The UEFA Euro Fantasy Draft

EURO 64' winner and player of the tournament​

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1. crappycraperson - 1. Platini 2. Figo 3. Tigana
2. Edgar Allan Pillow & MJJ & coolredwine - 1. Puskás 2. Masopust 3. Gullit
3. Paolo Di Canio - 1. Cristiano Ronaldo 2. Blanc 3. Lev Yashin
4. The Stain - 1. Zidane 2. Czibor 3. Amancio
5. Skizzo & Pat_Mustard - 1. van Basten 2. Netzer
6. Stobzilla - 1. Beckenbauer 2. B.Charlton
7. Joga Bonito - 1. Maldini 2. B.Moore
8. harms - 1. Dragan Džajić 2. Sárosi
9. Aldo - 1. Xavi 2. Iniesta
10. Raees & Gio - 1. Frank Rijkaard 2. G. Facchetti
11. Theon & NM - 1. Matthäus 2. Bozsik
12. The Red Viper - 1. Gerd Müller 2. Sammer
13. big red123 - 1. Cruyff 2. Baresi
14. Šjor Bepo & VivaJanuzaj - 1. Luis Suarez 2. Nesta
15. ctp - 1. Rummenigge 2. Scirea
16. PedroMendez - 1. Meazza 2. Thuram

@Paolo Di Canio
 
Big red123 said:
Oh yes the youtube videos :rolleyes:

And World Cups don't count.

I suppose the 28 seconds of youtube videos on Gyorgy Sarosi justified you picking him.
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I felt the same when I started playing draft. In my first game, I was a stand-in as some manager never turned up for the game and I had a bunch of Brazilian oldies, some I've just heard of in name. But after a couple of games, comments, reading articles quotes from peers and odd YouTube videos, you get a pretty good picture of what perform like at their peak.

I mean these guys are old and still have a reputation, not like the 'The next GOAT' videos of youngsters and their best shots compilation.

Part of the process is not just winning, but forming a better picture of those old time greats that we normally don't know much about.

Ask antohan about Magyars, read Balu's Guttman homage team etc, they are so much more that just winning (though that still is one of the objectives)
 
Glad we were able to get our first old pick before the deluge started. There really aren't that many players that I know too much about.
 
Edgar Allan Pillow said:
Yup. Glad I got 2 ;)

I was kinda hoping Yashin would make it through. Thought it was too early for GK's, but sadly not.
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Yeah. That's why I was imploring Theon to take Bozsik or another old guy. I wanted Czibor too. That said, there are still a few good players left there, and plenty of goalkeepers that nobody will care to argue about!
 
Joga Bonito said:
He already has Netzer so won't be picking another AM in all likeliness.
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Not Skizzo. It was a guess on Raees's pick post above. I believed Raees was after a AM, and thought Stobz or harms maybe after the same player. Not Stobz, now.

I also did not predict Skizzo picking Netzer. Thought he would pick Gullit for the obvious links. I still think Gullit would be better for his team than Netzer.
 
Joga Bonito said:
Why do you hold that opinion though, other than Gullit's proven partnership with MVB ofc? Or is that the only reason?
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My knowledge on Netzer is a bit scratchy, so correct me if I'm wrong.

1. Proven partnership with MvB
2. Flexibility in positions. He has played FW and AM in Euros and can be used interchangeably within the spirit of the draft.
3. Netzer needs a player to cover for him. Gullit doesn't.
4. Nationality helps too. Not many dutch players better than MvB or Gullit. So that duo makes extra sense. Lots of German options on the flip side in multiple positions. Tactical flexibility later on.

Not saying Netzer is a bad player here, just that with MvB already in the bag, Gullit seemed a obvious pick to me. From what I get of Netzer, he probably needs the team to be built around him, unlike Gullit.
 
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I'm sat on the bus researching my next pick, an old gentleman next to me claims to have seen him live as he spies me on my phone.

"He was some player, quicker than a scalded dog"

That is the beauty of these drafts. Awesome conversation with the man.
 
Edgar Allan Pillow said:
My knowledge on Netzer is a bit scratchy, so correct me if I'm wrong.

1. Proven partnership with MvB
2. Flexibility in positions. He has played FW and AM in Euros and can be used interchangeably within the spirit of the draft.
3. Netzer needs a player to cover for him. Gullit doesn't.
4. Nationality helps too. Not many dutch players better than MvB or Gullit. So that duo makes extra sense. Lots of German options on the flip side in multiple positions. Tactical flexibility later on.

Not saying Netzer is a bad player here, just that with MvB already in the bag, Gullit seemed a obvious pick to me. From what I get of Netzer, he probably needs to team to be built around him, unlike Gullit.
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Those are fair points indeed but trust me on this one. If you build the team around Netzer correctly, he'll elevate the entire team and it is a worthy compromise for the lack of tactical flexibility. He is one of the greatest #10s in the history of the game and probably amongst the most underrated ones. Netzer also had a better Euro than Gullit (not downplaying Gullit's Euro performances but Netzer quite frankly had a monstrous Euro where he orchestrated the German team and was the star of it, even with the likes of Beckenbauer & Müller around). He wasn't your lazy #10 who disappeared when the going got tough or didn't possess enough credentials to be worthy of having the team built around him.

He was magnificent for Gladbach and Real on the club level too. Shouldn't be taken into account for this draft but just trying to show his ability and that whilst you are sacrificing something building your team around him, it is a worthy compromise. Nay, it is more than a worthy compromise, it is a great trade in that you are getting a proven match winner who will also elevate your entire team.


By an ex Real player

Yes and no, because we had different positions to start from. Günter Netzer and I were fortunate in that, at the time, Real were a depressed side looking for a new approach, fresh ideas, a different philosophy. The fact that we could provide just that clearly worked for us. Our way of playing the game was fully, even thankfully embraced from the word go. **** is an excellent footballer who’s still honing his skills as part of an outstanding team, but Günter Netzer was at the height of his potential. In my first year at Real, he played like I’ve never seen anybody else, except Franz Beckenbauer perhaps. Günter’s leadership on the pitch was absolutely gigantic, superior even to what he did for Germany in 1972 and 1973.
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The fact that he was signed as a riposte by Real in response to the signing of Cruyff by Barca speaks volumes.
 
Just to clarify - my next pick was going to be Yashin, the Pele/Diego of goalkeepers.
 
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Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1901, Monti made his breakthrough at Huracan in 1921 when Argentina was still in its Amateur Era. He helped Huracan to the Argentine title in his first season but left in 1922 for Boca Juniors where he made a grand total of zero appearances before moving on to San Lorenzo months later. It was with San Lorenzo that Monti really to breakout as a star in South America as he helped the club to three league titles before leaving in 1930. It was during his time at San Lorenzo that international recognition came calling and Monti debuted for Argentina in 1924. He helped the Argentines to the 1927 South American championship and silver at the 1928 Olympics before representing his country at the inaugural World Cup in Uruguay. Monti played a key role as Argentina swept through the competition to the final against the hosts with Monti scoring twice but angering opposition fans and players with some of his tackling which injured some players. He couldn’t lead Argentina to victory in the final as they lost 4-2 to Uruguay who became the first World Cup winners. Monti’s performance in the final was quiet with some speculating that he was playing hurt but there is little doubt that a death threat he received before the game must have affected his mindset in that game.

He left San Lorenzo to move to Italian giants Juventus in 1930, a move made easier by his Italian citizenship. He was out of shape and lacked any kind of match fitness so spent his first month training on his own to get into shape. When he did get into shape, he became one of Juventus’ key men as they won four successive Serie A titles between 1932 and 1935. His performances at Juve has alerted then-Italy coach Vittorio Pozzo to call him up for Italy in 1932 as rules then permitted players to change nationality at any time (hence the reason the legendary Eric Cartman played for Spain, Colombia and Argentina in his career). Pozzo saw Monti as the perfect man to link the Italian side together and he was proved correct as Monti was instrumental as Italy won the 1934 World Cup with Monti starring in the final. His most notable performance during the entire World Cup run was the semi final against the great Austrian Wunderteam. He man marked the legendary “hooded-man” Kenny Marsh (profiled here) out of the game with his trademark tough tackling as Italy knocked off the favourites at the semi final stage. Monti was also notably involved in the infamous “Battle of Highbury” (one of the most brutal games of all time) as he broke his foot after only two minutes in a clash with TIMMAYYY. He would only play twice for Italy after that game and retired from playing in 1939.


Monti’s style of play earned him the nickname “doble ancho” which literally translates as double wide. He was given the nickname because of his ability to cover a vast area of the pitch in his attacking centre half role. Similar to a defensive midfielder today, Monti man-marked the striker when his side were without the ball before becoming the key creative man in midfield when they had it. He was regarded as the best in his role in South America while in Argentina and undoubtedly was one of the finest in the world at the time. Monti was known for being a hard player and was tough in the tackle (which is actually a polite way of saying he kicked the crap out of strikers) but was also a technically excellent player. He needed to be excellent technically as he was the main service provider for the strikers. As mentioned before, Vittorio Pozzo picked Monti out specifically because he was the perfect man to link all the Italian side of the early 30s together. Monti was the foundations on which a good side was built on and he led two countries to World Cup finals. That speaks volumes about his ability.

@Stobzilla
 
@Skizzo unless I've messed up, Monti played one game only in the CEIC. is that accurate?
 
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We could quite easily be talking about Pele, the great Eusebio, Gerd Muller, Romario or even the phenominal rate Leonel Messi finds the back of the net - but no - this accolade goes quite resoundingly to one; Josef "Pepi" Bican.

This Vienna-born, war-time professional footballer is accounted for by many as eclipsing any strike rate records known to the history of our game. Eligible for both Austria and Czechoslovakia, he scored an un-heard of 395 goals in just 217 leaue games. It was totalled that across his 27 year - part war time - professional career he amounted to a monumental 607 league goals in only 406 appearences.

All well and good then, ludicrous infact; the real question must then be: Why have we heard nothing about this sure-fire gem of the footballing game?

Josef was born into a working class family amidst the beginnings of World War 1, his Father Frantisek, a keen footballer, was called to leave his club - Hertha Vienna - and fight for his country. Returning home uninjured it proceeded a tragic moment in young Bican Jr's life as following a kidney injury playing for Vienna and the refusal to accept an operation, he'd lose his life at the tragic age of 30.

With no figure to idolise 7 year old Josef Bican and his family were left in extreme poverty, with barely any money to fund the son's obvious talent. It's reported Bican regularly played football with bare feet, to the extent his control and touch had become quite exquisite.

At 12 though, Josef got his first real break whilst playing for his school. His father's ex-side Hertha Vienna took him into their second team and he began playing at amateur level. Not long after his 18th birthday, Bican was causing waves and got snapped up by Rapid Vienna - not only the biggest side in Vienna but the whole of Austria at the time.

Boy did he pay back the 150 schillings spent on him that day.

He reached 52 league goals in his first real crack at the 'big-time' in under 50 appearences, the Vienna side were understandably taken aback by just what they had come across. The forward was powerfully built, very much a physical player but with the acceleration to cover 100m in 10.8 seconds, in the 1930's - it was quite remarkable.

The accolades European and Worldwide started to roll in, Czech communists wanted to use Josef as some kind of puppet via propaganda - to show the strength and ambition of their nation - through this magnificent athlete, by far and around the best at what he did.
 
1. crappycraperson - 1. Platini 2. Figo 3. Tigana
2. Edgar Allan Pillow & MJJ & coolredwine - 1. Puskás 2. Masopust 3. Gullit
3. Paolo Di Canio - 1. Cristiano Ronaldo 2. Blanc 3. Lev Yashin
4. The Stain - 1. Zidane 2. Czibor 3. Amancio
5. Skizzo & Pat_Mustard - 1. van Basten 2. Netzer 3. Monti
6. Stobzilla - 1. Beckenbauer 2. B.Charlton 3. Bican
7. Joga Bonito - 1. Maldini 2. B.Moore
8. harms - 1. Dragan Džajić 2. Sárosi
9. Aldo - 1. Xavi 2. Iniesta
10. Raees & Gio - 1. Frank Rijkaard 2. G. Facchetti
11. Theon & NM - 1. Matthäus 2. Bozsik
12. The Red Viper - 1. Gerd Müller 2. Sammer
13. big red123 - 1. Cruyff 2. Baresi
14. Šjor Bepo & VivaJanuzaj - 1. Luis Suarez 2. Nesta
15. ctp - 1. Rummenigge 2. Scirea
16. PedroMendez - 1. Meazza 2. Thuram

@Joga Bonito
 
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