5 football stories that would make great movies

football stories that would make great movies

#1 The African who conquered Europe: Didier Drogba

The Chelsea legend relocated from Ivory Coast to France at a very young age to live with his uncle who was a professional footballer. A young Drogba had trouble adjusting to new surroundings and he only played football part time and didn’t attend any football academy like most players today.

#2 Football! Bloody Hell: Manchester United's Champions League triumph in 1999

Sir Alex Ferguson transformed Manchester United into a supreme power in English football after taking over the club reins in 1986. United were winning league titles for fun since the start of the Premier League era and in 1998/99, they won the Premier League and the FA Cup. At this point United were already through to the final of the Champions League after beating Juventus in the semi-final in a dramatic game. And a win over Bayern Munich in the final would give them a rare treble.

#3 The Prince of Barcelona: Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi was born in Rosario, Argentina to parents Jorge Horacio Messi, a factory steel worker and Celia Maria Cuccittini, a part time cleaner. He started playing football at the age of five for a local club coached by his father.

In 1995, he moved to Newell’s Old Boys and was part of the youth team that lost just one game in four years. But at the age of 11, he was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency. Argentine club River Plate were interested in signing Messi, but were unwilling to pay for his treatment which cost $900 a month.

#4 In search of love: Luis Suarez

The highlight of Luis Suarez’s childhood was his poverty. His mother scrubbed floors and his father abandoned them. Suarez, who was entering his teenage years, started skipping practice, drinking and staying out late and his coach had to often drag him from his home for practice.

Then at the age of 15, he met a girl. Her name was Sofia Balbi. Her family lived a comfortable life, while Suarez on the other hand worked as a street sweeper and during his shift he would pick up coins to take her out. Sofia’s family took Luis into their home. She made Suarez work harder; she made him realize that his laziness was the reason why he was struggling. In her family, Suarez finally found something he had never felt before: a sense of belonging.

#5 Miracle of Istanbul: Liverpool’s Champions League triumph in 2005

Liverpool came into the 2004/05 season having lost their star striker Michael Owen to Real Madrid and having appointed a new manager in Rafael Benitez.

The Reds didn’t have an easy road to the final of the Champions League that season. On the day of the final group stage game against Olympiakos, the Reds needed to win by a margin of two goals or more to progress to the knockout stage. Liverpool went behind in the first half and then struggled to take the lead in the game, but eventually they took a 2-1 lead in the 81st minute, but still needed another goal to qualify. With just minutes left on the clock, Steven Gerrard scored a spectacular goal to seal the deal.