French football legend Michel Platini has admitted that the final draw for the world cup in 1998 which France won was actually fixed.
The former Midfield maestro admitted that he was involved in a plot to ensure the 1998 hosts could not meet favourites Brazil until the final.
Platini was banned from football after it was revealed that he received a payment of £1.35million from disgraced world boss Sepp Blatter.
The initial plan by Fifa was that the host nation should be given a pre-draw seeding spot and then other countries making up the other seven seeds for the World Cup were allocated on a calculation mixing the world rankings with performances at the three previous World Cup.
Fifa regulations also stipulated that the seeds should be randomly assigned at the Finals draw, which took place inside the Stade Velodrome in Marseilles.
Platini then took advantage of his role as co-president of the World Cup Organising Committee to push for changes to be made which would make sure that France avoided Brazil till the final.
Speaking in an interview, Platini said; “When we organised the calendar, we did a little trickery.”
“If we finished first in the group and Brazil finished first, we could not meet before the final.
“We did not work until we were bored for six years to organise the World Cup not to do some little shenanigans.
“When you are at home, you want to be able to enjoy things.
“You think the others do not do it for their World Cups? France against Brazil in the final, that was the dream of everyone.”
Brazil and France did meet in the final before the latter won via 2 goals by Zinedine Zidane and one by Emmanuel Petit.
