The Amauri Saga Climaxes With A Silent Thud

March 3rd, 2010 | By: chris | Comments(4)

Eighteen months ago, Amauri was perhaps the most hotly debated international in the land - solely because he wasn't an international at all. After a big money & big talent move north to Juventus, Amauri got off to a blistering start in Torino.

This didn't impress Dunga, who refused to call up the giant Drogba-wig impersonator to the shock of many (though he was eventually called for a friendly but pulled out injured), which sent alarms blaring all over Italia because the Azzurri are still desperately searching under every rock in the peninsula for that first striker. And after years - quite literally years - it'll all culminate today when Amauri finally gets his Italian passport.

Yet after all the hullabaloo, no one cares anymore. [read more]

World Cup Legends: Just Fontaine.

March 3rd, 2010 | By: chris | Comments(-3)

When the words "1958 World Cup" pop into conversation, the minds of most typically latch onto one name: Pelé.

It was his coming out party and he deserves every bit of praise he receives, leading Brazil to its first title as a 17 year old burgeoning legend. Yet lurking in the not-so-distant background is a man whose tournament was no less impressive, and still stands today as the single most statistically bountiful World Cup in history: France's Just Fontaine. [read more]

Zinedine Zidane Shows His Futsal Skills in France '98 vs Algeria '82/'86

March 2nd, 2010 | By: Daryl | Comments(2)

Relations between France and Algeria have always been a bit tricky. This isn't the place to discuss the specifics, but there's a whole Wikipedia page about Algeria–France relations if you want to read up. Despite said trickiness, there is one man who can claim to be loved in both countries: Zinedine Zidane.

Born in France to Algerian parents, Zidane is unmistakably proud of his dual identity. So yesterday Zizou and other members of France's 1998 World Cup winning team played a game of futsal in Algeria vs a combination of the 1982 and 1986 Algerian World Cup teams.

The idea seems to have been to promote good will and friendship between the two nations. A worthy cause of course. But I know you (like me) are probably more interested in seeing Zidane in action on the futsal court. Don't worry, there's plenty of video below. [read more]