Enzo Francescoli

I think I’m correct in saying Uruguay is comparable in size/ population to Scotland.
They have a rich history in producing top class players and many good players presently

They're a bit smaller than us, Uruguay is about 3,461,734 while Scotland is roughly 5,438,000.

Not a huge difference but based on that we should and could be producing better talent.
 
They're a bit smaller than us, Uruguay is about 3,461,734 while Scotland is roughly 5,438,000.

Not a huge difference but based on that we should and could be producing better talent.
Which makes it an even more outstanding achievement and shows what can be done with the correct people and systems in place
 
1995 was the first Copa American I watched pretty much all of and he was a real stand out. What a player and a good video thanks for posting. Cool name too!
 
Which makes it an even more outstanding achievement and shows what can be done with the correct people and systems in place

Spot on. I don't know much about Uruguay but I'm guessing our economy is a lot stronger than theirs. It's not like we don't have the resources, it's just that we're not using them right.
 
Spot on. I don't know much about Uruguay but I'm guessing our economy is a lot stronger than theirs. It's not like we don't have the resources, it's just that we're not using them right.

The other way to look at it is due to there being less opportunities and greater areas of poverty football is all they have and their only way out. Hunger is a big factor in making top sports people.
 
Wonderful player, exquisite right foot and he could use both feet and scored plenty with his head too. I remember seeing that overhead kick for River Plate on Saint & Greavsie as a kid and always looked out for him after that.
 
The Scotland v Uruguay game in 86, Uruguay we’re down to 10 men for almost the whole match, Francescoli played up top on his own and worked the Scottish back 4 for the whole game, in searing heat too.

Craig Brown was assistant manager back then for us and said it was unbelievable performance from him, he still spoke about it decades later.
 
They have good weather; heat and daylight hrs. No air conditioning so the families are out half the night playing football and picking up the skills with "a wee tanner ball? All practising to get out of the poverty previously mentioned.
 
That match brought out Brown's jealousies, Sounness an unused sub and our 11 against their 10 were bullied off the park. The only man who could turn it was left champing at the bit on the bench,and the Bastard wouldn't put him on because Rangers had signed The Magnificent One.
 
The Scotland v Uruguay game in 86, Uruguay we’re down to 10 men for almost the whole match, Francescoli played up top on his own and worked the Scottish back 4 for the whole game, in searing heat too.

Craig Brown was assistant manager back then for us and said it was unbelievable performance from him, he still spoke about it decades later.

Almost word for word what I was going to post. (And the Uruguay home LCS1986 shirt is one of my favourites of all time)

He was a superb player

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A hero to Eric Cantona as well I think, an excellent player.
Coincidentally the BBC are showing World cup classics from the archives.
One of the games featured was Denmark thrashing Uruguay, Francescoli was playing....and elbowed a Dane right on the head...
All the skills but not afraid to indulge in the dark arts.
A typical Uruguayan some would say. :cool:
 
That match brought out Brown's jealousies, Sounness an unused sub and our 11 against their 10 were bullied off the park. The only man who could turn it was left champing at the bit on the bench,and the Bastard wouldn't put him on because Rangers had signed The Magnificent One.

Nah Souness was done and it was Sir Alex making the decisions along with Walter as assistant manager.
 
The Scotland v Uruguay game in 86, Uruguay we’re down to 10 men for almost the whole match, Francescoli played up top on his own and worked the Scottish back 4 for the whole game, in searing heat too.

Craig Brown was assistant manager back then for us and said it was unbelievable performance from him, he still spoke about it decades later.

You don't half post some pish. Craig Brown:)
 
The other way to look at it is due to there being less opportunities and greater areas of poverty football is all they have and their only way out. Hunger is a big factor in making top sports people.

Don't know if it's a romantic myth but I once read that Ferenc Puskas from Hungary had such a good left foot because his family could only afford one new shoe (right foot) so he had to learn to use his left to avoid wearing his good shoe out. Could be nonsense but then again I suppose post war Hungary was a tough place to live.
 
Nah Souness was done and it was Sir Alex making the decisions along with Walter as assistant manager.

Souness said he had lost nearly a stone in weight the first 2 games and had been struggling with the local speciality called "Montezuma's Revenge" which I believe can be described as explosive diarrhoea
 
He was the diamond in the big pile of jobby that was the Uruguay team in Mexico 1986.

A fcuking horrible team that.

As an aside, I believe that Uruguay is the most progressive and economically and politically stable country in South America.
 
The Scotland v Uruguay game in 86, Uruguay we’re down to 10 men for almost the whole match, Francescoli played up top on his own and worked the Scottish back 4 for the whole game, in searing heat too.

Craig Brown was assistant manager back then for us and said it was unbelievable performance from him, he still spoke about it decades later.
I remember that game. Uruguay played the ball up to him, surrounded by Scottish defenders. He controlled it, went for a wee wander, passed it, got it back, kept possession for the rest of the match. One of the best displays ever.
 
@Calderwoodloyal

Bumped this, in case you missed it, after your comments in the Figueroa thread.
Superb watch ! Had missed that first time around. Cheers Dr G. What would Francescoli and others of and before his era go for in the current market?? New laws meaning they can’t get clattered on,before or after the ball like back then. They’d need to throw another ball on now! :)):))
 
They're a bit smaller than us, Uruguay is about 3,461,734 while Scotland is roughly 5,438,000.

Not a huge difference but based on that we should and could be producing better talent.

Tom Boyd vs Luis Suarez would be comical though
 
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