Feature Story

One of the more popular sports newspapers in France, "L Equipe" ran a survey amongst soccer historians and asked the question: which is the All Time best starting "11" lineup for players that competed in the European Champions Cup, now known as The Champions League? Old timers like myself were somewhat surprised, not so much by the choices, buy by some players that were not mentioned, however, for the most part, the choices that were made made sense. EASA is providing, not only the line up, but some biography for each player. Enjoy!

1) Goal Keeper, Sepp Maier (Bayern Munich, and the National team of West Germany)
Nicknamed, "Die Katze von Anzing" ("the cat from Anzing") for his fast reflexes. Maier spent his entire professional career playing for Bayern Munich. He began playing for Bayern's youth sides in 1958. During the 1970's, he was part of the legendary Bayern team which included the likes of ex. Cosmos Defender, Beckenbauer, and Forward, Gerd Muller. Maier won three European Cups in a row, a German record. Between 1966 and 1979 he played in 442 consecutive Bundesliga matches, still a German national record. He also was the starting Goal Keeper when West Germany won the 1974 World Cup played in West Germany. His playing career came to an abrupt end in 1979 when he sustained serious injuries in a car accident, caused by a DUI.

Other Goalkeepers that came into my mind was Ray Clemence (Liverpool, England), Lev Yashin ( Dynamo Moscow, Soviet Union, known as the "Black Spider"), considered by many as the #1 Goalkeeper of all time, Oliver Kahn (Bayern Munich and West Germany) and Gordan Banks ( Chesterfield, Leicester City, Stoke City, and the National team of England, although he never won a European Championship).

2) Right Fullback, Phil Neil (Northampton, Liverpool, Bolton Wonderers, and the National Team of England)
One of the best Full Backs to play the game, Neil is the only player to have appeared in the first five of Liverpool's European Champions Cup finals, winning four of them. Neil scored the crucial clinching penalty when Liverpool beat Borussia Monchengladbach in Rome to win the trophy for the first time in 1977 and subsequently played in the club's further successes in 1978 and 1981, beating Begium side FC Bruges and Real Madrid respectively, with both games ending 1-0. In Liverpool's fourth final in 1984, Neal scored again - this time from open play and again in Rome - as Liverpool drew 1-1 with Roma and won on a penalty shoot-out, during which Neal again scored. The following year he missed out on a fifth winners' medal when Juventus won 1-0 at Heysel in a match rendered meaningless because of the rioting beforehand in which 39 Juventus fans were killed and resulted in Liverpool's banishment from European club football.

3) Central Defender, Franz Beckenbauer (Bayern Munich, New York Cosmos, Hamburg, and the National team of West Germany)
Nicknamed Der Kaiser ("The Emperor") because of his elegant style, his leadership, and his dominance on the football pitch, Beckenbauer is generally regarded as the greatest German footballer of all time and one of the greatest and most decorated footballers in the history of the game. With Bayern Munich, he won three consecutive European Cups from 1974 to 1976, and the Cup Winners' Cup in 1967. Beckenbauer is the only player to captain three European Cup winning sides. American fans will remember him when, in 1977, he accepted a lucrative contract to play in the North American Soccer League with the New York Cosmos. He played with the Cosmos for four seasons up to 1980, and the team won the Soccer Ball on three occasions ('77, '78, '80). He was a member of the World Cup squads that finished runners-up in 1966, third place in 1970, and champions in 1974.

4) Central Defender, Franco Baresi (AC Milan, and the National Team of Italy)
Baresi led the Milan team and its defense for the best part of a decade; a period during which Milan's defense was considered by many observers to be one of the best back fours in the history of football, consisting of Baresi, Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurta, and Mauro Tassottii. He is also one of the few players who spent his entire career at one club, that being Milan, for whom he played 719 games, scoring 33 goals. He made his name as an adventurous defender, who built attacks from the back and surged forward whenever the opportunity presented itself. With Milan, Baresi won three European Cups, although he did not take part in the last win, his club's 1994 Champions League victory, through suspension (that year, Milan beat Barcelona 4-0, in Athens, Greece).Baresi was selected for three World Cup Teams for Italy, and was part of the squad that won the World Cup in 1982.

5) Left Full Back, Paolo Maldini (AC Milan and the National Team of Italy)
Before women went crazy for David Beckham, there was Italian Super Star, Maldini, perhaps one of the greatest defenders of all time. He spent his entire career, 25 years, with Milan, before retiring at the age of 41 in 2009, becoming a symbol and a legend of the club. During that period, he won the Champions League five times, as well as seven Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia, five Supercopa Italiana, five European Super Cups and two Intercontinental Cups. He played for 14 years for the Italian National Team, making his debut in 1988 before retiring in 2002 with 126 appearances and four World Cup participations.

Other notable Defenders in my opinion: Lilian Thuram (a Frenchman, who, while at Parma, won the UEFA Cup in 1998–99, along with eventual Juventus teammates Buffon and Cannavaro, but never won a Champions League title.), Roberto Carlos ( the Brazilian known for his unbelievable Free Kicks, while at Real Madrid, he won three Champion League Cups and two Intercontinental Cups) and Ronald Koeman (the Dutchman won two UEFA Champion Cup titles with PSV and Barcelona).

6) Outside Half Back, Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona and the National Team of Argentina)
If you have never heard of him, then, you just do not follow soccer. He currently plays for FC Barcelona and captains the Argentinean National Team. He can play as a winger or as a striker, when needed. He is regarded as one of the best football players of his generation, and by the time his career will end, might be considered as great as the one and only Pele, although he would rather be compared to Maradona. Messi has won five La Liga titles, three Champions League titles, scoring in two of those finals, against Manchester United in both 2009 and 2011. He was not on the pitch as Barcelona defeated Arsenal in 2006, but received a winners' medal from the tournament. He has participated in 2 World Cups. Oh, by the way, he is only 24 years old. Simply, an amazing player.

7) Center Half Back, Johan Cruyff (Ajax, Barcelona, Los Angeles Aztecs, Washington Diplomats, Levante, Feyenoid, and the National team of Holland)
While Soccer Historians have argued that Pele is the greatest Soccer Player to have played the game, my true opinion is that Johan Cruyff is in fact the greatest there ever was. He was one of the most famous exponents of the football philosophy known as "Total Football," made famous by Dutch Coach, Rinus Michels, a theory that EASA preaches to all of their students. After his retirement from playing in 1984, Cruyff became highly successful as manager of Ajax and later FC Barcelona; he remains an influential advisor to both clubs. In 1999, Cruyff was voted European Player of the Century in an election held by the IFFHS, and came second behind PELE in their World Player of the Century poll. On 2 June 1971, in Wembley Stadium, Ajax won the European Cup by defeating my club, Panathinaikos, a game that I was present at the age of 12, by the score of 2–0. Ajax would win 2 more cups the next 2 years defeating Inter and Juventus. Cruyff led the Netherlands to a runners-up medal in the 1974 World Cup, loosing to West Germany 2-1. Here is an interesting fact very few know. While Holland was sponsored by Addidas, Cruyff's shirt only had 2 lines, instead of the famous 3 lines. The reason, was that he had a sponsorship with PUMA and did not want to cause a problem his company. I will admit that he was my idol as a young soccer player, and I even changed my jersey number to 14, which was the number he wore. Now, if only I could have played like him...

8) Center Half back, Clarence Seedorf (Ajax, AC Milan, Real Madrid, and the National Team of Holland)
Seedorf will go down in soccer history as the only player to have won the Champions League with three different clubs - Ajax (1995), Real Madrid (1998) and Milan in 2003 and 2007. One of the best Half Backs of all time, he is well known for his shots and for his passing. In fact, at the end of the 2006–07 season, Seedorf was voted best midfielder of the Champions League. As an International player for Holland, Seerdorf has played in EURO1996, where his penalty miss proved decisive in the quarter final shootout defeat to France, the 1998 World Cup, EURO 2000, and EURO 2004.

9) Outside Half Back, Ryan Giggs (Manchester United and the National Team of Wales)
A few of our readers might be surprised that Giggs is on this list, but a look at his biography only proves that he is most deserving. Giggs is the most decorated player in English football history. He also holds Manchester United's club record for competitive appearances. During his time at United, he has won 12 Premier League winner's medals, four FA Cup winner's medals, three League Cup winner's medals and two Champions League winner's medals. He has two runner-up medals from the Champions League, three FA Cup finals and two League Cup finals, as well as being part of the team five times when it finished second in the Premier League. At international level, Giggs played for the Welsh National Team prior to his retirement from international football on 2 June 2007, and was once the youngest player to ever represent his country. On 31 January 2011, Giggs was named Manchester United's greatest ever player by a worldwide poll conducted by United's official magazine and website. Considering the history of the club, and some of the players to have played for the Red Devils (The Charlton Brothers, George Best to name a few), this indeed was an incredible honor.

Other Half Backs that came into my mind are Michel Platini (The Frenchman, who played for Juventus, won the European Champions Cup in 1985, is also widely regarded as one of the best passers in football history, as well as one of history's greatest free kick specialists and finishers), Zinedine Zidane (another Frenchman who won the La Liga and the Champions League with Real Madrid...it might be worth it to see his Goal in the final vs. Bayer Leverkusen; one of the best Goals ever scored...he is, alongside Brazilian Striker Ronaldo, the only 3-time FIFA World Player Of The Year), and one of my first Teachers of the Game, the Great Ferenc Puskás, (a Hungarian who won three European Cups with Real Madrid, 1959, 1960, and 1966. As a Half Back, he scored 84 goals in 85 international matches for Hungary, and 514 goals in 529 matches in the Hungarian and Spanish leagues. I met him when he came to Greece to coach my club, Panathinaikos, to the European Championship Cup, only to see my team lose to Ajax...oh, the pain. I really do miss him.) Oh, lets not forget David Beckham, who won the Champions League with Manchester in 1999. Ah, yes, and Figo who won the Champions League in 2001 with Real Madrid....Wow, there are so many to choose from!!!

10) Forward, Alfredo Di Stéfano (River Plate, Real Madrid Espanyol, and the National Team of Argentina)
Di Stéfano, nicknamed "Saeta rubia" ("blond arrow"), is considered, by many , to be in fact the greatest player to have ever played the game. In fact, people have described him as "the most complete footballer in the history of the game." He is most associated with Real Madrid and was instrumental in their domination of the European Champions Cup during the 1950s, a period in which the club won the trophy in five consecutive seasons from 1956. He was a powerful forward with great stamina, tactical versatility, and vision, who could also play almost anywhere on the field. He is currently the 4th highest scorer in the history of La Liga, and Real Madrid's 2nd highest league goal scorer of all time, with 216 goals in 282 league matches between 1953 and 1964.

11) Forward, Marco van Basten (Ajax, AC Milan and the National team of Holland)
I honestly believe that if an injury did not end his career much earlier than planned, Marco van Basten might have been considered as the greatest Forward ever to play the game. He is regarded as one of the greatest forwards of all time and has scored 277 goals in a high-profile career. In November 1992, he became the first player to score four goals in a Champions League match, including a picture perfect bicycle kick. In 1988–89, van Basten two goals in the final of the European Cup as Milan triumphed against Romanian side Steaua Bucurest, and, in 1989–90, he helped Milan successfully defend the European Cup after beating Portuguese side Benfica in the final match. With Holland, at EURO 1988, van Basten scored a total of five goals, including a hat trick against England, the winning goal in the semi-final against West Germany, and a spectacular volley in the final against the Soviet Union, perhaps one of the greatest goals of all time. Holland won the game 2-0.

Some forwards that came to my mind are Raul Gonzalez, known as Raul (The Spaniard spent most of his career playing for Real Madrid up until 2010 and is the club's all-time top goalscorer. Raúl is a three-time winner of the UEFA Champions League), Gerd Muller ( The "West" German with national records of 68 goals in 62 international appearances, 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga games and the international record of 66 goals in 74 European Club games, he was one of the most successful goal scorers of his era. He won the Champions League with Bayern Munich 3 times), Ronaldinho ( two-time winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year, the Brazilian won the Champions League Title with FC Barcelona), Christiano Ronaldo (the one and only Portuguese International, won the Champions League with Manchester United, and now plays for Real Madrid), Wayne Rooney (The English International who might break Manchester United's Goal Scoring Records, won the Champions League in 2008), and the one and only Ronaldo ( widely considered to be the greatest 'pure' striker in the history of the modern game, and by some accounts, in the history of football, the Brazilian won the Champions League. Although he never won the Champions League Title, he did win 2 UEFA Championship Titles with FC Barcelona and Inter Milan).

There is no way that I can list the dozens of players that might deserve to be on this list. I would love our EASA readers to use Twitter and let us know of the players that they feel that should be on this list. Remember to do your homework; the list can only consist of players that have won...or came close to winning the Champions Cup, or Champions League Title...

Oh, and I bet Pele wishes that he had played in Europe...