Michel Platini: “If UEFA was in Siberia, it would have moved there ...”

With a headline joke, Michel Platini, who became Europe’s top football official just over a month ago, began an interview with Fabio Licari, Italian La Gazzetta dello Sport journalist, when they began to discuss UEFA President’s move to Swiss Nyon. “But, of course, it would be better to transport the UEFA to Paris,” Platini immediately offered an alternative to the Siberian version.

- What was your first surprise?

- The presidency itself. Until now, I feel that I am not the president, but the leader of a certain movement.

- The system did not accept you in the best way: the tragedy in Catania, then similar events in the Netherlands, France and even in Spain. An accident?

- All kinds of violence have always happened before. It will be in the future. No one is safe from this. Another question is why it is performed in football, but nothing like this happens, for example, in rugby.

- Another interest in the game?

- Yes it is. And a lot of money that attracts this interest. Excessive investments have changed a lot. But to say that our sport is ideal, and society destroys it, seems to me too simple an explanation of the problems.

- Offer a way out of this situation.

“We cannot dictate anything to anyone.” We can only cooperate with the governments of football powers. For example, on March 19 I meet with the heads of the police structures of European countries. The English model of organizing football matches has proven itself very well. I want to create a kind of football Interpol, a kind of international oversight body. As, for example, they are now trying to create police for the Internet.

- After such sad events in Italian stadiums, will the country receive Euro 2012?

- Until 2012, there is still so much time that you can not associate the championship with the events taking place in the Italian arenas today. The real problem is the lack of the president of the national football federation in Italy. Without him, we will not be able to entrust her with the championship.

- Wherever he goes, 24 teams will participate?

“We are exploring such an opportunity.” But I can say that there will not be enough time to introduce such an innovation at Euro 2012.

- Where will the Champions League move?

- In September, we will approve a new formula for its implementation. I don’t know what it will be. But I can say for sure that we will not limit ourselves to just one group stage. And the general line of all these reforms is the equal rights of the participating countries.

- A maximum of three clubs from one federation?

- We'll see.

- Will the owners of national cups be able to become participants in the League?

- Hm I do not know.

- Will the Champions League update affect the UEFA Cup?

- It would be nice to have the third and fourth teams in Italy, Spain, England in the UEFA Cup. Is not it so? In any case, changes are coming here. This will apply to the formula of conduct, and television rights.

- So, television. Is there a lot of football on it? Are matches being held at the right time?

- And there are too many children's cartoons ... Only the market dictates the time of showing matches. The problem is that television offers to watch all the matches. Therefore, the fans begin to think that all games are important. But neither Barcelona, ​​nor Juve can play all 70 matches of the season at the highest level.

“Just like Ronaldinho is a living person, not a robot.” And he has successful and not very good days.

- Only the one who does not understand anything in football allows himself to criticize him, Maradona or Zidane after 90 minutes on the field, and not evaluating their game throughout the season. This alone can be an objective criterion. After all, champions of this level have a unique technique that helps them out even when their legs do not run.

- Juventus most likely returns to Serie A.

- Very good. They made mistakes, now they are paying for them. This period ends.

- Will you go to the first match of Juve next season?

- I would like to attend it.

- Who will win the Champions League this year?

“Wait a minute, am I the president now?” Therefore, I must answer that the strongest will win.

- The current scudetto “Inter” will have less value than accepted?

- Why? The champion of any country is always a reflection of the entire championship. Missing and fined players do not play any role.

- There was a goal - there was no goal. Can new technologies help football?

- If it is possible to solve the problem of ghost heads and the match will not be interrupted, then I am for both hands. But with the use of modern technology to determine the offside I will never agree. Seriously. True wrestling is something else.

- Explain.

- My position: it is necessary to use four linear referees. And I will defend her.

- A new league G-14 on the way?

- This may be the new era of modern football. Creating such a league will require a completely new approach. The main thing is that everyone should be aware that we work for football.

- Satisfied with your new post?

- Yes of course. The only pity is that now there is much less time for going to the stadiums.

Translation by George BYCHKOV


All Articles