The FIFA Weekly Issue #12

ISSUE 12, 10 JANUARY 2014

ENGLISH EDITION

Fédération Internationale de Football Association – Since 1904

FIFA Ballon d’Or 2013

Simply the best

EUSEBIO: PORTUGAL IN MOURNING

MANAUS: WORLD CUP, AND OPERA, IN THE JUNGLE

GERARD HOULLIER: IN LOVE WITH LIVERPOOL W W W.FIFA.COM/ THEWEEKLY

CONTENTS

6

A glittering prize awaits Rarely has anticipation been greater ahead of the Ballon d’Or ceremony. Will Ronaldo be rewarded for his magnificent individual performances? Is Ribery’s title haul more impressive? Will Messi win for the fifth time? Who will win the women’s and coaches’ awards? All this, as well as the leaders in football’s style stakes, will be revealed in Zurich on Monday.

19

Debate: Do we need the Ballon d’Or? The value of awards for individual performances is football is being disputed in a sport where the primary focus is team spirit. The FIFA Weekly’s readers are divided on the issue.

21

M anaus: a great World Cup adventure The heat, humidity and remote location of this jungle city have made it an unpopular World Cup destination, but the city’s fascinating history and breathtaking opera house mean it has much to offer.

26

South America 10 members www.conmebol.com

Marta The Brazilian hopes to be World Player for the sixth time

Farewell Eusebio 5 January saw the passing of Eusebio da Silva Ferreira, an exemplary man and one of the best footballers of all time. The FIFA Weekly looks back at the Portuguese legend’s life.

29

B usacca the expert In mid-January, FIFA will nominate the 30-33 teams of World Cup officials. Ahead of the announcement, Massimo Busacca said: “It won’t be easy to compile the list. I’m very satisfied with performances. Now we need the best of the best.”

31

Inside: Italy and England In Italy, Serie A is in danger of becoming a foregone conclusion, with Juventus already eight points ahead of their nearest rivals. Meanwhile in England, football’s oldest club competition the FA Cup risks being eclipsed by the Premier League and Champions League.

36

I t’s got to be Ribery In this week’s column, Gunter Netzer casts his Ballon d’Or vote for Bayern star Franck Ribery, saying Cristiano Ronaldo should be second once more.

37

“ I definitely wanted to go to Liverpool” Gerard Houllier fell in love with English football while working in Liverpool as a young teacher.

Some 29 years later, the Frenchman returned to the city as the club’s first foreign manager.

2

North and Central America 35 members www.concacaf.com

Lionel Messi The underdog for once

FIFA Ballon d’Or 13 January 2014, Zurich

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

U-17 Women’s World Cup 15 March to 4 April 2014, Costa Rica

THIS WEEK IN THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL

Europe 53 members www.uefa.com

Eusebio Farewell to a true great

Africa 54 members www.cafonline.com

Asia 46 members www.the-afc.com

Oceania 11 members www.oceaniafootball.com

Serge Gnabry The FA Cup is not top priority for Arsenal and Co

ISSUE 12, 10 JANUARY 2014

ENGLISH EDITION

Fédération Internationale de Football Association – Since 1904

FIFA Ballon d’Or 2013

Simply the best

EUSEBIO: PORTUGAL IN MOURNING

MANAUS: WORLD CUP, AND OPERA, IN THE JUNGLE

GERARD HOULLIER: IN LOVE WITH LIVERPOOL W W W.FIFA.COM/ THEWEEKLY

Simply the best It is steeped in history and a highly-prized work of art: the Ballon d’Or receives a final polish prior to being presented.

Our cover picture was taken on 9 January 2012 in Zurich.

Cover: Getty Images Inhalt: Getty Images

Massimo Busacca Preparing to nominate the World Cup referees

Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup 28 to 29 May 2014, Zurich

FIFA World Cup 12 June to 13 July 2014, Brazil

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

U-20 Women’s World Cup 5 to 24 August 2014, Canada

FIFA Club World Cup 10 to 20 December 2014, Morocco

3

Dominate the distance, jump higher, tackle harder.

Feel the energy behind the engine: adidas nitrocharge. adidas.com/football

Š 2013 adidas AG. adidas, the 3-Bars logo and the 3-Stripes mark are registered trademarks of the adidas Group.

nitrocharge your game

UNCOVERED

The legendary golden ball

Humble beginnings: Blackpool mayor Herbert Henson presents Sir Stanley Matthews with the first Ballon d’Or.

Thomas Renggli

Offside/L’Equipe

T

he list of Ballon d’Or winners reads like a who’s who of mainly European footballers, including Alfredo Di Stefano, Bobby Charlton, Eusebio, Lev Yashin, Franz Beckenbauer, Johan Cruyff and George Best. Back in 1956, the award was first conferred to English footballing icon Sir Stanley Matthews, one of the greatest wingers of all time despite his slight stature. He is the only footballer to have been knighted while still an active player. Still playing in the top flight at the age of 50, Matthews had nicknames such as “The Wizard of the Dribble” or “The Magician”. Even the Kaiser, Franz Beckenbauer, considered Matthews to be among the sport’s all-time greats, saying: “Everyone was powerless to match his skills. Hardly anyone could stop him.”

Matthews did not receive the inaugural Ballon d’Or at an extravagant gala. Instead, the presentation took place at his home in

Blackpool, where town mayor and councillor Herbert Henson handed over the accolade. The golden trophy has an almost regal appearance and has always been made by prestigious French jewellers Mellerio dits Meller. During a long history that can be traced back to the 17th century, the Mellerio family have produced pieces of jewellery for Europe’s royal houses, gilded religious artworks, swords for student duelling societies and trophies for various sporting events, including the Coupe des Mousquetaires, awarded to the winner of the men’s singles at the French Open.

The company’s CEO, Francois Mellerio, describes the painstaking production process involved in creating the trophy: “Producing the Ballon d’Or requires close cooperation with several craftsmen, including a goldsmith, repousseur, chaser, engraver, gilder and a polisher – all increasingly rare trades nowadays.”

Although football has changed significantly since the trophy was first awarded, the statuette’s appearance remains largely unchanged.

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

The FIFA Ballon d’Or comprises two semispheres shaped from individual plates and measures 31 centimetres high, 23 wide and 23 deep.

By contrast, the award ceremony has steadily grown in prominence over the years.

Nowadays, the event does not take place at a modest home in Blackpool but on a large stage at the Kongresshaus in Zurich, in a ceremony broadcast live by 50 different television networks. Å

5

F I F A B A L L O N D ’O R 2 013

FROM THE PITCH TO THE CATWALK It’s showtime! The first major trophies of the World Cup year are being presented at the Zurich Kongresshaus on Monday, accompanied by the popping of flashbulbs and a sense of ­grandeur. The build up to the award of the FIFA Ballon d’Or has hardly ever been this exciting. Messi, Ribery and Ronaldo all have their eye on the ultimate footballing Oscar.

Thomas Renggli

A

red carpet takes the place of the customary green turf. Noble cloth replaces the club shirt and shorts. Fluted champagne glasses replace plastic bottles. The Kongresshaus in Zurich is hosting 2014’s first footballing extravaganza exactly six months before the World Cup final as the top stars vie for the Ballon d’Or. It is an occasion which bridges the gap between sport and entertainment. Shakira and Amy MacDonald are just two of the stars who have taken advantage of the global stage the event offers. We see the greatest footballers in a new light here: Ronaldo in a tuxedo, Messi in a custom-made suit and Marta in a cocktail dress. Dribbling on the pitch might well be easier for some of them than braving football’s catwalk but in the end there are no prizes or points deductions at stake for the level of sartorial elegance.

Priority is given to the golden trophies which are presented to the best players and coaches of 2013. The discussion about the men’s award in particular has hardly ever been as impassioned as this year. Will it be Messi, 6

Ribery or Ronaldo who the jury, consisting of national coaches and captains of 209 member associations plus selected journalists, install on the throne? The level of achievement this year was so high that even the selection for the shortlist of three finalists triggered moral dilemmas. Exceptional performers like Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Luis Suarez would definitely have made the top three in any other year. This time they are certain to end up empty handed.

Which criteria have a stronger weighting?

Is it the personal statistics, the team contribution or the number of trophies won? Either way the jury’s verdict will spark a great deal of discussion. Messi, Ribery and Ronaldo would all be worthy winners and the same goes for Ibrahimovic. In athletics or cycling it would come down to a photo finish. Å

Lionel Messi: four-time winner T H E F I FA W E E K LY

F I F A B A L L O N D ’O R 2 013

Legendary status in sight Alan Schweingruber

David Ramos/Getty Images

The underdog for once: four-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi lost more time to injury in 2013 than ever before.

Will the jury count his spells on the sidelines against him?

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

R

osario is, so they proudly say in Argentina, home to the country’s most beautiful young women. But for a few years now – around five or six to be precise – the princesses have not taken centre stage in the large industrial city. For Rosario has a king. And his name is Lionel Messi. The 1.70 metre-tall Barcelona forward could scale dizzy heights on Monday by winning the World Player of the Year title for the fifth year in a row.

If the Argentinian captain was to celebrate his 37th birthday this year, then a wonderful career would soon be drawing to a close. But on 24 June, one day before the last match of the World Cup group stages against Nigeria, Messi will turn just 27. It could be a match to remember. The forward is now entering the prime of his career, having already won everything the game has to offer: six Spanish league titles, three Champions League titles, four Champions League top scorer awards and four World Player of the Year awards. His technique, creativity and understanding of the game are reminiscent of the true legends such as Pele or Maradona, yet the striker is still a World Cup winner’s medal away from sealing his place as one of the all-time greats.

Messi will go into this year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony as an outsider, having regularly fallen victim to niggling muscle injuries since April 2013. But the Barcelona man’s undeniable brilliance on the ball could still swing the jury in his favour. He came on as an injured substitute in the 62nd minute of Barcelona’s Champions League clash with Paris Saint Germain last spring to propel the Spanish giants into the semi-finals, prompting Barcelona’s radio station “Marca” to subsequently declare: “The best footballer in the world is Lionel Messi. The second best is an injured Lionel Messi.”

The football world will discover on Monday whether there is perhaps an element of truth to such a bold claim. Å

7

F I F A B A L L O N D ’O R 2 013

Franck Ribery: multiple medals 8

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

F I F A B A L L O N D ’O R 2 013

Franck the musketeer In many ways Franck Ribery is the inheritor of the famous French musketeers, with his tricks, feints, ability to unbalance an opponent and then thrust to deadly effect.

Roland Zorn

F

ranck Ribery’s finesse, skill and elegance make him a musketeer of sorts, a D’Artagnan for the modern age. His daring and enterprise are among the many reasons he is adored by fans around the world, especially if they support Champions League winners Bayern Munich. The 1.70 m wizard of the dribble has dazzled, battled and scored for the top European team of last season since 2007, but he has never before been in such scintillating form.

That is the principal reason why the man born in modest surroundings in the industrial coastal town of Boulogne-sur-Mer is now a candidate for the greatest honour an outstanding individual can hope to achieve in our team sport.

Ribery, named Best Player in Europe last August, is now yearning to be hailed as World Player of the Year for 2013. “I did everything right,” he said as he reflected on a glorious 2012/13 campaign, “I played consistently good football, and on top of that I won cups and titles with Bayern.” Five trophies no less: the Champions League, German Championship, German Cup, European Super Cup and the Club World Cup. No bed of roses The 30-year-old, an intriguing mixture of survivor and bon vivant, has learned to enjoy the simple things in life in a career worthy of a film script. Hardly a media darling and lacking support in high places early on, he has shrugged off setbacks and clambered from the bottom to the very top. As a two-year-old he survived a serious road accident: his father Francois was at the wheel but his guardian angels must have been hovering nearby when the young Franck was hurled head first into the windscreen.

Since then he bears “with pride” two visible scars on his forehead and right cheek. They have become badges of honour: “They’re the evidence I’ve always had to fight hard to achieve things, and that nothing in life has ever been handed to me on a plate.”

It has been a fight for sporting and personal recognition for a diminutive Frenchman who was mocked and even bullied as a kid due to his distinctive markings. Ribery stood his

ground against his would-be tormentors, physically if necessary. He grew up in a community with up to 60 % unemployment and an ambience to match.

The up-and-coming French winger finally appeared on the radar of the big European clubs in 2004 when he signed his first Ligue 1 contract with Metz, before switching to Galatasaray in January 2005. Against a mounting backlog of unpaid wages he left Istanbul not long afterwards for a productive two-year spell with Olympique Marseille where his pace, exuberance, elegant touch and sheer joy in attacking football made him an enduring favourite.

Bayern came in for him in 2007 and Munich has proved a genuine home-from-home for the bighearted Frenchman from the humblest of origins. The club helped cushion the blows of a disappointing Euro 2008 and the unmitigated disaster of the French showing at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where the player and a significant proportion of the squad openly rebelled against coach Raymond Domenech.

but I’m neither stupid nor fake. I’m an emotional person and a loyal friend. Once I’ve taken someone to my heart, I’ll give back everything I possibly can.”

Franck Ribery is friendly, curious, easygoing, lacking affectations and always good for a surprise. In short he is authentic, both on and off the pitch. That’s why he is so well-loved by the crowds. Å

Bayern’s unshakeable faith But even through the darkest times, Bayern unswervingly kept their faith in Ribery. By contrast the French turned their backs on the player for a long period in the wake of an incident involving an underage prostitute, before Ribery’s home country rediscovered its respect in the wake of Euro 2012. At Bayern president Uli Hoeness and chairman KarlHeinz Rummenigge publicly backed the player when he fell out with then coach Louis van Gaal. The Frenchman occasionally looked lacklustre and listless, a joker with no jokes, and the Dutchman was prepared to let him go.

In the end, though, it was Van Gaal who left, Jupp Heynckes who came, and under him and his successor Pep Guardiola the magician has matured, appearing fresh and determined as never before. Reflecting now on his rocky road to the summit Ribery accepts he has never been spared life’s darker side but never surrendered to its whims: “I’ve learned a lot from my setbacks. It’s always been character building. If I think back to my former life, I’m a much happier person now. I’m not educated, T H E F I FA W E E K LY

9

F I F A B A L L O N D ’O R 2 013

Ronaldo is here Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is certainly not short on confidence.

As the prolific striker himself says: “I deserve to win the FIFA Ballon d'Or and that is the case every year.”

Jordi Puntí

C

10

Cristiano Ronaldo: goals guaranteed

another name in the ring with a fighting chance: Franck Ribery.

Three conditions for victory The Ballon d’Or recognises individual success, which can only be understood within a collective. It could be said that the footballers who win it should meet three criteria. 1. Outstanding and decisive individual performances throughout the year. 2. Contribution via those performances to an improvement in their team’s play. 3. The subsequent securing of titles to bring happiness to the club’s fans.

Cristiano Ronaldo meets the first and second criteria, but not the third, because Real Madrid failed to win a single trophy in 2013.

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

With Portugal, the forward’s performances were strong, although only in the final play-off match against Sweden was his contribution essential for World Cup qualification. In Ribery’s case, however, all three criteria were met: the Frenchman helped his Bayern Munich side win the big titles (Bundesliga, Champions League and German Cup) with consistency allied to outstanding individual performances.

Ever since he signed for Real Madrid, ­Cristiano’s career has been in the ascendancy and he has broken many personal records with the Spanish side. In 2013, for example, he netted 69 goals in the calendar year to better his previous mark. However, that impressive influence upon his team’s play failed to yield any

Visionhaus/Corbis

ristiano Ronaldo will have another opportunity to win his second Ballon d’Or on Monday. Since winning as a Manchester United player in 2008, the 28 year-old has come second three times, finishing behind Lionel Messi on each occasion. But for CR7, coming second is a form of defeat. The Portuguese flyer simply doesn’t accept it in the same way as Xavi Hernandez or Andres Iniesta who, for example, celebrated the achievement of finishing among the top three players on the planet in past editions, behind their Argentinian team-mate.

A few days ago, Ronaldo received the Global Soccer Award in Dubai and revealed his winning character in an interview with A Bola.

When asked if he deserved to win the Ballon d’Or, the Real Madrid talisman responded with usual pride, although this time gave a more reflective view. “Perhaps I do deserve it, just like last year or two years ago,” he said. “I think I deserve to win every year. I like to win all the time, but I know it doesn’t depend on me.

Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.”

Cristiano’s brilliant football meant he surely did deserve to win the Ballon d’Or every year, but up against him was a genius whose performances were a notch above the rest: Lionel Messi. This time, however, Ronaldo is the favourite ahead of the Argentinian. Following a year in which he was laid low by injuries, and during which Barcelona were forced to adapt to a change of coach and cope with the illness of previous boss Tito Vilanova, Messi faces an uphill struggle to defend his title as the world’s finest footballer. Meanwhile, there is also

F I F A B A L L O N D ’O R 2 013

trophies for Madrid. His individual quality should aid the collective, yet sometimes the opposite occurs, and when Jose Mourinho was in charge, the coach’s defensive tactics meant Cristiano became something of a saviour with goals in the final minutes.

“Look, here I am!”

Be that as it may, Cristiano Ronaldo’s finest performances in 2013 arrived in knockout games. The first of those was in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey back in February, against Barcelona at Camp Nou. The first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu had finished 1-1, but Madrid triumphed 3-1 in the return thanks in part to two Cristiano strikes. Both goals arrived via

quick counter-attacks in which Ronaldo burst forward at great speed. First he won a penalty, which he himself converted, and then rounded off the second by finishing clinically.

The other match that could help him to win the Ballon d’Or is Portugal’s second play-off clash, in Sweden for a place in the World Cup, won 3-2 by the visitors. Portugal arrived in Stockholm with a 1-0 advantage and, after a goalless first half, Cristiano replied to Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s double with a hat-trick. All three strikes were a demonstration of strength, speed on the counter and clinical finishing.

Ronaldo knew the world was watching; he also knew that FIFA had extended the voting deadline for the Ballon d’Or and promptly secured T H E F I FA W E E K LY

some of the last votes. When he scored the second goal, he stood in front of the crowd and, as he was mobbed by his team-mates, proudly posed as if to say: “Here I am!” Next Monday in Zurich, he’ll need to keep his cool and will no doubt be nervous, but it’s not hard to imagine him climbing up on stage as the winner of the 2013 Ballon d’Or with that same self-assured stance: “Here I am!” Å

11

F I F A B A L L O N D ’O R 2 013

Safe pair of hands: Nadine Angerer could be the first woman keeper to win the golden ball

The record breaker

In 2013, Nadine Angerer once again proved why she is among the world's best, and could now be the first women’s goalkeeper to take home the Ballon d’Or. At the UEFA Women’s European Championship in Sweden, the German international keeper’s performances were a vital factor in securing the team’s historic eighth continental crown. As Germany’s most-capped player, the 35-year-old was the cornerstone of coach Silvia Neid’s young team. Angerer saved two penalties in the final against Norway, ensuring Germany defended their title with a narrow 1-0 victory.

This remarkable individual performance earned her UEFA’s Best Women’s Player in Europe Award for 2013.

Angerer, who currently plays for Brisbane Roar in Australia, now has eight European Championships and two World Cups to her name. From April, she will be seeking a new challenge in the USA’s National Women’s Soccer League, with an announcement on her new club expected within the next few weeks. Å

The fact that Marta Vieira da Silva was named FIFA Women’s Player of the Year five times in a row between 2006 and 2010 is an indication of her high standing in the game.

During her richly successful career, the Brazilian star has also helped take her national team further in international competition than ever before, but without yet going on to claim either Olympic gold or the FIFA Women’s World Cup. She nevertheless continues to delight fans with her skills, both in her country’s famous yellow jersey and for her Swedish club Tyreso FF. Marta knew she wanted to play football for a living from a very young age. At just 14, she left her family for Rio de Janeiro in order to pursue her dream of a career on the pitch. Just four years later, she joined Swedish side Umea IK and never looked back, winning four league titles and scoring 111 goals in 103 appearances for the club. After a spell in America she returned to Sweden in 2012, reaffirming her reputation as one of the outstanding performers of the Damallsvenskan as she helped fire Tyreso into the quarter-finals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League for the first time in the club’s history. Å

The reigning champion Reigning FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year Abby Wambach showed no signs of letting up during 2013. The 33-year-old striker shone again with impressive displays of power, athleticism and calm composure.

The Rochester, New York native enjoyed a year closer to home playing for Western New York Flash in the inaugural National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) season. Wambach led Flash to the NWSL final where they were ultimately bested 2-0 by Portland Thorns, but the prolific scorer struck 11 goals in 19 games, taking second place in the NWSL scoring charts.

On the international stage, Wambach reached a massive milestone on 20 June when she struck four times against Korea Republic to surpass Mia Hamm’s all-time scoring record in women’s international football of 158 goals.

With Wambach still scoring at will for USA, it seems her final record will stand for some time to come. Å

Moritz Schmid

The pioneer

12

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

F I F A B A L L O N D ’O R 2 013

Yuki Ogimi’s Japanese dream Chelsea Ladies and Japan striker Yuki Ogimi was among the ten nominees on the initial FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year shortlist. The 26-year-old’s life story reflects the way football helped a nation find new hope in the wake of catastrophe in 2011. Here she is in her own words: “Even when I was a child, I dreamed of playing football abroad. My biggest role model was long-serving national team stalwart Homare Sawa, who spent part of her career in America where she made the breakthrough and then won the Ballon d’Or. She inspired me to become a footballer when I was just five years old, back when there was not yet a

professional women’s football league in Japan.

Nowadays I admire players like Germany’s Anja Mittag. My parents were always there to help me establish a career in football and did everything they could to support me.

In Japanese football, men continue to earn more than women, but women have a greater appetite for success and get much more satisfaction from playing the game.

Japan won the 2011 Women’s World Cup in the same year that the tsunami hit our country. We wanted to give something positive back to people in Japan and bring some good news to give people pride in our nation again.

Later, many players visited the areas hit by

the catastrophe to express their solidarity for those affected by the disaster. Of course, Japanese women’s football is not yet as developed as in Europe or America, so winning the World Cup was a fantastic achievement.

I was surprised to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or. It’s great for Japanese football and for the development of the league in Japan. My choice for the men’s Ballon d’Or would be Zlatan Ibrahimovic.” Å As told to Honey Thaljieh

Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters 120_foto-bylines_x12

Solidarity: Marta (front) congratulates Abby Wambach on winning the 2012 Ballon d’Or

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

13

F I F A B A L L O N D ’O R 2 013

Jürgen Klopp: The adventurer

J

ürgen Klopp has crafted a team in his image: direct, feisty, uninhibited and adventurous. The 46-year-old has become synonymous with today’s Borussia Dortmund side that he and his trusted assistants have led to notable success at both German and European level.

Watching the 2011 and 2012 Bundesliga champions and 2012 UEFA Champions League finalists is almost always an adventure in itself: shocks and surprises are never far away when Dortmund take to the field. The same is true of their coach, who has never come across as a conventional schoolmasterly type. Klopp wears his heart on his sleeve on the touchline, but his emotions, which make him such a popular figure most of the time, often get the better of him when his sense of justice is offended, or when he takes issue with refereeing decisions. On such occasions, the aggressive side of Germany’s most popular Bundesliga coach can come to the fore, and he appears rather less amiable than usual.

14

Long-term friends of the 1.91-metre coach from the Black Forest will testify that “Kloppo” – as he was known during his 18 years at Mainz – has not changed a jot as regards his manner, persona and ways of expressing himself. “He has something you can’t teach,” says Harald Strutz, president of the club that Klopp represented for eleven years as a player and coached between 2001 and 2008. “He possesses natural authority, mental strength and sentimentality alike.”

Sporting director of Borussia Dortmund Michael Zorc describes the man who has heralded a new era of success at BVB, to whom he is contracted until 2016, as “genuine and straightforward”, praising “his positive attitude, ambition, honesty and communicative style”.

It didn’t take Klopp long to recover from the narrow 2-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in the 2013 Champions League final. “He’s very good at dealing with setbacks,” says Christian Heidel.

“After all, he had enough practice during his Mainz days.” Klopp certainly didn’t let the defeat ruin Dortmund’s Champions League T H E F I FA W E E K LY

party following the final at Wembley, even though he may not have celebrated quite as exuberantly as on other, more successful occasions. Å

Lars Baron/Getty Images

Roland Zorn

F I F A B A L L O N D ’O R 2 013

Jupp Heynckes: The Gentleman

Roland Zorn

Joern Pollex/Getty Images

I

rresistible as a player, unbeatable as a coach, yet grounded as a man: Jupp Heynckes, who once upon a time wanted to become an architect, was always a true gentleman, even when he was building football teams at the pinnacle of his ­career.

The 1974 FIFA World Cup winner, 1972 European Championship winner and fourtime Bundesliga champion with Borussia Monchengladbach was Germany’s most lethal striker after Gerd Muller thanks to his powerful shot, agility and raw pace, while his tenacity, determination and work ethic enabled the 68-year-old Rhinelander to reach similar heights as a coach.

Setbacks, such as Bayern Munich’s UEFA Champions League final defeat at home to Chelsea in 2012, only spurred Heynckes on to greater efforts. Unperturbed by that loss, he continued to do things his own way – a philosophy that had served him so well in 1998 when he won his first Champions League title

with Real Madrid courtesy of a 1-0 win over Juventus, despite knowing the club were about to relieve him of his duties.

His fearless approach allowed him to reach the summit of European football for a second time on 25 May 2013, as Bayern recovered from the previous year’s disappointment to beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 and lift the Champions League trophy.

Borussia Monchengladbach was Heynckes’ club as a player, while Bayern, whom he also lead to the Bundesliga title and DFB Cup in 2013, catapulted him onto the world scene as a coach. With the treble in his pocket, he retired with his head held high and a smile on his face.

Who could blame him? Å

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

15

EVERY GASP EVERY SCREAM EVERY ROAR EVERY DIVE EVERY BALL E V E RY PAS S EVERY CHANCE EVERY STRIKE E V E R Y B E AU T I F U L D E TA I L SHALL BE SEEN SHALL BE HEARD S H A L L B E FE LT

Feel the Beauty

BE MOVED

THE NEW 4K LED TV

“SONY” and “make.believe” are trademarks of Sony Corporation.

F I F A B A L L O N D ’O R 2 013

Alex Ferguson: United’s knight

Thomas Renggli

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

A

t the age of 72 Alex Ferguson is a true footballing icon and living proof that continuity and stamina remain the most reliable guarantees of success even in the fast-changing world of elite sport. The Scot spent 26 years as Manchester United manager and guided his side to 39 trophies including the Champions League twice. The crowning glory came last May when he sealed the 13th English championship of his reign. Knighted in 1999, he has won 30 individual awards and accolades, including the FIFA Presidential Award in 2011 for outstanding services to football. The announcement of his retirement last May made the headlines and relegated the annual Queen’s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament in London to the inside pages.

Ferguson’s successor David Moyes is finding out the hard way what it means to follow in such giant footsteps. United’s FA Cup third round exit handed the tabloids a golden

opportunity to parade the former boss’s staggering trophy collection before the newcomer’s eyes and pose the frankly heretical question: “Could Sir Alex come back?” In fact, Ferguson cannot realistically return. He selected his point of departure with too much care, and is only too well aware that a comeback would tarnish his legacy.

He also knows from his own experience that the early stages can be problematic. Ferguson was named United manager in 1986 but it took him three-and-a-half years to make the breakthrough: his first trophy as United boss, the FA Cup, did not arrive until spring 1990.

“Only through success can a manager become master of his own destiny,” he would later write in his autobiography. “Success unlocks all the doors. Players accept what you are saying without doubting.”

Ferguson knows what he is talking about.

He guided United from domestic mediocrity back to the elite of the world game, helping to build one of the most valuable brands in global sport and even surpassing the fame achieved by T H E F I FA W E E K LY

his most revered predecessor Matt Busby. On a personal note his estimated net worth of £34 million made him the wealthiest manager in the country. No-one in the footballing community expects him to vanish from the scene and live the life of a simple OAP. For that reason alone, we’ll hear calls for his return the very next time Manchester United happen to lose. Å

17

T HE DEBAT E

FIFA Ballon d’Or, more glorious than ever

Best player’s broad smile: Johan Cruyff and wife Danny with the Ballon d’Or in 1971.

F

ootball is a team game. Without his or her team-mates, even the most talented of individuals would cut a forlorn figure on the pitch, incapable of beating a team of 11 very poor players single-handedly. Any award for the best footballer in the male or female categories is therefore subject to the individual playing for a team in which he or she is given a chance to shine and to showcase their fantastic abilities.

This is much more the case nowadays than it was 10, 20 or 30 years ago. The modern-day focus on the perfect system of play might not have rendered the role of the individual obsolete, but it certainly has reduced their importance. This notion is reflected in the disappearance of positions such as the sweeper and the traditional number 10 in favour of a tiki-taka style, which transforms the football genius – albeit very successfully – into a team player.

With the gradual disappearance of individual positions in football, it is even more important to vote for the most inspired players irrespective of tournaments, competitions and ultimately, their team.

18

The FIFA Ballon d’Or is bestowed upon the world’s best player each year. This year sees FIFA organise the Ballon d’Or Gala for the fourth time, the first three editions having awarded the prize to Barcelona’s Lionel Messi.

The diminutive Argentinian is also one of the three nominees this time around, featuring alongside Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid and Franck Ribery of Bayern Munich.

The FIFA Ballon d’Or came into being in 2009 after the merging of two similar awards, the FIFA Player of the Year, which had been in existence since 1991, and the Ballon d’Or, which had been awarded every year by the magazine France Football since 1956. Legends of the game such as Stanley Matthews, Alfredo Di Stefano, Eusebio (see pages 17 and 26), Johan Cruyff and Franz Beckenbauer have been awarded the Ballon d’Or, while Lothar Matthaus, Marco van Basten, Roberto Baggio and Zine­d ine Zidane have all been crowned FIFA Player of the Year.

But none of them can match the individual achievements of Lionel Messi. The Argentinian collected both the Ballon d’Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year awards back in 2009, then completed the set by winning the FIFA Ballon d’Or when the awards merged a year later. He could under certain circumstances go T H E F I FA W E E K LY

down in history as the only player to ever win all three awards.

And yet as an Argentinian he would have been ineligible for the Ballon d’Or before changes were made to the rules in 1995, with voting previously limited to European players. This explains the absence of his countryman Diego Maradona from the list of winners, the rules not allowing for the South American’s nomination.

From 1995, non-Europeans plying their trade on the European continent were eligible for nomination for the Ballon d’Or. Further changes made in 2006 meant that, in principle, any professional footballer could be put forward to a jury now consisting of the national team captains and coaches of FIFA’s 209 member associations and sports journalists.

The results of the voting for 2013 are set to be announced on 13 January 2014 at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Zurich. Å

The weekly debate.

Any thing you want to get off your chest? Which topics do you want to discuss? Send your suggestions to: feedback-TheWeekly@fifa.org.

Imago

Perikles Monioudis

T HE DEBAT E

These moaners who complain about events and then secretly watch on TV get on my nerves. Why shouldn’t the best player and the best coach in the world not be recognised in an appropriate and worthy way? The FIFA Ballon d’Or is an honest event with a good representative jury. As a Lionel Messi fan I’m really hoping my fellow countryman can win the World Player award again. If you ignore brief dips in form with Barcelona, he was still the best player in the world in 2013.

Federico Perez, Rio Gallegos (Argentina)

I’m very much looking forward to the ceremony in Zurich on 13 January 2014. The world of football needs these awards, just as the world of film needs its high-profile Oscars.

It’s got to be Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi to win. Ronaldo has been so good for so long that he simply deserves more than his solitary Ballon d’Or from 2008. Messi has already won often enough. And Franck Ribery can be perfectly pleased with the UEFA trophy for the best player in Europe. That was already the wrong choice in my opinion.

Antonio Vadini, Lecce (Italy)

I don’t see the point of individual awards in a team sport. At the end of the day it’s always about the performance of the group. And a team is only as good as its weakest member.

Martin Hard, Hamburg (Germany)

Logically enough the credibility of any awards ceremony is reflected in the result.

PRESIDENTIAL NOTE

In my opinion there can only be one winner this year: Franck Ribery. He’s been unbelie­ vably good for Bayern. Their five trophies in 2013 are essentially down to him. His consistent excellence should be rewarded with the Ballon d’Or. Anton Hotz, Innsbruck ( Austria)

“Defenders are far too W rarely acknowledged.”

I think these votes far too rarely give due credit to defenders. Yet again, this year’s long list only included one defender. Philipp Lahm deserves to win it in my opinion – and I’m not even a Bayern fan.

Siegfried L., Cologne (Germany)

Reaction to last week’s Presidential Note Perikles Monioudis Last week’s Presidential Note column from FIFA President Sepp Blatter (“Stop the amateur dramatics”) sparked a wave of response from across the globe.

In the USA, NBC Sports agreed with Sepp Blatter’s assertion that divers and play-actors should be punished: “It’s time for a change, and a time penalty for divers could be the right way to go.”

On 3 January, the day that The FIFA Weekly No. 11 was published, German tabloid newspaper Bild launched an online poll of its readers in which 77 per cent of the 19,437 respondents believed that persistent divers should be handed a time penalty in future.

In London, the Daily Telegraph wrote: “Blatter’s intervention against diving will be welcomed by many fans, managers and players. It also amounts to a clear sign that referees will be urged to take strong action (…) at this summer’s World Cup. The issue of simulation remains among the most controversial issues in English football and there have already been 13 bookings this season for that offence.”

Blatter also received acclaim from the coaching fraternity, with Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini, Everton boss Roberto Martinez and Chelsea’s Jose Mourinho all welcoming the FIFA President’s proposals. Å

Adeus Eusebio

ho is the best player of 2013? And who is the greatest player in history? There’s a heated debate about both questions and no matter what you come up with you’ll never satisfy everyone. An answer to the first question will be revealed this Monday at Zurich Kongresshaus when the FIFA Ballon d’Or will be presented to Messi, Ribery or Ronaldo (listed here in alphabetical order!).

However, even as we recognise the best player at the present time another man will be just as much in our thoughts. We have just had to say farewell to one of the outstanding players of the last century: Eusebio da Silva Ferreira, known to everyone as Eusebio. The Mozambique-born Portuguese striker was one of the leading personalities of the 1960s, a figurehead for European Cup winners Benfica and top scorer at the 1966 World Cup. He is inextricably linked with an era in which the paths of some of the true legends of our sport crossed: Pele, Alfredo Di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas and Eusebio.

Just like di Stefano and Puskas, Eusebio was never a world champion. But he raised the footballing bar with his brilliant technique, utter determination and ruthless finishing.

One of the many awards won by the Black Panther was the Ballon d’Or in 1965. The specific example of Eusebio underlines the importance of individual awards even in a team sport. We need a mechanism to recognise individuals independently of any team performance. Eusebio was the dominant player at the 1966 World Cup. But Portugal fell to England in the semi-finals.

This in no way diminishes the Portuguese star’s outstanding performance. Our tribute to Eusebio will be worthy of a world champion, as a player and a person.

Best wishes, Sepp Blatter T H E F I FA W E E K LY

19

With Visa you are always welcome in the country of football.

© 2013 Visa. All Rights Reserved. © 2013 Getty Images.

C O U N T D O W N T O B R A Z I L 2 0 14 : 2 2 W E E K S T O G O

→ http://www.fifa.com/worldcup

Football’s next adventure

Opera in the jungle: The Teatro Amazonas is a reminder of Manaus’s importance during the rubber boom.

Since being unveiled as a 2014 World Cup venue, the city of Manaus has caused teams and fans to sweat nervously before they even arrive, but the Amazon’s largest city has much to offer.

Thomas Renggli

Frank Tophoven/laif

S

ince the World Cup draw was made, England have been sweating in anticipation, USA national coach Jurgen Klinsmann has described the location as “the worst of worst-case scenarios”, and his Swiss counterpart Ottmar Hitzfeld jokingly considered holding his team’s preparation camp in a sauna. This array of alarmed and dramatic responses was prompted by the prospect of playing in just one of this summer’s 12 World Cup host cities – Manaus. “It is the place we would ideally prefer to avoid playing in,” said England coach Roy Hodgson ahead of the draw, swiftly prompting a rebuttal from the local mayor, Arthur Virgillo: “We would also prefer that England doesn’t come.”

The prospect of competing in Manaus is stirring the imagination, spreading anxiety and, for England, at least, appears almost as unwelcome as a penalty shoot-out against Germany.

For European teams, the extreme climate provides a particularly unsettling reminder of why no team from the Old World has yet managed to

lift the World Cup on South American soil. The city’s average climate statistics make for uncomfortable reading: an average temperature of 31.4 degrees Celsius, 83 per cent humidity and 180 days of rain every year. There are two seasons: a rainy season between December and May and a dry season, when the World Cup will be held in temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius.

Surely playing professional sport in such conditions should come with a health warning?

Nevertheless, the apprehension of teams and fans alike at the prospect of travelling to Manaus should be tempered with anticipation.

Never before has there been a World Cup host town as exotic or diverse as this mystical city in the Amazon rainforest. During the rubber boom at the end of the 19th century, Manaus was one of the richest cities in the world, with direct shipping links to Liverpool and New York. The local nobility spared no expense as they wallowed in luxury, even going so far as to ship their clothing to Europe to be washed after deeming the water in the Rio Negro to be too dirty, resulting in surely the longest wash cycle of all time.

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

The city’s opera house, the Teatro Amazonas, was constructed in the city’s heyday and now rises like a monolith out of the otherwise shabby cityscape. Many of the building materials came from Europe: the roof tiles were imported from Germany while the paving stones in the forecourt originated from Portugal.

The final curtain fell on the Teatro Amazonas after the price of rubber collapsed at the start of the 20th century, costing Manaus its status as a trading and economic hub. Despite high humidity and termite infestations that significantly affected building work, the opera house was finally reopened after costly renovations at the end of the 1980s, in part because the venue was used as a location for Werner Herzog’s film Fitzcarraldo.

The upcoming World Cup has prompted additional regeneration around the city. The historic Vivaldo Lima Stadium has undergone a comprehensive facelift and has been reborn as the gleaming new Arena Amazonia. The futuristic 42,000-seater venue offers an impressive contrast to the untouched and romantic surroundings in which it sits and will be another highlight of any visit to Manaus. It has been a long time since world football has provided such an opportunity for adventure. Å

21

MIRROR IMAGE

T

H

E

N

Elephant Island, Antarctica

Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew set out to cover 1800 miles across Antarctica, but their progress was halted after just 85 miles. Ice closed in around their expedition vessel Endurance, trapping 22 men and 69 sled dogs. The men passed the time by playing poker, putting on plays and playing football, and remained stuck for five months, long enough for an entire football season. History does not record whether the players were able to hone their sporting skills in this inhospitable landscape, but they certainly returned home as expert penguin and sea lion hunters.

22

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

Frank Hurley/Courtesy the Ralls Collection

1916

MIRROR IMAGE

N

O

W

1,500 nautical miles south of Hobart, Antarctica

Zhang Jiansong/Xinhua/Dukas

2014 One hundred years later, the ice brought another expedition to a standstill. Chinese icebreaker Snow Dragon, sent to free the trapped Russian research vessel Akademik Shokalskiy, is now itself marooned in the ice. However, the crew are not short of distractions, as the Chinese ship is equipped with facilities such as a gym, cinema, ping-pong tables and supplies that will last until the end of April. Like Shackleton’s men, the sailors are also whiling away the time with football matches. Here, a cautious defensive line means the offside trap poses no threat, nor is a thaw likely to endanger the game any time soon.

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

23

FREE KICK

W E E K LY T O P 11

The longest solo goals

1

90 metres: George Weah 8 September 1996 AC Milan 4–1 Hellas Verona

2

80 metres: Wolfgang Schaefer

“Think while you shoot” Perikles Monioudis

S

hooting is a question of precision. When taking a free kick within shooting range, the aim is to lift the ball over the wall and curl it out of the goalkeeper’s reach in a movement reminiscent of a dragonfly in flight. Today’s state-of-the-art materials make this possible, transforming the ball and boots into marvels of modern technology that no longer have anything to do with leather.

Nevertheless, there were free kick takers in football’s early days who could do miraculous things with the ball, chief among them Pele, whose ball skills remain unrivalled today. In recent years, players such as Ronaldo and Beckham have joined him in the pantheon of dead ball maestros.

Precise, intuitive shooting is by no means limited to those on the pitch. Indeed, few have taken better shots than Martin Munkacsi (1896–1963), who conquered the magazine industry and achieved global renown for his pioneering style of photography, led by the motto: “Think while you shoot”.

Munkacsi’s thinking was not confined to the mechanical considerations of working with a camera, such as winding the film correctly or adjusting the aperture. Instead, the Hungarian was one of the first photographers to appreciate that he could not realistically depict events on the pitch unless he completely immersed himself in those events. He thought about what might happen in front of his lens next, set his focus and only pressed the shutter when the action came into view in his camera. How else would he have been able to capture a goalkeeper at the exact moment he made his save?

Munkacsi was a master of anticipation even before the term was used to herald his success in the footballing world. During a match, he had to predict when the winger would cross the ball in front of goal, and where the striker and defender would rise for the header before the goalkeeper was forced to punch the ball clear. These three players competing for the ball would come together to create a lasting image, and all he had to do was to adjust the aperture and wait for the right moment. Except, that is, for the countless times the winger’s cross went behind for a goal kick or when the players in front of goal didn’t even compete for the ball...

The number of times Munkacsi misread play is irrelevant; after all, he was trying to anticipate the intentions of players who are always trying to score and for whom every missed shot is one too many. But when he got things right, he not only captured football on celluloid but burned its images into our minds, too. An action shot taken by Munkacsi is not easily forgotten.

Forget total football, tiki-taka, or changing your system to suit the match: Munkacsi embodied the principle of “think while you shoot” long before Holland, Barcelona or Arsenal. Sometimes, the arts express more than football, but in an ideal world, football creates a special kind of beauty that is just waiting to be immortalised. Å

19 March 1986 Bayer Uerdingen 7-3 Dynamo Dresden

3

77 metres: Jefferson Farfan 22 October 2011 Leverkusen 0–1 Schalke

4

70 metres: Arjen Robben

29 February 2012 England 2–3 Netherlands 70 metres: Kaka 3 September 2006 Brazil 3-0 Argentina 70 metres: Pele 3 March 1961 Santos 3-1 Fluminense

7

60 metres: Nicola Berti 23 November 1988 Bayern 0-2 Internazionale

8

50 metres: Diego Maradona

11

22 June 1986 Argentina 2-1 England 50 metres: Roberto Baggio 17 September 1989 Napoli 0-1 Fiorentina 50 metres: Lionel Messi 18 April 2007 Barcelona 5-2 Getafe 49 metres: Yassine Chikhaoui 23 September 2007 FC Zurich 1-0 Grasshopper Club

Do you know of a longer solo goal?

Tell us at: feedback-TheWeekly@fifa.org

The weekly column by our staff writers T H E F I FA W E E K LY

25

EUSEBIO

The final lap of honour

L

Jordi Punti

ast Monday, Benfica’s Estadio da Luz was filled with more than 10,000 fans who wished to pay their final respects to the legendary Eusebio. The “Black Panther”, a Portuguese and global footballing legend, died from heart and respiratory failure on Sunday 5 January at the age of 71. On more than one occasion, he had explained that his final wish was to complete a lap of honour around the stadium upon his death, and so, before travelling to the church in Lisbon’s Benfica district, the hearse bearing his coffin completed a lap of the arena where the funeral service was held. The entire route to the church was lined with mourners keen to convey their admiration for “O Rei” (the King).

For much of his life, Eusebio was a figurehead of Portuguese sport, and upon learning of 26

his death, the government immediately announced three days of national mourning.

Tributes quickly flooded in from across the footballing world, with FIFA President Blatter announcing that “football has lost a legend but Eusebio’s place among the greats will never be taken away.” Franz Beckenbauer and Luis Figo were united in declaring him one of the greatest footballers ever, and Pele expressed his sadness at the passing of his “brother Eusebio”.

Jose Mourinho described him as “immortal”, while fellow compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo took to Twitter to announce: “Always eternal Eusebio, rest in peace” and dedicated both of his goals for Real Madrid to the legend that same evening by gesturing to the sky.

An extremely modest man There are two moments at which the very greatest players have the opportunity to attain immortality: when they retire from football and upon their death. Eusebio remained an extremely compassionate, humble man throughT H E F I FA W E E K LY

out his life, enabling him to establish a special relationship with people. For many years he was an icon of Portuguese football. His two European Cup wins with Benfica, being awarded the Ballon d’Or as European Footballer of the Year in 1965 and his dazzling performances at the 1966 World Cup, where he was awarded the Golden Boot, were all a source of pride for a country entrenched in poverty and forced to suffer under a military dictatorship. In 1998, FIFA named him as one of the ten best players of all time.

Eusebio da Silva Ferreira was born in 1942 in Maputo, situated in the former Portuguese colony of Mozambique. His father, who originated from Angola, died of tetanus when Eusebio was just eight years old, after which time he was brought up by his mother. After initially playing for local amateur tribute team Os Brasileiros, the young Eusebio first attracted attention with his exceptional performances at the age of 15, when playing for his neighbourhood club, Sporting Lourenco Marques.

Francisco Leong/AFP

Eusebio’s humility, compassion and class made him a beloved figure to many. This week, tributes poured in from across the globe following the death of Portugal’s greatest footballing son.

EUSEBIO

AFP

Powerful: The “Black Panther” scores the opening goal in the 1963 European Cup final, which Benfica ultimately lost to AC Milan.

Mother knows best Eusebio himself recounted that a talent scout from Juventus became aware of his talent and suggested he move to Italy, but his mother refused. A couple of years later, once he had developed into a lightning-fast player with a powerful build and a strong shot, Brazilian player Jose Carlos Bauer recommended him to FC Sao Paolo. However, when the club showed no interest in signing him, he told his compatriot Bela Guttmann, then coach of Benfica, about Eusebio. After several twists and turns prompted by Sporting Lisbon’s interest in the player, the then 18-year-old finally signed a contract for Benfica. Many years later, it was reported that he travelled to Portugal from Mozambique with a return ticket in his bag, just in case things did not work out, and his mother signed a contract containing clauses such as: “If my son does not adapt, the money will be deposited in the bank in Mozambique and not one penny will be taken from it.” That return ticket was never used. On 23 May 1961, Eusebio

scored a hat-trick on his debut in a friendly against Atletico Clube de Portugal that Benfica ultimately won 4-2. Several weeks later, he made an appearance in Paris against FC Santos, where Pele was then playing. He was brought on in the 70th minute after his team had fallen 5-0 behind and scored three goals in the final 20 minutes of the match.

Dictator holds Eusebio back Eusebio played for Benfica for 15 years, scoring an incredible 317 goals in 301 competitive matches for the club. In the final years of his career, he spent a short time with clubs in Canada, the USA and Mexico. However, his lengthy career was plagued by rumours and failed transfers, partly due to the fact that million-dollar contracts were becoming increasingly prevalent in football at that time.

At the peak of his career in 1964, Inter Milan made a formal offer of more than three million dollars for the striker, which Benfica accepted.

However, Portuguese dictator Antonio de T H E F I FA W E E K LY

Oliveira Salazar put a stop to the transfer, as he did not want to lose Eusebio as a national sporting figurehead. When asked about this situation later in life, the legend simply answered: “My politics extends only to a football.”

Although Eusebio was nicknamed the “Black Panther”, his movements were not particularly reminiscent of a wild cat. Looking at pictures of the legendary number 10’s play and goals, it becomes apparent that his greatest virtue was his power: a quick burst of speed, exceptional ball control and finally, a beautifully placed, powerful shot. His sprints and ability to strike what the Portuguese called his “firecrackers” from any distance gave the opposing team’s defence no time to react. His attacking style was so well known that even today, certain efforts are sometimes referred to as “Eusebio-style shots”.

Eusebio stars at the 1966 World Cup The best footballers usually have careers brimming with success, but just one or two matches 27

EUSEBIO

Sporting elegance: Eusebio helping to promote a sports car manufacturer.

Thoughtful: Eusebio remained humble despite his worldwide renown.

“If Europe had found a rival to Pele in spectacle and efficiency, then it was unquestionably Eusebio.”

Brian Glanville, author of “The Story of the World Cup”

28

powerful. If Europe had found a rival to Pele in spectacle and efficiency, then this was unquestionably he.” Portugal faced the unknown quantity of North Korea in the quarter-final.

The Koreans took a 3-0 lead in the opening 20 minutes against a disorganised Portuguese side who were only able to make an impact on the match thanks to a breathtaking performance from Eusebio, who struck four times to help his team to an eventual 5-3 victory.

Muscles tensed, gaze focused Football is an epic sport whose greatest stories are retold countlessly by fans down the generations. Although there are fewer and fewer people who can recount Eusebio’s performances first-hand, his attacking style and assured shot selection are permanently engrained in the minds of football fans across the globe.

Last Sunday, matches all around the world began with a minute’s silence in honour of the “Black Panther”. Our enduring mental image of Eusebio is that which adorns the statue outside T H E F I FA W E E K LY

the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon: a powerful athlete in full flight, ready to shoot, with muscles tensed and gaze entirely focused on the ball, full of anticipation for the goal that will surely follow. Å

Robert Legos/Presse Sport/freshfocus, Witters

define their legendary status, and Eusebio became a cult figure as a result of two specific occasions. The first of these was the 1962 European Cup final in Amsterdam, when Benfica defeated Real Madrid 5-3, enabling the Lisbon side to defend their title and bringing Real Madrid’s European dominance to an end after the Spanish side had previously lifted the trophy five times in succession. Eusebio scored two goals in the final against an illustrious Madrid side filled with players such as Alfredo Di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas and Francisco Gento.

He was just 20 years old.

Eusebio’s second defining moment came representing his country at the 1966 World Cup in England, when Portugal secured third place after losing 2-1 to the hosts in the semi-final. “O Rei” was named the best player of the tournament and awarded the Golden Boot. In “The Story of the World Cup”, Brian Glanville describes the “Black Panther” as follows: “His face had a pristine innocence and beauty in repose, his movements were graceful yet enormously

THE EXPERT

We need the cream of the crop

Tried and tested tool: The vanishing spray marks the 9.15 m distance of the wall.

The year 2014 will be busy and intense for us referees. The moment of truth is approaching.

We’re all excited about the World Cup in Brazil, now only five months away.

Massimo Busacca

W

e started our preparations for this huge event back in September 2011.

We drew up a long open list of 52 potential trios. We trained hard and conducted analyses just like you would with a football team. Now its decision time: in mid-January we’ll nominate 30 to 33 trios (including referee support) for Brazil 2014. It won’t be an easy list to compile.

We’re very pleased with the standard of many of our referees. But we need the crème de la crème for the World Cup. This always was and remains our target. It’s essential given the dimensions and significance of the event.

In the course of the last three years we’ve worked hard. We have new tools at our disposal, goal-line technology and vanishing spray at free-kicks for example. The experience we gained at the Club World Cup in Morocco was

positive and showed we’re heading in the right direction. But in the end goal-line technology and vanishing spray are just aids. The referee is the one who has to take with the best knowledge and belief the final decision. In any case, the tournament in Morocco concluded an important phase in our preparations for the World Cup. Every potential candidate was in action at one or more FIFA tournaments last year. That has also helped the refereeing teams earn plenty of respect, as proved by the stats. For example, FIFA tournaments in 2013 featured significantly fewer yellow and red cards than in previous editions. In my opinion, that shows there’s a genuine respect between players and towards officials. There’s a discernible uniformity to the refereeing, testimony to the work we’ve put in together. Understanding different football mentalities, tactical approaches and optimum positioning are crucial on the pitch, so T H E F I FA W E E K LY

the referee is in the right place at the right time.

Improvements in this regard are clearly visible.

In tandem with the new refereeing aids, FIFA has introduced an official “Handshake for Peace” prior to matches. I’m very enthusiastic about the new ritual. This act of friendship means football is sending a wonderful and valuable message to the world: referees and players shake each other by the hand as a sign of peace. This is definitely a good approach for the World Cup. I’m looking forward to working with the officials on the shortlist. The final months in the build-up to the World Cup will be very intense.

The officials will attend two “training camps” as we work on fine-tuning prior to the four-week tournament in Brazil. Then we’ll harvest the fruits of our labour. We have to guarantee high-quality refereeing at the World Cup. Å

Massimo Busacca (44) is a former world-class referee. He is currently FIFA’s Head of Refereeing.

29

TALK ING POIN T S

O N

T H E

FA Cup

Pink moustache David Winner is an author and journalist fron London.

He wrote “Brilliant Orange” and “Dennis Bergkamp:

I N S I D E

lost 0-5. When fans complained Allardyce said he was just being “professional”.

Financially outgunned, the tradition-conscious Football Association can do little to stop such indignities, but their decision to impose a new pink ball on all FA Cup games is harder to interpret.

Then again, Sicilian footballers of Palermo have worn pink shirts since 1907. English regional sports newspapers were often printed on pink paper. And just last week Australian cricketer Mitchell Johnson dyed his moustache pink, then bowled at pink stumps in a Test Match. Symbolic meanings, it seems, are shifting all the time. Å

Stillness and Speed”.

With its new pink balls and below-par top teams, this year’s FA Cup has an unfamiliar feel. First contested in 1872, the lore-encrusted Cup is the game’s original trophy: all football tournaments derive from it. In its heyday the FA Cup Final was simply “The Cup Final” because it had no rivals. At old Wembley, in the presence of the King or Queen, white hankies fluttered, the great crowd sang ’Abide With Me’ and the majesty of football itself would be affirmed.

The competition starts with non-league teams in late summer and is traditionally most romantic at its Third Round stage in early January, when the big teams join and there’s a chance of “giant-killing”. These days, however, the giants are easier to beat. Fans still love the cup. Clubs and managers pay lip service to its ancient beauty. And there were still plenty of good games. But for the top teams the more difficult – and more lucrative – Premier League and Champions League are more important.

Nike insist the Incyte is “mango colored” with blue bits and that the ball’s “exclusive colorway enhances visibility and incorporates graphics to generate maximum visual contrast in-flight”. On TV and from the stands, though, it looks pink. And traditionalists are not happy.

English football was created to promote a deeply Victorian idea of “manliness” that was chivalrous, martial and – above all – chaste.

Yet pink is traditionally associated with femininity and gayness. Jayne Mansfield reckoned “a woman should be pink and cuddly for a man.” The pink triangle of Nazi concentration camp is now a defiant symbol of gay pride.

England’s biggest clubs still want to do well in the old Cup, of course. They’d just prefer not to risk tiring or injuring their stars too much to do it. That’s why, for this year’s Third Round, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United all rested some of their best players.

Last week Paul Lambert, manager of Aston Villa, suggested the Cup was a distraction from the more important business of trying to survive in the Premier League. At a halffull Villa Park, his team promptly lost their Cup match 1-2 to third-tier Sheffield United.

With his injury-ravaged, relegation-threatened team due to play a League Cup semi­-final three days later, West Ham United’s Sam Allardyce fielded a virtual youth side in the FA Cup at second-tier Nottingham Forest and 30

Fighting for the pink ball as Barnsley fall 2-1 to Coventry in the FA Cup third round.

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

Nigel Roddis/Getty Images

Liverpool beat Oldham Athletic comfortably enough. But City, who lost last year’s final to relegated Wigan Athletic, were held by second-tier Blackburn Rovers, and United embarrassingly lost 2-1 at home to Swansea.

TALK ING POIN T S

Serie A

Juve go it alone Luigi Garlando is a journalist at “Gazzetta dello Sport” and the author of various childrens’ books.

Serie A is now in danger of resembling one of those thrillers in which we all know who wins in the end: Juventus. The Italian champions returned to action following the winter break with a resounding 3-0 victory over second-placed Roma, who were undefeated in their first 17 matches. I Bianco­ neri now have a commanding eight-point lead and are charging towards a third straight league crown, a feat which they last achieved during the 1930s.

After a shaky start to the campaign, Juventus have moved up a gear with help from Carlos Tevez, who has injected the attacking guile they previously missed. Defensively Juve are more solid too, with only one goal conceded in their last ten games, all of which they won.

Right now La Vecchia Signora is simply unstoppable and going it alone.

Roma, whose season is stuttering following a rip-roaring start, ended the big game in Turin with nine men following the expulsions of Daniele de Rossi and Leandro Castan.

The big question now is whether Rudi Garcia’s team can bounce back from their first defeat and restore faith among their fans, whose mood is rapidly changing from elation to desperation.

Napoli now trail Roma by only two points following their win over Sampdoria. Gonzalo Higuain has been inspirational for the Neapolitans, while the attack-minded approach of Rafa Benitez – who has revolutionized the team’s habits – is yielding excellent results.

Inter Milan lost away to Lazio thanks to a sublime volley from Miroslav Klose, which also gave Edy Reja his first win since being newly reappointed as Biancazzurri coach.

The club’s wrangle with Reja’s predecessor Vladimir Petkovic, who was sacked and is due to take charge of Switzerland, looks set to continue in court.

Meanwhile it was smiles all round for Inter’s cross-city rivals AC Milan, who celebrated Ricardo Kaka reaching a century of Rossoneri goals with his 100th and 101st strikes for the

Joy unconfined: Paul Pogba celebrates as Juve end Roma’s 17-match unbeaten run.

“Luca Toni is a candidate for a place in the World Cup squad.”

for Rossi’s return, but in the meantime is looking at other candidates to partner Mario Balotelli up front in Brazil. One likely option is 36-year-old Luca Toni, a world champion at Germany 2006, whose nine goals have propelled newly promoted dark horses Verona to fifth place in Serie A. Not since the historic title-winning season of 1984-85 has the city of Romeo and Juliet been gripped by such excitement, as it prepares to welcome fellow high-fliers Napoli in a NorthSouth clash that promises to be the hottest match on the card when the first half of the season closes this weekend. Å

club, while securing a first victory in four games, 3-0 at home to Atalanta.

The saddest news of this 18th matchday was another serious knee injury to the division’s top scorer, Fiorentina striker Giuseppe Rossi, who underwent three operations between 2011 and 2013.

Rossi’s comeback was the most surprising highlight in the first half of the season, producing 14 goals in 18 league games and a call-up to the national side. But there may be no happy ending to the fairy tale, as the American-born striker now risks missing out on this summer’s World Cup. Azzurri coach Cesare Prandelli has already promised to wait T H E F I FA W E E K LY

31

emirates.com

Tomorrow brings us all closer To new people, new ideas and new states of mind.

Here’s to reaching all the places we’ve never been.

Fly Emirates to 6 continents.

FIFA WORLD R ANKING Rank Team

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 39 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 54 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 65 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77

Change in ranking Points

Spain Germany Argentina Colombia Portugal Uruguay Italy Switzerland Netherlands Brazil

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

1507 1318 1251 1200 1172 1132 1120 1113 1106 1102

Belgium Greece England USA Chile Croatia Côte d'Ivoire Ukraine Bosnia and Herzegovina France Mexico Russia Ecuador Ghana Denmark Algeria Sweden Czech Republic Slovenia Serbia Costa Rica Romania Iran Scotland Armenia Venezuela Nigeria Panama Cape Verde Islands Peru Egypt Honduras Turkey Hungary Mali Austria Japan Tunisia Iceland Cameroon Paraguay Montenegro Burkina Faso Korea Republic Norway Wales Albania Australia Libya Slovakia Guinea South Africa Israel Finland Senegal Jordan Republic of Ireland Uzbekistan Zambia Bolivia United Arab Emirates Togo Morocco Bulgaria Sierra Leone Poland Gabon

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 -1 -1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 0 0 -3 -1 0 0 -3 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 5 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 5 -1 -1 0 0 5 0 0 3 -1 0 5 2 2 -1 2 3

1098 1055 1041 1019 1014 971 918 907 899 893 892 870 852 849 831 800 793 766 762 752 741 734 720 717 716 711 710 705 698 698 695 690 677 668 664 648 638 632 624 615 600 594 591 577 577 574 571 565 558 557 555 554 548 539 536 536 528 526 523 519 507 504 490 486 471 461 453

Ranking Jul 2013

Aug 2013

Sep 2013

Oct 2013

Nov 2013

Dec 2013

1 -41 -83 -125 -167 -209 Top spot

78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 90 92 93 94 94 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 110 112 113 114 115 116 116 118 119 120 121 121 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 133 135 136 137 138 138 140 140 142 143 144

Biggest climber

Trinidad and Tobago Haiti Jamaica Belarus Congo DR FYR Macedonia Congo Oman Uganda Saudi Arabia Angola Northern Ireland New Zealand El Salvador China PR Ethiopia Azerbaijan Estonia Moldova Botswana Liberia Benin Cuba Georgia Lithuania Qatar Niger Kuwait Central African Republic Zimbabwe Equatorial Guinea Kenya Iraq Bahrain Canada Guatemala Tajikistan Dominican Republic Malawi Latvia Mozambique Sudan Tanzania New Caledonia Lebanon Luxembourg Burundi Namibia Cyprus Philippines Kazakhstan Syria Myanmar Gambia Malta Rwanda Suriname Turkmenistan Grenada Palestine Lesotho Korea DPR Afghanistan Hong Kong Mauritania Tahiti Vietnam

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

Biggest faller

1 -6 1 1 1 1 0 2 0 12 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 2 1 1 7 1 -53 0 0 0 0 1 0 -1 3 8 -1 8 2 2 2 -27 5 3 2 11 4 1 2 1 -12 1 1 6 4 6 10 3 4 -6 6 2 -6 5 0 -25 -11 4 2 -2 14

441 440 439 431 427 425 421 408 402 391 384 381 378 378 376 374 363 363 359 357 354 342 334 330 326 325 318 315 310 299 294 293 292 292 291 287 286 282 272 272 264 259 256 249 249 243 239 237 229 219 216 207 204 202 198 197 197 195 194 192 187 187 184 184 180 179 167

145 146 147 147 149 150 150 152 153 154 154 154 154 158 159 160 161 161 163 164 164 166 167 167 169 170 170 172 172 172 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 187 189 190 190 190 193 194 194 196 196 198 198 200 201 201 203 204 205 206 207 207 207

Antigua and Barbuda Thailand St Lucia Kyrgyzstan St Kitts and Nevis Guyana Singapore Laos St Vincent and the Grenadines Liechtenstein Puerto Rico Malaysia India São Tomé e Príncipe Belize Nicaragua Guam Indonesia Maldives Chad Bangladesh Barbados Chinese Taipei Dominica Sri Lanka Aruba Faroe Islands Solomon Islands Nepal Pakistan Bermuda Seychelles Mauritius Curaçao Yemen Vanuatu Mongolia Fiji Samoa Guinea-Bissau Bahamas Swaziland Madagascar Montserrat Cambodia Brunei Darussalam Timor-Leste Tonga US Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Papua New Guinea British Virgin Islands American Samoa Comoros Andorra Eritrea South Sudan Macau Somalia Djibouti Cook Islands Anguilla Bhutan San Marino Turks and Caicos Islands

-36 -4 14 -1 -2 0 4 11 -2 -2 -2 4 -6 -3 -2 0 8 1 -14 0 -8 2 7 8 -3 3 0 -1 -7 -5 -3 24 1 -3 -2 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 0 0 0 0 -5 0 -1 0 0 1 -1 0 0 0 0 0

164 162 155 155 150 149 149 144 142 141 141 141 141 139 136 130 123 123 120 116 116 101 95 95 90 87 87 86 86 86 83 67 66 65 54 53 49 47 45 42 40 37 33 33 28 26 26 26 23 21 21 18 18 17 17 11 10 10 8 6 5 3 0 0 0

33

First Love

Place: K ir tipu r, Nepa l Date: 12 August 2013 Time: 12.05 pm

Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

35 35

NET ZER KNOWS!

THE OBJEC T

Who was the best player of 2013?

And why?

Question from Tim Smith, Brisbane (Australia)

Perikles Monioudis

A star in front of the camera: Netzer during the 1970 World Cup in Mexico.

T

he winner of the Ballon d’Or is often easy to predict before the vote even takes place, making the official announcement at the award ceremony more perfunctory than thrilling for fans and other onlookers. A year ago, it was clear that Lionel Messi would be crowned World Footballer of the Year because he was playing the best football in the world by some distance, but the competition was much closer in 2013. Although there is no question that the Argentinian had another strong year, a series of injuries took its toll, and as Messi languished on the sidelines, several of his contemporaries performed consistently well – none more so than Cristiano Ronaldo and Franck Ribery.

Although Ronaldo and Ribery are both incredible footballers and exceptional individuals who can both lead a team to victory, it is the latter who deserves to be voted 2013’s World Player of the Year. The Frenchman has made mental rather than physical adjustments to significantly improve his game recently, despite already being a world-class player over the last few years. In his seventh year with Bayern Mu36

nich, the 30-year-old finally began to assume responsibility within the team and appears well suited to this new role, playing the football of his life with initiative and incredible consistency. Bayern won five titles last year, and Ribery played a major part in that success.

It remains to be seen at this summer’s World Cup in Brazil whether the winger can make a similar impact for his country. The French national team has been in crisis for several years and would certainly benefit from a boost. If anyone can provide it, Ribery can. Å

What have you always wanted to know about football? Ask Gunter Netzer: feedbackTheWeekly@fifa.org T H E F I FA W E E K LY

The winners of the Panhellenic Games in ancient Greece were rewarded handsomely. The winning athletes were crowned with a wreath, held triumphantly aloft by Nike, the winged goddess of victory. They would be given a wild olive leaf crown at Olympia, a laurel crown at Delphi, a pine crown at Corinth and a wild celery crown at Nemea. Victorious competitors also often received a taenia, a red woollen ribbon to be wrapped around their head, and a palm frond to hold in their hand.

Victorious athletes took on important political roles in their home towns, the glory of their triumph thus reflecting glory onto the entire town – which gave him a hero’s welcome on his return. He also had the right to have a statue of himself constructed. Poets wrote of his accomplishments. Coins were made with his effigy on them. The amphorae filled with olive oil occasionally bestowed upon the winner were almost as costly as their contents. Other treasures such as bronze tripods, bronze shields and silver cups were also very valuable.

Which brings us to the topic at hand. The silver cup pictured above from the FIFA collection comes from 19th century England, the year 1870 to be precise.

A carving of a footballer adourns the front of the cup, which is supported by three legs seemingly shaped like corner flags. Seemingly, because that would mean one flag is missing.

Even back in 1870, football pitches were not triangle-shaped – and they probably never have been.

The glory of the cup still shines on those who hold it aloft. But Nike is no longer there to greet them. Å

TURNING POINT

“The night I fell in love with English football” In 1969, Gerard Houllier spent a year as a student teacher in Liverpool at a time when all his peers were heading to London. The experience changed the course of his life.

PhotoPQR/Voix du nord/Max Rosereau

T

he Beatles were long gone, because they’d become famous and left the city to tour the world. In any case, the place to be was London. As a student teacher, you might have decided to take a year abroad in the south of England. But I wanted to go to Liverpool. I was fascinated by the city because of the football.

I arrived in August 1969. One morning I was standing there in front of my class at school and immediately had to take sides: Everton or Liverpool? The boys and girls, all drawn from less privileged backgrounds, wanted me to pin my colours to the mast. My decision was instinctive, and there was no way back: from now on I was a Liverpool fan. Three weeks later, my football-mad friend Patrice Bergues visited from France and we went to Anfield.

Let me say this upfront: any fan who turned up hoping for 90 exciting minutes in a European Cup meeting with [nine-time Irish champions] Dundalk was going to be disappointed. Liverpool won 10-0, the club’s record victory at the time. The Reds were 5–0 up at half-time. But the fact it wasn’t a cliff-hanger didn’t matter. Liverpool and their stars Evans, Lawler and Smith put on a show, a gala display, a performance bristling with passion and desire, the like of which I’d never seen before. Even when they were 8–0 up in the closing stages those Englishmen threw all their energy into attack and scored twice more. It was pure physical commitment. On the evening of 16 September 1969 I fell in love with English football.

I taught French, played for the Alsop High School team and whenever I had time I went to watch the mighty Liverpool at Anfield. Going

Name: Gerard Houllier Date and place of birth: 3 September 1947, Therouanne, France Clubs played for: Liverpool Alsop, Hucqueliers, AC Le Touquet Clubs coached: AC Le Touquet, US Noeux les Mines, RC Lens, Paris Saint-Germain, France, Liverpool, Olympique Lyon, Aston Villa, Red Bull (Head of Global Football) Major honours: 3 French Championships, UEFA Cup, FA Cup

home after my year abroad in 1970 wasn’t easy.

And whoever would have thought I’d be back in exactly the same place almost 30 years later?

I took the call from Peter Robinson after the 1998 World Cup. I’d had successful spells as head coach with Paris Saint-Germain and the France U-18s. Robinson, Liverpool General Secretary at the time, offered me the chance to develop the club in line with his vision. What a great honour. There’d never been a foreign coach at Anfield before. Even though I had an interesting opportunity in France at the time, I didn’t hesitate for a second before signing up with Liverpool. Life really comes up with amazing stories sometimes: my old friend Patrice Bergues was on the flight to northern England with me. The club took him on as my assistant. I’ll never, ever forget our years T H E F I FA W E E K LY

together in Liverpool where we won the UEFA Cup and the FA Cup. And we’re still talking about that 10–0 victory today.

As told to Alan Schweingruber

In Turning Point, personalities reflect on a decisive moment in their lives.

37

FIFA QUIZ CUP

The FIFA Weekly Published weekly by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)

This week’s quiz features seven trophies for one player and eight teams for one trophy - test your knowledge!

Internet: www.FIFA.com/TheWeekly Publisher: FIFA, FIFA-Strasse 20, PO box, CH-8044 Zurich Tel. : +41-(0)43-222 7777 Fax : +41-(0)43-222 7878

1

Eight teams were still in contention for the trophy at the time of this World Cup opening ceremony. At which World Cup?

President: Joseph S. Blatter Secretary General: Jérôme Valcke Director of Communications and Public Affairs: Walter De Gregorio Chief editor: Thomas Renggli

C

D

A 2 : 1 O 3 : 1

Staff writers: Perikles Monioudis (Deputy Editor), Alan Schweingruber, Sarah Steiner

3

E 2.5 : 1 U 3.33 : 1

Which player is a defending champion in a total of seven competitions with his club and national team?

Picture editor: Peggy Knotz

P

Production: Hans-Peter Frei (head of section), Richie Kronert, Marianne Bolliger-Crittin, Mirijam Ziegler, Peter Utz Proof reader: Nena Morf

R

The goal is wider than its height by a ratio of…

2

Art director: Markus Nowak

Contributors: Jordi Punti, Barcelona; David Winner, London; Hanspeter Kuenzler, London; Roland Zorn, Frankfurt/M.; Sven Goldmann, Berlin; Sergio Xavier Filho, Sao Paulo; Luigi Garlando, Milan

P

C

L

R

A legendary goalscorer at Wembley, but against whom?

4

Contributors to this issue: Honey Thaljieh, Giovanni Marti

E England Y Real Madrid

Editorial assistant: Loraine Mcdouall

A AC Milan P North Korea

Translation: Sportstranslations.com Project management: Bernd Fisa, Christian Schaub The answer to last week’s Quiz Cup was POST (detailed answers on FIFA.com/theweekly).

Printer: Zofinger Tagblatt AG www.ztonline.ch Contact: feedback-TheWeekly@fifa.org Reproduction of photos or articles in whole or in part is only permitted with prior editorial approval and if attributed “© The FIFA Weekly, 2014”.

The editor and staff are not obliged to publish unsolicited manuscripts and photos. The FIFA logo is a registered trademark. Made and printed in Switzerland.

The winner of the tickets to the FIFA Ballon d’Or is: Cordoba Burbano Nereida del Carmen, Mérida (Venezuela) Inspiration and implementation: cus

Please send your answers by email to feedback-TheWeekly@fifa.org by 15 January 2014. Correct submissions for all quizzes received by 11 June 2014 will go into a draw to win two tickets to the FIFA World Cup Final on 13 July 2014.

Before sending in your answers, all participants must read and accept the competition terms and conditions and the rules, which can be found at en.fifa.com/aboutfifa/organisation/the-fifa-weekly/rules.pdf T H E F I FA W E E K LY

39

ASK FIFA!

T HIS WEEK’S POLL

Do you agree with Sepp Blatter? Should simulation and feigning injury incur a time penalty?

Which player has won the most awards? Steg Limpar, Aarhus Answered by Thomas Renggli, chief editor: Franz Beckenbauer is out on his own in this respect. Depending on your definition of an award, the Kaiser has amassed between 51 and 70 individual honours ranging from the sublime to the faintly comical.

In addition to the FIFA Order of Merit, the Ballon d’Or and the Commanders' Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, his collection includes the Prix Champagne de la Joie de Vivre (Joy of Living Prize), an honorary doctorate from the Bulgarian National Sports Academy, the Order of the Carnival Prince of Dusseldorf and the Bravo Otto.

He was also named Commander-­inChief of the Togolese army.

Let us know your views at: feedback-TheWeekly@fifa.org

Who will be Coach of the Year 2013?

52%

players (picture: Xavi) have been voted into the FIFPro World XI since the professional foot­ ballers’ representative organisation first named a team of the year in 2005. Real Madrid and AC Milan lie second and third in the unofficial club rankings with 21 and ten nominees respectively. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have each made the team

10

THE PERENNIAL

The FIFA Weekly appears every week on Friday as a print edition and an online magazine (www.Fifa.com/TheWeekly).

We report on the biggest stars and the hottest topics, but we also focus on a dialogue with our readers.

Join the debate at feedback-theWeekly@fifa.org

THE COMEBACK

2

Barcelona were without the injured Lionel Messi for two months. The four-time World Player of the Year resumed training last week. His return to the practice ground attracted the kind of attention normally associated with a major final.

Brazil superstar Marta has made the shortlist for

Messi scored three goals and

the Women’s World Player of the Year award ten

provided one assist during

times, winning on five occasions. She is followed

this workout, watched by a

by retired Germany great Birgit Prinz on eight nominations and three wins.

40

THE NEW FOOTBALL MAGA ZINE

 J UPP HEYNCKES

 A LEX FERGUSON

 JURGEN KLOPP

A total of 32 Barcelona

six times.

15%

33%

THE WORLD XI

32

52+33+15

L A S T W E E K’S P O L L R E S U LT S:

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

crowd of 13,000.