Ruud Krol remembers Johan Neeskens

Speaking to ‘Radio CRC’ in the aftermath of Johan Neeskens’s passing, Ruud Krol recalled the experiences he shared with Neeskens himself at Ajax and in the Dutch national team of Total Football, which came close to winning the World Cup twice, in 1974 and 1978, losing in both cases to the home team (West Germany first, Argentina later).

“Neeskens was a very serious man with great qualities as a halfback,” said Krol, who in his career è also remembered for his four years in Naples in the early 1980s. He scored goals with his head, with his feet, he was strong in attack and defense, he was someone who fought to win together with everyone. Outside, he was a fun, sunny person: we were great friends and è he was always that way.

“I shared the room at the ’78 World Cup in Argentina, I played with him in the ’Ajax,” added Krol. “We played against each other, we were always in touch. We were always talking about our history in ’Ajax and in the national team. He was a great man, è very sad that he passed away soì young”.

Neeskens had a long and successful career, which began in the late 1960s with RCH and ended more than 20 years later in Switzerland, at Zug. In between, the unforgettable experiences with Ajax and Barcelona, as well as the trip to America to wear the New York Cosmos jersey and the career finale between Holland (Groningen), again the United States (South Florida Sun) and Switzerland (Baar before Zug).

In the national team he played 49 games between 1970 and 1981, scoring 17 goals, five of them at the 1974 World Cup. He was also a semifinalist at Euro 1976, although his match against Czechoslovakia (won by the latter 3-1 in extra time) ended after 76′ due to one of the match’s three expulsions ruled by Welsh referee Thomas.

Eigirdas Zukauskas must stop

It leaves no room for interpretation the result of medical examinations to which Eigirdas Zukauskas è underwent: the Lithuanian basketball player of Dolomiti Energia Trentino will have to stay put for at least three to four weeks, due to the injury suffered last Saturday during the championship match against Reyer Venezia.

“Dolomiti Energia Trentino announces that Eigirdas Zukauskas suffered a second-degree sprain to his left ankle during the second half of the game against Umana Reyer Venezia last Saturday – writes the Bianconeri company on its channels -. His return to the court è estimated in about three-four weeks”.

Zukauskas, 32, è arrived in Trento this summer to reinforce the roster available to coach Paolo Galbiati. For the past two seasons he had played in Lithuania, wearing the BC Wolves jersey, a company whose president is an old acquaintance of Italian basketball, Rimantas Kaukenas.

Trento, which started the season with two wins in as many league games and one win out of two in the EuroCup, will therefore have to do without the Lithuanian forward in a period full of commitments, both in Italy and in Europe. The return could come on Nov. 3 against Olimpia Milano, on Nov. 5 against Joventut Badalona or on Nov. 10 against Trieste, if there are not too many hiccups in the schedule.

Paulo Dybala, the possibility of a farewell to Roma resurfaces

The failed move to Al-Qadsiah at the end of August and declarations of love to Roma now seem to be a thing of the past for Paulo Dybala, whose name è again on the Giallorossi club’s list of possible departures, this time in the January market. On his trail, as reported by Turkish newspaper ‘A Spor’, is Galatasaray, which wants to give itself another star player after Michy Batshuayi and Victor Osimhen.

Dybala is suffering from Roma’s difficult start to the season, which in the league shares, after seven matches, eighth place with Atalanta, Empoli and Fiorentina, and in the Europa League has picked up one point in two matches against Athletic Bilbao and Elfsborg.

Né with Daniele De Rossi né with substitute Ivan Juric, moreover, ‘La Joya’ has found continuity in terms of minutes and performance: his only goal scored so far è that of last September 22 in the 3-0 win against Udinese, among others on a penalty kick, in one of the only two games whose use exceeded 45 minutes.

Born in 1993, Dybala è in his third season with the Roma jersey: hailed as a hero by the fans, he has not won any trophies so far with the Giallorossi jersey, touching it in the 2023 Europa League final in Budapest, with Roma defeated only on penalties in the highly contested match against Sevilla.