Michel Platini

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

At Juventus, Platini inherited the number 10 shirt from the recently departed Liam Brady. In a team featuring numerous members of Italy's victorious World Cup squad, Platini had a difficult introduction to Italian football. He was a target in the demanding Italian sports media, and even came close to leaving Italy in the winter of his first season. Platini and teammate Zbigniew Boniek successfully called for a change in tactics, and in the second half of the season Juventus saw an upturn in their fortunes. They reached the European Cup final, losing to Hamburger SV, but won the Italian Cup, the first of many club honours to follow for Platini in the coming seasons.

In Their Own Story

In his first season at Juventus, Platini was close to leaving Italy during the winter. However, after he and Zbigniew Boniek demanded tactical changes, the team improved significantly. They won the Italian Cup and reached the European Cup final, losing to Hamburger SV. The following seasons brought more success: Serie A titles in 1984 and 1986, the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1984 where he set up Vignola's opening goal against Porto, and the European Cup in 1985. In that final at Heysel Stadium, which was overshadowed by a disaster causing 39 deaths, Platini scored the decisive penalty after a foul on Boniek just outside the area.

Reader's Guide

During his career, Platini played for the clubs Nancy, Saint-Étienne, and Juventus. Nicknamed Le Roi ("The King") for his ability and leadership, he was a prolific goalscorer; he won the Serie A capocannoniere award three consecutive times between 1983 and 1985, and was the top scorer of Juventus's victorious 1984–85 European Cup campaign. Platini was a key player of the France national team that won the 1984 European Championship, a tournament in which he was the top scorer and best player, and reached the semi-finals of the 1982 and 1986 World Cups. Together with midfielders Alain Giresse, Luis Fernández and Jean Tigana, he formed the carré magique (magic square) of the French team in the 1980s. Platini was his country's record goalscorer until 2007, and held the record for most goals scored (9) in the European Championship until being surpassed by Cristiano Ronaldo in 2021, despite only appearing in the 1984 tournament.

Did You Know?

• Platini won the Ballon d'Or three times in a row, in 1983, 1984 and 1985.
• He was the top scorer of Juventus's victorious 1984–85 European Cup campaign.
• Platini held the record for most goals scored (9) in the European Championship until 2021.
• He was banned from football involvement from 2015 until 2023 over ethics violations.