The victory of the 51-year-old Frenchman in the elections by 4 votes over the incumbent president of the European Football Union, decrepit 77-year-old Swede Lennart Johansson, was largely due to the only, but fraught with serious consequences initiative - the reduction from 2009 of the maximum quota of Champions League participants from four up to three representatives from one country. This means that those European powers that previously lost the right to participate in the group tournament of the most prestigious club competition of the Old World have the hope of getting their portion of the pan-European pie, which is growing every year and will grow. But before Platini was much more radical, dreaming of restoring the era when only the winners of national championships earned a pass to the Champions Cup.
But he already has enough ill-wishers. Take, for example, last year's Arsenal League finalist, who, if he was now in the 2009 court, would have to hang out in the UEFA Cup and incur serious losses. But still, the loans spent on the construction of a new stadium have not yet been repaid. Yes, and any of the major clubs is completely "not in the habit" of a drop in income, therefore, the influence of the G- 14 group in European football is growing by leaps and bounds. Did Platini think about this when he said that the most difficult thing in his work would be to convince his wife to move from Paris to Switzerland, where he would now have to use all his cunning and dexterity to maneuver in the harsh political realities of big football.
But, perhaps, the most vehemently hostile to the Platini innovation were the British television companies, which already pay more for the rights to broadcast the domestic championship than anyone on the continent. A reduction in the eurotournament shows on foggy Albion will inevitably lead to a hole in the UEFA budget. But this, according to the adherents of Platini, will be only short-term damage. According to their logic, if everything is left as it is, then in a more distant future, Champions League football performed by the same teams, again and again sharing a solid jackpot, will not only harm the popularity of football, but even kill it. In contrast to the confrontation, say, “Levski” with “Rosenborg”. For small federations, which, of course, are the majority, a reduction in quotas is certainly at hand, although the former UEFA president tried to please them with a proposal to expand the final tournament of the European Championship from 16 to 24 national teams. Supports this proposal, which, apparently, will be implemented, and Platini.
The Frenchman, unlike often acting out of opportunistic considerations, Johansson always advocated the idea of FIFA President Sepp Blatter, according to which clubs should let out at least six players who have the right to play for the national team in the championship in which they play. In this case, the starting lineup of the same Arsenal should have at least six Englishmen, which is unlikely to appeal to the “gunners” who set themselves the maximum tasks.
Platini’s election program also includes such hot topics as limiting the salaries of football players, strengthening the fight against corruption, doping, racism, match-fixing and illegal betting, streamlining the activities of agents, and tougher penalties for football players for refusing to call for national teams (hi Makelele). Problems are also expected in relations with the European Union, which strives to crush UEFA. Platini has already promised to protect European courts from interfering in football matters, for example, when it comes to compensation for clubs whose players are injured in matches for national teams.
Grated kalach Johansson for 17 years of regency learned to find compromises and prevent splits that have already wreaked havoc and hostility in sports such as boxing and chess. Now the former player first came to power in European football, but will he be as perfect on the throne as on the field? Will the Frenchman be able to realize revolutionary ideas, which are so far only declarative in nature, or in the pursuit of the presidential portfolio, he simply promised voters with three boxes? Wait and see.
Andrey KARNAUKHOV