Trivia and Facts-Part 29

1-During Brazil and Zaire match of the 1974 World Cup, a comical incident occurred.

Brazil were about to take a free kick and all of a sudden Zaire defender Mwepu Ilunga ran from the defensive wall and kicked the ball away.

He was booked for this funny incident.

Photo from : Calcio 2000, November 1999

(Roberto Rivellino, June 22, 1974, World Cup, Brazil 3-Zaire 0)

2-Benfica’s Fernando Chalana revealed that upon joining Benfica in 1983, Swedish teammate Glenn Stromberg was so intent on wearing the number 10 jersey, that he even offered Chalana money for it.

Photo from: World Soccer, April 1992

(Glenn Stromberg with Atalanta, 1991/92)

Photo from : Onze, Issue 65, May 1981

(Fernando Chalana in action for Benfica, 1980/81)

3-During the 1987/88 season, Rangers Glasgow’s danish Player Jan Bartram in an interview with danish media, alleged that Manager Graeme Souness had encouraged his players to tackle the opposition players and injure them.

He later backtracked and claimed he had been misquoted in a joint interview with Souness himself.

The danish press maintained their version, however, some acknowledged that they understood Bartram’s reversal because his job and future may have been threatened.

 

(Graeme Souness after being sent off in his debut as player-manager in the opening match of the 1986/87 scottish season, August 9, 1986, Hibernian 2-Rangers Glasgow 1)

4-Yugoalvian defender Pedrag Spasic signed with Real Madrid in the summer of 1990.

A Real Madrid official declared that Spasic was almost not signed because due to his premature baldness, they thought he was an older player.

But once they found out he was in his 20s, they signed him.

Photo from: World Soccer, October 1990

(Pedrag Spasic with Real Madrid, 1990/91)

5-Belgian goalkeeper Jean-Marie Pfaff was dropped by Manager Guy Thys in the second round of the 1982 World Cup Finals.

The official reason given was because of Pfaff ‘s alleged indiscipline and ‘childish behavior’ in pretending to drown in the hotel swimming pool.

During a team get together with the media at their hotel, a radio commentator pushed Pfaff in the pool as a prank, whereby he panicked as apparently he couldn’t swim.

In Belgium’s next match vs. Hunagry, he accidentally struck teammate Eric Gerets while coming out for a cross.

An ambulance had to be called for Gerets. The ambulance arrived after the match, however, Pfaff got in there first because of an alleged shoulder injury, so Gerets stayed behind in anger with the rest of the squad.

The shoulder injury turned out to be very minor.

This incident forced Thys to drop Pfaff for the remainder of the World Cup. 

Photo from: Fussball Magazin, January February 1984

(Jean-Marie Pfaff with Bayern Munich)