sport-mania

Manchester United

2008-11-14T10:12:00.001-08:00

United end century on top of the world
Manchester United are English football's best-supported team and also its most successful since the inception of the Premier League in 1992. After waiting 26 years for a league title they have been crowned champions eight times in the last 13 seasons and now stand second only to northwest Liverpool in terms of silverware won.

A brief history...
Manchester United are English football's best-supported team and also its most successful since the inception of the Premier League in 1992. After waiting 26 years for a league title they have been crowned champions eight times in the last 13 seasons and now stand second only to northwest Liverpool in terms of silverware won.

The glamour of the modern-day Old Trafford is a different world from United's humble origins as Newton Heath LYR (Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway), a club founded by railway workers in 1878. After joining the Football League in 1892, they changed their name to Manchester United a decade later and in 1908 celebrated their first league championship.

It was not until after the Second World War, however, that United began to build a reputation for winning football and the man responsible for this was Scotsman Matt Busby. He arrived at a club who were playing their matches at neighbouring Manchester City due to bomb damage to Old Trafford during the war. Yet under his guidance, team and stadium developed together. After winning three league titles in the 50s, however, his exciting young side, the 'Busby babes', was decimated by the Munich air crash of February 1958 which occurred on the way back from a European Champion Clubs' Cup tie in Belgrade and claimed the lives of 23 people, eight of them players.

Busby recovered from serious injuries to build another team, featuring such greats as Bobby Charlton, George Best and Denis Law, and a decade later he saw them win the European Cup for the first time with a 4-1 win over Benfica at Wembley. However, the successes of the 60s gave way to a relatively barren period in the 70s and it was not until Sir Alex Ferguson took the reins in 1986 that another era of glory opened at Old Trafford.

As with Busby, Ferguson saw the importance of youth and struck gold with a generation of youngsters including Ryan Giggs, David Beckham and Paul Scholes. After ending the long wait for a league title in 1993, United dominated English football for the next ten years and in 1999 beat Bayern Munich in Barcelona to capture the European Cup for a second time.

Club Profile

Manchester United FC
City: Manchester
Founded: 1878
Official website:www.manutd.com

Honours:
* 1 Intercontinental Cup: 1999
* 3 European Cups/UEFA Champions Leagues: 1968, 1999, 2008
* 1 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1991
* 17 English Championships: 1908, 1911, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1965, 1967, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2008
* 11 FA Cups: 1909, 1948, 1963, 1977, 1983, 1985, 1990, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2004
* 2 League Cups: 1992, 2006

Legendary players:
Dennis Viollet (1950-62), Duncan Edwards (1953-58), Bobby Charlton (1956-73), Denis Law (1962-73), George Best (1963-74), Bryan Robson (1981-94), Mark Hughes (1983-86, 1988-95), Ryan Giggs (since 1990), Peter Schmeichel (1991-99), Eric Cantona (1992-97), Roy Keane (1993-2005), Paul Scholes (since 1993)

Records:
Ryan Giggs - played his 759th game for the club on 21 May 2008.
Bobby Charlton - 249 goals

Atlético Madrid

2008-11-14T10:10:00.000-08:00

Atletico seize opportunity with both hands
The history of Atletico de Madrid is a tale of glorious highs and crushing lows. As the Madrid team with the biggest working-class following, Atletico have always tried to do things differently to their eternal city rivals, Real Madrid. Their trophy cabinet may not be as full as their neighbour's, but they remain one of Spain's most successful and best-loved clubs.

A brief history...
The history of Atletico de Madrid is a tale of glorious highs and crushing lows. As the Madrid team with the biggest working-class following, Atletico have always tried to do things differently to their eternal city rivals, Real Madrid. Their trophy cabinet may not be as full as their neighbour's, but they remain one of Spain's most successful and best-loved clubs.

Atletico came into being on 26 April 1903 when the Basque community living in the Spanish capital decided to base a youth team from Athletic Club de Bilbao in Madrid. In 1911 they began wearing the famous red-and-white stripes, which earned them the name "los colchoneros" (the mattress-makers) as mattress covers at that time were the same colour.

After the Spanish Civil War (1936-9) the club merged with Aviación Nacional, the Air Force team, and became Atletico Aviacion, winning two consecutive Liga titles in the immediate post-war era. In 1947 the team was rechristened Club Atletico de Madrid. Their heyday probably came in the 60s and 70s, when the team's charisma and popular appeal reached new heights. It was during this period that Atletico won their two international titles, the European Cup Winners Cup in 1961 and the Intercontinental Cup in 1974.

Atletico's last major success came in the 1995/1996 season, when they did the historic Liga/Copa del Rey double. However, true to form, just four years later the team were relegated to the second division bringing a tear to the eye of many a fan.

Despite being cast adrift for two years in Spanish football's second tier, the legendary loyalty and devotion of the long-suffering supporters never wavered. The second division years saw Atletico beat season ticket records and continue to pack the stadium until their triumphant return in 2002. They made it just in time to enjoy their centenary celebrations as a top-flight club, during which a huge party saw the streets of Madrid dyed red and white as a tribute to the team's biggest asset, their fans.

Club Profile

Club Atletico de Madrid
City: Madrid
Founded: 26 April 1903
Official website:www.clubatleticomadrid.com

Honours:
1 Intercontinental Cup: 1974
1 European Cup Winners' Cup: 1962
9 Spanish Championships: 1940, 1941, 1950, 1951, 1966, 1970, 1973, 1977, 1996
9 Spanish Cups: 1960, 1961, 1965, 1972, 1976, 1985, 1991, 1992, 1996

Legendary players:
Adelardo (1959-76), Luis Aragones (1964-74), Ufarte (1964-74), Jose Garate (1966-77), Javier Irureta (1967-75), Luis Pereira (1974-80), Hugo Sanchez (1981-85), Paolo Futre (1987-93, 1997-98), Bernd Schuster (1990-93), Kiko (1993-2001)

Records:
Atletico de Madrid goalkeeper, Abel Resino, set a record by going 1,274 minutes without conceding a goal (13 Liga games without conceding a goal, plus 59 minutes against Mallorca and 45 against Sporting de Gijón).
Escudero is their leading all-time Liga scorer with 150 goals.
Adelardo has played most First division games for Atletico (401).

Ajax Amsterdam

2008-11-14T10:05:00.000-08:00

Shootout heroes emulate Cruyff and co
In 1883, a group of friends including Han Dade, Carel Reeser and Floris Stempel founded a small football club initially called "Union", before being renamed "Footh Ball Club Ajax" in 1894.
At the end of the century, having achieved little in the way of success, in dire straits financially and with numerous players departing, Dade, Reeser and Stempel created a "completely new football club".

A brief history...
In 1883, a group of friends including Han Dade, Carel Reeser and Floris Stempel founded a small football club initially called "Union", before being renamed "Footh Ball Club Ajax" in 1894. At the end of the century, having achieved little in the way of success, in dire straits financially and with numerous players departing, Dade, Reeser and Stempel created a "completely new football club". And so it was at a historic meeting on 18 March 1900 in the Café Oost-Indië in Kalverstraat, Amsterdam, that "Football Club Ajax" was formed - this time with the correct spelling. The club joined the Amsterdam Football Association (AVB) and rented a ground in the north of the city where they would play their home games. Their endeavours were swiftly rewarded with the new club finishing runners-up in the AVB championship on two occasions.

However, it was not until the 1930s that the club really blossomed. In ten years, Ajax won seven league titles and five national championships. This golden era also saw the construction of the new stadium "De Meer" on the Middenweg in Watergraafsmeer to accommodate the growing fan base who would flock to watch heroes such as Gerrit Fischer ply their trade.

The club enjoyed its second coming under legendary coach Rinus Michels who instilled the offensive philosophy for which Ajax teams are still renowned today. The "General" led Ajax to four Dutch championships and three Dutch Cups in six years, winning the club's first double in 1966/1967. Ajax's reputation also began to transcend domestic borders as the club became the nation's first representatives in a European Cup final in 1969.

Despite a 4-1 defeat by AC Milan, that final would herald the start of an irrepressible ascent to the pinnacle of European football as Ajax lifted a hat-trick of European Cups in 1971, 1972 and 1973. The club also won their first Intercontinental Cup in 1972 after a two-legged tie against Independiente of Argentina, strolling their way to the Dutch championship in the same year. Goalkeeper Heinz Stuy went 1,082 minutes without conceding a goal in 1971, while in 1972 and 1973, Ajax scored over 100 goals in the league. Johan Cruyff, the linchpin of the Ajax team, departed for Barcelona in 1973 and promptly spurred the Catalan club to their first Liga title in 14 years. The other names of the Ajax team from that era are still music to the ears of football fans - Arie Haan, Johan Neeskens, Piet Keizer, Wim Suurbier, Johnny Rep or Ruud Krol.

Ajax lifted their fourth European Cup on 24 May 1995, Patrick Kluivert scoring the winner against AC Milan in Vienna, and followed the feat on 28 November 1995 with their second world club cup, now going by the name of the Toyota Cup, after overcoming Gremio Porto Alegre in the final.

However, these momentous achievements would trigger a string of departures such as Dennis Bergkamp and Wim Jonk (both to Inter Milan), Bryan Roy (Foggia) and Jan Wouters (Bayern Munich), an exodus which gave the club, so famous for its youth development, the opportunity to introduce a new generation of talented footballers. The club also consolidated on its recent achievements with a move to the new Amsterdam Arena in 1996.

Club Profile
Ajax Amsterdam
City: Amsterdam
Founded: 18 March 1900
Honours:
29 Dutch championships, 17 league titles, 16 Dutch Cups, Intertoto Cup, 4 Super Cups, 3 European Champions Cups, 1 Champions League, 1 European Cup Winners Cup, 1 UEFA Cup, 3 European Super Cups, 2 Club World Championships.
Legendary players:
Johan Cruyff, Frank Rijkaard, Ronald de Boer, Frank de Boer, Jari Litmanen, Dennis Bergkamp, Marco van Basten, Arie Haan, Johan Neeskens, Wim Surbier, Danny Blind, Piet van Reenen, Gerrit Fischer, Sjaak Swart.
Records:
Sjaak Swart - 463 appearances,
Piet van Reenen - 273 goals.
Official website:www.ajax.nl

FC Porto

2008-11-14T10:02:00.000-08:00

Dragons triumph where Eagles failed on world stage
With wine being so inextricably linked with the history of the city, it seems only fitting that FC Porto were founded on 28 September 1893 by Antonio Nicolau de Almeida, a leading merchant of Porto wines. He had discovered football on a business trip to England and resolved to start a team of his own.

A brief history...
With wine being so inextricably linked with the history of the city, it seems only fitting that FC Porto were founded on 28 September 1893 by Antonio Nicolau de Almeida, a leading merchant of Porto wines. He had discovered football on a business trip to England and resolved to start a team of his own.

The club nonetheless disappeared for a number of years, until it was revived as a generalised sports association in 1906 under the presidency of Jose Monteira da Costa. They acquired their own headquarters in 1907, designed a club emblem in 1910 and finally established sporting facilities three years later.

Despite a few notable exploits along the way, including a 3-2 victory over Arsenal in 1948, Porto lived for a long time in the shadow of the clubs from the capital. They had to wait until 1956 to dispute their first European competition (against Athletic Bilbao), but everything began to change towards the end of the 1970s.

The club started to take on a whole new dimension, and that had much to do with coach Jose Maria Pedroto and extraordinary striker Fernando Gomes (topscorer in Europe in 1983 and 1985). They reached their first European final in 1984, only to lose to Juventus, but they were back three years later and overcame Bayern Munich 2-1, thanks in no small part to Algerian ace Rabah Madjer's famous backheel. Buoyed by that success, they picked up the Toyota Cup and European Supercup soon afterwards. It was a vintage year for Porto, and would be followed by several more from the same barrel.

However, the club had to wait until 2003 to reach those same heights on the European stage again. Pitted against Glasgow Celtic in the UEFA Cup final, the Portuguese side eventually emerged victorious, sealing a 3-2 win at the end of a breathtaking game. Charismatic coach José Mourinho was instrumental in the renaissance, and the Blue and Whites impressed with their efficient counter-attacking style, founded on an impregnable defence. The recipe was so successful, in fact, that Porto added a prestigious Champions League title to their list of honours the very next year, inflicting a heavy 3-0 defeat on AS Monaco in the final.

Club Profile

Futebol Clube do Porto
City: Porto
Founded: 28 September 1893
Official website:www.fcporto.pt

Honours:
* 2 Intercontinental Cups: 1987, 2004
* 2 European Cups/UEFA Champions Leagues: 1987, 2004
* 1 UEFA Cup: 2003
* 1 European Super Cup: 1987
* 22 Portuguese championships: 1935, 1939, 1940, 1956, 1959, 1978, 1979, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008
* 16 Portuguese Cups: 1922, 1925, 1932, 1937, 1956, 1958, 1968, 1977, 1984, 1988, 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003

Legendary players:
Valdemar Mota, Pinga, Costuras, Kordnya, Correia Dias, Araujo, Azumir, Oliveira, Gomes, Seninho, Duda, Frasco, Costa, Hernani (1950-64), Carlos Duarte (1953-62), Teofilo Cubillas (1974-76), Paulo Futre (1984-87), Jardel (1996-2000), Madjer (1986-91), Fernando Couto (1987-94), Ricardo Carvalho (1998-2004), Deco (1999-2004), Maniche (2002-05)

Records:
Porto won both their Toyota Cups after being taken into extra-time.

Inter Milan

2008-11-14T09:58:00.000-08:00

Herrera outwits Independiente in successive finals
Internazionale Milano Football Club, commonly known as "Inter" for short, came into existence on 9 March 1908 in the back room of the "L'Orologiaio" ("the clock") restaurant in Milan, under the impetus of dissident members of the "Milan Cricket and Football Club," the ancestors of the present day AC Milan. These members were in dispute with MCFC's management, as they wanted to open up the club to foreign players at a time when it was strictly reserved for Italians.

A brief history...
Internazionale Milano Football Club, commonly known as "Inter" for short, came into existence on 9 March 1908 in the back room of the "L'Orologiaio" ("the clock") restaurant in Milan, under the impetus of dissident members of the "Milan Cricket and Football Club," the ancestors of the present day AC Milan.

These members were in dispute with MCFC's management, as they wanted to open up the club to foreign players at a time when it was strictly reserved for Italians. For this reason, when the breakaway club's statutes and famous blue-and-black strip were set at this meeting, the word "Internazionale" was included into the name.

Due to a lack of financial resources, the club's early days were tough, so much so that the players even had to pay for their own shirts and boots. Within two years, however, Inter had won their first title, even if the term "scudetto" had not yet been coined.

When the fascists came to power in Italy, the word "Internazionale" was deemed to be a reference to the international communist movement and, in 1932, Inter were forced to merge with the Milanese Unione Sportiva to become Ambrosiana-Inter until the fall of the regime.

Four of the players (Allemandi, Castellazzi, Demaria and Meazza) from the Squadra Azzurra side that triumphed at the 1934 FIFA World Cup in Italy were supplied by Inter, as were a further quartet (Ferrari, Ferraris II, Locatelli and Meazza again) for the FIFA World Cup in France four years later.

Two personalities have left a particularly powerful mark on Inter's history. The first was the truly gifted Giuseppe Meazza, scorer of 283 goals in 408 games for the club. In 1979, a year after his death, the San Siro was renamed in his honour, with the agreement of the ground's co-occupants AC Milan, despite the strong rivalry between the two clubs.

In the Sixties, under the chairmanship of Angelo Moratti, father of the current chairman Massimo Moratti, Inter enjoyed their golden age under the management of the "magus" Helenio Herrera, the inventor of the Catenaccio. In the space of four years between 1963 and 66, Inter won practically everything there was to win (three Scudetti, two European Cups, and two Intercontinental Cups) by perfecting this ultra-defensive and unspectacular tactical system.

In 1998, Ronaldo became the first Inter player ever to win the FIFA World Player award, but the club is still struggling to recreate its past glories. Massimo Moratti, who let the chairmanship pass to Giacinto Facchetti in 2004 while remaining the club's owner, still dreams of emulating his father's epic sixties adventure.

Club Profile

Internazionale Milano Football Club
City : Milan (Italy)
Founded: 9 March 1908
Official website:www.inter.it

Honours:
* 2 Intercontinental Cups: 1964, 1965
* 2 European Cups: 1964, 1965
* 3 UEFA Cups: 1991, 1994, 1998
* 16 Italian Championships: 1910, 1920, 1930, 1938, 1940, 1953, 1954, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1971, 1980, 1989, 2006, 2007, 2008
* 5 Italian Cups: 1939, 1978, 1982, 2005, 2006

Legendary players:
Guiseppe Meazza (1927-40), Antonio Angelillo (1957-61), Mario Corso (1957-73), Giacinto Facchetti (1960-78), Luis Suarez (1961-70), Sandro Mazzola (1961-77), Tarciso Burgnich (1962-74), Gabriele Oriali (1971-83), Alessandro Altobelli (1977-88), Guiseppe Bergomi (1980-99), Walter Zenga (1982-94), Lothar Matthaus (1988-92), Javier Zanetti (since 1995), Ronaldo (1997-2002)

Records:
Goals: Giuseppe Meazza - 283
Appearances: Guiseppe Bergomi - 758

Juventus

2008-11-14T09:41:00.000-08:00

The Old Lady climbs to the top of the world
In the history of football, Juventus is a club without compare. Known affectionately as "La Vecchia Signora" (The Old Lady), "Juve" were founded on 1 November 1897. But as her name suggests ("Juventus" means "youth" in Latin), this particular centenarian has lost none of her faculties with age.

A brief history...
In the history of football, Juventus is a club without compare. Known affectionately as "La Vecchia Signora" (The Old Lady), "Juve" were founded on 1 November 1897. But as her name suggests ("Juventus" means "youth" in Latin), this particular centenarian has lost none of her faculties with age. The club's statutes were written on a bench at the corner of the Corso Re-Umberto and the Corso Vittorio Emmanuele in Turin, the daily meeting place of fifteen or so students from the Ginnasio Massimo d'Azeglio high school and two 20-year-old bicycle repairmen, Eugenio and Enrico Canfari.

Juventus Football Club, whose original strip was pink, did not contest its first official match until three years later, a game they lost (1-0) to FC Torinese. Three more years then elapsed before Juventus adopted their new colours, when they acquired a set of black-and-white vertical striped shirts from John Savage, an Englishman living in Turin who had passed on the order to friends back in Nottingham.

Juve won their first title in 1905, but it was in 1923 that the club really hit the big time when it was taken over by the Agnelli family, owners of the powerful Fiat motor group. Lured by of the guarantee of regular wages and the perk of a gleaming new car provided by the Italian firm, several big name players soon headed for the Piedmont club, which proceeded to clinch five consecutive titles between 1931 and 35. Juve went on to cement their place among the giants of Italian football courtesy of the arrival of world-class talents such as Giampiero Boniperti, the Welshman John Charles and the Argentinian Omar Sivori.

The arrival of coach Giovanni Trapattoni in 1977 enabled Juve to scale even greater heights (six titles in his 10 years at the club), so much so that the Squadra Azzurra team at the 1978 FIFA World Cup Argentina ™ was to all intents and purposes the Juventus side. And, in 1982, there were no fewer than seven representatives of "the Old Lady" in the side crowned world champions in Spain.

The acquisition of the Frenchman Michel Platini, who topped the calcio goalscoring charts three times, enabled Juve to remain at the very top, despite the terrible tragedy at Brussels' Heysel stadium on 29 May 1985, when several dozen Italian fans were crushed to death (39 dead, 450 wounded). Since then, Juve have embraced the healing process with dignity, while continuing to collect silverware with monotonous regularity.

Club Profile
Juventus Football Club
City: Turin
Founded: 1 November 1897
Official website:www.juventus.it

Honours:
* 2 Intercontinental Cups: 1985, 1996
* 2 European Cups/UEFA Champions Leagues: 1985, 1996
* 2 European Super Cups: 1984, 1996
* 3 UEFA Cups: 1977, 1990, 1993
* 1 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1984
* 27 Italian Championships: 1905, 1926, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1950, 1952, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1967, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003
* 9 Italian Cups: 1938, 1942, 1959, 1960, 1965, 1979, 1983, 1990, 1995

Legendary players:
Giampiero Boniperti (1947-61), John Charles (1957-62), Omar Sivori (1957-65), Franco Causio (1966-81), Roberto Bettega (1970-83), Dino Zoff (1972-83), Claudio Gentile (1973-84), Gaetano Scirea (1974-88), Marco Tardelli (1975-85), Paolo Rossi (1982-85), Zbigniew Boniek (1982-85), Michel Platini (1982-87), Roberto Baggio (1990-95), Alessandro Del Piero (since 1993), Didier Deschamps (1994-99), Zinedine Zidane (1996-2001)

Records:
Appearances: Alessandro Del Piero - 560 as of 19 May 2008
Goals: Alessandro Del Piero - 241 as of 19 May 2008

Feyenoord

2008-11-14T09:21:00.000-08:00

Feyenoord was founded by a group of football-playing youngsters in 1908 in a working-class area of Rotterdam, initially taking the name Wilhelmina after the reigning Queen of the Netherlands. The date was 19 July, the setting the Café De Vereeniging as the blueprint for the rise of a club which would enjoy a glorious future was laid out.

A brief history...
Feyenoord was founded by a group of football-playing youngsters in 1908 in a working-class area of Rotterdam, initially taking the name Wilhelmina after the reigning Queen of the Netherlands. The date was 19 July, the setting the Café De Vereeniging as the blueprint for the rise of a club which would enjoy a glorious future was laid out. The club underwent a number of reincarnations before all parties agreed on the name Feijenoord, after the area of South Rotterdam in 1912. Feyenoord won their first Dutch Championship in 1924, the workers overcoming the gentry for the first time. Still an amateur club, the football world began to sit up and take notice of Feyenoord in 1938 when Hungarian coach Richard Dombi's team defeated the professionals of Arsenal 1-0.

Feyenoord went on to participate in a series of memorable games and none more so than on 8 September 1965 when the Dutch masters recorded a 2-1 victory over Ferenc Puskas' Real Madrid in the European Cup. Unfortunately, the Royal club exacted their revenge two weeks later, giving Feyenoord a 5-0 footballing lesson in the Spanish capital.

However, just a few years later, they enjoyed a period of unparalleled success. The date 6 May 1970 would go down in history as the day Feyenoord Rotterdam first lifted the European Champions Cup after a thrilling final in Milan, the club usurping Ajax Amsterdam as the first Dutch representatives to win the trophy. Feyenoord celebrated a 2-1 victory over Glasgow Celtic after 120 pulsating minutes in Milan's San Siro stadium, the winning goal coming courtesy of Ove Kindvall in the 117th minute.

The Dutch team played their way into the hearts of all football fans with technically perfect football masterminded by the unforgettable coach Ernst Happel. Thousands of fans celebrated through the night as they returned from Milan to Rotterdam on four special trains while countless others followed events avidly on television before providing the players with a memorable reception on their triumphant return to Rotterdam.

The remainder of 1970 was characterised by highs and lows. There was bitter disappointment when the European champions' defence of their title ended in the first round after 0-0 and 1-1 draws against Romania's UT Arad. However, those wounds were healed when Feyenoord overcame Estudiantes de la Plata (2-2 and 1-0) to claim the Intercontinental Cup and end a rollercoaster period on a high note.

Feyenoord Rotterdam lifted the UEFA Cup for the first time in 1974 defeating Tottenham Hotspur in the final. A ten-year drought would follow before the Rotterdam club added another Dutch Championship in 1984 and went on to complete the Double. Amsterdam's Johan Cruyff had proven that he was far from over the hill, though he could not inspire a new era of success for a club desperately clinging to past glories.

Feyenoord Rotterdam
City: Rotterdam
Founded: 19 July 1908
Honours:
* 1 Intercontinental Cup (1970)
* 1 European Cup (1970)
* 2 UEFA Cups (1974, 2002)
* 14 Dutch Championships (1924, 1928, 1936, 1938, 1940, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1969, 1971, 1974, 1984, 1993, 1999)
* 11 Dutch Cups (1930, 1935, 1965, 1969, 1980, 1984, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 2008)
Legendary players:
Rinus Bennaars, Ove Kindvall, Henk Schouten, Hans Venneker, Wim Jansen, Joop van Daele, Wim van Hanegem, Johan Cruyff, Ruud Gullit, Pierre van Hooijdonk
Official website:www.feyenoord.nl

At the beginning of the 1990s, it was two of the club's heroes of 1970, Wim Jansen and Wim van Hanegem, who restored Feyenoord to winning ways. Feyenoord won four Dutch Cups between 1991 and 1995, and celebrated their 13th of 14 domestic Championships in 1993. The final league title was added in 1999, while the most recent international success came in the form of a 2002 UEFA Cup victory over Borussia Dortmund on home soil at the De Kuip Stadium, man-of-the-match Pierre van Hooijdonk scoring twice. Coincidentally, the successful coach Bert van Marwijk is now at the helm with Dortmund.

Inter Milan

2008-11-14T09:13:00.000-08:00

Herrera outwits Independiente in successive finals
Internazionale Milano Football Club, commonly known as "Inter" for short, came into existence on 9 March 1908 in the back room of the "L'Orologiaio" ("the clock") restaurant in Milan, under the impetus of dissident members of the "Milan Cricket and Football Club," the ancestors of the present day AC Milan. These members were in dispute with MCFC's management, as they wanted to open up the club to foreign players at a time when it was strictly reserved for Italians.

A brief history...
Internazionale Milano Football Club, commonly known as "Inter" for short, came into existence on 9 March 1908 in the back room of the "L'Orologiaio" ("the clock") restaurant in Milan, under the impetus of dissident members of the "Milan Cricket and Football Club," the ancestors of the present day AC Milan.

These members were in dispute with MCFC's management, as they wanted to open up the club to foreign players at a time when it was strictly reserved for Italians. For this reason, when the breakaway club's statutes and famous blue-and-black strip were set at this meeting, the word "Internazionale" was included into the name.

Due to a lack of financial resources, the club's early days were tough, so much so that the players even had to pay for their own shirts and boots. Within two years, however, Inter had won their first title, even if the term "scudetto" had not yet been coined.

When the fascists came to power in Italy, the word "Internazionale" was deemed to be a reference to the international communist movement and, in 1932, Inter were forced to merge with the Milanese Unione Sportiva to become Ambrosiana-Inter until the fall of the regime.

Four of the players (Allemandi, Castellazzi, Demaria and Meazza) from the Squadra Azzurra side that triumphed at the 1934 FIFA World Cup in Italy were supplied by Inter, as were a further quartet (Ferrari, Ferraris II, Locatelli and Meazza again) for the FIFA World Cup in France four years later.

Two personalities have left a particularly powerful mark on Inter's history. The first was the truly gifted Giuseppe Meazza, scorer of 283 goals in 408 games for the club. In 1979, a year after his death, the San Siro was renamed in his honour, with the agreement of the ground's co-occupants AC Milan, despite the strong rivalry between the two clubs.

In the Sixties, under the chairmanship of Angelo Moratti, father of the current chairman Massimo Moratti, Inter enjoyed their golden age under the management of the "magus" Helenio Herrera, the inventor of the Catenaccio. In the space of four years between 1963 and 66, Inter won practically everything there was to win (three Scudetti, two European Cups, and two Intercontinental Cups) by perfecting this ultra-defensive and unspectacular tactical system.

In 1998, Ronaldo became the first Inter player ever to win the FIFA World Player award, but the club is still struggling to recreate its past glories. Massimo Moratti, who let the chairmanship pass to Giacinto Facchetti in 2004 while remaining the club's owner, still dreams of emulating his father's epic sixties adventure

Internazionale Milano Football Club
City : Milan (Italy)
Founded: 9 March 1908
Official website:www.inter.it

Honours:
* 2 Intercontinental Cups: 1964, 1965
* 2 European Cups: 1964, 1965
* 3 UEFA Cups: 1991, 1994, 1998
* 16 Italian Championships: 1910, 1920, 1930, 1938, 1940, 1953, 1954, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1971, 1980, 1989, 2006, 2007, 2008
* 5 Italian Cups: 1939, 1978, 1982, 2005, 2006

Legendary players:
Guiseppe Meazza (1927-40), Antonio Angelillo (1957-61), Mario Corso (1957-73), Giacinto Facchetti (1960-78), Luis Suarez (1961-70), Sandro Mazzola (1961-77), Tarciso Burgnich (1962-74), Gabriele Oriali (1971-83), Alessandro Altobelli (1977-88), Guiseppe Bergomi (1980-99), Walter Zenga (1982-94), Lothar Matthaus (1988-92), Javier Zanetti (since 1995), Ronaldo (1997-2002)

Records:
Goals: Giuseppe Meazza - 283
Appearances: Guiseppe Bergomi - 758

Real Madrid

2008-11-14T09:06:00.000-08:00

Maiden champions pass the test of time
It was Real Madrid's legendary President Santiago Bernabeu who came up with the idea of a game between the Champions of South America and the champions of Europe to determine the best club side in the world. And it would be his club, winners of the first five editions of the European Cup, who came away with that first intercontinental trophy.

A brief history
It was Real Madrid's legendary President Santiago Bernabeu who came up with the idea of a game between the Champions of South America and the champions of Europe to determine the best club side in the world. And it would be his club, winners of the first five editions of the European Cup, who came away with that first intercontinental trophy. However, los Blancos would then have to wait 38 long years before lifting the crown again, in 1998, a feat they repeated in 2003, their centenary year.

In the 103 years since the birth of Real Madrid just after the turn of the last century, the club have amassed an enviable trophy collection and risen to the summit of world football. Bernabéu's election as President marked the beginning of a glorious era for the club when, on top of winning numerous titles, work began on their celebrated stadium. Players like Di Stefano, Puskas and Gento helped bring the club those five consecutive European Cups in the late 50s as Real Madrid swept all before them both in Spain and in Europe.

However, after their sixth European triumph in 1966, their fans would need to wait another 32 years before they would be once again crowned continental kings. Nevertheless, fans at the Bernabéu during the barren years could still enjoy top-class football from the highly talented players wearing the famous white shirt.

Amongst those most fondly remembered by the fans were " La Quinta del Buitre" consisting of Butragueño, Míchel, Pardeza, Martín Vázquez and Sanchís, all of whom came up through the youth ranks to enjoy great success with the first team. The youth system may have provided legendary players aplenty, but the club continued to dip into the transfer market to acquire the best players of each era including Hugo Sánchez, Luis Molowny, Bernd Schuster, Jorge Valdano, and Iván Zamorano, to name just a few.

In terms of European success, Real Madrid enjoyed their second golden era in the late 90s. They won the Champions League in 1998 and 2000 and then, as they began to forge the team known as " los Galácticos" with Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane and later Ronaldo and David Beckham joining Roberto Carlos, Raúl, Fernando Hierro and Iker Casillas, they claimed the continent's top prize for a ninth time in 2002. There were Toyota Cup triumphs in 1998 and 2002, delighting Real Madrid's supporters and seeing the club's popularity soar.

At least twice a year the fixture list throws up a "clásico" against their oldest and fiercest rivals FC Barcelona, with fans of both Blancos and Azulgranas living these heart-stopping games to the limit. Closer to home, Madrid also enjoy a heated rivalry with city neighbours Atlético de Madrid, the only other Spanish team to have won the Intercontinental trophy.

Real Madrid Club de Futbol
City: Madrid
Founded: 6 March 1902
Official website:www.realmadrid.com

Honours:
* 3 Intercontinental Cups: 1960, 1998, 2002
* 9 European Cups/UEFA Champions Leagues: 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002
* 1 European Super Cup: 2002
* 2 UEFA Cups: 1985, 1986
* 31 Spanish Championships: 1932, 1933, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2008
* 17 Spanish Cups: 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1917, 1934, 1936, 1946, 1947, 1962, 1970, 1974, 1975, 1980, 1982, 1989, 1993

Legendary Players:
Ricardo Zamora (1930-36), Alfredo di Stefano (1953-64), Francisco Gento (1953-71), Ferenc Puskas (1958-66), Pirri (1964-1980), Michel (1981-96), Emilio Butragueno (1983-95), Jorge Valdano (1984-87), Hugo Sanchez (1985-92), Fernando Hierro (1989-2003), Raul (since 1994), Roberto Carlos (1996-2007), Zinedine Zidane (2001-06), Ronaldo (2002-07)

Records:
Manuel Sanchis - 712 appearances
Alfredo di Stefano - 307 goals

River Plate

2008-11-14T08:53:00.000-08:00

Alzamendi winner crushes Romanian dreams

Hailed by their supporters as the kings of Argentine football, River Plate's long and distinguished history marks them out as one of the continent's foremost sides. Known as Los Millonarios because of their spectacular dealings in the transfer market, River Plate reportedly have some 60,000 members and 15 million fans.

A brief history...
Hailed by their supporters as the kings of Argentine football, River Plate's long and distinguished history marks them out as one of the continent's foremost sides.

Known as Los Millonarios because of their spectacular dealings in the transfer market, River Plate reportedly have some 60,000 members and 15 million fans. They hold a series of impressive records in Argentine football, including most titles (32), most games won, least games lost, most goals scored and least goals conceded. Furthermore, the club has provided more players than any other Argentine side to the country's national team.

River's origins date back to the beginning of the last century, when two rival sides from the Riachuelo dockland area of Buenos Aires - Santa Rosa and Los Rosales - regularly pitted themselves against visiting teams from around the province. Faced with logistical difficulties in coordinating these games, the idea arose to merge the two sides. According to the club's history, it was a Rosales official named Pedro Martínez who uttered the now immortal words "Let's call it River Plate", after seeing the name inscribed on the side of mysterious boxes being handled by sailors during the construction of Dock Nº 3 . And so it was that on 25 May 1901, Club Atlético River Plate officially came into existence.

In its early years the club moved on several occasions until finally settling in the Núñez district, the home of its magnificent Estadio Antonio Vespucio Liberti, or El Monumental, as it is better known. Racing Club is currently being administered by the Blanquiceleste PLC, who took over the running of the club after it declared bankruptcy during the country's financial crisis in 1999.

The club's fiercest rivals are Boca Juniors, with whom they contest the incomparable Superclásico of Argentine football. Such is the colour and passion in these meetings that the derby has become one of the country's most popular tourist spectacles. The first ever meeting between the clubs took place on 24 August 1913, with River Plate taking the honours 2-1.

Club Atlético River Plate
City: Buenos Aires
Founded: 25 May 1901
Official website:www.cariverplate.com.ar

Honours:
* 1 Intercontinental Cup
* 2 Libertadores Cups
* 1 South American Supercopa
* 33 National Championships

Legendary players:
Amadeo Carrizo, Angel Labruna, Alfredo Di Stéfano, José Moreno, Bernabé Ferreira, Adolfo Pedernera, Wálter Gómez, Oscar Más, Ubaldo Fillol, Daniel Passarella, Norberto Alonso, Ramón Días, Enzo Francescoli, Ariel Ortega.

Records:
Amadeo Carrizo - 520 appearances
Angel Labruna - 292 goals

Olympiastadion

2008-11-09T02:49:00.000-08:00

Location: Munich, Germany
Inauguration: 26 May 1972
The history of the Olympiastadion in München is inextricably linked with the goal-scoring exploits of Gerd Der Bomber Muller. Who else but Germany's all-time leading goal scorer could have christened the stadium in such sensational style.

The history of the Olympiastadion in München is inextricably linked with the goal-scoring exploits of Gerd Der Bomber Muller. Who else but Germany's all-time leading goal scorer could have christened the stadium in such sensational style on 26 May 1972? Inspired by 80,000 awed fans, the nimble, stocky striker scored four against the Soviets, who could only add a meaningless consolation goal in a 4-1 drubbing.

München's Olympiastadion is truly one of the most extraordinary stadia in all the world. A living example of functionality combined with stylised architecture, even if some have come to consider it dated - owing largely to the distance between the spectators and the pitch. The 75,000-square-metre roof, once heralded as an architectural milestone, still enchants visitors today.

A national architectural competition was launched in autumn 1967 to find the right people for such a daunting project. In 1966, the International Olympic Committee awarded the 1972 Olympic Games to Munich, a city bereft of any major sporting venues. The Olympiastadion was created over a period of six years, surrounded by a vast park landscape with an 80,000-square-metre lake. The unlikely three-square-kilometre site was the Oberwiesenfeld, formerly used for Royal Bavarian Army exercises and later converted into an airport. The winning design was submitted by architects Günter Behnisch and partners whose idea for the sweeping roof, a pioneering concept in design and technology, became an established fixture in global architecture. The Olympiastadion was Munich innovative architectural answer to its Berlin namesake constructed for the Olympics back in 1936.

Precisely three months after the opening match, 80,000 spectators poured into the stadium once again on 26 August 1972 to watch the sun-drenched opening ceremony of the Olympic Games and the entrance of the 121 participating nations.

Olympics and FIFA World Cup landmarks
The Olympiastadion has repeatedly been called upon as a stage for major national and international sporting events and has welcomed almost 50 million spectators through its turnstiles over the years. The pitch is 105 x 68 metres and has an automated sprinkler system and under-soil heating. The current normal capacity is 63,000.

Besides the Olympic Games in 1972, the Olympiastadion will be forever remembered as the site of the Germany 74 final on 7 July when hosts Germany overcame hot favourites Holland.

Reigning European champions Germany were strongly favoured going into the 1974 tournament, but mediocre performances in the group stage compared with Johan Cruyff & Company's 'Clockwork Orange' saw them soon ranked as outsiders for the ultimate contest. The Oranje team had been outstanding throughout the competition and took the lead against Germany with barely two minutes on the clock. Uli Hoeness brought down Cruyff and Johan Neeskens made no mistake from the penalty spot. Germany responded in the 25th minute courtesy of another penalty. The outstanding Paul Breitner seized the ball before tucking it away to restore parity at 1-1.

And when Gerd Muller finished off some fine work from Jurgen Grabowski and Rainer Bonhof in inimitable fashion for a 2-1 lead two minutes before the interval, Germany were world champions and the Netherlands were shell-shocked. Muller recalls: "I got back on the ball, turned and just hit it, and it went in. It was that simple. My goal winning us the World Cup was the most important event in my career, even though I scored more goals four years earlier," the legendary striker said recently. The next Dutch generation has better memories of Munich's Olympiastadion - they triumphed 2-0 there against the Soviet Union in the final of the 1988 UEFA European Championship. Marco van Basten's magical volley into the corner of the net will never be forgotten.

Club surprises
In 1993, Olympique Marseille won the Champions League final against favourites AC Milan through a solitary Basile Boli goal. Another upset followed four years later when Borussia Dortmund defeated Champions League favourites Juventus 3-1 in the final. The stadium has seen the world's best teams over the course of its history.

Renowned clubs such as Inter Milan, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United have all met Bayern Munich in the awe-inspiring arena, while memories of the UEFA Cup semi-final from 1988/1989 against Diego Maradona's SSC Napoli still bring a tear to the eye. From the start of the 2005/06 season, Bayern Munich have played their football at the FIFA World Cup Stadium in the north of the city.

In many ways, the successes of Bayern Munich also belong to the Olympiastadion: 18 championships, 11 DFB Cups, four European Champions Cups or Champions Leagues (1974, 1975, 1976 and 2001), the 1976 European team of the year and FIFA World Club Champions, a feat repeated in 2001.

Maracana

2008-11-09T02:46:00.000-08:00

One of the most iconic sporting venues, the Maracana was erected ahead of the 1950 FIFA World Cup TM and has since played host to some of the most memorable moments in football history.

There are few stadiums in the world that can rightly claim to be truly historic monuments as well as sporting arenas. But the Estadio Jornalista Mario Filho, or the Maracana as it is popularly known, with its enormous expanse, huge seating capacity and majestic architecture, is definitely one of them.

Built in the heart of Río de Janeiro for the 1950 FIFA World Cup ™, the colossal stadium has witnessed some of the most unforgettable moments in Brazilian and world football.

Within the realm of South American football, the Maracana has taken on mythical proportions and represents an almost impregnable fortress. A good performance in itself is no guarantee of winning there. Some of Brazil's greatest ever players, Pele, Garrincha, Zico and Romario, have all graced the hallowed ground where fanatical crowds of up to 183,000 mean only the very toughest visitors survive.

Building for grandeur
With the FIFA World Cup as a pretext, the Brazilians set about building the biggest football stadium in the world. The idea was to construct an enormous structure that would provide a suitably majestic setting for the host country's victory at the 1950 tournament. And so work began in 1948 with over 10,000 labourers toiling ceaselessly under the blazing Rio sun. When the stadium was complete, the capacity exceeded the previous record holder, Hampden Park in Glasgow, by 43,000.

The A Noite newspaper reflected the immense sense of pride felt by all Brazilians at the time: "Today, Brazil has the biggest and the best stadium in the world. Now we have a truly fantastic setting where the whole world can admire our sporting grandeur and prowess."

The stadium was officially introduced to the world before the opening match of the 1950 FIFA World Cup, where the hosts would play five of their six games (one would be at the Pacaembu). Brazil, under Flavio Costa, were firm favourites to lift the trophy and approached the final contest against Uruguay with the swagger of champions-elect after easing aside Sweden and Spain 7-1 and 6-1 respectively. As the tournament was played on a final group stage basis that year, a draw was all Brazil needed in the deciding match to be crowned champions.

Maracanazolives for Brazil
The Final was played on 16 July 1950, in front of an official crowd of 174,000, although reliable sources put this figure much higher. One such person was Joao Havelange, the President of FIFA between 1974 and 1988, who recollects: "There were some 220,000 people in the stadium that day," a figure equivalent to 10 percent of Río de Janeiro's population at the time.

Things appeared to be going to plan when Friaca gave the home side the lead, but Uruguay's response was to rock Brazil to its very core. Juan Schiaffino and Alcides Ghiggia turned the game around for the Charrúa, handing them a 2-1 win and the title. Without doubt the saddest moment in the history of Brazilian football was met by an eerie, haunting silence in the gigantic stadium. The world's media dubbed Uruguay's shock victory as the Maracanazo, a term that is still used today whenever a visiting team wins at the stadium.

"Grown men fought back tears after the game. Some fans had left just before the end with the game all square, thinking Brazil were champions. Yet even before they reached the main gates, their dream had gone up in smoke," recalled Havelange.

As the story goes, the then President of FIFA, Jules Rimet, was making his way down to the pitch to present the trophy to the Brazilians. By the time he reached the pitch Uruguay had turned the game around and were now world champions. A little taken aback by the sudden turn of events, Rimet discarded the congratulatory speech that he had prepared for the Brazilians and simply handed the cup over to the Uruguayan hero Obdulio Varela.

Some say that Brazil have never fully avenged the defeat, but on 16 July 1989 a goal by Romario was enough to beat Uruguay in the final of that year's Copa America on the same ground.

Records, idols and a common ground
The property of the Rio de Janeiro state, the Maracana regularly hosts matches involving its 'big four' teams - Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense and Vasco. The Maracana has also witnessed some of the most memorable moments in the history of Brazilian football, such as Pele's 1000th career goal for Santos against Vasco on 19 November 1969. When Pele beat the Argentine goalkeeper Edgardo Andrada with a 34th minute penalty, the ensuing pitch invasion by hundreds of fans and photographers stopped the match.

One of the most poignant and evocative chapters in the stadium's history came on 20 January 1983, when Garrincha, one of the all-time greats of Brazilian football, passed away and his remains were brought to the stadium. Thousand of fans came to pay their respects and bid a final farewell to the idol.

In 2000, 50 years after the legendary Maracanazo, the stadium hosted the final of the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup. In an all-Brazilian affair, 73,000 supporters saw Corinthians prevail against rivals Vasco to lift the trophy.

As for its immediate future, the Maracana may well go down the same route as London's Wembley Stadium after the President of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), Ricardo Texeira, expressed his desire to raze the old stadium and rebuild a new one with the same name. The controversial proposal was met with huge protests and was rejected outright by the Mayor of Rio de Janeiro and the majority of its citizens. The matter is far from closed, however, and any decision is sure to have repercussions throughout Brazil.

As usual, the last word falls to the great Pele: "The Maracana is a special place for all Brazilians, but especially for me. It was there that I scored my first goal for the Auriverde against Argentina, and also where I scored my 1000th professional goal years later. Some 1,700 people have played on that pitch and the aura of the place is extraordinary."

Stadiums

* Final Round of the 1950 FIFA World Cup TM (Uruguay 2-1 Brazil)
* Final Round of the 1950 FIFA World Cup (Brazil 6-1 Spain)
* Final Round of the 1950 FIFA World Cup (Brazil 7-1 Sweden)
* 1950 FIFA World Cup group matches (Five games)
* 2000 FIFA Club World Cup final (Corinthians 0-0 Vasco - Vasco won 4-3penalties)
* 2000 FIFA Club World Cup group matches (6 games)
* 1989 Copa America
* 1963 Intercontinental Cup final second leg (Santos 4-2 AC Milan)
* 1963 Intercontinental Cup final deciding match (Santos 1-0 AC Milan)

Rose Bowl

2008-11-09T02:40:00.000-08:00

Location: Pasadena, USA
Resident club: none

Though generally associated with American football, the vast Rose Bowl provided a fitting stage on which to showcase the skills of the world's best 'soccer' players in 1994.

With no traditional venues for 'soccer', the United States was in some ways an unconventional choice to host the FIFA World Cup TM. As it turned out though, USA 94 was a tournament rich in goals and excitement, drawing huge crowds and culminating eventually in the final at the Rose Bowl - drawing the eyes of the world to this small corner of California on 17 July 1994.

Nestled at the edge of the San Gabriel mountains north of Los Angeles in the town of Pasadena, this vast arena accommodated 94,194 spectators and provided a fitting backdrop for the showpiece final between a pair of three-time world champions, Brazil and Italy. The South Americans eventually claimed their fourth FIFA World Cup in a penalty shootout after what can only be called an anticlimactic contest.

The Seleção thus finally got their hands on the FIFA World Cup trophy, having previously retained the old Jules Rimet trophy after winning it for a third time in 1970. The tournament's true stars, Romario and Roberto Baggio, were largely subdued - the latter sealing Italy's fate with his famous penalty miss - but the atmosphere was admirably upbeat. For the spectators it was a day of celebration as the Rose Bowl basked in its moment in the sun.

Not that the glare of the spotlight is anything new for a stadium situated just miles from the glitz of Hollywood. A major venue for American football - it has hosted five Super Bowls together with the annual collegiate Rose Bowl - it staged the gold medal match at the 1984 Olympic Football Tournament, with 101,799 people turning out to see France beat Brazil 2-0.

More recently, in 1999, the FIFA Women's World Cup reached its climax there, with the hosts beating China 5-4 on penalty-kicks after a 0-0 draw. Over 90,000 people were in attendance as America's women claimed their second world crown.

Completed in 1922, the Rose Bowl has increased in size over the years. Built in a horseshoe shape, capacity rose from 57,000 to 76,000 when its open south end was built on in 1929. By the 1950s it could accommodate over 100,000. The venue has correspondingly branched out from its gridiron roots. Innumerable shows and concerts have been held there, as well as the world's largest flea market, Moreover, Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy called the Rose Bowl home for seven seasons and not only were the US national team regulars there but Mexico and other Central American teams have also staged matches at the arena.

Though typically avoiding the Rose Bowl for contests against fellow CONCACAF opposition - whose Spanish-speaking support would likely to outnumber their own - the USA have played there 15 times, losing on just three occasions.

The first of these reverses came against Romania in the Americans' final group game of USA 94 on 26 June. Four days earlier, the Red, White and Blue had shocked fancied Colombia 2-1 on the same pitch. Over 93,000 people witnessed the host nation's first victory in a FIFA World Cup match since 1950.

Of the eight matches it hosted during USA 94, arguably the most memorable was Romania's thrilling 3-2 triumph over Argentina in the second round. Ilie Dumitrescu was the scourge of the Albiceleste that day, scoring twice inside the opening 18 minutes and then slotting the ball perfectly through three defenders and into the path of Gheorghe Hagi for him to add the Romanians' third. Goals from Gabriel Batistuta and Abel Balbo proved in vain as Argentina, with Diego Maradona watching helplessly from the stand, made an early exit.

The Rose Bowl also witnessed the highs and lows of tournament dark horses Sweden. It was in Pasadena that they fell in the semi-final to Romario's fifth goal of the finals, yet days later they returned to claim third place by beating Bulgaria 4-0.

The final itself may not have lived up to the high expectations but there were still scenes that stick in the memory: the beaten Baggio with head in hands, a chain of Brazilians celebrating a victory they dedicated to the late motor racing champion Ayrton Senna, the Italian veteran Franco Baresi in tears after playing the match of his life but missing his penalty-kick. To quote a banner hanging on the Rose Bowl walls, this was a day for 'Making soccer history'.

With the construction of the football-specific, but significantly smaller, Home Depot Center south of LA, the Rose Bowl may see less 'soccer' these days, but its days in the world spotlight will not be forgotten.

Location: Pasadena, USA
Club: None
Work started: 1922
Inauguration: 1 January 1923
Original capacity: 57,000
Architect: Myron Hunt
Current capacity: 92,542

San Siro

2008-11-09T02:38:00.000-08:00

Location: Milán, Italia
Resident club: AC Milan, Internazionale
The legendary home of AC Milan and Internazionale, the San Siro - or Stadio Giuseppe Meazza - is a cathedral of football which hosted matches at the 1934 FIFA World Cup TM and reinvented itself as a three-tier colossus for Italia 90.

The San Siro - or to give its official name, the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza - is the proud home of two of Italy's great football clubs, AC Milan and Internazionale. It is also no exaggeration to call it a symbol for football lovers the world over, in much the same way La Scala resonates far beyond Milan for opera aficionados. Situated on the western edge of the city with a capacity of 82,955, its steep access ramps and three tiers of stands make it appear every inch an unassailable fortress.

Befitting a venue of such grandeur, the San Siro has twice hosted football's most-renowned international showpiece. The FIFA World Cups TM of 1934 and 1990 both offered up historic encounters on what is one of the sport's purest stages.

The original structure was built to a typically English model, with four separate stands and room for only 35,000 fans. In the autumn of 1926 the inaugural match was held, a Milanese derby naturally, and to this day Inter hold the bragging rights of winning that first contest 6-3. The national team paid their first visit on 20 February 1927, playing out a 2-2 draw with Czechoslovakia. However, the real international baptism came seven years later with the 1934 FIFA World Cup.

The San Siro staged three matches as the world's leading teams congregated for a second time, beginning with an exciting 3-2 triumph for Switzerland over the Netherlands. The quarter-final contest that followed saw Germany emerge 2-1 winners against Sweden but it was on 3 June 1934, that the stadium earned its place in the hearts of Italian football fans as the tournament hosts took on Austria's outstanding Wunderteam in the semi-final. Amid a stirring atmosphere on a rain-soaked pitch, Italy secured a 1-0 victory through Enrico Guaita's 19 th-minute goal. Vittorio Pozzo's Azzurri went on to win the title against Czechoslovakia in Rome, lifting the Jules Rimet trophy for the first time.

By the time FIFA World Cup football returned to the San Siro in 1990, the old ground had been given a new name - not to mention a complete facelift. In 1980, the San Siro became the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza following the death of the eponymous Italy striker who starred for both Milan clubs and remains Inter's all-time record scorer.

A decade later the Giuseppe Meazza was unrecognisable from the stadium that had hosted those FIFA World Cup matches back in 1934. The stadium had already grown with the addition of a second tier in 1956 but the most significant developments came prior to Italia 90 with the construction of a third tier and the eleven towers that support the roof.

For the opening match of the 1990 FIFA World Cup the stadium offered the world a truly remarkable spectacle: in the city of Il Duomo, here was a space-age cathedral of football. Events on the pitch were equally spectacular. Reigning champions Argentina kicked off the tournament against a Cameroon side many thought were there to merely make up the numbers. Yet sporting logic was turned on its head as, in front of 73,780 spectators, François Omam-Biyik's 67th-minute goal announced the true arrival of African football. The few supporters of the Indomitable Lions who made the long trip to Milan celebrated long into the night their team's humbling of indelible legends such as Maradona, Burruchaga and Sensini.

If the San Siro saw the shock of the tournament, it also saw the best of the eventual winners, West Germany. With three Inter stars in their team - Andreas Brehme, Lothar Matthaus and Jurgen Klinsmann - Franz Beckenbauer's side received notable vocal support from the Milanese crowd gave and featured in all but one of the six matches held in the city. It was here that the Germans saw off Yugoslavia (4-1), United Arab Emirates (5-1), Netherlands (2-1) and Czechoslovakia (1-0). The only stumble from a powerful West Germany side at the San Siro came against Colombia, who managed a creditable 1-1 draw.

Of course, it does not take a FIFA World Cup to draw world stars to the San Siro which has witnessed many memorable triumphs down the decades from both Milan clubs (who between them have won over 30 Serie A titles). If numerous star names have graced the turf in the colours of both Milan and Inter, two local families have made as great a contribution as anybody. Cesare Maldini and his son Paolo are the thread that links Milan's first European Cup win in 1963 with more recent triumphs while in the black-and-blue corner, Massimo Moratti is owner of the club where his father Angelo presided over two European Cup triumphs in the 1960s.

Home to Milan since 1926 and to Inter since 1947, the San Siro is Italian football's finest stage. From Serie A showdowns to FIFA World Cups, it has a history and stature that few stadiums on the planet can match.

In almost a century of rivalry, only one man has ever come close to bridging the chasm. Having devoted the best part of his career to Inter, 1938 FIFA World Cup winner Giuseppe Meazza pulled on the red and black shirt for two seasons as well. After his death, both teams agreed that the stadium they share should be renamed in his honour, and since 3 March 1980, it has been officially called the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium. For the superstitious supporters though, it will always be the San Siro.

Wembley Stadium

2008-11-09T02:33:00.000-08:00

Arguably the most evocative venue of all, Wembley Stadium is the home of English football. Scene of England's 1966 FIFA World Cup triumph and countless epic cup finals, its Twin Towers are gone as a new arena rises in their place.

There are few places more deserving of the words 'hallowed ground' to a football fan than Wembley Stadium. Demolished in 2002 to make way for a new state-of-the-art arena, it was a veritable museum of British sporting history and famous football moments. And, more than any other stadium in the world, to play at Wembley was understood to be something special - the pinnacle of being a footballer was to ply your trade beneath its majestic Twin Towers.

Now those much-loved towers have made way for a 133-metre arch, the symbol of the new Wembley, which opened in spring 2007 - seven years after English football said goodbye to the old stadium.

Whatever the future brings at the new 90,000-seat Wembley, for the rest of the world, playing in the Empire Stadium, as it was originally known, symbolised being closer to where the game was created. For the English, an inordinate number of memories were made on that expansive Wembley pitch. It has witnessed the England team at their best and worst and was the stage on which they joined the ranks of the select few nations to have won the FIFA World Cup ™ in 1966.

The man who famously lifted the cup that celebrated 30th of July 1966 was Bobby Moore, who enjoyed more than his fair share of triumphs at the old ground. The great England defender also won the 1964 FA Cup and 1965 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup at Wembley, though in 1975 he was on the losing side for Fulham against his former side West Ham.

Fellow 1966 hero Bobby Charlton did at least as well as his captain, winning in addition the FA Cup in 1963 and the European Champion Clubs' Cup with the outstanding Manchester United team of 1968. Also in that side was Northern Ireland's greatest ever player George Best and famed Scottish marksman Dennis Law. On the other half of the pitch with Benfica was Eusebio, the legendary Portugal striker, who tasted defeat there not only in 1968 but also in the 1963 European Cup final and 1966 FIFA World Cup semi-final against the hosts.

Dutch legend Johan Cruyff thrilled and stunned over 90,000 supporters in Wembley at a 1977 friendly, which the Netherlands won 2-0. He also lifted a European Cup in the stadium as a player with Ajax in 1971 and a coach with Barcelona in 1992. Another fantastic foreigner to light up the Wembley pitch was 'The Galloping Major', Ferenc Puskas, who led Hungary in their 6-3 drubbing of England in what is surely one of the most celebrated and important friendly matches of all time. If you wanted to make a statement about football, Wembley was the best place to do it, and the 'Magical Magyars' of 1953 underlined both their greatness and England's naivety at the time.

The 'auld enemy' to the north, Scotland, were actually the first team to get the better of England at Wembley, which they did the second time the two sides met there in 1928. It was a rather notorious 5-1 hammering in fact, though England got their revenge two years later under the same towers with a 5-2 win of their own.

Wembley itself was almost as celebrated as the national team it housed, however, and domestic and European cups of all kinds were played out in the ground. The stadium hosted every FA Cup final from 1923 to 2000, every League Cup final from 1967 to 2000, as well as seven European finals (five in the European Cup and two in the Cup Winners' Cup).

Of all the great and glorious FA Cup finals, two that stand out prominently are the first, the 'White Horse" final of 1923, and the 'Matthews' final of 1953. Built to accommodate 127,000 people, the first FA Cup final reportedly saw close to a quarter of a million cram into the ground. Kick-off was delayed for 45 minutes as the pitch had to be cleared of supporters there to see Bolton take on West Ham. Among those restoring order were a mounted police officer, Constable George Scorey, and his distinctive white horse, Billy, who stood out in the throng. Bolton's first goal in a 2-0 success was scored while a West Ham player was still getting through the crowd after retrieving the ball for a throw-in.

Three decades later, one of England's most respected footballers, Sir Stanley Matthews was the star of the show in another match featuring Bolton. Matthews, then 38, was seeking an FA Cup winners' medal at the third attempt but Bolton seemed to have ruined that hope when they went 3-1 ahead. However, the 'Wizard of the Dribble' proceeded to tear apart the opposition and those in Wembley on that historic day would never stop talking about the way that Matthews' Blackpool came back to win 4-3.

Such recollections flood from Wembley unlike any other ground in the world, and because of England's significant place in the development of the beautiful game, their football memories have a collective magnetism for everyone else.

Location: London, England
Club: No club team plays at Wembley
Original work started: January 1922
Original inauguration: 23 April 1923
Original capacity: 127,000
Original architects: Sir John Simpson and Maxwell Ayerton
New capacity: 90,000
New architect: Sir Norman Foster
New work started: 30 September 2002

Santiago Bernabeu

2008-11-09T02:28:00.000-08:00

Location: Madrid, Spain
Inauguration: 14 December 1947

The story of the mythical Santiago Bernabeu Stadium leads inevitably to the history of its regal owners, Real Madrid, an institution which in 2000 was recognised by FIFA as the Club of the Century.

The story of the mythical Santiago Bernabeu Stadium leads inevitably to the history of its regal owners, Real Madrid, an institution which in 2000 was recognised by FIFA as the Club of the Century. Enduring greats such as Alfredo Di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas, Emilio Butragueno, Ronaldo, Raul and Zinedine Zidane have all graced the Bernabeu's sacred turf in the famous all-white strip.

The stadium has also hosted many memorable international matches, most notably the 1982 FIFA World Cup TM final and when La Furia Roja lifted their one and only major international trophy - at the European Championships in 1964.

Built on what at the time were the outskirts of the Spanish capital, the stadium now stands in the heart of Madrid's bustling financial district. The massive undertaking marked the beginning of an era of colossal sporting constructions across the globe. Many at the time thought that its capacity for 120,000 spectators was madness, but the property developers' gamble soon paid off.

Trophy for the Spanish cabinet
Around 100,000 fans packed the Bernabeu on 21 June to witness the final of Euro 1964 when Spain snatched a victory rife with political overtones from the Soviet Union. It was a win that Spain's fascist leader Generalissimo Franco was quick to spin a propaganda vehicle for his regime.

The dictator had withdrawn Spain from the first UEFA European Championship because of political differences with their quarter-final rivals - again the USSR - but he did appear for the showdown that afternoon. The hosts took an early lead thanks to a goal from Pereda in six minutes, but Khusainov levelled for the visitors with a superb free-kick just two minutes later. With the clock ticking down to the final whistle, and after a superb cross in from the right by Pereda, Marcelino headed home past the suddenly helpless 'Black Spider' Lev Yashin. Spain had won their first and to date, only major international trophy with the majestic Bernabeu as the backdrop.

Coming of age
The stadium underwent major remodelling and refurbishment work when Spain was chosen to host the 1982 FIFA World Cup - with the final to be hosted there. Its capacity was reduced to 90,000 and the ground was kitted out with the latest technology in the form of video scoreboards.

With the stadium filled to the rafters, Italy won their third FIFA World Cup crown at the expense of West Germany. Marco Tardelli was to earn himself a place in football lore for his wild celebration of Italy's second goal, putting the Azzurri into a lead which was to prove beyond the Germans. The joy on his face and his frantic race to the dugout to celebrate with his coach and team-mates live on in the collective memory.

Poacher supreme Paolo Rossi also got on the scoresheet for the Italians, picking up not only a winner's medal but the title of the tournament's top scorer. Another Italian legend, goalkeeper Dino Zoff, crowned a glittering career when, at the ripe old age of 40, he received the FIFA World Cup trophy from King Juan Carlos I of Spain.

White Coliseum
Santiago Bernabeu not only dreamt of a great stadium, he also envisaged a great team. The Real Madrid, which he created around the Blond Arrow Di Stefano, were eager to prove that they were worthy of their impressive home. And that is just what they did. Between 1956 and 1960, they won the first five editions of the European Cup and repeated the feat again in 1966.

The final of this famous competition has been held at the Bernabeu on three occasions. In 1957, Real Madrid overcame Fiorentina 2-0. In 1969, an unshakeable AC Milan brought Johan Cruyff's spectacular Ajax Amsterdam to their knees (4-1). And in 1980, Nottingham Forest retained their European Champions' crown by beating Hamburg (1-0).

As far as domestic competitions are concerned, as well as hosting the perennial Real Madrid-Barcelona superclasico, the Bernabeu has been home to more Copa del Rey finals than any other stadium. One never-to-be-forgotten encounter was the 2002 final, popularly known as the Centenariazo. On 6 March, which happened to be the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Madrid club, northern rivals Deportivo de la Coruna were bent on spoiling the party, which they memorably did thanks to strikes from Sergio and Diego Tristan.

Five-star stadium
In 1992, four imposing towers were added to facilitate access to and from the stands. The cover over the east stand and the remodelling of this part of the ground, which now house the director's box and the press area, meant that in 2005 the stadium attained 'five-star' status in accordance with UEFA standards. Also under consideration is a project to cover the entire Bernabeu with a transparent retractable roof.

Hosted
*1982 FIFA World Cup TM final (Italy 3-1 West Germany)
*1982 FIFA World Cup second round (three matches)
*UEFA European Championship 1964
*Three European Cup finals (1957,1959 and 1980)

Estadio Azteca

2008-11-09T02:24:00.000-08:00

Mexico City's fabled Estadio Azteca has been the backdrop for some of history's most unforgettable FIFA World Cup TM moments, including Pele's last sparks of invention on the world stage, a final glimpse of the old Jules Rimet Cup and Maradona's famous goals against England.

Mexico City's fabled Estadio Azteca has been the backdrop for some of history's most unforgettable FIFA World Cup TM moments. Pele's last sparks of invention on the world stage, a final glimpse of the old Jules Rimet Cup and Maradona's famous goals against England in 1986 all took place on the lush grass of the vintage North American gem. Known simply as the Azteca, it is one of the beautiful game's truly great gathering places - and the only one to host two FIFA World Cup Final matches.

Teetering 7,200 feet above sea level, the stadium has earned a reputation for Mexico's national team as a fortress of results. In fact, Mexico only saw their FIFA World Cup TM qualifying unbeaten streak in the stadium end in 2001 when they lost 2-1 to Costa Rica.

The bowl's signature roof traps and amplifies noise from the massive upper level, filling the air with high pitch shrieks and a deafening, cacophonous din to make the Mexico City landmark, and home to domestic giants Club America, one of the loudest stadiums anywhere. Add to that its more notorious conditions, namely altitude and smog, and you have the most inhospitable of venues for visiting teams.

The perfect football stadium lines up the legends
Built in 1966 ahead of the Olympic Games in 1968 and 1970 FIFA World Cup, the cavernous, three-tiered bowl was designed to hold almost 115,000 fans. An over-the-top undertaking for the time, the Azteca is a vivid demonstration of Mexico's mad devotion to the people's game.

The full construction took nearly four years to complete. Architects Pedro Ramirez Vasquez and Rafael Mijares travelled the globe before breaking ground to catch glimpses of the finest football stadiums of the time. Trips to Buenos Aires, Madrid, Rome, Florence, Paris, London, Moscow and Warsaw provided the duo with the inspiration they needed to design what many consider to be a faultless football stadium.

In addition to being an impregnable fortress for the Mexican national team, the Azteca has witnessed some of the most electrifying and immortal FIFA World Cup moments of the last 40 years. Pele said his goodbye to the international game with a peerless performance in the 1970 Final against Italy, inspiring what many call the greatest team of all time to a masterful 4-1 victory over an Italian side infamous for their cohesive defence.

The man many consider the greatest footballer in history scored a perfect low-and-hard header in the 18th minute from Rivelino's swerving cross. Leaving Albertosi with no chance, the celebration that followed involved Pele leaping into Jairzinho's arms and has since become one of the most recognisable snapshots in football history. After a 4-1 result, the Seleção, playing a languid, sultry brand of football never to be seen again, passed the Jules Rimet Cup around the brilliant Azteca grass for what would turn out to be the last time in 24 years.

Italy had a magic moment of their own en route to the ill-fated final. After finishing 90 minutes against West Germany even at one apiece, the semi-final's extra time period will go down in the annals of history as one of the most magnificent half hours of football ever played for a mass audience. A double from 'der Bomber' Gerd Muller and goals from Tarcisio Burgnich, Luigi Riva and Gianni Rivera saw a desperate attacking session fuelled by fatigue and the Azteca's extreme altitude.

Maradona's Mundial
Of all the moments of drama played out on the Azteca's manicured stage down through the years, Maradona's magic act of Mexico 86 stares down all comers. After surviving a massive earthquake one year earlier, the stadium barely withstood the earth-shattering orchestrations of El Diego.

Soon after the Azteca witnessed Manuel Negrete slam a scintillating side-bicycle against Bulgaria home to put El Tri in the quarter-finals, the towering ground got its first glimpse of Argentine genius Diego Armando Maradona at the quarter-final stage. When the Albiceleste locked horns with bitter old enemies England it was to prove a famous day in the folklore of the FIFA World Cup as both sides of the fractured star were on display for the shrieking Azteca to savour.

In the 51st minute, Maradona turned villain in the eyes of purists and moralists everywhere. Pouncing on the end of a horrid looping back pass from Steve Hodge, the diminutive genius rose to head over veteran goalkeeper Peter Shilton. Though the English captain and keeper was getting on in years, the possibility of him being out-leaped by the diminutive Maradona seemed unbelievable - and indeed it was. Replays proved what the England bench had suspected all along: Maradona had punched the ball into the net.

In a post-match press conference, the No10 cheekily attributed the goal to divine intervention, labelling it El Mano de Dios, or the Hand of God.

His second goal of the match settled the score at 2-1 and was voted the Goal of the Century by FIFA.com users in 2002. It will forever be immortalised by a statue of the No10 that stands outside the stadium.

Three minutes after punching home his first, in a moment of profound atonement and irresistible guile, Maradona collected the ball near midfield, spun like a top and began to race at a nervous English defence. Leaving six opponents behind him on a long sprint, Maradona rounded the wrong-footed Shilton to toe-poke home at the last possible moment.

The defiant Argentine heroics did not end there either. The semi-final against Belgium saw the skipper score two more. The first a delicate, almost dainty flick, and the second another defiant dribble through a terrified backline. And, as if there were any doubt, his telepathic through ball to Jose Burruchaga in the Final confirmed Maradona's reputation as the greatest player of the day - and of his generation.

Following the final whistle the Azteca crowd spilled on to the pitch to pay homage to football's gods. As Pele had been in 1970, Maradona was left shirtless and embraced by thousands high in the Mountains that surround Mexico City.

Location: Mexico City (Mexico)
Club: CF America
Date work began: April 1962
Date of inauguration: 29 May 1966
Original capacity: 114,600
Original architects: Pedro Ramírez Vásquez y Rafael Mijares

Rasunda Stadium

2008-11-09T02:17:00.000-08:00

Rasunda Stadium
The spiritual home of Swedish football, the atmospheric Rasunda stadium in Solna provided the backdrop for Pele's spectacular entrance onto the world stage in 1958 when the then 17-year-old helped inspire Brazil to FIFA World Cup TM glory.

Sweden's Rasunda Stadium is one of just two venues in the world - California's Rose Bowl being the other - that can boast of having hosted the final of both the FIFA World Cup TM and the FIFA Women's World Cup.

This football-specific stadium, located in the district of Solna some six kilometres northwest of Stockholm city centre, is famed for putting spectators right on top of the action, and it still generates a fantastic atmosphere for the ever-competitive Sweden national team.

Stockholm's footballing temple provided the launchpad for the international career of one of the world's greatest footballers. At the 1958 FIFA World Cup TM, a certain Edson Arantes do Nascimento caused a sensation when the then 17-year-old Brazilian enchanted fans around the world with his magical footwork. The youngster, better known by his pseudonym Pele, would go on to be recognised as one of the game's all-time legends.

After his goal-scoring quarter-final performance against Wales, the young Pele's finest hour came on 24 June at the Rasunda. The 27,000 fans inside the stadium could scarcely believe their eyes as the 17-year-old's famous hat-trick in a 5-2 victory over France fired his team into the final.

Just five days later on 29 June 1958, the Rasunda was again the canvas for the young prodigy's artistic skills as Brazil came up against hosts Sweden in the final. Once again, the teenager upstaged everyone else on the pitch, scoring twice in another 5-2 triumph as Brazil captured the FIFA World Cup for the very first time. Despite the obvious disappointment for the hosts, the 51,800 spectators in the sold-out stadium rose to celebrate and fervently applaud the exceptional young talent.

The Rasunda next staged a global showpiece in 1995 with the second FIFA Women's World Cup. In a repeat of the men's tournament of 1958, the Stockholm venue was chosen to host the final and Norway came out on top in a rain-soaked all-European affair, defeating Germany 2-0 to lift their first trophy in the home of their Scandinavian neighbours.

The Rasunda's history dates back to 1910 when a 12,000-capacity football ground was built on the site. In 1937 a new arena rose in its place, the Rasunda stadium proper, accommodating 40,000 spectators. Its current capacity is 36,100 but more than 52,000 fans once squeezed into the ground in September 1965 for a decisive FIFA World Cup against West Germany. Unfortunately for the Swedes, their vast support was silenced as the eventual 1966 finalists won 2-1 with goals from Uwe Seeler and Werner Kramer.

The same sides met again at the Rasunda 27 years later when Sweden took on the reigning world champions in the semi-final of the 1992 UEFA European Championship. Yet again fortune favoured the visitors as Germany prevailed 3-2 to reach the final in Gothenburg.

Today the Rasunda is the home ground of Swedish top-flight club AIK Solna and also stages derby matches involving other Stockholm sides. A homely, atmospheric old ground, it will make way in 2011 for a new 50,000-capacity national stadium featuring a retractable roof.

Location: Solna, Sweden
Club: AIK Solna
Inauguration: 17 May 1937
Original capacity: 40,000

Estadio Azteca

2008-11-09T02:13:00.000-08:00

Estadio Azteca

Mexico City's fabled Estadio Azteca has been the backdrop for some of history's most unforgettable FIFA World Cup TM moments, including Pele's last sparks of invention on the world stage, a final glimpse of the old Jules Rimet Cup and Maradona's famous goals against England.

Mexico City's fabled Estadio Azteca has been the backdrop for some of history's most unforgettable FIFA World Cup TM moments. Pele's last sparks of invention on the world stage, a final glimpse of the old Jules Rimet Cup and Maradona's famous goals against England in 1986 all took place on the lush grass of the vintage North American gem. Known simply as the Azteca, it is one of the beautiful game's truly great gathering places - and the only one to host two FIFA World Cup Final matches.

Teetering 7,200 feet above sea level, the stadium has earned a reputation for Mexico's national team as a fortress of results. In fact, Mexico only saw their FIFA World Cup TM qualifying unbeaten streak in the stadium end in 2001 when they lost 2-1 to Costa Rica.

The bowl's signature roof traps and amplifies noise from the massive upper level, filling the air with high pitch shrieks and a deafening, cacophonous din to make the Mexico City landmark, and home to domestic giants Club America, one of the loudest stadiums anywhere. Add to that its more notorious conditions, namely altitude and smog, and you have the most inhospitable of venues for visiting teams.

The perfect football stadium lines up the legends
Built in 1966 ahead of the Olympic Games in 1968 and 1970 FIFA World Cup, the cavernous, three-tiered bowl was designed to hold almost 115,000 fans. An over-the-top undertaking for the time, the Azteca is a vivid demonstration of Mexico's mad devotion to the people's game.

The full construction took nearly four years to complete. Architects Pedro Ramirez Vasquez and Rafael Mijares travelled the globe before breaking ground to catch glimpses of the finest football stadiums of the time. Trips to Buenos Aires, Madrid, Rome, Florence, Paris, London, Moscow and Warsaw provided the duo with the inspiration they needed to design what many consider to be a faultless football stadium.

In addition to being an impregnable fortress for the Mexican national team, the Azteca has witnessed some of the most electrifying and immortal FIFA World Cup moments of the last 40 years. Pele said his goodbye to the international game with a peerless performance in the 1970 Final against Italy, inspiring what many call the greatest team of all time to a masterful 4-1 victory over an Italian side infamous for their cohesive defence.

The man many consider the greatest footballer in history scored a perfect low-and-hard header in the 18th minute from Rivelino's swerving cross. Leaving Albertosi with no chance, the celebration that followed involved Pele leaping into Jairzinho's arms and has since become one of the most recognisable snapshots in football history. After a 4-1 result, the Seleção, playing a languid, sultry brand of football never to be seen again, passed the Jules Rimet Cup around the brilliant Azteca grass for what would turn out to be the last time in 24 years.

Italy had a magic moment of their own en route to the ill-fated final. After finishing 90 minutes against West Germany even at one apiece, the semi-final's extra time period will go down in the annals of history as one of the most magnificent half hours of football ever played for a mass audience. A double from 'der Bomber' Gerd Muller and goals from Tarcisio Burgnich, Luigi Riva and Gianni Rivera saw a desperate attacking session fuelled by fatigue and the Azteca's extreme altitude.

Maradona's Mundial
Of all the moments of drama played out on the Azteca's manicured stage down through the years, Maradona's magic act of Mexico 86 stares down all comers. After surviving a massive earthquake one year earlier, the stadium barely withstood the earth-shattering orchestrations of El Diego.

Soon after the Azteca witnessed Manuel Negrete slam a scintillating side-bicycle against Bulgaria home to put El Tri in the quarter-finals, the towering ground got its first glimpse of Argentine genius Diego Armando Maradona at the quarter-final stage. When the Albiceleste locked horns with bitter old enemies England it was to prove a famous day in the folklore of the FIFA World Cup as both sides of the fractured star were on display for the shrieking Azteca to savour.

In the 51st minute, Maradona turned villain in the eyes of purists and moralists everywhere. Pouncing on the end of a horrid looping back pass from Steve Hodge, the diminutive genius rose to head over veteran goalkeeper Peter Shilton. Though the English captain and keeper was getting on in years, the possibility of him being out-leaped by the diminutive Maradona seemed unbelievable - and indeed it was. Replays proved what the England bench had suspected all along: Maradona had punched the ball into the net.

In a post-match press conference, the No10 cheekily attributed the goal to divine intervention, labelling it El Mano de Dios, or the Hand of God.

His second goal of the match settled the score at 2-1 and was voted the Goal of the Century by FIFA.com users in 2002. It will forever be immortalised by a statue of the No10 that stands outside the stadium.

Three minutes after punching home his first, in a moment of profound atonement and irresistible guile, Maradona collected the ball near midfield, spun like a top and began to race at a nervous English defence. Leaving six opponents behind him on a long sprint, Maradona rounded the wrong-footed Shilton to toe-poke home at the last possible moment.

The defiant Argentine heroics did not end there either. The semi-final against Belgium saw the skipper score two more. The first a delicate, almost dainty flick, and the second another defiant dribble through a terrified backline. And, as if there were any doubt, his telepathic through ball to Jose Burruchaga in the Final confirmed Maradona's reputation as the greatest player of the day - and of his generation.

Following the final whistle the Azteca crowd spilled on to the pitch to pay homage to football's gods. As Pele had been in 1970, Maradona was left shirtless and embraced by thousands high in the Mountains that surround Mexico City.

Johan Cruyff

2008-11-09T01:15:00.000-08:00

The Netherlands' Grand Master

Very few players have earned the right to be mentioned in the same breath as Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and Diego Maradona. Although he never won an international title with his country and played in only one FIFA World Cup™, Johan Cruyff is one of them. Such was his natural talent, the Dutch master enjoys an undisputed reputation as one of the game's all-time greats.

Cruyff was brought up in the shadow of Ajax Amsterdam's stadium and training ground, where his mother worked. His father died from a heart attack when he was 12. From a very early age, the young Cruyff set his sights on one thing alone: becoming a professional footballer. He began formal training when he was seven years old and, to his mother's horror, left school at 13 to concentrate exclusively on sport.

Coaching legend Rinus Michels spotted the slightly-built youth's talent, and designed an exercise programme aimed at developing his frail physique to withstand the rigours of a professional career. Cruyff broke into Ajax's first team aged 17 and two years later, in 1966, picked up the first of nine Dutch league titles destined to come his way.

He soon rose to international prominence as a fleet-footed, elegant and technically gifted footballer, who never evaded a tackle. Cruyff was a playmaker, ammunitions provider and marksman rolled into one, with an ability to time a pass that has hardly been equalled before or since. He was a leading figure off the field as well, confident and opinionated, and never one to mince his words for fear of making enemies.

The epitome of total football
For one of the sport's greatest names, Cruyff's international career was relatively short. He made his debut for the Dutch national side against Hungary in September 1966 and went on to make 48 appearances for the Oranje before quitting in October 1977 aged 30. His last act on the international stage was to help the Netherlands qualify for the 1978 FIFA World Cup™ in Argentina, though by that stage he was only called up for the key fixtures.

Cruyff's finest hour with the Netherlands came at the 1974 FIFA World Cup finals in Germany. The Dutch went into the tournament with few expectations; they had only just qualified and the players had given little indication that they were comfortable with the tactics of coach Rinus Michels, brought in late in the day to replace Frantisek Fadrhonc. The pieces of the puzzle fell into place just in time, however, and by the end of the first round, the Oranje were considered the tournament favourites.

The Dutch dazzled with their total football, a style of play epitomised by Cruyff himself. Although he was fielded as centre-forward, he wandered all over the pitch, popping up wherever he could do most damage to opponents. His team-mates adapted themselves flexibly around his movements, regularly switching positions so that the tactical roles in the team were always filled but not always by the same person. This was a revolutionary concept, and it took the world by storm.

In the second round Cruyff got among the goals, netting twice in a 4-0 thrashing of Argentina, arguably the Netherlands' best performance of the tournament. The match against East Germany was a more subdued affair, won 2-0, before the Dutch faced Brazil in what was effectively a semi-final in the last of the second-round group games.

After a rough-and-tumble contest, Michels' side walked off 2-0 winners. Cruyff struck his team's second goal, a spectacular volley in the 65th minute. Meeting a centre from Ruud Krol, he wrongfooted goalkeeper Emerson Leao with his flying effort inside the near post.

Disappointments and disputes
Cruyff's brilliance was on view just seconds into the Final. From the kick-off, the Dutch passed the ball around, not allowing West Germany a touch. Orange shirt to orange shirt to orange shirt, and then the ball came to Cruyff who started a run, slipped past Berti Vogts, and was mowed down by Uli Hoeness inside the box. Johan Neeskens buried the resulting penalty before a single German had touched the ball.

The Dutch failed to press home their advantage, however, and allowed the hosts back into the game, Paul Breitner equalising from the penalty spot and Gerd Muller making it 2-1 two minutes before the break. In the second half the Oranje failed to overcome the barrier that was keeper Sepp Maier and the title was lost. Cruyff's player of the tournament award was scant consolation.

The afternoon of 7 July 1974 would be Cruyff's final appearance on the world stage. He had already announced that he would not play in the next FIFA World Cup in Argentina, mainly because he did not want to be away from his family for so long. Add a series of disagreements with the national federation and his international career soon reached a premature end.

At club level Cruyff enjoyed greater longevity. Between 1971 and 1973, he won the European Cup three times in a row with Ajax. In 1973 he moved to Spain with Barcelona, collecting the league title in his first season. After announcing his retirement in 1978, he resurfaced in May 1979 in the United States where he spent a couple of seasons before a short-lived spell with Spanish second division side Levante.

Then it was back home to Ajax in the summer of 1981 for the start of an Indian summer. After winning the league-and-cup double, in 1983 he moved to Ajax's arch-rivals Feyenoord where he inspired the Rotterdam club to do the same. In his mid-30s, Cruyff was playing some of the best football of his life. After two successive Footballer of the Year awards, the best Dutch player of all time hung up his boots once and for all in 1984.

Moving into the dugout
Although Cruyff had no formal coaching qualifications, a new career beckoned and he took over as technical director at Ajax at the beginning of the 1985/86 season. He brought silverware to the club - leading them to the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1987 - and by the time he quit the following year had also helped develop talented youngsters such as Dennis Bergkamp, Aaron Winter, Brian Roy and the Witschge brothers, Rob and Richard.

In 1988, in a repeat of the journey he had made as a player, Cruyff left Ajax for Barcelona where he set about reconstructing a struggling team, releasing a dozen players including German Bernd Schuster and bringing in new stars. Soon he had fashioned one of the most spectacular club sides of recent times, the so-called 'Dream Team' which won the 1992 European Cup and four domestic championships in a row.

After an eight-year relationship, Johan Cruyff and Barcelona parted company for a second time in 1996. Cruyff, who was forced to give up smoking after a bypass operation in 1991 and had recurring heart trouble in 1997, swore he would never coach again and he has kept his word.

Yet his legacy is assured. As he said himself of the Dutch team of his day: "We showed the world you could enjoy being a footballer, you could laugh and have a fantastic time. I represent the era which proved that attractive football was enjoyable and successful."

Playing Career

2008-11-09T01:13:00.000-08:00

International career
Netherlands: 1966 - 1977
48 caps, 33 goals
31 wins; 9 draws; 8 losses

Honours
1974 FIFA World Cup™ runner-up

Individual
1974 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball
UEFA Golden Player Netherlands

FIFA World Cup appearances
7 caps, 3 goals
5 wins; 1 draw; 1 loss

Germany 1974
Netherlands 2-0 Uruguay
Netherlands 0-0 Sweden
Netherlands 4-1 Bulgaria
Netherlands 4-0 Argentina
Netherlands 2-0 East Germany
Netherlands 2-0 Brazil
West Germany 2-1 Netherlands

Club career
1964 - 1973: Ajax
1973 - 1978: Barcelona (Spain)
1979: Los Angeles Aztecs (USA)
1980 - 1981: Washington Diplomats (USA)
1981: Levante (Spain)
1981 - 1983: Ajax
1983 - 1984: Feyenoord

Honours
Intercontinental Cup winner: 1972
UEFA European Cup winner: 1971, 1972, 1973
UEFA Super Cup winner: 1972, 1973
Dutch Championship winner: 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1982, 1983, 1984
Spanish Championship winner: 1974
Dutch Cup winner: 1967, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1983, 1984
Spanish King's Cup winner: 1978

Individual
MasterCard Team of the Century inductee
FIFA 100 inductee
European Footballer of the Year: 1971, 1973, 1974
Dutch Sportsman of the Year: 1973, 1974
North American Soccer League MVP: 1979
Dutch Championship top scorer: 1967, 1972

Coaching career
1985 - 1988: Ajax
1988 - 1996: Barcelona

Honours
UEFA European Cup winner: 1992
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup winner: 1987, 1989
UEFA Super Cup: 1992
Spanish Championship winner: 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994
Dutch Cup winner: 1986, 1987
Spanish Cup winner: 1990

Johan Cruyff - I was there

2008-11-09T01:11:00.000-08:00

"He was so mature. He was such a skinny little kid but he had such immense stamina. He could run all over the field and he could do everything: set movements up, fly down the wing, run into the penalty area, head the ball in. Left foot, right foot, anything - and such speed."
Vic Buckingham, Cruyff's first coach at Ajax

"He was certainly the best footballer Europe has produced"
Franz Beckenbauer, who led West Germany to victory over the Netherlands in the 1974 FIFA World Cup™ Final

"When you saw Cruyff off the pitch he was like a thin boy. But on the pitch he was from another planet."
Rinus Michels, Cruyff's coach with Ajax, Barcelona and the Netherlands

Paolo Rossi

2008-11-09T01:10:00.001-08:00

Pablito - Italy's outstanding opportunist

Some players control games, some are capable of outstanding pieces of skill, while others impose themselves through sheer physical strength. Paolo Rossi didn't fit into any of these categories. He was quite simply a born goalscorer. At the 1978 FIFA World Cup Argentina TM and even more so at Spain 1982, the Italian allied economy of movement, perfect positioning and innate opportunism to become one of the finest strikers on planet football.

Hit by scandal
But Paolo Rossi's career could so easily have ended prematurely in 1979. Basking in the glory of his outstanding displays in Argentina, he returned to the Campionato to spearhead Perugia's attack. His season was going well, until 30 December 1978 when his side could only manage a 2-2 draw with Avellino.

After an inquiry the following year, Rossi and several team mates were accused and convicted of "fixing" the match. The Italy forward claimed that his reply to a question posed by an opposing player was wholly innocent: "2-2? If you want...". In spite of these denials, the punishment was severe: a three-year suspension, commuted to two on appeal. Aged twenty-two at the time, Rossi was cut off in his prime.

He had been spotted at an early age by Turin giants Juventus, who loaned him to Serie B outfit Como in a bid to toughen him up. But it was after switching to fellow Serie B side Vicenza that he exploded, his 21 goals during the 1976-1977 season hoisting the Biancorossi up to Serie A. He did even better the next season, scoring 24 times to seal second spot for his side, behind the Vecchia Signora.

A young starlet
Unsurprisingly, Enzo Bearzot gave him his first international cap the same year. The Rossi bandwagon was rolling. Aged just 21, he had an excellent tournament at Argentina 1978, displaying his poacher's instinct to the watching world. His tally of three goals and two assists boded well for the future.

At 1.74m and 66 kilos, he was never going to be a physical presence, but he had the knack of being in the right place at the right time. His first international goal against France at Mar Del Plata illustrates this perfectly: after ricocheting around the box, the ball rebounded off Rossi's tibia into the back of the net. Proof, if it were needed, that the man who would be dubbed "Pablito" after the tournament possessed a true striker's instinct.

Then came the suspension. Having being snapped up again by Juventus just before the ban took effect, Rossi was forced to spend two years on the sidelines. His return to the field came in April 1982 TM, a few weeks before the 1982 FIFA World Cup SpainTM. Enzo Bearzot, still coach of the Squadra Azzurra, showed his faith in Rossi's ability by taking him to Spain despite his two-year absence from action.

The legendary Italian coach later explained the thinking behind his decision: "I knew that if Rossi wasn't in Spain, I wouldn't have had an opportunist inside the penalty box. In that area, he was really good, really fast, always ready to fool defenders with his feints."

The tifosi, like the media, were sceptical, even more so after the first round. Italy scraped through on goal difference, having garnered just three draws and a paltry two goals. Rossi, a starter in all three, failed to make his presence felt.

In the second round, the Italians found themselves grouped with Brazil and Argentina. Rossi again fired blanks in the Argentina game, which Italy nevertheless won 2-1. Despite the intense media criticism, Bearzot elected to give the Tuscan one last chance.

The idol of a country
Italy needed a win against Brazil, while the Seleçao only required a draw to progress. The Azzurri emerged from an extraordinary match 3-2 victors, but it was "Pablito" who stole the limelight with a stunning hat-trick delivered in his own inimitable style. A header and two opportunistic strikes in the area. The Rossi goal machine was activated, and it was to blaze a path all the way to the final.

Two more goals came his way in the semi-final against Poland, before he chalked up his sixth strike in the final against Germany. He finished the tournament as top scorer, condemning those who had been calling for his head just a few days earlier to a large slice of humble pie. "I felt protected, and that was a decisive factor", he would later explain. Rossi's hour of glory had arrived at last. The icing on the cake came with the European Footballer of the Year award later that year.

A fond ending
Back at "Juve" with Antonio Cabrini, Marco Tardelli, Gaetano Scirea and Claudio Gentile, not to mention Michel Platini and Zbigniew Boniek, two more stars of the FIFA World Cup in Spain, "Pablito"'s appetite for honours was insatiable. The Italian Cup in 1983, the Scudetto and the Cup Winners' Cup in 1984, the European Cup in 1985...

After this flurry of silverware, he bade farewell to Turin to join arch-rivals AC Milan in the summer of 1985. Honours were harder to come by with the Rossoneri, but he was nonetheless selected in the squad for the 1986 FIFA World Cup Mexico. He didn't play, however, and, after a brief spell with Verona, finally hung up his boots the following year at the age of 31.

Prone to injury on account of exhaustion, Rossi had opted to call it a day before playing one match too many. Something of a loner, he quickly vanished from the world of football to concentrate on his passion for deep-sea diving. However he will be remembered first and foremost as a very special striker, blessed with a tremendous goalscoring instinct and a degree of humility we may never see the like of again.

Playing Career

2008-11-09T01:09:00.000-08:00

International career
Italy: 1977 - 1986
48 caps, 20 goals
25 wins; 13 draws; 10 losses

Honours
1982 FIFA World Cup™ winner
1978 FIFA World Cup fourth place

Individual
1982 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball
1982 FIFA World Cup Golden Shoe (6 goals)

FIFA World Cup appearances
14 caps, 9 goals
8 wins; 4 draws; 2 losses

Argentina 1978
Italy 2-1 France (1 goal)
Italy 3-1 Hungary (1)
Italy 1-0 Argentina
Italy 0-0 West Germany
Italy 1-0 Austria (1)
Netherlands 2-1 Italy
Brazil 2-1 Italy

Spain 1982
Italy 0-0 Poland
Italy 1-1 Peru
Italy 1-1 Cameroon
Italy 2-1 Argentina
Italy 3-2 Brazil (3)
Italy 2-0 Poland (2)
Italy 3-1 West Germany (1)

Mexico 1986
Not used

Club career
1975 - 1976 Como
1976 - 1979 Vicenza
1979 - 1980 Perugia
1982 - 1985 Juventus
1985 - 1986 AC Milan
1986 - 1987 Verona

Honours
UEFA European Cup winner: 1985
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup winner: 1984
UEFA Super Cup: 1984
Italian Championship winner: 1982, 1984
Italian Cup: 1983

Individual
FIFA 100 inductee
European Footballer of the Year: 1982
Italian Championship top scorer: 1978

Paolo Rossi - I was there

2008-11-09T01:04:00.000-08:00

"A draw would have been enough for us to qualify for the semi-finals, but Rossi was in a state of grace. He scored an astonishing hat-trick. We tried everything but there was nothing we could do about it."
Falcao, Brazilian standout at the 1982 FIFA World Cup^TM

"All the best Brazilians were in Spain, I have a clear conscience on that. We just made the mistake of trying to mark Rossi man-to-man."
Tele Santana, Brazil coach at Spain 1982

"He had been very good alongside Roberto Bettega at the 1978 World Cup, but Bettega wasn't there anymore. Rossi was the only one left, and I can honestly say that if I'd had another alternative I wouldn't have called him up. It was a huge risk gambling on him being able to get into the rhythm of such a demanding tournament and on his desire to make up for past mistakes. But I needed a goalscorer, someone to poach for goals in the box in a way that suited the style of play I wanted. I knew that if I didn't take him, I wouldn't have a player capable of causing trouble in the area, a crucial role in any team.

"The fact it took Rossi some time to explode into life during the tournament was partly due to our physical preparations, which prioritised fitness at the expense of speed. At the start, he was sluggish, but he kept getting better. In the area, he was extraordinary: very lively, always ready to pounce on the slightest mistake and never ceasing to put defenders under pressure. Ultimately, that translated into glory for himself and the team."
Enzo Bearzot, Rossi's coach at the 1978, 1982 and 1986 FIFA World Cups.

Garrincha

2008-11-09T01:02:00.000-08:00

The wounded 'Little Bird' who soared for Brazil

Unpredictable, magical, elusive and explosive are just some of the many adjectives people have used to describe Brazil's beloved Garrincha, one of the best players ever to wear the famous canarinha jersey. With his legendary dribbling skills and keen eye for goal, he helped the South American giants to successive FIFA World Cup ™ triumphs in 1958 and 1962.

If Pele is regarded by Brazilians as the most technically gifted player of all time, then Garrincha will always be remembered for his impudence and inventiveness. Daring, spirited and entertaining, he brought smiles to the faces of spectators the world over.

'The Chaplin of football'
But life for Manoel Francisco dos Santos was not always easy. His childhood was a constant struggle as he faced huge obstacles in pursuing his love of football. Born with one leg a full six centimetres shorter than the other in Pau Grande, a poor sector of the Rio de Janeiro state, the odds were stacked against him from the start.

In later years, the youngster ignored medical advice to quit the game despite having a badly distorted leg from corrective surgery. Small for his age, his sister Rosa began to call him Garrincha, a north-eastern name for the wren, a small bird popular in Pau Grande. The nickname stuck.

With almost superhuman perseverance, the 'Little Bird' stopped at nothing to become a professional footballer. In 1953, after being rejected by several teams because of his abnormal physique, the Brazilian was finally taken on by Botafogo on the recommendation of their player Gentil Cardoso, who had earlier been humbled by the bow-legged youngster in a practice game.

Playing professionally for the first time, the Brazilian quickly began exhibiting his full repertoire of tricks on the wings, and was soon beating his rivals for fun with his meandering runs and unbelievable changes of pace. Flair-loving Brazilian supporters quickly came to adore his selection of dribbles, feints and shimmies, which could infuriate even the best of defenders. It was in this era that he earned the monikers, 'The Chaplin of football' and 'The joy of the people'.

What planet is Garrincha from?
It was not long before Garrincha broke into the national team, making his debut on 18 September 1955 in a 1-1 draw against Chile. In all, his international record was 50 caps and 12 goals, and he scored five times in his dozen FIFA World Cup finals matches.

Just five years after senior debut for Botafogo, he became a world champion at Sweden 1958 - the first of Brazil's five world titles. It was there that he became part of a formidable attacking unit that included Didi, Zagallo, Vava and a precocious 17-year-old called Pele, who was just starting to grab the headlines. Vicente Feola's Auriverde picked up other accolades, one of which was becoming the first team to win the competition on a foreign continent.

Garrincha's finest hour would come four years later at the 1962 FIFA World Cup in Chile. The winger was voted player of the tournament after coach Aymore Moreira put additional weight on his shoulders in the absence of the injured Pele. He rewarded his gaffer's faith with a series of magical displays and four crucial goals, which made him the tournament's joint top scorer.

"What planet is Garrincha from?" asked Chile's Mercurio newspaper after Brazil had eliminated the hosts in the semi-final. After winning a second FIFA World Cup in succession, Garrincha's reputation soared both at home and abroad, with many people now considering him the second greatest player in his country's history behind Pele.

The maestro's descent
His last appearance on the world stage was at England 1966, where he showed sparks of the genius for which he was famous. Unfortunately for him, Vicente Feola's Brazilian side were a rather pale shadow of the team that had won the trophy four years earlier in Chile and were eliminated in the first round after losing to Hungary and Portugal. Garrincha played in Brazil's first two games, scoring in their only win over Bulgaria.

The phenomenon that was Garrincha transcended football, with the player figuring unwittingly in the works of many Latin American writers. Eduardo Galeano, one of the continent's most eminent writers and a self-confessed football lover described him in Soccer in Sun and Shadow:

"When he was on form, the pitch became a circus. The ball became an obedient animal, and the game became an invitation to party. Garrincha would shield his pet, the ball, and together they would conjure up some wonderful tricks that would have the spectators in stitches. He would hop over her, and she would bounce over him. Then she would hide before he would escape only to find her already running in front of him. Along the way, his pursuers would crash into each other in their attempts to stop him."

As for his club career, Garrincha spent 12 seasons at his beloved Botafogo, where he won two Rio-São Paulo tournaments, three Carioca State Championship titles and scored close to a quarter-century of goals. He moved to Corinthians in 1966, before flitting between teams within his homeland and having a brief spell in Colombia, though by then he was evidently past his prime.

'Angel with bent legs'
Life dealt a cruel hand to the irrepressible 'Angel with bent wings' (as he was called by a Brazilian poet), who having overcome his physical defects seemed powerless to control his addictions and vices. The player's ability to escape from trouble on the pitch deserted him after dark when his self-confessed alcoholism and partying took their toll in the latter stages of his career.

Suffering from cirrhosis of the liver, the virtuoso died an early death at the age of 49. His remains were shown in the Maracana stadium, where thousands of fans paid their last respects. His coffin was draped in a Botafogo flag as he was led to his final resting place in Pau Grande.

In the cemetery where Garrincha is buried there is a small memorial expressing Brazil's love for the two-time world champion. It reads: "He was a sweet child / He spoke with the birds."

Playing Career

2008-11-09T01:01:00.000-08:00

International career
Brazil: 1955 - 1966
50 caps, 12 goals
43 wins; 6 draws; 1 loss

Honours
1958 FIFA World Cup™ winner
1962 FIFA World Cup winner

Individual
1962 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball
1962 FIFA World Cup Golden Shoe (4 goals, joint-winner)

FIFA World Cup appearances
12 caps, 5 goals
10 wins; 1 draw; 1 loss

Sweden 1958
Brazil 2-0 USSR
Brazil 1-0 Wales
Brazil 5-2 France
Brazil 5-2 Sweden

Chile 1962
Brazil 2-0 Mexico
Brazil 0-0 Czechoslovakia
Brazil 2-1 Spain
Brazil 3-1 England (2 goals)
Brazil 4-2 Chile (2)
Brazil 3-1 Czechoslovakia

England 1966
Brazil 2-0 Bulgaria (1)
Brazil 1-3 Hungary

Club Career
1953 - 1966: Botafogo
1966 - 1967: Corinthians
1968: Atletico Junior (Colombia)
1968 - 1969: Flamengo
1972: Olaria

Honours
Carioca State Championship winner: 1957, 1961, 1962 (with Botafogo)
Rio-São Paulo Tournament winner: 1962, 1964 (with Botafogo)
Rio-São Paulo Tournament winner: 1966 (with Corinthians)

Individual
MasterCard Team of the Century inductee

Garrincha - I was there

2008-11-09T01:00:00.000-08:00

"One day he came home with a little bird in his hand and I said to him: 'Look, it's just like you. It flies around a lot, but it's no good for anything. It's a garrincha (little bird)'. The name stuck for the rest of his life."
Rosa dos Santos, Garrincha's elder sister

"When he came to Botafogo for a trial, he put the first ball he touched straight between my legs. A lot of people thought I would be offended but they were wrong. I told the directors there and then that they had to sign him. Fortunately, they listened to me."
Nilton Santos, Garrincha's team-mate for Botafogo and Brazil

"I had some preconceptions when it came to Garrincha. The psychologist told me he had a few problems, but I just accepted them and discovered that players very often see what's happening out on the pitch better than the coach."
Vicente Feola, Brazil coach at the 1958 FIFA World Cup ^TM "Garrincha was a phenomenal player. Without him by my side, I would never have won three World Cups over the course of my career."
Pele, Garrincha's team-mate at the 1958 and 1962 FIFA World Cups "Garrincha was too unpredictable, even for us his team-mates. But there was no doubt he was the key to winning games for us. Of course he had a great team around him, but you simply can't ignore his incredible talent."
Mario Zagallo, Garrincha's team-mate at the 1958 and 1962 FIFA World Cup finals

"Garrincha, who is still regarded as the best right-sided forward in the history of the game, said I was the tightest marker he played against. You can't imagine how happy it makes me to think that the best player in the world said I was the best at marking him out of the game. It's a real shame he's no longer with us."
Coronel, Vasco player in the 1950s

"Garrincha is an extremely important figure in popular Brazilian culture. I always explore popular figures in my work. He was a romantic with a passion for football, Brazil and women."
Milton Alencar, director of the film Garrincha -Estrela Solitaria (Lone Star)

"When he was out there, the pitch was a circus ring, the ball a tamed animal, the match a party invitation. Garrincha nurtured his pet, the ball, and together they created such mischief that people almost died laughing. He jumped over it, it gambolled around him, hid itself away, skipped off and made him run after it. And on the way, his opponents ran into each other."
Eduardo Galeano, Uruguayan writer, in his book Fútbol a Sol y Sombra (Football in the Sun and Shade)

2008-11-09T00:57:00.000-08:00

Der Kaiser, the brains behind Germany

Beckenbauer is without doubt one of the greatest players and coaches of all time. He redefined the role of libero, lifted the FIFA World Cup^TM as captain in 1974, before repeating the feat as a manager in 1990.

The son of a general manager of a postal depot, he began his career at the age of nine in the youth team of SC Munchen 06, before joining Bayern Munich in 1958. He made his debut for Bayern on the left wing, against FC St. Pauli on 6 June 1964. In only his first season in the regional league, he helped the club achieve promotion to the Bundesliga.

Franz celebrated his first international cap on 26 September 1965, aged 20, and went on to play in three FIFA World Cups. The young Beckenbauer made his first finals appearance in 1966, scoring two goals in a 5-0 victory over Switzerland in his first game. Although West Germany lost in that legendary Final to hosts England at Wembley, more than 30 years later, Beckenbauer can reflect positively on events: "Being a runner-up in the FIFA World Cup isn't too bad for a young player", Beckenbauer told FIFA.com.

His second tournament in Mexico in 1970 was also memorable as he played in the semi-final against Italy with a dislocated shoulder, carrying his injured arm in a sling. However, his dedication went unrewarded with the Azzurri running out 4-3 winners, leaving the Germans to settle for third place.

Nevertheless, Beckenbauer still has fond memories of Mexico. "1970 was a magnificent tournament. The fans were fanatical and stadium security wasn't quite so intense in those days. You could still do pretty much what you wanted to. There was just one armed policeman who sat outside the entrance and watched the whole ground. Obviously, that would be unthinkable today. Back then, it was simply more relaxed. The games in Mexico were colourful. The country laughed and football danced," he recalled.

Glory on home soil
Then in 1974 came Beckenbauer's finest hour. By now, he was playing in the position he revolutionised - as a libero behind the defence. He organised the team from the back, but also advanced when his side were on the attack. It was in his nature to go forward; he simply could not stop himself.

The 1974 FIFA World Cup in Germany was something extra-special for Beckenbauer and his team. From the first whistle, the home fans demanded nothing less than victory. The high expectations were something the captain was all too aware of: "When you are hosts, there is obviously twice the pressure, because everybody expects you to win".

Collectively, Beckenbauer, Sepp Maier, Paul Breitner, Wolfgang Overath, Gerd Muller and the rest of the team withstood the pressure to make West Germany champions for the second time. After their 2-1 victory over the Netherlands, Beckenbauer became the first captain to lift the brand new FIFA World Cup trophy after Brazil had retained the Jules Rimet trophy in 1970.

In 1977, Beckenbauer left Bayern Munich to join the New York Cosmos. By the time he left Munich he had won every major honour with "his" Bayern: the Intercontinental Cup, a hat-trick of UEFA European Cups, four German Championships and four German Cups. He hoped to find a new challenge in the USA's professional league, as well as earn a good living. From a sporting point of view, however, the switch stateside did not further his development: "Football-wise it was a non-starter" he said.

No end to the success
The move across the Atlantic also brought an end to his international career. Since he was plying his trade abroad, he was no longer considered for selection by West Germany. In total, he made 103 appearances for his country, becoming the first ever German player to break through the 100-cap barrier.

In 1982, he made his comeback in the Bundesliga at 35, playing for one season with Hamburg. He retired from playing in 1983 after another spell with the New York Cosmos.

In July 1984, after the failure of Jupp Derwall at that year's UEFA European Championship, Beckenbauer was installed as West Germany's national team head coach. His first major success from the dugout was at Mexico 1986, where he led his team to the Final. Although Argentina won the trophy, Beckenbauer had come of age as a coach.

At Italy 1990, West Germany became undefeated world champions, and when Andreas Brehme converted the only goal from the penalty spot in the Final against Argentina, Beckenbauer secured his place in the record books as the first man to win the FIFA World Cup as captain and as coach. Winning the trophy as coach remains the pinnacle of Franz Beckenbauer's football career: "I would say 1990 in Italy was the most important to me, it doesn't come any better than managing a side to victory," he has been quoted as saying.

Beckenbauer was the president of Bayern Munich until 1998, when he was made the vice-president of the German Football Association. And after helping to return the sport's showpiece event to his homeland, he successfully oversaw the 2006 FIFA World Cup as the chairman of its Organising Committee.

Playing Career

2008-11-09T00:56:00.000-08:00

International career
West Germany: 1965 - 1977
103 caps, 14 goals
69 wins; 19 draws; 15 losses

Honours
1974 FIFA World Cup™ winner
1966 FIFA World Cup runner-up
1970 FIFA World Cup third place
1972 UEFA European Championship winner
1976 UEFA European Championship runner-up

Individual
1974 FIFA World Cup Silver Ball

FIFA World Cup appearances
18 caps, 5 goals
14 wins; 1 draw; 3 losses

England 1966
West Germany 5-0 Switzerland (2 goals)
West Germany 0-0 Argentina
West Germany 2-1 Spain
West Germany 4-0 Uruguay (1)
West Germany 2-1 Soviet Union (1)
England 4-2 West Germany

Mexico 1970
West Germany 2-1 Morocco
West Germany 5-2 Bulgaria
West Germany 3-1 Peru
West Germany 3-2 England (1)
Italy 4-3 West Germany

Germany 1974
West Germany 1-0 Chile
West Germany 3-0 Australia
East Germany 1-0 West Germany
West Germany 2-0 Yugoslavia
West Germany 4-2 Sweden
West Germany 1-0 Poland
West Germany 2-1 Netherlands

Club career
1964 - 1977: Bayern Munich
1977 - 1980: New York Cosmos
1980 - 1982: Hamburg
1983: New York Cosmos

Honours
Intercontinental Cup winner: 1976
UEFA European Cup winner: 1974, 1975, 1976
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup winner: 1967
German Championship winner: 1969, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1982
North American Soccer League winner: 1977, 1978, 1980
DFB German Cup winner: 1966, 1967, 1969, 1971

Individual
FIFA Order of Merit: awarded in 2004
MasterCard Team of the Century inductee
FIFA 100 inductee
European Footballer of the Year: 1972, 1976
German Footballer of the Year: 1966, 1968, 1974, 1976
North American Soccer League MVP: 1977

Coaching career
Club teams
1990 - 1991 Marseille
1993 - 1994, 1996: Bayern Munich

National teams
1984 - 1990: West Germany

Honours
1990 FIFA World Cup winner
1986 FIFA World Cup runner-up
1994 German Championship winner
1996 UEFA Cup winner

Franz Beckenbauer - I was there

2008-11-09T00:55:00.000-08:00

"Franz Beckenbauer symbolises football, highlights and a winning mentality. On top of that, he brought the World Cup to his own country. We're proud of him."
Boris Becker, German tennis great.

"He's a great mate. As a player, he was marked out by intelligence rather than strength. He was more Brazilian than German as a footballer."
Pele, iconic Brazilian and Beckenbauer's team-mate at the New York Cosmos.

"The message he sent out was: 'Don't even try it. Coming out to face me is a waste of your time.'"
Sir Bobby Charlton

"When I played football, I was always a forward for reasons of conviction and passion. Best of all, centre forward - surging towards the goal. Being a defender, centre-half, or even a sweeper was not for me. Others were more talented and more suited to that. That applied to one person in particular. I mean Franz Beckenbauer. As a footballer, he was blessed with so much talent and ability, that he embodies the perfect sweeper to this very day. Franz Beckenbauer was an exceptional player, who made his mark on football during the time that he played. He has shaped this sport, the language and rules of which are understood throughout the world, and interpreted it in a new way. He has given the "Number 5" a new dimension and from the classic sweeper has created the playing sweeper, who intervenes proactively in the offensive game of his team. Franz Beckenbauer was without doubt a reformer as regards football, if you like. I am certain, that without him, we could hardly have brought the 2006 FIFA World Cup to Germany. He was world champion in 1974 as a player, in 1990 he was world champion as team manager and in 2006 the chief organiser of the World Cup."
Former German chancellor Gerhard Schroder

"He's the hero of our nation. It hasn't happened by chance, he's earned it by hard work."
Gunter Netzer, former Germany international and team-mate

"Simplicity is the secret of his success. This man, with so much ability and an extraordinary career path, is the same lad he always was. Plenty of them go off the rails, but not him."
Dettmar Cramer, former coach

"He's one of the all-time greats alongside Alfredo di Stefano or Pele."
Sepp Herberger, German FIFA World Cup winning coach in 1954

"A truly impressive person. If you don't like him, there's something wrong with you."
Michel Platini, UEFA President

"He's a gentleman, a perfect Englishman. Unfortunately, he's not English."
Kevin Keegan, former England international and team-mate in Hamburg

Ferenc Puskas

2008-11-09T00:53:00.001-08:00

The Galloping Major

Hungary's finest ever player and one of the greatest footballers to grace the FIFA World Cup™, FerencPuskas was the figurehead of the groundbreaking 'Magical Magyars' team that dominated world football in the early 1950s. Alas, the supreme distinction of being world champion eluded this magnificent forward after Hungary suffered a historic 3-2 loss to West Germany in the 1954 FIFA World Cup Final in Berne.

Puskas was born in 1927 in Budapest and started playing for Kispest's junior side from an early age. By the time he was 16, Puskas was a first-team regular, his ambition and iron will already evident despite his tender years. He made his international debut at the age of 18 against Austria in only Hungary's second fixture after the end of the Second World War, starting as he meant to carry on by finding the net in a 5-2 win.

An unlikely footballer in many respects, Puskas was short and stocky, not particularly strong in the air and almost exclusively left-footed. But his gifts were undeniable, as the statistics show. In 84 appearances for Hungary, Puskas scored 83 goals - a strike rate that remained unsurpassed in international football until Iran's Ali Daei rewrote the record books in November 2003.

He was also inspirational for Kispest, who in 1949 became the army team and were renamed Honved. Puskas, their star striker, earned the sobriquet of the 'Galloping Major' in recognition of his army rank, and he went on to captain the team to five league titles.

Wembley wizard
Hungary were the dominant national team of the early 1950s. In 1952, Puskas captained his country to Olympic gold in Helsinki and Gusztav Sebes' side arrived at the 1954 FIFA World Cup™ undefeated in four years. Their most resounding victory came on 25 November 1953 at the 'home of football', the historic Wembley Stadium, where England had never lost to a team from outside of the British Isles. Hungary emerged emphatic 6-3 victors in a contest that would go down in history as one of the matches of the century, Puskas helping himself to two of their goals and his attacking cohort Nandor Hidegkuti netting a treble.

Puskas and company gave a master class of wonderfully varied short and long passing in front of 100,000 supporters, outclassing their hosts. This Hungarian team, built around Puskas, played a brand of attacking football the English had not seen before. Where England were still set up in the old WM formation, Hungary operated in a 4-2-4 with Sandor Kocsis and Puskas attacking from the inside-right and left positions respectively, and central striker NandorHidegkuti dropping deep. And in just one game they destroyed the myth of supremacy England had enjoyed in world football.

"Wright went past him like a fire engine going to the wrong fire" was how The Times newspaper described Puskas' wrong-footing of England captain Billy Wright prior to scoring one of his two goals. The humiliation did not end there as less than six months later, England received their second lesson when Hungary won the return fixture 7-1 on home soil.

It is no wonder Hungary were the undeniable favourites for the 1954 FIFA World Cup™. They had the strongest forward line in the world and were quick to demonstrate their firepower at the tournament in Switzerland. They overwhelmed Korea Republic 9-0 in their opening game - where Puskas scored the first and final goals - before sweeping aside a second-string West Germany side 8-3, with their talismanic skipper again on target.

However, that latter success came at a great cost as Puskas injured his knee in a tackle with opponent Werner Liebrich and was forced to sit out the quarter-final and semi-final. He could only watch from the stands as his team-mates recorded succesive 4-2 victories over Brazil and two-time world champions Uruguay in the semi-final.

Final heartbreak
All eyes were on the Hungary captain going into the 1954 Final. Was he completely over his injury? Not wanting to miss the match, the pinnacle of his career to date, Puskas played despite suggestions that he was not fully fit. The Magical Magyars enjoyed a perfect start, Puskas seemingly silencing all the doubters by opening the scoring in just the sixth minute.

Two minutes later it was 2-0 but in the pouring rain in Berne, West Germany responded. By the break it was 2-2, and with three minutes remaining Helmut Rahn struck the Germans' third goal. There was still time for Puskas to find the net but his effort was disallowed for offside. After 31 matches undefeated, Hungary were beaten.

Following the Final, that great Hungary team gradually disintegrated and Puskas' own life was soon to change dramatically. In 1956, he travelled with Honved to Spain for a UEFA European Cup fixture against Athletic Bilbao that coincided with a period of national uprising in Hungary. Puskas and a number of his team-mates never returned home, taking sanctuary in the West. After a 15-month suspension from football, the now 31-year-old's friend Emil Oestreicher, Honved's financial secretary during his latter years at the club who had scored a job as Real Madrid's technical director, persuaded his new employers to recruit Puskas.

There he embarked on the next hugely successful chapter of his career. Forging one of the game's most famous strike partnerships alongside the great Alfredo Di Stefano, Puskas helped Real Madrid to five league crowns, establishing them as one of the most dominant forces in Europe. His finest hour came in the 1960 UEFA European Cup final in front of 130,000 fans at Glasgow's Hampden Park, where los Merenguesbeat Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3. Di Stefano scored a hat-trick but the evening belonged to Puskas, who struck four times in a legendary victory. He ended that season with an incredible 35 goals in 39 games.

In 1962, Puskas was called up by the Spanish national team for the FIFA World Cup in Chile. It proved an unhappy campaign, Spain going home after the group stage with Puskas unable to find the net. Puskas remained with Madrid until 1967, before retiring aged 40 having recorded 324 goals in 372 games for the Spanish giants. He turned to coaching and led Panathinaikos to the 1971 European Cup final as coach, but his greatest personal triumph came in 1992, when he returned to his homeland, Hungary, to live at the age of 65.

Playing Career

2008-11-09T00:52:00.001-08:00

International career
Hungary: 1945 - 56
84 caps, 83 goals
62 wins; 11 draws; 11 losses

Spain: 1961 - 62
4 caps, 0 goals
2 wins; 2 losses

Honours
1954 FIFA World Cup™ runner-up
1952 Olympic Football Tournament winner

FIFA World Cup appearances
3 caps, 4 goals

Switzerland 1954
Hungary 9-0 Korea Republic (2 goals)
Hungary 8-3 West Germany (1)
West Germany 3-2 Hungary (1)

Chile 1962
Not used

Club career
1943-1956: Kispest, now Honved
1958-1967: Real Madrid (Spain)

Honours
Intercontinental Cup winner: 1960
UEFA European Cup winner: 1960
Hungarian Championship winner: 1950, 1952, 1954, 1955
Spanish Championship winner: 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965
Spanish Cup winner: 1962

Individual
UEFA Golden Player Hungary
FIFA 100
Spanish Championship top scorer: 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964
Hungarian Championship top scorer: 1947/48, 1949/50, 1950, 1953
Top scorer in Europe: 1948

Coaching Career
1970 - 1971 Panathinaikos (Greece)
1975 - 1976 AEK Athens (Greece)
1976 - 1978 Colo Colo (Chile)

Honours
UEFA European Cup runner-up: 1971
Greek Championship winner: 1971, 1972

Ferenc Puskas - I was there

2008-11-09T00:49:00.000-08:00

"If he kicked the ball once, he scored two goals."
Zoltan Czibor, Puskas' team-mate with Kispest and Hungary

"He had a full career in Hungary and he repeated it in Spain with Real Madrid. That's why he is not only world class, but he belongs to the realm of dreams."
Gyula Grosics, Hungarian goalkeeper who played alongside Puskas

"I believe that if a good player has the ball, he should have the vision to spot at least three options. Puskas always saw at least five."
Jeno Buzanszky, Puskas' former Hungary team-mate

Johan Cruyff

2008-11-09T00:47:00.001-08:00

The Netherlands' Grand Master

Playing Career

2008-11-09T00:43:00.000-08:00

Michel Platini

2008-11-09T00:39:00.002-08:00

Elegance and intelligence personified in blue

He never did win the FIFA World Cup ^TM, the ultimate prize for a footballer. In fact, it is the only trophy missing from Platini's impressive trophy cabinet, but that surely does not detract from his status as a footballing legend. His technical ability, reading of the game and amazing ruthlessness in front of goal made him one of the game's all-time greats.

Yet above and beyond these exceptional talents, the captain of Les Bleus was also the epitome of intelligence and elegance, and it was these qualities that forever etched the name of Platini in the hearts of the fans.

Bringing France to the top
Platini went on to play for AS Nancy-Lorraine, AS Saint-Etienne and Juventus. "I began by playing for the biggest club in the Lorraine region, went on to the biggest club in France and ended up with the biggest in the world", he often likes to say.

The famous number 10 made his first FIFA World Cup ^TM appearance in 1978 at almost 23 years of age. It proved to be a learning experience as he was unable to steer France - who hadn't qualified for the finals since 1966 - beyond the first round. Their plight wasn't helped by a tough draw, which grouped them with two of the favourites, Argentina and Italy. As expected, 'Les Bleus' were eliminated at the first hurdle, but not before Platini struck against future world champions Argentina - his first ever FIFA World Cup ^TM goal.

In 1981, just as he did four years earlier against Bulgaria and just as he would four years later against Yugoslavia, Platini scored the crucial goal which ensured qualification to a major tournament. A sumptuous free-kick against Holland at the Parc des Princes in Paris sealed France's passage to the 1982 FIFA World Cup ^TM.

Becoming 'Platoche'
Platini began carving his name in FIFA World Cup ^TM history that year. Just prior to the tournament he had agreed terms to join Juventus the coming season, and who can now look back at Spain 82 without remembering the magnificent semi-final in Seville between France and West Germany? In this all-time classic encounter, Platini scored the equalising penalty and displayed all his trademark organisational talents. Never before had French football fans shed so many tears and felt so unjustly treated. An image which lingers is Platini the captain holding the hand of the unconscious Patrick Battiston as he was carried away on a stretcher. "That night I went through a scaled down version of a lifetime's worth of emotions", he was to recall later on.

Platini was at the peak of his powers in 1984, leading the French to their first major international honour, on home soil, at the UEFA European Championship. Platoche, as he was now affectionately referred to by his countrymen, scored a record nine goals in five matches, including 'perfect' hat-tricks (a goal with either foot and one with his head) against Belgium and Yugoslavia.

Platini's achievements in '84 no longer raised any eyebrows in Italy, though, where they had become used to seeing Juventus - spearheaded by the Frenchman or 'Francese' - dominate on the domestic front. Wearing the famous black-and-white stripes of the Old Lady, Platini accumulated a host of titles and honours: two Italian Championships, one Coppa Italia, one UEFA Cup-Winners' Cup, one European Super Cup, one UEFA Champions League and one Intercontinental Cup...he was also the 'capocannoniere' (leading goalscorer) in Italy and 'Ballon d'or' winner for three consecutive seasons. Some record!

Peaks and valleys
"If a FIFA World Cup ^TM tournament had been held every year between 1982 and 1986, France would have won two or three," he pointed out at the twilight of his career. But although France made it through to the FIFA World Cup ^TM finals for the third time in succession at Mexico '86, West Germany were to prove their nemesis yet again. The Germans' superior fitness and realistic approach helped them to semi-final glory, but it was the spellbinding French midfield foursome of Michel Platini, Alain Giresse, Jean Tigana and Luis Fernandez, affectionately known as the 'carré magique' (or 'magic square'), that left an indelible mark on the game. Their flair and panache came to the fore in a majestic last sixteen performance against Italy and above all an unforgettable quarter-final clash against Brazil in Guadalajara, which Pelé referred to as the "game of the century". Naturally enough, Platini found the net in both games.

But the "Beautiful Game" was now taking its toll on the great man: injuries were plaguing him, notably a swollen ankle which he nursed for months, and the Heysel tragedy left a deep psychological scar on Platini, whose philosophy on football, as with life, is first and foremost about enjoyment. A Platini penalty saw Juventus defeat Liverpool to win the European Cup, but "that night had nothing to do with football. They had to bring us the cup in the dressing room," he later explained.

Still a force
After hanging up his boots in 1987, Platini became manager of the French national side. He quickly gave Didier Deschamps his first cap and paired up the strike duo of Cantona and Papin. This new generation strung together an incredible unbeaten sequence of matches, stretching from April 1989 to February 1992, as France won all its qualifying matches for the European Championship. But when his side failed to make it past the first round at the tournament proper in Sweden, Platini stepped down as manager.

When France secured the privilege of hosting the 1998 FIFA World Cup ^TM, Platini again answered his country's call. He accepted the challenge to work as co-president of the French Organising Committee alongside Fernand Sastre, who had masterminded the French bid. As usual Platini carried out his duties with great panache, before lending his support to Joseph S. Blatter during his campaign for the FIFA presidency. He has since been elected vice-president of the French Football Federation (FFF), and his brief of responsibilities continues to widen in the highest echelons of the sport - in order "to give something back to the game has given me so much", he is fond of saying.

Playing Career

2008-11-09T00:39:00.001-08:00

International career
France: 1976 - 1987
72 caps, 41 goals (France's record scorer)
37 wins; 17 draws; 18 losses

Honours
1986 FIFA World Cup™ third place
1982 FIFA World Cup fourth place
1984 UEFA European Championship winner

Individual
1984 UEFA European Championship top scorer (9 goals)

FIFA World Cup appearances
14 caps, 5 goals
6 wins; 4 draws; 4 losses

Argentina 1978
Italy 2-1 France
Argentina 2-1 France (1 goal)
France 3-1 Hungary

Spain 1982
England 3-1 France
France 4-1 Kuwait (1)
France 1-1 Czechoslovakia
France 4-1 Northern Ireland
France 3-3 West Germany a.e.t. (1)

Mexico 1986
France 1-0 Canada
France 1-1 USSR
France 3-0 Hungary
France 2-0 Italy (1)
France 1-1 Brazil (1)
West Germany 2-0 France

Club career
1972 - 1979 Nancy
1979 - 1982 Saint-Etienne
1982 - 1987 Juventus (Italy)

Honours
Toyota Cup winner: 1985
UEFA European Cup winner: 1985
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup winner: 1984
UEFA Super Cup winner: 1984
French Championship winner: 1981
Italian Championship winner: 1984, 1986
French Cup winner: 1978
Italian Cup winner: 1983

Individual
Mastercard Team of the Century inductee
FIFA 100 inductee
European Footballer of the Year: 1983, 1984, 1985
Italian Championship top scorer: 1983, 1984, 1985

Michel Platini - I was there

2008-11-09T00:37:00.000-08:00

"He didn't run a lot like Cruyff and didn't depend on his physique, but I liked how he was the brain organising things on the pitch. He was a player who used his head in the broader sense. The way he shone with France and Juventus, and his capacity for taking free-kicks, made him the European footballer of the 1980s."
Pele, world football legend

"This is a very sad day. Another gift to us from above has come and gone. Platini will remain in our memories as one of Juventus' greatest ever players."
Giovanni Agnelli, Juventus President, on Platini's departure from the club

"Michel has never chosen to do things the easy way. He achieved everything in his career as a footballer and now he has unseated the man who controlled European football for many years. Okay, [managing to do that] wasn't football exactly, but it makes me realise how much he has achieved even more. I feel pride, of course, as does his mother. We're proud to have put a boy like him into the world, because he nonetheless gave us all sorts of headaches from a young age."
Aldo Platini, Michel Platini's father

"He was exceptional because he never once looked up. When a player is as successful as he was, there's always the risk they'll end up doing something stupid, like Maradona. He, on the other hand, was always calm, quiet and friendly."
Stefano Tacconi, Juventus goalkeeper (1983-92)

"Michel was one of those great players who saw fitness work as being a bit superficial. He used to say, 'We're not going to compete in the 5,000 metres at the Olympics, we have to play with our feet."
Giovanni Trapattoni, former Juventus coach

"When I was a kid and played with my friends, I always chose to be Platini. I let my friends share the names of my other idols between themselves."
Zinedine Zidane, France playmaker after Platini

"He was a great player who left a mark on his era, and it's always good when players take up positions in the higher echelons of the game. He knows everything there is to know about football."
Lilian Thuram, France and Barcelona defender

Gerd Muller

2008-11-09T00:35:00.000-08:00

Der Bomber wrote records for eternity

Not only is the name Gerhard "Gerd" Muller still synonymous with the model striker par excellence, but the remarkable records set by Der Bomber still remain unchallenged today. The Bayern Munich and West Germany predator scored 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga games and 68 times in 62 internationals, milestones no other player is ever likely to equal. And all that despite singing "A football game is far from easy, goals never come cheaply," in his brief, and regrettable, foray into the world of popular music with the track Dann macht es bum.

Nevertheless, at the dusk of his illustrious striking career, Muller could look back on a plethora of special goals. "My most important was certainly the goal that put us up 2-1 in the 1974 World Cup Final in Munich," Muller said recently in his native Nordlingen dialect. The golden era for the West German national team and its domestic league during the early to mid-1970s would have been unthinkable without Muller, as his former team-mate Franz Beckenbauer is quick to underline: "Everything that FC Bayern has become is due to Gerd Muller and his goals."

The powerlifter who built Bayern
When Muller was signed by the then second division outfit Bayern Munich in 1964, club coach Zlatko "Tschik" Cajkovski initially mocked the striker's odd build, quipping: "What am I supposed to do with a weightlifter?" Indeed, Muller's short legs in relation to his barrel-like upper body, and massive 64-centimetre-around thighs did rather lend him the appearance of an Eastern European powerlifter.

However, the small, stocky striker, whose journey to professional football began at the age of nine in his hometown of Nordlingen, around one and a half hours by car from Munich, would enjoy a meteoric rise to the top. By the time he was 16, Muller had progressed through a variety of school and junior teams and the youth ranks of TSV Nordlingen. In the 1962/63 campaign, he scored an unbelievable 180 goals for his club, attributing his strength to his mother's potato salad.

Under Cajkovski, Muller was forced to languish on the bench for ten games before the coach relented to the pressure of the then Bayern President Wilhelm Neudecker and introduced the youngster into the team. On his league debut in October 1964, Muller scored twice against FC Freiburg, laying the foundation for an outstanding career. Cajkovski even began referring to him more affectionately as "short, fat Muller."

In 1965, Muller, Sepp Maier and Franz Beckenbauer, the trio who would later earn Bayern global recognition, inspired the club to promotion to the Bundesliga. The club finished third in their first season in the top flight and lifted the DFB Cup, a feat they would repeat in 1967, 1969 and 1971. Bayern Munich became national champions for the first time in 1969, before claiming a hat-trick of titles in 1972, 1973 and 1974. The Munich club also won their first international honour in 1967 with the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. The dream team then went on to win the UEFA European Cup three times in succession from 1974 to 1976, crowning their incredible run of conquests with the Intercontinental Cup title.

Without Gerd Muller, this glorious era would have been inconceivable. Muller was the club's top scorer every season from 1964/65 to 1977/78, and the Bundesliga's leading marksman on no less than seven occasions. In 1971/72, he netted 40 goals, a threshold no other player has reached since.

German marksman
It was only a matter of time before the prolific goal-getter came to the attention of national team coach Helmut Schon, and he duly made his senior international debut in 1966 in a 2-0 away win over Turkey. At the 1970 FIFA World Cup ^TM in Mexico, he finished as the ten-goal top scorer and forged a formidable strike partnership with Uwe Seeler. Muller still emphasizes the significance of the competition today: "That tournament was even more important for me than 1974. We had an outstanding team then, even if many consider our 1972 European Championship team to be the best."

Muller celebrated UEFA European Championship glory in 1972 after West Germany overcame the USSR in the final, before going on to score the incredible winning goal in the 1974 FIFA World Cup Final victory over the Netherlands. Der Bomber recalls: "The ball came into the area from Rainer Bonhof. I ran forward with two Dutch players then checked back because the pass was behind me. The ball jumped off my left foot, I turned a little and suddenly it was in," he beams, recreating the scene that unfolded in the 43rd minute in Munich's Olympiastadion.

Muller announced his retirement from international football after becoming a world champion at the age of 28. The story has always circulated that this was in response to the players' wives being banned from the celebratory banquet after the Final. However, Muller is happy to clarify the matter: "I told coach Schon three days before the Final that I was retiring. He asked me to hold back on making the announcement until after the match. That was it. There was nothing else."

Highs and lows
Muller accepted a lucrative contract to play in the USA in 1979, where he aimed to carve out a second career after Bayern coach Pal Csernai informed him he was no longer in his plans and began substituting him for the first time in his career. It was the first time Muller had ever been sold. On 6 March 1979, Muller signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Fort Lauderdale Strikers, a professional club in the North American Soccer League (NASL).

With his playing career over, Muller descended into deep crisis. The transition from the pinnacle of popularity to everyday life did not come easy to him. Beside the occasional autograph signing or celebrity match, he did not know how to occupy himself if he was not sat in front of the television for hours on end. His drinking worsened. "I ruined my life," Muller now admits.

But fortunately, his friends from Bayern, notably coach Uli Hoeness, helped him to get back on his feet. He was then offered a contract by his former club in 1992; initially to look after sponsors, scout for talent and coach strikers and goalkeepers. Later he became a youth coach and first team assistant coach. Muller also acquired his 'A' coaching badge in 1992 and became head coach of the Bayern amateur team in the regional league in 1995/96. Today, he is in full control of his life and has found contentment: "It does not get any better than being at Bayern," he says proudly.

At the 40th anniversary celebration of the Bundesliga in August 2003, Muller was honoured as an outstanding sporting personality in the competition's history. More than a thousand invited guests in Koln's Coloneum rose to their feet, and applauded to pay homage to the man who made such a defining contribution to German football history.

The honour sits alongside numerous other instances of recognition the striker accumulated in his career. Aged 21, he was first voted German Player of the Year in 1967, before recapturing the title two years later. In 1970, he became the first German to be crowned European Footballer of the Year after winning the top scorer award at Mexico 1970. Three appearances in FIFA Select XIs (1971, 1972, 1973) and one nomination in a UEFA Select XI (1973) were further proof of his exceptional status.

Alongside his sporting awards, Muller also received the Silver Bay Leaf in 1967 and the Federal Cross of Merit in 1977. In May 1998, he was awarded the FIFA Order of Merit. More recently, Muller represented the city of Munich as one of the twelve ambassadors for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in his homeland.

Playing Career

2008-11-09T00:34:00.001-08:00

International career
1966 - 1974: West Germany
62 caps, 68 goals (West Germany's record scorer)
45 wins; 9 draws; 8 losses

Honours
1974 FIFA World Cup™ winner
1970 FIFA World Cup third place
1972 UEFA European Championship winner

Individual
1970 FIFA World Cup Golden Shoe (10 goals)
1972 UEFA European Championship top scorer (4 goals)
FIFA World Cup finals overall second highest scorer (14 goals)

FIFA World Cup appearances
13 caps, 14 goals
11 wins; 2 losses

Mexico 1970
West Germany 2-1 Morocco (1 goal)
West Germany 5-2 Bulgaria (3)
West Germany 3-1 Peru (3)
West Germany 3-2 England (1)
Italy 4-3 West Germany (2)
West Germany 1-0 Uruguay

Germany 1974
West Germany 1-0 Chile
West Germany 3-0 Australia (1)
East Germany 1-0 West Germany
West Germany 2-0 Yugoslavia (1)
West Germany 4-2 Sweden
West Germany 1-0 Poland (1)
West Germany 2-1 Netherlands (1)

Club career
1964 - 1979 Bayern Munich
1979 - 1981 Fort Lauderdale Strikers (USA)

Honours
Intercontinental Cup: 1976
UEFA European Cup: 1974, 1975, 1976
UEFA European Cup Winners' Cup: 1967
German Championship: 1969, 1972, 1973, 1974
German Cup: 1966, 1967, 1969, 1971

Individual
FIFA Order of Merit: awarded in 1998
FIFA 100 inductee
European Footballer of the Year: 1970
European Golden Boot winner: 1970, 1972
West German Footballer of the Year: 1967, 1969
German Championship top scorer: 1967, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1978
German Championship record scorer: 365 goals in 427 appearances

Gerd Muller - I was there

2008-11-09T00:24:00.000-08:00

"Of all the greats such as Wolfgang Overath, Günther Netzer, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Paul Breitner, I believe Gerd Muller is the greatest of them all. He was unstoppable.Bayern have Gerd Müller to thank for what the club has become.Without Gerd's goals, we'd still be sitting in a wood hut at the Sabener Strasse (training ground)."
Franz Beckenbauer, his former Bayern Munich and West Germany team-mate

"You know you've achieved everything when you acquire legendary status in your own lifetime. His record of 68 goals in 62 internationals will stand for eternity."
Rudi Voller, esteemed German striker of the 1980s and 1990s.

Bobby Charlton

2008-11-09T00:20:00.002-08:00

Knight who led the charge for Ramsey's England

Survivor of the Munich air disaster, a FIFA World Cup™ winner, a Knight of the British Empire, but above all a great and an honest player: Bobby Charlton is one of football's true ambassadors.

'Sir Bobby', as he is now officially known, is one of a trio of England internationals who broke the 100-cap barrier while earning a reputation doing things the right way. Billy Wright, who wore the captain's armband 90 times, was the first to reach the century in the 1950s, and Charlton and Bobby Moore, who lifted the Jules Rimet trophy on home soil in 1966, were to follow. While Wright and Moore played similar roles in defence, Charlton was more of an attacking player who shone first on the flank and later as a deep-lying forward. All three, however, were respected the world over for their determination and tough tackling, which never overstepped the mark.

The young Charlton's greatest strengths were his speed and body swerve. As he flowered as a footballer, he moved inside and became the fulcrum of his team's attack. An outstanding distributor of the ball, he could spray inch-perfect passes around the park, picking out team-mates with astounding accuracy. He also had a fierce shot that belied his relatively small stature (1.73m) and scored almost a goal every other game in an England shirt - no mean feat over the course of 105 internationals. His 49 goals are still an England record, one more than that scored by out-and-out striker Gary Lineker, while only goalkeeper Peter Shilton collected more caps.

Triumph and tragedy
Playing for the East Northumberland Schoolboys side, Charlton's prodigious talents caught the eye of Manchester United's chief scout, Joe Armstrong. There was no shortage of suitors but it was Matt Busby, the United manager, who landed the teenager's highly-sought signature and Charlton left his native north-east for Manchester in July 1953. After a stint working in an engineering works close to Old Trafford, he signed professional forms aged 17. In October 1956, the month of his 19th birthday, he made his senior debut against Charlton Athletic - and marked the occasion with two goals.

United were league champions that season and Charlton, in an outside-left role, played his part with ten goals in 14 matches. Their youthful 'Busby Babes' team also reached the FA Cup final and European Cup semi-final and further glories beckoned, but fate was to intervene in tragic fashion. Busby's side was decimated by the Munich air disaster on 6 February 1958, in which eight players lost their lives. Charlton, just 20, was thrown from the plane still strapped to his seat but survived unscathed, though the mental scars from having lost so many contemporaries in such circumstances were evident.

Busby rebuilt his side as best he could and made Charlton the cornerstone. Success returned to Old Trafford in 1963 with an FA Cup triumph, followed by league titles in 1965 and 1967. The crowning glory for Charlton in a United shirt came the following season when, a decade after Munich, he scored twice as they beat Benfica 4-1 at Wembley in the final of the European Cup, becoming the first English winners of the trophy. For Charlton, Busby and goalkeeper Billy Foulkes, the other crash survivor still in the team, it was a deeply emotional moment.

The early days
Despite originally making his mark on the left wing, Charlton's international debut came as a right-half (defensive midfielder) on 19 April 1958, but as with his first match for Manchester United, he celebrated with a goal and a victory, Scotland falling victim to a 4-0 scoreline at Hampden Park. "I can still hear the sound of the ball lashing against the net," Charlton recalled. "After that, all you could hear was the silence."

His performance was enough to merit a call-up for the 1958 FIFA World Cup in Sweden, which England exited after a first round play-off defeat by the Soviet Union. Charlton did not make a single appearance and manager Walter Winterbottom regretted having selected him, believing he was still suffering from the after-effects of the Munich air disaster. By the time the next tournament came round in Chile in 1962, Charlton was firmly established in the team and he scored his first FIFA World Cup goal against Argentina to help England through to the quarter-finals, where they were beaten by eventual winners Brazil.

Finest hour
The year 1966 is one which lives in the memory of every Englishman and one which saw the 28-year-old Charlton at the height of his talent. Alongside his brother Jack, who had risen to become a stalwart of the England defence, Bobby was the focal point of the team which triumphed on home soil and received the Jules Rimet Trophy from Queen Elizabeth II on 30 July 1966. Alf Ramsey's side started badly, with a dour 0-0 draw against Uruguay. Their campaign needed a spark and Charlton was the man to provide it.

Thirty-seven minutes into their second group match against Mexico, he collected a loose ball on the halfway line. "I picked up the ball quite deep and I had no intention of shooting at goal," he said in a later interview. "I didn't really expect them to allow me to keep going... so I just banged it." The surging run was rounded off by a net-bursting shot into the top corner and England were up and running.

It was in the semi-final against Portugal that Charlton, subsequently voted European Footballer of the Year, gave his finest performance. His running kept the Portuguese defence on the back foot, his passing opened up gaps for team-mates to exploit, and when he found himself in front of goal, he let fly. A goal in each half was enough to see England through as narrow 2-1 winners and Charlton scored both of them. The second, in particular, was trademark Bobby Charlton: a first-time shot cannoned into the top corner, which even prompted one opponent to shake his hand.

In the final, West German manager Helmut Schon knew exactly who England's danger man was and assigned a young yet precociously talented Franz Beckenbauer to a man-marking role. When Charlton attacked, Beckenbauer defended, and when Beckenbauer strode forward, Charlton stuck to him. It was an epic struggle between two legendary players, with the final score of 4-2 after extra time indicating that Charlton eventually had the upper hand. As Beckenbauer himself pointed out: "England beat us in 1966 because Bobby Charlton was just a bit better than me."

A dramatic ending
When England travelled to Mexico four years later to defend their title, Charlton, now 32, remained a central figure. As an inside-right in a team which had evolved from a 2-3-5 at the outset of his international career through 4-4-2 to a 4-3-3 formation, his role had become more defensive, yet no less important. After the group stage had been safely negotiated, England faced West Germany in the quarter-final, in a rematch of the 1966 final.

With England 2-1 to the good 20 minutes from time, coach Ramsey substituted Charlton, preferring to rest him before the semi-final. But an Uwe Seeler equaliser took the game to extra time and Gerd Muller sealed the Germans' revenge with a late winner. It was to be Charlton's swansong in England colours as he announced his retirement after the final whistle in Leon, having overtaken Billy Wright's record with his 105th cap. He played another two seasons for Manchester United, appearing for the final time in April 1973.

A brief spell as player-manager of Preston North End followed but a coaching career was not for him. Instead, Charlton went into business, successfully, and also founded a number of football academies for youngsters. In 1984, he became a director of Manchester United and was also invited to sit on FIFA's football committee. Since then, he has worked unstintingly for the good of the game, in Manchester, England and much further afield, earning him recognition around the globe as a true ambassador of football.

As his friend and manager Matt Busby said of him: "There has never been a more popular footballer. He was as near perfection as man and player as it is possible to be."

Playing Career

2008-11-09T00:20:00.001-08:00

International career
England: 1958 - 1970
105 caps, 49 goals (England's record scorer)
60 wins; 23 draws; 22 losses

Honours
1966 FIFA World Cup™ winner
UEFA European Championship third place: 1968

Individual
1966 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball

FIFA World Cup appearances
14 caps, 4 goals
8 wins; 2 draws; 4 losses

Sweden 1958
Not used

Chile 1962
Hungary 2-1 England
England 3-1 Argentina (1 goal)
England 0-0 Bulgaria
Brazil 3-1 England

England 1966
England 0-0 Uruguay
England 2-0 Mexico (1)
England 2-0 France
England 1-0 Argentina
England 2-1 Portugal (2)
England 4-2 West Germany a.e.t.

Mexico 1970
England 1-0 Romania
Brazil 1-0 England
England 1-0 Czechoslovakia
West Germany 3-2 England a.e.t.

Club career
1956 - 1973 Manchester United
1973 - 1974 Preston North End (player-manager)

Honours
UEFA European Cup winner: 1968
English Championship winner: 1957, 1965, 1967
English Cup winner: 1963

Individual
FIFA 100 inductee
European Footballer of the Year: 1966
English Football Writers' Player of the Year: 1966

Coaching career
1973 - 1974 Preston North End

Bobby Charlton - I was there

2008-11-09T00:18:00.000-08:00

"When he was young, I'd be cleaning the fireplace in the morning and I'd look round and there'd be another scout standing behind me. There were times when we had one in the front room and one in the kitchen. One said he'd double whatever was the highest offer we'd had. He didn't even ask what it was."
Cissie Charlton, his mother

"He had this mop of blond hair which stood up in the wind. I bet he wishes he had it now."
Billy Foulkes, former Manchester United captain on seeing him in 1953

"He was one of the greatest players I have seen - very much the linchpin of the 1966 team. Early in my management I knew I had to find a role suitable to Bobby's unique talents. He wasn't just a great goalscorer, with a blistering shot using either foot. Bobby was a player who could also do his share of hard work."
Sir Alf Ramsey, Charlton's former England coach

"Bobby Charlton had gifts to die for. He was basically a quiet man whose talking came from the magic of his boots. Wherever you went in the world the foreign football fans knew everything about Bobby Charlton. He was our Pele."
Alan Ball, England team-mate

"What Bobby could do better than anyone was score goals. Others may have scored more, but few scored more spectacular goals. But Bob was far more than simply a goalscorer - he was comfortable as a winger, a striker or midfield player."
Geoff Hurst, England team-mate

"I've never seen anyone go past players as easily as he did."
George Best, Manchester United team-mate

"There has never been a more popular footballer. He was as near perfection as man and player as it is possible to be."
Sir Matt Busby, Charlton's former Manchester United manager

"When I think about great sportsmen who have carried themselves the proper way throughout their career the best example is Bobby Charlton. He embodied to me what being great really is. Humility, feet on the ground, never changed. It's amazing that you can come through a whole career like that."
Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United manager

Dino Zoff

2008-11-09T00:16:00.001-08:00

Italy’s towering guardian

A rock; a workaholic; a perfectionist: Dino Zoff is one of the greatest goalkeepers the world has known. The facts speak for themselves: he was part of four FIFA World Cup™ squads, playing in three and emerging a champion at Spain 1982, won 111 caps and holds the record of 1,142 minutes without conceding a goal.

Yet this son of farming stock would not have had it any other way. "All that I have, I have earned through hard work," he once said. Football would take the country boy out of Italy's agricultural northeast; yet the country, proud and pragmatic, never really left Zoff.

Humble beginnings
Growing up in this erstwhile corner of the Austro-Hungarian empire had its advantages, not least the diet. When he was rejected by Inter Milan and Juventus as a 14-year-old - with the time-honoured excuse that he was too small - Zoff's grandmother Adelaide had the answer: to feed him up on eggs.

Five years on and Zoff's displays for his village team, Marianese, were giving the scouts at nearby Udinese food for thought. He had grown 33 centimetres to 1.82 metres - a rise that earned him a leap in faith on the part of the Serie A club. Soon Zoff was leaving his job as a motor mechanic to sign professional forms. He was not, however, a smooth starter and let in five goals on his debut at Fiorentina on 24 September 1961. Demotion beckoned, for player and club.

Zoff had made just four appearances for the Friuli club when Mantova restored him to the top flight the next season. Here his career really did take off. By 1966, he was being considered for Italy's FIFA World Cup squad alongside Enrico Albertosi, Roberto Anzolin and Pierluigi Pizzaballa. In the event, Azzurri coach Edmondo Fabbri selected the latter trio, because, as Zoff explained, "he did not want to be accused of favouritism being a Mantova man himself".

Consolation came in the shapely form of wife Anna-Maria. The subsequent birth of son Marco meant there would be two new arrivals in Zoff's life in 1967. That was the year Napoli welcomed him to the south of Italy in exchange for 130 million lire and goalkeeper Bandoni. The Naples club succeeded where AC Milan, ever reluctant to meet Mantova's price, had failed. "I have great memories of my time there," Zoff said. "It is such a lively city."

Remarkable achievements
A memorable one too, as it turned out. Zoff made his international debut there in the 2-0 win against Bulgaria in April 1968. It was a UEFA European Championship quarter-final and he stayed in the team as Italy reached the Final, where they beat Yugoslavia in a replay.

A worthy start to an international career that only the great Paolo Maldini would eclipse three decades on. Yet not even the photogenic Maldini made the front cover of Newsweek magazine. That particular honour fell to Zoff in 1982, as he bowed out of international football in much the same way he had entered it: with a winner's medal.

That he did so as a 40-year-old in the FIFA World Cup was suitable recompense for his years of dedication. Seasons punctuated more by triumph than by disaster. The small defeats of losing his place to Albertosi at Mexico 1970, of being "not at my best" in Argentina eight years later, were nothing compared with six Italian Championships golds with Juventus.

It was half a lifetime ago that Zoff swapped Turin for Naples. It was a fresh challenge for a player who always seemed as interested in setting goals as he was in saving them. Perhaps this was the secret of his longevity.

In Zoff's case, the past really was history. And the fact that he was only ever as good as his last game allowed him to retain his enthusiasm through 570 Serie A appearances, 330 made in perfect sequence while at Juventus. Halcyon days indeed, those 11 terms at the Stadio Comunale.

Certainly, the Bianconeri got their money's worth out of their 330 million lire signing. In return, as well as the six Scudettos, Zoff picked up the UEFA Cup and two Italian Cups. The one caveat was the UEFA European Cup, where he was twice a loser: against Ajax in 1973 and then Hamburg years later.

Leading from the bench
The latter final was Zoff's farewell to the big time. He retired to become a goalkeeping coach at Juventus. But it was not enough. "As far as I was concerned it was a dead-end job," he said.

So he took the post of coach to Italy's Olympic team ahead of the Seoul Games - and impressed sufficiently to be offered the manager's job back at Juventus in 1988. Victories in the Italian and UEFA Cups, plus a third-place finish in the league, ensured the club would not regret their choice, although the arrangement lasted but a year.

Next stop was Lazio. In Rome, Zoff had four campaigns as coach then assumed the role of president. He oversaw the Eagles' transition from poor relations in the Eternal City to plc... and even had a brief spell as caretaker coach in 1997.

His next appointment was arguably the pinnacle: replacing Cesare Maldini as Italy trainer after the poor showing of the Azzurri at France 1998. And but for David Trezeguet's golden goal in the UEFA EURO 2000 final, he might well have been the man responsible for the country's first international success since Spain 1982.

Yet according to the Italian press, second place was for losers. Stung by the criticism, Zoff retired and returned to Lazio, again as coach. He took them to third position and the UEFA Champions League, yet could not satisfy fans who had feasted on a league and cup double a year earlier. So when the 2001/02 season began with embarrassing defeats at home and in Europe, the Zoff removal vans were again in motion - doubtless laden with the trophies from a wonderful career in the game.

Playing Career

2008-11-09T00:14:00.000-08:00

International career
Italy: 1968 - 1983
111 caps
55 wins, 36 draws, 20 losses

Honours
1982 FIFA World Cup™ winner
1968 UEFA European Championship winner

Individual
1982 FIFA World Cup best goalkeeper
UEFA Golden Player Italy

FIFA World Cup appearances
17 caps, 16 goals conceded
9 wins; 5 draws; 3 losses

Mexico 1970
Not used

Germany 1974
Italy 3-1 Haiti
Italy 1-1 Argentina
Poland 2-1 Italy

Argentina 1978
Italy 2-1 France
Italy 3-1 Hungary
Italy 1-0 Argentina
Italy 0-0 West Germany
Italy 1-0 Austria
Netherlands 2-1 Italy
Brazil 2-1 Italy

Spain 1982
Italy 0-0 Poland
Italy 1-1 Peru
Italy 1-1 Cameroon
Italy 2-1 Argentina
Italy 3-2 Brazil
Italy 2-0 Poland
Italy 3-1 West Germany

Club career
1961-1963 Udinese
1963-1967 Mantova
1967-1972 Napoli
1972-1983 Juventus

Honours
UEFA Cup winner: 1977
Italian Championship winner: 1973, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1982
Italian Cup winner: 1979, 1983

Individual
FIFA 100 inductee

Coaching career
1988 - 1990 Juventus
1990 - 1994 Lazio
1997 Lazio
1998 - 2000 Italian national team
2001 Lazio
2005 Fiorentina

Honours
UEFA EURO 2000: runner-up
UEFA Cup winner: 1990
Italian Cup winner: 1990

Dino Zoff - I was there

2008-11-09T00:11:00.000-08:00

"He was a level-headed goalkeeper, capable of staying calm during the toughest and the most exhilarating moments. He always held back both out of modesty and respect for his opponents. At the end of the Brazil match, he came over to give me a kiss on the cheek, without saying a single word. For me, that fleeting moment was the most intense of the entire World Cup."
Enzo Bearzot, Italy coach at Spain 1982

"Dino always protected me as if I were his little brother."
Gaetano Scirea, Juventus and Italy legend

"Dino was Italy's most important player in 1982. He was the one who truly represented the team. He was an example to all of us, myself more than anyone."
Paolo Rossi, adidas Golden Ball and adidas Golden Shoe winner at Spain 1982

"Zoff protected his goal with absolute rigour, whereas I have a different style. I honestly think goalkeepers are people who are a little crazy. Our role is special, atypical, and we have a different make-up."
Gianluigi Buffon, Italy's FIFA 2006 World Cup ^TM- winning goalkeeper

Mario Kempes

2008-11-09T00:06:00.000-08:00

Matador Mario raised Argentina to the summit
With the exception of Diego Maradona, nobody shines brighter than Mario Kempes in Argentina's star-studded football firmament. His father, who had been an amateur footballer in his youth, encouraged El Matador to start playing when he was 9 years old. Seven years later he led his local team to the regional championship as leading goalscorer. He made his first division debut on 5 October 1973 for Instituto de Cordoba in a game against Newell's Old Boys, who won 1-0.

Successful as he was as a club player in Argentina, Kempes' greatest achievements came with the national team. "My country is extremely fortunate in that it produces great footballers. I am just one of many who have played their part in Argentina's football history," he said with characteristic modesty when he retired.

He first pulled on the national team jersey on 19 April 1972 in an U-18 match against Portugal in Cannes, hitting one of the goals in a 3-1 victory. His first full cap came in 1973, when still only 19, during the South American qualifying rounds for the 1974 FIFA World Cup ^TM. The press dubbed this side the "ghost team", because of the high proportion of unknowns who had been called up in order to give the squad more time to adapt to playing at altitude in La Paz, Bolivia. Argentina, under coach Enrique Omar Sivori, won the match with a goal by Oscar Fornari.

Rising to the occasion
El Matador was to play in three FIFA World Cup finals (Germany 1974, Argentina 1978 and Spain 1982), making a total of 18 appearances. Argentina performed disastrously in Germany, where they were knocked out in the first round after suffering at the hands of a Johann Cruyff-inspired Holland. Kempes was unable to make his presence felt in Germany, failing to score in the tournament.

Three years later Kempes was the new darling of the Valencia fans in Spain, after a record transfer for an Argentinean. Prior to the move, he had become the all-time leading goalscorer at Rosario Central, netting 100 times in just two seasons.

Kempes' record in Spanish football is impressive too; two Spanish Cups, two European Cup Winners' Cups, one European Super Cup, and twice leading marksman in La Liga, first in 1976/77 with 24 goals and again the following season with 28.

At a time when his country was living under a military dictatorship, Kempes was one of only two players tied to foreign clubs to be called up by coach Cesar Luis Menotti for the 1978 FIFA World Cup ^TM. "He's strong, he's got skill, he creates spaces and he shoots hard. He's a player who can make a difference, and he can play in a centre-forward position" were the words Menotti used to describe him when announcing the squad he had selected for the 1978 tournament.

Home spun glory
Argentina's first-round victories over Hungary and France were enough to see them through to the next stage, despite a loss to Italy. On a personal level, however, Kempes disappointed by being unable to score a single goal. "I told him he should shave off his moustache," revealed the triumphant Menotti later, as he held the coveted World Cup trophy aloft, "it seemed to do the trick: he was the tournament's leading goalscorer with six goals, and was voted Player of the Tournament."

In the following round, a Kempes double then helped Argentina beat Poland, before they drew with Brazil. Thereafter, another two-goal showing from the Valencia sharpshooter led them to a 6-0 victory over Peru, which ensured the Albiceleste topped Group B and qualified for the final against the Netherlands.

25 June 1978 is a date that stands out in the memories of all Argentineans: Argentina 3, Netherlands 1. Kempes scored two of his side's goals, the first in the 38th minute of the first half, and the second after one of his typically strong, gutsy runs in the 15th minute of extra time. "Winning the World Cup was just what the long-suffering people of Argentina needed - it brought joy into their lives. I remember that I was called up because other players, like Osvaldo Piazza, couldn't be included. I wore the no10 shirt, and Diego Maradona, who I'd never seen play, was left out. Of course, he went on to become the greatest Argentinean player of all time. I was also the second-ever Argentinean to be the leading goalscorer in a World Cup, after Guillermo Stabile," said Kempes.

Passing on to Maradona
Argentina went into Spain 1982 as one of the favourites, with many of the 1978 winning side still in the team. History did not repeat itself, however, and they were knocked out before Kempes could score his first goal. The following year he handed over the no10 shirt to rising star Diego Maradona, who in his autobiography referred to Kempes as the "man who put Argentinean football on the map".

As much as for his goals, Kempes will be remembered for his fair play: he was never booked or sent off in his international career.

In a lengthy club career he turned out for Instituto de Cordoba (1973-74), Rosario Central (1974-76) and River Plate (1981-82) in Argentina. In Spain, he wore the colours of Valencia (1976-81 and 1982-84) and Hercules de Alicante (1984-86). From 1986 to 1992 he played in Austria, initially with First Vienna (86-87), then Saint Polten (87-90) and finally at Kremser (90-92). He then left active football for three years, during which time he received honours from the Government of the Province of Mendoza (Argentina) and worked in Valencia as assistant to their Uruguayan coach Hector Nunez. In 1995, he made a brief comeback to competitive football in Chile, before becoming player-manager of Indonesian League champions Pelita Hyatt. He hung up his boots for the last time at the age of 41 in 1996.

His first title as coach came in 1999 with The Strongest in Bolivia, before he moved to another Bolivian club, Independiente Petrolero.

Playing Career

2008-11-09T00:05:00.001-08:00

International career
Argentina: 1973 - 1982
43 caps, 20 goals

Honours
1978 FIFA World Cup™ winner

Individual
1978 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot
1978 FIFA World Cup Golden Shoe

FIFA World Cup appearances
18 caps, 6 goals
8 wins; 3 draws; 7 losses

Germany 1974
Poland 3-2 Argentina
Argentina 1-1 Italy
Argentina 4-1 Haiti
Netherlands 4-0 Argentina
Brazil 2-1 Argentina
Argentina 1-1 West Germany

Argentina 1978
Argentina 2-1 Hungary
Argentina 2-1 France
Italy 1-0 Argentina
Argentina 2-0 Poland (2 goals)
Argentina 0-0 Brazil
Argentina 6-0 Peru (2)
Argentina 3-1 Netherlands a.e.t. (2)

Spain 1982
Belgium 1-0 Argentina
Argentina 4-1 Hungary
Argentina 2-0 El Salvador
Italy 2-1 Argentina
Brazil 3-1 Argentina

Club career
1971 - 1973: Instituto de Cordoba
1974 - 1976: Rosario Central
1976 - 1981: Valencia (Spain)
1981 - 1982: River Plate
1982 - 1984: Valencia (Spain)
1984 - 1986: Hercules (Spain)
1986 - 1987: First Vienna (Austria)
1987 - 1990: St Polten (Austria)
1990 - 1992: Kremser (Austria)
1995: Fernandez Vial (Chile)
1996: Pelita Hyatt (Indonesia)

Honours
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup winner: 1979, 1980
UEFA Super Cup winner: 1980
Argentinian Championship winner: 1981
Spanish Cup winner: 1978, 1979

Individual
FIFA 100 inductee
South American Footballer of the Year: 1978
Argentinian Player of the Year: 1978
Spanish Championship top scorer: 1977, 1978

Coaching career
1996: Pelita Hyatt (Indonesia)
1996: SK Lushnja (Albania)
1997 - 1998: Mineros de Guayana (Venezuela)
1999: The Strongest (Bolivia)
2000 - 2001: Independiente Petrolero (Bolivia)

Mario Kempes - I was there

2008-11-09T00:02:00.000-08:00

"Mario is a phenomenon both as a person and a player. We are all indebted to him for what he did in 78 and that's great. But we've been very ungrateful to him as well. He was the goalscorer and the soul of that side after all, and he deserves some kind of tribute from Argentina. I love him."
Diego Maradona

"We were heavily criticised for not taking Maradona to the World Cup, but we thought he was too young and we had Kempes. Our selection policy was conditioned by the fact that we had a very clear idea of what we were looking for. If you don't know what you're looking for, then you'll never find anything. Things didn't work out too badly either."
Cesar Menotti, Kempes' coach atArgentina1978

"It goes without saying that Mario was absolutely essential to us winning the World Cup. We had a great, close-knit side, but he made all the difference in the last few metres. He just got better as the tournament went on, and although he didn't score in the first round we told him to relax. He started scoring in Rosario and he didn't stop until the Final. He was sensational."
Alberto Tarantini, Kempes' team-mate atArgentina1978

"In just one World Cup he showed he was an irresistible player with tremendous confidence. There were only a few defenders who managed to control him in 1978 and I'm proud to say I was one of them. Christian Lopez and I picked him up in zones, and we tried to encourage each other by saying he was just another player. We knew we couldn't let him turn because he was deadly from the edge of the box. He was so strong."
Marius Tresor,Francedefender atArgentina1978

"I met Kempes at the 1978 World Cup and we still keep in touch. He was a fantastic player with incredible strength. He's one of the main reasons why Argentina won that year."
Antonio Cabrini,Italydefender atArgentina1978

Pele - I was there

2008-11-06T14:30:00.000-08:00

"He could shoot with his left, with his right, and he had such vision that as soon as he got the ball he already knew what he was going to do with it. He was extraordinary."Paolo Amaral, Brazil's fitness trainer at the1958 FIFA World Cup™.

"He was such a talented player with great control and vision - he read the game and he read positions. He had an arrogance but not in a bad way. He was a great player so why shouldn't he strut a little bit."
Bobby Charlton, England legend who played against Pele at the 1970 FIFA World Cup.

"We felt very good before the tournament. Pele was saying that we were going to win, and if Pele was saying that, then we were going to win the World Cup."
Carlos Alberto, Brazil's 1970 FIFA World Cup-winning captain

This debate about the player of the century is absurd. There's only one possible answer: Pele. He's the greatest player of all time, and by some distance I might add.
Zico, legendary attacking midfielder who represented Brazil at the 1978, 1982 and 1986 FIFA World Cups.

"When the World Cup came around, I had to find myself a new position in the team. There was no question that the No10 shirt belonged to Pele, the greatest player on the planet. As I was no Pele, I moved out to the left. He was the complete player: he had two great feet, unbeatable ball control, and was ruthless in front of goal."
Mario Zagallo, a team-mate of Pele's at the 1958 and 1962 FIFA World Cups and his coach at Mexico 1970.

"Pele is the greatest player of all time. He reigned supreme for 20 years. All the others - Diego Maradona, Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini - rank beneath him. There's no one to compare with Pele.
Franz Beckenbauer, West Germany's 1974 FIFA World Cup-winning captain who played alongside Pele for New York Cosmos.

"I was never one for idols. That said, I'm a good Brazilian and so it's only inevitable I look up to Pele. He's like a God to us - well, he is to me anyway. I think instead of calling the game football, we should call it Pele.
Romario, Brazilian striker who won the FIFA World Cup and the adidas Golden Ball in 1994.

"It's too bad we never got along, but he was an awesome player. That said, I must repeat that I don't like to compare myself to him."
Diego Maradona, Argentina legend and 1986 FIFA World Cup-winning captain.

When Pele scored the fifth goal in that Final, I have to be honest and say I felt like applauding."
Sigvard Parling, member of the Sweden side that lost to Brazil in the 1958 FIFA World Cup Final.

"Before the match, I told myself that Pele was just flesh and bones like the rest of us. Later I realised I'd been wrong."
Tarcisio Burgnich, Italy defender who competed against Pele in the 1970 FIFA World Cup Final.

Playing Career

2008-11-06T14:28:00.000-08:00

International career
Brazil: 1957 - 1971
91 caps, 77 goals (Brazil's record scorer)
66 wins; 14 draws; 11 losses

Honours
1958 FIFA World Cup™ winner
1962 FIFA World Cup winner
1970 FIFA World Cup winner

Individual
1970 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball
1958 FIFA World Cup Silver Ball
Copa America top scorer: 1959

FIFA World Cup appearances
14 caps, 12 goals
12 wins; 1 draw; 1 loss

Sweden 1958
Brazil 2-0 USSR
Brazil 1-0 Wales (1 goal)
Brazil 5-2 France (3)
Brazil 5-2 Sweden (2)

Chile 1962
Brazil 2-0 Mexico (1)
Brazil 0-0 Czechoslovakia

England 1966
Brazil 2-0 Bulgaria (1)
Portugal 3-1 Brazil

Mexico 1970
Brazil 4-1 Czechoslovakia (1)
Brazil 1-0 England
Brazil 3-2 Romania (2)
Brazil 4-2 Peru
Brazil 3-1 Uruguay
Brazil 4-1 Italy (1)

Club career
1956 - 1974 Santos
1975 - 1977 New York Cosmos (USA)

Honours
World and continental
Copa Libertadores winner: 1962, 1963
Intercontinental Cup winner: 1962, 1963

National
Taca Brasil winner: 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965
Robertao Tournament winner: 1968
North American Soccer League winner: 1977

Regional
Paulista State Championship winner: 1956, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1973
Rio-Sao Paulo Tournament winner: 1959, 1963, 1964, 1966

Individual
FIFA Player of the Century
FIFA Order of Merit: awarded in 2004
MasterCard Team of the Century inductee
International Olympic Committee's Athlete of the Century
FIFA 100 inductee
South American Footballer of the Year: 1973
North American Soccer League MVP: 1976
Copa Libertadores top scorer: 1965
Taca Brasil top scorer: 1961, 1963, 1964
Rio-Sao Paulo Tournament top scorer: 1963
Paulista State Championship top scorer: 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1973
Scored 1,281 goals in his career, a world record

Pele dismayed by Brazil performance

2008-11-06T14:22:00.000-08:00

Football legend Pele has criticised Brazil's Men's Olympic Football Tournament campaign after their demoralising 3-0 defeat by Argentina in the semi-finals.

"I think Argentina were better prepared than Brazil," said Pele. "Once again, Brazil couldn't win the gold medal."

"It's not good for us but this is what happens in football, one team loses and one team wins. Against Argentina, it's always very difficult with a great rivalry."

Pele, who is in Beijing to support Rio de Janeiro's bid to host the 2016 Olympics, said that Brazil must work on their sense of unity if they are to win an elusive gold medal.

"Brazil has to work hard to form a team because nothing will happen with just big names, with 11 big names. A team has to be prepared. If the players don't know that it will be difficult to form a team."

Brazil will tackle Belgium on Friday in the bronze-medal match, while Argentina face Nigeria in Saturday's final.

Sceptical Pele wishes Maradona well

2008-11-06T13:54:00.000-08:00

Pele has wished Diego Maradona well in his new role at the Argentina helm, but the Brazilian legend warned that great players rarely become great coaches.

"I hope that everything goes well for him, that he'll be able to overcome what's happened in the past and know how to manage the Argentinian players well," said the three-time FIFA World Cup^TMwinner.

According to Pele, if the Napoli great is to succeed he must listen to his director of football, Carlos Bilardo, who led a Maradona-inspired Argentina to Mexico 1986 glory.

"He has at his side an experienced coach who knows football really well. If Maradona listens to Bilardo, he can go far. He can learn a lot if he wants to.

"But often a great player does not become a great coach. And sometimes players who weren't very good footballers, like (Vanderlei) Luxemburgo, become good coaches."

Maradona, who turned 48 today, will be officially named as successor to Alfio Basile on Tuesday.

Ten from No10

2008-10-31T08:09:00.001-07:00

Diego Maradona has long been known for his lucid and devil-may-care statements. As unpredictable behind the microphone as he was on the pitch, the famous No10 can be as charming and forthright as he can be volatile and controversial. At FIFA.com we compiled ten of best from the world's most famous Argentinian.

* "Yes, I am a ‘blackhead'* and proud of it. I'll never forget where I came from."
*From the Spanish cabecita negra - a derogatory term used to refer to people from Argentina who came from a poor background.
* "You are never in control with drugs, they control you. Anyone who says, ‘I can handle them' is either lying or deluding themselves."
* "Why am I always fighting against the powers that be? Simple, I loathe any form of injustice."
* "I've packed 70 years into my 40. I've seen it all. I went from a dirt track in Villa Fiorito to the top of the world. When I got there, I had to figure out for myself what to do. Nobody ever told me what it would be like or how to handle it."
* "I was and always will be happy with my ‘hand of God' goal against the English. I offer them a thousand apologies - that's the truth - but I'd do it again a thousand times."
* "My own little revolution is to defend the small people, not as a hero, not as some distant God, but just as a simple footballer."
* "I tried to find happiness playing football, and through it I tried to bring happiness to others. Football is the most beautiful game in the world. Yes, I made mistakes and I paid the price, but you can never tarnish football."
* "The only player that can't be replaced in the national team is Javier Mascherano. In Argentina, it's Mascherano plus ten."
* "I'll be the one making decisions. Of course, I'll listen to Carlos (Bilardo), because he's experienced and won a lot of things. But I am the one who decides who's playing and who's not."
* "This is a moment to enjoy. I'd be more than happy if my parents can see me going out on the field as the national coach, but I don't want to cry. The national team needs a man who makes people laugh and not cry, someone who can bring enjoyment and not tears."

Maradona = patriotism in Argentina

2008-10-31T08:08:00.001-07:00

Whatever the perception of Diego Maradona elsewhere in the world, whatever might be written about him, all is forgiven in Argentina. There, el Diez is akin to a fairytale character, a child born into extreme poverty who grew into a man of unimaginable fame and fortune, a hero who has always dared to challenge the powers that be. This is the story of a man who started out with raw sporting talent and ended up becoming synonymous with his country’s sense of nationhood.

Since he retired fromthe game, Diego has gone through different situations and personal stages. However, his knowledge and constant passion for football has opened a new door for this challenge as the coach in a country where football is practically a religion. But Diego is not your average coach.

National pride
Pride is probably Argentinians’ single most distinguishing character trait, and that goes a long way to explaining just why Maradona came to be idolized by his people. Born in Villa Fiorito, one of the poorest slums in Buenos Aires, Diego had to overcome formidable obstacles throughout his childhood. “If I were asked to sum up Fiorito in one word,” he once said, “it would be struggle”. “If there was food you ate it, and if there wasn’t then you went hungry.” Yet with a mixture of sacrifice and perseverance, Pelusa (a reference to his curly hair) was soon to discover a world far removed from the one in which he grew up. He was soon to represent the hope and dreams of a forlorn people.

Though considered boorish by many in his homeland, Maradona came to embody the essence of being Argentinian. His tears after losing the FIFA World Cup™ Final in Italy in 1990, his insults to the Italian public as they booed the Argentinian National Anthem, and his scream into the camera after scoring against Greece at USA 94 were all experienced by millions of Argentinians as if those emotions were their own.

More than anything else, Maradona will be remembered for the ‘hand of God’ goal he scored against England at Mexico 86. In Mexico City’s Aztec Stadium, the now infamous goal, punched past the outstretched hand of the England goalkeeper Peter Shilton, was seen by many Argentinians as sweet revenge on their old enemies.

“The goal I scored with my hand was much more enjoyable than the second, even if that was voted the best goal ever in the World Cup finals. At the time I put the goal down to the ‘hand of God’. What ‘hand of God? It was the hand of Diego,” he wrote years later in his autobiography.

One life, a thousand enemies
The Pope, the Vatican, the US government’s foreign policy, Argentina’s ruling classes, Italian Silvio Berlusconi and AC Milan have all been in the player’s firing line at one time or another. And inevitably, the Argentine people immediately make Maradona’s causes and pet hates their own.

Pablo Alabarces, the respected Argentine sociologist, carried out a study on this phenomenon which he published in a book called Cuestión de Pelotas.(A Question of Football). In it he said: “We see Maradona as fighting the third world’s corner against inequality, injustice and the concentration of power and money in the hands of the few. He is seen as a Father Christmas-type figure, capable of making all our wishes come true.”

In a country where political and social standards are sometimes noticeable in their absence, Diego Maradona became a spokesperson and a role model for the masses. Not always consistent, but authentic, Pelusa always fought for his countrymen. In the past, it was on the pitch. Now, he’ll have to do it from the bench.

Ten days in the life of Diego Maradona

2008-10-31T08:07:00.000-07:00

Argentina's most famous footballing son has led an eventful life, the latest chapter of which has seen him take on the Albiceleste job. From the cradle to one of the most demanding posts in international football, FIFA.com charts the life and times of the man they call El Diez.

1. 30/10/1960
The third of seven children, Maradona is born in a hospital in Lanus (a southern suburb of Buenos Aires) to Diego Maradona and Dalma Franco (better known as Dona Tota).

2. 20/10/1976
Makes his Argentinian first division debut in Argentinos Juniors's 1-0 defeat to Talleres of Cordoba.

3. 27/02/1977
Wins first international cap, coming on for Leopoldo Luque in a 5-1 friendly win over Hungary.

4. 07/09/1979
Crowns a dazzling tournament as Argentina win the FIFA World Youth Championship Japan 1979. Collects the adidas Golden Ball and also wins the adidas Silver Shoe for his six goals.

5. 05/07/1984
Unveiled in front of 80,000 fans at the Stadio Sao Paolo after joining Napoli from Barcelona. Galvanises the team and revolutionises the city as Napoli win two league titles, the UEFA Cup and the Italian Cup and Super Cup.

6. 29/06/1986
Captains Argentina to success at the 1986 FIFA World Cup Mexico™. Scores five goals to claim the adidas Silver Shoe. His second against England is still considered the greatest FIFA World Cup goal of all time.

7. 25/06/1994
Appearing at his fourth FIFA World Cup finals, he plays his last official match for Argentina in the 2-1 defeat of Nigeria in Boston. After the game he fails a drugs test and is sent home.

8. 25/10/1997
Plays his last professional match, coming off at half-time in the superclásico against River Plate at the Estadio Monumental to be replaced by Boca Juniors team-mate Juan Roman Riquelme. Announces his retirement five days later.

9. 10/11/2001
Joined by Roberto Ayala, Juan Sebastian Veron, Javier Zanetti, Enzo Francescoli, Eric Cantona, Davor Suker, Carlos Valderrama, Hristo Stoichkov and others, Maradona plays his farewell match front of over 50,000 fans at the Bombonera.

10. 28/10/2008
Fourteen years on from his last match in the No10 shirt that catapulted him to glory, news breaks of Maradona's appointment as Argentina coach.

Diego Maradona laughs off novice claims

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One of the game's greatest players, and also one of its most troubled and volatile, Maradona is expected to get the job despite having had only two short coaching stints in the mid-1990s totalling 23 games.

"People have spoken a lot about experience but I have had 20 years with the Argentina national side," said Maradona, who captained his country to FIFA World Cup™ victory in 1986.

"So it makes me laugh when they say I'm inexperienced," added Maradona, who since retiring has fought off drug addiction, alcohol-related liver disease and obesity and at one stage four years ago spent 10 days in intensive care.

"Football hasn't changed," he added, speaking to reporters outside his Buenos Aires home. "I don't think there's anything there that can surprise me."

Maradona added that the presence of FIFA World Cup-winning coach Carlos Bilardo as the team's director of football would compensate for any inexperience.

"I have Bilardo at my side and he has as much experience as anyone," Maradona said. "I think they have given this to me at the right moment," he added when asked if he was now more mature.

Maradona played down comparisons with former Brazil captain Dunga, who was appointed coach of his country's national team after Germany 2006 despite having no previous experience.

Dunga, a hard-tackling midfielder, won the Copa America last year but has been fiercely criticised for his team's recent displays. "I didn't play like Dunga - he kicked, I didn't," said Maradona.

Maradona claims Albiceleste throne

2008-10-31T08:04:00.001-07:00

Considered by many the finest footballer ever to play the game, Argentina legend Diego Armando Maradona is just days away from fulfilling his greatest remaining ambition: coaching his beloved Albiceleste. The mythical No10 will be officially named as the 42nd senior national team coach in Argentinian Football Association (AFA) history on Tuesday.

"Maradona has been offered the role of national team coach and Carlos Bilardo that of technical secretary," AFA spokesperson Ernesto Cherquis Bialo told FIFA.com. "All that remains is to hammer out certain details: who is going to be working with them and what their duties, powers and obligations will be. Once these are decided, the Executive Committee will meet over the course of Monday and Tuesday to approve the project, as laid down in the (AFA) statute."

What better birthday present for El Pelusa, who turns 48 this Thursday? In an intriguing quirk of fate, Maradona's first match in charge will be against Scotland in Glasgow in November, in the very same city and against the very same opponents where El Diez scored his first senior goal for the Albiceleste in June 1979.

Blue-and-white blood

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For Maradona and the national team, it was love at first sight, right from his first appearance way back in 1977, just four months on from his top-flight debut. Under the watchful eye of then coach Cesar Luis Menotti, who masterminded Argentina's first FIFA World Cup triumph the following year, Maradona came on as substitute for Leopoldo Jacinto Luque in a 5-1 win over Hungary on 27 February. The outrageously gifted left-footer would go on to represent his country at no fewer than four FIFA World Cup finals.

In total, the former Boca Juniors and Napoli star won 91 full international caps for his country, scoring 34 goals. Twenty-one of those matches and eight goals came at FIFA World Cups, including five strikes as he inspired Argentina to victory at Mexico 1986. Head coach on Mexican soil was none other than Carlos Bilardo, newly appointed technical secretary of the country's national teams.

"It's the one ambition that I'd yet to fulfil," admits Maradona on his new role. And though he has been linked with the position on many previous occasions, this is the first time an official offer has been made. "It was easy for me to say that they [the AFA] didn't want to give me the job and I could just stay at home and not carry any responsibility. I wasn't well back then, but now it's a different story," says Maradona, who has already started contacting some of his future charges.

Hands-on approach

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Maradona's two previous spells in a head coaching role both came about during the ban imposed after testing positive at USA 1994. Though he lacked the relevant qualifications, this obstacle was circumvented by his partnership with Carlos Fren - an old friend from his Argentinos Juniors days.

His first coaching adventure in the Argentinian top flight came about on 3 October 1994 when he took the reins of Corrientes outfit Deportivo Mandiyu. There he lasted just two months, presiding over one win, six draws and five defeats. The team eventually finished second bottom of that year's Apertura standings and were relegated to the second tier.

One year on, with Fren still at his side, Maradona was given the opportunity to coach Racing Club - one of Argentina's biggest clubs. His time in charge began on 24 February 1995 with a 1-0 home defeat to Ferro in the first matchday of the Clausura, and ended four months later on 6 May. Of his eleven matches at the helm of the Avellaneda side, the team won two, drew six and lost three.

But times have changed, and so has Maradona. Calmer and more thoughtful than before, the former Argentina captain is also fortunate to have at his disposal an impressive stream of young talent and players established in the world's biggest leagues.

For Maradona, the recipe for success is a simple one: "The players have to believe in the jersey again. You have to make the players understand they need to give everything for their country, because that's what really matters. Money is no substitute for glory."