Brotherhood and unity: An alternate history of football

[Changundramon]

Yugoslavia become champions earlier than I expected. TBH, I had expected a WC for Yugoslavia to only some in the late 00's or early 10's.

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

Yugoslavia become champions earlier than I expected. TBH, I had expected a WC for Yugoslavia to only some in the late 00's or early 10's.

I doubt Yugoslavia will firmly remain as a footballing force, but we'll see. Aside from the late 2010s, I think the rest will be rocky at the best

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

I made the standings for the 1994 World Cup, so now we know where everyone stands... Imagine scoring 15 goals and only finishing 3rd 🙃

Also announcement for everyone reading this, I have started a new series of posts that are related to this timeline. "European Theatre" - where I focus on the European competitions!

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

And here we go, the '98 WC standings. That wraps up our '98 World Cup segment as well. Coming soon: The 1998/99 1st Federal League of Yugoslavia.

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

The 1998-99 Season of Yugoslav Football
"A White Miracle"
​

Following the immense success of the Yugoslav National Team in the 1998 World Cup; fan expectations were high for the upcoming season of the First Federal League, Of course, thanks to the Bosman ruling - the league in itself had practically become a feeder competition for up and coming talents. Goran Rubil, Mateja Kežman, Ivica Iliev, Vladimir Ivić, Jurica Vranješ and Cune Gojković were all making their debuts this season, as they were getting to fill in the spots in their respective teams. Major transfers this summer as well were Milenko Ačimović's move from Olimpija Ljubljana to Red Star Belgrade, Davor Vugrinec to Trabzonspor and Sebastjan Cimirotić to Tel Aviv. The veterans and players who were now in their best years were moving abroad, and the kids were taking over.

Elsewhere, Dinamo Zagreb assigned Ilija Lončarević as their new manager after their previous years' collapse, and they pulled off another upsetting transfer by taking in former Hajduk player Ardian Kozniku. The Kosovar Albanian was still remembered fondly by the Hajduk faithful, especially for his heroics in the 1991/92 season, along with his performances at cup competitions with Predrag Mijatović and Alen Bokšić. Now, Torcida and the rest of Hajduk's fans were simply rolling their eyes, as yet another one of their icons moved north to Zagreb.

Kozniku holding a Hajduk and Dinamo shirt, pictured in 2018

As if that wasn't bad enough, a scandal took place in Split. Vedran Rožić, Ivan Buljan - two of Hajduk's players from the teams' Golden Generation, who were members of the board and the Croatian Democratic Union, were both sacked from the club once it was uncovered that they were ransacking the club. With the two gone - it was soon uncovered that Hajduk Split was in debt of 4 million Euros, while the two had apparently taken up to 6 million from the club. Angered by the state of the club which just two years prior was in the semi-finals of the Champions League - Several Hajduk fans stormed into a meeting that was taking place during the season preparations, voicing their disaproval of the club's state, and a desire for a privatisation of Hajduk Split. Indeed, these were desperate times for the Masters from the Sea. Still, the 1998/99 season of the Federal League would begin on August 8th. No Super Cups this year, since a disagreement took place between the clubs which would have participated (Partisan and Varteks) and the FA over the date in which the match would have been played.

Vedran Rožić and Ivan Buljan would finally face justice 2 years later

​

New to the league were Radnički Niš and Spartak Subotica. The season got underway with the usual suspects making a cushion over the minnows. Partisan and Dinamo were especially looking good, as expected, while Hajduk trailed them closely along with Rijeka. Red Star in the other hand, looked nowhere near where they should be with the roster they had, not to mention that all of their rivals from the big 4 were beating them left, right and center. Still, the real surprise of the season was HNK Rijeka, led by their greatest player Nenad Gračan. Neno, as he liked to be called, had endured four seasons with Rijeka, through which he was almost always escaping relegation by the skin of his teeth. Now though, not only were the Rijeka's Whites playing beautiful football, but they were sitting right alongside Hajduk, Dinamo and Partisan in the top 4, with NK Maribor staying behind in a distant 5th. By october, Hajduk played Rijeka away over at the packed Kantrida stadium, and the ending result was a sign that Rijeka was not messing around. 3-3. The greatest Adriatic Derby to be held in the Kantrida stadium. Yet, just three matchdays later, Partisan thrashed Rijeka 3-1 in Belgrade, further demoting them back to 4th, while Hajduk closed to Partisan by one point after beating the Citizens 1-0 in Split. The rest of the season continued on with the top 4 taking points right where it mattered, while the new kids on the block Spartak Subotica and Radnički Niš were looking like they could be relegated any day now.

The 104th Belgrade Derby

Red Star, after sitting 12th in the standings by december, had finally kicked things into gear, and they were now starting to run in some decent results that were slowly but surely taking them up the table. Partisan then blinked first, as they only drew 2-2 against the Stars right when it looked like they could exploit their poor form, but it was not meant to be. Partisan stalled, and the next match was to be an unlikely derby between Rijeka and Partisan at Kantrida. But, the Black-and-Whites made sure to stay ahead of the Whites by narrowly beating them 1-0, curtesy to Vladimir Ivić. Partisan now remained firmly on top, but Hajduk was breathing down their necks, as the White Boys from Split won 2-0 against Vojvodina, which kept them just two points away from the Steamroller. A draw the next matchday meant that four matches till the end would see a titanic four horse battle for the title...

Scenes from the Partisan-Rijeka match, with young Mateja Kežman

​

On May 19, the most heated Croatian derby would take place in Zagreb, as Dinamo met Hajduk. In a heated encounter which saw fouls galore, 3 red cards, a brawl between the players and a single goal by a defender of all people - Dinamo dominated the match, but failed to win! Indeed, despite defending for almost the entire match and relying on a debutant as a goalkeeper, Hajduk managed to win all thanks to young Stipe Pletikosa - The Octopus from Split. With Partisan failing to win against Maribor that very same day, Hajduk was now leading the standings, while Rijeka demolished Varteks that were fighting for relegation 4-1.

Stipe Pletikosa during the Dinamo-Hajduk derby

​

Yet, just as it looked like Hajduk had it in the bag, then came the Adriatic Derby. On a packed Poljud Stadium; in front of 50 thousand people, Rijeka triumphed 3-1 against the Master from the Sea, thoroughly throwing Hajduk from the title race. Incredibly, the whole stadium then began to applaud Rijeka's players. In a moment of solidarity between two rivals, Rijeka was now the David that would have to dethrone the Goliath that was Partisan. The final matchday, Partisan drew against Železnik Belgrade, which was suffering a terrible season, and many now switched their focus to Kantrida, where Rijeka was facing off against Osijek in front of 26000 supporters from the so-called Armada, Nenad Gračan just had to win against Osijek. By the 2nd half of the match, it was a stalemate, with both teams stuck on 1-1. Osijek, led by Hajduk's legendary manager Stanko Poklepović set up a highly defensive game against the Whites, in an effort to exploit their highly offensive style of play that Gračan had been using this season. Then on the 89th minute, a cross by Barnabas Sztipanovics was awaited by Admir Hasančić - who sent the ball towards the net, and the stadium erupted! On the last possible minute of the match, Rijeka scored the goal that sent the club from the Kvarner Bay to history. Rijeka, for the second time in its history, after 15 years - were champions of Yugoslavia, by a single point.

Some beautiful footage from the actual Rijeka-Osijek match that took place in 1999

​

With Rijeka achieving its second ever title, the season had finally drawn into a close after what was perhaps the most memorable season in Yugoslav Football in years. Even then, the fight for the lower position was just as tense, as FK Vojvodina finished just three points away from Maribor, while Velež Mostar continued their fine form by finishing an impressive 7th. NK Osijek, while not as impressive as in 1995, could keep their heads up knowing that they were comfortably above relegation. NK Zagreb, with the help of Joško Popović was safe from going down as well, along with Varteks and Zemun, though Zemun was lucky that there were two teams worse than them this season.

​

League Top goalscorers

Yugoslav Cup final​

The cup finals saw an unlikely finalist in NK Osijek. The club from Slavonia, led by "Špaco" Poklepović were participating in their first ever national final... And it showed. Red Star had a beyond easy time wrecking the Blue-whites, and the Stars could at least finish their season with knowing that they would participate in the Champions League.

​

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

The 1999-2000 Season of the Yugoslav league will take longer than I planned due to my work schedule, and the same applies to my European Theatre timeline. In the meantime I have a question; should I make more anthological/documentary-style posts, like I did With the "Spirit of Dalmatia" That regarded Hajduk Split? They don't demand much effort in terms of making whole league tables , and I can mostly just run wild in typing in the story as it unfolds. Thanks in advance, and I hope by next Sunday, I will have posts for both timelines up. Until then, cheers!

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

The 1999-2000 season of the Yugoslav Federal League
"A season to forget"​

Following the miraculous title triumph by Rijeka, many began to wonder who else might pull off a miracle and win their second title. Sure, that was an off season - but a season is a season, and a title is a title, and I am sure Nenad Gračan couldn't be happier knowing that he's now brought Rijeka its finest achievement since reaching the quarter finals of the 1984 European Cup. But can he succesfully defend the title, or will the championship hangover take its toll on the whites from Rijeka?

Nenad Gračan and Miroslav Blažević watch on in glee...

Elsewhere, Ilija Lončarević was appointed as Dinamo's new manager after the Blues had that horrid title collapse the season prior. Immediately, the Citizen's new manager set the goal for this season to win the title, and he had a reason to be optimistic with the attacking expertise of Josip Šimić, Igor Cvitanović and young Tomislav Šokota. Partisan remained the same, with Ljubiša Tumbaković remaining on top, and many looked on in excitement with young Mateja Kežman proving to be a club hero for derbies. Red Star had a new manager after swapping three the previous year. Slavoljub Muslin would take the wheel of the Stars beginning from this season, and his contract should last all the way to 2003. Can he handle the pressure as leader of Yugoslavia's most succesful team? Finally, Hajduk Split remained the same as ever, but they were significantly weakened by the departures of Hari Vukas and Dado Pršo. Still, Luka Bonačić was given one goal for this season. European Success will no longer be enough for him to stay as the manager of the White Ship, and the board wants trophies. After 3 years, Bonačić has so far failed to pick up a single trophy with Hajduk, despite having some exceptional players, with the only bright spots being the round of 16 and quarter-final appearances in the UEFA Cup the previous two years. But, with new president Branko Grgić coming over and announcing a crusade on Hajduk's finances, plus the arrival of Ivica Šurjak as sporting director - time is running out for Bonačić...
Newcomers to the league were FK Sarajevo, after a 7 year absence, Borac Čačak and our favourite Yoyo Club OFK Belgrade, after missing for two years. Hopefully this time, the Romantics will remain on top, just like during their glory years.

Slavoljub Muslin smiling for the camera

The season was marred by a tragic event on 30 October 1999, during the Partizan vs. Red Star tie when seventeen-year-old Red Star fan was killed by a signalling rocket fired from within the stadium. Partizan had just scored courtesy of Saša Ilić to go up 1-0 and, as a way of celebrating the goal, certain section of their ultra fans, Grobari, fired a series of ship-signalling rockets from the south stand where they traditionally gather. Most of the rockets landed on the stadium's north stand, the gathering point of Red Star's fans Delije, and one of them hit the unfortunate teenager right in the chest near his throat, cutting his aorta. He died almost instantly as he was being moved from the stands onto the stadium's athletic track and into the ambulance Car. The match though, was not stopped, and many began to criticise the organisation, the FA, Clubs and the football league. In general, many clubs just weren't ready for a massive 21 team competition like this one. In particular Borac Čačak which was practically a semi-professional club when compared to their Montenegrin counterparts Budućnost Podgorica. Soon enough, massive changes were announced to make the league more accessible, and for the matches to not be as violent as this one - the "Bloody Derby"

​

The rest of the season was no different. Almost every matchday was plagued by some sort of fan violence, from the pitch invasion during a Rijeka-OFK game, to a brawl in the middle of a highway in Zagreb when the fans of Dinamo attacked Hajduk's Torcida, it was clear that something was rotten in Yugoslav football. The FA and media claimed that such fan behavior was not worthy for what was by now Europe's 4th best league, and more changes were soon enough announced to reduce the capacity of the Football stadiums, and to finally make them into all-seaters.

​

In the middle of all of this controversy though, Partisan cruised home to take the championship. To close off this decade, Partisan, led by Ljubiša Tumbaković proved to be undoubtedly the best squad of the league by a long shot, and Red Star on the other hand was left to lick their wounds. Hajduk, atfer suffering its worst season in a while sacked Luka Bonačić after an embarassment against Levski Sofia, and so Petar Nadoveza had to stabilise the team and lead them for the rest of the season. FK Sarajevo and OFK Belgrade showed that they were not here to mess around, while HNK Rijeka suffered another poor season, this time resulting in Nenad Gračan getting the sack. Rad continued their healthy form by once again finishing in the top 10, but they still needed that European success that they crave for. Finally, the big news finally came that the League would be reduced to 18 teams, after the 21 team experiment proved to be too exhaustive for the teams.

Partisan's players having a chat

​

After such a poor season, which has seen violence on the scale of the scenes from the early 90s, many agreed that this was a season to forget, and many hoped that next year would see a change for the better in Yugoslav football.

​

The Yugoslav Cup final​

Unfortunately, the Cup finals saw further violence as Torcida invaded the pitch following a goal by Jurica Vučko. The chaos that ensued saw 14 injured and a brawl between Hajduk's supporters and the police. Despite winning the cup and lifting its first trophy in 5 years, celebrations from Hajduk's players were muted. Following the scenes of violence at the Poljud stadium, Hajduk would receive a punishment by playing its next three games behind closed doors.

 

[Snowflake]

Great chapter

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

You think so? I honestly think I could've done better 🤔

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

Euro 2000:
"Without Frontiers"

​

The new millenium is finally here. A turbulent century was finally closed off, and a new era could finally begin. The Twin Towers looked as beautiful as ever; The European Union was on a rise; and football was becoming more profitable by the day. Some were scared that the change of the year would see all of the computers glitching out and sending us back to the stone age, but it soon turned out that wouldn't be the case. Now, the new European Tournament could finally take place in what was going to be the first time two nations would host the tournament.

Indeed, Belgium and the Netherlands were selected to host the 2000 edition of the Euro, but fears were being expressed over the hooliganism that could occur, especially in Holland where the battle of Beverwijk took place. Rotterdam, the place where the finals would be held also saw severe cases of violence the year prior, and not to mention the seemingly endless rise of hooliganism back in Yugoslavia - leaving to some believing that the cases of the Split riots and the 'Bloody Derby' would bring the fans of the Yugoslav National team to be more violent than the previous few years. Another change taking place was the introduction of four groups for the preliminary stage, thus expanding the tournament to 16 teams.

Following Yugoslavia's 1996 triumph against Czechoslovakia, the Blues were seen as one of the favourites to win the Euro once again. Their team still enjoyed a golden generation, with Davor Šuker scoring goal after goal for Arsenal, while Savo Milošević was scoring like mad for Zaragoza, and Alen Bokšić dragged Lazio to the club's first Serie A title since 1974. As for Predrag Mijatović - one of the 1998 World Cup heroes, he was going through a crisis in form over at Fiorentina, but was chosen as third striker for the National team.

Miroslav "Ćiro" Blažević remained as coach of the team, with some significant changes being placed due to retirements of Zvonimir Boban, Slaven Bilić and Aljoša Asanović. In their places came Albert Nađ, Ivan Dudić and Hasan Salihamidžić. Nonetheless, the Bosnian coach was keen on leading the boys to another potential medal. The Yugoslavs had an easy time in the qualification, with their only real opponent being Ireland.

​

Group A

Group B

Group C

Group D

 

[Marco Rivignani]

I know that this TL is mostly about football but could you please give a general outline of the internal politics of the country and especially his relationship with the EU and with NATO?

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

I know that this TL is mostly about football but could you please give a general outline of the internal politics of the country and especially his relationship with the EU and with NATO?

I can try, although it's something I am not exactly used to do.

Internally, despite the country remaining intact, it is still largely unstable with ethnic tension occasionally rising, in particular now in the late 90s with the Kosovo riots, and the almost constant riots between fans whenever the Big 4 and Bosnian clubs play. Nonetheless, the country is largely focusing on a confederate model, with promotion of multiculturalism and equal representation of all groups. Although, a potential return of Monarch Alexander Karadjordjević has some fearing of Serbia once again getting preference, while other republics could be tossed aside, like during the Pre-ww2 years. In general, the situation is still very much uncertain within Yugoslavia, despite the improving economy.

Without the war, Yugoslavia maintains a rather peaceful relationship with NATO, but no signs of joining them. The country remains unaligned for now. Relationship with EU is also stable, with some talks of it joining or at least becoming a candidate to join, but for now it's a long process that might take more than a decade.

 

[Marco Rivignani]

I can try, although it's something I am not exactly used to do.

Internally, despite the country remaining intact, it is still largely unstable with ethnic tension occasionally rising, in particular now in the late 90s with the Kosovo riots, and the almost constant riots between fans whenever the Big 4 and Bosnian clubs play. Nonetheless, the country is largely focusing on a confederate model, with promotion of multiculturalism and equal representation of all groups. Although, a potential return of Monarch Alexander Karadjordjević has some fearing of Serbia once again getting preference, while other republics could be tossed aside, like during the Pre-ww2 years. In general, the situation is still very much uncertain within Yugoslavia, despite the improving economy.

Without the war, Yugoslavia maintains a rather peaceful relationship with NATO, but no signs of joining them. The country remains unaligned for now. Relationship with EU is also stable, with some talks of it joining or at least becoming a candidate to join, but for now it's a long process that might take more than a decade.

Thank you very much. Just one more thing if you can: are Kosovo and Vojvodina still part of Serbia or were they elevated to republic status?

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

Thank you very much. Just one more thing if you can: are Kosovo and Vojvodina still part of Serbia or were they elevated to republic status?

They are autonomous regions, and will most probably remain as such if Karadjordjevic returns to the country.

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

Euro 2000
"Breathtaking"

​

Group A
Following the opening ceremony, where "Campione 2000" by E-type would forever remain in the heads of the viewer, the Euro 2000 tournament was finally opened in the Stade Maurice Dufrasne in Liege, where Romania would get to face off against Germany in the opening match. For a tournament opener though, this wasn't exactly the most exciting of matches, with a dull 1-1 capping off the match between the two teams. Portugal on the other hand, stunned Scotland with a 3-1 victory! The Tartan army had something to cheer for though, as Don Hutchinson scored against the Mannschaft to score Scotland's first win of the tournament. A subsequent 2-2 draw against Romania in the end proved to be enough for the Scots to go through to the Quarter-finals, while the Romanians were left kicking themselves as they failed to win their match against Germany. Portugal on the other hand, proved to be a welcome surprise, as the Iberian team won all three games, and even looked miles better than their 3 group rivals.

Luis Figo takes the corner for Portugal

Romania 1-1 Germany
Portugal 3-1 Scotland
Scotland 1-0 Germany
Romania 0-1 Portugal
Romania 2-2 Scotland
Portugal 3-0 Germany​

Group B
Hosts Belgium looked like they had it all in the back as they won their opening game against Sweden, which struggled immensely against all of their opponents, and ended up as the second worst team of the tournament, overtaken only by their neighbours Denmark. Italy, much like Portugal, had an easy time passing their group, while Ireland stunned many with their brave fights against Belgium and Italy, and their efforts payed off as the Boys in Green managed to qualify for the Quarter-finals for the second time in their history. Belgium's players meanwhile, could only watch in confusion as they wondered how this one even slipped out.

Ireland's players celebrating after their win against Belgium

​

Belgium 2-1 Sweden
Ireland 1-2 Italy
Italy 2-0 Belgium
Sweden 1-2 Ireland
Ireland 2-0 Belgium
Italy 2-1 Sweden​

Group C
Perhaps the tournaments' most exciting group, Group C saw some one of the greatest Footballing matches in history, as Spain managed to complete a dramatic comeback against Yugoslavia, which collapsed right at the last minute for the Spaniards to take a crucial 4-3 win. "Ćiro" Blažević's team, led by Savo Milošević looked more than capable as they demolished Greece and just barely won against Norway, but Spain's players brought themselves from rock bottom to place themselves in the Quarters, all while Norway once again managed to lose out by not scoring enough goals. Not even a win against Spain was enough, as the Lions failed to win against Greece.

Scenes from the Yugoslavia-Spain match

​

Spain 0-1 Norway
Yugoslavia 3-1 Greece
Greece 1-2 Spain
Norway 0-1 Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia 3-4 Spain
Greece 0-0 Norway​

Group D
As the second hosts, Holland did more than just impress as the Clockwork Orange managed to top the group after three quality matches, but it didn't look like that at first as they struggled against Czechoslovakia's persistent defense. Nonetheless, the Velvets were unlucky not to pass the preliminary stage, with France proving to be the cause of their downfall. Denmark looked nowhere near as good as their 80-90s form, and it seems that the Danish Dynamite's fuse has burned out.

Cocu and Davids chasing after Tomaš Rosicky

Czechoslovakia 0-0 Netherlands
France 3-0 Denmark
Czechoslovakia 1-2 France
Denmark 0-3 Netherlands
Denmark 0-2 Czechoslovakia
France 2-3 Netherlands
​

Changes in this timeline:
1. Scotland qualifies for the Euro, and somehow even manages to pass the group stage ahead of a solid Romania side
2. Ireland qualifies for the Euro, and comfortably finishes as best of the rest behind Italy in Group B
3. Group C Remains largely the same, only with Greece taking Slovenia's place
4. Group D Remains largely the same, only Czechoslovakia has a slightly better campaign compared to Czechia, though it still isn't enough to go through

Upcoming matches:
Spain v France
Ireland V Portugal
Italy V Scotland
Yugoslavia V Netherlands

 

[Unknown]

My picks: Spain, Ireland, Scotland, and Yugoslavia...

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

Euro 2000
"A messy ending"
Portugal v Ireland​

Portugal's phenomenal group stage form continued on as the Navigators won against Ireland. The poor Boys in Green put up a brave effort against their quarter-final rivals, and Roy Keane made himself into a hero as he levelled the scoring in the 50th minute. Ireland truly looked like a unit that could take on the greats, but Nuno Gomes killed any hope as he retaliated only 5 minutes later, following a blunder by the Irish defense. Despite winning against them, Portugal had to fight all the way to the end, and the Irish press back home sung praise to the Boys in Green as they hoped this form could carry on to the World Cup qualifications.

Italy v Scotland​

Unlike Ireland, poor Scotland were completely out of their depth during their game against Italy. The Azzurri comfortably finished off the match before the first half was even finished, with the second being a dull affair of Italy blocking any chance made by Scotland, and then threatening their box some more. Nonetheless, the Tartan Army could at least keep their heads up knowing that their team had finally broken the Group Stage curse.

(Francesco Totti celebrating his 1-0 goal)

Netherlands v Yugoslavia​

From the dullest match of the tournament, we now go to the most thrilling one. Indeed, Yugoslavia's match against Holland quickly became an instant classic, and it even overshadowed the previous thriller that occured between Spain and Yugoslavia in the group stage. 9 goals were scored in the match that occured, and Savo Milošević became the tragic figure of the Yugoslav National Football Team, as he uncharacteristically missed a penalty on the 51st minute, just 3 minutes after Zlatko Zahovič put Yugoslavia 3-2 over the Dutch. The change of the guard that took place after the '98 World Cup has finally showed the downgrade in quality of Yugoslavia's team, with a sloppy defense that practically made the whole team panic whenever the Dutch had the ball. Patrick Kluivert became the Netherlands' hero with a brilliant hattrick, and Marc Overmars sealed off the match during extra time, with Milošević scoring a consulation goal on the last minute. Such a messy ending was uncalled for by many, especially knowing that this same team (Yugoslavia) had won the World Cup just 2 years prior. [1]

Spain v France​

The final match saw France facing off against Spain. A hard-fought encounter saw both teams struggle to find any sort of opening, and it was soon prolonged when Raul converted a penalty [2] in the last minute of the match, thus helping Spain live a little longer. With both sides struggling to find any sort of opening, Raul took matters into his own hands, and launched a powerful shot towards Fabien Barthez, who just narrowly missed the ball with his hands! The Golden Goal would forever be replayed on Spanish Television, as Spain managed to qualify for the semi-finals, which they would play against Iberian rivals Portugal.

(Raul celebrating after scoring the Golden Goal)

​

Upcoming matches:
Italy v Holland
Portugal v Spain

Changes in this timeline:
[1] The Holland v Yugoslavia match isn't as much of a slaughter as in OTL, but the Dutch still prevail
[2] Raul scores the last minute penalty for Spain, and in the end even manages to lift the Spanish up all the way to winning the match against France

 

[Unknown]

My picks: Holland and Portugal...

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

Euro 2000
"Campione 2000"
Semi-finals
Spain v Portugal ​

The Iberian derby has always been a bit of a lesser-known rivalry, at least when compared to Germany-Holland, or recently Yugoslavia-Italy. That said, this year could see a change in that as Portugal and Spain met in the semi finals, in what would be their first encounter in a major tournament since Euro 1996. Back then, the meeting ended 2-2, but Portugal had the last laugh by finishing in the semis. Now, four years later, Spain looked more and more formidable, and the Red Ones were keen on finally beating the Navigators, a feat they haven't accomplished since 1950.

​

The match started well for the Portuguese, as Nuno Gomes scored in the 19th minute, and they held that lead for most of the first half, until Fernando Morientes equalised with an absolute screamer.

​

The rest of the match was just as entertaining as the first half, with both sides creating great chances, and their players battled like mad. The game soon enough went into extra time, and both sides began to play carefully as they did their darnest not to concede. Then, Rui Costa was knocked down in Spain's penalty box by Abelardo, and all hell broke loose. Portugal was awarded a penalty. Costa aligned himself and shot - and he scored! A golden penalty was a fitting name for what had occurred, and Rui Costa has written himself into the history books, as the man who led Portugal to its first ever Final!

Rui Costa - Portugal's magnificent #10

Italy v Netherlands ​

Unlike the thriller between Spain and Portugal, Italy's game against Holland was much more methodical, with neither side managing to score during regular time. But what made this match notable though, was Netherlands' absolutely terrible showing in the Penalties, with Jaap Stam pulling off what could only be described as one of the worst spot kicks in footie. Toldo didn't exactly need to hold his nerve, and the Azzurri in the end managed to advance after beating the side that thrashed them just two years ago.

The Italian players rush to embrace Francesco Toldo ​

Final
Portugal v Italy ​

And so, the European Final would be an all-Latin affair, with Portugal facing off against Italy. To think that almost a decade ago, this would've been considered a David vs Goliath story. But no, Portugal has now truly become a force to be reckoned with, and its players were a fantastic bunch. That said, Italy wasn't any different. If anything, this side was brewing with talent, and many were keen on watching them play in the 2002 World Cup.
The match started well for both sides, with Portugal threatening the Italians several times, and with Luís Figo scoring in the 12th minute, but that was ruled Off-side. So, the match remained 0-0. Following the first half, the match continued to be a tactical game between the two, only the Italians looked like they were finally kicking things into gear, and Marco Delvecchio confirmed that with a fine header. Italy was now one step ahead of Portugal, and she could proudly hold one hand on the trophy, while Portugal now had to play Catch-up.

Marco Delvecchio listening for the cheers (or the jeers)

​

Italy dominated the rest of the match, as their strong defense prevented Portugal from creating an coherent chance, bar Rui Costa kicking the ball from 20 meters out of desperation. The 87th minute saw Francesco Totti putting the nail on Portugal's coffin, as the players ran up to him in order to celebrate early. The final 3 minutes saw a dejected Portugal trying any trick in the book to break the Italians, but the Azzurri were practically running circles around them now, and the celebrations would soon take place as Andres Frisk blew the whistle. Italy were the Champions of Europe. Campioni 2000.

Changes in this timeline:
1. Without France, we get a thrilling Iberian derby Between Portugal and Spain, followed by Italy lifting the trophy. Tough luck for the Portuguese, but they deserve an A+ for their efforts.

For the 2002 World Cup, the tournament will take place in Korea, with North Korea collapsing following the famine and death of Kim Il-Sung. It's a far-fetched idea and an incredibly unrealistic one, since Korea would probably go through an Eocnomic crisis due to the Northern region being so poor, but the World Cup might be just what the country needs. Plus, I think FIFA would love to expand football in Asia while also saying "Football unites the world".

Here are the following Teams for the 2002 World Cup:
Group A: Australia, Denmark, France, Senegal
Group B: Paraguay, Spain, South Africa, Yugoslavia
Group C: Brazil, Czechoslovakia, Costa Rica, Iran
Group D: Korea, Poland, Portugal, United States
Group E: Cameroon, England, Ireland, Saudi Arabia
Group F: Argentina, Germany, Nigeria, Sweden
Group G: Belgium, Ecuador, Italy, Mexico
Group H: Japan, Russia, Scotland, Tunisia

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[ArupinumMaivista]

The 2000-01 season in Yugoslav Football:
"The White Rhapsody"​

After lifting the trophy for the third time in just 5 years, Ljubiša Tumbaković and his Partisan Team looked almost unstoppable. The Steamroller had by now come back into the European scene as one of Yugoslavia's greatest teams after almost decade of obscurity, and where their rivals prospered while they were picking up the dirt. Now, the tables had turned. Red Star had suffered several seasons of either finishing runners-up, or wallowing in the mid table; Hajduk Split was going through a financial crisis; And Dinamo Zagreb was seeing a generational shift. Speaking of Generational shifts - the new 2000-01 season of the Federal League (and the Inter-Republics league) would see an emergence of a new generation of players that would carry the torch of their respective clubs. Darijo Srna, Tomislav Šokota, Tomislav Butina, Andrija Delibašić, Mirko Vučinić, Goran Pandev, Niko Kranjčar and Ivan Bošnjak were just some of the exciting young players that would play their first ever matches in this season, while some of the more experienced folks would head abroad - most notably Brazzo Salihamidžić to Bayern Munich, Ivan Tomić to Alaves, Dragan Ćirić to AEK, Mateja Kežman to PSV Eindhoven and the late Cune Gojković, who would tragically die in Belgrade in his first season with Iraklis. Many of these would one day become players for the National team.

(A trio of future stars - Darijo Srna, Goran Pandev, Niko Kranjčar)

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Elsewhere, the major transfer of the summer period was Ivan Bošnjak's switch to Hajduk Split. The young Vinkovci native had spent five of his first professional years as Dinamo Vinkovci player, where he quickly caught the interest of the big guns of the region. Offers came from NK Osijek, Dinamo Zagreb, and even from Vojvodina, but the club that won him over was Hajduk Split. Indeed, the Master of the sea, despite going through a "Financial crusade", managed to sign what was seen as a future star in the making, and that wasn't the end of it, as they managed to sign NK Zagreb's best player of the past several years - Nino Bule.
The league itself saw a return to the traditional 18-team format, following the 21 team disaster of the previous year. With the new format meant that no new teams were let in, which in itself prevented Dinamo Vinkovci and Sutjeska Nikšić from entering the competition.

(Nino Bule having a laugh with Hajduk graduate Mario carević)

The 2000-01 First Federal League​

The season started well for Red Star Belgrade, as they managed to amount an early lead over Dinamo Zagreb, with Partisan lagging behind, and unexpectedly NK Osijek in 3rd! Indeed, the blue-whites from Slavonia, led by charismatic manager Stanko Poklepović and inspired by the goalscoring prowess of Stanko Bubalo (the "Ronaldo from Turčinović") looked as if they could challenge for the European competitions this season, and it didn't help that Poklepović himself claimed this team was ready for the Champions League. Bold words, but they are also coming from a bold man. On the other hand, Vojvodina's regression continued this season, with the Old Lady struggling in the mid table, while NK Zagreb (Led by former Dinamo coach Zlatko Kranjčar) was fighting for relegation against Zemun, Rad, Rijeka and Budućnost Podgorica.

There was once again controversy over fan violence, this time for the 107th Belgrade Derby.
The incident began with Partizan fans, Grobari, pelting the pitch with flares at which point the match play got interrupted. The rioting kept escalating with the southern stand seating being torn off by the Grobari and thrown onto the athletic track. At one point, the team captain Saša Ilić was seen in front of the stand pleading to no avail with the Partizan ultra supporters to stop rioting. Dozens of Grobari eventually either jumped over or broke through the fence and began invading the pitch at which point the more numerous Red Star fans from the opposite end of the stadium stormed the pitch en masse, attacking the Partizan fans as well as Partizan players and coaching staff that were still on the pitch.

What ensued was mass brawling and running battles among the two sets of fans that led to the more numerous Red Star ultras quickly overpowering their Partizan counterparts and pushing them back towards the southern stand. In addition to injuries to a number Partizan fans that invaded the pitch, several Partizan players and members of the club's coaching staff reported injuries as a result of being attacked by the Red Star fans. Partizan's twenty-year-old forward Ivica Iliev received head injuries with hematoma from being punched in the face while the team's head coach Ljubiša Tumbaković ended up with a laceration above his eye. 35 fans were injured, including 14 police officers. The match was replayed 5 months later, with Red Star winning 2-1, thus knocking Partisan out of the title fight.

Perhaps the greatest dissapointment of the first half of the season was Hajduk Split. Despite fielding some great players, Petar Nadoveza was unable to enter the Champions League against Roda JC, and his eventual sacking came in October, as he lost 3-2 against Podgorica. His replacement was former Hajduk captain Zoran Vulić - but he didn't have a manger's license! No manager meant no results, only 2 losses and one draw as Hajduk wallowed in 8th, all while their rivals collected points, with Red Star standing on top. By the time Vulić was eligible to be a manager, Hajduk seemed to be out of the championship, with Vulić claiming to the press - "It's impossible to win anything with this sort of team."

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At the top, Osijek's healthy form helped them stay relatively close to the leading two, while Partisan, with the magic of Mateja Kežman remained ever present at the top. Petar Divić once again dragged OFK Belgrade through another difficult season, and Varteks was another welcome surprise as the Tailors were unbeaten at home, drawing against the big dogs and even winning 3-0 against Dinamo, further stalling the citizens.

Osijek's Stanko Bubalo in action

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Then, as 2001 came in, Hajduk went into motion. One of their biggest victories came against Olimpija where they won 6-0 against the team from Ljubljana. This win gave Hajduk momentum, and now they were 5th in the standings. Vulić's strategy was clear - win the matches against the direct rivals, and play it safe against the minor teams. A squeaky 3-3 draw against Partisan was followed by the derby against Red Star Belgrade - on Good friday. Once again, there was violence between Hajduk's Torcida and Red Star's Delije, and it looked like the match would be called off. But it wasn't, with a police intervention calming things down on the stands. The subsequent Yugoslav Derby would see Hajduk celebrate its first win against Red Star in two seasons, with a 3-1 win bringing Hajduk four points behind Red Star, and one ahead of Dinamo. The win further propelled Hajduk, and they seemed unstoppable as they were unbeatable through the next 12 games in which they won 10 and tied twice. NK Osijek, which looked like they could still be within a title shot were thoroughly eliminated, with losses against their main rivals sealing the deal, and their 4-1 loss against Hajduk sealing the deal. Hajduk was now one point away, as Partisan won 2-0 against the Stars, and now everything looked set for a photo finish.

The scenes from the 108th Belgrade Derby

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Finally, there was the last matchday. Red Star would play away against NK Maribor, which had suffered its worst season since entering the 1st League, Hajduk played against Varteks away, and Dinamo at home against Velež Mostar. The three matches all played at the same time, and the pressure was on to see who was to be Yugoslavia's champion. Red Star played desperately, as they tried to win the match, and it looked like it would be that way as Mihajlo Pjanović scored for 1-0, but Maribor fought back hard, and the match ended 2-2, with Maribor's Damir Pekič scoring two goals. Dinamo had even worse luck, as they managed to lose 2-3 against Velež after Dinamo's defender Darijo Šimić was sent off for a nasty tackle, and all eyes now switched to Varaždin, where Hajduk played against the lovable tailors. Incredibly, the 10 thousand capacity stadium was filled to the brim with Hajduk fans, and it looked like the entirety of Dalmatia moved to Croatia's north, where one of the season's most dramatic games would take place. In a match that saw 6 goals being scored, Hajduk prevailed with a massive 4-2 win against Varteks, with Ivan Leko opening the gates, and Ivan Bošnjak and Nino Bule contributing for what would end up being the crowning achievement of Hajduk's mid-90s generation. The party that took place soon after carried on to Split, where at midnight - Zoran Vulić and his players were awaited at the Poljud stadium by 40 thousand euphoric supporters, and Wimbledon winner Goran Ivanišević. For the first time after 6 years, Hajduk has become the national champion after at one point sitting in 8th.

Hajduk's players climbing the stands to celebrate with their fans

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Yugoslav Cup finals
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In what was a replay of the previous year's final, Hajduk Split once again played against Dinamo Zagreb at Poljud. Just like the year before, dramatic scenes of violence could be seen as the Torcida invaded the pitch right after Dinamo scored for the second time, and the game would be stopped as a result. Dinamo walked away with another cup, after beating Hajduk for the first time in a whole year. But once again, the violence that took place was worrysome, and many families weren't coming over to watch the matches, seeing how every derby was a massive security risk.