UEFA President Michel Platini is confident Juventus and Italy hero Andrea Pirlo “can win the Ballon d’Or.”

The veteran midfielder is one of three Italians on the short-list along with Gianluigi Buffon and Mario Balotelli.

“Pirlo is playing very well and I think he can win the Ballon d’Or, but there are also many other strong candidates for that award,” Platini told Radio 2 in Italy.

The UEFA President was also asked about the recent controversy over refereeing decisions and the potential introduction of technology.

“If we introduced that then we would have to decide every single offside, every single free kick, and every corner using technology – because the referee can get it wrong at any moment.”