Michel Platini facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michel Platini
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Platini in 2010
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| 6th President of UEFA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 26 January 2007 – 21 December 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Lennart Johansson | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Ángel María Villar (acting) Aleksander Čeferin |
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| Born |
Michel François Platini
21 June 1955 Jœuf, France |
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| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Footballer Manager Football administrator |
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Association football career
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Michel François Platini (born June 21, 1955) is a famous French football player, manager, and administrator. Many people think he is one of the greatest footballers ever. He won the Ballon d'Or award three times in a row, from 1983 to 1985.
During his playing career, Platini played for clubs like Nancy, Saint-Étienne, and Juventus. Fans called him Le Roi (The King) because he was so skilled and a great leader. He scored many goals and was the top scorer in Italy's Serie A league three times.
Platini was a key player for the French national team. He led them 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. He was France's top goal scorer for many years.
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 organization that runs football in Europe. He was later banned from football activities until 2023 due to issues with rules. However, he was acquitted of related charges in 2025.
Contents
Early Football Days
Michel Platini was born on June 21, 1955, in Jœuf, France. His parents, Aldo and Anna, had Italian family roots. Michel's father, Aldo, was also a professional footballer. He worked for AS Nancy, the club where Michel started his professional career.
When he was 16, Michel Platini showed great talent in a youth football tournament. He tried out for a club called Metz, but injuries kept him from joining. He later joined the reserve team of his father's club, Nancy, in 1972.
Club Career Highlights
Playing for Nancy (1972–1979)
Platini quickly made a big impact at Nancy. He scored three goals in one of his first reserve team matches. He made his first league appearance for the main team in May 1973.
In 1974, he broke his left arm, which meant he missed part of the season. Nancy was relegated from the top league that year. But the next season, Nancy won promotion back to the first division 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 helped Nancy win their first major trophy, the French Cup, in 1978. He was the team captain and scored the only goal in the final. After this, he moved to Saint-Étienne in 1979.
Time at 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, but they didn't reach the European Cup final.
Platini did help Les Verts (Saint-Étienne's nickname) win the French league title in 1981. He played in two French Cup finals with them, but his team lost both. After these three years, he moved to Juventus in Italy.
Success with Juventus (1982–1987)
At Juventus, Platini wore the famous number 10 shirt. It was tough at first in Italian football, but Platini and his teammate Zbigniew Boniek helped the team improve. They reached the European Cup final in 1983 but lost. However, they won the Italian Cup.
Platini won the Serie A league title with Juventus in 1984 and 1986. He also won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1984 and the European Cup in 1985. He was the top scorer in Serie A for three years in a row (1983, 1984, and 1985). He also won the European Footballer of the Year award three times in a row.
The 1985 European Cup final was a sad day because of the Heysel Stadium disaster. Many people died or were hurt before the match began. The game still went ahead, and Platini scored the winning goal from a penalty kick. He retired from playing football in June 1987.
International Career for France
Platini first played for the French national team in 1976. He scored his first goal with a great free-kick.
1976 Olympics
Platini played for France in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. The team won two group matches, with Platini scoring three goals. They reached the quarter-finals but lost to East Germany.
Road to the 1978 World Cup
Platini helped France qualify for the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina. This was France's first World Cup appearance since 1966. In a friendly match against Italy, Platini scored two amazing free-kicks against the famous goalkeeper Dino Zoff. This made him well-known in Italy.
1978 World Cup
In the 1978 World Cup, France was in a tough group with Italy and the host country, Argentina. France lost to both teams and didn't make it past the first round.
1982 World Cup Journey
Platini became the captain of the French national team after the 1978 World Cup. He helped France 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. The game ended 3–3 after extra time, with Platini scoring one of France's goals. West Germany won the match in a penalty shoot-out.
Euro '84 Victory
In 1984, Platini captained France to victory in the European Championship, which was held in France. He had a huge impact on the team, scoring nine 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 also 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. But he still scored two important goals. One was against Italy, and the other was against Brazil in the quarter-finals. He scored the equalizer against Brazil on his 31st birthday. France won that match in a penalty shoot-out.
France lost to West Germany again in the semi-finals. Platini's goal against Brazil was his last for the national team.
Retirement from International Play
Platini played his last game for France on April 29, 1987. He announced his retirement from all football a few weeks later. He played 72 games for France and scored 41 goals. This was a record for the French national team until Thierry Henry and Olivier Giroud later scored more.
Platini even played one more international match in 1988 for Kuwait, at the request of the Kuwaiti leader.
How Michel Platini Played
Platini is known as one of the greatest football players ever. He was an amazing passer and one of the best at taking penalty kicks and free-kicks. He was a smart and elegant attacking midfielder. He could read the game well and bend the ball when he kicked it.
He was great at controlling the ball, dribbling, and passing. Even though he wasn't the strongest or fastest, his football intelligence and vision made him special. He often played behind the main strikers, setting up goals for his teammates. But he also scored many goals himself, using both feet and his head.
Platini's unique free-kick style, where he often kicked the ball over the defensive wall, inspired many other players. He was also known for being disciplined on the field and was never sent off in his long career.
Coaching Career
Platini became the coach of the French national team on November 1, 1988. He led France to a great qualifying campaign for the 1992 European Championship, winning all eight of their group matches.
France was a favorite to win the tournament, and Platini was named Manager of the Year by World Soccer Awards. However, France was knocked out in the first round of the tournament, and Platini stepped down as coach.
Football Administration Roles
After coaching, Platini became involved 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 2006, he became the chairman of FIFA's Technical and Development Committee.
Leading UEFA
In 2007, Platini was elected president of UEFA, the main football organization in Europe. He won the election against Lennart Johansson, who had been president for 16 years. Platini focused on ideas like fairness and helping all football clubs.
He supported ideas like having more local players in top European teams. He also talked about limiting how much clubs could spend on wages and transfers. He wanted to make sure clubs didn't have too much debt.
FIFA Presidential Campaign and Challenges
In 2015, Platini announced he would run for president of FIFA. However, he faced issues related to a payment he received. Swiss prosecutors looked into a payment of $2 million from FIFA president Sepp Blatter to Platini.
In October 2015, Platini was temporarily suspended from football activities. In December, he was found to have broken some rules and was banned from football until 2023. Platini said he was innocent and appealed the decision, but his appeals were rejected by courts.
In 2025, Platini was acquitted a second time of charges related to fraud and mismanagement from 2011.
Personal Life
Michel Platini married Christèle Bigoni on December 21, 1977. They have two children, Laurent and Marine. Laurent is a lawyer who works in sports, and Marine is an actress.
In 2010, Platini had a health scare in South Africa but was quickly discharged from the hospital. Doctors said he was fine and just had the flu.
Images for kids
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Platini with France at the 1978 World Cup
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Michel Platini visiting a stadium construction site in 2009
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Platini in the match against Canada at the 1986 World Cup
See also
In Spanish: Michel Platini para niños
