FOOTY FAIR

Throwback Thursdays: The FC Schalke 04 Scandal

2016-08-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

FC Schalke 04, one of the more famous names in German football, were involved in a scandal nearly ninety years ago that for a brief moment looked to have put the club's existence in jeopardy.

Prior to the start of the Bundesliga in 1963-1964, German football was comprised of a collection of sub-regional and part-time leagues.

In the late 1920's the regional Western German league saw the emergence of a powerful side from Gelsenkirchen who at that stage called themselves FC Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04.

The club won the title in 1929 and 1930, but on 25 August 1930, the league banned fourteen players of their players for receiving illegal payments.

After an investigation by German football authorities, it turned out that the club had paid the players ten Reichsmarks instead of the maximum five for away matches.

In an era of strict amateurism in German sport, along with economic hardship in the country, this was considered an outrage and the league had no choice but to come down heavy on Schalke.

The players, including star striker Ernst Kuzorra, were banned for the entire 1930-31 season. In addition to this, eight members of the Schalke board were suspended and sadly club treasurer Willie Nier committed suicide by drowning himself in the midst of the scandal.

It was a dark period for the club, but they would return with a vengeance by winning the 1932 and 1933 titles after the ban had run it's course.

Although Schalke have had their ups and downs in the decades since, in terms of membership they are still the second largest club in Germany behind Bayern Munich.

Euro 2016 Highlights and Low-Lights

2016-07-11T14:01:00.000-04:00

While the champagne continues to flow following Portugal's emotional win in the UEFA European Championship Final on Sunday, these are our highlights and low-lights of Euro 2016 in France:

Player of the Tournament:

Antoine Griezmann. Although he didn't perform in the final, with his missed header late in the second half proving to be particularly costly, France wouldn't have come anywhere near the final without the goals and the inspired play of Griezmann. A honorable mention has to go to Portugal's Pepe, who is normally one of the biggest villains in world football but was absolutely immense in this tournament.

Donkey of the Tournament:

Roy Hodgson. Instead of going for a player, I couldn't look beyond England manager Roy Hodgson who oversaw the Three Lions shambolic campaign in France. He took a fairly talented and young side to the Euros, but couldn't settle on his best formation or starting eleven, and bewildered with his substitutions. He justified the opinion that many observers had, in that he should have been sacked after England's 2014 World Cup group stage exit.

Goal of the Tournament:

Cristiano Ronaldo's flying header vs Wales, Luka Modric's incredible volley vs Turkey, and Xherdan Shaqiri's last ditch wonder strike vs Poland were all terrific, as was Dimitri Payet's long range curling effort against Romania, but the goal of the tournament was scored by Wales' Hal Robson-Kanu. His Cruyff turn and exquisite finish against Belgium in their pulsating quarter-final would have had the old Dutch master himself smiling.

Scandal of the Tournament:

England's supporters won themselves few admirers for their wretched behavior in Marseilles, but they were certainly outdone by the hooliganism of the Russian supporters who dished out some shocking violence on the day of the two sides group match. The stadium security in Marseilles, and the French polices' response outside of the stadium, also contributed to the carnage.

Match of the Tournament:

Italy vs Germany. Although Wales vs Belgium was terrific and a real feel good story with the Welsh winning through to the semi-final of a major tournament for the first time, the best match of Euro 2016 was the pulsating clash between Germany and Italy. In a tournament that was often lacking in quality, this match had an intensity that was reminiscent of a title fight between two seasoned heavy weight prize fighters.

Disappointment of the Tournament:

The expansion from 16 teams to 24 was as disastrous as expected, with a poor group stage leading to several weak sides scraping into the round of 16 lowering the standard of a once great tournament. The Euros didn't feature many epic encounters and defense first seemed to be the order of the day.

Team of the Tournament:

Portugal. Iceland and Wales provided nice stories, Italy went further than expected and France (at times) played the best football, but Portugal were incredibly well organized and fought to the end in all of their matches. They are worthy champions.

The Last 3 Major Tournament Meetings Between Germany & Italy

2016-07-02T12:53:00.001-04:00

With the much anticipated 2016 Euros Quarter-Final meeting between the Germans and Italians set to kick-off in just a couple of hours, we take a look at the last three meetings between the two nations either in a FIFA World Cup or UEFA Euro setting.

1996 UEFA Euros - Group Stages - Manchester, England

Germany 0 - 0 Italy

A 0-0 draw is usually seen as a dull affair in the world of football, but this was not the case on the 19th of June at Manchester United's Old Trafford in 1996. Leading up to England 1996 Italy and Germany were both drawn into Group C alongside Russia and Czech Republic. The two met in their final group stage match with the Germans needing a draw to advance to the next stage, while Italy was tied on points but with a lesser goal differential than that of Czech Republic. Despite a red card handed to German midfielder Thomas Strunz in the 59th minute and a penalty-kick awarded in favour of Italy in the match, the Italians were unable to take advantage of their numerical advantage on the pitch and with a missed shot from the spot a 0-0 draw would send the Italians crashing out of the tournament as the Czechs drew Russia with a 3-3 final scoreline. The Germans would go on to win the Euros, defeating group mates Czech Republic in the final match.

2006 FIFA World Cup - Semi-Finals - Dortmund, Germany

Germany 0 - 2 Italy (AET)

10 years after their meeting in England, Germany and Italy were going head-to-head once more, only this time on German soil. But in 2006 home advantage proved to be useless for the Germans as they faced Italy in one of the two semi-final matches, with the Italians going on to not only defeat the home nation, but would capture the World Cup title altogether. In a match that again finished with a 0-0 scoreline after the initial 90 minutes despite quite a few scoring chances for both sides, the hosts were headed to extra-time, hoping to book a place in the final. But the Italians had a different idea, and after watching West Germany claim the World Cup title in Italy in 1990, managed to score twice in extra-time sending the Germans out of the tournament and eventually claiming the title on German ground.

2012 UEFA Euros - Semi-Finals - Warsaw, Poland

Germany 1 - 2 Italy

The last meeting between the two in a major tournament was at a semi-final stage once again, and once more, the Italians came out victorious. Mario Balotelli was the hero on the day, scoring twice in the first half, which would prove to be enough for the Azzurri to move on. A late penalty-kick goal from Mesut Özil would be in vain while the Italians would go on to a bitter 4-0 defeat to Spain in the tournament final.

Throwback Thursdays: Ronaldo and Brazil's Redemption in Japan

2016-06-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

Heading into the 1998 World Cup the most famous player on the planet was Brazil's seemingly unstoppable striker Ronaldo.

The star packed Brazilian side heading to France that year, with Ronaldo at the forefront, was widely expected to repeat their Cup winning exploits of USA 94 but to do it with a bit more style than they had four years previous.

Unfortunately, things did not go according to plan and that squad has become better known for a flashy advertisement they did for Nike in an airport and also for their against France in the 1998 World Cup Final. Ronaldo, football's brightest light, had suffered a reported seizure on the eve of the match and was completely ineffective against the hosts.

A determined Brazil, under manager Luiz Felipe Scolari, returned to football's biggest stage in 2002 hoping to go one further though and this time they would not be denied. Although the side under 'Big Phil' was a bit more pragmatic than the "Joga Bonito" side of 1998, any squad featuring the scintillating talents of Ronaldo, Rivaldo and newcomer Ronaldinho was never going to be dull.

After winning all three of their group matches rather handily, Brazil saw off Belgium 2-0 in the Round of 16 before edging out England 2-1 in the Quarter-Final and a surprising Turkey side 1-0 in the Semi-Final.

On 30 June 2002 at the International Stadium in Yokohama, Japan, Brazil took on Germany with another chance to capture a record fifth World Cup crown.

Although he was not perhaps the force he had been four years previous, thanks to a series of injuries in the intervening years, Ronaldo had still lit up the tournament in Japan/South Korea with six goals and he wasn't finished.

A mistake by German keeper Oliver Kahn in the 67th-minute let Ronaldo in for the opening goal of the final, and doubled his sides advantage on 79 minutes after beating the Bayern number one from the top of the box.

That was all the scoring Brazil needed as they saw out the match and went on to the lift the World Cup trophy once again.

Simulating Euro 2016 (QF, Semis & Finals)

2016-06-09T12:00:00.000-04:00

Well, it all kicks-off tomorrow and our simulator has done an incredible job so far. Some results were surprising, while others were as predictable as they come. So before the real tournament begins, how do the last three simulated stages look and who are Europe's champions? You can review the previously simulated matches right here:

Quarter Finals

Ukraine vs. Sweden - Stade Vélodrome, Marseille - June 30, 2016

In the last match of the 2016 Euros for the month of June, Ukraine, who had already won against Poland at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille, take on the team that eliminated defending champions Spain in the round of 16, Sweden. With a total of 7 goals in the match, "entertaining" would prove too light a description for this particular meeting. With no goals in the first-half however, this game seemed to be going the conservative route, that until a Zlatan Ibrahimovic goal in the 59th put the Swedes in the driver seat. But a duo with the same first name would flip the script when Yevhen Seleznyov and Yevhen Konoplyanka scored in the 67th and 78th to give Ukraine the 2-1 lead and for Dynamo Kyiv's Konoplyanka his third goal of the tournament. The Swede's pressed for an equalizer and 5 minutes before the full-time whistle they got it when Kim Källström put the ball in the back of Pyatov's net. The game headed for extra-time.

In the additional 30 minutes, Ukraine utilized their wings as best they could and came out flying, regaining the advantage just 7 minutes into the extra frame with another goal from Konoplyanka. With just a minute to go in extra-time the Ukrainian's would put it out of Sweden's reach when full-back Bohdan Butko scored his first for his country, making Ibrahimovic's goal one minute later irrelevant. Ukraine's opponents in the semi-finals will be the winner between Romania and Belgium.

Final Score: Ukraine 4-3 (AET) Sweden

Romania vs. Belgium - Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Lille - July 1, 2016

After defeating Group B winners Russia in penalty-kicks, Romania took on Belgium who managed to eliminate Austria in the round of 16. With Belgium seen as favorites, the Red Devils lived up to the expectations going 1-0 ahead in just the 10th minute with a corner kick goal from Tottenham's Jan Vertonghen. Looking to settle for the narrow victory, the Belgians sat back and for nearly the rest of the match is sure looked like the 1-0 scoreline would hold. But the strategy to invite the Romanian attackers into their own half nearly proved the demise of the Belgians as despite a visible lack of creativity for the majority of the match the Romanians managed to equalize in the 78th with a goal from Denis Alibec. The Belgians did not panic however, retaking the lead just two minutes later thanks to Eden Hazard's first of the tournament and a goal that proved to be the winner as it was too much for Romania to overcome yet another deficit. Belgium moves on to face the surprising Ukrainians in the semi-finals.

Final Score: Romania 1-2 Belgium

Germany vs. Italy - Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux - July 2, 2016

In what was probably the most anticipated match of the quarter-finals, Group C winners Germany who had so far won every one of their matches, was taking on Group E winner, Italy. But in a meeting which was supposed to be a close encounter, the defending champions were dominating from the start and were a much better side throughout. After going ahead in the 32nd with a goal from Arsenal's Mesut Özil, the Italians showed some life as they leveled the score just two minutes later thanks to a quick goal from Thiago Motta. But after the Italian goal, the German domination continued and two second-half tallies, another from Özil and Thomas Müller's fourth of the tournament sealed the deal as the defending world champions moved on to face the winner of Czech Republic and England.

Final Score: Germany 3-1 Italy

Czech Republic vs. England - Stade de France, Saint-Denis - July 3, 2016

With Germany waiting after their victory over the Italians, the final quarter-finals match between England and the Czechs has a throwback feeling of the 1996 Euros where a win for England would recreate a similar semi-final meeting between them and the Germans while a victory for Czech Republic would see the two finalists from that year competing in an elimination match once again. With the semis on the line, both sides played a conservative match, with neither squad willing to expose their own defense with overly attacking football. After a scoreless first half, the lone goal and the match-winner came just a minute after the restart when youngster Eric Dier scored his second of the tournament to see his side through to the next round.

Final Score: Czech Rep. 0-1 England

Semi-Finals

Ukraine vs. Belgium - Parc Olympique Lyonnais, Lyon - July 6, 2016

Surprising their own fans and Euro spectators as a whole, Ukraine managed to advance to the semi-finals and face Belgium in Lyon where both sides played out scoreless draws in the group stages; with Ukraine picking up a point against Northern Ireland, while the Belgians played to an identical result against Italy. A similar outcome looked to be in the stars for the two on this day as well, but with 5 minutes remaining in regulation, the Belgians would snatch a winner thanks to a goal from Romelu Lukaku to send the Belgians through to their first Euro final since 1980 when they lost to West Germany.

Final Score: Ukraine 0-1 Belgium

Germany vs. England - Stade Vélodrome, Marseille - July 7, 2016

A rematch of the 1996 Euro semi-final, where England lost out to the Germans in penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw at Wembley Stadium, the stage was set for the two to renew their long-lasting rivalry. While England was returning to the Stade Vélodrome where they were held to a scoreless draw against Russia in the group stages, the Three Lions would not be held off the scoresheet this time around. With chances at both ends, England managed to put one past Manuel Neuer in the 27th minute, going 1-0 up with a goal from Jamie Vardy. As the match moved along with English keeper Joe Hart keeping the Germans at bay with a few spectacular saves, memories of 1996 were quickly coming back when Thomas Müller equalized in the 87th minute; sending the match into extra-time. In the extra frame it was Müller again, giving his side the lead in the 94th. But just two minutes after Müller's second of the match, it was Vardy once again, as his spectacular shot into the German top corner that would send the match into penalty kicks; a deciding feature that has been less than friendly for the English in the past.

As expected, it was another penalty disaster for the English who were unable to capitalize on Germany's miss on the very first shot. Missing three of their own, the Three Lions were again eliminated from a major tournament via the spot kicks.

Final Score: *Germany 2-2 (AET) England (Germany wins 3-2 on penalty kicks)

FINAL

Germany vs. Belgium - Stade de France, Saint-Denis - July 10, 2016

In another rematch of a previous European Championship meeting, the Germans (West Germany then) face-off against Belgium, a rematch of the 1980 Euro final in Italy, which West Germany won by a final score of 2-1.

National stadium Stade de France favored the Germans once already in this tournament when Joachim Löw's side defeated Poland by a score of 1-0 in the group stages and so would be the case on the day. With an identical score and even the same goal-scorer as the match against the Polish, Mesut Özil's lone tally was enough for Die Mannschaft to overcome a resilient Belgium side to claim their record fourth European title.

Final Score: Germany 1-0 Belgium

5 Players That Are Surprisingly Missing Out on Euro 2016

2016-06-04T08:00:00.000-04:00

Not all of the biggest stars or in-form players in Europe will be taking part in Euro 2016.

Here are five surprising omissions from the final squads submitted for this summer's tournament in France:

Marco Reus (Germany)

After netting 23 goals in 43 matches this season for Borussia Dortmund, Marco Reus would have seemed to be a lock to make the German squad for Euro 2016. However, after battling a groin injury in the latter part of the season German national side manager Joachim Löw decided that Reus' fitness was too much of a concern and opted not to select him as part of his 23 man squad for France.

Isco (Spain)

Real Madrid's 24-year old midfielder Isco appears to have missed the cut due to being in and out of Zinedine Zidane's squad in the second half of the season. The talented attacking playmaker would have been a certain selection a year ago, but he will need to lock down a starting spot at Madrid or perhaps another club if he is going to get back into the Spanish side.

Danny Drinkwater (England)

Despite a fine season for champions Leicester City, Danny Drinkwater has essentially seen his spot taken in the England squad by the serially injured Jack Wilshere. Hopefully this isn't another case of an England player picked on reputation than on form as it appears to be.

Karim Benzema (France)

After scoring 24 goals in 27 La Liga matches, while being the focal point of France's attack throughout Euro 2016 qualifying, it's a surprise to see Karim Benzema left out of Didier Deschamps' side. But after a season plagued with personal problems it's likely off the pitch matters that see him missing out on playing for his country this summer.

Hatem Ben Arfa (France)

Despite scoring 17 goals in 34 appearances for Nice this season, and reports that several bigger clubs are chasing the talented winger's signature, there was no room on the French side for former Newcastle United player Hatem Ben Arfa.

Simulating Euro 2016 (Group C)

2016-05-27T08:22:00.000-04:00

Germany, Poland, Ukraine and Northern Ireland make up Group C in this summer's Euro tournament as both co-hosts of the 2012 edition of the Euros in Poland and Ukraine are drawn into the same group. While having played in 3 World Cup tournaments, Northern Ireland make their Euro debut while defending World Cup Germany are by far the favorite in the group; but will our simulator play it out this way? See Group A and Group B

Poland vs. Northern Ireland - Allianz Riviera, Nice - June 12, 2016

Perhaps some opening day jitters for both sides as despite scoring in every single one of their qualifying matches, Poland was held to a clean-sheet by Northern Ireland, who were unable to find the net themselves in their first Euro match.

Final Score: Poland 0-0 Northern Ireland

Germany vs. Ukraine - Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Lille - June 12, 2016

Very few issues for the defending World Cup champions Germany out of the gate against Ukraine as they take a one goal lead inside 3 minutes with a goal from Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos from outside the box. As expected, the Germans dominated both possession time and chances on goal and would go on to score once more before the half with Thomas Müller netting his first of the tourney. Ukraine showed life in the second half however scoring twice on either side of Bastian Schweinsteiger's 65th minute goal; Ukraine's tallies came via Stuttgart striker Artem Kravets and Sevilla winger Yevhen Konoplyanka to make the score seem a lot closer than the match actually was.

Final Score: Germany 3-2 Ukraine

Ukraine vs. Northern Ireland - Parc Olympique Lyonnais, Lyon - June 16, 2016

After managing two goals against Germany, Ukraine became Northern Ireland's second clean-sheet victim as in the second competitive match for the debutants the final result was scoreless.

Final Score: Ukraine 0-0 Northern Ireland

Germany vs. Poland - Stade de France, Saint-Denis - June 16, 2016

After dismissing Ukraine in a dominant performance, the Germans were once more the visibly much better side against Poland. With Poland's inability to score for a second match in a row, Mesut Özil's only goal of the contest was enough to hand the Germans another victory.

Final Score: Germany 1-0 Poland

Northern Ireland vs. Germany - Parc des Princes, Paris - June 21, 2016

If you thought that Northern Ireland were keeping their goal-scoring talents to their last match after their initial consecutive 0-0 draws against Poland and Ukraine, that was not the case at all. In yet another strong performance the Germans dominated the Northern Irish from start to finish as first -half goals from Mesut Özil and Thomas Müller pretty much sealed the deal. Another from Müller in the second half likely spelled the end of Northern Ireland's first Euro tournament, with the debutants finishing on 2 points, but without a single goal scored.

Final Score: Northern Ireland 0-3 Germany

Ukraine vs. Poland - Stade Vélodrome, Marseille - June 21, 2016

Probably the biggest match for either side in the group stages, the meeting between the two co-hosts of the 2012 Euro tournament was always seen as Group C's crucial head-to-head for second place; and so it plays out. A draw would see both Poland, Ukraine and Northern Ireland tied on 2 points (considering we know Germany defeated Northern Ireland 3-0, although the matches are being played simultaneously), with Ukraine finishing 2nd, Poland in 3rd and Northern Ireland in last place in the group due to Ukraine's superior goal differential / goals scored record.

In what was a fairly even match throughout with Poland having a few more chances on goal, it was Ukraine to score the first of the match; Yevhen Konoplyanka scoring his second of the tournament in the 23rd minute. But just 10 minutes after Ukraine's goal, a Polish side that were held scoreless in both of their first two matches were on the board at last with a tap in from none other than Robert Lewandowski. In the second half Ukraine scored once more, as central defender Yevhen Khacheridi scored with his head on a corner-kick for the "yellow and blue"; a goal that would remain the match-winner and send the Ukrainians through to the next round, while leaving Poland at the basement of Group C.

Final Score: Ukraine 2-1 Poland

Final Table

		Wins	Draws	Losses	Gls For	Gls Against	Goal Dif.	Pts
1	Germany	3	0	0	7	2	5	9
2	Ukraine	1	1	1	4	4	0	4
3	N. Ireland	0	2	1	0	3	-3	2
4	Poland	0	1	2	1	3	-2	1

Review:

Perhaps the biggest shock in Group C is Poland's poor scoring performance which in turn handed them the last place in the group. Germany's dominance was anything but a surprise, while Ukraine's 2nd place had already confirmed a quarter-final match between Ukrain and Albania. Northern Ireland finish in 3rd place, but their -3 goal differential along with only 2 points earned is not likely to be enough for a quarter-final spot as one of the best four 3rd place teams.

One & Done - Football Clubs That Won Their League Just Once

2016-05-04T08:02:00.000-04:00

With Leicester City miraculously clinching their first ever English league title and after what has already been labeled as one of the most incredible surprises in the history of football, we here at FootyFair would like to take a look at some other clubs from around the biggest leagues in Europe that have captured their domestic title just once. Of course, it is not a guarantee that The Foxes will not repeat this feat once again, but let's face it, the chances are fairly slim.

England

Perhaps Blackburn's 1994-95 performance was the most recent shocker as far as title runs in England are concerned, but as interesting as that was, the Rovers' title that year was their 3rd in the club's history having claimed the honor of best club in England in 1912 and once more in 1914.

To find the most recent "one-off" league winner in England we will have to look back as far as the 1977-78 season when Brian Clough's infamous Nottingham Forest side shocked the English football world as they brushed aside the likes of Liverpool, Everton, Manchester City, Arsenal and the rest of the First Division to claim the league title without a single home loss on the season. Winning the European Cup the following year cemented Clough's Forest into the history books of football forever.

Before Forest, it was Ipswich Town who claimed the Football League First Division title during the 1961-62 season after being lead by Ray Crawford's league-matching best 33 goals on the year. Managed by Alf Ramsey, who later went on to manage the English National Team to their only FIFA World Cup victory in 1966, The Tractor Boys finished atop the league 3 points ahead of Burnley to claim their one and only English top tier title to-date.

Other clubs to win 1 title in England to-date: Sheffield United & West Bromwich Albion

Spain

The La Liga is definitely a tough league to compete for a championship in unless you are one of either Barcelona or Real Madrid. As a matter of fact, only 7 other clubs have ever claimed the domestic title, with 3 of those winning it just once.

Most recently, it was Deportivo La Coruña that shocked the Spanish footballing scene when they were able to come ahead of defending champions Barcelona and Real Madrid (who finished 5th that seasons) during the 1999-2000 campaign. La Coruña's home form was a major part in the title race as shocking 2-0 & 3-0 defeats to Numancia and Racing Santander were the club's only losses at home the entire season. With a 2-2 against Zaragoza being the only other blemish for Deportivo La Coruña at the Estadio Municipal de Riazor, the club managed to collect 16 wins on home soil and finish 5 points ahead of Barcelona to claim the La Liga title. Dutchman Roy Makaay's 22 goals on the year were the club's best and good for 4th overall in the league.

The other two Spanish sides to win the league championship just ones were Sevilla and Real Betis, with the former coming 1 point ahead of Barcelona in 1946, while the latter completing the feat in similar fashion at the end of the 1934-35 season as they finished one point clear of Real Madrid to finish the year.

Portugal

In a league dominated by just three clubs in its 82 year history, only two clubs outside of SL Benfica, FC Porto and Sporting CP have been able to capture the league title; both claiming the Portuguese championship just ones. In 1946 it was Belenenses who managed to win the league, finishing one point ahead of SL Benfica during the 1940's era which saw Sporting win the majority of titles.

Most recently however, it was the unlikely run of Boavista during the 2000-01 season, who despite not having a goal-scorer in the top 10 in the league managed to clear FC Porto by a single point to win the Portuguese title. A remarkable season in which the club lost just three times in their 34 match schedule gave The Panthers their one and only domestic championship trophy.

France

The French top tier had seen nineteen different title holders over the history of the league, with seven clubs having won the title just once to-date. In most recent years Montpellier, RC Lens and AJ Auxerre have managed to capture the French championships. Montpellier's title came in 2011-12 who were led by the goal-scoring prowess of now Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud to finish atop the table, 3 points clear of PSG.

In 1997-98 it was the unlikely success of club RC Lens from Northern France, who finished ahead of FC Metz on goal differential after finishing the season tied on 68 points. And two years earlier, during the 1995-96 season it was club Auxerre who captured their only French title to-date coming in 4 points clear of both AS Monaco and PSG.

Other clubs to win 1 title in France to-date: Club Français, CA Paris, US Tourcoing, Strasbourg, Gallia Club Paris, Saint-Raphaël, Stade Français, Roubaix-Tourcoing.

Germany

Over its long and colorful history, German top tier football has been mostly dominated by a single club. FC Bayern has claimed the title a record 25 times thus far, while no other club in the country has ever reached double digits. That said, there have been numerous other clubs that have claimed the status of best side in Germany, albeit not for a very long stretch of time.

But despite Bayern's domination of football in "Deutschland", a total of 13 clubs have managed to win the league on just one ocassion, with one club now a very succesful side in another country. The club I'm talking about is Austrian Sportklub Rapid Wien, who won the German championship in 140-41 after Austria's annexation to Germany.

More recently however it was VfL Wolfsburg during the 2008-09 season who captured the first place in the Bundesliga with 8 matches to go in the season and would not let it go until the final day to win the club's first and only title so far. The secret behind Wolfsburg's success was the striking partnership between Brazilian "one year wonder" Grafite with his league best 28 goal tally and Bosnia's talented striker and future Manchester City and AS Roma goal-scorer Edin Džeko with his 26 goals. Managed by the always odd bench-boss Felix Magath, the club shocked German football by coming 2 points ahead of the always dominant Bayern Munich.

Other clubs to win 1 title in Germanye to-date: Karlsruher FV, Holstein Kiel, 1860 München, Fortuna Düsseldorf, Eintracht Frankfurt, SpVgg Blau-Weiß 1890 Berlin, Eintracht Braunschweig, Rot-Weiss Essen, Freiburger FC, Karlsruher SC, VfR Mannheim

Italy

The most recent first-time winner in Italy was well-known club UC Sampdoria who captured their first and only Italian title to-date at the conclusion of the 1990-91 season. With defending champions Napoli having a sub-par season, "Doria" who were led by the striking power of Roberto Mancini and league scoring leader Gianluca Vialli, pounced on the opportunity to take advantage of everyone else's mediocrity in the league on the year. With a record of 20-11-3 Sampdoria was able to come in first place, 5 points clear of both Inter and AC Milan to capture their first domestic title.

Hellas Verona who were recently confirmed as the first of three clubs to be relegated to Serie B for next season also won one Italian title to date, that in the 1980's. Cagliari, who will be switching places with Hellas Verona having all but secured promotion to Serie A for next season also won but one title in the club's 95 year history, coming 4 points ahead of Internazionale to claim the 1969-70 Italian championship.

Other clubs to win 1 title in Italy to-date: Novese & Casale

Cheating and Corruption in Football - Part 3 of 5: Robert Hoyzer, Germany's Matching Fixing Official

2016-04-08T08:00:00.000-04:00

In 2005, German football was left with a black eye when it emerged that referee Robert Hoyzer had been involved in rigging a cup match involving Hamburg and Paderborn.

Working with a Croatian gambling syndicate that arranged the €2m (£1.36m) betting scam, Hoyzer awarded the regional league side Paderborn two penalties to help them come back from two goals down to knock out top division Hamburg in the first round of the German Cup. He also sent off Hamburg striker Emile Mpenza in Paderborn's 4-2 victory.

Although it was this match that raised the red flag on Hoyzer's impropriety, there were at least nine other matches that he fixed or tried to fix over the 2004-2005 season.

After initially denying the claims against him, the under fire match official eventually admitted that he had accepted €67,000 and an expensive television for his part in the scheme.

Hoyzer would later be found guilty of fraud in a Berlin court and sentenced to two years in prison.

Missed Connections: Sides That Surprisingly Haven't Played Each Other More Often

2016-04-06T09:23:00.000-04:00

Some club and international sides just seem to be made to play one another as they dominate competitions such as the UEFA Champions League, the FIFA World Cup or other "inter-nations" title. Nonetheless, as unlikely as it may seem, this list is about sides that you would swear have played one another a lot more often than they actually have.

Liverpool v Manchester United (European Competition)

Until their recent Europa League meeting, Liverpool and Manchester United have never met in Europe before. The two English football rivals have made it to the same UEFA competitions on numerous ocassions, but 2016 would mark their first ever showdown, with Liverpool knocking The Red Devils out of the tournament over a two-leg battle.

Brazil v Germany (World Cup)

With 9 FIFA World Cup titles between them and at least one of them qualifying to the semi-finals of the tournament in each of the World Cup editions since 1934 (2nd World Cup), it's hard to believe that the two have not played each other even once until 2002 when Brazil beat the Germans in that year's World Cup final match. Brazil did play an East German side in 1974, but West Germany is considered as modern Germany when football statistics are tallied.

Benfica v Real Madrid

Despite both clubs being extremely successful in their domestic leagues, Spanish side Real Madrid and Portuguese club Benfica haven't played a competitive match against one another since 1965. A bit hard to believe as it seems we see the two compete in the Champions League every single season. The last time the two met, Benfica knocked Real Madrid out of the 1964-65 European Cup competition with a 6-3 aggregate win in the quarter-finals.

England v Scotland

In 1870, the first international football match in history was one played between Scotland and England. The two rivals have played each other many times since, but in recent years the two have not been able to "lock horns" in any competitive match. Aside from a couple friendlies, England and Sctoland haven't played against each other in a competitive match since 1999; that's 17 years for those that lost track of time. That is all about to change however, as the two were drawn into the same group in the qualifying stages for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Barcelona v Bayern Munich v Real Madrid (Champions League Final)

Real Madrid's first European Cup title came in 1952, FC Bayern's in 1974 and Barcelona's first Champions League trophy in 1992. But despite the incredible 20 titles and 11 runner-up achievements between the three clubs, they have never faced each other in the final. A little hard to believe, considering they seem like the only 3 sides we ever watch in the latter stages of the competition (at least in the last decade or so).

If you have more impressive missed connections you'd like to tell us about, comment below!

5 Facts About the UEFA European Championships

2016-03-20T08:00:00.000-04:00

The 15th edition of the UEFA European Championships will be played in France this summer pitting Europe's best footballing nations against each other in what promises to be an interesting month long tournament.

To bring you up to speed on the history of a tournament that, with all due respect to the Copa America, is probably second only to the World Cup in terms of international interest, here are five essential facts:

The French Can Take Credit for this Tournament As Well

Like the World Cup and the European Cup (aka the UEFA Champions League), the idea for a European Championship of Nations was proposed by a Frenchman. In 1927, while acting in his role as secretary-general of the French Football Federation and a member of FIFA, Henri Delaunay pushed for the creation of a European Football Championship. Working with Jules Rimet, the man who was largely behind the creation of the World Cup, Delaunay strove for the next two decades to get his idea off the ground. Eventually the qualifying stages for the first European Championships kicked off in 1958, coming unfortunately three years after Delaunay's death. To acknowledge his role in the formation of this great tournament, the trophy is named after him.

The Tournament Used to Only Feature Four Teams in the Final Stages

Unlike the present day European Championships, which for the first time ever will feature 24 nations this summer, the final stages of the tournament initially only included four finalists who had worked their way through two legged, home and away, qualifying rounds. The first tournament included 17 hopeful qualifying nations, with Czechoslovakia, the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, and France making it through to the final stages hosted by the French. In the Semi-Finals, Yugoslavia edged past France in a 5-4 thriller, while the Soviet Union downed Czechoslovakia 3-0 in the other match. In the final in Paris, the Soviets outlasted Yugoslavia 2-1 in extra time to capture the first European Championship. The tournament would continue in this format until 1980 when it was expanded to include 8 finalists before going up to 16 teams at Euro 96 and then finally 24 this summer.

The Most Successful Nations Are Spain and Germany

With three titles apiece the most most successful sides in the history of the European Championships are Spain (1964, 2008, 2012) and Germany (1972, 1980, 1996). Spain are the only side to have successfully defended the Henri Delaunay trophy and will be looking to make it three in a row this summer.

Euro 2000 Was the Highest Scoring Tournament

After expanding to include sixteen sides in 1996, the most goals scored at a European Championships was 85 goals at Euro 2000. That tournament also holds the record of 2.74 goals per match, and featured 20 players that scored at least two goals. Featuring several standout matches in the group and knockout stages, including Spain's 4-3 thriller over Yugoslavia in the opening round and France's last gasp 2-1 win over Italy in the Final, this tournament is widely considered to be the best one ever.

Euro 2020 Will Be Hosted By Several Nations

In a move that banned former UEFA President Michel Platini announced as a "romantic" one-off event to celebrate the 60th "birthday" of the European Championship competition, Euro 2020 will be held in thirteen host cities across twelve different European countries. Set to be staged during the middle of 2020, the exact dates and how the tournament will look exactly is yet to be determined. The reaction to this proposal has been mixed to say the least.

From POW to FA Cup Legend: The Remarkable Story of Bert Trautmann

2016-01-19T14:00:00.000-05:00

When it comes to stories of memorable FA Cup moments, one that's almost certain to be mentioned is the exploits of Manchester City goalkeeper Bernhard "Bert" Trautmann in the 1956 FA Cup Final.

The fact that Trautmann even made it to that final at all is a remarkable story. Born in Bremen on 22 October 1923, Trautmann grew up during a turbulent time in Germany's history with the rise of Adolf Hitler's Nazi Party coming to power and changing the country's destiny.

The future Maine Road legend was a keen sportsman as a youth, particularly adept at football and handball. Like Peter Schmeichel decades later, his handball skills would serve him well as a goalkeeper.

With the commencement of the Second World War in 1939, Trautmann volunteered for the Luftwaffe in 1941, But he would only spent a few months there before he was court-martialled after a prank against a superior officer went wrong. A three month stint in a cell followed before he was sent off to join the infantry on the brutal Eastern Front.

Amidst vicious fighting in the Ukraine more than 700 of Trautmann's 1000 man battalion were either killed or listed as missing in action. He himself was captured by Soviet troops, but managed to escape.

For his actions on the Eastern Front he was awarded the Iron Cross - First Class, one of Germany's then highest honours for bravery.

Following the Allied landings in Normandy in June 1944, Trautmann was promoted to Sergeant and deployed to France to help stop the enemy advance. With most of his squad wiped out at Kleve, he abandoned his post for all intents and purposes, and attempted to make his way home to Bremen.

Captured by American soldiers, he was interrogated for hours and when his captors decided that he had no information of value to them he was marched outside of the barn they were holding him in with his hands raised.

Fearing he was about to be shot, Trautmann made a run for it. Sprinting 200 yards, the fastest he would run in his life he later reflected, he then hopped a fence and landed in the middle of a couple British troops having lunch. One of them actually greeted him with, "Hello Fritz. Fancy a cup of tea?"

Held for the rest of the war in prisoner camps in Belgium and later Britain, Trautmann found time to get back to playing football in the camps where he quickly impressed with his goalkeeping.

Offered repatriation to Germany after the war, he opted to stay in England and subsequently signed for non-league St. Helens Town.

After an impressive season with St. Helens, several big clubs came calling and despite a 20,000 strong organized protest by their supporters against the signing of a former enemy combatant, Manchester City brought Trautmann to Maine Road in 1949.

Winning over crowds that were initially hostile, both home and away, with his impressive form, Trautmann quickly established himself as one of the best keepers in the English top flight.

In 1956, a season in which he would become the first goalkeeper to win the FWA Footballer of the Year award, Trautmann helped City to the FA Cup Final and in the process wrote himself into the competitions lore.

With his side leading Birmingham City 3-1 with fifteen minutes to go, Trautmann bravely threw himself at the feet of Blues attacker Peter Murphy to prevent a certain goal.

Murphy's knee smashed full on into the City keeper's neck and caused him to hit the Wembley turf with a thud.

The former POW was late getting to his feet and seemed to be in extreme discomfort. It was still years before substitutes would be allowed in professional football, so Trautmann's only options were to leave the pitch and reduce his side to ten men or battle on.

He chose to do the latter, despite a sharp pain in his neck and later conceding that he might have even been concussed.

Despite his pain, Trautmann managed to continue and even made a few good saves to keep his side in the lead and ensure that they won the cup.

After slowly walking up the old stadium's famous 39 steps to collect the trophy, up in the royal box Prince Philip asked Trautmann "Why is your head crooked?" The German keeper in fact couldn't straighten his neck.

A few days later, an x-ray revealed that he had five dislocated vertebrae the second of which was cracked in two.

It would take him almost a year to recover and return to action.

Trautmann would continue playing on for City until 1964, before first moving into management and then into a sports ambassadorial role for Germany.

In 2004 he was awarded an honorary OBE by Queen Elizabeth II for recognition of his contributions to Anglo-German relations. When giving him his award the Queen said, "Ah, Herr Trautmann. I remember you. Have you still got that pain in your neck?"

A year later he was inducted into the National Football Hall of Fame in Manchester.

Into his twilight years he continued to support City and even the English national side, thanks to his love for his adopted home.

The legendary former POW who kept goal with a broken neck, passed away at age 89 in 2013 but the story of his remarkable life won't soon be forgotten.

Football Fans Tell FootyFair Which Matches They Wish They Had Been At

2015-12-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

Imagine that you had immeasurable wealth and you could jump into a time machine, most likely a DeLorean because as Doc Brown once said "(this) car's stainless steel body improves the flux dispersal generated by the flux capacitor", and you could transport yourself to any football match in history.

What match would you turn up to?

Would you zip off to Montevideo to see the 1930 World Cup Final between Uruguay and Argentina, or would you turn up at Edgar Street in 1997 to witness the Third Division crunch match between Hereford United and Brighton & Hove Albion?

We asked a few football fans what matches they would have loved to have witnessed live and the following are their varied responses:

Parmar

Supports: Chelsea and Brazil (Or maybe Argentina?)

Matches:

Argentina v West Germany, Azteca, 1986 World Cup Final.

Why? Did you watch the match? Most of you here probably didn't watch it live, I did. Maradona was fucking double teamed all match and even triple teamed at some points in the match. He still found ways to send his strikers through on goal or his wingers down the flanks for runs. What he was able to do in that match might have been greater than his entire body of work in that tournament as a whole.

By the final the world had figured out Maradona was the greatest football player in that time and of that generation. Nothing the Germans did could stop the man.

I might as well throw in there another match I'd have love to have been at, the Champions League Final of 2012 at the Allianz. I'd be a fucking wreck all the way through but knowing what I know now LMFAO I'd want to be there so I could hold up a sign for a couple of people saying "I told you mother fuckers, anything can happen!"

Iain

Supports: Manchester United and England

Matches:
Germany v England, WC Qualifier, Munich, 2001. After years of disappointment and ineptitude, which saw Germany and most of the other big European sides surpass England, we finally looked to have a good generation of players coming through in the early 2000's. This night in Munich, which ended 5-1 to England was stupendous. Like watching decades of frustration stripped away. We humiliated the Germans on their home ground (apologies lads) and it was incredible. I watched this in the Peel Pub in Montreal and got absolutely shit faced that night.

I'd have rather have been in Germany though.

As a United supporter I would have of course liked to have been in Moscow in 2008 or in Barcelona in 1999 for the Champions League Finals, but I think my nerves would have been shot to bits. Rotterdam in 1991 for the Cup Winners' Cup Final would have been a wonderful night, but one United match in particular I'd have like to have been at was the Manchester Derby at Maine Road in 1993-1994. City led 2-0 at HT, then Cantona scores two after the break to equalize and sets up Keano for the winner. Fucking awesome. I taped Soccer Saturday the week they had extended highlights of that one and must have re-watched that match 20 times. That United side was so quick at transitioning from defending to attacking and had great width with a young Giggsy and Andrei Kanchelskis. They were pretty much the opposite of the current team.

Bramble

Supports: Manchester United and England

Matches:
If I had to pick one from modern history it'd have to be United's 7-1 demolishing of AS Roma. That match was probably the pinnacle of English football in the Champions league while it was the absolute lowest point for Italian football. Especially since the first leg was a really hard fought 1-1 draw. We came home and just destroyed them in every part of the field. Geez remembering that makes me feel sad after yesterday's freaking performance against AFC Bournemouth.

I'd also have to say I'd have liked to have been at the USA 94 match between Brasil vs Netherlands. There were five goals in that game and Brasil took a two nil lead, gave it up and then got it back. I watched it on TV but man that would have been amazing to go to live. On that note it shouldve been played in a different location as the fan atmosphere was nowhere near what it should've been, because it was in America and the newborn US Soccer fans didn't know how to get "Footy crazy" yet.

Luka

Supports: Hajduk Split and Croatia

Match:
If I could attend any match in history before my birth it would undoubtedly be Hajduk Split v Crvena Zvezda (aka Red Star Belgrade) fixture that took place on October 29, 1950. It was the second last match of the season and despite being undefeated with 8 wins and 8 ties, Hajduk needed to win the last two matches of the season against Crvena Zvezda and bottom dwellers Budućnost to ensure the league title. Now, there are several reasons why this is such an iconic match in Hajduk’s history.

1. This was before European competition, so for the club, the league title was the ultimate prize.

2. Hajduk had not yet won the league since it was reformed after WWII where the club fought hard to keep its identity and away from the control of the Communist Party (then Partizan army) which wanted to move the club to Belgrade and rename it Partizan.

3. Hajduk had a remarkable squad. The keeper, Vladimir Beara was one of the greatest of his generation with even Lev Yashin insisting that he was a greater keeper than himself. The left winger, Bernard Vukas is recognized as the greatest Croatian footballer of the 20th century by the Croatian FA and is a 2x Olympic Silver medalist (back when it meant something). Frane Matošić, Hajduk’s greatest goalscorer and greatest ever captain. Many attribute the fact that Hajduk is still a club to Matošić’s leadership and defiance in WWII. And Slavko Luštica, who like the others would go on to win a silver medal for Yugoslavia at the 1952 Olympics.

4. The oldest supporters group in Europe was formed the day before the match to give the club extra support to win the match. Torcida Split, was formed by a group of students (just as the club was 40 years earlier) inspired by the Torcidas in Brazil that they had heard about during the World Cup that past summer. This was a pivotal moment and would change the Football culture in Europe forever. The support seen on that day had never been seen before in Europe and caused backlash from the government in Belgrade who tried to ban Torcida and sanction Hajduk.

5. The game is reportedly a classic, a packed stadium of around 40k, fervent support and many of the best players in Yugoslavia on display. The game ended 2-1 for Hajduk with the winner scored in the 86th minute by Božo Broketa. Hajduk went on to win the league after defeating Budućnost 2-0 two weeks later.

Juan

Supports: Liverpool and Spain

Match:
I think the 2005 CL final would have been wild to have seen. A roller coaster of emotions for me.

Kon

Supports: Newcastle and Ukraine

Match:
October 20, 1996 St. James' Park. Newcastle 5-0 Manchester United. Would give my left ball to have been there!

Throwback Thursdays: Pepi Bican's Three National Sides

2015-11-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

Born in Vienna, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1913, Josef "Pepi" Bican would go on to become one of the most prolific forwards in the history of European football.

Coming to prominence as an 18 year old with Rapid Vienna, Bican debuted for his national side two years later and would become a key part of the famous Austrian 'Wunderteam' of the 1930s.

Led by manager Hugo Meisl, the Austrians swept aside all challengers with their quick passing football and it was only a controversial defeat to Italy in the 1934 World Cup semi-final that prevented them from playing for the biggest prize in international football.

In 1937, Bican left Austrian club football behind to sign for Slavia Prague in Czechoslovakia and would go on to score an astounding 395 goals in 217 matches for the club, while being the top scorer in Europe for five straight seasons.

While playing for Slavia, Bican took up Czech citizenship and began playing his international football for the country his parents had come from.

It was a time of great turmoil in Europe though as Nazi Germany invaded Czechoslovakia in March of 1939, paving the way for the events that would lead to the start of the Second World War. As a result of German occupation, the Czech national side was disbanded and players such as Bican were urged to switch allegiances to the German side.

Bican refused and on 12 November 1939, turned out for his third national side the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia which, while still Nazi-controlled, remained ethnically Czech.

In his only appearance for the Protectorate, Bican fired in three goals in an exciting 4-4 draw with Germany.

With national team play suspended for the war, Bican continued to turn out for his club Slavia Prague and eventually rejoined the Czechoslovakia national side in 1946 a year after the guns had gone silent.

Upon retiring from football in 1955, Bican had amassed an incredible 607 goals in 406 appearances at club level and 31 goals in 45 appearances split across three national sides at international level.

Roy Keane Shows Off His Sensitive Side Again

2015-10-07T12:00:00.000-04:00

Republic of Ireland assistant manager Roy Keane has never been someone you could accuse of being the quiet and sensitive type.

Whether it was barracking teammates during his storied playing career that he didn't think measured up to his lofty standards, falling out with Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, or storming out of the 2002 World Cup after a fierce argument with then Ireland boss Mick McCarthy, Roy was someone who couldn't escape the red mist.

His managerial and broadcast careers have proven equally explosive with his sharp tongue and no filter approach to life rubbing many the wrong way.

Keane was at it again this week when asked about whether or not the Republic of Ireland’s record goalscorer, Robbie Keane, is going to be ready to face Germany on Thursday despite the recent arrival of his second son.

Roy replied:

"Yes, why wouldn’t he be? He didn’t have the baby. Unless he’s breastfeeding he should be all right.”

So the 35 year old LA Galaxy striker, that to my knowledge hasn't developed mammary recently, will be fully expected to follow up Ireland's shock 1-1 away draw to Germany with a result on home soil this week.

The Player Who Swapped the Bundesliga for Baseball

2015-10-03T12:00:00.000-04:00

Besides being supporters of the beautiful game, both my fellow FootyFair contributor Kon and I are huge baseball fans.

I guess running this particular site may have tipped you off on the love we have for football, but this week as we celebrated our home town Toronto Blue Jays winning their first division title in 22 years a story connecting both sports came to my attention.

On September 27, a ball player by the name of Max Kepler made his debut for the Minnesota Twins.

What's unusual of this late season call-up is that Kepler is from Berlin, Germany not exactly a hotbed of baseball.

In a country where football is king, Kepler did however stand out as a player with potential in that particular sport as well.

Before trading the pitch for the diamond, Kepler was a member of the youth academy of Hertha BSC, who are of course one of the more famous clubs in Germany's Bundesliga.

Although his primary position was as a keeper for Hertha, he also played out in attacking positions in some matches for the youth side and appeared to be making solid progress through their ranks before he made a shocking about face.

At 15 Kepler dropped football for baseball, much to the shock of his friends and neighbours. Although his U.S. born mother had passed along to him a love for America's Pastime at a young age, no one expected Max to attempt to make a career out of a sport that barely registers a passing interest in Germany, and much less give up a shot at playing in the Bundesliga.

But with his mother's help he found a team in Bavaria and although the competition the 6'4 multi-sport phenom faced in the league there was substandard at best, his natural ability began to attract notice from across the Atlantic.

American scouts were so impressed with the left handed hitting centre fielder's range and strength, that 15 ball clubs presented him with offers to come to North America.

Eventually he settled on the Minnesota Twins, who signed him up with a European-record bonus of $800,000. At 17 he moved to the U.S. and after completing his last semester of high school, Kepler joined the Twins minor league system.

Two years into his minor league career an elbow injury delayed his progress, but this season he came back strong for the Chattanooga Lookouts of the Class AA Southern League as he ended up with a .327 batting average, nine home runs, and 18 stolen bases on his way to being named the Southern League Player of the Year.

But more was to come for Kepler as he was called up to the big leagues on September 21, and made his debut as a pinch hitter against Detroit last Sunday.

Considered one of the Twins brightest prospects, and a player that will be given every chance to crack their 25 man roster next season, Kepler could go some way towards helping grow an interest in baseball back in his homeland.

1860 Munich's Oktoberfest Kit is Back!

2015-09-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again, the summer has drawn to a close and fall is upon us. The leaves are beginning to fall, the night's are getting a bit colder and the bombastic notes of the Champions League anthem are filling the air on Tuesday or Wednesday nights. Yes, the fall has begun.

Besides the things mentioned above another tradition of fall is 1860 Munich's release of their Oktoberfest kit. Just in time for the famous Munich festival, where many a beer is drunk, bratwurst is consumed and buxom women in lederhosen are ogled.

While last year's 1860 Munich Oktoberfest kit, which we featured here on FootyFair, was a thing of rare beauty this year's number is not one for the purists.

The mock leather shorts, similar to last season's release, are still pretty cool but that cardigan looking top is a visual nightmare. Ah well, perhaps I'll just down a few jugs of Hacker-Pschorr and it'll eventually grow on me.

Thugs Ordered to Buy Bayern Munich Merchandise or Go to Jail

2015-08-06T08:00:00.000-04:00

In a scenario that sounds like something out of a bad sitcom, a judge in Germany has, according to Bild, given two 1860 Munich fans the choice between a stint in jail or a shopping trip to Bayern Munich's club shop this week.

Found guilty of an unprovoked assault on a Bayern supporter in Munich, which culminated in the two numbskull defendants ripping up the jacket, shirt and hat of the innocent fan of their local rival, the 1860 fans were given a rather unorthodox sentence.

With judge Karin Jung wishing to "show that football is football and not a battlefield", the defendants were ordered to buy the Bayern Munich club merchandise for the fan they attacked, to replace what they had destroyed, or spend 15 months in jail.

The judge had consulted with the victim and gotten their permission before passing this unusual sentence.

“I thought about what would be really painful to them, and doing something like this really bothers this type of people,” Jung has been quoted.

Predictably the two tough guys chose to buy €350 worth of merchandise from Bayern rather than take a stint in the slammer.

That Time VW Brought Back German Legends in an Ad Campaign

2015-07-30T16:00:00.000-04:00

With the technology available today, bringing back iconic celebrities back to life (or in this case back to their prime also) doesn't seem all that hard. I personally loved it when TV commercials started incorporating clips from videos recorded years ago, into modern day shots.

German automaker Volkswagen did just that with one of their ad campaigns for the Volkswagen Team 2010 model, bringing three German legends back to their prime using previously recorded footage.

The iconic German afro-man Paul Breitner is first in the shot and he calls out two names...Fritz and Rudi; the video continues with none other than young Rudi Völler showing up together with Fritz Walter, who in fact has passed on more than a decade ago.

Sure, the integration of the stars in their prime years does not look one hundred percent realistic, but I'm sure it's not meant to be. Nonetheless, not many outside of Europe had seen this ad before and I liked the concept so much that I decided to share it today.

Throwback Thursdays: Germany 7 - Brazil 1

2015-07-09T12:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of what is undoubtedly the most seismic result in the 85 year history of the FIFA World Cup.

The result I'm referring to of course is Germany's earth-shattering 7-1 thrashing of Brazil in the 2014 World Cup semi-final, a result that will continue to jump out decades from now when football fans like myself pore over the scores from tournaments of the past.

It was a watershed moment for both German and Brazilian football, which felt dreamlike on the day. Brazil's heaviest defeat in a competitive fixture since their 6-0 loss to Uruguay in 1920 and undoubtedly the most humiliating elimination of a host side in the history of the World Cup.

For Germany it was the culmination of a little over a decade's worth of improving the standard of their youth development and the integration of these players into their full side.

The likes of Manuel Neuer, Jerome Boateng, Sami Khedira, Mats Hummels and Mesut Ozil had been on Germany's 2009 UEFA European U21 Championship winning squad and last summer's tournament in Brazil was when this great side reached their peak following impressive performances at senior level in the 2010 World Cup and 2012 European Championship.

For Brazil the result would prompt a lot of soul searching about the current state of football in a country that, to the outside world, seems to take it's greatness for granted. Almost spoiled by the staggering success of five World Cup wins, the Brazilian Football Confederation seems to have taken their eye off the fact that besides Neymar they have few players that can match the quality of their stars of old.

Even heading into the Semi-Final last summer with Germany there were warning signs that Brazil might be in trouble, as they weren't altogether impressive in advancing with seven points from a group containing Croatia, Mexico and a very sub par Cameroon side. They were in fact very fortunate to beat Croatia in the opener, due in no small part to a very dodgy penalty kick being awarded in their favour.

In the round of 16, their luck held out again as they were outplayed for long stretches by a vibrant Chile side, who almost won the match at the death before falling to the hosts on penalty kicks.

Colombia, the darlings of the tournament with their bright new star James Rodriguez, were seen off by a score of 2-1 in the Quarter-Finals in a bruising encounter which left Brazil without Neymar, who suffered a fractured vertebra, and Thiago Silva, who was suspended.

Germany on the other hand had gotten out of a difficult looking group containing Portugal, Ghana and the United States with seven points themselves before winning tight contests over Algeria and France in the knockout stages.

If neutrals were giving Germany a slight advantage heading into the Semi-Final, they still couldn't have expected what was to come.

The night of July 8, 2015 in Belo Horizonte had an odd feel to it from the start. With Julio Cesar and David Luiz holding the shirt of the injured Neymar during the national anthems as if the player had died, and with other Brazilian players seemingly on the verge of tears, the emotional state of the side should have been more of a concern to manager Luis Felipe Scolari.

After an even opening ten minutes, Thomas Muller shook off the hapless Luiz on a corner to open the scoring for Germany on 11 minutes and after a frantic attempt by Brazil to get back into the match the wheels dramatically fell off.

In the 23rd minute Miroslav Klose doubled Germany's lead, his 16th career World Cup goal which broke Ronaldo's mark, and then a further six minutes of madness saw Toni Kroos pot two goals and Sami Khedira help himself to one.

By the 29th minute Brazil were down 5-0 and had already, for all intents and purposes, been humiliated.

To compound their suffering, second half substitute Andre Schurrle added goals in the 69th and 79th minute, before Oscar scored the most meaningless consolation goal in the history of international football in the 90th minute.

To the Germans credit they had stopped celebrating their goals by the time of going four up, and could have probably scored more in the second half.

Brazil's play was so mistake ridden it became a mystery how they had managed to get to this stage at all.

Germany would go on to defeat Argentina 1-0 in extra-time in the final to cap their fourth World Cup win, while Brazil would lose 3-0 to the Netherlands in the third place play-off. Both of those results now seem immaterial in a sense after the Semi-Final that preceded it.

The match wasn't a freak, but a perfect double helix-like coming together of a German side on the rise and a Brazilian side in decline.

FC Carl Zeiss Jena: Heaven Shall Burn!

2015-05-01T12:00:00.001-04:00

FC Carl Zeiss Jena, who ply their trade in the Regionalliga Nordost, which is the fourth tier of the German football league system, might just be taking to the pitch this weekend in the most Heavy Metal kit ever.

Playing in all black for their last match of the season against 1. FC Magdeburg, FC Carl Zeiss Jena have signed a one off sponsorship deal with German rockers Heaven Shall Burn and will feature the band's name across the front of their kit.

The band hail from FC Carl Zeiss Jena's hometown of Jena, in the Free State of Thuringia, which is located in the central region of Germany and are in part doing this to promote their latest album, "Veto".

Guitarist Mark Weichert claims to have more noble motives though as he told FC Carl Zeiss Jena's website:

“For us, we are big fans Zeiss and as football supporters, this project is a dream come true.”

“We are concerned primarily about the message: “Support your local team”.

“Any fan who supports the club on his doorstep deserves our respect.

“We are not about showing the big middle finger. The point is not to forget the little guys and their meaning to their respective city, region and society.

“We are Jena fans and now we have the chance to return as musicians who, to some extent, are surprised by our own success.

“And we do it gladly and call on you to do likewise: Support, whether as a fan or sponsor, the club in front of your door. This is important. "

While FC Carl Zeiss Jena are currently sitting in fourth position in the table heading into this final match of the season, 1. FC Magdeburg are currently in first on goal difference and a favourable result against their Heavy Metal shirt wearing opponents could see them promoted to 3. Liga.

Inside St. Pauli - Copa90 (Video)

2015-04-06T20:00:00.000-04:00

Copa 90 takes a look inside the football culture of German side St. Pauli and how the club's supporters are fighting to keep their side away from the corporate world that is quickly dulling terraces all around the world.

To Panenka or Not to Panenka, That is the Question

2015-03-20T12:00:00.000-04:00

When I was in my late teens and early 20's I used to get together with a bunch of guys every Sunday afternoon for a kickabout. It was a great way to run off any excess alcohol from the night before.

Anyhow, at the end of each kickabout we'd always wrap things up by having a penalty shoot out. Most of us would try to simply blast it past the keeper, but one or two braver or perhaps more arrogant souls would try a trick shot like the famous 'Panenka'.

What is a Panenka?

Heading into the 1976 UEFA European Football Championship, West Germany were the reigning World Champions and were also hoping to defend the European title they won in 1972. In their way stood a talented, but a decidedly underdog Czechoslovakian side.

With Czech's having dispatched the Netherlands by a score 3-1 in the Semi-Finals the West Germans should have perhaps been a bit more wary of their opponent, but after 25 minutes played in the final they would find themselves 2-0 down to the underdogs.

West Germany would eventually level the score and force extra time, before the match petered out into a penalty shootout. In subsequent decades German sides would become renown for being deadly from the penalty spot and virtually unbeatable at senior level in shootouts, however after three successful kicks for each side, Bayern Munich's Uli Hoeneß missed his sides fourth kick.

Up stepped midfielder Antonín Panenka with his side ahead 4-3 and a chance to win Czechoslovakia's first major international title. To say the pressure was on is putting it lightly.

Panenka strode up to the spot, shaped his body as if he was going to smash the ball into the corner, but as the West German keeper Sepp Maier dove to his left, Panenka delicately chipped the ball straight down the middle to win the Euros for his homeland.

It was an audacious bit of genius that Pele later said was the work of "either a genius or a madman".

Panenka himself later claimed that some of his teammates were upset that he had tried this at such an important moment, even though he was successful.

As a penalty of this type had never been seen before on such a big stage, Panenka's name would forever be attached to it.

Since that European Final in 1976 there have been several famous examples of successful Panenka style penalties, such as Zinedine Zidane's effort for France against Italy in the 2006 World Cup Final, Uruguay's Sebastián Abreu in the 2010 World Cup to eliminate Ghana and of course Andrea Pirlo with an immaculate Panenka for Italy as they eliminated England in Euro 2012.

Pirlo's penalty turned the tide in a shootout that England had initially led. He later said of his successful kick, "At the moment I saw the goalkeeper making strange movements, so I waited for him to move and hit it like that... It was easier for me to chip it at that stage. Maybe my effort put some pressure on England."

England would miss their two penalties after Pirlo's effort and crash out of yet another tournament on spot kicks.

The biggest factor when taking a Panenka is not just the technique of fooling the goalie into thinking you're going to strike a hard shot into the corner and then floating a chipped effort into the middle of the net, but it's the sheer balls it takes to attempt one.

If it goes in you look like a cool genius, if it doesn't work out you look like an arrogant numskull.

When I saw footage this week of Benfica teenager Romário Baldé's hilariously miscued Panenka that allowed the keeper enough time to dive the wrong way and then get up to save his tame effort anyway, I first thought that at least the kid had the guts to try it and then I thought back to some of my disastrous miscues from the spot, many years ago at a park in Preston.

5 Less Known Facts About Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

2015-02-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was recently named to the five man short list of contenders for BBC African Footballer of the Year 2014. The current Borussia Dortmund striker is one of the upcoming African players playing in Europe and is building a reputation for himself in Germany.

It is no surprise that his name is one of the five names being considered for this prestigious award. The Gabonese footballer is one of the favorites to win the award which would be a reward for the year he had.

While most knowledgeable fans are aware of what he has done, there are always some facts that elude even the most hardcore fans. Here are five less known facts about Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Fact 1

Aubameyang grew up in Italy and his father was a scout for AC Milan. Aubameyang has both French and Gabonese citizenship, since he was born in France and his father is Gabonese, but his family moved to Italy where he grew up and where his dad found a job as a scout for AC Milan. Both of his brothers currently play for AC Milan youth teams.

Fact 2

Aubameyang is better known for his incredible speed. He has been clocked at 30 meters in 3.7 seconds. He has also claimed to be able to run faster than Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt, but that hasn’t been proven. He has been challenged to a 100 meter race by German sprinter Julian Reus but he has not accepted the challenge.

Fact 3

In 2012, Aubameyang played a game against Olympique Lyonnais wearing a pair of Swarovski crystal encrusted boots valued at $3,918. The boots had 4,000 small crystals in a design that included his name, number and his clubs crest and colors.

Fact 4

Aubameyang is the first Gabonese player to play in the Bundesliga or any other German league. He made his debut on August 10, 2013 after joining Dortmund in July of that same year. He had a dream debut by scoring a hat trick in his first game, which was played against FC Augsburg.

Fact 5

In July 2012, Aubameyang went to London to represent Gabon at the Olympic Games. In the first match against Switzerland he scored the only goal of the game, which would end up being the only goal Gabon would score in the competition. This was Gabon’s first and only ever goal scored at an Olympics.

5 Interesting Manager Facts - Jürgen Klinsmann

2015-01-24T16:00:00.000-05:00

US Men's National Team head-coach Jürgen Klinsmann is a well known former German international and a football icon with clubs such as VfB Stuttgart, Inter Milan, Tottenham and Bayern Munich. But while his illustrious career has been documented time and time again, there may be still a few facts that may surprise some football fans that are perhaps not experts on everything Jürgen Klinsmann.

Scoring was never an issue

When Jürgen Klinsmann was just 8 years old, he joined a youth club for the first time. In his very first year with amateur club TB Gingen, Klinsman would go on to impress in one particular match, scoring 16 goals in that one game.

Who is Jay Göppingen of Orange County?

After retiring from professional football and moving to the United States, Klinsmann decided to get back in the game "for fun", so in 2003 the former German international icon joined a small club by the name of Orange County Blue Star in the USL Premier Development League. But instead of using his real name, the striker who was born in Göppingen, Germany decided to go by the pseudonym Jay Göppingen. 'Jay' would go on to score 5 goals in 8 matches for the Blue Star.

Wins double the losses

So far in his managerial career Klinsmann is enjoying a particularly impressive winning ratio. With every team he has managed thus far, Klinsmann has managed to lead his squads to at least double the amount of wins compared to the amount of losses. Sure, it may have not been as hard to do with the German national team and Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, but even with the US Men's National Team Klinsmann has so far reached 33 wins and just 15 losses.

Klinsmann the muffin man?

Following in the footsteps of his baker father, Jürgen Klinsmann is designated a 'Journeyman' baker. In Germany a 'Journeyman' refers to a person who has completed an apprenticeship and is fully educated in a trade or craft. Klinsmann's family owns a bakery in the Botnang district of Stuttgart, Germany, so Klinsmann has appropriately been referred to in that vacinity as the "baker's son from Botnang"

Two scoreless years with Germany

Since being called up to the German national team in 1987 (West Germany then) and retiring from international football 11 years later at the age of 34 in 1998, Klinsmann had just two scoreless international seasons out of the eleven he had played. A young 23 year old Klinsmann could not find the net in his first and only two appearances for the team in 1987, and was unable to score a single goal in 1991, during which the striker appeared just 4 times for the 'Nationalelf'. In the other 9 years with the national squad Klinsmann would go on to score 47 times in 102 appearances, even managing an impressive 4 goals in 8 matches in his last year with the team at the age of 34.