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Monday, August 12, 2013

Soccer Memories-Part 18

Franz Beckenbauer, The National Team Manager, Part II (1986-88)

(Note: I would like to once again thank http://www.zani.co.uk/ for uploading this article http://www.zani.co.uk/franz-beckenbuer-the-national-team-manager-part-ii-1986-88
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Following the 1986 World Cup, Franz Beckenbauer had two years to prepare for the 1988 Euros that West Germany would be hosting.
As a result he had the time to prepare and experiment without any qualification worries.
Following the retirements of some of the ageing players following the Mexico World Cup (Rummenigge, Magath, Briegel, etc), he called up many younger players in line for the Euros.
The first order of business was to rebuild the defense.
Goalkeeper and Captain Harald Schumacher and Thomas Berthold were still on board, as well as Stuttgart’s Guido Buchwald, one of the unlucky casualties of the World Cup Finals cut.
However, Klaus Aughentaler was discarded, along with club mate Norbert Eder, who was not selected again.
Experienced Stopper Karlheinz Förster had joined France’s Olympique Marseille and requested a leave of absence from national team duty to adjust to his new club.
For this first Post-Mexico season (1986/87), Beckenbauer tried to impose Thomas Hörster of Bayer Leverkusen as his new Libero.
In addition Jürgen Kohler of Waldhof Mannheim was installed in the stopper position.

Photo from: Fussball Magazin, May 1987
(Guido Buchwald, Jurgen Kohler and Franz Beckenbauer)

More importantly Beckenbauer wanted to build the team around the creative talents of Schalke’s young midfielder Olaf Thon, who was seen as the future of West Germany.
Lothar Matthäus was also taking on a more of a leading role at Bayern Munich, now that Danish Soren Lerby had been transferred to AS Monaco.
For West Germany’s first match of the new season, The Germans played an away Friendly vs. Denmark on September 24th for Allan Simonsen’s Farewell Match for Denmark.
The West Germans came away as 2 to 0 winners with Thon and Klaus Allofs scoring and new caps Kohler and Hörster impressing in their debut.
For their next Friendly at home on October 15th, the Germans tied 2 to 2 with Spain with Bayern Munich’s striker Ronald Wohlfarth earning his first cap.
He would not earn another cap for another three years.
Klaus Aughentaler also earned a recall and played in the second half, but he also did not feature in Beckenbauer’s plans until 1989.
Their next Friendly, just two weeks later, vs. Austria at Vienna would turn out to be one of the lowest points of Beckenbauer’s tenure as the West Germans succumbed to a heavy defeat of 1 to 4 with Toni Polster scoring two penalties and Lothar Matthaus getting sent off for repeatedly arguing with the referee.
This disastrous match also marked Bayer Uerdingen defender Wolfgang Funkel’s second and final cap.
The recalled Michael Rummenigge of Bayern Munich also played his final match for West Germany.
Eike Immel who had now joined Stuttgart started in goal and would remain until the Euros.

Photo From: Chronik des deutschen fussballs, 2005
(Lothar Matthaus and Klaus Allofs, October 29, 1986, Austria 4-West Germany 1)

The new year (1987) started under negative circumstances as Beckenbauer lost his skipper.
Harald Schumacher published his autobiography called ‘Anpfiff’ (starting Whistle), which would end his national team career.
The most controversial aspect of this book was his claim that doping was rampant in the Bundesliga.
He also insulted National team members such as Olaf Thon, whom he described as ‘pitifully stupid.’
On February 24, 1987, FC Koln banned Schumacher and he never played for them again.
On February 26, 1987, He was stripped of the national team captaincy.
On March 6, 1987, the DFB banned him indefinitely from the national team and he never played for West Germany again.
On March 17, 1987, Beckenbauer appointed Klaus Allofs as West Germany’s new captain.

Photo from: Fussball Magazin, May 1987
(Uwe Rahn, Wolfgang Rollf, Stefan Reuter, Eike Immel and Rudi Voeller in Israel , March 1987)

Within a week on March 25th, the West Germans played a very sensitive and diplomatic friendly vs. Israel in Tel Aviv.
This was the first meeting of any kind between the two countries.
Eike Immel was now firmly established as West Germany’s starting goalkeeper.
Bayern Munich’s Hans Pflügler earned his first cap for West Germany.
Thomas Hörster played his last match for West Germany as Libero, as Beckenbauer was unconvinced, though he was retained for the Olympic squad.
The West Germans won 2 to 0 with goals by Thon and a penalty kick by Matthäus.

Photo from: Fussball Magazin, May 1987
(Captains Lothar Matthaus and Avi Cohen, March 25, 1987, Israel 0-West Germany 2)

The following month, on April 18th, they played a high profile friendly vs. Italy at Koln that ended in a scoreless tie.
Stefan Reuter of Nuremberg earned his first cap for West Germany.
The match also marked Mathias Herget’s re-inclusion as Beckenbauer’s Libero.
Pierre Littbarski also made his first appearance with the national team since Mexico.
In The summer of 1987, Thomas Berthold and Rudi Völler joined the Italian Serie A clubs of Verona and AS Roma respectively and Koln’s Klaus Allofs joined Karlheinz Förster at France’s Olympique Marseille.
Beckenbauer expressed that he did not like too many players joining the foreign leagues as they get used to ‘their’ tempo, which is not ‘our’ tempo.
West Germany started its Fall 1987 campaign in impressive fashion as France (2-1), England (3-1) and Denmark (1-0) were defeated in convincing fashion in August and September.
Bayern Munich’s Hans Dorfner earned his first cap in the France match, while Koln’s young goalkeeper Bodo Illgner, who had only replaced Schumacher at club level just months earlier, started vs. Denmark.
He would remain Immel’s understudy until the end of the Euros.
Pierre Littbarski had returned to Koln after a difficult season with Racing Club Paris and was back in full force.
In the match vs. England, he scored twice, one of them from a direct corner.

Photo from: Onze-Mondial, February 1989
(Pierre Littbarski, June 10, 1988, European Championships, West Germany 1-Italy 1)

On October 11, 1987, Beckenbauer appointed former international goalkeeper and teammate Sepp Maier as West Germany’s goalkeeping coach.
The West Germans followed up with two more friendlies in October and November vs. Sweden (1-1) and Hungary (0-0).
Nuremberg striker Dieter Eckstein earned his first cap in the Hungary match.
The West Germans embarked on a tour of South America in December 1987 to play vs. Brazil and Argentina.
This tour would also serve Beckenbauer as means to test more players.
Mathias Herget had been suspended for 4 matches in the Bundesliga, therefore under DFB rules was ineligible for the national team.
However, Franz Beckenbauer insisted on his presence in the Tour and was authorized.
In the First match vs. Brazil on December 12th, that ended in a one to one tie, Beckenbauer gave first caps to Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Christian Hochstätter, Nuremberg’s Manfred Schwabl, Werder Bremen’s Frank Ordenewitz, Kaiserslautern’s Franco Foda and Stuttgart and Bundesliga’s top goal scorer Jürgen Klinsmann.
The next match, four days later, would be vs. Argentina, a remake of the World Cup Final, that the Argentines won 1 to 0.
Of all these new players only Klinnsman made the final cut for Euro 1988.
The new year (1988) started with Karlheinz Förster, who had provisionally discarded himself, officially announcing his national team retirement on January 3rd.
On March and April, The West Germans hosted a four team Tournament with Argentina, USSR and Sweden, called the Four Nations Tournament at West Berlin.
This was used as a dress rehearsal for the proper Euro Tournament in a few months time.
For their first match on March 31st, the West Germans tied one to one with Sweden.
For the first time, the new West Germany uniforms contained the colors (Black, Yellow, Red) of their flag, which was a change from the complete White shirt strip.

Photo From: Foot Magazine , Issue 79, May 1988
(Olaf Thon, March 31, 1988, Four Nations Easter Tournament , West Germany 1-Sweden 1)

The Germans would lose the match on penalty kick shoot-out.
Captain Klaus Allofs would play and score in his last match for West Germany.
He would be injured shortly afterwards and would miss the Euros.
In his absence, Beckenbauer appointed Lothar Matthäus as Captain.

Photo from: World Soccer, February 1990
(Lothar Matthaus between Giuseppe Giannini and Carlo Ancelotti, June 10, 1988, European Championships, West Germany 1-Italy 1)

He repaid the faith in him by scoring West Germany’s winner vs. Argentina on April 2nd for the second match of this tournament.
On the same day, Sweden defeated USSR (2-0) to win this mini tournament.
Stuttgart’s Jürgen Klinsmann, who in Allofs’ absence had become Rudi Völler’s new strike partner, also justified Beckenbauer’s confidence, by scoring his first international goal in their next friendly vs. Switzerland in April.

Photo from: World Soccer, October 1989
(Jürgen Klinsmann after scoring, June 14, 1988, European Championships, West Germany 2-Denmark 0)

This match marked the debut of Koln’s Armin Görtz, whose excellent season deserved a cap.
The Finals squad was announced on May 21st with the expected absence of the injured Klaus Allofs.
However, they were some new inclusions: Werder Bremen’s Bundesliga winning duo of Uli Borrowka and Gunnar Sauer earned spots in the Finals squad, along with Borussia Dortmund’s Franck Mill.

West Germany’s final friendly before the Finals turned out to be a disappointing draw on June 4th vs. Yugoslavia, with Olaf Thon having a particularly poor match.
The hosts started on June 10th vs. Italy and after going behind in the second half to a Roberto Mancini goal, they equalized through Andreas Brehme with an indirect free kick a few minutes later.
The foul was awarded after Italy goalkeeper Walter Zenga took extra steps before kicking the ball up field.
For their next match on June 14th, the West Germans defeated Denmark (2-0) with goals by Thon and Klinnsman.
Striker Rudi Völler, who had joined AS Roma at the beginning of the season, had just had a very difficult first season.
Former National team star Paul Breitner, as newspaper columnist, had repeatedly called for Völler to be dropped in favor of Nuremberg’s Dieter Eckstein.
However, Beckenbauer had full confidence in his selection and Völler repaid him with two goals scoring display vs. Spain on June 17th.

Photo From: Voetbal Magazine, Nr. 30, July 1988
(Rudi Voeller and Manuel Sanchis, June 17, 1988, European Championships, West Germany 2-Spain 0)

For the semi-finals, on June 21st in Hamburg, the Germans were pitted against archrivals Holland boasting Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard and Marco van Basten.
Prior to the match Pierre Littbarski had stomach pains and was replaced by Franck Mill in the squad.
The match was a reversal of the 1974 World Cup Final between the two nations.
This time it was the Germans who took the lead first through a penalty kick by Matthäus after Rijkaard fouled Klinnsman in the box.
Then the Dutch equalized through a penalty kick as well scored by Ronald Koeman after Kohler fouled Van Basten in the box.
With a minute remaining, Marco van Basten sneaked through a winner and the hosts were eliminated.

Photo from: Onze-Mondial, July 1988
(Jurgen Kohler unable to stop Marco van Basten’s winner, June 21, 1988, European Championships, West Germany 1-Holland 2)

Despite losing, West Germany had given a positive impression.
Mainstay players such as Matthäus, Brehme, Völler, Berthold, Littbarski and Buchwald had improved and justified their places.
Newcomers such as Reuter, Kohler and Klinnsman had cemented their place in the squad and young goalkeeper Bodo Illgner was the heir apparent to be the next national team goalkeeper.
The Herget experiment as Libero had not lived up to expectations, as Beckenbauer was still unable to find a suitable successor to himself.
The Bayern Munich bound Olaf Thon had also not lived up to his billing as Germany’s bright hope and star.
Beckenabuer had two years to resolve these deficiencies and make a tilt for the World title in 1990.


Photo from: Fussball Magazin, August 1986
(Thomas Berthold and Franz Beckenbauer)



Thursday, August 8, 2013

New Addition: Magazine Awards, Part one

Another new feature that I will be starting on this blog is about Player and/or Manager and team awards by Magazines.

France Football’s Ballon d’Or:

Year 1982:
Player of the year: Paolo Rossi (Juventus and Italy)

 

Photo from: France Football, December 28, 1982 Issue 1916

(Paolo Rossi on the cover of France Football)
                   



Ballon d'Or 1982


Onze’s Onze d’Or:

Year 1976:
Player of the year: Robby Rensenbrink (Anderlecht and Holland)


Photo from: Onze, December 1976
(Robby Rensenbrink on the cover of Onze)


Onze d'Or 1976


World Soccer’s Player of the Year:

Year 1982:
Player of the year: Paolo Rossi (Juventus and Italy)
Manager of the Year: Enzo Bearzot (Italy)
Team of the year: Brazil


Photo from: World Soccer, December 1982
(Paolo Rossi on the cover of World Soccer)

World Soccer Player of the Year 1982

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Events and Consequences, Part Two





1- Event:
Harald Schumacher’s controversial autobiography in the spring of 1987 that caused uproar in German soccer circles.
Among his most controversial claims was that doping was commonplace in the Bundesliga.

Consequence:
He was dismissed from the National team setup as well as his club Koln.
This paved the way for his understudy Bodo Illgner to be elevated as Koln’s number one goalkeeper.
In almost no time, he was also elevated to the National Team, first as number two to Eike Immel and then from the Fall of 1988 as Number one.



Photo from: Onze, March 1983
(Harald Schumacher)

Photo from: Fussball Magazin, May 1987
(Bodo Illgner with Koln, 1986/87)
2- Event:
The simultaneous retirements of Alain Giresse, Dominique Rocheteau and Maxime Bossis from the French National team following the 1986 World Cup.

Consequence:
With these retirements and the impending retirements in the following year of Michel Platini, Patrick Battiston and Jean Tigana, the French national team went into a decline with no ready-made replacements.
This post-Mexico generation is regarded as the Lost Generation. They failed to qualify for the 1988 Euros as well as the 1990 World Cup.


Photo From: L'Integrale de L'Equipe de France de Football, Authors: J.M. and Pierre Cazal, Michel Oreggia, 1998
(France’s last full strength squad at Mexico, June 25, 1986, World Cup, West Germany 2-France 0, Top, left to right, Manuel Amoros, Joël Bats, William Ayache, Patrick Battiston, Maxime Bossis, Luis Fernandez, Bottom, left to right, Alain Giresse, Michel Platini, Yannick Stopyra, Bruno Bellone, Jean Tigana)

Photo from: Mondial, September 1986
(France’s first squad post-Mexico, August 19, 1986, Switzerland 2-France 0, Top, left to right, Jean-Christophe Thouvenel, Joël Bats, Manuel Amoros, Patrick Battiston, Gérard Buscher, Basile Boli, Bottom, left to right, Philippe Vercruysse, Fabrice Poullain, Dominique Bijotat, Yannick Stopyra, Jean-Marc Ferreri)



3- Event:
Days prior to England’s quarterfinal clash with West Germany during the 1970 Mexico World Cup, England’s first choice goalkeeper had to withdraw due to stomach trouble.
Peter Bonetti was called in to replace Banks.

Consequence:
The inexperienced Peter Bonetti was blamed for the defeat after England let a 0 to 2 lead to slip away and lost 2 to 3 on June 14, 1970.
This became one of the talking points of England’s failure, whether or not Banks would have saved some of the goals that Bonetti didn’t and other speculation.


Photo From: World Soccer, April 1970
(Peter Bonetti)

Photo From: World Soccer, April 1970
(Gordon Banks)

Photo From: Chronik des deutschen fussballs, 2005
(Gerd Muller scoring West Germany’s third with Bonetti unable to stop, June 14, 1970, World Cup, West Germany 3-England 2)


4- Event:
1990 World Cup winner and German defender Thomas Berthold was sent off in an EC Qualifier vs. Wales on June 5, 1991 at Cardiff for kicking Wales’ Kevin Ratcliffe.

Consequence:
UEFA suspended Berthold for five competitive matches.
Germany Manager Berti Vogts announced that Berthold would not be included for the Euro 92 Finals squad, as he would miss the first two matches on suspension.
Around the same time he had joined Bayern Munich and was unable to adapt and lost his place.
At this point any international call-up seemed unlikely.
He transferred to Stuttgart in 1993 to resurrect his career and was successful by 1994 to return to the National Team and played in the 1994 World Cup.

Photo from : Onze-Mondial, August 1991
(Thomas Berthold and Stuart Pearce, July 4, 1990, World Cup, West Germany 1-England 1)



5- Event:
1) France Captain and Manchester United’s Eric Cantona’s kung-fu kick vs. Crystal Palace on January 25, 1995.
2) France and Newcastle’s David Ginola’s insistence on a starting position with France Manager Aime Jacquet in the Fall of 1995.

Consequence:
Eric Cantona was suspended from any Football (Club or International) for almost nine months.
In his absence France Manager Aime Jacquet sought to implement and impose a system built around the playmaking abilities of Zinedine Zidane and as his partner Youri Djorkaeff.
Ginola’s demand also forced Jacquet to drop him for good.
With his suspension over and the upcoming Euros in 1996 to be played in England, Jacquet wanted Cantona to be re-integrated but as a center forward as his system with Zidane seemed to be functioning.
Cantona refused and never played for France again.


Photo from : Onze-Mondial, November 1995
(Zinedine Zidane and Youri Djorkaeff)

Photo From: The Game, September 1995
(David Ginola with Newcastle, 1995/96)  

Photo From: Total Football, August 2001
(Eric Cantona’s Kung-Fu Kick, January 25, 1995, EPL, Crystal Palace 1-Manchester United 1)

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Transfers that did not happen, Part Two

1- Brazil Striker Eder could have become the World’s most expensive player in the summer of 1983. United Arab Emirates Club, Ajman, had made an offer of 57 Million French Francs (approx. 25 Million US dollars).
He was more than willing to go, however, his club Atletico Mineiro refused.

Photo from: France Football, August 30, 1983
(Eder)



2- Before joining Deportivo La Coruna in the summer of 1992, Brazilian striker Bebeto, had an offer to join Germany’s Borussia Dortmund.
He chose to accept Deportivo’s offer as he believed it was culturally easier for him to adapt in Spain.

Photo from: Planete Foot, April 1996
(Bebeto with Deportivo La Coruna)


3- Colombian Manager Francisco Maturana was lined up to be Real Madrid’s Manager for the 1991/92 season.
However, Interim Coach Radomir Antic had greatly improved Real Madrid’s results to such extent that it became difficult for Real’s Management not to reward him with the post for the upcoming season.

Photo from: World Soccer, April 1990
(Francisco ‘Pacho’ Maturana)


4-After the 1980 Europeo, Belgian striker Jan Ceulemans had an offer to join AC Milan. However, he refused as he did not believe he would have succeeded there at that stage in his career.

Photo from : Mondial, September 1980
(Jan Ceulemans, April 2, 1980, Belgium 2-Poland 1)


5-Initially Zvonimir Boban was supposed to join Olympique Marseille, as a makeweight in Jean-Pierre Papin’s transfer from OM to AC Milan in the summer of 1992.
However, he refused and chose to stay in Milan to fight for a place.


Photo from: Onze-Mondial, August 1992
(Zvonimir Boban during his loan at Bari, 1991/92)

Monday, August 5, 2013

Eric Batty, Brian Glanville and other World Soccer Columns- Part Three

I.  Eric Batty


WS Magazine Issue: September 1966                   
Article Title(s): ‘It was such a crying shame’
-Eric Batty’s controversial Analysis of 1966 World Cup that was critical of the World Cup and went against the grain of general opinion due to England’s victory


WS Magazine Issue: August 1975     
Article Title(s): ‘Demise of Ajax now complete-will they come back? ‘
-Eric Batty’s Analysis of crisis at Ajax following the departure of many of their stars


WS Magazine Issue: April 1984     
Article Title(s): ‘Streich is my choice’
-Eric Batty’s Analysis of who would be his choice as European Footballer of the year

WS Magazine Issue: October 1963 and October 1964  
Article Title(s):  ‘Is this really the best selection?’ and ‘The Best Eleven Best of the Year?’
-The World XI selections for the years 1963 and 1964.


II.   Brian Glanville

WS Magazine Issue: August 1969
Article Title(s): ‘How Would Italian Players React to Allison….?’
-Discussing Juventus’ attempting to hire Englishman Malcolm Allison as their Manager 


WS Magazine Issue: February 1971
Article Title(s): ‘Manchester-Crisis Town’
-About the crises with both Manchester clubs


WS Magazine Issue: August 1980
Article Title(s): ‘Lessons to be learned from the Euro Cup’  plus ‘Onnis leaves Monaco’
-Analysis of the Europeo in Italy and under the pseudonym of Andre Duclos commenting on the French soccer scene


WS Magazine Issue: August 1991
Article Title(s): The Brian Glanville Column’
- His Column with Analysis on England Manager Graham Taylor and Azeglio Vicini’s impending sacking as Italy manager



III.  Other Writers:

a) Roger Mc Donald

WS Magazine Issue: August 1972
Article Title(s): ‘Are the Champs over the top?’
-Analysis of the Independence Cup held in Brazil



b) Norman Cutler

WS Magazine Issue: November 1969
Article Title(s): ‘Illegal Signings’
-Spanish League Correspondent Norman Cutler reporting on illegal signings of foreign palyers


b) Phillip Rising/ Leslie Vernon

WS Magazine Issue: April 1973
Article Title(s): ‘Leeds United-For and Against’
-The two pundits opinion of the playing style of Leeds United


Other Writers’ Columns-Part 3

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Soccer Books, Part Three-Republic of Ireland National team

The best books about the History of the Republic of Ireland National Team.

These are the books I have chosen is:

Book I
‘Football Association of Ireland, 75 Years’
Author: Peter Byrne
Published in 1996.
Written Language: English

This book deals with the History of the Republic of Ireland National team along with profiles of players.
At the back there is every National Team match lineup and details until 1996.
The archival photographs are in black and white.
At the end there’s an index of all Republic of Ireland National team players


‘Football Association of Ireland, 75 Years’ Cover


Football Association of Ireland, 75 Years’ example page




Book II
‘Ireland on the Ball’
Author: Donal Cullen
Published in 1993.
Written Language: English


This book has a description of every match played by Republic of Ireland until June 1993.
Full statistical information is given about each match, with dates, team’s lineups, players club information, etc.
The archival photographs are in black and white.
At the end there’s an index of all Republic of Ireland National team players


‘Ireland on the Ball’ Example page

‘Ireland on the Ball’ Cover





Book III
‘Ireland, The Quest for the World Cup’
Author: Clive Leatherdale
Written Language: English

This book has a description of every match played by Republic of Ireland in World Cup Qualifiers and Finals matches until 1994.
The archival photographs are in black and white.




‘Ireland, The Quest for the World Cup’ Cover


‘Ireland, The Quest for the World Cup’ Example page




Book IV
‘The Boys in Green, THE FAI international Story’
Author Sean Ryan
Published in 1997.
Written Language: English

This is not a statistical book about matches and results.
This is a written history of the Republic of Ireland national team with archival Black and White photographs (though not many).



‘The Boys in Green, THE FAI international Story’ Cover


Book V
‘The Team that Jack Built’
Author: Paul Rowan
Published in 1994.
Written Language: English


This is not a statistical book about matches and results.
This is a written history of the Republic of Ireland national team during Jackie Charlton’s tenure.


 
‘The Team that Jack Built’ Cover

Book VI
‘Gifted in Green’
Author: Adam Ward
Published in 1999.
Written Language: English

This is not a statistical book about matches and results.
This book has a profile of every Irish International since 1951.


‘Gifted in Green’ Example page


‘Gifted in Green’ Cover



Book VII
‘Ireland's Greatest-60 years of Football heroes’
Author: Dean Hayes
Published in 2006.
Written Language: English

This is not a statistical book about matches and results.
This book has profiles and career statistics of Irish Internationals with Color and Black and White Photographs.


‘Ireland's Greatest-60 years of Football heroes’ Example page

‘Ireland's Greatest-60 years of Football heroes’ Cover




If any one knows of other books pertaining to this topic, please do not hesitate to leave a post.