The picture of the year? No matter how good or bad football is, it always provides plenty of moments to chose from. But the spirit of 1975 was bad, so let’s go to the circus. NASL, of course. The North American league had to sell fast the sport to ignorant public, so any kind of publicity stunt was employed.
Pele and Joe Namath with unfamiliar balls, designed for different limbs of the body. Who can capture the minds and the wallets of the New Yorkers? The King? Numbers tell the true story: how much was $450 000 a year in football? A whole lot… but that’s silly ‘soccer’. Namath was getting $ 5 000 000 and ‘football’ remained the word for the ‘real’ game. And ‘pigskin’ was the real ball. The circus started in earnest across the Atlantic – for the joy of countless football veterans from Europe and South America: not very demanding and rather funny game, generously paid. Something like Sunday kickabout made old legs wealthy. Real money stayed on the gridiron… and in New York Namath was the King.

Czechoslovakia was visiting Portugal first and the match ended as the English hoped – 1-1 tie. However, the result still preserved the chances of the other competitors too and as far as the Czechoslovakians were concerned – it was convenient result.
After the tough match in Porto, Czechoslvakia had a qualification match for the 1976 Olympics with East Germany. Since the Communist countries used their ‘amateur’ players, same players participated in every possible tournament – at the moment, though, it was inconvenient for CSSR and may be benefiting England: too many games at the same time. Injuries and tiredness were surely to take their tall on the Czechoslvakians.
From left: Pivarnik (5), Viktor (1), Ondrus (4), Gallis (8), Masny (10), Jurkemik (3), Pollak (9), Gogh (2), Moder (6), Nehoda (11), Bicovsky (7).
Almost the same team as against England, but good enough only for 1-1 tie against DDR.
Portugal and England tried their best to keep themselves alive, and, therefore, neither won. They ended 1-1 and Portugal was effectively out – they had one more match, but had no chance to end first. England still had hopes – it was small and desperate one, in the hands – or rather the feet – of lowly Cyprus. The outsiders had to prevent CSSR from winning – a tie was qualifying England on better goal difference, the match was in Nicosia, where Cyprus almost won a point against England… keep fingers cross… England reduced to the mercy of outsiders.
Czechoslovakia won with confidence: 3-0.

CSSR aginst Cyprus at home months ago: from left – Bicovsky, Nehoda, Gaidusek, Panenka, Svehlik, Koubek, J. Capcovic, Masny, Ondrus, Viktor, Pivarnik. Slightly different squad it was than the one beating England, but against Cyprus there was no real need to field the best players. A relative term ‘best’ – CSSR was developing and changes were normal. The home match ended 4-0 and brought the first points for CSSR.
Cyprus was there just to improve others goal difference – CSSR had no problem at their home match. Panenka (above) scored 3 goals and Masny (bellow) one more.
The away match in Nicosia produced one goal less and the last 2 points, catapulting Czechoslovakia to the ¼ finals.
1.CZECHOSLOVAKIA 6 4 1 1 15- 5 9
2.England 6 3 2 1 11- 3 8
3.Portugal 6 2 3 1 5- 7 7
4.Cyprus 6 0 0 6 0-16 0
The bomb dropped: England was failing to reach the final stages of big international tournament for a second time. Once again it was underestimated Eastern European country to eliminate England. Poland was the sensation of the 1974 World Cup, after outwitting England. Was Czechoslovakia to repeat Poland? A new sensation?
At the end of 1975 France Football published its annual classification of national teams – CSSR was number 1 (followed by USSR and Yugoslavia). The state Czechoslovakian information agency CTK also placed the team at first place. The skeptics were not convinced – sure, the Czechoslovaks made a stir, eliminated England, and generally played good football, but did not look like great team. Besides, it was particularly bleak year, with practically everybody underperforming. The truth will be uncovered in 1976, when the real games begin – then the Germans and the Dutch will be in shape and just wait and see: nobody will remember CSSR in a month or two.
The surprise winners of Group 1: Czechoslovakia in quite a different version, fielded in a friendly with Sweden on October 13, 1974. Back then, they won 4-0, but it was just a friendly. Top, left to right: Karol Dobias, Ivan Pekarik, Jozef Capkovic, Jozef Adamec, Anton Ondrus.
Bottom: Marian Masny, Jan Svehlik, Alexander Vencel, Premysl Bicovsky, Pavel Stratil, Vojtech Varadin.
This team did not look very strong in 1974 – a mixture of aging players (Adamec, Stratil, Dobias, J. Capkovic), second-stringers (Vencel, Pekarik), and various young unknowns (Ondrus, Masny, Svehlik, Bicovsky, Varadin). When journalists voted for the Czechoslovakian Player of the Year at the end of 1974 only 4 of the those above made it in the top 10. Dobias was 34th! And most of those guys were still members of the national team at the end of 1975 – true, some were relegated to the substitute bench, but national players nevertheless. How good a team with such players could be in a long run? Not really… Czechoslovakia was expected to exit the European championship at the ¼ finals. Lucky to advance that far, no matter the surprise of winning Group 1 at the expense of England.

A small tremor was felt when England visited Cyprus – it should have been relaxed, almost tourist trip, and between tanning and beers, the mighty guests were to score 5,6,7,8… whatever number they fancied, goals. Instead England struggled and barely won 1-0. Still, they got 2 points and continued to lead, but now the program of the remaining games was an obstacle as well: England was left with two away matches against Czechoslovakia and Portugal. CSSR, after hosting England, was visiting Portugal and lastly Cyprus. Portugal was not out of the race either with three home games. Heavy calculation replaced confidence: suddenly England depended on the results of the opponents and, ideally, had to win both matches on hostile turfs.
England getting ready. Somehow the picture seems prophetic: Don Revie shows the way, the team looks at the opposite direction.
Did not look like terrible when England and Czechoslovakia came on the pitch.
New scipper – Gerry Francis instead of Emelyn Hudges. Dangerous team nevertheless.
CSSR hardly introduced changes. Gogh is listed with wrong number here by mistake –he played with number 2.
Apart from squad photos, nothing went right at first – on October 25, 1975 the match started.
Colin Todd blocking Zdenek Nehoda – or may be not. Hard to see…
From left – Keegan, Pivarnik, McFarland, Masny, Bicovsky, Clarke. Who kicked the ball? Where were these players – in front of the Czechoslovakian net? In front of the English one? Somewhere else? May be in England? The British fog was so thick, the match was abandoned at the 17th minute.
Replay on October 30 in better visability.
And everything goes normal… in the 26th minute Keegan made a cross, Knapp was late, Viktor kind of uncertain, Channon volleyed and the Albion Lions were leading 1-0.
Followed by typically English goal with powerful header… except it was scored by a player with dark shirt. Colin Todd was late and Nehoda equalized – 1-1 in the 45th minute.
The equalizer from another angle – how British a goal can be?
Until Gallis scored another English looking goal 2 minutes later and Clemence was helpless.
Same goal from another angle: Clemence had no chance, Madeley seems a step behind Nehoda, but it was Gallis, hidden behind, to score with a header. 47th minute of the game.
If the Wembley match between England and CSSR was symbolized by the picture of punching Dobson and missing Viktor, now it was different: Francis trying hard, but Viktor trying even harder and winning the ball. And the match at the end.
Final triumph – the happiness of little known Peter Gallis says it all.
Suddenly the ghost of 1973 came alive – was England repeating itself? Nothing was lost yet, but the future was not entirely in English hands either – they had to win their last match in Lisbon. Portugal and CSSR had to end in a tie… which was not up to Don Revie and his players to arrange at all. But winning their last match was up to them.

Then Portugal was scheduled to pay a visit to CSSR. With a point at Wembley, where Czechoslovakia miserably lost 0-3, a tie was expected in Prague.
The new Portugal: front, left to right: Martins, Octavio, Alves, Coelho, Chico.
Standing: Artur, Alhinho, Humberto, Damas, Teixeira, Osvaldinho.
Not a team equal to old Portugal with Eusebio, yet dangerous enough with Humberto and Artur in defense and Alves in midfield. May be not a danger to the English, but to the Czechoslovakians – surely.
Led by Barros and Ondrus the opponents came out on the pitch in Prague. The Portuguese looked fierce, too fierce. Remember, in the 70s the longer the hair and the beard – the classier the player. Ondrus paled next to Barros, the outcome of the match was crystal clear.
CSSR lining up before the home game against Portugal started: left to right: Bicovsky, Nehoda, Gajdusek, Petras, Knapp, Koubek, Jozef Capkovic, Masny, Ondrus, Viktor, Pivarnik – captain. Hardly a great team, with some unknown players like Knapp and Koubek, and some remembered for their fiasco at the 1970 World Cup like Petras. Jumping ahead, the substitutes, replacing Koubek and Knapp during the match were also quite unknown – J. Svoboda and Medvid. Perhaps when these guys grew their hair longer then now, they were to start winning, but not yet…
Five goals later the burly Portuguese, not the Czechoslovakians, were completely destroyed.
Damas winning the air battle with Petras, who once upon a time made the sign of the cross after scoring against Brazil at 1970 World Cup. Back then few players were crossing themselves and surely not those from Communist countries. Now Petras was losing a cross and the representative of a Catholic country was getting the upper hand. But no goalie is a hero after 5 goals in his net:
Petras scoring the 5th.
This picture summarizes the match – supreme Nehoda, desperate Barros and Damas, the ball missed and going in the net, Pivarnik at the back ready to lift hands in triumph and Alhinho looking gloomy next to him.
Alarming victory of CSSR? Well, not really – there was no panic: everything was fulfilling predictions – CSSR and Portugal were to fight among themselves for the second place, neither particularly great, and England having an easier life. May be Portugal was even out of the race already – but England had a confident victory over Czechoslovakia already.

Seven qualifying groups ended as predicted. Even Wales was hardly a surprise, for the group was weak anyway. If anything, qualifications were dull – but, as ever, criticism was shunned – just watch out, in few months everything will be different when the boys start playing for real. The only bomb dropped from Group1. At first it was considered tough group, but the favourite was more or less clear: England. Portugal and Czechoslovakia were able to give a fight, but nothing else. Cyprus did not count of course. Portugal was still rebuilding and judged to be in transition, therefore not ready for a real challenge. Czechoslovakia was under the radar since 1970 – after miserable performance at the 1970 World Cup, CSSR was in a crisis – a whole generation stepped down and there were no strong replacements in sight, at least not to European eye. The country failed to do much in the European Championship 1972, failed to qualify for the World Cup 1974, and on club level the Czechoslovakians were still pleasant to watch – but only to ¼ finals at best, when they were inevitably outclassed. It was expected Czechoslovakia and Portugal to compete for the second place in the group – may be giving trouble to England, but at the end everything would be ‘normal’. England was the likeliest winner – the failure of 1973 was not to be repeated: it appeared that England managed to learn a lesson or two since then, and, most importantly, managed to change generations and build new strong team. One thing was ‘certain’ - England was not going to underestimate the opposition as they did in 1973. And predictions were kind of fulfilled – England played three games at home, before anybody else, and collected 5 points easily: 3-0 with CSSR; 0-0 with Portugal; and 5-0 with Cyprus. The tie with Portugal produced some grumbling, but not real concern – after all, it was expected the opposition to steal a point or two. But look at the record – 8 goals scored and none received! No way England would fail.
Malcolm MacDonald celebrating one of his 5 goals against Cyprus: he was the top scorer of the English 1974-75 season with 27 goals and looked like England found a scoring machine.
Portugal, looking desperate against constant assaults, extracted a point at Wembley – 0-0. Their keeper Damas, sandwiched between menacing Watson and Channon clears the ball, but… Portugal was clearly not able to do more than that. A slip of the English perhaps… but then look at the weather. Excusable mischance, to be amply compensated later – the team was just too strong.
In a way, the picture was telling what was to be: the opponents missing a punch, but not the English, who were to knock down the rest. In reality – the Czechoslovakian goalie Ivo Viktor clears the ball from Dobson. But symbolism so far represented the true situation: Viktor appears desperate, Dobson too strong… England won with confidence 3-0.
So good so far! Clear supremacy, strong team, rich on choices and variations: MacDonald and Dobson were not even real starters, so imagine the wealth of the English pool! They had Kevin Keegan after all!
For many, Keegan was already the best European player. With him England was unstoppable. May be the best was just to cancel the remaining games – what was the point when England was so strong?

The steelier among the iron groups was Group 5: Holland, Poland, and Italy. Finland completed the group, her sole purpose was to donate points and provide comfortable goal differences to the aces. The most exciting teams at the World Cup in 1974, correspondingly finishing with silver and bronze medals. The Italian fiasco at the World Cup did not diminish the aura of the national team – Italians were thought determined to wipe clean the tarnish, but even without the sting from 1974 they were always a predatory team and a favourite. As it turned out, Italy suffered more than a sting – a massive change of mentality was needed, on every level of Italian football. Unfortunately, defensive football proved very difficult to shake – Italian mind was so conditioned by defensive schemes by now, that it was instinctive. And this instinct was never sufficiently erased – Italy plays primarily defensive football to this very day. But it was painfully clear in 1974 that catenaccio was outdated and the brand of losers. Naturally, the first to go was the old coach Feruccio Valcareggi. He was at the helm since 1966, therefore, incapable of atuning his views to the 70s. He was replaced by Fulvio Bernardini and it was under his guidance Italy hit rock bottom. In retrospect it looks like Bernardini was chosen not to rebuilt the national team into modern squad, but rather appointed as the person most suitable to swallow all possible blame: Bernardini was good 15 years older than Valcareggi. Born in 1905, he was 70 years old when accepting to coach the national team. His record was even more alarming than his age – he made both Fiorentina and Bologna champions of Italy, but long ago – Fiorentina in 1956 and Bologna in 1964. The years were telling… those were exactly the times when catenaccio was taking shape and was ‘the modern way to play’. Bernardini was hardly the coach to change anything and he also had plenty of players with mega-reputations and deeply embedded old habits, who were difficult to replace even if the coach wanted to. Unlike West Germans stars, the Italian ones were not eager to quit the national team. The coach himself was reluctant to ignore them - it was not easy to retire Mazzola, Rivera, Fascetti, Riva, even for a coach willing to do so, but Bernardini was not very willing to begin with. Yet, there were constant attempts to refresh the squad, to introduce new players, in the hope that some less known and younger players would be naturally inclined to play more open game, if not genuine total football. New players were constant failure – everybody in Italy was conditioned to defensive game and the new boys were just paler copies of the big old stars. Experiments led to nothing and Italy finished measly 3rd in the group, scoring astonishing number of goals – a whole lot of three in six games! They were tough to beat as ever, but proved to be only that. Italy was not even able to win over Finland at home – the 0-0 tie provided the outsiders their only point.
This left only Holland and Poland as real contenders, providing they were able to break the Italian walls, and the Dutch had the edge, despite the fact they had new coach. Like Holland, Poland depended on limited number of great players. Similarly, both countries essentially preserved the same squads and same tactics after the World Cup. And at that similarities ended – unlike Holland, Polish stars were not concentrated in 3 clubs, but scattered in many. Unlike the Dutch, who were playing together weak after weak and thus were able to maintain strong form, Polish stars were most often surrounded with weaker teammates and lacking collective boost, they had difficulty to stay in top condition. Dutch coaches had it easier, for the main starters hardly needed a lot of training – the concern was rather tactical: which combination of players was best for a specific opponent. Everybody was familiar with everybody else and there was hardly any problem with execution. In Poland the national team had to be trained and shaped, especially when new players were included. But Kazimierz Gorski was working with the national team for a long time and made it more like a club squad already – the trouble was aging on one hand and players allowed to play abroad. So far, Polish football was officially ‘amateur’ and on top of that export was done in almost clandestine manner, so foreign based professionals were automatically out of the national team. In 1975 this became a bit of a problem, for Lubanski was permitted to play in Belgium and Gadocha nd Marks – in France. Given the limited pool, this was severe loss – three strikers were difficult to replace. On the brighter side Polish players were more than willing for the national team, if only to get a chance to go abroad, and under Communist conditions scandals and open rebellions were impossible. The Dutch had no problem calling foreign-based stars like Cruyff, Neeskens, Rensenbrink, but there was problem with stubbornly opinionated and pig-headed players. Frequently Dutch stars refused to play because of disagreements, or boycotting the coach, or teammates. Frequently there was no reason at all – a player just did not think important certain match or preferred to stay home instead of going to a national team camp. Private matters played a large role – Cruyff disliked van Beveren and for this reason alone Holland had no decent goalkeeper for years. Coaching itself was becoming laughable: Rinus Michels returned to Barcelona after the World Cup ended and new coach was hired. It was amusing choice – George Knobel. George, or Georges Knobel was freshly fired from Ajax, where he effectively managed to destroy a great team in less than an year. This dubious achievement was awarded with appointment to coach the national team – where the largest bulk was Ajax players, not to mention Cruyff and his long memory. It was Knobel, who asked Ajax players to vote for a captain of the team – and they voted for Keiser, not for Cruyff (he was still there at the time). And what kinf of coach was Knobel anyway? He came to Ajax from nowhere and sunk it. Leaping a bit ahead, Knobel’s career was practically one year in Ajax and two years with the national team. After 1976 he disappeared, coaching in Hong Kong and Malaysia. Hardly a gifted specialist, judging by his career… and his contribution to Holland was more than suspect. He inherited an improvised by Michels squad and changed absolutely nothing. For instance, Hulshof and Gerrit Muhren, who missed the World Cup because of injuries, were healthy now, but neither was ever called back. Van Beveren was not recalled either, although Knobel got rid of pathetic goalie Youngbloed and Schrijvers, reduced to substitute by Michels, was first choice again.
It was goalkeeping and central defense in need of shaping, but Knobel simply kept whatever Muchels concocted out of sheer lack of players. A good deal of players was aging too and here the small pool of talent made the final decisions: youngsters were constantly tried, but old legs were better at the end. Apart from bigger number of PSV Eindhoven players, no changes were made by Knobel neither tactical, nor in selection. And it was the familiar names from Ajax and Feyenoord at the end, for apart from the van der Kerkhof twins no PSV players really gained regular spot in the team. The brothers were rather ominous addition, though – they were not artistic, but rather German kind of players, and they were eventually to shape Holland into a lesser copy of West Germany circa 1978: physical fighters with lots of strength and very short of improvisation, invention, and beauty.
At the end of the day, Holland had slightly larger and better core of stars than Poland and also the real edge – Cruyff. He was often ‘unavailable’ – meaning, he decided which games to play and which to skip, but having even the possibility of Cruyff playing was an advantage – guessing was a trouble for the opposition.
1.NETHERLANDS 6 4 0 2 14- 8 8
2.Poland 6 3 2 1 9- 5 8
3.Italy 6 2 3 1 3- 3 7
4.Finland 6 0 1 5 3-13 1
At the end Holland advance on better goal difference, which was not much to say for the team, given the mediocrity of Italy and relatively weaker than 1974 Poland.
George Knobel destroyed burly looking Ajax before joining the same players in the national team. Perhaps the luckiest mediocrity he was – and double lucky, for Holland managed to qualify. What was his contribution, though?
Johann Cruyff against Finland in Helsinki. Holland won 3-1 and probably more than ever Cruyff was the real maker and shaker of the Dutch. Still using number 14 and surely having the last word.

So far, five easy qualifying groups, the easiest of them all almost ending with surpise elimination of the world champions. Three groups were taugh, however, and therefore – unpredictable. Group 4 was the least interesting among them – Spain, Scotland, Romania, and Denmark. The Danes were the outsider, no problem – they were envisioned to finish last and they did not disappoint. The rest were seen more or less equal – not really great and with many troubles. The Scots pleased everybody at the World Cup in 1974, but they had scoring difficulties and tended to underperform against weaker opponents. Spain and Romania both missed the World Cup finals and were deep in their own crisis – Romania in transformation; Spain routinely by now failing to advance. It was to be a Russian roulette – much depending on chance, on momentary form, on matches with Denmark, and very likely on goal difference. It was expected to be nasty, unexciting fight for the first spot. And it was – most matches ended tied. Wins were collected from the fixtures with Denmark and nobody shined. Spain and Romania did not lose a single game, but Romania finished 5 of their 6 group matches in draws. Scoring was not the forte of any team. The decisive match was probably played in Glasgow, where Spain clinched 2-1 win over Scotland. The rest of the games between the favourites were ties and Denmark collected their single point at home against Romania. Which at the end moved Spain to ¼ finals. Scotland was true to predictions – even if they did not lose at home to Spain, the Scots were not going to progress for they scored as low as expected. Only a home win against Spain would have qualify them.
1.SPAIN 6 3 3 0 10- 6 9
2.Romania 6 1 5 0 11- 6 7
3.Scotland 6 2 3 1 8- 6 7
4.Denmark 6 0 1 5 3-14 1
Spain, visiting Romania on 16 October, 1975: top, left to right: Sol, Benito, Miguel Angel, Pirri, Camacho, Migueli.
Bottom: Quini, Villar, Santillana, Del Bosque, Rojo I (or Chechu Rojo – he was listed by either name).
Looking grim and determined fighters – exactly what they were. A mean squad, capable of extracting a point in Bucharest – 2-2. Not exciting at all – Santillana excepted. Pirri, Camacho, and Del Bosque were surely top guns, but as a whole a game-killing squad and it was difficult to imagine another, more playful one. Villar, Rojo, Benito, Miguel Angel were perhaps the best representation of Spanish football – tough players, not at all great, and easily replaceable with countless others of the same mold. Which at the end was liability, for seemingly Spain was lacking enough truly outstanding players. Even the goalscoring machine Quini was largely a fighter, easily lapsing into dirty tricks and time-wasting and entirely forgetting that there was a net at the other end of the pitch. Going ahead, but unlikely very far.