Platini v Zidane

[Ombudsam]

Didn't see anything of Platini as he retired when I was 2 and I wasn't really up to speed then with things. Anyway which one was better?

[Stevie H]

platini was an incredibly good footballer. made the blurring of a midfielder and hole player look ludicrously easy. zidane however is and was a genius. platini was never a genius.

[yellow jumper]

i didn't see much of platini, but could talk all day about zidane. in terms of making time and space, mastery of the ball, doing it so it all looks easy, and ability to do it in massive games he's as good as anything there's ever been.

 

2006 was a magnificent swan song. i was at the game against brazil in frankfurt. never seen a player look so effortlessly on another level amongst such high class company. out of international retirement too.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIf07gQAbGM&feature=g-user-lik&context=G23f32b7UCGXQYbcTJ33ZVwCJ0mgVyNdm1QTfPpE1wJMujey-RCDA

[Nerik]

Platini was a fantastic playmaker and his set pieces were out of this world. A great leader too. Zidane though was a more technically gifted footballer and in my opinion the best player the world has seen since Maradona. Messi might make us question that.

 

A thing I once read about Zidane is that it is very rare for a player who is so tall to have such balance and elegance on the ball. Most of the world's best players were more diminutive in size.

[floyd]

For all his cvntishness now, Platini was brilliant. And that midfield of Platini, Alain Giresse, Luis Fernández and Jean Tigana was truly wonderful. That 1984 Euros,where he couldn't stop scoring, was Platini at his peak.

Zidane was probably better though. Both are in that second tier of players as the best ever, within the group that contains Cruyff, Di Stefano, Puskas, Claridge and Beckenbauer

[muleskinner]

Zizou was unstoppable for a good while, head and the shoulders the best player in the world in his pomp. Platini was top class but not at ZZ level IMO.

 

He is also a c*** unlike ZZ.

[Epic Swindle]

Both great players, Zidane was easier on the eye and had silkier ball skills, but Platini had that bit of an edge about him, he was a real leader.

[Gambit]

Zidane was a remarkably elegant player (when he wasn't headbutting and trampling players that is), he just seemed to glide across the pitch. I didn't see much of Platini but he's a w***** while Zidane has always been a cool mofo so Zidane wins this one for me.

[Coyler]

Zidane was a remarkably elegant player (when he wasn't headbutting and trampling players that is), he just seemed to glide across the pitch.

Yes. He just looked so perfect playing football. Definitely my favourite of all time.

[Swipe]

Yes. He just looked so perfect playing football. Definitely my favourite of all time.

 

Even the way he sweated looked great.

[Epic Swindle]

Even the way he sweated looked great.

 

Kinky.

[muleskinner]

Both great players, Zidane was easier on the eye and had silkier ball skills, but Platini had that bit of an edge about him, he was a real leader.

 

Zidane was hard as nails, built like a brick s***house and didn't take crap off anybody. on the pitch.

[Swipe]

Zidane was hard as nails, built like a brick s***house and didn't take crap off anybody. on the pitch.

 

Defo. Hard as nails. Witha temper too.

[Billy Dane]

For all his cvntishness now, Platini was brilliant. And that midfield of Platini, Alain Giresse, Luis Fernández and Jean Tigana was truly wonderful. That 1984 Euros,where he couldn't stop scoring, was Platini at his peak.

Zidane was probably better though. Both are in that second tier of players as the best ever, within the group that contains Cruyff, Di Stefano, Puskas, Claridge and Beckenbauer

 

Platini was a great player, but Zidane is streets ahead of him. Not sure Puskas belongs in your 2nd tier group, but then I never saw him play.

[Ombudsam]

Platini was a great player, but Zidane is streets ahead of him. Not sure Puskas belongs in your 2nd tier group, but then I never saw him play.

 

Replace with Di Stefano?

[MFletcher]

Zidane v Brazil is one of the best individual performances I've ever seen.

[doug_mac]

zidane was an all time great, the best player ever to come out of europe i reckon

 

platini was a great player but zidane had that bit extra

 

even when he had that big baldy patch on the back of his head he made it look cool

[pipnasty]

Not much between them IMHO. Platini used to be my favourite non-Liverpool player. Top scorer in Serie A for three consecutive seasons. Three times European Footballer of the Year. World Footballer of the Year twice. Don't under-estimate just how good this fella was. Bit of a c*** now, like.

[Nerik]

zidane was an all time great, the best player ever to come out of europe i reckon

 

platini was a great player but zidane had that bit extra

 

even when he had that big baldy patch on the back of his head he made it look cool

 

I'd say Cruyff was the best ever out of Europe. The skills he brought to the game were incredible. Zidane a good shout for 2nd.

[floyd]

I'd say Cruyff was the best ever out of Europe. The skills he brought to the game were incredible. Zidane a good shout for 2nd.

Yep, agree whole heartedly on Cruyff . Was a player ahead of his time, and probably 3rd best ever

[Zoob]

Really hard to judge objectively as I can't remove from my brain the fact that Platini is such a huge prick these days.

[Nebraska Red]

Yep, agree whole heartedly on Cruyff . Was a player ahead of his time, and probably 3rd best ever

 

 

the other player who often gets overlooked, because he was a defender, is Beckenbauer. That guy was a brilliant defender and was so comfortable on the ball at a time when most defenders were seen as cloggers and hoofers. Him and Bobby Moore changed the way people looked at defenders.

 

Zidane was better than Platini, but I would have put Cruyff ahead of both for his all round play.

[Murphman]

the other player who often gets overlooked, because he was a defender, is Beckenbauer. That guy was a brilliant defender and was so comfortable on the ball at a time when most defenders were seen as cloggers and hoofers. Him and Bobby Moore changed the way people looked at defenders.

 

Zidane was better than Platini, but I would have put Cruyff ahead of both for his all round play.

 

Beckenbaur doesn't get 'overlooked' and he was a midfielder when he started out, for a good few years too. But that's pedantry, I agree with everything you've said

[Ed the Wool]

Platini not in the same league as Zidane. And a complete prick.

[muleskinner]

Not much between them IMHO. Platini used to be my favourite non-Liverpool player. Top scorer in Serie A for three consecutive seasons. Three times European Footballer of the Year. World Footballer of the Year twice. Don't under-estimate just how good this fella was. Bit of a c*** now, like.

 

Great player but Zizou would have trampled him down, he was unstoppable for ages.One of my favoourite things he did was leave Beckham on his a*** without doing more than raising his eyebrows.

Edited December 24, 2011 by muleskinner