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Noel Le Graet: 'Michel (Platini) has a great sense of humour'
Posted Friday, June 08, 2012 by SNTV

Intro:

On Friday, a day after UEFA President Michel Platini said things will go well for the French team if "they get down off the bus," French Football Federation president Noel Le Graet told reporters in Donetsk that Platini did not mean any harm.

Script:

SOUNDBITE: (French) Noel Le Graet, French Football Federation President:

(Question: "What did you think of UEFA President Michel Platini's remarks on the French team's attitude yesterday?)
"Michel has a great sense of humour."

SOUNDBITE: (French), Noel Le Graet, French Football Federation President:

"We all know Michel (Platini), his timing was maybe not ideal, but it was not meant to be mean, everybody knows that. Who does not say what he says?

(Question: "Did you sense provocation in his remark?"
"Yes, a bit of provocation."

SOUNDBITE: (French) Noel Le Graet, French Football Federation President:

(Question: "What are your goals in terms of results?")
"We need to qualify, come out of the group stage. On these three coming matches, we will able to judge the team, but on just one match, anything can happen. Whether we make it to the quarter-finals or semi-finals, we need to come out of the group stage. We are 17th in FIFA's rankings. Our team is better than that. Our duty is to try and move up the rankings and to qualify."

Standings
    Rank Team W/D/L Pts

    Cities & Stadiums

    The Top 3 Teams of Previous Tournaments

    Year Winners Runner-up Third place
    2008SpainGermanyRussia / Turkey
    2004GreecePortugalNetherlands / Czech Republic
    2000FranceItalyNetherlands / Portugal
    1996GermanyCzech RepublicFrance / England
    1992DenmarkGermanyNetherlands / Sweden
    1988NetherlandsSoviet UnionItaly / West Germany
    1984FranceSpainDenmark / Portugal
    1980West GermanyBelgiumCzechoslovakia
    1976CzechoslovakiaWest GermanyNetherlands
    1972West GermanySoviet UnionBelgium
    1968ItalyYugoslaviaEngland
    1964SpainSoviet UnionHungary
    1960Soviet UnionYugoslaviaCzechoslovakia