As a player, was very skilful and as president of he looks to have played an equally skilful game in his of the Champions League.
During his election campaign he made much of the fact that the current format allows not only national league champions but also those who finish as low as fourth - at least in the top leagues - to qualify for Europe鈥檚 greatest club competition.
Indeed, the last two English winners both qualified not as Premier League champions - Manchester United were runners-up and Liverpool finished fourth.
Platini鈥檚 proposals - if they go through - will mean that from the 2009/10 season the first three in the Premiership will still qualify for the Champions League but the fourth place will go to the FA Cup winners, providing a tremendous boost for that competition.
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Lord Bill Morris, who , is yet to find a county to nominate him or second him.
The former general secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union told me: "I am standing in the foothills and looking up at the mountain top."
But he is hopeful that he will get the chance to aim for the mountain top and get the required support before the nominations close on 3 September.
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In many ways the most interesting insight into the is provided by the goal that has now been set for their manager Martin Jol.
He has been told he and make Spurs part of the 鈥淏ig Four鈥.
Observe that the goal is not to bring the Premier League title to White Hart Lane.
That has to be the aim of Rafa Benitez at Liverpool and if he does not do it this season many will consider him a failure.
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Soon after the - I spoke to a member of the .
He was remarkably confident that, while the league might attract players who are coming to the end of their careers, or have already retired - has joined, might - they are not likely to attract players who still have a long international career ahead of them.
His optimism was based on the fact that - unlike in 1977 when shocked the cricket world by spiriting away the cream of world talent - players now are very well paid.
And they are paid best in India, reflecting the riches generated by the country鈥檚 cricket - 70% of the sport鈥檚 global income.
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English cricket followers may console themselves with the thought that despite there was not a huge difference between the two sides.
After all, England could and probably should have won . And given that India's record in England has generally been to lose the first Test and then try in vain to catch up it could have meant a different result.
But there was one area where there was a huge difference between the two nations. This was the way the series was seen and reported in the two countries.
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