Martin Samuel responds: Michel Platini, Uefa president. Discuss.

Martin Samuel believes that Michel Platini has been a disappointment as the Uefa president. The seven-time Sports Writer of the Year responds to your comments and is highly critical of the Frenchman's attitude to the Champions League and the all-English final in Moscow.

I don’t think it is entirely fair to place the blame for the Moscow venue for the Champions League final at Michael Platini’s door. It was decided under the previous presidency. The first venue chosen in Platini’s reign is Madrid, in line with his aspiration to make the final more family-friendly. Blue Baby.

MS: No, not having that. As Uefa president he could have stepped in over Moscow at any time, maybe not to change the venue, but certainly to ensure that the supporters got a better deal. Uefa has done nothing to help the thousands of fans who will be dropped into an alien environment. He was slow off the mark with the visas, a problem that could have been averted, and Uefa could have worked to keep costs down, rather than leaving supporters at the mercy of unscrupulous hotel chains and tour operators.

Then there are the details. At Sportivnaja metro station on Tuesday, which is nearest to the Luzhniki, anyone getting off the train was confronted by a stark platform and two exits, one at each end. Not a single sign indicated that one led to the stadium, and the other to the back of the station where people would emerge clueless to a suburban Russian street with, again, no signs to indicate where the stadium was. As all writing is in Cyrillic script, and few locals speak any language other than Russian, this makes it very hard for fans, no matter how experienced they are at travelling around Europe. One sign in English or one arrow would have solved it. This is not just about the location, or the expense, but the complete contempt Uefa has shown to anyone not being ferried around Moscow in a chauffered car door to door. That is the real disgrace of this event, and that is absolutely Platini’s responsibility.

Platini doesn’t have that much power. Anything that changes the status quo of big club rule will not get voted for, meaning that major changes, however necessary, are very difficult to introduce. Matt.

MS: So you do what you can. And very little that Platini has done has been impressive. His Champions League reforms fail to address the main factor in maintaining the closed shop, which is seeding on past achievements, not current form.

I really don’t think we should expect a bureaucrat to be different because he is a great ex-player. Looking at Pele, we should be grateful for Platini, Franz Beckenbauer and Johann Cruyff, who have been influential in Europe without bringing the game into disrepute. Jonathan da Silva.

MS: Pele may be a major player in football politics in Brazil, but beyond he is a commercial figure and pretty harmless. In my experience, he turns up for inane press conferences, answers inane questions and moves on. Platini has been in with Sepp Blatter, president of Fifa, for many years and is far more dangerous.

I don’t know why you’re disappointed with Platini. The people in power in football from the county associations right through to the president of Fifa have no true mandate from football fans or those that play the game. Who has heard of anyone sitting on the FA Board? All faceless men in blazers who keep themselves as far away from real football fans as possible. Platini is merely a product of this corrupt system. Bill Best.

MS: Actually, Bill, he’s chalk and cheese. The much-maligned county association representatives are usually men that have dedicated their lives to organising piddling local competitions and junior leagues that nobody would give a stuff about otherwise.

They are the blokes that are always over the park two hours before anybody else staking out the nets, and the odd complimentary rail pass and hotel room in London after 30 years of graft in obscurity is not much of a price for football to pay. Platini, on the other hand, has been five-star all the way. So I don’t mind if the guy from the Gloucestershire FA gets it wrong occasionally, because he’s trying his best. But Platini should know better.

The Dutch made the mistake of voting for Lennart Johansson when Platini was elected and ever since this nasty little man has worked towards the destruction of Dutch football. Erik.

MS: I can’t claim to have any information to substantiate Erik’s claims but the fact that the Premier League, having upset Platini with the 39th game plan, has had to scrounge around for tickets for a final involving two of its clubs would suggest he may have a point about vindictiveness.

I remember reading, during his leadership bid, that Platini wanted to replace the Champions League with a straight knock-out of 256 teams. What happened to this plan? Dino.

MS: It died a death because it was ill-conceived and stupid. Having created certain revenue streams within major leagues with the Champions League it would be disastrous to arbitrarily change them and would create an instant financial crisis across football in Europe. Having one big knock-out sounds a grand idea, but that horse bolted long ago and it would be impossible to go back now.

Platini is so obviously biased against the English game that it is unbelievable someone in the Football Association has not come out and said something. David B.

MS: What and risk our bid to host the 2018 World Cup? That would require a national organisation with a spine. If you hear of one, tell me.

Platini’s main problem is that he is so obsessed with the big picture that he ignores the details. He has many wide-reaching proposals, none of which seem properly thought through. His commendable desire to redistribute income more evenly throughout Europe completely ignores the fact that it is Uefa’s tournaments that are largely responsible for income inequality in the first place. His keenness for other cities to share in the pride of hosting a Champions League final was overshadowed by the fact that an obvious visa issue that was there from the start was not resolved until two weeks before the final. Ed.

MS: And just bunging the odd team from Eastern Europe into the Champions League, as will happen from 2009-10 season onwards, will only increase the lack of competition in those leagues. As you say, he hasn’t thought it through.

Comments

[Andrej Florent]

As a inhabitant of the 'third world' I always have visa issues when trying to get into EU. It's about right that EU citizens have visa issues trying to get to Moscow.

You're criticisms of Platini are so British-centric.

[conchesumadre]

I accept journos are required to be opinionated in order to sell copy. But the 'little-Englander' mentality of this small-minded (award winning???) hack is shameful. Is he an unreconstructed xenophobe, or is he being a company man by pandering to the mind-set of his audience?

[Iain]

Good comments Bob and Blue Baby. Is it okay to expect the Zenit fans to come to Manchester, foreign language and expensive travel - should that venue have been changed to suit them?. Did they expect Russian signs or the locals in Manchester to speak Russian - I doubt it - they have more respect for other cultures. Did you think about learning a few phrases/ getting a map? As for comments about two English teams having to travel to Moscow for the final - doesn't deserve a response!

[mark]

I think Chelsea played better than ManU last night and had more chances to score especially in the second half; ManU is a better team but last night was another story;In the second half they almost did not play. I think some referee's decisions were arguable and all of them in ManU's favour. Terry's mistake? It's a football match, it can happen.

[mark]

I think Chelsea played better than ManU last night and had more chances to score especially in the second half; ManU is a better team but last night was another story;In the second half they almost did not play. I think some referee's decisions were arguable and all of them in ManU's favour. Terry's mistake? It's a football match, it can happen.

[Blue Baby]

I think the comments about signage/language are a bit far-fetched. Why do the British always assume that everyone will speak English wherever they go? If I had been going to Moscow, whilst I might not have managed to learn Cyrillic in the time available, I'd have damn well tried to learn a few courtesy phrases (as I have on previous European trips). As for the high costs of trips, perhaps some sections of the press might have clubbed together to provide funds for fans, or indeed put their reporters, such as Martin, in slightly more humble establishments. It's amazing how publications like The Times support free economy until the costs go through the roof.

[Dan Xuereb]

Benson, you're totally wrong there mate. Firstly United were the better team than Chelsea, who were reduced to potshots from distance, weak inaccurate headers from corners, and a lucky goal that cane via two deflections. Secondly if anyone deserved to miss the penalty it was Terry. The man is nothing but a violent, ref-baiting, cheating, overrated, thuggish hoof-artist. If he wasn't playing professional football he'd be in jail or in the Army. Hopefully now he and the rest of England will realise that "heart" and "bravery" and chest-thumping patriotism are useless without the skill to back it up.

[simon thetford]

Having just returned from Moscow I have to say the organisation was ok, free metro to the ground, lots of help with trains etc. The Russian people we met were kind and polite and the Utd fans I encountered were good humoured and well behaved.I cannot comment on Chelsea but there were no arrests so this proves with the right handling these events are possible without disturbances (Manchester police take note).

However although buses were laid on for free to the airport afterwards the Utd fans were kept in the ground for one hour after the game, no announcements or information as to why was provided and this was dangerous as prople started climbing over fences and seats to try and get out. Eventually only two exits in our section of 10,000 people were opened, this again was farcical and dangerous.

As a consequence we did not get to the airport until 5 am some 4 hours after the end of the game.Domododeva Airport is not used to handling 10-15,00 fans all getting planes at once, inept and inadequte organidsation and a lack of information meant a very difficult and congested passage through customs etc which took two hours before we could get the plane. I cannot comprehend the lack of thought as the airport was literally a scrum and the Russians seemed overwhelmed.

Uefa were not in evidence at all, maybe they should look at liasing closer next year and at a venue where the infrastructure can cope with large numbers, the orgainsers being used to such crowds.

The match - a classic Utd v Chelsea encounter, very even, Utd maybe rode their luck but this time fortune favoured Fergie (again).

One last point why did Chelsea players only get cramp when Utd had possession in a potentially threatening area of the pitch, over to Messrs J Cole, A Cole and D Drogba!

[Scott, London]

Platini should go for the state of the park. The top football club final in the world and we had it on a newly laid surface and surprise surprise John Terry slips while taking a penalty. Uefa is run by idiots.

[Marko]

Well said Mike. It seems that most journalists have been looking at every little thing possible to criticise the Russians. MS's reasoning about a sign to the ground is absolutely laughable. A simple map, gprs on your mobile or simply holding your ticket up to a police officer or local would tell them that you want to know which way the stadium is. No problems at the stadium I believe and well hosted by Moscow overall.

[Leon]

Benson:

we're Chelsea the better team really? I am totally neutral on this one - a Forest fan. And I honestly thought this game was almost completly evenly matched. Man U far better team first half, Chelsea second.

Chelsea may point out that they hit the post twice, but their first goal was a total slice of luck. Similarly Man U could have had another two goal before the Break if Tevez had converted the chances he had.

And as for Terry slipping, I feel sorry for him as a person, but as a proffesional no. None of the other penalty takers slipped.

Surely, a shoot-out is decided on these kind of things?

Terry should console himself in the fact that he stopped a goal with his near-goal line headed clearance near the end, a goal that would have sealed it for United.

The one thing that I will give Chelsea is that alot of Corner/Goal kick decisions we're incorrectly given Man U's way.

All in all a very entertaining game (far better than I thought was going to be the case) and one of the only games I've ever seen that was decided by penalties - and actually deserved to be so.

[Coaks]

I agree that Terry didn't deserve his fate last night (who would?), but his slip was down to poor technique, not the pitch. His left foot was far too close to the ball and led to a loss of balance at the crucial moment. This was shown up on Irish TV after the game. He was the only player to slip this way. I think it was a major mistake to have him take the 5th penalty. Saying that Platini was the reason United won the match is a bit simplistic.

[Julian Barr]

Martin Samuel another "little Englander journalist" I heard some idiot on Talksport yesterday blaming Platini for the broken plane that let down the 200 odd Chelsea fans stranded at Gatwick! You journalists I'm sure all travel in first class and stay in the top hotels and just because UEFA has the 'nerve' to let another European city prosper from the income of the bloated Champions League final you start bleating. In the world of the Martin Samuels all finals will be palyed at Wembley and only English clubs will be allowed to be in it! As far as we can gather there was little, in fact no trouble reported, and it looked like everyone out there had a great time. Kind of put the farce last week in Manchester to shame don't you think Martin?

[Benson]

Dare I say it but I believe that
Platini, in effect, was the reason for Manchester United lifting the trophy yesterday night. So little was taken into consideration regarding the pitch that it was highly unsuitable to play on, as a result almost every player suffered cramp, goal keepers were slipping from Moscow to St. Petersburg and more importantly Terry, who had "wrong-ed" keeper, could not roll the ball into the net because of a slip. I know you can argue that Lampard may have not scored because of Van De Sar's slip but, probably, the better team on the day was deprived of the trophy due to Terry's unfortunate slip.

And to add, if you could pick any player in the Chelsea team that did not deserve to miss a crucial penalty then Terry must be that man.

[Mike]

Maybe we did, I don't know - were their Russian signs up all around Manchester for the UEFA Cup Final? I doubt it. Stop, Mr Samuel, supporting the bloody minded ignorance of the English is refusing to learn other languages. A simple guide book (or map, £1 anywhere in Moscow) would have got anyone with half a brain to the stadium without trouble.

It's easy for you to sit there and criticise Platini because you don't like him. Did the Moscow government put up signs?

Russian football is on the up, the clubs want the money that exposure brings and the Russians deserved to see this spectacle. The visa situation is unfortunate, but I doubt we doled British visas out to Zenit fans.

We complain about ex-pros not being involved in football. This one is, so let's leave him to it.

[Bob Thomas]

Are you a bigot?