3 November 2010 - Inzaghi Becomes King Of Europe

On 3 November 2010, Milan striker Filippo "Pippo" Inzaghi scored his 70th goal in European competition to share the honors as UEFA's top scorer. Briefly.

The goal came in a Champions League group stage match against Real Madrid, who had beaten Milan 2-0 in Spain the previous month. Playing before a crowd of 76,357 in the return leg at the San Siro, Real Madrid took the lead with a 45th-minute score from Gonzalo Higuaín. But in the second half, Inzaghi struck twice to put Milan ahead.

His first goal of the day was a 68th-minute header that took advantage of a rare mistake from Real Madrid keeper Iker Casillas. He struck again ten minutes later to notch his 70th goal in UEFA competitions, matching the record set by former Real Madrid forward Raúl González, who had moved to Schalke earlier that year.

Unfortunately for Milan, the lead did not last, as Madrid winger Pedro León scored an equalizer in the fourth minute of stoppage time to earn a 2-2 draw. Inzaghi's share of the record did not last long either, as Raúl scored three months later in Schalke's 1-0 win over Valencia in the Round of 16 to push his total to 71. Since then, that number has been passed  by both Cristiano Ronaldo (113) and Lionel Messi (100), pushing Inzaghi down to fourth.

23 October 1971 - Those Sheets Need Cleaning Now

On 23 October 1971, Bundesliga leaders Schalke visited defending champions Borussia Mönchengladbach and were crushed, 7-0.

Gladbach had won the league the previous two seasons, but started the day five points behind Schalke. Schalke's run to the top was driven by their strong defense, who had surrendered only three goals so far that season and had just completed their seventh straight clean sheet. But it did not take long for Gladbach to end that streak, as striker Jupp Heynkes scored after only four minutes (pictured).

It was the start of a long day for Schalke keeper Norbert Nigbur, who picked the ball out of his net another four times in the first half alone after goals from Günter Netzer (5'), Hartwig Bleidick (23'), another from Heynckes (29'), and one from Ulrik Le Fevre (36').

With the margin stretched to 5-0 at the break, the match was effectively over as a contest, but Gladbach were not done. In the 52nd minute, Le Fevre scored another by juggling the ball over two Schalke defenders before slamming the ball into the net with a right-footed volley. Netzer then completed the rout with a 64th-minute strike to extend the final margin to 7-0.

As impressive as the victory was, it fell short of the record at the time, set by Gladbach with an 11-0 win over Schalke in 1967 (they beat their own record in 1978 by beating Borussia Dortmund 12-0). Schalke went on to finish as runners-up to Bayern Munich in the league that season, while Gladbach finished in third.

27 June 1977 - The Rise Of Raúl

On 27 June 1977, Raúl González was born in Madrid. He went on to become Real Madrid's all-time leader in goals and appearances.

The striker joined the club's youth squad in 1992 after spells at San Cristobal (1987-90) and Atlético Madrid (1990-92) and made his professional debut with the first team on 29 October 1994. Only 17 years and 124 days old at the time, he set his first club record as the youngest player to appear for the club (though it was broken later that season). He made a total of 30 appearances that season, scoring 10 goals.

It was a sign of things to come; over the next fifteen seasons, Raúl made a total of 741 appearances and scored 323 goals, both club records at the time, though he is now second in goals after Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 406. Along the way, he won six league titles, three Champions League trophies, and two Intercontinental Cups. He also twice won the Pichichi as La Liga's top scorer.

(He was also once Spain's top scorer, with 44 goals in 106 caps between 1996 and 2006, but David Villa has since overtaken him.)

In 2010, with age and injury combining to diminish his role in Madrid, Raúl left for Schalke, where he spent two successful seasons, including winning the German Cup in 2011. He last played for the New York Cosmos in 2014-15.

24 March 1949 - No Kremers Versus Kremers

On 24 March 1949, Helmut and Erwin Kremers were born in Mönchengladbach. They went on to become German internationals and the first twins to play in the Bundesliga.

Both of them started their careers as youth players with their hometown team, Borussia Mönchengladbach, then joined the club as professionals in 1967. They continued as teammates at other clubs. moving to Kickers Offenbach in 1969, then to Schalke in 1971. Erwin, a striker, retired in 1979, but Helmut, a full back, played for three more years, remaining with Schalke until 1980 then spending time with Rot-Weiss Essen (1980-81), the Calgary Boomers (1981) and the Memphis Americans (1981-82).

Virtually inseparable at the club level, the brothers played together only twice on the international stage. Erwin made 15 appearances for West Germany between 1972 and 1974, winning the 1972 European Championship. Helmut received a later a call-up and got fewer caps--8 between 1973 and 1975--but was part of West Germany's World Cup-winning side in 1974. 

Despite their footballing accomplishments, they are widely remembered for their 1974 record release, "Das Mädchen Meiner Träume," which translates to "The Girl of My Dreams." The B-side was apparently titled "Mo-Di-Mi-Do," which I assume needs no translation.

25 August 1930 - The Schalke 04 Fourteen

On 25 August 1930, the Western Germany Football Association (the Westdeutscher Spielverband or WSV) banned fourteen players for receiving illegal payments. 

All fourteen players were from FC Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, who had won the regional Western Germany football championship in 1929 and 1930. The club had paid the players ten Reichsmarks instead of the allowed five for an away match, prompting the WSV to issue the ban. One of the banned players was striker Ernst Kuzorra, who played for Schalke from 1927 to 1950 and is regarded by many as the club's greatest player. 

The players were banned for the 1930-31 season, but were allowed to return the following season, when Schalke rattled off two more Western Germany titles (1932, 1933). But the effects of the ban extended beyond the pitch - eight members of the Schalke board were expelled from the WSV and club treasurer Willie Nier, who had attempted to conceal the illegal payments, committed suicide by drowning himself in the Rhine-Herne Canal. 

Schalke continued its successful run, winning seven German championships between 1934 and 1958. After a fallow period in the 1980s and '90s, they have returned to prominence, most recently finishing sixth in the Bundesliga.

6 August 2004 - The Night The Lights Went Out In Bremen

On 6 August 2004, defending Bundesliga champions Werder Bremen opened the new season with a 1-0 win over Schalke 04, thanks to the latest goal ever scored in the German top flight.

Werder Bremen entered the match full of optimism, having won the double the previous season, claiming their first league title since 1993 (their fourth overall) and their first German Cup since 1999 (sixth overall). They had also won the corresponding fixture against Schalke that year, 4-1. But in the opener for the new season, the defenses dominated as both teams struggled to shows any signs of life on offense.

Playing in an evening fixture, the flow of the match was interrupted when the lights at Werder's Weserstadion went on, forcing a lengthy delay for repairs. As the match restarted late in the evening, Werder Bremen manager Thomas Schaaf replaced his star forward Miroslav Klose with Paraguayan striker Nelson Valdes in the 73rd minute. Ten minutes later, Valdes (pictured) justified the switch by scoring the match-winning goal.

Because of the delay, Valdes scored his winning strike at 23:13 - the latest goal ever scored in the German top flight. Despite the dramatic start to the season, Werder Bremen were unable to replicate their success from the previous season, finishing the 2004-05 season in third place.

25 August 2007 - Puerta Collapses

On 25 August 2007, 22-year old Sevilla midfielder Antonio Puerta collapsed on the pitch in the 36th minute of Sevilla's league opener against Getafe. He briefly lost consciousness, but soon recovered and was substituted out the game. He walked back to the dressing room, where he again collapsed and lost consciousness before being rushed to Seville's Virgen de Rocio hospital.

Puerta had recently established himself as a rising star for Sevilla, having scored the extra-time match-winner in the club's 1-0 win over Schalke 04 in the UEFA Cup semi-finals. Sevilla supporters refer to that goal as "el gol quenos cambió la vida" (the goal that changed our lives) because it propelled them into a world-record-setting streak of five trophies in 15 months, starting with the 2006 UEFA Cup Final against Middlesbrough, which Sevilla won 4-0, and including the 2006 UEFA Super Cup, the 2007 Copa del Rey, the 2007 Supercopa de Espana, and the 2007 UEFA Cup Final against Espanyol, in which Puerta scored the winning penalty.

Puerta died on 28 August, his third day in the hospital. Doctors confirmed the cause as multiple cardiac arrests brought on by arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, a hereditary heart disease.

On 31 August, Sevilla played in the European Super Cup against AC Milan. As a tribute, the players from both sides all wore shirts with Puerta's name on the back.

27 June 1977 - The Rise Of Raúl

On 27 June 1977, Raúl González was born in Madrid. He went on to become Real Madrid's all-time leader in goals and appearances.

The striker joined the club's youth squad in 1992 after spells at San Cristobal (1987-90) and Atlético Madrid (1990-92) and made his professional debut with the first team on 29 October 1994. Only 17 years and 124 days old at the time, he set his first club record as the youngest player to appear for the club (though it was broken later that season). He made a total of 30 appearances that season, scoring 10 goals.

It was a sign of things to come; over the next fifteen seasons, Raúl made a total of 741 appearances and scored 323 goals, both club records. Along the way, he won six league titles, three Champions League trophies, and two Intercontinental Cups. He also twice won the Pichichi as La Liga's top scorer.

(He was also once Spain's top scorer, with 44 goals in 106 caps between 1996 and 2006, but David Villa has since overtaken him.)

In 2010, with age and injury combining to diminish his role in Madrid, Raúl left for Schalke, where he spent two successful seasons, including winning the German Cup in 2011. He currently plays for Qatari club Al Sadd.

3 November 2010 - Inzaghi Becomes King Of Europe

On 3 November 2010, Milan striker Filippo "Pippo" Inzaghi scored his 70th goal in European competition to share the honors as UEFA's top scorer. Briefly.

The goal came in a Champions League group stage match against Real Madrid, who had beaten Milan 2-0 in Spain the previous month. Playing before a crowd of 76,357 in the return leg at the San Siro, Real Madrid took the lead with a 45th-minute score from Gonzalo Higuaín. But in the second half, Inzaghi struck twice to put Milan ahead.

His first goal of the day was a 68th-minute header that took advantage of a rare mistake from Real Madrid keeper Iker Casillas. He struck again ten minutes later to notch his 70th goal in UEFA competitions, matching the record set by former Real Madrid forward Raúl González, who had moved to Schalke earlier that year.

Unfortunately for Milan, the lead did not last, as Madrid winger Pedro León scored an equalizer in the fourth minute of stoppage time to earn a 2-2 draw. Inzaghi's share of the record did not last long either, as Raúl scored three months later in Schalke's 1-0 win over Valencia in the Round of 16 to push his total to 71 and claim sole honors as Europe's leading marksman.

23 October 1971 - Those Sheets Need Cleaning Now

On 23 October 1971, Bundesliga leaders Schalke visited defending champions Borussia Mönchengladbach and were crushed, 7-0.

Gladbach had won the league the previous two seasons, but started the day five points behind Schalke. Schalke's run to the top was driven by their strong defense, who had surrendered only three goals so far that season and had just completed their seventh straight clean sheet. But it did not take long for Gladbach to end that streak, as striker Jupp Heynkes scored after only four minutes (pictured).

It was the start of a long day for Schalke keeper Norbert Nigbur, who picked the ball out of his net another four times in the first half alone after goals from Günter Netzer (5'), Hartwig Bleidick (23'), another from Heynckes (29'), and one from Ulrik Le Fevre (36').

With the margin stretched to 5-0 at the break, the match was effectively over as a contest, but Gladbach were not done. In the 52nd minute, Le Fevre scored another by juggling the ball over two Schalke defenders before slamming the ball into the net with a right-footed volley. Netzer then completed the rout with a 64th-minute strike to extend the final margin to 7-0.

As impressive as the victory was, it fell short of the record at the time, set by Gladbach with an 11-0 win over Schalke in 1967 (they beat their own record in 1978 by beating Borussia Dortmund 12-0). Schalke went on to finish as runners-up to Bayern Munich in the league that season, while Gladbach finished in third.

1 April 2011 - Ironically, He Probably Could Have Used A Beer After That

On 1 April 2011, the match between Schalke and St. Pauli was abandoned after someone in the stands hit a linesman with a full cup of beer.

Playing at St. Pauli's Millerntor-Stadion, the hosts had already gone behind 2-0 after strikes from Raúl (26') and Julian Draxler (66'). They were also down to nine men, after St. Pauli defender Jan Philipp Kalle received a second yellow card in the 68th minute and midfielder Fin Bartels received a straight red for a foul on Schalke's Jefferson Farfán.

The home crowd had already been turned on the officials, pelting them with lighters and coins in the first half. But linesman Thorsten Schiffner drew particular attention after he disallowed a St. Pauli goal in the 60th minute for an offside violation. In the 89th minute, one disgruntled supporter threw a plastic cup full of beer, striking Schiffner in the back of the neck. Referee Denis Aytekin responded by immediately suspended the match.

St. Pauli manager Holger Stanislawski apologized to Schiffner and later told the press "Such scenes are unacceptable. These things should not happen in stadiums. I can only apologize to the assistant in the name of St. Pauli."

The German football association awarded the match as a 2-0 win to Schalke, who went on to finish in the Bundesliga's 14th spot, while St. Pauli's season ended in relegation.

24 March 1949 - No Kremers Versus Kremers

On 24 March 1949, Helmut and Erwin Kremers were born in Mönchengladbach. They went on to become German internationals and the first twins to play in the Bundesliga.

Both of them started their careers as youth players with their hometown team, Borussia Mönchengladbach, then joined the club as professionals in 1967. They continued as teammates at other clubs. moving to Kickers Offenbach in 1969, then to Schalke in 1971. Erwin, a striker, retired in 1979, but Helmut, a full back, played for three more years, remaining with Schalke until 1980 then spending time with Rot-Weiss Essen (1980-81), the Calgary Boomers (1981) and the Memphis Americans (1981-82).

Virtually inseparable at the club level, the brothers played together only twice on the international stage. Erwin made 15 appearances for West Germany between 1972 and 1974, winning the 1972 European Championship. Helmut received a later a call-up and got fewer caps--8 between 1973 and 1975--but was part of West Germany's World Cup-winning side in 1974.

Despite their footballing accomplishments, they are widely remembered for their 1974 record release, "Das Mädchen Meiner Träume," which translates to "The Girl of My Dreams." The B-side was apparently titled "Mo-Di-Mi-Do," which, I assume, needs no translation.

25 August 1930 - The Schalke 04 Fourteen

On 25 August 1930, the Western Germany Football Association (the Westdeutscher Spielverband or WSV) banned fourteen players for receiving illegal payments.

All fourteen players were from FC Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, who had won the regional Western Germany football championship in 1929 and 1930. The club had paid the players ten Reichsmarks instead of the allowed five for an away match, prompting the WSV to issue the ban. One of the banned players was striker Ernst Kuzorra, who played for Schalke from 1927 to 1950 and is regarded by many as the club's greatest player.

The players were banned for the 1930-31 season, but were allowed to return the following season, when Schalke rattled off two more Western Germany titles (1932, 1933). But the effects of the ban extended beyond the pitch - eight members of the Schalke board were expelled from the WSV and club treasurer Willie Nier, who had attempted to conceal the illegal payments, committed suicide by drowning himself in the Rhine-Herne Canal.

Schalke continued its successful run, winning seven German championships between 1934 and 1958. After a fallow period in the 1980s and '90s, they have returned to proiminence, most recently finishing second in the Bundesliga in 2010, behind Bayern Munich.

6 August 2004 - The Night The Lights Went Out In Bremen

On 6 August 2004, defending Bundesliga champions Werder Bremen opened the new season with a 1-0 win over Schalke 04, thanks to the latest goal ever scored in the German top flight.

Werder Bremen entered the match full of optimism, having won the double the previous season, claiming their first league title since 1993 (their fourth overall) and their first German Cup since 1999 (sixth overall). They had also won the corresponding fixture against Schalke that year, 4-1. But in the opener for the new season, the defenses dominated as both teams struggled to shows any signs of life on offense.

Playing in an evening fixture, the flow of the match was interrupted when the lights at Werder's Weserstadion went on, forcing a lengthy delay for repairs. As the match restarted late in the evening, Werder Bremen manager Thomas Schaaf replaced his star forward Miroslav Klose with Paraguayan striker Nelson Valdes in the 73rd minute. Ten minutes later, Valdes (pictured) justified the switch by scoring the match-winning goal.

Because of the delay, Valdes scored his winning strike at 23:13 - the latest goal ever scored in the German top flight. Despite the dramatic start to the season, Werder Bremen were unable to replicate their success from the previous season, finishing the 2004-05 season in third place.

25 August 2007 - Puerta Collapses

On 25 August 2007, 22-year old Sevilla midfielder Antonio Puerta collapsed on the pitch in the 36th minute of Sevilla's league opener against Getafe. He briefly lost consciousness, but soon recovered and was substituted out the game. He walked back to the dressing room, where he again collapsed and lost consciousness before being rushed to Seville's Virgen de Rocio hospital.

Puerta had recently established himself as a rising star for Sevilla, having scored the extra-time match-winner in the club's 1-0 win over Schalke 04 in the UEFA Cup semi-finals. Sevilla supporters refer to that goal as "el gol quenos cambió la vida" (the goal that changed our lives) because it propelled them into a world-record-setting streak of five trophies in 15 months, starting with the 2006 UEFA Cup Final against Middlesbrough, which Sevilla won 4-0, and including the 2006 UEFA Super Cup, the 2007 Copa del Rey, the 2007 Supercopa de Espana, and the 2007 UEFA Cup Final against Espanyol, in which Puerta scored the winning penalty.

Puerta died on 28 August, his third day in the hospital. Doctors confirmed the cause as multiple cardiac arrests brought on by arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, a hereditary heart disease.

On 31 August, Sevilla played in the European Super Cup against AC Milan. As a tribute, the players from both sides all wore shirts with Puerta's name on the back.