Hi all, welcome to All Football's On This Day! Let's find out what happened today (December 28th) in football history. If you have more stories and news that happened on this day in history, please post them in the comment area and share them with AFers!
On This Day in 1971 - Cruyff Won Ballon d'Or
On 28 December 1971, Barcelona & Ajax legend Johan Cruyff won the award (Ballon d'Or) for the best European football player.
He was ahead of Inter forward Sandro Mazzola and Manchester United winger George Best.
And, what's more, he was the first Dutch national and Ajax player to win the award!
On This Day in 1993 - The Return Of The Kaiser
On 28 December 1993, Bayern Munich legend Franz Beckenbauer returned to his former club, this time as manager.
Beckenbauer, nicknamed "Der Kaiser," originally joined Bayern's youth team in 1959 and remained with the club until 1977. During that time, they won 4 league titles, 4 DFB-Pokal Cups, and 3 consecutive European Cups (1974, 1975, 1976). He also helped guide Germany to victory in the 1972 European Championship and the 1974 World Cup. His play earned him the Ballon d'Or in 1972 and again in 1976.
After spells with the New York Cosmos and Hamburg, he moved into management, with successful tenures in charge of West Germany and Olympique Marseille before his return to Bayern in 1993. The return brought more silverware in the form of the 1994 league title. After only one season, he became president of the club, though he briefly returned as manager in 1996, winning the UEFA Cup.
On This Day in 1998 - Liverpool Sank Newcastle
On 28 December 1998, Liverpool rallied from a 2-0 deficit to secure a 4-2 win against Newcastle before a crowd of 45,000 at Anfield. All four of Liverpool's goals came in an 18-minute span in the second half.
The two sides entered the match separated by four points in the table, with Newcastle in 12th place on 24 points. Liverpool were in 9th place, but were suffering from the fallout of their recent Christmas party scandal, which reportedly included strippers and Jamie Carragher in a Hunchback of Notre Dame costume.
Newcastle took the lead with a 29th-minute blast from midfielder Nolberto Solano, but were forced into a defensive strategy a minurte later when midfielder Dietmar Hamann received his second yellow card and was sent off. Nevertheless, they were able to capitalize on a Liverpool defensive lapse in the second half and substitute Andreas Andersson put the visitors ahead 2-0.
Liverpool's comeback started deep into the second half when striker Michael Owen (pictured) deflected a Carragher shot into the back of the net. Five minutes later, striker Karl-Heinz Riedle equalized with a rebound after keeper Shay Given blocked his first attempt. After another eight minutes, Given blocked a shot by Owen, who also caught the rebound and slotted home the eventual game-winner. Riedle scored an insurance goal five minutes later to complete his brace.
On This Day in 1971 - It's Artime For Nacional
On 28 December 1971, a brace from striker Luis Artime helped Nacional claim their first Intercontinental Cup, beating Panathinaikos 2-1.
Nacional qualified for the competition by winning the 1971 Copa Libertadores and were scheduled to play European Cup holders Ajax. But they Dutch declined, so Panathinaikos, who lost to Ajax in the European Cup final, took their place.
They played the first leg in Greece on 15 December, where a second-half equalizer from Artime (pictured) secured a 1-1 draw. The teams then met thirteen days later in Uruguay for the second leg.
Playing in front of a crowd of about 63,000, Artime continued to find the net for Nacional, putting them up 2-0 with goals in the 34th and 74th minutes. Antonis Antoniadis scored for Panathinaikos in the 89th minute, but it was too late for a rally and the series ended 3-1 to Nacional on aggregate.
It was the first of three Intercontinental Cups for Nacional, who won it again in 1980 and 1988.
RealMd13
104
♥️🔥🔥 Johan cruyff was a player who could do anything from dribbling passing ball control and an lethal Goal scorer and as for FC Barcelona 🔵🔴 will always be thankful to him because he was the man who turn FC Barcelona 🔵🔴 around and made them one of the best team in world football and he did that as a player and as a manager and his tactics and style is the same style FC Barcelona 🔵🔴 still using today and everything Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique Learned came from Johan Cruyff and he won 3x Ballon dOrs in his career plus the La masia academy where players like Xavi Hernandez or Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi came from all that was his idea to create La masia and 💔 Rest In Peace 👑DON
Mosanya
67
Throughout his career, Cruyff became synonymous with the playing style of "Total Football". It is a system where a player who moves out of his position is replaced by another from his team, thus allowing the team to retain their intended organizational structure. In this fluid system, no footballer is fixed in their intended outfield role. As a player, he won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1971, 1973, and 1974. Cruyff was the most famous exponent of the football philosophy known as Total Football and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in football history.❤️ This had a great influence on his future career and character. He was renowned for his strong personality. May your soul rest in peace ❤️🙏
FootbaLLLLover⚽⚽⚽
64
Johan Cruyff, one of the best player and manager in football history. The winner of three balloon dor. As a player his dribbling was named as Cruyff turn. As a manager he Invented tiki taka playing style. You are one of the fathers of football in history. We miss you. Rest in peace the legend.😢😢😢😢😢
musbimrsy
61
So nobody talks about what a player and manager Beckenbauer was?Anybody talking about Cryuff?I think Beck is the 3rd best Europian only behind CR and Zizou personally.
12UnitedGuyReborn
61
I think they switched the names in this picture Modric never played for barca
RealMd13
59
🔥🔥 Johan Cruyff A man who changed FC Barcelona 🔵🔴 history forever as a player and as a manager and he created the formation FC Barcelona 🔴🔵 is using today 4/3/3 and he created La Masia where players like Messi,Xavi,Andres Iniesta,puyol and many other came trough and thought Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique everything they know today about Coaching because he was a Genius 💔Rest In Peace Johan Cruyff Football fans will always miss you and respect you 💪🏾
cruijff14forever
56
He is the isaac newton of football. there will never be a person whos influence will be there forever. look at pep. for me he comes before messi when it comes to barcelona. best manger of all time, and best barca player of all time.
Mishan007
52
what a player he was!