Tottenham Hotspur is about to embark on their American preseason tour. It’s a chance for Spurs to increase their presence in the U.S. Another way Americans, and the rest of the world for that matter, to learn more about the rich history of the North London side is via ESPN Films’ 30 for 30 Soccer Stories documentary series.
The conclusion of the series “White, Blue and White” just premiered this past weekend. Directed by Camilo Antolini, the film explores Argentinian star Ossie Ardiles’ time playing overseas for Tottenham in London. A time when his native country and his new adopted home country went to war.
Fresh off Argentina’s victory in the 1978 World Cup, a tournament they won on their home soil, Ardiles and compatriot Ricky Villa joined Tottenham later that year, when the notion of overseas players was still new to the English league.
The Argentinian stars became cult heroes in England, leading their team to a 1981 FA Cup win. But on April 2, 1982, everything radically changed as another portion of the British Empire was the seen of global conflict.
Argentinian troops descended on the British-ruled Falkland Islands, asserting rightful sovereignty. A conflicted Ardiles returned to Buenos Aires two days later, his bright future with Spurs suddenly in question. Watch a clip from the film
The war in the tiny Falklands Islands turned his life and Villa’s upside down. Forever heroes, now they were getting booed at home. Hundreds of lives were lost in the war which hit home for Ardiles as much as it did for anyone.
As the documentary progresses, we see Ossie visit the Falklands’ battle sites and war memorials. Then along the way he gets into a life-threatening car accident.
Like my headline says, it’s a gripping doc. About eighty to eighty five percent of it in is Spanish with subtitles so be prepared for that. It’s a memorable portrait of a Tottenham Hall of Famer. But more importantly it’s another reflection of the tragedy of war- and the toll that war takes on people.
Paul M. Banks owns The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports and Yahoo! The Postgame. He’s been a guest on news talk shows all across the world. Banks has been featured in numerous media outlets including NFL.com, Forbes, Bleacher Report, Deadspin, ESPN, NBC, the History Channel and more. President Barack Obama follows him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)