To usurp Fergie, Michel Platini must truly be a fool.

Has it really come to this? Have I really been moved to put finger to keyboard to...deep breath...defend Alex Ferguson.

Alex Ferguson is a man I have very little time for. More one eyed than a Cyclops, his simple equation on life of Man United right/everyone else wrong rubbed me up the wrong way for years until he took himself off my screens in a fit of pique with the BBC, lowering my ire levels at the same time in what was a happy co-incidence.

So who has made me stand up for a man who’s voodoo doll I’d happily stick pins into all day long. It must be someone of real idiocy, right? Step forward Michel Platini.

Platini has been pushing my buttons for a while. Firstly, he introduced his ‘Financial Fair Play’ regulations, which initially were aimed at preventing clubs having debt, a jibe that Platini aimed squarely at English clubs. This was subsequently amended to deal with what he called ‘financial doping’ – where a benefactor sticks in a huge amount of money – when it was pointed out to him that most of the big clubs in Europe had HUGE debts and that Manchester City, who let’s face it were the main target of the new evangelism about club’s finances, had no debt as Sheikh Mansour had turned his cash into equity.

The upshot of this banning of new money into football means that everything must come from the punter, and will see the continued rise of already astronomical ticket prices whilst more and more of the best seats are allocated to corporate fans. Whilst clubs might be motivated to keep ticket prices affordable to allow people from all walks of life to watch their team, they are now forced to extract as much cash as possible from their fans. Did you know there are clubs that charge £10 a season just for you to be on a season ticket waiting list. That’s just a rip off, but FFP is the driving force behind it.

That disregard for the paying customer was further embellished last week when after the draw for the Euro 2012 tournament, awarded to Poland & Ukraine, it emerged that for the games in the remote City of Donetsk, UEFA had already booked EVERY hotel room in the place. Not one left for supporters.

Instead, they are building a 6000 capacity camp site for fans to mingle in where, if they can get to sleep, they can dream of a comfy bed, hot water, a good old cup of tea and other luxuries that UEFA’s bigwigs won’t allow them.

So, onto Platini’s latest thoughts, which has led to the bizarre position I currently find myself in.

Fergie, naturally disappointed with his teams (hilarious*) early exit from the Champs League said the following when asked about the Europa League –

“That is our penalty for not qualifying tonight," added the Scot. "It's a competition I've never been in with United. It does mean Sundays right through and Thursday-Sunday matches. That has to be dealt with.”

Nothing about the competition, just that the scheduling was awkward and it’s their own fault that this is where they find themselves. This was Platini’s reply –


“I know Mr Ferguson would have preferred to be in the Champions League but so would many clubs who don't have that possibility. The world does not revolve around England. The Europa League is a brilliant competition."

It is the second part of that statement that I find utterly bizarre and rather exposes Platini’s dislike of all things British. Debt and financial doping only became an issue when English clubs formed 3 of the 4 Champions League semi-finalists – it was never a problem when this was achieved by Italian clubs. Ferguson made no reference to the standing of the Europa League, except to imply that it for inferior to the Champions League (and this does not really need pointing out to even the most laymen of laymen) yet Platini sees fit to suggest that the English have slighted his competition, even though City have been pretty positive about going into it and trying to win.

Platini is a disaster for supporters of football. In trumpeting a system that he claims will prevent the destruction of the game he is taking it further away from its working class roots, whilst taking every opportunity to take pot-shots at political enemies to try and smooth his way into Sepp Blatter’s position when he finally gives up.

Judging by his treatment of grassroots supporters, love of luxury hotels and disdain for all things British, it would seem he is the perfect replacement.




*sorry MU fans, couldn’t resist, please read on