The Greatest Playmakers of the 1990s
No.1 Michael Laudrup
Clubs in the 1990s:
No.3 Gheorghe Hagi
Outisde of Argentina, there have been plenty of players who have been labelled as the alternative Maradonas, but Hagi, as the "Maradona of the Carpathians", is probably the most famous, and the most fitting.
Whilst he would shine brightly at a global level in the 1990s he would also light up the 1980s with some phenomenal performances for both club and country, most notably in the Steaua Bucuresti team that would become a feared opponent in Europe for the continent's wealthy and established elite clubs. They'd famously won the European Cup against the odds in 1986 when they beat Terry Venables Barcelona side on penalties. In the 1988-89 season they were at it again, romping through the rounds with goals flying in, Hagi scoring six goals in the eight games that lead up to the final, whilst team-mates Marius Lacatus and Ilie Dumitrescu also contributed eleven goals between them. It was this run to the final that really elevated Hagi to the attention of fans and media across Europe. Unfortunately, in the final, Hagi and Steaua came up against a Milan side that was at the very peak of its form, a team that had demolished Real Madrid 6:1 in the semi-finals, so a 4:0 defeat at the Camp Nou was a disappointing end to their European campaign.
Clubs in the 1990s:
No.4 Dragan Stojkovic
One of those great players who never truly got to fulfil his talent because of injury problems. The 80s saw him making a real name for himself in the then Yugoslavia as one of Europe's brightest prospects, first with Radniski and then Red Star. As well as triumphing on the domestic scene Stojkovic was in great form on European nights. In 1987 they were desperately unlucky to go out to Real Madrid, and then 2 years later Stojkovic gave Milan the fright of their lives, losing on penalties after two 1:1 matches. As Milan cruised through rest of tournament who knows if Stojkovic could have lifted trophy if penalties had gone their way. Beautiful footballer, always looking to create, always demanding ball. Stojkovic was a great leader too, which is not always the case with playmakers. The 1990s would see him really suffer with injuries but he still produced great moments of pure magic, such as his sublime goals at Italia '90.
Clubs in the 1990s:
No.4 Bernd Schuster
Clubs in the 1990s:
No.5 Jay-Jay Okocha
If you were going to name the Greatest African footballer on talent alone, then Jay-Jay Okocha would probably be number one in the list. The Nigerian midfielder was outragously talented, right up there with the likes of Ronaldinho when it came to producing moments of magic with the ball that seemed to defy belief However, despite his talent Okacha never actually won the African Footballer of the Year Award and his list of honours is disappointingly thin, but one thing's for sure - Jay-Jay Okocha will be remembered by football fans across the globe for the sheer joy he brought to everyone who witnessed his incredible skills.
On Jay-Jay Okocha's birthday, a reminder of the time he robbed Oliver Kahn and the entire Karlsruhe defence of their dignity.
— A Funny Old Game (@sid_lambert) August 14, 2021
Have a heart, pal. Those men had families.pic.twitter.com/QqfsqwYogp
No.6 Abédi Pelé
Fantastic attacking midfielder who really came to prominence in the early 1990s as part of that exciting Marseille team who wowed fans across France and Europe with their swashbuckling brand of football. Making up Le Trio Magique alongside Jean-Pierre Papin and Chris Waddle, Abédi Pelé would be the only one of the three still at the club when it won the inaugural Champions League in 1993.
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