1-Before Bulgaria’s World Cup qualifier on November 17, 1993 vs. France in Paris, Bulgarian superstar Hristo Stoichkov had declared that if Bulgaria wins he would walk back to Bulgaria.
After the dramatic last minute win and celebrations, he was asked about it by reporters.
He replied that he had “walked around Paris all night, now let me take a plane.”
Photo From: France Football, Issue 2566, June 13, 1995
(Hristo Stoichkov celebrating Bulgaria’s win over Germany, June 7, 1995, European Championship Qualifier, Bulgaria 3-Germany 2)
2- Wim Van Hanegem quit the Dutch national team the night before they left for Argentina (1978 World Cup) because Ruud Krol and Arie Haan refused to pool the income generated from advertisement.
"Everyone from one to twenty-two is important. Everyone should get the same, including the man who cleans the boots because if he's not there, I must clean my boots."
He later regretted his decision.
Photo From: Het Nederlands Elftal, De Histoire van Oranje, 1905-1989
(Wim van Hanegem, February 22, 1978, Israel 1-Holland 2)
3- Serbian Manager Radomir Antic has managed Spain’s big three clubs: Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
He led Atletico Madrid to the double in 1996. As Real Madrid manager he was fired midway through the 1991/92 season even though Real were league leaders at the time. Club President Ramon Mendoza apparently did not feel Antic was the ideal manager to lead Real to European glory.
4- On February 27, 1977, Argentina defeated Hungary 5-0 in a friendly.
Darío Luis Felman came on as a substitute for Argentina and played the last 9 minutes.
When later he joined Spanish club Valencia, he did not reveal this, so that he could be eligible as a naturalized Spaniard.
In ealy 1980, Valencia learned of this and dismissed him for providing misleading information.
By the way, Diego Maradona also made his national team debut as a substitute in this match.
Photo : from Mondial, June 1977
(Argentina squad for the match vs. Hungary in 1977, Felman and Maradona made their debuts as substiututes)
5- There are no photographs for the World’s first ever official international in 1872 between England and Scotland. Although a photographer was hired to take pictures, he left because the players did not guarantee that they would buy the photos.
The following year, the composite team photo was not printed because many of the England players were making funny faces.
9-Vaclav Danek (Fußballclub Swarovski Tirol –Innsbruck / Austria) [18 / 7] (14-Pavel Kuka (Sportovni Klub Slavia Praha IPS) [2 / 1] 90)
Coach: Milan Macala
Booked: Hipp 17, Tittel 72
Team Captain: Ivan Hasek
Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Adidas
Uniform Colors: Red Shirts with White sleeves, White Shorts, Blue Socks
Photo From: se Lvickem na prsou-Authors O.Bartunek, J.Kalat
Spain:
1-Andoni ‘Zubizarreta’ Urreta (Fútbol Club Barcelona) [56 / 0]
2-Fernando ‘Nando’Munoz Garcia (Fútbol Club Barcelona) [3 / 0]
4-Ricardo Jesus ‘Serna’ Orozco (Fútbol Club Barcelona) [6 / 0]
3-Enrique ‘Quique’ Sanchez Flores (Valencia Club de Fútbol)[12 / 0]
5-‘Manuel Sanchis’ Hontiyuelo (Real Madrid Club de Fútbol) [37 / 1]
6-‘Roberto’ FernandezBonillo (Valencia Club de Fútbol)[28 / 2]
7-Juan Antonio ‘Goicoechea’ Lasa (Fútbol Club Barcelona) [3 / 0]
8-José Miguel ‘Michel’ Martín del Campo (Real Madrid Club de Fútbol)[51 / 18] (16-Guillermo ‘Amor’ Martinez (Fútbol Club Barcelona) [1 / 0] 86)
9-‘Emilio Butragueno’ Santos(Real Madrid Club de Fútbol) [56 / 22]
10-Rafael Martin Vázquez (Torino Calcio 1906/ Italy) [28 / 0]
11-‘Carlos’ Antonio Munoz Cobo (Real Oviedo Club de Futbol ) [3 / 3] (15-Jose Maria ‘Bakero’ Escudero (Fútbol Club Barcelona) [13 / 3] 61)
Coach: Luis ‘Suarez’ Miramontes
Booked: Zubizaretta 8, Martin Vazquez 58
Other Subs:
Juan Carlos ‘Abladeno’Iglesias (Real Sporting de Gijón)
Fernando Ruiz Hierro(Real Madrid Club de Fútbol)
‘Rafa Paz’ Marin (Sevilla Fútbol Club)
Team Captain: ‘Emilio Butragueno’ Santos
Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Le Coq Sportif
Uniform Colors: White Shirts, White Shorts , White Socks
Notes:
-Match number 473 for Czechoslovakia and number 343 for Spain.
-This was only the 11th meeting between the nations.
-The previous match between the nations, as well as Spain’s previous victory over Czechoslovakia, was a Friendly, played in Alicante on February 21, 1990, that Spain won 1-0.
Czechoslovakia players: Miroslav Kadlec, Michael Bílek, Ivan Hasek, Lubomir Moravcík and Tomas Skuhravy and Spain Players: Zubizarreta, Sanchis, Roberto, Michel, Butragueno and Martin Vasquez also took part in that match.
-The next match between the nations, as well as the next match in Spain and Spain’s next victory, would be the return leg of this qualifier in Sevilla on November 13, 2004 that Spain wopn 2 to 1.
Czechoslovakia player: Karel Kula and Spain Players: Zubizarreta, Sanchis, Michel, Butragueno and Martin Vasquez also took part in that match.
Michel scored in that game on a penalty kick.
-Czechoslovakia’s previous win over Spain was a Friendly, played in Malaga on February 24, 1988, that Czechoslovakia won 2 to 1.
Czechoslovakia players: Ludek Miklosko, Michael Bílek, Ivan Hasek and Karel Kula and Spain Players: Zubizarreta, Sanchis and Butragueno also took part in that match.
-The previous match between the nations on Czech soil was a Friendly, played in Bratislavaon March 14, 1979, that Czechoslovakia won 1-0.
-The previous match between the nations on in the same stadium was also European Championship qualifier, played on October 1, 1967, that Czechoslovakia won 1-0.
Manuel Sanchis’ father played for Spain in that match.
-Spain’s next match in Prague would be a World Cup qualifier, vs. Czech Republic on October 9, 1996 in Prague’s Letna stadion that ended in a scoreless tie.
Czech players: Miroslav Kadlec and Pavel Kuka and Spain Players: Zubizarreta, Amor and Hierro also took part in that match.
-The match was played at Slavia Praha’s home stadium. Pavel Kuka was playing in his home stadium.
-France would qualify from this UEFA European qualification group. France, Spain, Czechoslovakia, Iceland and Albania comprised this group. France won all its eight matches.
-Spain’s qualification campaign was disastrous; they lost 4 times, twice to France, to Czechoslovakia and a humiliating loss to Iceland in Reykjavik
Spain failed to qualify to the finals of an Official competition for the first time since the 1974 World Cup.
-On April 30, 1991, Luis Suarez was dismissed as Spain national team manager.
-Czechoslovakia Manager Milan Macala had been appointed at the beginning of season, having taken over from Jozef Venglos.
He later coached in many Gulf countries.
-Spain were wearing their away uniforms of white for the first time since December 1986 vs. Albania.
Next time they would wear white would be on June 10, 1994, during a 2-0 win over Canada.
-This was Spain’s first defeat in a qualifier since losing 0-1 to Republic of Ireland in Dublin on April 26, 1989.
-Two goalscorer, Vaclav Danek would be the third highest goalscorer in Europe that season.
-The Czechs were missing goalkeeper Jan Stejskal, Ludek Miklosko deputized for him.
Also missing were Lubos Kubik, Ivo Knofilcek and Jozef Chovanec.
-Michael Bilek is the current Czech Republic National Team manager.
Bilek’s next cap would be on March 25, 1992 vs. England (2-2 tie).
-Ivan Hasek has also managed the Czech republic national team.
-Czechoslovakia players: Ivan Hasek, Tomas Skuhravy, Miroslav Kadlec and Lubomir Morvacik had just joined foreign clubs, as it was much easier to move following the fall of Communism the previous year.
-Miroslav Kadlec would be Bundesliga Champion with Kaiserslautern that season.
His son is currently in the Czech Republic national team coached by former teammate Bilek.
-Pavel Kuka would also eventually join Kaiserslautern.
-Ivan Hasek, Lubomir Moravcík, Dusan Tittel, and Vaclav Danek played for French clubs in their career.
As did Spain’s Martin Vazquez who played for Olympique Marseille for a few months in 1992.
-Lubomir Moravcík also played in Germany and Scotland (Celtic Glasgow) in his career.
Moravcik is mostly remembered for being sent off vs. West Germany during 1990 World Cup for kicking his shoe in the air in disgust at a refereeing decision.
He also played for Slovakian National team, as did Tittel and Hipp.
-This was Milos Belak's second and last cap.
-Spain were missing Manolo, Fernando and Alkorta. Alberto Gorriz and Chendo were no longer in national team reckoning.
-Enrique ‘Quique’ Sanchez Flores managed Atletico Madrid to Europa League victory in 2010.
- Guillermo Amor came on as a substitute in the last 4 minutes, for his first ever cap for Spain.
-Roberto’s last goal for Spain, in his penultimate match for Spain. His last cap would be vs. Portugal in January 1991.
He had just rejoined Valencia that season after 4 years in Barcelona.
-Roberto and Andoni Zubizaretta have both played for Barcelona and Valencia in their careers.
-This was Carlos’ third straight goal for Spain in his first three caps
He would score twice in the next match in December vs. Albania in a 9-0 win
-Emilio Butragueno would score four goals in the next match in December vs. Albania in a 9-0 win. He would become Spain’s top goalscorer with 26 goals overtaking Alfredo di Stefano.
He would also be Spanish la Liga’ pichichi that season with 19 goals.
-Rafael Martin Vazquez was the only foreign-based player in the Spanish national team. He was the only one in the pre-Bosman days.
-Martin Vazquez and Czechoslovakia’s Skuhravy were Italian Serie A based players.
-Juan Goicoetchea was the revelation of the season in Spain with Barcelona, having returned that season after a two-season loan from Real Sociedad.
When Leo Beenhakker left his post as Ajax Manager to take over Real Madrid midway through the 1991/92 season, no one could have foreseen that better days lay ahead.
His job was offered to his assistant, then unknown Louis van Gaal.
Van Gaal had a modest playing career and a limited coaching experience.
He had failed to make the Ajax first team as a player and had spent the majority of his career at Sparta Rotterdam.
Before his appointment as First team coach, he had been an Assistant Manager at AZ Alkmaar and Ajax.
Until then Ajax had largely been playing second fiddle to big spending rivals PSV Eindhoven, who had won 5 out of the last 6 league titles and most importantly the Champions Cup in 1988.
Over the next few months and years, van Gaal would rejuvenate and integrate many young players who would be the backbone of the 1995 Champions League winning side.
During his first season (1991/92); Ajax led by Dennis Bergkamp unexpectedly triumphed in the UEFA Cup.
Edgar Davids would make his first appearances during this first season.
Veteran midfielder Jan Wouters, who was a strong personality in the Ajax dressing room, was transferred to Bayern Munich. Many considered this to be a sign that van Gaal was stamping his authority by offloading characters that would question his authority.
The following season (1992/93), would be Dennis Bergkamp and Wim Jonk’s last before their joint transfer to Internazionale in Italy.
Unknown Finnish striker Jari Litmanen was acquired, though for that season he was little used, as he was there to learn from Bergkamp.
Excellent winger Marc Overmars was purchased from Willem II and midway through the season, former player and defender Frank De Boer’s twin brother, Ronald, rejoined his formative club from Twente Enschede.
Photo From: Onze-Mondial, December 1994
(Ronald de Boer in Champions Legue action in Fall 1994 vs. Casino Salzburg)
Sixteen-year-old Clarence Seedorf made his debut for Ajax during this season.
In a move reminiscent of Wouters’ transfer the previous season, former wonder boy Bryan Roy was also offloaded to Italian club Foggia, as another victim of van Gaal’s purges of difficult personalities.
Long serving goalkeeper Stanley Menzo was also displaced as starting goalkeeper that season (at club and international level) after one too many unreliable displays.
The last straw being his poor displays in the UEFA Cup vs. French club Auxerre in the quarterfinals.
His successor Edwin van der Saar would be a fixture of top European Football for the following two decades.
That season was a relatively poorer season despite Ajax’s triumph in the Dutch Cup.
The following season (1993/94), Ajax was finally ready to make a challenge for the League title.
Gone were Bergkamp and Jonk, but Litmanen was installed on the front line.
Photo From: Onze-Mondial, April 1995
(Jari Litmanen in Champions Legue action in Fall 1994 vs. Casino Salzburg)
Davids, Seedorf and Ronald de Boer were now integral parts of the team.
New Holland striker Peter van Vossen was acquired from Beveren to add firepower at the front.
Young Nigerians Finidi George and Nwankwo Kanu also joined the first team that season.
More importantly former legend Frank Rijkaard returned to Ajax from AC Milan after six years away.
Photo From: Onze-Mondial, April 1995
(Frank Rijkaard during 1994/95 season)
Rijkaard and skipper Danny Blind were the old hands in an otherwise youthful side that would excel at home and Europe for the next few years.
Danny Blind, who Platini once described to be just as important to Ajax as Baresi was to AC Milan, was one of the last survivors of the Cruyff era and had been with Ajax since 1986.
At the conclusion of that season Ajax were crowned as Dutch Champions and gained entry to the Champions League.
The following season (1994/95) would turn out to be Ajax’s most successful and memorable season since the 70s heydays.
This season would mark the introduction of 18 year old Patrick Kluivert, who would become a full Dutch international, just months after his professional debut.
Outside back, Michael Reiziger also established himself that season at the expense of longtime custodian Sonny Silooy.
Ajax would repeat as Dutch Champions by going through the season undefeated (27 wins and 7 draws).
They would also be undefeated and triumph in the Champions League.
They managed to defeat the great AC Milan no less than three times, twice in the group stages and once in the Final by a goal from Kluivert.
Photo From: Onze-Mondial, June 1995
(Ajax players celebrating the 1995 Champions League triumph)
Photo From: Onze-Mondial, June 1995
(Patrick Kluivert scoring his winning goal vs. AC Milan during the 1995 Champions League Final)
Along the way they would also defeat German powerhouse Bayern Munich in the semifinals.
Ajax became the youngest Champions of Europe with mostly homegrown players.
Frank Rijkaard retired at the end of that season and apart from the sale of Seedorf to Sampdoria, the squad remained intact.
Brazilian World Cup winning defender Marcio Santos joined from Fiorentina.
The following season (1995/96), Ajax once again triumphed in the League (third year in a row) and were undefeated until midseason.
They did reach the Champions League Final once again but lost on penalty kicks to Italy’s Juventus.
This signaled the beginning of the end of this great Ajax side.
During that season, the landmark Bosman Ruling was decided, which would have serious repercussions on European Football especially for a team like Ajax.
With most foreign player restrictions no longer an obstacle, one by one Ajax stars left for bigger contracts.
That first summer (1996), Edgar Davids and Michael Reiziger left for free to AC Milan, as their contracts had expired.
Nigerians Kanu and Finidi left for Internazionale and Real Betis respectively.
The following year, Patrick Kluivert and defender Winston Bogarde also joined AC Milan.
While Overmars joined Arsene Wenger’s revolution at Arsenal.
More importantly Manager Louis van Gaal also left to manage Barcelona in Spain.
While at Barcelona, van Gaal signed many of his former players. First he brought those already abroad such as Reiziger, Kluivert and Bogarde. Then he brought from Ajax, the De Boer brothers and Jari Litmanen.
In the space of a few seasons that wonderful team was completely dismantled.
Despite winning a few League titles since, Ajax has never been the same force especially in Europe.
In the post-Bosman era, European success will surely elude teams like Ajax as the bigger teams from England, Spain and Italy have the means to assemble super squads to compete in the Champions League.
Ajax’s success in 1995 was a significant achievement even for its time due to the youth of the squad and the fact that most of their rivals were big spenders.
Many would have predicted a long reign, however, economic reality is another matter.
Photo From: Onze-Mondial, April 1995
(Ajax squad 1994/95, standing, Left to Right: : Edwin van der Sar, Michael Reiziger, Frank Rijkaard, Patrick Kluivert, Finidi George, Clarence Seedorf, Bottom, Left to Right: Jari Litmanen, Frank de Boer, Marc Overmars, Ronald de Boer, Edgar Davids )
