Football Blog
Can You Pick Better?
Well dear readers I have been slightly annoyed at all the so called experts claiming that they could pick the best 14(11 plus 3 subs) in the world of all time ever. So I thought I would do something about it and stop all this confusion and post the definitive team ever no arguments. The formation I have chosen is 3-1-4-2.
1. Lev Yashin
At the first European Championship in 1960 - still called the European Nations Cup at that time - the lion of Moscow, otherwise known as the black panther, made a significant contribution to his country's victory. His name: Lev Yashin. In 1963, he became the first goalkeeper to be named European Footballer of the Year. In 2004, he would have celebrated his 75th birthday.
2. Bobby Moore
Bobby Moore was England's finest captain, a legend who led his country to its greatest triumph. He played for England 108 times, captained them in a record 90 matches (jointly held with Billy Wright), won the World Cup, the FA Cup, the European Cup Winners' Cup and was Footballer of the Year, and at the end of Moore's international career in 1976 he was capped by the USA for a tournament to mark their bicentenary.
3. Paolo Maldini
During his 16 year tenure as an international, he became Italy's most capped player, representing his country 126 times. One of the big disappointments of Maldini's otherwise extraordinarily high-achieving career, was the lack of major international silverware.However, Maldini could console himself easily enough by glancing up at his mantelpiece and reminding himself of the incredible success he has had (and still enjoys) for his club.
4. Franz Beckenbaur
Franz Beckenbauer is the only man to have won the World Cup both as a player and as a manager. His roll of honour is unique. Captain of West Germany when they won the World Cup and the European Championship, he also led his club, Bayern Munich, to three successive European Cups and also to the European Cup Winners' Cup. The legacy of Beckenbauer's golden career will last a long time, however. No other footballer, as an innovator and as a winner, ever reached such heights as The Kaiser.
5. Claude Makelele
Perhaps the finest holding midfielder of recent years, Makelele has made a career out of keeping it simple and protecting the back four. The Democratic of Congo-born player moved to Epinay-sous-Sinart, France, with family in 1977. He began his career with Brest in 1990 before signing for Nantes in 1992, he twice won the Spanish title, as well as the Champions League and the European Super Cup, and also played in the 2002 World Cup for his country he won the Premiership and the Carling Cup, in 2004/05 under Jose Mourinho at Chelsea. Makelele picked up another Premiership medal in May 2006 and was then part of the France side which lost to Italy in the World Cup final. He bid farewell to the international scene after Euro 2008.
6. Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane has been given every major award that a player can achieve. He has won the precious Balon D'Or in 1998 and the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 1998, 2000 and 2003.He can settle and distribute almost any pass thrown in his direction. In individual encounters, Zidane prefers to shield the ball and dribble away from pressure. His style is not flashy, but rather simple and elegant. Zidane can apply his playmaking skills in any circumstance and make it look effortless.
7. George Best
He reached unimaginable heights with his outrageous skills in a career that lasted a mere six years at the top, before self-destructing into alcoholism, bankruptcy and jail. To this day, Best maintains that nothing went wrong, that he just got bored with it all. In six magical seasons with United, he scored 115 goals in 290 games - six of them in one game! He won two League Championships, the European Cup and was voted European Football of the Year. Pele named him as his favourite player, which was remarkable considering Best's international career with Northern Ireland never allowed him the opportunity of appearing in the World Cup finals.
8. Diego Maradonna
Maradona is a complete master of the ball who uses his talent and flair at incredible speed. He can beat defenders, he can score, he can distribute the ball... His versatile skills make him unpredictable and very dangerous. Few defenders could stop Diego in his hayday without committing fouls, a fact which has caused him dearly over the years. In addition, his scrawny stature has made him a target for aggressive defenders who simply have no other means of dealing with the Argentine.
9. Eusebio
Eusebio Ferreira Da Silva, the leader of a group of African footballers to come into prominence in the 1960's he was the top scorer at the 1966 World Cup (9 goals) held in England. Here his lightning fast acceleration and wonderful dribbling skills earned him acclaim. His trademark was a spectacular shot, which allied to his powerful running and dribbling skills, made him one of the most dangerous strickers of his era.
10. Pele
"I was born for soccer, just as Beethoven was born for music." Arrogant, pompous words. Except when they are spoken by Edson Arantes do Nascimento, the Brazilian genius known throughout the football world as Pele. A veteran of four World Cups, scorer of 1,283 first-class goals - 12 of them in World Cup final tournaments - a member of those magical Brazilian squads that won soccer's greatest prize in 1958, 1962 and 1970. He was lithe, agile, strong and seemed to be able to make the ball do as he pleased. Blessed with a stunning shot and an ability to soar above defences, he was expected to perform some astonishing feat of trickery every time he was in possession.And Brazil played such adventurous football, always attacking, constantly looking to score. Who can forget the rythmic chanting of their deliriously happy supporters? "Bra-zil, cha cha cha, Bra-zil, cha cha cha."
11. Ryan Giggs
The Welsh wizard, Ryan Giggs, started his career at Maine Road, where he played for Manchester City's school of excellence. When he was just fourteen Mr Alex Ferguson went to his home to ask him to sign schoolboy forms with Manchester United.Giggs has become one of the great players in the British game, entertaining the crowds with his dribbling skills and exhausting defenders with his blistering pace. He has won the PFA Young Player of the Year twice, the first person to do so and has been a major part of United's success.
12. Fabio Cannavaro
There's no question Fabio Cannavaro is one of the best centre-backs in the world. He possesses superb tactical awareness, speed, anticipation skills, phenomenal leaping ability and ball handling skills, and he's a natural leader. Although Cannavaro has received numerous personal accolades and won a World Cup, one title eludes him: the Champions League, one of his main reasons for signing for Real Madrid in 2006.
14. Jimmy Johnstone
He was one of Scottish football's gems, a diminutive but devilish talent who tormented defences with his dribbling and impressed the world with his courage. Johnstone was Scottish International team member, playing 23 times for his country. England captain Emyln Hughes was run ragged by Johnstone in an international, and remembered: "Scotland beat us 2-0 one year, and I was embarrassed to come off the pitch. Jimmy Johnstone absolutely crucified me. Alf Ramsey came up and said 'you've just played against a world-class player today. He can do that to anybody'".
15. Johan Cruyff
If Holland were the team that gave the world Total Football, then Johan Cruyff was THE Total Footballer. He won a hat-trick of European Cups with Ajax, the World Clubs' Cup and was three times European Footballer of the Year. At their peak, the Dutch side he captained were the most exciting and talented team in international football, yet, strangely, they never won a major trophy during his reign.
There you go readers the best 14 players to ever grace the game in my own humble opinion, If you have any diffrent opinions then please feel free to send your best team to me at thezooligist@googlemail.com
I look forward to all your responses
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