#four four two

The One Direction star has two principal loves: Ronaldinho and James Coppinger

FOUR FOUR TWO, MARCH 2023 (by PAUL WILKES)

Which was the first match that you ever went to?

I actually got into football quite late, when I started playing at around 11. There were a few Manchester United fans in the family, so the first match I ever went to was an unbelievable first game: the FA Cup fifth round tie against Arsenal in February 2003 - the match when Sir Alex Ferguson kicked the boot and hit David Beckham! My best memories come from Doncaster, who are the only club I support now. We had a fantastic League Cup run in 2005 - we beat Manchester City on penalties, then beat Aston Villa 3-0 and lost to Arsenal on penalties in the quarter-finals. That was my first real low as a football fan. I can remember walking back home absolutely gutted.

Who was your childhood hero and did you ever meet them?

James Coppinger is my club hero - he played at every level and really played for the badge. Everyone in Donny loves him and he’s a great bloke too. After I got into One Direction, I was lucky to meet him and played alongside him a couple of times in charity games. As a fan growing up watching him, that was amazing l. The best person I’ve ever met in football was Pele. I met him about four or five years ago and it was incredible - he had all these stories and we spoke for ages. He was lovely.

What has been your finest moment playing football?

I played in Soccer Aid and Ronaldinho tried to nutmeg me. I was all over his shirt, giving him no respect, and I just managed to nick the ball off him! There's a sick picture that I've seen of it.

The other moment was when I was about 15. I started as a centre-back, but didn’t grow any taller so moved across to right-back, and scored the only Sunday League goal I ever scored. I’ll never forget it.

What do you like most about going to the match?

The whole atmosphere, that magic. When you have those experiences as a young lad, there’s an element of nostalgia each time you go into a football stadium.

Which players do you admire even though they’ve never played for your club?

As some of my family supported Manchester United, I was never allowed to like Thierry Henry, but those grudge matches against Arsenal were amazing. He was a serious player.

Where’s the best place you’ve ever watched a game?

The Bernabeu - it was Neymar’s first ever Clasico for Barcelona against Real Madrid, which is pretty special. It’s one of the bucket list fixtures to go to. When I was young, Doncaster signed me as a reserve player and I went to a pre-season training camp in Portugal. As a supporter of the club, that’s not something you’re normally privy to, so watching how the squad trained and prepared was fascinating.

A few years ago, you filmed a music video with Bebe Rexha on the pitch at Keepmoat Stadium. What was that like?

It was really important for me and my career. The reason I’m sat here today is because of Doncaster - it’s played a huge role. It’s who I am as a person and it’s what I write songs about. The fact that we were able to film the video at the Keepmoat, where I’ve spent many days and evenings, made it so special. It felt appropriate.

What’s your favourite football book?

It’s not a book, but FourFourTwo! I used to subscribe when I was younger. I’m not a big reader otherwise. I should be, but I’m not.

What’s been your worst experience at a game?

I was playing in a charity match at Celtic Park. I got the ball and turned to my right, then Gobby Agbonkhor come through the back of me and I tore my medial ligament. A combination of the impact and me being very unfit meant I ended up throwing up all over Celtic's stodium, which I know will please a lot of Rangers supporters.

Have any footballers been to a gig?

Paul Pogba came to a One Direction show once, that's the one that stands out - he was really sound. I won’t lie, I don’t think many footballers listen to One Direction songs.

What’s the strangest place you’ve ever met a footballer?

I was in this bar in South America and, purely by chance, Bryan Robson was there with a few friends. He was a bit drunk. We went straight over and he was nice, but it was one of those times where you think, “What is he doing here?!” [Laughs]

What’s the greatest goal you’ve ever seen live?

I was at Zlatan Ibrahimovic's debut for the LA Galaxy, because I spend some time over in Los Angeles. The LAFC keeper launched the ball upfield and it was cleared back to Zlatan about forty yards out. He watched it bounce and then smashed it over the keeper’s head - an unbelievable goal. I love him - I like a bit of s**thousery in my footballers, and he's always had that.

Who’s your current favourite player?

The obvious answer is Erling Haaland, because any fan seeing him rack up the goals this season has been totally in awe. Even if you support Manchester United, you watch him and think he's superb. But for me, Jude Bellingham. I’m so excited by Jude - he's been in brilliant form this season, even before the World Cup.

If you could drop yourself into your all-time five-a-side team, who would you be playing next to?

Well, I play at the back, so I want me and Rio Ferdinand. I'd pick Edwin van der Sar, he was a top keeper in his day, then in midfield I'd have Ronaldinho - I grew up loving his football. Up front, I'll go for Cristiano Ronaldo.

What’s the most important piece of memorabilia that you have?

I had a Doncaster home shirt as a kid that I associate with growing up. A few years ago, I bought the same shirt in my current size - it's special to me, and when I met Pele I asked him to sign it. That was the pinnacle.

[Thanks to TeamLouisMedia for the HD photo.]

1. Roberto Baggio

One of the most talented footballers of all time, Baggio’s creativity, vision, unpredictability, and technical skills made him the archetypal trequartista and arguably Italy’s most beloved player ever.

The ability of the Buddhist star nicknamed the ‘Divine Ponytail’ was such that there were riots in the streets of Florence following his move from Fiorentina to Juventus in 1990, but he went on to win the Ballon d’Or – as well as Serie A, Coppa Italia and UEFA Cup titles – while in Turin.

Baggio’s list of honours doesn’t do credit to the quality of the player. He finished his career with just two Serie A titles to his name, while his international career is unfairly blemished in the memories of many by the decisive penalty he missed in the 1994 World Cup final – a game the Azzurri would never have made it to in the first place, were it not for Baggio's creative genius.

Still, Baggio remains Italy’s joint-fourth top scorer of all time and the Italian FA left no doubt about the regard he’s held in by making him the very first inductee to the Italian Hall of Fame in 2011.

2. Paolo Maldini

One of the greatest defenders of all time, Maldini is synonymous with a glorious era of success for AC Milan, where he spent his entire 25-year-long playing career.

A roaming, technically gifted left-back who later evolved into an intelligent and composed centre-back, the elegant Italian helped the Rossoneri win 25 trophies including five European Cup/Champions Leagues and seven Serie A crowns.

He also had remarkable longevity, playing until the age of 41, while he played at four World Cups – although he retired before the Azzurri’s 2006 triumph and never won a major honour with his country.

Maldini remains the outfield player with the most appearances in Serie A on 647, and his reliance on timing and reading of the game rather than aggression and physicality made him stand out.

As he famously once quipped: “If I have to make a tackle, then I’ve already made a mistake”.

3. Gianluigi Buffon

Buffon’s name will always come up in debates about who is the best goalkeeper of all time – and for good reason.

Since making a stunning breakthrough for Parma as an eye-bogglingly agile teenager in 1995, he won almost every major honour imaginable – with the notable exception of the Champions League.

Juventus made Buffon the most expensive goalkeeper ever by paying €52m for him in 2001, but that proved to be outstanding value; he won a record 12 Serie A goalkeeper of the year awards and 10 league crowns in Turin, and holds the league appearance record.

Buffon won the Golden Glove after keeping a record five clean sheets as Italy were crowned world champions in 2006, and his remarkable longevity – he’s now at Parma in Serie B – has been largely down to his ability to adapt his game, relying less on the explosive agility that used to mark him out, and more on world-class positioning and reading of the game.

4. Gianni Rivera

Nicknamed the ‘Golden Boy’, Rivera’s stardom started young. The playmaker’s first goal for Milan was a winner in a 4-3 victory over Juventus aged just 17, and the fleet-footed fantasista never looked back, becoming one of the most iconic players to ever pull on a number 10 shirt.

The outstanding natural ability of the attacking midfielder soon made him a key player at San Siro, as he led the Rossoneri to three Serie A titles and two European Cups, forming a close bond with coach Nereo Rocco, who described him as a “genius”, and winning the Ballon d’Or in 1969 after inspiring Milan to European glory with a virtuoso display in a 4-1 final victory over Johan Cruyff’s Ajax.

Rivera’s passing and vision are the stuff of calcio folklore, largely thanks to his success with the national team too.

He made his senior Azzurri debut aged 17 and went to four World Cups, scoring the winner in the famous 1970 epic semi-final against Germany, as well as winning the 1968 European Championship – although he heartbreakingly missed the final against Yugoslavia after picking up an injury in the semis.

5. Giuseppe Meazza

Meazza was so good, they named Italy’s most iconic stadium after him. It might be better known as San Siro, after the surrounding area, but the ground’s official moniker pays homage to a double World Cup-winning superstar who represented both of Milan’s big clubs.

That said, Meazza certainly achieved far more in the blue and black of Inter. Milan famously rejected Meazza when he was a child due to his slight frame, and it turned out to be a costly error.

The Nerazzurri snapped him up, and the boy who grew up playing with a rag ball on the Lombard city’s streets became one of the most prolific strikers in Serie A history, winning three titles and three capocannoniere crowns.

However, it was Meazza’s feat in Azzurri blue that earned him true legend status. The striker is one of just three players, along with Giovanni Ferrari and Eraldo Monzeglio, to win two World Cups, winning the Golden Ball at the 1934 victory on home turf and captaining his country to a successful defence four years later.

6. Francesco Totti

The Roma legend never earned the silverware that his talent deserved, but Totti’s decision to remain a one-club man made him a legend in the Eternal City.

Totti could do things with the ball that others wouldn’t even dream of, and his ability to create and score goals was unmatched in his heyday; the Roman ended his career in 2017 as the second-top scorer in Serie A history with 250 goals.

He was also crucial to Italy’s 2006 World Cup success, playing every match despite pre-tournament fitness concerns and scoring a crucial penalty to beat Australia in the last 16, before eventually finishing as the tournament’s joint-top assist provider on four, level with Argentina’s Juan Roman Riquelme.

7. Franco Baresi

Baresi made his Milan debut aged 17 and would stay at the club for the remainder of his 20-year long career, winning every major honour on offer.

The centre-back was an irreplaceable part of Arrigo Sacchi and Fabio Capello's great sides of the 1990s, forming one of the greatest defences of all time alongside Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurta and Mauro Tassotti.

Baresi was runner up for the Ballon d’Or in 1989, behind team-mate Marco van Basten, after captaining the Rossoneri to back-to-back European Cup successes, and he went on to win three straight Serie A crowns between 1991 and 1994 out of a career total six, with Milan's rock at the back helping them concede just 15 goals in 1993/94.

Although he failed to win any international honours, coming closest when he missed a spot kick in the 1994 World Cup final against Brazil, the Italian is remembered as one of the greatest centre-backs ever due to his combination of physical, technical and mental attributes, as well as his leadership and intelligence.

8. Andrea Pirlo

One of the best proponents of the deep-lying midfielder role that the game has ever seen. Pirlo oozed class and possessed a staggering coolness and composure in possession, not to mention the vision and technique to unlock defences or send dipping free-kicks over walls.

Pirlo started off as an attacking midfielder, playing alongside the great Roberto Baggio at Brescia in his younger years, but it was his spell at AC Milan that propelled him into Europe’s elite.

Two Champions League and two Serie A titles came at San Siro, and another four league crowns later at Juventus, as well as a 2006 World Cup winner’s medal.

The midfield maestro’s ability on the ball was perhaps best put by Juve great Zbigniew Boniek: “To pass the ball to Pirlo is like hiding it in a safe”, he said.

9. Dino Zoff

Like a fine wine, Zoff’s achievements got better with age. The Italian goalkeeping great won his first and only World Cup aged 40 in 1982, the oldest player ever to do so, earning the goalkeeper of the tournament award in the process.

It was his second major international honour of a remarkable career, after clinching the 1968 European Championship, and Zoff was no less successful at club level, winning six Scudetti, two Coppa Italias and the UEFA Cup at Juventus.

One of the finest keepers ever to pull on a pair of gloves, Zoff was only ranked behind Lev Yashin and Gordon Banks when the International Federation of Football History & Statistics named their greatest goalkeepers of the 21st century, while he was elected as Italy’s outstanding player of the past 50 years for UEFA’s Jubilee Awards in 2004.

10. Alessandro Del Piero

Legendary inter-war striker Silvio Piola is the only Italian to have scored more goals than Del Piero’s 346, while the striker is the Juventus record holder for goals (290) and appearances (705).

But forget the numbers. It was Del Piero’s remarkable technical gifts, his eye for spectacular goals and his free-kick prowess that established him as one of his country’s greatest-ever attackers, not just his outstanding rate of return.

Del Piero was instrumental to Juve’s last Champions League win in 1996, scoring six goals on that run, and he also helped the Old Lady claim six league titles.

But perhaps the climax of his career came when he scored in Italy's second in a 2-0 semi-final win over Germany in the 2006 World Cup (above), before converting a spot-kick in the final shoot-out against France.

Andreas Christensen scores with a magnificent strike, 79th minute:

45 minutes after the match, during which both ESPN channels kept telling me they were unavailable:

Brother: Fucking Christensen. Why not do that for us?

Me: DID HE SCORE?! NO WONDER ESPN KEPT TELLING ME IT WAS UNAVAILABLE. IT DID NOT WANT ME TO SEE CHRISTENSEN SCORE.

Brother: Not only did he score but it is fucking amazing.

Me: This is the worst. I cannot believe I missed a Christensen goal and it was a screamer. And Four Four Two's video of the link is not available in my area. This is a conspiracy. Oh, NOW ESPN works.