Michel Platini
Attacking Midfielder · Nancy · France
About Michel Platini
Michel Platini is France's greatest ever footballer and the winner of three consecutive Ballon d'Or awards (1983, 1984, 1985) — a feat matched only by Messi and Ronaldo. He scored 41 goals in 72 international appearances, including 9 goals in 5 games at Euro 1984 which France won on home soil. His free-kick technique was considered unmatchable. His later career as UEFA president ended in a 4-year ban for financial irregularities.
Michel Platini's story
Jœuf's Iron Man
Platini grew up in the mining town of Jœuf in Lorraine, where his father ran a football school. His Italian ancestry — his grandfather emigrated from Lombardy — gave him a natural affinity with Italian football. He rose through Nancy and Saint-Étienne before Juventus paid a then-large fee to bring him to Turin (ITA) in 1982.
The Three-Peat
Three consecutive Ballon d'Or awards (1983, 1984, 1985) made Platini the dominant individual player of his era. His 1984 European Championship performance — 9 goals in 5 games, including a hat-trick against Yugoslavia in the semi-final — remains the greatest individual tournament performance in the history of the competition.
The Shadow Over Legacy
As UEFA President from 2007 to 2015, Platini was one of the most powerful figures in football. But in 2015 he was given a 4-year ban by FIFA's Ethics Committee for accepting a €2m payment from Sepp Blatter, despite FIFA's internal rules. The ban ended any chance of him becoming FIFA president. He maintains his innocence.
Did you know?
- ⚽ His 9 goals in 5 games at Euro 1984 — all on home soil — is the greatest individual tournament performance in the history of the European Championship. The record has never been approached.
- 🥇 He won three consecutive Ballon d'Or awards (1983, 1984, 1985) — a feat matched in the modern era only by Messi (4+) and Ronaldo (3).
- 👨👩👧👦 Married Christelle Platini; has one son, Laurent. Settled in France after his playing and management career.
- 🇮🇹 His Italian ancestry — his grandfather emigrated from Lombardy — meant he felt culturally at home at Juventus and in Turin in a way many French players would not have.
- 🏛️ As UEFA President he was instrumental in expanding the Champions League and introducing Financial Fair Play regulations — transforming European football's commercial landscape.
- 💔 His greatest heartbreak was the 1985 Heysel Stadium disaster — 39 people died when Liverpool fans charged Juventus supporters before the European Cup final, which Juventus won 1–0. Platini scored the winning penalty but said the goal brought him no joy.
- 🌟 Diego Maradona, who played against him in Serie A, said Platini was "the one European player who I feared I might not be better than."
- 📊 He scored 182 goals in 213 games for Juventus — one of the highest scoring rates for a midfielder at any top European club in history.
- ⚖️ His 2015 ethics ban — over a CHF 2m payment from FIFA president Blatter — effectively ended his career in football administration and remains one of the sport's most politically complex controversies.
Honours
- Ballon d'Or x3: 1983, 1984, 1985 (consecutive)
- Serie A x5: Juventus (1982,1984,1985,1986,1987)
- UEFA Euro: France (1984) — 9 goals in 5 games
- European Cup: Juventus (1985)
- Euro 1984 Top Scorer: 9 goals — tournament record that stands to this day
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