From Bobby and Jack Charlton to Michael and Bryan Laudrup, football has seen some great sibling partnerships. Brothers who have gone from kick-abouts in the back garden to lifting their footballing nations to new heights.
For every Bobby and Jack, there’s a Kaka and Digao, an Eric and Joel.
So without further delay, Cult Kits proudly presents, some of the games lesser known footballing brothers.
Maradona + Raul + Hugo
While they didn’t exactly conquer the world in the way Diego did, Raul and Hugo did at least get to travel it off the back of their footballing prowess. Both spent time in Japan as well as Canada and both actually had pretty lengthy careers. They will, however, forever remain, Diego’s brothers.
Ronaldinho + Assis
It’s fair to say Assis’ career didn’t exactly take off in the way Ronaldinho’s would. After a few years bouncing around Brazil, and a one year stint where he replaced Hugo Maradona at Consadole Sapporo, he gave up the game to focus on advising his ludicrously talented little brother. You know, the kind of advice that had Ronaldinho, one of the world's most recognisable men, arrested for entering Paraguay with a fake passport. Paraguay being a country you do not require a passport to enter from Brazil. Probably should have stuck to football, Assis.
Allison + Muriel Becker
Alright it would be a bit harsh to say Muriel’s career hasn’t been a solid one. He actually kept his little brother out of the International first team for a few years on his way to appearing 122 times for the Brazilian club. But come on, Allison and Muriel. That’s pretty funny. 4, knock at the door (that’s a bingo joke).
Zico + Edu
The current assistant manager of Iraq, Edu was, to be fair to him, a phenomenal footballer in his own right. A creative midfielder like his brother he racked up a more than impressive 402 games for Rio based side, America. Unfortunately for him his brother happened to be a bona fide great of the game to the extent that he may as well print Edu (Zico’s brother) on his business cards. While Edu was the considerably older of the two they did briefly share the same pitch while at Flamengo during the tail end of Edu’s career.
Kaka + Digao
The very reason Kaka got his name, the story goes that the slightly younger Digao was unable to pronounce the name Ricardo as a child and thus we have Kaka. While Kaka was blessed with balletic elegance on the ball his 6 foot 4 central defender brother was all elbows and knees as he racked up an impressively low 38 games in 8 years as a professional.
Roberto + Eddy Baggio
After a promising start to life in football, during which he represented Italy’s under 17’s while coming through the youth ranks at Fiorentina, Eddy Baggio’s career never quite took off in the way Robby’s did. While his free spirited brother bounced around the juggernauts of Italian football, Eddy toiled away in the lower leagues. The only silverware collected in his 15 year career being the Coppa Italia Serie C, which is sort of like winning the Coppa Italia, if you choose to mumble the last bit.
Eric + Joel Cantona
While his brother was on his way to becoming an icon at Old Trafford, Joel was on a slightly different path. A year after Eric’s much hyped move from Leeds to United Joel made the slightly less talked about switch from Peterborough to Stockport. To be fair he did then make a slightly remarkable move from Stockport to Marseille a year later. Talk about trading up.
Christian + Max Vieri
You know Christian Vieri, one time world's most expensive player, Ronaldo’s favourite strike partner and star of the Italian national side. Well, meet Max, a player who spent most of his time on loan or bouncing around the lower leagues of Italy. He may not have shared the glittering career of his brother but the Sydney born Max was at least a fully fledged international, turning out six times for the Australian national team.
John + Mel Charles
As with poor Edu, Mel Charles had a pretty solid career. It just so happened that John Charles, the gentle giant so beloved in Wales and Turin, cast a very long shadow. Like his brother Mel Charles was capable of playing in both the defence and attack and rather remarkably also shared his brothers record of having never been cautioned or sent off in a game. Good on ya, Mel.
Mark Viduka is Luca Modric’s cousin
Alright they aren’t brothers but that doesn’t detract from how amazing it is to think the diminutive, elegant, Ballon D’or winning Modric and the man nicknamed Big Dukes could be so closely related. Viduka’s father, the brother of Modric’s mother, emigrated from Croatia to down under in the 60’s. Crikey.
Words by Andy Gallagher