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Here's something i found on the official site of Euro 2000. Its quite interesting! Just enjoy this travel through the long and rich history of the most beautiful game in the 20th century.
Here's the URL:http://www.euro2000.org/en/news/story/0,1068,55609,00.html
"France join the ranks of the greatest
Any list that attempts to name the "greatest" teams of all time is bound to cause controversy. Attempts to compare sides from different eras are well-nigh impossible to judge by any objective criteria. Euro.2000.org's guide to some of the great international teams of the past makes no pretence to be authoritative or to rank teams in any particular order. All the sides included must have won a World Cup or European Championship trophy, and we have also offered a nod to some great teams who, through a mixture of bad luck or bad timing, never succeeded in lifting international honours.
Italy 1934-38:
What made them great: The most successful of pre-war international teams. Led by legendary coach Vittorio Pozzo from 1932, the Italians lost just seven internationals in the entire 1930s. They won the World Cups of 1934 and 1938 and the Olympic Games of 1936. Drawing on the coaching methods of, among others Austrian Hugo Meisl and Englishman Herbert Chapman, Pozzo's side were masters of the long pass and utilised an attacking central defender to great effect. Pozzo himself was a master of psychology who defined his man-management technique as "kind, but with a strong hand." Only two players from the first of Pozzo's World cup triumphs played in the second, which made his achievements all the greater.
Star performers: Gianpiero Combi, considered Italy's finest goalkeeper until the emergence of Dino Zoff. He also pre-dated Zoff by almost 50 years by captaining Italy to World Cup glory in 1934. Giuseppe Meazza, an inside forward of astonishing ability, scored 33 goals in 53 internationals and created just as many again. Meazza and inside-left Giovanni Ferrari were the only two men to appear in both Italian World Cup triumphs that decade.
Soviet Union: 1956-66
What made them great: Sustained excellence over twelve years saw the Soviet Union reach three European Championship finals out of four, two World Cup quarter-finals and one World Cup semi-final. They still enjoyed something of a reputation as underachievers throughout this period, although they succeeded in winning the gold medal at the 1956 Olympics and the inaugural European Championship (or the European Nations Cup as it was then known) in 1960. Some critics bemoaned the Soviets' lack of flair, but their fitness and determination were unmatched and set new standards across Europe.
Star performers: Igor Chislenko was a superb, if diminutive, attacker who starred in the 1962 and 1966 World Cups. His sending-off in the 1966 semi-final against West Germany ended Soviet hopes of reaching the final. However the undisputed star of the Soviet side was Lev Yashin. Nicknamed the Black Spider or Black Panther because of his famously jet-black goalkeeper's jersey, Yashin is widely regarded as the finest goalkeeper of all time. The only 'keeper to ever win the European Footballer of the Year award, he played in every major tournament for the Soviets between 1956 and 1966 and was still a reserve at the Mexico World Cup of 1970 when in his 40s.
Brazil: 1970:
What made them great: There have been other great Brazilian sides of course, but none captured the imagination of the world in quite the same way as the incomparable 1970 World Cup-winning vintage. Defence was almost an alien concept as Mario Zagallo's side placed almost their entire emphasis on attack, and still beat all-comers. They strolled to the FIFA World title, with only England and Romania managing to contain them to single goal deficits. Expressive, artistic, compelling and exotic - no matter how many adjectives you use they still fail to do credit to a side of utter wonder.
Star performers: Pele, who enjoyed the most creative of Indian summers imaginable. Jairzinho who scored in every match in the finals. Tostao, who Zagallo utilised as a centre-forward and Rivelinho, a deep lying, skilful left-winger. Carlos Alberto marshalled what passed for the defence, but he too seemed keener on attacking.
West Germany 1972-74:
What made them great: Until France emulated their achievement over 20 years later, West Germany were the only side to have ever simultaneously held the World and European crowns. Under Helmut Schön, they were a supremely efficient attacking and defensive unit with a great libero in Franz Beckenbauer. They swept to the European Championship in 1972 with Gunter Netzer utterly rampant. Schön was brave enough to virtually dispense with the blond midfield schemers' services in favour of Wolfgang Overath at the World Cup two years later. The Germans upset neutrals by defeating Johan Cruyff's Netherlands in the final and perhaps never received the credit they so richly deserved for their own brand of total football and creating the base for three decades of German domination of European football.
Star performers: Franz Beckenbauer, the epitome of cool at sweeper and Gerd Müller, the most clinical of modern day finishers were the main men, but the likes of Netzer, Overath, Hoeness and Bonhof also played crucial roles at crucial times for a German side brimming with talent.
France 1982-86:
What made them great: For footballing purists this French side had it all. Desperately unfortunate to lose a titanic semi-final battle to West Germany in the 1982 World Cup after leading 3-1 in extra-time the French were at the zenith of their powers two years later as they swept to European Championship triumph. Alain Giresse, Jean Tigana, Luis Fernandez and Michel Platini formed the most mouth-watering artistic of midfield combinations The neutrals' favourite side throughout the 1980s they were past their best at the Mexico World Cup two years later but still succeeded in reaching the semi-finals.
Star performers: The aforementioned midfield quartet of course. Of these four, Platini was the talisman; he scored nine goals in the European Championship finals of 1984, a record that is likely to last for generations to come.
Netherlands 1988:
What made them great: A side for whom greatness was fleeting. Like many Dutch sides they promised more than they ultimately delivered, apart from one glorious championship in 1988. With the Milan AC pair of Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten, as well as Frank Rijkaard, the Dutch started stutteringly at the 1988 European Championship, but gained momentum as they progressed and ultimately triumphed gloriously. Coached by Rinus Michels, whose Dutch side of 14 years previously had come so close to World Cup glory, the Dutch failed to build on this triumph, disappointing at Italia 90 and EURO 92™, but with their vibrant attacking style they enjoyed a wonderful summer in the sun.
Star performers: Marco van Basten, his career was ultimately savaged by injury, but at EURO 88™ he was at his sublime best scoring a superlative hat trick against England in the group stages and a fantastic goal against the Soviets in the final. Gullit was an energetic creative presence and Rijkaard almost his equal. Just as important, though less headline grabbing, were the talents of Ronald Koeman, Gerald Vanenburg, Arnold Mühren and goalkeeper Hans van Breukelen.
France 1998-2000:
What made them great: Where they will ultimately rank in the pantheon of great teams is unclear as some historical perspective still needs to be brought to bear, but their achievements are undeniable. The product of a wonderfully forward-looking youth system, the French failed to qualify for two successive World Cups after the end of the Platini age, but returned with a bang in 1998. Aime Jacquet dispensed with some traditional French individualism and in its place forged a formidable team ethic dashed with touches of more typical Gallic flair. They started slowly at the 1998 World Cup but eventually built up an unstoppable momentum. Buoyed by the confidence of lifting the World Crown they proved their status as the greatest side in the world by lifting the European crown two years later under Roger Lemerre after all hope appeared to be lost in the final against Italy.
Star performers: Zinedine Zidane, a playmaker of astonishing abiltiy who perfectly integrates himself within a team framework. The back four of Lilian Thuram, Laurent Blanc, Marcel Desailly, and Bixente Lizarazu are incomparable and have never been on the losing side in an international while playing as a quartet. The formidable Didier Deschamps in midfield… need we go on?
Ones that got away: For every great trophy-winning international side, there are other great sides who fell agonisingly short of the biggest prizes:
Hungary 1954: Won the Olympics of 1952 but failed to lift the World Cup. Ferenc Puskas, with his wondrous left foot, and Sandor "Golden Head" Kocsis operated just in front of the brilliantly imaginative Nandor Hidegkuti. They became the first side from outside the British Isles to defeat England at Wembley, destroying them 6-3 in 1953 when they might have scored ten. Swaggered into the World Cup a year later, demolished West Germany 8-3 in the group stages. They met the Germans again in the final, losing 3-2 after being 2-0 up after just eight minutes with a heavily injured Puskas a passenger for most of the game.
The Netherlands 1974: Cruyff, Neeskens, Krol et al enthralled the world with their "total football" and orange shirts at the 1974 World Cup but were thwarted by West Germany at the final hurdle. The aesthetes' favoured side reached another World Cup final four years later, without the terminally unpredictable Cruyff.
Brazil 1982: A midfield overloaded with outrageous flair in the shape of Falcao, Socrates and Toninho Cerezo made them one of the most enjoyable sides to watch in years. They scored fifteen goals in five games at the 1982 World Cup before defensive deficiencies saw them undone 3-2 by Italy. Going forward though they were an absolute delight."
Here's the URL:http://www.euro2000.org/en/news/story/0,1068,55609,00.html
"France join the ranks of the greatest
Any list that attempts to name the "greatest" teams of all time is bound to cause controversy. Attempts to compare sides from different eras are well-nigh impossible to judge by any objective criteria. Euro.2000.org's guide to some of the great international teams of the past makes no pretence to be authoritative or to rank teams in any particular order. All the sides included must have won a World Cup or European Championship trophy, and we have also offered a nod to some great teams who, through a mixture of bad luck or bad timing, never succeeded in lifting international honours.
Italy 1934-38:
What made them great: The most successful of pre-war international teams. Led by legendary coach Vittorio Pozzo from 1932, the Italians lost just seven internationals in the entire 1930s. They won the World Cups of 1934 and 1938 and the Olympic Games of 1936. Drawing on the coaching methods of, among others Austrian Hugo Meisl and Englishman Herbert Chapman, Pozzo's side were masters of the long pass and utilised an attacking central defender to great effect. Pozzo himself was a master of psychology who defined his man-management technique as "kind, but with a strong hand." Only two players from the first of Pozzo's World cup triumphs played in the second, which made his achievements all the greater.
Star performers: Gianpiero Combi, considered Italy's finest goalkeeper until the emergence of Dino Zoff. He also pre-dated Zoff by almost 50 years by captaining Italy to World Cup glory in 1934. Giuseppe Meazza, an inside forward of astonishing ability, scored 33 goals in 53 internationals and created just as many again. Meazza and inside-left Giovanni Ferrari were the only two men to appear in both Italian World Cup triumphs that decade.
Soviet Union: 1956-66
What made them great: Sustained excellence over twelve years saw the Soviet Union reach three European Championship finals out of four, two World Cup quarter-finals and one World Cup semi-final. They still enjoyed something of a reputation as underachievers throughout this period, although they succeeded in winning the gold medal at the 1956 Olympics and the inaugural European Championship (or the European Nations Cup as it was then known) in 1960. Some critics bemoaned the Soviets' lack of flair, but their fitness and determination were unmatched and set new standards across Europe.
Star performers: Igor Chislenko was a superb, if diminutive, attacker who starred in the 1962 and 1966 World Cups. His sending-off in the 1966 semi-final against West Germany ended Soviet hopes of reaching the final. However the undisputed star of the Soviet side was Lev Yashin. Nicknamed the Black Spider or Black Panther because of his famously jet-black goalkeeper's jersey, Yashin is widely regarded as the finest goalkeeper of all time. The only 'keeper to ever win the European Footballer of the Year award, he played in every major tournament for the Soviets between 1956 and 1966 and was still a reserve at the Mexico World Cup of 1970 when in his 40s.
Brazil: 1970:
What made them great: There have been other great Brazilian sides of course, but none captured the imagination of the world in quite the same way as the incomparable 1970 World Cup-winning vintage. Defence was almost an alien concept as Mario Zagallo's side placed almost their entire emphasis on attack, and still beat all-comers. They strolled to the FIFA World title, with only England and Romania managing to contain them to single goal deficits. Expressive, artistic, compelling and exotic - no matter how many adjectives you use they still fail to do credit to a side of utter wonder.
Star performers: Pele, who enjoyed the most creative of Indian summers imaginable. Jairzinho who scored in every match in the finals. Tostao, who Zagallo utilised as a centre-forward and Rivelinho, a deep lying, skilful left-winger. Carlos Alberto marshalled what passed for the defence, but he too seemed keener on attacking.
West Germany 1972-74:
What made them great: Until France emulated their achievement over 20 years later, West Germany were the only side to have ever simultaneously held the World and European crowns. Under Helmut Schön, they were a supremely efficient attacking and defensive unit with a great libero in Franz Beckenbauer. They swept to the European Championship in 1972 with Gunter Netzer utterly rampant. Schön was brave enough to virtually dispense with the blond midfield schemers' services in favour of Wolfgang Overath at the World Cup two years later. The Germans upset neutrals by defeating Johan Cruyff's Netherlands in the final and perhaps never received the credit they so richly deserved for their own brand of total football and creating the base for three decades of German domination of European football.
Star performers: Franz Beckenbauer, the epitome of cool at sweeper and Gerd Müller, the most clinical of modern day finishers were the main men, but the likes of Netzer, Overath, Hoeness and Bonhof also played crucial roles at crucial times for a German side brimming with talent.
France 1982-86:
What made them great: For footballing purists this French side had it all. Desperately unfortunate to lose a titanic semi-final battle to West Germany in the 1982 World Cup after leading 3-1 in extra-time the French were at the zenith of their powers two years later as they swept to European Championship triumph. Alain Giresse, Jean Tigana, Luis Fernandez and Michel Platini formed the most mouth-watering artistic of midfield combinations The neutrals' favourite side throughout the 1980s they were past their best at the Mexico World Cup two years later but still succeeded in reaching the semi-finals.
Star performers: The aforementioned midfield quartet of course. Of these four, Platini was the talisman; he scored nine goals in the European Championship finals of 1984, a record that is likely to last for generations to come.
Netherlands 1988:
What made them great: A side for whom greatness was fleeting. Like many Dutch sides they promised more than they ultimately delivered, apart from one glorious championship in 1988. With the Milan AC pair of Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten, as well as Frank Rijkaard, the Dutch started stutteringly at the 1988 European Championship, but gained momentum as they progressed and ultimately triumphed gloriously. Coached by Rinus Michels, whose Dutch side of 14 years previously had come so close to World Cup glory, the Dutch failed to build on this triumph, disappointing at Italia 90 and EURO 92™, but with their vibrant attacking style they enjoyed a wonderful summer in the sun.
Star performers: Marco van Basten, his career was ultimately savaged by injury, but at EURO 88™ he was at his sublime best scoring a superlative hat trick against England in the group stages and a fantastic goal against the Soviets in the final. Gullit was an energetic creative presence and Rijkaard almost his equal. Just as important, though less headline grabbing, were the talents of Ronald Koeman, Gerald Vanenburg, Arnold Mühren and goalkeeper Hans van Breukelen.
France 1998-2000:
What made them great: Where they will ultimately rank in the pantheon of great teams is unclear as some historical perspective still needs to be brought to bear, but their achievements are undeniable. The product of a wonderfully forward-looking youth system, the French failed to qualify for two successive World Cups after the end of the Platini age, but returned with a bang in 1998. Aime Jacquet dispensed with some traditional French individualism and in its place forged a formidable team ethic dashed with touches of more typical Gallic flair. They started slowly at the 1998 World Cup but eventually built up an unstoppable momentum. Buoyed by the confidence of lifting the World Crown they proved their status as the greatest side in the world by lifting the European crown two years later under Roger Lemerre after all hope appeared to be lost in the final against Italy.
Star performers: Zinedine Zidane, a playmaker of astonishing abiltiy who perfectly integrates himself within a team framework. The back four of Lilian Thuram, Laurent Blanc, Marcel Desailly, and Bixente Lizarazu are incomparable and have never been on the losing side in an international while playing as a quartet. The formidable Didier Deschamps in midfield… need we go on?
Ones that got away: For every great trophy-winning international side, there are other great sides who fell agonisingly short of the biggest prizes:
Hungary 1954: Won the Olympics of 1952 but failed to lift the World Cup. Ferenc Puskas, with his wondrous left foot, and Sandor "Golden Head" Kocsis operated just in front of the brilliantly imaginative Nandor Hidegkuti. They became the first side from outside the British Isles to defeat England at Wembley, destroying them 6-3 in 1953 when they might have scored ten. Swaggered into the World Cup a year later, demolished West Germany 8-3 in the group stages. They met the Germans again in the final, losing 3-2 after being 2-0 up after just eight minutes with a heavily injured Puskas a passenger for most of the game.
The Netherlands 1974: Cruyff, Neeskens, Krol et al enthralled the world with their "total football" and orange shirts at the 1974 World Cup but were thwarted by West Germany at the final hurdle. The aesthetes' favoured side reached another World Cup final four years later, without the terminally unpredictable Cruyff.
Brazil 1982: A midfield overloaded with outrageous flair in the shape of Falcao, Socrates and Toninho Cerezo made them one of the most enjoyable sides to watch in years. They scored fifteen goals in five games at the 1982 World Cup before defensive deficiencies saw them undone 3-2 by Italy. Going forward though they were an absolute delight."
