Legendary Juventus midfielder Michel Platini opened up on his time in Turin, while shedding some light on the great relationship he had with the club’s owner at the time, Gianni Agnelli.
The Frenchman was already a highly celebrated star when he made the switch from Saint-Etienne to Juventus in 1982. Nevertheless, his fame and success skyrocketed during his stay in Piedmont.
Even though the squad contained iconic figures like Gaetano Scirea, Marco Tardelli and Zbigniew Boniek, Platini cemented himself as the main toast of the town throughout his illustrious five-year spell at the club.
Nevertheless, the 69-year-old refutes the common phrase regarding the figurative weight of the Juventus jersey, insisting that the shirt was never too heavy on him, as donning it gave him great pleasure.
“When they tell me that the Juventus shirt is heavy, I say no,” explained the former UEFA president during his appearance at the 40th anniversary of Juventus Club Santa Lucia del Mela in Sicily (via IlBianconero).
“The Juventus shirt is a great pleasure to wear. And I can say this from direct experience.”
Afterward, the iconic French midfielder dwelled on his special rapport with the late Gianni Agnelli. The former president and owner was an imposing figure at the club, greatly respected, but also feared.
Nevertheless, Platini reveals how he and L’Avvocato had a much more casual relationship compared to all others at the club.
“I remember when I gave him the first Ballon d’Or, his eyes widened, he wasn’t expecting it. And he asked me the famous question: ‘Is it really all gold?’ And I answered him: ‘Avvocato, if it was all gold I wouldn’t have given it to you!’
“Maybe he loved me because I responded to his jokes with other jokes. Nobody dared to do that, they were all terrified of him. Not me, even if I sensed his charisma.”