Thursday, February 23rd, 2012
It feels like yesterday that Deportivo de La Coruña defied everyone and crowned Primera División champions. That season might have seen the least amount of points accumulated by the winners but it was undeniable they deserved it. They weren’t the only side for Galicia riding on a crest of a wave at the turn of the millennium. Celta de Vigo, their fierce rivals, was also one of the leading lights in the division. Today in the Segunda División, with their best years behind them, Sunday will see the two meet for the first time since 2006. In the past this fixture has given us goals, drama and excitement. In truth nothing less you expect from a hotly contested derby.
Much of it down to two mercurial yet explosive talents, flawed genius you rarely come across today, the eccentric Djalminha and the graceful Aleksandr Mostovoi. Both were as alike as two peas in a pod, when it mattered they turned any game on its head, the go-to-guys. Nothing seemed to be beyond them. It was as if both came for another world to grace the people of Galicia. In truth they did, despite their brilliance, both had their human sides.
At times letting their emotions get the better of them and as a result taking the shine from the majesty they performed. In an era decorated with illustrious playmakers, individually they were different from the norm, none more so than Djalminha. There were three sides to him; the good, the bad and the ugly. He was that contradictory a Hollywood movie could have easily been produced.
His arrival from Palmeiras for around €10M in 1997 raised eyebrows, the player who left his native land with many salivating, a recipient of the Bola de Ouro much was touted of him. A product of Flamengo, where the legendary playmaker Zico is adorned, he grew up surrounded by the best Brazilian players. His father, Djalma Feitosa, was one of the most charismatic players of the 1940s. When he was still a kid, “O Rei” Pelé carried him on his shoulders onto a football pitch. On arrival in Spain he immediately struck a formidable partnership with compatriot Rivaldo.
Blessed with talent, his genius was straight away for all to see and unquestionable, though his temperament would eventually be his downfall. However he exhibited all his positive traits in the first few seasons at La Coruña. That was enough to make him seen as one of the greats around, even if it was brief. His technique was simply excellent – great close control, dribbling and finishing – he was effectively a showman, never afraid to try the impossible, even in the most unnecessarily of times, still the fans weren’t complaining given the joy he was bringing.
His counterpart, Mostovoi at Celta, was part of a side full of high calibre names with the likes of Michel Salgado, Claude Makalele, Valeri Karpin, Mazinho and Haim Revivo. But he was the one who stood out the most. A gifted playmaker, his reading of the game was superb, exceptional vision coupled with great close control and dribbling made him one of the standout technical players of his generation. He would eventually become affectionately known as ‘El Zar’. His rise to prominence started at Spartak Moscow, before arriving in Vigo he had spells at Benfica, Caen and Strasbourg. Mostovoi would spend eight years with the club, much full of memories to last a lifetime, even if he failed to win a major honour.
With the stars aligning themselves and all the ingredients being in one place, it came as no surprise both should be involved in one of the most unsavoury incidents in the meetings between Depor and Celta. The clash on December 18, 1999, was one neither would forget. Both temperamental figures, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure, in the heat of the battle at the Riazor, the two forces will collide. Djalminha gave Mostovoi his now infamous colleja (slap to the back of the head). Both were at loggerheads, the Brazilian feeling he was racially abused, decided to take the law into his own hands: “I have no regrets. It was so pretty,” he recently said.
However Djalminha would make amends a year later in the same fixture scoring his most famous goal for Depor, receiving the ball on the edge of the area, he back-heeled it to beat the oncoming defender and with his left foot curled it into the far corner. That was as good as things got for Djalminha in North-West Spain. His fallout with manager Javier Irureta, in training – where he head-butted him – saw his whirlwind adventure with the club cut short. An action which he still doesn’t regret: “I cannot repent the head but to Irureta because it is something I have done and those who were there know the reasons.”
Irureta, incidentally coached Mostovoi at Celta before crossing the divide to La Coruña. Their relationship was a little bit more tranquil compared to the one he shared with Djalminha. The Russian would also have his fair share of crucial moments in the meetings, in his first game scored the equaliser away from home, a 2-2 draw, and a season later would be integral in Celta’s 2-1 home win, recording their first win over their rivals in four years. Both were central figures to their side’s brief fortunes in the late 90s and early part of the last decade. Celta, a top six side, tasted the riches of European club football famously beating Juventus in a UEFA Cup tie and Benfica 7-0 in the same competition. As for their rivals, often Champions League regulars, Depor’s improbable comeback against AC Milan in 2003/04 season still remains one of the most spectacular.
The fixture once one of the most anticipated in the top flight is back in the spotlight. There’s no Mostovoi or Djalminha – two seemingly untouchable marvels on their day – to light up the occasion. Even if it was for a short period of time, the two amongst others made Deportivo and Celta relevant. Slowly becoming a distant memory it might be a while before either side reach those heights again. If possible that is.
Mohamed’s other work can be found at his own personal site La Croqueta, and column for FourFourTwo on Dutch football. Regular updates from the man himself can be found via Twitter here.
Tags: Celta Vigo, Deportivo La Coruña, Djalminha, Galician Derby, Gallego Derbi, Mostovoi, Valeron
