Highlighting the present problems plaguing the game of football, like racism, violence, doping and corruption, UEFA president Michel Platini made it clear that in the case of match fixing, only the players are responsible and according to him, whoever throws away matches, should be banned from football for life.
Platini was speaking during a short half hour brief to the media at the Centenary Hall during which he gave his opinions about several topics concerning football and its administration. Expressing his satisfaction to be in Malta, Platini started by congratulating MFA president Norman Darmanin Demajo for the sterling work he is doing in Malta.
Platini said that he, as UEFA president and FIFA vice president, is committed to work so that youngsters will grow in a healthy environment. Earlier, Platini had inaugurated a new grass pitch at Fgura.
He dedicated quite some time to talk about the Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules which UEFA is being implementing for its clubs as from next season. Platini said that this is not the Association’s first move to help reduce the clubs’ financial losses and help them from vanishing completely.
The UEFA president said that seeing things from the inside, is different from seeing football from the outside, where people are concerned only about the rules and the competitions, but from inside, one tends to see the problems inflicting the clubs.
UEFA has been putting the rules in order for the past three years and now the association is at ‘warning stage’. From next season, the FFP rules will be enforced.
Asked by ‘The Malta Independent’ how can FFP be effective in contrasting scenarios, where the world’s richest club, Real Madrid, has just revealed plans to build its ‘commercial paradise’ on a specially built island in the UAE to increase its branding and wealth while Italian clubs in all divisions keep reporting huge debts, amounting to €2.6 billion, Platini said that big clubs like Real Madrid always got it better financially and enjoyed an advantage over the rest.
UEFA cannot control clubs’ debts as long as these are repayable. What really worries the UEFA president is the losses clubs incur year after year and this has to stop somehow.
Platini does not think that UEFA is late with its actions.
Platini was quite sceptic about the introduction of modern technology in football. While acknowledging that referees are nowadays in difficulty as they are unable to see everything, the various TV replays are showing that they are making many mistakes too often.
“Other sports, like basketball or tennis, have more than one referee in less restricted space than a football pitch. One referee in football is too little,” said Platini.
FIFA wants the introduction of technology, but where does it start and end? Where do we draw a line? Do we need to have 35 cameras in every match? Platini finds it difficult to find answers to these questions and thinks that the introduction of two extra line assistants is the best solution.
Platini also gave his views about clubs and national teams and stated that there should be no difference between the two. Every player is free to play for his club as well as for his country. They are both part of the football family. The UEFA president is against the idea that ‘small’ countries should be kept apart from the big ones in football competitions. “This is only what big and influential associations want but UEFA will not give in to their demands” promised Monsieur Platini in an assuring tone.