Dino Zoff, the former goalkeeper made 570 appearances in Italy’s Serie A from his debut on 24 September 1961 up until his retirement on 2 June 1983. An unassuming man, he enjoyed a hugely successful career at both club and international level. Zoff also made 332 consecutive Italian top-flight appearances for Juventus, without a single … Read more
Brazilian soccer player Claudio Taffarel played as a goalkeeper. He played professional soccer for five clubs in Brazil and Europe during an 18-year career. His senior career began with Internacional in 1985, while his later clubs were Parma, Reggiana, Atlético Mineiro, and Galatasaray. After a second stint with Parma in Italy, his career ended in … Read more
Algerian soccer fans had their own Zidane, long before Zinedine Zidane burst onto the scene in France. Djamel Zidane was an inspiration to the illustrious Frenchman in his formative years. His Kabyle ancestry explains his two-footed appearance. A great deal like his French namesake, he is equally dangerous with the ball and equally comfortable in … Read more
The 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy was a tournament remembered more for tactical and defensive discipline than attacking flair. Yet, there was one side that managed to add some much-needed color to proceedings. Given little chance by the experts of making an impression on their first appearance in the competition, unfancied Costa Rica surprised … Read more
Olaf Thon recalls: “I still remember Peter Shilton not diving towards the corner until the previous penalties from Riedle, Matthaus, and Brehme had already gone in.” So I said to myself: “Come on, son, just hit the target, nothing too precise, nothing too risky’, and that’s what I did. He went the right way, but … Read more
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who famously played for Manchester United and Norway, is now learning to deal with failure since his sacking as the Manchester United manager in November 2021. It’s time for the ‘Baby Faced Assassin’ to move on to new opportunities. With 261 goals in a 453-game career, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is one of … Read more
Zinedine Zidane is one of the greatest soccer players in the game’s history, a true legend who achieved all there is to achieve and did it in style. But what made this French attacking midfielder special, and why has a single incident marred his legendary playing career? Who Is Zinedine Zidane? Zidane was born Zinedine … Read more
There are soccer players around the world whose lone moment will be remembered forever. Even a stellar career can be ruined by an embarrassing own-goal or a costly penalty miss. Luckily for Pat Bonner, he belongs to a more encouraging breed of people. Due to one very special save, the beloved Irish goalkeeper will forever … Read more
Jimmy Payne (James Bolcherson Payne) Born: Bootle, Liverpool, 10 March 1926. Died: Kendal, Cumbria, 22 January 2013. Clubs: Liverpool (Nov 1944 to Apr 1956): FL 224 Appearances, 43 goals, FA Cup runners-up medal (1950) Everton (Apr 1956 to cs. 1957): 5 Appearances Senior Debut: Liverpool vs. Bolton Wanderers, 11 September 1948 Despite most of his … Read more
The 2010 USA World Cup roster was feeling quite confident leading into the tournament. They had previously defeated Spain in the Confederations Cup the year before and had no issues qualifying for the first World Cup being held in Africa. In their first match against arch-rivals England, they drew 1-1- thanks to a Clint Dempsey … Read more