All that changed in summer of 1998. In June and July of that year, the French won the World Cup. On home soil. Football’s status in France received a major boost.

It’s only logical then that much of 1998′s team will feature in a France All-Time Best XI. But there have been two other excellent French generations. The one from the 50′s with Kopa and Fontaine, for instance. And, of course, the one in the 80′s with the Carré Magicque starring Platini. And we shouldn’t forget players from other era’s: Cantona, Ginola, Papin, Pires, Ribery, Makelele and others – all of whom were genuine world class.

The formation chosen is a 4-2-3-1 to suit France’s best three players of all time. Click the link to see the team.

Goalkeeper ~ Fabien Barthez

Not exactly Mr. Reliable, as many Man United fans would surely agree, but Fabien Barthez had his moments. The best of which came while guarding the goal of Les Bleus. Thanks to his saves and celebrations, Barthez became somewhat of an iconic figure for the ultra successful 1998 and 2000 France side. Besides, there isn’t much competition. Joel Bats, the ‘keeper in Hidalgo’s era, was hardly the best goalie in the world either.

Right back ~ Liliam Thuram

France may not have had the best goalkeeper in history, but it certainly had one of the best right backs the game has ever seen. Lilian Thuram had everything anyone would want in a modern right back. Stamina. Power. Speed. And unlike many of today’s best side backs – Thuram was actually an excellent defender. Moreover, Thuram completed an astounding 142 games for France. Manuel Amoros can’t complain about being benched.

Right central defender ~ Marcel Desailly

Desailly was born in Ghana to a Ghanese woman, but due to his father’s French nationality, young Marcel acquired a French passport as well. The French must still be grateful for this stroke of coincidence. Desailly played a crucial part in that unconquerable defense of France ’98. Powerful, but also capable enough on the ball that he regualrly played in midfield for AC Milan. Desailly remains one of the few players who was a sesation in both the Italian Serie A and the English Premier League. His 116 caps aren’t too shabby either. Marius Tresor is the reserve.

Left central defender ~ Laurent Blanc

Laurent Blanc, with his 192 cm, nearly matched Thuram and Desailly in terms of physical power, but along with that, had the vision and leadership befitting a libero. Played 97 games for France, many of them as captain. Scored the golden goalin the 1998 quarter-final against Paraguay. Comfortably surpasses the 50′s star Jonquet.

Left back ~ Patrice Evra

The only man in defense not from the glorious 1998 team. Evra, after the fiasco of the 2010 World Cup, may not be the most popular player in France nowadays, but looking at his consistent contributions at club level over the past decade, it’s hard to deny him this spot. Takes the nodge over Bixente Lizerazu.

Right defensive midfielder ~ Patrick Vieira

The defensive midfield positions are, by far, the toughest ones to fill. In some ways, it’s hard to argue with Didier Deschamps. He was the captain of the 1998 team and completed over a 100 caps. But then what to do with Vieira, Arsenal’s supreme leader? Makelele, the anchor man of Madrid and Chelsea? What to do with those fabulous members of the Magic midfield from the 1980′s like Luis Ferdandez or Jean Tigana? Considering that Deschamps was, as Cantona once described him, a ‘water-carrier’ at best – and the same can be said of Makekele and Fernandez – my picks for these spots are Vieira and Tigana. Both were excellent in defense, but also had plenty of offensive abilities. Vieira had his power and his inspirational drive forward. Tigana had his technique and vision.

Left defensive midfielder – Jean Tigana

See previous comment.

Left attacking midfielder ~ Zinedine Zidane

A wizard with the ball. Unmatched by perhaps any player in history when it comes to sheer control over the ball in any situation. Despite his heavy built and lack of explosive speed, Zidane managed to beat defenders again and again simply by using their speed against themselves. Similar, in a sense, to a martial artist master. David Ginola has flair in his own right, but he can’t compare to Zizou.

Central attacking midfielder ~ Michel Platini

Zidane or Platini? The  debate in France still rages. Zidane takes the crown in terms of ball control, but Platini had leadership and superior goal-scoring ability – most notably via his legendary free kicks. But whoever of these two you prefer, it’s clear that both warrant a place in this XI. No further comment necesarry.

Right attacking midfielder ~ Raymond Kopa

Europe’s best player from the late 1950′s can’t be absent from this list. Unquestionably the best French player in history until Platini and Zidane emerged to contest that throne. Kopa was a man of creativity, daring, dribbling, assists and goals. It’s a shame that Kopa has become somewhat of a forgotten figure compared to his inferior (but more prolific) teammate Just Fontaine. Better than Robert Pires, for sure.

Striker ~ Thierry Henry

That Thierry Henry has never won a Ballon d’Or remains a regrettable fact. But, as one Greek philosopher once stated,  it’s better that people ask why you don’t have a statue, than why you do have one. Henry, perhaps never shone for France the way he did for Arsenal, but there’s no disputing the man’s talent. In fact, that his 123 caps and 51 goals for France are seen as ‘disappointing’ by some only demonstrates how highly he was regarded in his prime. With his speed, touch, and taste for goals, Henry will be a threat to any defense. Just Fontaine is the reserve.

France All-Time Best XI

Reserve Team

From the 70′s onwards, the Dutch have had several world class generations. In the 70′s there was the total football team of Cruyff, Neeskens, Van Hanegem, Krol and Rensenbrink. In the late 80′s Koeman, Rijkaard, Van Basten and Gullit emerged to bring Holland its first silverware. The 90′s saw the rise of such players as Van der Sar, Bergkamp, Davids, Seedorf, Overmars, Stam and De Boer brothers. And currently, it’s the likes of Sneijder, Robben and Van Persie who are making sure that Holland continues to be a force on the world stage. But even in the 50′s, long before the Dutch national team amounted to anything, there were a few excellent players carrying a Dutch passport: Faas Wilkes, Cor van der Hart and Abe Lenstsra, to name a couple.

And in that little summation, already 23 different players have been mentioned. There might be some national teams whose best XI is relatively straight forward to pick – such as Denmark – but that’s clearly not going to be the case with Holland.

So how would All-Star Holland look like? One thing’s for sure: the formation will be Holland’s trademark 4-3-3.

So how would an ideal All-Time Denmark XI look? Possibly like this:

 

Goalkeeper ~ Peter Schmeichel

One of the greatest goalkeepers to have ever lived, Schmeichel played a vital role in Denmark’s Euro 1992 triumph. Without his leadership, confidence and most importantly, his incredible saves, the Danes, an otherwise average side, would surely not have made it all the way. Became an absolute icon for Manchester United too. Reserve: Thomas Sorensen.

Right back ~ Thomas Helveg

The player without an expiration date. Debuted for OB in 1989, and only retired from the game in 2010. In between, he spent, amongst others, a decade in the Italian Serie A, including five years at AC Milan. Mostly deployed as a right-wing back, he could also play in the center of defense or in midfield. Won 108 caps for Denmark. Reserve: John Sivebaek

Libero ~ Morten Olsen

If one man has grown synonymous with the Danish national team it’s the gentlemanly Morten Olsen. As a player, he wore the Red and White for nineteen years. And since 2000, he is serving as the team’s coach, regularly guiding Denmark to international tournaments. It’s his playing career, however, that makes him an undisputed starter in this all-time Denmark team. The definition of an all-round footballer, Olsen had the technique, physique and awareness to play on any position in midfield. But it was only when, already in his 30′s, he moved to the position of libero that he began to earn the world’s recognition. Captained the Danish Dynamite team that shone so brigtly during Euro 1984 and the 1986 World Cup. Ended his career in 1989 as the first man to win over a 100 caps for Denmark. Reserve: Per Rondved.

Central defender ~ Johnny Hansen

Denmark, perhaps, has not had many truly world class defenders. Like Ivan Nielsen and Martin Laursen, Johnny Hansen was a solid choice in the back, but never more than that. Hansen most notably played six years for Bayern Munich – mostly at right back – but was equally apt playing in the heart of defense. Born years too early to enjoy any success with the Danish national team, he did achieve individual honour, as he was voted Danish player of the year in 1967. Reserve: Ivan Nielsen.

Left back ~ Jan Heintze

Jan Heintze was a left-footed, attack-minded defender who can be considered a genuine legend for PSV Eindhoven. He played 16 seasons for the Dutch club, including the 1987/88 one, when PSV won the European Cup. His career for Denmark was equally long – 86 caps – but not as successful. He debuted in 1987, when the Danish Dynamite side was past its peak. And during the 1992 Euro, Denmark’s finest moment, injury prevented him from playing. Reserve: Martin Laursen.

Right midfielder ~ Jan Molby

Molby never really left his mark on the Danish national team the way he did on the clubs he played for.  Only a squad player during the peak of the Danish Dynamite team, he decided to retire from the national team in 1990 after disagreeing with the coach’s defensive tactics.  As a result, he only won a measly 33 caps. Shamefully few for a player who is still considered one of Liverpool’s best purchases of all time. Picked up from Ajax in his early 20′s, Molby spent twelve years at Liverpool, where he impressed with his excellent passing for a defensive midfielder. Reserve: Kim Vilfort.

Left midfielder ~ Soren Lerby

Another backbone of the Danish Dynanite team. Soren Lerby was a commanding midfielder with plenty of spirit, leadership traits and offensive drive. Enjoyed a long successful spell at Ajax, where he became the team’s captain, before moving to Bayern. He finished his career at PSV, where he won the European Cup. Reserve: Karl Aage Hansen

Attacking midfielder ~ Michael Laudrup

Few players in the game can rival Michael Laudrup in terms of intelligence, vision and pure skill on the ball. Exploded on the global stage in the 1986 World Cup, and waved goodbye as a respected veteran in the 1998 tournament. In between, he became the most cherished player of Barcelona’s dream team. Throughout his career, Laudrup was more a dreamer than a killer, frequently using his dribbling and passing ability to create chances for others, rather than scoring himself. Perhaps that’s the reason why he, incredibly, never featured high in Ballon d’Or elections. Or perhaps it was his remarkable decision to boycot Euro 1992 because he disagreed with the coach’s defensive approach. Either way, there’s no doubt that Michael Laudrup was Denmark’s best player in history. Frank Arnesen is the reserve for this position.

Right Winger ~ Brian Laudrup

Brian Laudrup will probably always be remembered as the younger, and perhaps the lesser, of the two Laudrup brothers. He didn’t have his older brother’s flawless touch and godlike vision, but Danish football fans will always be grateful for his performances in Euro 1992 – the tournament his brother boycotted. Voted a record four times Danish footballer of the year, Brian enjoyed his best years at Rangers FC, where he became a genuine legend. The reserve is the agile winger Jesper Olsen.

Striker ~ Preben Elkjaer Larsen

Strong, fast and scared of nothing, Preben Elkjaer was perhaps the iconic player of the Danish Dynamite team. His audacious shots and dribbles contributed significantly to Denmark’s reputation as a band of adventurous cavaliers. He was rewarded for his combative and inspiring play with two Ballon d’Or podium spots. Takes the nod over former Juventus legend John Hansen.

Left Winger ~ Allan Simonsen

Somewhat of a forgotten footballer too, Simonsen is the only Danish footballer who actually won the Ballon d’Or. His election as Europe’s best player coincided with a successful period at Borussia Mönchengladbach, after which he moved to Barcelona. Simonsen was short (1.65m), agile and tricky, and could score easily, making him suitable for any spot in the forward line. He is the only player to have ever scored in the final of the European Cup, the Cup Winners Cup ánd the UEFA Cup. Reserve is the dribble master from the 50′s: Karl Aage Praest.

All-Time Denmark XI

Reserve team

]]> http://www.4dfoot.com/2012/02/20/all-time-denmark-team/feed/ 2 http://www.4dfoot.com/2012/02/16/1997-tournoi-de-france-brazil-vs-england-45-min-highlights/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=1997-tournoi-de-france-brazil-vs-england-45-min-highlights http://www.4dfoot.com/2012/02/16/1997-tournoi-de-france-brazil-vs-england-45-min-highlights/#comments Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:46:56 +0000 4Dfoot http://www.4dfoot.com/?p=2039

Don’t read this obligatory accompanying text. Just skip ahead to the line-ups. Sure, the occassion was nothing special: the final group match of a friendly tournament that England had already won.

But look at the names. Leonardo behind Romario AND Ronaldo. And on the opposite side, possibly the last truly excellent England team, featuring Scholes and Gascoigne supporting Shearer and Sheringham.

Line-ups:

Brazil
Taffarel – Cafu, Celio Silva, Aldair, Roberto Carlos – Dunga, Flavio Conceição, Leonardo, Denilson – Ronaldo, Romario
Coach: Mario Zagallo

England
Seaman – Neville, Keown, Southgate, Campbell, Le Saux – Ince, Scholes, Gascoigne – Sheringham, Shearer
Coach: Glenn Hoddle

Download Links

First Half
Second Half

The list reveals some interesting differences compared to the top 50 made by the Italian magazine Guerin’ Sportivo.

First of all, there are fifteen Italians and seven Brazilians in Guerin’s top 50. Meanwhile the top 50 of Placar’s list features fourteen Brazilians and only four Italians.

It’s tempting to blame national bias for this difference. A matter of Italians prefering Italians, and Brazilians prefering Brazilians. But that doesn’t have to be the case per sé. After all, you can only appreciate what you see. And it’s harder to see the true intricacies of a work of art when you’re standing far away. For Italians, the feats of Zizinho – a legendary player from a time in which video footage rarely ever crossed the Atlantic ocean – are hard to estimate. It only makes sense then for Italians to favour an Italian player of whom they do have the necessary knowledge to appreciate his greatness.

Interesting too is how highly Rivelino is regarded by this Brazilian magazine: #12. Higher even than Zico. A fact reflective, perhaps of the ‘loser’ image Zico carries in Brazil – where he is seen as synonymous with an era in which Brazil failed to win the World Cup.

Further more, Placar’s list contains a few peculiarities with regards to the ranking of European players. Placing Just Fontaine at #14, far higher the far superior Raymond Kopa, looks to be a case of score board journalism – always the last refuge of the uninformed football follower.

Here’s the full list:

100. Frank RIJKAARD (Netherlands)
99. Zbigniew BONIEK (Poland)
98. Mario Alberto KEMPES (Argentina)
97. Jean Amadou TIGANA (France)
96. José Luís Félix CHILAVERT (Paraguay)
95. Davor SUKER (Croatia)
94. Julio César Romero “ROMERITO” Insfrán (Paraguay)
93. Johan NEESKENS (Netherlands)
92. Zinedine ZIDANE (France)
91. ROBERTO BAGGIO (Italy)

90. Frantisek PLANICKA (Czechoslovakia)
89. Paul John GASCOIGNE (England)
88. Gabriel Omar BATISTUTA (Argentina)
87. Carlos Alberto GAMARRA Pavón (Paraguay)
86. Giuseppe MEAZZA (Italy)
85. Silvio PIOLA (Italy)
84. Antonio CARBAJAL (Mexico)
83. RONALDO Luís Nazário de Lima (Brazil)
82. Ricardo ZAMORA Martínez (Spain)
81. Antônio “TONINHO” Carlos CEREZO (Brazil)

80. Gheorghe HAGI (Romania)
79. Thomaz Soares da SIlva – ZIZINHO (Brazil)
78. Guillermo STÁBILE (Argentina)
77. SÓCRATES Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira (Brazil)
76. PEDRO Virgilio ROCHA Franchetti (Uruguay)
75. Giacinto FACCHETTI (Italy)
74. Luis “LUISITO” SUÁREZ Miramontes (Spain)
73. Júlio “JULINHO” BOTELHO (Brazil)
72. Alain GIRESSE (France)
71. Gaetano SCIREA (Italy)

70. Teófilo CUBILLAS (Peru)
69. Enzo FRANCESCOLI Uriarte (Uruguay)
68. ADEMIR Marques DE MENEZES (Brazil)
67. Mário Esteves COLUNA (Portugal)
66. Jair “JAIRZINHO” Ventura Filho (Brazil)
65. PAOLO ROSSI (Italy)
64. ADEMIR DA GUIA (Brazil)
63. Juan Alberto SCHIAFFINO (Uruguay)
62. Antônio de Oliveira Filho – CARECA (Brazil)
61. Josef MASOPUST (Czechoslovakia)

60. MICHAEL LAUDRUP (Denmark)
59. Leovegildo Lins Gama JÚNIOR (Brazil)
58. Zoltan CZIBOR (Hungary)
57. Albert-Roger MILLA (Cameroun)
56. Amadeo Raúl CARRIZO (Argentina)
55. HUGO SÁNCHEZ Márquez (Mexico)
54. PAOLO MALDINI (Italy)
53. Jürgen KLINSMANN (Germany)
52. George WEAH (Liberia)
51. DJALMA SANTOS (Brazil)

50. Raymond Kopaszewski “KOPA” (França)
49. STANLEY MATTHEWS (England)
48. Eduardo Gonçalves de Andrade – TOSTÃO (Brazil)
47. OBDULIO Jacinto VARELA (Uruguay)
46. CARLOS ALBERTO TORRES (Brazil)
45. VALENTINO MAZZOLA (Italy)
44. Uwe SEELER (Germany)
43. Laszlo KUBALA (Hungary)
42. Karl-Heinz RUMMENIGGE (Germany)
41. Dino ZOFF (Italy)

40. DOMINGOS Antônio DA GUIA (Brazil)
39. Paul BREITNER (Germany)
38. GÉRSON de Oliveira Nunes (Brazil)
37. Robert “BOBBY” Frederick MOORE (England)
36. Paulo Roberto FALCÃO (Brazil)
35. Arthur FRIEDENREICH (Brazil)
34. Gerhardt “GERD” MÜLLER (Germany)
33. Luigi RIVA (Italy)
32. FRITZ WALTER (Germany)
31. Ruud Dil GULLIT (Netherlands)

30. Francisco GENTO (Spain)
29. Hristo STOICHKOV (Bulgaria)
28. LEÔNIDAS DA SILVA (Brazil)
27. GEORGE BEST (Northern Ireland)
26. Marco VAN BASTEN (Netherlands)
25. Angel Amadeo LABRUNA (Argentina)
24. Sandor KOCSIS (Hungary)
23. Josef Dieter MAIER (Germany)
22. NÍLTON SANTOS (Brazil)
21. Gordon BANKS (England)

20. Lothar MATTHÄUS (Germany)
19. Elias Ricardo FIGUEROA Brander (Chile)
18. Robert “BOBBY” CHARLTON (England)
17. Franchescino BARESI (Italy)
16. Arthur Antunes Coimbra – ZICO (Brazil)
15. Daniel Alberto PASSARELLA (Argentina)
14. Just FONTAINE (France)
13. Valdir Pereira – DIDI (Brazil)
12. Roberto RIVELLINO (Brazil)
11. Lev YASHIN (Russia)

10. ROMÁRIO de Souza Farias (Brazil)
9. EUSÉBIO Ferreira da Silva (Portugal)
8. Michel PLATINI (France)
7. Ferenc PUSKAS (Hungary)
6. Alfredo DI STEFANO (Argentina)

5. Franz BECKENBAUER (Germany)
4. Manoel Francisco dos Santos – GARRINCHA (Brazil)
3. Johan CRUYFF (Netherlands)
2. Diego Armando MARADONA (Argentina)
1. Édson Arantes do Nascimento – PELÉ (Brazil)

Perhaps the most treasured part of Sir Bobby Robson’s legacy is the long list of amusing sayings he uttered during his life.

If Johan Cruyff, by his own admission, had a mouth that couldn’t keep up with his brain, leading to incomprehensible analyses, for Bobby Robson it was often the opposite. His mouth moved quicker than his brain, resulting in bewildering, but always funny statements.

To the collection of Great Quotations has been added a section with 13 of Sir Bobby’s best sayings. Quotes from Romario, Günther Netzer, Dadá Maravilha and many others have been added as well.

Click here to see the entire list of quotations

Truths about Football: Art, War, Joy, Slavery and Love

“Football has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence: in other words it is war minus the shooting.”
George Orwell

“I fell in love with football as I would later fall in love with women: suddenly, uncritically, giving no thought to the pain it would bring.”
Nick Hornby (Opening sentence of Horny’s book Fever Pitch)

“An artist in my eyes, is someone who can lighten up a dark room. I have never and will never find difference between the pass from Pele to Carlos Alberto in the final of the World Cup in 1970 and the poetry of the young Rimbaud. There is in each of these human manifestations an expression of beauty which touches us and gives us a feeling of eternity.”
Eric Cantona

“It was like seducing the most beautiful woman in the world. And then failing on the moment for which you did it all.”
Socrates (After Brazil’s wonderful 1982 side was beaten by Italy)

“The bacillus of efficiency has also attacked football, and some dare to ask what’s the point in playing well. I feel tempted to tell about the time they dared to ask Borges what is poetry for, to which he answered: ‘What is a sunrise for? What are caresses for? What is the smell of coffee for?’”
Jorge Valdano

“Some people tell me that we professional players are slaves. Well, if this is slavery, give me a life sentence.”
Bobby Charlton

“Rugby is a game for barbarians played by gentlemen. Football is a game for gentlemen played by barbarians.”
Oscar Wilde

“Everywhere has its irremediable national catastrophe, something like a Hiroshima. Our catastrophe, our Hiroshima, was the defeat by Uruguay in 1950.”
Nelson Rodrigues (Brazilian playwright)

“A football team is like a piano. You need eight men to carry it and three who can play the damn thing.”
Bill Shankly

“If God had wanted us to play football in the sky, He’d have put grass up there.”
Brian Clough on the long-ball game

“Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans win.”
Gary Lineker

“Playing against a defensive opponent is just as bad as making love to a tree.”
Jorge Valdano

“A penalty is a cowardly way to score.”
Pelé

Displays of Genius

“A classico is a classico and vice versa.”
Mario Jardel

“I don’t believe in superstitions. I just do certain things because I’m scared in case something will happen if I don’t do them.”
Michael Owen

“It was a game of two halves and we were rubbish in both of them.”
Brian Horton

“That’s great, tell him he’s Pelé and get him back on.”
Manager John Lambie when told his concussed striker did not know who he was.

Coach: “Garrincha, you need to train your left foot so you can shoot with both feet.
Garrincha: “But if I shoot with both my feet I’ll fall on the ground”

“Heurelho, guess who’s PSV”s new captain? Me. I finally got the armband”
Alex da Costa to Heurelho Gomes, after receiving a black armband to commemorate a deceased PSV legend.

“I couldn’t settle in Italy – it was like living in a foreign country”
Ian Rush

Footballers and coaches on footballers and coaches

“That lad must have been born offside.”
Sir Alex Ferguson on Filippo Inzaghi

“He scores the most beautiful goals, but he doesn’t have any qualities.”
Johan Cruyff on Filippo Inzaghi

“One of the greatest things I see in Sócrates is his ability to play better football backwards than when facing the front. In that area he’s unique.”
Pelé on Sócrates

“He can’t kick with his left foot, he can’t head a ball, he can’t tackle and he doesn’t score many goals. Apart from that he’s all right.”
George Best on David Beckham

“Beyond everything else, no ball ever had a better experience than when it was at his left foot.”
Jorge Valdano on Diego Maradona

“He wears a No. 10 jersey. I thought it was his position, but it turns out to be his IQ.”
George Best on Paul Gascoigne

“I can be a new Di Stefano, but I can’t be a new Pelé. He is the one that goes beyond the limits of logic.”
Johan Cruyff on Pelé

“His weakness is that he doesn’t think he has any”
Arsene Wenger on Alex Ferguson

“If he were in ‘Star Trek’, he’d be the best player in whatever solar system he was in”
Ian Wright on Dennis Bergkamp

“Pelé is a poet as long as he stays silent”
Romario on Pelé

“Figo wasn’t skiing while his team was still in the Champions League, and there’s the difference.”
Ex-Real Madrid coach Carlos Queiroz on David Beckham’s lack of fitness during Euro 2004

“Don’t turn on your vacuum cleaner when Robben is on TV. Good chance he’ll fall over.”
Ruud Gullit on Arjen Robben

“Alex Ferguson is the best manager I’ve ever had at this level. Well, he’s the only manager I’ve actually had at this level.”
David Beckham on Sir Alex Ferguson

“He does not know how to admit his own failures.”
Cristiano Ronaldo on José Mourinho

“Zlatan is exceptional in that he is skilled despite being tall. Usually tall players are clumsy. I think because the distance between their feet and brains is so large.”
Co Adriaanse on Zlatan Ibrahimovic

“He is a great goalscorer. But a poor footballer.”
Johan Cruyff on Ruud van Nistelrooy

“He does something great once a month. But with his talent he should be the star every single game.”
Johan Cruyff on Dennis Bergkamp

“One of the most difficult players I have worked with. When he gives 80–90% he is still by far the best, but I want 100%, and he rarely does that. (..) When Michael plays like a dream, a magic illusion, determined to show his extreme abilities, no one in the world comes anywhere near his level.”
Johan Cruyff on Michael Laudrup

“First I went left, he did too. Then I went right, and he did too. Then I went left again, and he went to buy a hot dog.”
Zlatan Ibrahimovic on (his feint) against Liverpool’s Sami Hyypiä

“Gattuso in the Italian National Team? Well, even beautiful cities have a sewer system.”
Peppino Prisco on Gennaro Gattuso

“Mourinho is a coach of titles, not football. Or rather, not a football coach if we understand the sport is a spectacle or entertainment for those who watch it, either at home or live in the stadium.”
Johan Cruyff on José Mourinho

“Mourinho and Benítez have two things in common: a previously denied, hitherto unsatisfied hunger for glory, and a desire to have everything under control. Both of those things stem from one key factor: neither Mourinho nor Benítez made it as a player. That has made them channel all their vanity into coaching. Those who did not have the talent to make it as players do not believe in the talent of players, they do not believe in the ability to improvise in order to win football matches. In short, Benítez and Mourinho are exactly the kind of coaches that Benítez and Mourinho would have needed to have made it as players.”
Jorge Valdano on Benitez and Mourinho

“After his first training session in heaven, George Best, from the favourite right wing, turned the head of God who was filling in at left back.”
Eric Cantona on George Best

“He combines the qualities of the best coach in the world with the most stubborn character that I have worked with in professional football.”
Hristo Stoichkov on Johan Cruyff

“What Zidane can do with a football, Maradona could do with an orange.”
Michel Platini on Zidane and Maradona

“I have a history in football but what is the history of this guy, this midget? He ought to clean his tounge and wash the boots of David Beckham as they are so wet tonight.”
Carlos Alberto on Michael Owen

Modesty

“Actually I never make a mistake, because it takes a huge effort for me to be wrong.”
Johan Cruyff

“In a sense, I’m probably immortal.”
Johan Cruyff

“They say Rome wasn’t built in a day, but I wasn’t on that particular job.”
Brian Clough

“I wouldn’t say I was the best manager in the business. But I was in the top one.”
Brian Clough

“My best moment? I have a lot of good moments but the one I prefer is when I kicked the hooligan.”
Eric Cantona

“When the seagulls follow the trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea”
Eric Cantona

“How are England going to win in Germany? It hasn’t happened for 100 years. I have no doubts whatsoever that Germany will quite clearly thrash England. They will easily qualify for the World Cup with this match.”
Germany’s Uli Hoeness ahead of the World Cup qualifier which England won 5-1.

“We are on top at the moment but not because of Chelsea’s financial power. We are in contention for a lot of trophies because of my hard work.”
Jose Mourinho

“He must really think I’m a great guy. He must think that, because otherwise He would not have given me so much. I have a great family. I work in a place where I’ve always dreamt of working. He has helped me out so much that He must have a very high opinion of me.”
Jose Mourinho when asked what he believed God thought about him

“I’ve signed a contract with the Dutch national team until 2006. So I can win the World Cup not once but twice.”
Louis van Gaal

“There are only three great powers in the universe: God in heaven, the pope in the Vatican and Dadá in the great box.”
Dadá Maravilha

“God created me to delight people with goals.”
Romario

“I never realised that in order to become a jockey you have to have been a horse first”
Arrigo Sacchi on his lack of experience as a footballer.

Flashes of Honesty

“For me, heading a ball was similar to touching the ball with your hands.”
Günther Netzer

“My shooting technique is so poor that if someday I score from outside the box, the keeper has to be banned from football.”
Dadá Maravilha

“In 1969 I gave up women and alcohol and it was the worst 20 minutes of my life.”
George Best

“I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered.”
George Best

“I retired at age 40 because my daughters looked at me one day and said: ‘Dad, being bald and wearing shorts doesn’t look good together’.”
Alfredo Di Stéfano

“While sitting on the bench you develop strange thoughts. You hope certain team mates play rubbish. Or get an injury. Not a painful one, but one that lasts very long. You feel like a gas station owner hoping that his competitor’s station burns down.”
Richard Witschge

The Charm of Rivalry

“When I’ve got nothing better to do, I look down the league table to see how Everton are getting along.”
Liverpool manager Bill Shankly

“I know this is a sad occasion but I think that Dixie would be amazed to know that even in death he could draw a bigger crowd than Everton can on a Saturday Afternoon.”
Liverpool manager Bill Shankly during Dixie Dean’s funeral

“The only way Everton players will get into Europe this year is if there’s another World War”
Liverpool manager Bill Shankly

“The game had to be played in the afternoon, because the boys from Ajax aren’t allowed to play outside when it’s dark.”
AZ-player Barry van Galen

“The highest educated person at Real Madrid is the woman cleaning the toilets.”
Joan Gaspart, president of Barcelona

“Ach, not the Dutch again. You are all a$$holes anyway and Adolf should have gotten rid of you.”
Lothar Matthaus

Mourinho’s trolls

“I think he is one of these people who is a voyeur. He likes to watch other people. There are some guys who, when they are at home, have a big telescope to see what happens in other families. He speaks, speaks, speaks about Chelsea.”
José Mourinho on Arsene Wenger

“I studied Italian five hours a day for many months to ensure I could communicate with the players, media and fans. Ranieri had been in England for five years and still struggled to say ‘good morning’ and ‘good afternoon.’
José Mourinho on Claudio Ranieri

“It is really not my fault if he was considered a loser at Chelsea.”
José Mourinho on Claudio Ranieri

“Ranieri? He’s right in what he says: I am very demanding of myself and I need to win to be secure about things. That’s why I’ve won so many trophies in my career. He, on the other hand, has the mentality of someone who doesn’t need to win and at nearly 70 years old he has won a Supercoppa and another small cup. He’s too old to change his mindset.”
José Mourinho on Claudio Ranieri

“It’s not even a game between me and him. It’s a game where a kid made some statements not showing maturity and respect. Maybe it’s his difficult childhood, no education, maybe it’s the consequence of that.”
Jose Mourinho on Cristiano Ronaldo

“Three years without a Premiership title? I don’t think I would still be in a job.”
José Mourinho on Rafa Benitez

“Wenger has been Arsenal’s coach for 15 years but he hasn’t won even a Carling Cup for six years. Benitez hasn’t won a league title in six years but they continue to keep him as Liverpool’s coach. This is not the Italian mentality. To stay here I must continue winning and do well.”
José Mourinho on Arsene Wenger and Rafa Benitez

“I don’t want him to teach me how to lose 4-0 in a Champions League final because I don’t want to learn that”
José Mourinho on Johan Cruyff

“When I saw Rijkaard entering the referee’s dressing room I couldn’t believe it. When Didier Drogba was sent off, I wasn’t surprised.”
José Mourinho on Frank Rijkaard

“They have a great club. But in 200 years of history they have won the European Cup only once. I have been managing for a few years and I have already won the same amount.”
José Mourinho on Barcelona

“Barcelona is a cultural city with many great theatres and this boy has learned very well. He’s learned play-acting.”
José Mourinho on Lionel Messi

“I have to train with 10 men [to prepare for the Barcelona semi-final], how to play with 10 men, because I go there with Chelsea, I finish with 10, I go there with Inter, I finish with 10 and I have to train to play with 10 men because it can happen again.”
José Mourinho on playing Barcelona

“Up to now we have had two types of coaches. A very small group of coaches who never speak to the referees. After that, there is a bigger group, of whom I am one, who criticise the referees when they make huge errors. And now, with the declaration of Pep the other day, we are entering a new era with a third group, which for the moment includes only him, who criticise the correct decision of the referee.”
José Mourinho on Pep Guardiola

“We were perfect. We would have won this game even with seven men. Maybe with six we would have struggled, but we would have won with seven.”
José Mourinho after his 9-man Inter beat AC Milan

The Legacy of Sir Bobby

“When Gazza was dribbling, he used to go through a minefield with his arm, a bit like you go through a supermarket.”
Bobby Robson

“We didn’t underestimate them. They were just a lot better than we thought.”
Bobby Robson

“If you count your chickens before they’ve hatched, they won’t lay an egg.”
Bobby Robson

“The first ninety minutes of a football match are the most important.”
Bobby Robson

“He’s very fast and if he gets a yard ahead of himself nobody will catch him.”
Bobby Robson

“I’ve had to come out of the dressing room because I don’t want to get too excited.”
Bobby Robson

“I would have given my right arm to be a pianist.”
Bobby Robson

“Everyone’s got tough games coming up. Manchester United have got Arsenal, Arsenal have got Manchester United and Leeds have got Leeds.”
Bobby Robson

“I’ve only got two words for how we played out there tonight – Not good enough.”
Bobby Robson

“I said to the lads in the dressing room at half time, I said, there was nothing to say.”
Bobby Robson

“Steve Hodge has been unfit for two weeks, well, no, for 14 days.”
Bobby Robson

“We mustn’t be despondent. We don’t have to play them every week – although we do play them next week as it happens.”
Bobby Robson, following Newcastle’s defeat by Arsenal

“Football never surprises you and it never sometimes demoralises you”
Bobby Robson

“We’re taking 22 players to Italy, sorry, to Spain… where are we, Jim?”
Bobby Robson on the 1998 World Cup in France.

Cruyff’s insights

“Football is simple. But nothing is more difficult than playing simple football.”
Johan Cruyff

“To play football well, you need good players. But good players nearly always suffer from a lack of efficiency. They always want to do things more beautifully than strictly necessary.”
Johan Cruyff

“The hardest thing about an easy match is making a weak opponent play poor. A poor player isn’t poor because he tends to kick the ball in his own goal. It’s because when you put intense pressure on him, he loses control. So you have to increase the tempo of the game and he’ll automatically give the ball away.”
Johan Cruyff

“If you play on possession, you don’t have to defend, because there’s only one ball.”
Johan Cruyff

“You have got to shoot, or you can’t score.”
Johan Cruyff

“Technique is not being able to juggle a ball 1000 times. Anyone can do that by practicing. Then you can work in the circus. Technique is passing the ball with one touch, with the right speed, at the right foot of your team mate.”
Johan Cruyff

“When you’re playing against a team that has two great central defenders, the best option is to play without a striker.”
Johan Cruyff

“If you want to play quicker you can start running faster, but it’s the ball that decides the speed of the game.”
Johan Cruyff

“If my forward arrives in a one vs one situation, I always say: ‘let him work it out.’ Then my players say: But we can help him!’. My reply is: First, there’s a good chance you’ll only run in his way, and as a second attacker you’re drawing a second defender with you, and two vs two is harder than one vs one.’”
Johan Cruyff

“At Barcelona I always instructed Koeman to shoot the first free kick into the wall as hard as possible. The next time the players in the wall would be smart enough not to come rushing out again.”
Johan Cruyff

“In small space a player has to be capable of acting quickly. A good player who needs too much time can suddenly become a poor player.”
Johan Cruyff

“A counter-attack can only arise when you make a mistake. That’s why there are rules. A horizontal pass? Prohibited. In my line-up there are as many lines as possible. Because you must have the option to pass the ball forward, even if it’s a meter. Because then I can still make up for the loss of possession. After a horizontal pass this is impossible.”
Johan Cruyff

“Players that aren’t true leaders but try to be, are always bashing other players after a mistake. True leaders on the pitch already assume others will make mistakes.”
Johan Cruyff

“In my teams, the goalie is the first attacker, and the striker the first defender.”
Johan Cruyff

So what would an All-Star Real Madrid team look? Surely, it won’t get much better than this.

Looking through Real Madrid’s player history, it’s interesting that the club has lacked a truly great right back. Therefore, the starting formation is a 3 man defense, making use of various phenomenal central defenders.

On to the team, therefore:

Goalkeeper ~ Iker Casillas

Still only 30 years old, Iker Casillas’ name should be etched on the goal posts of the Bernabeu. He has won all major club and national championship titles. He has been voted best goalkeeper in the world four times in a row. He is the goalie with the most games played in the Champions League. He has saved Real Madrid on countless occasions. And with so many years still ahead of him, there’s no doubt Casillas will be remembered as an absolute legend.

Right defender- José Santamaria

Santamaria was a strong and uncompromising defender who starred for Real Madrid in their golden era of the 50′s and 60’s. As Di Stefano and friends did their job upfront, Santamaria was, for ten successive years, the reliable man at the back, marking opposing forwards out of the game.

Libero ~ Fernando Hierro

The last iconic Real Madrid central defender, Fernando Hierro completed over 600 matches for Los Blancos, playing most of them in the heart of defense. Thanks to his passing ability and functional technique, he regularly played as a defensive midfielder as well. Incredibly, he also possessed a talent for scoring goals – netting 126 times for Real Madrid during the 14 years of his stay in the capital. A leader and example to all.

Left defender ~ José Antonio Camacho

A tough tackler, Camacho played 577 games over the course of a 15 year spell at Los Merengues. He could attack over the left wing, but never at the cost of his defensive duties, making him perfectly suited for this all-time team. He won an astounding nine Liga’s with Real Madrid.

Defensive Midfielder ~ Pirri

Widely regarded as the best Spanish player of the 1970′s. Pirri was the anchor of Real Madrid for 16 long, successful years. Although not exactly the tallest man on the field, he was renowned for his ferocity and leadership qualities. Like Hierro, he scored a surprising amount of goals despite the defensive nature of his game: 123 in La Liga alone.

Right midfielder ~ Fernando Redondo

Oh, Redondo. Has there ever been a defensive midfielder of such elegance and ball-playing technique? His career was marred by injuries, but the years he starred for Real Madrid left an unforgettable impression. Leading the team from midfield, his contributions to Madrid’s Champions League campaigns in 1998 and 2000 are hard to overestimate. In recognition, UEFA once elected Redondo the most valuable player of the Champions League. A rare feat for a holding midfielder in a team of such attacking prowess as Real Madrid.

Left midfielder ~ Zinedine Zidane

It’s nearly six years since Zidane last touched a ball on an official occasion, but his names continues to stand synonymous with beautiful football. With that magic touch. With unbelievable feats of all control. With the Galacticos at their highest peak. And with that genius goal in the Champions League final of 2001. For all these reasons, Zidnedine Zidane deserves to be part of Real Madrid’s All-Time team.

Attacking midfielder ~ Alfredo di Stefano

He is thé iconic player of Real Madrid. Alfredo Di Stefano. Today, he’s Madrid’s Honorary President in recognition of his contributions to the club. And deservedly so. In his era, he was the greatest player int he world. He set-up attacks from midfield that, frequently, he’s finish hismelf. On the way, he led Real Madrid to five European Cups – scoring in all five finals. Regularly voted in the top five of Best Player of All Time elections.

Right Winger ~ Cristiano Ronaldo

Love him or hate him, but you can’t argue with the statistics that Cristiano Ronaldo continues to present. While he’s only in his third season for Real Madrid, he’s already broken several scoring records, and shows no sign of stopping, averaging a goal per game. His compatriot Luis Figo played 6 seasons at Madrid, but only managed half that number. Ronaldo, for his incredible scoring ability, and for being the icon of today’s Madrid, simply deserves to be in the team.

Left winger ~ Francisco Gento

Gento is the the only man who has won the European Cup six times. With his dazzling speed and tricks he was a fundamental part of the great Real Madrid that won Europe’s greatest trophy five times in a row. He went on to captain a new Madrid to European glory once more in 1966. In total, he played 606 games for Real Madrid, scoring 178 goals and winning an incredible, and record, 12 league titles.

Striker ~ Ferenc Puskas

Ferenc Puskas had already achieved world fame before he signed for Real Madrid. In some sense he was one of the first stars of European football. As the iconic player of the incredible Hungary side of the early 1950’s, Puskas gained a reputation for, above all, his scoring ability. When he signed for Real Madrid he was already 31. But not past his prime. He’d wear the maiden white for 8 seasons, scoring 156 goals in 180 games, becoming an icon for Real Madrid in the process.

So this then, is what the final team looks like:

Real Madrid All-Time Team

Reserve Team

Yet for all their success, rarely have the Germans gained a reputation for playing brilliant football. It’s often been said that Germany is the only country that doesn’t need great players to achieve great results. Their work-ethic, discipline and fighting spirit – not individual genius – carries them through to the end.

So what would an All-Time German team look like? Would it match up with the All-Time teams of countries known for their individual talent, such as Brazil, Argentina or Holland? I believe so.

The formation chosen is a diamond 4-4-2. Germany has never had great wingers – perhaps no coincidence given that it’s the position on the field that’s the most ‘individual’ – so a wingless eleven suits the Germans best.

Goalkeeper ~ Oliver Kahn

The first position immediately presents a difficult choice. Oliver Kahn or Sepp Maier? Both defended the German goal, and that of Bayern Munich, for over a decade. Both, in their prime, were recognized as the best in the world. Maier, however, was more successful: he won three European Cups, as well as Euro 1972 and World Cup 1974. But he did so with a team of Beckenbauer, Breitner and Müller. Kahn won only one Champions League – but was the hero of the decisive penalty series. Similarly, when a mediocre Germany reached the 2002 World Cup final, it was largely because of Kahn’s inspirational goalkeeping. He was even voted the best player of that tournament. Kahn’s individual performances make him the winner of this contest. With his crude looks, unkempt hair, titanic frame, terrifying war-cries and overall fearlessness, Kahn was more than just a talented shot stopper. He was, and remains, an icon.

Right back ~ Berti Vogts

So reliable. So trustworthy. So unspectacular. So German. Nobody will ever have paid money to watch Berti Vogts play. But he sure did, on many occassions, cancel out the opposing star player that people had paid money for to watch. His finest hour came when he marked Johan Cruyff out of the game in the 1974 World Cup final – the first minute aside – and as such contributed to Germany’s triumph as much as Beckenbauer with his leadership or Müller with his goals. It’s also hard to argue with his 96 caps. Perhaps Paul Janes was, for the day, a better all-round player, but the fact that he dates from the 1930′s and 40′s makes him hard to judge. With Vogts, on the other hand, you can’t go wrong.

Libero ~ Franz Beckenbauer

This one was never in doubt. Beckenbauer is not only the best German player in history, he is an ambassador of the entire sport. He was the man who defined the role of the libero: the graceful, intelligent, technically gifted leader of the defense who could at any moment surge forward to set up an attack or score himself. Beckenbauer was the undisputed leader of the German team than won tournaments in 1972 and 1974, and of the Bayern Munich that won three successive European Cups. Der Kaiser finished an astounding ten times in the top five of the Ballon d’Or. The red haired Matthias Sammer is his inferior in every way.

Stopper ~ Jürgen Kohler

The opposite of Beckenbauer in many ways. Kohler wasn’t elegant. Couldn’t dribble. Rarely scored. But he could tackle and mark like the best. A raw defender who was a nightmare for every attacker as he made his presence known in the air and on the ground – often going over the edge, as Marco van Basten’s shortened career demonstrates. Koler amassed over 100 caps for Germany and won the 1990 World Cup with them.  An ideal pairing with Franz Beckenbauer. Karl-Heinz Förster takes second place.

Left back ~ Karl-Heinz Schnellinger

As one of the first Germans to play for a foreign club, Karl-Heinz Schnellinger until this day remains one of the most successful Germans to play in the Italian league. Starring in 222 league games for AC Milan, he established himself as Europe’s finest left back. Nicknamed the Volkswagen for his consistency. Won every meaningful award with AC Milan and played in four different World Cups for Germany.  Defensively superior to Andreas Brehme.

Defensive midfielder ~ Paul Breitner

Fully bearded footballers. There haven’t been many of them. But among their ranks, Socrates and Breitner take the first place. Both free-thinkers, both played football free from restrictive dogma’s . As a dynamic left back, Breitner regularly roamed the entire field.  It was no surprise then that, later in his career, he nominally moved to the centre of the pitch, becoming one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe. Curiously played only 48 games for his country – he retired from the team after the 1974 World Cup, only to make his return in the early 80′s. Breitner remains the only German to score in two different, non-successive World Cup finals: 1974 and 1982. An achievement shared only by Pelé and Zidane. Breitner’s replacement at Real Madrid – the excellent Uli Stielike – serves as the reserve player for this position.

Right midfielder ~ Lothar Matthäus

That Lothar Matthäus was a phenomenon can be easily demonstrated by humbly pointing to the number of appearances he made for Germany. 150 times.   That makes him far and away the most capped world class footballer in history. Matthäus also appeared in five different World Cups – another record – and played 25 World Cup games – again, a record. But Matthäus had more to offer than quantity. He was a one man engine room, dynamism defined, a tireless runner, a fierce tackler, a scorer of goals - an entire midfield in one. Won the Ballon d’Or in 1990 and was the inaugural winner of the FIFA Player of the Year award. Michael Ballack makes a fine reserve to Matthäus.

Left midfielder ~ Bernd Schuster

In order to really create the best German team of all-time, it’s necesarry to look beyond number of caps or famous World Cup performances. What really matters is individual quality. Bernd Schuster barely featured for the German team – he had an ongoing feud with the DFB – but you can’t argue with his sheer talent. For a decade, he was the prime midfielder in the Spanish Liga. First for Barcelona, then for Real Madrid. An organizer with a great vision and pass, Schuster gets the nod over Wolfgang Overath.

Attacking midfielder ~ Günter Netzer

This is, in many ways, an erroneous choice. Günter Netzer, for most of his career, played second fiddle in the German side to Wolfgang Overath, who was a starter in both the 1966 and 1974 World Cup finals. Overath was reliable, hard-working, better defensively – and for that reason German coaches often prefered playing him above Netzer, who was more lazy, refused to head the ball, and barely defended. But Netzer was an un-German playmaker of the purest kind. He had great vision, brilliant technique and a daring playing style. The one tournament where Netzer was a starter – Euro 1972 – is also the tournament Germany played its best football. And the most remarkable German club side in history – the Borussia Mönchengladbach of the early 70′s –  was built around Netzer. As a pure admirer of the game, I could never vote for Overath over Netzer. Since Overath is already the reserve to Schuster, however, the reserve player on this position is the legendary captain of the 1954 World Cup triumph: Fritz Walter.

Right Forward~ Karl-Heinz Rummenigge

An all-round forward if there ever was one. Originally made impact with his dribbling skills, he quickly added scoring to his repertoire as well. Bundesliga topscorer on several occassions, Rummenigge also won Euro 1980 and reached two successive World Cup finals with Germany in the 1980′s  - losing both of them. Twice chosen European footballer of the year, Rummenigge really can’t be absent from this team with his 96 caps and 47 goals for Germany. Takes the nodge above the legendary Uwe Seeler, who played in four World Cups.

Left Forward ~ Gerd Müller

The prime example of the tap-in king. Gerd Muller was a remarkably unremarkable player. But his goal stats are beyond belief. 62 games for Germany, 68 goals, for instance. And if the statisticians of the RSSSF are to be believed, Gerd Müller netted a grand total of 1461 goals in his career. And important goals too – the winner in the 1974 World Cup final, to name one. The embodiment of tor-instinct. And as such, a guaranteed starter in the German All-Time team – above, in his case, Jurgen Klinsmann.

Here then is, the final team:

Germany All-Time Team

Reserve Team

Can you guess the number one?