European Cup Trivia

[Kowalski]

How many fathers and sons have played in the tournament?

Arnór and Eidur Guðjohnsen
Miguel and Pepe Reina
Borislav and Nikolay Mikhailov
Klaus and Matthias Sammer

[ursus arctos]

Like the Maldini, the Sammers made their debuts in the competition for the same club.

[Satchmo Distel]

I don't think anyone except Fat Ron has played for all four of Barcelona, Real, Milan and Inter. It shows you how big a property he was; also negatively a key person in the doping of clubs.

[denishurley]

Ibrahimovic and Francesco Coco have three of the four, having not played for Real Madrid; Luis Figo didn't play for AC Milan.

[ursus arctos]

One pretty much has to have played with Madrid to have any chance.

Seedorf is at 26, Michael Laudrup at 23, Cassano at 22, Figo at 20.

[Alex Anderson]

How many fathers and sons have played in the tournament?

Fabio and Carlo Cudicini

[Alex Anderson]

One pretty much has to have played with Madrid to have any chance.

Seedorf is at 26, Michael Laudrup at 23, Cassano at 22, Figo at 20.

Michael Owen only Brit to hit 20?

Edit: Beckham!! ... fur fucksakes ...

and if PSG win it this season he'll equal his shirt number.

[denishurley]

Mark Van Bommel is on 18 - is that the highest for a non-Real player? Patrick Kluivert, Michael Reiziger and Winston Bogarde are on 17

[Satchmo Distel]

How many European Footballers of the Year never won the European Cup?

Who is the best player who only won it once - Platini?

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Michael Owen never won it. hahahahaha

[Alex Anderson]

Mark Van Bommel is on 18 - is that the highest for a non-Real player? Patrick Kluivert, Michael Reiziger and Winston Bogarde are on 17

Zlatan's given it a right good non-Real Madrid go. He's currently on 24. If only he'd gone to Bayern - even just for a month or two (don't rule it out yet, mind) ... or if Malmo had defended that John Robertson cross a bit better in 1979 ...

If PSG win it this season his total will start increasing again. So far they are the only club he's played for who've never played in the final.

[denishurley]

Ah yes, of course.

Now, how many players have beaten a former club in the final, like Frank Rijkaard and Paulo Sousa did? Have any players done that twice?

[Alex Anderson]

How many European Footballers of the Year never won the European Cup?

I had the Ballons d'Or memorised when I was younger. I start losing it round about the millennium (generally) and now it's totally patchy all over but, from what I can remember, here's an attempted list at which to shoot ...

Sir Stanley Matthews
Omar Sivori
Josef Masopust
Lev Yashin
DENIS LAW
Florian Albert
Oleg Blokhin*
Alan Simonsen
Paolo Rossi (he wasn't still playing with Juve in 85 was he?)
Igor Belanov*
Lothar Matthaus
Papin got a medal in 94 apparently but - come on! - he never played in the game, after featuring and losing in the 91 and 93 finals.
George Weah
Fabio Cannavaro
Fat Ronaldo
Michael Owen as pointed out by Rogin
Then I'm chapping - feels like it's just been Messi and camp Ronaldo for the last 20 years.

Unsures: Just Fontaine (did he win the Ballon d'Or in 58 or was it "just" the World Cup top of top scorers?) and Rivaldo??!! (he'd left Barca by 2006, yeah? Did he ever win it at Milan? Was he ever AT Milan??)

*I saw Belanov and Blokhin going out to Rangers with Kiev in an epic European Cup night at Ibrox in 87-88, barely 18 months after they'd mesmerised the world with their telekinetic Cup-Winners' cup final win over Atletico in Lyon. Also remember them losing out in a bit of a classic Champions League semi to Bayern in 1999. After our earlier debates about great "if only" European Champs, the old summer Soviet season - and Ukrainian weather in general - probably cost Dynamo, particularly under Lobanovskyi ... for whom there was a big screen tribute before the 2002 final at Hampden.

Who is the best player who only won it once - Platini?

The answer is in your question.

First name, George.

[Alex Anderson]

Ah yes, of course.

Now, how many players have beaten a former club in the final, like Frank Rijkaard and Paulo Sousa did? Have any players done that twice?

Raymond Kopa played for both clubs in the two Real v Stade de Reims finals of the fifties ... well, obviously, he played for one at a time ... winning it with Real v Reims in 59 after losing with Reims v Real in 56.

Clarence Seedorf, only man to win it with more than two clubs, beat a future club of his in the 95 final.

[ursus arctos]

Rivaldo played for Milan, but was at Barcelona when he won the Ballon d'Or

None of Baggio, Nedved or Cannavaro have won a European Cup/Champions League

[Alex Anderson]

Baggio and Nedved! Of course! Nedved's silly trip on McManaman in the second leg of the semi-final he RAN probably cost Juve the 2003 trophy, as well as himself a place in the final.

[Satchmo Distel]

Name the player: born in Libya, won the World Cup, UEFA Cup and CWC but left his club a year before it lifted the European Cup.

[Alex Anderson]

It's a Juve legend ...

[ursus arctos]

And a counter-example to the concept of nominative determinalism.

[Alex Anderson]

Paolo Rossi (he wasn't still playing with Juve in 85 was he?)

Yup. He was. Subbed in last minute of the 85 final. But you'll forgive me for not remembering too much about that game.

[Alex Anderson]

And a counter-example to the concept of nominative determinalism.

He was Jewish?

[ursus arctos]

Arf

[Satchmo Distel]

Andy Kim asked him to rock him.

[Flynnie]

I recall him having the 2nd most impressive mustache in the Azzurri, after Greg Oden Award candidate Beppe Bergomi.

Seriously, 18 fucking years old:

[seand]

Fathers and sons..... I expect there are dozens in the smaller leagues. Kit Lawlor (Drumcondra) and his son Martin (Dundalk) is one pair off the top of my head