Paradise Lost
Date
13th July 2018
Time:
0100
Place:
Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg
The
museum had turned into a police headquarters with Russian military and state
police being seen at all sections at the unearthly hour. Everyone seemed to be
busy when General Rostov with shaking hands dialed the phone:
“Sorry
Sir to wake you up but we have a problem…a very serious problem.”
“It
better be serious for you to wake me up now!” said a firm voice on the other
side.
“Sir,
the Trophy is gone from the museum shelf. The guard on the night shift
discovered it now.”
“Whaaat!
The World Cup Trophy is missing…we do everything right for over a month and
just when the big day is less than 48 hours away, we won’t have the trophy to
give away? We would have done more harm to Russia’s image than losing a war in
Afghanistan. How has this happened and who could have done this?”
“Sir,
the museum is normally under strict surveillance but we had relaxed it in the
last one month allowing visitors to come till midnight with some plain clothes
policemen around. We wanted to dispel the general western impression of us
being a police state. We are checking the CCTV footage and it seems to be the
work of a large international gang working together…it could also be the
handiwork of CIA’s dirty works department just to show us in poor light. We
have some solid clues and we’ll get them soon.”
“I
will speak to the Mad President if it is truly the work of his people, but we
just don’t have time. Find the Trophy and in the meanwhile ask our finest gold
craftsmen to make an exact trophy in the next twenty four hours, just in case
you idiots fail. If you fail General, ask your family to pack a small bag for you
as you proceed for Gulag!”
“Yes
Sir,” said a choked General.
Date
13th July
Time
0200
Place:
A small church on the outskirts of Moscow
A
motley group of men, old and young, gathered around an altar opposite to where
Jesus stood alone on the cross. The place was lit with a few candles as the men
folded their hands as their God was unveiled. Tears filled their eyes as they
saw the glittering idol. They passed the idol around, each one of them holding
it carefully then kissing it and bringing it close to their chests…almost the
same routine followed by all gathered. They continued doing it many times over,
seemed none of them wanting to give up hold but then seeing the desperation of
their friend nearby would let go reluctantly. One of the older men of the cult
opened his duffle bag to pull out a bottle of finest champagne. Hardly a word
was spoken among the men but they all seemed to be in a trance.
The
congregation seemed to be dispersing with the idol being again packed well into
a small bag and the cult members hugging and kissing each other. They even took
a picture of themselves with the idol and each looking happier than they ever
did in their lifetime, the door of the church was broken down with a loud thud
and they were surrounded by Rostov’s men with automatic weapons in hand.
Paradise Regained
Date:
13th July 2018
Time
0330
Place:
Prison at Saint Petersburg
A
smiling and confident General picked up the phone and dialed the Supremo.
“Good
Morning Sir. We’ve got the Trophy and arrested the culprits.”
“Good
speedy work, General. We will now send those arrested to Gulag by the morning
train and make sure they never see sunlight ever in their lives. They must be
meted the greatest punishment for daring to do anything like this. By the way,
who are they?”
“Sir,
I know this is an inappropriate time but it would be better for you to come and
meet them once for you’ll never get such an opportunity in your lifetime.”
Vladimir
Putin flew into Saint Petersburg and went straight to the prison when the
eleven men captured with the world cup trophy were made to stand in a line for him
to see. As Putin laid his eyes on the men, he seemed completely mesmerized. His
anger gave way to shock and awe and there stood before him eleven men, each one
of them GOATs (Greatest Of All Time) but never having won the World Cup.
Fernc Puskas (Jersey 18) was a Hungarian Footballer widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time. A prolific forward, he scored 84 goals in 85 international matches for Hungary and 514 goals in 529 matches in the Hungarian and Spanish Leagues. He was voted top goal scorer of the 20th century by IFFHS. He became an Olympic Champion in 1952 and led his nation to the final of the 1954 World Cup where he was named the tournament's best player. He won three European Cups (1959, 1960 and 1966), 10 championships (5 Hungarian and 5 Spanish Primera Division) and 8 top individual scoring honours.
Paolo Cesare
Maldini (standing next to goalkeeper) was an
Italian professional footballer who played as a left back and central defender for A.C Milan and the Italian national team. He
spent all 25 seasons of his career in the Serie A with Milan, before retiring at the age of 41 in 2009. He won 25 trophies with
Milan while in the squad: the UEFA Champions League five times, seven Serie A titles,
one Coppa Italia, five Supercoppa Italiana titles,
four European Super Cups, two Intercontinental Cups and one FIFA Club World Cup. Maldini is widely regarded as one of the
greatest defenders of all time was nicknamed "Il Capitano" ("The Captain").
Michel
François Platini(Jersey 21) was a French former football player, manager and administrator. Regarded
as one of the greatest footballers of all time, Platini won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1983, 1984 and 1985, and
came sixth in the FIFA Player of the Century vote. During his career, Platini played for
the clubs in France and Italy. Despite primarily serving as an advanced midfield playmaker, Platini was also a prolific goal scorer and nicknamed Le
Roi (The King) for his ability and leadership.
Eusébio da
Silva Ferreira (Jersey 9) was a Portuguese footballer who played as a striker. Eusébio is
considered by many as one of the greatest footballers of all time. During his
professional career, he scored 733 goals in 745 matches (41 goals in 64 matches
for Portugal). Nicknamed the Black
Panther, the Black
Pearl, or o Rei
(the King), he was known for his speed, technique, athleticism and his
ferocious right-footed shot, making him a prolific goal scorer. He is
considered S.L.Benfica's and Portuguese national team's most renowned player
Hendrik
Johannes "Johan" Cruijff (Jersey19)
was a Dutch professional football player and coach. As a player, he won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1971, 1973, and 1974. Cruyff
was the most famous exponent of the football philosophy known as Total Football explored by Rinus Michels, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in football history. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Dutch
football rose from obscurity to become a powerhouse in the sport. Cruyff
led the Netherlands to the
final of the 1974 FIFA World Cup and received the Golden Ball as player of the tournament. At the
1974 finals, he executed a feint that subsequently was named after him, the "Cruyff Turn", a move widely replicated in the
modern game. In 1999, Cruyff was voted European Player of the Century.
David Robert
Joseph Beckham (standing first left) was an English retired professional footballer. He played for Manchester United, real Madrid, Milan, La Galaxy and
the English national team, for which he held the appearance record for an outfield player until 2016. He is the first English
player to win league titles in four countries: England, Spain, the United States
and France. Known for his range of passing, crossing ability and bending free kicks as a right winger, Beckham was runner up in the Ballon d'Or, twice runner-up for FIFA World Player of the Year and in 2004 was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players.
Lev
Ivanovich Yashin (Jersey 1) nicknamed the "Black
Spider", was a Soviet professional footballer, widely regarded as the
greatest goalkeeper in the
history of the sport. Yashin earned status for revolutionising the
goalkeeping position by imposing his authority on the entire defence. His
performances made an indelible impression on a global audience at the 1958 World Cup. He dressed
head to toe in apparent black (in truth very dark blue), thus earning his
nickname the 'Black Spider', which enhanced his popularity. Yashin appeared in
four World Cups from 1958 to 1970, and in 2002 was
chosen on the FIFA Dream Team of the history of World Cups. In 1994, he was
chosen for the FIFA WOrld Cup All Time Team, and in 1998 was chosen as a member of the World Team of the 20th Century.
Arthur
Antunes Coimbra (Jersey 8) better known as Zico is
a Brazilian coach and former footballer, who played as an attacking midfielder. Often called the "White Pelé", he
was a creative playmaker, with excellent technical skills, vision, and an eye
for goal, he is considered one of the most clinical finishers and best passers
ever, as well as one of the greatest players of all time. Arguably the world's
best player of the late 1970s and early 80s, he is regarded as one of the best play makers and free kick specialists in history, able to bend the ball in all directions. In 1999, Zico came
eighth in the FIFA Player of the Century, grand jury vote, and in 2004 was named in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players. According
to Pelé, "throughout the years, the one player that came closest to me was
Zico".
Karl-Heinz "Kalle" Rummenigge (standing between
Eusibio and Maldini) was
a German former professional football player. He had his greatest
career success with German club Bayern Munich, where he won
the Intercontinental Cup, the European Cup, as well as two
league titles and two domestic cups. A member of the West German national team, Rummenigge won
the 1980 European Championship and was part of
the squad that finished runner-up in the 1982 World Cup and at the 1986 World Cup. He was also
honoured twice as European Footballer of the Year.
And of course there were Messi (10) and Ronaldo
(7). With ten Ballon d’Or won between them, they are the true legends of our
times who have enthralled us for over a decade but missed the biggest prize of
them all.
Grand Finale
Date: 15th
July
Time: 1700
Place: Luzinski Stadium,
Moscow
Crowds stood
up and roared as Vladimir Putin entered the stadium holding the World Cup
Trophy and welcomed dignitaries to the VIP box. As the World Cup Final got
underway, the Ocean’s Eleven sat next to Russian President and FIFA invitees admiring
the gladiators on the pitch.
Never before
will the world see such a sight of some of the finest football talent across
the ages who missed holding the glittering Cup at the Theatre of Champions.
SS
