Uefa president tells Henry Winter why he sees himself as a crusader for fair play, why great players are thriving and the on-going fight against the scourge of match-fixing and racism.
Ensconced in the heart of English football on Saturday, taking pride of place in Wembley’s Royal Box for the Champions League final, is a distinguished guest perceived by many as an enemy of the nation that invented the game.
Michel Platini resents that perception.
Viewed through Premier League eyes, Uefa’s president is the martinet of Nyon, an administrator who devises strategy on a whim, an instinctive politician. “I’m not ‘instinctive’,’’ countered Platini, sipping a herbal tea in a Park Lane hotel. “Instinctive is animal. I’m a bear! I’m a lion! No. I’m intuitive. You’re totally wrong when you say I’m not democratic. I listen to people.
“I am a diplomat not a compromised politician. I bring a lot of ideas but always I’m totally democratic. I never take a decision without a communal discussion with all the family of football. When it was my idea to have Euro 2020 [all over Europe] we discussed in meetings with all the national associations, and 52 of 53 agreed with my idea.”
Few in world football are more entitled to present the Champions League trophy. The three-time European Footballer of the Year brings experience of the dressing room into the boardroom.
Ensconced in the heart of English football on Saturday, taking pride of place in Wembley’s Royal Box for the Champions League final, is a distinguished guest perceived by many as an enemy of the nation that invented the game.
Michel Platini resents that perception.
Viewed through Premier League eyes, Uefa’s president is the martinet of Nyon, an administrator who devises strategy on a whim, an instinctive politician. “I’m not ‘instinctive’,’’ countered Platini, sipping a herbal tea in a Park Lane hotel. “Instinctive is animal. I’m a bear! I’m a lion! No. I’m intuitive. You’re totally wrong when you say I’m not democratic. I listen to people.
“I am a diplomat not a compromised politician. I bring a lot of ideas but always I’m totally democratic. I never take a decision without a communal discussion with all the family of football. When it was my idea to have Euro 2020 [all over Europe] we discussed in meetings with all the national associations, and 52 of 53 agreed with my idea.”
Few in world football are more entitled to present the Champions League trophy. The three-time European Footballer of the Year brings experience of the dressing room into the boardroom.
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire