Footballers of yesteryear

Aug 16, 2011
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I remember the first ever Champions League. There were 2 groups of 4 teams, who had qualified through knockout rounds. CSKA Moscow eliminated Barcelona, Rangers knocked out Leeds...

The first ever CL game was in my hometown Brugge. After school, we rode our bikes home and passed the stadium, where CSKA's players were training on one of the outside grounds. We stayed and acted as ball boys throughout their training session. At night, Club Brugge beat them 1-0 with a goal by Amokachi.

The winners of both groups, Marseille and AC Milan, went straight to the final. No semis or anything like that. Rangers finished only 1 point behind Marseille and in Milan's group, Goteborg finished 2nd. Pre-Bosman, all these teams had no more than 3 foreign players.

The 90ies were a fascinating era. It connects the ancient times of the 80ies with modern football that really took off in the early 00ies. So much happened during that era... The CL, the Bosman ruling, the EPL starting to attract famous players... The goalie could even receive the ball from a teammate and pick up the ball with his hands at the beginning of the 90ies. They were a real mix of old and new football.
I just think there were so many more elite footballers in the 90s and 00s than today (Messi and CR7 aside).
 
Where do you rate that 82 Brazil team - even though they didn't win the Cup?
Wow tough one. Some rate them better than ‘98/02 on skill but gees I’d say those teams were more well rounded with Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Kaka and excellent defenders such as Cafu, Roberto Carlos, Dida.

I think for many like me at the time who were too young to see ‘70 teams and ‘74 Dutch team they were eye opening and with their passing and skill. Just generated great excitement. Tempered somewhat by playing Scots and NZ in first group stage but great win over Argentina. But did concede three against a previously struggling Italian attack. Bottom line they failed to make semis
 
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Dec 22, 2009
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Wow tough one. Some rate them better than ‘98/02 on skill but gees I’d say those teams were more well rounded with Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Kaka and excellent defenders such as Cafu, Roberto Carlos, Dida.

I think for many like me at the time who were too young to see ‘70 teams and ‘74 Dutch team they were eye opening and with their passing and skill. Just generated great excitement. Tempered somewhat by playing Scots and NZ in first group stage but great win over Argentina. But did concede three against a previously struggling Italian attack. Bottom line they failed to make semis

Les Bleus from 82-86 were magnifique. Won Euro 84. Should have won World Cup 82 if Schumacher was sent off for putting Battiston into a coma.
 
Les Bleus from 82-86 were magnifique. Won Euro 84. Should have won World Cup 82 if Schumacher was sent off for putting Battiston into a coma.
Yeah they were another exciting team in that tournament...Schumacher never did live that down and rightly so
 
Dec 22, 2009
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Yeah they were another exciting team in that tournament...Schumacher never did live that down and rightly so

Wouldve been rubbed out for a season in footy for the way he took out Battison. Ref called a goal kick lol.

Funnily enough he came second behind Hitler for the most disliked person in France poll.
 
Wouldve been rubbed out for a season in footy for the way he took out Battison. Ref called a goal kick lol.

Funnily enough he came second behind Hitler for the most disliked person in France poll.
Had a pretty much unhindered view.
 
It was outrageous but those were the times where it was just shrugged off. French even joke about it these days!
Took a while for them to forgive though..Battiston suffered some serious injuries and fell into coma. Schumacher reaction afterwards didn’t exactly help either.
 
My favourite player was Gabriel Batitstuta. Batigol. Brilliant Argentinian striker who spent most of his career in Italy playing for Fiorentina, Roma and a loan spell at Inter. He spent 10 years in Florence and as a Fiorentina fan I've always been a little sad that he wasn't able to win the Serie A title in the purple, instead transferring to Roma and winning it in the final few years of his career. He got close in 1996 but injury curtailed la Viola's season and we fell to fourth.

He scored 54 goals in 77 appearences for Argentina.



 
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Thistle

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My favourite player was Gabriel Batitstuta. Batigol. Brilliant Argentinian striker who spent most of his career in Italy playing for Fiorentina, Roma and a loan spell at Inter. He spent 10 years in Florence and as a Fiorentina fan I've always been a little sad that he wasn't able to win the Serie A title in the purple, instead transferring to Roma and winning it in the final few years of his career. He got close in 1996 but injury curtailed la Viola's season and we fell to fourth.

He scored 54 goals in 77 appearences for Argentina.




Lives in Perth these days
 
Aug 16, 2011
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My favourite player was Gabriel Batitstuta. Batigol. Brilliant Argentinian striker who spent most of his career in Italy playing for Fiorentina, Roma and a loan spell at Inter. He spent 10 years in Florence and as a Fiorentina fan I've always been a little sad that he wasn't able to win the Serie A title in the purple, instead transferring to Roma and winning it in the final few years of his career. He got close in 1996 but injury curtailed la Viola's season and we fell to fourth.

He scored 54 goals in 77 appearences for Argentina.




I was actually going to post something about him today too haha!

He was phenomenal. Rocket of a right foot and had an absolute bullet header.

There is a goal where he scores a header from either 12 or 18 yards and the keeper is left with no chance. It's incredible.

Also, one of the GOAT names.
 
I was actually going to post something about him today too haha!

He was phenomenal. Rocket of a right foot and had an absolute bullet header.

There is a goal where he scores a header from either 12 or 18 yards and the keeper is left with no chance. It's incredible.

Also, one of the GOAT names.
His right foot was lethal, impossible to stop inside the box, but also deadly from 25-30 out. There was one goal at Old Trafford I always enjoyed, he received the ball about 30 metres out and was immediately surrounded by three defenders, yet with only one or two steps to steady himself launched a rocket into the Man U net. Glorious.

 

glenferry23

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That Batistuta goal at Old Trafford has stayed with me for a long long time, was watching that game live at the time. There was genuine admiration/disbelief on the look on SAF’s face as well.

A magnificent strike.
 
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His right foot was lethal, impossible to stop inside the box, but also deadly from 25-30 out. There was one goal at Old Trafford I always enjoyed, he received the ball about 30 metres out and was immediately surrounded by three defenders, yet with only one or two steps to steady himself launched a rocket into the Man U net. Glorious.


Yeah I know the goal, his power was insane.

I am surprised he never took the leap to a genuine powerhouse club, was definitely good enough and then some.

He's another one today I'm not sure I would take many forwards ahead of him.
 
Yeah I know the goal, his power was insane.

I am surprised he never took the leap to a genuine powerhouse club, was definitely good enough and then some.

He's another one today I'm not sure I would take many forwards ahead of him.
Considering the league and era he played in, the Italian league was a strong defensive minded league in the 1990's and early 2000's, his strike rate was pretty good. He scored 167 league goals in 269 appearences for Fiorentina (16 from 26 in Serie B), and 30 goals from 63 appearences with Roma, although his final two seasons were a little disappointing.

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I'm sure the city of Florence would love to see another Batistuta style of centre forward wearing the number 9 jersey, I just don't think they make them like they used too.
 
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