This year unfortunately saw the passing of
several influential figures in the world of sports: former star players like
Johan Cruyff, Cesare Maldini, Stephen Keshi, Carlos Alberto, Raul Sanchez and
Trifon Ivanov, as well as some other remarkable individuals who contributed to
the development of the game, such as ex-FIFA President Joao Havelange and
Italian artist Silvio Gazzaniga, who designed and created the FIFA World Cup™
trophy.
In late November, football fans worldwide were
saddened to learn that the plane carrying the players and staff of Brazilian
club Chapecoense had crashed in Colombia; the tragic accident took the lives of
all but three of the players on board. The global outpouring of solidarity that
followed culminated in the club being awarded the 2016 Copa Sudamericana.
We look back on some of the greats who left us
in 2016 with a special photo gallery to recall the impact their careers had on
the game.
Johan Cruyff: The
Dutch master
Although he won no international honours with
the Netherlands and only appeared at one World Cup, in 1974, when the Dutch
reached the Final, Johan Cruyff is nevertheless often mentioned in the same
breath as Pele, Beckenbauer and Maradona. A symbol of the “Total Football”
movement, he is regarded as one of the most brilliant players of all time.
After hanging up his boots, the Dutchman moved into coaching, racking up
trophies with Ajax and Barcelona, while starting the famed La Masia academy at
the latter. Cruyff passed away on 24 March 2016 in Barcelona, after a long
battle against lung cancer. That day, football lost one of its greatest stars.
Cesare Maldini: The
rock of Milan
Cesare Maldini, father of the legendary Paolo
Maldini, coached La Nazionale at France 1998, where his charges were eliminated
at the quarter-final stage on penalties by the hosts. As a player, the Trieste
native enjoyed great success with AC Milan, amassing four Serie A titles and
the 1963 European Cup, before embarking on a brief spell with Torino and then
hanging up his boots. The elegant defender was also capped 14 times for Italy.
After retiring from coaching, Maldini worked as a television commentator, until
his death on 3 April 2016 in Milan, his adopted home.
Stephen Keshi:
National hero on and off the pitch
Very few football observers foresaw Nigeria’s
victory at the 2013 CAF Africa Cup of Nations, but Stephen Keshi had other
ideas, steering his side to the final, where they saw off Burkina Faso 1-0 in
Johannesburg. A few months later, he led the Super Eagles to the 2014 World Cup
after successfully negotiating a tricky two-legged play-off with Ethiopia; at
the tournament proper, they reached the knockout stages. During his tenure,
Nigeria also participated in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. But the astute
Nigerian was not just a talented coach: during his playing career he also
lifted the Cup of Nations and took part in five qualifying matches for USA
1994, which resulted in his country qualifying for a World Cup for the very
first time. At the tournament itself, he was restricted to one appearance –
where he proudly wore the captain’s armband – due to injury. Keshi died on 7
June 2016 in Nigeria.
Joao Havelange: FIFA
President from 1974 to 1998
Joao Havelange, who fulfilled the role of FIFA
President from 1974 to 1998, passed away on 16 August 2016, at the age of 100.
He was elected to the post that would define his life on 11 June 1974; at the
time, he was already a member of the International Olympic Committee. During
his six terms in office, a total of 50 new associations joined FIFA and several
ground-breaking competitions saw the light of day, such as the FIFA Women’s
World Cup™ (1991), the FIFA Futsal World Cup (1989), the FIFA U-20 World Cup
(1977) and the FIFA U-17 World Cup (1985).
Carlos Alberto Torres:
Brazilian World Cup legend
Regarded as one of the greatest right-backs of
all time, Carlos Alberto captained Brazil at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico,
where he and his team-mates emerged victorious with a 4-1 defeat of Italy in
the Final. During that memorable match, the Rio de Janeiro-born defender scored
the fourth goal, one of the most eye-catching team efforts ever produced on a
football pitch. During his club career, he pulled on the jerseys of Fluminense,
Santos, Botafogo, Flamengo, New York Cosmos and California Surf. Carlos Alberto
passed away in Rio on 25 October 2016.
Silvio Gazzaniga:
Creator of the iconic World Cup trophy
Silvio Gazzaniga was the artist responsible for
the design of the current World Cup trophy, which was first hoisted into the
air by host nation West Germany, in 1974. Made of 18-karat gold, it weighs six
kilos. “The lines spring out from the base, rising in spirals, stretching out
to receive the world,” he once said. “From the remarkable dynamic tensions of the
compact body of the sculpture rise the figures of two athletes at the stirring
moment of victory.” The Italian sculptor died in Milan, his birthplace, on 31
October 2016.
Chapecoense: The
tragedy that shocked the football community
A charter flight carrying the players of
Brazilian Serie A club Chapecoense, who were on their way to play the first leg
of the Copa Sudamericana final against Atletico Nacional in Colombia, was
approaching the airport near Medellin when it crashed with 72 people on board.
Of the travelling squad, only three players survived: goalkeeper Jackson
Follman and two defenders, Helio Neto and Alan Ruschel. The accident was one of
the most terrible disasters in the history of football, and brought back
painful memories of the plane crash involving the Zambian national team in
1993. At the request of Atletico Nacional, CONMEBOL decided to award the Copa
Sudamericana to Chapecoense.
Arnold Palmer: Golf’s
first superstar
Arnold Daniel Palmer was a professional golfer
who is generally regarded as one of the greatest players in the sport's history.
In a career that spanned more than six decades, Palmer won seven Majors and 62
PGA Tour titles but his influence on the sport went beyond his considerable
on-field achievements. He was part of
"The Big Three" in golf during the 1960s, along with Jack Nicklaus
and Gary Player, who are widely credited with popularizing and commercializing
the sport around the world. Young, dashing with matinee idol looks, the
working-class hero from Pennsylvania was known simply as The King as he
attracted a new fanbase to golf known as Arnie's Army and made the game cool. And,
he made millions of dollars along with agent Mark McCormack as he was rewarded
with lucrative endorsement deals at the start of the age of TV. The American
died on 25 September 2016 from complications after heart surgery.
Muhammad Ali: one of
the greatest boxers of all time
Muhammad Ali, born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. was
an American professional boxer and activist. He is widely regarded as one of
the most significant and celebrated sports figures of the 20th century. From
early in his career, Ali was known as an inspiring, controversial, and
polarizing figure both inside and outside the ring. Ali is regarded as one of
the leading heavyweight boxers of the 20th century. He remains the only
three-time lineal heavyweight champion, having won the title in 1964, 1974 and
1978. Between February 25, 1964, and September 19, 1964, Ali reigned as the
undisputed heavyweight champion. He is the only boxer to be named “The Ring
magazine Fighter of the Year” six times. He was ranked as the greatest athlete
of the 20th century by Sports Illustrated
and the Sports Personality of the Century by the BBC. ESPN SportsCentury ranked
him the third greatest athlete of the 20th century. Nicknamed "The
Greatest", he was involved in several historic boxing matches. Notable
among these were the first Liston fight; the "Fight of the Century",
"Super Fight II" and the "Thrilla in Manila" versus his
rival Joe Frazier; and "The Rumble in the Jungle" versus George
Foreman. Muhammad Ali passed away in Arizona on 3 June 2016 from septic shock.
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