An open letter to Michel Platini

(Note: In December 2012 Michel Platini – president of UEFA  – on hearing that his beloved Juventus were to play Glasgow Celtic in draw for the 1st knockout round of the Champions League stated that Juventus would proceed to the last eight – dismissing Celtic. This open letter to him followed)

 

Dear Mr Platini

You were a great football player. Watching you at your peak in the French national team and commandeering masterful moves in the jersey of Juventus was always an honor for any fan of the beautiful game regardless of what team we supported. Football is like that. It sometimes creates players who transcend the normal rivalries and partizan nature of football support. Pele, Muller, Eusabio, Socrates and yes, Jimmy Johnstone – I loved him too much to omit him – and even in the modern game people like Beckham and Messi. Players who found themselves loved and appreciated beyond the perimeters of their team colours or nationality. You, Mr Platini, operated very close to that circle of ‘special players’. You were a very gifted and entertaining footballer.

It’s a pity that in the halls and fields of your education towards soccer excellence you were not taught anything on the subject of diplomacy and public relations. Or, if you were taught these things it is a great pity they were never utilised.

When Celtic played Juventus previously in September 2001 the game was narrowly won over two legs by Juventus after a very “interesting” refereeing display which culminated in a very odd penalty decision were the referee saw a blatant dive by Amaruso (watch the video) as a penalty – from 40 yards away – handing the game to Juventus. This happened at a time when Italian football was in a hiatus of scandals surrounding payments to referees and players to influence results. Certain areas of football were deeply suspect and that incident on top of many that season did nothing to alleviate the sense of immorality and cheating at a level higher than Celtic’s humble corinthian spirit.

You may say “Come on that was eleven years ago” and I would be inclined to join you in letting bygones be bygones but there are other things to consider. In 2006 major Italian teams, players, managers and referees were found guilty of corruption. Buying referees and selling games for financial gain. Your beloved Juventus was severely punished as a primary protagonist and all of this in a country where corruption is in the very essence of the culture. Where you literally have to shit on the desk of a judge to get him to stop counting the contents of his brown envelope.

Only two months ago Juventus coach Antonio Conte was banned for 10 months by a disciplinary commission investigating the “Calcioscommesse” match-fixing scandal. Conte was accused of failing to disclose his knowledge of two fixed matches when he worked at Siena football club during the 2010-11 season.

Prosecutors last week requested a 15-month ban for the Juventus coach and his deputy Angelo Alessio for not alerting football’s authorities to irregularities in the second tier Serie B games between Novara and AlbinoLeffe.

Alessio was suspended for eight months.

In the United Kingdom we have always felt there is a nasty smell around ECL. Something not quite right. It would appear the cards are always stacked. Drogba sent off against Barcelona in a match where he was constantly brought down with no punishment to the Barca players? The debacle at Stamford Bridge when Chelsea thumped Barcelona only to be denied four obvious penalties, several bad decisions and bookings culminating in enough time added for Iniesta to score a winner. UEFA fined Chelsea amidst calls of “FIX”. It has happened too often for eyebrows not to be raised and raises questions about results already decided.

So, even if all of the above were untrue, even if I am delirious and one of the bleating masses, you would think that the last thing a UEFA President would do is pour oil on those flames of suspicion. No, our Juventus supporting president, who is becoming almost as much of a joke figure as Blatter, decides to announce that Juventus are already through to the last eight.

If you do not see the folly of your statements and fail to see how offensive and suspicious they are then I wonder about your credentials to carry out the task of moving our beautiful game on to great things. If you do see how offensive and suspicious your words are then I suggest the executive committee consider this when presidential nomination next comes around.

I hope Celtic win. I hope Celtic win it fairly. I hope that if Celtic lose we will do so with the same grace shown by Barcelona. I expect less grace and fairness from UEFA and Juventus.

This article has been reproduced at CelticJournal.com where there is a livelier comment section