Trivia and Facts-Part 31

1- German Striker Rudi Voeller was born with one foot slightly shorter than the other. Apparently, when he was young a doctor had even suggested to break both of his legs so that they could both grow at the same height.

Thankfully his parents did not sanction this gruesome suggestion.

Photo From: Onze-Mondial, Issue 28, May 1991

(Rudi Voller followed by Paul Gascoigne, July 4, 1990, World Cup, West Germany 1-England 1)

2-When Russia and Spartak Moscow midfielder Alexander Mostovoi joined Portugal’s Benfica in early 1992, he almost immediately ‘married’ a Russian girl with Portuguese citizenship, so that he would not be considered a foreign player.

Note: I had already posted this once on a different soccer forum a few years back, but it’s worth repeating

Photo From: Onze-Mondial, Issue 69, October 1994

(Alexander Mostovoi in his days with Strasbourg, 1994/95)

3- A few years after the 1974 World Cup, Giorgio Chinaglia disclosed that the 19 other members of the Italy squad (except Facchetti, Rivera , Mazzola) had decided to tell Italy Manager Ferrucio Valcareggi to drop Rivera and Mazzola. However, in the last minute the other players backed down.

Photo From: Azzurri, Storia della Nazionale di calcio tre volte campioni del Mondo, 1910-1983

(Gianni Rivera and Sandro Mazzola)

Photo From: Mondial, new series, issue 17, August 1981

(Giorgio Chinaglia with New York Cosmos)

4- On August 2, 1993, Brazilian substitute goalkeeper Armelino Donizetti Quagliato ‘Zetti’ and Bolivian Miguel Ángel Rimba were temporarily suspended after dope tests revealed traces of cocaine.

These were follwing tests conducted after the World Cup Qualifier at La Paz on July 25, 1993 that Bolivia won 2 to 0.

Both players inisisted they had been drinking tea with coco leaves, a remedy for altitude sickness.

Eventually FIFA cleared both players on August 16, 1993.

Photo from: France Football, Issue 2411 , June 24, 1992 

(Sao Paulo and Brazil goalkeeper Zetti)

Photo from: Soccer Illustrated, March / April 1994

(Colombia’s Mauricio Serna and Bolivia’s Miguel Rimba, February 20, 1994, Joe Robbie Cup, Colombia 2-Bolivia 0)

5- During the first leg of the UEFA Cup matchups between West German clubs Stuttgart and Koln on November 26, 1980 (3 to 1 Stuttgart win), Stuttgart’s Karl-Heinz Forster made a dangerous foul on Koln’s Stefan Engels.

K.H. Foerster was already carrying a yellow card from previous rounds and would have automatically missed the second leg.

Just as Swedish referee Rolf Ericsson was about to pull out his card, K.H. Forster hid behind the other Stuttgart players and his brother Bernd presented himself in front of the referee and showed his number.

The referee was fooled and Bernd received the card instead of Karl-Heinz.

After the match in the dressing room, the brothers, their teammates and friendly journalists had a good laugh about the incident.

However, UEFA were alerted and suspended Bernd with four matches and Karl-Heinz with Five.

The brothers were incensed with the lengths of the suspensions, Karl-Heinz remarked that it is incumbent upon the referee to not to make such a mistake, while Bernd remarked that length of suspensions for acts of brutality that cause injuries is less than what they received.

Photo from: Onze, Issue 106, October 1984

(Bernd Forster in action for West Germany)

Photo from: Onze, Issue 84, December 1982

(Karl-Heinz Forster with Stuttgart)