Fifa1904 issue#5

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

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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.

46

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).

40

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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46

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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.

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/ 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.

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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 /

13

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 /

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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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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.”

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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.

-

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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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

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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

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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 /

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PHOTO ARCHIVE

50

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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FIFA 1904 /

63

Bongarts / Getty Images

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