Pre-2000s Football

Brazil v Netherlands in 94 was better tbh

Well just for the Dutch lads I’ll put a shout in for 74 being the best.
It was this game, dethroning the world champions and this tournament that secured Cruyff as the world’s best player.

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Happy birthday to the legendary Roberto Mancini. A great player and a great manager.

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An Italian managerial legend, I was watching a documentary about the Italian national team while they were playing Euro 2020 and he comes across as very quiet polite and unassuming.

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bring back the number 10s.

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One of my favourite players of that Milan era. Says a lot about how good Kaka was that he was able to displace him

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It was tough in '98, not expecting it to be much easier today :hipster:
Having a nostalgia attack right now

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Great team, that.

A shame Boban didn’t get a look in. Tremendous player in his own right

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Not sure what you ment there exactly… He missed this game, idk why, but he was the captain and the main player of that generation, basically Modric’ predecessor (being a much bigger leader, not that good as a player).

The one who was very unlucky to miss that world cup because of the injury (he missed the EURO 96 too) was Boksic. An absolute beast, a prominent Serie A striker at that time. Never left a big legacy in the NT because of the timing of his injuries though.

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This reminds me of Davor Suker, apart from Dennis Bergkamp I don’t think I’ve been as excited about a player coming to Arsenal as him.
Unfortunately he became one of our biggest disappointments probably due to Thierry Henry arriving at the club
What a player though for Real Madrid and Croatia.

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How well was Jarni rated? I always thought he was quite good, too

Buying shares in fucking United didn’t help endear him to the fans.

Great goal v Coventry, though (and in Lee Dixon’s testimonial v Real Madrid)

Ah I don’t remember any of this, rose tinted glasses I suppose

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Can’t really say much about his club reputation, haven’t been following football much at that time, but he’s an absolute legend in the national team.

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Was watching some Maradona clips this morning. Making me want to go back and watch some full games I’ll have to dig out some old DVDs I have

He was a genuine genius. If God given talent is real then he’s the epitome of it. I go through long periods of not watching Maradona and the moment I rewatch him it reminds me of how insanely good he was. Some of the things he did you could tell he was just playing on a whole other stratosphere to any other player on earth.

When I look at the baggy kits, the heavy boots, the muddy pitches it just reminds me of how good he was. Imagine Maradona with these new boots, slim fitting expensive shirts, playing on pristine condition pitches with footballs that probably weigh half as much as the ones he played with. Not to mention with modern understanding of nutrition, training, rest and recovery…

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Whenever I feel nostalgic this is one of my go to matches, NapoliTube is a good channel for games

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When he was playing, the gulf in quality between Maradona and any other player was massive and has never been repeated.

He got Napoli and Argentina to the success they had with consistently world class performances and is why most top players will say he’s the best player they’ve seen.

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I don’t know if you ever saw him play up close, but there was always an aura about him on the pitch which I haven’t experienced with anyone else at a game.
Every game there was an expectation which he felt from the crowd which I’m sure affected his personal life.
He was a lovely guy too always eager to please.

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I think the documentary got him exactly right. When they split him as Diego and Maradona. His life in football was what The Beatles lives were in the early 60s.
Everyone wanting a piece and somehow still being able to produce better and set the bar higher than there contemporaries.

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