Top 10 Most Impossible Transfers
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Top 10 Most Impossible Transfers
Del Piero to Inter, Moratti to Juventus, Pele to Boca Juniors...Carlo Garganese looks at 10 of the most impossible transfers that could ever occur.
Bridge and Terry before the Start of the match(Getty Images)10) Alessandro Del Piero to Inter
A couple of years ago Goal.com broke the news that Inter had signed Del Piero. Unsurprisingly, the website was flooded with comments from terrified Bianconeri fans who couldn’t believe their club legend of almost two decades had joined the enemy. Those who read the story properly realised that it wasn’t Alessandro moving to Inter, but a 14-year-old unrelated Treviso youngster called Jago Del Piero. As one reader stated: “I almost had a heart attack.” And that is exactly what would happen to some Juve supporters were the real Del Boy to transfer to San Siro.
9) Giovanni Trapattoni to France
Without doubt the most controversial moment of 2009 was the ‘Hand of Henry’ - the most infamous World Cup handball of all time after Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ in 1986. Ireland’s World Cup playoff against France was delicately balanced as the tie moved into extra time in Paris, with the score 1-1 on aggregate.
Then, France striker Thierry Henry clearly handled the ball in the run-up to William Gallas' decisive equaliser on the night, but it was not seen by the referee or his assistants.
The goal stood and the Irish went out, causing a furore after the game. The FAI later made a request to FIFA that the game be replayed, but FIFA turned them down. Henry was lambasted, and even unsuccessfully offered a replay himself after FIFA had made their decision. The FAI asked to be admitted as the 33rd nation in South Africa. Unsurprisingly this was turned down too. Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni was understandably distraught, now picture him on the French bench in the future…
8) Pele to Boca Juniors
Just as Francesco Totti is Roma, and Franz Beckenbauer is Bayern Munich, Diego Armando Maradona is Boca Juniors. Now picture the look on Dieguito’s face if his eternal nemesis Pele was appointed as a coach, director or – even worse – a player for the Buenos Aires giants. The two South American greats have endured a tumultuous relationship for many years, both fighting over the title of ‘world’s greatest ever player’.
Pele has accused Maradona of being a bad role model to young children, while the Argentine claims that the Brazilian “debuted with a lad” and is part of FIFA’s “devil” politics. Neapolitan chants of Pele È Meglio 'E Maradona would send the Napoli legend over the edge.
7) Diego Maradona to River Plate
This transfer is about as unlikely as Maradona playing for Santos, or coaching Brazil or England. Diego’s love for Boca Juniors is well known, as is his socialist support for the working man. With River Plate’s upper-class origins, stomaching any kind of involvement with Los Millionarios would be tougher for Maradona than being told he was becoming Chairman of America’s Federal Reserve.
6) Sol Campbell to Arsenal
Actually, it did happen. But it should have been impossible.
The most controversial transfer in Premier League history saw Campbell move across North London to join Arsene Wenger's Arsenal from bitter foes Tottenham Hotspur. Promises from the then England international that he would never make the switch and recriminations at the loss of £20 million in Spurs' coffers see emotions run high to this day.
Hate-filled chants followed Campbell even during his time at Portsmouth, with several Spurs fans being arrested for the content of their vile terrace anthems. But, Campbell’s five years at Arsenal were a huge success on the pitch as he won two Premier Leagues and three FA Cups. He moved back last season to the Gunners for a short 14-game spell. Now we can say that a future return to White Hart Lane as a Spurs player is impossible.
5) Byron Moreno to Italian Football Federation
Italy were eliminated from the 2002 World Cup in the last 16 by co-hosts South Korea following former Perugia star Ahn Jung-Hwan’s extra time golden goal.
However, this all happened after one of the most infamous matches in World Cup history. Trapattoni’s men had a perfectly good golden goal disallowed by Ecuadorian referee Byron Moreno, had Francesco Totti sent-off for diving when replays showed that he had only lost his footing, while South Korea were awarded a questionable penalty and continually went unpunished for foul play. After the match Italy declared that there had been a conspiracy against them, claims that were given strength by the fact that not only had they had four perfectly fair goals disallowed in their two previous matches against Croatia and Mexico, but by the refereeing errors that saw Korea eliminate Spain in the next round.
Moreno would be the villainous symbol of 2002. Later that year he received a 20 match ban, after he played an extra 13 minutes of stoppage time during a match between Deportiva Universita de Quito and Barcelona Sporting Club. During this time Deportiva scored twice to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 victory. After retuning from his suspension, Moreno was suspended again after controversially sending off three players in one match.
He retired from officiating shortly after, and remains an infamous symbol in Italy. But what if Moreno was invited to work for the FIGC?
4) Xavi and Carles Puyol to Real Madrid
The Catalonians are very proud of their autonomy, and never does this become more vivid than when Barcelona clash with Real Madrid in El Clasico. From the two rival regions of Catalonia and Castile, Barcelona vs Real Madrid can be so political that it is seen by some as a re-enactment of the Spanish Civil War.
Were one of the many homegrown stars such as Xavi, Carles Puyol or Josep Guardiola to leave Barca for Real Madrid, it would be regarded as an epic act of betrayal.
3) Massimo Moratti to Juventus
The Calciopoli scandal of 2006 is shrouded in great mystery, and it could be many years until the full truth is revealed in the public domain. Interisti claim that Juventus got what they deserved, in being stripped of two Scudetti and relegated to Serie B, after years of apparent favouritism from referees during Luciano Moggi’s tenure. Juventini are unanimous in their belief that Calciopoli was one big conspiracy, as the Bianconeri were never found guilty of match-fixing and the justice system used to bring them down was infested with conflicts of interest.
According to tifosi, the conspiracy was masterminded by Inter president Massimo Moratti, who used his connections with then Telecom Italia chairman Tronchetti Provera and then FIGC commissioner Guido Rossi – both major Inter shareholders - to manipulate evidence and down Juventus. If Moratti were to ever leave Inter and become club president of Juve, there would be war in Turin!
2) Wayne Bridge To Chelsea
Bridge may have been contracted to Chelsea for six years between 2003 and 2009, but the chances of him ever returning to Stamford Bridge are about as slim as brainwashed environmentalist ignoramuses – fresh off the coldest winter in 30 years - actually waking up and realising that global warming is not man-made, but a scam to tax the public more. John Terry’s affair with Bridge’s ex-girlfriend Vanessa Perroncel, which rocked English football prior to the World Cup, means the pair can never be team-mates again.
1) Francesco Totti to Lazio
As individual symbols go, there is probably not a player in world football who signifies his club more emphatically than Totti does Roma. As a football commentator once said, in reference to an English television channel that was only watched for its softcore movies, “Roma are like Channel 5, without the Totti they are nothing”. Born and bred in the Italian capital and a hardcore fan since the day he was born, Totti is the top scorer and appearance maker in the Giallorossi’s history. He has had numerous run-ins with city rivals Lazio, infamously making a thumbs-down gesture last season to mock the Biancocelesti’s relegation worries. Can you imagine ‘Er Pupone’ in a Lazio shirt?
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Yeah hahaha Totti has Lazio hate in his blood.