#3 Michel Platini
Trending
Michel Platini is currently serving an eight-year ban from football after being found guilty of corruption charges, but still maintains his status as one of the most powerful men in world football.
Initially elected as President of UEFA, European football’s primary governing body, Platini holds considerable influence in footballing boardrooms and among players, helped in no small part due to having an extraordinary playing career.
Corruption charges aside, he brought Financial Fair Play to the table, in the hope that the financial disparity between the biggest clubs and the minnows isn’t furthered in the coming years. The objective was to encourage long-term investment, and essentially protect clubs from themselves when it came to spending and competing with the bigger clubs.
Though its success can be debated, the intentions were pretty clear and the latest reports indicate 46 different clubs have managed to improve their finances to avoid the penalties dictated by the act.
