The FIFA Weekly Issue #4

ISSUE 4/2015, 30 JANUARY 2015

ENGLISH EDITION

Fédération Internationale de Football Association – Since 1904

SEPP BLATTER AUSTRALIA WOULD DESERVE THE WORLD CUP

JAMES RODRIGUEZ MADRID WAS THE RIGHT DECISION

ISRAEL GOALS GUARANTEED WITH ERAN ZAHAVI W W W.FIFA.COM/ THEWEEKLY

THIS WEEK IN THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL

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Ebola At the start no-one could have foreseen the dimensions of the outbreak in West Africa.

A year later and faced with a full-scale epidemic, we are all in some sense affected

by Ebola. We look at how football can help, and at FIFA’s efforts to stop the virus spreading.

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S epp Blatter “It would be more than deserved if Australia were to stage the World Cup at some point,” the FIFA President says in his column.

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he irreplaceable coach T No-one has introduced more kids to organised football than 75-year-old Traute Wohlers. We pay her a visit in Hamburg.

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ootball with a stone belt F It is 20 centimetres thick and weighs 40 kilos: Roland Duker explains what an old Mexican belt in London has to do with football.

Together, we can beat Ebola Our cover illustration was created

by Bianca Litscher from Switzerland.

The dominant motif is the image of Brazilian icon Neymar, a supporter of the “11 against Ebola” campaign.

North and Central America 35 members www.concacaf.com

South America 10 members www.conmebol.com

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France Olympique Lyon are back at the top, thanks in no small part to striker Alexandre Lacazette.

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James Rodriguez “I’m happy in Madrid.

It couldn’t be better.”

The FIFA Weekly Magazine App The FIFA Weekly Magazine is available in four languages and also on your tablet every Friday. http://www.fifa.com/mobile

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freshfocus, Getty Images (2), Panos

Bianca Litscher

THIS WEEK IN THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL

Europe 54 members www.uefa.com

Africa 54 members www.cafonline.com

Asia 46 members www.the-afc.com

Oceania 11 members www.oceaniafootball.com

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Australia The Socceroos and their shooting star Massimo Luongo are targeting an Asian Cup triumph.

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Isha Johansen We talk to the Sierra Leone Football Association president about football and Ebola.

CAF Africa Cup of Nations · 17 January to 8 February 2015 S TANDINGS AF TER THE GROUP S TAGE

KNOCKOUT S TAGE

7 5 3 1

pts. pts. pts. pt.

Group C 1. Ghana 2. Algeria 3. Senegal 4. South Africa

6 6 4 1

pts. pts. pts. pt.

Group B 1. Tunisia 5 2. Congo DR 3 3. Cape Verde Islands 3 4. Zambia 2

pts. pts. pts. pts.

Group D 1. Côte d’Ivoire 2. Guinea* 3. Mali* 4. Cameroon

5 3 3 2

pts. pts. pts. pts.

Group A 1. Congo 2. Equatorial Guinea 3. Gabon 4. Burkina Faso

* A fter Guinea and Mali finished the group stage level on both points and goals, lots were drawn on Thursday with Guinea progressing to the quarter-finals as a result.

Quarter-finals Match 25 Match 26 Match 27 Match 28

· 31 January / 1 February Kongo Kongo DR Tunesien Äquatorial-Guinea Ghana Guinea Côte d’Ivoire Algerien

Semi-finals · 4 -5 February Match 29 Winner of Match 25 Match 30 Winner of Match 27

Winner of Match 28 Winner of Match 26

3rd/4th Place Play-off · 7 February Match 31 Loser of Match 29

Loser of Match 30

Finale · 8. Februar Match 32 Winner of Match 29

Winner of Match 30

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UNCOVERED

One Goal FIFA’s campaign aims to raise awareness in West Africa.

Working for good

W

hat can football achieve when faced with an epidemic? For starters, it can use the popularity of its global stars to send out a positive message about the proper course of action to those in the affected areas. From page six onwards, we report on the fight against the Ebola virus in West Africa and what FIFA is doing to help.

J

ames Rodriguez’s exceptional performances at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil earned him a contract with Real Madrid, while he was honoured with the Puskas Award for his stunning strike against Uruguay. In an interview ­beginning on page 16, the Colombian reflects: “It will be difficult to match that goal, coming as it did in the Maracana and at a World Cup, but I’ll keep on trying!”

I

n his weekly column on page 19, FIFA President Sepp Blatter notes that Australia – the hosts and finalists of the AFC Asian Cup 2015 now nearing its conclusion – is the only continent never to have hosted the sport’s biggest tournament. “It would be more than deserved if Australia were to stage the World Cup at some point.” Å

AFP

Perikles Monioudis

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EBOLA

THE FIGHT AGAINST EBOLA The Ebola virus has posed considerable challenges to football, over a year after the epidemic broke out in West Africa.

J

ust over a year has passed since the Ebola epidemic broke out in West Africa. In December 2013, an 18-monthold boy from a small Guinean village died of a viral hemorrhagic fever. He is thought to have been infected by a fruit bat. It wasn’t long before other members of the boy’s family, neighbours from his village and patients from the hospital where he had been treated fell victim to the virus as it began to spread its deadly tentacles.

The Ebola disease, which is transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids, was first detected in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1976. The incubation period for the virus is between two and 21 days after exposure, and symptoms include fever, shivering, headaches, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, as well as internal and external bleeding. Multiple organ failure is often the ultimate cause of death.

The current epidemic is the most widespread outbreak of the disease ever recorded. In total, 21,689 cases have been detected, 8,626 of which have resulted in death (WHO, 18.01.2015). There is currently no cure - only the symptoms themselves can be treated. Due to the highly contagious nature of the Ebola virus, taking hygienic precautions is of utmost importance. Sev6

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eral educational measures have also been implemented in an attempt to slow the epidemic and, ultimately, bring it to an end.

Ebola will only be conquered if people learn how to protect themselves from infection.

The virus has even had an impact on football in West Africa. National championships had to be brought to a halt, qualification for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations was an organisational nightmare and the tournament itself was in considerable doubt until Equatorial Guinea stepped in to replace Morocco as hosts. FIFA has also been helping to raise awareness, launching the '11 against Ebola' campaign in order to educate people about the disease and how to prevent it from spreading.

Last week, Mali’s health minister declared that the country was free from the Ebola virus after 42 days without a new case. Even in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea - the three countries that have been worst affected by the illness - the number of cases have started to fall. Many schools and universities have been reopened in Guinea, with Liberia hoping to follow suit in the near future. At long last, there seems to be a faint glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. Å

Bianca Litscher, www.sukibamboo.com

Text by Prof Jiri Dvorak, MD and Sarah Steiner Illustration by Bianca Litscher

EBOLA

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EBOLA

“The message spread across the whole of Africa.”

Isha Johansen, president of the Sierra Leone Football Association, spoke about the current situation in her homeland and why football is crucial in combating the Ebola epidemic.

You first raised the subject of Ebola with FIFA in April 2014. Was there already an outbreak of the disease in Sierra Leone at that time?

We all reacted too slowly and failed to recognise the severity of the situation. What lessons can we take from this for the future?

Isha Johansen: I was at FIFA because I had a meeting in Zurich.

When President Sepp Blatter heard that I was in the building he wanted to speak with me - not specifically about Ebola; it was just a normal chat. At the time there were some cases of Ebola in Sierra Leone but it certainly wasn’t an alarming number. The outbreak hadn’t happened at that stage.

In future we need to act instinctively and immediately in situ. We can’t continue to believe in assumptions, which is precisely what we did. We repudiated Ebola. I don’t know exactly why or when we got things wrong but one thing is certain: we got things terribly wrong. As I mentioned earlier, I wanted to prevent our boys from going to Guinea in February last year, but we didn’t want to turn it into a political issue, so we went there. If I’d had political power back then, I wouldn’t have allowed the team to go. However, they did go and in the end nothing happened. It wasn’t until a few months later that it spread to Sierra Leone, but it arrived from Liberia not Guinea.

When did the outbreak occur?

In June. The first round of the Sierra Leonean Premier League had finished and we needed to decide what to do. We had to cancel the league fixtures - we didn’t have a choice. Once the government declared a state of emergency there was no point in continuing.

Why exactly were the fixtures called off?

When the epidemic started spreading right in front of our eyes people didn’t understand what was going on. They didn’t know anything about the illness. How can you catch it? What are the symptoms? What should we do? There was a tangible sense of uncertainty.

The only thing that was clear was that there was an epidemic and that anyone could catch the disease. A football match involves large crowds of people, physical contact, heat and sweat - and it is in exactly those conditions that Ebola spreads and the virus thrives. We had to call off the games. Allowing teams and their fans from poorer regions of the country into the capital city would have been akin to a suicide mission.

So you took the courageous decision to suspend play in the league?

Yes, as association president I had to make the decision. And to be honest, perhaps I should have made it sooner. I first brought the subject up in February 2014 when we were planning to send our players to the U-20 World Cup qualifiers in Guinea in April. I’d read about an Ebola incident in Guinea in the Norwegian media: 59 people had died in the south-east region of the country. I thought about it and raised the alarm, but evidently nobody was listening.

Are you referring to the infected Sierra Leonean players?

Unfortunately yes. Two of our players died, as did an official and the wife of one of our coaches. Ebola has arrived in football and as the country’s football association we’re doing what we can. As a matter of course, as soon as somebody dies [of the disease], their entire family is put in quarantine for 21 days. That’s difficult for everyone.

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“We had to cancel the league fixtures we didn’t have a choice.”

For me the lessons are clear: political considerations cannot stand in the way of medical information; they must systematically allow for relevant measures to be taken. National associations’ doctors should or even must inform FIFA’s medical staff directly. What measures has Sierra Leone taken?

At the moment there is a travel ban across the entire country. The government has declared a state of emergency, schools are closed and shops shut at 6 o’clock in the evening. There is a ban on public gatherings of more than ten people, which means no football matches, no cinema visits and no social life.

What is the situation like in Sierra Leone now?

I don’t want to speculate and I especially don’t want to be naive, but things are getting better. We’ve gone through the worst of the epidemic and things are slowly improving. The epidemic did reach the capital city but the situation is fundamentally better. If an illness like that takes root in the capital city and famous people die from it, then it finally gets people’s attention. People became aware of it and said: “Oh my God it’s true!” The number of Ebola patients is declining and there are some rural areas that are free of the disease.

EBOLA

Name Isha Johansen, née Tejan-Cole Place of birth Freetown, Sierra Leone Position President of the Sierra Leone Football Association Other roles

Andrew Esiebo / Panos

CEO of FC Johansen in Freetown

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EBOLA

Mothering instinct Isha Johansen is also involved in youth football in Sierra Leone.

Making a statement The Sierra Leone and DR Congo national teams send out a message prior to their Africa Cup of Nations 2015 qualifying match.

International football stars are supporting world governing body FIFA, African confederation CAF and healthcare experts in a global information campaign promoting simple preventative measures to help combat the spread of Ebola.

“11 against Ebola” is a campaign encompassing 11 simple messages and featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Didier Drogba, Philipp Lahm, Xavi, Gerard Pique, John Obi Mikel, Jerome Boateng, Gareth Bale, Raphael Varane and Pep Guardiola.

To learn more about “11 against Ebola” visit: http://tinyurl.com/lnwmv23 10

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Using the umbrella slogans “Together, we can beat Ebola” and #wecanbeatebola, the world stars convey the 11 messages in a multi-media campaign incorporating animated films, commentaries, banners, posters and images. Å

AFP, Andrew Esiebo / Panos

FIFA IN THE FIGHT AGAINST EBOLA

EBOLA

Lessons to be learnt

A

lmost a year has passed since the initial cases of Ebola were reported in Guinea. During the early stages of the outbreak, little concern was given to the silent spread of the epidemic, as our attention was focused at the time on the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. FIFA was informed by the President of the Sierra Leone Football Association in April 2014. President Blatter immediately took action by offering US$50,000 for the initial assistance. In August/September 2014, FIFA dedicated the Monrovia Football stadium (which was built as part of the Goal project) for use by the emergency medical services.

On 22 September the concept “11 against Ebola” was presented to the FIFA Medical Committee where it was fully supported by the medical doctors and then approved by the FIFA Executive Committee on 24 September 2014.

With the support of the African doctors (Dr James Sekajugo, Uganda, Dr Prince Pambo, Ghana), experts from the World Bank Group and top football stars, the campaign was completed and presented on 17 November 2014.

Count on the power of football It was a great experience to see how well-known football stars, their clubs and managers came together and agreed to support this initiative under the slogan “Together we can beat Ebola”. Each stake-holder, CAF, the member associations, the World Bank and FIFA contributed according to their capabilities by spreading the messages to remote areas in the affected countries.

What we have learnt is that in the event of an emergency, we can count on the power of football in helping to lessen people’s misfortune. What we have also learnt is that we have to act faster, be prepared and click into gear should a similar situation occur.

Moreover, the Ebola situation underlines the fundamental philosophy of the FIFA Medical Assesment and Research Center - prevention. “Football for Health” was developed as a medical legacy of the World Cup 2010, implemented in 19 countries and supported by the FIFA Congress to become a global health initiative. It is nothing less then a programme aiming to prevent communicable and non-communicable diseases. The football platform proved to be successful in disseminating simple educational messages about health among children through the voice of football stars. The school is the entry point, out of which children take the messages to their homes, where they share them with their siblings and parents. When football talks, everybody listens. The experience with Ebola encourages us to do even more, not only to prevent disasters such as those we have experienced in West Africa, but also to contribute to the improvement of public health. (jdv) Å

So more people are surviving it?

That’s the really good news, yes. We do get more cases but the survival rate has increased dramatically.

Is that also partly down to the medical and infrastructural help the international community provided Sierra Leone with?

Absolutely. One of the reasons why Ebola spread so widely is because of African culture. When a family member dies, the body is washed according to traditional customs. As that involves a great deal of physical contact with the deceased, it’s almost inevitable that someone will get infected. The biggest challenge is to raise awareness among the people.

How can FIFA help with that?

In Sierra Leone football is a second religion. People would prefer to go hungry than go without football. It always takes centre stage, whether it be at the market, on the beach, in the villages or in the cities. The “11 against Ebola” campaign was a big help in making people aware of the disease.

In Sierra Leone football is a second religion.

So we did manage to reach the general population?

Yes, the campaign is running on the radio, on television and everywhere you go you hear: “My name is Cristiano Ronaldo and together we can beat Ebola.” Those clips were shown on big screens that were set up especially, but of course we can always do more. For example, using big billboards would mean even more people could be reached. The central message definitely got through though. People know about Ebola and its risks. The power of football was very important in getting that across. When the big stars say “Together we can beat Ebola,” then people listen. The message spread across the whole of Africa. I thank FIFA, their doctors and the football stars for their spontaneous and very effective help. It arrived in November 2014 and, together with other medical measures that were put in place, significantly contributed to containing the epidemic. Today I’m convinced that “Together we can beat Ebola!” Å

Jamie McDonald / FIFA via Getty Images

Isha Johansen was speaking to Prof. Dr. Jiri Dvorak

Together against the virus Cristiano Ronaldo, Isha Johansen, Manuel Neuer, Lionel Messi and Jiri Dvorak (left to right).

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THIS IS THE ONE Introducing

Official Mascot for the FIFA U-20 World Cup New Zealand 2015

@FIFAcom #Wooliam

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TALK ING POIN T S

O N

T H E

France: Ligue 1

Lyo n ’s p r ic e l e s s loca l lad Roland Zorn is a Frankfurt-based football correspondent.

Olympique Lyonnais’ seven years of plenty, when the club wrote its very own chapter of modern Ligue 1 history by winning the title seven seasons in a row, are now seven years a thing of the past. Since then, the champions of yesteryear have recast themselves in a new and different light in a bid to reach their former glories and get back to the top once again. Now, after seven wins on the bounce, the club from east-central France are top of the league table again, and are playing some of the most exciting football the country has seen in recent years. Infused with a youthful exuberance that has seldom been so fervent at the club and boasting talent produced at its renowned academy – eight squad members are homegrown – Lyon are well and truly back on top of French football.

I N S I D E

An insatiable goalscorer, Lacazette is irreplaceable for Lyon because he symbolises the virtues the club are currently exhibiting. His qualities include pace, trickery, physical strength, a powerful and accurate shot and a potent ability to combine with his teammates that has seen him provide five assists already this term. One might even call him a reincarnation of Lyon’s past greats. He is akin to Karim Benzema, so prominent in four of those seven consecutive championships and now a star at Real Madrid, or to

the unrivalled Bernard Lacombe, scorer of 255 goals in 497 games for Les Gones between 1970 and 1987.

Contracted at the Stade de Gerland until 2018, Lyon native Lacazette is merely at the outset of what could become one of the great careers, and he has long been on the radars of teams in England’s Premier League, including Arsenal and Liverpool. For club president Jean-Michel Aulas, however, that matters little. “He’s priceless.” And so he is, at least for now. Å

Jeff Pachoud / AFP

Their nickname of Les Gones – The Kids – has rarely been a more appropriate label than in 2014/15, and it is one local lad in particular that has come to epitomise the new, vibrant Lyon: Alexandre Lacazette. The 23-year-old has scored 21 goals after 22 rounds of matches to lead the goalscoring charts, eight strikes clear of his closest competitor. The centre forward’s form has been one of the key reasons why OL have left the likes of Olympique Marseille and the star-studded cast of Paris St-Germain trailing in their wake, both four points behind in the standings.

Yet it is also as a collective that Hubert Fournier’s charges have succeeded in cultivating the refreshing brand of attacking football that has made them the highest-scoring outfit in the division. That said, one player has clearly emerged as OL’s match-winner, so the satisfaction felt after their most recent success, a 2-0 win against Metz, has been tempered by concerns over the fitness of talisman Lacazette. Shortly after converting the opening goal from the penalty spot, the French international was substituted with a thigh strain that has left him a doubt for upcoming crunch games against Monaco and defending champions Paris Saint-Germain.

Local boy Olympique Lyon's Alexandre Lacazette (left).

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Z a h av i m a k i n g a n a m e fo r h i m s e l f Andreas Jaros is a Vienna-based freelance writer.

As the new year gets into full swing, reigning champions Maccabi Tel Aviv and cup holders Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona continue their head-to-head battle at the top of Israeli football’s 14-team top flight. In their 19th match of the season and with a packed playing schedule ahead, Kiryat Shmona were forced to settle for a 1-1 home draw against stragglers Bnei Sakhnin, despite David Manga giving the hosts a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute.

It was a Sunday afternoon made all the more colourful by the fact that both teams also ended the encounter with ten men, with both offenders being given their marching orders for two yellow-card offences.

Twenty-four hours earlier, record league winners and current titleholders Maccabi Tel

Aviv had also taken the lead in their game but, unlike their rivals, did not let it slip.

Serbia’s Nikola Mitrovic fired in the decisive goal in the 39th minute of their match away to Ashdod.

Mitrovic’s strike was his first of the current campaign, finally enabling him to step into a spotlight that had previously been exclusively occupied by his team-mate Eran Zahavi.

Israeli international Zahavi is without doubt the most exciting player in the league right now. He began 2014 by helping his national side start their EURO 2016 qualifying campaign strongly, having aided his club’s progression into the last 32 of the Europa League for the first time the year before. By the end of last year, the 27-year-old had scored in 17 consecutive league matches, just four fewer than a certain Lionel Messi managed in his record-breaking 2012/13 season. Zahavi’s tally included all manner of goals, from spectacular overhead kicks to coolly converted penalties.

When he finally came away empty-handed from his team’s 2-0 victory over Hapoel Ra’anana on 28 December 2014, the Yellows’

On the right track Maccabi Tel Aviv regained their spot at the top the table after a 1-0 win against Ashdod.

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star player quipped: “It’s a crisis! I’m clearly not in any kind of shape.” Yet just two months earlier the sharpshooting attacking midfielder had been in no mood for jokes.

The Tel Aviv derby between Maccabi and his former club Hapoel in early November was abandoned after shocking scenes in which goalscorer Zahavi was suddenly attacked by a shirtless Hapoel ’fan’ who had found his way onto the pitch, before being dismissed by the referee for lashing out in retaliation.

Spectators streamed onto the field, forcing the encounter to be brought to a premature end with less than half the game played.

Both clubs subsequently had two points deducted from their season tallies, while the match was recorded as a 0-0 with no points awarded.

Fortunately, the league’s leading goalscorer has only been a target for sporting directors of late. Having previously failed to establish himself as a first-team regular at Palermo, Zahavi is rumoured to feature on the shopping lists of several English Premier League clubs, most notably Tottenham. The transfer window remains open in Israel until the evening of 3 February. Å

Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C.

Israel: Premier League

Cyprus: First Division

Ho m e aw ay f r o m home Sven Goldmann is a leading football correspondent at Tagesspiegel newspaper in Berlin.

For a while there was not much sign of Thorsten Fink.

His last spell in charge of Hamburg ended ignominiously when he was sacked after just five matches of the 2013/14 Bundesliga season.

Over the next few months, Fink always seemed to be in discussions to become a coach with one team or another, but was never satisfied with the offers made. He rejected one approach from Lucerne on the grounds that it would mean taking a backward step in his career.

Sakis Savvides

In light of this claim – and after 16 months spent sounding out various teams – it was a little surprising to learn that Fink has finally found his pot of gold at the end of the rainbow in Cyprus. He has just been appointed boss of APOEL Nicosia until the end of the current campaign with an option to extend his contract for a further year. But what made him choose this Mediterranean island? “I can be a champion here, and that’s always an important aim for me,” he explained. The Thyrlos also played in the group stages of the Champions League this year, an achievement the 47-year-old is keen to help them repeat next season.

On first inspection, APOEL’s current second place in the First Division, just three points behind Apollon Limassol, suggests they are on course to return to European competition.

With 17 of the 22 main-round matches complete, the league will enter its decisive final phase when the top six teams face each other in the championship round. But the devil is in the detail for the reigning champions, as a feeling of insecurity settles on a side that have now gone five league matches without a win. Despite leading the club to a the championship and cup double in his first season, Greek coach Giorgos Donis paid the price for this negative streak, his fate sealed by a 1-1 draw with bottom-of-the-table Ayia Napa in APOEL’s first game of 2015.

Fink’s tenure got off to a promising start when his new team defeated Olympiakos

Ambitious New APOEL Nicosia coach Thorsten Fink has his sights set on the title.

Nicosia 1-0 in a cup match. Unfortunately, this was followed by a disappointing 1-1 home stalemate against Othellos Athienou, with Algerian Rafik Djebbour netting a late equaliser to ensure his new boss’s First Division debut was not a complete disaster.

Expectations have been high for the 23-time champions ever since they made a spectacular addition to their ranks last summer with the arrival of Norwegian John Arne Riise.

Having previously played for Monaco, Roma, Liverpool and Fulham, the defender is in no small part responsible for the fact that APOEL have only conceded 12 goals in 17 league games – less than any other First Division side.

sign a new striker in hopes that Manduca will soon return to the ranks, instead preferring to bolster his squad with a midfielder from his homeland. Martin Lanig terminated his contract with Eintracht Frankfurt to join his compatriot at APOEL until 2016, and is expected to make his debut on Saturday when his new team face Nea Salamina away from home. Å

While the club’s recent downturn in form certainly cannot be attributed to its defence, the absence of Brazilian goalscorer Gustavo Manduca through injury has been far more damaging. The 34-year-old scored 13 goals last season and has already netted six times during this campaign. Fink has opted not to T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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Name James David Rodríguez Rubio Date and place of birth 12 July 1991, Cúcuta (Colombia) Position Midfielder Clubs 2007-2008 Envigado 2008-2010 Banfield 2010-2013 Porto 2013-2014 Monaco since 2014 Real Madrid Colombia

Mike Hewitt / FIFA via Getty Images

32 caps (12 goals)

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THE INTERVIEW

“My goal against Japan was the one I liked best” After the World Cup, James Rodriguez was the most in-demand player on the planet.

The 23-year-old Colombian ultimately joined Real Madrid, “and the scale is something else entirely,” he says.

You could hardly have had a better 2014.

Could you have imagined a year like that 12 months ago?

Back home, many people will be wondering if they’ll see you playing in Colombian football one day.

James Rodriguez: You’re always thinking of making strides and I dreamed I’d get to where I am today. But now that I’ve achieved this and got to play for a club as big as Real Madrid, all I can think about is continuing here for many years.

It’s not really something I think about, but if it happens, well and good. If not, we’ll have to wait and see. It would be nice to wind down my career in Colombia, although obviously I have a long way to go before then. (laughs)

What’s surprised you about joining the club?

Returning to 2014, if you had to single out just one moment, what would it be and why?

It’s one thing looking in from the outside, but when you come here you understand the real scale of things – it’s something else entirely. I always considered it a big club, but now I’m on the inside, I can tell you it’s the biggest club in the world, no question.

So much is said and written about Cristiano Ronaldo and his personality, but how is it to actually share a dressing room with him and be team-mates?

Cristiano is excellent, both on and off the pitch. For me, he deserved his Ballon d’Or victory for what he achieved in 2014, yet he is totally modest. We have a very good relationship. Out on the pitch, everyone knows how valuable he is, but it’s impressive to watch how he trains and works off the pitch. That’s where you see the real Cristiano, and you understand why he is where he is.

Have you got used to living in Madrid?

Madrid is a charming city, with things to do all day every day. Everything is open! It offers everything you could possibly want.

Both my family and I are very happy here. It couldn’t be any better.

Having left Colombia as a teenager, what is it you miss most about your homeland?

You miss everything about it: your people, your food. However, I have to say I’m getting used to living away, as it’s been six or seven years since I left – even if you always want to be near your friends and family.

That’s hard, but if I had to choose, I’d say the World Cup in Brazil. It’s something that will always remain with me – and a lot of Colombian people. Everyone back home was following our every move, hoping we could make history. We’d never reached the quarter-finals before, which is why it will always stay with me.

And there was the small matter of your goal against Uruguay winning you the Puskas award …

Yeah, that made me very happy. I began thinking about that award right after I scored, and thank God it came to pass. The fact that the public voted for me also made it special – it was an open vote. I only have words of gratitude for them. It will be difficult to match that goal, coming as it did in the Maracana and at a World Cup, but I’ll keep on trying!

aged to round the last defender with a feint and dink it over the keeper. Apart from the one I scored against Uruguay, it is the one I found most pleasing from a personal standpoint. It required more technique than the Uruguay one, where I had my back to goal and volleyed it from way out. This one required a delicate touch to finish it like I did, which made it more complicated.

Colombia’s World Cup adventure came to an end against hosts Brazil. Looking back now, what do you remember about that game?

It was an unusual game, with a lot of fouls and bickering. They began really going in hard on me, but it’s all in the past now. What matters is that we made history and that we have a young group who can continue to do so. This group has huge desire to do things right and win a lot of things.

Maybe you can exact revenge at Russia 2018?

No, it’s not about revenge, but rather improving every day. If we run up against them again, it would be just chance. Å James Rodriguez was speaking to Alejandro Varsky

Were you following the vote?

The other goals [from Stephanie Roche and Robin van Persie] were also really good, so I knew it would be a hard fought competition. I dreamt about winning it and luckily that dream came true.

At Brazil 2014, you scored another magnificent goal – the one against Japan …

Of all the goals I scored at the World Cup, that was the one I liked best. It was a through-ball I ran on to, after which I manT H E F I FA W E E K LY

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TOGETHER, WE CAN BEAT EBOLA. 11 PLAyERs, 11 MEssAGEs, ONE GOAL The “11 against Ebola” campaign brings together football stars and doctors from around the world in the fight against Ebola. Share these 11 messages to help reduce the chances of Ebola spreading in your community. Together, we can beat Ebola.

This is a joint campaign from the world governing body of football FIFA, the World Bank Group, the national football associations of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea and doctors from Africa.

RepoRt unusual illnesses Neymar Jr. FC Barcelona

Didier Drogba Chelsea FC

Please report any unusual illnesses or deaths in your community.

Avoid direct, skin and body contact with anyone suffering from Ebola.

weaR pRopeR pRotection

Wear gloves and proper protective clothing if you are caring for an Ebola sufferer, and get the right instruction for the use of protective clothing.

Wild animals and bats can carry the Ebola virus. Avoid them.

always pRactise safe sex Jérôme Boateng FC Bayern Munich

Cook all meat and animal products thoroughly before consumption.

Use protection if you are having sex with anyone recovering from Ebola.

seeK help foR safe buRials

do not touch the dead

avoid contact with wild animals and bats Gareth Bale Real Madrid

Wash your hands regularly and disinfect anything touched by suspected or confirmed Ebola sufferers.

cooK meat pRopeRly John Obi Mikel Chelsea FC

Gerard Piqué FC Barcelona

wash youR hands and disinfect Philipp Lahm FC Bayern Munich

Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid

Please seek urgent medical help if you have a fever with additional symptoms.

Do you have a fever with a loss of appetite, headache, fatigue, pain, vomiting, bleeding or diarrhoea? Know the symptoms of Ebola.

avoid body contact

seeK immediate medical help Xavi FC Barcelona

Know the symptoms

Raphaël Varane Real Madrid

Avoid direct contact with dead Ebola victims or anyone who has died from a strange disease.

11 AGAiNsT EBOLA

Pep Guardiola FC Bayern Munich

Please seek help from local authorities to bury any victims of Ebola or strange diseases.

T HE DEBAT E

PRESIDENTIAL NOTE

FIFA.com users share their thoughts on the Asian Cup: For me Australia are the clear favourites: the team are playing on home turf and they’re in fine form.

Melbourne.U, Australia

An octopus predicted a 2-1 win for Korea Republic.

Augustine Lee, USA

“This time it’s Australia’s turn.”

Congratulations to Australia on reaching the final! And congratulations on finishing second at the Asian Cup 2015...

Jioh Yoo, Korea Republic

I’m pleased that Palestine qualified for the Asian Cup for the first time. It’s a huge achievement considering the obstacles the national team often have to overcome, even though they generally lost their matches at the finals by some distance. Qualifying has also given them their highest FIFA ranking to date – 115th place – so that’s something to build on. keriking, Switzerland

Aussie Aussie Aussie oi oi oi!

Shieldsy03, Australia

Australia are the best team in Asia by a long way! They’ve got emerging young players like Mass Luongo alongside guys with plenty of experience like Timmy Cahill.

This time it’s Australia’s turn and their team will break through Korea Republic’s defence. Cahill will get a hat-trick to lead his country to a 3-0 win. Australia should be pretty formidable in Russia! amartinez, USA

TCahill4_AUS, Australia

I think Australia will win on penalties. The hero of this match will be the best goalkeeper of the tournament. jed2008 , USA

Two top tournaments

T

he last of the leading European leagues, the German Bundesliga, emerges from its winter break this weekend, but the nation of the world champions is not the only place pulsating with magnificent football at present.

The champions of Africa will soon be crowned in Equatorial Guinea, while in Australia the Asian Cup is approaching its climax. Both are top quality tournaments, clearly demonstrating how tightly-bunched sides have become in international football.

The organisers have shown great tact and sensitivity in the scheduling of both events, as the European leagues are much less affected than if the continental championships were to take place later in the year. The question of timing will concern us in international football more and more as time goes on, for a number of reasons including the schedule for the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar.

Speaking of Australia, we note it is the only continent never to have hosted the World Cup finals, although the 1981 and 1993 U-20 World Cups took place there. That is basically an unfortunate omission in sporting history because very few countries boast such a rich sporting culture and long list of champions.

Sport, with football in a central role, is a defining element in day-to-day life in Australia, not least for women and youths. The 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne and the 2000 edition in Sydney set new benchmarks for their eras. So we can say with confidence that it would be more than deserved if Australia were to stage the World Cup at some point.

“I’m pleased that Palestine qualified for the Asian Cup for the first time.”

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

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keystone / AP

First Love Place: Houston, USA Date: 23 August 2009 Time: 10.21 a.m.

Photog rapher: Johnny Hanson

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© 2014 adidas AG. adidas, the 3-Bars logo and the 3-Stripes mark are registered trademarks of the adidas Group.

THERE WILL BE ATERS

IN BRIEF

A

huge 41,000 crowd turned out at Rangers’ Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow last weekend, and there was hardly a dry eye in the house. The occasion was a tribute and benefit match for Dutch former player Fernando Ricksen, who contracted incurable ALS, a form of motor neurone disease, in 2013.

Despite the obvious ravages of the disease, a visibly moved Ricksen emerged onto the pitch to tumultuous applause and symbolically kicked off a match between Rangers veterans and a Ricksen All-Star team. After the game the former club captain was carried on his team-mates’ shoulders on a lap of honour. “When I played here I gave everything for the club,” the 38-year-old said in a statement read out on his behalf. “Now the club and the fans have given me so much more back. I’ve never been so proud to be a Rangers man. Thank you, I love you.” Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a degenerative illness of the motor neurone system. The causes remain unclear. The condition leads to muscular atrophy and progressive paralysis. Å Alan Schweingruber

Alan Harvey / SNS Group

T

he cup and upsets may go hand-in-hand but Chelsea were definitely not anticipating any shocks when they welcomed Bradford City, a side lying seventh in the third tier of the English game, to Stamford Bridge for last Saturday’s FA Cup fourth round clash. The result was a formality on paper, and once Ramires had made it 2-0 to the home team on 38 minutes Jose Mourinho’s men looked home and dry.

But the Blues then made the fatal mistake of underestimating their opponents. Bradford pulled one back before half-time and then scored no fewer than three goals in the last 15 minutes. The third and decisive strike came from Glaswegian Andy Halliday, who had been informed by Rangers not many years before that he lacked the talent for a pro career. Mourinho made no effort to excuse the debacle: “I feel ashamed. The players should feel exactly the same as I feel. This is the beauty of football, of the FA Cup, but for me it’s just unacceptable. It’s a disgrace.” It will be scant consolation to the outspoken Portuguese that his team were not the only favourites bundled out of the competition by lower league opponents on a weekend of upsets: Manchester City fell 2-0 at home to second-tier Middlesbrough. Å Sarah Steiner

N

obody likes to see two teams drawing lots to decide which will progress to the next round of a tournament, as no-one – whether player or coach, official or fan – wants to watch on helplessly when it comes to the victory or defeat of their team. In Group D of the Africa Cup of Nations, Mali and Guinea currently share second place. As Article 74 of the tournament rules states that as things stand the question of which team should lay claim to the second qualifying spot must ultimately be determined by the drawing of lots, the competition’s organising committee gathered at the Hilton Malabo on 29 January at 16:00 local time to carry out this solemn duty. This exasperating solution is not unique to AFCON and has even been applied at the World Cup. At Italia ’90, only the drawing of lots ensured eventual champions West Germany faced the Netherlands and not the Republic of Ireland in the Round of 16. Fate also intervened back in 1954, when Turkey were drawn ahead of Spain to decide which team would qualify for the World Cup finals and face Die Nationalelf in the group stage. In Equatorial Guinea, Guinea were ultimately the luckier side. Å Perikles Monioudis T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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KIDS FOOTBALL

Coach Traute Wohlers Still dedicated to football at the age of 75.

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KIDS FOOTBALL

Recordbreaker, joy maker

If the Guinness Book of ­Records is to be believed, no-one on Earth has taught more children the joy of football than 75-year-old Traute Wohlers – and she has no intention of hanging up her boots any time soon.

Alex Raack (text) and Henning Bode (images), Hamburg

T

he small woman with the big heart sits at a table in Concordia Hamburg’s clubhouse, picking gingerly at a plate of green beans. Recent facial surgery means each bite hurts her jaw and has caused her weight to drop significantly in recent months. The outsized tracksuit and Tweety Pie t-shirt that hang from her shrunken frame threaten to engulf her completely, making it difficult to imagine how this woman gets up at 1 a.m. each day to supplement her pension by delivering newspapers. Just as incredibly, nobody on Earth has taught more children to play football than she has – at least according to the Guinness Book of Records, where she has held this honour since 1999. To date she has taken more than 3,000 budding young players under her wing, most notable of which was JanPhilipp Kalla. Now a first-team player at St. Pauli, he paid tribute to his former coach by saying: “Traute and her incredible dedication enabled every kid to discover the fun of movement and the value of team spirit.”

Half-time The boys give more or less their full attention to their coach.

No love at first sight 75-year-old Traute Wohlers has been coaching kids for 42 years now. ‘Trautchen’, as all those at Concordia Hamburg affectionately call her, appears at first glance to be the epitome of a diminutive, fragile grandmother, with white hair that ends just over her ears, a hearing aid and a slightly unsteady gait. Each step she takes makes it almost impossible not to reach out with a helping hand, yet before taking training with the under-7s earlier that morning she greeted her young charges with the kind of T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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©2014 FIFA TM

6 June - 5 July

KIDS FOOTBALL

That way!

Traute’s young charges do their bit to help.

casual high-five that a substitute might give his team-mate before stepping onto the pitch. Now, while tucking into her lunch, she suddenly offers a blunt assessment of her lot as a football coach: “Do you know what I don’t have? What you men have between their legs.” I beg your pardon?

But let us start at the beginning. Born in Hamburg, for years Traute had no interest in football. Her father might have kicked a ball around with his daughter, but his death in the war meant she never got to know him. Years later, she met and married her husband and had two sons and a daughter. Husband Herbert Wohlers was a huge fan of SC Concordia, and eventually took his beloved wife along to a match at the Stadion Marienthal – but she certainly did not fall for the charms of the beautiful game straight away. In the middle of the first half, Traute – who has been hard of hearing since birth – asked her husband: “Herbert, why do they keep shouting ‘Kindermann, Kindermann?’” “Don’t be stupid,” he replied, “they’re saying ‘Hintermann’ (‘man on’)!” His wife did not accompany him to the stadium again.

A short time later, when Cordi’s youth department found themselves extremely shortstaffed, Traute was asked if she would mind helping out with the under-10s. “At that point, all I knew was the ball was round,” she admits between two mouthfuls of beans. Nevertheless, a previous stint at a school holiday camp for socially disadvantaged children had given her plenty of experience with young people. “I turned up to the next tournament as arranged and waited for the coach,” she recalls, “and I’m still waiting.” Traute went home to fetch a ball

It is the perfect ­e nvironment for someone who likes to feel needed. and managed to keep 14 children occupied. At the next training session she found her goalkeeper. After the team lost their first match 16-0, she asked the first team staff to give her a grounding in the game. Soon she knew the difference between shooting with the instep, inside foot and head – and SC Concordia had a new coach.

Striking out in a man’s world Traute and Herbert divorced long ago, while her sons now live far from home and her daughter died in a car accident at a young age. She then raised her grandchild until he too flew the nest.

But while there may no longer be anyone at home for her to look after, there are always plenty of children at Cordi eager to learn the joy of football – the perfect environment for someone who likes to feel needed.

Despite the experience she has now amassed, Traute still faces challenges not only because of her advancing years but also because she does not have – as she so eloquently put it – “what men have between their legs”.

This has forced her to fight several battles within this male-dominated environment over the years, including with fellow coaches who ­resented her popularity within the club and fathers who refused to entrust a woman with teaching the rudiments of football to their seven­-year-old star of the future. One such parent, a lawyer, even arrived with an official letter outlining his objections. Deeply hurt by this, Traute briefly considered quitting the club before deciding the issue was not worth worrying about. She has also encountered occasional problems with her adolescent charges: “By the time they reach the under-11s, they know your weaknesses and exploit them mercilessly.” ­Traute’s grandmotherly authority reaches its limits with that age group, but her charm ­remains as infectious as ever with the club’s smallest members, and that makes her happy.

“Even when I spend all day standing in the hall, I don’t feel any pain.” Her bones and joints only cause discomfort in the evenings once she is back at home.

When asked how long she wants to carry on coaching, she defiantly replies: “Until I drop dead!” Until then, there are still plenty of children ready to learn about the game. Recently, Traute was contacted by the father of two boys she coached for years. As a thank you for her efforts, he has set up a standing order for her of 20 euros a month. Understandably, ‘Traut­ chen’ was delighted. Å

This article originally appeared in German football magazine “11 Freunde”.

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ASIAN CUP

The Socceroos’ shooting star Australia coach Ange Postecoglou caused a few raised eyebrows when he called Massimo Luongo into his squad, but now the whole nation knows his name. Luongo’s ascent has been rapid and dramatic, and he could now play a decisive role in the Asian Cup final.

Peter Smith, Sydney spearhead his nation’s midfield in an AFC Asian Cup match against Oman. Luongo had scored in the tournament opener against Kuwait before starring again against Oman, bringing his tally to four assists in the eight goals scored by the Socceroos in their opening two games.

“A dream came true” Football is littered with tales of quick-rising stars and unlikely journeys and Luongo’s odyssey certainly fits the bill. His story is even more unlikely in an era when most senior national team players in Australia pass through the nation’s various youth national teams at one point or another.

Few amongst Australian football intelligentsia had heard of Luongo little more than six months ago. He was plying his trade for third-tier English side Swindon Town when national team coach Ange Postecoglou announced him as a surprise inclusion in his 2014 World Cup squad. Luongo failed to get on the pitch in Brazil, but now he is front and centre as Australia host the Asian Cup seeking to become kings of the world’s biggest continent for the first time. On Tuesday the hosts booked their spot in the final, where they face Korea Republic on 31 January.

“It was a good feeling,” Luongo said of his hometown appearance for the Socceroos against Oman. It soon becomes apparent that

What a goal Tim Cahill (left) indicates that Massimo Luongo takes the credit.

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Quinn Rooney / Getty Images

A

ustralia coach Ange Postecoglou caused a few raised eyebrows when he called Massimo Luongo into his squad, but now the whole nation knows his name.

Luongo’s ascent has been rapid and dramatic, and he could now play a decisive role in the Asian Cup final.

The last time Australian Massimo Luongo played in his hometown of Sydney it was in front of a handful of family and friends with the crowd literally numbering in the dozens.

That muddy field in Sydney’s amateur U-20 competition now seems a lifetime away. Fast forward five years and those same relatives and friends were again present as part of 50,000 spectators watching the 22-year-old Luongo

ASIAN CUP

considered comment and humility are Luongo traits. “It was a dream come true really, especially to have my mum and dad watching and all my friends. It was a nice feeling.”

Fresh look for a new era With fast feet and an ability to dribble with power and pace into the penalty area, Luongo brings a new dimension to Australia’s attack.

Almost overnight the starlet has established himself in the hearts and minds of Socceroo fans. Equally, he seems to have a firm grip on a place in the starting side, where his pace and skill are almost symbolic of the kind of team Socceroos coach Postecoglou is trying to build.

His quirky heritage – Italian father and Indonesian mother — is also in many ways emblematic of 21st century Australia.

Luongo’s status is further heightened by the fact he has kept Socceroos icon Mark Bresciano out of the starting line-up during the Asian Cup. But did Luongo imagine this scenario playing out? “No, no, not so quickly,” he says.

“I was thankful to go to the World Cup. Now it’s different. My own confidence has grown, and I think everyone’s confidence in me has grown.

There’s a good feeling around the team at the moment.”

Praise from idol Bresciano Luongo left his hometown aged 16, and surprised many by succeeding with a trial at Tottenham where he was signed by coach Tim Sherwood. With a dad hailing from Ascoli in Italy’s south, Serie A was a childhood dream. “My dad always talked about one day going to Italy. But now it’s different, I’m quite happy in England and it’s a nice place to be.”

AUS T R ALI A’S SEC OND F IN AL APPE AR ANC E The Asian Cup, just like the World Cup, takes place every four years. The tournament’s inaugural match was played on 1 September 1956 in Hong Kong, with the hosts beaten 3-2 by Israel. Japan are the competition’s record titleholders, having triumphed on four occasions.

This year the Asian Cup is being held in Australia for the first time, after the country’s national association joined the Asian confederation in 2006.

The Socceroos, led by coach Ange Postecoglou, are eyeing a maiden trophy on home soil when they face Korea Republic in the final on Saturday.

Such a move, however, would be another step in the footsteps of Bresciano – also of Italian extraction – who played with distinction in Serie A, most notably with Palermo. Bresciano unhesitatingly lavished praise on his heir apparent for the No10 role in the Australia side.

“He’s a kid that I’ve always spoken highly of,” Bresciano said. “I’ve seen his ability to pass and now he’s come out and shown it on the field.

S TANDINGS AF TER THE GROUP S TAGE

That has not come as a surprise to me. He’s very comfortable on the ball.”

Luongo last saw the Socceroos play in Sydney five years ago – as a wide-eyed teenager with a distant seat in the stands. Now he can barely believe he is part of the inner sanctum.

“It’s all still a little bit surreal,” Luongo said. “I looked up to the Socceroos as a kid. Now it’s on a professional level, but it’s still amazing.” Å

KNOCKOUT S TAGE

Group 1.

2.

3.

4.

A Korea Republic Australia Oman Kuwait

9 6 3 0

pts. pts. pts. pts.

Group 1.

2.

3.

4.

C Iran UAE Bahrain Qatar

9 6 3 0

pts. pts. pts. pts.

Group 1.

2.

3.

4.

B China PR Uzbekistan Saudi Arabia DPR Korea

9 6 3 0

pts. pts. pts. pts.

Group 1.

2.

3.

4.

D Japan Iraq Jordan Palestine

9 6 3 0

pts. pts. pts. pts.

The two highest-placed teams from each group qualify for the ­k nockout stages.

“We’re really happy, now we can make history,” said Australia’s Robbie Kruse. Meanwhile, Korea’s German coach Uli Stielike said: “Australia are the best team in the tournament. They play very well and are very composed. Every player knows what his role is.”

Korea, who won their second and last title to date in 1960, beat this year’s hosts 1-0 in the group stage earlier this month. Incidentally, Australia reached the final of the 2011 edition but lost 1-0 to Japan after extra time. tfw

Quarter-finals Match 25 Match 26 Match 27 Match 28

· 22-23 January Korea Republic China PR Iran Japan

Uzbekistan Australia Iraq UAE

2-0 aet 0 -2 3-3 (6-7) wop 1-1 (4-5) wop

Semi-finals · 26-27 January Korea Republic Match 29 Match 30 Australia

Iraq UAE

2-0 2-0

3rd/4th Place Play-off · 30 January Iraq Match 31

UAE

Final · 31 January Korea Republic Match 32

Australia

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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FREE KICK

SPOTLIGHT ON

GENER AL INFORMATION

When calm meets choleric Alan Schweingruber

“L

ife has meaning again!” This euphoric email subject line reached its intended recipient at around half past two in the afternoon. It was that tricky hour of the day when the brain gets a little less oxygen than usual because all of the body’s energy is being used to digest lunch – in this case, a gorgonzola pizza from the nice Italian place around the corner. Although the email had landed safe and sound in the right inbox, announcing its arrival with the usual loud ‘ping’, it contained no text or attachment to explain its unusual title.

Just those four words: life has meaning again.

At the very moment the mail arrived, its recipient became aware of his colleague shuffling listlessly through the open-plan office towards him. The latter cast a quick glance over his shoulder at his inbox before offering a bitter comment. “What superficial drivel!” he declared.

“Total nonsense! They’ve got some gall saying that in this age of Ebola and Charlie Hebdo.” At that moment, the email’s recipient had a sudden epiphany – everything is relative.

He briefly recalled how his little boy wept recently when he had to get out of the bath, convinced that he would freeze despite the room temperature being a comfortable 23 degrees Celsius. That morning, the same child had happily walked to school in sub-zero temperatures without wearing any gloves.

Albert Einstein was not the only person to declare that “everything is relative” in one of his revelatory moments; now these same three words sprung spontaneously to the lips of the email recipient. He was not prepared to tolerate the brusque behaviour of his colleague either, retorting: “What’s the point of dignity and privacy if anyone can gawp at anyone else’s screen

and pronounce judgement on what they see there?” The colleague stormed off angrily, but although the tantrums of quick-tempered people are irritating, they should never be taken seriously. After all, everything is relative.

Before long, a more festive atmosphere was restored in the office. The empty email was followed by a second message that simply read: “Sorry, I forgot to send the attachment.” The PDF attachment in question showed a large image of a diving Bundesliga goalkeeper with a reminder that the German league would soon return from its winter break. The tongue-incheek subject of the second email was the same as the first: “Life has meaning again!” Å

FIFA Trigramme: BUL Country: Bulgaria Official name: Republic of Bulgaria Continent: Europe Capital: Sofia

GEOGR APHIC INFORMATION Surface area: 110,910 km² Highest point: Musala 2,925 m Neighbouring seas and oceans: Black Sea

MEN’S FOOTBALL FIFA Ranking: 66th World Cup: 7 Appearances 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1986, 1994, 1998 Best performance: fourth, 1994

WOMEN’S FOOTBALL FIFA Ranking: 73rd World Cup: –

FOOTBALL S TATS

The weekly column by our staff writers

All players: 327,033 Registered players: 50,633 Unregistered players: 276,400 Clubs: 579 Officials: 2,571 T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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MIRROR IMAGE

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Regent’s Park, London

1965

Jim Gray / Getty Images

After making good his escape from London Zoo, Goldie the Golden Eagle takes a breather on a crossbar.

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Selhurst Park, London

2012

Glyn Kirk / AFP

Crystal Palace mascot and lucky charm Kayla the Eagle perches on the opposition goal prior to kick-off.

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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Developing football everywhere and for all

Organising inspiring tournaments

Caring about society and the environment

For the Game. For the World.

FIFA is committed to developing football for the benefit of all. Our mission is to: Develop the game FIFA’s primary objective is to develop the game of football in our 209 member associations. The FIFA World Cup™ gives us the resources we need to invest USD 550,000 per day in football development across the globe.

Touch the world FIFA’s aim is to touch the world through its international football competitions and events, uniting and inspiring people everywhere.

FIFA.com

Build a better future Football is much more than just a game. Its universal appeal gives it a unique power and reach which must be managed carefully. FIFA believes it has a duty to society that goes beyond football.

THE ART OF FOOTBALL

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

“So long as Ronaldo and Messi are around, the third player who gets nominated should realise that he does not stand a chance.”

Franck Ribery on the FIFA Ballon d’Or

London’s stone belt Ronald Duker

British Museum

W

henever an important football tournament is to be staged in England, the English can be relied upon to remind everyone that “football’s coming home”. However, equally reliable is the kill-joy who always takes it upon himself to highlight that the origins of the beautiful game actually lie elsewhere. At this point the Chinese game of Tsu’ Chu is usually mentioned.

The sport, whose first syllable means “to kick with the foot” and second means “ball”, was played in China in the second century BC. Calcio Storico is another game cited as evidence disproving England’s claim, having been played in Florence as early as the 15th century.

Nevertheless, the English can still point to a game played in their country in the early Middle Ages in which a ball had to be kicked from the gates of one town through the gates of another, even if several kilometres separated the two. And now it is in England of all places, or more specifically in the Mexican section of the British Museum in London, that a cult object has gone on display that suggests another, surprising origin of football. The stone belt, which is 40 centimetres long, 20 centimetres thick and weighs close to 40 kilograms, is not the kind of accessory that could have been worn while sprinting for the ball or leaping elegantly in the air, yet art historian E. Michael Whittington has discovered that the belts were used in Mexico during ritual ball games, or at least at the start of the matches.

They would subsequently be replaced by similar­looking leather belts, although these failed to stand the test of time due to their lighter and more perishable material. It must be said though, that there are few similarities between the ancient Mexican sport and today’s modern football.

Indeed, the belts were worn as a necessary piece of equipment: as far as is known, the objective of the game was for players to manoeuvre a rubber ball weighing between three and 15 kilograms into the opposition half of the playing field by using their hips and backsides. The crucial point, however, is that it was part of a sacred event. The stone belts, which stand today as a ­testament to the ancient sport, are carved with the figures of a number of animals from the under­world, including a toad, which in Central America was believed to represent an earth goddess. According to Whittington, it is here that the game’s deeper meaning reveals itself.

A Central American creation story tells of the mythical twins Xbalanque and Hunahpuh, who repeatedly had to play a ball game against the lords of the underworld. The earthly re-enactment of these encounters is said to symbolise a ritualistic battle against death.

Has football been a matter of life or death ever since? It is certainly taken seriously enough, even if it does – like all major religions – attract charlatans. Å

“Osvaldo’s problem comes from within himself.

The problem is how ready is he mentally to accept the decisions and the rules that come with the job. It’s Osvaldo fighting against Osvaldo.”

Hernan Crespo on Inter Milan’s Dani Osvaldo

“It is difficult to have friends in life. On Facebook it is easier.”

Alvaro Arbeloa reflects on his feud with Iker Casillas

“The gap with Bayern is too big to ever close again. It is impossible to organise your scouting department in a way that’s good enough to make Bayern even worry. They are on a completely different level.

Leverkusen tried to keep up with Bayern in the 2000s, but we eventually reached our natural limits.

We had to let go.”

Bayer Leverkusen’s sporting director Rudi Voeller

“I hope to score at least one goal and be better than Bosko Balaban!”

New Leicester City signing Andrej Kramaric enjoys a joke at the expense of his fellow Croatian, who flopped at Aston Villa T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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Football is a brotherhood. It’s peace.

© 2014 Visa. All rights reserved.

Oscar Arias Nobel Peace Laureate

TURNING POINT

“Mental fatigue made the difference” Faruk Hadzibegic reflects on missing a decisive penalty for Yugoslavia in the 1990 World Cup quarter-finals and the claim that a title win would have prevented war in his homeland.

imago

O

nce Yugoslavia had qualified for the 1990 World Cup, our secret dream was to win the trophy. We felt certain we could do it if we beat Argentina in the quarter-final. We knew our strengths, we understood what the manager wanted and we never worried about our opponents. We had the perfect combination of players. The only thing we lacked was experience. Yugoslavia did not qualify that often for international competitions and that might have cost us. I have the feeling some of our top players missed chances because they rushed things, were trying too hard. Against Argentina, we played at their level for 90 minutes despite having Refik Sabanadzovic sent off after half an hour. The game finished 0-0 and went to penalties.

I was the team’s first-choice taker and I had taken one in the first round against Colombia, but the goalkeeper saved it. Nevertheless, I trusted in my technique. I was down to take fourth but as I walked to the spot, the referee Kurt Röthlisberger called me back and sent Dragoljub Brnovic to kick. He missed and so did I. We don’t know what happened: either the referee had not understood what our delegate told him, or he made a mistake writing down the manager’s choices. But that had no impact on what happened. I think we were just too tired to be good enough in the end. It was 40°C on the pitch. We had given everything with a man down. Mental fatigue made the difference.

I kicked fifth and my shot was saved but I have no regrets. I didn’t strike it that badly.

I had scored many times with that exact shot.

I think Argentina's goalkeeper had been

Name Faruk Hadzibegic Date and place of birth 7 October 1957, Sarajevo, FPR Yugoslavia, today Bosnia Playing position Sweeper Career as player Sarajevo, Real Betis, Sochaux, Toulouse Teams managed Sochaux, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Real Betis, Troyes, Gaziantepspor, Diyarbakirspor, Denizlispor, Chamois Niortais, Dijon, Bastia, Arles-Avignon Yugoslavia 61 caps (6 goals)

warned by my team-mate at Real Betis, Gabriel Calderon, that 90% of my kicks went towards that corner. I felt more comfortable aiming there. I always scored. I missed two penalties in that World Cup but I insist it was a good memory for me. We are talking about the highest level any footballer can play and it was a proud moment.

People still talk about that game and claim there would not have been any war in Yugoslavia during the 1990s if I had scored. I think that’s stupid. Our politicians made a tremendous mistake by bringing the war to the country and there was no single reason for that. Yugoslavia was a great place, with almost 25 million people happily living together. It was the same in our team : we had Serbians, Croatians, Slovenians, Macedonians, Bosnians, guys from Montenegro, and there was not a single problem between us.

There was no tension in the group, and we were a true national cause. There was unanimous support behind us. We were very proud to represent Yugoslavia.

Two years later, after the last game in Yugoslavia’s history, against Holland in Amsterdam, it was a different story. It was March 1992 and as captain, I phoned the federation president and the coach to say it was over, that we couldn’t continue to play for this country as a civil war was separating us. In the team, it was still a quiet situation, but the war had reached Slovenia and was approaching Bosnia. Å Adapted by Ben Lyttleton

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

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

37

MEN’S WORLD R ANKING

Germany (unchanged) none none 16 (11 of which were in 2014) Iraq (4 matches) Bahrain (up 43 points) Bahrain (up 12 ranks) Iraq (down 51 points) Jordan (down 12 ranks)

Leader Moves into top ten Moves out of top ten Matches played in total Most matches played Biggest move by points Biggest move by ranks Biggest drop by points Biggest drop by ranks Rank Team

+/- Points

Rank Team

+/- Points

Rank Team

+/- Points

Rank Team

+/- Points

1 Germany

0 1725

55 Panama

2

551

109 Ethiopia

2

294

163 Suriname

0

115

2 Argentina

0 1538

55 Trinidad and Tobago

0

551

110 Bahrain

12

292

164 Swaziland

0

113

3 Colombia

0 1450

57 Congo DR

-1

548

111 Namibia

-2

291

165 Bangladesh

0

103

4 Belgium

0 1417

58 Albania

0

543

112 Canada

0

287

166 Tahiti

0

100

5 Netherlands

0 1374

59 Montenegro

0

537

113 Cuba

0

271

167 Guyana

0

92

6 Brazil

0 1316

60 Egypt

0

531

114 Iraq

-11

269

168 Gambia

0

90

7 Portugal

0 1160

61 Congo

0

529

115 Palestine

-2

268

169 Montserrat

0

86

7 France

0 1160

62 Gabon

3

527

115 Liberia

0

268

170 São Tomé e Príncipe

0

84

0 1142

62 Togo

0

527

117 Kenya

-1

262

171 India

0

79

10 Uruguay

9 Spain

0 1135

64 Burkina Faso

-1

523

118 Equatorial Guinea

2

260

172 Sri Lanka

0

78

11 Italy

0 1103

65 Republic of Ireland

-1

519

119 Niger

-3

259

173 Comoros

0

75

12 Switzerland

0 1091

66 Bulgaria

0

506

120 St Kitts and Nevis

-2

258

173 Nicaragua

0

75

13 England

0 1032

67 Norway

0

500

121 St Vincent and the Grenadines

-2

256

175 Belize

0

74

14 Chile

0 1016

68 Rwanda

0

494

122 Lebanon

4

251

176 Yemen

0

67 66

15 Romania

0 1014

69 Korea Republic

0

487

123 Moldova

-2

250

177 Turks and Caicos Islands

0

16 Costa Rica

0

995

70 Finland

0

468

124 Lesotho

-1

245

178 Seychelles

0

61

17 Czech Republic

0

987

71 Uzbekistan

3

464

125 Kuwait

-1

241

179 Bermuda

0

55

18 Algeria

0

948

72 Honduras

-1

460

126 Georgia

-1

239

179 San Marino

0

55

19 Croatia

0

946

73 Guatemala

-1

458

127 Luxembourg

1

230

179 Cambodia

0

55

20 Mexico

0

913

73 Haiti

-1

458

128 Burundi

-1

227

182 Chinese Taipei

0

54

21 Slovakia

0

891

75 Jamaica

0

449

129 Aruba

0

221

183 Solomon Islands

0

53

22 Tunisia

0

873

76 Paraguay

0

442

129 Philippines

1

221

184 Dominica

0

52

23 Austria

0

863

77 Uganda

-1

441

131 Maldives

-1

220

185 Timor-Leste

0

51

24 Greece

0

856

78 Libya

0

437

132 Liechtenstein

0

219

186 Nepal

0

49

25 Ukraine

0

854

79 Armenia

0

436

133 Vietnam

4

218

186 Macau

0

49

26 Ecuador

0

852

80 United Arab Emirates

1

408

133 Guinea-Bissau

0

218

188 Pakistan

0

45 43

27 USA

0

836

81 Angola

-1

404

135 New Zealand

-1

216

189 South Sudan

0

28 Côte d’Ivoire

0

833

82 Morocco

-1

393

136 Azerbaijan

-1

215

190 Mauritius

0

36

29 Bosnia and Herzegovina

0

817

83 Estonia

1

382

136 Tajikistan

-1

215

191 Vanuatu

0

33

30 Denmark

0

804

84 Bolivia

1

375

138 Mauritania

-1

213

192 Fiji

0

30

31 Russia

0

789

85 Sierra Leone

1

374

139 Kazakhstan

0

205

192 Samoa

0

30

32 Israel

0

788

86 Cyprus

1

372

140 St Lucia

0

202

194 Mongolia

0

29

33 Iceland

0

761

87 Venezuela

1

371

141 Myanmar

0

200

195 Bahamas

0

26

34 Wales

0

748

88 Malawi

2

361

142 Afghanistan

1

190

196 Tonga

0

17

35 Senegal

0

734

89 Benin

0

359

143 Barbados

1

183

197 US Virgin Islands

0

16

36 Scotland

0

729

90 El Salvador

0

358

144 Thailand

-2

182

198 Brunei Darussalam

0

15

37 Ghana

0

714

91 Lithuania

1

355

145 Central African Republic

0

178

199 Papua New Guinea

0

13

38 Serbia

0

713

92 Qatar

3

347

146 Chad

0

172

200 American Samoa

0

12

39 Guinea

0

706

93 Oman

0

346

147 Malta

0

166

201 Andorra

0

9

40 Cape Verde Islands

0

693

93 Jordan

-12

346

147 Turkmenistan

0

166

202 British Virgin Islands

0

8

41 Poland

0

680

95 Antigua and Barbuda

-1

344

147 Madagascar

0

166

202 Eritrea

0

8

42 Cameroon

0

665

96 Latvia

0

339

150 Korea DPR

0

157

204 Somalia

0

6

43 Nigeria

0

654

96 China PR

1

339

151 Syria

0

156

205 Cayman Islands

0

5

44 Sweden

0

646

98 Mozambique

0

332

152 Kyrgyzstan

0

146

206 Djibouti

0

4

45 Hungary

0

632

99 Belarus

0

331

153 New Caledonia

0

142

206 Cook Islands

0

4

46 Slovenia

1

622

100 Australia

0

329

154 Malaysia

0

139

208 Anguilla

0

2

47 Northern Ireland

1

615

101 FYR Macedonia

-1

327

155 Grenada

0

137

209 Bhutan

0

0

48 Turkey

1

604

102 Saudi Arabia

0

318

156 Hong Kong

0

134 133

49 Mali

1

603

103 Faroe Islands

1

317

157 Singapore

0

50 Zambia

-4

594

104 Tanzania

1

315

158 Curaçao

0

125

51 Iran

0

588

105 Dominican Republic

1

310

159 Indonesia

0

122

52 South Africa

0

587

106 Botswana

1

308

160 Laos

0

121

53 Peru

0

565

107 Zimbabwe

1

301

161 Guam

0

119

54 Japan

0

563

108 Sudan

2

296

161 Puerto Rico

0

119

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T H E F I FA W E E K LY

39

L A S T W E E K’S P O L L R E S U LT S Which of these players will end up top scorer at the 2015 AFC Asian Cup?

50+35+852

T HIS WEEK’S POLL

Who of these group leaders will make it furthest in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations?

2%

5%

8%

Source: Fifa.com

35%

50%

≠ Keisuke Honda (JPN) ≠ Ali Mabkhout (UAE) ≠ Hamza Al-Dardour (JOR) ≠ Sun Ke (CHN) ≠ Sardor Rashidov (UZB)

· Congo · Cote d’Ivoire · Tunisia · Ghana Cast your votes at: Fifa.com/newscentre

“If you can’t link up well with Messi, football’s not for you.”

17

41

WEEK IN NUMBERS

years without an African Cup of Nations win were finally brought to an end by Congo when they defeated Gabon 1-0 at the start of their 2015 campaign. The

7

games is how long Dutch relega-

Red Devils had not

tion battlers Dordrecht went

picked up three

consecutive games without conceding a goal is

without a win before beating

points from a single

Monaco’s latest achievement – the first time in

Excelsior Rotterdam 1-0, the team’s

game at the continental champi-

more than twenty years that the Monegasque side

first home victory in the Eredivisie

onships since defeating eventual

have managed to put together such a successful

since May 1995.

champions Zaire in 1974.

defensive record.

AFP (2), Getty Images, imago

Xavi