Michel Platini facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michel Platini
Platini in 2010
6th President of UEFA
In office 26 January 2007 – 21 December 2015
Preceded by	Lennart Johansson
Succeeded by	Ángel María Villar (acting) Aleksander Čeferin
Personal details
Born	Michel François Platini (1955-06-21) 21 June 1955 (age 70) Jœuf, France
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Occupation	Footballer Manager Football administrator
Michel Platini Personal information Playing position Attacking midfielder Youth career 1966–1972 AS Jœuf 1972 Nancy Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 1972–1979 Nancy 181 (98) 1979–1982 Saint-Étienne 104 (58) 1982–1987 Juventus 147 (68) Total 432 (224) National team 1975–1976 France Olympic 7 (4) 1976–1987 France 72 (41) 1988 Kuwait 1 (0) Teams managed 1988–1992 France Honours Men's football Representing  France UEFA European Championship Winner 1984 France Finalissima Winner 1985 France FIFA World Cup Third 1986 México Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Michel Platini (born 21 June 1955) is a famous French football player, manager, and administrator. Many people think he is one of the best footballers ever. He won the Ballon d'Or award three times in a row, in 1983, 1984, and 1985. He was also voted seventh in the FIFA Player of the Century poll.

Platini played for clubs like Nancy, Saint-Étienne, and Juventus. People called him Le Roi (The King) because he was so good and a great leader. He scored many goals and was the top scorer in Italy's Serie A league three times. He also led the French national team to win the 1984 European Championship. In that tournament, he scored the most goals and was named the best player. He also helped France reach the semi-finals of the 1982 and 1986 World Cups.

After he stopped playing, Platini coached the French national team from 1988 to 1992. He also helped organize the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. In 2007, he became the president of UEFA, which is the main football organization in Europe. He was later banned from football activities until 2023 due to rule violations.

Early Football Days

Michel Platini was born in Jœuf, France. His parents, Aldo and Anna, had Italian family roots. His father, Aldo, was also a professional footballer and worked for AS Nancy, the club where Michel started his career.

When he was 16, Michel Platini showed great talent in a youth tournament. He tried out for FC Metz, but injuries stopped him. He later joined the reserve team of his father's club, Nancy, in September 1972.

Playing for Clubs

Nancy (1972–1979)

Platini quickly made a strong impression at Nancy. He even scored three goals in one reserve team match. He made his first league appearance for the main team on 3 May 1973.

In 1974, he broke his left arm, which meant he missed part of the season. Nancy was relegated from Ligue 1, the top French league. But the next season, Nancy won promotion back to Ligue 1 easily. Platini became their most important player, scoring 17 goals. He was especially good at scoring from free-kicks. He practiced these shots a lot with his friend, the goalkeeper Jean-Michel Moutier.

Platini won his first major trophy with Nancy in 1978. He was the captain when they won the French Cup final against Nice, scoring the only goal. After this, he moved to Saint-Étienne in 1979.

Saint-Étienne (1979–1982)

Platini played for Saint-Étienne for three years. The club hoped to win the European Cup with him. They had some great wins in the UEFA Cup, but they didn't reach the European Cup final.

Platini did help Les Verts win the French league title in 1981. However, they lost two French Cup finals during his time there. His last match for the club was the 1982 French Cup final before he joined Juventus.

Juventus (1982–1987)

At Juventus, Platini became a key player. He joined a team with many players from Italy's 1982 World Cup-winning squad. It was tough at first, but he soon became a star.

He won the Serie A title with Juventus in 1984 and 1986. He also won the Italian Cup in 1983, the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1984, and the European Super Cup in 1984. The biggest win was the European Cup in 1985. He also won the Intercontinental Cup in 1985.

Platini was the top scorer in Serie A for three seasons in a row (1982–83, 1983–84, and 1984–85). He also won the Ballon d'Or award three times in a row (1983, 1984, 1985).

The 1985 European Cup final against Liverpool was a sad day. It was played at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, where 39 people died due to crowd problems. The game went ahead to prevent more trouble. Platini scored the only goal from a penalty, and Juventus won. This tragic event overshadowed the victory.

Platini played one more season for Juventus after the 1986 World Cup. He then retired from football in June 1987.

Playing for France

Early International Games

Platini first played for a French national team in 1973. He joined the French military team and also played for the French under-23s and the French Olympic team. He played very well in a 4–0 win against Romania, which made him a star in France. He got his first call-up to the senior national team on 27 March 1976 and scored his first goal with a free-kick.

1976 Olympics

Platini was part of the French football team at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. They won their first two games 4–0 against Mexico and Guatemala. Platini scored two goals against Guatemala and one from a penalty against Israel. France reached the quarter-finals but lost 4–0 to East Germany.

Road to Spain '82 and the World Cup

Platini became the captain of the French national team after the 1978 World Cup. He wore the number 10 jersey. One of his famous free-kicks helped France beat the Netherlands 2–0 in 1981. This win was important for France to qualify for the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain.

France surprisingly reached the semi-finals of the 1982 World Cup. They played against West Germany in a very exciting match. Platini scored France's first goal from a penalty. The game ended 3–3 after extra time, and West Germany won 5–4 in a penalty shoot-out.

Euro '84 Victory

In 1984, Platini was the captain when France won the European Championship at home. He had a huge impact, scoring nine of France's 14 goals in just five games. This made him the top scorer of the tournament.

He scored the winning goal against Denmark in the first match. He then scored two "perfect" hat-tricks (goals with left foot, right foot, and head) against Belgium and Yugoslavia. In the semi-final against Portugal, Platini scored the winning goal in the last minute of extra time.

In the final against Spain, Platini scored the first goal from a free-kick. France won 2–0, securing their first major international title.

Mexico '86 World Cup

Platini was not in his best physical shape for the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. However, he still scored two important goals. One was against Italy, helping France win 2–0. The other was against Brazil in the quarter-finals. He scored the equalizer on his 31st birthday, sending the game to a penalty shoot-out. France won the shoot-out 4–3, even though Platini missed his penalty. This was his last international goal. France lost to West Germany in the semi-finals again.

Retirement from International Play

Platini played his last game for France on 29 April 1987. He announced his retirement from all football a few weeks later. He played 72 games for France from 1976 to 1987, scoring 41 goals. This was a record for France until Thierry Henry and later Olivier Giroud scored more.

Platini played one more match on 27 November 1988. He came out of retirement for a day to play for Kuwait against the Soviet Union, at the request of the Kuwaiti leader.

How Platini Played

Michel Platini is known as one of the greatest football players ever. He was an amazing attacking midfielder and playmaker. He was very good at passing the ball and was one of the best at taking penalty kicks and free-kicks.

He was quick, elegant, and very smart on the field. He could read the game well and bend the ball from set pieces. He was famous for his ball control, technical skills, dribbling, creativity, and vision. Even though he wasn't the strongest or fastest, his football intelligence made him special.

Platini mostly played behind the strikers, setting up attacks and creating chances for his teammates. But he also scored many goals himself. He was good at finding space and finishing with either foot or his head. He won many top scorer awards. His unique free-kick style, often hitting the ball over the wall, inspired many other players. He was also known for his discipline and was never sent off in his career.

Coaching Career

Platini became the coach of the French national team on 1 November 1988. His main goal was to help France qualify for the 1992 European Championship in Sweden. France did very well in the qualifying games, winning all eight of their matches. They were among the favorites to win the tournament.

However, France didn't play well in the tournament itself and were knocked out in the first round. Because of this, Platini stepped down as coach.

Football Administration Roles

After coaching, Platini took on important roles in football administration. He helped organize the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. He also became a member of the UEFA and FIFA Executive Committees in 2002. He was also the vice-president of the French Football Federation.

President of UEFA

In 2007, Platini ran for the presidency of UEFA, the European football governing body. He won the election, beating Lennart Johansson, who had been president for 16 years. Platini wanted to bring more fairness and unity to European football.

He supported ideas like having more local players in top teams. He also talked about limiting how much clubs could spend on wages and transfers. He wanted to make sure clubs didn't get into too much debt.

Issues and Ban

In 2015, Platini was involved in an investigation related to a payment he received. As a result, he was temporarily suspended from football activities. On 21 December 2015, he was found guilty of ethics violations and banned from football until 2023. The committee stated that he did not show commitment to ethical behavior and respect for the rules. Platini said he was innocent and appealed the decision, but his appeals were rejected by various courts.

Health

On 9 July 2010, Platini felt unwell at a restaurant in South Africa. He was taken to a hospital with a suspected heart problem. However, doctors confirmed he was fine and was only suffering from the flu. He was discharged and attended the World Cup final two days later.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Scores and results list France's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Platini goal.

List of international goals scored by Michel Platini

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	27 March 1976	Parc des Princes, Paris, France	Czechoslovakia	2–0	2–2	Friendly
2	1 September 1976	Idrætspark, Copenhagen, Denmark	Denmark	1–1	1–1	Friendly
3	9 October 1976	Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria	Bulgaria	1–0	2–2	1978 FIFA World Cup qualification
4	17 November 1976	Parc des Princes, Paris, France	Republic of Ireland	1–0	2–0	1978 FIFA World Cup qualification
5	23 April 1977	Charmilles Stadium, Geneva, Switzerland	Switzerland	1–0	4–0	Friendly
6	16 November 1977	Parc des Princes, Paris, France	Bulgaria	2–0	3–1	1978 FIFA World Cup qualification
7	8 February 1978	Stadio San Paolo, Naples, Italy	Italy	2–2	2–2	Friendly
8	1 April 1978	Parc des Princes, Paris, France	Brazil	1–0	1–0	Friendly
9	19 May 1978	Stadium Nord, Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France	Tunisia	1–0	2–0	Friendly
10	6 June 1978	Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina	Argentina	1–1	1–2	1978 FIFA World Cup
11	5 September 1979	Råsunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden	Sweden	2–1	3–1	UEFA Euro 1980 qualifying
12	10 October 1979	Parc des Princes, Paris, France	United States	1–0	3–0	Friendly
13	27 February 1980	Parc des Princes, Paris, France	Greece	2–1	5–1	Friendly
14				3–1
15	11 October 1980	Tsirio Stadium, Limassol, Cyprus	Cyprus	2–0	7–0	1982 FIFA World Cup qualification
16				3–0
17	28 October 1980	Parc des Princes, Paris, France	Republic of Ireland	1–0	2–0	1982 FIFA World Cup qualification
18	14 October 1981	Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Republic of Ireland	Republic of Ireland	2–3	2–3	1982 FIFA World Cup qualification
19	18 November 1981	Parc des Princes, Paris, France	Netherlands	1–0	2–0	1982 FIFA World Cup qualification
20	23 February 1982	Parc des Princes, Paris, France	Italy	1–0	2–0	Friendly
21	21 June 1982	Estadio José Zorrilla, Valladolid, Spain	Kuwait	2–0	4–1	1982 FIFA World Cup
22	8 July 1982	Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, Seville, Spain	West Germany	1–1	3–3 (4–5 p)	1982 FIFA World Cup
23	10 November 1982	De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands	Netherlands	2–1	2–1	Friendly
24	7 September 1983	Idrætspark, Copenhagen, Denmark	Denmark	1–1	1–3	Friendly
25	29 February 1984	Parc des Princes, Paris, France	England	1–0	2–0	Friendly
26				2–0
27	12 June 1984	Parc des Princes, Paris, France	Denmark	1–0	1–0	UEFA Euro 1984
28	16 June 1984	Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes, France	Belgium	1–0	5–0	UEFA Euro 1984
29				4–0
30				5–0
31	19 June 1984	Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Étienne, France	Yugoslavia	1–1	3–2	UEFA Euro 1984
32				2–1
33				3–1
34	23 June 1984	Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, France	Portugal	3–2	3–2	UEFA Euro 1984
35	27 June 1984	Parc des Princes, Paris, France	Spain	1–0	2–0	UEFA Euro 1984
36	13 October 1984	Stade Municipal, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg	Luxembourg	2–0	4–0	1986 FIFA World Cup qualification
37	21 November 1984	Parc des Princes, Paris, France	Bulgaria	1–0	1–0	1986 FIFA World Cup qualification
38	16 November 1985	Parc des Princes, Paris, France	Yugoslavia	1–0	2–0	1986 FIFA World Cup qualification
39				2–0
40	17 June 1986	Estadio Olímpico Universitario, Mexico City, Mexico	Italy	1–0	2–0	1986 FIFA World Cup
41	21 June 1986	Estadio Jalisco, Guadalajara, Mexico	Brazil	1–1	1–1 (4–3 p)	1986 FIFA World Cup

Managerial Statistics

Honours and Awards

Player Achievements

Nancy

• Coupe de France: 1977–78
• Division 2: 1974–75

Saint-Étienne

• Division 1: 1980–81
• Coupe de France runner-up: 1980–81, 1981–82

Juventus

• Serie A: 1983–84, 1985–86
• Coppa Italia: 1982–83
• European Cup: 1984–85; runner-up: 1982–83
• European Cup Winners' Cup: 1983–84
• European Super Cup: 1984
• Intercontinental Cup: 1985

France National Team

• UEFA European Championship: 1984
• Finalissima: 1985
• FIFA World Cup third place: 1986

Individual Awards

• French Player of the Year: 1976, 1977
• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1982, 1986
• Capocannoniere (Serie A top scorer): 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85
• Ballon d'Or: 1983, 1984, 1985
• UEFA European Championship Player of the Tournament: 1984
• UEFA European Championship Top Scorer: 1984
• European Cup Top Scorer: 1984–85
• World Soccer Player of the Year: 1984, 1985
• Intercontinental Cup Most Valuable Player: 1985
• FIFA 100: 2004 (named one of the 100 greatest living footballers)
• Golden Foot: 2004 (as a football legend)
• English Football Hall of Fame: 2008
• Italian Football Hall of Fame: 2011

Managerial Awards

Individual

• World Soccer Manager of the Year: 1991

Orders and Decorations

• Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur: 1985
• Officier of the Ordre national du Mérite: 1994
• Officier of the Légion d'honneur: 1998

Images for kids

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  Platini with France at the 1978 World Cup

• 

  Platini playing against Canada at the 1986 World Cup

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  Michel Platini visiting a stadium construction site in 2009

See also

In Spanish: Michel Platini para niños