Which footballer was the reason you started watching/loving football?

[Jaboldinho]

First time I properly watched football was WC 98. In 96 we had been to Barcelona, and I had got a football with Barca logos all over it. This was what made me a Barca fan. Rivaldo seems to have been a popular choice, and he definitely was one of my first favorites as well. We also got the WC 94 on VHS, and I watched that shit over and over again.

 

[Sir Didier Drogba]

I was into football before I was even old enough to remember players' names, but Gianfranco Zola turned me into a diehard.

To follow this up, here are ten players I most appreciate/loved from my formative football fan years (1995 - 2002)

Zola
Desailly
Zidane
Figo
Bergkamp
Vieira
Le Tissier
Nedved
Batistuta
Riquelme (admittedly he may have been a little later)

 

[kp41]

I think the quality of 1990s was second to none ... so many great talents.

Batistuta was one of them for sure ...

 

[Sir Didier Drogba]

Is it just me or do messi and ronaldo, despite the stats, just seem really gay compared to guys like Batistuta?

 

[MaestroZidane]

well if you compare them to a guy like him... then yes.

 

[Sir Didier Drogba]

Even the gayest footballer of the 90s, David Ginola, was less gay than Ronaldo.

 

[yoyo913]

Who are some badass footballers of today?

Derossi? Yay or Nay?

I can't decide, he could very well be on either end.

 

[Sir Didier Drogba]

Joey Barton is the only one.

 

[Mus]

Joey Barton is probably a closet homo

 

[MaestroZidane]

I was going to say Pepe, but he's just an idiot.

Joey Barton is the only that comes to mind.

 

[yoyo913]

Barton doesn't seem to be a real man. He's seems like an insecure dick.

The answer: Javier Zanetti. But he is from Batistuta's generation.

 

[Chacarita Juniors]

I can't really single out one player from the '94 WC Mexican squad but Jorge Campos and Nacho Ambriz have to be the most memorable. Ambriz was the captain and we happen to share the same last name so he was probably the most influential player for me.

The '94-95 America team was amazing to watch. Biyik & Kalusha, Cuahtemoc Blanco, Zague, 'el potro' Gutierrez (current U-17 coach), Joaquin Del Olmo, etc etc...

Biyik & Kalusha (las abejas Africans) 'the African killer bees' left a vivid memory as well.


GOAT

 

[Bobby]

Flamini will beat someone's ass.

 

[yoyo913]

He looks like a goat a little bit yeah.

 

[kp41]

Is it just me or do messi and ronaldo, despite the stats, just seem really gay compared to guys like Batistuta?

 

[Sir Didier Drogba]

Who are some badass footballers of today?

Derossi? Yay or Nay?

I can't decide, he could very well be on either end.

Actually the answer to this is Bonucci. Didnt he punch out an armed robber?

 

[fender]

Bruno Alves seems like a real punk.

 

[Mus]

Actually the answer to this is Bonucci. Didnt he punch out an armed robber?

True! Completely forgot about that, he had a gun to his head and smacked him down when he tried to take his watch

 

[Sevillista]

 

[ShiftyPowers]

Pepe is pretty cool.