Great World Cup Moments #9

Bit of a weak one this, but there you go.

Rijkaard. Voller.

I got sent to bed after this in 1990; I think my mum didn't want me to watch all the spitting. My dad again seemed to enjoy it though (I think Italia 90 was probably the last time my dad was bothered about football really; he has feigned disinterest ever since). Obviously this always gets played on terrible World Cup clip shows, and people mock Voller's terrible bubble perm and tache. The truth is: Voller is German. What the fuck were you expecting him to look like at the end of the 1980s? Plus whenever anyone looks through their family photos, all the ones taken in the 1980s look like the 1970s, the ones from the 1990s look like the 1980s etc.

When I eventually got to see Frank Rijkaard play in Euro 1992 and on Football Italia it became even more of a shame that he went completely bat-shit crazy and repeatedly spat at Rudi Voller. Rijkaard was a fucking brilliant footballer, one of the finest in his, or indeed any, position of the last 25 years. Equally at home in either penalty box, a dominating defensive midfielder or a "cultured" centre back. A hard bastard who looked like he'd been dragged through a hedge, who made a useful habit of excelling in European cup finals.

I came to quite like Rudi Voller by the end of his career as well. He replaced Papin surprisingly well at Marseille, up front with a young Allen Boksic, and then had a blinding match against Belgium at USA 94, linking up superbly with Klinsi. I always thought it was rather harsh that Voller was dismissed in this match, principally for the crime of being spat at, being pushed, and having his foot trodden on. I don't actually remember Voller doing anything, and it's still not especially clear exactly what he was sent off for.

Like I say, not a good pick, but only two more to go and then we can actually focus on matches and stuff.