Brotherhood and unity: An alternate history of football

[NTF aka Seb]

Yes. And Germany's cross-focused team also went out early.

Korea would have lost against Italy in OTL had it not been for absurdly poor - possibly corrupt - refereeing. It's good to see justice being served in TTL.

Germany really weren't that good in 2002. They only made it to the final because they got an easy route there, and because Oliver Kahn had the tournament of his life.

Anyways, my predictions:
England 1-1 (p) Italy
Brazil 1-0 Senegal

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

Final will be Italy-Senegal.

You just might me onto something... 🤔

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

2002 World Cup
"The lone lion meets its end"

Brazil v Senegal​

Had someone told an average Joe that Senegal would come all the way to the Semi-finals, they would've likely told them that they're out of their skull - but here they were, capturing the public's imagination and garnering unimaginable love by the fans that have come to watch the World Cup. The Lions of Teranga had broken the previous record set by Cameroon in Italia 90, when they reached the Quarter-finals and lost out to England. Now though, the Senegalese had a chance to stun the World as they would have to take on the mighty Brazil. In a hard fought match, Senegal did everything they could to defend from the ferocious Brazillians, as they cornered their goal for practically the entire match. Tony Sylva did his best to save his team from conceeding, but Ronaldo with his ever present wisardry found a path where you could least expect it, and he sent the ball flying past Sylva and the rest of the Senegalese players to send Brazil to the final for the third consecutive time.

England v Italy
​

The rematch of the 1990 3rd place play-off was awaited with great anticipation, with both teams seeing this as a historic chance. Italy, for the fourth time in a row, had a chance to go to the final, while England saw a chance to finally stop their 36 years of hurt if they just pass the Azzurri. The streets of London were completely empty, resembling something out of 24 days later. Once the match started, England attacked with full force against the sturdy Italian defense, and it all looked like the Italians were just waiting for extra time, or a small opening.

​

It was a war of attrition, with the match getting more and more physical as it wore on. Frustration grew, but the Three Lions continued to attack Italy's box whenever an opportunity arose. Then, Paul Scholes delivered a masterful ball to Sol Campbell, who sent it flying past Gianluigi Buffon. All of England erupted, and Sol Campbell made the country dream of Football coming back home, now that it looked like it was entering its neighborhood. The Italians on the other hand could just watch, as they once again missed out on the final.

​

And so, we are just two matches away from finishing this World Cup. Brazil v England in the finals, and Italy v Senegal in the 3rd place Play-off. Will it come home, or will the Canarinha add another trophy to their collection, and can Senegal complete their dream World Cup debut by finishing 3rd? Find out next week.

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

2002 World Cup
"So close, yet so far"

3rd place play-off
​

At the Daegu stadium, in front of over 60 thousand people, fans alike gathered up to watch a historic match take place. Senegal, the sensation of the tournament and the African underdogs that had captured everyone's hearts were now going to face off against Italy, as the Lions of Africa hoped to capture their medal. Italy on the other hand, hoped for consulation, as another loss in the semis meant that they would have to play for 3rd place for the third time in the last four attempts. Indeed, the Azzurri must be wondering just what do they have to do to reach that one more step and reach the final. Nonetheless, the match went underway, and the Italians went guns blazing with Vieri's 1st minute brace. Not even 15 minutes later, Francesco Totti made it 2, and just a little later 3-0, thus helping Italy take the 3rd place of the tournament. But, even though the 3rd place was a great result - The Azzurri knew they could do better, but this generation was running out of time...

World Cup Final
​

The Rungrado 1st of May Stadium is one of a kind for being the largest World Cup Stadium, following only the mythical Maracana in Brazil. A product of the former Communist Government - it is no longer made to host mass games, and now it was a towering behemoth that hosted Cup finals, AFC Champions League matches, National Team's home matches and perhaps most importantly - the World Cup Final. With almost 110 thousand people gathering to watch the spectacle, many wondered if today, the world would see Brazil take the crown once again, or if England would win its second ever World Cup trophy. After the spectacular ceremony that took place, in which thousands of young Koreans displayed their finesse and incredible sense of spectacle, the 22 men that would play the finals would emerge from the tunnel, right as the imagery of a unified Korean Peninsula was displayed. The stage was set for what just might be the greatest World Cup Final...

​

After the anthems were played, the players performed their final rituals. Every man of both teams had a reason to be here, and they all had something to prove. Michael Owen; Ronaldo Nazario; David Beckham; Rivaldo; Paul Scholes; Ronaldinho; David Seaman, and Marcos. On one side stands a nation, a proud one that invented the modern game, but hasn't lifted a trophy in 36 years. On the other side - one which is at cusp of becoming the undisputed masters of the World Stage, while also being on a mission to redeem themselves, following the pains of 1998. Pierluigi Collina whistled away, and the spectacle could finally begin. At the start, England looked like they had everything under control, with Brazil having to defend for the first 15 minutes. The Three Lions were fierce, and an entire nation held its breath. Chance after chance came, but nothing would stick. That is, not until a mistake by the Brazilian defense gave Michael Owen an opportunity, and he made the most of it. England 1. Brazil 0.

​

All of a sudden, Brazil had found itself at the same place where they were 4 years ago when Predrag Mijatović stunned the Canarinha. The Golden Generation of England now just had to hold on, and they would surely achieve what the country has been dreaming of for the past 3 decades. Brazil would not give up that easily though. Ronaldinho made a pass through to Ronaldo, who found himself with only Seaman to beat, but the Englishman had everything under control. Entering the dying minutes of the first half, England had a chance to finish off the first 45 minutes with a clean 1-0, but a sudden goal by Ronaldo after a mistake by the English defense stunned the people watching, as Brazil managed to save their first half by the skin of their teeth. 1-1. Another 45 minutes to go. As the match wore on, Brazil became more and more fierce, while England would patiently defend and wait for a counterattack. It looked like it would all go to extra time, with both sides seemingly equal. Then, on the 56th minute, Brazil earned a chance via a free kick, where a young, unknown Ronaldinho prepared to cross the ball to his teammates. Incredibly, the ball that was crossed flew its way above all of the players, and David Seaman was left to collect the ball, which flew past him towards the net. In one stunning moment, Ronaldinho had become a World Star, and Brazil was now leading 2-1 ahead of the Three Lions.

Somehow, England would have to come back from that, and they did everything they could to do so, but minutes were quickly slipping away, as Brazil began to look increasingly comfortable against their rivals. Even as Ronaldinho was sent off, England simply looked more and more nervous, and even more lost. Agonizingly, Pierluigi Collina blew the whistle as one last desperate attack by the English took place, and the Brazilians could now celebrate, as they had won their unprecedented 5th World Cup. England, despite their best efforts, could not rise up to the challenge, while Brazil's triumph definitely puts them as undisputed masters of the World Cup.

​

And so, the 2002 World Cup ends with Brazil taking the spoils. A gallant effort by the English and Senegalese sees both coming out short against their respective rivals, while Yugoslavia walked out with a tail between their legs. I will now take a short break from the Brotherhood and Unity timeline to focus on my other timelines, and some private things over at my village. Until then, here is a sneak peak for the 2004 Euro.

 

[jmmcb94]

Excellent stuff again, keep it up! But you've made a slight mistake in your 'Details' for the final.

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

Excellent stuff again, keep it up! But you've made a slight mistake in your 'Details' for the final.

Thanks for the kind words but...

"0-2" - Porca madre... 🥲

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

2002 in Yugoslav Football
Introduction
​

Following the horrible showing in the 2002 World Cup, the Football competitions in Yugoslavia were slowly being restarted, with every team looking forward for what was to come. Who knows what might happen for this next season. Perhaps reigning champions NK Zagreb could defend their title and become double champions, perhaps a team from the second or third league of Yugoslavia could become Cup winners, thus breaking the deadlock of the big 4. Many of the players who did participate in the National Team were now returning to their country, joining their respective clubs, while National Coach Srećko Katanec was given the boot after the embarassment in Korea. For now, it was not known who would be appointed as manager for the 2004 Euro qualifications, but everyone was hugely surprised at who became manager of one specific club in Belgrade...

Lothar Matthaus takes over Partisan Belgrade

Indeed, the news of that years' summer was that Lothar Matthaus, one of Germany's greatest ever players, and an icon who took the Mannschaft to the 1992 Euro triumph, was now appointed as manager of the past decade's most succesful club - Partisan Belgrade. The sensational news echoed all over the country, with this being one of the first foreign managers to ever take the lead of a football club in Yugoslavia. The domination of home coaches was seemingly challenged with this appointment, but will it be successful is something that remains to be seen, since Matthaus still needs to lead this club in the first season. His contract is meant to last all the way to 2006. Can Matthaus survive the pressures of leading Partisan? Time can only tell...

More news came during the summer, with the biggest ones being the signing of the league's first ever title sponsor. Indeed, starting from 2002, Telemach, more appropriately, Telemach's Yugoslav branch "Yugoslav Telekom" would become the National league's sponsor, thus renaming the competition into "Telekom First League". The teams would get more revenue as a result, which was great news as the recent few years were slightly concerning when it came to the UEFA Competitions, with only Red Star Belgrade and Hajduk Split showing some kind of success in Europe.

​

New to the 1st League was Croatian club NK Zadar from the coastal city of Zadar. Having played in the 2nd Yugoslav league for much of its history, Zadar has been a rather notable team thanks to hosting the 2nd oldest ultras in Yugoslavia - Tornado, and their first season in the top flight of Yugoslavia poses as a great challenge for the club from Stanovi, a stadium that could host up to 7 thousand people. Although Zadar is mostly known for basketball, the football team's entrance into the 1st league has been met with great enthusiasm by the citizens, and hopes were high that Zadar could be a challenging club to their rivals. Most notably of all, former Hajduk manager Ivan Katalinić was assigned as the club's coach. Returning to the 1st league was also Radnički Niš. After a lenghty period of absence, the labourers were back, hoping that they'll stay here for good. After all, it's a crime that a club with a stadium as sizable as Čair with its 18 thousand capacity would remain in the lower leagues.

The map featuring the teams

Several teams within cities:
Belgrade - Red Star, Partisan, Rad, Zemun, Železnik, OFK Belgrade
Sarajevo - FK Sarajevo, Željezničar
Zagreb - NK Zagreb, Dinamo Zagreb
​

And so, we enter the new season of Yugoslav football with a new kid on the block, followed by the old dog. But who's gonna be the champion? Can Matthaus lead Partisan to the title? Can Red Star Belgrade end their slump, or can perhaps Dinamo Zagreb climb back from a few years of setbacks? It's time we find out.

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

2002-03 in Yugoslav Football
"Matthaus makes history"
​

With the appointment of Lothar Matthaus as Partisan's new manager, the 65th season of the Yugoslav First Federal League looked like it might be an interesting one. The signing of Telekom as the league sponsor promised revenue for all 18 teams participating in the championship, and with Matthaus becoming one of the first foreign managers, it felt like this was the start of a modern era in Yugoslav Football, which was by 2002 surrounded by the vastly superior competitions like the Bundesliga, Serie A, La Liga, and even the Portuguese Primera Liga.

​

Partisan went on to dominate the league, with its Golden Generation of players like Ivica Iliev; Zvonimir Vukić and Andrija Delibašić proving to be a great combination of young and experienced players that themselves were led by the great Ljubiša Tumbaković (Who himself was now leading AEK Athens). The "Steamroller" was untouchable for most of the season, with minor setbacks occuring against Dinamo Zagreb, who were their closest rivals, Železnik Belgrade and most surprisingly Rad Belgrade, who were doomed to relegation this season. Indeed, The Builders could no longer handle the challenges of the 1st League, and by the last matchday, their outraged fans invaded the pitch to berrate the players and manager Boško Đurovski, who later left the club and claiming that there were disagreements between himself and the board, but many just saw that as an excuse.

​

The reigning champions NK Zagreb looked like a shadow of their former selves, with manager Zlatko Kranjčar even expressing how the real focus of the club was the European Champions League in which they were participating, and if anything - they were at least able to achieve a victory and a draw in their group, but that did not justify their poor form on the pitch, where young Ivica Olić was practically keeping the club out of relegation. However, talks with CSKA Moscow were soon emerging, and many wondered if NK Zagreb will be able to survive in the First League without someone like Olić. Another club that looked like they needed a serious overhaul was Hajduk Split. The Masters from the sea were struggling for a good part of the season, with Zoran Vulić having disagreements with the management over the club's transfer policies. In fact, Hajduk did not bring a single player during the summer of 2002, missing out on a possible return of Milan Rapaić who himself was heading to Celtic. And so, with a crisis within the club, Hajduk could only manage an underwhelming 9th, right behind NK Maribor which in themselves were dissapointed to miss out on the Intertoto Cup.

Meanwhile, Sutjeska Nikšić surprised everyone by achieving their greatest season on record. A phenomenal 5th place, courtersy to Ivan Bošković saw the Blue and Whites qualify for the Intertoto Cup for the first time in their history, and their fellow underdogs from Belgrade - OFK Belgrade - made an even bigger upset by finishing 4th, thus qulifying for Europe. Their fans celebrated like mad, as it brought everyone back to the good old days of the 60s and 70s, when OFK was a force to be reckoned with in Europe. NK Zadar also made it clear that they were not just pushovers in this league, but Radnički Niš's third consecutive relegation showed that there was something seriously wrong in the Serbian Club.

League standings

​

Yugoslav Cup Finals​

It is rarely the case that an underdog has his day in the Yugoslav Cup. Most of the times, the Big 4 would win the trophy and that would be the end of it, bar a few exceptions. However, Olimpija Ljubljana made a galant effort this season, and a spectacular win against Red Star Belgrade thanks to a Ermin Rakovič free kick screamer had the Green Dragons dreaming of their first every trophy. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be, as Hajduk Split dominated the Slovene side to win 4-1 on aggregate. The White Boys from Split were able to make this season slightly less unpleasant, and their heroics in the UEFA Cup did at least bring some encouragement that the next year could see the Whites compete for the title once more.

​

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

2003-04 in Yugoslav Football
"Tragedy in Ljubljana"
​

Following the end of Stjepan Mesić's tenure as president, there were further talks of what to do with the returning King of Yugoslavia Alexander Karadjordjevic. Many were still split if the monarch should be given a higher status other than simply being a figurehead. However, a further change within the country's political scope, in which Yugoslavia vered into a confederation, and Democratic Liberalism courtersy to newly elected President. With all of this development, Yugoslavia was now officially a confederation made of Serbia; Montenegro; Croatia; Slovenia; Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Macedonia, and Tadić himself promised that within a decade, that Yugoslavia would enter the European Union.

​

Meanwhile, in Football. Having endured its first pointless Champions League campaign, Partisan Belgrade and Lothar Matthaus were left with a rather stressful summer to go through, with the Gravediggers desperately searching for new players. Nenad Đorđević was one of the fresh signings, with the Serbian defender leaving the lower league side Obilić to the Black and Whites, while seasoned player Igor Duljaj left for Shakhtar Donetsk. Red Star themselves saw the emergence of two players from their academy. Firstly, there was Goran Pandev, who had already played some crucial games for the stars and contributed to the teams' second place in the standings. Second was Nikola Žigič. The baby-faced young man from Bačka Topola had already impressed in Kolubara and Mornar over at the third division, with the centre-forward scoring 92 goals in his career up to this point. Žigić was obviously talented, and Red Star saw him as their future, along with his brother Branko. Another Red Star graduate was Vladimir Stojković, with the young goalkeeper signing a professional contract with the club from Belgrade.

Nikola Žigić in his fresh Red Star shirt

​

While the clubs from Belgrade were bringing in new players, Dinamo and Hajduk remained static, with Srđan Lakić being Hajduk's biggest signing, while NK Zagreb let go of their prolific goalscorer Ivica Olić to CSKA Moscow. Dinamo Zagreb didn't do much as I said, but they did switch coaches. Out was Ilija Lončarević - in was Marjan Vlak. Varteks made a sensation when they managed to get Miroslav Blažević as their manage. Indeed, the former coach of Yugoslavia's National Football Team, and the man who led Iran to the 2002 World Cup was now going to lead the Taylors in his return to Yugoslavia. He didn't expect much, but Ćiro was hopeful that he can lift the lovable team from Varaždin to greater heights.

Ivica Olić in CSKA Moscow

​

Disturbing news came from Olimpija Ljubljana, when the Slovenian club lost almost all of their sponsors prior to the season starting. The Green Dragons were just coming from their best performance in the Yugoslav Cup since the 70s, and the news left the club in large debts. There were doubts if Olimpija would enter the new season, but it looked like there might be light at the end of the tunnel for them. Coming back to the First League were Čelik Zenica, a perpetual Yo-Yo club from Bosnia, and Napredak Kruševac, which was of a similiar status.

Newly promoted teams:

Map of teams

Cities with several teams:
Belgrade - Red Star, Partisan, Železnik, OFK, Zemun
Sarajevo - FK Sarajevo, Željezničar
Zagreb - NK Zagreb, Dinamo

2003-04 Telekom First League​

Red Star managed to win the title, immaculately, but with many problems, mainly because of injuries of the key players and misfortunes in important games. They won the title with 5 matchdays to go, in a game away against Sutjeska from Nikšić, and the new title was pompously celebrated at Marakana in a match with Vojvodina. The Cup was awarded to the Red Star’s captain Nemanja Vidić by the President of the Football Association Dragan Stojković. OFK Belgrade looked to be Red Star's main title rival, but a championship collapse ended up seeing the club finish 4th, while Partisan crawled to 2nd position. Slavoljub Muslin's team in the end had finally managed to qalify for the Champions League Group Stages after a massive 12 year absence.

​

Elsewhere, the two Croatian clubs in Dinamo and Hajduk both had relatively poor seasons, with the Blues switching managers twice over the course of the season. There was priority in the UEFA Cup, at least that's what they claimed, but Hajduk quickly ruined their hopes when they met up in the second round of the UEFA Cup, where Hajduk won 5-1 on aggregate. Zoran Vulić's White Boys looked like they were comfortably sailing, but a poor run of games during the second half of the season, and a failure to make it through the semis in the UEFA Cup had Vulić getting the axe, and in his place came another former player in Blaž Slišković, who had been leading Velež Mostar in the second division for the past three years. With "Baka" on top, Hajduk only finished 7th, qualifying for the Intertoto Cup along with Dinamo. Vojvodina's downfall continued on, as the Old Lady slipped down to 12th place, their worst finish in years. The fans were growing ever more frustrated, and many pundits began to speculate if "Voša" will even be in the 1st league in the next three years.

Vojvodina's highlight of the season - Max Cavalera wearing their shirt on MTV

​

But even then, at least Vojvodina didn't suffer the fate of Olimpija Ljubljana. The Green Dragons looked like they might stay in the league following the poor forms of both NK Zagreb (Who sorely missed Ivica Olić) and Napredak Kruševac (Who went down anyway), but Olimpija's finances were only getting worse as time passed, and soon enough the club went bankrupt. In response, Olimpija was excluded from the league, and NK Zagreb was spared from relegation. However, this was a sad day for any fan of Yugoslav football, as one of the country's greatest underdogs have bitten the dust. Olimpija had been around since 1945, and through their time have almost always remained in the 1st league, and even reached the cup finals in 1970. This was now the end of the Green Dragons.

​

In an unusually low-scoring season, we have seen the Stars return to glory after years of misery, a few dazzling performances by underdogs such as Zadar, Varteks and Sutjeska, and a sad end to a traditional club. The 2003-04 season of Telekom 1st league was for some one to forget. With Red Star also winning the Cup, they had managed to complete a memorable double, while Maribor had a chance to play in Europe due to being the runners-up. As for the big 2 of Croatia - Dinamo once again dissapointed even with the talents of Goce Sedloski and Niko Kranjčar, while Zvonimir Deranja bid farewell to Hajduk Split after 7 years of service, having scored a 52 goals for the whites from Split. Perhaps his most iconic gesure though, was his kneel towards Torcida

League Table

Yugoslav Cup Finals

​

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

The European Championship 2004
"Vivo en Espana"
​

Following the incredible thrills of the 2000 Euro, the 2004 iteration of the European Championship had a lot to live up to in terms of entertainment. The record number of goals, combined with some incredible matches made the previous tournament a phenomenal sporting event, so it made perfect sense to expect another great iteration. Will the 2004 Euros live up to the expectations though? Well, time will only tell. With Spain as the host, the fans of the reds were hopeful that this would finally be the one tournament where Spain will lift its first trophy since 1960. Reigning champions Italy had just come back from their 3rd place in the 2002 WC, and most of the usual suspects were here to participate in the Euros, while England were back in the game after being knocked out by Scotland in the previous euros qualifiers. Now though, Scotland was out thanks to a dramatic defeat against the Netherlands. Finally, Bulgaria made its debut in the Euros this year, and so did Latvia, becoming the first post-Soviet country to qualify for a major tournament that wasn't Russia.
Group A
The first group saw the Hosts Spain open their game with the red beating Belgium, only to draw with their main rivals of the group in Holland and the underdogs from Greece. The latter had a relatively good campaign when compared to their previous Euro venture, as the "Pirate Ship" managed to beat Belgium 1-0, but Holland's eventual 3-0 bashing sadly meant that the Greeks will just have to be happy with a 3rd place in the Group. Belgium on the other hand... Well, even that point can be considered a miracle.

Spain 1-1 Greece
The Netherlands 1-1 Belgium
Greece 1-0 Belgium
Spain 0-0 The Netherlands
Spain 2-0 Belgium
The Netherlands 4-0 Greece
Angelos Charisteas having a close encounter with Iker Casillas

​

Group B
The tournament's "Group of Death" would feature some of the most entertaining matches of the Euros, with Portugal stunning everyone with their surprise win against France, who had first beaten England. However, Les Bleus were powerless in defeating the dazzling Portuguese, inspired by Rui Costa, Helder Postiga, Maniche, Nuno Gomes and an unknown boy named Cristiano Ronaldo. England's journey came to an end when the final game saw them needing a win against Portugal to continue onto the group stage. Michael Owen's early goal looked like it would be enough for the Three Lions to enter the Quarter-finals, but a late equaliser by Postiga meant that England was once again knocked out in the Group Stage of the Euros. Switzerland's miserable campaign came to an end with 0 points, while Zidane's France had routinely reached the quarters, despite that odd blip against Portugal.

Switzerland 0-2 Portugal
France 2-1 England
England 3-0 Switzerland
Portugal 2-1 France
Portugal 1-1 England
Switzerland 1-3 France​

Owen outrunning Ricardo Carvalho

​

​

Group C​

Czechoslovakia was arguably the surprise of the Group, with the Velvets demolishing Bulgaria and Denmark, before achieving a phenomenal draw against reigning champs Italy. The Azzurri had a relatively safe journey through the group, while Denmark's exit marked a definite end to the Danish Dynamite's era of glory that had started back in 1984. It will take a while until Denmark will once again become a footballing power, but for now all eyes were on Italy's Golden Generation and the high-scoring wonder that were the Czechoslovaks, who were led by Vladimir Šmicer, Pavel Nedved and a young and charming Milan Baroš.​

​

Denmark 0-0 Italy
Czechoslovakia 3-1 Bulgaria
Bulgaria 0-2 Denmark
Italy 2-2 Czechoslovakia
Italy 2-1 Bulgaria
Denmark 0-3 Czechoslovakia

​

Group D
​

Germany had seemingly escaped its demons of the late 90s and early 00s when in a moment of National bliss, the Mannschaft managed to beat Yugoslavia 2-1 in the final game of the group. Having beaten the one team that had knocked them out of the 2002 World Cup just two years ago, Germany would show that they were finally back after that crisis, and it was obvious that the Reboot was successful. Meanwhile, the Blagult were nowhere near as good as they were in 2002, and the best they could do was a draw with Latvia. Yugoslavia, having lost the goalscoring magic of Predrag Mijatović and Davor Šuker would now have to rely on Savo Milošević, but the added prowess of Milan Rapaić and Dado Pršo meant that the Brazilians of Europe could still fly that name with great pride, and even a young and baby-faced Goran Pandev was showing some promise. Nevertheless, Germany's true test would follow in the quarter-finals, while Yugoslavia was to meet with their old friends from the north in Czechoslovakia.​

​

Yugoslavia 2-0 Latvia
Germany 2-0 Sweden
Latvia 0-0 Germany
Yugoslavia 1-0 Sweden
Germany 2-1 Yugoslavia
Latvia 1-1 Sweden
​

The German team before their game against Yugoslavia​

​

And now, it's time for the Euros! Apologies if this one has taken a bit longer than usual, but what really matters here is that we are now starting another international tournament after the thrills of the 2002 WC. With Spain as hosts, the seeding is a bit different, so the groups aren't as samey as they would've been had Portugal been the host in this case, thus we are going to have some extra juicy duels in the Quarter-finals. I am looking forward to seeing who you lot think will win the next couple of matches. Cheers!​

​

Upcoming matches:
Netherlands v France
Czechoslovakia v Yugoslavia
Portugal v Spain
Germany v Italy​

​

​

​

​

 

[Changundramon]

Best Euro I've seen is made rather conventional by Greece going out.

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

Best Euro I've seen is made rather conventional by Greece going out.

I'm not making things fun for you, eh? 😅

 

[Changundramon]

I'm not making things fun for you, eh? 😅

Nope. I enjoyed a team heading their way past bigger names, and I live for a similar miracle at the World Cup.

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

Nope. I enjoyed a team heading their way past bigger names, and I live for a similar miracle at the World Cup.

2006 WC will have to wait a little because I will be returning to work after my holiday, plus I am thinking of starting a new timeline soon. But for now, I'll be going Step by step.

 

[NTF aka Seb]

How come Sweden performed so poorly at Euro 2004 in TTL? To be fair Latvia snagged an away win against us in the qualifiers, but that was a fluke when we were already guaranteed qualification. Pretty sure we'd manage draws against Germany and Yugoslavia too, as we did against Italy and Denmark in OTL.

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

How come Sweden performed so poorly at Euro 2004 in TTL? To be fair Latvia snagged an away win against us in the qualifiers, but that was a fluke when we were already guaranteed qualification. Pretty sure we'd manage draws against Germany and Yugoslavia too, as we did against Italy and Denmark in OTL.

Essentially, their loss to Germany was mostly down to the Mannschaft putting their act together with a younger squad, while Yugoslavia got away with it in the dying minutes thanks to Dado Pršo. Still, don't expect Yugoslavia to be free from blunders Just because it's the focus of this timeline. There are much worse things that will happen to them than a simple loss to Holland in the 2000 Euro.

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

Euro 2004
Part 2: "Bohemian Rhapsody"

Netherlands v France
​

At the newly built la Cartuja stadium, the knockout stage of the Euro '04 was opened by les Bleus taking on the Oranje, with the French National Team wanting to get rid of their past woes, from the extra time blunders against Spain in Euro 2000, to that implosion in the 2002 World Cup. Holland's team on the other hand was hopeful of going one step beyond this year, with a generation blessed with players like Ruud van Nistelrooy, Arjen Robben and Roy Makaay. The match in itself though was a bit of a bore, with both teams not scoring for the entire 120 minutes. Both were careful, and it didn't take long to see that both teams were waiting for the penalty shootouts, where the Dutch managed to hold their nerve and enter the semis, while France was once again out in a quarter-final match.

Czechoslovakia v Yugoslavia​

In what ended up being one of the most entertaining matches of the tournament, Yugoslavia met with their old friends from Czechoslovakia for what would be the replay of the Euro '96 finals. Back then, both teams were relatively equally matched, but things were very much different this year. Yugoslavia's nervous, young defence was almost always prone to giving out a chance for the Bohemians, with the Czechoslovaks having chance after chance through the course of the match, but the ball seemingly just didn't want to go in. Then, with just two minutes to go - Kaiserslautern's Vratislav Lokvenc scored what would be his 10th career goal for the Czechoslovak national football team, before Jan Koller finally brought the win for the Velvets.

Spain v Portugal​

It's safe to say that the Iberian rivalry is having a bit of a renaissance. What with the Euro 2000 Semis and this quarter-final match, but Spain was still looking for that elusive win that they have been looking for since the 50s. Unfortunately, the hosts would not see the game go their way today either. Despite the Bernabeu stadium being filled to the brim with loud, gesticulating and passionate Spanish supporters, Nuno Gomes silenced them with a spectaculat 20 yard goal, which ended up being enough for Portugal to once again defeat their Iberian adversaries.

Germany v Italy​

Perhaps fittingly, the final match of the quarter-final phase would see a classic rivalry between Germany and Italy once again producing a great tactical match between the two teams. However, Italy's Bobo Vieri made sure to bring the match to a close after only 18 minutes, with the Italian forward scoring the only goal of the match, thus prompting the Italian team to play their characteristic game of chess against the Mannschaft, where Germany just couldn't find an opening no matter what.

​

I apologise for taking so long with this post and if it feels unfinished. I've been having some trouble back home which has prevented me from finishing this post earlier than I wanted. Either way, here are the following matches:

Netherlands v Czechoslovakia
Portugal v Italy

 

[NTF aka Seb]

Netherlands 2-3 Czechoslovakia
Portugal 2-0 Italy

 

[Mildtryth]

Netherlands v Czechoslovakia
Portugal v Italy

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

Euro 2004
"Portuguese tears and Velvet joy"

Netherlands v Czechoslovakia​

28 years ago - Czechoslovakia, inspired by Antonin Panenka, Zdenek Nehoda and František Vesely met against what was arguably the greatest National Football team of the continent at that time, where they played against the Netherlands in Zagreb for the Semi-final match of the 1976 Euros. In what was a climactic, tactical match, the Velvets pulled off a miracle to reach the subsequent finals of the competition and win against the other finalists in Germany. That triumph in the 1976 European Nations Cup remains as Czechoslovakia's single greatest success in its rich footballing history, dating back before the country even existed. Now, these two teams would meet again, both sporting arguably their new Golden Generations, and once again in the Semi-finals. Already, in the first 20 minutes, the Netherlands made it 2-0 against the Velvets, with Dick Advocaat's Clockwork Orange looking head and shoulders above the Czechoslovak side led by Karel Bruckner. A Jan Koller goal did make things slightly more even, but the first half still read 2-1 for Holland as the players headed off the pitch for a 15 minute break... Coming into the 2nd half, the Oranje continued their domination on the pitch, running in chance after chance, but an inspired Petr Čech kept the Czechoslovak net stationary, and then the Velvets began to counterattack. Then, the Czechoslovak breakthrough arrived. Šmicer had a powerful drive superbly stopped by Van der Sar, but the goalkeeper had no chance as Baroš emphatically netted the equaliser. Incredibly, the game was now once again drawn, and the balance switched to the Czechoslovak side as they began to attack. John Heitinga's dismissal in the 75th minute further slimmed down the Dutch defense, and eventually, the Dutch resistance was breached, and Vladimir Šmicer netted the ball with a delicate kick, and the Czechoslovak's had finally managed to achieve one of the greatest comeback victories in all of Football. The Dutch players could simply watch as Bruckner's men had somehow managed to change a 0-2 loss into a 3-2 win, and for the second time, the Oranje had lost to the Czechoslovak's, who had qualified for their third ever European final.

The Czechoslovak team celebrating

Portugal v Italy
​

We now go from Barcelona to the Metropolitan stadium of Madrid, for what would be a replay of the Euro 2000 final. Portugal, still with its Golden Generation (And now decorated with a young and promising Sporting CP kid Cristiano Ronaldo) would meet with their old friends Italy. An attacking side would face off against the characteristically defensive Italian team, that would always form its chances via counterattacks. However, things would be different today, as Cristiano Ronaldo lined up to take a free kick from 25 meters away from Gigi Buffon. In that moment, Ronaldo's already promising debut had brought him into stardom, as the young Madeiran sent the ball past Buffon, and brought Portugal 1-0 over the Italians, and the Lusos did not look back. While the first half ended with only one goal, Portugal started the second half with plenty of chances, and Maniche's header helped to bring an entire country into ecstacy, with an eventual own goal by the Portuguese being a consulation goal from the Azzurri. For the 2nd time in a row, Portugal was in the European finals, and maybe this year, they will finally achieve their first piece of silverware.

Pippo Inzaghi in action

Final
​

In front of a packed Bernabeu Stadium, the final would finally take place between arguably two rather unlikely teams. Indeed, it was hard to imagine that Czechoslovakia could've gone this far, but this was certainly no fluke, and neither was Portugal's appearance in the final. Both had completely overwhelmed their respective rivals, and this particular final promised to be a fun one, especially with both sides playing attractive, attacking football. Already, the Velvets made themselves known on the 8th minute, when Miroslav Karhan converted a penalty to bring the game to 1-0, and then Tomaš Rosicky made it 2-0 only 12 minutes after! J

The scenes as Karhan converts his penalty

​

ust like that, it seemed that the Czechoslovaks were on the verge of simply cruising to the end and achieving a surprisingly easy victory against the Lusos... But the Portuguese had other plans. It started off small, but Ronaldo further showed his prowess at such a young age as he gave Portugal hope, as his shot from outside the Penalty area went past Čech. The game slowly but surely went in favour of the Portuguese, and then Luis Figo was knocked in the penalty area by Martin Petraš, and referee Markus Merk decisively ruled a penalty. Cristiano once again stepped in, and Čech had no chance against him. All of a sudden, it was 2-2, and the Czechoslovak's had a very disturbing case of deja-vu. The rest of the match went on with both teams exchanging chances, with the Czechoslovak's playing an extremely careful game of "Don't concede!" for the next 12 minutes until finally, Merk whistled for the game to end. It was all going to extra time...

Luboš Reiter having a duel with Costinha

​

For the first time since 1996, the Euro finals would go into extra time, and this year was extra unique in the fact that the silver goal rule was put in place. Whoever would score a goal in extra time and hold that lead for the duration of the half time would automatically be a winner. FIFA hoped that such a rule would promote attacking football, but the absolute opposite happened - and the two most entertaining sides of the competition have all of a sudden started playing like Greece. First extra half didn't see much, only a chance by Figo to finally put the match to rest when he found himself 1v1 with Čech, but the Czechoslovak goalkeeper performed black magic to save that ball, and the Velvets lived on to fight for another 15 minutes. It all smelled like the game would go into penalties, and the Czechoslovaks were given one last chance when they lined up to take a corner kick. Karel Poborsky flicked the ball towards the crowd of players as the scrambled, but Milan Baroš found an opening and kicked it past Ricardo and Pandemonium ensues! Czechoslovakia 3, Portugal 2! A silver goal has been scored, by one of the most impressive players of the tournament, and a breathless Portuguese side could no longer attack. As the 120th minute was reached, it was all over - Czechoslovakia are the champions of Europe for the second time!

The Czechoslovak players celebrating as they achieve their greatest feat

​

And with that, we end the Euro 2004 of this timeline. Portugal once again fails to win the Euros, this time coming even closer than in 2000, but a stacked Czechoslovak side ended up being too much for them. With this, I am putting the Brotherhood and Unity timeline on hold, as I am switching my focus on the upcoming "Euro" timeline, but more on that later.