The Obscure Footie Quiz III

Footballing Duos
As usual 13 questions - some easy, some not.

This pair inspired Girondins to their last Ligue 1 title in 1999 - their best domestic finish in the last 20 years.

Named after the British special forces, they led Jack Walker's team to the title in 1995.

Little and large combo who made waves for Real Sociedad for a while at the start of the millenium.

The Soul bruvvas, at the forefront of the last European Treble.

Midfielder and forward duo who brought the title to the Nou Camp 1998.

Joint coaches of Scandinavian National Side for a stint in the mid noughties.

Destructive Iranian striking pair who just missed out on the Asian Nations Cup in 1996.

The Aussie connection under David O'leary at the turn of the century.

Liverpool's defensive duo, now established football analysts in England.

Spurs pair that captured the English footballing imagination at Italia '90.

Italian wingbacks, fullbacks and general defensive dogsbodies who were almost ever presents during Sven's last league title.

Swedish black and white 'lins, who finished third at USA '94.

Finally, this one is a little tricky, and they never played together but are connected with and oddly common fact: Alfe Inge Haaland brutally injured both of them in successive seasons.

The Obscure Footie Quiz II

More Obscure facts - Round II (fight!)

Again, simple stuff really with a few tricky ones thrown in.

There was an unlikely winner of Ligue 1 in 1998. What was more remarkable was that this team was inspired by an unlikely duo who did not feature in that summer's World Cup. The first would have gone but The Czech Republic team missed out. The latter was dropped from the Yugoslavia squad days before the final squad was announced. Name the team and both players.

Name the big Welsh striker sold by Arsene Wenger in his first season. Yes, he used to play for Arsenal.

Name the team that the above player was sold to and name his fellow strike partner, who followed him there a year later.

Milan finished 11th and 10th in 2 turbulent, confused seasons in the mid-late nineties. Right after winning the Scudetto in 1996 they hired a lesser known Uruguayan Manager who lasted barely a month before Sacchi was brought back. Name the unlucky chap.

We all know Patrick Vieira used to play for Milan before being 'rescued' and brought to North London by Arsene Wenger. Which other famous midfield warrior, a contemporary of Vieira's, also languished at Milan around the same time, before going on to flourish elsewhere ?

Staying at Milan, in typical fashion, after 2 barren years, they signed a Manager and 2 players from fellow Serie A team Udinese in 1998. All 3 were crucial as Milan romped to the Scudetto in 1999. Name all three.

Champions' League final 1998, Real beat Juventus by a solitary goal. Who scores it ? Now for extra credit, the same player would miss a crucial, late penalty in the subsequent World Cup in a knockout game with the scores tied 1-1. Name the opposing team.

We all know Arsenal won the Premiership title going unbeaten in 2003-04. But they came very close to achieving that same record when they won the title once before. What year was this and how many games did they lose then ?

Lazio, won the Italian League and Cup double in 2000, but who were the last team before that to win both in the same year in Italy ? Name the team and year.

Staying in Italy, name the unlikely winner of the Copa Italia in 1997.

Juventus won the Champions' League in 1996, Borussia Dortmund won it in 1997. Intriguingly, there were was one player who started both games, and won both. Name him.

Inter came within a whisker of winning the Serie A title in 2001-2002 before losing a tense, tight game on the last day of the season that allowed Juventus, who else, to pip them to the title. Whom did they lose that game to ?

Finally, Basketball player Kobe Bryant of the LA Lakers is a fan of a Serie A team, having grown up there. Name the team. For extra credit, name the position he claims he grew up playing in football.

The Obscure Footie Quiz

The completely obscure yet totally googleable football quiz:

See how many you can get without resorting to research.

A certain Serie A team is (usually) marshalled by two bald/shaven headed players in the middle of the park. Both more attack minded than Everton's duo of Thomas Gravesen and Lee Carsley, it's still a slightly odd occurence in Serie A where players usually like their hair... long. Name the team and players. (Hint - the lesser known one of them is Eugene Corini)

Inter's Hernan Crespo has a namesake playing for a well known La Liga club. He appeared in that clubs' win on the weekend despite only lasting 41 minutes. Name the club and player.

Abdel Kader Keita played for Cote D'Ivoire at Germany 2006. Seydou Keita plays for Sevilla this season. What country does the latter represent ?

Despite the name, Lazio's Christian Manfredini has been capped for a different country in the past. Name the country. (Hint - they were at the World Cup last year)

Jose, Raul, Sergio, Luis. Which two Garcias play for Athletico Madrid ? Bonus - name another Garcia who sometimes plays in goal for another La Liga club.

Athletic Bilbao have a unique and interesting trend with regards to player personnel. All their players must be something in common. What is it ?

At France 98, the only player in Italy's squad not to play for a Serie A team was Christian Vieri. Despite being unpopular and regularly booed, he scored 24 goals in 24 league appearances for them the season before. Name the club.

Parma's Damiano Zenoni and Sampdoria's Christian Zenoni are, you guessed it, twins. What team did the both play for, for a while when they both came to prominence several years ago ?

Christian Vieri, arguably the most successful 'journeyman' striker of all time has of this season, played for 14 different clubs. But how many of them were in Serie A when he played for them ?

Liverpool's Xabi Alonso has a sibling playing in the Premiership. Name him and the team he plays for.

Wales' current manager John Toshack has a penchant for managing Spanish Clubs. Which one did he manage for 3 separate spells?

Portsmouth's Benjani Mwaruwari is from Zimbabwe. Pompey used to have another African player from a country that neigbours Zimbabwe across the Zambezi river. Name the player and the country.

An Ex-Arsenal star and current media pundit for the Premiership had a twin brother who died in a car crash. Name the player. (Hint - he scored the last World Cup goal of the 20th century.)