Datasoccer

This soccer database enables you to search for country and club results, for the composition of teams of countries and clubs, and for the careers of players, from different angles.

Datasoccer is a unique source of information for the true football enthousiast with an eye for history, as well as for the professional football writer.

Messages of the publisher

1. The basic principles of choosing or omitting content

The outlook of database is very much international. English is used as being a broadly understood language. Text is kept to a minimum, in short remarks, and in the menu of the database. The database covers at present the years from 1945 to 2008 onward. It is intended to cover the era from the end of World War II, the beginning of the modern history of football. And of course every year last year's information is entered in the database.

Focusing on the best players in the world has made us set the limit at all international, capped players of the 'A' teams, (and in some cases the Olympic teams, in cases where it arguably is the strongest national selection). Apart from these players we feature the uncapped players of the top. Speaking of clubs we have drawn the limit at those playing at the highest national level. This means some clubs through the years fall out of or come (back) into consideration.

The guiding principle is to focus on the countries that have in the past and present shaped and continue to shape the history of international football. This is of course an ever changing picture that will need adjusting from time to time. As for now we have included the European countries with the exception of the small and very small football powers that mostly have never qualified for a major final international tournament. Of the American continent the foremost South American footballing countries have been included leaving out (as yet) Bolivia and Venezuela. From Northern and Central America only Mexico figures as yet. The rising footballing nations of Africa, Asia and Oceania are yet to be included.

2. Illustration

The imagery and pageantry of club colours and national colours, reflected in outfits and emblems, and their development through the years, are essential to any football enthousiast. It is therefore part of the intended layout of our database. In this respect shirt sponsoring is a hard nut to crack. The representation of shirt sponsoring in drawings of players in club outfits has been left out for esthetical and obvious legal reasons. With many commentators and writers we do abhor the ruining of traditional club shirts by depicting company and brand names. On the other hand the football shirt without sponsors' names nowadays looks in some way empty and outdated. Included are the club and national team outfit or outfits considered to be the most typical. For obvious legal reasons we have not included club emblems.

DISCLAIMER
Although extensive care has been taken to present the true and correct facts the hereunder mentioned author of this database cannot be held responsible for mistakes.

USER'S RIGHTS AND WRONGS
As a subscriber you are granted the right to use the database and its content privately as an amateur researcher, student or enthousiast of football's fact and history. You are not allowed to use, reproduce or extract from the database and its content for any exploitation directed at third parties nor to any other use outside the private sphere.

I wish you great times using the database to expand your knowledge of football in the major footballing nations of the world.

Bart Dingemans
Wielseweg 66
4024 BL Eck en Wiel
bart.dingemans@planet.nl

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the added value of this database?

How do I find a player?

What to do when I am not sure of the spelling of the name?

How to look for a (foreign) club, when you are not sure of the name?

How do I find out if a certain club is considered a top club?

How do I find the results of a club I have selected?

How have you dealt with name changes of clubs?

How to cope with clubs having the same name?

How have you treated club mergers and termination of clubs?

How do I look for match results of countries?

What is shown of the careers of the players in the database?

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF TERMS IN THE COMPOSITION OF THE NATIONAL TEAM?

Choose 'Players' and click on 'Composition of national teams'.

The database shows a representation of the players who represented their country in the specified year. The year is the calendar year.

The given number of games, and number of games as a substitute speak for themselves. Players in the same position are ranked by the greater number of games from top down. The players are listed from top down for each position on the field, in the team line-up, from goalkeeper (1) to outside left (11). In this way the most used, characteristic line-up of a team springs to view. The field positions used to be indicated by the shirt numbers 1 to 11. The shirt number has gradually lost meaning as to the field position of the wearer, and in clubs it has become a fixed personal number to identify individual players, numbering up to 55 etc. The classifying of players according to field position is however necessary to understand the team line-up, and to know what type of a player he is, which role and function he has in the team. The following schedule aims to bring some order in playing systems and field positions.

Period: 1958- 1967 1967- 1975 1972- 1995 From 1990
System: 4-2-4; or defensive system based on libero and extra defender(s). 4-2-4; 4-3-3; or defensive system based on libero and extra defender(s). 4-3-3; 4-4-2; 3-4-3. 4 or 3 man defence in line or with libero; 3, 4 or 5 man midfield; with the midfielders deployed across the field in right/central/leftsided, defensive or attacking roles. 4-3-3; 4-4-2; 3-4-3; 3-5-2; no more libero playing behind the other defenders, pairs of central defenders in rightsided and leftsided roles;3, 4 or 5 man midfield; all outfield players deployed across the field in right /central/ leftsided, defensive or attacking tasks; tasks of players as part of varying game plans.
Developments: Fixed positions on field; tactics of individual positioning and tasks more mobility more flexibility, versatility and subjecting to team discipline tactics of field positioning gradually lose some importance as players get fitter and more versatile, fysically, and tactically The traditional field positions become secondary to game plans; players become more and more versatile in defending as well as attacking, right sided play and left sided play, creative and disciplined play. Trend towards less specialized players. Players' position number(s)still say something about the type of player, but less than before.
Postition in line-up: 1958- 1967 1967- 1975 1972- 1995 From 1990
1 Goalkeeper Goalkeeper Goalkeeper Goalkeeper
2 right back in 4-2-4; or in 4 or 5 man defence with libero right back in 4-2-4; or in 4 or 5 man defence with libero right back in 4-3-3, 4-4-2, 3-4-3; or 4 man defence with libero. right back in 4-3-3, 4-4-2. Defender/ marker or right sided midfielder in systems with 3 defenders at the back
3 Libero playing behind defence, or marshalling central defender in 4-2-4 Libero playing behind defence, or marshalling central defender in 4-3-3 Libero playing behind or in front of defence in 4-3-3 or 4-4-2, or marshalling central defender in all systems with 3 at the back Libero playing in front or in line with defence in 4-3-3 or 4-4-2, or marshalling central defender in all systems with 3 at the back.
5 Stopper, central marker in any system Stopper, central marker in any system Stopper, central marker in any system Defender/marker in all systems with 3 and 4 at the back.
6 left back in 4-2-4; or in 4 or 5 man defence with libero left back in 4-2-4; or in 4 or 5 man defence with libero left back in 4-3-3, 4-4-2, 3-4-3; or in 4 man defence with libero left back in 4-3-3, 4-4-2. Defender/ marker or left sided midfielder in systems with 3 defenders at the back
4 right sided midfielder or (seldom)second inside forward in 4-2-4 right sided midfielder in 4-3-3, or 2nd stopper in 4 or 5 man defence with libero right sided midfielder in 4-3-3, 3-4-3 or 4-4-2; or in 4 man defence with libero. right sided midfielder in 4-3-3, 4-4-2 and systems with 3 defenders at the back
10 central midfielder playmaker in any system central midfielder playmaker in any system central midfielder playmaker Central midfielder playmaker or defensive marshalling midfielder in systems with 4 or 5 in midfield
7 left sided midfielder or second inside forward in 4-2-4 left sided midfielder in 4-3-3, or 2nd stopper in 4 or 5 man defence with libero left sided midfielder in 4-3-3, 3-4-3 or 4-4-2; or in 4 man defence with libero. left sided midfielder in 4-3-3, 4-4-2 and systems with 3 defenders at the back
8 outside right outside rights outside right in 4-3-3; rightsided forward of the 2 forwards or rightsided attacking midfielder in 4-4-2 outside right in 4-3-3; rightsided forward of the 2 forwards or rightsided attacking midfielder in 4-4-2 or other systems with 2 up front, or in other systems with 1 up front
9 inside forward centerforward center forward in 4-3-3; one of the 2 forwards in 4-4-2, or in 4-4-2 central attacking playmaker center forward in 4-3-3; one of the 2 forwards or central attacking playmaking midfielder in 4-4-2 or other systems with 2 wide up front; the only front player in systems with 1 up front.
11 outside left outside left outside left in 4-3-3; leftsided forward of the 2 forwards or leftsided attacking midfielder in 4-4-2 Outside left in 4-3-3; leftsided forward of the 2 forwards or leftsided attacking midfielder in 4-4-2 or other systems with 2 up front, or in other systems with 1 up front

The appearing club name of the player indicates his club at the beginning of the calendar year. When in the next year a different club is indicated, this means a transfer halfway the calendar year before the season's start. The exception goes 1) for transfers between clubs of a country where the football season runs from february/march to october/november, and 2) for individual running season late transfers. Countries with a spring to autumn season in Europe are the Scandinavian countries, except Denmark from 1991, and some Eastern European countries: The former Soviet Union, Russia, Belarus, and the Ukraine. And all southern hemisphere Latin American countries have a season running from january/february to october/november, from southern hemisphere autumn to spring.

Clicking on the phrase 'Click here for the international match results' puts you directly through to the match results of the country, also to be found under 'Countries', 'International results countries'.

What is the meaning of terms in the individual club results?

What is the meaning of terms in the records under season's results of all clubs?

Why have you included the line ups of top clubs as part of the database?

How have you coped with clubs and players subsequently belonging to different states?

Why have you sometimes listed top 10, resp. top 5 or top 3 scorers?

What is the purpose of the special notation of international match results?