The Football Faithful’s Advent Calendar – December 21st | OneFootball

It is Day 21 of our football-themed advent calendar and we are simply having a wonderful Christmastime.

As the big day edges ever closer, it’s time to discover more nuggets of festive football information.

The Football Faithful’s Advent Calendar – December 21st

Shirt: 21

Barcelona recognised Luis Enrique’s dedication to the institution when they temporarily retired the number 21 shirt after he left in 2004.

The midfielder had moved from rivals Real Madrid in 1996 but quickly made fans forget about his past allegiance to the enemy.

Enrique had the innate ability to motivate his teammates on the pitch. His authority and influence deservedly earned him the armband at the Camp Nou.

The Spaniard eventually managed the side and guided the Catalans to a La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League treble in 2015.

Due to La Liga rules, Barcelona couldn’t retire the number for longer than two years. The honour of the number was later bestowed upon Lilian Thuram in 2006.

Goal on this Day: Cantona’s Cheeky Chip

Eric Cantona is considered royalty around Old Trafford for moments such as his goal against Sunderland, on this day in 1996.

The enigmatic Frenchman picked up the ball on the halfway line before shrugging off the interest of several Sunderland players.

He strutted up the pitch, before a neat interchange with Brian McClair saw him receive the ball on the edge of the box.

Now, Cantona was an entertainer and he often opted to choose the enchanting option.

With goalkeeper Lionel Perez slightly off his line, ‘King Eric’ delicately chipped the ball over his head before it kissed the post and nestled into the corner.

Like a peacock flaunting its feathers, Cantona stood emotionless as he soaked in the adulation from the United faithful – a moment to savour. The word iconic gets thrown around but it is befitting of that moment of brilliance.

Footballer Born on this Day: Steve Perryman

Happy 73rd birthday to Tottenham’s record appearance maker, Steve Perryman MBE.

The industrious midfielder racked up 854 appearances for the North London club and captained Spurs to FA Cup and UEFA Cup triumphs.

He was one of the leading disciples of the legendary Bill Nicholson who helped mould Perryman into Tottenham’s greatest servant.

He went on to temporarily manage the Lilywhites in a caretaker role in 1994 before having a successful managerial stint in Japan with Shimizu S-Pulse.

The Englishman later served as Exeter City’s Director of Football for 15 years, before briefly coming out of retirement to become a director at MK Dons. Astonishingly, Perryman only made a solitary appearance for his country, against Iceland back in 1982.

Stat: Spain’s Miracle Match against Malta.

Football really is bonkers sometimes.

Back on this day in 1983, the Spanish national side needed to win by an 11-goal margin against Malta to qualify for the European Championship.

After beating Malta 5-0 in their last qualifier, the Netherlands had a one-win cushion over Spain. Crucially, the Oranje had a much superior goal difference to Spain with the Dutch having +16 and Spain just +5.

Miguel Munoz’s side entered their final qualifying match having only scored 12 in their previous seven games. A miracle was needed.

By half-time, Spain had performed admirably but were only 3-1 up in Seville. Only an improbable second half would see them advance to the tournament.

Remarkably, 45 minutes later La Roja had pulled off the phenomenal feat as they ended up beating Malta 12-1! Santillana and Hipólito Rincón each scored four-goal hauls, as Spain pulled off the seemingly impossible. We wonder what the odds would have been before kick-off!

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