PLATINI BACKS MASCHERANO RED CARD
UEFA president Michel Platini believes last weekend's
sending off of Javier Mascherano was the "right thing" and has
backed the Football Association's clampdown on
dissent.
The Liverpool midfielder was sent off after confronting referee
Steve Bennett in the Reds' 3-0 defeat at Manchester United last
Sunday - his dismissal coming just days after the outrage generated
by Ashley Cole's behaviour towards Mike Riley, who did not red card
the Chelsea left-back.
The FA has launched a campaign to promote respect to referees in
the amateur game, and it appears that a more hard-line stance has
now been adopted by professional officials. Platini believes it is
not before time and has predicted that when the initial controversy
dies down, players will soon get used to keeping their mouths
shut.
"The decision of the English FA to insist on showing yellow
cards to any players arguing with referees in amateur games is a
good one," Platini told the Mail on Sunday. He added: "Mascherano
got a yellow card for running at the referee, which is correct. He
won't do it again now. What the referee did was good, it was the
right thing to give him the second yellow card. "We have to make
sure the referees are respected. Of course the players don't like
it at first but they won't do it a second time and if it means
other players learn to restrain themselves, that's a good
thing."
Platini revealed he is also working with the French government
and European Commission in a bid to stop big clubs poaching
promising youngsters under the age of 18. "I have told the European
Commission that we should ban the transfer of minors," he said.
"The first football contract that a player signs should be for
club that trains them. You don't train someone to be sold, you
train a player to play. "It is important to protect our young
people. Minors shouldn't be seen as a machine that can be
transferred for the benefit of agents or clubs. They have time
enough for that.
"It's to do with protecting social values, family values. There
is no justification for buying them at 15, getting them over with
parents, that is just not on. "We're going to fight it."
Platini added: "I am speaking to the European Commission
regarding the specific nature of sport in European Law."