[Zed.D]

Calcio Debate: We Should All Support Michel Platini - He Could Save Football

UEFA president Michel Platini has received a bad press due to many of his plans to reform the game. Carlo Garganese believes that the France and Juventus legend should be supported as he attempts to 'save' football…

In the 1970s it was flares, sideburns and John Travolta, in the 80s it was frizzy hair, lycra mini-skirts and Madonna, while in the 90s it was body piercings, tattoos and The Spice Girls. In the latter part of the noughties, it seems to be extremely fashionable to slag off Michel Platini.

And just why, may I ask? Could it be because the Frenchman is seemingly doing everything in his power to save football from self-destruction, reforms that are a threat to certain groups within the footballing world, most specifically the money-men of the game?

The bad press about Platini originated in England, where there was a smear campaign to paint the 54-year-old as this bitter ‘anti-English’ hater, who could not stand to see the Premier League dominate Europe, and would do anything in his power to end this supremacy.

Of course it was utter drivel, as has been proven by Platini’s scolding of Real Madrid’s “vulgar” summer spending spree that has seen them splash more than €200m and counting.

Ignore what much of the media says, Platini is not ‘anti-English’, he is not ‘anti-Madrid’, and he is not ‘delusional’ – Michel Platini simply wants what is best for football. He is a purist who is trying to defend the traditions of the game, and unfortunately much of what is wrong is in the Premier League.

Is it right that some clubs can be close to a billion pounds in debt, yet are still allowed to spend tens, even hundreds of millions on transfers? Hence the reason why Platini is attempting to implement new financial rules in 2012 whereby teams will only be permitted to buy players with their own resources, without any external aid. The argument is not about whether this will help smaller clubs, it is that what many big teams are currently doing is immoral.

Is it right that some top clubs can field a first XI where only one or two, sometimes none, of their players are home-grown? The three-times champions of Italy with only two 18-year-old Italians vying for a starting place, an Arsenal team who often don’t play a single Englishman, a Liverpool outfit who can count on just Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher (and now Glen Johnson), a Chelsea XI with often just John Terry, Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard, the captain who could soon leave.

This is where 6+5 was born. There is no soul in football when a London team doesn’t possess even a single Englishman, let alone a Londoner. Where there is not a single Englishman managing a top EPL squad (a different, if not related argument). Where the most famous club in the world, Real Madrid, would rather open their wallet for expensive foreigners than for Spaniards, while offloading talented youth-team players like Juan Mata.

Granted, this is a global game, but there surely has to be some relation between fans and players. What happened to the local lad who graduated up through the youth ranks, became captain of his hometown, scored the winner in the cup final, and spent his entire career as a one-club man? Six-plus-five would help bring back some of these special sensations.

And what about the poaching of minors – a practice described by Platini as “child-trafficking"? Is it fair that a small provincial club like Reggina or Lecce spend seven years nurturing a local wonderkid from the ages of 8-15, only to then see him stolen for an insulting compensation fee by a club who throw a sack of money in front of the boy, offering him and his family a ‘better future’? Is it ‘just’ on the Reggina’s and Lecce’s of this world, and similar clubs who are struggling to survive?

To come back full circle to the issue of money, Platini is against excessive wages, planning to introduce a salary cap. This would ensure more loyalty in the game, certainly at the elite end. When John Terry, ‘Mr Chelsea’, is considering a move to a club like Manchester City, you realise just how desperate things have become in football, and just how badly money is damaging the game. It is pure greed if Terry accepts the offer (or demands a pay-rise in order to stay), and it will be a real hammer-blow. With a salary cap, this would all be preventable.

Unfortunately what Platini wants to do, and what will eventually happen, are two entirely different things. So far we haven’t seen any major changes, but this is purely due to obstacles put in his way. The corporate money-men will do everything in their power to stop Platini’s reforms.

It is time that football fans around the world started supporting Platini. Believe me, what he is trying to do is for the good of our beautiful game.

Carlo Garganese, Goal.com

I personally am in support of Platini and his plans. hope he succeeds!

[kurtsimonw]

I will never be in support of Platini. Not anti-English? I think that's a ridiculous statement. Madrid, Barca, Inter, tonnes of other clubs have been spending stupid money throughout his whole reign at UEFA.. but the second Man City become impossibly rich and threaten to buy everyone, he starts saying he'll put a stop to it? Why not before?

Another thing he seems to be forgetting is these rules will pretty much put Man City at the top end of football right away, it'll make them even stronger. They have no debt, their owners don't need to loan, they have ridiculous sums of money. What's to stop them buying Terry and the rest of Englands top players anyway? They'll still be able to sign top foreign stars as well. It'll just play into their hands more than anything.

I think the article makes a big mistake in claiming not being anti-English, then criticises English clubs. How many Italians do Milan and Inter field? I see no mention of that in the article, just Englands clubs. Villa and Everton regularly finish high, they are also amongst the most succesful clubs in the countries history, why no mention of the 7/8 English players they field every week? Why no mention of United, who field plenty of English/British players every week and win the league every single year?

Pathetic. **** Platini, **** UEFA.

This post has been edited by kurtsimonw: Jul 20 2009, 04:25 PM

[LaPalma]

I will never be in support of Platini. Not anti-English? I think that's a ridiculous statement. Madrid, Barca, Inter, tonnes of other clubs have been spending stupid money throughout his whole reign at UEFA.. but the second Man City become impossibly rich and threaten to buy everyone, he starts saying he'll put a stop to it? Why not before?

Another thing he seems to be forgetting is these rules will pretty much put Man City at the top end of football right away, it'll make them even stronger. They have no debt, their owners don't need to loan, they have ridiculous sums of money. What's to stop them buying Terry and the rest of Englands top players anyway? They'll still be able to sign top foreign stars as well. It'll just play into their hands more than anything.

I think the article makes a big mistake in claiming not being anti-English, then criticises English clubs. How many Italians do Milan and Inter field? I see no mention of that in the article, just Englands clubs. Villa and Everton regularly finish high, they are also amongst the most succesful clubs in the countries history, why no mention of the 7/8 English players they field every week? Why no mention of United, who field plenty of English/British players every week and win the league every single year?

Pathetic. **** Platini, **** UEFA.

Did you have a really bad day?
I often stated that I'm a supporter of Platinis plans. Something has to happen if football shall be saved from itself.