Michel Platini in Wroclaw by Klearchos Kapoutsis tight crop

Michel Fran�ois Platini (born 21 June 1955) is a French (France) former football (football (soccer)) player, manager and current president of UEFA. Platini was a member of the French national team (France national football team) that won the 1984 European Championship (1984 UEFA European Football Championship), a tournament in which he was voted the best player and top goalscorer. He participated in the 1978 (1978 FIFA World Cup), 1982 (1982 FIFA World Cup) and 1986 (1986 FIFA World Cup) World Cups (FIFA World Cup), reaching the semi-finals in the latter two. Platini, Alain Giresse, Luis Fern�ndez and Jean Tigana together made up the "carr� magique" (French for "magic square"), the group of midfield players that formed the heart of the French national team throughout the 1980s. He is also widely regarded as one of the best passers in football history as well as one of historys greatest free kick specialists and finishers. He holds the record for most goals (9) scored in European Championship (UEFA European Football Championship) final tournaments despite only appearing in one such tournament (1984). Despite being a midfielder, he held the national team top scorer record until striker Thierry Henry surpassed the 41 goals mark in 2007.

Platini was named Chevalier of the Legion of Honour (L�gion dhonneur) on 29 April 1985 and became Officier in 1988. He was the French national team coach for four years, and was the co-organizer of the 1998 World Cup (1998 FIFA World Cup) in France. He has also been the chairman of the FIFA Technical and Development Committee, and vice-president of the French Football Federation. His Italian father Aldo was also a professional footballer and a long-time director for AS Nancy, the club where Michel started his professional career.