Michel Platini may have ultimately proved Dunphy wrong in being a great footballer, but he has been deeply disappointing ever since. His rise to the top of UEFA ultimately caused him to become a little too close to Sepp Blatter, and in 2015, was banned from football for eight years over the acceptance of a "disloyal payment" from Blatter.
The ban was cut to six and then four years, but he has continued his appeal and has ended up in the European Court of Human Rights.
So, with a bit of free time, Platini gave an interview to France Bleu Sport in which he admitted that FIFA rigged the 1998 World Cup draw so as to ensure that hosts France and champions Brazil could only meet in the final. At the time, Platini was co-president of the French Organising Committee of the World and spoke in the interview that it was the "dream of everyone" to see France and Brazil meet in the final.
When we organised the calendar, we did a little trickery. If we finished first in the group and Brazil finished first, we could not meet before the final.
We did not get bored for six years to organise the World Cup to not do some little shenanigans.
You think that the others did not do it for their World Cup France-Brazil in the final, it was the dream of everyone.
Things went to plan for Platini: France and Brazil both made their way through the competition with the hosts beating Brazil 3-0, thanks to a brace by Zizou and a goal by Emmanuel Petit. The final remains shrouded in controversy, however, regarding the involvement of Ronaldo.
