By Andrew Warshaw in Athens
September 14 – It lasted less than 10 minutes, was dignified, personal, at times emotional and ended, tellingly, with the words, “Friends of football, farewell.” Michel Platini, out of the public spotlight for the last 11 months, made his eagerly anticipated but highly controversial goodbye appearance in front of his former lieutenants today before disappearing into the Athens sunlight, never to return as president of UEFA as a result of being banned for financial misconduct.
Within minutes of UEFA’s 55 federations taking their seats to elect Platini’s successor at one of the Greek capital’s most exclusive beach resorts, the Frenchman, given special permission by FIFA’s ethics committee to address the extraordinary congress, took the podium to deliver a speech that focussed on heaping gratitude on those he had led for nine years before his world collapsed as a result of his FIFA ban.
Platini made a point of starting his speech by looking delegates in the eye and insisting his conscience was clear and that he would continue the fight to clear his name even though he has already exhausted all appeals processes apart from the Swiss civil courts.
Emerging from his FIFA-enforced exile, Platini also used the platform, surprisingly given to him by the same committee which banned him, to highlight his achievements.
“It’s very emotional for me to be here,” Platini told his audience which included FIFA President Gianni Infantino, the man who used to be his number two but who seized his opportunity to grab the most powerful role in world football, one that for so long seemed the destiny of his one-time boss.
“This is my last speech to a UEFA Congress. Be assured that I have a clear conscience, that I’m convinced I did not make the slightest mistake, and that I’m continuing the legal battle,” declared Platini in in a carefully prepared speech.
“I want to thank everyone in this room who had the courage and loyalty to support me during the past months.”
But it was not all about the injustice Platini still clearly feels he was dealt. Although now out of the picture, he made a point of addressing the concerns plaguing European football – notably security and the growing divide between the haves and have-nots highlighted by the proposed Champions League changes.
“For millions of people around the world, football is … a flame. We have done much together for nine years to develop and preserve this flame. You can play football anywhere. Football has become universal. We saw that at the recent Euros, that football is a party which brings people together in spite of the difficult security situation.”
“We can be proud of what we have achieved but there is a long way to go and a lot we need to do to make sure that football stays the same one game. I encourage you today to keep that fight going for the health of football. We have to keep the balance between sporting reality and financial reality.”
Platini concluded by returning one last time to thanking those present for their loyalty – though at least one of the 55 federations, the German FA, had previously stated in no uncertain terms that he should not have been allowed to take centre stage at a summit that was all about the future rather than the past.
“I think we did a great job and I hope you have enjoyed it and are proud of what we managed together – because I am proud and that is why I wanted to come and speak to you today to say goodbye in person and thank you. I would like to wish the new president every success. Friends of football, farewell.”
And with that the most charismatic figure in the history of European football administration – and one of the world’s most cherished legends on the pitch – was gone, slipping through a side door to suffer the pain of leaving behind an organisation he so desperately wanted to leave on a high and under vastly different circumstances.
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