[thekeanefella]

World Cup legend Michel Platini last night warned English football to clean up its "ridiculous" image - or risk being booted out of the Champions League.

Uefa president Platini rounded on Manchester City's £150million pursuit of AC Milan superstar Kaka as a prime example of Premier League clubs "cheating" after being bankrolled by wealthy owners.

Platini intends to implement a crackdown at UEFA's strategy meeting next month when they will try to push through more stringent rules on licences which clubs must have to play in European competitions.

Former Juventus superstar Platini wants clubs to be more self-sufficient, wants a limit on transfer budgets and aims to stop teams like City being able to spend £150m on Kaka (right), after branding it "socially wrong".

Platini said: "If I say I am angry about it then everyone will say: 'He's jealous because he never earned that in his career'. But it's ridiculous. I don't need to say more. How one guy can cost £150m is ridiculous. From a football point of view, social point of view and every point of view.

"If you want to spend £150m on a player it is possible. But it's why we have to do something.

I have a philosophy and we share that philosophy with 99 per cent of people in the game in Europe.

"It's not good for the popularity of football. We have to permit everybody to play, but football is a game and not a product.

"Many, many, many clubs supportmeon this. It will take time to do that and if we decide to do something it will take three or four years because we will have to respect the contracts of the players."

Platini wants the licence system, already in place to ensure clubs' ownerships, finances and stadia are in order, to be used to exclude clubs if they are hundreds of millions of pounds in debt.

The UEFA chief insists that, despite a string of outspoken attacks on the Premier League, he is not anti-English football but just wants a "more level playing field".

But Platini said he may push for strict spending limits to be implemented at next month's strategy meeting as he also ridiculed the Premier League's plan for a 39th game.

"I don't have a problem with the English game," said Platini. "I have a problem with the 39th game. I think it's stupid, just like Kaka costing £150m.

does he ever take a day off from bashing the prem ? muppet

 

[ejuventus]

oh..oh...dear Michel

you were and you'll always be the Number 1

The most clever player ever is now taking care about football in another level:
the only one with concrete ideas to make a stop to uncontrolled money domination on football

he's nickname was "Le Roi" (The King), and it was not for case

 

[Nachito Coronel]

what a moron!, I know its city he is talking about, but how can he come in and try to sanction a country for spending money?!, I hope he tries to kick out the english teams out of european competition so he can see how the biggest reason people around the world watch the cl is for english teams.

 

[piazza]

He's still pissed off about Heysel. That's why he hates English football so much. I like how he thinks he's sly about these new rule changes for CL qualification, and how they don't effect France.

I'd chin him given the opportunity.

 

[Cappy]

Yet where were his comments when real was throwing around 100 million for Ronnie. Oh yeah, he said we should let the player go.

Double Standard police needs to kick that Frenchie in the nuts.

(Zuco, that's your cue)

 

[ejuventus]

You're on the wrong way guys

He's the only one fighting for respecting values and players in the modern football:

- he stopped the young players trade
- he wanted to enlarge visibility of other teams than usual 4 countries in Ch.League
- he recently expressed critics against the temporary agreement between Beckham and Ac Milan: "will we arrive to take players from all over the world for a single match ? "
- he wants to limit the numbers of foreigns players in a football team: what would favour more investementes in the breeding ground
- he wants to avoid that teams go on covered by debts, giving a not good example and putting in danger their existence, the salary of lots of workers and the stability of football

 

[Guest]

The man is a first class arsehole. He takes every opportunity to bash the Premier League.

He talks of stopping the domination of English clubs in Europe, but nothing was said when Italian clubs dominated in the 90's.

He;s just a bitter prick who's bitter that his own homeland has a piss poor league and will be unlikely to ever win another Champions League.

 

[thekeanefella]

The man is a first class arsehole. He takes every opportunity to bash the Premier League.

He talks of stopping the domination of English clubs in Europe, but nothing was said when Italian clubs dominated in the 90's.

He;s just a bitter prick who's bitter that his own homeland has a piss poor league and will be unlikely to ever win another Champions League.

agreed.

first class post

 

[ejuventus]

The man is a first class arsehole. He takes every opportunity to bash the Premier League.

He talks of stopping the domination of English clubs in Europe, but nothing was said when Italian clubs dominated in the 90's.

He;s just a bitter prick who's bitter that his own homeland has a piss poor league and will be unlikely to ever win another Champions League.

Sorry, guys
I may ignore some of his attitude or statement in the past: maybe, not always friendly with English teams and mentality .... I'm sure you have some reason

But I don't think is campaign his given ONLY by an anti-England feeling...... he just thinks certain things and go on with them.....not looking at the face of anyone
Would you compair his role and spirit with Johannenson's one ??....or Blatter's one ??

 

[Fiat Cunto]

The man is a first class arsehole. He takes every opportunity to bash the Premier League.

He talks of stopping the domination of English clubs in Europe, but nothing was said when Italian clubs dominated in the 90's.

He;s just a bitter prick who's bitter that his own homeland has a piss poor league and will be unlikely to ever win another Champions League.

agreed even through my beer googels that post stood out from the rest

 

[Sownak27]

Sticking his nose where it doesnt belong

I completely agree with Cappy's post

Michel is like a bad tooth in the football world

 

[RtiD]

Theres no way he should have a go at a club for spending money no matter how ridiculous the price quoted is.

Plain Snobbery towards the EPL

 

[Boomhauer50]

Yet where were his comments when real was throwing around 100 million for Ronnie. Oh yeah, he said we should let the player go.

Double Standard police needs to kick that Frenchie in the nuts.

Absolute fact man he is a complete tool.

 

[Wazza1989]

Platini has been just bitter all of these years. He's attacking only English clubs. Why doesn't he attack Italian clubs or Spanish ones. Beside us , Chleski and Citeh in the Premiership there aren't any teams that spend too much on transfers. There is also Real in Spain, Barca as well, Inter , Juve , Milan in i Italy.
The only thing that i agree with him is that no club in the world should throw such a big amount of money , and I mean at least 100 mil pouns on a football player. Especially now that the world is in a crysis the world has never seen since the early 20's.
Platini isn't right but he ain't totaly wrong.

 

[stretty]

i used to think he was one of the best players i have ever seen , now i think he is a complete moron , how can a man in his position have so much hate for everything english and blatantly go round saying these things and get away with it, its unbelievable he is just jealous about the premier league being the best in the world ,and he just cannot take it

 

[Davey]

What did everyone expect from this bitter man?? It's just typical of a man of his stature to say something like this. Platini was right about the spending part, which yes is ridiculous but his Anti-English football attitude is just so unbelievable, I hate the man with passion even though he was a world class player.

 

[scottsati]

quality player one of the best of all time....dodgy views.....however to be fair some of what he has to say does have merit and should be acted upon, ultimately he is sticking up for the fan and the future of football- he just has a way off annoying and upsetting people with the way he goes about things. only good thing is unlike the english the french still stand up for what they believe in and still have a backbone and fight for what they think is right

 

[Jay007]

When Platini came in I though "Great. Someone who has played the game and not just a bigwig who doesn't know what he's talking about." How wrong was I?

I can't stand the man tbh, and have to agree with Cappy and zuco.

 

[Nachito Coronel]

You're on the wrong way guys

He's the only one fighting for respecting values and players in the modern football:

- he stopped the young players trade
- he wanted to enlarge visibility of other teams than usual 4 countries in Ch.League
- he recently expressed critics against the temporary agreement between Beckham and Ac Milan: "will we arrive to take players from all over the world for a single match ? "
- he wants to limit the numbers of foreigns players in a football team: what would favour more investementes in the breeding ground
- he wants to avoid that teams go on covered by debts, giving a not good example and putting in danger their existence, the salary of lots of workers and the stability of football

what you are missing is that he has an agenda against english teams, that proved to be clear when the real-ronaldo situation happened.