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The following are the football (soccer) events of the year 1997 throughout the world.

[edit] Events

• January 1 – Manager Leo Beenhakker is named technical director at Dutch club Vitesse Arnhem and replaced as a manager by Sparta Rotterdam head coach Henk ten Cate.
• Copa Libertadores 1997: is won by Cruzeiro after defeating Sporting Cristal on an aggregate score of 1-0.
• Scottish Cup: Kilmarnock FC beats Falkirk 1-0.
• February 25 – Manager Hans Westerhof is sacked by FC Groningen.
• April 30 – Striker Boudewijn Zenden from PSV Eindhoven plays his first international match for the Netherlands national football team, when Holland defeats San Marino 6-0 in Serravalle.
• May 17 – Chelsea wins the FA Cup by defeating Middlesbrough 2-0.
• May 18 – Eric Cantona, the famous and controversial French footballer in the Premiership, announces his retirement from football.
• July 20 – Gudjon Thordarson makes his debut as the manager of Iceland with a 1-0 loss against Norway.
• August 17 – PSV Eindhoven wins the Johan Cruijff Schaal, the annual opening of the new season in the Eredivisie, with a 3-1 win over Roda JC in the Amsterdam ArenA.
• November 2 – Borussia Dortmund wins the Intercontinental Cup in Tokyo, Japan by defeating Brazil's Cruzeiro 2-0. The goals for the Germans are scored by Michael Zorc and Heiko Herrlich.

[edit] Winner national club championships

[edit] Euorope

• Bulgaria – PFC CSKA Sofia
• England – Manchester United
• France – AS Monaco
• Germany – Bayern Munich
• Italy – Juventus
• Netherlands
  • Eredivisie – PSV Eindhoven
  • Eerste Divisie – MVV Maastricht
• Portugal – FC Porto
• Spain – Real Madrid
• Turkey – Galatasaeray S.K.55500

[edit] South America

• Argentina
  • Clausura – River Plate
  • Apertura – River Plate
• Bolivia
  • Bolívar
• Brazil
  • Vasco da Gama
• Chile
  • Apertura – Universidad Católica
  • Clausura – Colo-Colo
• Paraguay
  • Olimpia Asunción

[edit] Asia

• Lebanon – Al-Ansar

[edit] International tournaments

• UNCAF Nations Cup in Guatemala City, Guatemala (April 16 – April 27, 1997)

1.  Costa Rica
2.  Guatemala
3.  El Salvador

• Tournoi de France in France (June 3 – June 11, 1997)

1.  England
2.  Brazil
3.  France

• Copa América in Bolivia (June 11 – June 29, 1997)

1.  Brazil
2.  Bolivia
3.  Mexico

• Baltic Cup in Vilnius, Lithuania (July 9 – 11 1997)

1.  Lithuania
2.  Latvia
3.  Estonia

• FIFA U-17 World Championship in Egypt (September 5 – September 21, 1997)

1.  Brazil
2.  Ghana
3.  Spain

[edit] National team results

[edit] Asia

[edit]  Kazakhstan

[edit] Europe

[edit]  Estonia

[edit]  Netherlands

[edit]  Sweden

[edit] South America

[edit]  Bolivia

[edit]  Chile

[edit]  Ecuador

[edit] Deaths

• April 23 – Brian Alderson (46), Scottish footballer
• June 18 – Héctor Yazalde (51), Argentinian footballer
• July 10 – Ivor Allchurch (67), Welsh footballer
• October 18 – Ramiro Castillo (31), Bolivian footballer
• November 1 – Roger Marche (73), French footballer
• November 9 – Helenio Herrera (80), Argentine-French footballer and manager
• December 7 – Billy Bremner (55), Scottish footballer