#2 Michel Platini
During Platini’s 5-year spell at the Turin-based club, Juventus won its first ever European Cup trophy, a Cup-Winners’ Cup, 2 Serie A crowns and another Coppa Italia title, while dominating all of its rivals even after the arrival of attacking midfielders of the likes of Diego Maradona, Zico and Socrates.
Platini was the most dependable and brilliant footballer in the mid-1980s, as was evidenced by his hat-trick of Ballon D’Or trophies in 1983, 84 and 85. Although overshadowed by the brilliance of Diego Maradona, his class shone through at all points in his career, with the years of 1984 and 1985 being his very best ones.
After heartbreak in the European Cup final against Hamburg in 1983, Platini was revitalised and motivated for the following season, during which he led Juventus to the Serie A title before winning the European Championships on home soil with France. He continued in the same vein in his 3rd season at Juve, netting 7 goals in the European Cup and helping Juventus to their first ever European Cup victory and getting a personal best of 29 goals in the season.
In 5 years at the club, Platini remoulded the role of the no. 10 with 103 goals in 222 appearances and set down a marker for players of the future. While initially during his career, the no. 10 role was looked to as more of a players’ player and an assist man, Platini’s more direct, individual style of play yielded better results for him.
