Trivia and Facts-Part 28

1-Prior to the 1988 UEFA European Championships, the powerful Soviet Olympic committee wanted to retain Alexei Mikhailichenko and Igor Dobrovolsky for the upcoming Seoul Olympics and bar them from participating in the Euro Finals.

Given the importance and emergence of Mikhailichenko, USSR Manager Valeri Lobanovsky presented a compromise, whereby Dobrovolsky would be at the disposal of the Olympic squad, while Mikhailichenko would be present at the Euros as well as the Olympics.

Photo from: World Soccer, February 1993

(Igor Dobrovolsky with Genoa, 1992/93)

Photo From: Fussball Magazin, No. 4, April 1990

(Alexei Mikhalichenko, October 1, 1988, Olympics, USSR 2-Brazil 1)

Photo From: Voetbal Magazine, Nr. 30, July 1988

(Alexei Mikhailichenko and Fernando De Napoli, June 22, 1988, European Championships, USSR 2-Italy 0)

2- Enzo Trossero of Independiente, who had participated in Argentina’s 1986 World Cup Qualifying Campaign, was eventually dropped from the squad and did not make the Finals squad.

In an interview, he claimed that Manager Carlos Bilardo had reneged on his promise to select and give priority to those who had participated in the qualifying matches.

Photo From:  France Football, June 25, 1985, Issue 2046

(Enzo Trossero, June 16, 1985, World Cup Qualifier, Argentina 1-Colombia 0)

3- For France’s UEFA European qualifier vs. Russia on October 1998, new French Manager Roger Lemerre had selected as goalkeepers starter Fabien Barthez and his understudy Lionel Charbonnier of Rangers Glasgow.

However, Barthez had to withdraw due injury.

Instead of elevating Charbonnier to take Barthez’s spot, Lemerre called up Paris St Germain’s Bernard Lama to start.

As a result, Charbonnier walked out of the team as he felt he should have been the starter since he was in the original squad.
Lemerre reasoned that his choice was based on Lama’s experience

Photo from: Onze-Mondial, November 1998

(Bernard Lama, October 14, 1998, EC Qualifier, France 2-Andorra 0)

Photo from: Onze-Mondial, February 1995

(Lionel Charbonnier in action for Auxerre)

4- When Udo Latteck became Koln’s technical director in 1987, he wore a blue sweater as a lucky charm and vowed to wear it until Koln lose.

Koln were undefeated the first 15 matches of the season and were finally defeated by Werder Bremen on November 7^th, 1987 ( 1-2).

Photo from : Fussball Magazin, June 1986

(Udo Latteck as Bayern Munich Manager with Soren lerby)

5- During the World Cup match between England and France on July 20, 1966, England’s Nobby Stiles committed a nasty foul on France’s Jacques Simon.

Due to the outcry and negative publicity, the FA asked England Manager Alf Ramsey to drop Stiles from the remainder of the tournament.

However, Ramsey threatened he would resign if forced to do so.

As a result Stiles remained in the side and was instrumental in the World Cup triumph.

Photo from : World Soccer, January 1967

(George Cohen, Eusebio and Nobby Stiles, July 26, 1966, World Cup, England 2-Portugal 1)