Top Five: Paper controversies

Eurosport - Fri, 30 Oct 07:00:00 2009

After Gordon Strachan's wish/team list was exposed, our weekly Top Five feature looks at the most controversial paper-related incidents in sport.

Nick Faldo - 2008 Ryder Cup - 0

Jens Lehmann

The German keeper had a sheet of paper rolled up in his sock which he whipped out to thwart Argentina in a penalty shoot-out in the 2006 World Cup quarter-finals in Berlin.

The volatile former Arsenal shot-stopper used the notes to great success, and his antics featured in the film 'Deutschland. Ein Sommermarchen', a documentary on the German team's World Cup journey.

Lehmann made two critical saves, one from Roberto Ayala and another from Esteban Cambiasso. He also managed to pick the right direction for all the Argentina penalties, and came close to saving a third. Meanwhile, the Germans scored with all four of their penalties to win the shoot-out 42.

Lehmann's notes read: 1 Riquelme - left high; 2 Crespo - long run/right, short run/left; 3 Heinze - left low; 4 Ayala - long wait, long run right; 5 Messi - left; 6 Aimar - long wait left; 7 Rodriguez - left.

Nick Faldo

Interviewer: "TV camera and photographer picked out you holding a piece of paper with some pairings on it. Are you concerned about that?"

Faldo: "It just had the lunch list. It had sandwich requests for the guys, just making sure who wants the tuna, who wants the beef, who wants the ham. So that is all it was, a sandwich list."

Europe captain Faldo was not fooling any of the assembled media as he dismissed suggestions of his team's pairings being revealed as he was caught on camera brandishing a sheet of paper (pictured) listing their names. It was one of many faux-pas made by Faldo as his side lost the 2008 Ryder Cup at Valhalla, Kentucky.

Justin Langer

The former Australia opener had his covert dossier sent to the 2009 Ashes tourists leaked to a Sunday newspaper, the contents of which provided damning assessments of individuals in the England team. The blunt memo instructed the Aussie players to "chip away" at wicket-keeper Matt Prior's "massive ego" and branded the likes of fast bowler Jimmy Anderson as "pussycats".

"Just watch their body language and see how flat and lazy they get - they make all sorts of excuses and start looking around to point the finger at everyone else - it is a classic English trait."

Cutting, except that England went on to regain the Ashes with their victory in the final Test at the Oval.

John Arne Riise

John Arne Riise was left with a face as red as his Liverpool shirt when copies of his pay-slip ended up on the internet in 2007. The Norway defender warmed the hearts of the city's socialists whenit was revealed that he was paying more than £50,000 in tax as part of his £139,634 monthly pay packet.

Liverpool launched an investigation into how the 27-year-old's personal details quickly appeared across Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal supporters' websites. Small quirks to the slip showed that Riise was deducted £36 for the cost of a match ticket, while a sum of £65 was also deducted for meals, believed to have been served up at the club's training ground.

Ronaldo

The Brazilian superstar sparked one of the biggest mysteries in football history when his name was left off the teamsheet for the 1998 World Cup final against France, only to reappear just in time for kick-off.

Uproar ensued when Ronaldo was initially left off coach Mario Zagalo' teamsheet 72 minutes before kick-off at the Stade de France. Half an hour later he was back in the line-up.

When the team failed to emerge for the pre-match warm-up, conspiracy theories varied from talk of poison, to whispers about his turbulent love life, to claims that team sponsors Nike had put pressure on Zagalo to play him. Ankle and stomach problems were also bandied about before the striker took his place in the side and was anonymous in Brazil's 3-0 defeat to the hosts.

Others overlooked

Arsenal

Arsene Wenger's motivational letter handed to his squad ahead of a match against Watford last year was leaked to the press. The sheet had two main parts: the first was about what a team is, while the second contained instructions on team unity.

Pete Sampras

It was breakpoint on the 'graveyard' Court Two at Wimbledon and Pete Sampras was midway through one of the worst matches of his career and heading for a second-round defeat to Switzerland's George Bastl. The American then pulled out a note entitled "To my husband...", before continuing the match.

Jose Mourinho

Chelsea had just taken the lead at Goodison Park in February, 2005 when Mourinho sent on Jiri Jarosik, who took to the pitch clutching a piece of paper with a new set of tactical instructionss for midfielder Tiago.

Eurosport

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