Interviews-Part 43

Nine interviews and eleven profiles on 70s Dutch International Robbie Rensenbrink

(Magazine / Language : Onze, Issue 12, December 1976 / French)

(Magazine / Language : World Soccer, September 1974 / English)

(Magazine / Language : World Soccer, August 1975 / English)

(Magazine / Language : AS Color, Issue 260, May 11, 1976 / Spanish)

(Magazine / Language : Voetbal International, July 26-31, 1976 / Dutch)

(Magazine / Language :  Football Magazine, Issue 208, January 1977 / French)

(Magazine / Language : Mondial, Old Series, Issue 1, February 1977  / French)

(Magazine / Language : Onze, Issue 15, March 1977 / French)

(Magazine / Language : Mondial, Old Series, Issue 3, April 1977 / French)

(Magazine / Language : Mondial, Old Series, Issue 4, May 1977 / French)

(Magazine / Language : Onze, Issue 24, December 1977 / French)

(Magazine / Language : Mondial, old series, issue 19, June 1978 / French)

(Magazine / Language : France Football, Issue 1678, June 6, 1978 / French)

(Magazine / Language : Mondial, old series, issue 21, August 1978 / French)

(Magazine / Language :  Onze, Issue 36, December 1978 / French)

(Magazine / Language :  Mondial, old series, Hors-Serie, Issue 7, 1979 / French)

(Magazine / Language : Onze, Issue 41, May 1979 / French)

(Magazine / Language : Voetbal International, September 8-13, 1980 / Dutch)

(Magazine / Language : France Football, Issue 1843,  August 4, 1981 / French)

(Magazine / Language : Onze-Mondial, Issue 82, November 1995 / French)

Photo From: Onze, Issue 24, December 1977

(Robbie Rensenbrink)

Robbie Rensenbrink Interviews /Profiles

Three interviews and three profiles on 1970s and 1980s Yugoslavia star Ivica Surjak

(Magazine / Language : France Football, Issue 1759, December 25, 1979 / French)

(Magazine / Language : Onze, Issue 68, August 1981 / French)

(Magazine / Language : Mondial, new series, issue 18, September 1981 / French)

(Magazine / Language : France Football, Issue 1862, December 15, 1981 / French)

(Magazine / Language : Mondial, New Series, Hors Serie 13, 1982 / French)

(Magazine / Language : Onze, Issue 75, March 1982 / French)

Photo From: Mondial, new series, issue 18, September 1981

(Ivica Surjak at Paris St. Germain)

Ivica Surjak Interviews /Profiles

Five interviews and nine profiles on 1970s and 1980s Republic of Ireland star Liam Brady

(Magazine / Language : Mondial, old series, issue 37, December 1979 / French)

(Magazine / Language : Mondial, old series, issue 39, February 1980 / French)

(Magazine / Language : Football Monthly, August 1980 / English)

(Magazine / Language : Mondial, New series, issue 7, October 1980  / French)

(Magazine / Language :  Onze, Issue 60, December 1980  / French)

(Magazine / Language :  Mondial, New series, issue 11, February 1981 / French)

(Magazine / Language : World Soccer, July 1981 / English)

(Magazine / Language : Onze, Issue 70, October 1981 / French)

(Magazine / Language : Mondial, new series, issue 19, October 1981 / French)

(Magazine / Language : World Soccer, March 1982 / English)

(Magazine / Language : France Football, Issue 1975, February 14, 1984  / French)

(Magazine / Language : World Soccer, January 1987 / English)

(Magazine / Language :  Mondial, new series, issue 98, May 1988 / French)

(Magazine / Language :  Scottish Football Today, January 1994 / English)

Photo From: France Football, Issue 1975, February 14, 1984 

(Liam Brady at Sampdoria, 1983/84)

Liam Brady Interviews /Profiles

Nine interviews and six profiles on 90s and 2000s Italian striker Christian Vieri

(Magazine / Language : Onze-Mondial, Issue 100, May 1997 / French)

(Magazine / Language :  Football Italia, May 1997  / English)

(Magazine / Language : World Soccer, September 1997   / English)

(Magazine / Language : World Soccer, November 1998   / English)

(Magazine / Language : Calcio 2000, Issue 13, November 1998 / Italian)

(Magazine / Language : Onze-Mondial, Issue 123, April 1999 / French)

(Magazine / Language : World Soccer, November 1999  / English)

(Magazine / Language : Onze-Mondial, Issue 130, November 1999 / French)

(Magazine / Language : Onze-Mondial, Issue 149, June 2001 / French)

(Magazine / Language : World Soccer, March 2002  / English)

(Magazine / Language : Onze-Mondial, Issue 159, April 2002 / French)

(Magazine / Language : Onze-Mondial, Issue 160, May 2002 / French)

(Magazine / Language :  Onze-Mondial, Issue 161, June 2002 / French)

(Magazine / Language :  Onze-Mondial, Issue 163, August 2002 / French)

(Magazine / Language : World Soccer, February 2006  / English)

Photo From: World Soccer, November 1998  

(Christian Vieri at Lazio, 1998/99)

Christian Vieri Interviews /Profiles

The Best Players to never appear in a World Cup, Part three

1- Liam Brady

Republic of Ireland midfielder was considered one of the best in Europe and had along spell in the Serie A with Juventus, Sampdoria and Inter.

Unfortunately, during this period, the Irish always missed out on Tournaments.

By the time they started qualifying regularly under Jackie Charlton, Brady was near the tail end of his career.

Photo From: Mondial, new series, issue 19, October 1981

(Liam Brady at Juventus)

2- Faas Wilkes

Faas Wilkes is considered one of Holland’s first Football heroes in an era where Dutch Football was still not Professional.

He had a spell in Italy in the 1950s with Internazionale Milano and Torino.

However, the national was two decades away from making an impact on the World stage and missed out on qualification during his playing days.

Photo From: Het Nederlands Elftal, De Histoire van Oranje, 1905-1989

(Faas Wilkes shaking hands with a Swiss opponent, May 19, 1955, Holland 4-Switzerland 1)

3- Jari Litmanen

Jari Litmanen is perhaps the most successful Finnish player that made an impact in the European stage. He was part of Louis van Gaal’s Ajax Amsterdam side that won the Champions League in 1995. He had spells at giants Barcelona and Liverpool as well.

Unfortunatelty, the Finns have yet to qualify for any finals thus far.

Photo From: Onze-Mondial, Issue 56, September 1993

(Jari Litmanen, May 14, 1992, World Cup Qualifier, Finland 0-Bulgaria 3)

4- Carlos Bianchi

Argentina goleador made his name in the 1970s. He left and joined the French league in the 1970s and despite breaking goalscoring records and finishing top goalscorer on five occasions, he was not called up again for national team duty.

He suffered the fate of many South Americans of the time, who would be overlooked by selectors, once they were on away soil.

Photo From: Onze, Issue 29, May 1978

(Carlos Bianchi at Paris St. Germain, 197/78)

5- Rui Jordao

Portugal’s Rui Jordao was a star in the 1970s with Benfica and Sporting Lisbon in the 1980s and also had a spell at Real Zaragoza (1976/77).

He is mostly remembered for his two goal display vs. France during the 1984 Euros (June 23, 1984, France 3-Portugal 2).

Portugal did not qualify for any World Cups in his prime in the 1970s.

Unfortunately, much like compatriot Fernando Chalana, he was considered too old and out of international reckoning by the 1986 World Cup.

Photo From: Mondial, new series, issue 53, August 1984

(Rui Jordao and Jean-Marc Ferreri, June 23, 1984, European Championship, France 3-Portugal 2)

Events and Consequences, Part Six

1- Event:

The wife and children of Argentinean defender Oswaldo Piazza involved in a car accident on April 8, 1978.

Consequence:

On April 6, 1978, Oswaldo Piazza arrived in Argentina after his French club Saint Etienne had granted his request to join Argentina training camp in time to be included for the World Cup Finals squad.

Two days later, due to the accident he had to go back to France.

He missed out on the chance to become a World Cup Champion on home soil.

Photo From: Mondial, old series, issue 25, December 1978

(Oswaldo Piazza with Saint Etienne, 1978)

2- Event:

The Falklands War between Great Britain and Argentina in the spring of 1982.

Consequence:

The disastrous tour of South America by the Republic of Ireland national Team.

The Republic of Ireland had arranged a match vs. Argentina and initially the FAI had no objections to the match, however political pressure and the refusal of many English clubs (as well as the players themselves) to release their Irish Internationals forced the FAI to drop the match.

The tour still went ahead, but only 15 players were available as the English based players had left on tours of their own with their respective clubs and the League of Ireland squad was touring New Zealand around the same time.

With a weakened side, Ireland succumbed to defeats to Chile (0 to 1) on May 21, 1982 and a heavy loss to Brazil (0 to 7) on May 27, 1982.

To make matters worse the money owed to the players at the start of the tour had still not been paid.

The mood within the camp was so negative that Liam Brady threatened to leave and return to Italy after the Brazil match.

In fact he initially stayed in Brazil to return home, while the rest of the squad traveled to Trinidad.

Assistant manager Terry Conroy had to stay behind to convince Brady to change his mind.

Ireland Manager Eion Hand threatened to resign unless the players were fully paid which was eventually done.

A third match was hastily arranged vs. Trinidad and Tobago on May 30^th, but a dejected Ireland lost that match as well (1 to 2).

Photo From: Mondial, new series, issue 19, October 1981

(Juventus based Liam Brady, one of the only top level Ireland players available for the disappointing South American tour of 1982)

3- Event:

Allan Simonsen’s injury collision with France’s Yvon Le Roux on June 12, 1984.

Consequence:

Allan Simonsen had been Denmark’s most famous player in the Seventies due to his exploits with Borussia Moenchengladbach and had even been France Football’s European Player of the year in 1977 and later joined Barcelona.

Due to the fact that Denmark was still not a footballing power his achievements had mainly been at the club level.

Now nearing the end of his career he got an unexpected chance to appear in a major Finals Tournament with his National team when a new generation of Danish stars plus Simonsen qualified to the UEFA European Championships in 1984. However, during the very first match vs. France on June 12, 1984 (1 to 0 France win), he was seriously injured in a collision with French defender Yvon Le Roux and missed the rest of the tournament.

In fact he was out injured for many months and once back was never the same player. He was included in Denmark’s 1986 World Cup Finals squad but in a peripheral role and retired shortly afterwards.

Photo From: L’Annee du Football, 1984

(Allan Simonsen and Yvon Le Roux after the collision, June 12, 1984, European Championships, France 1-Denmark 0 )

Photo From: Guerin Sportivo, June 20-26, 1984

(Allan Simonsen being stretchered off, June 12, 1984, European Championships, France 1-Denmark 0 )

4- Event:

France National team tying (one to one) with Cyprus in a World Cup Qualifier on October 22, 1988.

Consequence:

With World Cup Qualification in jeopardy with the accompanying loss of revenue, Bordeaux President Claude Bez, convinced French Federation President Jean Fournet-Fayard to replace Manager Henri Michel with former star Michel Platini.

Henri Michel was dismissed on November 1, 1988.

Michel Platini, with no coaching experience, had only retired as a player about a year before.

Gérard Houllier was also named as his assistant.

Photo From: Mondial, new series, issue 105, november december 1988

(Michel Platini’s first press conference as National Team Manager on November 3, 1988, left to right: Assistant Coach Gérard Houllier, Michel Platini, Federation President Jean Fournet-Fayard, Bordeaux President Claude Bez)

5- Event:

Chilean goalkeeper Roberto Rojas (‘El Condor’) feigning an injury during a World Cup Qualifier vs. Brazil on September 3, 1989 that Brazil was winning one to zero.

This led the Chile squad to walkout during the match.

Consequence:

During the match a firecracker from the stands landed near Rojas. Rojas immediately fell down and held his face as if the object hit him.

His teammates came near him, as did the team doctor. As he was being ‘treated’, the doctor poured Mercurochrome on him to give the impression that the object had bloodied him.

Clearly the purpose was to fake an injury to have the result overturned in Chile’s favor.

The Chilean players carried Rojas out and refused to play and walked out.

After a few minutes the referee ended the match.

Photos clearly revealed the trickery and Chile and Rojas were punished.

On December 8, 1989, FIFA handed out the sentences for Chile’s walkout.

Chile was to be excluded from the 1994 World Cup.

International bans were handed out against Chile Coach Orlando Aravena and player Fernando Astengo for leading the team out of pitch.

Roberto Rojas was banned for life for his trickery attempt by feigning injury.

Incidentally, it was former Brazilian Manager Tele Santana that gave a lifeline to Rojas’ tattered career by appointing him as São Paulo Futebol Clube’s goalkeeping coach in 1994.

The person who threw the firecracker was 23-year-old Rosemary Mello. She later posed for the Brazilian Edition of Playboy to pay the fine.

Photo From: Onze-Mondial, Issue 71, December 1994

(The instant of firecracker landing near Rojas)

Photo From: Foot Magazine, October 1989

(Photos that appeared at Brazil’s Placar Magazine, showing the trickery)

Photo From: Calcio 2000, Issue 25, December 1999

(Rojas holding his face in apparent pain)

Photo From: France Football, Issue 2265, September 5, 1989

(Chilean players carrying out Rojas)

Events and Consequences, Part Five

1- Event:

Swedish Tomas Brolin breaking his leg when attempting a tackle in Sweden’s UEFA European Championship qualifier vs. Hungary on November 16, 1994 ( 2 to 0 Sweden win).

Consequence:

Tomas Brolin had been in excellent form for his Italian Club Parma for many seasons and had just had an excellent World Cup in USA 1994.

This injury wrecked his career as he was never the same player afterwards.

By the next season he was transferred to Leeds United. After a disappointing spell he was loaned to FC Zurich and ended up at Crystal Palace, but never regaining his old form.

Finally, on August 12, 1998, Tomas Brolin announced his retirement at age 28, due to injuries.

Photo From: Onze-Mondial, Issue 72, January 1995

(Tomas Brolin at the instant of his injury, November 16, 1994, EC Qualifier, Sweden 2-Hungary 0)

2- Event:

Republic of Ireland veteran Liam Brady being sent off in the 84^th minute of a UEFA European Championship qualifer vs. Bulgaria on October 14, 1987 (2 to 0 Ireland win).

Consequence:

Brady was suspended by UEFA for four official matches.

On November 17, 1987,  Republic of Ireland Manager Jackie Charlton ruled out Liam Brady from the Euro 88 squad unless his 4 match ban was annulled.

This effectively ended Liam Brady’s international career and robbed him of a major Finals appearance.

Photo From: Mondial, new series, issue 98, May 1988

(Liam Brady with West Ham United 1987/88)

3- Event:

Italy’s Giuseppe Signori refusing to play deep left wing in the 1994 World Cup Semifinal match vs. Bulgaria on July 13, 1994 (2 to 1 Italy win).

He wanted to play as a forward.

Consequence:

He effectively ruled himself out of the Final of the World Cup vs. Brazil on July 17^th and also was instrumental in ending his international career.

Despite being Italy’s top goalscorer three times in four seasons, Italy Manager Arrigo Sacchi did not select him for the 1996 Euros and according to observers always held this act of defiance against him.

Photo From: Planete Foot, April 1996

(Giuseppe Signori, June 11, 1994, Italy 1-Costa Rica 0)

4- Event:

Barcelona being paired with Bulgaria’s CSKA Sofia in the semifinals of the Cup Winners Cup in April 1989.

Consequence:

Barcelona won both matches (4 to 2) and (2 to 1 away). All three of CSKA’s goals were scored by Hristo Stoichkov who caught the eye of Barcelona Manager Johann Cruyff.

He acquired Stoichkov in Fall of 1990 and the rest is Barcelona History.

Photo From: Onze-Mondial, Issue 40, May 1992

(Hristo Stoichkov and Carlos Mozer, March 1990 Champions Cup quarterfinals between CSKA Sofia and Olympique Marseille)

5- Event:

Scotland’s Tommy Gemmell being sent off vs. West Germany in a World Cup Qualifier on October 22, 1969 in Hamburg (3 to 2 West Germany win).

Consequence:

Upon his return, his Manager at Celtic Glasgow, Jock Stein dropped him for dishonoring the Celtic and Scotland Jerseys.

He was left off of Celtic’s next match in League Cup Final vs. St Johnstone.

He was only told prior match by a Celtic employee to sit in the stands.

As a result he asked to be transferred and this was the beginning of the end of his Celtic career.

Though he stayed another two years before he was actually transferred to Nottingham Forest.

Photo From: World Soccer, July 1967

(Celtic Glasgow’s Tommy Gemmell)

Player Profiles-Part 26

Four profiles on 1960s and 70s Italian midfielder Sandro Mazzola

(Magazine / Language : World Soccer, April 1967 / English, By Eric Batty) 

(Magazine / Language : World Soccer, September 1970 / English, By Norman Cutler) 

(Magazine / Language : World Soccer, April 1971 / English, By Phillip Evans) 

(Magazine / Language : World Soccer, March 1977 / English, By Keir Radnedge) 

Photo From : World Soccer, March 1975

(Sandro Mazzola, October 10, 1973, World Cup Qualifier, Italy 2-Switzerland 0)

Sandro Mazzola Profiles

Three profiles on Republic of Ireland midfielder Liam Brady

(Magazine / Language : Football Monthly, August 1980 / English, By Phillip Osborne) 

(Magazine / Language : Mondial, February 1981 / French, By Stefano Germano) 

(Magazine / Language : World Soccer, January 1987 / English, By Brian Glanville) 

Photo From : Onze, May 1980

(Liam Brady with Arsenal)

Liam Brady Profiles

Two Profiles on Brazil’s Junior

(Magazine / Language : World Soccer, February 1982 / English, By Eric Weil) 

(Magazine / Language : World Soccer, May 1993 / English, By Eric Weil ) 

Photo From : Onze, May 1981

(Junior, January 7, 1981, Mundialito, Brazil 4-West Germany 1)

 Junior Profiles

Three profiles on Holland’s Michel Van de Korput

(Magazine / Language : Voetbal International, November 19-24, 1979/ Dutch, By Johan Derksen) 

(Magazine / Language : Voetbal International, August 6, 1983/ Dutch, By  Ron Westerhof) 

(Magazine / Language : Voetbal International, July 27, 1985/ Dutch, By Bert Nederlof)   

Photo From : Onze, March 1981

(Michel Van de Korput with Torino)

Michel Van de Korput Profiles