Like any self-respecting football fan, I have always liked the cut of Michel Platini’s jib. Indeed, literally so. Apart from the Frenchman’s beautiful, mercurial movements with a ball, he also made a No 10 shirt, half-draped from his shorts over his backside, look chic and cool rather than scruffy. French fans used to say that even when Platini was unshaven – which was often – he looked smooth and spruced-up.

These days, I’m beginning to like Platini even more now that he’s hell-bent on introducing meritocracy – or is it egalitarianism? – to the Champions League. Perhaps I should put that more truthfully: what Platini is about as Uefa president is taking the side of the small man in the game, and therefore in Scotland we should have a special appreciation for what he is trying to do.

People get worked up about the Champions League not being about “champions” as such, but come on, what does it matter? Everybody knows that the tournament is for big, glamorous teams and is a showcase for the world’s best players, and I can’t lose any sleep over that. I do, however, like Platini’s idea of giving more scope for smaller nation representation in the Champions League, or at least more opportunity in the prequalifying rounds. And I am also intrigued by Platini’s wish for the national cup competitions to carry a prequalifying ticket.

Why, the unshaven old cove is a traditionalist! Like many people in Scotland I grew up feasting on the Scottish Cup, when Hampden Park carried its aura and the two teams would roll up for the great gladiatorial contest. In its day, with Hampden swollen with 100,000 people, the Scottish Cup final was a majestic event, and winning the old jug carried considerable lustre. Now Platini is saying this: let’s give competitions like the Scottish Cup an avenue into the Champions League. It may not be until 2009 (if Platini’s plan is accepted by the clubs) and, for Scottish Cup winners at least, it may only mean a doomed prequalifying route, but it would be a Champions League coat-tail nonetheless.

The Frenchman’s philosophy is summed up best in these words he spoke in Monte Carlo on Thursday: “Those clubs who win should get to play, rather than those who are richer or have better media rights.” Ah yes, the winning... we’d almost forgotten about that.

In the Scottish context, the unravelling truth of it all might cut both ways. Indeed, it may only play into the hands of the Old Firm. When you consider that either Rangers or Celtic have won eight of the last nine Scottish Cups – quite apart from their perennial domination of the league – Platini’s plan might not make a jot of a difference. Indeed, one or other of the Old Firm could have a thoroughly sloppy league campaign, yet pop up at Hampden with a cup win, thus still gaining a Champions League (prequalifying) ticket under Platini’s minor revolution.

Recent history tells us that the exception to all this was in 2006, when Heart of Midlothian beat Gretna in the Scottish Cup final, having also finished second in the league, behind Celtic but ahead of Rangers. In that case, under Platini’s new proposal, Hearts would have entered the Champions League prequalifying via their Hampden triumph (though, coincidentally, they entered at the same stage after finishing second in the league).

You have to go back to 1997 to imagine Platini’s proposal being thoroughly eye-opening. That year Kilmarnock beat Falkirk in the Scottish Cup final and would therefore, had Platini’s proposals been operative, entered Champions League pre-qualifying. Indeed, so might have Falkirk, which would beg the question for Platini’s critics: just how much dilution of Champions League quality is he intending to introduce? Falkirk or Kilmarnock, let’s not mince our words, would have represented Champions League dross.

I must say I savour Platini’s egalitarian spirit. In practice, though, it might throw up some weird possibilities.

Whatever happened to the great Dane?

Lucky Celtic, I say, to have Thomas Gravesen off their hands. Everton, in their wisdom, have taken the Dane on-loan for the season, and presumably have agreed to pick up a fair chunk of the £35,000-a-week salary that Celtic have been frittering on the midfield player.

The signing of Gravesen by Gordon Strachan, the manager, and Peter Lawwell, the chief executive, turned out to be one of the great gaffes of the transfer business. And it wasn’t just Strachan and Lawwell who called it wrong. Those of us who had seen Gravesen play for Denmark – such as at Euro 2004 where he was immense – got it completely wrong as well.

No one is sure what happened to the player – there are those who have put it down to the presence of a piece of Scandinavian porn-movie crumpet on Gravesen’s arm. But, for whatever reason, he stopped playing, stopped holding his position on the park, and stopped being able to follow Strachan’s tactical instructions. Gravesen simply started malfunctioning.

In bringing him to Everton, Davie Moyes presumably knows what he is taking on. I will be staggered, though, if Gravesen manages to recapture his once impressive form.

- Martin Bain, the Rangers chief executive, is surely quite right to ask Barcelona for a greater tranche of tickets for the enthralling prospect of Rangers’ trip to the Nou Camp in the Champions League on November 7.

Whatever the Old Firm’s deficiencies in Europe, a lack of human interest isn’t one of them, and Rangers, like Celtic, could easily take 20,000 with them to such a match. A more realistic figure for Barça to agree to would be 10,000 tickets – and I hope they acquiesce.