# Chapter 8: Players & Legends

Football · Chapter 8: Players & Legends · Insporta Book (https://book.insporta.app/football/interesting-facts/chapter-8-players-legends/)

The people behind the names: nicknames of the greats, Ballon d'Or stories, trailblazers abroad, goalkeepers' lives, careers after football, one-club men, footballing families, captains' moments, unusual paths to the top and the awards named after players.

## 8.81 Nicknames of the Greats

Der Bomber, Der Kaiser, the Black Panther, the Divine Ponytail, the Galloping Major, Garrincha and Kaká.

### Test 1: Players' nicknames

- He scored 365 Bundesliga goals for Bayern. (Source: FC Bayern, 'Gerd Müller, der Bomber der Nation' and 'Franz Beckenbauer' (fcbayern.com))
- The nickname is often linked to a photo beside a bust of the Austrian emperor. (Source: FC Bayern, 'Gerd Müller, der Bomber der Nation' and 'Franz Beckenbauer' (fcbayern.com))
- He was born in Mozambique and scored nine goals at the 1966 World Cup. (Source: SL Benfica, 'Eusébio' (slbenfica.pt))
- The ponytail went with his Buddhist faith and his elegant play. (Source: FIGC, 'Roberto Baggio' (figc.it))
- Honvéd was the army club, and its players held military ranks. (Source: Hungarian Football Federation, 'Puskás Ferenc' (mlsz.hu))
- His sister is said to have given him the name as a boy. (Source: CBF, 'Garrincha' and 'Kaká' (cbf.com.br))
- The name stuck from childhood. (Source: CBF, 'Garrincha' and 'Kaká' (cbf.com.br))
- 1927, 1929, 1942 and 1945. (Source: Club and federation heritage pages: fcbayern.com, slbenfica.pt, mlsz.hu, figc.it, cbf.com.br)
- 1963, 1965, 1970 and 1972. (Source: France Football, 'Ballon d'Or: the winners since 1956' (francefootball.fr))
- He played his whole club career for Dynamo Moscow. (Source: Russian Football Union, 'Lev Yashin' (rfs.ru); FIFA)

## 8.82 Ballon d'Or Stories

Matthews first, Di Stéfano twice, Platini three in a row, Keegan at Hamburg, Best in 1968 and Modrić in 2018.

### Test 1: Ballon d'Or history

- He was 41 and playing for Blackpool. (Source: France Football, 'Ballon d'Or: the winners since 1956' (francefootball.fr))
- He won in 1957 and 1959 with Real Madrid. (Source: France Football, 'Ballon d'Or: the winners since 1956' (francefootball.fr))
- He won in 1983, 1984 and 1985 while at Juventus. (Source: France Football, 'Ballon d'Or: the winners since 1956' (francefootball.fr))
- He won in 1978 and 1979. (Source: Hamburger SV, 'Kevin Keegan' (hsv.de))
- He scored in the final, which Brazil won 3-1 in Santiago. (Source: France Football, 'Ballon d'Or: the winners since 1956' (francefootball.fr))
- He had captained West Germany to the 1990 World Cup. (Source: FIFA, 'FIFA World Player of the Year: winners' (inside.fifa.com))
- Messi or Ronaldo had won every award from 2008 to 2017. (Source: France Football, 'Ballon d'Or: the winners since 1956' (francefootball.fr))
- 1956, 1962, 1978 and 1990. (Source: France Football, 'Ballon d'Or: the winners since 1956' (francefootball.fr))
- 1959, 1985 and 2018. (Source: France Football, 'Ballon d'Or: the winners since 1956' (francefootball.fr))
- Its journalists, led by Gabriel Hanot, first voted on European players only. (Source: France Football, 'Ballon d'Or: the winners since 1956' (francefootball.fr))

## 8.83 Trailblazers Abroad

John Charles in Turin, Miura in Brazil, Nakata in Perugia, Park in a final, Son's Golden Boot and Lineker's hat-trick.

### Test 1: Players abroad

- He later played for Torino, Atalanta and Cagliari. (Source: Inter, 'Gerry Hitchens' (inter.it); Aston Villa heritage pages (avfc.co.uk))
- He signed for Santos in 1986. (Source: Japan Football Association, 'Hidetoshi Nakata' and 'Kazuyoshi Miura' (jfa.jp))
- He later won Serie A with Roma in 2001. (Source: Japan Football Association, 'Hidetoshi Nakata' and 'Kazuyoshi Miura' (jfa.jp))
- He started for Manchester United against Barcelona in Rome. (Source: Manchester United, 'Park Ji-sung' (manutd.com); UEFA, 2009 final report)
- He shared it with Mohamed Salah on 23 goals. (Source: Tottenham Hotspur, 'Son Heung-min shares the Golden Boot' (tottenhamhotspur.com, 2022))
- The Canadian-born England midfielder came through Bayern's academy. (Source: FC Bayern, '2001: Champions League winners' (fcbayern.com))
- Barcelona won the Clásico 3-2 at the Camp Nou. (Source: FC Barcelona, 'Gary Lineker's hat-trick in the Clásico, 1987' (fcbarcelona.com))
- 1957, 1986, 1998 and 2009. (Source: Club histories: juventus.com, santosfc.com.br, perugiacalcio.com, manutd.com)
- 1987, 2001 and 2022. (Source: Club histories: juventus.com, santosfc.com.br, perugiacalcio.com, manutd.com)
- John Charles scored 108 goals in 155 Serie A matches. (Source: Juventus, 'John Charles, il Gigante Buono' (juventus.com))

## 8.84 Goalkeepers' Lives

Trautmann's broken neck, Camus in goal, Banks' eye, Bonetti, Campos up front and Buffon's hero.

### Test 1: Goalkeepers' stories

- The former German prisoner of war played for Manchester City. (Source: Manchester City, 'Bert Trautmann' (mancity.com); FWA, Footballer of the Year winners)
- Tuberculosis ended his playing days. (Source: Racing Universitaire d'Alger and Fondation Albert Camus records; FIFA)
- He later played in the United States. (Source: Stoke City FC, 'Gordon Banks' (stokecityfc.com))
- He kept goal for England at the 1970 World Cup quarter-final against West Germany. (Source: Chelsea FC, 'Peter Bonetti, The Cat' (chelseafc.com))
- He scored dozens of goals as a forward for Pumas. (Source: Mexican Football Federation, 'Jorge Campos' (miseleccion.mx))
- Watching the Cameroon keeper at Italia 90 made Buffon want to play in goal. (Source: Juventus, 'Buffon and his hero Thomas N'Kono' (juventus.com); FIFA)
- He stayed in England after the war and played for City for 15 years. (Source: Manchester City, 'Bert Trautmann' (mancity.com); FWA, Footballer of the Year winners)
- 1930, 1956, 1972 and 1990. (Source: FIFA World Cup archives (inside.fifa.com) and club heritage pages)
- 1966, 1982 and 1994. (Source: FIFA World Cup archives (inside.fifa.com) and club heritage pages)
- City beat Birmingham 3-1; an X-ray days later showed the broken vertebra. (Source: Manchester City, 'Bert Trautmann' (mancity.com); FWA, Footballer of the Year winners)

## 8.85 Life Beyond the Pitch

A senator, a never-booked striker, a singer and a pope in goal, an actor, a dentist and an anti-racism campaigner.

### Test 1: Players' lives off the pitch

- He became a senator for Rio de Janeiro in 2014. (Source: Senado Federal do Brasil, 'Senador Romário' (senado.leg.br))
- Over a career of more than 500 matches. (Source: The FA, 'Gary Lineker' (englandfootball.com); BBC Sport)
- He began singing while recovering. (Source: Real Madrid, 'Julio Iglesias, canterano' (realmadrid.com))
- Karol Wojtyła kept goal in Wadowice, Poland. (Source: Vatican News, 'John Paul II, the goalkeeper' (vaticannews.va))
- He played the debt collector Big Chris. (Source: BBC Sport, 'Vinnie Jones: from Wimbledon to Hollywood')
- He celebrated his goals with a somersault. (Source: Real Madrid, 'Hugo Sánchez' (realmadrid.com); Mexican Football Federation)
- He also wrote books on black history. (Source: Fondation Lilian Thuram, 'Éducation contre le racisme' (thuram.org))
- 1963, 1978, 1995 and 2014. (Source: Senado Federal do Brasil, Vatican News, BBC Sport and club histories)
- 1994, 1998 and 2008. (Source: Senado Federal do Brasil, Vatican News, BBC Sport and club histories)
- He said it at a press conference after his court case, and then left. (Source: Manchester United, 'Eric Cantona's press conference, 1995' (manutd.com))

## 8.86 One-Club Men

Le Tissier's penalties, Totti's 25 seasons, Seeler's loyalty, Maier's run, Adams and Maldini's 902 games.

### Test 1: One-club players

- Nottingham Forest's Mark Crossley made the only save, in 1993. (Source: Southampton FC, 'Matt Le Tissier' (southamptonfc.com))
- He made his debut in 1993 and retired in 2017. (Source: AS Roma, 'Francesco Totti' (asroma.com))
- Hamburg fans called him 'Uns Uwe', 'our Uwe'. (Source: Hamburger SV, 'Uns Uwe: Uwe Seeler' (hsv.de))
- He played on despite the injury and captained the club. (Source: Tottenham Hotspur, 'Ledley King' (tottenhamhotspur.com))
- He captained Arsenal to league titles in three different decades. (Source: Arsenal FC, 'Tony Adams' (arsenal.com))
- He played 442 league matches in a row for Bayern. (Source: FC Bayern, 'Sepp Maier' (fcbayern.com); Bundesliga records)
- He played for the club from 1985 to 2009. (Source: AC Milan, 'Paolo Maldini' and 'The retired number 3' (acmilan.com))
- 1972, 1979, 2002, 2009 and 2017. (Source: Club histories: hsv.de, fcbayern.com, arsenal.com, acmilan.com, asroma.com)
- 1986, 1990 and 2001. (Source: Southampton FC, 'Matt Le Tissier' (southamptonfc.com))
- Number 6 was retired for Franco Baresi. (Source: AC Milan, 'Paolo Maldini' and 'The retired number 3' (acmilan.com))

## 8.87 Brothers, Fathers and Sons

The Charltons, the Maldinis, the Xhakas, the Forláns, the Weahs, the de Boers and the Laudrups.

### Test 1: Football families

- Jack played at centre-half and Bobby in midfield. (Source: The FA, 'Jack and Bobby Charlton' (englandfootball.com))
- Cesare in 1963 and Paolo in 2003. (Source: AC Milan, 'Paolo Maldini' and 'The retired number 3' (acmilan.com))
- Their mother watched in a shirt split between the two. (Source: Swiss FA and Albanian FA reports, Euro 2016 (football.ch; fshf.org); UEFA)
- His father Pablo played at two World Cups and his grandfather Juan Carlos Corazzo coached Uruguay. (Source: Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol, 'Diego Forlán' (auf.org.uy); FIFA)
- His father, the former Ballon d'Or winner, watched from the stands in Qatar. (Source: U.S. Soccer, 'Tim Weah scores at Qatar 2022' (ussoccer.com))
- Both later joined Barcelona. (Source: AFC Ajax, 'Frank en Ronald de Boer' (ajax.nl))
- Denmark reached the quarter-finals. (Source: Dansk Boldspil-Union, 'Michael og Brian Laudrup' (dbu.dk))
- 1966, 1998, 2010 and 2016. (Source: Federation and club histories: englandfootball.com, dbu.dk, dfb.de, football.ch, auf.org.uy)
- The 1950s and 1960s, 1966 and 2010. (Source: Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol, 'Diego Forlán' (auf.org.uy); FIFA)
- Jérôme played for Germany and Kevin-Prince for Ghana. (Source: DFB and Ghana FA reports, 2010 World Cup Germany v Ghana (dfb.de; ghanafa.org))

## 8.88 Captains' Moments

Beckenbauer and the new trophy, Passarella, Deschamps twice, Terry in kit, Casillas' three and Cafu's message.

### Test 1: Famous captains

- Brazil had kept the Jules Rimet Trophy after 1970. (Source: DFB, '1974: Beckenbauer lifts the new trophy' (dfb.de); FIFA)
- Argentina won at home in 1978. (Source: AFA, 'Daniel Passarella, capitán campeón 1978' (afa.com.ar))
- Mário Zagallo and Franz Beckenbauer had also won as player and coach. (Source: Fédération Française de Football, 'Didier Deschamps' (fff.fr))
- He had been sent off in the semi-final against Barcelona. (Source: Chelsea FC, '2012: Munich' (chelseafc.com))
- No other captain has done it. (Source: RFEF, 'Iker Casillas, el capitán de los tres títulos' (rfef.es))
- It was unveiled when the new Wembley opened in 2007. (Source: Wembley Stadium, 'The Bobby Moore statue' (wembleystadium.com))
- He became the first man to play in three World Cup finals in a row. (Source: CBF, 'Cafu: 100% Jardim Irene' (cbf.com.br))
- 1974, 1978, 1998, 2002 and 2010. (Source: FIFA (inside.fifa.com), UEFA (uefa.com) and federation records)
- 2008, 2010 and 2012. (Source: RFEF, 'Iker Casillas, el capitán de los tres títulos' (rfef.es))
- He wrote '100% Jardim Irene' for the São Paulo district. (Source: CBF, 'Cafu: 100% Jardim Irene' (cbf.com.br))

## 8.89 Unusual Paths to the Top

A carpenter, a bricklayer, a tyre fitter, a sausage-factory worker, an electrician and a beetroot packer.

### Test 1: Late starters

- He turned professional with Kaiserslautern in his twenties. (Source: DFB, 'Miroslav Klose' (dfb.de))
- He was scoring for Poole Town before Swindon signed him. (Source: Queens Park Rangers, 'Charlie Austin' (qpr.co.uk))
- He later scored freely for Norwich in the Premier League. (Source: Norwich City, 'Grant Holt' (canaries.co.uk))
- He was in his early twenties. (Source: Olympique de Marseille, 'Didier Drogba' (om.fr); Chelsea FC)
- He was playing for Tow Law Town at the time. (Source: Newcastle United, 'Chris Waddle' (nufc.co.uk))
- He kept the trade going while playing non-league football and later for Forest. (Source: Nottingham Forest, 'Stuart Pearce' (nottinghamforest.co.uk))
- Coventry paid about £25,000 in 1983. (Source: Nottingham Forest, 'Stuart Pearce' (nottinghamforest.co.uk))
- 1980, 1983, 2003 and 2013. (Source: Club histories: nufc.co.uk, ccfc.co.uk, om.fr, englandfootball.com)
- 1998, 2002, 2003 and 2004. (Source: Olympique de Marseille, 'Didier Drogba' (om.fr); Chelsea FC)
- He headed in with his first touch for England, against Scotland in 2013. (Source: Southampton FC, 'Rickie Lambert' (southamptonfc.com); The FA, England debut 2013)

## 8.90 Awards Named After Players

The Pichichi, the Zarra, the Kopa, Yashin and Gerd Müller trophies, the Cruijff Schaal and the Eusébio Cup.

### Test 1: Awards named after players

- He was 29. (Source: Athletic Club, 'Pichichi' (athletic-club.eus); Marca, 'El Trofeo Pichichi')
- Telmo Zarra scored 251 La Liga goals for Athletic. (Source: Marca, 'Trofeo Zarra' and 'Trofeo Di Stéfano' (marca.com))
- It is named after Raymond Kopa, the 1958 Ballon d'Or winner. (Source: France Football, 'Kopa Trophy', 'Yashin Trophy' and 'Gerd Müller Trophy' (francefootball.fr))
- It is named after the Brazil captain, a qualified doctor. (Source: France Football, 'Kopa Trophy', 'Yashin Trophy' and 'Gerd Müller Trophy' (francefootball.fr))
- France Football had introduced it as the striker of the year award in 2021, which he also won. (Source: France Football, 'Kopa Trophy', 'Yashin Trophy' and 'Gerd Müller Trophy' (francefootball.fr))
- It was renamed after Cruyff in 1996. (Source: KNVB, 'Johan Cruijff Schaal' (knvb.nl))
- Benfica invite a big club each summer. (Source: SL Benfica, 'Troféu Eusébio' (slbenfica.pt))
- 2018, 2019 and 2021, the last renamed after Müller in 2022. (Source: France Football, 'Kopa Trophy', 'Yashin Trophy' and 'Gerd Müller Trophy' (francefootball.fr))
- 1952-53, 2005-06 and 2008-09. (Source: Marca, 'Trofeo Zarra' and 'Trofeo Di Stéfano' (marca.com))
- Visiting captains leave flowers at the bust at San Mamés. (Source: Athletic Club, 'Pichichi' (athletic-club.eus); Marca, 'El Trofeo Pichichi')

Sources: Primary/official sources only, no Wikipedia citations: clubs' and federations' own histories, France Football, FIFA, UEFA, Marca, Guinness World Records and named reputable media such as the BBC.

Take the tests: https://insporta.app/try?utm_source=book&utm_medium=referral