By Paul Nicholson
December 19 – Brazilian, coach and former World Cup winner Leonardo has accused UEFA president Michel Platini of not knowing what he is talking about when it comes to the importance of third-party player ownership in South America, and that the 14 month ban he received in France at PSG for allegedly pushing a referee on the touchline “had a political logic to it”.
Speaking to the new magazine, The Global Player, Leonardo answered, when asked about Platini’s comments about the invasive role of agents and third-party funds in South America: “Platini talks without knowing (what he is talking about).
“From Nyon he doesn’t know what’s happening and I have never seen him in South America. If there’s a hole in the system, it’s logical that others take advantage of it. Clubs no longer have a lot of money.
“The Bosman ruling freed athletes. Rich private investors exist and so some become owners of (stakes in) footballers. In Brazil for example Unimed – which also manages players – is the owner of Fluminense. Now that (clubs) are starting to lack money, the phenomenon is growing in Europe too.
“It was a mistake to not think about the system as a whole before. But now you can’t just be moralistic about it – that’s easy – and you can’t only think about fighting it, you also need to have a solution to it. Sure ethics are need but in general. Why doesn’t Platini try running a club?”
Leonardo has never been afraid of controversy or speaking his mind, either as a player or a manager. His playing career took in Flamengo, Sao Paulo, Valencia, Kashima Abtlers, PSG and AC Milan. As a coach he was in charge of both Milan clubs before taking the role in the Qatari funded rebirth of PSG, a project he is very proud of.
“It was a unique experience,” he said. “Projects are often impossible in football but I really think that in this case I had total openness on the owner’s behalf. In (PSG President) Nasser Al-Kehlaifi I found a young and impassioned president with a great openness to ideas. I was at the head of a unique project in a reality that wasn’t used to this kind of thing.”
In a wide ranging interview Leonardo also talks about the protests seen at the Confederations Cup. “Football has often been used by politicians to make changes,” he said.
“Looking for consensus in 1950 they united the country by recognizing an ethnic group – the country’s black people – who until then had not been adequately brought to the fore.
“In 1970 Brazil was on its way out of a dictatorship, everything was changing and there was a need for new points of reference.
“In 1994 the national team won just as the new economic programme was being launched.
“But this time the opposite happened: football is being used to send messages to politicians and to hold protests because they have only thought about development and haven’t taken into account the anger of the people at corruption and social injustices.”
The full interview by Massimo Cecchini with Leonardo can only be read in The Global Player magazine which is available by subscription at http://www.theglobalplayer.com/
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