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| Career | |
| Clubs: | AS Joeuf (1966-1972), Nancy (1972-1979), Saint Etienne (1979-1982), Juventus (Ita/1982-1987) |
| International appearances: | 72 (50 as captain) |
| International goals: | 41 (national record) |
| International debut: | 27/03/1976, France-Czechoslovakia (2-2) |
| Last international appearance: | 29/04/1987, France-Iceland (2-0) |
| First international goal: | 27/03/1976, France-Czechoslovakia (2-2) |
| Last international goal: | 17/06/1986, France-Brazil (1-1, France won 4-3 on penalties) |
Appearances: 3 (1978, 1982, 1986), 14 matches, 5 goals
3rd (1986), 4th (1982)
Winner: (1984) Top scorer with nine goals
Winner (1985)
Winner (1984)
Winner (1984)
Winner (1985)
Winner (1981)
Winner (1978)
Winner (1984, 1986)
Winner (1983)
3 times European footballer of the year (1983, 1984, 1985)
353 career goals
3 times top goal-scorer in Italian league
29 matches, 16 wins, 8 draws, 5 defeats
Biography
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| French midfielder Michel Platini (R) attempts a volley as he is challenged by Hungarian Lazslo Dajka during the World Cup first round soccer match between France and Hungary, 09 June 1986 in Leon. France won 3-0. AFP PHOTO/GEORGES GOBET |
When he was a teenager Michel Platini had to live with the unflattering nickname "fatty", a sobriquet soon forgotten after he matured into one of the greatest footballers Europe has ever seen.
His true name was the one that stuck, representing a symbol of success for his fans and striking fear into his opponents.
Such was Michel Platini's spectacular destiny that on the pitch he was without peers, while today he is an important figure in world football following his key role in the organisation of the 1998 World Cup in France.
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| Juventus Turin's French midfielder Michel Platini runs after the ball during the European Cup final against Liverpool, 29 May 1985 at the Heysel stadium in Brussels. |
It was at his second club, Nancy, that Platini began to blossom into an exceptional footballer, winning his first trophy the French Cup in 1978.
In 1976 at the age of 21 he won his first cap for France, and scored on his debut during the a 2-2 draw with Czechoslovakia.
Following a period with high-flying Saint-Etienne, Platini made the short trip across the border to Italy in 1982.
He joined Juventus, the famous Turin club owned by Gianni Agnelli (the powerful head of Fiat), but had to wait before being taken into the hearts of the "tifosi", the passionate Italian fans.
In the end his sublime talents won them over as the team went on to win a hatful of titles.
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| French midfielder Michel Platini ties the score at 1 as he kicks the ball past his Brazilian counterpart Alemao during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between France and Brazil 21 June 1986 in Guadalaraja. France beat Brazil 4-3 on penalty kicks at the end of the extra time period to advance to the semifinals. (The score was 1-1 at the end of regulation) AFP PHOTO/GEORGES GOBET |
Platini helped France enjoy a golden period in their history when he guided them to 4th place in the World Cup in Spain (1982) and 3rd place in Mexico (1986), campaigns which included two legendary matches against West Germany in Seville and Brazil in Guadalajara.
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| French captain and midfielder Michel Platini jubilates after scoring against Yugoslavian goalkeeper Simovic, during the European Nations soccer championship match between France and Yugoslavia, 19 June 1984 in Saint-Etienne. France beat Yugoslavia 3-2. |
At the European championships in 1984 he scored nine times (a record), including the opening strike against Spain in the final, to help his country secure a famous first national title on home soil
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| French team captain and midfielder Michel Platini is all smiles as he holds aloft the winner's cup after France defeated Spain 2-0 in the final of the Euro-84 soccer championship, 27 June 1984 at the Parc des princes in Paris, earning its first-ever European title. (B&W only) |
But after the Heysel disaster in the Belgian capital, Brussels, where 39 fans died before the Juventus vs Liverpool European Cup final in 1985, Platini's passion for the game was never the same.
At the age of 32 he took his final bow one Sunday afternoon (May 29, 1987) during a rain-soaked match in Brescia.
After failing to make an impact in the business world Platini returned to football in 1988, this time as coach of France.
But he failed in his aim to take his team to the 1990 World Cup in Italy, and although France later qualified for the 1992 European championships in Sweden, they performed poorly, exiting the competition after the first round. Platini subsequently threw in the towel.
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| Frenchmen Michel Platini (L) and Fernand Sastre, co-presidents of the 1998 World Cup Organizing Committee sign documents 01 December 1997 at the Hotel de ville in Marseilles, where the drawing of the upcoming World Cup will take place 04 December at the Stade Velodrome. The World Cup will take place in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. |
In 1992, France were chosen to host the 1998 World Cup and Platini played a key role in the bid. He was no longer coach, but his country went on to win their first world title with a 3-0 win over Brazil in the final in Paris.
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| Frenchman Michel Platini, co-president with Fernand Sastre of the 1998 World Cup Organizing Committee speaks during a press conference, 12 January 1999 at the French Football Federation headquarters in Paris. Platini pronounced the official dissolution of the committee and announced that the 1998 World Cup brought an expected benefit of 505 millions francs. AFP PHOTO/PASCAL PAVANI |
Throughout his six years at the head of the organising committee, the former French captain successfully developed new but equally impressive skills.
From the fiery talent that reigned supreme in the football stadia of Europe, Platini today is now known for his frankness and intuition at all levels of the game.
He is a close associate of Fifa president Sepp Blatter, a high ranking member of Uefa and also a highly respected football analyst for French television.