In the Picture...

Embed from Getty Images

1973: Bobby Moore and Franz Beckenbauer exchange pennants.

Talking about Football...

Arsène Wenger about Dennis Bergkamp's work ethic

He was born with a huge talent and has done everything to develop that talent. What I respect most of all is that, for twenty years, each and every day, untill the last minute of training he was completely focused on his job. Dennis never played a ball he hadn't given thought to, and put something of himself into.

(Source: Voetbal International, 17 june 2020)

In the picture...

Embed from Getty Images

1974: Der Bomber in action against East Germany

To Die in Harness

On September 10th 1985 Wales and Scotland met in Cardiff for a crucial World Cup qualification game. The tournament was set to be held in Mexico the following year. Both teams were desperate to keep their hopes of qualifying alive. Coaching the visitors was the legendary Jock Stein, the man behind all of Celtic's great triumphs of the 60's and 70's. In theory, things were looking good for them. A draw would see them reach a play-off against the winner of a yet to be held qualification tournament for Oceania. If they were to win, they had a decent shot of winning the group, which also featured Spain, and qualifying directly.

The only thing Stein's needed to avoid was losing to Wales. In that case only a defeat for Spain could help Scotland reach the play-off, but that was extremely unlikely as the only remaining match for the Spaniards was at home to bottom placed Iceland. Problem was, that losing to Wales was exactly what the Scots had done six months earlier. Wales boasted a world class attacking duo in the form of Liverpool's Ian Rush and Manchester United's Mark Hughes. Even the support of 60.000 fans at Hampden Park hadn't been able to prevent Wales clinching victory courtesy of a 1st half goal scored by Rush. If that defeat wasn't troubling enough in itself for Stein, this time around he'd have to take on the Welsh without his captain Graeme Souness, due to a suspension, and his star player Kenny Dalglish, due to an injury.

In the picture...

Embed from Getty Images

1974: Holland coach Rinus Michels looks on as his team takes on Uruguay

Talking about Football...

Steve Bruce on Alex Ferguson's famous temper

I remember my debut, Portsmouth away. In the old dressing-room at Fratton Park there was a pillar that stood alone in the corner. When I came in at half-time there were about eight players sitting around this pillar. I sat on my own on the other side, thinking, 'Why are they all sitting there?'. We weren't playing well. Fergie came in, and he started. I soon understood why they were all hiding behind that pillar!

(Source: Daily Mail, 25 December 2019)

In the picture...

Embed from Getty Images

May 1982: Aston Villa's Gary Williams with a sliding tackle on Bayern Munich's Karl-Heinz Rummenigge

The Serie A's ban on foreigners

Many of the greatest Italian club sides are heavily identified with the foreign stars they featured. The late 80's Milan built around the Dutch trio of Gullit, Rijkaard and Van Basten immediately springs to mind. But the phenomenon goes back much further. Thirty years earlier Milan had featured another trio of foreigners: the Swedes Gren, Nordahl and Lidholm (affectionately nicknamed GreNoLi). And when Italian clubs had started to win their first European cups in the 60's, foreign stars continued to play their part. Helenio Herrera's Grande Inter featured the Spaniard Luis Suares as its playmaker and the Brazilian Jaïr on the wing.

And we haven't even mentioned the so-called Oriundi yet. Those were South-American players of Italian descent, who -thanks to an expediently procured passport- often even featured in the Italian national team. Their history goes back even further. The World Cup that Italy won in 1934 would never have been possible without the three Argentinean players they fielded, including one of the absolute stars of that team: Raimundo Orsi. So foreigners and Italian teams, a long and happy marriage? Not quite, because for fifteen years Italian clubs were in fact not allowed to sign foreign players.

In the picture...

Embed from Getty Images

Pelé in action during the final of the 1958 World Cup

Talking about Football...

Bryan Robson on Paul Gascoigne

At his peak he was unbelievable. I knew he was a talent the moment I played against him. He had bravery to take the ball at any time, constant movement and tricks to get himself out of trouble. He also had this ability to push you in the chest with either arm without fouling you to lever himself away then run past you. He was really hard to shift off the ball.

(Source: Daily Mail, 25 April 2020)