Date of birth 27 May 1947 Place of birth Ljubljana Playing position Midfielder 1965–1973 Olimpija Ljubljana 1973–1975 NK Hajduk Split 1975–1977 FC Schalke 04 1977–1980 FC Bayern Munich 1983–1985 SV Spittal National team 1970–1977 Yugoslavia 46 (6)
In November 2003 UEFA member football associations organized surveys to find the best national players in 50 year period of existence of UEFA. In Slovenia Branko Oblak was awarded this title, "beating" such a rivals as Srečko Katanec and Zlatko Zahovič.
Date of birth 2 May 1935 Place of birth A Coruña, Galicia, Spain Height 1.75 m Playing position Inside Left 1953-1954 Deportivo La Coruña 17 (3 goals) 1954–1955 CD España Industrial - - 1954–1961 FC Barcelona 122 (61 goals) 1961–1970 Internazionale 256 (42 goals) 1970–1973 Sampdoria 63 (9 goals) National team 1957–1972 Spain 32 (14 goals)
Honours
CF Barcelona La Liga: 1958-1959, 1959-1960 Copa del Generalísimo: 1957,1959 Fairs Cup: 1958,1960
Inter Serie A: 1962-63, 1964-65, 1965-66 European Cup: 1964, 1965 Intercontinental Cup: 1964, 1965
European Football Championship: 1964 (Spain) European Footballer of the Year: 1960 . Silver Ball: 1961, 1964. Bronze Ball: 1965.
Date of birth 15 September 1951 Place of birth Heemstede, Netherlands Height 1.72 m Playing position Midfielder 1968–1970 RCH 68 (1 goal) 1970–1974 Ajax 124 (33 goals) 1974–1979 Barcelona 140 (35 goals) 1979–1984 New York Cosmos 094 (17 goals) 1984–1985 FC Groningen 7 - 1985 Minnesota Strikers - - 1985 Fort Lauderdale Sun - - 1986–1987 Löwenbrau (amateurs) - - 1987–1990 FC Baar 23 (5 goals) 1990–1991 FC Zug 1 - National team 1970–1981 Netherlands 049 (17 goals)
Eredivisie: 1972, 1973 Dutch Cup: 1971, 1972 UEFA Champions League: 1971, 1972, 1973 UEFA Supercup: 1972 Intercontinental Cup: 1972 Copa del Rey: 1978 UEFA Cup Winners Cup: 1979
Date of birth 2 October 1943 Place of birth Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, Belgium Playing position Forward 1959–1975 R.S.C. Anderlecht 457 (233 goals) 1975–1976 R.W.D. Molenbeek 21 (1 goals) 1976–1977 K.S.C. Eendracht Aalst National team 1960–1974 Belgium 81 (30 goals)
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Paul Van Himst at age 16 made his debut for Anderlecht, and at age 17 was selected for the national team for the first of 81 times. Paul Van Himst is the footballer with the longest list of achievements in Belgium: with Anderlecht he was champion eight times and cupwinner four times. Three times he was Belgium's top scorer, four times winning "De Golden Schoen", scoring 235 goals in competition football and 30 goals for the national team. But it is not just the imposing honour roll that makes Paul Van Himst the best Belgian footballer of all times. This "Brusseler" was a pleasure to the eye, an elegant, technically superb and refined footballer, who in his period of glory was known as the white Pele, a genial but simple star, Paul Van Himst, with his extraordinary stong muscles, was a child of Anderlecht. For fifteen years he was the architect and moulder of the Brussels team, the figurehead of the proud, academic football of the purple-white team. His ball control and his slaloms were as inimitable as the way he was able to curl the goal into the goal with the outside of his foot. Van Himst scored goals of almost poignant beauty. But he was also seen as the focal point and the opportunist of the team, with which he experienced both tragedy and triumph. During a bad World Cup for Belgian football in Mexico in 1970, Van Himst and the national team performed poorly, and when later everyone pointed the finger at him , he announced he was quitting the Belgian national team. Only to make a cast-iron comeback in 1972 with Belgium ending number three in the European Cup. Throughout his careeer Van Himst was know for his affability. Grandiloquence was lost on him. A style he continued when, among other things, he became trainer of Anderlecht, with which he won the UEFA Cup in 1983, and the national team that he took to the World Cup in America in 1994. The aura surrounding the now 56 year-old Paul Van Himst remains immense, which is why he was offered the job of ambassador for the coming Euro. La Cancha was honored to have met and interviewed this giant of football during our recent tour of Europe while attending the FIFA Hall of Fame Awards in Brussells, Belgium. Below is the text of our exclusive interview with the great Paul Van Himst. Top Right: Paul Van Himst accepts the award for Belgium Player of the Century at the FIFA Hall of Champions ceremony in Brussells, Belgium.
Q: We'd like to ask you about the two largest competition that are coming EURO and World Cup 2002. First, what is yourv position on the EURO2000 being co-hosted by Belgium and Holland. A: I think it is a very good idea. Belgium is not so big a country and an event as big as the EURO2000 is better hosted by both countries. Q: What do think are Belgium's chances of winning EURO2000 particularly half of the games are being held on Belgium soil? A: Winning I think will be very difficult for any team including Belgium. However I believe that Belgium will play in the semi-finals while Holland will be in the finals. Q: Looking farther ahead at World Cup 2002. Do you think a South American country will win or do you think that Europe will again bring back the cup and if so, why? A: I think a team from any continent can win the cup not only a European.
Q: And what is your view on having a World Cup every two years. A: I think every two years is too much. I mean there are so many events such as the European Cup, etc.. I think a World Cup every 4 years is enough.
Q: Now looking at the team you played for Anderlecht, what is your opinion of Anderlecht's coach Aime Anthuenis? A: I think he is a good coach. He coached Genk last year and he also has a very good team.
Q: As you are aware, your former team Anderlecht played a wonderful game yesterday. Do you believe they can win the championship this year and why? A: I think that Anderlecht will win, not only because they are the best team, but because the other teams are playing very bad at this moment. The other teams have lost so many points so I think there will be no problem for Anderlecht to win this year.
Q: When you were younger who did you admire watching. A: I enjoyed very much watching another center-forward from Anderlecht. His name is Jef Mermans. In this game you know, there are two positions which are spectacular. One is the forward player who makes goals, and the other is goalkeeper who saves goals. The mid position player is not so exciting to watch but Jef Mermans was a mid position player who scored many goals. After Mermans came Pele. Pele played with his head. He was not only a great player but also is a great person off the field.. Q: I come from America and I'd like to know what you believe America has to do to improve it's level of play? A: I saw USA in World Cup 1994 and they played very well. America is not so bad eh? Q: What is your opinion of this years nomimees for World Player 1999? A: I know them having seen them play on television... Beckham with Manchester United, Rivaldo with Barcelona and Batistuta playing in the European Cup. I think Rivaldo is a very technically sound player. Although he does not play the forward position he makes many goals. I think that Batistuta is the best forward in Europe. In Italian league competition it is very very difficult to make goals even when you are considered a very good player.
Q: How would you rate today's player as compared with the players in your era? A: That is difficult to say, we had many good players then as there are good players now. Also, the rules have somewhat changed and are still being modified as have training methods. Q: Lastly, how do you feel about being honored by the FIFA Hall of Champions?. A: To be recognized for one's achievements is always a wonderful experience. I am very grateful and honored to receive such recognition.
Date of birth 8 April 1950 Place of birth Malbork, Poland Height 1.75 m Playing position Winger 1966–1980 Stal Mielec 295 (117 goals) 1980–1982 Lokeren 64 (12 goals) 1982–1984 Atlante 45 (15 goals) Total 404 (144) National team 1971–1984 Poland 100 (45 goals)
Polish Premier League - 1st place: 1973, 1976 Polish Premier League - 2nd place: 1975 Polish Premier League - 3rd place: 1974, 1979, 1982 Polish Cup - 2nd place: 1976 UEFA Cup - quarter-finalist: 1975/76 CONCACAF Champions Cup - Winner: 1983 Polish Premier League Top Goalscorer: 1973, 1975 Piłka Nożna Player of the Year: 1977 Sport Player of the Year: 1974, 1977 Olympic gold medal: 1972 Olympic silver medeal: 1976 FIFA World Cup - 3rd place: 1974, 1982 FIFA World Cup Golden Shoe: 1974
Grzegorz Lato is one of the great World Cup legends due to the fact that he remains one of surprisingly few attacking players to have done really well in three different World Cups.
The speedy right-winger spent most years of his career at Stal Mielec where he made 272 league appearances and scored 111 goals. Lato helped the club win the Polish league championship twice and was also topscorer in the league twice. The Polish FA prohibited transfers abroad until a player was 30 and that hampered Lato's chances to show off his skills on a weekly basis for a larger audience on the continent.
But whenever he was given the chance at national team level to compete with the best internationally, he always stood the test and shone as bright as anyone else out there. Lato was not the typical crowd pleaser who would run circles around his full-back showing off magical skills, instead he was the complete team player. He knew instantly when to cut inside going for goal and when to make another decision with the ball that would benefit the team.
Poland impressed greatly in the World Cup 1974 in West Germany - two years after winning the Olympics in Munich - and Lato more so than anyone else. He became topscorer in the finals with seven goals and was matchwinner against Argentina, Sweden, Yugoslavia and Brazil. Poland came third behind Beckenbauer's Germany and Cruijff's Holland. For his contribution Lato won the Player of the Year award in Poland.
On a personal level Lato did fine also in Argentina '78, but Poland did not have the same fortunes as four years earlier and finished fifth in the finals. In a tough second phase group where the match against Argentina was decisive, Lato had a goalbound header saved by Mario Kempes with his fist. The following penalty was missed and Kempes was later matchwinner.
Lato took on a senior role in 1982, still instrumental, setting up Boniek for some of his goals. Poland finished third again and Lato picked up his second bronze medal in eight years. In the 20 World Cup finals matches he played, Lato scored 10 goals (no penalties) and had 7 assists.
Lato turned down a personal invitation from Pelé to play for New York Cosmos, but would finally later move abroad to Lokeren in Belgium and then infact across the pond to Mexico and Canada where he ended his career. Despite his achievements on football's greatest stage, Lato was not on the European Top 50 best players' list compiled by UEFA for their 50th anniversary in 2004. It underlined what many feels - that Lato is one of the most underrated players in European football history. Today Grzegorz Lato works as a politician.
