1997 in football (soccer)
Encyclopedia
The following are the football (soccer)
events of the year 1997 throughout the world.
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
events of the year 1997 throughout the world.
Events
- January 1 – Manager Leo BeenhakkerLeo BeenhakkerLeo Beenhakker is an international Dutch football coach, who is the current Sports Director of Újpest FC.- Coaching career :...
is named technical director at Dutch club Vitesse ArnhemVitesse ArnhemStichting Betaald Voetbal Vitesse is a Dutch football club from Arnhem, which was founded on 14 May 1892. Vitesse has had considerable success in the Eredivisie, and featured in the UEFA Cup competition, but has never been considered a close competitor of the top three clubs of Netherlands...
and replaced as a manager by Sparta RotterdamSparta RotterdamSparta Rotterdam is the oldest professional football team in the Netherlands, established on April 1, 1888. Sparta is one of three professional football clubs from Rotterdam, the others being Excelsior and Feyenoord , the latter playing in the Eredivisie.-History:Sparta was first founded in 1887....
head coach Henk ten CateHenk ten CateHenk ten Cate is a Dutch football manager and a former professional player.In the 2005–06 season, he was the assistant of Frank Rijkaard at Barcelona that guided the team to a Champions League Trophy and La Liga title...
. - Copa Libertadores 1997Copa Libertadores 1997The 1997 edition of Copa Libertadores was won by Cruzeiro, of Brazil, after defeating Sporting Cristal of Peru in the final. The Brazilian team has also won the tournament in 1976.-Group 1:-Group 2:-Group 3:-Group 4:-Group 5:-Bracket:...
: is won by CruzeiroCruzeiro Esporte ClubeCruzeiro Esporte Clube is a Brazilian football team, from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Internacional. Founded on January 2, 1921, they are only one of three clubs to have participated in...
after defeating Sporting CristalSporting CristalClub Sporting Cristal is a Peruvian football team. Based in the Rímac District, in the department of Lima, it plays in the professional league known as the Peruvian First Division. Founded on November 16, 1926 in the Rimac District given its approval to the merger and Snuff Sporting merging with...
on an aggregate score of 1–0. - Scottish CupScottish CupThe Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
: Kilmarnock FC beats FalkirkFalkirkFalkirk is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley, almost midway between the two most populous cities of Scotland; north-west of Edinburgh and north-east of Glasgow....
1–0. - February 25 – Manager Hans WesterhofHans WesterhofHans Westerhof is a Dutch football coach and currently technical director at Pachuca.As a player, Westerhof played for BV Veendam and BVO Cambuur of the Dutch First Division...
is sacked by FC Groningen. - April 30 – Striker Boudewijn Zenden from PSV Eindhoven plays his first international match for the Netherlands national football teamNetherlands national football teamThe Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
, when Holland defeats San Marino 6–0 in Serravalle. - May 17 – ChelseaChelsea F.C.Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
wins the FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
by defeating MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough F.C.Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
2–0. - May 18 – Eric CantonaEric CantonaEric Daniel Pierre Cantona is a French actor and former French international footballer. He played for Auxerre, Martigues, Marseille, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Nîmes and Leeds United before ending his professional footballing career at Manchester United, where he won four Premier League titles in...
, the famous and controversial French footballer in the PremiershipFA Premier LeagueThe Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
, announces his retirement from football. - June 29 – BrazilBrazil national football teamThe Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
wins the 2007 Copa América by defeating home nation BoliviaBolivia national football teamThe Bolivia national football team is the national team of Bolivia and is controlled by the Federación Boliviana de Fútbol. After playing in the 1930 and 1950 World Cups, they qualified just once—in 1994...
3–1 in the final in the Estadio Hernando SilesEstadio Hernando SilesEstadio Hernando Siles is a sports stadium in La Paz, Bolivia. It is the country's largest sports complex with a capacity of 42,000 seated spectators and is named after Hernando Siles Reyes, the 31st President of Bolivia...
in La Paz. - July 20 – Gudjon Thordarson makes his debut as the manager of IcelandIceland national football teamThe Iceland national football team is the national football team of Iceland and is controlled by the Football Association of Iceland. It has never advanced to the finals of any major international competition....
with a 1–0 loss against NorwayNorway national football teamThe Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
. - August 17 – PSV Eindhoven wins the Johan Cruijff Schaal, the annual opening of the new season in the EredivisieEredivisieThe Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
, with a 3–1 win over Roda JC in the Amsterdam ArenAAmsterdam ArenAAmsterdam Arena is a stadium in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is the largest stadium in the nation and it was built from 1993 to 1996 at a cost of €140 million, and was officially opened on 14 August 1996. It has been used for association football, American football, concerts, and other events...
. - November 2 – Borussia DortmundBorussia DortmundBallspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
wins the Intercontinental CupIntercontinental Cup (football)The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
in Tokyo, Japan by defeating BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
's CruzeiroCruzeiro Esporte ClubeCruzeiro Esporte Clube is a Brazilian football team, from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Internacional. Founded on January 2, 1921, they are only one of three clubs to have participated in...
2–0. The goals for the Germans are scored by Michael ZorcMichael ZorcMichael Zorc is a retired German footballer who played as a central midfielder.Nicknamed "Susi" in his early days because of his long hair, he spent his entire career with Borussia Dortmund, appearing in nearly 600 official games in 17 seasons...
and Heiko HerrlichHeiko HerrlichHeiko Herrlich is a German former football centre forward and the current manager of 3rd Liga club SpVgg Unterhaching.-Career:...
.
Europe
- BulgariaBulgarian A Professional Football GroupThe Bulgarian A Professional Football Group commonly known as A PFG is the top division of the Bulgarian football league system. The league is sponsored by Victoria FATA Insurance and therefore is officially known as Victoria A Football Group since 2011...
– PFC CSKA SofiaPFC CSKA SofiaPFC CSKA Sofia , commonly known as CSKA or CSKA Sofia is a professional football club based in Sofia, Bulgaria. The club was officially founded on May 5, 1948. CSKA's abbreviation stands for Central Sports Club of the Army... - England – Manchester United
- France – AS Monaco
- Germany – Bayern Munich
- ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
– Juventus - NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
- EredivisieEredivisieThe Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
– PSV Eindhoven - Eerste DivisieEerste DivisieThe Eerste Divisie is the second-highest division of football in the Netherlands. It is linked with the top-level Eredivisie via a promotion/relegation system. It is also known as the Jupiler League due to sponsorship, which is the same name as the top league in Belgium...
– MVV MaastrichtMVV MaastrichtMVV Maastricht is a Dutch professional football club from the city of Maastricht, founded on April 2, 1902...
- Eredivisie
- PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
– FC Porto - Spain – Real MadridReal MadridReal Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
- TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
– Galatasaeray S.K.55500
South America
ArgentinaArgentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
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- Clausura – River PlateClub Atlético River PlateClub Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
- Apertura – River PlateClub Atlético River PlateClub Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
BoliviaLiga de Fútbol Profesional Boliviano-List of champions:*Torneo adecuacion was celebrate to adequate seasons to European style -Titles by team :-List of all-time topscorers:... - BolívarClub BolívarClub Bolívar, a football team from Bolivia, was founded in La Paz on April 12, 1925, with the name Atletico Bolívar Literario Musical later changed to "Club Atlético Bolívar"...
BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... - Vasco da GamaClub de Regatas Vasco da GamaClub de Regatas Vasco da Gama |Rowing Club]]), usually known as Vasco da Gama or simply Vasco, is a famous and traditional Brazilian multisports club from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, founded on August 21, 1898...
ChilePrimera División Chilena 1997The 1997 tournament of the Primera División de Chile was based in the typical Apertura-Clausura scheme used in many football leagues in Latin-America, similar to the Argentinian First Division. For the first time, this format, with two champions, was used... - Apertura – Universidad CatólicaClub Deportivo Universidad CatólicaClub Deportivo Universidad Católica is a professional football club based in Santiago, Chile, which plays in the Primera División.Universidad Católica is one of the most successful and popular football clubs in Chile and considered one of the three "big teams"...
- Clausura – Colo-ColoColo-ColoClub Social y Deportivo Colo-Colo is a Chilean football club based in the commune of Macul, Santiago. It competes in the Primera División, the top-flight football league in the country, from which they have never been relegated. Their home ground is the Estadio Monumental David Arellano.Colo-Colo...
ParaguayParaguayParaguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the... - Olimpia AsunciónOlimpia AsunciónClub Olimpia is a Paraguayan sport club based in Asunción. It is best known for its professional football team which plays in the Paraguayan Primera División....
- Clausura – River Plate
International tournaments
- UNCAF Nations Cup in Guatemala City, Guatemala (April 16 – April 27, 1997)
- Copa AméricaCopa América 1997Bolivia hosted the Copa América for the second time in its 38th edition. It was held from June 11 to June 29, 1997. It was organised by CONMEBOL, South America's football governing body.There is no qualifying for the final tournament...
in Bolivia (June 11 – June 29, 1997)
- Baltic CupBaltic Cup 1997The 1997 Baltic Cup football competition took place from July 9 to July 11 at the Žalgiris Stadium in Vilnius, Lithuania. It was the seventh annual competition of the three Baltic states – Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia – since they regained their independence from the Soviet Union in...
in Vilnius, Lithuania (July 9 – 11 1997)
- FIFA U-20 World Cup1997 FIFA World Youth ChampionshipThe 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship was the 11th staging of the FIFA World Youth Championship. It was held from June 16 to July 5, 1997 in Malaysia.-Venues:-Qualification:The following 24 teams qualified for the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship...
in Malaysia (June 16 – July 5, 1997)
- FIFA U-17 World Championship1997 FIFA U-17 World Championship-Group B:---------------------Group C:---------------------Group D:-------------------------Knockout Stage:-Quarterfinals:-------------Semifinals:-----Playoff for 3rd place:-Final:-Top goalscorers:...
in Egypt (September 5 – September 21, 1997)
- Tournoi de FranceTournoi de FranceThe Tournoi de France was a friendly international football tournament held in Paris and other cities of France in early June of 1997 as a warm-up to the 1998 FIFA World Cup. The four national teams participating at the tournament were Brazil, England, hosts France, and Italy...
in France (June 3 – June 11, 1997)
Deaths
- April 23 – Brian AldersonBrian AldersonBrian Alderson was a Scottish footballer. He predominantly played as a winger, but was also able to play as a striker....
(46), Scottish footballer - June 4 – Pedro Zaballa (58), Spanish footballer
- June 18 – Héctor YazaldeHéctor YazaldeHéctor Casimiro Yazalde was an Argentine footballer who played as a striker....
(51), Argentinian footballer - July 8 – Dick van DijkDick van DijkDick van Dijk was a Dutch footballer who played for FC Twente and Ajax Amsterdam. He was a member of Ajax' European Cup victory in 1971. He earned 7 caps for the Netherlands national football team....
(51), Dutch footballer - July 10 – Ivor AllchurchIvor AllchurchIvor John Allchurch MBE was a Welsh international footballer. His brother was Len Allchurch.Known as 'The Golden Boy' of Welsh football, Allchurch played for Swansea Town, Newcastle United and Cardiff City, where he amassed 691 games scoring 249 goals. His record of 68 caps for Wales stood until...
(67), Welsh footballer - October 18 – Ramiro Castillo (31), Bolivian footballer
- November 1 – Roger MarcheRoger MarcheRoger Marche was a French football defender. He was part of the French national team during the 1954 and 1958 World Cup tournaments...
(73), French footballer - November 9 – Helenio HerreraHelenio HerreraHelenio Herrera Gavilán was a Franco-Argentine football player and manager.Although born in Argentina, Herrera's parents were both Spanish, his father being a well-known Spanish anarchist in exile...
(80), Argentine-French footballer and manager - December 7 – Billy BremnerBilly BremnerWilliam John "Billy" Bremner was a Scottish professional footballer, most noted for his captaincy of the Leeds United team of the 1960s and 1970s. He has since been voted Leeds United's greatest player of all time and has a statue outside the South East corner of Elland Road...
(55), Scottish footballer