Biggest Disparity between Talent and Trophies

benficafan3 · May 10, 2017

PuckVanHeel said: ↑

In the sense of "best footballers in the world" then Eusebio is a good one too, and where the peak of his powers mismatch with the (potential) trophy cabinet he could have had.

Yes he has 11 league titles - many of them before and after his prime - and the 1962EC with one of the best final performances ever (still one of the very best ever I'd say). But during his actual peak and the peak of his fame he could have had:

1963 European Cup: a foul by Pivatelli with the ball nowhere near put Coluna out of the match. Eusebio scored a good goal in the final but playing for 35 minutes with 10 men was too much against AC Milan.

1965 European Cup final: the goalkeeper got injured in the first half. In the second half Germano played for 45 minutes as goalkeeper. Once again, for 45 minutes Benfica played with 10 men against Inter. The final was also played in San Siro, Internazionale's home ground.

1966 World Cup: a true superstar performance at the peak of his fame. But the last minute venue swap - so that England could play all of their games at Wembley - maybe didn't help (in later decades also other aspects of FIFA's coziness to England and esp. Germany during this tournament came to the fore). Those small details can matter; in 1990 Matthaus, Brehme and Klinsmann played all but two of their matches in the favored and wished San Siro (plus one in the nearby Turin). England and Netherlands were (in)famously banned to dour and underdeveloped Sicily. Those small (enforced) details can matter, and also influence the narrative surrounding a star player.

1968 European Cup: a golden chance near the end of regular time, stopped by the Manchester United goalkeeper (at Wembley; just as the 1963 final and the 1966 semi final). With only a couple of minutes to play.

During his best years (~1963 - 1968) he achieved four league titles but outside of that no other significant trophies.

With a bit more luck or different circumstances he could have been a three or four times European Cup winner, plus a finalist at the World Cup with 9 or 10 goals. That would more or less match with the three to five years he was at his best and at peak fame, and although a trophy more or less doesn't make him a better or worse footballer necessarily, in common perception it would matter a great deal for his legacy and standing.
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This was a great post Puck.

ko242 · May 11, 2017

Milan05 said: ↑

From 2011 to 2014, this guy was arguably not inferior to any player not named Ronaldo or Messi.

How different his legacy could have been if he hadn't gotten injured before the 2014 World Cup. He was Germany's best player in the qualifiers, but then that ankle injury against Armenia...

Of course, he got injured just before Euro 2016 too.

One of the most underrated players in recent memory. Injuries have ruined his career.

And despite that, he is still Dortmund's best player whenever he's fit.
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i agree completely. for me, he was without doubt the best player in germany going into 2014 world cup.
however, i think it's an over exaggeration to say his career is ruined. with everything he has done, he is still only 27, so he can still achieve a lot. and from the many times i have seen him this season, he does not seemed to have lost any agility or speed.

Milan05 · May 28, 2017

This guy...

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And yet every time he returns he's world class. The most unlucky great player I can think of in recent history. He's only just won his first major trophy (the DFB Pokal). If he hadn't been so injury prone he would have been a World Cup winner.

Feel so sorry for him. There are some players who just do not have the physique to be professional footballers, even if they clearly have the talent.