The All Time Draft Selection Thread

Marcel Desailly



Marcel Desailly was born September 7, 1968 in Accra, Ghana. Desailly arrived in France as a 4-year-old after being adopted by a French diplomat, and began his career in FC Nantes, turning professional in 1986. In 1992, he moved to Olympique de Marseille, and won the European Cup the following year. In 1994, while a member of AC Milan, he again won the Cup, being the first player to win the Cup in consecutive seasons with different clubs. During his time in Milan he won two Italian league titles, in 1994 and 1996. Although he prefers to be a defender, he also played midfield for some time.

Desailly then moved to the English club Chelsea, where he played centre-back until the end of the 2003-04 season. After Euro 2004, he retired from international football as the all-time leader in appearances for France (116).



Desailly moved to Chelsea for a reported 4.6 million pounds prior to the 1998 World Cup. It has been said that if Chelsea bought Desailly after the World Cup, they would have paid double, such were his displays in helping the side to its first World Cup victory. Desailly quickly adapted to the English game and Ruud Gullit deployed him in a variety of roles, usually either as a defensive midfielder or centre back. Desailly showed his class as a central defender and was moved next to Franck Leboeuf to form a formidable pairing. Labelled The Rock, Desailly's reputation had been cemented in England after his first season at Chelsea as he propelled them to third in the Premiership.

Desailly made his international debut in 1993, but was not established as a first choice defender until 1996. He was an important part of the French team which won the 1998 World Cup, an achievement for which he was awarded the Légion d'Honneur. Two years later success continued, as France won Euro 2000. After the tournament, Desailly was made captain of the national team, following the retirement of Didier Deschamps.

In April 2003, Desailly surpassed the record for the number of appearances for the French team, a number which eventually reached 116 when he announced his retirement from international football following Euro 2004.

Desailly is considered one of the most accomplished players of the game and one of the best players of the past two decades, having won virtually every major team award.

Profile from wikipedia

 

Gunnar Nordahl (October 19, 1921 - September 15, 1995) Striker

Honours
4 x Swedish Championship : 1944-1945, 1945-1946, 1946-1947, 1947-1948
1 x Swedish Cup : 1944-1945
2 x Serie A Championship : 1950-1951, 1954-1955
2 x Latin Cup : 1951, 1956
4 x Swedish Top Scorer : 1942-1943, 1944-1945, 1945-1946, 1947-1948
5 x Serie A Top Scorer
1949-1950, 1950-1951, 1952-1953, 1953-1954, 1954-1955

Season Team Division Games Goals League Position
1940-1941 Degerfors 1 17 15 2nd
1941-1942 Degerfors 1 21 13 6th
1942-1943 Degerfors 1 20 14 4th
1943-1944 Degerfors 1 19 14 6th
1944-1945 IFK Norrkoping 1 22 27 1st
1945-1946 IFK Norrkoping 1 21 25 1st
1946-1947 IFK Norrkoping 1 20 17 1st
1947-1948 IFK Norrkoping 1 22 18 1st
1948-1949 IFK Norrkoping 1 10 6 7th
1948-1949 Milan A 15 16 3rd
1949-1950 Milan A 37 35 2nd
1950-1951 Milan A 37 34 1st
1951-1952 Milan A 38 26 2nd
1952-1953 Milan A 32 26 3rd
1953-1954 Milan A 33 23 3rd
1954-1955 Milan A 33 27 1st
1955-1956 Milan A 32 23 2nd
1956-1957 Roma A 30 13 14th
1957-1958 Roma A 4 2 5th


Gunnar Nordahl (October 19, 1921 - September 15, 1995) was a Swedish football player, who played most famously for AC Milan.

Nordahl started out at Degerfors in Sweden before moving to IFK Norrköping. He won four Swedish championships with Norrkoping and once scored seven goals in one game.

Nordahl was first called-up to the Swedish national team in 1945. In 1948, he helped Sweden to win the Olympic football tournament, becoming the tournament's top scorer on the way.

In his time playing in Sweden, Nordahl scored 149 goals in 172 games before being transferred to AC Milan. He arrived at Milan on January 22, 1949.
Nordahl's transfer to Milan meant he had to retire from the national team, since there were strict rules against professionals playing in the Swedish team at the time. So, overall, he scored 44 goals in just 30 matched for Sweden, which is very nearly 1.5 goals per game. In his eight seasons with AC Milan, he was Serie A's top-scorer five times. After leaving Milan, Nordahl played for Roma for two seasons.

Nordahl is AC Milan's all-time top-scorer, with 210 league goals. He is still the second-highest Serie A goalscorer of all time, with 225 goals in 291 matches.

Nordahl still holds the record for scoring incredible 35 goals in one season (49-50) for AC Milan.

from Wikipedia

 

Pick by: ChaChaFut

Round: 3
Selection: 14
(52nd overall pick)


----------------------------------
JOSE EMILO SANTAMARIA
Born: 31.07.1929, Montevideo, Uruguay
Position: Defender
----------------------------------

A strong, reliable and skillful defender, admired even by the 'Kaiser' Franz Beckenbauer, Santamaria is regarded frequently as the best central defender of his time. He was able to plentily show his virtues as a central defender at the stage of Real Madrid, club were he was the best and most successful defender. He won it all at Madrid, while being one of the symbols of that glorious team.

Born Uruguayan from Spanish inmigrant parents, he was eager to play football since early in his life, and living near the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo could only feed his passsion for the game. He jumped from the youth team "Pocito" to Nacional of Montevideo, to play along players whom he used to get autographs from. He played his first professional match with Nacional in April 26, 1947. He was originally conceived as a centre half, but great defensive performances, in particular one against the all-star River Plate of that era, led the coach to situate him in the back line.

When the 1950 World Cup came, Santamaria was called for the national team, but he ended up short of being part of what would become the World Cup champion squad, due in part because he wasn't appointed to play his natural position, and in part because there were critics towards the use of a player of foreign descent. However, he had a stupendous performance with Uruguay in the Ibero-american Championship in Chile, which silenced any critics and any doubts of his Uruguayan identity.

He then was a fundamental member for the national squad at the 1954 world cup in Switzerland. He helped Uruguay reach Semifinals, where they were finally defeated by the "Magic Magyar" team, in a spectacular match which several historians have regarded as the best match ever played in the history of the world cup. It was the first world cup defeat ever for Uruguay, and it represented the end of an era, but nontheless the game displayed by Santamaria amazed the then President of Real Madrid, Santiago Bernabéu, who 'stored' his performance in his memory. Bernabéu had the norm of signing of one foreign player every season. After Di Stefano in 1953, other greats were added to the team's attack (notably Kopa in 1956), and it was time to reinforce more defensive positions. He then remembered Santamaria, who accepted his offer in the spring of 1957. This ended an already successful South American span, where he won 7 league trophies, among other titles. Despite joining Real Madrid at 28, he went on to win 6 league titles, 3 European Cups, and one Intercontinental Cup.

After acquiring the Spanish nationality in 1957, Santamaria also played for the Spanish national team. He had 16 international appearances with Spain, including 2 games in the 1962 world cup.

Santamaria played a total of 446 matches with Real Madrid, averaging over 45 matches per season. He was the perfect balance for a team that was already populated with stars at the offensive end. The security he provided in defense is legendary and still remembered by many fans. He is one of the club's most legendary players (a high denomination, considering the caliber of players who have played there) and is also remembered for being, until his retirement in 1966, a proffesional, a gentleman, and somebody who was always grateful for being so well received in the club from the land of his ancestors, and his own.

Bio composed of information on articles courtesy of realmadridfans.net, Enciclopedia Mundial del Futbol, and other publications.

NATIONAL TEAM STATISTICS

Uruguay NT overall record*
1952-1957
Matches played: 20 (10-4-6)

Spain NT overall record*
1958-1962
Matches played: 16 (9-3-4)

* NT statistics courtesy of RSSSF


WORLD CUP CAREER STATISTICS

Code:

Year  #  GP GS  Min G	
1962  2   5  5  480 -
1962 19   2  2  180 -  
[B]Total	  7  7  660 -[/B]

CLUB CAREER HONORS AND STATISTICS

Nacional de Montevideo
5 League titles (1950, 1952, 1955, 1956, 1957)
1 Cup title

Real Madrid
3 European Cups (1958, 1959, 1960)
1 World Club Cup (1960)
6 League titles (1958, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964)
1 Copa del Rey (1962)

 

OK....

Tom Finney





Outside Right, Inside Right, Centre Forward, Inside Left, Outside Left
Born 1923
England 76 caps (30 goals): 1947-1958
World Cup finals 1950, 1954, 1958
433 league appearances (187 goals)
1940-1960 Preston North End

From http://www.ifhof.com/hof/finney.asp

"Tom Finney would have been great in any team, in any match and in any age. . . even if he had been wearing an overcoat." The words are Bill Shankly's, typically exaggerated, but they don't disguise the truth.
In the supposed Golden Age of English football during the Forties and Fifties, Finney stood above them all and is still considered by many today to have been the most complete British footballer of all time.

Yet he never won any of football's major honours. A Second Division Championship was the only prize he had to show for a glittering career.

So why is he held in such high regard? Is it, perhaps, because he was a great individualist?

He had all the skills, but there were greater showmen. The fact is few players were more prepared to sacrifice their own interests - or their fitness - for the good of the team.

His lack of honours can be best understood by the structure of the game at the time. England, for whom Finney won 76 caps and was once his country's all-time leading scorer with 30 goals, considered themselves the masters of the game.

They would regularly hand out beatings to the likes of Portugal, Italy, West Germany, France and Russia. But there was an arrogance surrounding the Football Association which considered foreign teams inferior - an attitude which had its comeuppance when England came an embarrassing cropper in Finney's three World Cup campaigns.

Similarly at club level, Preston North End were the First Division's nearly-men. Twice runners-up for the First Division title, FA Cup losing finalists, but more often than not to be found in mid-table. Yet Finney remained a one-club man in the days when the maximum wage ruled and there was no freedom of contract. Once you signed for a club you were their property until they had had enough of you.

Finney was happy to stay at Preston, who were often dismissed as a one-man show. There was a joke at the time: "Tom Finney should claim income tax relief . . . for his 10 dependents." And even his biographer Paul Agnew, author of Finney - A Football Legend, wrote: "When Finney didn't play, it would appear, neither did North End."

The mocking riled Finney. "A one-man team has never existed anywhere," he said. Nevertheless, no matter how much Preston relied on him, the rewards were scant. Two of the greatest stars of the period were Finney and Blackpool's Stanley Matthews. Both wingers, often rivals for an England place and the subjects of an intense and long-running national debate as to who was the better player.

Towards the end of the Fifties, each was limited to the £20-a-week maximum wage. Yet Ron Atkinson, a journeyman centre-half and later to be manager of Manchester United among others, was earning more at Headington United. The injustice occurred because the maximum wage did not apply to non-league football.

No, the real secret of Finney's greatness lies not in honours, but in what he brought to the game and what he brought out in others. His total mastery of all the techniques triumphed over the lack of medals. He was versatile, playing in all the orthodox five forward positions of the day for Preston and appearing for England at right-wing, left-wing and centre-forward. He was a genuine two-footed player, packing an explosive shot in either his right or his left. He had speed, balance, was a pin-point passer and, for a man of no great height, could head with awesome power.

Finney made things happen. He would take hold of a game, run 20, perhaps 30, yards with the ball beating defender after defender. Then he would either feint outside, reaching the bye-line before putting in a telling cross, or he would cut inside and shoot at goal himself.

As one newspaper tribute put it: "If all the brains in the game sat in committee to design the perfect player, they would come up with a reincarnation of Tom Finney."

Finney was born in 1922 and lived just across the road from Preston's ground at Deepdale. He was a delicate child, slightly built, and, despite his enthusiasm, would be at the back of the queue when the kids picked their teams for a game on the local rec.

At the age of six, he suffered from an infected gland in his neck which meant twice-weekly hospital visits until he was 14 when he had the gland removed. He wanted to be a footballer but his father, Alf, insisted that he learn a trade and he became an apprentice plumber - an occupation he was to follow all his life, even at the height of his international fame.

Still, at the age of 14, standing 4ft 9ins and weighing just five stones, he gained a trial with Preston who immediately offered him a contract to join the groundstaff at two pounds 10 shillings a week. Apart from playing in the junior sides, it would have meant cleaning boots and sweeping the terraces. Finney was keen, but again his father said no. So he signed on as an amateur who would play part-time.

The Preston he joined carried the tradition of the Old Invincibles - the team that was a founder member of the Football League, which had won the coveted League and Cup double in 1888-89 - the first season of League competition - and had done so without losing a game and without conceding a goal in the FA Cup.

Proud Preston, as they were known, won the FA Cup in 1938 with Finney watching from the Wembley stands. Bill Shankly was by then an established powerhouse at right-half.

Finney turned professional in 1940, making his first-team debut in the autumn. But this was wartime, the Football League had been disbanded and wages were down to 10 shillings a week. He was to be one of a unique handful of footballers who, because of the circumstances, was to play for England before making his full League debut for his club.

Football in wartime was played on a regional basis and that season Preston were not only the Northern Section Champions, but they also reached the final of the Wartime Cup where they met Arsenal at Wembley. Finney played at right-wing, Shankly at right-half. It ended 1-1, the Arsenal equaliser being scored by England cricketer Denis Compton.

The replay was at Blackburn's Ewood Park and Preston won 2-1. It was the only final Finney ever won, but it does not count as a senior football honour.

By 1942, Finney had been called up as a trooper with the Royal Armoured Corps. Eventually he was to see action with the Eighth Army as a tank driver and mechanic, but at this stage he joined the wartime guest circuit playing football by invitation for Newcastle, Southampton and Bolton.

The football continued when he was sent overseas to Egypt. He played for a forces side called The Wanderers and travelled the Middle East appearing in services games or against Egyptian national sides. In one such game the opposition's substitute was Omar Sharif, later to be a Hollywood film star.

Some of the matches were unnerving, the players having to sweep the pitch for mines before kick-off.

Towards the end of the war he was called up by England for a friendly game against Switzerland in Berne. The England XI lost 3-1, but a full international cap was not far away.

Finney was given a quick exit from the Army after the war, not because he was a footballer, but his skills as a plumber were needed. Builders and plumbers were in great demand due to post-war reconstruction, but it meant Finney could rejoin his club with all speed. He worked by day and trained by night and made that long-delayed League debut against Leeds United on the opening day of the 1946-47 season.

He also got his first cap, scoring in a 7-2 trouncing of Northern Ireland in Belfast.

The following season Finney played in an astonishing match for Preston at home to Derby County. Derby scored two quick goals before Preston pulled it back to 2-2. Derby scored a third, but at half-time it was 3-3. Derby went further ahead at 4-3, but the final result was 7-4 . . . to Preston! North End had come from behind three times to win by three clear goals, the last of which came after a devastating run by Finney leaving defenders trailing in his wake.

The Lancashire Evening Post reported that "Finney's dazzling runs were sheer artistry and it was fitting that the wingman should end it all by making a goal in a million."

Finney rates it the best game of football he ever played in. But the next season, Finney missed nearly half the League programme through injury and Preston were relegated. It took them two seasons to get back to the top flight winning the Second Division in 1950-51.

While Preston had struggled, Finney's career with England was soaring. His international record is remarkable. He played in 76 games and finished on the losing side just a dozen times. He had actually played 50 times for England before he tasted defeat - and that was against Scotland.

Two of those early games stand out, against Portugal in Lisbon in 1947 and against Italy in Turin in 1948.

It is almost impossible for a modern day fan to appreciate the grip England had then on world football. Portugal were reckoned to be one of the coming sides in Europe. They had beaten Switzerland who in turn had beaten an England XI. Still, Portugal were not only facing England for the first time, they were also facing an England team in which Finney and Matthews were playing together for the first time - Matthews on the right-wing, Finney on the left.

The score was 10-0 to England! The scorers were Stan Mortenson (4), Tommy Lawton (4), Stan Matthews (1), Tom Finney (1).

By the time the two countries next met, Portugal had improved - but so had Finney. It was England 5 Portugal 3. Finney scored four! It was the only time he ever scored more than two goals in a match.

When England went to Turin to meet Italy they were facing the reigning World Champions. Of course it had been 10 years since they won the crown and their country had been overrun during the war, but they were still considered to be the best team in the world. Finney scored twice as England humiliated the Italians 4-0.

The game was to have an extraordinary sequel four years later. Palermo wanted to make a serious bid for the Italian Championship and decided that Finney, by then 30, was the man to help them do it. They offered him a £10,000 signing on fee, £130 a month wages, bonuses of up to £100 a game, a Mediterranean villa, a luxury car and free travel to and from Italy for his family. They also offered Preston £30,000 by way of a transfer fee. This was 1952 and such sums of money were unimaginable. Finney turned it down.

Into this tide of glory with England had swum a shark disguised as a porpoise in the unlikely shape of the USA in the 1950 World Cup. All-conquering England had graciously agreed to enter the competition for the first time. The team that went to Brazil for the championships was full of talent. Billy Wright, Alf Ramsey, Wilf Mannion, Matthews and, of course, Finney. They were one of the favourites to win the Jules Rimet Trophy.

England's opening fixture was comfortable enough, a 2-0 win over Chile. But at Belo Horizonte in their second match, their reputation as the game's aristocrats was torn to shreds.

England's star-studded line-up was humiliated 1-0 by a bunch of American nondescripts. Most newspapers called it the worst performance ever by an English team. Finney described it as "the soccer sensation of the century."

He told his biographer Paul Agnew: "The game was supposed to be as good as a walkover for us. After all, the Americans were only part-timers and we were a highly-rated world force. Most of our opponents would have struggled to get a game in the Third Division."

England squandered chance after chance and Finney was as guilty as any. He was, however, one of only two forwards who kept his place for the next game against Spain. Finney was hauled down twice in the Spanish box and twice the referee refused a penalty. England lost 1-0 and were out of the World Cup. It was a shattering experience - but nothing compared to what lay in store when England met the Hungarians at Wembley in 1953.

This was the match, more than any other, that taught England how much they had slipped and how much the rest of the world had advanced. It lanced once and for all the boil of innate superiority that had grown all over the FA's headquarters at Lancaster Gate.

Hungary played football beyond England's dreams. Hidegkuti and Puskas - an Army Officer known as the Galloping Major - were the complete masters as England were crushed 6-3. It was the first time a foreign team had beaten England at Wembley.

Finney was lucky. He didn't play, but watched the annihilation from the stands. "I came away from Wembley," he said, "wondering to myself what we had been doing all these years."

Seven months later Finney was in the team for the return game with Hungary in Budapest. England were still outclassed, this time 7-1.

Back at home, Preston's fortunes were looking up. They had finished runners-up in the First Division in 1952-53, losing out to Champions Arsenal only on goal average, and had reached the 1954 FA Cup Final against West Bromwich Albion. Finney had been playing at the top of his form, making life so much easier for the other players, among whom, at wing-half was Tommy Docherty. One former colleague, Ken Horton, told Finney's biographer Paul Agnew: "We used to get the ball out to Tom as quickly as possible and then run into the box and wait for it to come across. It invariably did, at the right height and the right speed, and we simply had to sidefoot it over the line. It was as easy as that, for we were playing with a superman."

The nation held its breath in anticipation of that Wembley final. One year before, that other wing maestro Matthews had eclipsed all previous finals when Blackpool dramatically came from 3-1 down to beat Bolton 4-3. Now would Finney stamp his own magic on FA Cup history?

The match was a nightmare for Finney. The Preston captain had a stinker, played out of the game by his opposing captain Len Millard, and West Brom took the Cup 3-2.

It was Finney's saddest hour. So much had been expected from him and he confessed: "I let them down." Newspapers took the inevitable line. "He is not yet a Matthews," trumpeted the Daily Mail.

The truth about the comparisons is that they were different types of players. Matthews, a supreme entertainer, was an out-and-out winger. He stayed out wide and once he received the ball would dribble his way towards the bye-line. He was bursting with star quality, but scored few goals.

In 84 appearances for England he found the net just three times. Matthews took the view that his job was to make goals for others. Finney thought differently. "It was usually considered that a winger should be a provider," he said, "but I always worked on the theory that the man in the best position should accept the responsibility." Finney took that responsibility seriously, averaging 13 League goals per season during his career at Preston, with a best haul of 26 in 1957-58.

His strike rate in the League was four times better than Mathhews. It's also interesting that although Finney was often perceived as having to play second fiddle to Matthews, either by being left out of the England team or switching to the left-wing, the majority of his caps - 40 out of 76 - were as a right-winger. Finney, nevertheless, regarded Matthews as a genius, a compliment that was returned by the Blackpool maestro.

But Finney gained some compensation in 1954 for that Cup Final disaster by being named Footballer of the Year.

This was also the year of Finney and England's second World Cup campaign with the finals being hosted in Switzerland. The opening match against Belgium was dramatic. England were winning 3-1 but Belgium completely turned the game around to finish with a 4-4 draw.

Next up were Switzerland and a 2-0 victory for England put them in the quarter-finals. Opponents Uruguay took a 3-1 lead which was reduced to one goal when Finney scored. But Uruguay added another to make the result 4-2. England's hopes had been dashed again.

The tournament was won by West Germany who surprised many by beating the Hungarians 3-2 in the final. Ironically, England met the new World Champions at Wembley six months later. Finney and Matthews were outstanding as England won 3-1.

Throughout his career Finney had taken more than his fair share of knocks. Often he played when he was not fully fit. During the 1954-55 and 1955-56 seasons the injury toll began to mount. At first it was back trouble which plagued him through a damaged sciatic nerve. Then knee and shoulder injuries followed.

But by 1956-57 Preston had a new manager, Cliff Britton, who was to take a decision that would cause Finney to play some of the best football of his life. At the age of 34, Finney was made centre-forward, where he was to play three games for England, too.

He was a revelation. Finney scored 23 goals that season and Preston finished third in the First Division. The next season they went one better - runners-up to Champions Wolves. Over the two seasons, Preston went 30 home games without defeat in a 15-month period. One of those victories was an 8-0 thrashing of Birmingham City, Preston's biggest of the century, in which Finney scored twice.

Jimmy McIlroy, the Burnley and Northern Ireland international, said of him: "As a right-winger converted from a left footer, he was the best centre-forward I've ever seen!"

In 1957, Finney became the first player to be named Footballer of the Year for a second time. And the next summer he played in his third World Cup for England in Sweden. He scored a penalty in the opening 2-2 draw with Russia. But he also sustained an injury in that game which kept him out of the rest of the competition.

By 1958-59 Finney was reaching the twilight and injury problems had reared up again. He played his final international in the autumn, a 5-0 defeat of Russia at Wembley, then hurt his groin in a Christmas fixture with Blackpool and played only one more game that season.

The following season, 1959-60, was to be his last, Finney accepting medical advice to retire. His farewell League game, at home against Luton Town, was an emotional affair with the crowd singing Auld Lang Syne to him as he walked from the pitch for the last time.

Without him, Preston were relegated from the First Division within a year and have never been back to the top since. More sadly, though it took a little longer, orthodox wingers have disappeared from the game and we are unlikely to see players such as Finney again.

He was the Gentleman Footballer. Never booked, never sent off. Never even spoken to by referees. He received the OBE in 1961, became President of Preston North End, a magistrate and chairman of his local health authority while continuing to run his plumbing business, of course.

And in the 1998 New Year Honours list he received the ultimate accolade - a knighthood (though many wondered why he had had to wait so long).

There is, however, one final postscript to the story of Finney the player. When he was 40, Finney received a phone call from George Eastham, the player who revolutionised the transfer system by taking his club Newcastle United to court in 1963 over their right to retain him against his will.

Eastham, by now, was manager of Irish side Distillery who had been drawn against Benfica, team of the mighty Eusebio, in the European Cup. Eastham wanted Finney to sign for his club and play in the tie. Finney thought he was joking but agreed to turn out in the home leg.

And so it was that Finney, the man without a First Division Championship medal got to play in Europe's premier club competition after all. The result? Oh, yes. Distillery 3 Benfica 3...

 

Name: Rivaldo (Vitor Borba Ferreira)
Born: 19/04/1972 in Recife, Brazil
Height: 1.86m
Weight: 75.00kg
Position: OM/FW

Profile:
Rivaldo signed professional terms at the age of 16 in 1989 with Santa Cruz after impressing local scouts in a junior tournament. He joined Brazilian first division club Mogi-Mirim in 1991. He then signed for Corinthians in 1993 and made his international debut in December 1993, scoring the only goal in 1-0 victory over Mexico in a friendly international. Rivaldo signed for Palmeiras in 1994 and won the Brazilian league championship on the same year. He won the São Paulo state championship with Palmeiras in 1996. He moved to Spain in 1996 and joined Deportivo La Coruña. Rivaldo then transferred to Barcelona in August 1997. He played for Brazil in the 1998 World Cup. Winning a second Spanish league title with Barcelona in 1999, Rivaldo won both FIFA and World Soccer magazine's World Player of the Year awards. He was voted European Footballer of the Year by France Football magazine.

In June 2002, Barça decided to release Rivaldo from his contract a year before it was due to expire and he signed a three-year contract with the Italian Serie A club A.C. Milan. He left the star-studded Milan after a season of very few starts. After a brief stint back in Brazil with Cruzeiro (11 games played, 2 goals scored), he signed with Greek power Olympiakos for the 2004-05 season and won the Greek championship and the Greek cup (23 games played, 12 goals scored). Rivaldo scored some memorable goals in his first season at Olympiakos, including a fantastic effort in the cup final with a well placed lob from a difficult position close to corner flag. In the last game of that season, Olympiakos won vs Iraklis in an away match in Thessaloniki, with a nice goal by Rivaldo. This win was essential for Olympiakos to take the championship. Rivaldo also scored 2 memorable free kicks during the season, the first was in the local derby vs the other Athens giant, Panathinaikos and the second against English club Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League.

He has played over 60 games for the Brazilian national team and played in the winning side of the 2002 World Cup. However, he would receive a large fine from FIFA because of his actions in a group stage match of that event against Turkey. During an encounter with Turkey defender Hakan Ünsal, Hakan kicked a ball in Rivaldo's general direction while the referee was looking away. Rivaldo held his hands to his face as if he had been hit there by the ball, and the referee was successfully deceived into sending Hakan Ünsal off. Television replays proved that Rivaldo was not hit by the ball in the face, but in the body. Pelé named him in his 125 Greatest Living Footballers at a FIFA Awards Ceramony. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rivaldo

Achievements:
1 x Brazilian National League : 1994
1 x Paulista Championship : 1996
2 x Spanish Championship : 1997-1998, 1998-1999
1 x Spanish Cup : 1997-1998
1 x Italian Cup : 2002-2003
1 x European Cup : 2002-2003
1 x European Super Cup : 2003
2 x Copa America : 1997, 1999
1 x World Cup : 2002
1 x FIFA World Player of the Year : 1999
1 x European Footballer of the Year : 1999
1 x World Soccer Player of the Year : 1999

Apologies for current lack of stats.

 

ROBERTO BAGGIO



Born: 18th February 1967 in Caldogno.

Position: Forward and midfielder

Caps:
56 (1988-2004) / 27 goals

League Games:
452 (1986-2004) / 203 goals

European Footballer of the Year: 1990 (8th), 1993 (winner), 1994 (2nd), 1995 (23rd), 2001 (25th)

Trophies and Tournaments:
World Cup participation: 1990, 1994, 1998
Italian Champion: 1995, 1996
Italian Cup winner: 1995
UEFA Cup winner: 1993


Roberto Baggio, born in Caldogno, north Vicenza in February 1967, has been one of the best players in the world through out the 1990s. He started his career in Vicenza back in the 1982/83 season, and stayed there for three seasons until he was picked up by Fiorentina in 1985. It was from there he started to show his true potential. In the 1988/89 he won his first cap for Italy after having a very good season scoring 24 goals in 40 games in Italian football (league/cup). The following season was even better, Baggio knocked in goals for fun and Fiorentina couldn't afford to keep him. The big clubs in the north were prepared to put the big money on the table. It was Juventus who finally got him for a world record fee of £7.700.000 in the summer of 1990, just before the World Cup on homesoil. Baggio scored two goals as Italy went on to get bronze, after losing on penalties in the semifinals to Argentina. He spent five seasons in Juventus. Five great years for him, as he won the Serie A, Italian Cup and UEFA Cup as well as been voted "World and European Player of the Year" in 1993. Baggio's best World Cup was in 1994 in the United States. After a slow start he woke up in the second round, scoring twice against Nigeria, then once against Spain in the quarterfinal, and two more in the semifinal against Bulgaria. In the final against Brazil he missed a penalty in the shoot-out which saw Brazil win the World Cup for the fourth time. Since then, Baggio has been in and out of the Italian squad. He was dropped from the EURO 96 squad by Arrigo Sacchi, but made Cesare Maldini's France 98 squad and played in several games although not with the same class as four years earlier. He has since played for AC Milan winning the Serie A once, and also in Bologna, Inter Milan and Brescia where he ended his career in 2004.

Profile taken from Planet World Cup.

League statistics

Season - Club - Serie - Games / Goals
1982-83...Vicenza...........C....01 / 00
1983-84...Vicenza...........C....06 / 01
1984-85...Vicenza...........C....29 / 12
1985-86...Fiorentina........A....00 / 00
1986-87...Fiorentina........A....05 / 01
1987-88...Fiorentina........A....27 / 06
1988-89...Fiorentina........A....30 / 15
1989-90...Fiorentina........A....32 / 17
1990-91...Juventus.........A....33 / 14
1991-92...Juventus.........A....32 / 18
1992-93...Juventus.........A....27 / 21
1993-94...Juventus.........A....32 / 17
1994-95...Juventus.........A....17 / 08
1995-96...AC Milan..........A....28 / 07
1996-97...AC Milan..........A....23 / 05
1997-98...Bologna...........A....30 / 22
1998-99...Internazionale...A....23 / 05
1999-00...Internazionale...A....18 / 04
2000-01...Brescia............A....25 / 10
2001-02...Brescia............A....12 / 11
2002-03...Brescia............A....32 / 12
2003-04...Brescia............A....26 / 12

 

Third round, my third pick: Nilton Santos (Brazil, Defender)



In an age when defenders were discouraged from crossing the halfway line, Nilton Santos revolutionized the fullback's role.

With the freedom of movement encouraged by Brazil's novel 4-2-4 formation, Santos could be found charging forward at the World Cups of 1954, 1958 and 1962, collecting winner's medals at the latter two competitions.

Santos was a non-playing member of the squad that suffered the trauma of defeat to Uruguay in 1950. By 1954 he was a Brazilian regular, but his World Cup ended in controversial circumstances when he was sent off for brawling with Hungarian captain Joseph Boszik in the notorious "Battle of Berne" quarterfinal. Brazil lost 4-2 and the fight on the field continued into the dressing rooms.

In 1958 Santos scored his only World Cup goal, dashing to join the attack in characteristic style in Brazil's first-round win over Austria. As a senior member of the team, Santos was also instrumental in persuading coach Vicente Feola to choose his Botafogo teammate Garrincha and the young Pele.

Incredibly, Santos was still a careering presence on Brazil's flanks at the age of 37 for the 1962 finals in Chile as Brazil rolled to the title once again.

World Cup Record: 1950, 1954, 1958 (winner), 1962 (winner)

 

Round 4, Week 4, Personal Selection 4, Overall 59th Pick: Berti Vogts



Born: 30 Dec 1946
Caps: 96
Goals: 1

Hans-Hubert "Berti" Vogts, started his career in his hometown club VfR Büttgen. The right-sided defender was soon picked up by one of West Germany’s top clubs at the time, Borussia Mönchengladbach, where he established himself and played for fourteen years. Nicknamed “Der Terrier” for always fighting for every ball as it was his last, Vogts was a big favourite with his home crowd. In 1967, he made his debut for West Germany and three years later he took part in his first big tournament, the World Cup in Mexico. Berti played in every game as the Germans captured bronzemedals.

Vogts seldom had to settle for second best at club level. His impressive roll of honour included five league championships, one domestic cup title and two UEFA Cup titles all with the same club, Borussia Mönchengladbach. On a personal note, he was named German Player of the Year twice. One trophy that eluded him was the European Cup which he came very close of winning in 1977 when his team lost 3-1 to Liverpool in the final in Rome.

By then he was already a World Cup winner. Three years earlier, West Germany hosted and won the World Cup with Vogts as one of their most important players. He played in all the seven matches including the final where he was marking the Dutch star Johann Cruyff with success. He was infact an ever-present in every of the three World Cups he participated in, making his total of games to 19, beaten by only five other players in World Cup history.

In 1977, Berti took over the captaincy of the national team from Franz Beckenbauer and kept it until after the Argentina World Cup the following year which was no success for him or the team as West Germany bowed out in the second phase. He retired as a player in 1979 and started working as a scout before taking over the German national team as coach in 1990 leading them to victory in Euro 1996.

World Cup Factfile
Winner: 1974
Bronze winner: 1970
Participated: 1970, 1974, 1978
Games/Goals: 19/0

Ref: http://www.planetworldcup.com/LEGENDS/vogts.html

 

ADEMIR



Born: 8 November 1922.

Died: 11 May 1996.

Full name: Ademir Marques de Menezes.

Nick name: Queixada.

Position: Inside and center forward.

Caps:
39 (1945-1953) / 32 goals

League Games:
409 (1939-1956) / 301 goals

Trophies & Tournaments:
World Cup runner-up: 1950
South American Champion: 1949
South American Championship runner-up: 1953
Rio de Janeiro State Champion: 1945, 1946, 1949, 1950, 1952, 1956
Pernambuco State Champion: 1941, 1942
Torneio Rio-Sao Paulo runner-up: 1950, 1952, 1953
Top Scorer World Cup: 1950
Top Scorer Rio de Janeiro State Championship: 1949, 1950
Top Scorer Pernambuco State Championship: 1941
Top Scorer Torneio Rio-Sao Paulo: 1951


Brazilian legend Ademir was one of the most dominant figures in world football of the 1940s and early 1950s, people at the time considered him an unequalled ball juggler who knew every trick in the book. He used to wreak havoc among defenses with his quick changes in tempo, fooling his opponents with deceptions carried out almost at lightning speed (ok I’m exaggerating a bit here), his mastering of the ball in all situations and the possibility to accelerate very fast. At the same time, his style of play seemed feeble, almost as feebly as his shots, which mostly came out of his knee joint. Shots unleashed with brute force were not his forte, but in spite of that, he instilled fear among defenders whenever he entered the penalty box. The reason for that was that his shots were hard to be calculated, as he always found a way to give the ball a wily twist either with the inside or the outside of his foot. This way he churned out goal after goal.

Ademir’s career began where he was born on November 8, 1922, in the city of Recife. He played for the club of the same name (Sport Recife, Pernambuco), until his football-crazy father decided that his son needed to play in worthier surroundings, hence his move to Rio de Janeiro in 1942, where Ademir joined the big Vasco da Gama club. He would remain faithful to this club for the rest of his career, except for a 1-year stint at Fluminense in 1946-7. Regardless in which competition, Ademir would score goal after goal, in 409 league games for Vasco he bagged 301 goals, winning a nice amount of trophies, like the Pernambuco championship with Sport Recife (1941, 1942), the State Championship of Rio with Vasco (1945, 1949, 1950, 1952, 1956) and Fluminense (1946). He finished runners-up in the prestigious Rio-Sao Paulo-Tournament three times with Vasco (1950, 1952, 1953). As indispensable as Ademir’s cunning goal scoring ways became for the clubs he played for, as indispensable they became for the Selecao, for who he scored 32 times in only 39 games between 1945 and 1953. One of his greatest accomplishments while playing for the Selecao were his three goals in the final of the 1949 South American Championship vs. Paraguay in Rio de Janeiro, but it was the 1950 World Cup that firmly established Ademir as one of the most salient center forwards of his era. Being part of arguably the greatest inside forward trio up to that date (Zizinho-Ademir-Jair), for three weeks, Ademir became the celebrated darling of the nation by scoring nine goals for Brazil in six games which made him top scorer of the competition. Even sober European observers like Dr. Friedebert Becker could hardly hide their enthusiasm for this exceptional player, the German football expert depicted a typical Ademir-goal from the 6-1 mauling of Spain by Brazil as follows: “….Parra, the young Spanish stopper, had hoaxed Ademir with a dribbling, … there came Ademir’s cruel revenge. After a wonderful attack from the left – no Spaniard being able to touch the ball for seconds – Ademir got the ball at the edge of the penalty box, flirting with the ball, fooling Parra, running towards the Spanish goal backwards (!), suddenly turning around and shooting with high precision, and the ball was in the net!” Hardly anyone doubted that Brazil would be crowned World Champions after a series of dazzling displays versus various opponents, just as long as Ademir would keep on producing goals like that. But when the final game vs. Uruguay was played, Ademir and his comrades failed to score against a tactically aware and astute Uruguayan side that slowed down the pace on which the Brazilians used to thrive with their fast combinations. With time running out, the Brazilians in their desperation tried all possible tricks, but nothing would work, even Ademir withdrawing to a midfield position trying to create more space for his teammates as well as trying to set up goal scoring opportunities for them did not help in the end. Uruguay’s 2-1 lead during the last 11 minutes was not to be equalized, no matter how hard the Selecao tried.

But even without a World Cup trophy connected to his name, the name ‘Ademir’ would not be forgotten among Brazilians. Partly due to his outstanding football abilities, partly due to his career as a manager, businessman and most notably as a popular radio- and TV-commentator.

League Statistics
-- not available --

 

"This is not a dancing academy"

Name: Claudio Gentile
Born: 27.09.1953
Height: 1.82m
Weight: ???
Position: DC/DR

Profile:
Claudio Gentile (born 27 September 1953) was a legendary Italian footballer of the 1970's and 1980's. One of the toughest and roughest defenders in the history of the game, Gentile was a key part of both the world cup winning Italy team of 1982, and the all conquering Juventus club side of the late seventies and early eighties.

Gentile started his career as a full back but soon switched to the role of central defence after signing for Juventus FC in 1973. In over a decade in Turin, Gentile won two major european club competitions, six scudettos, and two italian cups. During this time he also earnt 71 caps for Italy. In 1984 he moved to Fiorentina where he spent three further years in Serie A, before retiring from football in 1988 after playing one further season for Serie B side Piacenza.

Gentile's finest hour came on July 11th 1982 when he produced an immaculate defensive display alongside fellow Italian great Gaetano Scirea, as Italy defeated West Germany 3-1 to lift the 1982 World Cup in Spain. It was during this tournament that the legend of Gentile's fearsome reputation as a hard-man was higlighted. In the 2nd phase match against holders Argentina he infamously man-marked Diego Maradona out of the game by kicking and flooring the Argentine star constantly throughout the game. In Italy's next match against favourites Brazil he more than lived up to his terrifying reputation by first performing an x-rated tackle from behind on Zico before later ripping the number 10's shirt in half during a tussle.

There are many humorous stories involving Gentile within the footballing world. One is that during the Ballon d'Or (European Footballer of the Year) awards ceremony in the late 1970's English centre forward Kevin Keegan was announced as the winner. As Keegan walked towards the host to collect his award he passed the seat where Gentile was sitting. As Keegan walked past Gentile is reported to have stuck out his foot and tripped up Keegan. As Keegan was getting to his feet Gentile reputedly whispered into his ear, "You wouldn't have won any award if i had been marking you".

Gentile currently coaches the Italy Under-21 National Team, a position he has held since October 2000. He had a well-publicised falling out with Antonio Cassano whilst the Real Madrid player was eligible to play for his team. However his stint has been a successfull one and his coaching career appears to be heading in the same direction as his playing career once did. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudio_Gentile

Achievements:
6 x Serie A Championship 74-75, 76-77, 77-78, 80-81, 81-82, 83-84
2 x Italian Cup : 78-79, 82-83
1 x Cup Winners Cup : 83-84
1 x UEFA Cup : 76-77
1 x World Cup : 82

Stats: (http://www.soccer-europe.com/Biographies/Gentile.html)

 

Laszlo Kubala (a.k.a. Ladislav, Ladislao)

Born June 10 1927
Died May 17 2002,

Inside right, Centre forward, Outside right

6 Caps (4 goals): 1946-1947 (for Czechoslovakia)
4 Caps (3 goals): 1948 (for Hungary)
19 Caps (11 goals): 1953-1961 (for Spain)

346 league appearances (202 goals)

1944-1945 Ganz Torna Egylet Budapest
1945-1946 Ferencvaros Budapest
1946-1948 SK Bratislava
1948-1949 Vasas Budapest
1949-1951 No Club
1951-1961 FC Barcelona
1961-1963 No Club
1963-1964 Espanol Barcelona
1964-1967 FC Zürich
1967-1968 Toronto Falcons

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladislao_Kubala

Kubala's parents were from what was by then a part of Czechoslovakia. His father was Polish-Slovak and his mother was Hungarian-Slovak. Although Kubala had such complicated descent as well as playing with three different national teams, he never saw this as a problem and stated, when pressed to name his nationality, "I am a citizen of the world."

Kubala's first team was Ganz TE, where he played among 14-16-year-olds even though he was only 11. At the age of 18, he was signed by Ferencváros.

However, the next year he received draft notice and had to escape to Czechoslovakia in order to avoid it. Here, he played for SK Bratislava and the Czechoslovak national team, for which he played 6 games and scored 4 goals. Laszlo Kubala's multinational career had begun.

Soon, however, he received draft notice in Czechoslovakia and had to go back to Hungary again to escape it. Since Ferencváros had been labelled 'fascist', Kubala decided to join Vasas. While there, he played 3 times for Hungary.

As the communists took over the government, however, Kubala had to pay some smugglers to take him to Italy. Once there, he and others formed a team and played exhibition matches. The team, comprised of Hungarians living in the area, managed to beat Real Madrid 4-2 in Madrid, the Spanish national team (who were getting ready to play in the 1950 World Cup) and Espanyol. During the Espanyol match, scouts from Barcelona saw Kubala and offered him a contract. He signed it on June 15, 1950 and became a Barcelona player, beginning his career in a third country.

Many teams wanted to sign Kubala at various times, including Pro Patria, Inter Milan and Torino. In fact, Kubala agreed to play a friendly for Torino in Lisbon when the club was at the top of the game in Italy. However, in what turned out to be an incredible stroke of luck, Kubala didn't board the plane because his son was ill. On the return journey, the plane crashed, killing everyone on board.

Depite all this interest, Kubala stayed at Barcelona until 1963. While there, he played for Spain 19 times. After leaving Barcelona, he became player-manager of Espanyol, FC Zürich and the Toronto Falcons. He eventually retired in 1968.

As coach of Spain, he ended the national team's 12-year absence from the World Cup in 1978.

It was Kubala who recommended such great players as Kocsis, Czibor, Kaszas and Szalay to Barcelona.

Ironically for a player born in Hungary, Kubala didn't do much to help their national team in their ambition to be the first team other than Scotland to beat England at Wembley. In 1953, England had a gala match against the Rest of Europe. 7 Hungarians were selected to play in the game, but they refused because they had a match against England a month later and didn't want to help another side beat them to the punch. The subsequent withdrawal of Kocsis gave Kubala a chance to play and he scored two goals for the Rest of Europe side. If it wasn't for a last minute equaliser from England, Hungary's famous achievement would have been taken by the Rest of Europe team, thanks in large part to Kubala.

One of the biggest disappointments of Kubala's career must have been his failure - despite playing for three different countries - to play in a World Cup finals tournament. In 1962, he played in some qualifiers, but, just like Alfredo Di Stefano, he got injured before the finals started. Despite going to Chile for the tournament, he never played.

At Barcelona's 100th anniversary in 1999, fans voted Kubala as the best player ever to play for the club. He beat players such as Johan Cruyff and Diego Maradona to this honour. He was also chosen as the second-best player in Spain during the 20th century by sports journalists. Only Alfredo Di Stefano was judged a better player than him. Finally, he was awarded the Grand Cross of Sports by the Spanish government.

 

Pick by: ChaChaFut

Round: 4
Selection: 6
(63rd overall pick)


----------------------------------
JOSE LEANDRO ANDRADE QUIROZ
Born: 10.11.1901, Salto, Uruguay
Died: 05.10.1957
Position: Right Half / Right Back
Height: 1.79 m (5'-10")
----------------------------------

The star of the first ever world cup in 1930, the Uruguayan Andrade was a football artist, one of the best players in the world during the pre-war era. He was the first afro-latin crack in football. He was known as the "Black wonder", nickname he received after a spectaculat display of footballing skills at the VIII Summer Olympic Games in 1924 in Paris, where he was the best player. He helped put Uruguay on top of the football world in the 20's, the most glorious decade in the Uruguayan NT history, which culminated with him and his teammates being crowned as the first world cup champions.

Early in his life, he moved to Montevideo, where he lived with his aunt in the Barrio Palermo. Like many of his later NT teammates, he grew up playing in the streets. As a teenager, he practiced with C.A. Peñarol, and later he played in the youth division of Misiones, where he started to gain popularity due to his particular game which included a repertoire of ball control, body fakes and great touch.

He had a great physique, and his play featured speed and elegance. He developed a great capacity for cleanly interrupting the other team's attacks, with great ball control and ability to launch his team's attack and transition from defense to offense. These playing qualities and his bohemian personality made him a celebrity.

In 1923 he was brought to Bella Vista by a later fellow WC champion, where he started as inside right, where he showed great dribbling and playmaking abilities. Then he moved to right back, where he was brilliant as well. Then in 1925 he went to Nacional, where he enjoyed his best years as a player. Andrade used to make his living by selling newspapers at the old Pocitos Station. He was known for his dark skin, his elegance in and out of the pitch, and his somewhat arrogant talk, as if he was challenging his humble origins.

In Europe, Spain discovered him and France made him world famous. His fine game deserved him the aforementioned nickname of "black wonder" in Colombes. According to the writers of that era, he amazed everyone who watched him play. It was as if he had a magnet to attract the ball. He also caused social impact as it was the first time the French saw a black football player, and also because he was very popular among women. He stayed in Paris after the Olympics, where he entertained himself and others with music and dance. He loved the carnival (the reason why he noved to Montevideo when he was a kid) and was often accompanied by his drum. He had the Afro-uruguayan rythm of Candombe in his blood, to the extend that he led a "Comparsa" drum corps in the 20's. It was said also that he played football with the same rythm.

After winning the South American championship with his NT in 1923 and 1926, as well as Olympic Gold Medals in 1924 and 1928, Andrade was again the inspiration of the Uruguayan team and helped them win the first world cup ever, at home. Then in 1932, once professionalism was established in football, he won a leaghe title with Peñarol. Altought he was not a veteran agewise, his lifestyle had impacted him physically. He wasn't the same Andrade of the 1920's, although he was still an idol. At the end of his career, he played for Atlanta and Talleres in Argengina, and finally for Montevideo Wanderers, back in Uruguay.

After his retirement, Andrade's fame faded with time, as well as his friends. He went back to his neighborhood, poorer than ever. He had nothing left but his pride. Always showing indifference to the world, he aged in total poverty, the same way he grew up. He worked as an elevator man, and was known to drink heavily, until he contracted tuberculosis, and ended up at the hospital, where he suffered five comas, until finally dying at 56, accompanied only by his memories.

Jose Leandro Andrade will always live in the minds of Uruguayan fans, as a legend who represents the most glorious era in their football. He ranked 10th in the 1994 France Football magazine selection of the "100 Heroes of the World Cup".

Sources: "El Libro del Mundial" by Eduardo Arias, and articles found at http://letras-uruguay.espaciolatino.com/abalos_m/c/andrade.htm and http://webs.demasiado.com/artesmarcialesyd/2001/biografiasDep.htm#andrade

A good article (in Spanish) with other biographical and genealogical information, can be found here:
http://pelusso.ungolazo.com/prueba/html/print.php?sid=246
It is taken from a book on Andrade titled: "Andrade: El rey negro de París" (Andrade: The black king of Paris).

NATIONAL TEAM STATISTICS

Uruguay NT record*
1923-1930
Matches played: 25 (22-1-2)

* Official games only


WORLD CUP CAREER STATISTICS

Code:

Year  #  GP GS  Min G	
1930  -   4  4  360 -
[B]Total	  4  4  360 -[/B]

CAREER HONORS AND STATISTICS

Peñarol Montevideo
1 League title (1932)

Uruguay national team
1 World Cup (1930)
2 Olympic Gold Medals (1924, 1928)
2 South American Championships (1923, 1929)

Nacional de Montevideo
Games: 105
Goals: 4

 

Round: 4
Selection: 7
(64th overall pick)



Omar Sivori 02.10.1935 (San Nicola, Argentina) 1.70m Forward

Honours
2 x Argentinean Championship : 1955, 1956
3 x Serie A Championship : 1957-1958, 1959-1960, 1960-1961
3 Italian Cup : 1958-1959, 1959-1960, 1964-1965
2 x Copa America (Argentina) : 1955, 1957
1 x Serie A Top Scorer : 1959-1960
1 x European Footballer of the Year (Italy) : 1961
International Record
Argentina : 18 caps, 4 goals, Italy : 9 caps, 9 goals

Season Team Division Games Goals League Position
1955 River Plate 1 - 11 1st
1956 River Plate 1 - 10 1st
1957 River Plate 1 1 - -
1957-1958 Juventus A 32 22 1st
1958-1959 Juventus A 24 15 4th
1959-1960 Juventus A 31 27 1st
1960-1961 Juventus A 27 25 1st
1961-1962 Juventus A 25 13 13th
1962-1963 Juventus A 33 16 2nd
1963-1964 Juventus A 28 13 5th
1964-1965 Juventus A 15 3 5th
1965-1966 Napoli A 33 7 3rd
1966-1967 Napoli A 20 2 4th
1967-1968 Napoli A 7 2 2nd
1968-1969 Napoli A 3 1 7th

Born in San Nicolas, Argentina, Sivori won three domestic titles with CA River
Plate before joining Juventus in 1957 for a fee of 160m Lira (about €80,000). An inside-left, he played for eight season with Juventus, scoring 171 goals in 257 games. Nicknamed 'El Cabezón' ('Headstrong') he formed a fantastic attacking partnership with Welsh striker John Charles, who died last year.

Giampiero Boniperti, the former Juventus president who once played in the same team, said: "Playing alongside him was pure fun. Charles was the target man, while Omar used the space to put defenders in trouble. He used to play with socks down around his ankles, without any kind of protection, to show he wasn't scared of defenders. He had an incredible winning mentality."

Sivori won the Italian title three times with Juventus, in 1958, 1960 and 1961, as well as a hat-trick of Coppa Italia triumphs in 1959, 1960 and 1965. He was also Serie A's top scorer in 1959/60 with 28 goals. In 1961 he claimed the Ballon d'Or as European Footballer of the Year, and the following year scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory against Real Madrid CF as Juventus became the first Italian side to win at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium.

Thanks to his dual Argentinian and Italian citizenship, Sivori was able to play
international football for both countries. He made 18 appearances for Argentina before moving to Europe, and went on to play nine times for Italy, scoring eight goals and representing the Azzurri at the 1962 FIFA World Cup in Chile.

In 1965 he moved to SSC Napoli, where he played until retiring in 1969. After
hanging up his boots, he returned to Argentina to coach River Plate and the
national team before becoming a full-time scout for Juventus in South America. It is his association with the Bianconeri for which he will best be remembered, and Marcello Lippi recalled: "Whenever we were talking about Juventus, his eyes brightened up."

"He was like an older brother for me," said Juventus vice-president Roberto
Bettega. "He was my idol when I was a kid and then we became close friends. He was one of the best players in the history of football."

Bio from UEFA.com

 

Round 4
Selection 8
Roy Maurice Keane





Sir Alex Ferguson has labelled him the best player he’s ever worked with, while aspiring footballers and United fans worship the ground he walks on.

Whatever your view on Roy Keane, there’s no doubt he is the epitome of the unwavering spirit and desire to succeed that Manchester United stands for.

The Cork-born midfielder began his career with Cobh Ramblers after failing to gain an apprenticeship in English football.

Brian Clough later took him to Nottingham Forest before he completed a then record £3.75million switch to Old Trafford in the summer of 1993.

Keane began his United career with two goals on his home debut in a 3-0 win over Sheffield United.

The combative midfielder went on to win the first of his seven Premiership medals in his debut season and has since added a European Cup, an Intercontinental Cup and four FA Cup winners’ medals to his collection.

He took over the United captaincy from Eric Cantona at the start of 97/98 campaign, but his season was cut short by a cruciate knee ligament injury sustained in a tackle with Leeds’ Alf-Inge Haaland at Elland Road in September 1997.

The 1998/99 season saw Keane experience a range of mixed fortunes. On his way to leading United to their historic Treble, a sending-off in the FA Cup semi-final replay victory over Arsenal was followed by a yellow card during arguably his greatest display in a Red shirt in the Champions League semi-final second leg against Juventus, forcing him to miss that unforgettable night in Barcelona when United were crowned European Champions.

Aside from his influential displays for United, Keane - a former winner of both the Footballer of the Year and the Players' Player of the Year awards in 2000 - has also proved an inspiration to his country and he now has over 50 caps for the Republic of Ireland.

A huge bust-up with former Republic boss Mick McCarthy which led to Keane’s premature departure from the 2002 World Cup looked to have put paid to his international career, but he made a shock return to action under Brian Kerr in May 2004. The reunion only lasted until the autumn of 2005, however. Following Ireland's failure to qualify for the 2006 World Cup finals, Keane announced his international retirement.

At the time of his announcement regarding Ireland, Keane was injured, having broken a metatarsal bone in his foot in United's Premiership match against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday 18 September 2005.

He was still out of action on Friday 19 November when a shock announcement to top them all was made. Manchester United issued a statement through ManUtd.com to declare that Keane's Old Trafford career was over. The Reds had reached agreement with Keane to end his contract immediately, enabling him to find a playing contract with a new club.

The news stunned United fans and the football world at large. Keane said in the statement: "Whilst it is a sad day for me to leave such a great Club and Manager I believe that the time has now come for me to move on."

In the same statement, Sir Alex Ferguson described Keane as "the best midfield player in the world of his generation" and "one of the great figures in our Club’s illustrious history."

Courtesy of ManUtd's website.

 

My fourth selection is:

MICHAEL LAUDRUP


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Laudrup

Michael Laudrup (born June 15, 1964) is a Danish former professional football player and current coach of Brøndby IF. He was known as one of the most skilful and elegant players of the game and is still hugely popular amongst fans. He is the son of former Danish national football team player Finn Laudrup and Michael's oldest son Mads Laudrup is currently the captain of the Danish under 17 national team.

Michael Laudrup has a younger brother, Brian Laudrup, who was also a professional football player.


He appeared a total of 104 times for his country, scoring 37 goals. In 2004, both Laudrup brothers were named to the FIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living footballers chosen by Pelé as part of the celebration of FIFA's 100th anniversary.


He started his career in Danish clubs Kjøbenhavns Boldklub (KB) and Brøndby before being sold to Juventus in Italy in 1982 aged 18. Juventus initially loaned him to Rome club Lazio for two seasons before he returned in 1985 playing alongside Michel Platini, Zbigniew Boniek and Ian Rush. He stayed in Serie A until 1989, when he joined FC Barcelona of Spain and enjoyed tremendous success. Michael Laudrup was one of the stars in the Dream Team who won four consecutive La Liga championships from 1991 to 1994, alongside players like Romário and Hristo Stoitchkov, with former Dutch national team star Johan Cruyff the Barça coach.In 1994 he completed a controversial move from Barça to Real Madrid after he fell out with Johan Cruyff, and Laudrup went on to guide Real Madrid in a championship winning season that would end the Barça stranglehold. Laudrup went on to play for Vissel Kobe in Japan, and ended his playing career at Dutch teamAjax in 1998.For the Danish national team Laudrup starred at the 1984, 1988, and 1996 European Championships, as well as the 1986 and 1998 World Cups. He is best remembered for an exceptional goal in a 6-1 defeat of Uruguay in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. After his playing career ended with Ajax Amsterdam, Laudrup became a coach at age 36 when he started serving as an assistant coach for the Danish national team coach Morten Olsen. Michael Laudrup took his current job as head coach for Brøndby IF in the Danish Superliga in 2002, and he managed the team to the double in 2005. In his spare time he plays for Lyngby Boldklub's Old Boys team.

Laudrup is the most technically accomplished football player to emerge in Denmark and was ranked amongst the best players in Europe. His talent was exceptional and the former French star Michel Platini described him as one of the most talented players ever.He was hugely admired all over the world for his outstanding technique, elegance, deep passes and dribbling. His vision was second to none. Former argentinian star Jorge Valdano and coach of Laudrup in Real Madrid said "he has eyes everywhere". His trademark move — looking one way and passing the other — fooled countless opponents during his career. The Laudrup dribble was perhaps the best-known part of his game, as he quickly moved the ball from one foot to the other away from the defender. In Barcelona he played alongside Hristo Stoitchkov, who scored many goals from Laudrup's passes, like Ivan Zamorano (who called Laudrup el genio, the genius) during Laudrup's time at Real Madrid. Throughout his career his number of assists was impressive and almost always the highest of his team.Laudrup was known as a gentleman on the field and never received a red card. He preferred to out-play his immediate opponent rather than knock him down.In 1999 he was voted the Most Valuable Foreign Player in Spanish Football the last 25 years (ahead of former Barcelona coach Johan Cruyff). He has two times been elected the best player of the year in Spain.He is the only player ever to win the Spanish league five times in a row playing for two different clubs.


Titles

Player:
Danish Player of the Year : 1982 and 1985
Serie A with Juventus 1985-86
Intercontinental Cup with Juventus 1985
Spanish Cup 1990 with Barcelona
European Super Cup 1992 with Barcelona
La Liga 1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1993-94 with Barcelona; 1994-95 with Real Madrid
Eredivisie 1997-98 with Ajax
Dutch Cup 1998 with Ajax
Coach:
Danish Cup: 2002-03, 2004-05 with Brøndby
Danish Coach of the Year: 2002-03
Danish Superliga: 2004-05 with Brøndby

 

Alessandro Nesta



Alessandro Nesta was born on 19th March 1976 in Rome, Italy. At the age of just 9, Alessandro joined Lazio’s youth academy where he played in attack and midfield. In 1993 Nesta joined Lazio’s first-team. Nesta had been rising through the ranks for the national team, playing in the Under-15 and Under-16 sides. In 1996 he joined up with the Under-21’s where he won the Under-21 European Championship, he also picked up the award of being the best defender in the tournament. In October 1996 Nesta made his full-debut for the Italian national team in a game against Moldova. In 1997 Nesta was awarded the captaincy of Lazio. The 97/98 season was a personal success for Nesta as Lazio won the Coppa Italia, and Nesta actually scored in the final against AC Milan. After playing 193 times for Lazio, Nesta joined AC Milan. After hearing of the transfer, Lazio fans rioted in the streets of Rome. Since joining Milan, Nesta has won the Serie A title, Coppa Italia, the European Supercup and the UEFA Champions League. Nesta has since won over 60 caps for the Italian national team including playing in the European Championships of 1996, 2000 & 2004 and the World Cup of 1998 & 2002. Many still consider Alessandro Nesta to be the World’s best defender.

http://www.soccerfanatics.net/profile/174

Honours
U-17 European Championship and was player of the tournament
1995 - Won Italian Under-21 Championship with S.S. Lazio.
1996 - Won European Under-21 Championship with Italy
1998 - Won Coppa Italia and SuperCoppa Italiana (Italian SuperCup) with S.S. Lazio
1999 - Won European Cup Winners' Cup and European Super Cup with S.S. Lazio
2000 - Won Scudetto Serie A, Coppa Italia and SuperCoppa Italiana with S.S. Lazio
2000 - European Continent Cup, Runner-up.
2003 - Won Coppa Italia, Champions League and European Super Cup with A.C. Milan
2004 - Won Scudetto Serie A with A.C. Milan

 

Drafter: Sempre
Pick: Fourth
Overall Pick: 69th

Player: Pavel Nedved
Position: attacking midfield and left wing

Biography (Wikpedia), Statistics and Awards (See Links):

Pavel Nedved (born August 30, 1972 in Cheb, Czech Republic) is
a Czech football player. Nedvěd is a star midfielder for Italian club
powerhouse Juventus and for the Czech national team. Before joining
Juventus, Nedvěd played for Dukla Prague (1991-92), Sparta Prague
(1992-96), and Lazio (1996-2001). He has won one scudetto with
Lazio and three with Juve.

Nedvěd was part of the Czech national team which went to the final
of Euro 96, eventually losing to winners Germany. Nedvěd's play however
did not go unnoticed and he transferred from Sparta Prague to Lazio
in the Serie A in 1996. At Lazio Nedvěd won the Coppa Italia in 1997/98
and the final Cup Winners' Cup in 1999 against Real Mallorca.

Nedvěd eventually moved to Juventus in 2001 for a fee of 41.2 mil.
euros, as a replacement for Zidane who had transferred to Spain's
Real Madrid the same summer. He proved more than an adequate
replacement for the Frenchman, his tremendous workrate and guile
playing an integral part in Juventus' scudetto-winning teams of 2001/02,
2002/03 and 2004/05.

Nedvěd helped lead Juventus into the 2003 Champions League final
vs. AC Milan, but was forced to sit out the final because of accumulated
yellow cards after being booked in the semifinal for tackling Real Madrid
Midfielder ***. At the end of the year, he won the European Footballer
of the Year award.

By the time of his first retirement from international football, Nedvěd
was captain of the Czech national team. In the Euro 2004 semi-final
vs. Greece, Nedvěd was injured when he slammed his knee into a Greek
player while jumping for the ball. Though he played for a time after, he
was eventually replaced by Vladimír Šmicer. Observers of the match
considered Nedvěd's injury to be a key factor in the Czechs' loss. The
injury also led him to retire from the national team in September 2004.
Nedvěd had scored 18 goals in 73 games for the Czechs and played for
his country at Euro 96, Euro 2000, and Euro 2004.

He came out of international retirement to play for the Czechs in their
World Cup qualifying playoff against Norway in November 2005. The
Czechs won both legs 1-0, first in Oslo and then in Prague, to qualify
for the 2006 World Cup. Since this will be the first World Cup appearance
for the Czech team since the partition of Czechoslovakia, it is quite likely
that Nedvěd will choose to remain available for selection for the finals in
Germany.

Nedvěd is a dedicated, hard-working player. He is typically the heartbeat
of any team on which he plays, often taking the leadership in the locker
room to inspire his teammates during halftime. He is said to be considering
setting up his own football academy in his home country when he retires
from football.

He was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in
March 2004.

Awards/ Honors

Czechoslovakia champion (1993, 1994, 1995)
Czechoslovakia Cup (1993, 1996)
Italian Scudetto (2000, 2002, 2003, 2005)
Coppa Italia (1998, 2000)
Italian Super Cup (1998, 2000, 2002, 2003)
Cup Winners' Cup (1999)
European SuperCup (1999)
Czech Player of the Year (1998, 2000, 2003)
Golden Ball (2003)

Links to Nedved's statistics:

League goals: http://www.expertfootball.com/players/nedved/stats.php
European Cup goals: http://www.rsssf.com/players/nedved-in-ec.html

 

Matthias Sindelar (February 10, 1903 - January 23, 1939)

Position: Forward

Matthias Sindelar is regarded as Austrian football’s greatest ever player and was also voted as Austrian sportsman of the century. He made 44 appearances for his country and scored 27 goals.

As Hugo Meisl’s proxy on the pitch, Sindelar was one of the greatest footballers of his generation and a genius of a playmaker who inspired the team to success. Nicknamed der Papierene on account of his lean, delicate stature, and ‘The Mozart of Football’ because of his virtuosity, Sindelar was the flamboyant, free-spirited soul of this well-drilled team.

At the age of 15 he signed for Hertha Vienna before breaking into the first team and guiding FK Austria Vienna to three Austrian Cup in his first three seasons.

He made his debut for the national side in 1926 scoring the winner in a 2-1 win over the Czechs before then scoring two in a 7-1 trouncing of neighbours Switzerland.

Despite interest from overseas, Sindelar refused to leave his homeland. In 1938 under the occupation of Nazi Germany, he refused to play for the newly-formed Austro-Germany team, citing injury or old age.

On 29 January 1939 he was found dead, with the official cause of death given as carbon monoxide poisoning. On the anniversary of his death, Austrian fans still gather at his grave to pay their respects.

 

Round: 4 (Week 4)
Overall Pick: 72nd

Player: Mário Esteves Coluna

Birth: 6/8/1935, Mozambique

Played for: Lourenço Marques (1954)
Benfica (1955-1970)
Lyon (1970-1971)

Palmares/Titles:
Portuguese champion (1955, 1957, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968 and 1969)
Portugal Cup (1955, 1957, 1959, 1962, 1964, 1969/70)
EC/ Champions League Winner (1961 and 1962), Finalist/Runners-Up (1962, 1965 and 1968)
Third Place WC 1966


Biography: Eusébio was the star of Portugal, but the midfielder Coluna made up the rest of the team.

The history of Mário Esteves Coluna can be counted through the numbers throughout his 16 years of playing soccer. Playing for Benfica, of Portugal, he played 715 games and got no less than 19 titles, which includes 10 Portuguese championships, 7 Portugal Cups and 2 European championships. He won all of his championships with Benfica. For the Portuguese National Team, he played in 57 games and scored 8 goals. His first match for the national team was on 04-05-1955 and his last game was on 11-12-1968.It would seem then that the name of Mário Coluna deserves a place of honor in soccer history.

Strong at midfield, Coluna was known for the way he played on the field because of his elegant and efficient style. Coluna was also known to score long distance goals with ease. With one of these surprising kicks, he marked a historical goal. It was against Barcelona, where they played, and at the time, *****, Czibor and Kocsis. It was a goal that assured Benfica its first title as champions of Europe, in the season of 1961.

It was, however, with the victories in Europe with Benfica that paved the way to a successful run in the 1966 World Cup with the national team. The red and green was a sensation already in the tournament, defeating opponents such as England, Hungary, Bulgaria, Brazil, North Korea, and the USSR. The selected team of Portugal, which included Coluna and Eusébio, guaranteed Portugal third place in the Worldcup of 1966.

Coluna played in only 2 other clubs: the Lourenço Marques, the team of the city where he was born, in Moçambique, and Lyon, of France, where finished his career, in 1971, at the age of 37 years.

[The profile is taken from http://www.soccerpulse.com/index.php?p=legends&leg_id=92; though the soccerpulse profile itself seems to be a verbatim translation of http://placar.abril.com.br/novo/galeria_craques.shtml]

 

http://www.bstcsoccer.com/graphics/carlos-alberto-torres.jpg

Carlos Alberto Torres

Nationality: Brazil

Position: rightback

National team
53 caps 8 goals (1964-1977 )

Clubs
1963-1964: Fluminense-RJ
1965-1970: Santos FC-SP
1971: Botafogo-RJ
1971-1975: SantosFC-SP
1976: Fluminense-RJ
1977: Flamengo-RJ
1977-1980: NY Cosmos - United States
1981: Newport Beach - United States
1982: NY Cosmos - United States

Titles won(from www.sambafoot.com)
PanAmericans Games: 1963
Rio de Janeiro State League: 1964, 1976
São Paulo State League: 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1973
Brazilian League: 1965
Brazilian Cup: 1965
Tournament Rio - São Paulo: 1966
Brazilian Silver Cup: 1968
Recopa: 1968
FIFA World Cup: 1970
American National League: 1977, 1978, 1980, 1982

Buenos Aires Tournament: 1965
Rome/Florence Tournament: 1966
Roberto Gomes Pedrosa Cup (São Paulo): 1968
Amazonas Tournament: 1968
São Paulo's Cup (U 20): 1970
Laudo Natel Tournament (São Paulo): 1975
Paris Tournament: 1976


Carlos Alberto Torres captained Brazil to victory in the 1970 World Cup. Many considered him to be one of the greatest attacking rightback in the history of the game. He was known for his abilities to attack on the wing and a good reader of the game.

On the club level, Carlos Alberto joined Fluminense at the age of 19. In 1966, he moved to Santos, where he became Pelé's teammate. In 1974, he returned to Fluminense and helped the team capture two consecutive Campeonato Carioca championships. In 1977, he moved to Fluminense's arch-rivals Flamengo before transferring to the New York Cosmos where he was reunited with Pelé and helped the Cosmos capture two consecutive NASL titles in 1977 and 1978. After sending one year with the California Surf, he returned to the Cosmos in 1982 where he won his third NASL title. He played his farewell game on September 28 1982 in an exhibition match between the Cosmos and his former club Flamengo.

In the NASL he played for the Cosmos from 1977 until 1980 spending the 1981 season with the California Surf. He returned to the New York Cosmos in 1982. Carlos played a total of 119 regular season games and 26 playoff games, and scored 8 goals. He was a member of the Cosmos Championship winning teams in 1977, 1978, and then again in 1982. He was an NASL All-Star five times, including first-team selections in 1978, 1979 and 1980. For his efforts in the NASL, he was inducted into the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2003.

His career as a football manager started in 1983, when he managed Flamengo. He also managed several other clubs, like Corinthians in 1985 and 1986; Náutico in 1986 and 1987; Botafogo in 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2003; Fluminense in 1994 and 1995; and Paysandu in 2005. He is currently back at Brazilian side Botafogo as head coach.

Carlos Alberto's goal against Italy in the final of the Football World Cup 1970 is considered one of the greatest goals ever scored in the history of the tournament.

source: Combined two articles from Planet World Cup and wikipedia

 

Ronald Koeman

Born: March 21, 1963 in Groningen
Position: Sweeper
Career Span: 1980-1997
Nationality: Dutch
Caps/Goals: 78 / 14

Club Teams:

FC Groningen 1980-1983
Ajax 1983-1986
PSV 1986-1989
Barcelona 1989-1995
Feyenoord 1995-1997

Stats:

Dutch League, Ajax (1985)
Dutch Cup, Ajax (1986)
Dutch League, PSV (1987, 1988, 1989)
Dutch Cup, PSV (1988, 1989)
Europe Cup 1, PSV (1988)
Spanish Cup, Barcelona (1990)
Spanish League, Barcelona (1991, 1992, 1993, 1994)
Champions League, Barcelona (1992)
European Cup, Holland (1989)

Bio(from Wikipedia):

Ronald Koeman (born March 21, 1963 in Groningen) is a former Dutch football defender and now manager.

In 1980 Koeman started his career for FC Groningen, and after playing for Ajax Amsterdam, PSV Eindhoven and FC Barcelona, he finished his career in Feyenoord Rotterdam. During his career he won 2 UEFA Champions League, 4 Dutch championships, 4 Spanish championships, 1 Spanish Cup and was also in the winning Dutch national team at the 1988 European Championship. He scored the decisive goal in his second UEFA Champions League final with FC Barcelona. Besides being a steadfast defender at the centreback position for the national team, he was also renowned for his freekicks and deadball situations where he has scored many vital goals for the team. He also represented his nation in the World Cup 1994 in USA. He has also won many honors of his Country Holland. In his Career with the Holland national team he had 78 caps and 14 goals playing as a Defender.