Amazing facts about football legends

Many of you know world football stars, but not everyone knows the interesting facts that we are talking about in this article. By the way, you can make good money on football by betting on this sport. If you want to try to make money quickly – try sportbooks.

Garrincha

Brazil has given the world many incredible footballers: from Pele, Zico and Romario to Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Neymar. However, not all Selecao icons are good boys. Garrincha is one of the most controversial legends. Manuel Francisco dos Santos, as his full name was, was a skilled winger who lived a rather strange life. From birth, he suffered from polio and deprivation (one of his legs was 6 cm shorter than the other, and his spine was curved), which did not prevent him from becoming a phenomenal player, and off the field an alcoholic and womanizer. There are many entertaining stories about the Brazilian wizard, but the most eccentric is undoubtedly the one in which he lost his virginity. At 14 years old with a goat, possibly intoxicated.

George Best

There are not many legends in the history of Northern Irish football, but George Best is certainly one of them. The wildly talented Manchester United forward was widely known as a sex symbol and a heavy drinker, but few know he was once a target of terrorists. In October 1971, on the day of the Newcastle-Manchester United match, the police received a call from someone believed to be a member of the IRA paramilitary group, claiming that Best would be shot during the fight at St James’ Park. Best had the opportunity to withdraw from the game, but given the heightened security alert, he decided to remain on the field. Guided by the following logic: it is much more difficult to hit a moving target. He later admitted that he had never run so much across the field in his life.

Robert Schlintz

A few players successfully performed at the professional level, despite the loss of a limb, but no one managed to reach such heights as the German Schlintz. In 1948, he was driving a car to a game and, lost in his thoughts, carelessly stuck his hand out the window. Jumping on a pothole, the car overturned, and as a result of the accident, the arm had to be amputated. Incredibly, he returned to the pitch after just four months and went on to win two league titles with Stuttgart. What makes this story of overcoming even more inspiring is the fact that in World War II, Schlinz was on the brink of death when he was seriously wounded in the jaw.

Lev Yashin

Soviet goalkeeper Yashin is generally considered one of the best representatives of his role in history. He is the only goalkeeper to win the Ballon d’Or, and the International Federation of Football History and Statistics recognized him as the best goalkeeper of the twentieth century. In the USSR Championship, Yashin played 326 matches for Dynamo Moscow, played 74 times for the national team, and surprisingly managed to smoke four packs a day. He never went anywhere without his cigarettes. During a trip to India before the 1956 Olympics, an elephant stole Yashin’s packaging. The addiction ultimately led to the development of stomach ulcers. As a result, he was forced to carry baking soda with him at all times to relieve the pain.

William Fulk

Professional football players today are well-built athletes. In the past, this approach was not considered an axiom, but still the players strived to be fit. Fulk, however, followed his own path. The goalkeeper of Sheffield United, Chelsea and Bradford played 411 matches at the professional club level and even played for the England national team in 1897, despite the fact that he weighed… 152 kilograms. His enormous size earned him the nickname “fat man,” but this did not stop him from being successful at the last frontier. Fulk was a reliable striker, winning the league and FA Cup during an 11-year spell at Sheffield. He also appeared in four top-level cricket matches for Derbyshire. Fulk is said to have once said, “I don’t mind their barbs, as long as they don’t stop inviting me to lunch!”

Bert Trautmann

German Trautmann was a Second World War prisoner who surprisingly enjoyed his time in Greater Manchester, where he was held, so much so that he stayed there after his release and pursued a football career. This is an unusual story, but even more surprising is the fact that Bert once played to the end of a match in which he broke his neck. It happened during the 1956 FA Cup final at Wembley. Trautmann’s Manchester City met with Birmingham. The goalkeeper collided with opposing player Peter Murphy and broke several vertebrae. Surprisingly, he continued to play and helped his team to a glorious 3-1 victory. Bob Thomson Football requires superior hand-eye coordination more than most other sports. This is undoubtedly the most valuable trait of a professional football player. But the legendary Chelsea forward Bob Thomson made a successful career despite losing an eye while playing with fireworks as a child. He scored 23 goals in 83 appearances for Chelsea, not counting the hundreds of unofficial meetings that took place during the war period 1915-1917. When Thomson was asked how he handles the ball when it comes into his blind spot, he replied: “I close my other eye and go from memory.”