Silver Age - Center Backs
Jonquet - In the new Stade Auguste Delaune in Reims, Jonquet, nicknamed the "hero of Highbury" in memory of a Homeric draw against England in 1951, has a stand named after him...
During the 1958 World Cup, Robert Jonquet had made his mark in the semi-final against Brazil during which he had been forced to stay on the pitch while suffering from a double fracture of the fibula following a tackle by the Brazilian Vava. After having undergone an infiltration of novocaine on the sidelines, he had to return to the pitch, the regulations of the time not providing for the replacement of players. Specialists had considered that this injury had prevented the French eleven from playing their luck in this game that Brazil had won by a score of 5 goals to 2.
Santamaria - Comparing Di Stefano and Cristiano Ronaldo: Alfredo was one hundred percent hard-working, while Cristiano is a born goalscorer. Besides, they were such different times… We used to play on muddy pitches and now they have carpets, the ball weighed a ton if it was raining. If the goalkeepers didn't take the goal kick because they couldn't reach the centre of the field!
"There was little time left for the 1950 World Cup and I had been called up, but a coach, Enrique Fernandez, came to Nacional from Barcelona. He changed me from midfield to centre-back because we had run out of players. And he made me tell the national team coach (Juancito Lopez), that I was staying on the team, without going to the World Cup, to train in my new position. Of course, I was left hanging, but I recovered. The day after winning the World Cup, we went to celebrate with my wife in the streets of Montevideo."
Afterwards, Jose played in two World Cups: in 1954 with Uruguay and in 1962 with Spain.
​
Schnellinger - "Carlo" "Hammer" was the German of Milan and for Milan. For the public who began to identify him as one of their own, someone to always count on. He remained the only example of a German of Milan and Italy, despite the famous goal in Mexico City that triggered the historic 4-3 between Italy and Germany. That famous split, in fact, earned him the label of noble and proud warrior, faithful to the national flag of Germany as well as that of the Rossoneri Club. Gifted with great determination, exalted in the tackles, of physical strength put at the service of the class, Schnellinger was never considered a "bad guy". When he lost his full-back shine, Carletto invented himself as a libero. Only to a German like that could Milan entrust the defense of its strongbox."
He had never scored for Milan but that day, when there were just a few seconds left in regulation time and Italy was leading 1-0, he decided to interrupt that tradition. All Italians jumped on their seats, many Milan fans were incredulous. But the iron German was only doing his duty: playing well and making his national team win. But today everyone remembers him with more affection, after all it was also thanks to him that that challenge between Italy and Germany went down in history. And when he returned to Italy he continued to diligently carry out his task, as if nothing had happened. Indeed, he responded almost annoyed to journalists' questions about that match, about the emotions he had felt. "I was just doing my job", he always answered.
