UEFA Vice-President Zbigniew Boniek, in a comment to Il Messaggero, expressed his satisfaction with the acquittal of Michel Platini, his former teammate from 1982 to 1985. Boniek has always supported Platini in hard times and was convinced of his innocence.
“I am pleased with this outcome. I have always been his friend, even in the most difficult moments, and I have always been convinced that he did nothing for which he should have been judged as he was. His candidacy for the FIFA presidency was disliked by a certain group that began to bring forth accusations and documents that had no value.
They created a big storm, ruined his football life and career as a top-level manager. It was 10 years of suffering, and now he has been completely acquitted. I don’t know if this will bring him great satisfaction. He is a great man, one of the best players of the 80s, and an excellent leader.
Will he have the opportunity to return to international football in some capacity? I don’t think he has the desire to do anything. Time has passed, and he is well as he is now. He has this personal satisfaction; he has finally cleared himself of all the dirt that was poured on him. I sometimes communicate with him and understood that he doesn’t really want to return.
I think he will only have satisfaction in realizing that he was robbed of the stage. Do the fans want to see him as the honorary president of Juventus? I don’t think this will compensate for what he has been through,” said Boniek.