La Stampa 20/03/00 - Interview with Michel Platini
Michel Platini couldn't attend the game as his plane from Paris expected landing was 5:10 PM while the game was moved from 8:30 PM to 3:00 PM.
PLATINI, THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT TOOK AWAY FROM YOU THE PLEASURE OF THE DERBY WITH THIS DECISION TO START THE GAME AT 3:00 PM.
"It was a swindle. Never mind. Tomorrow morning I have an appointment in Milan and I wasn't going to leave at dawn from Paris just to end up in Malpensa [ed. Milan International Airport]. After all it has been since 1987 that I haven't seen Juve-Toro."
WEREN'T YOU STILL PLAYING AT THE TIME?
"Yes, in fact I didn't pay the ticket."
HOW DID IT END?
"A 1-1 tie."
DOES THE VICTORY BY JUVENTUS TODAY MEAN SCUDETTO FOR YOU?
"It depends on the results by the other teams."
ALL LOST OR TIED.
"Then it's probable that the championship is over. In my time the victory was worth two points. With today's three points it's easy to be caught up, but it's much easier to make a sprint."
CAN YOU FOLLOW ITALIAN SOCCER?
"Yes, I watch many games on TV, especially the night ones."
THEN YOU WILL KNOW ABOUT CONTROVERSIES ON REFEREE, ABOUT THE PRESUMED SUBJECTION TOWARDS POWERFUL TEAMS SUCH AS JUVE. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT IT?
"In France, only images of soccer reach us, not the controversies: they can't get through, the Alps are too steep."
THE BIANCONERI, DURING THE DERBY, HAD THE FIRST PENALTY KICK WHISTLED AGAINST AFTER 40 WEEKS. DID YOU KNOW?
"It means that the opponents never enter the penalty box. Seriously, these are the same nonsense that I used to listen to when I played. Referees are human beings and thus they make mistakes. But to say that there is a conspiracy, it's out of line. I don't believe in plots or agreements.!
DO YOU LONG FOR PLAYED SOCCER?
"No."
DON'T YOU LIKE IT ANYMORE?
"It's completely different, just like our soccer was different from the '70s soccer."
BETTER YOUR JUVE OR THAT ONE THAT MORTGAGED THE 2000 SCUDETTO?
"The same reasoning applies: they are different teams. I can say that mine was better, someone older than me might prefer John Charles', a boy will grow fond of today's. The comparison doesn't have much sense."
CAN WE SAY THAT TODAY'S SOCCER IS FASTER THAN YESTERDAY'S?
"I don't agree. Zidane isn't faster than me, just like Ferrara isn't faster than Scirea, nor Davids is faster than Bonini. The difference is that, once, the midfield would make the ball run, now it's the players that are running."
Interview by Stefano Mancini (mailto:[email protected])
