Scatty.com

Category: Sports

5 Best Moments For Bayern Munich Fans

Bayern Munich has had more success than just about any football club in Germany, so it can be hard to narrow down the club’s history to just a few moments. However, there are some that certainly stand out as being the best of the best, with these five ones that the fans will remember for generations to come.

Opening Allianz

Bayern Munich has played in a few different stadiums throughout the club’s history, with much of that time being played in Munich’s Olympic Stadium from 1972 until 2002. While it was a nice home, there was something that was lacking for Bayern playing its home matches there. Toward the end of the 1990s, Bayern started looking for new options. The club thought about staying in Olympic Stadium while it was redeveloped but eventually settled on building the new Allianz Arena.

The new stadium was finally opened in 2005 with a capacity of just over 75,000, including an illuminated exterior. On the stadium’s opening day, 1860 Munich won a friendly against 1. FC Nurnberg. The following day, Bayern Munich had its first match in the new stadium, taking on the German national team in front of a sold-out crowd, marking a new era in the club’s prestigious history.

Club World Cup Champs

The World Cup has been around for a long time to determine the top football-playing country on Earth, but it took until 2000 for FIFA to determine the best club team in the world. The FIFA Club World Cup was introduced as essentially a trial in 2000 and would return on a yearly basis in 2005. After multiple attempts at winning the FIFA Club World Cup, Bayern Munich would break through in 2013 when the tournament was held in Morocco.

Bayern qualified for the tournament by winning the 2012-13 Champions League, earning a spot in the semifinal. There, the club defeated Guangzhou Evergrande 3-0, setting up a final match against Raja Casablanca. In the seventh minute, Dante scored what would end up being the match-winning goal while Thiago added a second goal just 15 minutes later to give the club the World Cup.

Ending the Champions League Drought

During the 1970s, Bayern Munich was a staple of the European Cup, winning the title for three consecutive years. The tournament would eventually become known as the UEFA Champions League, but after 1976, Bayern Munich struggled to win the title. Fortunes would finally turn in the 2001 edition of the tournament, though, after three losses in the final during the 1980s and 1990s.

Bayern advanced past the group stages, then defeated Manchester United and Real Madrid to meet Valencia in the final. Things started poorly for Bayern as Gaizka Mendieta scored in the third minute, but Stefan Effenberg knotted things up in the 50th minute. Extra time was needed, but neither team scored and the clubs advanced to penalty kicks. In the seventh frame, Oliver Kahn made the winning save against Mauricio Pellegrino to end the drought for Bayern Munich.

Completing the Treble

The 2012-13 season for Bayern Munich proved to be one of the best in the club’s history. The club lost just one time during the Bundesliga season, finishing 25 points ahead of second-place Borussia Dortmund in the standings. Meanwhile, Bayern competed in the DFB-Pokal, winning all six matches while surrendering just one goal prior to the final, then defeated VfB Stuttgart to win the DFB-Pokal.

Bayern had already won the DFL Supercup the previous August by defeating Borussia Dortmund, but the crowning achievement throughout the year was winning the UEFA Champions League. Despite needing away goals to defeat Arsenal in the round of 16, Bayern won a combined 11-0 on aggregate against Juventus and Barcelona to set up a match against rival Borussia Dortmund in the final. Bayern won the treble thanks to an 89th-minute goal by Arjen Robben, defeating Dortmund 2-1.

The Second Treble

The 2012-13 season wasn’t the only time that Bayern Munich won the treble. Seven years later, Bayern pulled it off by winning the Bundesliga with 82 points. That came on the back of 26 wins and just four losses, finishing 13 points ahead of second-place Borussia Dortmund. Interestingly enough, Bayern lost four matches in eight weeks from the seventh to 14th matchdays.

Bayern would not lose the rest of the season, drawing just one time. The club then won the DFB-Pokal, beating Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 with Robert Lewandowski scoring two goals. In the UEFA Champions League, Bayern easily advanced to the knockout stage, taking on Paris Saint-Germain in the final. The lone goal came from Kingsley Coman in the 59th minute, and although the stadium was empty due to COVID-19, it was a momentous occasion for Bayern.

5 Worst Moments For Bayern Munich Fans

When we think of Bayern Munich football, we think of one of the most successful teams in German football. However, that hasn’t always been the case, and there have been some rough moments for the club. Here’s a look at the five worst moments that Bayern Munich fans have had to suffer through.

Finishing the 1977-78 Season

Ever since the 1977-78 season for Bayern Munich, the club has had unprecedented success. In that year, however, Bayern was ‘just another team’ at best. In the DFB-Pokal, the club won its first two rounds before losing 3-1 to FC 08 Homburg. In the UEFA Cup, Bayern advanced to the third round but was defeated 6-1 on aggregate by Eintracht Frankfurt. As for the Bundesliga, season, it wasn’t pretty, and things haven’t been as bad ever since.

Bayern Munich won just 11 of its 34 matches that year while drawing 10 and losing 13. That was only good enough for 32 points, which placed them just one point ahead of 15th-place Werder Bremen. Thankfully, Bayern avoided relegation, but the season was capped off by one of the worst performances in club history. Against 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Bayern dropped a 5-0 match with four of those goals coming in the second half.

2007 Champions League Quarter-final

The 2006-07 season was a frustrating one for Bayern Munich. The club ended up sacking manager Felix Magath due to the fact that they went the entire season without winning any major trophies. In the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich finished in fourth place behind VfB Stuttgart, Schalke 04, and Werder Bremen. This meant no Champions League the next year, but there was still the 2006-07 Champions League to get through.

It was the last chance for Bayern Munich to salvage the season after the club lost out on winning DFB-Pokal (knocked out in the second round) and DFL-Ligapokal (lost in the finals). Bayern made it past the group stage along with Inter Milan, then defeated Real Madrid in the first knockout stage. However, the team ran into AC Milan and lost 2-0 in the second leg after drawing 2-2 in the first, capping off the disappointing campaign.

The Uli Hoeneß Scandal

When you think of Bayern Munich, one of the first names that come to mind is Uli Hoeneß. After all, as a player, Hoeneß spent nearly the entirety of the 1970s (and his playing career) as a forward with 239 league appearances and 86 goals. After retiring from football in 1979, Hoeneß remained a staple of the club as he was appointed as the general manager. He held the position for three decades and was elected as the club’s president.

Unfortunately, Hoeneß would end up being investigated for tax evasion starting in 2013. It turned out that he owed millions in back taxes, and he admitted to nearly 30 million Euros in evaded taxes. Hoeneß was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison in March 2014, though he served just under two years of that sentence. Upon his release, he returned as Bayern Munich president before retiring in 2019 with nearly a half-century with the club.

Second Division Stint

The first few decades of Bayern Munich’s history weren’t all that remarkable, really. Up until the late 1960s, the club had only won the top title in Germany once (1932) and was seen as one of those ‘average’ clubs in the top division for a long time. At one point, it was even worse than that and Bayern Munich was considered one of the worst clubs in Germany’s top division. Playing in Oberliga Sud (now Bundesliga), Bayern finished 16th, knocking them down to the second division.

Thankfully, it wouldn’t take too long for Bayern to get back to where they belonged. The club finished second in the 2. Oberliga Sud table for the 1955-56 season and they were promoted back for good. The promotion marked the beginning of Bayern building toward becoming a juggernaut in German football with the sleeping giant finally awoken.

1999 Champions League Final

Bayern Munich won the European Cup for three consecutive years prior to the tournament being named the UEFA Champions League. However, those consecutive years all came in the mid-1970s, and it took quite some time for Bayern to return to the promised land. For the 1998-99 Champions League season, it appeared that the drought may finally be drawing to a close.

Bayern had gotten through the qualifying round and group stage rather easily, even though both Manchester United and Barcelona were in the group. Bayern then defeated fellow German club Kaiserslautern and Dynamo Kyiv to earn a spot in the final. Mario Basler scored in the sixth minute, and Bayern was on its way. In stoppage time of the second half, however, Edward Sheringham scored one minute in while Ole Solskjaer added another goal two minutes later to steal the 2-1 victory and the Champions League title.

5 Worst Signings In AC Milan History

AC Milan has had no shortage of success over the club’s history that started at the tail end of the 19th century. Since then, AC Milan has won a long list of titles in Serie A, UEFA, and FIFA. The club is also one of the richest, meaning that it can afford just about any player imaginable. Not all of those big-money signings end up working, however.

There have been many instances of AC Milan shelling out millions to players, only to have it blow up in their faces. Here are the five worst signings in AC Milan’s history. Before we start the list, some of the other players who just missed the cut (fortunately for them) include Ricardo Oliveira, Luther Blissett, and Jose Mari.

Leonardo Bonucci

Center-back Leonardo Bonucci has had a pretty interesting career. After starting as a professional with six different clubs within four years, Bonucci finally found a home with Juventus in 2010. During his seven years there, Bonucci played in 227 league matches and netted 13 goals while winning the Serie A title several times. In July 2017, Bonucci signed a five-year deal with AC Milan worth €42 million.

Things got off to a good start when Bonucci became team captain, but his performance in the first season was less than stellar. Bonucci, despite the long-term deal, played in just 35 total league matches and scored two goals. AC Milan didn’t win any major titles in his one year, and he was shipped back to Juventus in exchange for Mattia Caldara, which leads us to our next player.

Mattia Caldara

Playing the same position as Leonardo Bonucci, Mattia Caldara got his career started with Atalanta in 2014 after more than a decade with the youth program. The Bergamo native also spent time with Trapani and Cesena on loan before joining Juventus. While with Juventus, Caldara would be loaned out again, spending almost all of his time with his original club. In 2018, Caldara was part of the Bonucci swap and was given a five-year, €35 million deal.

Injuries took their toll immediately as Caldara didn’t appear in a single league match for AC Milan. He appeared in the Europa League and Coppa Italia for the club but was almost immediately sidelined due to a ruptured ACL. With that, AC Milan used Caldara as a loaner for multiple clubs instead. He made yet another return to Atalanta while also playing for Venezia and Spezia.

Digao

Digao was supposed to be the next big thing to come out of Brazil and there were a lot of clubs interested in his service around the world. His youth career started with Sao Paulo, and he came to Italy as part of Sampdoria until being loaned to AC Milan. The club then signed him to a lucrative deal and he made his senior squad debut in 2005. Over the next six years, though, Digao appeared in just one Serie A game.

Digao was loaned out to Rimini, Standard Liege, Lecce, Crotone, and Penafiel throughout that time. Unfortunately, he just was never able to break into the lineup for AC Milan and he joined the New York Red Bulls in the United States for a brief period at the end of his career. Now, Digao is the ultimate ‘what could have been’ story for AC Milan.

Oguchi Onyewu

Speaking of players who spent time in the United States, Oguchi Onyewu was actually born in the country, calling Washington D.C. his home. Onyewu moved down to Florida where he enrolled at the IMG Academy before heading to Clemson University. Onyewu headed to Europe where he played for Metz, La Louviere, Standard Liege, and Newcastle United from 2002 to 2009.

AC Milan then signed Onyewu to a three-year contract but had some injury issues that limited him to just a single Champions League match. He never appeared in a Serie A game and was loaned out to Twente for a brief time during his two years with AC Milan. When he left the club in 2011, Onyewu played just 60 league games for the rest of his career which lasted for six more years.

Fernando Redondo

There are a lot of interesting details in the Fernando Redondo story. The midfielder had a brilliant career heading into the 21st century after having spent his career with Argentinos Juniors, Tenerife, and Real Madrid. AC Milan acquired Redondo for £11 million, with Redondo having no say in the issue.

Almost immediately, Redondo suffered a serious injury that kept him out of action for more than two years. Luckily for AC Milan, Redondo said he wouldn’t take a salary while not playing and even wanted to give back the house the club paid for, as well as the car. Redondo made just a handful of appearances toward the end of his career, thankfully able to contribute before retiring.

5 Classic Games In AC Milan History

AC Milan has achieved as much success as just about anyone on an international level while also being one of the best Serie A performers. The Italian club has had a lot of high points throughout its history, including some matches that go down as some of the fans’ all-time favorites. Here are our picks for five classic games in AC Milan history that you should go back and watch.

1963 European Cup Final

Now known as the UEFA Champions League, the European Cup was one of the most coveted football trophies in the world, and perhaps the biggest one after the World Cup itself. The league was founded in 1955, and AC Milan hadn’t won any of the first eight editions. In the 1962-63 tournament, however, AC Milan made a nice run, which included a 14-0 opening-round win over Union Luxembourg.

Milan then defeated Ipswich Town 4-2 and Galatasaray 8-1 before an easy 5-2 victory over Dundee in the semis. With the final brought down to one match instead of two legs, it was all on the line on May 22, 1963, when Milan took on Portugal’s Benfica. Benfica took a 1-0 lead into halftime thanks to a goal from Eusebio. However, Jose Altafini scored in the 58th and 69th minutes to give Milan the 2-1 lead that they would hang on to for their first European Cup title.

AC Milan 6-0 Inter

There have been well over 300 matches throughout the history of the Derby della Madonnina that pits inter-city rivals Inter Milan and AC Milan. Throughout the series, the two clubs have traded wins and kept things close in the head-to-head. There have been a few instances in which one club dominated the other, but no victory was as convincing as the one from the 2000-01 Serie A season.

The two clubs first met in January 2001 that season with a 2-2 draw. Things were dramatically different. Gianni Comandini scored two goals in the first two minutes, and those would be the only two goals of the first half. Frederico Giunti made it a 3-0 match in the 51st minute, with Andrii Shevchenko adding two more before Serginho netted the final goal that made it 6-0, the biggest margin in the rivalry’s history.

2003 UEFA Champions League Final

There have been several times in which AC Milan has won the UEFA Champions League, but some of those have been sweeter than others. Since the tournament changed to its current name and format in 1992, there have been three finals matches where AC Milan took home the title. The top three on the list are those finals matches, with the first of them being the 2003 edition.

Milan entered the tournament in the third qualifying round and advanced past Slovan Liberec on away goals. After passing through the group stages, Milan defeated Ajax and rival Inter to take on yet another rival, Juventus. Neither team scored in the match, sending the championship to penalties. Serginho netted the goal that put Milan ahead, while Shevchenko scored the decider, giving Milan the 3-2 edge.

1994 UEFA Champions League Final

The next Champions League Final win on the list is the first one under the tournament’s current name. In the 1993-94 edition of the Champions League, Milan defeated Aarau 1-0 in the first round, then proceeded to demolish Copenhagen 7-0, with six of those goals coming in the first leg. Milan advanced alongside Porto from the group stage to take on Monaco. It was another easy victory, with Milan winning 3-0.

Barcelona was coming off of a 3-0 win themselves, taking out Portuguese team Porto. The finals were held in Athens, and the two teams were seemingly evenly matched. Milan would prove that wasn’t the case early on when Daniele Massaro scored in the 22nd minute. He added a second goal in added time just before the half. Dejan Savicevic opened the second half with a third goal for Milan while Marcel Desailly added the cherry on top to give Milan the 4-0 Champions League final victory.

2007 UEFA Champions League Final

Due to sanctions from the Calciopoli scandal in 2006, Milan was knocked down to the third qualifying round and had to take the hard road through the 2006-07 Champions League. Milan defeated Red Star Belgrade to get things started, then won their group which also contained Lille, AEK Athens, and Anderlecht. 

After a 0-0 first leg, Milan defeated Celtic in the round of 16, needing extra time for the 1-0 victory. The club then beat Bayern Munich and Manchester United to advance to the final against Liverpool. It seemed that the clubs would head into halftime scoreless, but Pippo Inzaghi scored in the 45th minute to give Milan the lead. He then scored again in the 82nd minute. Dirk Kuijt scored for Liverpool in the end to make things interesting, but Milan came out on top.

5 Best Moments For AC Milan Fans

The history of AC Milan has seen plenty of high moments throughout club history, but some of them truly stand out above the rest. For Milan fans around the world, these five moments are ones that will always be remembered, whether they were ownership changes, big wins, or even players being signed.

The Signing of Maldini

Heading into the 1950s, AC Milan hadn’t won the Serie A title in over 40 years, and their three league titles came between 1901 and 1907. Fortunes would change in 1951 when the club won Serie A, then became a dynasty after acquiring Cesare Maldini. The defender proved to be the best in all of Italy and started his career with Triestina during the early part of the decade. In 1954, he joined AC Milan and began what would be more than a decade of dominance.

Maldini made nearly 350 league appearances with AC Milan, and during that time, AC Milan won the Serie A title five times. The club also won the European Cup and Latin Cup while Maldini was named to the AC Milan and Italian Football Halls of Fame. Maldini even went on to manage AC Milan after his playing career ended, winning the Coppa Italia in 1973.

Silvio Berlusconi Takes Over

Whether you love him or hate him, Silvio Berlusconi was absolutely instrumental in keeping AC Milan toward the top of Italian football. In the summer of 1986, Milan was a middling team that had won just one Serie A title in nearly two decades. That all changed when Berlusconi bought the team, pumping a lot of money into the club to make things better. Things quickly turned around for Milan with the club winning the 1987-88 Serie A title.

Under Berlusconi, Milan would go on to win a total of eight Serie A titles to go along with seven Supercoppa Italiana titles. After just over three decades of ownership, Berlusconi sold Milan to Rossoneri Sport Luxembourg for €740 million. The Berlusconi era came with a total of 29 trophies, five of which were European Cups/Champions League titles.

Biggest La Liga Win

Winning any Serie A game can prove to be difficult, but to absolutely decimate another professional team in the top league is incredibly rare. In the rare occasions that it does happen, though, it’s certainly noteworthy. One of the most talked about Serie A games of the 21st century came when Milan walloped Torino 7-0 in league play in May 2021.

Theo Hernandez opened up the scoring for Milan in the 19th minute while Franck Kessie made it a 2-0 game on a penalty kick. While that’s a comfortable lead to have at the half, Milan was nowhere close to done. Hernandez added a second goal while Brahim Diaz got on the board in the 50th minute. From the 67th minute to the 79th minute, Ante Rebic scored a hat trick, giving Milan a 7-0 lead. Surprisingly, the club held off on scoring in the final 11 minutes, but it was still the largest league win in club history.

Claiming the Champions League

AC Milan has won the European Cup/UEFA Champions League several times throughout the years, dating back to the club’s first win in 1962-63. After the mid-1990s, though, Champions League titles were harder to come by, which made the run in the 2006-07 season special, especially when you consider the club finished third in the Serie A standings and had to take on Red Star Belgrade in the qualifying round.

Milan snuck past Lille and AEK Athens in the group stage standings, then needed extra time to defeat Celtic in the round of 16. After a huge 2-0 win in the second leg against Bayern Munich, Milan used a 3-0 second-leg victory to get past Manchester United. In the final against Liverpool, Pippo Inzaghi scored just before the half, then added a goal in the 82nd minute to give AC Milan a 2-0 lead. Dirk Kuijt netted a goal for Liverpool in the 89th minute, but it was too late as Milan claimed the Champions League title.

Inter 0-6 Milan

Of course, beating your biggest rival is always going to be a great moment, but when you absolutely demolish them, it’s even sweeter. In the 30th matchday of Serie A play, AC Milan locked horns with Inter. While Milan didn’t really have a chance to reach the Champions League or win Serie A, they were still able to knock out their biggest rival in record fashion.

Gianni Comandini scored in the third minute of the match, then added a second goal just 16 minutes later. The scoring then resumed in the second half with Federico Giunti scoring in the 53rd minute, followed by two Andriy Shevchenko goals. Serginho capped things off in the 81st minute, giving Milan the 6-0 victory.

5 Worst Moments For AC Milan Fans

AC Milan has one of the most storied histories in Italian football with a long list of accomplishments that includes Serie A titles, Champions League trophies, and much more. However, there have been some low points for the club, with these five moments perhaps being the worst for AC Milan fans.

Europa League Bouncing

The Champions League is where the best UEFA teams compete, while the Europa League is the secondary tournament. Those who have expectations of the Champions League like Milan could see it as a bit of a consolation, but the players still take the tournament very seriously. In the 2018-19 edition of the tournament, Milan still had high hopes during their financial rebound (more on that later).

During the group stage in the round of 32, however, Milan didn’t play their best. In their six matches, AC Milan won just three games while drawing one and losing two. Milan finished tied for second with Olympiacos but had a goal differential of just +3. It knocked them out of the tournament and set a low point for the modern era of AC Milan football.

The 1990-91 Euro Ban

The 1990-91 European Cup was an interesting one for AC Milan. The club was the only team to qualify for the second round after Ajax’s spot was vacated. Milan was the two-time defending champion, and they were expected to compete once again. Milan ran into Club Brugge in the round of 16 but only won 1-0 on aggregate over two legs. In the quarterfinal, Milan squared off against Marseille.

The two clubs drew in the first leg 1-1 with Ruud Gullit scoring for Milan and Jean-Pierre Papin scoring for Marseille, with both goals coming in the first half. During the second leg, Marseille was up 1-0 when half of the floodlights in Stade Velodrome went out. When the power came back on after 15 minutes, Milan refused to come back on the pitch. This earned Marseille a 3-0 awarded victory with Milan receiving a one-year ban from European competition.

Financial Troubles Lead to Near-Ban

While the European Cup resulted in a finalized ban, there was a proposed ban many years later that the club nearly suffered. Between the end of 2015 and the summer of 2017, AC Milan reported a net loss of €146 million. This was well in excess of the €25 million allowed by UEFA’s Financial Fair Play Regulations. The result was a €12 million penalty and a proposed one-year ban from European competition.

The club was able to get the ban lifted, thankfully, but it opened a lot of eyes to just how much Milan was spending in hopes of bolstering the roster. Milan had until June 2021 to break even, which they did. The process took away some of the star power that Milan was able to afford previously, but they rebounded quickly after the penalties came down and ended up winning the 2021-22 Serie A title.

2005 Champions League Final

Some of the most heartbreaking moments in sports come when a team or individual has a massive lead, only to see it dwindle away and result in a loss. It hurts even more when there’s a massive prize on the line. That was the case for AC Milan at the 2005 UEFA Champions League final. The club had gotten through the group stage rather easily and then defeated Manchester United and rival Inter Milan handily.

After sneaking by PSV Eindhoven in the semis, they took on Liverpool for the title. Milan struck in the first minute with a Paolo Maldini goal, then Hernan Crespo added two more in the final six minutes of the first half. It looked like the match was all but over, but Liverpool stormed back hard. Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer, and Xabi Alonso all scored in a seven-minute span to force extra time. Neither team scored, sending it to penalties where Liverpool won 3-2.

Totonero Scandal

There have been a handful of big match-fixing scandals throughout Serie A history, and one of the big ones came in the form of Totonero 1980. The scandal included Milan and a handful of other teams from both the top league and Serie B. Milan and Lazio took the biggest punishments with both clubs relegated to Serie B while other clubs were penalized points and some individuals were banned or even imprisoned.

Milan didn’t waste much time getting back into Serie A, however. In their one season with Serie B, the club finished with 50 points in 38 games. Along with Genoa and Cesena, they made the move back up. The long road back to the top of Serie A concluded with a league title in the 1987-88 season that saw them finish three points ahead of Napoli.

5 Worst Signings In Juventus History

Without a doubt, Juventus has been one of the most successful clubs in all of Italian football. Despite all of the money that has come in thanks to all of the title-winning seasons, there has been plenty of money lost due to poor signings. 

Whether they’re injury related, performance-related, or players simply having issues with management, these are the five worst signings in Juventus history. Before we start the list, some of the players who just missed the cut include Jean-Alain Boumsong, Jonathan Zebina, Amauri, and Marcelo Salas.

Jorge Martinez

Uruguay native Jorge Martinez kicks off the list, with the midfielder showing signs of becoming a star while with the Montevideo Wanderers. He made his professional debut in 2000, spending seven years with the senior squad before moving to Catania. After another three years, 86 matches, and 22 goals, Martinez made his way to Juventus. The club paid €12 million for his services on a four-year contract.

Things got off to a terrible start as Martinez suffered an injury in his first match. It didn’t seem that he was too affected performance-wise upon his return, but it was shortlived as Martinez continued suffering injuries. When front-office changes were made, Juventus was looking for a fresh start and loaned out Martinez to several teams over the course of six years. All in all, Martinez made just 14 league appearances for Juventus.

Nicklas Bendtner

Nicklas Bendtner is a tall forward from Denmark who impressed so much as a youth in his home country that he landed a deal with Arsenal at 17. Bendtner went on to make his senior squad debut in 2005 with Arsenal, spending nearly a decade with the club while being loaned out to Birmingham City and Sunderland. The third club to acquire him via loan was Juventus, who spent €6 million for the remainder of the 2012-13 season with an option to make the move permanent.

Unfortunately, that move would not be made permanent for multiple reasons. Bendtner suffered an injury that limited him to just nine matches and he was held scoreless for all of them. Bendtner was also arrested for driving drunk, making things more complicated. Another injury came in the form of a fractured wrist, and the experiment ended with Bendtner returning to Arsenal.

Diego

We head back to South America for the next player on the list, this time to Brazil where Diego Ribas da Cunha hails from. Simply known as Diego around the world, the midfielder was a tremendous player for Santos after making his debut in the early 2000s. Diego went on to spend time with Porto and Werder Bremen, making over 130 combined appearances for the clubs. In 2009, Diego and Juventus reached a five-year agreement worth €24.5 million.

The type of production that he had with Bremen didn’t translate into success with Juventus, however. The club played a much different style, and Diego almost immediately had problems with management. Because Juventus couldn’t use him the way that they wanted to, Diego played in just 33 matches. He scored five goals during that time and was sent to VfL Wolfsburg in 2010.

Christian Poulsen

The second Dane on the list, Christian Poulsen was a midfielder who found a lot of success early in his career, including winning the Danish Superliga, DFB Ligapokal, and Copa del Rey. Poulsen started his professional career in 1997 with Holbaek, then made his way to Copenhagen, Schalke 04, and Sevilla. Juventus then paid a €9.75 million transfer fee to obtain Poulsen, giving him a four-year contract.

However, Poulsen wouldn’t last nearly that long. He made just 48 league appearances and lasted until 2010. Juventus wasn’t able to claim any major titles during the Poulsen era, and he remains a testament to the overspending that the club did during the early 2010s. Poulsen finished with one goal during his Juventus career before being sent to Liverpool. He eventually played for Evian and Ajax before finishing his career with a return to Copenhagen.

Felipe Melo

We conclude the list with another Brazilian player, meaning that none of the worst signings were actually from Italy. The top spot belongs to Felipe Melo, another midfielder who ended up being a massive overpay after showing signs of potential superstardom. Melo began his career with Flamengo in 2001, then had stints with several clubs over the subsequent years including Gremio, Racing Santander, and Almeria.

Melo was part of Fiorentina from 2008 to 2009, with Juventus coughing up €25 million to acquire him. While things looked good in the first match, they quickly went sour after Melo started fighting with his teammates and his level of play took a nosedive. Melo made less than 60 league appearances with Juventus and was sent to Galatasaray on a loan that would end up being permanent.

5 Classic Games In Inter History

Inter Milan has had countless matches throughout its history that have had a lot of importance. Between league matches, international competition, and more, some Inter victories have meant more than others. Let’s take a look at five classic matches that every Inter fan should know about.

Ending the Drought

Heading into the 2020-21 Serie A season, Juventus had been unstoppable for nearly a decade. The club had won the league title in nine consecutive years after Inter had enjoyed a long streak of its own during the 2000s. Many were wondering when A. Juventus would be knocked off, and B. When Inter would get back into the title picture.

Things got off to a shaky start to the season as Inter won just two of its first four games, but things would turn around quickly. After the fourth matchday, Inter would lose just two more times the rest of the season. On the 34th matchday, Inter lined up against Crotone with a chance to win Serie A and end the Juventus reign at the top. It took until the 69th minute, but Christian Eriksen finally got Inter on the board while Achraf Hakimi added a second goal to give Inter the 2-0 victory and the Serie A title.

First Champions League Title

Inter had won the European Cup in back-to-back years during the 1960s but had no other title victories throughout the league’s history, even as it changed to the UEFA Champions League in the early 1990s. Heading into the 2009-10 season, Inter still hadn’t won the Champions League, but fortunes would change quickly. Placed into a group with Barcelona, Rubin Kazan, and Dynamo Kyiv, Inter claimed second place to advance.

Inter got past Chelsea in the round of 16, then CSKA Moscow and Barcelona in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively. In the final, Inter took on Bayern Munich in Madrid, Spain. Inter struck first when Diego Milito scored in the 35th minute. Milito then added a second goal in the 70th to give Inter the 2-0 victory and its first Champions League title.

Thrashing of Milan

In the Derby della Madonnina, there aren’t many blowouts (at least not since the earliest parts of the 20th century). That’s why when one team wins by more than two goals, it becomes global news. During the 2009-10 Serie A season, Inter faced off against Milan twice in the rivalry. Inter won the second match by a 2-0 mark, but the first match was even more memorable as Inter blanked Milan 4-0 in front of their own supporters.

Thiago Motta got the scoring started in the 30th minute when he scored on a fine pass from Diego Milito. Milito then added a goal of his own six minutes later on a penalty to make it 2-0. Milito got back on the assist side for the third goal of the first half with Maicon netting one in the 45th minute. In the second half, Inter scored once more with Dejan Stankovic putting in a goal in the 67th minute while Milan got shut out.

Tiebreaker For the Title

Things were much, much different in the days before Inter joined Serie A as part of the top league in Italy. During the early 20th century, Inter was part of Prima Categoria and won its first major league title in the 1909-10 season. That year, there were 16 matches on the schedule, with Inter winning 12 of them while drawing one and losing three. Pro Vercelli had the same record, forcing a tie-breaker match.

The match proved to be a very interesting one that would never happen today. Pro Vercelli had already scheduled an exhibition match for that day in 1910 (April 24) and Inter didn’t want to postpone. Pro Vercelli had to send their fourth squad to the match, which was comprised of 15-year-old boys. Inter would end up winning the title thanks to a wild 10-3 victory over the young lads.

Coppa Italia Resurgence

The Coppa Italia tournament started in 1922, but Inter had won the tourney just once heading into the late 1970s (1938-39). Inter would get back into the contender picture starting with the 1977-78 edition of the tournament and stay there for decades. Inter was placed into a group with Ascoli, Atalanta, Cremonese, and Como. Inter won three of its four matches, drawing in the other.

Inter then won the second-round group, defeating Fiorentina, Torino, and Monza. In the final, Inter took on Napoli, and it didn’t look good at the start as Maurizio Restelli netted a sixth-minute goal in Rome. Alessandro Altobelli equalized things in the 18th minute. Scoring halted until the 89th minute. That’s when Graziano Bini scored the historic goal to give Inter its second Coppa Italia title.

5 Best Moments For Inter Fans

Inter Milan has had one of the best histories of any football club throughout Europe, and especially in Italy. Inter has trophies from all of the major tournaments, but which moments stand out as the best in club history for fans? Here are our picks for the top five moments.

The First Supercoppa

The Supercoppa Italia was introduced in 1988 with the winner of Serie A taking on the Coppa Italia winner to determine the true top Italian football team. In the first contest, Milan got to take on Sampdoria, winning the title 3-1. The following year, Inter would get its shot against Sampdoria, doing so in San Siro. While attendance was low for the competition, it was still a moment of triumph for Inter.

Enrico Cucchi scored the lone goal of the first half while Aldo Serena netted one of his own in the 86th minute. The match ended with that 2-0 mark, giving the club its first of many Supercoppa Italiana titles. 

The 30th Win

Inter has had a lot of successful seasons in Serie A, but none as successful as the 2006-07 campaign. The season opened up with a 3-2 win over Fiorentina, and was then met with a mixture of draws and wins over the following six matches. Then, Inter went on a winning streak that lasted from October 25, 2006, to February 28, 2007. Even then, the club went 31 weeks without a loss to begin the season.

The only loss of the season came on the 32nd matchday against Roma. Inter went on to win its next five matches before drawing 1-1 with Atalanta in the penultimate week. It was a bit frustrating as Inter was looking to become the first Serie A team with 30 wins in a season, but there was one more shot. On the final matchday, Inter defeated Torino 3-0 to give the club its record 30th win against just seven draws and one loss. They finished 22 points ahead of second-place Roma in the standings, too.

Securing the Back-to-Back

Prior to the 2010 Champions League final (more on that in just a moment), Inter Milan had to go several decades without winning one of football’s biggest trophies. The two previous times that Inter won the Champions League, it was known as the European Cup, and they won it in back-to-back years. The first came in 1964 with Inter defeating Real Madrid 3-1 inside Prater Stadium in Vienna.

The second one was even sweeter, though. The 1965 final took place in San Siro, with 89,000 on hand to support Inter against Portuguese club Benfica. Just before halftime, Jair scored a goal that made it 1-0 Inter, and it was a score that would hold up for the rest of the match. In front of their fans, Inter hoisted the European Cup to mark a brief period of dominance that wouldn’t return for nearly a half-century.

Treble in 2010

Inter had a fantastic season in 2009-10, despite the fact things got started off with a draw against Bari. Throughout the year, Inter would go on long undefeated streaks, which included more than three months throughout the La Liga season. Inter lost on March 27, 2010, against Roma 2-1, but finished with six wins and a draw to close out the season. The club needed at least one point in the final week of the season to clinch the title, and did so with a 1-0 victory against Siena.

The good times didn’t end there as Inter also had a solid run through the Coppa Italia. After getting through Livorno, Juventus, and Fiorentina, Inter took on Roma in the Coppa Italia final. Diego Milito scored in the 39th minute for Inter, and that would be the only goal that the club needed, giving Inter the second part of the treble. As for the third part…

Return to Champions League Glory

The third piece of the puzzle was the UEFA Champions League, which is something that Inter hadn’t won since 1965 when it was known as the European Cup. Despite the club’s success in the 2009-10 season, not many were sure if they had what it took to win the Champions League, especially after a tough draw in the group stage.

After finishing in second place behind Barcelona and only having two wins, Inter turned things on in the knockout round. The club got past Chelsea, CSKA Moscow, and Barcelona to reach the final. There, they took on Bayern Munich and capped off the amazing run and season. Diego Milito scored in the 35th minute to give Inter the 1-0 lead, then added his second goal in the 70th minute. That was all that Inter needed, giving them their first Champions League title in 45 years.

5 Best Moments For Real Madrid Fans

Real Madrid has been one of the most successful football clubs in all of Europe, and as a result, there is no shortage of memorable moments for fans. However, we’re going to narrow it down to just a handful, with these five being the best moments in club history. From momentous goals to legendary signings, these moments change the club forever.

The Shush

El Clasico always means more for Real Madrid fans, and on October 13, 1999, it meant everything. Coming into the match, Real Madrid hadn’t beaten Barcelona in nearly three full years. In fact, in their previous matchup, Barcelona defeated Real 3-0. Things would change that day in Camp Nou, and even though Real Madrid didn’t win the match, the draw would be something that turned the tide of the rivalry.

Raul scored first in the 26th minute, putting Real Madrid ahead 1-0. However, Rivaldo answered back for Barca just two minutes later. In the second half, Luis Figo scored in the 49th minute, and Real Madrid tried to crawl back for an equalizer. It took until the 86th minute, but in front of a rowdy Camp Nou, Raul netted his second of the game to tie things up. He rushed around the field silencing the crowd, and Real Madrid would go on to win their next match against Barca 3-0.

The Signing of Ronaldo

When you’re one of the richest clubs in football you’re able to get some of the best players. However, it’s not every day that you get one of the greatest players in the sport’s history. Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo will go down in history as one of the all-time legends, and he made his professional debut with Sporting CP in 2002. The following year, he became a superstar as a member of Manchester United and stayed with the club for six years.

Real Madrid already knew just how good Ronaldo was, and didn’t scoff at paying a record €94 million transfer fee worth €11 million per year. It was certainly a slam-dunk move, and it thankfully didn’t end up being an overpay. Thanks to Ronaldo, Real Madrid won La Liga and the Copa del Rey twice, as well as the UEFA Champions League in four out of five years. He also won the Ballon d’Or four times.

La Decima

When the UEFA Champions League was formed as the European Cup during the mid-1950s, it was always going to be a big deal when a club won the league for the 10th time. Real Madrid dominated during the 1950s while adding a couple more during the 1960s. After struggling in the 1970s and 1980s, Real Madrid returned to form to work toward La Decima.

Thanks to winning the title in 1998, 2000, and 2002, Real Madrid had many shots at finally getting that 10th title. However, it took until 2014 for the club to get back to the final. After getting through the group stage of the 2013-14 UEFA Champions League, the club got through a German gauntlet of Schalke 04, Borussia Dortmund, and Bayern Munich. While the 110th-minute goal to make it 2-1 was a massive moment, everyone knew it was over when Marcelo netted one in the 118th to make it 3-1. The icing on the cake was Ronaldo’s 118th-minute penalty kick, clinching La Decima with a 4-1 extra-time win.

Zidane’s Champions League Winner

We already mentioned the 2002 Champions League win briefly, but it certainly needs to be talked about as one of the best moments in Real Madrid history. The club came in with high expectations and easily got through the group that had Roma, Lokomotiv Moscow, and Anderlecht. Real then advanced through the second group stage, again with ease, before knocking out Bayern Munich and archrival Barca to reach the final.

Raul scored in the eighth minute to give Real the 1-0 lead, but Bayer Leverkusen knotted things up just six minutes later. Right before halftime, Zinedine Zidane scored one of the greatest goals in football history, completely deflating Bayer. Neither team scored afterward, and Real clinched its ninth Champions League title.

The 11th Goal

We couldn’t finish the list without mentioning the biggest beatdown in El Clasico’s history. Though it goes way back in the past, it’s hard to let your archrival down after a 10-goal margin. In the 1943 Copa del Generalisimo semifinals, Real and Barca went head-to-head at Estadio Chamartin.

It took until the 89th minute for Barcelona to score its lone goal. As for Real, Pruden knotted a hattrick in the first half, Chus Alonso scored two, while Antonio Alsua and Pascual Botella added one. Sabino Barinaga was the biggest star of the game, scoring four times en route to Real’s 11-1 victory.