Neymar’s move to Paris Saint-Germain is currently dominating the headlines, the Brazilian seemingly determined to leave Barcelona for untold riches in the French capital. He will earn a staggering salary from the cash-laden Ligue 1 side, establish a new world transfer record that could stand for quite some time, and will now be the star of his own show rather than supporting Lionel Messi at Camp Nou.
However, there is nothing new about a player moving to a new country in order to vastly increase his salary, with one of the best ever examples coming some sixty years ago today. Indeed, it was on August 3, 1957 that John Charles swapped Leeds for Turin, signing with Juventus in a move that would dramatically alter the landscape of Italian football.
The story of the “Gentle Giant” and his adventures with the Old Lady have been retold for decades. Strong, incredible in the air and unfathomably fair, he bulldozed opponents with sheer physicality yet always did so within the rules of the game and the spirit of fair play, never booked in any match over the duration of his entire career.
As a result he was a beloved team-mate, earning the respect of all those who played alongside him during a five-year spell with the Bianconeri. “I would say he was from another world because of his human qualities, one of the most loyal and honest people I have ever met, a very special person,” club captain Giampiero Boniperti once remarked. “John managed to keep the whole team united, and any quarrels or arguments quietened down as soon as he appeared on the pitch or in the dressing room.”
That including dealing with strike partner Omar Sivori, a maverick Argentinian who did not share Charles’ ideological view of how to play the game. Known as El Cabezón – “The Big Head” – he loved to torment and embarrass defenders, skipping past them with ease before scoring audacious goals, an ability that saw him handed the Ballon d’Or in 1961.
He was also an emotive figure on the pitch, known to scream at referees, team-mates and opponents alike whenever he deemed events were not going his way. On more than one occasion, Charles intervened when Sivori became hysterical, slapping him across the face and demanding he calmed down. Incidents like those – not to mention a lucrative record deal that included songs like “Love in Portofino” and “Sixteen Tons” – earned him widespread admiration.
Among his biggest fans was former England and Newcastle manager Sir Bobby Robson, who once said that “John wasn't only one of the greatest footballers who ever lived, he was one of the greatest men ever to play the game!”
He became a major celebrity in Italy too, tributes to the Swansea native flooding in following his death in 2004. “We cry for a great champion and a great man,” said Juve icon Roberto Bettega. “John was a person who interpreted the spirit of Juventus in the best possible manner, and also represented the sport in the best and purest way.”
Yet what all of those plaudits and kind words fail to convey is the sheer impact Charles had on the Bianconeri. Prior to his arrival in 1957, the Old Lady had endured a rare barren spell, picking up just two Serie A titles in the previous 22 years and living in the shadow of not only Milan and Inter, but also crosstown rivals Torino who had become one of the most formidable sides in Europe during the years surrounding the Second World War.
It was that slow slide into mediocrity that prompted Juventus President Gianni Agnelli to sign both Charles and Sivori, hoping they could inspire a return to winning ways. He would not have to wait long. The Bianconeri – who had finished ninth in 1956/57 – would canter to the title, finishing eight points clear of closest rivals Fiorentina despite teams at the time being awarded just two points for a win.
Charles would score a league-high 28 goals in his debut campaign, a tally that was five more than anyone else and which saw him named Serie A Player of the Year. Two more Scudetti would follow along with a pair of Coppa Italia triumphs in his five-year stint under the Alps, while he also helped Wales to a quarter-final berth at the 1958 World Cup.
Citing a desire to return to the UK with his homesick family, he would return to Leeds in 1962, only for the lure of Italy to prove too great, prompting a brief but ultimately unsuccessful spell with Roma later that season. The magic had gone and he was no longer able to live up to his immense reputation, playing out the last days of his career with Cardiff City, Hereford United and Merthyr Tydfil.
But in Turin he will never be forgotten, his story told over and over again to ensure the name of “King John” Charles will forever be part of the Juventus legend.
