A Brave New World: Football after the Bosman Ruling (An Alternate TL)

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With the strike of a gavel, football changed forever. The European Court Of Justice had just ruled that any footballer could now move freely at the end of a contract, and clubs could no longer hoard players and control their freedom of movement. How football would change, and what this meant for the games future, would be left to be seen. Join as we see how this moment changes the fates of players, managers, clubs, leagues, and even entire nations.

 

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The following list is a list of champions from the European Leagues

UEFA Champions League: Juventus
UEFA Cup Winners Cup: PSG
UEFA Cup: Bayern Munich

Domestic Leagues
FA Premier League: Newcastle United
La Liga: Atletico Madrid
Bundesliga: Borussia Dortmund
Ligue 1: Auxerre
Serie A: Juventus
Eredivisie: PSV Eindhoven
Scottish Premiership: Rangers
Russian League: Spartak Moscow
Primeira Division: FC Porto

 

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UEFA Euro 1996 Quarterfinals

France-Scotland​

The first matchup of what has been a great tournament arrives, with France facing Scotland at Old Trafford. The stands were full, as a large number of Scots made the short trip south to Manchester. Before kickoff, many Navy and White flags were waving throughout the crowd, and nerves were high for both squads. As France kicked off, chants mocking them reigned down from the Tartan Army. Les Bleus nearly silenced the fans, as Patrice Loko is left all alone just 11 yards out, but Andy Goram stands tall, making a save, and Tom Boyd is able to clear. A few short moments later, France gets another opportunity, but Vincent Guerin wastes it with a shot well over the bar. Nevertheless, the Scottish players look a little rattled in their first ever knockout stage match. Instead of being patient, though, Goram quickly collects the ball, takes a quick goal kick, and Ally McCoist begins to head a rapid counterattack. He quickly passes to John Collins, who makes a chipped pass to Gordon Durie, now left all alone with Lama. Durie quickly fakes a shot, cuts to the right, then quickly goes back to his left, getting around Lama and tapping the ball into the gaping net. Just like that, Scotland is ahead! Or are they? The referee talks with his comrades, and rules that McCoist fouled Desailly before he received the ball. Replays showed that the call was correct, but that would be little solace to the Scottish fans. Stuart McCall would get one final half-chance, but the first half would close with a 0-0 scoreline, despite the several opportunities. Scotland would bring on John Spencer for Durie for the second half. After several minutes of back and forth without any chances, Scotland wins a corner. No threat would come out of it, for Scotland, at least. France would clear the corner, and the clearance lands on the feet of Youri Djorkaeff, who did it all himself, taking the ball towards the goal, then laying it off to Zinedine Zidane, who does the honors and finishes the attack. In a flash, France lead, and it was the French fans turn to unleash their excitement. Scotland tries to go all out, hoping to score a goal and save their tournament. The Tartan Army fans urge them to get that goal. After a brief attack that results in no shots on goal, the first yellow card is shown, and Tom Boyd is the recipient of it. Scotland continues to press, trying to force a mistake and get a goal. This pressing leads to an opening, however, and France charges towards the goal. The sub striker, Christophe Dugarry, got a great opportunity to seal the win, but Andy Goram stands tall. His save is deflected right to Christian Karembeu, who volleys the deflection. Again, Goram makes an incredible stop, lunging at the ball and tipping it onto the crossbar. The bounce of the crossbar goes right to Youri Djorkaeff, who attempts a shot, but Goram again saves it, and Stewart McKimmie is at last able to clear. Scottish fans would erupt for Goram's heroic effort, and even some French fans applauded the Rangers keeper. With five minutes to go, it was going to take a lot for Scotland to get their goal. A final lifeline is given, as, in the 93rd minute, Laurent Blanc tackles McCoist to halt a Scottish attack, and Scotland gets a free kick from 22 yards out. Durie and McCoist stood over the ball, but Durie backed off to allow McCoist to do the honors. Instead of shooting, however, McCoist passed to his Rangers teammate, who struck a long shot. The ball seemingly floated in slow motion towards the right corner, where it is... stopped, thanks to the head of Zidane. France cleared the ball, and the final whistle rang out throughout Old Trafford, breaking Scottish hearts, and sending France into the semi-final. Following the match, McCoist announced his retirement from the national team.

Scotland Fans before the match at Old Trafford

Zinedine Zidane finishes the goal for France

Gordon Durie shows some slight frustration after his opening goal is disallowed

 

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A big story comes from the South Coast, as it is announced that Southampton Football Club has been sold to Swedish billionaire Hans Rausing, giving the club quite a bit of money to throw around. What they will do with that money is to be seen.

 

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Euro 1996 Quarter Finals recap:

England-Spain: With the Wembley crowd at their back, England seek to win and advance to the semi-final. Alan Shearer gets a first half brace to help, and David Platt scores a third in the second half to give the Three Lions a dominant 3-0 win.

Czech Republic-Portugal: Portugal seeks to reach the semis against the Czechs, but Vladimir Smicer makes it 1-0 for the Czech Republic early. Rui Costa answers on the stroke of halftime, and Figo gives them the lead right out of the dressing room. The Czech Republic try their best to respond, but Portugal's defense holds and sends them into the Semi-final.

Germany-Croatia: No need to spend too long on this one. Germany gets two goals in the first 15 minutes from Fredi Bobic and Markus Babbel. Two more in the second half from Jurgen Klinsmann leads to a 4-0 Germany win. Croatia ends their first Euros poorly, but it is a solid debut to reach the knockouts.

 

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Everton Football Club announces that they will be building a new stadium, with said stadium to be built and completed in 1999. It will reportedly include an expanded capacity to about 55,000, and a retractable roof. Goodison Park is reportedly scheduled for demolition in 1998, so Everton will play a part of the 1998-99 season at Prenton Park.

Other news includes the first Bosman transfer. The player involved in the historic deal is Paul Lambert, who leaves Motherwell to join reigning Ligue 1 champions Auxerre.

 

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France-Portugal: This match is the matinee for the England-Germany battle, and France makes sure it won't be a close one. A first half hat-trick from Patrice Loko gives France a 3-0 lead, and a Figo goal doesn't matter, as Les Bleus wins 3-1 and head to the final.

England-Germany: As the two international rivals meet for another tournament, the excitement in Wembley Stadium is palpable. A stalemate is the story of the first few minutes, but Teddy Sheringham fires the first bullet, slipping the ball under Andreas Kopke to give England the lead. Germany attacks a few times, with Mehmet Scholl in particular threatening the English goal, but fails to level the match in the first half. England holds defensively, but grows continuously weary until Thomas Haßler sticks a long shot into the top left corner to even it up. Extra time arrives. England gets the first attack of the period, but Paul Gascoigne hits the crossbar with his shot. Both teams seem to be playing for penalties, but England gets one late corner. The ball gets cleared, but only to Paul Ince, who strikes it on the volley, and sends it past Kopke. 2-1 England, and it's over! England goes to their first international final since 1966. It'll be England-France for the right to be called the best team in Europe.

 

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England and France gear up and arrive at Wembley for the final to Euro 1996. As the game kicks off, England in white and France in blue, cheers and jeers come down on both squads. France kicks off and holds possession, forcing England to settle in defensively. As England finally gets the ball off Vincent Guerin, the French introduce a press system that they have not used in earlier matches, causing the English defense to panic slightly. As David Platt receives the ball, he quickly is pressured by Zidane, and clumsily tries to pass to Gareth Southgate, but Youri Djorkaeff easily intercepts the lazy pass, leaving him through on goal. David Seaman goes out to throw off Djorkaeff, but he has the ball chipped over his head. However, the Frenchman puts a little too much on the ball, and it bounces off the top of the crossbar and out of play for a goal kick. The French pressure continues to fluster England, and Platt makes another mistake, letting a simple back pass go through his legs, and Patrice Loko took it. Platt and Tony Adams get back, but Platt pushes Loko to stop him, and Italian referee Pierluigi Pairetto issues a yellow card to the Arsenal fullback. The free kick is cleared, and England are able to adjust to the pressing by sending more players back to receive passes. Despite the dominance of France, the match is 0-0 at halftime. Coming out of half, England makes a substitution, as Gary Neville enters the game for David Platt. England kicks off the second half, and, as France sends men forward to press, Adams punts the ball down the field to Teddy Sheringham, who fires a long shot from 26 yards out. Thankfully for Les Bleus, Bernard Lama is able to save it onto the crossbar and out. Paul Gascoigne goes to take the corner. The cross lands on the head of Darren Anderton, and he hits it off the left post and in. England have taken the lead! England elect to dig in defensively, quickly setting up a low block. Paul Ince and Stuart Pearce both pick up yellow cards, and three subs are made. England brings on youngster Sol Campbell for Southgate, while Eric Di Meco and Christophe Dugarry join the fray for France, for Alain Roche and Vincent Guerin, respectively. Late in the match, Zinedine Zidane gets one last opportunity, getting a through ball and leaving him one-on-one with Seaman. However, the keeper cements his name in the annals of Euro history, making a miraculous save and punching the ball away. Campbell fires the ball to clear it, and the whistle sounds. England celebrate on the field, and raise the trophy on home soil.

Darren Anderton is mobbed following his eventual winning goal

David Seaman celebrates his incredible save late in the match

England players and fans exhale and rejoice after the final whistle sounds

 

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The transfer window is an exciting time for every football fan. So, I'm gonna go over some of the notable transfers.

To start, we'll discuss Alan Shearer. The Blackburn striker was sought after by several big clubs. Manchester United, Newcastle United, Borussia Dortmund, and Barcelona are among them. Reportedly, Dortmund came in with a 12 million euro bid, starting the bidding war. Manchester United outdid that bid with 13.5 million, but, in the end, Newcastle would be the ones to secure their man, breaking the world transfer record with 15.3 million. Shearer would be heading north.

Next, another big transfer saga came from PSV, with their star man, Ronaldo. Several big clubs seek his signature, including Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Juventus, and Arsenal. A 13 million euro deal would secure him for Juve, and El Fenomeno would head to Turin.

Rivaldo would be another Brazilian in the news, as he would be picked up by Italian side Parma for 3.8 million euros. Rumors spread that he may back out of that deal and go to Deportivo La Coruna, but he stuck around.

Zinedine Zidane would be another notable player who was on the move, with Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Lyon, and Ajax. Man United were pushing for a while to try and get him, offering 3.3 million euros, but AC Milan would swoop in to get the Frenchman, paying Bordeaux 4.1 million euros.

Other notable transfers
Clarence Seedorf: Sampdoria --> Borussia Dortmund
Davor Suker: Sevilla --> Real Madrid
Darren Anderton: Tottenham --> Southampton

Notable academy moves
Arjen Robben: VV Bedum --> SC Heerenveen
Andres Iniesta: Albacete --> Barcelona
Lukas Podolski: FC Köln --> Bayer Leverkusen
Jermaine Defoe: Crystal Palace

 

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Pot 1: Juventus, Borussia Dortmund, PSV Eindhoven, Auxerre
Pot 2: Newcastle United, Atletico Madrid, FC Porto, Club Brugge
Pot 3: Fenerbahce, Rangers, Rosenborg, Rapid Wien
Pot 4: Ferencvaros, Steaua București, Slavia Prague, Legia Warsaw

Group A: Juventus, Club Brugge, Rosenborg, Slavia Prague
Group B: PSV Eindhoven, Atletico Madrid, Rapid Wien, Steaua București
Group C: Auxerre, Newcastle United, Rangers, Ferencvaros
Group D: Borussia Dortmund, FC Porto, Fenerbahce, Legia Warsaw

 

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A few notable loan moves come in before the end of the window:

Michael Owen: Liverpool --> Southend United (One-year loan)
Jamie Carragher: Liverpool --> Motherwell (One-year loan)
Michael Ballack: Chemnitzer FC --> Hamburger SV (One-year loan with 4 million euro option)
Luca Toni: Empoli--> Vanspor (One-year loan)

 

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Group A: The Group A matches for matchday 1 of the Champions League are between Juventus and Club Brugge in Turin, and Rosenborg and Slavia Prague in Prague. Juventus took care of the Belgian champions easily, as Ronaldo would score a brace in the 4-1 win. Meanwhile, Karel Vacha would score an 88th minute winner, giving Slavia a 1-0 victory.

Group B: In Group B, PSV faces Atletico Madrid at the Philips Stadion, and Rapid Wien plays Steaua București in Romania. Atletico would strike early on through a Simeone header, but PSV would respond late thanks to Wim Jonk, securing a 1-1 draw. Rapid Wien win their match 3-0.

Group C: Auxerre plays Newcastle and Rangers meets Ferencvaros. Alan Shearer scores a penalty, and David Ginola would score one of his own for a 2-0 Newcastle win. Rangers and Ferencvaros would play out a dull 0-0 draw.

Group D: Borussia Dortmund goes head to head with Porto, while Fenerbahce meets Legia Warsaw. Clarence Seedorf would score a screamer for Borussia Dortmund in their 1-0 win, and Legia Warsaw also won 1-0 thanks to Cezary Kucharski.

 

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Group A: Group A action features Juventus heading north to face Rosenborg, and Club Brugge hosting Slavia Prague. In Norway, Juve dominates, with Didier Deschamps and Ronaldo scoring in the 2-0 win. Club Brugge and Rosenborg play out a dull 0-0 draw.

Group B: Group B sees PSV travel to Vienna and play Rapid Wien, while Atletico Madrid hosts Steaua Bucuresti in Madrid. PSV collects a tough 1-0 victory thanks to a goal from Vampeta. Meanwhile, Atletico are stunned 2-1 by Steaua București thanks to a last minute winner from Tudorel Zamfirescu.

Group C: Auxerre meets Rangers in Glasgow, while Newcastle plays host to Ferencvaros. Auxerre sweep past the Scottish champions, winning 2-0 thanks to a Paul Lambert brace, while Newcastle beat Ferencvaros 3-1 thanks to two goals from David Ginola and one from Darren Peacock.

Group D: In Group D, Fenerbahce hosts Dortmund, while Legia Warsaw heads to Portugal to play Porto. Dortmund crush Fenerbahce 4-0, with Karl-Heinz Reidle scoring a hat trick, while Porto and Legia Warsaw split the points in a 1-1 draw.