The UEFA Euro Fantasy Draft
- Thread starter Balu
- Start date
It's just the combination with the "u".
When are you free for our match @harms ? I would prefer Friday.
So he gets a bit of credit in the other thread and Edgar picks Matthaus after all 
You guys are such sheep.
You guys are such sheep.
Not all of us!So he gets a bit of credit in the other thread and Edgar picks Matthaus after all
You guys are such sheep.
Schedule semifinals:
Tuesday: SF 2: The Stain vs Team EAP
tbd: SF 1: harms vs Joga Bonito
Tuesday: SF 2: The Stain vs Team EAP
tbd: SF 1: harms vs Joga Bonito
Well, he is the the best midfielder in the draft after allSo he gets a bit of credit in the other thread and Edgar picks Matthaus after all
You guys are such sheep.
He's no Van Moer.Well, he is the the best midfielder in the draft after all
I find it funny that not one player has been picked from bigred side in the latter stages. That match with trv should have gone ahead would have been fun to see how many would just vote for him based on the names.
Doesn't have to be. The star of my midfield is Masopust. Matthaus would do just nice linking with Gullit. Add presence in midfield, support attack/defence etc is something Matthaus can well deliver.
Let's do Friday - I honestly don't know, what is going on with my next week, but I'm going to be quite busy
@Balu
You know you're wrong when your sore joke didn't even get recognized as one at first
You're so defensive about your players mateYou know you're wrong when your sore joke didn't even get recognized as one at first
Just chill outSchedule semifinals:
Tuesday: SF 2: The Stain vs Team EAP
Friday: SF 1: harms vs Joga Bonito
Tuesday: SF 2: The Stain vs Team EAP
Friday: SF 1: harms vs Joga Bonito
I was gutted when that switch didn't materialise.You dodged a bullet there then. Reminds me of that absurd sub you proposed in your game with Sneijder and can't even remember who on for Kluivert and Breitner.
Edit: Hierro
On one occasion, ahead of a game against Romania, Piontek asked for help so that he could show the players a video of the Romanians' free-kicks. Elkjaer came to his rescue and sat down. As Piontek started to address the room, everyone burst out laughing; Piontek was about to admonish the team when he turned round to see a porn movie on the screen. "That was later," says Elkjaer. "The first couple of years nobody dared to do that! But as we began to win the atmosphere was different. When he noticed that now they are serious, now they want to win, now we have a great team, he could relax more and he showed also his funny side. At the start he wasn't funny. We taught him to be funny!"
Elkjaer
Elkjaer
On one occasion, ahead of a game against Romania, Piontek asked for help so that he could show the players a video of the Romanians' free-kicks. Elkjaer came to his rescue and sat down. As Piontek started to address the room, everyone burst out laughing; Piontek was about to admonish the team when he turned round to see a porn movie on the screen. "That was later," says Elkjaer. "The first couple of years nobody dared to do that! But as we began to win the atmosphere was different. When he noticed that now they are serious, now they want to win, now we have a great team, he could relax more and he showed also his funny side. At the start he wasn't funny. We taught him to be funny!"
Elkjaer
Trying to put in some efforts now for the semi finals, researching and rewatching the players.
On one occasion, ahead of a game against Romania, Piontek asked for help so that he could show the players a video of the Romanians' free-kicks. Elkjaer came to his rescue and sat down. As Piontek started to address the room, everyone burst out laughing; Piontek was about to admonish the team when he turned round to see a porn movie on the screen. "That was later," says Elkjaer. "The first couple of years nobody dared to do that! But as we began to win the atmosphere was different. When he noticed that now they are serious, now they want to win, now we have a great team, he could relax more and he showed also his funny side. At the start he wasn't funny. We taught him to be funny!"
Elkjaer
An anecdote from the 4dfoot article I posted earlier.
The Danes appeared to actually enjoy playing football, and Elkjaer symbolized their care-free attitude more than anyone. Where others were seen labouring hard to maintain a disciplined work-rate, Elkjaer appeared to laugh his way to success. The crowds loved him for it. His coaches didn’t. On one occasion, years earlier, the German disciplinarian Hennes Weisweiller informed Elkjær that he knew the player had visited a nightclub in the company of a bottle of whiskey and a lady. Elkjaer responded that it was all a lie. It had been a bottle of vodka. And two ladies.
Legend. And he transferred that care-free attitude and demeanour to the pitch. Not that he didn't care, but caring too much can lead to frustration and frustration sometimes makes a difficult game impossible (ask Rooney).
Another aspect of Elkenigge I like. Polar opposites, but I think they would work well together and have a lot of respect for each other. Joga just has to keep tabs on Preben's off-pitch pranks as Kalle is an irresistible target.
Another aspect of Elkenigge I like. Polar opposites, but I think they would work well together and have a lot of respect for each other. Joga just has to keep tabs on Preben's off-pitch pranks as Kalle is an irresistible target.
Poor Hennes, it must have driven him nuts to see such a talented player waste his career and that's pretty much what happened in those 2 years. I'm happy that Elkjaer turned it around after leaving Cologne, but he might have had a way better career if he listened to the German disciplinarian a bit more.
Not sure these players would react better to discipline. George best is a example closer to home.
While researching, I found a anectode about Meazza. He was late for a match and attendants who were looking for him found him in a brothel/hotel sleeping. They rushed him to stadium without even washing his face. Lots of grumbling amongst the directors/club officials. He went on to score 2 goals and was best player on the pitch. No grumblings after the match
I like how they knew exactly where to look for him.
- Do you know where Meazza is?
- No.
- Did you check the brothel?
- Do you know where Meazza is?
- No.
- Did you check the brothel?
I would have sworn he just drove up to the stadium with last night's clothes and ladies in tow.Not sure these players would react better to discipline. George best is a example closer to home.
While researching, I found a anectode about Meazza. He was late for a match and attendants who were looking for him found him in a brothel/hotel sleeping. They rushed him to stadium without even washing his face. Lots of grumbling amongst the directors/club officials. He went on to score 2 goals and was best player on the pitch. No grumblings after the match
Maybe that was another game though.
Not relevant for this draft but I was rewatching Desailly as I primarily have memories of him as a centre back, like most of us I'd assume. Was checking out Desailly's 94 CL final performance. Are there any official statistics on those games? I counted it to 23 tackles/Interceptions won and 3 clearances and I felt like I could have given a lot more tackles/interceptions to him there. No wonder they called him the Octopus, that is by far the best defensive statistics I've ever seen.
That 'interception' at 1.50 . Never seen one like that before - quite the commitment.
. Never seen one like that before - quite the commitment.Highlight of the week - Bernd Schuster at Euro 1980
Hennes Weisweiler said:
Karl Stotz said:
Franz Beckenbauer said:
Rinus Michels said:
Rainer Bonhof said:
Helenio Herrera said:
Alfredo Relaño said:
Don Balon said:
Vujadin Boskov said:
Nicolau Casaus said:
Diego Maradona said:
Diego Maradona said:
Good against Belgium, just loves to carry the ball doesn't he and showed a very good all round game. Has the passing range, work rate, positioning as well as the bursts to create things offensively. Really really great performance versus the Netherlands there, why wasn't Kaltz providing the width instead of Schuster? Any background story to it?
They both did, Schuster moved back or centrally while Kaltz ran forward to make a cross, most of Kaltz' runs aren't included here because this is purely a Schuster video. Always good to have multiple options.
Just today:
Barcelona ace Xavi admits he grew up idolising Bernd Schuster.
The German played for Barca and Real Madrid and also coached Real later in his career.
"As a youngster, the player I looked up to was Bernd Schuster. When I got put in central midfield, I used to watch him play and I'd be transfixed," Xavi told El Periódico.
"Later I began to model myself on Pep: the way he'd play one-touch passes, how he'd accelerate, the way he'd slow things down, how he shaped himself to receive the ball, looking around in every direction first."
Barcelona ace Xavi admits he grew up idolising Bernd Schuster.
The German played for Barca and Real Madrid and also coached Real later in his career.
"As a youngster, the player I looked up to was Bernd Schuster. When I got put in central midfield, I used to watch him play and I'd be transfixed," Xavi told El Periódico.
"Later I began to model myself on Pep: the way he'd play one-touch passes, how he'd accelerate, the way he'd slow things down, how he shaped himself to receive the ball, looking around in every direction first."
Even Desailly seems to have good taste
Who were your heroes growing up?
Diego Armando Maradona! And Bernd Schuster, strangely. The blond German – I used to like him. Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson the two basketball heroes. And then there were Nantes players I looked up to when I was coming up through the ranks, legendary Canaries like Loic Amisse – ah, the calf muscles of Amisse! Maxime Bossis, too, The Giraffe! Tremendous.
Who were your heroes growing up?
Diego Armando Maradona! And Bernd Schuster, strangely. The blond German – I used to like him. Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson the two basketball heroes. And then there were Nantes players I looked up to when I was coming up through the ranks, legendary Canaries like Loic Amisse – ah, the calf muscles of Amisse! Maxime Bossis, too, The Giraffe! Tremendous.
Gianpiero Combi
Italian legend Gianpiero Combi was one of the finest goalkeepers in the world in the pre-Second World War era. A one-club
man throughout his career, he represented Juventus for more that 12 years during one of the most successful periods in the
club's history. Famed for his remarkable agility which earned him the nickname 'Rubberman', he was also the first choice
goalkeeper for the Italian national team for many years and was the first goalkeeper to captain a World Cup winning team.
Combi was born in Turin on 20 November 1902, and remained based in his home city throughout his life. His potential was
quickly spotted by Juventus, and he spent much of his teenage years working his way through the club's youth system. Over
the next few seasons, Combi was almost an ever present fixture in the Juventus goal, and the understanding that he
developed with full-backs Virginio Rosetta and Umberto Caligaris would become a famous part of the club's history.
Although Juventus were always a strong team in the early years of Combi's career, they had never been able to claim any
major honours but the 1925-26 season would change all that. The season included a remarkable run where Combi kept ten
consecutive clean sheets between 25 October 1925 and 21 February 1926, with Juve winning nine of those matches. In total
the run without conceding a goal lasted for 934 minutes of play, a record in Italian football. With Combi conceding just
14 goals in 22 games, Juve won their group by eight clear points to enter the northern championship play-off. In a play
off that went to three matches, they edged past Bologna and went on to face Alba Roma, where a crushing 12-1 aggregate win
game them the title and Combi his first domestic honour.
Italy chose not to enter the inaugural World Cup in 1930, but Combi did claim another international title in that year in
the Central European International Cup. The tournament ran across three years, but in the final match on 11 May 1930
Italy had to beat Hungary to finish as champions. Combi kept a clean sheet in the match, and Italy's prolific forward
line secured a comfortable 5-0 victory. The following year, he captained his country for the first time in a match
against Czechoslovakia in Rome.
The early years of the 1930s also brought Combi his greatest run of success at club level. In 1930-31, he missed just
five league games as Juventus won the Serie A title - their first in the national league era and third overall. The team
would go on to win the league in each of the next three seasons as well, and Combi missed just five more league games in
the whole of that run, having been ever present in both the 1931-32 and 1932-33 seasons. He was the first goalkeeper to
appear in four consecutive league title winning seasons, and still one of just two to achieve that feat (Zoff).
He appeared in every one of Italy's five games at the 34' WC and was captain for all but the first. The part that Combi
played in leading his team to the final was crucial. When the quarter-final against Spain went to a replay, he kept a
clean sheet in that second meeting as Italy won 1-0, and repeated the feat in the semi-final against Austria's highly
fancied 'Wunderteam'. In that match he made several key saves to help his team through to the final. In the final, he was
matched against another of the greatest goalkeepers of the era, Czechoslovakia's František Plánička. Although
Czechoslovakia took the lead, it was Combi who came out on top as his team recovered to win 2-1 after extra-time giving him
the honour of receiving the Jules Rimet Trophy as the winning captain.
He was a constant in the team that won the CEIC 35', appearing in 4/5 years before he retired in 34'. Combi stayed at Juventus after his retirement, serving as a technical advisor and a scout. In 1951, he was appointed as joint manager of the Italian national team alongside Carlino Beretta and Toni Busini, and led the team for five matches without suffering defeat. Five years later, he died in Turin at the age of just 53. He is still recognised by the club as one of its greatest legends, with at one point suggestions being made that the club's stadium should be named after him.
Typical Desailly, he has a habit of dropping the gayest comments.
Look at him. I wouldn't give him the time of the day, far less let him keep my goal. lol, just kidding.
Hehe, got it. That was the most flattering pic i could find.
Just curious, why did you pick Beckenbauer when you already had Kh Forster?
