France and Germany will meet Thursday in the Euro 2016 semifinals in Marseille. They’ve never played each other at the Euros but met four times at the World Cup. The 1982 World Cup semifinal inSeville is considered one of the greatest matches in soccer history, remembered for a brutal challenge by German keeper Toni Schumacher […]
michel platini
Posted inAround The Net in Soccer World Daily, Story
Platini has no plans to attend Euro 2016 matches
Will or will not UEFA invite its former president Michel Platini to Euro 2016 in his native France, where he captained the Bleus to the 1984 title? It all depends on what is the definition ofattending the games in a personal capacity. He was banned from soccer for four years and is not allowed to […]
Posted inAround The Net in Soccer World Daily, Story
UEFA: Van Praag throws hat in ring to replace Platini
Dutch soccer federation president Michael van Praag will run for UEFA president to replace Michel Platini, who was banned from soccer for six years. Van Praag said he wanted touse “my experience, knowledge and networks to make UEFA a cohesive unit again,” warning that UEFA had drifted into an impasse since Platini was suspended and […]
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Life is full of surprises for Michel Platini
Michel Platini is finished in soccer. Banned by a FIFA ethics committee from soccer for taking $2 million from FIFA years after he was supposed to have done the work, the Frenchman saw hissuspension reduced from first eight years to six and then six years to four by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on […]
Posted inAround The Net in Soccer World Daily, Story
French federation raided in connection with FIFA scandal
At the behest of the Swiss federal prosecutor, the French Financial Prosecution Office raided the French soccer federation headquarters in connection with the Swiss criminal case against former FIFApresident Sepp Blatter. The cases focuses on a secret transaction in which Blatter approved a $2 million payment from FIFA funds for Michel Platini in 2011. Blatter […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They're Saying: Sepp Blatter
“I have also worked double than Platini — they should have given me four years’ reduction, not two. He is 60 and I am 80.” — FIFA president Sepp Blatter, on thereduction of soccer suspensions FIFA’s ethics committee handed Michel Platini and him from eight years to six years on appeal for their “service to […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They're Saying: Michel Platini
“The decision is insulting, shameful and is a violation of rights. The charges against me are baseless, built from the ground up and surreal in view of the facts and the explanations I gave during thehearing.” — Banished UEFA president Michel Platini, who had his eight-year suspension from all soccer activities reduced to six years […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They're Saying: Michel Platini
“It all began with Blatter, who wanted my skin, who didn’t want me to go to FIFA. He often said I’d be his last scalp, but he fell at the same time as I did.” — Michel Platini,announcing he’d withdrawn his bid for FIFA president, on how he went from the favorite to succeed Sepp […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Platini calls it quits, withdrawing from FIFA presidential race
Only four months ago, Michel Platini was seen as the overwhelming favorite to succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA president, but he has now withdrawn from the race following his eight-year banfrom soccer for breaches of FIFA’s ethics code. He is appealing the suspension, but in the meantime he is banned from campaigning and unlikely to […]
Posted inOff The Post, Story
The Adams family, an amazing French love story
French soccer has been taking it on the chin recently. Its best forward, Karim Benzema, has been suspended from the national team, pending a criminal investigation into charges he took part ina scheme to blackmail teammate Mathieu Valbuena. Michel Platini, the greatest player in its history, has been suspended by FIFA for eight years in […]