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1974 FIFA World Cup, The one Belonged to Germany

  The 1974 World Cup marked the beginning of a new era in many aspects of the tournament, both on and off the pitch. While the emergence of “Total Football” introduced by the Netherlands dominated the headlines, in the end, the 1974 edition ultimately belonged to the host nation, West Germany. This notion had already been hinted at when West Germany was selected as host during the 1966 FIFA Congress in London, following an agreement with Spain regarding mutual support for hosting bids—West Germany for 1974 and Spain for 1982. However, the most controversial revelation came decades later, when former FIFA president João Havelange (1974–1998) admitted in 2008 that the tournament had been arranged in ways that favored the host nation’s chances of becoming champions. The 1974 World Cup Trivia The 1974 edition featured several notable facts: * The current FIFA World Cup trophy was introduced for the first time. * Zaire, Haiti, Australia, and East Germany made their tournament ...

Notable yet Underrated Dutch Managers in History

  Several Dutch managers have been nearly forgotten despite their notable success and contribution. The Netherlands is undoubtedly one of the elite football nations in the world, which has produced a number of well-known and even legendary football managers from time to time. Dutch football made its mark from the development of Total Football, which rose to prominence in the late 1960s and reached its peak in the 1970s. It lays the foundation of modern football.  Since then, Dutch managers have been on the headlines: Rinus Michels , then his disciple, Johan Cruyff, and Guus Hiddink, followed by Louis Van Gaal, Ronald Koeman, Frank Rijkaard, and Erik Ten Hag today. Sadly, the last one was just sacked by Manchester United due to his team’s poor results recently.  On the contrary, another Dutch boss has stolen the spotlight recently. Liverpool's Arne Slot can be regarded as rather underrated compared to Ten Hag. Yet he managed to guide the Reds to the top of the standi...