1- Event:
Omar
Sivori’s fear of flying
Consequence:
Juventus
and Real Madrid were paired in the Quarterfinals of the 1961/62 Champions Cup.
On
February 14, 1962, Real Madrid defeated Juventus at Turin (1-0). A week later
Juventus defeated Real at Madrid with the same score.
A
playoff was needed to determine the winner and the match was scheduled on
February 28th at Paris’ Parc des Princes.
However,
Juventus’ Omar Sivori would not fly. The entire Juventus delegation took the
train, but were delayed by snow and only arrived just in time for the kick-off
with no adequate preparation.
The
better rested Real Madrid squad won (3-1) to advance.
 |
Photo
From: Football Magazine, Issue 24, January 1962
(Juventus’
Omar Sivori)
|
 |
Photo
From: Football Magazine, Issue 27, April 1962
(February 28, 1962, Champions Cup, Real Madrid
3-Juventus 1) |
2- Event:
Holland’s
World Cup qualifier vs, Albania (October 25, 1964, World Cup Qualifier, Albania
0-Holland 2)
Consequence:
Holland
and PSV Eindhoven player Gerardus Jacobus Alphonsus ‘Fons’
van Wissen was so overcome by witnessing the poverty in Albania that he decided
to abandon his International career after 30 caps.
 |
Photo
From: de Internationals, de Historie van Oranje, Authors Matty Verkamman, Henri
van der Steen, John Volkers
(Fons
van Wissen)
|
3- Event:
Olympique Marseille/Valenciennes scandal 1993
Consequence:
The Olympique Marseille/Valenciennes bribery scandal rocked French
soccer in 1993. The domestic and UEFA punishments forced the club to hastily
sell some of its most prized players, midway through the following season
(1993/94).
Croatian striker Alen Boksic joined Lazio . Portugal’s Paulo Futre
was sold to Italian club Reggiana and new French International Marcel Desailly
was sold to AC Milan.
For Futre this transfer turned disastrous as he was shortly
injured to such an extent that he was never the same effective player as
before.
Marcel Desailly benefited by not only winning the Serie A, but
also won the Champions League, becoming the first player to do so with two
different clubs in consecutive years.
 |
Photo
From: Onze-Mondial, Issue 64, May 1994
(Marcel
Desailly at AC Milan, 1993/94)
|
 |
Photo
From: Onze-Mondial, Issue 55, August 1993
(Paulo Futre, July 24, 1993, Olympique Marseille
1-RC Lens 0) |
 |
Photo
From: Onze-Mondial, Issue 55, August 1993
(Alen Boksic at Olympique Marseille) |
4- Event:
England players Sam Barkass and Eric Brook’s car
accident en route to an International match.
Consequence:
Manchester
City duo Sam Barkass and Eric Brook had been selected for England
in a War Time International match vs. Scotland at Newcastle (December 2, 1939,
England 2-scotland 1).
On their way to the venue, they had a car accident
and hat to forfeit.
In their place two local Newcastle United players
were selected:
Joseph Richardson and Thomas Pearson.
Interesting
to note that Pearson was actually Scottish.
5- Event:
Arsenal’s
Paul Davis breaking Glenn Cockerill’s jaw.
Consequence:
On
September 17, 1988, Arsenal’s Paul Davis broke Southampton’s Glenn Cockerill’s
jaw in an attack that was not seen by the referee (September 17, 1988, Arsenal
2-Southampton 2).
Due
to video evidence, Davis received a then unprecedented nine match suspension
and £3,000 fine on September 29th
.
Davis
was in fine form along with most of his Arsenal teammates and many were tipping
him for a full cap.
This incident more or less sidetracked any such
future hope. |
Photo
From: Shoot, October 22, 1988
(Paul Davis in U-21 England action) |
