Innehållsförteckning för March 2022 från FourFourTwo UK

In April 1995, I headed to Old Trafford for the first time. It was for a Manchester United-Leeds game, and to be perfectly honest, it was rubbish – not least for someone who didn’t support either side. But I do have two memories of that day; firstly, a teenage David Beckham making his Premier League debut. The second was how loud the rendition of ‘Ooh aah, Cantona’ was compared to every other song sung by the home fans. It was just two months after Cantona had been banned for attacking Matthew Simmons – the chances are that he wasn’t there for that game between his current and former clubs, but it didn’t stop fans from showing their love. Go to Old Trafford even today and very little has changed. Actually,…

YOU AGAIN?! Despite protests from angry fans, FC U Craiova have re-hired former Juventus man Nicolo Napoli for his seventh spell in the dugout France 1-0 Portugal July 31, 1997 Under-18 Euros final “The tournament was held in Iceland and we won it – I scored the winner in extra time. It was an amazing feeling to lift the trophy and put me in the bracket of being a professional. I felt capable of competing well at that level, and it meant I was one of the top young players in Europe. It created opportunities in my life that didn’t seem real. Everything was moving so fast, but I loved the tournament and scoring the winning goal for my country – even if I can’t remember it! But I started…

ALL-STAR FAMILY A dad in Chile has named his son Griezmann Mbappe – the baby’s brother is called James Modric; a cousin, Neymar Ronaldo Why are you a Norwich fan? It’s deep in the family – I was born there for starters. I never met my grandad, but he used to work for the gas company just by the ground, then man a turnstile at Carrow Road in the afternoon in the ’30s and ’40s. I was due to be born on February 18, 1967 – Norwich, in the Second Division, were playing Manchester United in the fourth round of the FA Cup. My dad had a choice to make: did he stay with my mum for the birth of his first child, or get the football train and go…

STILL GOING Kazuyoshi Miura struggled for game time at Yokohama FC (mainly because he’s 54), so he’s joined Suzuka Point Getters It was a grandstand finale of Sergio Aguero proportions: promotion to Colombia’s top division snatched with not one but two quickfire goals in the final moments of the 2021 season. Somehow, Union Magdalena had achieved the inconceivable, scoring in the 95th and 96th minutes to seal a 2-1 win over Llaneros. Yet the celebrations were short-lived. Across social media, clips of their last-gasp winner were already spreading like wildfire. Colombia internationals Juan Cuadrado and Mateus Uribe led the howls of protest, before the country’s president stormed into the debate. “This is a national embarrassment,” Ivan Duque raged. “Sport requires transparency, honesty and zero tolerance.” As defender Jonathan Segura rolled…

Former Scotland boss Craig Brown sat on the Megabus from Aberdeen to Glasgow. John Fraser I was in Macy’s in New York 10 years ago, and where the men gather as the wives go shopping, I was stood next to Hristo Stoichkov. Had a chat and a photo – he couldn’t have been a nicer guy. Mark Lloyd I was in Chester-le-Street BP petrol station one Sunday evening. David Dunn came in and bought an adult art magazine. Barry Kilshaw Wayne Routledge in Sports Direct looking at boots, which was strange as he was a Premier League player with a boot deal at the time. Mike Lavine Went on a tour at the Colosseum in Rome with Niall Quinn. Top bloke! Shaun Cheyney Kevin Keegan in MFI in North Shields…

The court drama surrounding Eric Cantona’s kung-fu kick stretched beyond the Frenchman – Matthew Simmons got in on the act, too The Crystal Palace fan was hauled to Croydon Magistrates Court and then fined £500 for his role in the Selhurst Park incident, found guilty of threatening behaviour. After hearing arguments that he should also be handed a one-year stadium ban, he didn’t respond well – jumping over the bench and then grabbing the prosecutor by their neck. “This is a lie, I’m innocent I promise, I swear on the Bible,” Simmons shouted. As police and court staff tried to restrain him, he then battled his way over to watching journalists, calling them ‘scum’. Then only 21, he was sentenced to seven days in prison for contempt of court. Simmons,…

CHRIS WADDLE CREDENTIALS The ex-seasoning factory worker did all right: making the 1991 European Cup Final was sandwiched by three Ligue 1 titles at Marseille, 62 England caps, two PFA Team of the Year inclusions and icon status at Sheffield Wednesday. Not to mention a penalty shootout with Rudi Voller to decide who had the best barnet. “I won,” Waddle told FFT, “and was awarded Mullet of the Year.” He never lost his love for the game, however, playing on at Falkirk, Bradford, Sunderland, Burnley and Torquay. A coaching stint at Wednesday didn’t cut it, so ‘Magic Chris’ was back in action for non-league Worksop by 2000-01. HOW’D IT GO? Popular conjecture says Waddle broke a team-mate’s car window on his debut. “Runcorn kept kicking the ball over the stand…

1 EVERYONE LIKES US Who holds the single-club attendance record at the new and old Wembley for a domestic final? No prizes. In 1999, 47,349 Millwall fans watched their team lose 1-0 to Wigan in the Auto Windscreens Shield Final – then another 49,661 saw the League One play-off final against Scunthorpe in 2009. Ten years on, the same result: a defeat. 2 EXPLOSIVE STUFF “I was at a Millwall match in 1966 when someone threw a hand grenade on the pitch,” said Lions luminary Danny Baker in 2013. It’s true… ish. Someone did lob one at Brentford keeper Chic Brodie after a Millwall goal in 1965; the Scot tossed it aside for a police officer to deal with, and the explosive orb turned out to be a fake. Even…

What does it mean for a Roma supporter to make his Serie A debut with the Giallorossi aged just 18? I was born and raised practically surrounded by Roma fans – playing for the team of your heart is a dream come true. You started your career playing alongside Roma legend Francesco Totti. How did you find that experience? Totti was an idol; a reference; a person you aspired to be like every day. Playing alongside him was both challenging and exciting, and the relationship between us has developed to the extent that we’ve become good friends who always want each other to do well. This is the most important thing. You, Totti and Daniele De Rossi: that Roma team was full of Rome-born players, which must have made it…

THE GAFFER LOUIS VAN GAAL “Nothing is left to chance – he works out every detail. Van Gaal demands everything from the squad, staff and himself. I’d like to be a coach myself and he is one of the greatest examples.” THE SUBS 01 EDWIN VAN DER SAR 02 RAUL MEIRELES 03 FERNANDO TORRES PEPE REINA “I spent six fantastic seasons with Pepe, the highlights of which were many Champions League nights and the final in 2007. On top of that, we’ve built a beautiful friendship and now share a love for another sport in golf.” JAMIE CARRAGHER “A true Scouser, who had the mindset to win games at all costs. We occasionally play with the Liverpool Legends and even then the rule is winning! Despite the fact we’re no…

BE GOOD, LOVE BRIAN Craig Bromfield (Mudlark, £16.99) With a chaotic home life and troubled relationship with his father, it wasn’t unusual for Craig Bromfield to be out on the streets begging for money during the 1980s. But when he cheekily asked Forest defender Kenny Swain for a penny, it changed the course of his life. Forest were in the north-east for a game at Newcastle; Brian Clough approached Bromfield and his brother Aaron, asking them if they’d like to join the team for breakfast. Over the next few years, the Bromfields went to matches on the team bus, sat in the dugout alongside Clough at matches, and also holidayed with the legend. Bromfield even lived with the Cloughs when his brother went into the army, and was given a…

Timing is everything, and no timing has ever been better than Eric Cantona’s arrival at Manchester United. The chemical reaction that occurred when he met Sir Alex Ferguson, when his arrogant confidence spread to the fledglings of the youth team, hasn’t been replicated since. Emerging from the darkness of the 1980s, United needed a spark to become a ’90s behemoth. Cantona was it. Talent-wise, there have been better Premier League players. As a captain, he was no Roy Keane. But Cantona brought a certain joy to the game, mixed with his raw aggression, undeniably world-class ability, and of course, that arrogance. – the shirt he held on the pitch that day. It was my third season watching football, and I was beginning to properly understand the game. I’d had a…

LIVERPOOL TO GET THEIR INZAGHI REVENGE An Inzaghi has already shattered Liverpool hearts in the Champions League once. In 2007, Pippo scored twice to sink Rafa Benitez’s Reds, who couldn’t produce a second dramatic rise from the ashes as Milan chalked up another podium trip for Ol’ Big Ears. This year, though, it’s Liverpool who are looking to match Milan’s magnificent seven: and though Superpippo is bossing Brescia in Serie B now, it’s his little bro Simone at Inter who stands between Jurgen Klopp’s men and European glory. Picking up from where his predecessor Antonio Conte left off, the former Lazio striker had guided his Nerazzurri side to top spot by mid-December, inspired by the goals of deadly double act Lautaro Martinez and Edin Dzeko. These days, this is the…

The absence of a second major club behind Paris Saint-Germain in France’s capital city has mystified football followers for decades. Les Parisiens were formed in 1970, and no other capital-based side has enjoyed a spell of sustained presence alongside them in the French top flight ever since. Red Star are hopeful their pending stadium renovation will help them to become that elusive second team at some point over the next 10 years – though they may not have things their own way. Paris FC, the other main contenders, have edged ahead. They too were only formed in 1969 but play in Ligue 2, one above Red Star, where they’ve narrowly missed out on promotion in recent years. Unlike their city rivals, they’re on course for another promotion challenge this term.…

We all think of Manchester United’s ‘Class of ’92’ as the pinnacle of English football youth setups, but Arsenal in the ’80s also produced many great young players. How good was it to come through at Highbury? Oh, it was phenomenal. Tony Adams, David Rocastle, Mickey Thomas, Niall Quinn, Martin Keown. All internationals. I was one of those, though, who didn’t think I was good enough. Those other guys had broken through before me but I was touch and go, and if I’m honest I probably didn’t think I was up to it. Because of the doubt in my mind, I didn’t really enjoy it. I was too small for an apprenticeship, and the government paid my way with the Youth Training Scheme. Eventually Don Howe and the first team…

Excluding those whose best form has been in the Champions League, we rate the stars who’ve shone brightest since the UEFA Cup’s big rebrand in 2009 25 ALFREDO MORELOS 24 LUKA JOVIC 23 GRZEGORZ KRYCHOWIAK 22 DIEGO FORLAN 21 KLAAS-JAN HUNTELAAR 20 RAUL ALBIOL 19 MUNAS DABBUR 18 CIRO IMMOBILE 17 DIMITRI PAYET 16 GERARD MORENO 15 HULK 14 BRUNO FERNANDES 13 OSCAR CARDOZO 12 OLIVIER GIROUD 11 JESUS NAVAS 10 ALEXANDRE LACAZETTE 9 KEVIN GAMEIRO 8 PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG 7 CARLOS BACCA 6 HENRIKH MKHITARYAN 5 EDIN DZEKO 4 JOSE ANTONIO REYES 3 EVER BANEGA 2 ARITZ ADURIZ 1 RADAMEL FALCAO No player has ever scored more Europa League goals than the Colombian – and quite incredibly, he set the record in two seasons. A year after joining Porto from…

What has it been like to return to Brazilian football after so long? To be honest, I’m still adapting here. Fourteen years away is not 14 months; I’ve spent a long time abroad, so it’s taken me a little while. What I’ve been struggling the most with is my family moments – those times when you can go with your family to a shopping mall, stop by a cafe and sit. I used to live in Knightsbridge, right in front of Harrods, with many bars and restaurants there. Sometimes, I would just leave my house and cross the street to the Caffe Concerto for a cup of coffee. We had those family moments, we could walk around – something that’s much more difficult in Brazil. Just imagine if I did…

Midway through the 1991-92 season, Michel Platini strode up to the boss of one of England’s biggest clubs, and began his sales pitch. “I’ve got a player for you,” he told the man stood in front of him, a fearsome Scot who’d enjoyed managerial success north of the border but had yet to steer his current team to a league title in England. Platini believed he knew just the person who could seriously improve their fortunes. “He’s a problem boy, but he’s also really talented,” said the French legend, then the coach of the national team. “He’d be perfect for your club.” Graeme Souness wasn’t so sure. Liverpool were ninth in the top flight, their glory days fading to grey. That night, they’d beaten Auxerre at Anfield in the UEFA…

ACTING Cantona first threw himself into a different kind of drama career during his ban for the Selhurst Park kung-fu kick: playing a rugby player in French film Le Bonheur Est Dans Le Pré. He later became a regular on Nike adverts, hosting the star-studded cage tournament before the 2002 World Cup, as well as pretending to be a farmer for Kronenbourg. Cantona even appeared in Oscarnominated movie Elizabeth and in a Liam Gallagher music video (left), but his most famous role was as himself in Looking For Eric, the 2009 Ken Loach film that he also co-produced. BEACH FOOTBALL Cantona became the captain of France’s beach football team, and had taken over as manager by the time they won the inaugural World Cup in Rio in 2005. After 14…

20 BARCELONA 5-1 CHELSEA AET (6-4 AGG) CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, QUARTERFINAL SECOND LEG, 1999-2000 Chelsea were going places even before the Roman Empire dawned. Having won the FA Cup, League Cup and – unsurprisingly – Cup Winners’ Cup, the Blues had secured another (winning) Wembley final against Aston Villa by the time they breezed into the Champions League semis… or not. The quarter-final clash was a classic game of four halves. Gianluca Vialli’s charges were 3-0 up at half-time in London, but Luis Figo gave Barcelona something to chase at the Camp Nou. There, they scored twice to lead on away goals at the interval, before Tore Andre Flo’s goal forced extra time. The hosts prevailed after Celestine Babayaro saw red. If only the referee, Anders Frisk, had never done this…

You made your comeback in the FA Cup third round against Harrogate. How was that for a reception? It was very emotional, stepping back into Kenilworth Road. It’s sensational what they’ve done for me, the support and the backing. [FFT: A lot of positive stuff happened off the field, while you were having treatment.] There was a reason why we decided to make it public, to try to help people and raise some awareness. Blokes will sit on it, hope it goes away. The aim was to get the word out: get tested. Lots of fundraising, too, it seems… Over 70 of our staff joined the Prostate United campaign that two guys at Rotherham started: running, cycling long distances. They managed to raise over £30,000 in a month, which was…

JOTA CELTIC THE LOWDOWN Jota always did look one of the most exciting arrivals of Ange Postecoglou’s first summer as Bhoys boss. The Portuguese winger hadn’t just been part of the Selecao’s 2018 U19 Euros-winning side, but was also the tournament’s joint-top scorer. It earned him a breakthrough into Benfica’s first team – and while the goals dried up thereafter, leaking into a loan spell at doomed La Liga outfit Valladolid last season, Celtic have discovered no such droughts. The 22 year-old has proved grand in Glasgow, thrilling Parkhead with his dribbling and eye for goal – as eight in 18 games before injury highlighted. HIGHLIGHT His first Scottish assist against Dundee United showcased it all: a double stepover, then pinpoint centre for Liel Adaba to head home. THEY SAID……