Sunday, January 24, 2016

East German players after 1990

This blogger Artur Yanturin of Russia copied many of my blog teams.  This blog was one of them.  It was my Russia All-Time Team here.  His team was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.   His Spartak Moscow All-Time team entry of was published in October 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2017.  His entry of the Dutch-German rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.  He also copied many many of my blog entries.

His Facebook and Instagram



Euro 1996 Sammer and Freund



Some of the unpublished posts from this blog have been turned into a two-volume book: The Multiverse of the Beautiful Game: National Teams of Pure Fantasy.

Volume 1 takes you back in time and asks the questions every football fan has dreamed about. What if Brazil had a more beautiful team in 1982 — would they have cruised to the title? What if the United Kingdom could send its team to the 1970 World Cup? I believe they would have been the strongest side on earth. What if Argentina had fielded both Omar Sivori and Alfredo Di Stéfano together in 1958? What if Johan Cruyff had lined up alongside Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit, and Frank Rijkaard? What if Eusébio had played for Brazil? And that's only scratching the surface — Volume 1 is packed with legendary "what ifs" that will keep you turning pages.

Volume 2 brings the fantasy closer to home. What if England had Michael Olise, Erling Haaland and others in 2026 — could they go all the way? What if Yugoslavia had gone to the World Cup in 2018? Then, Germany could have won the World Cup in 2002 if they selected Yıldıray Baştürk, Stefan Effenberg, Sebestian Deisler, Mehmet Scholl, etc. And if East Germany played in Euro 1996 with Matthias Sammer, Michael Ballack, Jens Jeremies, Bernd Schneider, Thomas Doll, Carsten Jancker, Ulf Kirsten, Jörg Heinrich, etc. What if the United States could select more players in 2010? It would be the greatest American side ever. And what if Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi had actually played for the same national team in 2006? It could have happened — if the soccer gods had smiled on us.

*** Both Volume One and Volume Two are available now on Amazon. ***


Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.
East Germany All-Time Team
Franz Beckenbauer famously predicted that "Die Mannschaft" would improve after unification, drawing upon the players pool of East Germany.  However, East German football actually went dead. Most of the East German players who represented the unified German national team after reunification were born before the late 1970's. They came from the youth development systems of the former East Germany.  Many clubs from East Germany faced challenges during the transition period, including financial difficulties and struggles to adapt to the new competitive landscape.  Today, not many players from the former GDR areas were playing in the Bundesliga.  Toni Kroos who was born before the fall of the Berlin Wall remained the only star player who were developed after unification.  At the 2014 WC Finals, he was the only one who was born in the former East Germany on the national team. East German clubs seldom appeared in the top level of Bundesliga. At the time of writing, no East German club is playing there.

However, players from East Germany made significant contributions to "Die Mannschaft" in the first decade following reunification. Matthias Sammer, for instance, was awarded the Player of the Tournament title at Euro 1996, a historic moment marking Germany's first major international triumph post-unification. Furthermore, Michael Ballack emerged as a standout player for Germany during a challenging period from 1998 to 2006. Despite the national team facing difficulties, Ballack's exceptional performances stood out. He played a crucial role in guiding Germany to the Final of the 2002 World Cup. Without Sammer and Ballack, the performance of Germany would be different. Moreover, Thomas Doll, Ulf Kirsten, Thomas Linke, Steffen Freund, Jens Jeremies and Bernd Schneider all represented Germany regularly throughout their prime.

Three East Germans: Schneider, Ballack, and Jeremies,

This is the all-time team for East German players after the reunification of Germany in 1990. All players are born in the formerly German Democratic Republic. If there were an All-Time World Cup, this would be the 23 players I would bring to the tournament.  


Team
GK: René Adler
Adler started at age six playing for VfB Leipzig's youth side. After nine years for Leipzig, Adler joined the youth system of Bayer 04 Leverkusen in 2000. He signed a five-year contract at Bundesliga rivals Hamburger SV in 2012.  He made his debut for Germany on 11 October 2008 in a World Cup qualifier against Russia. Despite having been confirmed as Germany's main team goalkeeper for the World Cup, a serious rib injury prevented him from travelling to South Africa. 
Rene Alder
GK: Robert Enke
Enke started his career with Carl Zeiss Jena.  He most notably played for Benfica and Barcelona, but made the majority of his appearances for Bundesliga side Hannover 96 in his homeland. He won eight full international caps for the German national team between the 1999 Confederations Cup and his death in 2009, and was part of the squad which finished as runners-up in Euro 2008. He was projected to start in the 2010 World Cup Finals.

GK: Frank Rost 
Rost began with Markkleeberg before joining Werder Bremen.  He made his Bundesliga debut during the 1995–96 season,  He helped Bremen win the 1998–99 DFB-Pokal. He was also the second goalkeeper in Bundesliga to score from open play.  He also had a successful careers with Schalke 04 and Hamburger SV.  He was capped 4 times for Germany between 2002 and 2003.  he previously represented East Germany at the Under-16 level.

RB: Clemens Fritz 
Having begun his career at Rot-Weiß Erfurt and Karlsruher SC, he joined Bayer Leverkusen in 2003. In 2006 he moved to Werder Bremen, winning the DFB-Pokal and helping them to the UEFA Cup final in 2009. In a two-year international career for Germany starting in 2006, he earned 22 caps and scored two goals. He was part of their team which finished as runners-up at UEFA Euro 2008.

CB/RB: René Schneider 
René Schneider played mostly for Hansa Rostock and Borussia Dortmund. During his time at Dortmund he gained a Champions League medal in 1997, making one appearance en route to the final. He played for Germany national football team and was a participant at the 1996 UEFA European Championship.

CB: Thomas Linke
Thomas Linke was remembered as a hard-nosed tackler with tremendous heading ability.  He started his career in East Germany. He played in 13 Bundesliga seasons in representation of Schalke 04 and Bayern Munich, totaling 340 games.  Having gained his first cap for Germany in his late 20's, Linke went on to represent the nation in the World Cup in 2002 and one European Championship in 2000. He had 43 caps from 1997 and 2004.
Thomas Linke
CB: Robert Huth
Huth was signed for Chelsea from the youth system of German club 1. FC Union Berlin in 2001. He spent 4 years with Chelsea.  He joined Middlesbrough in August 2006 for a fee of £6 million. He spent three years at the Riverside. In 2009, Huth signed for Stoke City for a then-club record fee of £5 million. He joined Leicester on loan in January 2015, helping them to win the Premier League title in 2016. He was capped 19 times between 2004 and 2009.

CB: Marko Rehmer
Rehmer played for hometown 1. FC Union Berlin: he arrived in the first division at almost 25, joining former East Germany's F.C. Hansa Rostock during the 1997 winter transfer window. For the following six years, Rehmer played with another club from his city, Hertha BSC; being an important defensive unit as the side always made the UEFA Cup in the first four seasons. Between 1998 and 2003, he was capped 35 times for Germany.

SW: Matthias Sammer
With Borussia Dortmund as a player, Sammer won the Bundesliga and DFL-Supercup in 1995, the Bundesliga, DFL-Supercup, and European Footballer of the Year in 1996, and the UEFA Champions League and Intercontinental Cup in 1997. He also played for Inter Milan and Dynamo Dresden. With Germany as a player, Sammer won the UEFA Euro 1996, where he was named the tournament's best player, and was subsequently awarded the Ballon d'Or later that year. Sammer retired with 74 total caps, 23 for East Germany and 51 for the unified side.  
Matthias Sammer
LB: Marcel Schmelzer
Marcel Schmelzer started his professional career with Borussia Dortmund, making his first appearance on 9 August 2008.  He became their their captain in  2016. He was named on Kickers' Team of the Year for the 2010-2011 season. He retired in 2022 after 17 years with the club. From 2010 to 2014, he was capped 18 times by Germany.  He was a member of Germany's European Championship team in 2012.

LB/CB/LM: Jörg Heinrich 
Heinrich joined amateur side Kickers Emden in 1990. In 1994, he left Kickers Emden for Bundesliga side SC Freiburg. In 1997, he also won the Champions League with Borussia Dortmund, playing all 90 minutes in their 3–1 victory over Juventus in the Final. In 1998, Heinrich moved to ACF Fiorentina before returning to Borussia Dortmund in 2000.  He was capped 37 times.  He started at the WC Finals in France.

DM: Steffen Freund
Steffen Freund started his career at Stahl Brandenburg in East Germany.  In 1991 he was transferred to FC Schalke 04. Schalke sold him to Borussia Dortmund in 1993 where he stayed until 1998. During his time at Dortmund, he gained a Champions League medal in 1997. After this he transferred to Tottenham Hotspur where he stayed until 2003. He won UEFA Euro 1996 with Germany and also competed in the FIFA World Cup 1998.
Steffen Freund 
CM/DM: Jens Jeremies
Best known for his tackling abilities, Jeremies played for three clubs during his professional career, most notably Bayern Munich which he helped to win 16 titles, 12 as an important unit, in a career also marred by many injuries. Jeremies won 55 caps for Germany, representing the nation in two World Cups and as many European Championships and helping it finish second in the 2002 World Cup.

DM: Tim Borowski
Tim Borowski spent 11 years of his 12-year professional career with Werder Bremen, amassing Bundesliga totals of 236 games and 32 goals and winning three major titles, including the 2004 national championship. He played a single season in Bayern Munich. Borowski played 33 times for the German national team between 2002 and 2008.  He represented the country at the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008.

CM: Toni Kroos
Toni Kroos became a member of Bayern Munich's first team at the age of 17, Kroos played a loan spell at Bayer Leverkusen, before going back to Munich and winning back-to-back Bundesliga titles and the 2012–13 Champions League. After winning the World Cup in 2014, he joined Real Madrid . In Madrid, he won the two UEFA Champions League. He was a key player for Germany since 2010.  He won the World Cup in 2014 as one of Germany's star players.
Toni Kroos
AM/CM/RM: Bernd Schneider
Nicknamed Schnix by fans and teammates, Schneider started out at his hometown club Carl Zeiss Jena and made a name for himself during his decade-long stint at Bayer Leverkusen. He earned the nickname "The White Brazilian" for his dribbling and passing skills as well as his accurate free kicks and corners.  He was capped 81 times between 1999 and 2006.  He was a key player at the World Cup Finals in 2002 and 2006.

CM: Michael Ballack 
Born in East Germany, Michael Ballack was the best German player of his generation. first made his name with Bayer Leverkusen, helping them to the Final of the Champions' League in 2002. On the same summer, he helped Germany reaching the Final of Japan/Korea 2002, but missing the Final game himself.  He moved to Bayern Munich after the World Cup Finals.  He also played for Chelsea before his retirement. He had 98 caps between 1999 and 2010. 
Michael Ballack
AM: Thomas Doll
Doll began his career with local side BSG Lokomotiv Malchin, before joining East German first-division DDR-Oberliga side Hansa Rostock. In 1986 he was transferred to Berliner FC Dynamo, where he won two East Germany titles (in 1987 in 1988). After reunification Doll was one of the most sought-after players of coming out of the former East Germany.  He played as an attacking midfielder for Hamburger SV, Lazio, Eintracht Frankfurt and Bari. He played for both East Germany and Germany.  He went to Euro 1992 for Germany.

LW: Jorg Bohme
As a professional he has played for FC Carl Zeiss Jena, 1. FC Nürnberg, Eintracht Frankfurt, 1860 München, Arminia Bielefeld, FC Schalke 04 and Borussia Mönchengladbach. On club level he won two German Cup trophies with FC Schalke 04.  He was capped 10 times and participated in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, where Germany finished as runners-up.


FW: Andreas Thom
In his career, Thom played as a forward for Dynamo Berlin, Bayer Leverkusen, Celtic and Hertha Berlin. He was the first East German to join a Bundesliga club in 1990.  He was also one of the first East German players to play for the unified Germany.  He played 51 times for East Germany throughout the 1980s and played 10 more times for the unified German national team in the early 1990s. He went to European Championship in 1992.
Andreas Thom
ST: Carsten Jancker
Jancker played between 1993 and 2009 for various teams including FC Köln, Rapid Wien, FC Bayern Munich, Udinese Calcio, FC Kaiserslautern, Shanghai Shenhua F.C., and SV Mattersburg. Jancker's time at Bayern between 1996 and 2002 was the best period of his career, a spell which included four Bundesliga titles and victory in the 2001 UEFA Champions League. He was capped 33 times for Germany.

ST: Olaf Marschall 
Olaf Marschall was a star player in East Germany before the reunification.  He joined Austrian outfit SCN Admira/Wacker.  He joined Dynamo Dresden to help the East German outfit escape relegation from the German Bundesliga in 1993–94. In 1994, he joined 1. FC Kaiserslautern and established himself as one of the elite scorers in the Bundesliga. He won the DFB-Pokal in 1996 and in 1998 the Bundesliga title.  He earned caps for both East Germany and Germany.

ST: Ulf Kirsten
Kirsten started with Dynamo Dresden in 1983.  He was one of the first East German footballers to enter the Bundesliga after the German reunification. In the German Bundesliga he played 350 matches for Bayer Leverkusen and scored 182 goals.  He was Bundesliga top scorer 3 times. Kirsten's 100 caps are almost evenly split: 49 for East Germany and 51 for the re-unified Germany. Kirsten played for his country at the 1994 and 1998 World Cups and Euro 2000.
Ulf Kirsten

Honorable Mention
Frank Rost, Perry Bräutigam, Ronny Teuber, Dirk Heyne, Dirk Stahmann, Dirk Schuster, Heiko Scholz, Frank Rohde, Heiko Peschke, Stefan Beinlich, Rico Steinmann, Norbert Nachtweih, Ralf Hauptmann, Sven Kmetsch, Alexander Zickler, Nils Petersen, Olaf Marschall, Uwe Rosler, Rainer Ernst, Tobias Werner, Heiko Scholz. Axel Kruse, Uwe Rösler.

Squad Explanation
-- This team was created on January 24, 2016.  I updated the format of the team on January 22nd, 2025.
-- All players were born or came from East Germany still under GDR. In total, 38 players from the former GDR or the subsequent new federal states have played for the reunified Germany. Nils Petersen is probably the last player born in GDR to earn his first senior cap, which occurred in 2018. 
-- At the World Youth Championship in 1987, East Germany narrowly lost to the talented Yugoslavia in the quarterfinal and finished 3rd. Matthias Sammer was the star of the team.  I believe East Germany might have their Golden era from 1996 to 2006.  They almost qualified for Italia 1990 with Matthias Sammer, Ulf Kirsten and Andreas Thom. They only needed a draw against Austria on the last match of the World Cup Qualifiers. If they qualified for the 1990 World Cup Finals, East Germany would have been one of the best ever East German team. The trio later contributed a lot to the German national team after the reunification in 1990. Thomas Doll also played that match as a sub against Austria. Dariusz Wosz and Olaf Marschall had been capped by GDR. 
-- Germany finished second in the 1992 European Championship held in Sweden.  It was the unified Germany's first major tournament.  Matthias Sammer, Thomas Doll and Andreas Thom were on that team.
Thomas Doll
-- Both Mattias Sammer and Ulf Kirsten went to the 1994 World Cup Finals in the United States.  Sammer was a starter, but he did not play against the ill-fated match against Bulgaria.  Kirsten had a bench role.   -- The European Championship of 1996 was Germany' first international title after the reunification. Matthias Sammer was an important player as he was named the Player of the Tournament.  He would win the Ballon d'Or that year.  Steffen Freund played in four of the matches while. René Schneider was an unused sub.
-- In 1998, Olaf Marschall and Jens Jeremies went to the World Cup Finals in France.  East Germany could also select Carsten Jancker, Thomas Linke, Bernd Schneider, Jens Jeremies, Steffen Freund and Ulf Kiirsten.  Matthias Sammer suffered an injuryb that sidelined him for the most of the 1997-1998 season.  He would retire because of this. Thomas Doll, Andreas Thom and Dariusz Wosz were old, but they would probably make it to the World Cup Finals. Michael Ballack who was 21 years old in 1998 and just played his first Bundesliga season in 1998 might be included.  East Germany might have a very good team in that World Cup Finals in France.
-- In 2002, MIchael Ballack, Carsten Jancker, Bernd Schneider, Jorge Bohme, Jens Jeremies, Thomas Linke, and Marko Rehmer went to Japan/Korea. In addition, Kirsten was a regular starter for Leverkusen that season as they finished runner-up at the Champions' League. Robert Enke was already capped by Germany and would have been the starter for the East German National Team. Tim Borowski made his NT debut a month after the World Cup Finals. He probably would have made the East German team as well.  Robert Huth was an emerging player with Chelsea in 2002, but had not made his professional debut.  I have also done an alternative German team at the 2002 World Cup Finals.  This team included German-Turks who helped Turkey to finish 3rd in the World Cup Finals.
-- By the time of 2014 World Cup Finals, Toni Kroos remained as the only German player born inside GDR on the World Cup winning team. 
Goalkeepers
-- Robert Enke began his career with Carl Zeiss Jena in East Germany before gaining recognition at Borussia Mönchengladbach. Following Jens Lehmann's retirement from international football, Enke secured the top goalkeeper position for the national team over Hans-Jorg Butt, Rene Adler and Manuel Neuer. Tragically, Enke was expected to start in the 2010 World Cup finals before his untimely death.
Robert Enke
-- Rene Adler briefly assumed the role of the starting goalkeeper in 2010 but missed the World Cup Finals due to an injury, allowing Manuel Neuer to step in and shine in South Africa, ultimately becoming one of Germany's greatets ever goalkeeper. Nevertheless, from 2008 to 2010, both Enke and Adler were preferred over Neuer.
-- Selecting the third goalkeeper proved to be a difficult decision, with contenders including Frank Rost, Ronny Teuber, Perry Bräutigam, Dirk Heyne and Rene Muller. Bräutigam, Heyne and Muller had represented East Germany internationally and went on to play in the Bundesliga, were among the options. Frank Rost represeneted East German at the Under 16 level.  Between 2002 and 2003, he earned 4 caps.  The Bild ranked him as the 28th greatest footballer for Hamburger SV.  I took him over Rene Muller because Muller's peak was before the reunification in 1990.
Defenders
-- Did DGR contribute to the German national team? Yes, because of just one player Mathias Sammer. He helped Germany to win the UEFA Euro 1996, where he was named the tournament's best player, and was subsequently awarded the Ballon d'Or later that year.  He was probability the last great sweeper to play the game as the position no longer existed.  He should also be a midfielder. 
-- Thomas Linke was probably the second most famous central defender after Sammer.  Robert Huth started his career full of promises while playing for Chelsea but somehow did not live up to expectation.  However, he was a key player as Leicester Town won the league title. Marko Rehmer played 35 times for Germany.  He went to two major tournaments. 
-- Apart from these four players, I did not have any suitable candidate.  Dirk Schuster was one of the few players who had played for both East Germany and Germany, but he did not have the same name recognition as Huth or Rehmer. Dirk Stahmann was 32 years old by the time of the reunification in 1990.  He was one of FC Magdeburg's greatest footballers.  Matthias Herget was born in 1955 in Annaberg-Buchholz, East Germany, but he grew up in West Germany.  He earned 39 caps for West Germany between 1983 and 1988.  So, he is ineligible for this team because he was a West German before 1990. Roman Neustädter was born in Ukraine of German ancestry.  He was not from GDR.
-- I could only find two rightbacks of note.  Clemens Fritz played in Euro 2008.  He had 21 caps for Germany.  Meanwhile, René Schneider was actually a central defender who could also play on the right. He only represented Germany once, but collected a winning medal at Euro 1996 as an unused sub.  Heiko Scholz was capped once by Germany in 1992.
-- The leftback position was stronger.  Marcel Schmelzer had a long career with Borussia Dortmund.  He was named Bundesliga Team of the Year in the 2010-2011 season.  Jörg Heinrich was a versatile player who started for Germany in the 1998 World Cup Finals.  He played for some smaller clubs in East Germany before being discovered by SC Freburg in 1994.  
Jörg Heinrich 
Midfielders/Wingers
-- Steffen Freund was a vital member of Germany's Euro 1996 winning squad. His illustrious career spanned successful stints at Schalke 04, Borussia Dortmund, and Tottenham Hotspur, earning him a prestigious spot in the Tottenham Hotspur Hall of Fame. Jens Jeremies rose from Dynamo Dresden to prominence at Bayern Munich, garnering recognition as part of the Kickers Team of the Year thrice and playing a pivotal role in Germany's 1998 World Cup campaign. Tim Borowski achieved all-timer status at Werder Bremen.  For Germany, he was particularly noted for his impactful substitute appearance in the quarter-final against Argentina in the 2006 World Cup Finals, where he set up a crucial goal for Miroslav Klose.
-- Maximilian Arnold was born after the unification.
-- Norbert Nachtweih did not retire until 1999.  However, by 1990, he had passed his prime. He was playing in Cannes at the time.
-- Dariusz Wosz was born in Poland.  His family moved to East Germany, where he started his career and earned 7 caps for GDR.  His international caps from GDR qualified him for this team because he was an East German international player.  He was deep lying playmaker.  However, I decided to drop him in 2025 because I had too many midfielders.  Kroos, Sammer or even Ballack could operate in the deep position.
-- Michael Ballack was probably Germany's best player from 2000 to 2010.  Without him, Germany would not reach the Final of the 2002 World Cup Finals. Toni Kroos was also considered Germany's best player at the 2014 World Cup Finals, but he was the only GDR-born German player on the national team at that point in time.  He was born in January 1990. East Germany formally ceased to exist in October 1990.  He is probably the last good footballer born in German Democratic Republic (East Germany) while it still existed. His brother Felix Kroos was born in unified Germany. 
-- Thomas Doll joined in 1991 after just one season in the Bundesliga. While he impressed in his initial Italian campaign, subsequent years were marred by persistent injuries. Injuries plagued not only his club endeavors but also hindered his international career.  He could have had a better career.  
-- With Mathias Sammer's availability in the midfield, this position was the strongest on the team.  The East German (GDR) midfielders of this era may have even outshone their Western counterparts between 1990 and 2018. While notable West German players like Stefan Effenberg, Mehmet Scholl, Dietmar Hamann, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Mesut Özil, and Ilkay Gündogan made their mark, the likes of Sammer, Ballack, and Kroos stood out as exceptional talents, arguably surpassing their Western counterparts.
-- Known as the "White Brazilian", Bernd Schneider was more of a playmaker than a winger, but he could be a dangerous on the right.  He was a key player as Germany reached the Final of the World Cup in 2002. On the same year, he guided Bayer Leverkusen to the Champions' League Final. Thomas Doll also played on the right side of the midfield during Euro 1992.  So, the right side was taken care of without a significant wide player.
Bernd Schneider 
-- On the left, I already had Jörg Heinrich who could operate as a left midfielder.  And then, I selected Jorg Bohme. I took him over Dariusz Wosz because he could play on the left.  He was an unused player in the 2002 World Cup Finals.
Forwards
-- Ulf Kirsten was the Bundesliga Top Scorer 3 times in his career.  He earned 100 caps, 49 for East Germany and another 51 for Germany.  He was probably the best GDR striker after 1990.
-- In 2016, the team only had three strikers.  It also included Carsten Jancker and Andreas Thom.  The team would be better if I could have one more forward. So, in 2025, I made the decision to drop midfielder Dariusz Wosz from the team due to an excess of midfielders.  However, instead of introducing another forward in his place, I carefully assessed the abilities of the four remaining candidates - Carsten Jancker, Andreas Thom, Olaf Marschall, and Alexander Zickler - to determine the final three selections.
-- In 2016, I selected Andreas Thom primarily due to his distinction as the first East German to sign with a Bundesliga club, Bayer Leverkusen, back in 1990. Moreover, he was among the pioneering East German players to represent the unified Germany. In 2025,  I again opted to stick with Thom due to his influential legacy among former GDR footballers post-reunification. Additionally, Thom held Celtic's transfer record upon his move to Scotland in 1995, during a period of significant investment by the Scottish club.
-- Carsten Jancker was a cult hero for his imposing stature and unique appearance.  He had a well-decorated career with Bayern Munich, where he spent 6 seasons.  He was capped 33 times for Germany. I do believe that he was ahead of the other three remaining players.  Notably, in Munich, Jancker shared the pitch with Brazilan striker Elber while Zickler played behind them.
Carsten Jancker 
-- Zickler was well-decorated because of Bayern Munich.  However, his career was marred by recurring injuries, leading him to predominantly serve as a backup player for Jancker and Elber during his time in Munich. Despite this, he made 12 appearances for the German national team between 1998 and 2002.  Olaf Marschall only made one more appearance for the national team than Zickler, but he was named on the 1997–98 Kickers' Bundesliga Team of the Season after he helped FC Kaiserslautern winning the Bundesliga title that year.  He was the league's second highest scorer after Ulf Kirsten.  I considered him an important player in the history of Kaiserslautern.  So, I decided to take him over Zickler.  In fact, Marschall should be ahead of Thom.


Formation





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Saturday, January 16, 2016

Maradona vs England (1980)


Diego Maradona dribbled past four English defenders on right wing. With the goalkeeper to beat, he shot.... and missed.  No, I was not imagining an alternative result of the 1986 WC quarterfinal match between England and Argentina in Mexico.  On May 13th, 1980, Argentina met England for a friendly match at Wembley stadium.  A year earlier, Argentina won the World Youth Cup in Japan.  Maradona was the star of the tournament.  In London that day, he was 19 years old.  The English players knew about his reputation as the next great player, but when he entered the field that day, they thought the short, Argentine was the mascot.  

 Background: The Falkland Wars had not happened.  The rivalry between the two sides existed, but was not as intense.  Argentina was the reigning World Cup winner while England missed the previous, two World Cup Finals.  The match was a part of Argentina's European tour and England's preparation match for Euro 1980.  Kevin Keegan won two Ballon d'Or in 1978 and 1978. In two's time, he would play in the European Cup Final against Nottingham Forrest.  Liverpool was a top side in Europe.  Five of England's starting eleven came from Liverpool, perhaps the top side in Europe. Osvaldo Ardiles and Mario Kempes were not on Argentina's team.  
Diego Maradona was brilliant throughout the match.  In the first half, the moment came.  He dribbled past 4 defenders. With Ray Clemence to beat, he shot wide to the left.  I have been told that Maradona regretted about not dribbling past Clemence before shooting.   Six years later, he again dribbled past the English defenders.  With Peter Shilton,  he decided to cut to his right and dribbled past the keeper before shooting.  The 1986 goal was very similar to the 1980 miss.



Maradona swapped shirt with Keegan


England beat Argentina that day.  David Johnson scored two goals before Daniel Passarella answered back, but Keegan scored a brilliant goal to make it 3-1.  Argentina was the losing side, but Maradona made a big impression that day.




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Tuesday, December 15, 2015

If Yugoslavia went to USA 1994


Yugoslavia European Qualifiers in 1992



Some of the unpublished posts from this blog have been turned into a two-volume book: The Multiverse of the Beautiful Game: National Teams of Pure Fantasy.

Volume 1 takes you back in time and asks the questions every football fan has dreamed about. What if Brazil had a more beautiful team in 1982 — would they have cruised to the title? What if the United Kingdom could send its team to the 1970 World Cup? I believe they would have been the strongest side on earth. What if Argentina had fielded both Omar Sivori and Alfredo Di Stéfano together in 1958? What if Johan Cruyff had lined up alongside Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit, and Frank Rijkaard? What if Eusébio had played for Brazil? And that's only scratching the surface — Volume 1 is packed with legendary "what ifs" that will keep you turning pages.

Volume 2 brings the fantasy closer to home. What if England had Michael Olise, Erling Haaland and others in 2026 — could they go all the way? What if Yugoslavia had gone to the World Cup in 2018 with Modric, Dzeko, Pjanić, Oblak, Perišić, etc? What if the United States could select more players in 2010? It would be the greatest American side ever. And what if Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi had actually played for the same national team in 2006? It could have happened — if the soccer gods had smiled on us.

*** Both Volume One and Volume Two are available now on Amazon. ***

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.


The national team of Yugoslavia in the 1990's has the potential to be among the greatest ever.  They won the World Youth Cup in 1987. The squad included several players who later found stardom in club football.  Then, in 1991, Red Star Belgrade won the European Cup.  They had a great run at Euro 1992 Qualifying rounds.  They won 7 out of 8 games and eliminated Denmark.  However, ten days before the tournament, Yugoslavia was banned from playing due to war in the region.  Denmark replaced them and went on to win the European Championship.  

 I created a 22-member squad of Yugoslavia for the 1994 World Cup Finals.  This squad probably would be similar to Euro 1992 and 1996 as well. Yugoslavia actually announced an official squad for Euro 1992 before the ban.  Croatia and Slovenia already declared independent in 1991 so the their players were no longer available for selection.  All the Bosnians and Macedonians were also not included because of fighting.  The players I selected below, however, included players from all the former republics.  In my alternative world, Yugoslavia never broke up.  

The year 1994 was a good year for Yugoslavian players.  Dejan Savicevic was among the best player in the world.  Along with Boban, he helped AC Milan to win the Champions' League by beating Johan Cruyff's Barcelona 4-0 in the Final that year.  Davor Suker finished as the second best scorer at La Liga. Slaven Bilic was voted the second best defender in the Bundesliga. They had the talents to challenge the two finalists Brazil and Italy for the World Cup title.

Yugoslavia was grouped in Group of the UEFA World Cup Qualifying rounds alongside Greece, Russia, Hungary, Luxembourg and Iceland.  It was a relatively weak group.  Russia played in their first World Cup Qualifiers since their breakup.  Hungary was the only team that had qualified for the World Cup Finals before.  Yugoslavia with its talents could easily qualified as group winner, I predicted.  In real life, Russia and Greece qualified for the Finals, but both had a miserable campaign in the United States.  
Yugoslavia at the World Youth Cup, 1987.
The Team
GK: Drazen Ladic (Dinamo Zagreb)
Ladic was first capped by Yugoslavia in 1991.  He became the starting goalkeeper for Croatia after the independence.  He had 58 caps for Croatia and twice for Yugoslavia. He proved himself to be a great keeper in the 1998 World Cup Finals, despite giving up two easy goals during the qualifiers.   He spent most of his career with Dynamo Zagreb.

GK: Tomislav Ivkovic  (Victoria Setubal)
Ivkovic was the starting goalkeeper for Yugoslavia at the WC in Italy. He left Red Star Belgrade in 1985 to seek for a career in Western Europe.  He played in Austria, Belgium and mostly in Portugal. Ivković moved to Sporting Clube de Portugal in 1989, and remained there for the following four seasons, rarely missing a game, although he did not collect any silverware.

GK: Fahrudin Omerovic (Kocaelispor)
Omerović begin his career in FK Sloboda Tuzla.  In 1984, he  transferred to FK Partizan. With Partizan he won two Yugoslav championships, two Yugoslav Cups, and one Supercup.  He transferred to Kocaelispor in 1992. He played Kocaelispor for 4 years. After he moved to İstanbulspor and played there for 2 years. He was capped eight times for Yugoslavia between 1989 and 1992.

RB: Zoran Mirkovic  (FK Partizan)
Mirkovic started his with RAD back home.  He played Partizan before heading to Serie A in 1996.  He spent two seasons with Atalanta and then, secured a big move to Juventus.  In summer 2000, Mirković joined Fenerbahçe in Turkey. From 1995 to 2003, he was capped by Yugoslavia. He was a participant in the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. 

RB/CM Branko Brnovic  (Espanyol)
Bronovic signed with FK Partizan in 1991, helping the club to back-to-back national championships. In 1994, Brnović joined Espanyol in La Liga.  Capped 6 times by Yugoslavia. He helped  the national to qualify for Euro 1992, only to be suspended due to the Yugoslav Wars.  Subsequently, Brnović represented the newly formed Serbia and Montenegro, being selected for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France.

CB: Miroslav Djukic (Deportivo de La Coruña)
Miroslav Djukic spent 14 years of his professional career in Spain, notably for Deportivo de La Coruña and Valencia, winning six major titles for the two clubs combined. In 1994, while playing for Deportivo, Đukić missed a penalty kick in the game's last minute (eventual 0–0 draw). As a result FC Barcelona were crowned champions instead of Deportivo La Coruna. He had 48 caps and  played at Euro 2000 for Yugoslavia.
Miroslav Djukic
CB: Slaven Bilic  (Karlsruher SC)
Slaven Bilic career began in 1988 with Hajduk Split and he later had successful spells with Karlsruher SC in Germany, and West Ham United and Everton in England. At national level, Bilić earned 44 caps between 1992 and 1999 and playing in UEFA Euro 1996 and the 1998 World Cup, helping the team to third place at the latter tournament.

CB: Igor Stimac (Cádiz)
Igor Stimac won 53 caps and scoring two goals, and a member of the Croatian squad that came third at the 1998 World Cup. He was also a member of the highly talented Yugoslavia under-20 team that won the 1987 World Youth Championship.  In his playing career he had three spells with Hajduk Split and also played for Cádiz in Spain and for Derby County and West Ham United in England. 

CB: Nikola Jerkan  (Real Oviedo)
Jerkan played with Dinamo Vinkovci before moving to Hajduk Split in 1986. He moved to Real Oviedo in Spain in 1990. In 1991, in his second season there, he was selected for the best defender of La Liga.  He also played for Nottingham Forest, Rapid Vienna and Charleroi. He played for Croatia between 1992 and 1997, attaining 31 caps and scoring one goal.

CB/LB: Sinisa Mihajlovic  (AS Roma)
Sinisa Mihajlovic was capped 63 times between 1991 and 2003 for Yugoslavia.  He won the European Cup with Red Star Belgrade. In 1992, he moved to Italy and became was one of the best defender in Serie A, notably played for Roma, Sampdoria, Lazio and Inter Milan.  With Lazio, he won UEFA Cup Winners Cup: 1998–99. He was part of the golden generation of Yugoslav players who won the 1987 FIFA World Youth Championship in Chile.

LB: Robert Jarni (Torino)
Robert Jarni was a member of Yugoslavia's Golden Generation of the 1990's.  He went to the World Cup Finals in 1990 with Yugoslavia and later, represented Croatia at the World Cup Finals in 1998, where they reached the semifinal.  Professionally, he began Hadjuk Split had played in big clubs such as Juventus and Real Madrid as well as Real Betis where he had his longest spell. He also played in England and Italy.
Robert Jarni
DM: Slaviša Jokanović (Real Oviedo)
Slaviša Jokanović impressed at Partizan before spending seven seasons in La Liga at the service of three clubs, appearing in 208 matches and scoring 31 goals, mainly for Tenerife, but also Real Oviedo and Deportivo La Coruna.  He also played two years with Chelsea towards the end of his career, and represented Yugoslavia at the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000, earning 64 caps. 

CM: Aljoša Asanović  (Montpellier)
Asanović started his professional career with Hajduk Split in 1984. He played club football in France, Austria, Italy, Greece, England, Spain and Australia.  From 1987 to 1988, he represented Yugoslavia twice.  After Croatia's independence, he played 62 times for Croatia. He participated in the Euro 1996 as well as the 1998 FIFA World Cup, where Croatia won the bronze medal.

CM: Vladimir Jugovic (Sampdoria)
Jugovic was a member of Red Star Belgrade that won the European Cup in 1990.  He won another one with Juventus in 1996. He also played for Sampdoria, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Lazio, LR Ahlen, AS Monaco FC and VfB Admira Wacker Mödling. He warned 41 caps. He played at Euro 2000 and the World Cup 1998 for Yugoslavia.  His total of caps were limited because of the ban on Yugoslavia.

AM/CM: Zvonimir Boban  (AC Milan)
Zvonimir Boban was the captain of the national team that finished third at the World Cup in 1998.  He was also an important player of the highly talented Yugoslavia under-20 team that won the 1987 FIFA World Youth Championship. He waas also remembered for his career with AC Milan with whom he won four Serie A and one UEFA Champions League titles. 

AM: Robert Prosinecki  (Real Madrid)
Robert Prosinecki was considered one of the most talented players from Yugoslavia in the 1990's.  In 1987, Prosinečki was named the tournament's best player as Yugoslavia won the World Youth Championship.  He then played for Yugoslavia at the 1990 World Cup and for Croatia at the European Champion in 1996, and both of the 1998 and 2002 World Cups.  For his club career, he played for both Real Madrid and Barcelona, but he failed to establish himself at neither club.
 Robert Prosinecki
AM: Dragan Stojkovic (Marseille)
Dragan Stojkovic is considered one of the best players in the history of Yugoslavian and Serbian football. He starred for Yugoslavia at the 1990 FIFA World Cup (where he was named in the World Cup All-Star Team) and 1998 FIFA World Cup where he captained the team. He was a star player at Red Star Belgrade, but he was playing for Marseille when Red Star Belgrade beat Marseille in the Final of the 1990 European Cup. He also played in Japan.

AM: Dejan Savicevic (AC Milan)
Dejan Savicevic was a part of the Red Star Belgrade team that won the 1990–91 European Cup before joining A.C. Milan in 1992. With Milan, he won three Serie A titles.  He was a key player for winning the 1993–94 UEFA Champions League. He represented Yugoslavia at the 1990 and 1998 World Cups.  However, his international career was limited by the FIFA ban on Yugoslavia during his prime.  He did not appear in the European Championship of 1992 as a result.
Dejan Savicevic
ST: Meho Kodro  (Real Sociedad) 
Meho Kodro started with FC Velez Mostar back home, but he left for Spain because the war in Yugoslavia. He joined Real Sociedad in 1991.  He was second in Pichichi Trophy in 1994-1995. He moved to Barcelona the following year.  His stint lasted a single season. He earned two caps for Yugoslavia and 13 more for Bosnia and Herzegovina.

ST: Davor Suker (Sevilla)
Devor Suker was a part of Yugoslavia's Golden Generation in the 1990's.  He later played for Croatia, where he is the all-time leading scorer for the national team.  He is best remembered for finishing the top scorer at the World Cup in 1998, where Croatia reached the semifinal.  He also played with Sevilla, Real Madrid, Arsenal, West Ham and 1860 Munich.  He was a top scorer in La Liga while playing for Seville and Real Madrid.
Davor Suker
ST:  Alen Boksic (Lazio)
Alen Boksic won the 1992–93 UEFA Champions League, and was voted fourth in the 1993 European Footballer of the Year poll. That same year, he was named Croatian Footballer of the Year. He also won two Serie A titles in 1997 and 2000 with Juventus and Lazio respectively, and is regarded as one of the best foreign players in the history of Serie A since 1980's.  He played for both Yugoslavia and Croatia.  He missed the 1998 World Cup Finals due to an injury.

ST:  Predrag Mijatović (Valencia)
At club level, Mijatović played for six different clubs: Budućnost Podgorica, Partizan, Valencia, Real Madrid, Fiorentina and Levante. He is best remembered for scoring the winning goal against Juventus as Real Madrid won the 1998 Champions' league, the club's first title since 1966.  He played 73 times for Yugoslavia.  In 1997, Mijatović was runner-up for the Ballon d'Or, behind Ronaldo and ahead of Zinedine Zidane. He played in the 1998 World Cup Finals.
Predrag Mijatović 

Honorable mention
Zvonko Milojevic, Dzoni Novak, Zoran Vulic, Darko Milanic, Vujadin Stanojkovik, Budimir Vujacic, Davor Jozić, Slavisa Jokanovic, Mehmed Baždarević, Zlatko Zahovič, Dejan Petković, Vladan Lukic, Mario Stanic, Darko Pancev, Faruk Hadžibegić, Predrag Spasic, Refik Šabanadžović, Mehmed Baždarević, Džoni Novak. Gordan Petrić, Darko Milanič, Slaviša Jokanović, Risto Vidaković.

Too young for 1994, but strong candidates for 1998 and 2000
Ivca Kralj, Dejan Stankovic, Igor Tudor, Savo Milošević, Darko Kovačević, Dario Šimić, Niko Kovac, Robert Kovac, Mario Stanić 

Squad Explanation
-- I did an intensive review of the team on July, 2023.
-- A lot of people have written about what if Yugoslavia played in the Euro 1992, largely because their replacement team Denmark won the tournament.  However,  I chose to select a squad for the 1994 World Cup Finals because the World Cup would be more interesting than the European Championship.  Most of the players were in their prime that year.  In 1992, players such as Davor Suker, Robert Jarni, Zvonimir Boban, Allen Boksic, etc were too young. Members of the 1987 World Youth Championship team would be in their prime by 1994.
-- Nine members of this team went to the 1990 World Cup Finals in Italy.  They were Alen Boksic, Davor Suker, Dejan Savicevic, Dragan Stojkovic, Robert Prosinecki, Robert Jarni, Faruk Hadžibegić, Fahrudin Omerovic and Tomislav Ivkovic.
-- Yugoslavia actually did not send their best players to Chile for the 1987 World Youth Championship.  They did not bring Alen Bokšić, Siniša Mihajlović and Vladimir Jugović to Chile believing that it would be more beneficial for them to play domestic club football at home than playing in this tournament.  Even Robert Prosinečki who was the star of the tournament was asked to return home to play for Red Stars Belgrade for a UEFA tie during the tournament.   Zvonimir Boban, Davor Šuker, Robert Jarni, Predrag Mijatović and Branko Brnovic all played well in Chile.  Coach Mirko Jozic stayed in Chile and took over Colo-Colo after the tournament.  In 1991, they became the first Chilean club to win the Copa Libertadores.  He become the first European manager to do it.
-- Without the war, some of the players would not be drifting around the world searching for a club to play.  
-- On 17 October 1990, Croatia played their first ever games in the modern time.  They officially joined the UEFA in June 1993, but the qualification for the 1994 World Cup Finals already started.  So there were no a part of the World Cup cycle. FR Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) did not play its first match as a new country until 23 December 1994.  The team would later separate into Serbia and Montenegro. Slovenia played their first international game in 1992, but they also missed out on the qualifiers for USA 1994.  Macedonia's first international game was in 1994.  Bosnia and Herzegovina held its fiorst match in 1995.
-- On 16 May 1991, three days before Croatia held an independence referendum, Yugoslavia played their last official game with players from Croatia (all of their republics presented).  They beat Faroe Islands 7-0.
-- Yugoslavia's last international match was against the Netherlands in March, 1992.  There were no Croatian on the team, but the team was a mixture of players from all over Yugoslavia.  Vladimir Jugovic and Dragan Stojkovic were the only Serbs who played that day.  They would play a friendly match against Florentino before the Euro 1992.
Goalkeepers
-- I did not know much about their goalkeepers in 1994.  I went for the three big names in the 1990's.
-- Tomislav Ivkovic left Sporting CP for GD Estoril Praia in January, 1993.  He did not play much in the 1993-1994 season as Estoril finished last in the league. Transfermarkt did not provide stats on him between 1993 and 1995.  Nevertheless, he became famous for saving Diego Maradona's kick during the penalty shootout in the 1990 World Cup Finals.  And a few months before, he had also saved a penalty from him in UEFA Cup game between Sporting CP and Napoli.  I took him because he was a famous goalkeeper. He was still Yugoslavia's starting goalkeeper until 1991 after Croatian players withdrew from the Yugoslavia national team.  I did not know why he did not play for Croatia after 1991.  
Tomislav Ivkovic
-- Dražen Ladić was Croatia's first choice goalkeeper throughout the 1990's. Of course, Ladic would make a name in the 1998 World Cup Finals.  After making two caps for Croatia in 1990, he then made his international debut for Yugoslavia in 1991. He played in the last 25 minutes of a Euro 1992 qualifier against the Faroe Islands in 1991 where he replaced Ivkovic. The match against the Faroes was also the last match where Croatian footballers represented the Yugoslavia national team.
-- Fahrudin Omerović was the last starting goalkeeper for Yugoslavia before the ban in 1992.  He took over from Tomislav Ivkovic who was fro Croatia. He played in Turkey for Kocaelispor between 1992 and 1995, where he achieved a legendary status.  
--  I also looked into those players. Zvonko Milojević was Red Stars Belgrade's first choice in this period. He actually beat Dragoje Leković out to become.a starter at the club level.  Lekovic was playing in different Montenegrin clubs by 1994. He went to the World Cup Finals in 1990 and 1998.  Marko Simeunovič (Slovenia) was also an active player for Slovenia in this period.
Defenders
-- Miroslav Djukic missed a penalty in the last match of La Liga that season.  Because of the miss, Deportivo La Coruna would lose the league title to Barcelona. Otherwise, he was a top defender from here at the time. Slaven Bilic was voted as the second best defender in the Bundesliga. In the early 1990's Nikola Jerkan was a top defender with Real Oviedo in Spain. In 1991, he was selected as the best defender of La Liga.  Igor Stimac was becoming a mainstream player for Croatia around this period.  Later, he would be known for his career in Derby and West Ham. They were my four central defenders.
-- Ilija Najdoski helped Red Star Belgrade winning the 1991 European Cup.  He was playing regularly for Yugoslavia during the qualification of  Euro 1992.  He played in the first ever official match of Macedonia, on 13 October 1993, against Slovenia, but he was not in the squad for the games late in 1993.   Throughout this period, he received some caps, but not always on the lineup. At the club level, he played in Spain for Real Valladolid, but moved to Denizlispor in the summer of 1994.  In 2023, I dropped him for an extra midfielder (see below).  He represented both Yugoslavia and Republic of Macedonia in international matches. 
-- Gordan Petrić was doing fine in Scotland with Dundee United, but I stayed with the other 4 central defenders.  Darko Milanič would become the captain of Slovenia's Euro 2000 team.  He moved to the Austrian side Sturm Graz after the 1992-1993 season.  In 1994, he was 27 years old.  He would spend 8 seasons there.  Risto Vidaković would move to Real Betis in the summer of 1994, and was playing well for them.  They all seemed good candidates, but I stayed with the other four defenders.
-- Faruk Hadžibegić was  a regular member of the Yugoslavia national team in 1992, but he was 36 years old at the time of the 1994 World Cup Finals.  Srečko Katanec played once for Slovenia in 1994, but in club football, he was not featured much for Sampdoria.  He retired that year.  Davor Jozić was 34 years playing club football in Mexico. Predrag Spasic was a flop with Real Madrid a few years earlier.  His career was almost coming toward its end. His 1993-1994 season ended with his club Osasuna being relegated.  Those players were more famous, but seemed to have passed their prime. So I decided not to select them.  
-- It seemed that Branko Brnović was playing as a rightback in the early 1990's for Yugoslavia.  I was not sure.  He played in the last three official matches of Yugoslavia right before it broke up.  He moved to Espanyol in 1994.  He later would become a well-known defensive midfielder. His brother Dragoljub played in 1990 World Cup Finals.  Zoran Mirković was an emerging talents in the 1993-1994 season. He was 22 years old.  I took the two of them as my rightbacks.  Željko Petrović struggled to find playing time with Sevilla due to foreign quota at the time.  Sevilla had Diego Maradona on their team.  Before the World Cup Finals, he was playing for lowly Den Bosch in the Netherlands.  He was basically an forgotten player at the time.  He would later made a name with RKC Waalwijk the season after the World Cup Finals.  I also looked into rightback Vujadin Stanojković.
-- Siniša Mihajlović was mainly used as a left back in Rome.  He had one of his worst seasons in the 1993-1994 season, but I still took him because he was a famous player.  Robert Jarni already represented Yugoslavia in the 1990 World Cup.  In the 1993-1994 season, he was playing for Torino, a club in turmoil during the period.  He was sold to rival Juventus in the summer of 1994.  The pair kept Budimir Vujačić out of the team.
Sinisa Mihajlovic
Midfielders/Wingers
-- First, I selected Vladimir Jugovic and Aljoša Asanović.  Jugovic had a great season that year with Sampdoria.  He was a part of the team that won the Coppa Italia.  Asanović returned from Montpellier to join Hajduk Split in 1994, which was then an ambitious club.  He was lured back to his club alongside s Stjepan Andrijašević and Igor Štimac. 
-- During the review in July 2023, I realised that the team probably needed a defensive midfielder.  All of the midfielders on the team were attack midfielders. Vladimir Jugovic was more balanced, but he was still more offensive-oriented than what the team needed.  I did not know when Branko Brnović became a midfielder.  Siniša Mihajlović played as a defensive midfielder earlier in his career.  So he could be the answer to my problem.  AS Roma as mentioned used him as a leftback during this period.  
-- So I looked into several defensive midfielders. Refik Šabanadžović was starring for AEK Athens in Greece, but his last cap was in 1990.  Mehmed Baždarević earned 52 caps by the time of the 1994 World Cup Finals, but he was 34 years old.  He was also a very offensive-oriented player.  So I turned to Slaviša Jokanović.  He was only 25 years old in 1994.  He had became a mainstream for Yugoslavia toward the end of the Euro 1992 Qualifiers. He actually made the final roster for the Finals in Sweden.  So in 2023, I replaced Ilija Najdoski with him.
--- Dejan Savicevic was among the best player in the world. Along with Zvonimir Boban, he helped AC Milan to win the Champions' League and the Scudetto that year.  They destroyed Barcelona's "Dream Team" in the Champions' League Final. His performance in the Final was one of the greatest individual displays seen in the competition.  He was probably one of the best player in the world if not the best in 1994.  The idea of this team actually came from his performance at the CL Final. In the momentous Final, Milan positioned Boban on the left side of midfield while Roberto Donadoni occupied the right. Savicevic, on the other hand, took up a prominent position at the forefront alongside Daniele Massaro. This tactical arrangement resulted in a resounding 4-0 triumph over Barcelona's "Dream" team.
-- During the summer of 1993, Ruud Gullit left AC Milan for Sampdoria on loan.  Zvonimir Boban became the trequartista on the team for the 1993-1994 season. He became one of the most important players for AC Milan's "Double" winning season.  If either Savicevic or Boban were Dutch or Swedish, their status in the history of AC Milan would be similar to the "Dutch Trio" or "Gre-No-Li".  The pair also did not have enough exposure from international football.  Boban was also capable to play on the wing.
-- Dragan Stojkovic was not in peak form. He spent two injury-riddled seasons in Europe before moving to play in Japan that year.  He was 30 years old in 1994, but I had to select the best player from Yugoslavia at the time. In real life, he played in the 1998 World Cup Finals and continued to represent FR Yugoslavia until Euro 2000 Finals.  
Dragan Stojkovic
-- Robert Prosinecki was a flop with Real Madrid.  He left the club on loan that summer, but this Yugoslavia team would probably still take him to USA 1994 based on his name recognition. He was 25 years old at the time.  He continued to be a regular member of Croatia national team until his retirement from the international game in 2002.
-- Dejan Petković grained some caps toward the last days of Yugoslavia in 1992 after the Croats stopped representing Yugoslavia.  In 1994, he was doing well with Red Stars Belgrade and later secured a move to Real Madrid in 1995.  He would later became a cult player in Brazil.  But this team had too many attack midfielders so I left him off the team.
-- Mario Stanić was a emerging player.  He was selected for Yugoslavia's Euro 1992 team, and his international debut with Croatia came in 1995.  He could play as a right winger, but I still left him off because this team had many attackers.
Forwards
-- Darko Pancev had been out of form for a few years.  That season, he was basically out of Inter Milan's first team.  He went on loan to Leipzig in January, 1994, but he did not find his form there. He only scored 2 goals in the second half of the season.  Instead, I took Predrag Mijatović, Alen Boksic and Davor Suker.  
-- Predrag Mijatović scored 19 goals that season.  It would be his best ever output in a season.
-- Davor Zuker were in top shape that season.  He finished as the second top scorer at La Liga for Sevilla.  
-- Allen Boksic was a star the season before.  It was his best year.  He helped Marseille to win the Champions' League in 1993 and finished fourth at Ballon d' Or in that year.  He also won many individual award in the year 1993, but he was out of form in 1993-94 season and Marseilles was suffering from a match fixing scandal. In December, 1993, he left Marseille for Lazio.  Unlike Pancev, his top form was not that long ago.  In real life, he went to the 1990 World Cup Finals as an unused player.  In 1998, he was left off Croatia's World Cup team because of an injury.  He finally played in 2002.
-- Meho Kodro finished third in scoring in La Liga that year one goal behind Davor Zuker.  I tried my best to look at the players based on performance in 1994, but I still looked at name recognition.  In 1994, Kodro was probably ahead of Boksic or Prosinecki in terms of form, but the pair was considered the best players from Yugoslavia during that period.  Kodro would also finish second top scorer the year after the World Cup Finals and secured a big move to Barcelona. However, I would not have known that in 1994.  I decided to take them, instead of Kodro.  Many managers in the history of the World Cup Finals have done that. In 2020, I changed my mind and decided to take him.  I dropped centerback Predrag Spasic, who was a flop with Real Madrid.
-- Zlatko Vujović retired in 1993.  His last international match was in 1990.  Savo Milošević had a breakout season in Yugoslavia.  He scored 28 goals while winning the scoring title.  But the other forwards were simply too good.
Yugoslavia at World Cup 1990

 Starting lineup
-- Bilic was voted the best centerback in Bundesliga at the conclusion of 1993-1994 season.
-- I opted to start two, younger midfielders.  Boban just won the Champions' League with Milan in 1994.  Jugovic was a top player in Italy as well.  I picked them over Katanec.
-- Sinisa Mihajlovic was out of form that season. 
-- Zuker was the second top-scorer at La Liga while Boksic was out of form with Lazio and scored only 4 goals that season.  




Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.
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