FOOTY FAIR

5 Surprising Facts About the 1966 World Cup

2016-07-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

Fifty years ago today, England, the nation that had given the world it's most popular sport, defeated West Germany to claim the Jules Rimet Trophy as winners of the eighth FIFA World Cup.

While every English football fan knows that the final score on that sunny day at Wembley Stadium on 30 July 1966 was 4-2, the following are five facts about the 1966 World Cup that you might not be aware of:

5.) Bobby Moore Was Lucky to be Playing

Unbeknownst to the general public and even his teammates for club and country, England captain Bobby Moore was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1964 and had to have a testicle surgically removed. He missed several months of play with a reported "groin injury", but battled back to lead West Ham to victory over 1860 Munich in the final of the 1965 European Cup Winners Cup a year before his heroics with England.

4.) Greyhound Racing Forced France and Uruguay Out of Wembley

With France due to take on Uruguay in an opening group stage match at Wembley Stadium, on a Friday night, a scheduling conflict arose. Wembley typically hosted greyhound racing on Fridays, so with this being England, obviously the World Cup match had to be moved. The eventual venue was London's White City Stadium, an athletics ground that had been built for the 1908 Summer Olympics.

3.) Helmut Haller Stole the Match Ball

After the final whistle of the 1966 World Cup Final, the match ball should have by rights gone to England's hat-trick hero Geoff Hurst. However, West Germany's Helmut Haller, who had opened the scoring that day, strode off the pitch with the ball under his arm while England were busy celebrating their historic win. Thirty years later a campaign by writers from the Daily Mirror bought the ball home and it now resides in the National Football Museum in Manchester.

2.) Pickles the Dog Found the Trophy

Just months before the finals, the Jules Rimet trophy went on display at a London stamp exhibition. Despite 24-hour surveillance, thieves somehow manged to steal the trophy from it's display case. An embarrassed English FA was sent a ransom note, but nothing came of it and there was a real danger that another trophy would need to be commissioned. Six days after it's disappearance though a man named David Corbett was pulled over towards some bushes in London's Beulah Hill district by his dog Pickles, where they uncovered the World Cup trophy wrapped in newspaper.

1.) North Korea Benefited From an African Boycott

With only sixteen qualifying places up for grabs, FIFA decided to allocate only a single qualifying spot for the winner of a four-way playoff between three African group winners and the Asian zone winner. An incensed African Federation, who were also angered by apartheid South Africa initially being allowed to participate in World Cup qualifying, withdrew from the World Cup. Asian group winners North Korea were then left to face off against OCEANIA's Australia, who they duly hammered 9-2 across two legs. At the finals, the North Koreans would go on to stun Italy 1-0 at Middlesbrough's old Ayresome Park with a goal by Pak Doo-ik to see themselves through to the Quarter-Finals at the Azzurri's expense.

Throwback Thursdays: Brazil 1970 - The Greatest World Cup Side of Them All

2016-07-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

On 21 June 1970, the side who are often cited as the greatest team to ever grace a World Cup, Mario Zagallo's Brazil, defeated Italy 4-1 in Mexico City.

The flowing football played by the Brazilians in the final, was encapsulated by Carlos Alberto's wondrous team goal that rounded off the scoring.

With Tostão picking up the ball in his own half with five minutes to play, he casually rolled the ball back to Brito who then moved it on to Clodoaldo who rather brilliantly dribbled past four Italian players. Pele, Gérson and Clodoaldo then played played the ball around in an intricate triangle, toying with their opponents in an embarrassingly easy manner. Clodoaldo then sent the ball wide left to Rivelino who found Jairzinho streaking down the line. Brazil's leading scorer then clipped the ball to Pele who rolled a perfect pass out to Carlos Alberto, who lashed the ball home.

In the forty-six years since this final, it's hard to recall a better team goal. This was Joga Bonito at it's finest.

It was also a crowning achievement for Pele after he had vowed to never play in the World Cup again after being kicked off the pitch by Bulgarian and Portuguese defenders in 1966 and missing most of Brazil's 1962 campaign with injury.

Going back on that decision in 1969, he became the centerpiece for a rebuilt Brazilian side that featured legends such as Rivelino, Jairzinho, Gérson, Carlos Alberto Torres, Tostão and Clodoaldo.

It has been forgotten in the dusty pages of history though that it was not a dead certainty that they would lift the Jules Rimet Trophy for a third time that summer.

Brazil had changed managers before the finals, and many observers felt that there were simply too many artists and not enough workers in their squad. Zagallo, who had won the World Cup twice as a player (1958 and 1962), would go some way in proving any of the doubters wrong.

Paired with England, Romania and Czechoslovakia in the opening group stage, they kicked off their campaign with a thumping 4-1 win over the Czechs.

In perhaps their toughest match of the finals, they saw off the reigning champions from England 1-0 in their second opening group match to effectively secure their place in the Quarter-Finals. They would edge past Romania 3-2 to take the top spot in the group.

In the first knockout round, they would coast past Peru 4-2, with Tostão scoring a couple of terrific goals.

A 3-1 victory over Uruguay in the Semi-Finals saw Brazil through to the final, where they would brush aside a talented Italian squad.

In summarizing the Seleção's triumph, sports writer Jeff Powell commented: "Brazil '70 were a team of superstars dedicated not just to a cause but an ideal, a dream of what football should be."

A fitting tribute to a wonderful side.

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.

Antonio Conte…Not Long for Chelsea’s World?

2016-06-29T10:57:00.001-04:00

From FootyFair Guest Contributor Jason Bramble:

This is my first blog-like entry, so please forgive me if it seems in anyway disjointed or rambling. I’ve been meaning to write for this site for a long time, however my low esteem to share written word left me unable to numerous times. This time however I feel compelled to share with you, dear FootyFair readers an opinion piece. So, let’s get started.

Antonio Conte… the man with the Midas touch apparently in this Euro competition. He took a rag tag Italian set-up, and turned them into at least for me one of the stories of the tourney thus far. Not expected to do anything, the Italian’s find themselves in a quarter-final match up against what looks to be the most structurally perfect German side that I’ve seen in a long, long time. Quite the change from two years ago in Brasil, I’d say, where they unceremoniously crashed out along with England in the group stage.

Conte’s genius is being praised not just because of that. But also because of his resurgence of the Old Lady of Italian football, Juventus. However, since their scandal had been little more than toothless kittens on the European stage and had to claw back from relegation as well. Just before tasting glory of a Champions League Final he resigned his post, and began his Italian National team career.

When Ceasare Prandelli resigned after what has to be called a disgusting World Cup campaign by the Azzuri, Conte took the job building up for the Euro qualifiers. As he did at Juve he took the best of what he could get, and seemingly made them into what we’ve seen at this Euro. Although some call it dumbed down or whatever, It has certainly been no cake walk for the Azzuri and they’ve been put to the test and have shown with style and passion that they are serious. Also that his management in my opinion is real.

After this Euro though he will begin a new chapter. Chelsea Football Club on April 4th 2016 confirmed that he would be joining the club after José Mourinho was sacked from the club mid-season amidst a variable poop storm of bad results and “unfortunate” headlines featuring one Eva Caneiro. This is where I want to offer my opinion on the future of Conte at Chelsea.

Will he be able to survive the “Player Power” ego movement among the C.F.C. stars? Not even the much revered José Mourinho was able to withstand the pressure from the top as time, time and time again Chelsea produced bad results. Seemingly led by the “Player Power” movement that has resulted in the C.F.C. revolving door for staff. He has quite a few cancers to deal with in the locker room.

Eden Hazard, if his performance at the Euros has proved anything, is that he SERIOUSLY under-performed for Mourinho, likely on purpose. I suspect if Conte puts a foot wrong against this Belgian Diva he will do the same again.

Diego Costa; I don’t actually have any proof he under-preformed or if he just sucks/sucked, but I'm leaning towards the former though. Also a player that began to believe his own hype.

(Viva) John Terry; at the core of the Chelsea locker room issues I always secretly suspected was JT. Again no proof but more speculation. The old racist captain of C.F.C seems like a big time sh*t disturber. Can’t say in good conscious he under preforms though. He is just old and past it at that level. However his “Mr Chelsea” ways may not mesh well with the new manager.

Thibaut Courtois; Belgian team mate of the aforementioned Eden Hazard, I can imagine he and Eden Hazard conspiring to get José Mourinho out at the bridge. I’ve heard reports from certain friends of mine who are Chelsea blue that he is becoming a real problem. I believe it as he seems like a right douchetap.

That’s all I really have for now. I should be forthcoming at this point. I am actually a United supporter, and I am well aware we have our own woes to deal with, with regards to cancers and “should he be a starter” team selections (Looking at you Wazza), but I leave that up to someone else to outline. With that said if those players start acting up or someone I haven’t mentioned and Conte doesn’t get immediate results he’ll be out the door faster than a dine and dasher at cheque time. Ah well I’d wish you all the best Conte, but I can’t soooooo I’ll just say hope you don’t get fired.

5 Must-See Group Stage Matches at Euro 2016

2016-06-07T10:22:00.000-04:00

The 2016 UEFA European Championship, more commonly known as Euro 2016, kicks off in France on Friday, June 10.

The fifteenth edition of this tournament will feature 24 nations for the first time, with five teams (Albania, Iceland, Northern Ireland, Slovakia and Wales) qualifying for their first-ever UEFA European Championship finals.

The sides have been divided into six groups with the top two sides from each group and the four best third places finishers, making up the teams in the Round of 16.

Although there has been a considerable amount of criticism, some of it valid, over the number of teams at this year's Euros and the resulting structure of the tournament, there are still some eye catching match-ups that will take place in the first round.

The following are five must-see first round matches:
(*Local times listed)

France v Romania (8pm Friday 10 June)

France have been tipped as one of the favourites for this year's tournament and the hosts will be looking to get off to a winning start against Romania. Romania made it to the finals at the expensive of Greece and Finland, finishing second to Northern Ireland in a fairly tricky qualifying group. Although Romania are never an easy side to play against it's hard to see France experiencing anything like their shock defeat to Senegal in the opening match of the 2002 World Cup. Unless of course nerves set in.

Turkey v Croatia (8pm Sunday 12 June)

In 2008, Croatia and Turkey staged an unforgettable Quarter-Final tie that saw Ivan Klasnić put the Croatians ahead in the 119th minute, seemingly winning the match in extra-time, before Semih Şentürk equalized for the Turks two minutes later sending the match to penalty-kicks. Turkey would emerge victorious from the spot and eight years later Croatia are certainly ready for a bit of payback. In a group also containing Spain and Czech Republic, it very much seems that everyone will be scrapping for second place behind reigning European champions Spain. So this match is crucial for both sides.

Belgium v Italy (8pm Monday 13 June)

With Belgium, Italy, Republic of Ireland and Sweden making up Group E, it's fair to say that this is going to be one of the more competitive groups in the tournament. The clash between Belgium and Italy may cast a bit of light on whether or not this is in fact a golden generation of Belgian players or if they've been simply over-hyped. Against the perennially strong Italians, it will be a massive test for The Red Devils.

England v Wales (2pm Thursday 16 June)

This one is a bit of a local derby at international level, as old rivals Wales and England battle it out in the second round of matches for these Group B sides. The key for England will, of course, be stopping Wales' high-flying winger Gareth Bale.

Germany v Poland (8pm Thursday 16 June)

Germany and Poland renew their rivalry in Group C after a closely run qualifying group that saw the Germans just edge out their rivals by a solitary point. Both sides won their respective home matches against each other and there's no reason to doubt if this will be another exciting encounter.

Simulating Euro 2016 (Group E)

2016-05-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

Group E has been given the infamous label of "Group of Death" in this summer's Euro tournament and it's not too hard to see why that is the case. Italy and Belgium are perhaps the two sides most will consider to finish in the top two spots, but Zlatan Ibrahimovic's Sweden is a side always capable of victory against the best of teams and a Republic of Ireland side that has been known to steal some big points in previous major tournaments, this group is not very easy to predict. Let's see how the simulator does...

Rep. of Ireland vs. Sweden - Stade de France, Saint-Denis - June 13, 2016

Kicking-off Group E matches are the Irish and the Swedes in a hard-fought battle in which Erik Hamrén's side controlled the pace nearly the entire time, with the Irish unable to create any real scoring chances on their opponent's goal. The lone goal to separate the sides came in the 37th minute as Sunderland's Sebastian Larsson scored just his 7th goal for Sweden.

Final Score: Rep. of Ireland 0-1 Sweden

Belgium vs. Italy - Parc Olympique Lyonnais, Lyon - June 13, 2016

In what should have been an entertaining affair, both Belgium and Italy decided to show off their strengths as dominant defensive sides, which created a lot of action in the middle of the park, a few good shot blocks and saves from both Thibaut Courtois and Gianluigi Buffon and of course some strong tackles that resulted in a couple of cautions. Scoring unfortunately was not on the menu on the eve of these sides' first Euro match of 2016.

Final Score: Belgium 0-0 Italy

Italy vs. Sweden - Stadium Municipal, Toulouse - June 17, 2016

Looking to catch up to a Sweden side which was the only winning team in Group E's opening matches, the Italians yet again went scoreless in the first half, despite having the better of scoring chances. With Sweden doing little in front of the Italian goal, Zlatan Ibrahimovic's shot that rattled the crossbar of Gigi Buffon was the side's best chance to go ahead in the second half, before the Italians got on board at last when Graziano Pellè and Antonio Candreva scored in the 70th and 89th respectively to give the 1968 Euro champions their first win in the 2016 tournament.

Final Score: Italy 2-0 Sweden

Belgium vs. Rep. of Ireland - Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux - June 18, 2016

With the Italy/Sweden match having been played the day before, both the Belgians and Irish were not under immense pressure to win their match as both the Swedes and Italians were now sitting with 3 points each. The Republic of Ireland however, found the Belgian defence too strong and mustered just a lone shot on the net in the entire match, as Barcelona's Thomas Vermaelen was the only scorer on the day despite being a defender, handing the Belgians their first win of the tournament.

Final Score: Belgium 1-0 Rep. of Ireland

Italy vs. Rep. of Ireland - Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Lille - June 22, 2016

A win against Italy and a Sweden loss along with favorable goal differential could see Ireland through to the next round and the belief that this could happen was apparent in both the Irish players and fans to start this match. After all, it was Italy who the Irish shocked with a 1-0 win at Giant Stadium during the 1994 FIFA World Cup, although a 2-0 loss at the 2012 Euros was how a much more recent encounter between the two in a major tournament conclude. Nonetheless, the Irish were out to prove something and were up by two goals within 20 minutes of kick-off, with a quick brace from MLS striker Robbie Keane. The Italians managed to pull one back just before the half as Graziano Pellè scored his 2nd of the tournament.

In the second half the pressure from the Italians intencified and the barrage of chances on the Irish net proved to be too difficult to handle as captain John O'Shea accidentaly put the ball in the back of his own net after a few messy clearance tries by the Irish defense. With 9 minutes remaining in the match the Italians would score a third and take their first lead of the match as Pellè was on the scoresheet once more. But the Irish had one last trick up their sleeves and would at least ensure that they would not leave the tournament without a point as Everton's Aiden McGeady would score his first ever goal in a major tournament to cap-off an exhilirating match.

Final Score: Italy 3-3 Rep. of Ireland

Sweden vs. Belgium - Allianz Riviera, Nice - June 22, 2016

Much to the surprise of many spectators, both sides in this encounter came out strong to start the match, despite the fact that a draw would guarantee both Belgium and Sweden a spot in the next stage of the competition. Nonetheless, with the pace at a much higher level than that seen in the sides' matches leading up to this one, chances on goal were plenty with the keepers doing their best to keep most out. But just minutes before the half-time whistle the Swedish fans got what they have waited for since the start of the tournament when none other than Zlatan Ibrahimovic slotted his first of the tournament to give his side the lead. With more pressure from the "De Rode Duivels" in the second half however, the draw would in fact be the final result as Kevin De Bruyne scored from outside the box to secure his side a point.

Final Score: Sweden 1-1 Belgium

Final Table

		Wins	Draws	Losses	Gls For	Gls Against	Goal Dif.	Pts
1	Italy	1	2	0	5	3	2	5
2	Belgium	1	2	0	2	1	1	5
3	Sweden	1	1	1	2	3	-1	4
4	Rep. of Ireland	0	1	2	3	5	-2	1

Review:

None of the sides displayed true domination in any form through the six matches of Group E, but the Italians and Belgians did show some dominanace and defensive quality that could prove crucial in the elimination rounds. Securing top spot with a superior goal differential the Italians will face Turkey in the next round, while Belgium await the winners of the final group (F). Sweden is guaranteed a spot in the quarter-final with their 4 points and will face either defending champions Spain or hosts France, depending on the final results of Group F.

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

Football's Biggest Ever Scandals (Part 2 of 5): Totonero 1980

2016-02-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

Mention the name Paolo Rossi to football fans and immediately the conversation will focus on his exploits at the 1982 World Cup. Rossi's tournament leading six goals led Italy to their first world championship in forty-four years, and the man from Prato was lauded as a national hero.

In particular, his memorable hat trick in a 3-2 defeat of a brilliant Brazilian side is rightly considered one of the greatest individual performances in a World Cup finals match.

Lost in the sands of time though is the fact that Rossi being at the World Cup at all that summer was rather controversial. In the years preceding the tournament, Rossi was a key player at the centre of one of Italian football's most notorious scandals and his story goes a little beyond his accomplishments in Spain '82.

Playing for Perugia in 1979-1980, Rossi bagged 13 goals in Serie A while helping the club to 9th place in the league and also seeing them through to the last 16 in the UEFA Cup.

All was not well in Italian football though and a scandal was about to burst Perugia and the league's bubble.

On 23 March 1980 the Guardia di Finanza announced that they had received information from two Roman shopkeepers that several Italian players were openly asking for money to throw matches.

Dubbed by the press as the Totonero affair, named after the term for illegal gambling schemes in Italy, the scandal went deeper than the fans initially feared.

The Guardia di Finanza eventually uncovered a betting syndicate that had attempted to influence numerous matches in Serie A and B.

From Serie A the club's found to be among the primary protagonists were AC Milan, Lazio, Perugia, Bologna, Napoli and Avellino. While in Serie B, the only two clubs the authorities were able to pin anything on was Taranto and Palermo.

There were mass arrests as a result, with several players including Rossi handed multi-year bans from football.

As for the club's themselves, Milan and Lazio were handed the harshest punishments as they were relegated to Serie B. Perugia, Bologna, Napoli, Avellino, Taranto and Palermo were given five point penalties for their part in the scandal.

Rossi, who was handed a three-year ban for his role in Totonero, later had his suspension cut short by 12 months so he could join up with Italy at the 1982 World Cup and the rest, as they say, is history.

___________________________________
Football's Biggest Ever Scandals:
(Part 1 of 5): Manchester City's Under the Table Payments
(Part 2 of 5): Totonero 1980
(Part 3 of 5): Maradona Gets Kicked Out of USA '94
(Part 4 of 5): Olympique de Marseille's Epic Run of Corruption and Lies
(Part 5 of 5): Bad Santa - The Unbelievable Story of Chuck Blazer

Throwback Thursdays: Buffon Debuts in the Moscow Snow

2015-10-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

One of the best goalkeepers of the past two decades, Italian international Gianluigi Buffon made his first appearance for the Azzurri on this day in 1997.

For the then 19-year old Parma keeper it was a pressure packed match that saw his ascension to the world stage.

After finishing second in their 1998 World Cup Qualifying group to England, Italy needed to defeat Russia over two legs to make it to the finals the following summer in France.

A daunting trip to Russia in late October loomed for the Italians, and an injury to their number one, Gianluca Pagliuca, saw the young Buffon thrust into the fray.

He did not disappoint as he helped his side to a solid 1-1 away draw in treacherous snowy conditions, which left them in good shape for the return fixture in Naples on 15 November.

The home leg was duly won 1-0, even though Buffon saw that match from the substitute bench, and Italy was off to the World Cup.

It would take Buffon a couple more seasons to establish himself as Italy's number one, but by the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, a year after his record breaking move to Juventus he was Italy's undisputed keeper of choice.

Buffon would go on to lead his country to their fourth World Cup win in 2006 and at the time of writing has collected an incredible 152 caps for Italy, with 62 clean sheets.

Throwback Thursdays: South Korea Stuns Italy (2002)

2015-06-18T12:00:00.000-04:00

For the first time in World Cup history the tournament was hosted in Asia, with Japan and South Korea combining to stage the tournament.

Like any major tournament it's always better for the spectacle if the host nation, or nations in this case, does well and South Korea certainly did that in making it to the semifinals for the first time in their history.

But their progress was not without significant controversy. On 18 June 2002, Korea took on Italy in the Round of 16 and what was to follow still doesn't sit right with many Italian fans.

In front of an enthusiastic home crowd at the Daejeon World Cup Stadium, South Korea fell behind to a Christian Vieri strike in the 18th minute and with the Italians holding firm deep into the regulation time the hosts looked to be going out.

In the 88th minute, however, a mistake by Italian defender Christian Panucci allowed Korean winger Seol Ki-Hyeon in to score the equalizer.

In extra time things took a strange turn though as Ecuadorian referee Byron Moreno, who was later banned for 20 matches in his own country for either a string of bad decisions, or corruption, depending upon your source, wrongly disallowed Damiano Tommasi's Golden Goal match winner for Italy.

In the meantime he allowed a string of terrible Korean tackles, while dubiously sending off Franceso Totti for diving. As Ahn Jung-hwan put away a classy winner with three minutes to go in extra time, the Azzurri were left fuming.

Moreno's later troubles with the footballing authorities in his own country and his post retirement conviction for attempting to smuggle 6 kilograms of heroin into JFK in New York in 2010 did little to quell the rumours of his impropriety.

But despite how Italian fans remember this match for Korea though, Ahn's winner will be remembered as one of the greatest moments in their footballing history.

Why Italia 90 Was Better Than You Remember

2015-06-14T16:00:00.000-04:00

This week marked twenty five years since the start of the 1990 World Cup in Italy, a competition that has been widely derided as being an overly defensive and cynical tournament lacking in quality.
But that's not how I remember it at all. Sure there were a lot of 1-0's and knockout matches going to penalties, but I remember the last tournament before football became the commercial beast it is now with a lot of fondness.

The 1990 World Cup featured a terrific West German side led by captain Lothar Matthaus lifting his country's third World Cup, after getting through a couple of epic encounters against rivals from the Netherlands and England, all while wearing some of the coolest kits to ever grace a World Cup.

Speaking of England, Italia 90 saw the Three Lions best performance at a World Cup since winning the trophy on home soil in 1966.

After a dire 1-1 draw with Ireland in their first group match, manager Bobby Robson changed around his tactics to allow for a sweeper and with that England surged on to the last four.

Despite the loss on penalties to the West Germans, a star was born in Paul Gascoigne and England left with their heads held high for once.

Elsewhere the side that England defeated in the Quarter-Finals, Cameroon, provided the surprise package of the tournament as they defeated the reigning champions Argentina in the tournament opener and then thrilled the world with their progress into the knockout stages, in no small part due to the swashbuckling exploits of the 38 year old Roger Milla.

As for the hosts, the emergence of Italy's Roberto Baggio was thrilling to witness and the wide eyed celebrations of the unlikely goal machine Toto Schillaci lives long in the memory.

Schillaci had been plying his trade at Messina in Serie B only a year before his surprising move to Juventus and had not even been capped until 1990. However the little man from Palermo would go on to win the tournament's golden boot with six goals for his country.

Alas all good stories have both heroes and villains, and Frank Rijkaard certainly fell into the latter category when he gobbed into the hair of Rudi Voller during an ugly confrontation between his Netherlands side and West Germany.

But the true villains of the piece were a sub par Argentina side that somehow kicked and scraped their into the World Cup Final. Their ugly and cynical play, which couldn't even be brightened up by Diego Maradona who was not 100% fit for the tournament, won them few admirers.

It was even rumoured that during Argentina's 1-0 win over Brazil in the Round of 16 that a water bottle spiked with tranquilizers was purposely given to the Brazilian left back Branco by Argentina's physio to nullify the player.

The notoriously ruthless Argentinian manager Carlos Bilardo later said "I'm not saying it didn't happen", when questioned about the incident.

Argentina also didn't endear themselves to the hosts in particular, when Maradona encouraged the people of Napoli to remember how badly the rest of the country thinks of them and back his side in the Semi-Finals over the Azzurri. The South Americans would win that match on penalties and send Italy into mourning.

In the end though the best team won the World Cup and after the spectacle of a tournament that Luciano Pavarotti's "Nessun Dorma" had been the soundtrack, international football was on the edge of evolving into the global juggernaut it would become over the next two decades.

Foto Friday: Paolo Maldini

2015-05-15T12:00:00.000-04:00

This week on Foto Friday we take a look at some shots of Italy and AC Milan legend one-club man Paolo Maldini, one of the world's most prolific defenders.

Four of the Most Violent Matches in Football History

2015-03-29T16:00:00.000-04:00

The British phrase 'handbags at ten paces' describes a situation where there's a confrontation, but little to no actual violence.

It's often used by football commentators when there's a coming together between a few players on the pitch, and let's face it most meltdowns in football simply consist of a little pushing and shoving, with some bad language.

But every so often there's a bust up between two sides that isn't 'handbags' but actual violence. The following are four of the most notoriously violent matches in football history:

The Battle of Highbury

November 14, 1934 – England 3-2 Italy – International friendly

In the summer of 1934 in the midst of a highly politicized World Cup hosted by Benito Mussolini's Italy, the host nation won their first world title.

However, thanks to a dispute with FIFA the British Nations did not take part in the finals. So in November a high profile friendly was arranged between the World Champions and the country that still considered themselves to be the best in the world at that time, England. The venue was Highbury Stadium in North London.

Viewing a victory over England as being important for his country's sporting image, Mussolini offered each of the Italian players an Alfa Romeo car and £150 cash if they were victorious.

In only the second minute the Italian Centre Half Luis Monti had his foot broken thanks to a heavy tackle by England's Ted Drake and a furious Italian squad subsequently responded by kicking or elbowing the home side's players at every opportunity.

England's Eric Brook had his arm fractured, Eddie Hapgood's nose was broken and Cliff Britton's ankle suffered damage. No shrinking violets themselves England, led by Arsenal hard man Wilf Copping, responded with violence themselves, on the way to an ill-tempered 3-2 win for the hosts.

The Battle of Santiago

June 2, 1962 - Chile 2-0 Italy – World Cup group stage

After the Italian media proclaimed that Santiago was a Third World slum of a city filled with prostitutes and illiterate drunks the Azzurri were not exactly welcomed with open arms by the 1962 World Cup's host nation.

With English referee Ken Aston struggling to maintain control of a vicious encounter from the kickoff, the Chileans tore into the Italians with gusto. The European side retaliated as things spiralled out of control.

After a series of dirty tackles and sly digs by both sides Chile's Leonel Sanchez punched Humberto Maschio in the face, breaking his nose, but escaped punishment.

Giorgio Ferrini, in a wild attempt to avenge his teammate, was dismissed for a kick at Landa. It would take police escort to get him to leave the field after arguing with Aston for 10 minutes. Martio David was then sent off for attempting to kick Sanchez in the head.

A nine man Italy would fall 2-0 to Chile, in a match widely considered to be the most violent in the history of the World Cup.

The Battle of Montevideo

November 4, 1967 – Racing Club 1-0 Celtic – Intercontinental Cup play-off

When European Cup holders Celtic took on the top side in South America, Argentina's Racing Club, for the Intercontinental Cup across two legs, they would get first hand experience as to why the Buenos Aires club had such a fearsome reputation.

After a rough first leg in Scotland won 1-0 by Celtic, keeper Ronnie Simpson had to be replaced before the second leg in Argentina had even started after being hit in the head by a lump of metal thrown from the stands. Racing would win this bruising encounter 2-1 which, in the absence of an away goals rule, necessitated a playoff in neutral site.

With the third match between the sides to be played in Montevideo, Uruguay the rough play exhibited by the Argentine's so far was wearing thin on the Glaswegian side.

Backed by a Uruguayan crowd cheering on Celtic against their traditional enemy, the Scots tore into Racing, who responded with some rough stuff of their own.

Celtic would have two men sent off in the first half, and a third in Bertie Auld in the second who simply refused to leave the pitch and played on. Racing themselves had two men dismissed, and Celtic's Tommy Gemmell really should have gone as well after kicking a Racing player straight in the balls.

Eventually Racing would triumph 1-0, but an irate crowd rained debris down from the stands on them, and it would require an armed escort to get them off the pitch and out of the stadium safely.

The Dinamo Zagreb–Red Star Belgrade riot

May 13, 1990 - Dinamo Zagreb 0-0 Red Star Belgrade (abandoned) - Yugoslav football league

With multi-party elections held for the first time in Yugoslavia in 1990 and Communism being ousted, the wheels were in motion for Croatia to separate and form their own nation state. In the middle of all of these winds of political change, bitter rivals Dinamo Zagreb and Red Star Belgrade faced each other in a late season clash.

Fighting in the streets between Dinamo (Bad Blue Boys) and Red Star's (Delije) hooligans preceded the match and it continued on in the stands, and then on the pitch.

In the middle of the fighting Dinamo captain Zvonimir Boban kicked a police officer who was attacking a fan and was later proclaimed as a Croatian hero.

The match was abandoned and within a year, with the Croatian War of Independence raging the league itself folded.

Five Football Conspiracy Theories

2015-03-27T12:00:00.000-04:00

Fans of certain clubs or countries will tell you that the authorities are all against them, and even some managers have been known to don a proverbial tinfoil hat if things don't go their way.

But what if sometimes there are actual dark forces at work shaping results on the pitch and the decisions made off of it?

The following are five conspiracy laden questions from football's often colourful history:

5 - Did Nike Force Brazil to Play Ronaldo in the 1998 World Cup Final?

Brazilian striker Ronaldo, the reigning two time FIFA World Player of the Year going into the 1998 World Cup in France, did not disappoint as he led his side to the Final that summer.

However on the morning of their meeting with the hosts, Ronaldo suffered an apparent seizure and was dropped from the starting eleven. Before kickoff though, Brazil's boss Mario Zagallo apparently changed his mind and put 'Il Fenomeno' back into the lineup to face France.

A visibly weakened Ronaldo stumbled around the pitch ineffectively and a Zinedine Zidane led France roared to a 3-0 victory.

Why a clearly unfit Ronaldo was even in the lineup has long been a subject of speculation, with the truth never adequately revealed. One of the most popular rumours, and one that doesn't seem as far fetched as you might think, is that Ronaldo and Brazil's chief sponsor Nike pressured Zagallo to insert Ronaldo into the lineup against the Adidas sponsored French side, that was led by the German company's own poster boy in Zidane.

Seventeen years later we still are waiting to hear the truth on what really happened that day.

4 - Was the 1978 World Cup Fixed?

The 1978 World Cup in Argentina was played under a cloud to begin with as the country had been taken over by a brutal military dictatorship called the National Reorganization Process in a military coup two years earlier.

Some of the qualified nations, such as the Netherlands, debated pulling out of the tournament amidst rumours of political opponents of the regime being 'disappeared'.

The tournament went ahead as scheduled, with all of the qualified nations taking part, but there was a lot of grumblings over the schedule as host Argentina played all of their matches at night so they would know the results of their group opponents prior to kicking off.

This would factor in big time at the end of the second group phase, as Argentina kicked off against Peru they knew that to edge rivals Brazil out of a place in the final they would need to win by four clear goals. Peru simply rolled over and were swamped 6-0 by the hosts, who would later go on to beat the Netherlands 3-1 in the Final.

Brazil cried foul and a lot of theories about what actually happened in that notorious Peru match have been floated in the decades since this World Cup. Peru's keeper, who had a shocking match, was born in Argentina which didn't help with the conspiracy theories, there was also rumours that a large grain shipment was sent by Argentina to Peru after the match and that funds were sent to the Peruvian government. Another rumour is that a Colombian drug lord brokered a payoff on behalf of the Argentine dictatorship directly to the Peruvian players.

Whatever the truth of the matter is, the 1978 World Cup will always be viewed as tainted by many observers of the game.

3 - Did the CIA Poison Gordon Banks?

What football fans that are well versed on World Cup history know is that in the lead up to England's Quarter Final with West Germany in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, the Three Lions star keeper Gordon Banks came down with food poisoning and was unable to take to the pitch in Leon. The fact that Banks' replacement Peter Bonetti let in two howlers on the way to a 3-2 loss to the German's left England's players and fans wondering "what if?".

In the subsequent decades there's been rumblings about the possibility of someone tampering with a drink Banks had with his team at an exclusive club two nights before the match. The fact that no one else in the squad came down with "Montezuma's Revenge", only their most important player, has fueled suggestions that it was a local who spiked his drink. The reigning World Cup champions were seen as arrogant by the Mexican's and the Three Lions prickly manager Sir Alf Ramsay hadn't endeared himself to the local media.

Several players in the England squad have raised the possibility that Banks may have fallen victim to something other than bad luck.

But what if it wasn't a local that slipped something into Banks beer? After the tournament another theory emerged that the CIA were nervously monitoring the political situation in Brazil and thought that a World Cup win, as it often does, would help raise the spirits of the people and they would put revolutionary talk to one side. England, coming into the tournament with arguably a stronger side than the one who had won the World Cup in 1966, were widely expected to meet Brazil in the Final and were seen as the only nation capable of preventing Pele and company from lifting the Jules Rimet trophy. In order to avoid that, the theory is that a CIA operative spiked Banks drink and caused the keeper to miss England's match with the Germans.

This may sound a little like a James Bond story, but then again this is the agency that tried to kill Fidel Castro with an exploding cigar.

2 - Did FIFA Help South Korea Reach the 2002 World Cup Semi-Final?

In 2002 the World Cup was held for the first time outside of Europe or the America's, as Japan and South Korea co-hosted the biggest event in world football.

Many neutrals, and of course the hosts themselves, hoped that the two sides could stage a great tournament and also perform well on the pitch to show the progress of Asian football.

Although Japan were disappointingly dumped out of the tournament by Turkey in the Round of 16, South Korea managed to storm through to the Semi-Finals.

Their progress though was not without controversy and, particularly in Italy, rumours persist that the Koreans had a little help in getting as far as they did.

In their second match of the group stage against a strong Portuguese side, South Korea benefited from some questionable refereeing decisions that saw two Portuguese players sent off as the hosts triumphed 1-0.

In the second round against Italy, Ecuadorian referee Byron Moreno, who was later banned for 20 matches in his own country for either a string of bad decisions, or corruption, depending upon your source, wrongly disallowed Damiano Tommasi's Golden Goal match winner for Italy, allowed a string of terrible Korean tackles, and then dubiously sent off Franceso Totti for diving. As Ahn Jung-hwan slammed in a classy winner with three minutes to go in extra time, the Azzurri were left fuming.

The Spanish were also left unimpressed after they had two perfectly good goals wrongly ruled out for offside in the Quarter-Finals, a match which Korea would win on penalty kicks.

Although South Korea would eventually fall to Germany in the Semi-Final making it that far was viewed as a terrific achievement, but not one without a bit of a controversy around it.

1 - Who Messed With Tottenham's Lasagna?

Going into the final weekend of the 2005/2006 season, Tottenham held a single point advantage over rivals Arsenal for the last coveted Champions League spot.

Unfortunately for Spurs, diarrhea reared its ugly and smelly head, thus making a mess of their Champions League dreams, and not to mention their pants. After a lasagna dinner at the team hotel the night before their match with West Ham, ten of Tottenham's players complained of upset stomachs, which hampered then manager Martin Jol's team selection and severely hindered those that were able to take part in the action.

West Ham would go on to beat Spurs, which coupled with an Arsenal win over Wigan, gave the Gunners a spot in the following season's Champions League.

An irate Tottenham side pushed to have their match replayed, but the FA denied their request after the environmental health officers at Tower Hamlets Council found that the Marriott, where they had eaten the notorious lasagna, had no case to answer. The hotel was absolved of any wrongdoing, but Spurs conspiracy theorists weren't convinced that a Gunners fan had not been in the kitchen on that fateful day and derailed their final match of the season.

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.

FFN: Marco Materazzi Signs 3 Year Deal with WWE

2015-02-27T16:00:00.000-05:00

Marco Materazzi is in the process of signing a three year deal with WWE that will have him making his in ring debut during the 2015 WrestleMania.

He is going to be paired up with Santino Marella, which will act as his translator and manager. The storyline will have Materazzi move to the USA to join his cousin Santino in WWE, in order to show the world the supremacy of the Italian people over all others.

Materazzi will be going by the ring name of Italian Stallion which is a clear rip off of the nickname used by Sylvester Stallone in the movie Rockie. His in ring finishing move will be the Roman Suplex, which will be a variation of the regular suplex used by current wrestlers.

He is finishing the Indian Super League season in India and is scheduled to travel to North America early in 2015 to start his in ring training. He will be working with some of the best wrestlers in WWE in order to get to be ready for WrestleMania.

Santino Marella is very excited about working with the football star and former World Cup winner, when asked about it during the Stone Cold Steve Austin podcast he said: “It will be an honor to working with such an athlete and a person. I will do my best to make him feel like he is part of the WWE family.”

This isn’t the first time athletes make a move to sports entertainment, but this will be the first time that someone without a background in wrestling or fighting makes a move to the WWE as a wrestler.

WWE sources tell us that if there is someone capable of making this transition is Materazzi. He has a very strong work ethic and is very motivated with this new challenge in his life.

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Thank you for reading FootyFair's Friday Fake News. Please note that none of the above is true.

10 Best Andrea Pirlo Quotes

2015-02-17T12:00:00.000-05:00

Andrea Pirlo is an icon of Italian football but also one of the greatest players in world football. His midfield play has been a topic of many discussions, his passing and free kicks are at a level that not many can even dream of reaching, but his prowess is not only on the field but also off the field.

The Chuck Norris of football has delighted fans with some unique takes on football and life, the latest has been the book that he released earlier in the year entitled “I think therefore I play”, a perfect title for a book that gives you a glimpse into the life, passions and career of the Italian maestro.

Here are 10 of the funniest and most outstanding quotes from Pirlo.

“After the wheel, the PlayStation is the best invention of all time. And ever since it’s existed, I’ve been Barcelona, apart from a brief spell way back at the start when I’d go Milan.” – His views on Playstation

“Take someone like (Parma striker) Antonio Cassano. He says he’s slept with 700 women but he doesn’t get picked for Italy any more. Can he really be happy? I wouldn’t be.” – Talking about Cassano

“I didn’t need to be asked twice. In I went. The room was furnished in sober fashion and there was some red wine on the table. “Always a good start,” I muttered to myself. Thankfully the most envied coach in the word didn’t hear me. His way of speaking is very similar to mine – not really tenor style, let’s say. “Make yourself comfortable, Andrea,” he began, his Italian absolutely perfect.” – When he met Guardiola

“I thought about quitting because, after Istanbul, nothing made sense any more. The 2005 Champions League final simply suffocated me.” – Instanbul 2005

“I pictured myself in that white jersey. Pristine, and at the same time aggressive; a mean streak running through its unusual purity. My thoughts often wandered to the Santiago Bernabeu, the Temple, a ground that struck terror into opponents. Bruised and battered slaves at the king’s banquet.” – His view on Real Madrid

“Even Sir Alex Ferguson, the purple-nosed manager who turned Manchester United into a fearsome battleship, couldn’t resist the temptation. He’s a man without blemish, but he ruined that purity just for a moment when it came to me. A fleeting shabbiness came over the legend that night.” – On Sir Alex ferguson

“He called me Pirla (a term used in Milan dialect roughly translated as dickhead), perhaps understanding my true nature more than the other managers. We went through four coaches that year (1999). I’d wake up in the morning and not remember who my coach was.” – On Roy Hodgson

“To most people’s minds, the reason we lost on penalties was Jerzy Dudek – that jackass of a dancer who took the mickey out of us by swaying about on his line and then rubbed salt into the wound by saving our spot kicks.” – On Jerzy Dudek

“You could see the red mist coming down and he just wasn’t able to hide it. We could tell what was coming and so we’d commandeer all the knives. Gattuso would grab a fork and try to stick it in us.” – On Gattuso

“It’s nothing but masturbation for conditioning coaches.” – His view on pre-match conditioning

Top 10 Silvio Berlusconi Quotes

2015-02-10T12:00:00.000-05:00

The AC Milan owner is one of the most charismatic owners in World Football. Not only does he own one of the giants of Italian football he has also been the Prime Minister of Italy for three terms.

Now, one would think that the fact that he has an estimated net worth of US$9.0 billion and is a former Prime Minister would give this loose cannon a bit more stability and accountability. Instead he is a complete maverick, someone who plays by his own rules, says what he wants when he wants it and has no concern for what others may think of him.

Finding quotes to make a top 10 list wasn’t difficult, what was difficult was to narrow it down only to ten.

“Mussolini never killed anyone, he just sent dissenters abroad for vacation.”

“Only Napoleon did more than I have done. But I am definitely taller.”

“Barack Obama being young, handsome and sun-tanned is going to get along with you swimmingly.”

“Obviously the government of [Mussolini's] time, out of fear that German power might lead to complete victory, preferred to ally itself with Hitler's Germany rather than opposing it … The racial laws were the worst fault of Mussolini as a leader, who in so many other ways did well.”

“I am absolutely sure to be the most democratic man to ever become Prime Minister in Italy.”

“Go and read the black book on communism and you'll find that under Mao's China they didn't eat babies but they boiled them to fertilize the fields.”

“The women of the Right are certainly the most beautiful … the Left has no taste, not even when it comes to women.”

“They keep calling me a dwarf, but I'm taller than Sarkozy and Putin.”

“The public prosecutor … should be subject to regular examinations to attest to sanity.”

“I used all my playboy skills and courted the Finnish President.”

Any Given Sunday: I Think Therefore I Play

2015-02-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

When I decided to get Andrea Pirlo’s book during the holidays, I know it had some great quotes and some incredible one liners, but I was wondering how good the book would really be. How much of Pirlo was on that paper and how much of the title was nothing more than an intelligent play on words.

What I quickly discovered as I went through the pages of the book is that it almost felt like Pirlo was speaking to me through those pages. It felt real, and the experience of reading it was close to the experience of having him in my living room reading to me. If I closed my eyes for a second I could imagine him reading it out loud as I was reading it to myself.

That was a sure sign that sitting down to read this book was a great decision on my part. I am always very skeptical of buying and reading player books, but this one was a real jam.

The title more than a funny and clever catch phrase it is a true representation of Pirlo and how he plays the game. If he was a North American athlete commentators would say that he plays the game the right way. He is a true thinker, he just doesn’t play it, he analysis it and thinks the game as he plays it. \

He is a master of the game only because he has never stopped studying it and that comes across in his book. He is also self-aware of the persona he has created. He looks like someone who seems to be serious all the time and never indulge himself in a light hearted moment, he shares in his book how aware he is of that and how he uses it to his own advantage.

As he talks about the clubs he represented, coaches he has played for or would like to play for, he comes across as a very loyal, funny and intelligent person. He is an extension of the coach on the field, and to think he was so close to play for Barcelona and Real Madrid at one point of his career. How much would that have changed him we will never know, but it is fun to wonder how he would have done playing for either of those teams.

He also spends a large amount of time talking about his relationships with his teammates at the club and national team. For someone who comes across as introverted, he opens up in the book and gives us a glimpse of what it was like to be around him outside the practice grounds. He is a rebel in disguise and someone whose outward persona hides a joker and a prankster.

His book is a true reflection of what he is calm, quiet and harsh exterior, but a soft, intelligent and funny interior. This is Pirlo in a book format, in its simplest form.

Italian Footballers by Ulbaa Studio (Gallery)

2015-01-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

Ulbaa Graphics Studio from Matera, Italy has designed these neat characters out of the Azzurri players.

Macron Celebrates Lazio’s 115th Anniversary with New Kit

2015-01-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

Macron is helping SS Lazio celebrate the 115th anniversary by launching a new special eagle Lazio kit early this year.

The new Lazio kit will be based on the famous “Maglia Bandiera” which was used in the 1980’s and is looked at as one of the most iconic club kits in Italian football.

Based on that iconic kit, the new Lazio kit will feature an eagle graphic on the front of the kit, which was also part of the Lazio’s 1980’s club crest. The eagle design starts on the front of the jersey and it continues to the sleeves and back, as if the eagle was spread its wings.

The kit has two main colors; the top is white while the bottom part is sky blue. The shorts will also be in sky blue while the socks are white.

The original kit was designed in early 1980’s by former Lazio president Gian Chiaron Casoni, whose also owns the trademark to the design. In September of 2014 Lazio and Casoni’s family reached an agreement which allowed them to use the design during this year’s commemoration kit.

It is not known if the kit will be used for only one game or for the remaining of 2015.

Football's 5 Wildest Moments of 2014

2014-12-26T16:00:00.000-05:00

As we prepare to bid farewell to 2014, with many football writers and fans focusing on the more memorable moments and standout players of the year, I preferred to focus on the instances of pure insanity in football this year and let me tell you I struggled to get it down to five.

5 - Steven Gerrard Slips Up

Carried by the inspirational play of Luis Suarez, who was aided by standout performances throughout the 2013/2014 season by Daniel Sturridge, Raheem Sterling and Steven Gerrard, it seemed almost certain that Liverpool's 24 year wait for a league championship was finally over. However it was not to be, as Gerrard disastrously slipped up against Chelsea at the end of April which allowed Demba Ba to race in and score to put his side ahead. Liverpool lost that match 2-0 and would never recover as Manchester City surged to the title.

4 - Faroe Islands Stun Greece

The Faroe Islands hadn't won a competitive fixture in three years, while Greece had only months before made it to the last 16 of the World Cup, but it mattered little as the European minnows upset the Greeks 1-0 in 2016 European Championship qualifying. This put an end to Claudio Ranieri' brief time in charge.

3 - Atletico Madrid Win La Liga

With La Liga appearing to be in danger of being completely dominated by only two sides for the foreseeable future, it was both a great shock and breath of fresh air that Diego Simeone's side became the first club other than Real Madrid or Barcelona to win the championship in Spain in ten years.

2 - Luis Suarez Bites Again

With Luis Suarez playing the football of his life in 2013/2014, and nearly dragging Liverpool to the title, an injury suffered prior to the 2014 World Cup was disappointing indeed. However the Uruguayan striker dragged himself back to fitness and stunned England with a two goal performance that effectively knocked the Three Lions out of the tournament. Against Italy though he would do something he had already been in trouble for twice before at club level as he sunk his teeth into Giorgio Chiellini and was later kicked out of the World Cup.

1 - Germany 7 - Brazil 1

It's not worth writing that much more than the score alone. In a friendly a score of this scale would be a shock, but in a World Cup semifinal? It was insane and not a result that Brazilian fans will forget for a very long time.

10 Best Del Piero Quotes

2014-12-02T12:00:00.000-05:00

Del Piero is an icon of world football, but for Juventus fans he has reached almost a God like status. His love for the club and his determination to play under any conditions in order to help his beloved club win has made him a cult hero among the diehard Juventus fans.

He has left the club to continue his career but he will forever be linked with Juventus, and he will always be one of the classiest players you will ever see.

When we think of Del Piero we perhaps don’t think of great quotes or even of someone who is extremely outspoken, but he is someone that when he talks, everyone should listen as it is proven by the quotes below.

“Money is not everything. My ambition was football itself, not the money I'd make from it. If that brings me and my family a more comfortable lifestyle, then that's fine. But I don't spend my time between games and training sessions thinking about figures.”

“Luckily, thanks to the way my parents taught me, I think I can handle the fame in the right manner.”

“I even scored Monaco's goal too. Please, put it down as an own goal for me!”

“Italy have plenty of high-quality players. Newcomers need time to get adjusted to the set-up and the system of play. I'm very young, and although I think I have shown good quality in my international games, I realize that there are plenty of others competing for places.”

“As far as our fans are concerned, I'm the only one who counts; along with my teammates, obviously.”

“I'm the leading scorer in the cup, and that's lovely, but don't forget this is also a great moment for the whole squad, when the two things coincide you can't ask for more.”

“As captain, I must always be an example to my team-mates. I'm calm and I don't have any problem with the coach or with the club. My only goal is to be ready whenever I have the opportunity to play.”

“As for Sweden v Denmark it is hard for it to end 2-2. 0-0 and 1-1 are results which are easier to achieve but 2-2 would make you think of an accord between the two sides.”

“One bad showing will not stop us. Having so many games so close to one another on the one hand makes things very difficult but on the other it gives us the possibility to remediate things right away.”

"The championship was won by me and my teammates in equal measure, Naturally, it's nice to be the center of attention, and the fact that I've scored more goals than in past years and have scored more than my teammates has obviously given me a high profile. I've just tried to do my best as always... and I've definitely grown. But I have to thank my teammates and all those who have worked with us."

Weekend Recap - What a True Derby Looks Like (Juventus v. Torino)

2014-12-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

I must admit that when it comes to Serie A football, I personally am as intrigued by it as by any other league I follow less than often. Of course, as a true football man I keep an eye on the action knowing that it is indeed one of the better leagues in the entire world. So when I sat down to watch the Turin derby this past weekend I knew that more likely than not I was in for a treat.

I wasn't wrong, that's for sure. A rivalry that doesn't get played every season due to Torino's bouncing around between relegation and promotion back to the top tier, the Derby della Mole is intense every time nonetheless and this season's first meeting between the two was no different.

Not surprisingly home side and Serie A leaders Juventus enjoyed the majority of possession and looked deservedly the better team on the pitch. But once the final whistle blew I couldn't help but feel that Torino deserved at least a draw in this match; a match that was won by the otherwise mediocre on the day Andrea Pirlo with what was practically the last shot of the match.

The passion and intensity both clubs played with however was really the highlight of the weekend for me personally. A true derby dynamic both on the field and in the stands; the derby buzz was apparent to those watching on TV, and I can only imagine the electric atmosphere experienced by those who were lucky enough to be in the city, or even better, in the stands.

The Bianconeri went ahead after just 15 minutes, at which point I was sure Torino would not be able to get a hold of the match. But the Granata did not give up. Just 7 minutes after Juve went 1-0 up, Torino managed to do what they could not achieve since for over 12 years when they last scored against Juventus. Aside from braking their terrible scoring record against city rivals Juventus, Torino not only scored, but managed to secure what will likely be one of the best goals of the year thanks to Bruno Peres' incredible individual effort to put his team level. The Brazilian full-back took the ball deep in his own end and dashed to the right wing. With a burst of speed he left Juventus players "in the dust"so to speak, right before slotting the ball into Juve's net from just inside the box. (see goal highlight below)

The celebration said it all. It was a moment that was very dear and important for the supporters of a team who had not scored against their bitter rivals since February of 2002.

It was two former Juventus footballers who nearly gave Torino a 2-1 lead just after the restart when Amauri and Quagliarella combined, just for Quagliarella to put the ball on the wrong side of the bar.

Juventus would have the very last laugh however, as none other than Andrea Pirlo would slot in a scorcher with no time left on the clock. The stadium erupted in a fashion that would be acceptable for a championship winning goal. That's how important derbies are for football fans. (Pirlo's goal below)

I sat satisfied after the final whistle. Not because I prefer Juve to Torino and perhaps not even because the football was the best quality I have ever seen. I was happy because I watched two clubs who understand the importance of an otherwise not so important middle of the season match between league leaders and a club that is mediocre at best (at least in the standings); a match that would otherwise go under the radar to fans outside of Italy if it were not a local rivalry.

FULL HIGHLIGHTS

Juventus - Torino (2-1) - Full Highlights 30-11... by musicandother2014