Is Michel Platini the most disregarded of the true greats?

[Fortitude]

He somehow gets next to no shine or acknowledgement on here. I've found myself and others championing him over and over, trying to highlight just how great he was, but it is akin to trying to prevent the tide coming in - he is constantly omitted, mostly in this manner:

Henry had never ever been considered as one of the best player for France. Come on, this forum's obsession with glorifying everything Henry did is making this place awful for any discussions on French players. Henry had only been good in PL games, and that was it. He never did anything of note in important CL or international games, where legends are made. No one in France would ever rate Henry higher than Platini, that is just bonkers. When people rate the best player of their country, they tend to rate them with a much higher emphasis on what the player had done for their national team, not what they have accomplished in a foreign league.

Zidane is still the undisputed best French player ever, but Mbappe has the time and talent on his side. A lot will have to go right for Mbappe for him to surpass Zidane, but there is a chance of it happening.

not to 'hate' on @dasty as that sentiment is ceaseless on here, but astonishing for the disregard to Platini and the legacy he has (had) as a footballer.

How has one who was the bar for Maradona himself to surpass become so insignificant post-career? Is this a case of disinterest in the history of the game where you could replace Platini with any from: Puskas, Di Stefano, Cruyff, Charlton and so forth and be met with the same kind of instant dismissal?

I understand how more obscure players can fade from the collective consciousness, but how does it happen with players who are in the company of the pinnacle players to have played football? In Platini's case, this is a player you can't even creatively redact from the 10 best #10's to have played football. It isn't odd then, that barely anyone gives him credit, or even seems to know he was an exceptional player?

 

[SilentStrike]

Multiple players of that area that belong in the true great category are overlooked. All overshadowed by Maradona.

Van Basten, Matthaus, Platini, Rummenigge.

they all seem to be more and more forgotten. Some players on the other hand manage to grow their legacy after retirement. Zidane is an example of this.

 

[Tarrou]

he’s in my top 5 along with Maradona, Messi, Pele and Cruyff

Agree he’s a bit underrated in general though

 

[General_Elegancia]

Will not answer that long, he peaked In the early 1980s. Globalization started and peaked during the late 1980s til the 1990s. The early 1980s and the late 1980s were so different. I believe if Platini peaked during the late1980s the same period as Lothar, Maradona, Baresi, Van Basten, and Brehme, he would have been recognized by present football fans more and more.

The thing that is even more disgraceful to me is the discrediting footballer that peaked during the late 1970s. I find that footballers that peaked during that time were even more discredited than Platini. I know someone can call this era the darkest era of football, but I don't think some top players in that decade should be credited more and more in the present days.

Another one that I don't want to talk about is whether Platini is disregarded or even hated by football fans due to his life and scandals after his marvelous football career. Platini is known by some new football fans as a cheater of football, an old man who had made a lot of scandals or is questioned about the World Cup in Qatar. These are the things that can be affected his legacy too.

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

Maybe it's the corruption charges he was dealing with having an impact?

Understand that was cleared earlier this year but that kind of thing sticks for a while.

 

[ScholesyTheWise]

It's easier to look at past greats who come up in every discussion.

These will be Maradonna, Pele and to a lesser extent Cruyff and Di Stefano.

Then you'll have people championing Zico, Garrincha, Puskas, Beckenbauer and many many others (Best, Edwards, Zidane, Ronaldo Nazario, Baresi, Muller...) depending on people's preferences / who they saw live / who their parents and grandparents talked about when they were young.

I believe Platini belongs in the tier I just described, and I didn't see him mentioned any more or less than other players of such status.

 

[JPRouve]

The caf is logically PL centric, even the 90s Serie A gets little respect. Football was invented around 2000 when the PL started to truly challenge the Serie A.

 

[mu4c_20le]

Fabregas was better

 

[Pink Moon]

Multiple players of that area that belong in the true great category are overlooked. All overshadowed by Maradona.

Van Basten, Matthaus, Platini, Rummenigge.

they all seem to be more and more forgotten. Some players on the other hand manage to grow their legacy after retirement. Zidane is an example of this.

van Basten is, IMO, the best centre forward to ever play. He had everything.

 

[Red in STL]

It's easier to look at past greats who come up in every discussion.

These will be Maradonna, Pele and to a lesser extent Cruyff and Di Stefano.

Then you'll have people championing Zico, Garrincha, Puskas, Beckenbauer and many many others (Best, Edwards, Zidane, Ronaldo Nazario, Baresi, Muller...) depending on people's preferences / who they saw live / who their parents and grandparents talked about when they were young.

I believe Platini belongs in the tier I just described, and I didn't see him mentioned any more or less than other players of such status.

That's why there can never be a GOAT, at best you can have GOTHG - Greatest Of Their Generation or GOTE - Greatest OF Their Era

Platini was a great player but I think he's career after football has hurt him badly in these kind of conversations

 

[Jugadon]

Maradona aside, I really think that was a crap era for football. He's where he belongs, above average.

 

[Pink Moon]

As for the OP and the quote used, I agree that Platini is criminally underrated but I also think it's another example of Zidane being overrated.

 

[90 + 5min]

Time makes players underrated. New young fans haven't seen so far back to even understand or know how good some player were. That is also why we one day will say how likes of current great players will be underrated.

Just for a thought. When have somebody mentioned lately players like Roberto Baggio or Francesco Totti as great players? How about Stoickhov? Maldini? Davids? Or Basler? How about Ronaldinho? Effenberg? Sammer? Desailly? Koeman? Gullit? VanBasten? Shearer? Tigana? There are thousands and thousands of great players being forgotten. Times does that.

 

[Kazi]

Maradona and Zidane have collectively taken away some of his shine

 

[Matt007a]

I think Platini is considered by many French people to be their best ever player, even above Zidane. He was unlucky to play at the same time as Maradona and in the same league.

He, Maradona and Zico were all time great number 10s playing in the same era! Platini was the best of the 3 in terms of pure numbers, although obviously not as good as Maradona overall.

Younger football fans or even more casual ones will only know him as the corrupt FIFA/UEFA official.

 

[Demyanenko_square_jaw]

Platini wasn't the flashiest of the higher rated 10's. For those not interested enough to watch full games or all-touch match compilations, but instead are judging great players from highlight and goal compilations, he might not catch the eye in the same way as the better dribblers, or those with the eye for the consistently spectacular goals can. Not that you couldn't make a really impressive highlight for him, especially regarding passing, but your average one that doesn't get too in depth might not seem as impressive as one for maradona, Zico, Cruyff Zidane etc. Or even quite a few other gifted attacking midfielder/10s that had much worse careers. That coudl result in a decline in interest among younger fans with only a casual interest in football history, which will probably be the majority.

It's easier to make players like Michael Laudrup or Hagi look more spectacular than Platini in the highlight medium, it's only when watching more extensively do you see the flaws that those players had in comparison that lead them to struggle at times during their careers, or indeed fail miserably at actually replacing Platini in Laudrup's case.

incidentally if zidane had come along slightly earlier and been picked to directly replace Platini during 3 foreigner era, i think there would be a very high chance he'd have been moved on after a couple of seasons and considered a low output failure. Talk about a tough time to move to a club as an attacking midfielder.

 

[Spoony]

It's due to the average age of football fans. When I were a wee kid he was one of the best footballers on the planet. Still think he's the best French footballer of all time, ahead of Zizou.

 

[Tarrou]

Maradona aside, I really think that was a crap era for football. He's where he belongs, above average.

what

 

[Demyanenko_square_jaw]

Viktor Onopko

 

[JPRouve]

Platini wasn't the flashiest of the higher rated 10's. For those not interested enough to watch full games or all-touch match compilations, but instead are judging great players from highlight and goal compilations, he might not catch the eye in the same way as the better dribblers, or those with the eye for the consistently spectacular goals can. Not that you couldn't make a really impressive highlight for him, especially regarding passing, but your average one that doesn't get too in depth might not seem as impressive as one for maradona, Zico, Cruyff Zidane etc. Or even quite a few other gifted attacking midfielder/10s that had much worse careers.

It's easier to make players like Michael Laudrup or Hagi look more spectacular than Platini in the highlight medium, it's only when watching more extensively do you see the flaws that those players had in comparison that lead them to struggle at times during their careers, or indeed fail miserably at actually replacing Platini in Laudrup's case.

incidentally if zidane had come along slightly earlier and been picked to directly replace Platini during 3 foreigner era, i think there would be a very high chance he'd have been moved on after a couple of seasons and considered a low output failure. Talk about a tough time to move to a club as an attacking midfielder.

After watching full games of France and Juventus, I realized why he was rated that highly. It's basically a combination of technical cleanness, tactical proficiency and statistical efficiency. In a different way, he was a lesser version of Messi, a player that doesn't make much sense in a single package.

 

[KeanoMagicHat]

He’s the Ronaldo of his era, competed with Maradona for the greatest but couldn’t keep up. Being a cnut since he retired and the corruption charges don’t help. Should be considered better than Zidane but Zidane has the world cups, the CL final volley and more famous moments. His Euro 84 performance was obscene though, it took Ronaldo 20 odd games to score more than he did in 5.

 

[Isotope]

The caf is logically PL centric, even the 90s Serie A gets little respect. Football was invented around 2000 when the PL started to truly challenge the Serie A.

Really? Reading that Messi GOAT thread, none of the GOAT contenders have played in PL, except Ronaldo. Even then, he's on low rank GOAT in many people's list. For others, only Moore and Best are considered top tiers.

 

[FrankFoot]

Platini is the most underrated player ever, unlucky to play in the same decade as Maradona.

He along with Zico and Maradona are the 3 GOATs of 80s Football.

And he is definitely a top 10 in History.

Platini is definitely better than Zidane, better career, more consistent, and higher peak at club level.
The only item where Zidane edges it a bit it's international football, and even that is debatable, cause Platini could have won 1 WC if he had Thuram, Blanc and Desailly as his defenders...plus Platini Euro 84 was as good as Zidane Euro 2000.

I believe in France Platini is rated above Zidane by people who have seen them both play.

 

[Righteous Steps]

Yes him Romario and Baggio for me, he was to Maradona what Ronaldo was to Messi for many a year.

 

[JPRouve]

Really? Reading that Messi GOAT thread, none of the GOAT contenders have played in PL, except Ronaldo. Even then, he's on low rank GOAT in many people's list. For others, only Moore and Best are considered top tiers.

Come on, it was quite obviously not a serious take.

 

[2mufc0]

Not at all, this forum isn't representative of real life in any way.

He's rightly considered as one of the greatest players ever.

 

[Skills]

Corrupt feck

 

[Darkhorsez]

I always rated him very highly. He was an amazing player. I must admit I lost a lot respect and love due to corruption scandal.

 

[FrankFoot]

He’s the Ronaldo of his era, competed with Maradona for the greatest but couldn’t keep up. Being a cnut since he retired and the corruption charges don’t help. Should be considered better than Zidane but Zidane has the world cups, the CL final volley and more famous moments. His Euro 84 performance was obscene though, it took Ronaldo 20 odd games to score more than he did in 5.

Platini peak didn't coincide with Maradona, basically Platini retired 2 seasons later after Maradona arrived in Italy.

Platini not winning the WC or not even reaching the final is maybe the reason he is underrated by younger people, the same happens to Zico.

Back in the 80s, if you wanted to go global you had to win WC, Maradona wasn't global either until he won the WC with those magnificent performances, even if his first season at Napoli he wasn't much global yet, his ascendence to GOAT status was when he won the WC in 1986, and cemented it more with 2 titles in Serie A with Napoli.

 

[Isotope]

Come on, it was quite obviously not a serious take.

dang it, man. You just hooked and upper cut me there.

Anyway. Maybe the Caf in general don't appreciate Platini much. But the Caf Draft society pretty much ranked him only below Maradona as attacking midfielder https://www.redcafe.net/threads/red...lders-number-10s-results-are-incoming.454237/

And his value is so much equal to other GOATS: https://www.redcafe.net/threads/auction-trade-madness-draft.436660/

150m - Cristiano Ronaldo
150m - Diego Maradona
150m - Franz Beckenbauer
150m - Johan Cruyff
150m - Lionel Messi
150m - Pele
150m - Alfredo Di Stefano
150m - Eusebio
150m - Ferenc Puskas
150m - Frank Rijkaard
150m - Garrincha
150m - Lothar Matthäus
150m - Luis Ronaldo
150m - Marco Van Basten
150m - Michel Platini

 

[BerryBerryShrew]

Platini wasn't the flashiest of the higher rated 10's. For those not interested enough to watch full games or all-touch match compilations, but instead are judging great players from highlight and goal compilations, he might not catch the eye in the same way as the better dribblers, or those with the eye for the consistently spectacular goals can. Not that you couldn't make a really impressive highlight for him, especially regarding passing, but your average one that doesn't get too in depth might not seem as impressive as one for maradona, Zico, Cruyff Zidane etc. Or even quite a few other gifted attacking midfielder/10s that had much worse careers. That coudl result in a decline in interest among younger fans with only a casual interest in football history, which will probably be the majority.

It's easier to make players like Michael Laudrup or Hagi look more spectacular than Platini in the highlight medium, it's only when watching more extensively do you see the flaws that those players had in comparison that lead them to struggle at times during their careers, or indeed fail miserably at actually replacing Platini in Laudrup's case.

I think this is a large part of it and is a reason why the gap between Messi and Ronaldo in the public perception will only widen over time: because a 30 minute highlight comp of Messi would seem insufficient whereas watching Ronaldo making excellent runs and finishing clinically wouldn't seem terribly exciting. That is what the fans who are coming after us will be relying on (YouTube footage etc) and their opinions will carry more weight as we become older, crankier, and more irrelevant.

Platini was a brilliantly efficient player but not remotely as eye catching as the likes of Zico or Maradona or as charismatic as Zidane. As a result he gets overlooked a bit globally but I'm sure he is considered France's GOAT within France itself and I'm sure his legacy is secure there.

 

[eire-red]

Maybe it's a French thing. Is Deschamps a similar case? Like of course he was nowhere near the level of the greats mentioned, but the mark he has left on French football, and European football as a whole, in both his playing career and management can only be replicated if Zidane does take over and win a WC with France?

WC winner as both a captain and manager, captain for the Euro 2000 triumph, along with runner up medals in Euro 2016 and of course the WC just gone. His career is about as impressive as it gets, and to think of the stick he gets because he doesn't have France playing magical football. Then you see Southgate and Roberto Martinez fumble around with a truly golden generation for their respective countries and it puts it into perspective.

Of course, I'm not saying Deschamps is one of the all time great players, but when people discuss the best holding midfielders of all time, they'll mention Pirlo, Makelele etc. Greats players in their own right, but I never see Deschamps mentioned. Sometimes there are just those players that are forgotten about.

And of course, as others have already said, Platini hasn't helped himself with his post playing antics.

Interesting discussion though, I'm sure there are plenty like that. To this day, my favourite all time player ever to watch was Ronaldinho, and he faded from memory so quickly once he left Barca for AC Milan.

I remember being younger and watching La Liga on Sunday nights when Sky had the rights. Still to this day, his peak around the mid naughties, and the way he played, I've not seen anyone like him. Messi of course is the greatest, but in a different way.

 

[JPRouve]

Maybe it's a French thing. Is Deschamps a similar case? Like of course he was nowhere near the level of the greats mentioned, but the mark he has left on French football, and European football as a whole, in both his playing career and management can only be replicated if Zidane does take over and win a WC with France?

WC winner as both a captain and manager, captain for the Euro 2000 triumph, along with runner up medals in Euro 2016 and of course the WC just gone. His career is about as impressive as it gets, and to think of the stick he gets because he doesn't have France playing magical football. Then you see Southgate and Roberto Martinez fumble around with a truly golden generation for their respective countries and it puts it into perspective.

Of course, I'm not saying Deschamps is one of the all time great players, but when people discuss the best holding midfielders of all time, they'll mention Pirlo, Makelele etc. Greats players in their own right, but I never see Deschamps mentioned. Sometimes there are just those players that are forgotten about.

And of course, as others have already said, Platini hasn't helped himself with his post playing antics.

Interesting discussion though, I'm sure there are plenty like that. To this day, my favourite all time player ever to watch was Ronaldinho, and he faded from memory so quickly once he left Barca for AC Milan.

I remember being younger and watching La Liga on Sunday nights when Sky had the rights. Still to this day, his peak around the mid naughties, and the way he played, I've not seen anyone like him. Messi of course is the greatest, but in a different way.

Yes, Deschamps is seen as one of the greats. Generally above the likes of Makélélé or Tigana and definitely top 10.

 

[foolsgold]

When I was younger, I loved watching Platini play, everything about him was stylish. Robbed of a word cup final in 1982 by some of the worst referring I can recall.

Where does he sit overall ? He's in the almost top tier of players, alongside Cryuff, Beckenbuar etc, slightly below Pele, Maradona and Messi.

 

[eire-red]

Yes, Deschamps is seen as one of the greats. Generally above the likes of Makélélé or Tigana and definitely top 10.

Probably just an age thing for me then. I'm not old enough to really remember 1998 and 2000 wins for France. I've just genuinely never seen him in those discussions as top tier alongside your Xavi's, Pirlo etc..

 

[giorno]

Probably just an age thing for me then. I'm not old enough to really remember 1998 and 2000 wins for France. I've just genuinely never seen him in those discussions as top tier alongside your Xavi's, Pirlo etc..

Because he doesn't belong there

 

[JPRouve]

Probably just an age thing for me then. I'm not old enough to really remember 1998 and 2000 wins for France. I've just genuinely never seen him in those discussions as top tier alongside your Xavi's, Pirlo etc..

I'm talking from a french standpoint. Deschamps is highly rated for various reasons he was a great defensive midfielder but he was also a great leader and he won the CL with Marseille. In a worldwide context, I don't think that he is rated as a tier 1 midfielder, I learned later that he was highly rated and remembered as a Serie A player but my understanding is that he would be rated alongside someone like Carrick.

 

[giorno]

I'm talking from a french standpoint. Deschamps is highly rated for various reasons he was a great defensive midfielder but he was also a great leader and he won the CL with Marseille. In a worldwide context, I don't think that he is rated as a tier 1 midfielder, I learned later that he was highly rated and remembered as a Serie A player but my understanding is that he would be rated alongside someone like Carrick.

Pretty much yeah

 

[hasanejaz88]

This is why it's ridiculous to compare players from different generations, most people doing these discussions probably never saw Platini play live or watched football during that era. How can you make a valid comparison then?

 

[lex talionis]

I don't know anyone who is aware of Platini who also underrates him as a footballer. He stands in a lot of all time XI squads and the legend of his exploits in 1982, 1984 and 1986 are well known and often told.

His post-playing career has taken a reputational hit, however.