Although it was a somewhat disappointing domestic campaign for Juventus and Diego Maradona arrived at Napoli from Barcelona amid much fanfare, it was Michel Platini who continued to shine brighter than his peers.
While the Bianconeri finished sixth in Serie A, the French playmaker was crucial in the Turin-based club’s first European Cup success, scoring the winning goal in the final, to be named Player of the Season.
After topping the scoring charts at the European Championship in 1984, Platini continued an astonishing strike rate on his return to Italy and netted seven times in total during Juventus’ European campaign and 18 times in Serie A.
It would be the attacker’s best goalscoring return for a single season, yet it was his ability to dominate matches that brought widespread appreciation of his skills that marked him out as an all-time great.
As well as the Old Lady’s continental success secured amid the tragedy of the Heysel stadium disaster, the Frenchman was also crucial in winning the European Super Cup, also beating Liverpool.
Further confirmation of his standout performances during the 1984/85 season came late in the calendar year, when Platini received the Ballon d’Or award as European Player of the Year for the third successive time.
