1- Enzo
Scifo and Auxerre, 1989/91
Belgian
Star Enzo Scifo’s career seemed to be in tailspin when he joined unfashionable
French club Auxerre in the summer of 1989. His big transfer to Internazionale
Milano in 1987/88 had been a fiasco. He had been loaned to French powerhouse
Bordeaux. This move also turned sour as Bordeaux endured their worst season in
over a decade. However, Veteran Manager guy Roux was able to convince him to
join Auxerre to resurrect his career. He did just that and slowly got back to
his standing of previous years. His reward was a transfer back to the Italian
Serie A with Torino in 1991.
Photo
From: Onze-Mondial, Issue 58, November
1993
(Enzo Scifo at Auxerre, 1990/91) |
2- Emmanuel
Petit and Arsenal 1997/98
French
defender Emmanuel Petit was seen as a teenager as the bright hope of France’s
future while at AS Monaco. He was however, one of the scapegoats of France’s
failure to qualify for the 1994 World Cup. For years he was off the radar as
far as the national team was concerned. This all changed when his former
Manager Arsene Wenger signed him for Arsenal in the summer of 1997. He took to
the English League with delight and was eventually selected as part of Hosts’
France’s World Cup of squad of 1998. During the tournament, he established
himself as a starter and scored France’s third goal in the Final itself.
Photo
From: Onze-Mondial, Issue 117, October
1998
(Emmanuel
Petit at Arsenal)
|
3- Wim
Kieft and PSV Eindhoven 1987/88
Dutch
striker Wim Kieft’s national team career had stalled for a number of seasons.
He had been in playing in the Italian League for four seasons without much
success. Big spending PSV Eindhoven signed him in the summer of 1987 after they
had transferred the likes of Gullit and Rene van der Gijp among others. Kieft
took delight in playing for a top squad again and started scoring like his old
Ajax days. He was Holland’s top goalscorer that season and earned his way back
in the National team. That summer he
was part of Holland’s 1988 UEFA European championship winning squad and helped
in with a key goal vs. Republic of Ireland that saved them from elimination in
the first round.
Photo
From: Onze, Issue 149, May 1988
(Wim
Kieft at PSV Eindhoven, 1987/88)
|
4- Massimo
Crippa and Parma, 1993/96
Italian
and Napoli midfielder Massimo Crippa had been selected first by Azeglio Vicini
at the International level. When Arrigo Sacchi took over as National team
manager in late 1991, his national team career seemed all but over. A transfer in the summer of 1993 to
ambitious Parma ,along with teammate Gianfranco Zola, changed all that as both
excelled in the new surroundings and became key members of the glorious Parma
squad of the 90s. Crippa also earned his way back to the National team during
the 1994/95 season. He was selected as one of the three overage players in
Italy’s 1996 Oympics squad.
5- Klaus
Aughentaler and West Germany 1989/90
Following
the 1986 World Cup, Franz Beckenbauer seemed to have given up on the idea of
Bayern Munich captain Klaus Aughentaler as his libero. For a number of years he
persevered with Mathias Herget without much success. Finally in the fall of
1989, Beckenbauer decided that Aughentaler would be his libero. Aughentlaer
stayed in the team and was one of West Germany’s starters in their run to win
the World Cup in 1990.
Photo
From: Mondial, new series, issue 98, May 1988
(Klaus
Aughentaler at Bayern Munich)
|
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