#2 Forgotten Genius : Chris Waddle

October the 27th, 1989, We are playing the 16th day of the french league and the Vélodrome stadium is waiting to be entertained. Marseille is playing against PSG and need to win. 35th minutes, after a corner that the parisian's defence had stoped, the ball arrived on the feet of Eric Di Meco who crossed directly. The ball arrived on Chris Waddle, who is alone face to the goal. He controls the ball, but the goalkeeper comes on him very quickly, not a big deal, the englishman dribbles him with an astonished sombrero to finish the job and score with his eel, amazing goal quite typical of the Waddle'style.

However, almost no one is aware that Chris Waddle will be idolized by the Vélodrome when he arrived to the club. And his first trainings are not reassuring. Out of form, Waddle suffers with the temperatures, Dead white, he can't breath, miss all his controls. After 2 trainings, I has to stop during few days, his english' skin can't deal with the sun. "He looked like a loabster, his skin was dark red, burnt" tease his old goalkeeper Gaëtan Huard. Once the prep over, and with the fall of the temperature, Waddle find his rythm. The history is starting. Great free kicks shooter, exceptional left foot player, he tames the right side of the pitch with as master piece his goal against the Grande Milano in 91, goal he doesn't recall because of a concussion, result of the violence of the milanaese's defenders on him.

U.K. in the heart

The carreer of Chris "Magic" Wadde starts in U. K. At 20, he is still not a professional player. Born at Felling, in the North East, Waddle used lot of clubs during his youth (Pelaw Juniors, Whitehouse SC, Mount Pleasant SC, HMH Printing, Pelaw SC, Leam Lane SC, Clarke Chapman) until his signing in Tow Law Town in summer 78. To earn his life he worked in the sausages factory and passed some tryouts at Sunderland, Coventry City and Newcastle. Only Newcastle offered him a contract. In Newcastle he composed a wonderful attack line with Kevin Keegan and Peter Beardsley. Waddle became famous when he joined Tottenham in 1985, he was bought 590.000 pounds. He played 4 years for the spurs then leave for Marseille for 3 years. After his time in France, I came back in U. K. and won the award of best player of the season for 92/93. Waddle loves his country and he loves his sport, he kept playing until his 43. Indeed,these 2 loves gave him undirecty his nickname Magic, found by Basile Boli.

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For those lucky enough to have seen him played, Waddle was mainly magic thanks to his state of minde. It's a few thing to say that Waddle had put a big smile on the Vélodrome fan's faces. I was a clown who only wanted to entertain with funny faces and jokes, stick out one's tongue to the camera, make mimics (swimmer, ice skating on a wet pitch, hiding his face after a failing). But most important, he is one of those who make people come to stadiums. With him football was great and beautiful, a simple and funny game. And if he was not the best one, he was the favorite one. He is one of the few Marseille's players who had a stading ovation of the Parc des Princes in Paris.

... and Magnificient Looser

Waddle was a popular icon, as well in the U.K and France. But as David Beckham, he drags some real looser's moments that make the english people hating him. At the 90's World Cup, he is at the top of his carreer, but still he shoot on the post in the extra-time and miss his penaty kick against RFA in the semi-finals that the Three lions haven't played since 28 years (btw they still waiting :-) ). As the Spice Boy, the U.K. will blame him for those missing shots. Waddle is a magnificient looser, one year later he missed his header at 0-0 and will finally loose the Champion's League final during the penaties shoots (3-5).

Chris Waddle represents those beautiful teams of England and OM : generous, technical but for ever unfinished.

Hope you enjoyed it !
@napscan