Football’s Quarrels and Feuds, Part Ten

1- Pietro Vierchowod and Giovanni Galeone, 1996

In the summer of 1996, veteran Italian defender Pietro Vierchowod joined Perugia from Juventus. However, once there he had problems with the Manager Giovanni Galeone. Things became so bad that Vierchowod left even before the season had started and did not even play a single match for Perugia. He joined AC Milan within weeks.

Photo From: World Soccer, January 1994

(Pietro Vierchowod)

Photo From: World Soccer, April 1993

(Giovanni Galeone)

2- Romario and Zico/Mario Zagallo, 1998

On June 2, 1998, just weeks before the start of the World Cup, Romario was dropped from Brazil squad through injury.

Romario announced this in a tearful press conference.

Some have suggested he may not have been injured but Zagallo and his Assistant Zico wanted him dropped since they had mutual contempt for one another. The ‘injury’ in a essence was a diplomatic injury.

A few months later, a bathroom stall in a nightclub in Rio owned by Romario showed Zagallo sitting on a toilet bowl. On the next stall, his assistant, Zico, was depicted holding a roll of toilet paper.

At First Romario said he had not known about the paintings and said he would have them removed if Zagallo had asked.

On August 12, 1998, Mario Zagallo declared that he planned to sue Romario.

Zagallo told the Globo Esporte television show that he would sue for defamation of character and unauthorized use of his image, among other things.

Photo From: Sport Bild, Issue 24, June 9, 1998

(Romario’s press conference)

Photo From: Sport Bild, Issue 24, June 9, 1998

(Zico and Mario Zagallo)

Photo From: World Soccer, October 1998

(bathroom stall at Romario’s club)

3- Luis Fernandez and Raymond Goethals, 1996

Paris St Germain Manager Luis Fernandez announced he was leaving PSG at the end of the 1995 /96 season. Veteran Belgian Manager Raymond Goethals took the opportunity to mock Fernandez by suggesting managing a big club might be too much for him. He was made of sterner stuff as he had to deal with Presidents such as Claude Bez and Bernard Tapie.

Fernandez replied that it’s easy to last on the bench when someone else is making the decisions.  This was a subtle jab, as it was believed that Tapie called all the shots and the managers had effectively no power.

Photo From: Football Belgique, Issue 3, April 1993

(Raymond Goethals)

Photo From: Planete Foot, April 1996

(Luis Fernandez)

4- Christian Perez/Daniel Bravo and Tomislav Ivic, 1989/90

French International midfielder Christian Perez disclosed in an Interview that at Paris St Germain, after an initial positive relationship, the Yugoslav manager Tomislav Ivic became personally hostile towards him and later to clubmate Daniel Bravo.

Photo From: Voetbal International, November 19-24, 1979-uploaded

(Tomislav Ivic)

Photo From: Onze, Issue 157, January 1989

(Christian Perez at Paris St Germain)

Photo From: Planete Foot, April 1996

(Daniel Bravo at Paris St Germain)

5- Dwight Yorke and John Gregory, 1998

Trinidad and Tobago striker Dwight Yorke left Aston Villa after the very first  match of the 1998/99 season and joined Manchester United in August 1998.

So incensed was his Aston Villa manager John Gregory that he declared  ‘If I’d had a gun at the time, I would have shot him’.

Photo From: Four Four Two, Issue 21, May 1996

(Dwight Yorke at Aston Villa)