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) |
