Have you ever seen one of the all time greats play City?

[Mr Ed (The Stables)]

Noticed on a YouTube clip from 1980 Beckenbauer playing against City for the Cosmos in a friendly.
Have the other great world stars (eg the Cruyffs, Peles, Maradonas and Messis etc) ever played us - and if so did anyone see it? Anything to report? I suppose the Winker will go down in that class.

I've never seen anyone of that caliber play against City but in the 70's, 1976-77 to be exact I went to every England home game.

I went to the friendly match in 1977 and saw Holland blow England apart winning 2-0 with what everyone said was an exhibition of total football. Unbelievable to watch and definitely was one of those moments that even though we lost it was still a pleasure to witness. A bit like Arsenal at Maine Road being 4-0 up in 20 minutes with awesome football.

Holland team that night:

Schrijvers
Suurbier
Krol
Hovenkamp
Rijsbergen
Van der Kerkhof
Peters
Rep
Neeskens
Cruyff (capt)
Rensenbrink

I also went with my mate to watch the European Championships in Italy in 1980, the Italian side that night had some World Class talent on show:

Zoff
Gentile
Oriali
Beneti
Collovati
Scirea
Causio
Tardelli
Graziani
Antognoni
Bettega

Sub
Baresi

Those are the best two International matches I have ever seen live in the flesh, we lost both, but as a football fan you could nothing other than applaud. Afterwards in Turin there was the not so simple matter of finding the coach and not getting stabbed.

Single lad then, money in my pocket, no responsibilities, no kids, oh happy days!!

 

[Steviesleftpeg]

Del Piero. Utter class

Henry

Casillas

Bergkamp

Ronaldo

Giggs

Vieira

Ronaldinho

 

[dom]

Del Piero. Utter class

Henry

Casillas

Bergkamp

Ronaldo

Giggs
Vieira

Ronaldinho

Actually have seen better scum players v us

(chokes); Shrek ....

 

[Belmont]

I was lucky enough to see both Matthews and Finney when I was a lad. And Greaves, and, of course, the great D.Law against us. And Best WAS pretty special, although,as discussed, he never shone against us.