[SportBoy333]

http://news.maxifoot.com

Lyon: Mr. Platini: "Lyon can gain C1" (20/09)
Consulting on Canal Plus for the League of the Champions and candidate to the presidency of the UEFA, the old glory of Juventus and the team of France Michel Platini delivers his opinion on the level of L1 during a long maintenance granted to France Football: "on the twenty teams of League 1, there are of them sixteen or seventeen where there is a small lack of talent, it is obvious... In fact, there is Lyon which is with the top, and the others ". Ballon triple of Gold is persuaded of the force of this OL in L1 and imagines to him even an imposing European destiny: "Considering the shift which exists with the different ones, Lyon still will finish with fifteen points in advance, it is run in advance!(...) Lyon can gain the League of the Champions, yes. It has the potential to go to the end, it is sure, it made its objective of it, and especially it is really in the spirit of what has been done best in Europe for a few years ". Appointment in May 2006 at the Stage of France to see whether the legendary perspicacity of Platini still spoke.

[AllezParisAllezPSG]

i really hope they do... it would be great for french football... if only they had a bigger stadium...

[guignol]

a more complete (and better) translation of Platini's remarks...

In France, OL is above the rest. On the team, everyone knows how to play football, be creative, make the right pass, the decisive pass. I like watching them, yes. But really, OL is completely atypical of football in France.

What will always make the difference in football is technique and talent; what can change on the other hand, is the mentality of the game. OL today is the club with the biggest budget, but before becoming big they started by attacking the problem by the right end.

Considering the gap between them and the others in the championship, OL is going to finish 15 points ahead, it's a done deal! The truth is that Lyon is first because they play well. Guys like Wiltord, Malouda, Juninho give you emotion. And me, what stays with me from my career... are the emotions.

What I see in our championship is that the overall technical quality is poor or mediocre. That OL is an exception.

OL can win the Champions' League. They have the potential to go all the way, for sure. They have been in harmony with the best in Europe for a few years now. They're a team that's always positive. They're on the right track. After that, everything depends on details. On destiny being a bit in your favor...

Against Real, if it was a marketing operation to get people's attention, it worked. The team is more complete than before... a little more experience, a little more success at the right moment... that's what it takes to go all the way.

Gérard Houllier has the experience at the top level, the details. OL's experience will have to pay off some day.

[SportBoy333]

"What I see in our championship is that the overall technical quality is poor or mediocre."

He's right and something needs to be done to change it.

[guignol]

Originally Posted by SportBoy333

"What I see in our championship is that the overall technical quality is poor or mediocre."

He's right and something needs to be done to change it.

i think he's a bit harsh. sure the quality goes way down once you get past the top few teams, but that's true in england or italy too.

[lefutur]

but what can be done about the overall level of the league? The training academies are top-notch. the problem is the financial structure, how they are forced to always keep a balanced budget. The other problem is that the players salaries are taxed higher than in other countries and provokes them to leave for other leagues.

I think that if OL wins the CL it could have a huge impact and many players will take the league more seriously and France will be able to retain more of its better players.

[guignol]

Originally Posted by lefutur

but what can be done about the overall level of the league? The training academies are top-notch. the problem is the financial structure, how they are forced to always keep a balanced budget. The other problem is that the players salaries are taxed higher than in other countries and provokes them to leave for other leagues.

i don't think the problem is how it's done in france, but how it's allowed to be done elsewhere. nobody will convince me balanced budgets are a bad idea! i would also disapprove letting french clubs float shares on the stock market. french income tax is among the lowest in europe, but footballers simply have to pay just like everyone else here; in other countries there are special arrangements.

france tries to hold clubs to a level of business ethics more stringent than an ordinary company, because sport is considered to be more than just any old business.

elsewhere, football clubs are allowed accounting shenanigans no one else is permitted. i think that lessens the sport.