World Cup story 1: Boniek from Honduras!

Honduras reached for the first time in their history the World Cup! We are in the summer of 1982, year in which the team from Central America participates at the final tournament. They won’t make it through the group stage, but the two draws against Spain and Northern Ireland and an almost one in front of Yugoslavia, against which they lost 0-1 in the 88th minute, looks like great reasons for a national party. The historical moment was also enjoyed a lot by mister Garcia. In fact, many guys named Garcia celebrated in Honduras their countries achievement, but this one is a particular one. He continued to watch the tournament even though his country was out and he witnessed one of the major surprises of the competition. The national team of Poland reached the third spot at the end only because Italy, the future champions, beat them in the semifinals. Still, leaving behind Cameroon, Peru, Soviet Union, Belgium and France was quite a shocker.

All this was possible thanks to a group of great players, guided by the legendary Zbingniew Boniek. A footballer which impressed very much mister Garcia, even though the man was initially concentrated on his native country, Honduras, which also left a good impression. Two years past and the same Boniek won three major trophies alongside Italian giants Juventus Torino. Serie A, The Cup Winners’ Cup and the European Super Cup. In the same year, in Honduras, the wife on mister Garcia gave birth to a son. We are in September. Still with the fresh memories of the World Cup in his head and with the ones of Boniek even fresher, from now one his idol, mister Garcia took the decision: his son has to be named Oscar Boniek! Exactly, the middle name after the great Pole! Also, almost sure, his biggest wish would be to see his boy playing football at international level. Like Boniek appearing in the shirt of Honduras!

Only a dream once, became true in 2005, when Oscar Boniek put that shirt on for the first time! By now he gathered another 90 (!) and so he’s been one of the most capped players from the history of his country. A country, Honduras, which also meets maybe its best period from all its existence. First, the qualification to another World Cup, in 2010, after 28 years. Five years from Oscar Boniek’s first appearance flew and he was for sure a part of the squad for the tournament. Unfortunately, he didn’t play a single minute there, but in 2014 the situation will be different for sure! For the third time in the history and second time in a row, the Central Americans, will play at the supreme tournament. This time, with Boniek in the squad. Not the one which thrilled mister Garcia in 1982 with his performance in the shirt of Poland, but his own son who now will try to fulfill the expectations of most people from Honduras who dream at a first World Cup victory!

Austria, the 128-th!

The UEFA Champions’ League edition that is about to start will gather, as usual, 32 teams at the start of the competition. From all, one is at its first appearance in the most important competition from the continent: Austria Wien. In fact, the Austrians will be the 128-th team to take part in the UEFA Champions’ League group stage, since the first edition of this format, in 1992. Words are useless in this kind of article, so I will present you, above, a complete list of the squads that qualified for the group phase of this competition.

France
Olympigue Marseille
AS Monaco
Paris Saint Germain
FC Nantes Atlantique
AJ Auxerre
RC Lens
Girondins de Bordeaux
Olympigue Lyon
OSC Lille
Montpellier

Scotland
Glasgow Rangers
Celtic Glasgow

Belgium
Club Brugge
Anderlecht Brussels
Lierse
KRC Genk
Standard Liege

Russia
CSKA Moscow
Spartak Moscow
Lokomotiv Moscow
Zenit Sankt Petersburg
Rubin Kazan

Italy
AC Milan
Juventus Turin
AC Parma
Inter Milan
Lazio Rome
AC Fiorentina
AS Rome
Udinese Calcio
SC Napoli

Sweden
IFK Goteborg
AIK Solna
Helsingborg

Portugal
FC Porto
Benfica Lisbon
Sporting Lisbon
Boavista Porto
Sporting Braga

Netherlands
PSV Eindhoven
Ajax Amsterdam
Feyenoord Rotterdam
Willem II Tilburg
SC Heerenveen
AZ Alkmaar
Twente Enschede

Spain
FC Barcelona
Real Madrid
Athletic Bilbao
Atletico Madrid
FC Valencia
Deportivo La Coruna
Real Mallorca
Real Sociedad
Celta Vigo
CF Villareal
Real Betis Seville
FC Seville
Malaga

Turkey
Galatasaray Istanbul
Beşiktaş Istanbul
Fenrbahce Istanbul
Bursaspor
Trabzonspor

Germany
Werder Bremen
Bayern Munich
Borussia Dortmund
Bayer Leverkusen
FC Kaiserslautern
Hertha Berlin
SV Hamburg
Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen
VfB Stuttgart
VfL Wolfsburg

England
Manchester United
Blackburn Rovers
Newcastle United
Arsenal London
Chelsea London
Leeds United
FC Liverpool
Tottenham Hotspur
Manchester City

Ukraine
Dinamo Kiev
Sahtior Donetsk

Croatia
Hajduk Split
Croatia / Dinamo Zagreb

Romania
Steaua Bucharest
CFR Cluj
Unirea Urziceni
Oţelul Galaţi

Austria
Casino Salzburg
Sturm Graz
Rapid Wien
Austria Wien

Greece
AEK Athens
Panathinaikos Athens
Olympiacos Piraeus

Denmark
Aalborg
IF Brondby Copenhagen
FC Copenhagen
Nordsjaelland

Poland
Legia Warszawa
Widzew Lodz

Norway
Rosenborg Trondheim
FK Molde

Hungary
Ferencvaros Budapest
Debrecen

Switzerland
Grasshopper Zurich
FC Basel
FC Thun
FC Zurich

Czech Republic
Sparta Prague
Slavia Prague
Viktoria Plzen

Slovakia
FC Kosice
Artmedia Bratislava
Zilina

Finland
HJK Helsinki

Slovenia
NK Maribor

Israel
Maccabi Haifa
Maccabi Tel-Aviv
Hapoel Tel-Aviv

Serbia
Partizan Belgrade

Bulgaria
Levski Sofia

Cipru
Anorthosis Famagusta
APOEL Nicosia

Belarus
BATE Borisov

Ronaldinho, the trophy collector

Ronaldinho is no ordinary football player. He is the type which resists in front of the spotlight all his career. No matter what happens. Since 1998 and until the very current 2013, the legendary Brazilian midfielder means something for football lovers. In fact, he means a lot! The debut from Gremio, first experience in Europe at PSG – a team which wasn’t at the caliber of the one Paris has right now -, the World Cup won alongside Brazil, the European domination with a magic FC Barcelona, the transfer to AC Milan… A short description of his prodigious career, until 2011. In that year, maybe even one earlier, something looked like breaking up and his prestige got lower and lower. He return to play in his native Brazil. First at Flamengo, were, despite being one of the best players, he didn’t impress. But he did impress a couple of days ago, alongside more modest Atletico Mineiro, squad for which he plays since 2012. Why? Because he help his squad winning its first Copa Libertadores from the history that started in 1908! In fact this was the second important trophy achieved by Atletico in its existence, after the first league obtained in 1971!

Still, for Ronaldinho the trophy means even more. Reaching 33 years last spring, the number 10 became the first name in the history of football which wins the World Cup, Copa America, the Confederations Cup, UEFA Champions League, the Golden Ball and Copa Libertadores. „This was the reason” for returning in Brazil”, said Ronaldinho after lifting the trophy above his head. And how right he is! Looking back at his career, let’s remember all his major achievements:

18.07.1999, Ronaldinho wins his first important international trophy, Copa America with Brazil.

30.06.2002, Brazil, with Ronaldinho in the team, becomes fifth time World Champion.

29.06.2005, The midfielder scores a goal in the Confederations Cup final, 4-1, against Argentina.

29.11.2005, the Brazilian is awarded with the Golden Ball for the only time in his career.

17.05.2006, Ronaldinho is named the best man of the UEFA Champions League final, 2-1 for Barcelona in front of Arsenal.

24.07.2013, after seven years of expectations, Ronaldinho completes his trophy collection with Copa Libertadores.

Tahiti new entry

Saudi Arabia, United States, Argentina, Ivory Coast, Denmark, Mexico, Nigeria, Japan, Brazil, Australia, Czech Republic, Uruguay, United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Bolivia, Egypt, Germany, New Zealand, France, South Korea, Cameroon, Canada, Colombia, Turkey, Tunisia, Greece, Spain, Iraq, Italy. It looks like a random list of countries from all continents, but in reality we are talking about the all participants of the FIFA Confederations Cup from 1992 until 2009. 29 nations took part of the mini World Cup and all have something in common: all participated, at least once, at a real World Cup tournament, since 1930. It’s fair that a part of them first appeared at the Confederations’ and after a while at their first supreme tournament. Now, in 2013, a new entry is about to take place. The 30th team! We are talking about Tahiti, a national team that never participated at a World Cup and definitely never could have catch even this competition, if Australia didn’t have change the continent in which it played!

Tahiti is the most exotic name which participated in an intercontinental official competition. Maybe can only be compared with Trinidad & Tobago who appeared at the final tournament from 2006, in Germany. But the Caribbean country managed then a huge 0-0 with Sweden, so for Tahiti this seems a heavy heritage. Unlikely that they will gather any point in a group with Spain, Uruguay and Nigeria, but their coach figured out a solution that will help in improving their little chances. Its name? Marama Vahirua! Most football lovers know that the 33 years old forward was born in the capital town of Tahiti, Papeete, and made career in the French league at Nantes, Nice, Lorient, Nancy and Monaco. So, naturally, he had only two choices to appear as an international. Of course, the two nations mentioned above. Still, after only six matches at U21 level for France, between 2001 and 2002, Marama, wasn’t caped ever again. But didn’t choose to represent Tahiti. Now, at the end of his career, he got another chance because Tahiti needs him the most. This time he won’t refuse it because the chance of playing against Spain and Uruguay, in official matches, it’s a real one-in-a-life-time chance for a player born in an exotic country such this.

Sure, Tahiti’s chances to win any point remain almost the same as without Vahirua, which means approximately equal to zero… But the probability of them scoring some goals increases considerably, because even though their new striker has a quite advanced age, his sense of opposite post surely increased as years passed. Or at least remained, in general terms, the same as ten years ago, even though speed and stamina got a bit down…

Though, forgive me, because I omitted to present an essential thing: how in the earth qualified Tahiti for this competition which still remains a hard reachable one?! In fact, we all know that only champions from all continents have the right to participate. OK, so in the Oceania things are easier now since the Australian national football team, by far the best in the region from all time, decided to join competitions from Asia, but still this doesn’t explain the success of Tahiti. I mean, New Zealand still plays here and despite not being at Australia’s level, they have important performances in front of all other countries from Oceania. In fact, the first eight editions of the OFC Nations Cup were shared by the two countries mentioned before: four each. Since 1973 and until 2012, no other side raised the trophy above its head even though Tahiti, in three occasions, and New Caledonia, in two times, reached the final, which they eventually lost.

But last year, in 2012, Tahiti shocked with a great performance which included five victories out of five matches. 10-1 against Samoa, 4-1 against Vanuatu and, most important, a decisive 4-3 against New Caledonia, ensured him that they won’t play in the semifinal against the powerful New Zealand. So, there, the Solomon Islands, was a good opponent, especially because they also were the hosts of the tournament, but Tahiti pushed to the final after a 1-0 win. There, they once again avoided New Zealand, again thanks to New Caledonia. The French colony surprisingly beat 2-0 and the last group match was replayed. Tahiti won again, this time with 1-0, thanks to the historical goal of Chong Hue, from the 10th minute. The first important success from Tahiti’s history and which ensured a very unexpected qualification to the FIFA Confederations Cup. A competition which starts tomorrow and has the role to show if Brazil is ready for hosting the World Cup from the next year!

The ODD performance

Taking a look on the lists of teams which won the most national Cups in the most countries of Europe, we see names like Barcelona, Bayern, Galatasaray, Juventus, Manchester United, Olympiacos, Ajax, FC Bruges, Malmo, Marseille or Benfica. So, naturally, you think that also, in Norway, the top team at this chapter should be Rosenborg Trondheim, the squad which won 22 League titles, much more than Fredrikstad which held the second spot in this table, with ‘only’ nine ‘pieces’. But what a surprise! The situation isn’t this way, because leader is Odd Grenland. For sure, few of you heard about this squad and this isn’t something to be blamed for! And the explanation is quite simple… How can a team known in international or at least European football, if it hadn’t win a single League title? Well, they didn’t…

Quite a big surprise for a club founded in 1894 especially if we take in consideration that Odd Grenland won 12 Norwegian Cups! Exactly, more than any other squad from this country! Fredrikstad has win 11 and Rosenborg only nine! So, Odd is really an ODD appearance for any football lover. Now the club plays in the top league, but is quite a modest presence. In fact, all their history was quite discrete: their headquarters can be found in Skien a small town with little more than 70.000 inhabitants and their colors are, well… black and white! But the remark isn’t the same when you strictly talk about the Cup. So, Odd won the competition in 12 occasions: 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1913, 1915, 1919, 1922, 1924, 1926, 1931, 2000, playing also another eight finals: 1902, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1921, 1937, 1960, 2002.

You maybe think that this is more than enough for such a little team, but hold on! There is more! What? Well… is a 58.13 meters header good enough to take your attention? I guess so! This happened much more recently than the last Cup achieved, on 25th of September 2011. In that day, Tromso was desperate to equalize and their goalkeeper went into the opposite box. That corner was quite dangerous but Odd players cleared the danger and got a counterattack from which resulted, after a couple of ricochets a header from the own half of Jone Samuelsen. So, it result the longest header which ended in a goal from professional football and also to mention is that the distance was calculated by the Norwegian Police! The ‘masterpiece’ of a man who played 45 matches for all Norwegian national teams’ levels from U16 to U21, but without scoring a single goal!

Chain of curses for the Wunderteam

It is said, that the first ever football team to practice total football was the Austrian national squad from the ’30. Not Ajax from the ’70, Milan from the ’90 or Barcelona from current days! No, Austria was it. All football lovers know that side as ‘The Wunderteam’, but even though it was the most powerful team of its era, Austria didn’t win what so ever any major trophy. All of these mostly because a long row of bad lucks, maybe even curses! All started in 1934, at the World Cup in Italy. Austria qualified to the semifinal against the host nation and the lads from central Europe were by then considered major favorites for raising the trophy above their heads. The reality on the pitch was totally different. Still, the bad weather forbid Austria to play its style and the harsh marking of Luis Monti, to Matthais Sindelar, the captain and most important player of the Austrians weren’t enough! So, the legend say that the referee from the match officiated unevenly so the only goal of the encounter, from the 19th minute, came after the Wunderteams’ goalkeeper was pushed over the goal line.

Austria lost after also the third place match, but the boys started to prepare the next major competition: 1938 World Cup. All things should have been promising, but the death in 1937 of Hugo Meisl, the coach and architect of the Wunderteam, because of a heart-attack at only 55 years of age, generated a quick decline. Even though Austria did qualify for the tournament, they couldn’t play, because Nazi Germany annexed the country in March 1938 and Hitler ordered that all players appear for one team, obviously, Germany. A black end for a beautiful team, but no one could figure that this chain of curses will end here.

In early 1939, after a strange episode, Matthias Sindelar, the key player of that squad and stthe greatest footballer of all time from the history of Austria were found dead, alongside his girlfriend in his house from Wien. Clear was only that the death was caused by a carbon monoxide poisoning. The official statement reveled that it was an accident, but the myth say that Sindelar committed suicide because of the German Anschluss of Austria only a couple of years before, and because in this case he couldn’t have beneficiate of a grave of honor, all changed into an accident. Sindelar, which is still known as “The Mozart of football” or the “Paper man”, because of his fragile physical constitution played in eleven years for his country (1926 – 1937) 43 matches and scored 37 goals. From these, a couple such are: 7-1 and 8-1 against Switzerland, 6-0 and 8-2 in front of Hungary, 5-0 and 6-0 with Germany and 5-0 against Scotland, will forever remain in the history, even though all were friendly encounters.

Real Madrid has English roots

In these days all TV channels and newspaper from Spain and from all over the World talk about Mourinho’s situation at Real Madrid. The Portuguese coach is about to fulfill his third season on the bench of the team and this will be, probably, his last. But I don’t want to talk about Mourinho right now, but he is the perfect ‘bridge’ to pass through the history of Real Madrid. Like any other giant club from Europe, it is natural that Real must have on the bench the best coaches as possible in different points of the history and, for sure, many of them couldn’t have been Spanish citizens. A total of 27 foreign managers walked on Paseo de la Castellana in the 111 years history of Real Madrid. But who could ever guessed that even the first full-time coach of ‘Los Blancos’ was from outside Spain’s borders?!?!

The story is about a man named Arthur Johnson, born in 1879, and the specification of ‘the first full-time coach’ is very necessary as he didn’t took in charge in 1902, when Real Madrid was established, but only in 1910. The date being noted in the history of the club as the one when Real Madrid got its first true coach! But Johnson wasn’t only a quick and unnoticed presence in the family of Real Madrid, as his mandate was the second longest in the history of ‘Los Blancos’, surpassed only by Miguel Munoz who trained on ‘Santiago Bernabeu’ from 1960 and until 1974. Fourteen years, comparing to the decade in which Johnson set on the bench of the capital team (1910-1920). La Liga, didn’t exist in that period, only regional championships, and Real Madrid did manage to win that in four occasions.

More important than that was the Copa del Rey. The competition, founded in 1902, was won in four occasions by Real Madrid before the arrival of Arthur. In 1916, after a memorable semifinal against Barcelona, won after four encounters, Real passed through the final. At that moment, goal difference was not important, so after Barcelona won 2-1 at home, Real obtained a 4-1 crushing victory on home soil and this ensured a play-off. 6-6 after extra time and another replay was necessary which, eventually, Real Madrid won 4-2, but with great complains from the Catalans, which claimed that their fourth goal was scored from off-side. The rivalry existed but in that period the hate increased to parameters that lasted until our days. Unfortunately, in the final, ‘Los Blancos’ lost 4-0 against Bilbao and the celebration had to wait one more year, for 1917. That was the season at the end of which Johnson obtained his first and only big trophy alongside Real Madrid, after a 2-1 victory in the last act in front of Arenas.

Besides the story mentioned above, Arthur Johnson will forever remain the man under which command, Real Madrid played for the first time in complete white, color which remained unchanged for more than a hundred years and contributed decisively to the nick name of Real Madrid: ‘Los Blancos’. Also, in 1912, two years after he was named head coach, at the club played his first match the legendary Santiago Bernabeu. On 3rd of March, the future trainer and president of the club, was only 16 years old but hadn’t have any problem in scoring the winner in the friendly match against English Sports Club ended with 2-1. So, how could such an important man from the history of the club which is probably the most popular in the world disappear like an anonymous? I mean if we search all Internet sources, none can tell us when and where he ended his life! Shocking, I think, considering that we speak about Real Madrid’s first coach!

Wait! This is not all the story! Why? Well, because Arthur Johnson took part, as a player, in Real Madrid’s first squad to ever play a football game. It happened on 13th of May 1902, when he was 23 years old. An encounter against the traditional rivals, FC Barcelona, lost 3-1. But guess who scored the only goal of ‘Los Blancos’? Arthur was obviously that man! What a mark he left on this club’s history and nobody now what happened to him during time. Very strange but also too sad in the same time…

Football, a German religion!

We all are stunned about Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich’s performance to reach the UEFA Champions’ League final. The first 100 percent German final in this competition and the second clash between two clubs from this country in a dispute with a European trophy on the table! The first one consumed in the UEFA Cup, in 1980, between Frankfurt and Monchengladbach… Quite a while passed from then, huh? But what might be the secret of these two German clubs which became continental giants in an era dominated by Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, exactly the victims from these two weeks? Well, physical preparation, lots of money and perfect tactic might be the full answer, but definitely something’s missing. The piece of puzzle which isn’t as perceptible as the others, but without which surely none of this achievements could have been as sweet they are.

Borussia fans in Madrid, 30.04.2013…

Some reports say that at Madrid, for the second leg of the UEFA Champion’s League semi-final came around 40.000 fans from Borussia Dortmund!!! It’s not a mistake! They went to celebrate with their favorites even though only quarter of them had entrance tickets! Stunning, right? Well, I might say yes, even for a club which so good performance in recent years, but the story should move now in some other cities from Germany which never had in the past decades a team in the first tier but still, their fans continue to come in big numbers especially at the home matches.

For the start, let’s speak about Rot-Weiss Essen. The former German champions from 1955 struggle now in the lower divisions, in the fourth tier in present days, to be more accurate! No promotion chances but unfortunately also no relegation fears. In other words, the club founded in 1907 meets mediocrity for a while, but their supporters don’t care about this. They only want to come at the stadium to see their favorites playing. So, at some home encounters in the stands more than 8.000 people came! OK, the stadium has a capacity over than 20.000 places – and by the way, it is the first pitch with floodlights from the former RFG, event which took place in 1956 -, but can you imagine more than a few teams from the top division in Romania which can gather these numbers at home games during the season? Ensure you not! But in the end how can this be surprisingly for an Essen inhabitant, if we consider that the same team had an average of 6.355 fans per game in the 2010-2011 says it all! Were where they playing then? In the fifth division!!! Yes, this is an outstanding performance, because at same level other, in the fourth tier, are also playing Magdeburg, Lokomotive Leipzig and Carl Zeiss Jena, well known German clubs, but which don’t benefit of such support. Still, a few thousand people also come to see them playing!

Now, the story should be moved to higher leagues, but I’ll keep the essence around the same tier. It’s Preussen Munster’s turn now. A squad which in 2011 promoted to the third league and now has big chances in advancing in the Zweite Bundesliga! But Munster has a touching story. A founding member of the Bundesliga, they only played once in the top flight, in that first 1963 – 1964. So, already a half of century nearly passed, but their fans are still thirsty to see their boys’ home matches. Now, in the third league, around maximum 10.000 supporters come on home soil, but a unbelievable happening took place in May 2011, when the club founded in 1906 was celebrating promotion in the third division in a game against Borussia Monchengladbach II. They won 3-0 and the victory was accompanied by almost 20.000 fans!!! So, a double number of fans that Essen had. OK, it was a celebration then but still, to play with so many fans in the fourth league looks incredible to me and I guess to any football lover. But how could it be different when we find out that on the first ever day of Bundesliga play on 24 August 1963, Preussen Munster’s game against Hamburg was the only complete sell out. The team earned another broadcasting first as this was also the first recorded Bundesliga match. The contest ended in a 1-1 draw!

Now wait a minute because this isn’t all! Dynamo Dresden was eight time football champion in the former RFD, but from the unification they didn’t quite keep up in the top flight so, for nearly 20 years, they didn’t played once in Budesliga. Do you thing fans care about this?! If yes, you are very wrong. With a stadium of little more than 32.000 seats, Dynamo has at each home game somewhere around 30.000 people in the stands!!! It is important to know that despite they are in the second tier at the moment, they will fight not to fall lower, because, most likely, they’ll play a relegation play-off! So, weak chances for this team to get a Bundesliga promotion in the following years, but this is not a problem! And if we think that Dynamo doesn’t at least have the same tradition of the other two squads, mentioned above, as their birth date is registered in 1950… In fact this is all the beauty and one of the main factors which increased spectacular the level in German football. In fact, the loyalty of the fans contributed in saving Borussia Dortmund from financial collapse a couple of years ago, right? So what a reward they are getting now! Maybe, someday, football lovers from Essen, Munster and Dresden would have the chance of saying the same thing… Even though not necessary because two national titles won in a row or a Champions’ League final.

Winning and scoring goals isn’t everything!

Continuing the story of Jupp Heynckes – the player – we must talk about two incredible episodes in which Borussia Monchengladbach was involved in the ’70s, with the attacker in the starting line. Two games in which the Germans scored 19 goals (!!!!) which proved to don’t count in the end! Chronologically, the first event took place on 20th of October 1971. After winning their second league title in 1971, Borussia got the chance to appear in the Champions Cup. There, they wanted so bad to make a good impression and after putting out Cork Hibernians in the first round, they awake with Inter Milan in the second round, a giant in European football, which had already won two titles in this competition. But that 20th of October seemed like the best moment in the history of the Germans. A 7-1 crushing victory for the hosts, match in which including Heynckes scored two goals, look to secure by far a well-deserved and in the same time shocking qualification.

So big was the celebration, that an apparently insignificant detail was neglected. A Coca-Cola can hit Roberto Bonisegna, in the 29th minute, when the table showed only 2-1 for the hosts. The match continued, but at the end, desperate because of the result, the Italians made a complain. That idea proved decisive in the end, because the judges decide: the 7-1 victory would be canceled and the match must be played again! A shocker for all Borussias’ lovers! The only consolation was that the game should be replayed after the one from Milan, which was to originally supposed to be the decisive leg. But how can you concentrate when such a thing happens?! Surely not to well… The proof stays in the way they lost, 2-4 and despite qualification chances were still considerable, at home the former 7-1 transformed into a pale 0-0. A big drama for the coach, the players and the fans… And the impression that a small detail can turn upside down happiness and transform it into tears. This time, that detail took the shape of a Coca-Cola can…

Almost seven years forward from that black date, on 29th of April 1978, Borussia Monchengladbach was trying to win its sixth champion title. They were head to head with FC Koln and about to play home against Borussia Dortmund. A win is mandatory but the big problem is that, if Koln also beats FC Saint Pauli, all that counts is the goal difference and at the moment, Monchengladbach has a gap with ten goals less than Koln. So, it looks like an impossible mission as they have to beat Dortmund at more than ten goals difference!!! Especially because we talk about Germany, one of those nations known for the correctitude of its people! Still, the encounter ended with a devastating 12-0 win which is until now the biggest win of Monchengladbach, the worst loose for Dortmund and the highest goal difference between two teams in the history of Bundesliga!!! A match in which nearly half of the goals was scored by the same Jupp Heynckes! Five, to be more precise, including one in the first minute!

But can you imagine that this wasn’t enough for the trophy? Well it wasn’t, because Koln also took care to win their match with a sufficient 5-0 so that way they could achieve their third and last title until now! So, this way, two crushing victories proved to be useless in the end because of different causes. Still, from the total of 19 goals, Jupp Heynckes scored seven. The same Jupp Heynckes which now created, as a coach, maybe one of the most powerful team from Bayern Munich’s history!

The other Jupp Heynckes

Bayern Munich crushed FC Barcelona, 4-0, in the first leg of this year UEFA Champions’ League semi-final and one man stands behind this success, the coach Jupp Heynckes. Of course, he has brilliant players like Gomez, Mandzukic, Muller, Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Robben or Ribery, but he owns the key of making the mechanism working. Why? Well, because this man trained with great results in the ’80s, ’90s and also in our days. Two league titles with Bayern Munich, before the unification of RDG and RFG and a Champions’ League with Real Madrid in 1998, says everything. Now, he embarrassed a team which many think that is the best in the history. What’s next? Well, couldn’t tell, but I can say something about his player career which was also tremendous!

Born on 9th of May 1945, in Monchengladbach, Heynckes wrote history at the local club from 1963 to 1978, with a break of three seasons (1967-1970), when he experienced a spell at Hannover. During his time at Borussia, Jupp experience fame and glory as he took part in the greatest team that the town had in its entire history which started on the 1st of August 1900. From five league titles, Monchengladbach won four (1971, 1975, 1976, 1977) with Heynckes as a striker. As well as a German Cup (1973), a UEFA Cup (1974) and the only Champions Cup final, in 1977. And what a striker Jupp was! In an era dominated by Gerd Mueller, Heynckes got two top scorer titles, in 1974 and 1975! In fact, in ten top flight seasons for Borussia, the attacker played 369 official games and 263 official goals!!! Impressive or what?!

After, from 1979 until 1987, Jupp coached the squad and even though did not win any trophy, he ended his job there with a brilliant balance: 340 games, 167 wins, 77 draws and 96 losses. A total of 731 goals scored by his lads and 509 conceded… So, in his career, Heynckes appeared for Monchengladbach, on the pith or on the bench, in a total of 709 matches! All for the team from his native town! How many football stories more beautiful than this can be? Not too many, for sure! But if you think that this is all you’re terrible mistaking again! I will expose two strange stories in which Heynckes was actively involved when playing, but in the next article because it is too much to tell here in order for you to have patience to read it all so, use your mouse and go above!