Michel Platini has done just about everything in football. Not only was the Frenchman one of the best players of his generation and the head coach of his national team – but he has also organised a World Cup, and as UEFA president become perhaps the second-most powerful man in world football.
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Only one position has eluded Platini as he turns 60: the FIFA presidency. He was once viewed as Sepp Blatter’s heir apparent but the pair fell out after Blatter, the man who was once his mentor, went back on his word not to stand again for election.
Those close to Platini say he has mixed feelings about becoming the FIFA president – on the one hand it would be the culmination of his life’s work, but on the other it would mean leaving European football, the beating heart of the game, to take over an organisation whose big moment only comes once every four years.
Platini’s interest in administration stemmed from his playing days: he always imagined he could make the game better. Indeed he claims to have played a leading role in two of the law changes which made football much more positive and exciting: preventing goalkeepers handling backpasses and altering the offside rule so being level with the defender meant the attacker was onside.
After his involvement in those law changes, Platini turned his attention to organisation, and took control of France’s hosting of the hugely-successful 1998 World Cup. His involvement with Blatter over that period sparked a friendship and he helped his mentor win the FIFA election that year against UEFA’s leader Lennart Johansson.
In 2007, it was Platini’s turn to take on Johansson but for the UEFA presidency. He too succeeded – and it was immediately obvious that he was not going to let the grass grow under his feet.
The first big change was to expand the European Championships from 16 to 24 teams, a move which many saw as a reward for those smaller countries who had backed him against Johansson.
Always suspicious about the role of big money in football, Platini’s next idea was to enforce financial controls on clubs – a move that really made those in the game sit up and take notice. Financial fair play, where clubs in European football are forced to only spend what they earn, was introduced and has undoubtedly had a calming effect on expenditure – even if UEFA is now being forced to adapt the rules.
Zinedine Zidane on FIFA: “If Michel Platini puts himself forward to conquer FIFA, I will of course be supporting him.” (RTL)
— Get French Football (@GFN_France) June 14, 2015
Another proposal from the Platini melting pot also seemed revolutionary: that instead of the 2020 European Championships being hosted by one or two countries, they should be staged across Europe. It was a masterstroke in terms of popular support however, and in 2014 it was announced that Euro 2020 would be played in 13 different cities across Europe, with the semi-finals and final to be staged at Wembley.
More controversial was his confirmation that as one of the FIFA executive committee members, he had voted for the 2022 World Cup to be held in Qatar, but moved to the winter to avoid the heat.
Platini’s immediate future is uncertain as Blatter’s recent decision to step down from FIFA has once more shone the spotlight back on to the Frenchman. If he does stand, it will be because he believes he will win – and if he does, one can be sure FIFA to will reap a whirlwind of change.
