Juventus legend Michel Platini took aim at Aleksander Čeferin and Gianni Infantino, saying the pair are ‘in football for the power’. The Frenchman gave a lengthy interview to Tuttosport and touched on the state of his former club, UEFA and FIFA, and the prospect of being Juve president one day:
Ceferin and Infantino
“They are nothing and come from nothing. These are individuals involved in football for the power, but the true leaders of football have always been and should always be the players. They are the Baggios, the Del Pieros, the Mbappés, the Haalands, the Klopps, the Guardiolas, the Ancelottis.”
Has Football Improved or Declined?
“It’s hard to say. In my view, the experience of football as a stadium event has improved. However, the players seem a bit too similar, a bit stereotyped, or crafted in a way that makes the coach more important than the players. Players don’t take risks anymore: they don’t dribble, they don’t try to invent something new; they are held back by their coaches. Today, it’s the coaches’ game with less talent, less creativity, more running, and positioning. I believe we should return to a more player-centric game; it’s more enjoyable.”
Joining Juventus Under Trapattoni
“When I joined Juventus, everyone knew their role. Tardelli, Cabrini, Bonini—they all understood their responsibilities. Boniek and I pushed to play a bit more offensively, with support from Bettega and Rossi. During that period, we broke a bit from the traditional Juventus style; we were a bit more French. But in my last years, the team reverted to a more traditional Juventus approach, and my goal tally dropped from twenty to two.”
Trapattoni Compared to Allegri
“That’s amusing. I believe there’s logic to it: when you don’t concede goals, you’ve already secured a point, whereas you can score three and still lose. I used to pester Trapattoni, asking, ‘Why don’t we play more offensively, score one goal, and then try to get two more?’ But he had a different philosophy. Trapattoni was a great coach because he knew how to handle players and was an incredible psychologist.”
Contact with Andrea Agnelli in the Past Year?
“No, these are personal matters, and I understand how he feels.”
John Elkann’s Commitment to Juventus
“He may not be as passionate as his grandfather, the lawyer, or Umberto, but he cares. It’s evident that he takes the family’s century-long commitment to Juventus very seriously. Moreover, he has enormous responsibilities managing the companies. He may not communicate it well, but he cares about Juventus and is close to the club.”
Presidency of Juventus
“They’ve never asked me. I don’t think they will ask me now, either. The club needs to stabilize economically before focusing solely on the sports aspect. Now isn’t the time to dream about the field, but that time will come again. It’s always a matter of cycles.”
The Number 10 Jersey for Yildiz
“Del Piero was inspired by me, so that makes me his grandfather (laughs). I’ve never seen Yildiz play, and I haven’t watched Juventus this year.”
Will Juventus Win Again?
“Of course! There are cycles, aren’t there? When one cycle ends, there’s a difficult period, but Juventus always returns to winning. It always has and always will, so rest assured.”
