The BROmantic side of the beautiful game.
Hey folks, let’s take a quick look at five of the most beautiful brotherly bonds in football, both past and presently.
5 of Football’s Best Sets of Brothers
The Charltons: Older brother Jack was a fantastic player in his own right; however, Bobby’s brilliance put him on a different level. Quite simply, baby bro Bobby was one of the finest attacking midfielders’ ever to grace English soil. Jack, a gifted defender, dedicated his entire playing career to the once mighty Leeds United. Perhaps more renowned for his managerial capabilities, “Jacko” went on to help the Republic of Ireland, my beloved country, achieve unbelievable success. Leading the Irish for over a decade, Big Jack held the reins from 1986 to 1996. He took the Irish to their first ever major international tournament, the European Championships of 1988. Additionally and most notably, he was the very man who took Ireland to the quarterfinals of the 1990 World Cup. In the 1994 World Cup, Ireland reached the second round, managing to beat Italy in one of the most unforgettable games in the nation’s history, a goal from Ray Houghton will be forever etched in the memories of many an Irish person. I still remember it like it was yesterday, even though I was seven years old at the time.
On the other hand, Bobby was an attacker of enviable talent, playing his best football at Manchester United. An Old Trafford legend, along with George Best and Cristiano Ronaldo, Charlton is one of the best players to have ever played for United. A survivor of the Munich air disaster, Bobby held the club appearance record for absolutely ages (758), it looked like the incredible feat could and would never be surpassed; that is until an ever youthful Ryan Giggs “dethroned” Charlton. Additionally, Sir Bobby notched up 249 goals, a glorious statistic that could be yet beaten by Wayne Rooney, however, it remains to be seen is if Wazza will stay long enough to ever reach this goal, pardon the pun. A certain Jose Mourinho might have a sizable say in this matter.
Jack and Bobby also played pivotal roles in England’s 1966 World Cup success, and Bobby, who was capped an impressive 106 times, bagged an amazing 49 goals. It is public knowledge that Jack and Sir Bobby do not exactly see eye to eye, but there is no denying their contribution to the beautiful game.
The De Boers: Where do you start with the tremendous twins? Amazingly, the twosome played together at five clubs during their career, Ajax, Barca, Rangers, Al-Rayyan, and Al-Shamal. Frank, a defender, and Ronald, a midfielder, were automatic starters for the Dutch national team. Frank was the most talented of the pair, picking up 112 caps at national level, while Ronald was capped 67 times. Since retiring 8 years ago, Frank ventured into club management. Taking the Ajax managerial position back in 2010, the ex defender has won the Eredivisie championship with the “high” flyers from Amsterdam.
The Laudrups: Undoubtedly, The Laudrup brothers are the best attacking duo to ever play for Denmark; and, quite possibly, the finest twosome to ever play European football. No small feat, a decade ago, Michael and Brian were actually named in Pele‘s list of the 125 best footballers alive. Michael, the eldest and most gifted of the pair, recently lost his job as Swansea coach, but, as a player, he was very much the protagonist for so many great clubs, including the mighty Juventus, Barcelona, and Real Madrid. Playing for the likes of Bayern Munich, Rangers, and Ajax, Brian possesses something his brother can never boast– a Euro 1992 winner’s medal with Denmark, a tournament Michael missed due to an infamous disagreement with the coach.
The Nevilles: The brothers who received constant verbal abuse from Liverpool and Man City fans, both Gary and Phil played an essential role in United’s success for so many years. Now a leading pundit with Sky Sports, Gary was capped by England 85 times, and he was undoubtedly one of the most consistent right backs to ever play in the EPL. Loyalty and football do not seem to have a relationship like they once had, and it really is staggering to think that Gary dedicated his entire playing career to United. Gary’s partnership with Beckham on the right side resulted in cross after brilliant cross, unlike the current United side, who managed to cross the ball a staggering 81 times in their recent clash with Fulham, yet only managed a draw with the EPL whipping boys.
Phil, the younger of the two, was an extremely versatile, tireless player. Capped by England 59 times, in 2005, Phil signed for Everton, a club which he captained so admirably. This move came after 263 league appearances for the Red Devils. Hilariously, their father’s name is Neville Neville, a name that supplied a modest amount of verbal ammunition for the ABU (Anyone But United) congregation.
The Toures: Two of Ivory Coast’s greatest ever exports, brothers Kolo and Yaya are renowned for putting in solid performances for some of the world’s biggest clubs. Kolo, previously of Arsenal and Manchester City, now playing for Liverpool, and Yaya, previously of Barcelona, now an integral part of the mighty Manchester City machine, are integral members of the Ivory Coast national side. Interestingly, though far less renowned, Kolo and Yaya have another brother, Ibrahim, who plays professionally.
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