Larbi Ben Barek

Larbi Benbarek or Larbi Ben Barek (also known as the Black Pearl) (16 June 1914 – 16 September 1992) (Casablanca, Morocco) was a Moroccan football player. He was the first player to bear the nickname of Black Pearl. Career The first African star and the first to bear the nickname of "Black Pearl", Ben Barek blazed a trail to the European, and particularly French and Spanish, leagues. He arrived at Marseille, France at the age of 20, and became an instant favourite with the fans for his skills and technical abilities. Pele took the name of the "Black Pearl" after he made a famous statement about Larbi: "If I am the King of Soccer, then Larbi Ben Barek is the God of it". He is largely remembered as the first successful black footballer in Europe. His career was interrupted by the onset of World War II but he was soon back to his best with Stade Français FC and then in Spain, with Atlético Madrid, where he truly blossomed and where his international fame spread. His nickname with the fans in Spain was "The Foot of God". With the help of Benbarek, Atlético won La Liga in 1950 and 1951. He returned to Marseille in 1953. In 1955, he joined USM Bel-Abbès, where he ended his playing career. One of the finest players ever to represent France, his adopted country, he made 19 appearances for the French national team between 1938 and 1954. But his comeback in 1954 against Germany in Hanover was curtailed by an injury after half an hour and proved to be the end of his career. Later life He was the first coach of the Morocco national football team. Larbi Ben Barek died in his home town on 16 September 1992. Also, 6 years after his death, he was awarded the FIFA Order of Merit Award, which is the award of the highest honor in FIFA. 1938–1954France 19 games, 3 goals.

Baggio, La Storia di una Stella

Roberto Baggio, born in Caldogno, north Vicenza in February 1967, has been one of the best players in the world through out the 1990s. He started his career in Vicenza back in the 1982/83 season, and stayed there for three seasons until he was picked up by Fiorentina in 1985. It was from there he started to show his true potential. In the 1988/89 he won his first cap for Italy after having a very good season scoring 24 goals in 40 games in Italian football (league/cup). The following season was even better, Baggio knocked in goals for fun and Fiorentina couldn't afford to keep him. The big clubs in the north were prepared to put the big money on the table. It was Juventus who finally got him for a world record fee of £7.700.000 in the summer of 1990, just before the World Cup on homesoil. Baggio scored two goals as Italy went on to get bronze, after losing on penalties in the semifinals to Argentina. He spent five seasons in Juventus. Five great years for him, as he won the Serie A, Italian Cup and UEFA Cup as well as been voted "World and European Player of the Year" in 1993. Baggio's best World Cup was in 1994 in the United States. After a slow start he woke up in the second round, scoring twice against Nigeria, then once against Spain in the quarterfinal, and two more in the semifinal against Bulgaria. In the final against Brazil he missed a penalty in the shoot-out which saw Brazil win the World Cup for the fourth time. Since then, Baggio has been in and out of the Italian squad. He was dropped from the EURO 96 squad by Arrigo Sacchi, but made Cesare Maldini's France 98 squad and played in several games although not with the same class as four years earlier. He has since played for AC Milan winning the Serie A once, and also in Bologna, Inter Milan and Brescia where he seems to end his career.

Carlos Valderama

This colourful and talented midfielder has been regarded as one of the very best in his position in South America over the past decade or so. Valderrama made his debut for Colombia in October 1985 losing 3-0 to Paraguay, but established himself soon and won the captaincy at an early age. At clublevel, he started playing for Colombia’s first division side Union Magdalena in 1981. He also played for Millionarios and Deportivo Cali before he signed for French side Montpellier in 1988, a club he won a French Cup championship with two years later. Valderrama also played for Spanish team Valladolid before he returned home to his native Colombia to play for Atelitico Junior where he also won two league championships. Known as “El Pibe” (the kid), Carlos Valderrama is easy recognizable with his big curly blonde hair and all his jewelry. He was an accurate passer of the ball and a playmaker of finest caliber. He is also one of very few players to have captained his country in three World Cups. His biggest World Cup moment was when he dribbled past several players and delivered a pinpoint pass to teammate Rincon who scored the necessary equalizer three minutes into injurytime against eventual winners West Germany in 1990. That goal meant Colombia qualified to the second round. In 1994, Colombia were one of the hottest candidates to win the World Cup, much thanks to a 5-0 thrashing of Argentina in Buenos Aires in the qualifying rounds, and even though Valderrama was on top of his game, Colombia disappointed a lot and got knocked out already in the first round. Neither in France four years later, at the age of 37, could “El Pibe” and his teammate get past the first round. He joined Tampa Bay Mutiny in the MLS in 1996 where he has had success as one of the best players.