The Spoiler’s Footballing Brothers XI
At least two of these men just missed out
Lots of brothers have graced the football field over the years. Of the current crop, there’s Fabio and Rafael da Silva gearing up to take the world by storm at Man United. Diego and Gabriel Milito. Niko and Robert Kovac. And no one will ever forget the handsome Charlton brothers who used to bring a bit of glitz and glamour to the England dressing room in the 1960s.
Still, none of the above made The Spoiler’s team, which lines up like this:
Goalkeeper, Emmanuel Babayaro – brother of Celestine
Yes, the rather weak link in the line up, frankly here to make up the numbers. Fans of maths will notice that factors of two cannot go into eleven. So Emmanuel makes it on surname terms only, with no place in the eleven for his brother Celestine. It was a case of doing it this way, or forsaking a goalkeeper altogether. Emmanuel, like Celestine, was a member of Nigeria’s Gold Medal winning Olympic side in 1996.
Right Back, Gary Neville – brother of Phil
The elder Neville brother is a rather acquired taste, having taken the role of shop steward for the England team. Still, you can’t argue against the inclusion of a man who has notched up a whopping 85 England caps, and has been a big part of the Man United set up since 1992. The gentlemanly half-beard that he’s taken to wearing still splits the consensus.
Centre Back, Frank De Boer – brother of Ronald
Like his twin brother, Ronald, Frank was once a big player for Ajax, Barcelona, and Rangers. He was known for his magnificent passing from the back, and until Edwin van der Sar pipped him, he was the most capped Dutchman ever, with 112 appearances for the men in orange.
Centre Back, Kolo Toure – brother of Yaya
Were it not for his somewhat strained relationship with William Gallas, a hunch suggests that Kolo Toure might still be hurtling around The Emirates, causing established forwards all manner of fuss. But no, he’s decided to captain Man City instead. He has so far collected 70 Ivory Coast caps.
Left Back, Phil Neville – brother of Gary
No one seems more eager to please than Phil Neville – son of Neville, brother of Gary. You can almost imagine him gathering up the balls at the end of training. Unfortunately, eagerness aside, Neville Junior will be forever remembered for cocking things up against Romania in Euro 2000. Still, him and Gary have notched up a very impressive 31 England starts together. Not to be scoffed at.
Right Midfield, Ronald De Boer – brother of Frank
Ronald didn’t enjoy quite the same joy at Barcelona as his brother Frank – managing to score just one goal in 33 games. He did, however, manage Champions League success with Ajax, as well as an impressive haul of 67 Dutch caps. Which isn’t nearly as kinky as it sounds.
Centre Midfield, Yaya Toure – brother of Kolo
Unlike his brother Kolo, Yaya has managed to win the Champions League playing at the back. He was in the centre of defence for last year’s final. Still with Barcelona for the time being, his agent has compared his influence at the Nou Camp to that of Alonso during his Liverpool days. High praise indeed.
Centre Midfield, Michael Laudrup – brother of Brian
Probably the better of the two Laudrup brothers, Michael was enormously popular at Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid, with both Raul and Romario openly stating that he was one of the greatest players ever. Rather impressively, he never received a red card, and Ronaldinho probably has Michael to thank for that wonderful trick where you look one way and pass the other. That was his trademark.
Left Midfield, Brian Laudrup – brother of Michael
A Rangers legend, Brian Laudrup stacked up 82 caps for Denmark – including a few during their victorious Euro 92 campaign. He was voted the fifth best player of the year in 1992 (when van Basten was considered to be the best), and he even had a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it stint at Chelsea in the very late 1990s. He then replaced his brother at Ajax in 1999.
Forward, Filippo Inzaghi – brother of Simone
The top European goal scorer in AC Milan’s rich history, “Pippo” has notched up loads of appearances for Italy, and even brought out Sir Alex Ferguson’s funnier side, when the manager hilariously said: “Pippo Inzaghi was born in an offside position.” Which doesn’t entirely make sense.
Forward, Simone Inzaghi – brother of Filippo
The lesser-known Inzaghi, Simone hasn’t quite set the stage alight in the manner of his sibling, but he can still boast three international caps, as well as a very impressive four goal haul for Lazio during a Champions League outing against Marseille in 2000.
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