Wednesday 27 June 2012
THIS DAY IN 1984, PLATINI INSPIRED LES BLEUS TO WIN UEFA EURO CUP ON HOME SOIL..
You might probably not have become addicted to the beautiful game for one reason or the other, but on this day in 1984, Michel Platini, Legendary French player now UEFA president starred on home turf, scoring the opener in France's final win against Spain to take his tally to nine for the tournament. He would eventually go on to win the competition's golden boot award as The Les Bleus went on to win their first major trophy in front of teeming fans at the new Parc Des Princes. Bruno Bellone added a second to ensure it ended 2-0.
Victorious Les Bleus Squad of 1984
Alongside Luis Fernandez who weighed in with the tackles in midfield, joining creative trio Michel Platini, Alain Giresse and Jean Tigana to form "Le Carré Magique" – the magic square. Call them the Barcelona trio of Iniesta, Xavi and Messi of their time. There cannot have been a more gifted midfield quartet in world football at the time and Platini, in particular, was a rare gem. Elegant, intelligent, cheeky and a lover of the big occasion, the Juventus star also boasted an incredible scoring record. He entered the tournament as top-scorer in Serie A over the past two seasons and his strikes would prove vital in a side that had failed to produce a regular goalscorer since Jules Fontaine.
Platini Lifting The Euro Cup
Again, one might begin to wonder why retired African football stars have not been deemed fit to administer the game in this part of the world even when some of tehm are evne more popular in the streets than the big politicians in their various countries. George Weah,Didier Drogba,Frederick Kanoute,Abedi Pele, Roger Miller,Austin Okocha etc. These are internationally respected African stars who have seen it all in football and will definitely have their own positive inputs if allowed the chance to administer the round leather game in any capacity. Zambia has done well in this regard by appointing legendary striker Kalusha Bwalya as the country's football federation president and what has been the outcome? Zambia is the current African football champions.
This perhaps goes to show what square pegs can do when put in square holes. I hope to see the same done in Nigeria and in CAF . For me, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) still lags behind other regional football bodies in terms of organisation, marketing etc leading to a stunted development of African football as a whole.
On this note i wish to appeal to the men in the Glass house and also in CAF, can we for once allow ex footballers a chance to run their game? Afterall it is only the man who wears the boots knows where it pinches the most.
Alongside Luis Fernandez who weighed in with the tackles in midfield, joining creative trio Michel Platini, Alain Giresse and Jean Tigana to form "Le Carré Magique" – the magic square. Call them the Barcelona trio of Iniesta, Xavi and Messi of their time. There cannot have been a more gifted midfield quartet in world football at the time and Platini, in particular, was a rare gem. Elegant, intelligent, cheeky and a lover of the big occasion, the Juventus star also boasted an incredible scoring record. He entered the tournament as top-scorer in Serie A over the past two seasons and his strikes would prove vital in a side that had failed to produce a regular goalscorer since Jules Fontaine.
Again, one might begin to wonder why retired African football stars have not been deemed fit to administer the game in this part of the world even when some of tehm are evne more popular in the streets than the big politicians in their various countries. George Weah,Didier Drogba,Frederick Kanoute,Abedi Pele, Roger Miller,Austin Okocha etc. These are internationally respected African stars who have seen it all in football and will definitely have their own positive inputs if allowed the chance to administer the round leather game in any capacity. Zambia has done well in this regard by appointing legendary striker Kalusha Bwalya as the country's football federation president and what has been the outcome? Zambia is the current African football champions.
Kalusha Bwalya, Zambian Football Federation Chief.
On this note i wish to appeal to the men in the Glass house and also in CAF, can we for once allow ex footballers a chance to run their game? Afterall it is only the man who wears the boots knows where it pinches the most.
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