Michel Platini was a French midfield player who was one of the great soccer players of the 1980s. During the decade, he lit up the European Championship and the FIFA World Cup. He was one of France’s great soccer players.
Platini began playing for the French club side Nancy during the 1970s. He played most of his games for Nancy and won two league titles with the club. Additionally, he also won the Coupe de France.
During the decade, Platini also made his debut for the French national team. He played his first games for France in 1976. In 1978, he played his first games in the FIFA World Cup, although France did not progress beyond the group stages in this World Cup.
After the FIFA World Cup, Platini left Nancy and joined St Etienne. With St Etienne, he won the French league title. After a few seasons with the club, he left St Etienne for Italian giants Juventus in the early 1980s.
With Platini in their team, Juventus would achieve notable success in European and domestic soccer. He won the Coppa Italia with the club and two Serie A titles. Juventus were also one of Europe’s top teams, and won the European Cup and the Cup Winners’ Cup.
At the international level, Platini and France also began to reach new heights. In the 1982 World Cup, France reached the semi-finals. However, in the semi-finals, they were defeated by Germany on penalties after an exciting 3-3 draw.
However, in 1984, Platini and France would win their first national trophy. He captained France to victory in this championship, and undoubtedly his nine goals scored for France were a big factor in their winning the trophy. Nine goals remain a record number of goals scored in a single European Championship.
After the European Championship, Platini continued to play for Juventus and played in the 1986 World Cup. In this World Cup, France reached the semi-finals and finished third overall. He retired from the game in 1987.
Hereafter, Platini would be appointed French national team coach. Under him, France would qualify for the Euro ’92 soccer championship and won all their qualifying games. However, in the finals, such form was not continued because France did not progress beyond the group stages.
Platini would not continue as a soccer manager. Instead, with France awarded the 1998 World Cup, He would head the organizing committee of France ’98. He also joined the UEFA Executive Committee in 2002.
Platini would later be appointed President of UEFA in 2007. As UEFA President, he was in one of the most influential positions in the sport, second only to the FIFA presidency. However, he was later charged (but cleared) of fraud.
This might be coming from a biased Gunners fan, but Thierry Henry was the greatest French player. He set a scoring record for Arsenal with his amazing pace, dribbling, and goal-scoring prowess. He was the second-highest scoring player in French history and won the FIFA World Cup and European Championship for Les Bleus. He also won two Premier League titles, three FA Cups, two La Ligas, and the Champions League at Arsenal and Barcelona.
Nevertheless, Platini was certainly one of the greatest French players in history. The France Football magazine voted him French Player of the 20th Century, ahead of Zidane and Fontaine. Few players have dominated a single international soccer tournament to the extent that Platini did in Euro 1984.
Today, Michel Platini is considered one of the great European soccer players. An outstanding playmaker, he also had a terrific goal-scoring record for a midfielder, scoring almost a goal every two games for club and country. He received France’s Legion of Honor during the 1980s.
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