UEFA President Michel Platini visits Austria

UEFA President Michel Platini has completed a busy trip to Austria which featured a 100-cap award, a meeting with the sports minister and a tour of the ÖFB centre for women’s football. A presentation to an Austrian football legend, a meeting with Austria’s sports minister and first-hand discovery of women’s football development were among the highlights of UEFA President Michel Platini’s visit to Austria on Tuesday.

Mr Platini watched the UEFA EURO 2012 qualifier between Austria and Turkey in Vienna as part of a busy day in which he also met the Austrian sports minister Norbert Darabos. The trip to Vienna’s Ernst-Happel-Stadion saw Mr Platini accompany Austrian Football Association (ÖFB) president Leo Windtner who presented an award to former Austria midfielder Andreas Herzog – UEFA’s new commemorative cap and medal for European national team players who have reached 100 caps. Herzog is the most-capped Austrian international with 103 appearances, and 26 goals, between 1988 and 2003.

Earlier in the day, the UEFA President toured the ÖFB National Centre for Women’s Football in St Pölten, a facility which has been partly funded by UEFA. The women’s football academy provides world-class facilities for girls to reach the top level in the female game and has benefited from UEFA’s HatTrick investment programme for national associations. While in Austria, Mr Platini also met the country’s sports minister Norbert Darabos. The two men, who visited the women’s football centre together, enjoyed a fruitful exchange of views on current football topics, including the fight against corruption and violence in stadiums. Mr Platini and Mr Darabos agreed on the need for close cooperation between sports federations and the European Union in the coming years.