Tuesday, 16 August 2011
Leonardo
DoB: Sep 5, 1969
PoB: Niterói, Brazil
Position: Attacking midfielder, left back
Clubs represented: Flamengo, São Paulo, Valencia, Kashima Antlers, Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan
Total appearances/goals:
Total caps: 60/8
Honours:
4 domestic league titles, 2 domestic cups, 1 regional league title
2 Recopa Sudamericana, 1 Intercopa Sudamericana, 1 Intercontinental title
WC94; runner-up: 98
Copa America 97; runner-up: 95
Confederations Cup 97
Highs:
Peter Beardsley
DoB: Jan 18, 1961
PoB: Hexham, England
Position: Forward, Midfielder
Clubs represented: Carlisle United, Vancouver Whitecaps, Newcastle United, Liverpool, Everton, Bolton Wanderers, Manchester City, Fulham, Hartlepool United, Melbourne Knights
Total appearances/goals: 756/237
Total caps: 59/9
Honours:
2 domestic league titles, 1 domestic cup, 3 domestic super cups
WC90: 4th place
PFA Team of the Year: 90, 94
English Football Hall of Fame
Highs:
Fernando Gómez
Thomas Doll
DoB: Apr 9, 1966
PoB: Malchin, DDR
Position: Midfielder
Clubs represented: Hansa Rostock, Berliner FC Dynamo, Hamburger SV, Lazio, Eintracht Frankfurt, Bari
Total appearances/goals: 357/62
Total caps: 29/7 (18/1 for Germany)
Honours:
2 domestic league titles, 2 domestic cups
Euro 92 runner-up
Highs:
PoB: Malchin, DDR
Position: Midfielder
Clubs represented: Hansa Rostock, Berliner FC Dynamo, Hamburger SV, Lazio, Eintracht Frankfurt, Bari
Total appearances/goals: 357/62
Total caps: 29/7 (18/1 for Germany)
Honours:
2 domestic league titles, 2 domestic cups
Euro 92 runner-up
Highs:
Daniel Amokachi
Stanley Menzo
DoB: Oct 15, 1963
PoB: Paramaribo, Suriname
Position: Goalkeeper
Clubs represented: Ajax Amsterdam, Haarlem, PSV, Lierse, Bordeaux
Total appearances/goals:
Total caps: 6/0
Honours:
4 domestic league titles, 5 domestic cups
1 Cup Winner's Cup, 1 UEFA Cup
Dutch Goalkeeper of the Year: 90
Highs:
PoB: Paramaribo, Suriname
Position: Goalkeeper
Clubs represented: Ajax Amsterdam, Haarlem, PSV, Lierse, Bordeaux
Total appearances/goals:
Total caps: 6/0
Honours:
4 domestic league titles, 5 domestic cups
1 Cup Winner's Cup, 1 UEFA Cup
Dutch Goalkeeper of the Year: 90
Highs:
Anders Limpar
DoB: Sep 24, 1965
PoB: Solna, Sweden
Position: Midfielder
Clubs represented: IF Brommapojkarna, Örgryte, Young Boys, Cremonese, Arsenal, Everton, Birmingham City, AIK Stockholm, Colorado Rapids
Total appearances/goals: 399/66
Total caps: 58/6
Honours:
2 domestic league titles, 2 domestic cups, 1 domestic league cup
WC94 Third Place
Swedish Player of the Year: 91
Highs:
Драган Стојковић (Dragan Stojković)
DoB: Mar 3, 1965
PoB: Niš, Yugoslavia SFR
Position: Attacking Midfielder, Forward
Clubs represented: FK Radnički Niš, Red Star Belgrade, Marseille, Hellas Verona, Nagoya Grampus Eight
Total appearances/goals: 417/125
Total caps: 84/15
Honours:
2 domestic cups
1 Champions League
Olympic Games 84 Bronze Medal
Yugoslav League MVP: 88, 89
Japanese League MVP: 95
Japanese League Best Eleven: 95, 96, 99
Nicolas Ouédec
DoB: Oct 28, 1971
PoB: Lorient, France
Position: Forward
Clubs represented: Nantes, Espanyol, Paris Saint-Germain, Montpellier, Louviéroise, Dalian Shide, Shandong Luneng
Total appearances/goals:
Total caps: 7/1
Honours:
2 domestic league titles, 1 domestic cup, 2 domestic super cups
League 1 Top Scorer: 94
Highs:
Nantes Top Scorer in the Champions League: 14 goals
Antonio Conte
DoB: Jul 31, 1969
PoB: Lecce, Italy
Position: Midfielder
Clubs represented: Lecce, Juventus
Total appearances/goals: 384/30
Total caps: 20/2
Honours:
5 domestic league titles, 1 domestic cup, 4 domestic super cups
1 Champions League, 1 UEFA Cup, 1 European Super Cup, 1 Intercontinental Cup, 1 minor european cup
Highs:
Txiki Begiristain
DoB: Aug 12, 1964
PoB: Olaberria, Spain
Position: Winger
Clubs represented: Real Sociedad, Barcelona, Deportivo La Coruña, Urawa Red Diamonds
Total appearances/goals: 514/106
Total caps: 22/6
Honours:
4 domestic league titles, 2 domestic cups, 5 domestic super cups
1 Champions League, 1 Cup Winner's Cup, 1 European Super Cup
Highs:
Abel Balbo
Paul Scholes
DoB: Nov 16, 1974
PoB: Salford, England
Position: Midfielder
Clubs represented: Manchester United
Total appearances/goals: 466/102
Total caps: 66/14
Honours:
10 domestic league titles, 3 domestic cups, 2 domestic league cups, 5 domestic super cups
2 Champions Leagues, 2 Intercontinental Cups
u-18 Euro93
PFA Team of the Year: 01, 03, 07
Premier League 10 Seasons: Domestic Team of the Year
Premier League 10 Seasons: Overall Team of the Year
English Football Hall of Fame
Highs:
Andreas Möller
DoB: Sep 2, 1967
PoB: Frankfurt am Main, BRD
Position: Midfielder
Clubs represented: Eintracht Frankfurt, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Schalke 04
Total appearances/goals: 485/129
Total caps: 85/29
Honours:
2 domestic league titles, 3 domestic cups, 2 domestic super cups
1 Champions League, 1 UEFA Cup, 1 Intercontinental Cup
WC90
Euro96; runner-up: 92
Highs:
More closely associated with Borussia Dortmund, he also played for his hometown club of Frankfurt in 3 different stints.
Between 96 and 97 won the Euro and the CL, being an influential player in both of those winning teams.
Lows:
Missed the WC90, Euro92 and Euro96 finals.
Андрій Канчельскіс (Andrei Kanchelskis)
DoB: Jan 23, 1969
PoB: Kirovograd, USSR
Position: Winger
Clubs represented: Dynamo Kyiv, Shaktar Donetsk, Manchester United, Everton, Fiorentina, Rangers, Manchester City, Southampton, Al-Hilal, Saturn Moscow, Krylia Sovetov
Total appearances/goals: 397/72
Total caps: 36/4 for Russia (17/3 for Soviet Union, 6/0 for CIS)
Honours:
4 domestic league titles, 5 domestic cups, 3 domestic league cups, 2 domestic super cups
1 Cup Winner's Cup, 1 European Super Cup
Premier League Team of the Year: 95
Highs:
His time at Manchester United stands as the best in his career, being instrumental in breaking the team's 26 year fast of league titles.
Lows:
Having fallen out with manager Alex Ferguson, was unduly replaced with young starlet David Beckham. Unfortunately, as he was only 26 at the time, it meant his career was on the way down, at too much a young age, although his time at Everton was also personally successful (although the team wasn't).
Cláudio Taffarel
DoB: May 8, 1966
PoB: Santa Rosa, Brazil
Position: Goalkeeper
Clubs represented: Internacional, Parma, Reggiana, Atlético Mineiro, Galatasaray
Total appearances/goals: 379/0
Total caps: 101/0
Honours:
2 domestic league titles, 1 regional league title, 4 domestic cups
1 Cup Winner's Cup, 1 UEFA Cup, 1 European Super Cup, 1 Copa CONMEBOL
WC94; runner-up: 98
Copa America 89, 97; runner-up: 91, 95
Olympic Games 88 Silver Medal
Gold Cup 98 Third Place
Brazilian Football Hall of Fame
Brazilian League Player of the Year: 88
Highs:
He is the most capped brazilian keeper, and 4th overall.
Had a great run with Galatasaray, being named MVP in 00's UEFA Cup final win, and being a fundamental part in the club winning a quadruple of titles that year.
Lows:
Never really played for a top european club, his only two domestic titles coming in Turkey at a time when Galatasaray was absolutely walking the league.
Due to this fact had somewhat of a lower recognition, unlike some of the other top goalkeepers of his day who were getting Champions League football every season.
Iván Zamorano
DoB: Jan 18, 1967
PoB: Santiago, Chile
Position: Striker
Clubs represented: Cobresal, Cobreandino, St. Gallen, Sevilla, Real Madrid, Internazionale, América, Colo-Colo
Total appearances/goals: 490/233
Total caps: 69/34
Honours:
2 domestic league titles, 1 secondary league title, 2 domestic cups, 1 domestic super cup
1 UEFA Cup
Copa America: runner-up (87), 3rd place (91)
Olympic Games 00 Bronze Medal
La Liga Foreign Player of the Year: 95
Olympic Games Top Scorer: 00
La Liga Top Scorer: 95
Swiss League Top Scorer: 90
Chilean Player of the Year: 90
Chosen for the FIFA 100
Highs:
Had a wonderful season in 95, scoring 28 goals as Real Madrid finally broke Barcelona's run of 4 league titles in a row. Goalscoring-wise this was his best season.
Lows:
Although he won the UEFA Cup in 98, in 97's final he missed his penalty in the shootout, costing the team the trophy.
Friday, 29 July 2011
Angelo Peruzzi
DoB: Feb 16, 1970
PoB: Blera, Italy
Position: Goalkeeper
Clubs represented: Roma, Verona, Juventus, Internazionale, Lazio
Total appearances/goals: 478/0
Total caps: 31/0
Honours:
3 domestic league titles, 1 domestic cup
1 Champions League, 1 UEFA Cup
WC06
Italian League Player of the Year: 97
Italian League Goalkeeper of the Year: 97, 98, 07
Highs:
His €17,9 million transfer from Internazionale to Lazio made him the world's most expensive goalie (now 4th).
He is currently Serie A's 15th player with the most games (the 4th most of goalkeepers).
Lows:
Injuries cost him starting places in WC98 and Euro00 to Gianluca Pagliuca and Francesco Toldo, respectively. The extraordinary range of choices (also later with Gianluigi Buffon) for his playing position was also detrimental to his international career.
Franck Sauzée
DoB: Oct 28, 1965
PoB: Aubenas, France
Position: Midfielder
Clubs represented: Sochaux, Marseille, Monaco, Atalanta, Strasbourg, Montpellier, Hibernian
Total appearances/goals: 502/102
Total caps: 39/9
Honours:
3 domestic league titles, 2 domestic secondary league titles, 2 domestic cups
1 Champions League
u-21 European Cup: 88
Highs:
Was part of France's only European Cup winning team of 93 with Marseille.
Gave his career a new lease at 34, joining Hibernian, qualifying the team for the UEFA Cup through a 3rd place finish in 01, and being considered one of the club's greats.
Lows:
Played his last international match at only 28, after France missed qualification for WC94 (in a team with, among others, the likes of Éric Cantona, Jean-Pierre Papin and Didier Deschamps).
Missed the 91 CL final as Marseille lost to Red Star Belgrade, after having switched that same year to Arséne Wenger's Monaco.
Julio Salinas
DoB: Sep 11, 1962
PoB: Bilbao, Spain
Position: Forward
Clubs represented: Bilbao Athletic, Athletic Bilbao, Atlético Madrid, Barcelona, Deportivo La Coruña, Sporting Gijón, Yokohama Marinos, Alavés
Total appearances/goals: 557/246
Total caps: 56/22
Honours:
6 domestic league titles, 3 domestic cups, 2 domestic super cups
1 Champions League, 1 Cup Winner's Cup, 1 European Super Cup
Spanish Second League Top Scorer: 84
Highs:
He is currently 16th in La Liga's ranking for the most goals, and the 7th best scorer for the national team.
Won back to back league titles for Bilbao and then 4 in a row with Barcelona.
Despite his advancing years, never really stopped scoring regularly in the limelight of his career.
Lows:
His career with Spain is entirely forgettable, with no noteworthy achievements.
Kennet Andersson
DoB: Oct 6, 1967
PoB: Eskilstuna, Sweden
Position: Forward
Clubs represented: IFK Eskilstuna, IFK Göteborg, VK Mechelen, IFK Norrköping, Lille, Caen, Bari, Bologna, Lazio, Fenerbahçe, Gårda BK
Total appearances/goals: 488/163
Total caps: 83/31
Honours:
3 domestic league titles, 1 domestic cup
1 European Super Cup, 1 minor european cup
WC94: 3rd place
u-21 European Cup 92 runner up
Swedish League Top Scorer: 91
Highs:
Most of his national honours came between 92 and 94, with the 3rd place in WC94, semi-final in Euro92 and runner up in the u-21 Euro92 (although he was 25 at the time).
He is currently the 5th best swedish scorer for the national team.
Lows:
Changed clubs very often, although he never played for a really top club.
Marco Bode
DoB: May 8, 1960
PoB: Osterode am Harz, BRD
Position: Forward, Midfielder, Defender
Clubs represented: Werder Bremen
Total appearances/goals: 379/101
Total caps: 40/9
Honours:
1 domestic league title, 3 domestic cups, 3 domestic super cups
1 Cup Winner's Cup, 1 minor european cup
Euro 96
WC02 runner up
Top Werder Bremen scorer in the Bundesliga
Highs:
Played for 14 years for his only club, Werder Bremen.
During this time he collected only 10 bookings and was never sent off.
Lows:
His loyalty to the club barred him from achieving more trophies.
Low goalscoring average for the national team, although he was never a first choice for striker.
Battling it out with Cafu...............................................Misery in Euro00..............Scoring in the run-up to CWC glory in 92
Bryan Robson
DoB: Jan 11, 1957
PoB: Chester-le-Street, England
Position: Midfielder
Clubs represented: West Bromwich Albion, Manchester United, Middlesbrough
Total appearances/goals: 568/115
Total caps: 90/26
Honours:
2 domestic league titles, 3 domestic cups, 1 domestic league cup, 3 domestic super cups
1 Cup Winner's Cup, 1 European Super Cup
WC90: 4th place
Football League 100 Legends
English Football Hall of Fame
OBE
Highs:
He is currently the 6th most capped English player, having captained the side for 9 years. He was also Manchester United's skipper for 12 years.
Broke the British transfer record with a £1,5 million move from WBA to Man Utd in 1981.
Despite his injuries was curiously a case of longevity, ending his career as Middlesbrough's player-manager at age 40.
Lows:
A very unlucky player as far as injuries are concerned, forcing him to miss large parts of various seasons and depriving his club and national team of one of their most influential players.
Endured a barren spell of 5 years without a trophy, between 85's and 90's FA Cups, with his first league trophy coming only in 93, when he was already 36 years old!
Mazinho
DoB: Apr 8, 1966
PoB: Santa Rita, Brazil
Position: Anchor midfielder
Clubs represented: Vasco da Gama, Lecce, Fiorentina, Palmeiras, Valencia, Celta de Vigo, Elche
Total appearances/goals: 356/17
Total caps: 22/0
Honours:
3 domestic league titles, 4 regional league titles, 2 regional cups, 1 interregional cup
WC94
Copa America: 89; runner-up: 91
Olympic Silver medal: 88
Brazilian League Team of the Year: 87, 88
Highs:
Very successful at national level, being one of the cornerstones of Brazil's 24-year-drought-ending team of 94.
Lows:
Very low goalscoring record for a midfield player, with a career total of only 17 in 15 years!
Pavel Nedvěd
DoB: Aug 30, 1972
PoB: Cheb, Czechoslovakia
Position: Attacking midfielder
Clubs represented: Sparta Prague, SS Lazio, Juventus
Total appearances/goals: 465/106
Total caps: 91/18
Honours:
8 domestic league titles, 3 domestic cups, 4 domestic super cups, 1 secondary league title
1 Cup Winner's Cup, 1 European Super Cup
Euro 96 runner-up
Confederations Cup 97 3rd place
Ballon d'Or: 03
Euro 04 Team of the Tournament
UEFA Team of the Year: 03, 04, 05
Italian League Player of the Year: 03
Czech Player of the Year: 98, 00, 03, 04
Czech Press Player of the Year: 98, 00, 01, 03, 04, 09
Chosen for the FIFA 100
Highs:
He led Juventus to its first CL final in 5 years in 03, finishing the year with the European footballer of the year accolade for his superb efforts.
Although second fiddle to the likes of the older Patrick Berger and Karel Poborský, was an important part of the czech team that reached the Euro96 final, upsetting the likes of France, Italy and Portugal.
Lows:
Missed the 03 final due to a booking in the semifinal.
Was just shy of coming up with a more brilliant trophy case, as his teams reached but failed to win a UEFA Cup (98), CL (03) and Euro (96), which would have given him an almost perfect score.
Played only in one World Cup, in 06, at already 34, with the Czech Republic being knocked out in the group stage.
Saturday, 23 July 2011
홍명보 (Hong Myung-Bo)
DoB: Feb 12, 1969
PoB: Busan, South Korea
Position: Defender
Clubs represented: Pohang Steelers, Bellmare Hiratsuka, Kashiwa Reysol, Los Angeles Galaxy
Total appearances/goals: 281/21
Total caps: 136/10
Honours:
1 domestic league title, 1 domestic cup, 2 domestic league cups
1 Asian Club Championship
WC02 4th place
Asian Cup 3rd place: 00
WC02 Bronze Ball
WC02 Team of the Tournament
Asian Cup Team of the Tournament: 00
Korean League MVP: 92
Korean League Team of the Year: 92, 94, 95, 96
Japanese League Team of the Year: 00
United States League Team of the Year: 03
Chosen for the FIFA 100
Highs:
He was the first asian player to play in 4 consecutive WC tournaments, and he was the skipperin 02's historic 4th place finish, playing in home ground.
He is also South Korea's most capped player.
Lows:
The one trophy missing seems to be the Asian Cup, with only a 3rd place his best result.
Luis Hernández
DoB: Aug 17, 1968
PoB: Veracruz, Mexico
Position: Forward
Clubs represented: Cruz Azul, Querétaro, Monterrey, Necaxa, Boca Juniors, UANL, Los Angeles Galaxy, América, Veracruz, Jaguares de Chiapas, BUAP
Total appearances/goals: 362/132
Total caps: 87/35
Honours:
Gold Cup: 96, 98
Copa America 3rd place: 97, 99
1 Confederations Cup
Mexican Player of the Year: 97, 98
Copa America 97 Top Scorer
Top Mexican Goalscorer in World Cups
Highs:
Copa America 97 was his peak, as he scored 6 goals in the tournament and helped Mexico to a 3rd place finish.
His 4 goals for Mexico in WC98 make him the only Mexican to score over 2 goals in World Cups.
Lows:
The fact that he never played in Europe, means he was never put to test by the best.
He was also a flop in the more competitive Argentinian league, with Boca Juniors.
Александр Мостовой (Aleksandr Mostovoi)
DoB: Aug 22, 1968
PoB: Lomonosov, Soviet Union
Position: Midfielder
Clubs represented: Spartak Moscow, Benfica, Caen, Strasbourg, Celta Vigo, Alavés
Total appearances/goals:
Total caps: 50/10 (15/3 for USSR, 2/0 for CIS)
Honours:
3 domestic league titles, 1 domestic cup
1 minor european cup
U-21 European Cup: 90
Highs:
Helped Celta to consistent top of the table finishes, including 4th in 03.
His time at Strasbourg is also fondly remembered.
Lows:
Played at Euro96 and WC94 but was excluded from WC02 through injury and Euro04 for disciplinary reasons. In any case, he never really left his mark.
Mario Basler
DoB: Mar 3, 1972
PoB: Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, BRD
Position: Winger
Clubs represented: Kaiserslautern, Rot-Weiss Essen, Hertha Berlin, Werder Bremen, Bayern München, Al-Rayyan
Total appearances/goals: 405/85
Total caps: 30/2
Honours:
2 domestic league titles, 2 domestic cups, 3 domestic league cups
Euro 96
German League Top Scorer: 95
Highs:
His 20 goals in 95 earned him a joint top scorer award and boosted the team to a 2nd place finish, just a point shy of the title.
Scored in the CL99 final, which Bayern lost in the stoppages, costing him his only chance at an european trophy.
Lows:
Although he was in the squad at Euro96, didn't play a single game due to injury. He was also in the squad for WC 94, but those were the only international tournaments he was in.
Juninho Paulista
DoB: Feb 22, 1973
PoB: São Paulo, Brazil
Position: Attacking Midfielder
Clubs represented: São Paulo, Middlesbrough, Atlético Madrid, Vasco da Gama, Celtic, Palmeiras, Sydney FC
Total appearances/goals: 353/73
Total caps: 49/5
Honours:
1 domestic league title, 1 regional league title, 1 interregional cup, 1 domestic league cup
1 Copa Libertadores, 1 Recopa Sudamericana, 1 Copa Sudamericana, 1 Supercopa Sudamericana, 1 Intercontinental Cup
WC: 02
1 Confederations Cup
Olympic Games Bronze Medal: 96
Copa America runner-up: 95
Highs:
Despite being extremely successful with his hometown club of São Paulo, has a greater affinity with Middlesbrough FC, which he represented in 3 different stints, totalling 5 seasons overall. He was voted by fans as one of the 10 "Legends", alongside celebrated greats like Wilf Mannion or Brian Clough.
He is quoted for having said winning the League Cup for the club meant more to him than WC02 with Brazil.
Lows:
Endured relegation with Boro in 97, even though they had reached the finals of both the League and FA Cups, losing both.
Didn't sustain a regular place in the national side, being overlooked for WC98 and Copa America 97 and 99.
Ian Rush
DoB: Oct 25, 1961
PoB: St. Asaph, Wales
Position: Striker
Clubs represented: Chester City, Liverpool, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield United, Wrexham, Sydney Olympic
Total appearances/goals: 828/384
Total caps: 73/28
Honours:
5 domestic league titles, 3 domestic cups, 5 domestic league cups, 5 domestic super cups
1 Champions League
PFA Young Player of the Year: 83
PFA Player's Player of the Year: 84
FWA Player of the Year: 84
European Golden Boot: 84
English League Top Scorer: 84
All Time Welsh International Goal Scorer
All Time Liverpool Goal Scorer: 346
Highs:
84 was a golden year, seeing him win player of the year accolades, clinching the Golden Boot with 32 goals, as well as a league + European Cup double. That season's total came at 47 goals in 65 matches.
Lows:
His spell at Juventus was disappointing, seeing him net the ball only 8 times that season.
Patrick Kluivert
DoB: Jul 1, 1976
PoB: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Position: Striker
Clubs represented: Ajax Amsterdam, AC Milan, Barcelona, Newcastle United, Valencia, PSV Eindhoven, Lille
Total appearances/goals: 343/149
Total caps: 79/40
Honours:
4 domestic league titles, 2 domestic super cups
1 Champions League, 1 European Super Cup, 1 Intercontinental Cup
WC98: 4th place
Dutch Young Player of the Year: 95
Euro 00: Top Scorer, Team of the Tournament
All-time leading Dutch Goal Scorer: 40
Chosen for the FIFA 100
Highs:
Came off the bench to score, at just 18, the winner to CL95, in Ajax's favour, reaching the final again the following year.
Euro 00 saw him at his finest, having him win the Golden Boot (5 goals in 5 games, including a hat-trick in the quarter-finals).
Lows:
His transfer to Milan on a Bosman was high profile, but he disappointed with just 6 goals in the Serie A.
Despite an early start, his career was relatively burnt out by the time he left Barcelona at 28.
Gianluca Vialli
DoB: Jul 9, 1964
PoB: Cremona, Italy
Position: Striker
Clubs represented: Cremonese, Sampdoria, Juventus, Chelsea
Total appearances/goals: 488/167
Total caps: 59/16
Honours:
2 domestic league titles, 5 domestic cups, 1 domestic super cups, 1 domestic league cups
1 Champions League, 2 Cup Winner's Cups, 1 UEFA Cup, 1 European Super Cup
WC 90: 3rd place
Italian League Top Scorer: 91
Highs:
His time at Sampdoria was historic for the club, as his partnership with Roberto Mancini saw them win their first Serie A title, 3 cups, a Cup Winner's Cup (Vialli scoring both goals in the final) and reaching the final of the CL against Barcelona.
Later captained Juventus to a CL in 96.
He is one of only 9 players that have won all 3 main European club competitions. Of these 9 he is the only one to have won one of them twice.
Lows:
Despite his success at club level, was never an undisputed choice for the Italian team. He retired from international competition shortly before WC94 after a row with manager Arrigo Sacchi, having took part in just 3 tournaments (WC86 and 90 and Euro88)
Fernando Hierro
DoB: Mar 23, 1968
PoB: Málaga, Spain
Position: Centre back, defensive midfielder
Clubs represented: Valladolid, Real Madrid, Al Rayyan, Bolton Wanderers
Total appearances/goals: 545/109
Total caps: 89/29
Honours:
5 domestic league titles, 2 domestic cups, 4 domestic super cups
3 Champions Leagues, 1 European Super Cup, 2 Intercontinental Cups
UEFA Best Defender: 98
WC Team of the Tournament: 02
Highs:
3 CL in 6 years is a hard feat to accomplish, having had the honour to captain the team in 02's final against Leverkusen.
Is Spain's 3rd top goal scorer, a surprising achievement for his field position.
Lows:
Although he participated in a lot of international tournaments, Spain never did manage a respectable finish.
Was rather uncerimoniously dispatched by Real Madrid after 15 years of service.
Diego Simeone
DoB: Apr 28, 1970
PoB: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Position: Midfielder
Clubs represented: Vélez Sársfield, Pisa, Sevilla, Atlético Madrid, Internazionale, Lazio, Racing Avellaneda
Total appearances/goals: 513/84
Total caps: 106/11
Honours:
2 domestic league titles, 2 domestic cups, 1 domestic super cup
1 UEFA Cup, 1 European Super Cup
Copa America: 91, 93
Olympic Silver Medal: 96
1 Confederations Cup
Highs:
He is currently the 3rd most capped Argentinian player, having once been the most overall. He was also the first Argentinian player to achieve over one hundred caps.
Won two doubles with outsider teams, first with Atletico Madrid in 96 then Lazio in 00.
Lows:
Not much to speak of, but Argentina's World Cup record during his times were disappointing, and the fact he played for just one really top team, Internazionale, who were down on their luck, hampered his chances of winning more trophies, domestically and internationally.
Tuesday, 19 July 2011
Duncan Ferguson
DoB: Dec 27, 1971
PoB: Stirling, Scotland
Position: Striker
Clubs represented: Dundee United, Rangers, Everton, Newcastle United
Total appearances/goals: 360/100
Total caps: 7/0
Honours:
1 domestic league title, 1 domestic cup, 1 domestic super cup
Highs:
Broke the transfer record between British clubs with a £4m move to Rangers from Dundee in 93.
Was called up for Euro 92, playing one game as Scotland exited at the group stage, in their very first European Cup presence.
Was inducted to Everton's Hall of Fame (Giants) for his great contribution to the club.
Lows:
Had plenty of career hindering injuries, missing good chunks of 94, 95, 99 and 03 seasons.
An on-field scuffle had him suspended for 3 months, and ultimately broke apart his relationship with the SFA, ending his international career after only 7 caps, at age 26.
Torsten Gütschow
DoB: Jul 28, 1962
PoB: Görlitz, DDR
Position: Striker
Clubs represented: Dynamo Dresden, Galatasaray, Carl Zeiss Jena, Hannover 96, Chemnitzer FC
Total appearances/goals: 420/190
Total caps: 3/2
Honours:
3 domestic league titles, 5 domestic cups
East German Footballer of the Year: 91
East German League Top Scorer: 89, 90, 91
UEFA Cup Top Scorer: 89
Highs:
Was the top scorer in each of the last 3 seasons of DDR-Oberliga with 17, 18 and 21 goals scored.
Although he only stayed for 6 months, scored 10 goals in 15 matches, helping Galatasaray to a domestic double.
Lows:
Played only two seasons in the Bundesliga, although his 12 goals are still best for Dynamo Dresden.
Largely irrelevant international career, playing in just 3 friendlies, and never for the unified team.
Striking for goal.........................................Celebrating in Turkey.....................................The last Golden Boot in the DDR
Enzo Scifo
DoB: Feb 19, 1966
PoB: Haine-Saint-Paul, Belgium
Position: Midfielder
Clubs represented: Anderlecht, Internazionale, Bordeaux, Auxerre, Torino, Monaco, Charleroi
Total appearances/goals: 478/121
Total caps: 84/18
Honours:
5 domestic league titles, 1 domestic cup
WC 86: 4th place
WC Best Young Player: 86
Belgian League Top Scorer: 84
Highs:
Appeared in 4 World Cups (86, 90, 94, 98), one of only 3 Belgian players to achieve this feat.
He is the 4th most capped Belgian player
Lows:
Lack of international success, even though he did play for some top European clubs.
Came runner up in UEFA Cup in 84 and 92, losing the first with Anderlecht on penalties (he scored his, in his debut season at 18) and the second with Torino on away goals. He played in both legs of each of the finals.
Juan Román Riquelme
DoB: Jun 24, 1978
PoB: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Position: Attacking midfielder
Clubs represented: Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Villareal
Total appearances/goals: 377/92
Total caps: 51/17
Honours:
2 domestic league titles
3 Copa Libertadores, 1 Recopa Sudamericana, 1 Intercontinental Cup, 1 minor European trophy
Olympic Games Gold Medal: 08
FIFA U-20 World Cup: 97
Copa America 07 runner-up
Confederations Cup 05 runner-up
South American Footballer of the Year: 01
Argentine Footballer of the Year: 00, 01, 08
Spanish League Foreign Player of the Year: 05
Copa Libertadores MVP: 07
Confederations Cup Player of the Tournament runner-up: 05
Highs:
Captained Argentina to the Gold Medal in 08, coming from a Libertadores cup and a Copa America finalist medal in 07 and the league title earlier that year. He was also denominated the Argentine footballer of the year along with Lionel Messi.
Lows:
Had a hard time adjusting to Barcelona, due to mostly tactical reasons and poor form, making most of his appearances at this time as a sub.
Was called up for WC98 and 02, but never got to play.
Thomas Brolin
DoB: Nov 29, 1969
PoB: Hudiksvall, Sweden
Position: Attacking midfielder
Clubs represented: Näsvikens IK, GIF Sundsvall, IFK Norrköping, Parma, Leeds United, FC Zürich, Crystal Palace, Hudiksvalls ABK
Total appearances/goals: 280/58
Total caps: 47/26
Honours:
1 domestic cup
1 Cup Winner's Cups, 1 UEFA Cup, 1 European Super Cup
WC 94: 3rd place
Swedish Player of the Year: 90, 94
Highs:
Between 92 and 94 won most of his accolades.
Had back to back Cup Winner's Cup finals with Parma, winning the first in 93, but losing the second in 94.
Despite his short career, and his position on the pitch, he is currently the 10th best scorer for the swedish team.
Lows:
Retired at only 29, due to poor form and injury during the past 3 years of his career.
Never won a domestic league title, coming close with Norrköping in 90 and Parma in 97, as they finished runner up.
http://youtu.be/REA8P-h2360 (our apologies for not being imbedded)
Mark Hughes
DoB: Nov 1, 1963
PoB: Ruabon, Wales
Position: Forward
Clubs represented: Manchester United, Barcelona, Bayern München, Chelsea, Southampton, Everton, Blackburn Rovers
Total appearances/goals: 606/163
Total caps: 72/16
Honours:
2 domestic league titles, 4 domestic cups, 3 domestic super cups, 3 domestic league cups
2 Cup Winner's Cup, 1 European Super Cup
PFA Players' Player of the Year: 89, 91
PFA Young Player of the Year: 85
English Football Hall of Fame
Highs:
Both of his runs at Manchester United were quite successful, with domestic and european honours abound, as well as personal distinctions.
Consistent form from 85 to 94 saw him score always over 10 goals (except for the two years he played abroad).
Lows:
Never scored over 20 goals in a single season, with his best at 17 in 86.
Like many welsh players, never had a chance to play in an international tournament.
Relative failures at Barcelona and München (moreso on the latter than the former).
Angelo Di Livio
DoB: Jul 26, 1966
PoB: Rome, Italy
Position: Midfielder
Clubs represented: Reggiana, Nocerina, Perugia, Padova, Juventus, Fiorentina
Total appearances/goals: 609/28
Total caps: 40/0
Honours:
3 domestic league titles, 1 quaternary league title, 2 domestic cups, 2 domestic super cups
1 UEFA Champions League, 1 European Super Cup, 1 Intercontinental Cup
Highs:
Played in every international tournament from 96 to 02.
Was the only player to stay on Fiorentina's team after they were relegated to the 4th tier, successfully assisting them to climb back up to the top.
Lows:
A very low goal average, for either club or country, with a season best of 4 in 04.
Richard Witschge
DoB: Sep 20, 1969
PoB: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Position: Midfielder
Clubs represented: Ajax Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bordeaux, Blackburn Rovers, Alavés, Oita Trinitá
Total appearances/goals: 358/26
Total caps: 31/1
Honours:
6 domestic league titles, 4 domestic cups, 1 domestic super cup
1 Champions League, 1 Cup Winner's Cup
Dutch Young Player of the Year: 89
Highs:
Was part of big European teams in early 90s Barcelona and mid-90s Ajax, achieving all of his titles between these two teams.
Lows:
Was not called up for the CL 92 final with Barcelona, due to restrictions on foreign player avaiability (Koeman, Laudrup and Stoichkov being called up instead).
Missed Euro92 due to injury, and was just not called up for WC94, 98 or Euro00, tournaments where his career could justify a call up.
A low goal average for a midfielder who wasn't particularly defensive.
Franco Baresi
DoB: May 8, 1960
PoB: Brescia, Italy
Position: Libero
Clubs represented: AC Milan
Total appearances/goals: 719/33
Total caps: 81/1
Honours:
6 domestic league titles, 2 secondary league titles, 4 domestic super cups
3 UEFA Champions League, 3 European Super Cups, 2 Intercontinental Cups
WC: 82; runner-up: 94, 3rd: 90
Olympic Games 84: 4th place
European Player of the Year/Ballon d'Or 2nd place: 89
Italian League Player of the Year: 90
AC Milan Player of the Century
Italian Player of the Century
Chosen for the FIFA 100
Highs:
He is currently the second player with the most games played for AC Milan, from 77 to 97.
His usual number 6 shirt was retired, an unusual honour in italian football.
Lows:
Didn't play in CL94 final due to suspension. Was called up for Italy's WC82 win, but didn't play a single game, debuting in a World Cup only in 90 when he was finally an undisputed first choice.
In his first 6 years with the national team, managed only 17 caps.
Rivaldo
DoB: Apr 19, 1972
PoB: Paulista, Brazil
Position: Attacking midfielder
Clubs represented: Santa Cruz, Mogi Mirim, Corinthians, Palmeiras, Deportivo La Coruña, Barcelona, AC Milan, Cruzeiro, Olympiakos, AEK Athens, Bunyodkor, São Paulo
Total appearances/goals: 482/240
Total caps: 74/34
Honours:
9 domestic league titles, 2 regional league titles, 6 domestic cups
1 UEFA Champions League, 2 European Super Cups
WC: 02
Copa America: 99
Confederations Cup: 97
FIFA World Player of the Year: 99
European Player of the Year/Ballon d'Or: 99
Onze d'Or: 99
WC Team of the Tournament: 98, 02
Copa America 99 MVP
Spanish League Footballer of the Year: 99
Greek League Foreign Player of the Year: 06, 07
Brazilian League Team of the Year: 93, 94
Champions League Top Scorer: 00
Copa America 99 Top Scorer
Uzbek League Top Scorer: 09
Chosen for the FIFA 100
Highs:
In 99-00 had arguably his best seasons, clinching best player awards, the Copa America and spanish titles, and an honourable semi-final finish in the CL.
Never really stopped scoring in his senior years, even if he doesn't play as much competitive football.
Lows:
In his only CL final, with Milan, didn't come off the bench.
Was dropped at 31 from the international squad, which might seem early, considering he's still playing to this day.
Saturday, 9 July 2011
Christian Wörns
DoB: May 10, 1972
PoB: Mannheim, West Germany
Position: Defender
Clubs represented: Waldhof Mannheim, Bayer Leverkusen, Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund
Total appearances/goals: 531/32
Total caps: 66/0
Honours:
1 domestic league title, 1 domestic cup, 1 domestic super cup, 1 domestic league cup
Euro 92: runner-up
Highs:
Was considered Germany's player of the tournament in WC98.
Finally won a league title in 02, at 30, 13 years after his debut. That same year reached the final of the UEFA Cup, losing 3-2 to Feyenoord.
Lows:
Failed to hit the net even once at international level.
Missed Germany's Euro96 triumph and WC02 (when they were defeated finalists) due to injury.
Lack of european titles. Missed both Dortmund's and Leverkusen's best seasons, always at the wrong club when the right time had come along.
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