Wow, didn't realise I was the inspiration but thank you for that
I'm amazed that my TL has paved the way for many football related TL's on here.Brotherhood and unity: An alternate history of football
- Thread starter ArupinumMaivista
- Start date
I'm amazed that my TL has paved the way for many football related TL's on here.
1992-93: "A new beginning"
"A new beginning"
The end of The European season and the Euros marks two well-deserved months of rest for the players, but that does not mean that there's no activity off the pitch. The 1st Federal League, as it has been known for the past 48 years was now being renamed into the "1st League of Yugoslavia" , as a means to signal a new beginning in Yugoslavia following the establishment of the Confederation. Along with this, the cup was renamed as well. The Marshall Tito Cup was put to rest now that the communist government was gone, and in its place comes the much less interesting-sounding "National Cup".
Red Star Belgrade, following their third consecutive title will be entering the 1992-93 season of the Yugoslav 1st league with a significant Handicap. Dejan Savićević, Robert Prosinečki, Siniša Mihajlović, Vladimir Jugović and most notably Darko Pančev have all left the star for the wealthier teams, with no Iron Curtain in sight to stop them. With this in mind, Red Star was entering the 1992-93 season with a young, yet still exciting squad. Some were certain that the team from Belgrade could go for the fourth one in the row, but many were expecting a difficult season.
Partisan Belgrade retained much of their squad for this season, but they were still lacking that true striker that could always score a crucial goal. Nevertheless, Ivica Osim was now entering his 2nd year as a manager of the Black-and-whites. The Bosnian coach was fresh from leading Yugoslavia to the Semi-finals of the 1992 Euros, and he had already won the Yugoslav Cup the previous season. Can he take it to the next level though?
(Ivica Osim coaching his Partisan team)
Hajduk Split were another club that have managed to retain their relatively young but impressive squad, and same could be said for Dinamo Zagreb. Still, the biggest sensation between the two clubs was the return of Miroslav Blažević - the man that won Dinamo their legendary 1982 title which in itself is the last time Dinamo ever won the Yugoslav League. With the return of Blažević, expectations were high that the citizens could finally win their 5th title.
(Miroslav Blažević with his famous White Scarf. Picture taken in 1982)
(Hajduk Split's players for the 1992-93 season.)
Other notable clubs like NK Osijek, Velež Mostar and NK Zagreb all retained their players as well, and Zagreb in Particular were keen on building up their results following their stellar return to the first league the previous season. The newcomers to the first league were Napredak ("Progress") Kruševac and the return of popular side (and fallen giant) OFK Belgrade.
With the outstanding performances by the Yugoslav Clubs these past five years, the coefficient was now high enough that three clubs could now enter the UEFA Cup.
The Yugoslav Super Cup
And so, the 1992-1993 season of Yugoslav football begins with the Yugoslav Super cup between Red Star and Partisan. Held as usual in the Red Star Stadium, the star put up a gallant fight against the Steamroller, and their efforts were paid off in the 50th minute. Anto Drobnjak found himself at the right place during a free kick, and he managed to head the ball into the net. The Red Star fans, otherwise known as "Delije" were sent into delirium, and despite Drobnjak being booked a red card later down the line, Red Star managed to hold off their bitter rivals. It was their 5th trophy in three years.
(Red Star players lifting up the super cup trophy)
The 1st League of Yugoslavia
The first FR Yugoslav league title went to Hajduk Split, the club's first title in 15 years, and their only under the leadership of charismatic manager Špaco Poklepović, who left the club shortly after. Their title was achieved in the last game of the season against Budućnost Podgorica, where the players from Split along with a sizable number of fans celebrated the triumph. A day later, Hajduk's players were awaited in Split where mass celebrations took place. Dinamo Zagreb, Hajduk and Partisan Belgrade all fought for the title through much of the season. Despite finishing 4th, NK Zagreb showed that they weren't just a one season wonder, and they remained problematic for their rivals all the way to the final three games of the season, where they could only muster up a single point.
The season saw the emergence of NK Osijek's greatest player - Goran Vlaović. He was the top scorer of this season, closely followed by Alen Bokšić who led Hajduk to an unprecedented 93 goals and the Quarter-finals in the UEFA cup.
Champions Red Star had a difficult season as a good number of their players that won the European Cup left, most Notably Darko Pančev and his disastrous stay in Internazionale.
Bosnian clubs Borac Banja Luka and FK Sarajevo suffered terrible seasons that led to them being relegated to the second league. Outraged by their club being relegated, Sarajevo fans (otherwise known as "Hordes of evil") invaded the pitch. Despite struggling for most of the season, OFK Belgrade managed to stay in the league.
National Cup finals
The cup finals were played in Split, in front of around 40 thousand spectators. What followed was a trashing as Hajduk won against Red Star 4-1, with Ardian Kozniku causing a stir as he gestured the Albanian Eagle (He himself was of Albanian descent). This caused an outrage in the Serbian press, in particular due to the crisis in Kosovo that was still a focal point in the country. With Hajduk winning the cup, this marked the club's first domestic double since 1976.
(Celebrations at Poljud as Hajduk wins its first double in over a decade)
1993-94 European Season
The 1993-94 European Season
Following Hajduk's domestic double in '92-93, this marks the Croatian club's first ever participation in the Champions' League/European Cup since 1981, where they participated as championship defenders. The White Boys from Split have changed though, with the departures of Predrag Mijatović, Alen Bokšić, Igor Štimac and Joško Jeličić. Their new coach coming into the season was Club legend Ivan Katalinić, and it was his job to take this squad as far as he could. NK Zagreb, Partisan Belgrade and Dinamo would meanwhile participate in the UEFA Cup, while Red Star would spend their time in The Cup Winner's Cup.
Glasgow Rangers were confident about their chances for the '93-94 season. The Blues had won the quadrople the last season (Cup, League cup, league and UCL), and were keen on furthering that success into this season as well. Manchester United, led by Alex Ferguson, had finally won their first English title since the 60's. The reds wanted to show that they were not here to mess around, and over at the CIS Super League, Spartak Moscow achieved glory against Dynamo Kyiv, despite the latter having a young and promising Rebrov. There was controversy over at France though. Marseille had recently found themselves in a match-fixing scandal, and it was enough for them to be demoted to the 2nd Division. Paris Saint-Germain, already leading the French League were thus awarded a double. Entering this year, the format of the competition was once again changed to feature the semi-finals, meaning that the group stages would have two qualifying slots instead of the usual one slot that was used the previous two years. Some were getting tired by the constant changes of the format, and there were beliefs that all of this was in itself being used as a way of favouring the rich clubs.
1993-'94 European Champions league
We begin our overview of the European Season with the ECL. Glasgow Rangers, coming hot from winning the Treble in 1992-93 had a significant coming down in the first round after being humbled by Levski Sofia. The Bulgarian club showed that they mean Business, and the Rangers could only watch as their championship defense ended before it even began. Hajduk on the other hand were given the toughest possible opponent for the first round - FC Barcelona.
The Two-legged battle between the two giants of their respective countries proved to be a phenomenal affair. Hajduk, while weakened by the lack of Mijatović and Bokšić, showed incredible persistence that was awarded with three goals by Ardian Kozniku and Ivica Mornar. The second leg had the tables turned, with Barcelona throwing everything they had at the club from Split. The two matches ended with a 4-2 on aggregate, and the first leg held in Split entered history as one of Hajduk's greatest moments, despite in the end losing against a superior side.
(A Historic encounter between two rebellious clubs)
Manchester United also saw how it's like in Hell, with Galatasaray scaring the reds into submission.
The Group stages saw Barca and Milan walk through their respective groups, while Porto and Spartak Moscow managed to qualify for the semis. In the end though, AC Milan had redeemed themselves after losing out against Rangers the previous year, and they were now European Champions after thrashing Barca 4-0. Johan Cruyff, confident of his Barca side was left speechless, and Milan could now go to San Siro, knowing that they were now a 5-time European champion.
The 1993-94 Cup winners' cup
While Man Utd. were scared away by Galatasaray, Arsenal were busy making themselves known. The Gunners came guns blazing into the tournament and eventually won the competition, while Dynamo Kyiv came excrutiatingly close to achieving their second cup winners' cup, but Alan Smith had other ideas. Real Madrid continued their saga of near-misses by narrowly losing against Arsenal in the semis, while Benfica left the tournament wondering what could've been had they scored just one more goal against Dynamo in the second leg. Torino continued their healthy results in Europe by achieving a quarter-finals appearance, while Red Star were hit against the great Ajax team of Van Gaal on the first round, who's side thrashed the stars 6-1 on aggregate. And so, Arsenal are back in Europe, while Dynamo Kyiv has shown that they have a fantastic generation in store for the future...
The 1993-94 UEFA Cup
Through their journey, they had managed to beat Gloria Bistrita, Borussia Dortmund, Brondby until finally running into Internazionale, where they were just one goal short from going to the semis.
(Dinamo players celebrating as they place themselves into the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup)
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Partisan Belgrade on the other hand, had a run-in with Atletico Madrid. The Steamrollers at least had an opportunity to celebrate as they won 2-1 against Atletico when they played in zagreb, but they were unlucky to not advance after dragging the game all the way to the penalties. It was an unfortunate ending to Partisan's UEFA Cup hopes. NK Zagreb meanwhile were fortunate to run into KR in the first leg, and their triumph caused major celebrations on the stadium of Kranjčevićeva. Unfortunately, the celebrations were cut short in the second round thanks to Mechelen stomping on the greens. Nonetheless, the progress to the second round of the UEFA Cup were seen as a major success for the newly-promoted club from Zagreb, and a cause to be optimistic for the future. Among other clubs, The Italians showed incredible performances with Cagliari shocking Juventus on the quarter-finals. Internazionale. without the help of Darko Pančev, became European champions after disbanding Austria Salzburg. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich had a nightmare in the second round. They suffered a shocking loss against Norwich, who managed to beat the German giant 2-1 in the Olympiastadion, while a by then unknown club known as Deportivo la Coruna managed to go all the way to the round of 16. Hopefully they will achieve something in the future.
And so, the three champions of Europe this season are - Arsenal, Inter Milan and AC Milan. A season of incredible success for the Italian clubs, but also a year of return to the top step for English football. But before we continue with the domestic competition of 1993-94, the Yugoslav National Team shall travel to the US of A for the 1994 World Cup!
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There are no immediate effects, and the changes for the Scottish game will mostly occur a bit later down the line, with some changes in fortune for the Scottish teams. The world Cup posts will take longer to make though, so please have patience. After that, it's back to Yugoslavia. I will also make separate posts detailing some important matches that are part of this timeline.
1994 World Cup: Introduction and Group Stages
The 1994 World Cup Part 1:
"Livin' in America"
Four years have passed since the last World Cup was held in Italy. The Opera by the great Pavarotti; the tears of Gascoyne and New Order's "World in Motion" were all becoming another memory as the new competition drew near. Yugoslavia though, refused to forget that particular cup. The painful loss against Argentina in the quarter-finals was a memory many wished to forget, and it was left as a great "What if"... Some thought that they could have won the whole thing, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. The United States of America, for the first time in their history, were hosts of the World Cup. First the Olympics, now Football. But many wondered if the American national team even knew what sport they were playing. After all, Football included an egg-shaped ball, and the men all smashed into eachother. No sir, this World Cup was about Soccer! Still, the big and shiny stadiums showed that America was generally curious about this exotic game that came from Europe. Not only that, but the full stadiums guaranteed plenty of noise and a fiery atmosphere, one that belonged to a competition as prestigious as this one."Livin' in America"
The qualifications saw some notable missing teams. In particular, a disturbing lack of the English and Scots could be felt, marking the first time both teams didn't qualify for the tournament. Russia, formerly as the USSR, was making its debut in the World stage after finishing second to Yugoslavia in the qualifications. USA made their return since 1950 where they famously knocked out the English. Could they repeat their miraculous performance? Time will only tell..
Other notable teams here are Romania and Bulgaria with their first World Cup performance since 1978. Indeed, many of the countries from the Iron Curtain were here to prove their worth. Norway were making their first appearance in the tournament, and they were largely seen as a relatively unknown side, just like Saudi Arabia and Nigeria. Argentina were as always led by Diego Armando Maradona, despite his recent allegations of drug use; Brazil were as always regarded as favourites to win the whole thing with their star-studded squad, while their European counterparts - Yugoslavia, were entering this world cup with an air of uncertainty. The players that have led the blue to the semis in the '86 WC [1] were by now long gone, replaced by the fresh-faced youngsters like Davor Šuker, Robert Prosinečki, Dejan Savićević, etc. Yugoslavia's national team was thus, completely dominated by former or current players of the "Big 4" clubs. Roberto Baggio, fresh from winning the Champions' League with Juventus the previous year was poised to finally win the competition with Italy, especially seeing how the "Azzuri" came so close four years ago. Of course, there is also Germany. The "Elf" were the champions of the 1990 edition of the World Cup, and their squad, led by the likes of Klinsmann and Matthaus, was generally seen as a massive threat. [2]
Group Stage
Group A
The first Group was most probably the least appealing one, with hosts USA having to take on Switzerland, Romania and Colombia. In the end, the two European teams cruised through the matches, while Colombia found itself third with a sufficient number of points that would qualify them for the round of 16. USA ended their hosting matches with 2 points, much to the surprise of no-one.
Group B
Brazil showed their usual class and overwhelming talent as they finished 1st in the group, followed by Sweden. The Swedes have shown their worth, and their hard work paid off as they finished best of the rest. Russia's first venture into the World Cup was rather hit-or-miss, with their only win coming against an ageing Cameroon side led by Roger Milla. Oleg Salenko had his day of days against Cameroon, but other than that, the Russians were no match against Sweden and Brazil.
Group C
Germany was undefeated in their group, with their only tie coming against Ireland. Jack's Army had a mostly frustrating group stage. Despite narrowly winning against Bolivia and taking a point away from the Germans, it was their first match that almost costed them the group. Korea managed to surprise many with their attacking football, and their last minute goal against Ireland signalled the first time that an Asian nation won a world Cup match since 1966. However, an uninspired form against Bolivia and a failed Comeback against Germany meant that they had to settle in 2nd place, while Ireland's 4 points were enough for round of 16. [3]
Group D
Group D could almost have been considered the group of death - with Yugoslavia and Argentina meeting for the 3rd time in a row. The two opened the group, but a dull 0-0 was the best both sides could have hoped for. Nigeria had a dream start by thrashing the supposed outsiders in Bulgaria, but the African team was soon brought down to earth curtesy to Argentina, where Maradona enthusiastically showed off how hard his eyes could bulge out during a celebration. The organisers didn't like it though, and it was later found out that Diego was using drugs for matches, which had the footballing legend banned from ever competing in the world Cup. Without Maradona, Argentina could only sit down, with Bulgaria scoring their first ever world Cup win. Combined with a draw against Yugoslavia, it meant that Bulgaria have now found themselves in the round of 16. Yugoslavia meanwhile took the lead of the group by winning 3-2 against Nigeria in the final game thanks to a Zoran Vulić free kick and the genius of Davor Šuker and Dejan Savićević. The Nigerians were left to wonder what they got wrong in the group as they undeservedly finished 4th, with not even Amokachi's last minute screamer helping them go through.
Group E
Italy opened its WC campaign in fine style, where they won against their Spanish rivals in what was a highly physical game. Norway also impressed many by beating Mexico in their first ever world Cup game. But, the Italians were the class of the group, and they finished first after a tie against Mexico. Spain was second after a rather unconvincing couple of matches, but a goal By Kiko against Norway was enough. In the end, Mexico was once again leaving the world Cup with a dissapointing 2 ties and a loss, while Norway were unlucky to miss out on the final 16. Still, it was a good showing by the Vikings. [4]
Group F
Saudi Arabia entered the world Cup as newcomers, and they did not dissapoint. Saaed Al-Owairian ran from his own half through a maze of Belgian players to score against the Europeans, and it cemented the Arabians as second in the group, while Belgium were left in 3rd place, despite leading the group before the final match. Morocco, after that great campaign in 1986 were thrashed by their opponents, while the Dutch finally found themselves in the round of 16 after an excruciating 16 years. The days of total football were gone, but this great generation showed hunger.
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Changes in this Timeline:[1] - Yugoslavia took part in the 1986 WC, where they finish 3rd thanks to some of their best players of that era not being banned by The Yugoslav FA. There will be a separate post detailing That WC
[2] - With Yugoslavia Qualifying for the WC, there is no Greece making its debut.
[3] - A united Ireland Wins their Qualifying group, which takes them to Group C .
[4] - Spain finishing 2nd in their Qualifying Group takes them to Group E, essentially switching places with Ireland. As you can see, this is a huge change with Italy actually doing well in their group.
Finally, here are the upcoming matches:
Romania V Ireland
Sweden V Saudi Arabia
The Netherlands V Spain
Brazil V Argentina
Italy V Bulgaria
Germany V Colombia
Yugoslavia V Belgium
Switzerland V South Korea
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Romania 2-0 Republic of Ireland
Sweden 3-1 Saudi Arabia
Netherlands 1-2 Spain
Brazil 3-2 Argentina
Italy 2-1 Bulgaria
Germany 2-1 Colombia
Yugoslavia 3-2 Belgium
Switzerland 1-2 South Korea
Sweden 3-1 Saudi Arabia
Netherlands 1-2 Spain
Brazil 3-2 Argentina
Italy 2-1 Bulgaria
Germany 2-1 Colombia
Yugoslavia 3-2 Belgium
Switzerland 1-2 South Korea
Romania V Republic of Ireland
Sweden V Saudi Arabia
The Netherlands V Spain
Brazil V Argentina
Italy V Bulgaria
Germany V Colombia
Yugoslavia V Belgium
Switzerland V South Korea
Sweden V Saudi Arabia
The Netherlands V Spain
Brazil V Argentina
Italy V Bulgaria
Germany V Colombia
Yugoslavia V Belgium
Switzerland V South Korea
1994 World Cup: Last 16
1994 World Cup
Part 2: "The Davids and the Goliaths"
The opening match of the knockout stage would begin with Germany facing off against Colombia. The Germans were as always the team to watch, what with their calculated style of playing and the deadly foot of Klinsmann, including the genius of Matthaus and the rest. Still, Colombia proved to be a tough nut to crack the past few games, and they had the incredible (but sporadic) goalkeeper in Higuita. But what's done has been done, and now Colombia would have to face off against one of the tournament's favourites. Despite the Colombians' greatest efforts, Germany proved to be too strong, with Colombia's defense falling apart in a matter of 12 minutes, Voller's 38th minute goal sealed the result, and the German players let go of the gas pedal as they had to deal with stubborn, but inadequate attacks by the Colombian players. With their American adventure coming to an end, Colombia would have to set its sights towards the next world cup, while Germany was busy awaiting their next opponent...Part 2: "The Davids and the Goliaths"
(The German players celebrating their rather comfortable win against Colombia)
Next up were the two underdogs. Korea and Switzerland both showed they had teeth in the group stages, and this particular match seemed to be a fine little show between the two "Weaker" sides of this particular World Cup. Indeed, it looked like Switzerland would prevail by the time the match was entering its 70th minute, but the Koreans were quick to establish themselves as the comeback kids. A Huang Sung-hong header leveled the playing field, and Switzerland even missed their chance to score for 3-2 atthe 90th minute when Grassi's ball hit the post. The game entered extra time, and it only grew more physical by the minute. Two red cards were shown in a span of 10 minutes, first for Hong Myung-Bo, when he tackled Georges Bregy, only for Alain Geiger to recieve one 3 minutes later. Then, in the 112th minute, a Song Jung-won was knocked down in the penalty area, Jung-won made that penalty count, and despite desperate attacks by the Swiss, the Koreans held their nerve long enough for them to see the match end. Great celebrations followed back in Seoul, with South Korea reaching the quarter-finals for the first time in its history. Asian Football was looking better than ever.
(The "Tigers of Asia". A fitting name indeed)
Following that sensation, the next day saw Sweden utterly dominating the Saudi Arabians. Dahlin's quick goal in the 6th minute opened the scoring of what proved to be a rather boring match, and Kennet Andersson only further established Swedish superiority. The only goal Arabia could muster was in the 85th minute by Al-Ghesheyan, but that was also answered by the Swedes only 3 minutes later.
(Kennet Andersson and Madani during the Sweden - Saudi Arabia match)
The next match saw another encounter between two underdogs. This time, Romania was playing against the Irish. Last time these two teams met, it was during that penalty shootout back in Italia '90. Back then, Ireland prevailed. Romania, inspired by the genius of Gheorghe Hagi, were now keen to erase those memories. The game proved to be a tense affair. Dumitrescu's series of goals looked like it ensured a safe way to the Quarter-finals for the Romanians, but Ireland didn't give up. By the 50th minute, Phil Gray scored an unlikely goal that brought Ireland right back into the game. Incredibly, only 8 minutes later, Gheorghe Hagi scored a wonder goal that brought the Irish on their knees. With Romanian defense holding off the desperate attacks by Ireland, Romania managed to advance in the quarter-finals, for the first time in its history.
On the 4th of July, the Independence day, America and the world saw two incredible encounters in this tournament. Indeed, both matches were highly anticipated, but before the biggest one in the tournament, the spectators were treated to a phenomenal first meal in Holland v Spain. The match was not a dissapointment. Despite only three goals being scored in the game, the people watching were treated with chances on both sides, a wonder goal by Dennis Bergkamp, and the Spanish attacking the Dutch box in an effort to score. Luis Enrique gave hope to the Spanish in the 74th minute, and they continued their onslaught for the rest of the match. Unfortunately, Holland managed to hold them off. After so many years of dissapointment, The Dutch were now advancing where they would face off against either Brazil or Argentina...
Finally, the big one. Brazil vs Argentina. This classic rivalry almost never dissapointed, from the 1982 spectacle, to the 1990 duel, this duel was anticipated to be another classic... And it wasn't even close. Without Maradona, Argentina was struggling to keep up with the overwhelming presence of the Brazillians. Bebeto proved to be the hero of the day, Argentina was lucky that the scoring wasn't higher than 2-0. With a tail between their legs, the Argentines were sent home, and Brazil now set their sights in a possible 4th World Cup.
(The Brazillians' duel against the desperate Argentines)
Following the "Superclassico", the next match saw an underdog face off against an overwhelming favourite, The Bulgarians have thus far enjoyed a great World Cup, with their first ever victory coming against Argentina. Inspired by Hristo Stoichkov, they looked like they could take on any team. On the other side there was Italy, led by the Divine Ponytail - Roberto Baggio. Indeed, the fabulous midfielder had thus far beenthe hero of the "Azzuri", and their promising form showed Italy could perhaps challenge for the World Cup that they were so unlucky to miss out on just four years ago. Despite Bulgaria's greatest efforts and a penalty by Stoichkov, Italy showed their class thanks to Baggio's two goals. The match ended 2-1, and so ends Bulgaria's journey.
(Hristo Stoichkov scoring for Bulgaria)
The last match followed shortly after, with Yugoslavia meeting against Belgium. The Belgians showed their teeth and hunger as they played fiercely against the Brazillians of Europe. Verheyen brought the scores to 1-1 by the 31st minute, with Yugoslavia spending the next several minutes trying to crack their opponents with attack after constant attack, which would then by countered by the Belgians. Indeed, it seemed like Ivica Osim had it all to do against the Belgians. Then, Davor Šuker scored a phenomenal goal, sending the fans back home into pandemonium. In the 88th minute, Robert Prosinečki found himself alone as he sent the ball flying past the Belgian goalkeeper, and now the score was 3-1. Yugoslavia was once again in the quarter-finals, and they once beat Belgium, just like in 1986. Nenad Gračan scored a similiar back then.
(Davor Šuker celebrating after his phenomenal goal)
A rather predictable few matches, I know. But, some of the following ones should be fun.
-Yeah, Šuker wearing the Croatian kit from '98. Not exactly easy to find the former-Yugoslav players in any other colors, I'm afraid, so we just have to live with it.
Romania v Sweden
Brazil v Holland
Italy v Germany
Yugoslavia v South Korea
Romania 2-2 (p) Sweden
Brazil 3-2 Netherlands
Italy 2-1 Germany
Yugoslavia 3-2 South Korea
Brazil 3-2 Netherlands
Italy 2-1 Germany
Yugoslavia 3-2 South Korea
a comic metal band take of the Sabaton song about important historical battle/even, this type instead applied to the OTL final match of USA 94 Italy-Brazil