I'm having trouble finding info on this but I'd love to know if a European club has ever had 4 or even 5 players score 20 goals in one season? Big bonus if each of those players also registered at least 10 assists. Similarly love to know of team with most players getting a combined 30 goals+assists in all competitions in one season. Admittedly this question is motivated by the club I root for (Barcelona) spreading around the goals scoring to 5 players so far this season, in large part due to Messi's injury troubles. Potentially 5 Barca players could register 20 goals and 10 assists in all competitions this season (Messi 16-4, Pedro 15-5, Neymar 11-10, Cesc 11-12, and Alexis 11-7). I don't think that will happen now that Messi is back (and Cesc and Alexis and even Neymar are more likely to get assists instead of goals now) but I am curious about the history / existing record. Also curious if there is a good website to check this for all competitions and all big European leagues. I am sure it has happened that a club has had 3 individuals reach those figures but less sure about 4 or even 5 ever doing so and not having luck researching online.
I've dug around a little more and found that Real Madrid last had 3 20 point scorers in 2011-12 (CR 60; Benz - 32; Higuai - 20). Barca had 3 straight years of having 3 20 goal scorers 2008-09 (Messi - 38; Eto'o - 36; Henry - 26), 2009-10 (Messi - 47; Pedro - 23; Ibra - 21), and 2010-11 (Messi - 53; Villa - 23; Pedro - 22). But no assist stats in the records I looked at. So, no surprise, plenty of teams with 3 20 goal scorers in all comps. Still looking for a team with 4 or even 5 20 goal scorers, and love a link to reliable assist #s for top European teams.
that almost impossible! If you only look at the TOP5 best leagues in Football (Liga, EPL, SerieA budesliga and Ligue1 ..) one can see the AVERAGE goals scored (per TOP3,4 teams) each season (from 00-13) = 75-80goals (per 34 to 38 games).. So if you want a team with 4 to 5 players scoring 20+goals, it meant their team going to have 140-150goals per season??? (never happened in top leagues)
You're right, thanks for a constructive answer. I still suspect it has been done before in a top European league, but maybe I am naive. My question was always about ALL competitive matches, so typically over 50 plus games for top squads competing in CL and/or Europa plus domestic cup(s) not just 34-38 league matches. Currently City has two players with 20 or more goals and two who seem very very likely to get there barring injuries: Aguero - 26, Negredo 23, Dzeko 17 & Yaya - 15. No other squad member has more than 5. City has already scored 115 goals. For Barca no one is there yet but three players very very likely and two more have a shot: Messi - 19, Pedro 16, Alexis 15, Cesc 12 and Neymar 11. Barca have 100 goals thus far. Still just wishing there was a better compendium of historic football stats online, one which included all competitions and also tracked assists in addition to goals.
Teams do not always played "typically" that amount of official games all decades. Let's see: In 1944/45, 1946/47 and 1963/64, there were 4 players of Benfica scoring at least 20 goals in all competitions (in 1945, the 5th best goalscorer reached 16 goals). There where other seasons with 3 or 2 players scoring at least 20 goals, and there were other seasons where at least 2 players scored at least 30 goals. No one ever cared about assists while studying or making historical football stats. "Assists" in football\soccer are a modern invention, when the game imported the America's obsession with sports statistics (i'm not saying it's a bad thing) and changed the game into a more "scientific" one. I think this was due to the popularity of NBA in Europe, mainly with the Jordan's years when the sport became really mainstream (though i might be wrong on this). Or probably with the 1994 World Cup, when football managers where closer for a long time with America's sports mentality. Even so i don't think "assists" are such an important matter in the game, statistics wise, not only that sometimes is hard to know which player assists who (it might be subjective the intention of the player) but in the old days the newspapers sometimes wouldn't write about that kind of feature. * By the way, you didn't say in which period you want this kind of records (all-time? UEFA era?) if you want only classic leagues, like the English, in 1931 Aston Villa scored 128 goals in the First Division, an all-time record. Actually in that season, the champion Arsenal scored 127 goals and Sheffield Wednesday 102, so i bet there are a few teams with this kind of record in their pockets.
That marked the "premature" in FOOTBALL (appreciation of the games) due to their ages ... If only counting goals, then many "misleading" will stay and "WRONG DO" younger generations in many years to come. For example, - AT WC: if only counting goals in record, then a Klose with 14goals/3WCs would look as good as Gerd Muller? or better than Rummenigge or Netzer???? Wrong impression to the MAX. - That's why later on since 90's they added Goldenball as "best player" separately to Goldenboot (just goals) Now, talking about assists in SPORTS, - Hockey they ALWAYS COUNTED assists since day one of the 40's (half century ago) - Hockey did even count the pre assist, assist and goals in points to rate the best player PRECISELY. - Hocky alwyas had Hart trophy as "best player or MVP" on top of Art Ross trophy (top player with points) - Hockey always have best DF, GK trophy
I didn't understand your post, jamesbh11. The first Ballon d' Or was in... 1956, which arguably always was the most prestigious individual trophy in football. The FIFA world Player created in the 1990's never achieved the same status. In football, assists are not necessary to rate the best players. Sometimes the best players never will make any assist, like goalkeepers and defenders. It's much more about the influence of one as a individual player and his influence in the "machine" of the team. Besides, like i said, assists is a modern invention that is only ONE of the games' features, mostly for managers understand how the other team plays, and players who assist the most are not necessary the best players. Football is not hockey. Counting goals is quite objective, and goal scoring always was the primary force for the rise of the first stars of the game.
I meant Hokey was the very first sports in ACKNOWLEDGING assists and pre-assists (not just NBA) secondly, I agree with you that Futbol did not count assists as much ... and only EPL/MLS did for their own.
I think now that you mention other competitions there must be one that has done it but it would mean either a midfielder scoring a lot of goals (like Toure for city) or a substitute striker scoring a lot goals.
I agree with one thing, Hockey does a great job in awarding their players and counting participation. It's not always the player with the most points the same as the best player in the league. Also you get GKs and even Defenders winning the Hart Trophy as the best player in the league. I remember Hasek won back to back, and he's a GK. Fifa does it way too much about who scored the most and what team won the most. Hasek won it twice without his team even making it into the finals.
Bayern had three players on over 20 goals last season (Mandzukic, Mueller, Robben). Number four was Ribery on 16, so not too far behind considering he was injured a lot. Goetze had 15 with two injuries and no regular first team football, Pizarro had 11. So basically if Guardiola didn't rotate as much as he does Bayern could have gotten five over 20
wtf are you linking to? It said "thanks for the download" which seem virus-y to me so I aborted. If I'm being too paranoid I apologize but could you tell me a website without a suspiciously shortened link which takes me to a download?
It's possible I'm biased given I grew up a fan of all American sports and am therefore used to assists, but I believe it's a highly valuable stat in soccer in today's era. Understanding which midfielders lead in assists tells us who is able to find scorers in high likelihood goal scoring positions, which is of course key. Even if there's some subjectivity in the intention of the player, if a goal resulted - and there are a lot of assists, then it's clear the impact the player has on offense, his vision and game intelligence. For example, I had the pleasure of watching Steve Ralston, the all time MLS assists leader, as a season ticket holder for the New England Revolution rack up dozens of assists and it was always fun - you just anticipated a cross that would be accurate and most likely put away by Twellman. It adds something to the experience knowing you've got guys capable of assists on the field. I also particularly enjoy the "chances created" stat which is different from assists because it's not contingent on a goal being scored, but it represents an opportunity which is valuable in its own right. Surround a quality finisher with people above average statistically in creating chances and you're going to score some goals and win some games.