From the series: An EM picture and its history
There was no footballer more casual and aesthetic than Michel Platini at the 1984 European Championship. The Frenchman enchanted everyone. And helped overcome a national trauma.
May 2, 2024, 12:57 p.m
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The European Football Championship starts on June 14th in Germany. Against this background, a special game is honored in a review: the final of the 1984 European Championship between France and Spain, in which France won its first title in a team sport – a historic victory that the French owe primarily to Michel Platini. The midfield star at the time was characterized by outstanding play and scored nine goals during the tournament, including the decisive 1-0 win against Spain in the final. Michel Hidalgo, France’s coach at the time, praised Platini’s performance and the two shared a moment of mutual respect after the final whistle. The final was also Hidalgo’s last game as coach and marked the end of a trauma: eight years earlier, the French had lost the World Cup semi-final against Germany despite leading 3-1 in extra time and a controversial foul on Patrick Battiston.
Michel Platini (left) and France’s national coach Michel Hidalgo pose in front of the photographers. © imago sportfotodienst/imago images
The European Football Championship begins in Germany on June 14th. Until then, we’ll be looking back in a series at the most exciting and bizarre European Championship moments – and let one picture do the talking in each episode.
Mischievous joy, pride and a smile can be seen on the man’s face. He has black curly hair and wears the blue jersey with the red chest stripe over the pants, one of his trademarks. This is how Michel Platini presents himself on the evening of June 27, 1984, the best player in the best European Championship to date, immediately after achieving his greatest success as a professional footballer, in a corner of the Parc des Princes in Paris.
