I remember the Italians used to number their players with defenders receiving all the lower numbers and the forwards the higher numbers. Argentina used to number in alphabetical order.
To be honest, I am kind of shocked how little Rijkaard, Mattheus and Gullit have been mentioned in here. By definition of where they played on the pitch (the first two especially) and their roles both in attack and in defense, all three have to be right up there in the top tier of 'all-around' players.
gerd müllers shirt number against hungary 1970 was 8 for some reason and not 13 he wore in worldcup....it was the last game of uwe seeler in german NT....
That's right and what I meant - Now we all have to go back to square one to define: center forward, Striker, support striker, and ... "whatever"forward (inside, outside, left, right) ...
I know the reason. The numbering was strictly 1-11 in those days, the only exception was obviously the World Cup, as shirt numbers were fixed before the tournament. However in all other games, it was always - without any exception - 1 to 11 (until Cruyff came along, it was actually a bit of a revolutionary act for a player who was a regular starter to wear a shirt number higher than 11). That game in 1970 was a friendly and thus the numbering went from 1 to 11. Since Uwe Seeler played in that game (in fact it was his last ever game for Germany), he of course wore the #9. Gerd Müller wore the #8 because of that. Actually Müller did wear the #8 shirt for Bayern in a couple of Bundesliga games in the 1960s, when the club played 4-2-4 (and not 4-3-3 as in the 1970s). Occasionally Rainer Ohlhauser wore the #9 shirt and Gerd Müller the #8. Rainer Ohlhauser started out as Bayern's center forward type player in the early-1960s but gradually developed more into a support striker and later midfielder. He actually ended up playing sweeper in the early 1970s when he went to Switzerland. So in the mid-1960s, Ohlhauser and Müller wore #9 and #8 and vice versa. However since 1968 Gerd Müller's shirt number was #9 for Bayern and he never changed it afterwards (as Ohlhauser was basically a midfielder by that time).
You are right about squad number and about Cruijff revolution! I am glad you brought this up! Actually the year 1970 was the REMARK period of changing numbering: - Cruijff: used to wear #9 as a "center forward" UNTIL 1970: he changed (revolutionize) to #14 as the FIRST PLAYER to wear a number beyond 11 (of XI starters). Note that Cruijff was an "arrogant phenomenon" and he never wanted to be talked of or be like anyone else! Off topic: another "revolution": Cruijff did with the FAMOUS penalty that he passed instead of shoot! A TRUE GENIUS of football! - Muller: Before WC70, He wore #8 then #9 as an "inside forward - center forward" in tradition squad numbering. Thanks to Cruijff revolution, he then chancged to #13 (for Genrmany NT) as lucky number, and also to highlight Juste Fontaine (his idol?) 13goals/WC58.
Funnily, I read a report in a 1978 German football magazine dealing with a friendly game by Eintracht Frankfurt in which Jürgen Grabowski did that penalty trick. Cruyff did it in 1981 in a Dutch league game and the footage is all over the internet, but the idea must have been around already before that. However, having the nerve to do it in a league counts more than doing it in an unimportant friendly. Müller didn't change to #13 because of Cruyff's #14. Müller took #13 at the 1970 World Cup because Uwe Seeler wore the #9. Outside the 1970 (and 1974 World Cup), Müller only wore the #13 shirt in two other games, which were the 1972 Euro championship semi final and final. He never wore it for Bayern. This is fundamentally different to Cruyff, who wore #14 even outside of World Cup games.
It's good info to know someone else did that before Cruijff! I said Muller took #13 (foloowing Cruijff's #14) as a number BEYOND 11 in traditional XI starters line up.
The No.8 & the No.9: [Just FYI: the No.8 was traditionally worn by the inside-right & the No.9 was worn by THE centre-forward in both the "pyramid" & the "W-M" formations.]
Re: The No.8 & the No.9: Is it different "inside forward" (my saying in general) and your correction of "inside right" (with more specific side)? JUST FYI, Bayern (Muller played for) did NOT use neither "pyramid" nor "WM". Those two were dead in the 60's
Pele newer was a striker. He was attacking mienfielder/ second forward like M10, Ronaldinho and Zico.
He only watched Zizou that;s why.... Zizou does not know how to defend or very weak, while Cruyff, Setfano were both very good in that area. Even Pele and Maradona were better in that department than Zizou.
Err...you are over-thinking the term "complete." From this definition, there isn't even one single complete player in the history of the game, neither there will be in the future. Don't use defensive ability to render Zidane "incomplete." He is an offensive footballer. Defending is not in his job description. He isn't a defensive or box to box midfielder. Compare the skillset and various offensive positions that he is able to adequately perform in to evaluate his complete-ness, not his defensive abilities.
He captained his country to the World cup he scored 22 goals in 70 internationals,scored 99 goals for his club in 258 appearances winning 5 league titles,went to Serie A scored 35 goals in 153 games.Not a bad record in top class football for an international striker? But Daniel Passarella was a center half but not just any old center half he was "El Gran Capitan" a true leader.