Man City & PSG slammed by Michel Platini as ex-UEFA boss says money has 'killed the philosophy of football'

The Abu Dhabi and Qatari owned clubs have rocketed to the top of world football in recent years, both winning the Champions League in the last three years thanks to their lavish spending. Ex-France star Platini feels the "philosophy of football" has been killed off because of the massive amounts of money such big teams are spending to remain competitive.

Platini cited the Bosman ruling, a 1995 case that resulted in players being allowed to leave clubs for free at the end of their contract, as the beginning of the end for the game. He told La Stampa: "I've always looked at the player and the game, I've never been interested in anything else. The Bosman law, however, killed the philosophy of football: today to win you have to have money, just look at how the stories of City and PSG have changed."

The 1984 European Championship and three-time Ballon d'Or winner was this year acquitted for a second time of charges of fraud from his period in charge of UEFA.

"I came out clean, but my enemies won anyway. In any case, they stole ten years from me," he said to La Stampa.

The ex-Juventus and Saint-Etienne player will turn 70 years old on Saturday. Asked about his future, he said: "I don't see it: I've never seen the future. Not even as a footballer. I've always accepted fate."