaymaker and scored with a strike from 30 yards, France secured qualification for the1978 World Cup inArgentina for their first appearance in the World Cup finals since1966. In the month following the decisive qualifying match, Platini finished third in the voting for the 1977European Footballer of the Year.
Among the international friendlies France played in preparation for the World Cup, their match againstItaly inNaples on 8 February 1978 (2–2) was particularly significant for Platini. With a number of scouts from Italian clubs in attendance, he was in excellent form. He beat Italian goalkeeperDino Zoff from two direct free-kicks, the first being ruled out because the referee had not blown his whistle. The re-taken free-kick was blocked by the defensive wall, but minutes later Platini had the ball in the Italian net from another free-kick. Zoff attempted to anticipate the flight of the ball by positioning himself on the left side of the goal, only for Platini to find the unguarded area of the net with his free-kick, leaving Zoff rooted to the spot. Platini's duels with Zoff and his performance in a match that was broadcast on Italian television made him well known in Italy. A number of clubs both in France (Paris Saint-Germain and Saint-Étienne) and across Europe (including Juventus,Internazionale,Napoli,Barcelona,Valencia, andArsenal) began the clamour for Platini's services.[21]
1978 World Cup
In retrospect, this match may have been aPyrrhic victory because Platini's brilliance drew the attention of Italy coachEnzo Bearzot, who devised a successful plan to contain him in a match-up that really mattered—the first round of the1978 World Cup four months later. Platini was kept in check byMarco Tardelli's implacable marking and Italy won 2–1. Drawn in a difficult group with Italy as well as hosts (and eventual winners)Argentina, France's loss to the hosts inBuenos Aires effectively ensured their elimination; France did not survive the first round.
Road to Spain '82 and the World Cup
Platini was nonetheless made captain of the French national side after the World Cup and made the number 10 jersey his own. One of his trademark free-kicks helped France defeat theNetherlands 2–0 inParis (18 November 1981) in a crucial qualifying match for the1982 World Cup in Spain.
France unexpectedly reached the semifinals of the 1982 World Cup where they metWest Germany inSeville for what proved to be one of the greatest matches in World Cup history. German goalkeeperHarald Schumacher had collided withPatrick Battiston, leaving the Frenchman knocked-out cold, and the referee did not call a penalty, much to the anger of the French. With both sides level at 3–3 after extra time had been played (Platini having scored France's first goal of the game from a penalty) the match went to a penalty shoot-out which West Germany won 5–4.[22]
Euro '84
"He didn't run a lot likeCruyff and didn't depend on his physique, but I liked how he was the brain organising things on the pitch. He was a player who used his head in the broader sense. The way he shone with France and Juventus, and his capacity for taking free-kicks, made himthe European footballer of the 1980s."
In 1984, Platini captained France to success in theEuropean Championship on home soil. His individual impact on the team was enormous, scoring nine of France's 14 goals in just five games, making him by far the top goal scorer of the tournament.
He scored the winner in France's opening match againstDenmark, and scored two "perfect" hat-tricks againstBelgium andYugoslavia as France topped their first-round group with three wins out of three. In the dramatic semi-final inMarseille againstPortugal, Platini scored the final goal of the match for a memorable 3–2 win in the last minute of extra time.
In thefinal againstSpain at theParc des Princes inParis, he opened the scoring with a free kick-goal, helped by a monumental blunder from Spain goalkeeperLuis Arconada. A second goal fromBruno Bellone in injury time at the end of the match secured France's first major title in international football.
Suffering from groin pain and playing under injection, Platini was not in peak physical condition for the1986 World Cup inMexico. Nonetheless, he contributed two important goals. The first contributed to their 2–0 defeat of defending championsItaly at theOlimpico Stadium inMexico City. The second came during the quarter-final match againstBrazil inGuadalajara. AfterCareca scored for Brazil, Platini scored the equalizer, his 41st on his 31st birthday, which sent the game into a penalty shoot-out. France won 4–3, with Platini infamously sending his over the bar. This goal was to be the last of his international career. After losing a second World Cup semi-final in a row to West Germany in Guadalajara, France had to settle for third place. Platini did not take part in the 1982 or 1986 World Cup third-place matches.
Retirement
"When I was a kid and played with my friends, I always chose to be Platini. I let my friends share the names of my other idols between themselves."
Platini made his last appearance for France on 29 April 1987, in aEuropean Championship qualifier at home toIceland, a few weeks before announcing his retirement from all football. In 72 appearances forFrance from 1976 to 1987, including 49 appearances as captain, Platini scored 41 times, a record for the French national team, which has since only been surpassed by two men:Thierry Henry, after scoring his 42nd and 43rd national team goals againstLithuania in aEuro 2008 qualifying match on 17 October 2007, andOlivier Giroud, who scored his 41st and 42nd goals for France in a 7–1 friendly victory overUkraine on 7 October 2020.
Kuwait
Platini's last match came on 27 November 1988, when he came out of retirement for one day to play in an international friendly match representingKuwait against theSoviet Union, at the request of the Kuwaiti Emir. Platini played a total of 21 minutes in the 2–0 loss to the Soviets. In doing so, Platini completed the rare feat of appearing for more than one country at full international level.[3]
Style of play
"Michel was one of those great players who saw fitness work as being a bit superficial. He used to say, 'We're not going to compete in the 5,000 metres at the Olympics, we have to play with our feet."
Platini is considered to be one of the greatest players of all time, and is regarded as one of the finest passers in football history, as well as one of the best everpenalty kick andfree kick specialists to have played the game.[7][12][23][24][25][26] A quick, versatile, elegant, and intelligentoffensive midfieldplaymaker, with a unique ability to read the game andbend the ball from set pieces, he was renowned in particular for his ball control, technical ability,dribbling skills, creativity, range of passing, and vision, despite his lack of notable physical or athletic attributes.[7][23][27][28][29][30][31]
Although he primarily served as a creative midfielder, who operated in a more withdrawn playing role behind the strikers, and who mainly orchestrated attacking plays, providedassists, or created chances for teammates, Platini was also a prolific goalscorer. Due to his footballing intelligence, movement, and composure in front of goal, as well as his accurate finishing ability with either foot, as well as his head, despite being naturally right-footed, he was known for his ability to create attacking opportunities for himself by playing exchanges with his teammates until he was in a position from which he could receive the ball and score; indeed, he won several top-scoring awards throughout his career, both at club and international level, and is considered by pundits to be one of the best finishers of all time.[7][12][20][32][33]
When taking free kicks, Platini usually preferred to strike the ball from a distance of around 20 metres from the goal, with a direct kick which had not been touched by a teammate first; his unique free kick technique, which often involved him hitting the ball over the wall, influenced many other specialists, such asAlessandro Del Piero,[25][34] andAndrea Pirlo.[35] Despite his talent, skill, and outstanding playing ability, Platini also drew criticism from his managers at times, due to his lack of stamina and poor defensive work-rate.[23] Due to his leadership, dominance, and his technical, offensive, and creative attributes, as well as his ability to be a decisive player for his teams, he was given the nickname "Le Roi" ("The King", in French).[27][30][36] Moreover, Platini was known for his discipline on the pitch; indeed, in his extensive career, he was never sent off.[37]
Michel Platini's life and work are presented through an impressively extensive collection of sporting exhibits, honoured with two Guinness World Records, at the Michel Platini Museum located in the village of Mosfiloti, Cyprus.[38]
Coaching career
Platini was named coach of the French national side on 1 November 1988, replacingHenri Michel, who had been forced out after France infamously drew withCyprus (1–1) in a1990 World Cupqualifier. France's qualifying campaign was ultimately unsuccessful.
The focus of the team shifted to qualifying for the1992 European Championship inSweden. France excelled in the qualifying stages, winning all eight of their group matches, including notable victories away to Spain andCzechoslovakia. After a record 19-match unbeaten run, they were among the favourites to win the competition and Platini was namedManager of the Year by the World Soccer Awards. But a string of uninspiring performances in warm-up matches, followed by France's first-round elimination from the tournament, led Platini to step down as coach.
Administrative roles
"He [Platini] was a great player who left a mark on his era, and it's always good when players take up positions in the higher echelons of the game. He knows everything there is to know about football."
Platini was, along with Fernand Sastre, head of the organizing committee for the1998 FIFA World Cup, held in France. He served on the UEFA Technical Development Committee from 1988 to 1990. He has been a member of the UEFA Executive Committee and European member of the FIFA Executive Committee since 2002. He continued to climb the ranks ofUEFA andFIFA football administration and in 2006, became a chairman of the FIFA Technical and Development Committee, while also being vice-president of theFrench Football Federation.
UEFA presidency
Platini confirmed that he would run for the UEFA presidency in July 2006.[39] In the election inDüsseldorf on 26 January 2007, he defeatedLennart Johansson, who held the post for the previous 16 years, by 27 votes to 23.[40] Platini based his speech on virtues of solidarity and universality.
Michel Platini visiting the construction site of theStadion Miejski, 2009
In 2008, Platini backed the6+5 idea, six home-grown players and five foreign players to be introduced in top-flight teams in Europe. Platini has also backed caps on wages, transfer spending – both absolute and as a fraction of club turnover – and foreign ownership of clubs. He has stated that he wants to reduce the number of Italian, Spanish, and English teams that participate in theUEFA Champions League to a maximum of three instead of four.[41] This has not happened yet, but instead for the2009–10 season, different routes were created for champions of smaller countries and non-champions of bigger countries. He has also talked about banning clubs from the competition based on the debts of the clubs.[42] Among his more contentious claims is that international transfer of players under 18 is in fact a form of illegal "child trafficking" and should be prohibited by the EU. "Paying a child to kick a ball is not that different from paying a child to work [...] in a factory," said Platini to members of theEuropean Parliament on 18 February 2009.[43]
FIFA presidential campaign
FollowingSepp Blatter's announcement in June 2015 that he would resign from the post ofFIFA president amid theongoing corruption scandal,[44][45] Platini announced in July that he would run for FIFA president in the2016 special election.[46] However, on 7 January 2016, Platini announced that he would not be standing in the Fifa presidential election, saying: "The timing is not good for me. I don't have the means to fight on equal terms with the other candidates. […] Bye bye Fifa, bye bye Fifa presidency."[47]
Corruption
Following the2015 FIFA corruption case, and after his announcement that in July he would run for FIFA president, Platini was also involved himself in the case. Swiss prosecutors accused FIFA president Sepp Blatter of making a "disloyal payment" of $2m (£1.6m) to Platini. Swiss attorney general,Michael Lauber [de], stated: "We didn't interview Mr Platini as a witness, that's not true. We investigated against him in between as a witness and an accused person."[48][49] Both Platini and Blatter were placed under formal investigation by FIFA's independent ethics committee in late September 2015.[50]
On 8 October 2015, Platini was provisionally suspended until 6 January 2016 from any football-related activity.[51] On 21 December, Platini and Blatter were both found guilty of ethics violations and barred from the sport until 2023.[6] The committee said Platini "did not show commitment to an ethical attitude" and lacked respect for laws and regulations of the organization.[52][53] Platini boycotted the hearing, and said he planned to appeal the decision, declaring himself "at peace with my conscience."[54][55][56][57] He appealed to Swiss courts, and to theEuropean Court of Human Rights, but the courts rejected his appeals.[58]
Platini was also involved in the Greek public polemica regarding the2015 Greek football scandal.[59][60][61] In April 2016, Platini has beennamed in thePanama Papers.[62] On 18 May 2018, Platini said that the1998 FIFA World Cup draw was fixed to ensure France and Brazil could not face each other until the final if both teams won their groups.[63] In June 2019, Platini was questioned over the awarding of the2022 World Cup to Qatar.[64] In July 2022, Platini was acquitted for the charges of fraud, forgery, mismanagement and misappropriation of more than $2 million of FIFA money, a sentence that was confirmed on appeal in March 2025.[65]
Personal life and health
On 21 December 1977 Michel Platini married Christèle Bigoni with whom he had two children: Laurent (born 2 March 1979, lawyer specializing in sports) and Marine (born in 1980, actress)[66]
On 9 July 2010, the day before thethird place play-off of the2010 World Cup in South Africa, Platini collapsed at a restaurant in the Michaelangelo Hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg. He was rushed to the Morningside Medi-Clinic with a suspected heart attack after having received first aid care by a Brazilian radio director who was sitting at a table next to him. He was attended to and discharged by cardiologist and former President of the South African Heart Association – Dr Leonard Steingo.[67] The official statement released by FIFA confirmed that Platini was discharged, stating that the UEFA President was "fine, and merely suffering from a bout of flu."[68]Platini was confirmed in attendance two days later at the final between Spain and Netherlands on the evening of 11 July.
Career statistics
Club
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
English Football Hall of Fame: 2008 (voted All-Time Greatest European Footballer. He is only the second person outside the English game to be honoured by the Museum.)
^Pietro Mancini (22 December 2015)."Agnelli e il foie gras" (in Italian). Il Corriere della Sera.Archived from the original on 20 April 2016. Retrieved27 June 2018.
^Roberto Di Maggio; Igor Kramarsic; Alberto Novello (11 June 2015)."Italy – Serie A Top Scorers".RSSSF.Archived from the original on 31 October 2015. Retrieved2 December 2015.
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