Platini has happy memories of playing against Ireland

THE greatest player to wear the famous royal blue shirt of France made no attempt to hide his pleasure at thoughts of returning to Ireland, if only as a spectator, for World Cup action.

"I remember well my games against Ireland," smiled Michel Platini. "I played in the 1982 qualifiers ... against my friends Brady, Stapleton, Giles. Ah yes, what memories!"

Platini the great: a player of inordinate gifts, of grace and subtlety, slight of frame but hugely endowed with manly qualities of physical and moral courage. He was once the brightest football star in the world firmament. Now he is well set on a path to the top in another capacity already vice president of the French FA, he is also executive committee member of UEFA and FIFA.

He retired in 1987 and is still the only player to have been voted European Player of the Year in three consecutive years. In two of those years he was voted World Player of the Year, 1984 and 1985.

He was three-times leading goalscorer in Serie A in his time with Juventus; he was leading goalscorer in the European finals with France in 1984. He was voted France's Premier Sports Personality in 1997 and, the same year, was voted Juventus' greatest ever player.

Now he stood at my shoulder, his dark eyes dancing from one face to another of the small Irish press corps in Frankfurt. Monosyllabic interviews are not for Platini, he enjoys such occasions.

"Now a new generation is playing, of course, and it is a long time since France and Ireland played together," he said. "In 1989, yes, a friendly game but a friendly game is not quite the same. You are happy for the group too?" Well, yes. Happy because it could have been so much worse. France are the best, of course, but at least we know them. And what a significant addition our matches will be to the rich portfolio of meetings between Ireland and France.

Platini was pleased. "I remember all the games against Ireland. I played two times," he said in his personalised version of anglaise, "the one where Ireland won 3-2 in Dublin and I struck the upright in the closing minutes."

He remembers? Will anyone lucky enough to have been there ever forget? What a day! What a contest! What a victory, as Ireland streaked ahead with goals from Frank Stapleton and Michael Robinson and France responded through Bellone and Platini.

"In rugby, France and Ireland play all the time but football we play only sometimes in Lansdowne Road," he said. "It is nice to come to Ireland I was in Dublin last time to give your award to your best, Duff."

That was in April last when Platini was at Citywest Hotel, Dublin, to present the FAI/eircom awards. Duff was honoured for his part in Ireland's exciting World Cup challenge.

Duff, he was asked, is he good enough to play for France?

"He will improve still more playing at Chelsea with so many good players," he said. "He will have more experience next time." Now we were into the business end of things France, were they good enough to retain the European Championship?

"We need to wait for the finals in Portugal because for France the qualifications were a little easy," he said. "We have already played Cyprus, Slovenia, Israel, Malta. It was an easy group and this one (WC) is stronger. But afterwards when we play against England (June 13 Lisbon), Switzerland and Croatia it will be different." But the team is growing old. Desailly, Zidane, Barthez. Thuram how many will be there after the Europeans?

Again that quaint example of Platinispeak "I think you will not have I think, I think perhaps you will not have the team that will play in the Europa, Portugal, in the qualification. I think some players will retire."

"Yes, but who? Desailly, Zidane anyone else? Do you hope? It's your wish?"

Platini has been intimately involved in the rise and rise of French football, a renaissance he suggested that began with St Etienne's achievement in reaching the final of the European Cup.

"It is a long story," he said, "because when we begin to play football in 1976 we come from nothing, we come from the desert. Before you have nothing, and from this moment we qualify three times for the World Cup from 1978 and football is growing and the public is growing and the love of football is growing too.

So who, I asked by way of conclusion, are the French players you enjoy watching most of all ?

His response said so much about the man, about his decency, his respect for his fellow footballers and his sense of humour.

"We have three or four very good players for the moment, players of different qualities.

"We have Zidane like number ten, like a playmaker; we have Henry who is like a forward, is different from Zidane; we have Vieira who is different from Zidane and from Henry, we have so different players.

"It is difficult to say who is the best, who I enjoy.

"But I can say that it is difficult for me to choose, it is like (choosing between) your mother and your father. Okay?"