FOOTY FAIR

Football's Greatest Sides - Part 1 of 5: AC Milan (1988 to 1990)

2016-03-25T10:21:00.000-04:00

Nearly thirty years ago this week, AC Milan made the first of three signings from the Netherlands that would come to reestablish the club as one of the giants of not only Italian, but European football.

Stuck in the shadow of Juventus for much of the 1970's and 1980's, and even suffering through the humiliation of twice being relegated to Serie B as a result of their part in the Totonero scandal and then their struggles to recover from its effects, Milan were suddenly transformed by the arrival of entrepreneur Silvio Berlusconi in 1986.

Within a year the flamboyant Berlusconi had signed Dutch star Ruud Gullit from PSV for a world record £6 million and he followed that up by landing Ajax's goalscorer supreme Marco van Basten.

As part of a side that also included Italian internationals Paolo Maldini, Franco Baresi, Alessandro Costacurta and Roberto Donadoni, Milan stormed to the 1987-1988 Serie A title.

That summer Milan signed a third Dutch international, Frank Rijkaard from Ajax, and the core of one of Italy's greatest ever sides had fully taken shape.

Under manager Arrigo Sacchi, Milan romped to the final of the 1989 European Cup with their grandest statement handed down via a 5-0 thrashing of Real Madrid's much vaunted "Vulture Cohort" in semi-final second leg at the San Siro.

To claim their first European champions crown since 1969, Milan would dispatch Steaua Bucharest 4-0 at the Camp Nou in one of the most lopsided finals in the competition's history.

Two goals apiece from Gullit and Van Basten saw off the Romanian champions, who were no slouches, having been European Cup semi-finalists the season before and European Cup winners as recently as 1986.

But Milan were simply too good for them and in truth the final score could have been even more damning.

The memorable part of this Milan side was that they swam against the tide of an Italian football culture that had been in place for decades. While most sides played in the safety first catenaccio style, Sacchi, an obsessed student of the Netherlands Total Football of the early 1970's, had his side press the opposition and not simply wait for counter attacking opportunities.

The following year, a single goal from Rijkaard was enough to see off Benfica in the European Cup Final in Vienna.

This great Milan side would run it's course as they were knocked out of the 1991 European Cup by Marseille in the quarter-finals and weakened further still when the hard driving Sacchi was let go that year following a dispute with Van Basten.

The great Dutch striker himself would then see his career cruelly cut short following an injury in 1993.

To this day though, Milan are still the last side to repeat as European champions. Even the great Barcelona sides of Pep Guardiola didn't manage that.

5 Iconic Goals by 5 Iconic Players

2014-10-25T06:00:00.000-04:00

Scoring a goal is the ultimate achievement in the game of football, because without the goal you can’t win the game. Over the years there have been many incredible goals scored by many incredible players, and it would be impossible to list them all or make any list.

Everyone has their list of goals and I am no different. I am fortunate enough to have watched these matches on my TV and not just watched the highlights in a YouTube clip. This is my list of five memorable goals and the iconic players that scored them.

Ryan Giggs – Manchester United

Scored vs Arsenal on 14th of April 1999 in the semifinal of the 1998-99 FA Cup

Manchester United had been reduced to 10 players after the sending off of Roy Keane and Schmeichel had saved a Bergkamp penalty to keep the score leveled. The game ended in a 1-1 draw and the match was sent to extra time. In extra time with only 10 minutes left before a penalty shootout would decide the winner, Ryan Giggs takes possession of the ball and scores one of the most memorable goals not only in Manchester United history but also in FA Cup history.

Lionel Messi – Barcelona

Scored vs Getafe on 18th of April 2007 in the semifinal of the 2006-07 Copa Del Rey

This goal holds a very similar resemblance to the one Maradona scored against England in the 1986 World Cup, but this time was the man many see as the successor to Maradona in the person of Lionel Messi. The goal came in an important semifinal against Getafe, but it wasn’t enough to see Barcelona advance to the final. Barcelona won the match 5-2, but lost the second leg in Getafe 4-0.

Marco van Basten – Netherlands

Scored vs USSR on 25th of June 1988 in the final of the 1988 UEFA Euro Cup

Netherlands has had many great teams over the years but this was the first major title won by them. Marco van Basten cemented his legacy not only with winning this major tournament for his country but by scoring one of the greatest goals in Euro Cup history. He led the tournament with 5 goals and was also named the player of the tournament.

Zinedine Zidane – Real Madrid

Scored vs Bayer Leverkusen on 15th of May 2002 in the final fo the 2001-02 Champions League

The game was tied 1-1 when Zidane scores one of the most incredible goals in Champions League history. It would also turn out to be the game winner and give Real Madrid the so desired Champions League trophy.

Diego Maradona – Argentina

Scored vs England on 22nd of June 1986 in the quarterfinal of the 1986 FIFA World Cup

The 1986 World Cup was marked by two goals, both scored by Maradona and both in the same game. To me the greatest goal ever scored in any competition was the second goal scored by Maradona against England in the 1986 World Cup. The 55th minute of that game will always be marked by the incredible run from Maradona that ended with him putting the ball by English goalkeeper Peter Shilton.

5 Players Who Retired too Early

2014-09-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

The saying "it's better to burn out than fade away" is often quoted when a rock star drinks, drugs or shags him or herself to death.

Although some footballers are not immune to those three particular vices themselves, this phrase can more typically applied to players who shone brightly for a few moments, but left football and their fans behind prematurely.

The following are a few examples of players whose time in the spotlight was up sooner than expected.

George Best

There's a saying in parts of Ireland that "Pele good, Maradona better, George Best". That's the esteem in which many people who grew up in the '60s and early '70s hold Best. Bestie was a bright flame who burned out too quickly for Manchester United and Northern Ireland fans though. After two league titles, a European Cup and a Ballon D'or trophy, his wild lifestyle and the decline of a post Matt Busby United led to his departure from top flight football at only 27. He tried several comebacks in the following years, but it was always a case of what might have been for the boy from Belfast.

Marco van Basten

Although the great Dutch striker officially hung up his boots at the age of 31, he was effectively finished at only 29 after a crippling ankle injury. Van Basten though had a sparkling career at both club and international level, helping the Dutch to their only major trophy at Euro '88 and was a part of the brilliant AC Milan side of the late '80s. However, his early departure from the game was desperately sad to witness.

Peter Knowles

A talented midfielder for Wolverhampton Wanderers in the 1960's, Knowles had the misfortune of joining the club just after their glorious heyday under legendary manager Stan Cullis. Wolves were relegated from the top flight in the mid-60's and as they struggled to get out of the Second Division the young Knowles, who was on the fringes of the England side, repeatedly pushed for a move. Although the club refused, he did eventually leave the Midlands side, but not in the way expected. While in Kansas City on a pre-season tour, Knowles became a Jehovah's Witness and said he no longer had any interest in football, but would see out his contract. However only eight matches into the 1969/1970 season the 24 year old Wolves midfielder decided that he would prefer to devote himself to spreading the good word, rather than chase around the Molineux, and promptly called it a day.

Carlos Roa

Staying with the topic of religion as a reason for players to retire prematurely, you would struggle to find a stranger case than Carlos Roa. After some strong performances for Argentina at the 1998 World Cup, the Mallorca keeper walked out on his contract with the Spanish club a year later to prepare for the end of the world with his Seventh Day Adventist church. Unfortunately for the 30 year old keeper, but fortunately for the rest of us, the world didn't explode on January 1, 2000. Roa eventually came out of retirement, but was never able to get his career back on track.

Hidetoshi Nakata

Arguably the most famous Japanese player ever, Hidetoshi Nakata made an impressive breakthrough into Italian football at a young age, spending time at Perugia, Roma, Fiorentina and Parma. Despite being only 29 years old during the 2006 World Cup, he announced his retirement after the finals. Besides taking up a new career, to quote Derek Zoolander, as a ridiculously, disgustingly good looking male model, he also said he wanted to "see what was going on in the world." Someone should have told him to open a newspaper occasionally and then book a week in Benidorm, but never mind.

Can the Netherlands Finally Win the World Cup?

2014-07-06T17:00:00.000-04:00

With the Netherlands victory over Costa Rica in the World Cup Quarter Finals on penalty kicks, a great psychological weight may have lifted from the Dutch, frequent losers from the spot, and people are now wondering if this is the year that they can finally become champions of the world.

For a country that has produced so many fantastically gifted players over the past forty years, along with revolutionizing how football tactics and youth development is approached, it's astounding that the Dutch have never lifted the World Cup.

1905 Netherlands National Team

Playing their first international against Belgium in Antwerp in 1905, the Netherlands competed in the 1934 and 1938 World Cup Finals without a great deal of success, and would have to wait until 1974 to reach another World Cup. In the intervening years, a sea of change swept over Dutch football though.

Unlike neighbouring countries in Europe, the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) refused to allow professionalism in the Dutch leagues right up until the early 1950's. As they continually lost talented players to other domestic leagues, and subsequently banned these players from playing for the national side, the Dutch team was rightfully seen as a minnow on the world stage. With the introduction of professionalism in 1954, and the formation of the Eredivisie in 1956, the standard of play in the country began to improve. The first winners of the Eredivisie, AFC Ajax, would also have a profound effect on the direction of Dutch football.

Implementing a youth development program that would one day become the envy of Europe, Ajax would not only dominate Dutch football, but dramatically change the fortunes of the national side. With the emergence of Johan Cruyff from their youth ranks in 1964 and the hiring of coach Rinus Michels the following year, the side began to implement a system of play known as Total Football.

The concept of Total Football involved the flexible movement of players all across the pitch, moving and covering for each other to fill spaces and confuse opposition markers. This system, which was heavily influenced by the great Hungarian side of the 1950's, required players to be comfortable with taking on different roles and to have the intelligence to adapt as the teams shape could change at any time during a match.

The Ajax way of playing also emphasized quick, short passing and movement that would be adapted to good effect by not only the Dutch national side, but in later years by Barcelona and Spain. The 1970 Brazilian World Cup winning captain, Carlos Alberto, described Ajax and the Netherlands style of play as a carousel of passing and movement. After seeing his Manchester United side demolished by Barcelona at Wembley in 2011, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson also referred to Barcelona having beaten them with their "carousel of passing". This was a style of play adapted from the Dutch and the direct influence of Michels and Cruyff.

Johan Cruyff scores on Argentina in the 1974 World Cup

With Ajax providing this template for a system of play and a talented generation of players, to go along with stars from Feyenoord and PSV, the Netherlands thrilled the world in reaching the World Cup Final in 1974 in West Germany. Unfortunately after taking an early lead, the Dutch crumbled and lost 2-1 to the hosts. A Cruyff-less Netherlands side reached the final again in Argentina in 1978, but in the white hot political climate of that infamous tournament they were faced with near insurmountable odds and predictably fell to a 3-1 defeat to Argentina.

1988 European Champions

Despite Michels bowing out of management with a thrilling win in the European Champions at the helm of the Dutch side in 1988, the country of Total Football never reached another World Cup Final until 2010 in South Africa. Facing off against Spain, a nation that owes their current footballing philosophy to the "Low Country", the Netherlands betrayed their proud traditions by trying to kick the Spanish off the pitch. In a horribly disappointing final, Spain justifiably prevailed 1-0 in Extra Time and the Dutch were left pondering what could have been again.

The 2014 tournament this has seen anything but a vintage Dutch side. They lack the genius of a Johan Cruyff, the magic of a Ruud Gullit, the vision of a Dennis Bergkamp, or the lethal threat of a Marco van Basten. However, they have done what they've needed to win. Utilizing the speed and cunning of Arjen Robben, the steel of Nigel de Jong in the middle, the goal scoring threat of Robin van Persie and a solid back line, the Dutch opened their campaign by destroying Spain 5-1. Since then it has not been plain sailing, but under the crafty leadership of Louis van Gaal they have exceeded expectations and find themselves in the World Cup Semi Final against old foes Argentina.

Arjen Robben has been key to the Dutch's progress in this tournament

It certainly won't be easy to win the next two matches, but could it be that this is the year that Dutch football finally gains football's greatest prize?

We'll find out in the next week.

Best XI: Players That Never Won a World Cup

2014-06-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

Great players have won the World Cup, but the list of top world players that have never won this competition is amazing and would make one amazing squad.

Lets look at the best XI players that never won a World Cup.

Goalkeeper - Lev Yashin (USSR)

The best goalkeeper to ever play the game of football, Lev Yashin never came close of winning a World Cup trophy. He played in 4 World Cups from 1958 to 1970. In 1963 he won European Footballer of the Year, still up until now the only goalkeeper to earn that honor. He also saved 150 penalty shots and kept 270 clean sheets throughout his career.

He was also voted in to the FIFA World Cup All Time Team and the World Team of the 20th Century.

Defender - Ronald Koeman (Netherlands)

He played 2 World Cups with Holland, in 1990 & 1994. He was part of one of the greatest group of Dutch players to ever walk on a grass pitch. At the club level Koeman was a winner, he won the European Cup with PSV in 88 defeating SL Benfica, he then went on to win 4 straight La Liga titles with Barcelona from 1991 to 1994 and also the European Cup in 1992 against Sampdoria with Koeman scoring the winning goal.

He was famous for his freekicks, but he was a very intelligent defender and what he did in his career proves it.

Defender - Fernando Hierro (Spain)

A captain for his club Real Madrid he also were the arm band for Spain. A true leader, Hierro was an incredible strong defender not only with his feet but with his head. He played in 4 World Cups for Spain, from 1990 to 2002. He played 89 times for Spain and scored 29 goals, only Torres, Raul & David Villa have more goals for Spain than him, that is a huge statement for a defender.

Defender - Javier Zanetti (Argentina)

Zanetti played at 2 World Cups for Argentina, in 1998 & 2002. He retired this year, at the age of 40, which it says a lot about how good he has been as a player and team mate. From 1995 to 2014 he played for Inter Milan, something that in modern football is not very common anymore. He was one of the best not only of his generation but of all time.

Midfielder - Zico (Brazil)

Zico played at 3 World Cups for Brazil, from 1978 to 1986. The 1982 squad was considered by many the best Brazilian squad of all times. Zico was known as the "White Pele", he was a great passer of the ball and was also able to finish. He was one of the true first free kick specialists. He finished his career with 48 goals in 71 caps for Brazil making him the fourth highest scorer in country history. A true legend of the game.

Midfielder - Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)

He won the Ballon d'Or 3 times, in 1971, 1973 & 1974. In 1974 he led the Netherlands to a World Cup final against West Germany which he lost 2-1. He was the Golden Ball winner in 1974 as the MVP of the tournament. He was the poster child for Total Football and his legacy has remain not only in his country but also at Barcelona in Spain where he played and later on coached.

Midfielder - Michel Platini (France)

Platini won 3 Ballon d'Or, in 1983, 1984 & 1985. He was a classy midfielder that could pass the ball and open up a defense like nobody in his generation. He played at 3 World Cups with France, in 1978, 1982 & 1986. In the last two he was able to take France to the semi-finals. He was your now typical box to box midfielder, able to break a play, pass, score and was also deadly from the freekick spot. He was the total package.

Midfielder - George Best (Northern Ireland)

Best never played at a World Cup. The second player in this list of 11 to have never played in the tournament. He had 37 caps for Northern Ireland scoring 9 goals. His best performances were never with his national team, but rather with his club Manchester United, where he became a legend for his unbelievable play on the field and insane off the field antics. In 1968 he won the European Footballer of the Year for his performances for United.

Forward - Eusebio (Portugal)

The "Black Panther", as he was know, is the greatest Portuguese player ever. He played in the 1966 World Cup where he took Portugal to their best finish ever in the tournament, 3rd place. He was the top goal scorer of the tournament with 9 goals, 4 of them he scored against South Korea in the semi-final. Di Stefano when asked about Eusebio said that "For me Eusebio will always be the best player of all time.".

Forward - Marco Van Basten (Netherlands)

Van Basten won the FIFA World Player of The Year in 1992 and the European Footballer of the Year in 1988, 1989 & 1992. He played in the 1990 World Cup but he never scored a goal in the competition and his country of Netherlands had an early exit. He had an amazing club career at Ajax & AC Milan, the two only clubs he ever represented. He will always be know for his great goals and his incredible ability to breakdown a defense and score from almost anywhere.

Forward - Di Stefano (Spain)

Di Stefano represented three national teams, Argentina, Spain and Colombia. He played 6 times for his country of birth Argentina, twice for Colombia and 31 times for Spain, and yet he was never present at a World Cup. Many players consider him the most complete player of all times. Those qualities were evident when he represented Real Madrid, where he won 5 consecutive European Championships.He is currently ranked 5th in the history of top scorers in the Spanish first division.

Four of the Greatest European Cup Sides in History

2014-05-23T12:00:00.000-04:00

This Saturday, Real Madrid takes on Atletico Madrid at the Estadio da Luz in an attempt to clinch their historic tenth European Cup/Champions League crown, "La Decima". Real Madrid have a rich history of success in European competition, and their supporters around the world are confident that they will see their club lift the trophy once again this weekend.

Since the great AC Milan side of the late '80s/early '90s, no club has repeated as champions though and that will continue this year. Last seasons winners, Bayern Munich, were knocked out in the Semi Finals by Real Madrid and it has now been 24 years since a club has retained the cup. Repeating in the Champions League appears to range from extremely difficult to impossible these days, with all of the massive clubs involved in the competition. But that wasn't always the case, as we look back at a few of the great sides who were able to retain "the cup with the big ears".

Real Madrid: 1955/1956 - 1959/1960

Led by the imperious Argentine, Alfredo Di Stefano, Los Blancos made the European Cup their own personal possession in the first five years of its existence. Seeing off Stade de Reims in the 1956 and 1959 finals, while defeating Italian sides Fiorentina in 1957 and AC Milan in 1958 respectively. Although the side contained talent all over the pitch, particularly in attack, everything went through Di Stefano. He was at the heart of nearly every attacking move, and often on the end of them as well. Heading into their fifth straight final at Hampden Park in Scotland, Madrid already containing stars like Luis Del Sol and Paco Gento, in addition to Di Stefano, had also added the Hungarian star Ferenc Puskas to their ranks. For the last of their run of five straight wins, in a match that every Glaswegian over the age of 60 claims to have been present at, Madrid hammered Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3. In that famous final, Di Stefano fired in a hat-trick, while Puskas found the net four times himself. The feats of this wonderful side will likely never be matched.

Ajax: 1970/1971 - 1972/1973

In a golden age for Dutch Football, the Amsterdam club, led by the sublime Johan Cruyff, realized coach Rinus Michels vision of a fluid passing and possession-based game. Ajax's system encouraged individuals to express their individual skills, but move to cover the spaces vacated by teammates when they didn't have the ball. Ajax then went on to add a pressing element to their defending after losing in the European Cup Final to Milan in 1969 and formed the basis for their later success. Beating Panathinaikos 2-0 in the 1971 final, Ajax survived the loss of Michels to Barcelona, and went on to beat Internazionale in 1972 and Juventus in 1973. Playing some brilliant, attacking football this side of Cruyff, along with Johnny Rep, Johan Neekens, and Ruud Krol formed the core of the Netherlands team that came so close to winning the 1974 World Cup.

Bayern Munich: 1973/1974-1975/1976

The three year reign of Bayern Munich in the European Cup came to within twenty seconds of not happening at all. Trailing 1-0 to Atletico Madrid in extra-time in Brussels, Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck let fly from over 25 yards out and found the net, forcing a replay. In the replay, two goals each from Uli Hoeness and Gerd Muller dispatched the Spanish club 4-0. The side, that had provided the core of the World Cup winning West German side of 1974, was marshalled at the back by the brilliant Franz Beckenbauer, with Muller providing the goals and Hoeness the pace. Bayern benefited greatly from being allowed to develop together domestically and internationally over the course of several years. Although not as aesthetically pleasing as the Real Madrid side of the 1950's or the Ajax side that immediately preceded them as European Cup winners, Bayern instead were built on brute strength, quick breaks and defensive organization. Beating Leeds United, under controversial circumstances due to some terrible refereeing, 2-0 in Paris and then seeing off Saint-Etienne 1-0 in Glasgow, Bayern emulated Ajax in winning three straight European Cups.

AC Milan: 1988/1989-1989/1990

The last side to win back to back European Cups, the Milan side, bankrolled by media mogul Silvio Berlusconi, had complemented a terrific core of Italian players including Franco Baresi, Roberto Donadoni and Paolo Maldini with the Dutch trio of Ruud Gullit, Marco Van Basten and Frank Rijkaard to form one of the greatest sides Serie A has ever seen. Under the management of Arrigo Sacchi, MIlan played a very un-Italian style during this period. Emphasizing a high tempo, pressing style, Milan were modelled more off of the Ajax sides of the 1970's, than the traditionally defensive Catenaccio style Italian teams. Sacchi encouraged his teams to set the tempo and this was evidenced by their 4-0 thrashing of Steaua Bucharest in the 1989 European Cup Final. Van Basten and Gullit both scoring two goals against a good Romanian side that contained Gheorghe Hagi and Dan Petrescu who would shine for Romania at the 1994 World Cup. Milan then went on to retain the European Cup in 1989 with a 1-0 win over Benfica. Unfortunately, the relationship between the hard driving Sacchi and several of his star players broke down, leading to his sacking in 1991, but his Milan side are still the last club to successfully retain the greatest prize in European club football.