Jacek Bak became the most-capped player for Poland after the second EURO 2008 group match against Austria. The substitute captain for coach Leo Beenhakker’s team earned his 96th cap in that match. The Austria Vienna defender thus took over from Poland’s football idol, Grzegorz Lato, the goalkeeping king of the 1974 FIFA World Cup™. Bak earned his first cap for Poland on 1 February 1993 when he was still under contract with Lech Poznan. The 35-year-old, who participated in the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups™, won the national league with Lech Poznan in 1992 and 1993. Only 95 of Lato’s 100 caps were recognised by FIFA, because the remainder were played with the Polish Olympic side.

Tony Meola played no fewer than 100 international matches for the USA between 1988 and 2006. The agile goalkeeper, who was the American number one at the 1990 FIFA World Cup™ in Italy and the 1994 tournament on home ground, is recognised as the man who paved the way for Kasey Keller, Brad Friedel (the number two at the 2002 FIFA World Cup™) and Tim Howard. Now, at 40, Meola is making the transition into the organisational side of the game with Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) outfit the New Jersey Ironmen. He is also about to launch his own line of jerseys, gloves and other goalkeeper accessories. Meola is used to trying out new things: he once tried out to be a kicker for the American football side the New York Jets, starred in a Broadway play and even ran his own mortgage firm. But he is really excited about his new job. “Our first collection of gloves is ready. There has been an overwhelming response to them,” said Meola.

Ali Karimi is having problems with the Iran Football Federation. The midfielder is still waiting to return to the national team, even though his ban has been lifted. The former Asian player of the year was banned from playing for Iran after strongly criticising the federation. “I was told that I could play again. But I still haven’t been approached about it. There must be some people blocking my return,” said Karimi, who was supposed to help Iran qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. Even the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has called for the technically gifted player’s return. The 29-year-old midfielder played for German giants Bayern Munich between 2005 and 2007, before moving to a club in Qatar.