3 ms·
LOL. At the time Europe, particularly UK, was the backwater for soccer. Teams (and players) went to play in Uruguay exhibition matches, because that's what th
by IG_Semmelweiss 4y ago
LOL.
At the time Europe, particularly UK, was the backwater for soccer.
Teams (and players) went to play in Uruguay exhibition matches, because that's what the best players did.
EU didn't rise as a competitive market until the late 80s.
Before that, certainly around the time of Pele, Penarol, Santos and some other south american teams ran around in CIRCLES against any european team. Look at who won the world cups! France did not even register. UK was nothing except on home soil. Spain was a backwater league. Italy was just emerging. Germany was the only country that could actually compete.
Only the Hungarians were worthy of calling themselves competition....
- fosk 4y agoFun fact: Silvio Berlusconi, who has been the controversial prime minister for Italy many times, sort of revolutionized football in Europe in the 80s when he acquired AC Milan and started spending like no tomorrow in an unprecedented way for the best international players money could buy. It’s not that before players weren’t worth a lot, Silvio Berlusconi added an order of magnitude or two to that. He also created the first “soccer team as a brand" movement. That trend - started in the 80s - continues to this day. More here: https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/ac-milan-silvio-berlusconi-owner-reign-shaped-modern-football-italy-serie-a-champions-league-money https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/ac-milan-silvio-berlusc...
- yowzadave 4y ago> Look at who won the world cups! Looking over the winners of the early world cups, I'm trying to square the results with what you've written here (I'm not a soccer watcher): Europe won 5 out of the first 10 world cups (1930-1974); Italy won both the second and third. England won the 1966 cup, which interrupted Pele's run of World Cup wins.