BLUE STARS / FIFA YOUTH CUP
ENGLISH EDITION
DREAMING BIG WWW.FIFA.COM/MAGAZINE
AUSTRALIA
HIGH HOPES FOR THE MATILDAS MADAGASCAR
COACH DUPUIS DELIVERS EDINSON CAVANI
“GOALS FULFIL ME”
FIFA CONFEDERATIONS CUP
THE TOURNAMENT WITH TRADITION
JUNE 2017
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EDITORIAL
GIVING SOMETHING BACK TO FOOTBALL The annual FIFA/Blue Stars Youth Cup in Zurich sparks interest for two reasons. Firstly, its international aspect demonstrates the opportunities that football can open up for young players. Secondly, it helps the youngsters find out if they have what it takes to forge a professional career. Fans watching the action closely at the Buchlern sports ground might be lucky enough to glimpse one or two future stars in action (see report from page 8). A professional career won’t be an option for everyone, but even for those who don’t make it, football can still continue to play a big part in their lives: the emotions it arouses, the joy of playing, the physical exercise, the team spirit and sense of community on and off the pitch – these memories will stay with the youngsters for their whole lives. The best way to help those memories live on is to give something back to football – whether that means volunteering behind the scenes or coaching a youth team, using one’s free time to help boys and girls to play football and thereby enrich their lives can be a hugely rewarding experience. which are designed to do just that, FIFA also endeavours to ensure that football reaches as diverse a range of people as possible, and that all forms of discrimin
Illustration: Mario Wagner
FIFA believes strongly in giving something back. With its development projects
ation are avoided. Because investing in football means investing in people. Perikles Monioudis
FIFA 1904 /
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CONTENTS
30
SOCIAL MEDIA
34
AJAX AMSTERDAM
The Dutch club that took Europe by storm in the early seventies are on their way back to the top.
THEN AND NOW
From Durham to Martigny.
Alexander Hassenstein / FIFA via Getty Images, Filipe Farinha / Getty Images, Alexis Reau / Presse Sports
“Who will win the FIFA Confederations Cup and why?” Our readers reply.
INTERVIEW
PSG’s Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani has been one of Europe’s top attackers for some time now. We caught up with the nature lover in Paris.
19
SNAPSHOT
16
26
The annual tournament in Zurich shows the high standard that can be achieved by young exponents of the beautiful game. We also take a look at football as played by children and their dreams of making it to the top. The FIFA U-20 World Cup Korea Republic 2017 has kicked off in spectacular fashion.
FIRST LOVE
Herat, Afghanistan.
BLUE STARS/FIFA YOUTH CUP 2017
24
Under coach Nicolas Dupuis, Madagascar have risen nine places.
8
FIFA BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP 2017
Reigning champions Portugal were unable to prevent Brazil from winning their fifth World Cup after an eight-year gap.
FIFA/COCA-COLA MEN’S WORLD RANKING
6
20
FIFA NEWS
FIFA’s most recent investments in world football.
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40
36 COVER PICTURE
Independiente Santa Fe youngsters at the Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup 2017 in Zurich. Photo: Vera Hartmann / 13 Photo
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/ FIFA 1904
DEBATE – PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
52
FA CUPS
FIFA MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS
Snippets from around the world.
62
CELEBRATION
Carlos Valderrama is generally acknowledged to be the best footballer that Colombia has ever produced.
64
PUBLICATION DETAILS
Dean Mouhtaropoulos / FIFA via Getty Images, Ben Radford / Getty Images
58
Many national cup competitions produce matches that go down in football folklore.
HISTORY
The FIFA Confederations Cup has been thrilling crowds and viewers for many a year with pure football enjoyment.
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54
FIFA WORLD FOOTBALL MUSEUM
Stories of extraordinary folk who happen to love football: eight inspirational short films await museum visitors.
STATISTICS
Facts and figures on Russian football.
42
The FIFA Congress 2017 in Bahrain – in his monthly column, President Gianni Infantino says: “What I saw over the course of the week in Manama makes me very confident for the future. However, I will not refrain from pointing out just how much remains to be done as we continue to move forwards.”
PHOTO ARCHIVE
The Belgian team stretch their legs on a Montevideo beach after three weeks at sea (1930).
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50
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL
The Matildas are aiming high: Australia’s women’s team are gunning to win the 2023 World Cup, no less.
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FIFA 1904 app
FIFA 1904 appears monthly in four languages and is also available as an app for smartphones and tablets http://www.fifa.com/mobile FIFA 1904 /
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FIFA NEWS
Qatar Airways is a new Official Partner and the official airline of FIFA until 2022. “Qatar Airways understands the power of sport in bringing people together in the spirit of friendly competition. FIFA, as the governing body of the world’s most popular sporting tournament, understands the power of football’s popularity, and as such is a natural partner for Qatar Airways,” said His Excellency Akbar FIFA has
Al Baker, Qatar Airways Group
published its Financial,
Chief Executive.
Governance and Activity Reports for 2016. 76% of the forecast revenue -
for the 2015 2018 cycle has already been contracted, and a positive net result in the region of USD 100 million is expected by the end of the cycle. Continued revenue growth alongside
FIFA President
focused cost containment measures have allowed
Gianni Infantino recently
direct investment in football development to
visited Rwanda to lay a ceremonial
be tripled through the new FIFA Forward
stone for one of the first projects under the FIFA Forward Programme, a hotel that
ments over the 2015 2018 period
will generate income for development activ
-
Programme, with 82% of the total invest going directly back into
ities for the Rwandan FA. “It is an innovative
football.
project which, with good investment and proper management, will yield benefit to Rwandan The FIFA Confederations
football. FIFA will continue to support
Cup 2017 will take centre stage in
Rwanda in its plans to take the game
Kazan, Moscow, Saint Petersburg and
to another level,” said the FIFA
Sochi from 17 June to 2 July. The tourna
President while in Rwanda.
ment will also see the use of video assistant referees (VARs) who will be able to support -
referees with “game changing” decisions. The VARs will be given access to all broadcast feeds inside a video operations room, enabling them to provide information to the referee on the field of play in order to correct any clear mistakes.
4
/ FIFA 1904
Illustration: Julien Pacaud FIFA 1904 /
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6
+ / – Points
Rank Team
+ / – Points
Rank Team
+ / – Points
Rank Team
+ / – Points
Rank Team
FIFA/COCA-COLA MEN’S WORLD RANKING 1 Brazil
0
1672
55 Slovenia
0
614
109 Jordan
1
311
163 Cuba
0
124
2 Argentina
0
1603
55 Bulgaria
0
614
110 Zimbabwe
1
304
164 Bhutan
0
123
3 Germany
0
1464
57 Panama
0
607
111 Madagascar
9
302
165 New Caledonia
0
121
4 Chile
0
1411
58 Venezuela
0
595
112 New Zealand
0
301
166 Kuwait
0
120
5 Colombia
0
1348
59 Scotland
0
589
113 Sierra Leone
0
300
166 Myanmar
0
120
6 France
0
1294
60 Uzbekistan
0
586
114 Malawi
-14
291
166 Gambia
0
120
7 Belgium
0
1281
61 Russia
0
561
115 Oman
-1
290
169 Grenada
7
117
8 Portugal
0
1259
62 Montenegro
0
560
116 Korea DPR
-1
289
170 St Vincent and the Grenadines
7
116
9 Switzerland
0
1212
63 Israel
0
557
117 Equatorial Guinea
-1
287
171 St Lucia
-2
115
10 Spain
0
1204
64 South Africa
0
539
118 Rwanda
-1
285
172 Kosovo
-2
112
11 Poland
0
1183
65 Haiti
0
537
119 Suriname
-1
284
173 Nepal
-3
110
12 Italy
0
1165
66 Albania
0
533
120 Iraq
-1
278
173 Barbados
-1
110
13 Wales
0
1119
67 Armenia
0
527
121 Botswana
-1
276
175 Cambodia
-2
108
14 England
0
1103
68 Honduras
0
524
122 Georgia
0
274
176 Laos
-2
107
15 Uruguay
0
1097
69 Mali
0
504
123 Yemen
0
268
177 Indonesia
-2
105
16 Mexico
0
1076
70 Curaçao
0
492
124 Latvia
0
265
178 São Tomé e Príncipe
0
98
17 Peru
0
1044
71 Guinea
0
474
124 Ethiopia
0
265
179 Vanuatu
0
94
18 Croatia
0
1016
72 Uganda
0
463
124 Palestine
0
265
180 Solomon Islands
0
92
19 Egypt
0
910
73 Bolivia
1
460
127 Philippines
0
254
181 Fiji
0
90
20 Costa Rica
0
902
74 Jamaica
-1
458
128 Kyrgyzstan
0
250
182 Malta
0
86
21 Iceland
0
872
75 United Arab Emirates
-1
453
129 Thailand
0
245
183 Guam
0
82
22 Turkey
0
863
76 Trinidad and Tobago
0
439
130 Central African Republic
0
239
184 Macau
0
77
23 USA
0
847
77 Faroe Islands
0
431
131 Niger
0
235
185 Bermuda
0
75
24 Slovakia
-1
846
78 Kenya
0
428
132 Bahrain
0
232
186 Dominica
0
74
25 Ecuador
0
839
78 Belarus
0
428
133 FYR Macedonia
0
225
187 Andorra
0
66
26 Northern Ireland
0
823
80 Syria
0
426
134 Puerto Rico
0
221
188 Brunei Darussalam
0
65
26 Republic of Ireland
0
823
81 China PR
0
425
135 Tanzania
0
218
189 Liechtenstein
0
64
28 Iran
0
820
82 Cape Verde Islands
0
418
136 Vietnam
0
217
189 American Samoa
0
64
29 Bosnia and Herzegovina
0
815
83 Benin
0
396
137 Lebanon
0
216
189 Cook Islands
0
64
30 Senegal
0
805
84 Gabon
0
392
138 Tajikistan
0
205
189 Samoa
0
64
31 Hungary
0
801
84 Congo
0
392
139 Guyana
0
194
193 Bangladesh
0
60
32 Netherlands
0
792
86 Norway
0
387
140 Turkmenistan
0
193
194 Djibouti
0
53
33 Cameroon
0
779
87 Azerbaijan
0
386
141 Liberia
0
192
195 Timor-Leste
0
52
34 Sweden
0
768
88 Swaziland
0
378
141 Burundi
0
192
196 Seychelles
0
51
35 Burkina Faso
0
765
89 Qatar
0
369
143 Comoros
0
190
197 Mongolia
0
34
36 Austria
0
762
90 Libya
1
361
144 Angola
0
189
197 Sri Lanka
0
34
37 Ukraine
0
761
91 Mauritania
-1
359
145 Belize
0
188
199 US Virgin Islands
0
26
38 Paraguay
0
738
92 Guatemala
0
352
146 South Sudan
8
186
199 Montserrat
0
26
39 Greece
0
730
93 Antigua and Barbuda
0
349
147 Luxembourg
-1
185
201 Pakistan
0
24
40 Nigeria
0
726
94 Namibia
0
346
148 Dominican Republic
-1
184
202 Turks and Caicos Islands
0
20
41 Congo DR
0
712
94 Guinea-Bissau
0
346
149 Lesotho
-1
181
203 Cayman Islands
0
13
42 Tunisia
0
701
96 Cyprus
0
343
150 Hong Kong
-1
179
204 San Marino
0
12
43 Korea Republic
0
700
97 Finland
0
335
150 Chad
-1
179
205 British Virgin Islands
0
5
44 Japan
0
685
98 Zambia
-1
334
152 Maldives
-1
175
206 Anguilla
0
0
45 Ghana
0
682
98 St Kitts and Nevis
1
334
153 Tahiti
-1
167
206 Bahamas
0
0
46 Czech Republic
0
679
100 Nicaragua
1
331
154 Afghanistan
-1
161
206 Eritrea
0
0
47 Romania
0
676
100 Lithuania
1
331
155 Sudan
-1
155
206 Gibraltar
0
0
48 Côte d'Ivoire
0
672
100 India
1
331
156 Papua New Guinea
0
154
206 Somalia
0
0
49 Serbia
0
671
100 Estonia
1
331
157 Mauritius
3
147
206 Tonga
0
0
50 Australia
0
661
104 Kazakhstan
1
325
158 Malaysia
-1
145 142
51 Denmark
0
657
105 Mozambique
1
323
159 Moldova
-1
52 Saudi Arabia
0
646
106 Togo
1
320
160 Singapore
-1
141
53 Morocco
0
633
107 El Salvador
1
317
161 Chinese Taipei
0
136
54 Algeria
0
628
108 Canada
1
312
162 Aruba
0
127
/ FIFA 1904
Last updated: 7 May 2017
Pointing the way forward Madagascar defender François Randrianomenjanahary is hoping to play at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2019.
LEADER BRAZIL (unchanged) MOVES INTO TOP TEN NONE MOVES OUT OF TOP TEN NONE
MADAGASCAR ON THE MARCH
MATCHES PLAYED IN TOTAL 7
island state in the world, but football is certainly catching up fast, even though the fans’
MOST MATCHES PLAYED MADAGASCAR, MALAWI, MAURITIUS, SEYCHELLES, SOMALIA, SOUTH SUDAN
dreams of seeing their heroes qualify for their first Africa Cup of Nations in 2017 were quickly
(2 matches each)
Pétanque may still be the sport of choice for many in in Madagascar, the second-biggest
dashed after they picked up only three points – from three draws – in their qualifiers, leaving
BIGGEST MOVE BY POINTS SOUTH SUDAN (up 31 points)
them rooted to the foot of their group. Time moves quickly, however, and 2017 could well be remembered as the year in which it all changed for Madagascar. A new coach, Frenchman Nicolas Dupuis, was hired in March. The 49-year-old, most recently in charge at AS Yzeure in the French fourth division, summed
BIGGEST MOVE BY RANKS MADAGASCAR (up 9 ranks)
it all up perfectly when he said: “Madagascar and their football fans have been waiting for far too long”. That won’t come as a surprise to many, but just two months on from his appointment, the progress is clear for all to see. Madagascar recently won four games on the
BIGGEST DROP BY POINTS MALAWI (down 42 points)
spin, firstly dispatching São Tomé e Príncipe twice in the 2019 Cup of Nations preliminary round qualifiers before handing out similar treatment to Malawi in the qualifiers for the
©Muzi Ntombela / BackpagePix
African Nations Championship 2018.
BIGGEST DROP BY RANKS MALAWI (down 14 ranks)
Those four wins have certainly had an effect on the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking too, as Dupuis’ charges have benefitted from the recent lull in action on the international stage to climb nine places to 111th, where they sit just ahead of New Zealand. Recent results have certainly got fans dreaming again – this time of the Africa Cup of Nations 2019 in Cameroon. Alan Schweingruber
http://www.fifa.com/worldranking FIFA 1904 /
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BLUE STARS/FIFA YOUTH CUP
DREAMING OF FOOTBALL Football certainly arouses strong, positive emotions in us when we are children, emotions that – as the years roll by – become fond memories. But how can dreams of football be kept alive for a lifetime? Images from the prestigious Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup in Zurich. By Perikles Monioudis (text) and Vera Hartmann (photos) 8
/ FIFA 1904
The joy of football Youngsters from Independiente Santa Fe – the first Colombian side to take part in the Blue Stars tournament (24-25 May 2017) – relax in the dressing room. They finished eighth. FIFA 1904 /
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BLUE STARS/FIFA YOUTH CUP
In the middle Two young girls follow the action while surrounded by West Ham United players.
10
/ FIFA 1904
Positional play FC Zurich squeezed past Benfica 1-0 and eventually claimed third place. The Portuguese had to settle for sixth spot.
A ball is certainly a magical object. Is it the perfect shape of what is essentially a spinning, rolling, flying sphere that fascinates young children all over the world, drawing them in and creating a love affair that generally lasts a lifetime? Is our sport the most beautiful game in the world simply because it has the ability to place the joy that we feel when we kick a ball into a wider context in which fairness, personal development and social competence all start to flourish for the first time, all while firing our imagination and giving wings to our dreams? Football gives us something deeply human and permanent in our lives, and it’s no wonder that we can hardly help but surrender to its spell. But when exactly does that spell take hold of us as youngsters? When does football draw us in and refuse to let go? Is joining a football club our first decision in that respect? Is it when we pull on our very first football shirt? Or is it the first game of whatever club we may have chosen? And what happens when we get even more involved in the game, heading off to training sessions or matches maybe two, three or even five times a week? What about when it’s time to join a football academy,
Words of consolation Young Grasshoppers players after losing to local rivals FC Zurich in the match for third place.
FIFA 1904 /
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BLUE STARS/FIFA YOUTH CUP
Benfica Winners in 1996, the Portuguese club are tournament regulars.
or later on when studies and education come calling? Does football remain the be-all and end-all in a young life? For how long? A distinction has to be made, of course, between life as a professional player and a childhood with the game. Any questions about how long the game casts its spell over any particular person are – if truth be told – some-
Football gives us something deeply human and permanent in our lives, and it’s no wonder that we can hardly help but surrender to its spell.
what moot because a career in the game depends on a whole host of factors, not least whether you are actually talented enough to make a living from the sport, whether you are fortunate enough to avoid serious long-term injury, and whether you also make the right decisions in terms of signing for Club A or Club B. There are no such variables in the sport when you are young though. Football will always play an important role in a child’s life for as long as he or she enjoys the game, creating memories that the child will look back upon with a smile one day.
FIFA INVESTS IN PEOPLE Developing the game and helping those within it – at all levels – is one of FIFA’s main objectives. This is exactly where FIFA’s many development projects, which 12
/ FIFA 1904
Mike TrĂŠsor Ndayishimiye, 18, RSC Anderlecht
Boris Babic, 19, FC St. Gallen
Toni Domgjoni, 18, FC Zurich
Nikola Gjorgjev, 19, Grasshopper Club Zurich
FIFA 1904 /
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Alan Dzabana, 20, Olympique Lyonnais
Daniel Steven Valdelamar, 20, Independiente Santa Fe
Niklas Kรถlle, 17, FSV Mainz 05
Domingos Quina, 17, West Ham United
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Any questions about how long the game casts its spell over any particular person are somewhat moot because a career in the game depends on a whole host of factors.
are available to each and every member association, come into play. The Forward Programme, for example, offers a wide range of possibilities in all areas of development, which in turn can lead to projects such as “Downside Up”, which is part of the Football for Hope movement and focuses on teaching the game to Russian children with Down syndrome, or “Football Connects”, a project that uses the football facilities at the Home of FIFA to give around 250 young refugees from countries such as Eritrea, Afghanistan and Syria a chance to find their feet in Switzerland.
MAKING GOOD THINGS HAPPEN In May, FIFA held a course for 24 young referees in Somalia, who will now take that knowledge back into their local youth leagues. In the same month, FIFA worked closely with the Moroccan FA’s women’s football department to continue to pave the way for Moroccan women’s teams to be able to play at all levels of international football. In Mexico, meanwhile, FIFA’s support has helped to set up a cup competition for 23 women’s teams ahead of the start of the inaugural season of the women’s professional league in September. Everyone involved in these – and other – FIFA projects, in whatever capacity it may be, will certainly look back fondly on them in the years to come, and take the related emotions back into their daily lives. Or maybe, just maybe, football will become their daily lives. So
Vera Hartmann / 13Photo
those childhood dreams of football can indeed come true, and last for a lifetime. For FIFA, actions truly do speak louder than words. Visit FIFA.com for the facts and figures on the tournament.
Champion selfie Olympique Lyonnais players pose for a pic with local young fans.
FIFA 1904 /
15
SNAPSHOT
16 / FIFA 1904
Robert Cianflone / FIFA via Getty Images
FIFA U-20 World Cup Korea Republic 2017 For striker Lee Seung-woo, the tournament is an opportunity to shine in front of his home fans. He is shown here helping his team to a 3-0 victory in Jeonju in the group match against Guinea (20 May 2017). FIFA 1904 /
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Driven by e-motion.
plug-in
hybrid
electric
SOCIAL MEDIA FIFA 1904 ASKED ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER “Who will win the FIFA Confederations Cup and why?”
“PORTUGAL. STRONG DEPTH IN SQUAD, UNREAL YOUNG TALENTS AND THE COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCED PLAYERS WITH RONALDO LEADING GIVES THEM A HUGE BOOST.” Kawsar Ibn Absar (United Arab Emirates) on Twitter
“I THINK GERMANY WILL WIN AS THEY ARE THE REIGNING WORLD CHAMPIONS. IT SHOULD BE A GOOD PREPARATION FOR NEXT YEAR’S FIFA WORLD CUP.” Alankrit Mathur (India) on Facebook
“PORTUGAL OR CHILE BECAUSE PORTUGAL HAVE AN IRON DEFENCE AND THE BEST YOUNG SQUAD IN THE WHOLE COMPETITION, THE BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD IN RONALDO, AND THE BEST PLAYER IN LIGUE 1 IN BERNARDO SILVA. CHILE, ON THE OTHER HAND, HAVE AN INCREDIBLE ATTACK AND THEY ARE SURVIVORS.” Hugo Canario (Portugal) on Facebook
“GERMANY WILL WIN BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE STRONGEST TEAM AND THE BIGGEST WILL TO WIN.”
Getty Images
Lars Walter (Germany) on Twitter
“I BELIEVE THAT MEXICO CAN CAUSE AN UPSET AND WIN IT. PEOPLE UNDERESTIMATE MEXICO TOO MUCH.” Mario Rodríguez (Mexico) on Facebook
FIFA 1904 /
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FIFA BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP 2017 Quarter-final showdown Brazil (pictured: Bruno Xavier, left) beat Portugal 4-3 on 4 May 2017. Leo Martins is the man swallowed by the sand.
BACK ON TOP
After a gap of eight years, Brazil have won the Beach Soccer World Cup again in a stunning comeback that saw off all challengers, with only Portugal posing a threat to the South Americans. By Alan Schweingruber
20
/ FIFA 1904
Matthew Lewis, Alex Grimm, Dean Mouhtaropoulos / FIFA via Getty Images (4)
Ten days in the Bahamas The 32 World Cup games in Nassau thrilled the fans. Top: Brazil v. Italy (8-4) in the semi-finals; right: Iran v. Italy (4-5); left: Japan’s Takasuke Goto celebrates during his team’s opening victory over Poland (9-4).
There was a time when Brazil seemed to be winning every beach
golden period going to the beach soccer giants of South America.
soccer tournament going. One glance at the World Cup stats
The trophies just kept on coming, as befitted a nation of serial
confirms their dominance, the winners’ column an almost unbroken
World Cup winners.
line of that familiar flag with its green background, blue globe and yellow diamond. From 1995 to 2009, virtually no one could touch
FALLOW PERIOD
the Seleção on sand, unless the opposition happened to play out of
But then came an eight-year dry spell when the Canarinhas – so-
their skins over the three periods of 12 minutes and the planetary
called because the team’s yellow shirts are the colour of canaries –
alignment was just right on the day. The overall figures make for
were singing and dancing no more. In fact, things got so bad that
impressive reading, with 13 of the 15 tournaments played in that
Brazil had to be content with fifth place at the 2015 World Cup FIFA 1904 /
21
FIFA BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP 2017 QUARTER-FINALS TO THE FINAL QUARTER-FINALS, 4 MAY 2017 Paraguay v. Tahiti 4-6 Brazil v. Portugal 4-3 Switzerland v. Iran 3-4 Italy v. Senegal 5-1 SEMI-FINALS, 6 MAY 2017 Iran v. Tahiti 1-1, 2-3 PSO Italy v. Brazil 4-8 MATCH FOR THIRD PLACE, 7 MAY 2017 Iran v. Italy 5-3 FINAL, 7 MAY 2017 Tahiti v. Brazil 0-6
Brazil’s goalkeeper Mão, 38.
– unthinkable! The country itself was experiencing severe problems and its more glamorous grass-based players had endured a lengthy
Up front for Italy Gabriele Gori, 29.
drought since the last World Cup triumph (2002), so for their beach soccer counterparts, eight years must have seemed like an age. “Brazil were resting on their laurels a bit and the smaller countries had caught up with them,” says Angelo Schirinzi, head coach of Switzerland (currently ranked sixth in the world). “But we all knew that they’d come back. It’s no surprise that they won the World Cup: Brazil have massive potential.” Before the tournament, however, no one really knew what to expect from the Seleção, although they could certainly not be taken for granted. A taste of what was to come was given at the group stage when Tahiti, Poland and Japan were routinely
further goals for both sides, and with less than three minutes on
up to 35 after they secured their fifth World Cup title since FIFA
the clock and the fans looking forward to extra time with the sides
took over the tournament in 2005. The 8-4 defeat of Italy in the
level at 3-3, Brazilian Rodrigo scored a stunning overhead kick –
semi-final and 6-0 thrashing of Tahiti in the final were a clear
probably the finest goal of his career – to send his team into the
demonstration of their superiority.
semi-finals.
A FIRST FOR THE BAHAMAS
The Bahamas also made history. Not only did Nassau stage a
The Brazilians’ major hurdle came in the quarter-final on 4 May
fantastic tournament, with crowds of 3,000, including many
against Portugal, traditionally their weaker cousins but now,
tourists, regularly packing out the arena for the evening games
as world champions, a force to be reckoned with. It proved to be
when the temperature had dropped a little, the host team became
the match of the tournament. Some 1,800 spectators crowded into
the first Caribbean side to win a match at a Beach Soccer World
the National Beach Soccer Arena in Nassau in temperatures of over
Cup (4-1 against Ecuador). “We’re stoked,” said captain Gavin
30 degrees in the shade. Portugal opened the scoring after just
Christie. “It’s just the beginning for the Bahamas, a building block
two seconds and almost immediately conceded an equaliser, but
for a new culture of beach soccer in the country.”
22
/ FIFA 1904
led 2-1 at the first interval. The entertaining, end-to-end match saw
quarter-final defeat to Russia in 2015. That figure has now gone
titions for Brazil, who had been unbeaten since the World Cup
Matthew Lewis, Alex Grimm, Dean Mouhtaropoulos / FIFA via Getty Images (5)
represented the 30th, 31st and 32nd victories in a row in all compe
dispatched in matches that evoked the glory days. These wins
AWARDS ADIDAS GOLDEN BALL: Mohammad Ahmadzadeh (Iran) ADIDAS SILVER BALL: Mauricinho (Brazil) ADIDAS BRONZE BALL: Datinha (Brazil) ADIDAS GOLDEN BOOT: Gabriele Gori (Italy) ADIDAS SILVER BOOT: Rodrigo (Brazil) ADIDAS BRONZE BOOT: Mohammad Ahmadzadeh (Iran) ADIDAS GOLDEN GLOVE: Peyman Hosseini (Iran) FAIR PLAY AWARD: Brazil
Emotions, emotions, emotions Committed Senegalese (top), patient Iranians (right) and the celebrating world champions from Brazil.
FIFA 1904 /
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24
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FIRST LOVE PLACE Herat, Afghanistan DATE 8 October 2016 TIME 17:20 PHOTOGRAPHER Aref Karimi
AFP FIFA 1904 /
25
THE INTERVIEW
Edinson Cavani, 30 “Even as a kid, I was always the quiet type.”
26
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“GOALS FULFIL ME”
Alexis Reau / Presse Sports
After Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s departure, Edinson Cavani’s talent really blossomed, and the Uruguayan is in the form of his life. Alan Schweingruber spoke with Ligue 1’s most reliable goalscorer at Paris Saint-Germain’s training base.
Training is scheduled for 11:00. Access for fans and journalists? “Under no circumstances,” says a security officer, sticking out his right arm. Yet, as noon approaches, the gates are spontaneously opened, and a set of stairs leads to a small firstfloor terrace from where visitors have a fantastic view of the two football pitches. PSG’s pro players have their last few touches on the ball. While the captain, Thiago Silva, enjoys a kickabout with a young boy, Julian Draxler relaxedly jogs off into the bowels of the training complex. Further back, on pitch 2, something different is happening: an assistant coach and Edinson Cavani are doing repeated sprints together for 15 minutes. Then, it’s all over. A little while later, the 30-year-old appears for his interview in a white T-shirt and black leather jacket.
Edinson Cavani, at the end of April you extended your contract with Paris Saint-Germain until 2020. That’s interesting timing. Edinson Cavani: What do you mean? The club had just lost its league title to Monaco and was knocked out of the Champions League early. The things you mention had no bearing on my contract negotiations. I feel trusted here – I’m comfortable in Paris. And, let’s not forget, I’m fortunate to be playing at the top of one of the best leagues in world football, here. At Paris Saint-Germain we may have missed our targets but, believe you me, that’s a motivation for me. We still have plans here. FIFA 1904 /
27
THE INTERVIEW Do you live in the city? No, I live a little bit outside – a ten-minute drive from Paris. I like nature and quiet surroundings. It’s good for me. Do you go hunting there? I’d rather do that back home in Uruguay. As it happens, I actually prefer fishing to hunting. There are a few lakes close to Paris, but it’s something I leave for back home. You come across as a calm, even-tempered individual off the pitch. Even as a kid, I was always the quiet type. Maybe my time in the great outdoors shaped me. We used to do a lot of things in the countryside, with the family, with friends. Either way, when things get tough nowadays I don’t always find it easy to stay calm. Like if we lose, or if I get injured. It’s something I need to learn. How much does God mean to you? A lot. I’m very grateful for the fact that I am an athlete, and that I get to earn money through something I’m really passionate about. Having this as my job is a blessing, don’t you think? It’s a gift I will cherish until the day I retire.
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NAME Edinson Cavani BORN 14 February 1987, Salto (Uruguay) POSITION Striker CLUBS Danubio FC, US Palermo, SSC Napoli, Paris Saint-Germain INTERNATIONAL CAREER 91 matches, 38 goals MAJOR HONOURS Three French league titles, two French cups, one Italian cup, one Uruguayan league title, fourth place at the 2010 World Cup
You were just 20 when you left Uruguay. There were a lot of things that could have gone wrong for you in Europe. Well... if you’re constantly analysing everything, thinking about every possibility, somewhere along the line you will reach the conclusion that there could be a risk involved in a particular decision. But that’s not what it’s about. I worked hard in Uruguay. I had a dream, right from being a little boy. I had to grab that opportunity at
Alexis Reau / Presse Sports
“I’m very grateful for the fact that I am an athlete, and that I get to earn money through something I’m really passionate about. Having this as my job is a blessing, don’t you think?
“I’m not one to get too close to the coach. For me, that can lead to disagreements and misunderstandings within a team. It’s important to have a healthy distance between the coach and the players.”
Weren’t you a big fan of Gabriel Batistuta? Yes, that’s true. [laughs] As a boy? To this day. Batistuta wasn’t a typical striker. A powerful footballer who was incredibly effective in front of goal. I always tried to copy him. I still do, a little bit. Why did you become a striker? As a boy, I was a midfielder. Even then, though, I felt the urge to take the ball towards the goal.
Can’t you find it in Paris anywhere? Every once in a while we go to an Italian restaur ant that has it. It’s the only place I know of in Paris. Getting hold of all the ingredients and cooking it at home is quite a job. You’ll soon have the opportunity to eat cazuela at home: there’s a key game against Argentina coming up for your country. It’s a crucial game, there’s no doubt about that. We’re close to qualifying for Russia 2018. But what does that mean? You can quickly find yourself playing catch up and losing a couple of places in the table. The four remaining games are all important – and that includes the ones against Paraguay, Venezuela and Bolivia. [Pause] You know, every time I get to pull on
What kind of relationship do you have with the coach of the national team, Óscar Tabárez? I’m not one to get too close to the coach. For me, that can lead to disagreements and misun derstandings within a team. It’s important to have a healthy distance between the coach and the players. To answer your question, I get on well with Óscar Tabárez. I value him as a coach and as a man. He’s a winner – a winner at life. Everyone can learn a lot from him. He’s regarded as taciturn, isn’t he? He’s a man of few words, but when he does speak, it’s worth listening to. His instructions are clear. That’s what matters. When your contract at PSG runs out, you’ll be 33. Will you be heading back to Uruguay? I can’t be thinking that far ahead. I don’t even know what’s going to happen tomorrow [laughs]. I want to live in the moment and enjoy everything that happens. We missed out on the league title at PSG, so we’ll go again next season. I want to win titles. That’s why I’m here.
-
Salto, where you come from, is on the border with Argentina. What kind of relationship do you have with Argentina? The two border cities benefit from each other. We often used to go shopping in Argentina, and the Argentinians often came over to us, too. People also holiday in the other country. But it’s not the case that I have any special relationship with Argentina.
What do you miss most from back home? Of course, what you miss most is always the people. My family, my parents, my brothers, and my friends, too. Then there are the little things that I miss every now and then, like the food. Have you heard of cazuela? It’s a really nice dish – a stew of meat and vegetables.
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What would you have done if it hadn’t worked out in football? I don’t know. Maybe I would’ve tried working in the countryside in Uruguay. Outdoors, with animals. Farming is very worthwhile.
-
You have Italian roots, don’t you? Yes, my grandfather was born in Maranello. He emigrated to Uruguay with his parents at the age of three. Your ancestors will always be a part of you. I have Italian blood and my relation ship with the country was special from early on. Of course, my spells at Palermo and Napoli only strengthened that bond even more.
the Celeste jersey, it’s a special feeling. I only have to think back to the last World Cup in Brazil. It was a one off, a once in a lifetime experience. -
When I enter a stadium nowadays, I can sense how much I’ve internalised this position. Goals fulfil me. They are part of me. Goals are football.
-
Palermo – anything else was out of the question. Luckily, everything went well. I had six great years in Italy.
FIFA 1904 /
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AJAX AMSTERDAM
BACK TO THEIR ROOTS STAYING TRUE TO THE CRUYFF APPROACH
Ajax Amsterdam are back on the European stage with a vengeance – deploying the same philosophy that made the club a force to reckoned with in the Seventies.
Young athletes with great stamina and passing skills, welded to a strict collective formation but with the freedom to take over the role of any other player in the team – such was the thinking behind the “total football” made famous by the Netherlands sides back in the day,
By Perikles Monioudis
with which he made his name. His was a graceful, fast and highly accurate technique, years since
which he constantly endeavoured to
revered Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam last
improve. This technique was so refined
won a European title, when Louis van
that seemingly every touch he took was
Gaal’s team overcame the fancied AC Milan
with the outside of his foot, thus raising the level of what could be
League final. The Milan side contained the
done with the ball to dizzying heights
likes of Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini and
– but he was also reliable, always
Marcel Desailly but were beaten by a single
available for a pass and fighting for
goal in the 85th minute. The average age
the team.
hardly surprising that the goal in question was scored by an 18-year-old Patrick Kluivert. All part of the Ajax philosophy. 30
/ FIFA 1904
Like father… Patrick Kluivert in action against AC Milan (14 August 1996).
of this Ajax team was a youthful 23, so it is
in Vienna, scene of the 1995 Champions
22
Ajax made Cruyff great, and he returned the favour for the club
Andreas Rentz / Bongarts / Getty Images
It’s
and in particular by Johan Cruyff.
Inspired by the young Pelé and ginga – individual flair with typical Brazilian movement
and rhythm – Cruyff created a unique style
better for greater success: it all seems
of aesthetically pleasing play that consigned
to be paying off again for Ajax.
the solid, results-orientated approach of
Justin Kluivert, whose father
Dutch coaches to the history books and left
Patrick notched the vital goal in
its mark on an entire football era. As a
1995 at 18, has just turned 18
player and later as a coach, he pointed the
himself. He has been at Ajax since
way forward to a better and more success-
2007 and made his first-team debut in
ful way of playing the beautiful game for
the Eredivisie in January this year,
generations of pros. As a testament to his
incidentally at a younger age than his
legacy, FC Barcelona recently announced
dad when he played his first league
that it would name its stylish new youth
match.
academy stadium after the Dutch legend. Mature beyond his years, the out-andout attacker symbolises the new Ajax in so many ways through his success
“Scoring crucial goals at just 18 has always been part and parcel of the Ajax philosophy.”
at a tender age and as a throwback to the club’s meticulous and inspired training methods. Of course, Justin is not the only one: seven players from the club’s youth ranks or second team appeared alongside the pros this season, while seven
imago
NEW KLUIVERT, OLD SYSTEM Combining individuality with a team ethic, developing players at a young age, playing
…like son! Justin Kluivert during a league match against Go Ahead Eagles (7 May 2017).
of the team who started the first leg of the UEFA Europa League semifinal against Olympique Lyon, which Ajax won 4-1, were 21 or under. FIFA 1904 /
31
THE BRILLIANCE OF BOSZ
and Aron Winter on the training pitch or
The young and impressive Ajax team
elsewhere together with Van der Sar and
has been assembled by head coach
Director of Football Marc Overmars, this
Peter Bosz, who embodies the ideas
dream team of legends can only have one
and approach of Johan Cruyff while
ambition: to make Ajax even better.
taking a leaf out of Louis van Gaal’s book in terms of game plans and, in former top goalkeeper and Ajax CEO Edwin van der Sar, has the right man in charge to take the rich Ajax heritage forward. A meticulous and inspirational teacher, Bosz turned out for rival Feyenoord in his playing days, but he has long been versed in the Ajax way of playing football.
ullstein / mirrorpix
“Ajax made Cruyff great, and he returned the favour for the club with which he made his name.” And should he, with his firm commitment to attacking play, consult his assistants Dennis Bergkamp, Richard Witschge
An exceptional talent and visionary Johan Cruyff in his element (6 February 1972). FIFA 1904 /
33
THEN
1966 DURHAM, ENGLAND
Getty Images
These Italians, taking time out of training for the World Cup, wouldn’t have had an inkling that they would slip to a 1-0 group-stage defeat by Korea DPR.
34
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NOW
2016 MARTIGNY, SWITZERLAND
Anthony Anex / Keystone
Cows grazing (or lazing) at the side of the road is a familiar sight for FC Sion players.
FIFA 1904 /
35
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL
WALTZING MATILDAS Don’t be fooled by the title: the Australian women’s team are not celebrating the waltz, nor are they moving rhythmically round in circles in the manner of the famous dance, but going forwards, always forwards, as befits a team with a big future. By Annette Braun
It’s all in the name Along with the Australian flag, the Matildas scarf is a common sight at national team matches. 36
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In 1895, Australian poet Andrew “Banjo”
Sweden in the semi-finals. Alas, Australia
Although the dream has yet to be fulfilled,
Paterson wrote the poem Waltzing Matilda,
lost 7-6 in the shoot-out in front of a
the results at least underline that Australia
the words of which were later set to music
crowd of 52,000 – a disappointing end
are making steady progress towards
for the famous folk song that remains an
to a campaign that they had nevertheless
reaching the elite level. Women’s football
integral part of Australian culture to this
a lot to be proud about. The defeat came
is popular in the country and goes back a
day. The story of the singing itinerant
after another quarter-final exit a year
long way – a 1921 match in Queensland
worker (“waltzing” is Australian slang for
before at the FIFA Women’s World Cup™,
attracted a crowd of 10,000, for example.
travelling on foot and has nothing to do
that time at the hands of subsequent
However, it was mainly thanks to the drive
with the dance) was once a contender for
finalists Japan (1-0).
of one Elaine Watson, who held various positions in the FA between 1970 and
the national anthem and indeed was used in that capacity at the 1974 FIFA World
All the signs are, then, that a major
1990, that the game finally received the
Cup™ in West Germany and the Montreal
breakthrough is just around the corner:
promotion it deserved and established
Olympic Games in 1976.
however, the spot-kick agony endured in
itself in world football.
Even though Advance Australia Fair prevailed in a 1977 plebiscite to choose the country’s national anthem, the popularity of Waltzing Matilda remains undimmed in Oz and beyond. The song was first recorded in 1926 by John Collinson and has since been adapted by a wide range of international artists, including Tom Waits and Rod Stewart. It has also influenced the game of football in Australia, the national women’s team having adopted the nickname Matildas in 1995 in honour of the catchy ditty, the chorus of which every self-respecting Aussie can sing in their sleep. The team had previously often been referred to as the Socceroos, like their male counterparts, but the new name stuck and gave them their own identity while firmly connecting them with their homeland. There are thus now two celebrated Matildas Down Under: one plays a starring role in one of the nation’s favourite songs,
A taste of success The Australia team (seen here celebrating a goal in a warm-up match against New Zealand before the 2016 Women’s Olympic Football Tournament) are now established members of the world’s elite.
while the other collectively chases a ball around the pitch to increasingly successful
Brazil still hangs over the team, as was
PENALTY HEARTACHE CRUSHES OLYMPIC DREAM
CHAMPIONS IN WAITING?
shown at this year’s Algarve Cup in Por
The Australian footballers’ trade union,
An Olympic medal seemed in sight for the
tugal when the Matildas had to settle for
Professional Footballers Australia (PFA),
team at Rio 2016 when their quarter-final
fourth place in the prestigious tournament
has drawn up a roadmap for the next four
match against Brazil went to penalties as
after losing to Denmark in the dreaded
years that includes the winning of trophies
the two sides vied to see who would face
penalty shoot-out.
among its targets, in addition to greater
DPA / Picture Alliance, imago
effect.
FIFA 1904 /
37
financial support and the further expansion of the national W-League. The main aim of the vision is for the Matildas,
DID YOU KNOW THAT...
who are huge role models for all female players in the land, to triumph at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo and the 2023 World Cup. Key to this success will be creating a larger pool of talented players, which would give coach Alen Stajcic strategic options at important moments of the game and thus tilt the balance in favour of his team. Achieving these ambitious goals would give women’s football further impetus in Australia and guarantee its expansion. It would also probably make Matilda an even more popular name than it is now and, in the words of the waltzing version (“Who’ll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?”), attract more fans to accompany the players on their exciting journey.
The main aim of the vision is for the Matildas to triumph at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo and the 2023 World Cup. The goals have been set, and captain Clare Polkinghorne and her team, the majority of whom play in the Australian league, are raring to go, secure in the knowledge that they have plenty of support and the potential to win a tournament – even if it comes down to a penalty shoot-out.
…THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S SOCCER ASSOCIATION (AWSA) WAS FORMED IN 1974?
… KATE GILL IS AUSTRALIA’S TOP SCORER IN THE WOMEN’S GAME WITH 41 GOALS? …THE MATILDAS WERE THE FIRST DOWN UNDER TEAM TO QUALIFY FOR A MAJOR TOURNAMENT AFTER AUSTRALIA MOVED CONFEDERATIONS FROM THE OFC TO THE AFC? THEIR DEFEAT OF JAPAN AT THE 2006 AFC WOMEN’S ASIAN CUP TOOK THEM THROUGH TO THE WORLD CUP THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
…SANDRA BRENTNALL SCORED THE MATILDAS’ FIRST INTERNATIONAL GOAL IN THE MATCH AGAINST NEW ZEALAND IN OCTOBER 1979?
…AUSTRALIA’S FIRST-EVER WORLD CUP GOAL WAS NOTCHED BY ANGELA IANNOTTA? SHE FOUND THE BACK OF THE NET IN THE 25TH MINUTE AGAINST CHINA PR AT THE 1995 TOURNAMENT. …THE COUNTRY’S MOST CAPPED PLAYER IS CHERYL SALISBURY WITH 151 APPEARANCES TO HER NAME?
AFP
…THE MATILDAS’ HIGHEST POSITION TO DATE IN THE FIFA/COCA-COLA WOMEN’S WORLD RANKING IS 5TH (2016)? FIFA 1904 /
39
DEBATE
THE 67 FIFA CONGRESS IN BAHRAIN th
FIFA’s 211 member associations assembled
associations from CAF, CONCACAF,
CONCACAF, CAF, CONMEBOL and the
on 11 May 2017 in Manama, Bahrain for
CONMEBOL and the OFC to express their
OFC to express their interest by 11 August
the 67 FIFA Congress. The organisation’s
interest in hosting the tournament. The
2017 to submit to FIFA a bid to host the
supreme body made a few important
decision on whether to select any of the
final competition of the 2026 FIFA World
decisions to validate reports on FIFA’s
bidders as the host(s) of the 2026 FIFA
Cup. The 68th FIFA Congress will decide
activities in 2016 and, more importantly,
World Cup will be taken by the 68th FIFA
on the selection of the candidate host
to agree on key steps for the future of the
Congress, which will convene in Moscow
associations.
organisation.
on 13 June next year, on the eve of the
This included the ratification of the next
opening match of the 2018 FIFA World
Should the 68th FIFA Congress not select
Cup™.
any candidate host associations, the FIFA general secretariat will invite further
stages of the bidding process to select the
THE APPROVED MOTION ON THE 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP
member associations – including the
Following the approval of the bidding requirements by the FIFA Council on 9 May,
“Based on specific regulations to be issued
and excluding those member associations
the FIFA Congress agreed, with 93% of
by the Council, the FIFA general secretariat
that submitted a bid initially – to submit a
the valid votes, on a three-month period
shall establish a bidding procedure inviting
bid to host the final competition of the
– until 11 August 2017 – for member
initially the member associations of
2026 FIFA World Cup.”
member associations of AFC and UEFA
host(s) of the 2026 FIFA World Cup™.
Alexander Hassenstein / FIFA via Getty Images
th
Presidential address Gianni Infantino at the 67th FIFA Congress in Bahrain. 40
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PRESIDENT´S MESSAGE
MORE RESPONSIBILITY, MORE DEBATE
A few weeks back, we had many concrete achievements to report to the
• Election of the members of the Audit and
FIFA Congress in Bahrain – from the implementation of the reforms to the
OTHER KEY DECISIONS: Compliance Committee, the Governance
blossoming of the FIFA Forward development programme.
Committee and the judicial bodies. The
But while it would have been very convenient to focus solely on the positive
members have been elected for a term of
changes that have been brought about in FIFA over the last year, it would
office of four years, effective immediately.
also have been somewhat irresponsible. We should of course take pride in the work we have done to build a better
• Approval of the detailed budget for 2018,
institution, but it should also be clear to each one of us that we must
with a total investment of USD 2.899
remain vigilant. The work of rooting out wrongdoing in our sport is not
billion – 91% of which is allocated to
complete. I know that, and it is my duty as FIFA President to ensure that so
football activities, chief among which is the
do our members.
organisation of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
The FIFA I saw during the week that culminated in the 67th FIFA Congress is already very different from the one I joined. It is a more diverse, open and
• The 67 FIFA Congress followed the
th
democratic institution. There are many new faces. There is more debate.
proposal of the FIFA Council with regard
There is certainly more disagreement – and that is exactly how serious
to the motion submitted by the Palestinian
decision-making should be carried out.
Football Association – “a request for
Take the process to select the host(s) of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, for example.
official recognition of the Palestinian
It was not until after several rounds of discussions involving various stake-
Football Association’s entitlements to all
holders that the Congress voted on a clear process and on a comprehensive
of its rights as described in the FIFA
timeline. A set of high-standard bid requirements has been approved too.
Statutes”. The FIFA Congress approved,
This is how a more open and more democratic FIFA takes important steps:
with 73% of valid votes, the following
only after careful analysis. This is our responsibility towards the world of
proposal: “Considering that the matter is
football.
not a Congress competence but a Council
What I saw over the course of the week in Manama makes me very
competence, that a consolidated report
confident for the future. However, I will not refrain from pointing out just
of the monitoring committee is not yet
how much remains to be done as we continue to move forwards. Even
ready, and that more time is needed to
when this may require some strong words.
evaluate the situation and to take a decision, the Council proposes to the Congress not to vote on the proposal of
Yours in football,
Lukas Mäder / 13 Photo
the Palestinian Football Association and to give time to the Council to take a decision before the end of March 2018.” Nevertheless, the Council has already committed to deciding on the matter at
Gianni Infantino
its next meeting, on 27 October 2017.
FIFA President FIFA 1904 /
41
FIFA WORLD FOOTBALL MUSEUM
Blind football A museum visitor watches the film about the moving life story of Yvan Wouandji.
AGAINST ALL ODDS By Alan Schweingruber
As the group of youngsters from Scotland, in high spirits after taking in everything on show at basement level, take the glass lift up to the first floor, they wave at some other visitors who are paying for their tickets at the counter. The scene is reminiscent of one earlier, when the first bunch of kids of a school group to go through the museum mocked those following behind them, as if to say: What, you’re still down there? We’ve nearly finished!
42
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FIFA-Museum
It’s not all about great players at the FIFA World Football Museum, where visitors can watch eight two-minute films about football enthusiasts who lead more humble lives. We present three examples below.
The Scottish children look momentarily puzzled, before the lift
Today, Wouandji is one of the best blind footballers in France.
doors open on the first floor and they are greeted by an array of
He even says at the end of the film that his life is so fulfilled that
machines and monitors. They were probably unaware that the
he hardly wants to see again. This statement alone makes the
museum had been laid out in keeping with the old adage of
film worth watching.
leaving the best until last, something that quickly becomes evident to anyone who watches the short films about individuals who, in
On display nearby is Wouandji’s eye mask. Such items must be
their small way, have left their mark on football through their
used in blind football to avoid giving partially sighted players an
never-say-die spirit. The eight professionally made clips, shown on
unfair advantage. Watching the Frenchman slalom his way past
four monitors, make for fascinating viewing.
the opposition, switching the ball back and forth between his feet at lightning speed, he could clearly give some sighted players a run
SENSES WORKING OVERTIME
for their money. He makes his way purposefully forwards, leaving
Take the story of Yvan Wouandji, for instance, who used to play
opponents for dead and waits for the right moment to pull the
football incessantly like so many any other kids, with dreams – so
trigger. The shot has to be a good one, as the rules state that the
important to children – of becoming a star footballer. After all,
goalkeeper is the only sighted player in the side.
who wouldn’t want to be the next Lionel Messi? Wouandji was no different to any other aspiring player, and he had talent – but one
THE SMALLEST LEAGUE IN THE WORLD
day he woke up, aged just ten, and his world collapsed around him
The second example (shown on the same monitor) seems at first
when he realised he couldn’t see. It transpired that his retina had
to pale into insignificance after Wouandji’s story. The film starts by
become detached. “I thought my football days were over,” says
indicating the location of the Scilly Isles, an archipelago off the
the Frenchman in the film, which can be watched in English,
south-western tip of England with a population of just over 2,000,
Spanish, French or German. You can see how Wouandji picks
on a map. There reside boatbuilder Andrew Hicks and his Wool-
himself up: he learns Braille and studies music history – and starts
pack Wanderers team, who play in eye-catching yellow shirts and
to play football again. Not the usual game, of course, but blind
have genuine hopes of winning the title every year – which is
football, with balls that make a sound as they roll, eye masks and
not surprising, as they have won the most Isles of Scilly Football
goal guides who stand behind the goal to orientate the players.
League titles.
Matt Cardy / Getty Images (4)
Scilly Isles The Woolpack Wanderers (in yellow) only have one opponent: the Garrison Gunners (in red). It’s the smallest football league in the world.
FIFA PARTNER
South Thai idyll A short film tells the story of the floating football pitch in the fishing village of Koh Panyee.
Mind you, the Wanderers have to contend with the red-clad Garrison Gunners, who have ambitions of their own – and rightly so: after all, they are the only other team in the league... Week in, week out, year in, year out, both sides go through the same ritual:
“The plan in 1986 to build a football pitch out of wood was a rather madcap one. The fishing village is built on stilts.”
train, play against each other, go home, tinker with tactics and systems, accumulate points, check the transfer news, and play each other again, until someone wins the league. “Boring it is
The film ends with an impressive still, taken 30 years later, showing
not,” says Hicks about the smallest league in the world. “Every
a huge modern raft that gently sways on the water next to some
season is exciting. Some years it even comes down to goal
fishing boats. Some girls and boys, maybe Hemmin’s own kids,
difference.” It may be a tiny league, but it’s a league all the same:
chase a ball around the “pitch”. A happy ending that impresses the
the two teams also contest an official cup competition, which
group from Scotland, whose mood is now one of quiet reverence
naturally enough consists of just the final, when everything is to
as they discreetly take photos.
play for again.
THE FLOATING FOOTBALL PITCH Our third film relates the intriguing story of how the beautiful game came to be played in Koh Panyee, a tiny fishing village in southern Thailand. It all started in 1986, when Prasit Hemmin and his friends had an idea: to construct a pitch made out of wood – a somewhat madcap plan given that the village of 1,500 inhabit-
Christophe Archambault/ / AFP
ants where the children grew up is built on stilts. There is water wherever you look. “Impossible?” asks Hemmin with a twinkle in his eye. “I wouldn’t say that.” Inspired by Diego Maradona and his 1986 World Cup-winning side, the lads were not to be deterred: they gathered bits of wood from the neighbourhood and sawed, nailed down, sanded and finished them until they had their own pitch. FIFA 1904 /
45
Daniel Kalisz / Getty Images
FA CUPS
The FFA Cup The Australian FA’s cup competition has a rich heritage and was won in 2014 by Adelaide United. 46
/ FIFA 1904
THE MAGIC OF THE CUP
FIFA’s member associations want their national teams to be successful, but they also stage cup competitions for clubs like the FA Cup in England or the Uganda Cup, many matches of which have gone down in football folklore. By Perikles Monioudis
Could you call Australia a footballing
so Boskovic asked Australian FA president
MAIDEN CUP VICTORY
nation? You most certainly could, even
Ian McAndrew to decide how to proceed.
Dramatic cup finals continue to provide
though after four qualifications for the
The latter then conferred with both club
a welcome diversion to many a league
World Cup without making much of an
chairmen and the three men agreed
season, such as the thrilling climax to the
impression, winning football’s ultimate
that each team would take a maximum of
2016 Women’s Knockout Cup in New
global prize looks as far off as ever for the
15 penalties, and if that failed to produce
Zealand, when Forrest Hill Milford overcame
Socceroos. However, the team won the
a result, the match would be replayed.
Glenfield Rovers 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out.
AFC Asian Cup for the first time in 2015,
The replay subsequently took place under
It was a battle of nerves, and the first time
and the country also has a cup competi-
floodlights three days later and Hakoah
that Forrest Hill had lifted the trophy.
tion with a long and colourful history.
secured the trophy, winning 2-1. Today,
The original Australia Cup was launched
the competition is called the FFA Cup, the
In June 2016, the final of the Uganda Cup
in 1962, when former BSK Belgrade striker
current holders of which are Melbourne
pitched Vipers SC against Onduparaka FC
Tiko Jelisavčić netted four times in the
City, who beat Sydney FC 1-0 in November
in a packed Nakivubo Stadium in the
final for Yugal against St George Budapest
2016 in a duel between the country’s top
capital, Kampala. Both teams put out
(8-1). Jelisavčić also led Australia in their
two clubs.
attacking formations with speedy players,
first-ever World Cup qualifying campaign in 1965 as coach. The first final to feature a showdown between the two metropolises of Sydney and Melbourne occurred in 1964, when Sydney’s APIA Leichhardt Tigers succumbed to Melbourne’s Sunshine George Cross, but it wasn’t until the following year that a classic cup showdown took place, with Sydney clubs Hakoah and APIA giving no quarter during a nail-biting final and the at 1-1 at the end of extra time. With the score level after each side had taken ten spot kicks, referee Tony Boskovic – who would later become the first Australian to officiate at a World Cup – ordered the teams to take another series of five penalPD
ties each. However, the players wanted to leave the pitch and share the prize money,
First FA Cup winners Wanderers over came Royal Engineers 1-0 in 1872 to win the first edition of the FA Cup (the photo here from 1863 is the only one of the team, when it was known as Forest FC).
match going to penalties with the score
FIFA 1904 /
47
FA CUPS “No other sport can match the cup competitions of FIFA’s member associations for giant-killing opportunities.”
INCLUSION AND REPETITION It would seem then that in Uganda, they are as much “up for the cup” as anywhere else in the world. Its inclusive character not only helps the tournament itself: it reminds every player that regardless of the gap between big and small, between pros and amateurs, all are united in their love of the game. The cup is a great leveller, and Pure joy Melbourne City’s Tim Cahill celebrates with the cup after his team beat Sydney FC in the final (Melbourne, 30 November 2016).
the chance of a David and Goliath upset never fails to whet the appetite. Underdogs versus top dogs: no other sport can match the cup competitions of FIFA’s member
fans’ fervour seemed to be transmitted to
the Uganda Cup does play an integrative
over their illustrious counterparts this time
the teams on this special occasion, this
role as teams from the five divisions can
around, there’s always next year. The
of course being the biggest cup match of
take part in the annual tournament, i.e.
national cup is alive and well: as they say,
the year in Uganda. The Vipers ran out 3-1
all registered clubs. After the final, young
if it didn’t exist, we would have to invent it.
winners, securing the trophy for the first
striker Muhammad Shaban – who failed
time in their history in the 42 edition
to score for up-and-coming Onduparaka
The Korea Republic FA (KFA) sums it up
of the tournament. The victory entitled
in the match but was the top scorer in
thus: “The Korean FA Cup is Korea’s
them to represent Uganda in the CAF
the tournament – spoke with the confi-
biggest football tournament as entry is
Confederation Cup, albeit not in the CAF
dence of youth when he said: “It just
open to all professional and amateur clubs
Champions League. However, although it
wasn’t our day today. I hope we pull it off
in the country. It gives smaller amateur
may only be the second most important
next time.”
and semi-professional clubs from the lower
nd
48
/ FIFA 1904
And if the little guys don’t manage to turn
football competition in the country,
Robert Cianflone / Getty Images
associations for giant-killing opportunities. who had to cope with a bumpy pitch. The
leagues a chance to show what they can do.” Dating back 90 years, the competition has nevertheless only been open to all clubs since 1996, taking in works and local amateur teams following preliminary rounds in 2003. It has already achieved legendary status thanks to major upsets such as the march of Daejeon Citizen from the wrong end of the K-League table all the way to victory in the 2001 final and the achievement of semi-pro club Ulsan Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in reaching the 2005 final. In 2004, amateur club JEI Education managed to reach the round of 16. In addition to securing the trophy,
First-time winners (I) Vipers SC won the Uganda Cup in 2016 (3-1 v. Onduparaka FC).
medals and prize money, the winners of the Korean FA Cup automatically qualify for the AFC Champions League.
PAST AND PRESENT Where was the first-ever cup tournament held? Here, one can say without fear of contradiction that England is the location of the oldest knockout tournament in the world. The Football Association (FA) was founded in 1863 and published the first Laws of the Game in the same year. In 1871, FA Secretary C.W. Alcock proposed “that a Challenge Cup should be established in connection with the Association for which all clubs belonging
First-time winners (II) The women of Forrest Hill Milford are cock-a-hoop after their 2016 cup triumph over Glenfield Rovers (4-3 on penalties).
to the Association should be invited to compete”. This led to the inaugural FA Cup kicking off in November 1871 with 15 teams (one having withdrawn) on a knockout basis. London-based Wanderers – who had “Prince of
FUFA, Ben Campbell /Photosport.nz, Seo Hyemin
Dribbling” Robert Walpole Sealy Vidal in their ranks – prevailed in the final against the favourites Royal Engineers at Kennington Oval in London in front of 2,000 spectators on 16 March 1872, thus winning the first cup competition to be organised by a football association anywhere in the world. The two teams met again at the same venue 140 years later on 7 November 2012: this time, Wanderers lost 7-1.
Four-time winners Suwon Samsung Bluewings won the Korean FA Cup for the fourth time in 2016 by beating FC Seoul after a penalty shoot-out. FIFA 1904 /
49
PHOTO ARCHIVE
50
/ FIFA 1904
 
 
Popperfoto / Getty Images
Finally back on terra firma! The Belgian squad stretch their legs on a Montevideo beach after three weeks at sea en route to the inaugural FIFA World Cup in Uruguay in 1930. FIFA 1904 /
51
STATISTICS
INS OF THE ORIGIN RUSSIA L FOOTBAL TO THE E ARLY K DATE BTAH CC ENTURY, O RY 20 ISH FACT CED T I R B N E U WH S I N T RO D W O R K E R O R T TO T H E THE SP NTRY. CO U
52
/ FIFA 1904
IN 1998, LEGENDARY GOALKEEPER LEV YASHIN WAS NAMED IN FIFA’S WORLD TEAM OF THE 20TH CENTURY.
Getty Images, imago
L L A B T O FO SSIA U R IN
THE SOVIET UNION WON THE 1960 EURO BY BEATING YUGOSLAVIA 2-1 IN THE FINAL
VIKTOR PONEDELNIK
SCORING THE DECISIVE GOAL.
RUSSIA IS THE LARGEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD BY SURFACE AREA AND HAS A POPULATION OF OVER 140 MILLION, MORE THAN HALF OF WHOM ARE EITHER FOOTBALL FANS OR AT LEAST FOLLOW THE GAME ON A CASUAL BASIS.
IN 2014, THE “LEATHER BALL” NATIONAL YOUTH TOURNAMENT, WHICH FEATURES 40,000 TEAMS AND 600,000 PLAYERS, CELEBRATED ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY.
THE SOVIET UNION FOOTBALL TEAM WAS FORMED IN 1923, ALTHOUGH ITS FIRST SIGNIFICANT FORAY INTO THE INTERNATIONAL ARENA DID NOT TAKE PLACE UNTIL THE 1952 OLYMPIC GAMES. AFTER WINNING THE OLYMPIC FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT IN 1956, THE SOVIETS QUALIFIED FOR THEIR FIRST WORLD CUP IN SWEDEN TWO YEARS LATER. FIFA 1904 /
53
HISTORY
A CUP WITH HISTORY
The history of the FIFA Confederations Cup is one of star names and memorable matches. Here, we look back at four-time champions Brazil, the unforgettable 2003 final, and the tournament’s all-time leading goalscorer, Cuauhtémoc Blanco. By Annette Braun, Alan Schweingruber and Perikles Monioudis
A sea of yellow, green and blue Brazil celebrating the team’s 3-2 win in the 2009 final. 54
/ FIFA 1904
BRAZIL: THE UNDISPUTED NUMBER ONES
There can be no doubt that the South Americans are the undisputed number ones when it comes to winning tournaments. The FIFA Confederations Cup – in its current format – first saw the light of day in 1997, and Brazil have since won four of the seven titles
It is probably fair to say that Brazil’s most recent
including the last three, which means that they are
triumph at the FIFA Confederations Cup was also
the only team to have lifted this trophy since 2005.
their biggest yet – a surprisingly comfortable 3-0
That said – and it may of course simply be down to
stroll past then-world champions Spain on 30 June
bad luck – Brazil have never gone on to win the World
2013. Nearly everything the Seleção tried that day
Cup the year after winning the Confederations Cup.
came off in front of a capacity Maracanã crowd that was a sea of yellow, green and blue. Neymar, just
This time round, it is Chile’s turn to represent South
21 and already the new darling of Brazilian football,
America after winning the Copa América, leaving
bagged his third goal of the tournament, his strike
Brazil to prepare themselves for their last four qualify-
sandwiched by two more from Fred, the first while
ing matches for Russia 2018. That is something they
lying on the ground. And when Spain briefly saw
will no doubt relish, given that they booked their
a chance to draw level at 1-1, in slid David Luiz
ticket back in March 2017 under the guidance of new
to miraculously shin the ball off the line from right
coach Tite, which all augurs rather well for their
under the bar.
chances at world football’s biggest event next year.
2003 FINAL: JOY AND GRIEF
The two teams walked onto the pitch at Paris’ Stade de France carrying a giant picture of the late Foé. They were still locked together at 0-0 after
Should they even play the FIFA Confederations Cup
90 minutes, and when Thierry Henry scored the
final? Back in the summer of 2003, that was the
only goal of the game seven minutes into extra time,
question being asked of France’s players, and par-
it proved to be not only football’s very last golden
ticularly those from Cameroon, in the wake of the
goal but also the strike that sealed France’s second
tragic passing of Cameroon midfielder Marc-Vivien
consecutive Confederations Cup title following their
Foé, who had suffered heart failure during his side’s
triumph in 2001.
semi-final with Colombia just four days earlier. In the end, the players decided to play the final, encour-
This time, however, captain Marcel Desailly did not
aged to do so by Foé’s widow, Marie-Louise.
lift the trophy on his own as he asked Cameroon
Michael Regan / Getty Images
skipper Rigobert Song to join him. Together, the two Finals are always emotional affairs as they are all
men clutched the trophy in what is still an unforget-
about the thin line that separates glory and despair,
table image of joy and grief intertwined. It was a
about who lifts the trophy, and about who gets the
night in which the football community showed its
clammy, celebratory handshakes. The final of the
power to pull together under quite extraordinary and
FIFA Confederations Cup 2003, however, took the
trying circumstances.
emotional aspect to an entirely new level.
FIFA 1904 /
55
HISTORY
CUAUHTÉMOC BLANCO ALL-TIME LEADING GOALSCORER
his haul two years later with six strikes on home soil. Nine goals in total – which means that Blanco still tops the Confederations Cup goalscoring charts alongside a certain Ronaldinho. The two great men came face to face in the 1999 final after Blanco fired the Mexicans past the USA
daring shots and incredible goals. His game was
with the only goal of their semi-final. The clash
based on vision and imagination, and he could do
in front of 110,000 fans at the Estadio Azteca in
anything with the ball at his feet. We are talking, of
Mexico City turned out to be an end-to-end,
course, about none other than Cuauhtémoc! Time
goal-laden affair. Blanco shone again by giving his
and time again over the course of his career – which
side a healthy 4-2 lead, and although Brazil clawed
included no fewer than 120 caps for El Tri – the
another goal back, it was all in vain as Mexico
Mexican maestro showed the world just how gifted
claimed their first – and to date only – Confeder
his right foot was, often leaving reporters from his
ations Cup title.
He will always be known for his crazy dribbles,
homeland speechless after scoring yet another crucial goal for Club América or the national team.
Blanco will not feature in the Mexicans’ squad for Russia 2017 after retiring from international duty in 2014 with 39 goals to his name. Which simply
ations Cup in Saudi Arabia in 1997, including one
begs the question: who can step into his shoes?
Blanco scored three goals at his first FIFA Confeder
Goal-getter Cuauhtémoc Blanco bagged six goals in the 1999 edition – including one against Brazil in the final (4-3 to Mexico). 56
/ FIFA 1904
AFP
against eventual champions Brazil, before doubling
Group B
Cameroon (CMR)
Chile (CHI)
Australia (AUS)
Germany (GER)
Russia (RUS)
New Zealand (NZL)
Portugal (POR)
Mexico (MEX)
RUS v. NZL
01 18:00
Saturday 17 June
Group A
Fisht Stadium
Sochi
Saint Petersburg Stadium
Saint Petersburg
Spartak Stadium
Moscow
Kazan Arena
Kazan
CMR v. CHI
03 21:00
POR v. MEX
Tuesday 20 June
06 21:00 MEX v. NZL
Monday 19 June
AUS v. GER
RUS v. POR
05 18:00
Wednesday 21 June
04 18:00
Rest day
Sunday 18 June
02 18:00
Thursday 22 June
CMR v. AUS
07 18:00
GER v. CHI
08 21:00
Friday 23 June
Rest day
Saturday 24 June
NZL v. POR
10 18:00
MEX v. RUS
09 18:00
Sunday 25 June
GER v. CMR
11 18:00
CHI v. AUS
12 18:00
WA v. RB
13 21:00
Wednesday 28 June
Semi-Finals
WB v. RA
14 21:00
Thursday 29 June
Group Matches
3rd Place and Final
W13 v. W14
16 21:00
L13 v. L14
15 15:00
Sunday 2 July
MATCH SCHEDULE
Subject to Change. W = Winner, L = Loser © FIFA 31.05.2017
FIFA
Russia 2017 Match schedule for the Confed erations Cup (17 June – 2 July)
FIFA 1904 /
57
Saturday 1 July
Rest days
Friday 30 June
Tuesday 27 June
Rest days
Monday 26 June
FIFA MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS NEW LEAGUE AND PRESIDENT FOR CANADA SOCCER
NEW CHALLENGE FOR BAUZA
Canada Soccer has achieved a major milestone with its members’ approval of the Canadian Premier League. The unanimous endorsement encourages Canada Soccer to further grow the game in the country through a professional league that is fully aligned with the national teams’ programme. The 2017 annual meeting also saw the election of Steve Reed as Canada Soccer’s 34th President. Reed will now serve the remaining three years of Victor Montagliani’s four-year term, who has left the post after Emirates have appointed Argentin-
THAILAND APPOINT RAJEVAC AS COACH
VAR FOR AUSTRALIA’S A-LEAGUE
ian Edgardo Bauza (above) as
Serbian Milovan
Australia’s A-League
the new coach of their nation-
Rajevac has been
recently made history
al side as they pursue a place
named as the
by becoming the first
at their first FIFA World Cup
new head coach
being elected as President of CONCACAF.
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL ON THE RISE
domestic competition in the
Mexican football
in almost 30 years. Replacing
of Thailand. The 63-year-old’s
world to trial the new video
is entering a new
the outgoing Mahdi Ali, who
arrival comes after previous
assistant referee (VAR) system.
resigned in March following a
incumbent Kiatisuk Sen-
In a ground-breaking move,
season of the country’s
2-0 defeat to Australia, Bauza
amuang resigned in March.
the technology was in place
new professional women’s
arrives having recently parted
Rajevac has some impressive
for Melbourne City’s 1-0 win
league will get underway
company with his native
World Cup experience under
over Adelaide United at the
in September and, as an
Argentina. With three games
his belt, having led Ghana
beginning of April, but was
appetiser and dress rehearsal
remaining, the Gulf side hope
to within a shoot-out of
not called upon. The VAR
ahead of the big kick-off,
the South American will be
the South Africa 2010 semi-
system can be used to help
a total of 12 clubs recently
able to inspire a late revival to
finals. Since heading up the
officials review incidents
contested a cup competition,
keep their dreams of reaching
Black Stars, he has had a brief
relating to goals, penalties, red
the Copa de la Liga MX
Russia 2018 alive, having not
spell in charge of the Qatar
cards and cases of mistaken
Femenil, at the headquarters
appeared at the global show-
national team and a stint
identity. It had previously been
of the Mexican Football
piece since Italia ‘90.
leading Algeria on either side
trialled during March’s interna-
Association (FMF), with
of five years as an instructor
tional friendly between Spain
Pachuca cruising to a
and lecturer with the Football
and France, as well as in
9-1 victory over Tijuana on
Association of Serbia.
France’s 3-1 win over Italy last
6 May to seal the title.
September. 58
/ FIFA 1904
era. The inaugural
AFP
The United Arab
DUDAMEL SIGNS NEW CONTRACT
them to the second-division title and promotion to the
Rafael Dudamel, the
top flight for the 2011-2012
coach of the Venezue-
season.
lan national team, has
BAFANA BAFANA RE-APPOINT BAXTER
renewed his contract and will now be responsible for La Vinotinto and the U-20 team until 2022. Last year, Dudamel
The South African
took the senior team to the
Football Associa-
quarter-finals of the Copa
tion (SAFA) have
América, and in early 2017, the
appointed Stuart Baxter
U-20 squad qualified for the
(below) as the new coach of
World Cup in Korea Republic.
their national team. The
BRAZILIAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
63-year-old returns for a second spell in charge of Christian Gourcuff, who had
be tasked with trying to guide
Bafana Bafana, having previ-
The Brazilian FA recent-
been in the role since Vahid
Tunisia to the World Cup in
ously led the side during
ly hosted a series of
Halilhodžić stepped down
Russia. Tunisia are currently
African zone qualifying for
conferences entitled
following Brazil 2014, resigned
joint-top of Group A with
the 2006 FIFA World Cup
“We Are Football: the Second
in March 2016. Milovan Raje-
Congo DR after two matches
Germany™. Baxter has
Brazilian Football Development
vac then took control for two
in round 3 of Africa’s Russia
replaced Ephraim “Shakes”
Week”. Brazil coach Tite,
games before Leekens stepped
2018 qualifiers. Maaloul and
Mashaba, who was dismissed
Argentinian coach Marcelo
in, but the Belgian called time
the Eagles of Carthage will
back in December. Baxter
Bielsa, Italian coach Fabio
on his reign after Algeria’s
host Congo DR on 28 August
will take over once he has
Capello, and Emily Shaw, Head
group-stage exit at the CAF
in a crucial top-of-the-table
completed his current duties
of Governance and Leadership,
Africa Cup of Nations. Alcaraz
clash. Each of the five African
as coach of SuperSport United
in FIFA’s Women’s Football
will take over with the Desert
group winners will book a
after SAFA reached an agree-
Division discussed the status
Foxes languishing at the
place at next summer’s
ment with the South African
of women in the game, paying
bottom of their Russia 2018
World Cup.
club to acquire the services of
special attention to the
qualifying group, having
important role that national
picked up just one point from
associations play in the
their opening two fixtures.
consolidation and growth of domestic leagues.
ALCARAZ APPOINTED NEW ALGERIA COACH
AFP, Getty Images
Algeria have appointed
MAALOUL NAMED TUNISIA COACH The Tunisian FA
the former Finland coach.
VAN GENEUGDEN NAMED MALAWI COACH Ronny Van Geneugden has been named as
have appointed
Malawi coach on a two-year
former national-team
deal. Originally, the Football
Lucas Alcaraz (above)
midfielder Nabil Maaloul as
Association of Malawi (FAM)
as their new coach
their new head coach. The
had unveiled Gerald Phiri but
following the resignation of
54-year-old returns after a
the Malawian will now act as
Georges Leekens in February.
short six-month spell in 2013
an assistant to the 48-year
The Spaniard, a former coach
during the 2014 FIFA World
old Belgian. Van Geneugden
of Granada, is the fourth
Cup Brazil™ qualifiers. A
celebrated his biggest success
permanent coach to have
former coach of the Kuwait
with Belgium’s Oud-Heverlee
taken charge in 13 months.
national team, Maaloul will
Leuven in 2010-2011, leading FIFA 1904 /
59
TECHNICAL DIRECTORS COURSE IN NZ
courses are to be organised for
coached several other national
ment. One of the first initia-
club executives, press officers,
teams. He has also held this
tives of this new department
safety and security officers,
position on two previous
was to team up with the
Technical directors
team managers and other club
occasions (1992-1994 and
Portuguese professional
from across
officials. In addition, a master’s
2002-2004). After agreeing to
players’ union and the Portu-
Oceania recently gathered in
in sports management is due
take charge for a third time,
guese referees’ association in a
Auckland to upskill and collab-
to be launched in 2018. This
he will leave Turkish giants
campaign to promote respect
orate at a FIFA MA Technical
programme will be aimed at
Fenerbahçe at the end of the
across the game under the
Directors Course in a bid to
club executives, sports federa-
2016-2017 season. Gullit,
slogan “On the pitch we all
continue raising the standard
tion managers, government
meanwhile, is an all-time
play the same game”.
of football in Oceania. With
representatives, etc. and will
Oranje great, one of the
the introduction of FIFA’s
be expanded across Europe in
heroes of the team’s 1988
new Forward development
the near future.
UEFA European Championship
programme, the position of member association technical director has become more important than ever for the
triumph and a player who won
ADVOCAAT BACK IN CHARGE OF ORANJE
the last of his 66 senior caps under Advocaat.
SUCCESSFUL “FOR ALL” INITIATIVE
The Association of Football
analysis, planning, implemen-
Dick Advocaat
tation and monitoring of
(below) has been
football projects. The week-
named as the coach
Football is open to
(AFFA) is running a project
of the Netherlands
everyone – and The
aimed at strengthening
Football Association
the football knowledge of
long course aimed to update
Federations of Azerbaijan
participants on Forward, build
for a third time, with Oranje
a better understanding of the
legend Ruud Gullit confirmed
(FA) in England is determined
secondary school PE teachers.
role and expectations of a
as his assistant. Advocaat, 70,
to raise awareness that anyone
Teachers from schools in
technical director, and provide
succeeds Danny Blind, who
can take part in and experi-
Baku, Gusar, Shaki, Ismayilli,
tools and processes to en-
was sacked in March in the
ence the joys of the game. As
Lankaran and Ganja recently
hance their work.
aftermath of a 2-0 defeat in
part of this drive, The FA’s
attended a seminar, which
Bulgaria that left the Dutch
far-reaching “For All” cam-
was organised as part of the
fourth in their FIFA World
paign is enjoying considerable
special project supported by
Cup™ qualifying group.
success. The FA runs initiatives
the AFFA and the Azerbaijani
Advocaat is a vastly experi-
to encourage all types of
ministry of education. The
According to its
enced coach who has won
player as well as new coaches,
main aims of the project are
strategic plan for
titles in Russia, Scotland and
referees and volunteers.
to promote a healthy lifestyle
2015-2020, one
his native Netherlands and has
RAISING PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
Among the series of ongoing
among pupils, to further
of the objectives of the Roma-
initiatives, the Girls’ Football
physical education teachers’
nian Football Association (FRF)
Week is just one example
professional development
is to bring about a lasting
to get more girls involved in
by improving their football-
improvement in the organisa-
the game.
specific knowledge and experience, to improve pupils’
tional performance of its members, in particular by enhancing the professional skills of their staff. To that end, the FRF has concluded a
Getty Images
PE TEACHERS RECEIVE FOOTBALL EDUCATION
NEW SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY DEPARTMENT IN PORTUGAL
partnership agreement with
The Portuguese FA
the Bucharest Academy for
is intensifying its social
Economic Studies to organise
responsibility work by
various educational pro-
creating a new public relations
grammes. Ad hoc and regular
and social responsibility depart-
knowledge of the sport (e.g. of the Laws of the Game), to promote fair play and to identify talented children.
FIFA 1904 /
61
CELEBRATION
CARLOS VALDERRAMA When this photograph was sent via the press agencies on the evening of 22 June 1998, the response from newspaper editors was instant: print! It depicted the wild celebrations that followed the only goal of the World Cup group match between Colombia and Tunisia in Montpellier, which was scored by Columbia’s Léider Preciado in the 82nd minute, sending the team’s yellow-and-blue-clad fans into a frenzy. This unanimous acceptance by sports newspapers of a shot that didn’t even show a face, let alone a ball, was highly unusual: a ball depicts action while a face conveys emotion, and as such, both are staples of football photographs, but then again, it could be argued that hair does both. Or maybe not, as the case may be. Carlos Valderrama, featured left, is generally acknowledged to be the best footballer that Colombia has ever produced. His darting runs and outstanding technique inspired the national team to qualify for three World Cups, but it is also fair to say that he was equally known around the world for his voluminous locks, which always seemed to have a mind of their own come rain or shine, flying up at all angles whenever their owner released a perfect through-ball or found the back of the net with a deft flick of his boot. Thankfully, there is no manual for goal celebrations. Some players have a well-rehearsed routine that is guaranteed to catch the eye, while others are more modest – rather like Preciado, seen here with his shirt over his head after scoring the winning goal, or even Valderrama, in whose mane he buried his face. After all, there was no lack of room in there. Alan Schweingruber 62
/ FIFA 1904
FIFA 1904 /
63
Bongarts / Getty Images
PUBLICATION DETAILS FIFA 1904 – PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE FÉDÉRATION INTERNATIONALE DE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION (FIFA) PROJECT MANAGEMENT Christian Schaub
PRESIDENT Gianni Infantino
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INTERNET www.FIFA.com/Magazine
PRODUCTION Philipp Mahrer / Hans-Peter Frei
Phone +41 (0)43 222 7777, fax +41 (0)43 222 7878
PUBLISHER FIFA, FIFA-Strasse 20, P.O. Box, 8044 Zurich, Switzerland
HEAD OF DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS Rüdiger Müller CHIEF EDITOR Perikles Monioudis
Reproduction of photographs and articles of FIFA 1904 in whole or
STAFF WRITERS Alan Schweingruber (Deputy Editor), Annette Braun
in part is only permitted with prior editorial approval and with
ART DIRECTION Catharina Clajus
reference to the source (FIFA 1904, © FIFA 2017).
PICTURE EDITOR Peggy Knotz LAYOUT Susanne Egli
The editor and staff are not obliged to publish unsolicited manu-
TRANSLATION AND PROOFREADING English: Timo Eugster,
scripts and photographs. The views expressed in FIFA 1904 are not
Andrew Hurley, Stuart Makin, Caitlin Stephens; French: Alexandre
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