The FIFA Weekly Issue #21

ISSUE 21, 14 MARCH 2014

Manuel Neuer Germany

24

YEARS IS LONG ENOUGH

ENGLISH EDITION

SEPP BLATTER PUT OUT THE FLARES WORLD CUP TROPHY ON TOUR IN SWEDEN DIDIER DESCHAMPS TOUGHEST MISSION YET

W W W.FIFA.COM/ THEWEEKLY

CONTENTS

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Prague spring The Czech championship trophy may well be on its way back to the capital for the first time in three years. Sparta Prague have been top of the Gambrinus Liga since September 2013 and are undefeated in their last 21 matches.

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“Let’s be realistic” Didier Deschamps and France only made it to the World Cup via the play-offs, and “Les Bleus” duly go to Brazil as an outside bet.

“We’re not among the favourites,” former midfielder Deschamps declared in our interview.

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Blatter: Put out the flares!

Week after week incidents involving pyrotechnic devices at football stadiums provoke heated debates. FIFA President Blatter lays down the law and insists fireworks have no place in football.

24

The Trophy on tour Former greats such as Diego Maradona, Franz Beckenbauer and Zinedine Zidane famously laid hands on the original. The World Cup Trophy is currently on a global tour. We caught up with it in Sweden.

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F IFA Ranking: Belgium back in the top ten Belgium have returned to the top ten at the expense of the Netherlands. Uruguay also move up a spot and have overtaken Switzerland but there is no change at the top where Spain lead Germany and Argentina.

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B razil: How it all began The seed that yielded the world’s most passionate footballing nation was sown by a European; a railway worker with British roots.

Charles W. Miller was the father of football in Brazil.

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“ Bin i Radi, bin i König” Serbian goalkeeper Petar Radenkovic was one of the first overseas players in the German Bundesliga. A single he released in 1965 took the German charts by storm and achieved sales in excess of 400,000.

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Klaas-Jan Huntelaar Just when the Dutch forward’s promising career seemed to have stalled, his decision to drop a division paid off. Schalke striker Huntelaar told us how he took one step back, and then two forwards.

North and Central America 35 members www.concacaf.com

Didier Deschamps The big interview

Thierry Henry Artificial turf off-limits

Charles William Miller The father of Brazilian football

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

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South America 10 members www.conmebol.com

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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

Cover: Mike Hewitt / FIFA via Getty Images

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The 24 -year wait There are 17 weeks to go until the World Cup Final in Rio de Janeiro.

But who would win if the tournament took place right now? ­Brazilians think the answer is obvious, but the reality could easily be different. Germany were outstanding in qualifying and have arguably the best team in their history. Are they ready for their first World Cup triumph in 24 years?

THIS WEEK IN THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL

Europe 53 members www.uefa.com

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar Step back to success

Africa 54 members www.cafonline.com

Asia 46 members www.the-afc.com

Oceania 11 members www.oceaniafootball.com

World Cup Trophy 4.9 kilos of gold enroute across the cold North

24 years are enough Manuel Neuer has now gone 49 games unbeaten with Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. He wants to write his name in international football history with Germany this July, and bring the World Cup Trophy back to Germany for the first time since 1990.

Inhalt: Imago, Getty Images, AFP, Sven Simon, Rex Features / Dukas

Sami Khedira German World Cup hope

FIFA World Cup 12 June to 13 July 2014, Brazil

Petar Radenkovic Goalkeeper and pop star

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

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

Youth Olympic Football Tournament 15 to 27 August 2014, Nanjing

FIFA Club World Cup 10 to 20 December 2014, Morocco

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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.

UNCOVERED

The German chorus in 1974 Bernd Franke, Gerd Muller, Uli Hoeness (back row, left to right), Jupp Heynckes, Josef Kapellmann, Franz Beckenbauer (front row, left to right).

The perennial favourite Thomas Renggli

dpa / SZ-Photo

“K

ing football rules the world”, sang the German national team in 1974, before climbing all the way to the top of the World Cup charts. The words of the chorus (“Ha! Ho! Heja heja he! Ha! Ho!”) should have been given a red card, but the sentiments in the song may be due for a revival. Germany currently rule the world of football. The Bundesliga is the most watchable league on the planet, the most recent Champions League final was an all-German lockout, and the national team is setting new standards in the international game. Long gone are the clichéd virtues of physical strength, endurance and clever tournament tactics, to be replaced by invention, creative attacking and inspiration. Ottmar Hitzfeld, the German-born Switzerland supremo and one of the most successful coaches in footballing history, thinks his home country are a shoe-in for next summer’s World Cup: “I regard Germany as favourites. I think the current team is stronger than Brazil. This is a fantastic gener-

ation, and Germany have an outstanding team.

I’d even go so far as to say there’s never been a Germany team with more quality than the current one, with its young, very well trained, technically and tactically outstanding players.”

Hitzfeld’s words are hardly open to misinterpretation then, but in Brazil they beg to differ. After triumphing in the Confederations Cup and with the bonus of home-field advantage, A Seleção believe they are in pole position. From Manaus to Porto Alegre, public opinion is unanimous: Brazil will hoist the World Cup trophy for the sixth time on 13 July 2014 at the Maracana.

Home advantage, you say? In the 83-year history of the World Cup, hosting the tournament has more often proved a hindrance than a help, albeit not in the first two editions. Host nations Uruguay in 1930 and Italy four years later certainly benefited from being on home soil, if only for geographical reasons. For the inaugural World Cup in Uruguay, the only European teams who could be persuaded to participate were Yugoslavia, Romania, Belgium and France.

The voyage to the New World by steamer took three weeks.

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

Come the second edition and some of the favourites were still conspicuous only by their absence: holders Uruguay took tit-for-tat revenge on the “ignorant” Europeans for their refusal to travel four years earlier, and England were embroiled in a prolonged spat with FIFA. Since the Second World War, the host nation has only prevailed on four occasions - England in 1966, the Germans in 1974 with their irresistible football and highly resistible singing, Argentina in 1978 and France in 1998. However, home advantage may well be a factor again next summer. The American continent has proved an impenetrable fortress for European nations so far.

The closest any of them came was Italy, who lost a shootout to Brazil in the Final at USA 1994.

Twenty years later, it is conceivable that this omission might be rectified, not least due to Germany’s current footballing strength. And the three-time winners will not exactly be hampered by the logistics as they mount their latest assault on the coveted world crown. The journey from Berlin no longer takes three weeks, but a mere 12 hours and 40 minutes. No more “Ha! Ho! Heja heja he! Ha! Ho!” this time around ... Å 5

1990: Bodo Illgner

GERMANY

Penalty hero. Bodo Illgner paved the way for Germany’s 1990 semi-final penalty triumph against England by saving Stuart Pearce’s attempt. Illgner is the third most-capped German goalkeeper in World Cup tournaments (12 caps in 1990 and 1994), behind Sepp Maier (18 caps in 1970, 1974 and 1978) and Harald “Toni” Schumacher (14 caps in 1982 and 1986), but ahead of others such as Oliver Kahn (8 caps in 2002 and 2006).

GERMANY

ADVANTAGE GERMANY In 17 weeks, the eyes of the world will be on Rio de Janeiro as the next world champions are crowned at the Maracanã and history could be rewritten in the process. No European team has ever lifted the trophy on the American continent, but Germany are ready to be the first.

German Football Association (DFB) Founded 28 January 1900 Joined FIFA 1904 Men’s team honours World champions: 1954, 1974, 1990 European champions: 1972, 1980, 1996 Women’s team honours World champions: 2003, 2007 European champions: 1989, 1991, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2013 (record) Homepage www.dfb.de T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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GERMANY

I

Thomas Renggli

close – and in the case of England, it is largely due to the somewhat feeble resistance put up by the San Marino defence. No less than 13 of England’s goals came against the landlocked microstate’s keen but limited amateurs.

magine the scene in the Maracana, Rio de Janeiro, on 13 July 2014, shortly before 6pm local time. Brazil captain Thiago Silva hoists the World Cup trophy into the night sky. A Seleção are crowned world champions for the sixth time. Confetti falls from the sky, the champagne flows and it’s carnival time in mid-summer. “It’s everything I dreamed of every day,” the overjoyed Silva tells reporters. That Brazilian happy ending is just a dream, of course, but the organisers’ script for the World Cup next summer is non-negotiable: Brazil must claim the trophy and finally erase the bitter memory of the 2-1 defeat to Uruguay in the 1950 final on home soil. The word “Maracanazo”, roughly translating as “the Maracana shock”, is part of the vocabulary, and the defeat remains a burden on the Brazilian national soul even now.

The association’s emergency response at the time was to change the colour of the national shirt, consigning the traditional white to the dustbin of history.

The facts support Germany Since then, Brazil have won five World Cup titles in canary yellow and blue, adding a fourth Confederations Cup to their collection last summer to go with previous triumphs in 1997, 2005 and 2009. However, victory in the World Cup dress rehearsal can be interpreted as a bad omen, at least according to Franz Beckenbauer, the Delphic oracle of German football: “The winners of this tournament have never gone on to win the World Cup. If we are to believe the record books, it’s not looking good for Brazil.”

Beckenbauer, himself a two-time World Cup winner, as a player in 1974 and as coach in 1990, laughed as he delivered these words but added a more serious prediction on top: “Only Germany and Spain can run Brazil close for the trophy.”

The Kaiser’s opinion is backed up by the facts. Spain have won the last three major tournaments on the world and European stage, while Germany are level with Brazil on seven appearances in the World Cup final. Die Mannschaft have recently patented a new brand of high-octane, attacking football. What Germans call the “summer fairytale” of 2006, and which they feel still lacks its final chapter, saw the hosts throw off the cliché of muscular, robotic, results-oriented football once and for all. Barely any other team attacks with such inventive flair and readiness to take risks. Germany’s 36 goals are a European qualifying best. Only 34goal Holland and England’s tally of 31 come

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Memories of 1974 If we add current trends in club football to Beckenbauer’s opinions, the Germans must be regarded as favourites. The Bundesliga supplies Europe’s most dominant team in Champions League winners Bayern Munich. Pep Guardiola’s team have broken every record, remain unbeaten in 24 championship matches and, by beating Wolfsburg 6-1 last weekend, notched their eight win of the season in which they scored four goals or more. Borussia Dortmund, Bayern’s primary challengers and opponents in last year’s Champions League final, may only be battling for the virtual title of second place in the Bundesliga, but their spectacular attacking style of play is keeping them in the Champions League race.

The national team is directly profiting from this position of strength in German club football: the Bayern starting line-up against Wolfsburg included five Germans while Borussia Dortmund fielded seven of Jogi Low’s men in last weekend’s game against Freiburg. The twoclub split brings back memories of the all-conquering 1974 West Germany team. At the time, the outstanding Bundesliga clubs, Bayern and Borussia Mönchengladbach, provided the bulk of the squad and the foundations for the hosts’ second global triumph. England coach Roy Hodgson can only dream of such a scenario: 67 per cent of the players in the Premier League are not eligible to play for England. The Three Lions line up lacks quality and depth in almost every area – and in goal, the man once hailed as the new Gordon Banks, Joe Hart, has become more of a liability than a solid last line of defence.

The Sami K hedira factor While England seek to tackle their notorious fear of penalties by enlisting the help of a sports psychologist, Germany coach Joachim Low is “battling” with a different kind of problem. To prevent complacency and create competition for the 23 places in the World Cup

During the “summer fairytale” of 2006, Germany consigned the cliché of physical, results-oriented football to the dustbin of sporting history once and for all.

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

GERMANY

1974: Sepp Meier

The Cat from Anzing: Josef “Sepp� Maier was part of West Germany's 1974 World Cup winning side and made 95 appearances for the national team - a record for a goalkeeper. He was a formidable presence in the German goal during the 1970s and one of Bayern Munich's key figures during that time.

GERMANY

squad, Low expanded the number of selection candidates ahead of the friendly against Chile nine days ago. The squad included debutants Shkodran Mustafi of Sampdoria, Freiburg’s Matthias Ginter, Hamburg striker PierreMichel Lasogga and Augsburg’s Andre Hahn, and omitted established stars such as Marco Reus, Mats Hummels, Julian Draxler or Benedikt Howedes, all rediscovering their rhythm after injuries. Despite this, the performance against Chile only served to boost the prospects of those that were absent, and whistles could even be heard as the match in Stuttgart ended in a narrow 1-0 win for the home side.

This situation does not fit with the “Bereit wie nie” (“Prepared like never before”) World Cup campaign launched by the DFB only recently.

In addition, the one selection issue that is of most concern across Germany is not yet clear – namely the fitness of Sami Khedira, who formed such an effective partnership with Bastian Schweinsteiger in central midfield in 2010.

The Real Madrid midfield general’s recovery from a crucial ligament injury sustained in November is “right on track”, but it remains to be seen whether he will return in time for the World Cup. Either way, Low is leaving the door open for Khedira and pledged to include him in the squad even if he is only “80 or 90 per cent fit”.

Reality trumps theory Nevertheless, Germany’s coach is determined to keep the pressure on his team: “In theory, we’ve got a top team, but the reality is somewhat different right now. And at the World Cup, reality trumps theory.” However, his predecessor and opponent in the group stages, US coach Jurgen Klinsmann, sees things completely differently: “I think the time is right for a German win. Now they’ve got to prove it by winning the title.” Bayern Munich’s Brazilian defender Dante agrees: “Germany are the big favourites for the title, together with us, Spain and Argentina. I’m hoping Brazil will meet Germany in the Final.”

For those who believe in statistics, the signs are not positive for Die Mannschaft. No European team has ever prevailed when the tournament has taken place on the American continent. The only nations to win the trophy away from their home continent are Brazil (1958 in Sweden and 2002 in Korea/Japan) and Spain (2010 in South Africa). As for the Spanish, coach Vicente del Bosque’s team have looked a shade more vulnerable in qualifying and less invincible than in recent years, but they remain head and shoulders above the rest in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking.

Furthermore, in the EURO 2012 final against 10

“I think the time is right for a German win. Now they've got to prove it by winning the title.”

Jurgen Klinsmann, USA coach

Italy, the Spanish delivered a blistering riposte to detractors of the Tiki-Taka style and proved their competitive spirit remains as deadly as ever: their 4-0 victory was as convincing a show of strength as ever seen in a major final.

That leaves just the “Messi factor” and the question as to whether the dominant player of the age can gild his outstanding talents with a triumph on the international stage. Argentina became the second South American team to qualify for the finals, and their psychological advantage compared to the hosts should not be underestimated: the pressure is fairly and squarely on Brazilian shoulders. By contrast, Argentina arrive in the coveted role of challengers. The same goes for Uruguay. In the 2010 finals, the two-time world champions made it as far as the semis before narrowly losing out in a turbulent meeting with the Dutch. Now they have a chance to spoil Brazil’s party for the second time and trigger a repeat of the Maracanazo.

Bookmakers backing Germany A glance at the odds currently being offered by the world’s bookmakers is relatively unambiguous: they unanimously declare Brazil as favourites at odds of 4-1, followed by Germany and Argentina on 6-1 and Spain on 7-1. Italy, the Netherlands (both at 21-1), France (23-1) and England (26-1) rate only as long shots. And of course, in the opinion of England strike legend Gary Lineker, the course and outcome of the World Cup are already clear. Now a noted TV pundit, the former player once coined a famous phrase no Englishman wants to hear: “Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end the Germans win.” Å

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

GERMANY

1954: Toni Turek

The goalkeeper at the heart Germany's World Cup triumph: In 1954, Anton "Toni" Turek was the defensive rock in the Miracle of Bern. At 25, he was also the oldest player at the tournament when Germany played the final versus Hungary.

game onor game over

all in or nothing

adidas.com/worldcup Š 2014 adidas AG. adidas, the 3-Bars logo and the 3-Stripes mark are registered trademarks of the adidas Group.

TALK ING POIN T S

O N

T H E

Argentinian League

Osella rekindles the faith

I N S I D E

to himself and pursues a football philosophy akin to that of Marcelo Bielsa. An assistant to Roberto Sensini during his spell in charge at Colon in 2012-13, Osella moved to Chile to broaden his coaching experience before returning to the club.

Jordi Punti is a novelist and the author of many football features in the Spanish media.

How long will happiness reign in the house of the poor men?

That is the question fans in Argentina are asking themselves at the moment, the poor men being Colon de Santa Fe, who unexpectedly lead the Torneo Final after seven rounds of matches and are content for now to take each game as it comes. Defeated in the opening match of the year, the surprise frontrunners won their next four and have drawn their last two, collecting more points in the process than they managed in the whole of the Torneo Inicial.

As one sportswriter commented, “Colon’s players are making up for all the running they failed to do last season.” Though still not safe from relegation, which is decided by a points average calculated over the previous three seasons, they have every chance of avoiding such a fate should they continue in their current vein. If nothing else, they have given themselves the right to dream.

Adopting a low-key approach and showing no little belief, which is appropriate given that Colon hail from the city of Santa Fe (“fe” meaning “faith”), Osella has put together a combative side that makes up for what it might lack in inspiration with plenty of perspiration.

Their last win, a 1-0 victory at Rosario Central was proof of that. Though their hosts carved out most of the chances and dominated the game, Los Sabaleros converted their first opportunity through Carlos Luque and defended their lead tenaciously, making only one other attempt on goal, deep into injury time. Two consecutive draws have since checked their momentum, but they remain outright leaders ahead of their next game, away to defending champions San Lorenzo de Almagro, a testing assignment that will reveal much about the longevity of the Colon phenomenon.

What makes Colon’s start to the campaign all the more remarkable is that they sold many of their experienced players during the close season to raise much-needed funds, replacing them for free with a clutch of unattached youngsters. The star acts in the revamped squad are Carlos Soto, Ezequiel Videla and Lucas Landa, though Osella has sought to fashion a balanced side capable of passing the ball, creating chances and, first and foremost, sticking together as a unit, a quality that has served them well on and off the pitch.

“Order is the key,” he said when asked about the secret of his team’s success. “What we’ve done is put our fast players in areas of the pitch where they can win the one-on-ones.

That way we can hurt opposing sides.”

Osella’s method seems to be working just fine at the moment. The Torneo Final has forever been a season of change in Argentinian football, a time for some coaches and players to try their luck in Europe and for others to return with points to prove. While their rivals try to plot the right course for the second half of the championship, Colon are one step ahead, having already identified the essential need to run, pass, defend and, above all else, ride the blows thrown at them. Å

Martin Zabala / Photoshot

Colon’s residence at the top of the table is a remarkable achievement given the crisis in which the club has lately been immersed.

After going seven months unpaid last year, the players could take no more and decided not to turn up for the league match with Atletico Rafaela in November. In response to their dramatic protest, the Argentinian Football Association awarded the game to their opponents and docked Colon points, consigning them to the bottom of the table.

While the club’s economic situation has improved little since then, with various debts awaiting repayment, some equilibrium has at least been regained elsewhere. The arrival of former player Eduardo Vega as chairman following the resignation of his predecessor, which was triggered by the Rafaela fiasco, has ushered in a wave of optimism, with the club shifting 10,000 season tickets in the last few weeks alone.

The man responsible for breathing new life into the ailing club on the pitch is their new coach Diego Osella, who likes to keep himself

Looking up Despite the crisis at Colon de Santa Fe, confidence is steadily returning for Marcelo Meli (right) and Co. T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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Gambrinus Liga

Triumph among the tower blocks Sven Goldmann is a football expert at Tagesspiegel newspaper in Berlin.

The football year has only just begun in the Czech Republic, but the domestic season is already all but over.

Although this is bad news for those who crave excitement, it is music to the ears of fans from Prague, particularly those of the city’s historic club Sparta. The championship trophy now seems certain to make a long-awaited return to the capital after spending three years in the Bohemian provinces, after Sparta’s 1-0 win over Viktoria Plzen in the 19th match of the Gambrinus Liga season on 9 March. Tomas Prikryl scored the only goal of the game after just eight minutes, and Plzen responded by pressing hard for an equaliser – perhaps a little too hard. Shortly after the break, Tomas Horava was dismissed for a second yellow card offence, with Michael Duris following him down the tunnel in the closing minutes of the match. The nine remaining Plzen players stood little chance against the league leaders.

With just 11 games left to play, Sparta now sit eight points ahead of defending champions

“The championship trophy is set to make a long-awaited return to the capital after spending three years in the Bohemian provinces.”

Plzen, with 2012 champions Slovan Liberec an enormous 19 points adrift of the lead. There is no sign of the Reds entering the kind of lengthy slump necessary to unseat them at this stage. The team have topped the table since mid-September and are now undefeated in 21 games this season. It is an impressive tally by any league’s standards, particularly when you consider that Europe’s biggest teams have only been occasional visitors to the Prague’s Lower Eastside in recent years.

It is here that the Czech Republic’s most successful side ply their trade, far away from the capital’s tourist attractions, beyond the Cechuv Most and the elegant Art Nouveau bridges separating the Old Town from the working-class Letna district. AC Sparta’s stadium sits wedged between grey 1960s apartment blocks and the railway line towards Dresden. Star footballer Tomas Rosicky grew up here before playing for his local team in the Champions League against Barcelona

and Porto at the start of the century. Sparta faced Europe’s most formidable sides for another year, but played their most recent Champions League match back in 2005.

Since then, Viktoria Plzen have emerged as the dominant force in Czech football, winning the domestic championship in 2011 and 2013 and twice finishing third in the Champions League group stages – an extraordinary achievement for a club forced to wait exactly 100 years to win its first league title. In December, the architect of this success, Pavel Vrba, left the club he had coached since 2008 to oversee the Czech national team. His successor, Dusan Uhrin, once again secured the club a place in the Europa League by finishing third in the Champions League group stages. Plzen overcame Shaktar Donetsk in the last 32 and now face a last-16 encounter with Olympique Lyon. Å

Michal Cizek / A FP

Prague regains its footballing pride The derby between Bohemians (in green) and Sparta gets underway.

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T H E F I FA W E E K LY

Major League Soccer

How bad are the artificial turf pitches?

David Winner is a London-based author and journalist. His books on football include ’Brilliant Orange’ and ’Dennis Bergkamp: Stillness and Speed’.

Non-natural surfaces caused distortions in the first round of matches when the new MLS season kicked off last Saturday. And conditions under foot provoked an argument between two of the league’s leading coaches before their teams had even met.

Four out of the 19 sides in the MLS play in stadiums with “fake turf”. Three are in the Pacific North West: Seattle Sounders, Vancouver Whitecaps and Portland Timbers. The other is at New England Revolution’s Foxboro Stadium in Massachusetts. Critics say the pitches – each one a different mixture of rubber, plastic, sand and other materials – ­absorb shock less well than grass and lead to injuries such as muscle strains, sprained ankles, friction burns and damaged knees. On Saturday the particularly controversial field at Vancouver’s B.C. Place Stadium – likened by some players to playing on concrete – helped decide the fixture with New York Red Bulls before a ball was kicked.

Anne-Marie Sorvin / USA Today / Reuers

The Red Bulls finished last season with the league’s best record, winning the Supporters’ Shield. But on Saturday, fear of turf-induced injury forced them to play without their most influential player, captain Thierry Henry, the 36 year-old former Arsenal, Barcelona and France forward, and key defender, the 32 year-old Colombian Jamison Olave.

Fully supported by their coach Mike Petke, neither man is willing to risk long-term injury by playing on artificial pitches (though Henry played twice on Portland’s pitch in his first seasons). Without the two stars on Saturday, the Red Bulls collapsed to a 4-1 defeat. That some stadiums are too dangerous for the league’s best-ever player seems extraordinary enough. But the turf causes problems for many others too.

Earlier on Saturday, the season’s marquee curtain-raiser between Seattle Sounders and

Six of one, half-a-dozen of the other – Vancouver’s Mattocks (left) tussles with Sanchez of New York.

Sporting Kansas City (last season’s MLS Cup winners) turned into a drab affair in pouring rain with both teams struggling to control the ball and judge passes on the grey-green field. Until the Sounders grabbed a late winner their all-singing and drumming fans were pretty much the only source of entertainment.

Artificial pitches do have advantages, of course. They can bring commercial benefits, be used almost continually (unlike fragile natural surfaces) and have proved invaluable as training and community pitches and in countries where grass does not grow easily.

Nevertheless the non-grass pitches are widely regarded as deeply problematic. Bruce Arena, the LA Galaxy coach, has described the MLS artificial pitches “disasters” with even Portland only “somewhat acceptable”. David Beckham, during his time with LA Galaxy was a strong critic, though he did play on them. International sides and prestigious visiting club teams like Manchester United routinely refuse to play on artificial surfaces, insisting on grass overlays.

Plans to play next year’s Women’s World Cup in Canada on synthetic turf have prompted petitions and protests with US star striker Abby Wambach even alleging “gender discrimination”. As she put it: “would they ever let the men’s World Cup be played on an artificial surface?” Part of the MLS problem, says US soccer journalist Grant Wahl, is that T H E F I FA W E E K LY

the teams in Seattle, Vancouver and New England share their stadiums with American [gridiron] football teams which require a harder playing surface and owners are unwilling to pay for separate, purpose-built soccer stadia. Wahl has canvassed the views of dozens of America’s soccer players and seen their turf-damaged bodies. The pitches have few admirers. The nearest to a compliment he has heard from those who play on them regularly is: “I don’t have a problem with them”. Wahl observes: “No matter how much some owners would like us to think fake-turf fields are OK, the clear view of the players is simple: They’re not.” To emphasis the point, this week Toronto’s Ryan Nelsen warned that he may follow the Red Bulls example in the second round of matches and protect his stars by refusing to play them on Seattle’s CenturyLink Field. “It’s not just an artificial field,” he said. “It’s a bad artificial field”.

In response, instead of robustly defending his own pitch, Sigi Schmid, the Seattle coach, said there were no good artificial turf fields in the league: they were all equally bad. Even Portland’s purpose-built pitch is affected by heavy use. He said: “I think we all prefer to play on natural grass, but playing on bad natural grass … is dangerous as well.” He added: “A good field is a good field. A grass field is ideal – a good grass field. A good turf field is not more dangerous than a bad grass field necessarily.” Å

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Name Didier Deschamps Date and place of birth 15 October 1968, Bayonne (FR) Playing position Defensive midfield Clubs Nantes, Marseille, Bordeaux, Juventus, Chelsea, Valencia (as player) Monaco, Juventus, Marseille, France (as coach) Sabrina Lambletin

National team career 103 appearances, four goals 1998 World Cup winner European champion in 2000

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THE INTERVIEW

“It’s always the same.

France expects too much” Didier Deschamps was a member of a French golden generation and is a World Cup and European Championship winner. But he faces arguably his toughest challenge yet as boss of the Les Bleus, because the nation yearns for a return to trophy-laden days.

Didier Deschamps, is French football in crisis?

Didier Deschamps: No, I wouldn’t say so.

We’re not among the favourites for the World Cup, but I don’t think we can call it a crisis.

But 14 years have passed since French football’s glory days.

People often forget that France made the World Cup Final in 2006. There will always be good times and bad times, it’s the same for every nation. Just look at Spain. With the exception of the 1964 European Championship Spain had never won a major trophy.

They explored every possible reason for this persistent failure, but suddenly Spain’s time came in 2008. Eras come and go.

With the backing of wealthy investors Paris St Germain and AS Monaco are dominating the domestic league. Is that helping French football?

French football is back in the international spotlight thanks to these two clubs, which is obviously very nice. But many of our players are still with overseas clubs, perhaps too many.

It was a close run thing but France scraped into the World Cup finals. Has battling through the play-offs instilled new momentum?

The play-offs don’t give you any kind of edge in terms of the World Cup. But beating Ukraine in the return leg and the very fact of qualifying did us good...

...because it sent France to the World Cup. Not just that. The return, the 3–0 victory at Stade de France was fantastic.

We hadn’t seen anything like it in France for years. None of us will forget the euphoria and the atmosphere in a hurry. And the evening in Paris was extremely valuable for our younger players who experienced it for the first time. We’ll all benefit from that.

Can France win it?

We have to be realistic. For the time being we should all be happy about making the World Cup in the first place. We’re not among the big favourites for the trophy.

The best teams like Brazil or Argentina are much more likely candidates.

You’re only 45 but you boast impressive credentials at club level after spells with Monaco, Juventus and Marseille. Which do you enjoy more, coaching a club or your country?

You can’t compare the two. As national coach I have much less time with my players.

I only see them ten days at a time at most.

You have to be very efficient and I need to get deeper into that. But I really enjoy the work. Å Didier Deschamps was talking to Alan Schweingruber

Would the French nation agree?

It’s always the same. France expects too much before every tournament. We’d hardly booked our place in Brazil before the same old questions came up again, whether and how France can finish as world champions. We need to approach the World Cup project with the utmost care.

Our first match against Honduras will be crucially important. You gain a lot from a good start.

The recent 2–0 friendly victory over the Netherlands had people talking.

The Dutch were without some key players. They were badly affected by the absence of Arjen Robben in particular.

Louis Van Gaal’s team aren’t the same without him. But I was pleased we turned in a good performance. The crowd turned up with high expectations, largely based on the Ukraine match, and we didn’t disappoint. We have the momentum on our side and that’s important.

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

17

T HE DEBAT E

Fire in the hole!

Bundesliga burning Flares and fireworks ignited by Berlin fans caused the suspension of a relegation play-off in Düsseldorf on 15 May 2012.

Thomas Renggli

F

ormer Bundesliga coach Christoph Daum, currently in charge of Turkish top-flight outfit Bursaspor, sees a positive side to pyrotechnics in stadiums. “Flares do produce a wonderful atmosphere, but they’re unacceptable because they’re so obviously dangerous,” he mused.

This seemingly contradictory opinion sums up a complex subject in a nutshell. It is a very fine line between a red-hot atmosphere and the red heat of an inferno – too fine for flares to be 18

acceptable. Despite it all, some fans refuse to leave their fireworks at home.

Daum is sceptical about proposals for organised pyrotechnic displays, a solution demanded by some politicians. “I could agree to tolerate the controlled use of flares to create an atmosphere, but how ’controlled’ will it actually be? That’s extremely difficult. We can be relieved we’ve had so few really serious incidents up to now.”

In fact, the notion there are no serious incidents is open to doubt. The trail of damage left by football’s pyromaniacs is a still-smoking scar on the face of European football.

Last December Dynamo Dresden supporters attacked Bielefeld police with blazing torches and stones. The upshot was 17 injured police officers, 22 criminal charges, and (only) three arrests.

In late January a mid-season friendly between Djurgarden and Union Berlin in Sweden was abandoned after so-called fans of both sides repeatedly ignited pyrotechnic devices.

At the Bundesliga meeting between Hoffenheim and Düsseldorf a year ago a four-year-old boy was injured by flares let off by Fortuna T H E F I FA W E E K LY

fans. The lad required hospital treatment for smoke inhalation and an eye irritation.

In October 2011 the Zurich derby between FC Zurich and Grasshoppers in the Swiss Super League was abandoned after an FCZ fan threw a smoke bomb. The points were later awarded to Grasshoppers.

Merely the tip of an iceberg However, it is generally difficult to identify the culprits, often because the perpetrators cover up for each other, as self-appointed guardians of fan culture often claim: “Fireworks and choreographed displays are all part of the package,” they say. And some supporters patently believe the rule of law is suspended once they are through the turnstiles. 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

All part of the atmosphere or a danger to life and limb? The subject of fireworks and football is literally a burning issue.

From a safety point of view flares cannot be tolerated.

T HE DEBAT E

Taking pyrotechnics into stadiums is a massive security risk and is completely pointless. Anyone who tries to just brush it under the carpet is equally as guilty. The perpetrators should be punished with stadium bans.

Paul Dietrich, Vienna

PRESIDENTIAL NOTE

on top of one of the fences, but never in the middle of a large crowd of people. Unfortunately controlled use of pyrotechnics isn’t possible as the people in charge don’t believe there is any reason for them to be allowed. As long as they’re banned, it’s crazy for people to light them.

Sebastian C., Gelsenkirchen

I’m in favour of using flares in a controlled manner. Accidents happen when people are forced to hide in large crowds in order to light them and when they have to use magnesium powder instead of the normal flare lighters as it’s easier to smuggle them in. The blanket ban on flares only increases the risk of someone getting hurt when one is lit.

L. Adler, Bochum

It’s always dangerous to set off flares in a crowd of people, as happens in football stadiums sometimes. I can’t bear to think about what could happen, but by now everyone must have seen what images of mass panic look like. It’s precisely because of that danger that pyrotechnics are banned in stadiums.

Daniel Lindvall, Goteborg

“I’m in favour of using flares in a controlled manner.”

I think flares are part and parcel of fan culture and are an important part of the atmosphere inside stadiums. However, too many fans are too careless when using them.

Alberto Tomasini, Genoa

If people absolutely have to set off flares in a full stadium they should at least do so either at the front of the block they’re in or

There are considerably more numbers of sensible football fans than pyromaniacs so I don’t understand why self-regulation doesn’t work better in stadiums.

B. Wolf, Augsburg

My family was sitting with me in the south stand at a St. Pauli game and my parents didn’t like the use of flares at all. The older people behind us all just shook their heads.

Everyone in the stadium could see that flares have no place in football when one was thrown down on to the children marching on to the pitch a couple of minutes later.

W. Heinz, Hamburg

Zero tolerance is the only answer in the fight against using flares. Anyone who lights flares puts the other spectators at risk and ruins the game. The increasing numbers of interruptions to matches should open everyone’s eyes to that. But I have the feeling that some fans take themselves too seriously and put their own performance above what’s happening on the pitch.

S. Baumann, Basel

“Zero tolerance is the only answer.”

Put out the flares!

F

ootball is thrilling and moving. Action and drama are as much a part of the game as the ball and the goal. The fires of passion engulf the players and fans. But football cannot be misused and degraded by arsonists. I am talking about the excrescence that unfortunately afflicts so many stadiums week after week: the letting off of pyrotechnic devices in the middle of crowded grandstands.

When I encounter these situations I’m overcome by incomprehension. We drum the dangers of fire into every little child but self-styled, grown-up, so-called football fans still ignite flares and let off acrid smoke bombs generating temperatures above 1,000 degrees Celsius. Where’s the sense in shrouding yourself in a fog and placing others in acute danger?

Football matches are social occasions and a shared community experience, but grossly negligent behaviour like this means they degenerate into a platform for fanatics and pyromaniacs.

They turn from a fun family day out into a stage for shameless self-promotion by a regrettable minority. I can quite understand parents stopping their kids going to football grounds after seeing this kind of thing on TV. Responsibility lies with the clubs. They know the culprits by name. But often enough the fear of losing a paying customer is greater than the readiness to act decisively against the unruly element. Fan liaison must mean working with the real fans, not covering up for troublemakers.

Football offers spectacular mass entertainment. Watching Messi, Ronaldo or Ibrahimovic is to witness authentic sporting fireworks. All of us are fired up and ignited with passion for football. But we don’t need fire and flames in the stands.

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

19

First Love

Place: Ourinhos, Brazil Date: 24 April 2013 Time: 5.51 pm

Christopher Pillitz / Prestel Verlag

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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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.

FREE KICK

W E E K LY T O P 11

The most infamous penalty shoot-outs

The spectre of defeat Perikles Monioudis

T

he 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ will soon be upon us. With the hosts’ opening match against Croatia less than two months away, the football world is eagerly anticipating another thrilling chapter in the rich history of the sport’s showcase event. Football, history, and Brazil go hand in hand. The five-time world champions have long since cemented their place in the record books and are desperate to add title number six this summer. It would be a complete catastrophe, an utter humiliation, if another team were to beat the Brazilians to the title on home soil.

That said, there are several possible candidates.

Whether or not Brazil lift the famous trophy in July, the tournament in South America is certain to serve up glorious victories, painful defeats, personal tragedy and euphoria in equal measure and will undoubtedly make for many memorable moments – just like the 19 World Cups that have gone before. It brings to mind a story told by Queen Scheherazade in the Arabian Nights: One day, a fisherman stumbled across a brass jar, which he promptly opened.

A plume of smoke poured forth into the sky, before taking on the form of a terrifying genie who, furious at being imprisoned in the jar for a near eternity after disobeying the word of the King, had vowed to kill the first man he laid eyes on after his release.

The genie sought retribution from the fisherman, but the latter, doubting the genie’s tale, asked him how he had managed to fit inside the bottle. Deeply insulted, the genie immediately placed himself back inside the bottle to demonstrate his abilities.

Much like the genie in this particular story, a defeat in football takes on a life of its own which is often difficult to tame. For Brazil, an

early World Cup exit would be one such horror scenario – albeit an unlikely one, as hardly anyone expects A Seleção to miss out on qualification in a group containing the Croatians, Mexico and Cameroon.

The spectre of defeat becomes much more terrifying, however, as the semi-finals and final approach, and would loom larger with each passing day – even once the tournament is over – if Brazil were to lose the World Cup final on home soil.

Brazil need only remind themselves of their proud tradition: Football, history, Brazil. If a sixth World Cup title were to elude them this year, then it is surely only a matter of time before they lift the trophy once more.

The genie has returned to the jar for now.

How long it stays there remains to be seen. Å

1

Brazil 3–2 Italy, 1994 World Cup. Brazil are crowned world champions after the unfortunate Roberto Baggio misses the final penalty.

2

Bishop’s of La Jolla 21–19 San Diego, 2012 High School play-offs. The longest ever shootout took place in the USA. Fifty spot-kicks were taken before Bishop’s eventually triumphed.

3

Italy 5–3 France, 2006 World Cup. France lose the final on penalties after Zinedine Zidane is sent off for violent conduct in extra-time.

4

Japan 3–1 USA, 2011 Women’s World Cup. Japan register their first ever World Cup title after goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori saves two spot-kicks.

5

A rgentinos Juniors 20–19 Racing Club Buenos Aires, 1988 Primera Division.

The highest-scoring shootout in top-flight football. Forty-four were taken before Argentinos claimed victory.

6

Haka Valkeakoski 2–1 HJK Helsinki, 1985 Finnish Cup final. Only three of the twelve penalties were dispatched - fewer than any other shoot-out in history.

7

K K Palace 17–16 Civics, 2005 Namibian Cup. Forty-eight kicks are taken before KK Palace are declared the winners.

8

Czechoslovakia 5–3 West Germany, 1976 European Championship. Panenka chips the deciding penalty down the middle after Sepp Maier had dived to his left.

9

West Germany 4–3 England, 1990 World Cup. Germany get their revenge for 1966 as England’s penalty-shootout woes begin.

10

U kraine 3–0 Switzerland, 2006 World Cup. Switzerland fail to score a single spot-kick as Ukraine advance to the quarter-finals.

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

L iverpool 3–2 Milan, 2005 Champions League final. Liverpool trail 3-0 at the break, but level the score with three goals in the space of six second-half minutes before winning on penalties.

Can you think of any shoot-outs we’ve missed? Let us know at: feedback-TheWeekly@fifa.org 23

FIFA WORLD CUP TROPHY TOUR BY COCA-COL A

The world’s most famous 4.9 kilograms of gold goes on tour.

It is 41 years old, weighs 4.9 kilograms and has already been held by the Hand of God. The World Cup trophy is currently on a global tour, and we were in Sweden to witness the latest leg of its voyage.

Sarah Steiner

O

n a cloudy Saturday morning in Stockholm, the only dash of colour in sight was the bright red World Cup Trophy Tour aeroplane on the runway at Arlanda airport. It was about to embark on a journey to the northernmost point of its round-the-world trip, to Kiruna, a small Swedish town lying within the Arctic Circle.

Kiruna does not normally grab many headlines, which is why the town’s 18,000 inhabitants were so excited to be part of the Trophy Tour.

For months now, they have been counting down the days to see the trophy that is the source of hopes and dreams the world over. In just 17 weeks, the same trophy will be hoisted heavenwards by the captain of the victorious nation, 11,340 kilometres away in South America.

24

This is the third time the World Cup trophy has gone on a global tour. It began by visiting 28 countries in 2006, and will have taken in 88 nations by the end of its current journey. It set off from Rio de Janeiro last autumn and will return there in April after giving thousands of fans the opportunity to have their photo taken alongside the prize most footballers will never get their hands on. In order for a player to do so, at least 630 minutes of football stand in his way, against 77 opposing players who have exactly the same objective. And even if he manages to make his dream come true, he will not have long to savour holding the prize in his hands, as it is replaced by a replica after approximately ten minutes and returned to a secure location. The risk of theft or loss is far too great.

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

From theft to ransom notes History has made such prudence a necessity.

For example, the Jules Rimet trophy, the predecessor of the current prize, was given to Brazil outright in 1970 but it was stolen from the offices of the Brazilian Football Association on 20 December 1983 and has never been recovered. The trophy was also lost in the build-up to the 1966 World Cup after being taken from an exhibition hosted by the English FA. A ransom demand was sent in but the trophy itself may never have been discovered without the help of Pickles, a black and white mixed-breed Collie who found it in the front garden of a house in South Norwood in London. Of course there are risks involved in the current World Cup Trophy Tour too, but the organisers are well prepared, with measures in place to protect

FIFA WORLD CUP TROPHY TOUR BY COCA-COL A

Unveiled The 38.8cm high World Cup trophy from 1973 still fascinates millions of football fans across the globe.

On your marks Youngsters sprint to be first to see the famous trophy up close.

Joel Robison

their valuable cargo. The beefy security guards that accompany it are also deterrent enough to any would-be thief.

Highlight of the year in Kiruna The icy runway in Kiruna was surrounded by an idyllic snow-covered landscape. Countless children were waiting in the relatively warm temperatures of minus seven degrees Celsius for the plane to arrive, eyes glowing with excitement and waving flags of the World Cup participants. “When I was told that the World Cup Trophy Tour would be coming to Kiruna I thought it was a joke,” said Gustaf Sixten Inga, president of the local football club, Kiruna FF. “Normally events like this go to Stockholm, Goteborg or Malmo. Up here we’re forgotten about most of the time.”

Sixten Inga appeared to be even more nervous than the children are. An hour after the plane arrived the youngsters were given the chance to showcase their skills in the club’s stadium, under the watchful eye of French world and European champion Christian Karembeu and former Sweden international Hanna Marklund. The children, all eager to play the perfect pass, score the best goal and demonstrate their dribbling ability, provided a nonstop commentary: “Can I have your autograph?”, “Did you know that he played for Real Madrid?”, and “One day I want to play for my country too.” The large number of girls strutting their stuff on the pitch was noteworthy, the growth of the women’s game in Sweden very much in evidence this far north. Indeed, football has now overtaken ice hockey as the favourite sport among Swedish girls.

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

World Cup enthusiasm Cheeks flushing red with cold, Sixten Inga stood outside the stadium speaking to parents, greeting officials and giving high-fives to passing children. The club, which boasts around 500 players, first learned of the visit last November and were well-prepared on the day. “The fact that the children have the chance to meet these great players and see the World Cup trophy up close is just fantastic,” said Sixten Inga.

Sweden may not have qualified for the tournament this summer but the country’s football fans remain as enthusiastic as ever.

“Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the best, irrespective of whether or not we’re at the World Cup,” continued Sixten Inga. With Sweden absent from Brazil in June, FIFA were at least able to bring a bit of Brazil to Sweden, if only for a little while.

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FIFA WORLD CUP TROPHY TOUR BY COCA-COL A

Best foot forward The young players were eager to impress World Cup winner Christian Karembeu at a training session.

A taste of Brazil Despite Sweden failing to qualify for this year’s tournament, football is hugely popular among girls.

FIFA World Cup Date of manufacture 1973 Weight 6175 grams (of which 4927 grams are pure gold) Height

The aim of the World Cup Trophy Tour is to promote the tournament across the globe and to give fans the chance to see the trophy first hand, while also learning about the competition’s history and being introduced to the Brazil 2014 mascot Fuleco. In total the tour will cover a distance of 149,577 kilometres, three times the earth’s circumference.

China and Japan planned before heading back to Rio. Just like the Olympic flame, the Trophy Tour has gone around the world, igniting passions ahead of the World Cup. Brazil, here we come. Å

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Designer Silvio Gazzaniga, Italy

Joel Robison

Brazilian f lavour The town of Kiruna also organised a Bra zilian carnival for the occasion, with South American melodies ringing out across the snow-filled streets and colourfully made-up dancers adding to the throng in the crowded town square.

“We’ll never forget this day for the rest of our lives,” said Sixten Inga.

The tour continued the next day, with layovers in Romania, France, England, Germany,

38.8 cm Base diameter 12.5 cm Materials Gold, with two malachite rings adorning the base Manufacturer Bertoni GDE Srl., Milan (Italy)

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

FIFA WORLD CUP TROPHY TOUR BY COCA-COL A

“It wasn’t just for decoration” Sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga created a true masterpiece when he designed the World Cup trophy in 1971. “I never thought it would become so iconic for the younger generations”, admitted the 93-year-old Italian.

Mr Gazzaniga, you designed the World Cup in 1971. Do you take pleasure in the fact that your wonderful trophy is the focus of so much attention?

were packed full of people. I can still remember it so well because it was such a great triumph for Italy.

Silvio Gazzaniga: Of course I take pleasure in it. It’s an incredibly successful piece, one created to fulfil a specific purpose. I also see the Cup as a great triumph for art, even if its significance extends far beyond its artistic dimension.

Is it true that you once said that the Cup will always have a little bit of Italy in it?

Given that it was designed by an Italian, it probably will always have a little bit of Italy in it. And I hope that the Cup will often return to my home country. Italy have some outstanding players in their ranks. They might not be quite as talented as the Brazilians, for example, but they’re still very much capable of winning the trophy.

When the new Cup was commissioned, you were asked to send in some design templates. What happened after that?

That bit was fairly straightforward.

I’d submitted two proposals at the same time. Then I realised that I needed to design an actual model in order to convey what shape the Cup would take and what it’d feel like.

Why? A drawing never gives off quite the same impression as an actual model. The Cup doesn’t just serve a decorative purpose, like British Cups have so often done over the years.

The Cup was designed to have its own personality too.

Is it true that you shut yourself in your studio for almost an entire week when you were adding the final touches to the design?

Andrea Pagliarulo / Buena Vista

More or less. I didn’t want to incorporate too many details in the modelling phase as this would’ve made the sculpture lose some of its value and it would’ve been less effective.

So I made it all in one piece and then put the finishing touches on it at a later date.

It was important for you to be happy with your own work, of course, but when did you first realise that it was popular with the public too?

I’d get phone calls telling me that people really admired the Cup. That’s when I understood that its appeal wasn’t limited to lovers of art. Perhaps it’s partly down to the fact that it was made with such spontaneity.

Football fans understand and admire that.

You wanted to combine sport and the world in the design.

That’s right. As it’s the World Cup, it seemed logical to me that the world would have to feature somehow. Given that the earth’s round, it’s very similar to the shape of a ball. The human figures rising out of the base of the trophy are stretching upwards and supporting the world - which I also interpreted as a ball - in their arms.

The trophy is also supposed to represent hard work, harmony and peace. What does this mean?

And let’s not forget dynamism either. I had the idea in my head that I’d create something that would symbolise the dedication, dynamism and exultation of the victorious footballer, including the overwhelming joy he felt too. The seemingly random shapes lend the whole thing an air of dynamism. But the Cup itself exudes harmonious energy. The figures rising out of the trophy’s rough base all merge together into one single celebration of triumph.

It’s quite ironic, then, that you’d never have been commissioned to design this trophy had Brazil not prevailed against Italy in 1970 and been allowed to keep the Jules Rimet trophy to commemmorate their third World Cup title.

That’s sport for you. You can’t have it all your own way all the time. Sometimes you simply have to take your hat off to the opposing team and accept the defeat. That’s a big part of sportsmanship.

Could you ever have imagined that the World Cup would become quite so iconic 30 years after its creation, to the extent that it would be taken on a tour of the world?

Definitely not. I’d never have thought that it would become so important, especially for the younger generations, and that it’d be seen as a symbol of peace. I’m very proud to have played a role in helping sport make the world a more peaceful place. Sport brings both people and nations together and is much more important than many people think. Å Interview by FIFA.com

Can you remember where you were when the Cup was lifted for the first time in 1974?

No, unfortunately not. But I still have vivid memories of when Italy won the Cup in 1982. I was at home back then and the streets T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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FIFA WORLD R ANKING Rank Team

Change in ranking Points

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Spain Germany Argentina Portugal Colombia Uruguay Switzerland Italy Brazil Belgium

0 0 0 0 0 1 -1 0 0 1

1510 1336 1234 1199 1183 1126 1123 1112 1104 1084

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 40 41 42 43 44 44 46 47 48 49 50 50 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77

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

-1 3 -1 -1 -1 0 1 0 3 1 -4 -2 1 -1 1 12 -2 1 3 1 -4 1 -6 1 2 4 -3 4 -4 1 -11 -4 1 1 -1 6 0 2 2 4 -4 -4 9 1 2 3 3 7 -10 1 -3 0 -10 0 -9 3 5 -1 -3 0 -3 1 -3 1 0 1 -3

1077 1045 1038 1017 998 955 929 911 889 888 863 858 855 839 819 790 789 762 755 748 746 740 739 732 729 725 721 710 704 703 699 692 652 641 641 639 626 622 609 588 588 582 572 569 565 561 559 556 554 552 550 548 545 536 526 521 518 513 512 511 508 481 475 458 453 446 443

Ranking Oct 2013

Nov 2013

Dec 2013

→ http://www.fifa.com/worldranking/index.html

Jan 2014

Feb 2014

Mar 2014

1 -41 -83 -125 -167 -209

78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 122 124 125 126 127 127 129 130 131 132 133 134 134 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144

Top spot

Biggest climber

El Salvador Haiti Jamaica Oman FYR Macedonia Belarus Congo DR Uganda Northern Ireland Congo Gabon Togo New Zealand Azerbaijan Estonia Cuba Benin Botswana Angola Liberia China PR Georgia Ethiopia Qatar Zimbabwe Iraq Niger Lithuania Bahrain Central African Republic Moldova Kenya Kuwait Dominican Republic Canada Latvia Malawi Mozambique Lebanon Tanzania New Caledonia Equatorial Guinea Luxembourg Tajikistan Sudan Cyprus Namibia Vietnam Guatemala Afghanistan Kazakhstan Burundi Philippines Suriname Grenada Korea DPR Malta Rwanda Gambia Syria Tahiti St Vincent and the Grenadines Belize Malaysia Turkmenistan Lesotho Antigua and Barbuda

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

0 0 0 -1 1 -1 7 -1 -1 -1 -1 1 -1 2 -1 5 3 -1 -1 -1 -10 4 1 -2 -2 11 0 -3 0 -2 -1 -1 -1 0 1 -2 1 3 5 -1 -1 -1 0 -11 1 0 0 18 0 11 1 -5 -3 1 3 3 -3 0 1 -4 2 2 2 9 -13 -4 2

Biggest faller

438 430 429 426 421 420 392 391 388 382 381 377 373 369 367 362 357 355 348 347 339 333 331 330 328 317 315 314 312 310 303 293 287 282 279 265 260 258 254 253 252 251 242 237 236 236 227 224 219 213 213 211 200 197 192 191 186 186 184 183 179 177 176 175 166 165 159

145 146 146 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 162 162 165 165 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 173 173 176 176 178 179 180 181 182 183 183 185 185 187 188 188 190 191 191 191 194 195 195 197 197 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 207 207

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

-1 2 2 -1 1 7 -1 2 1 4 4 -3 6 7 7 9 7 10 10 2 9 -4 -23 -1 6 -8 -1 -16 -13 -43 -2 1 0 0 5 -1 0 0 15 0 -1 1 -7 1 -1 -3 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 0 1 -2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

156 155 155 151 144 143 139 138 137 128 127 125 114 107 103 102 101 87 87 87 86 86 85 84 83 81 76 73 68 68 68 66 66 65 63 55 47 45 41 41 40 40 38 33 33 30 26 26 26 23 21 21 18 18 15 11 10 9 8 6 5 3 0 0 0

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MIRROR IMAGE

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Old Trafford, Manchester, England

1970

Mirrorpix

FA Cup meets teapot. In 1970, Chelsea defeated Leeds United in the final of England’s FA Cup. Ordinarily, the London side would have been able to celebrate their triumph at Wembley, but after an initial 2-2 draw, the match had to be replayed for the first time since 1912 at Old Trafford in Manchester due to damage to the Wembley pitch. Chelsea won the replay 2-1 and immediately celebrated by taking the Cup for a bath. Here, midfielder Tommy Baldwin holds the trophy aloft, while goalkeeper Peter Bonetti sports the lid of the Cup on his head.

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T H E F I FA W E E K LY

MIRROR IMAGE

N

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Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands

2012

Keystone

Silver plate and flip-flops. The wet room in the Amsterdam Arena looks almost like a spa. With 32 national championships, 18 cup wins and 4 European Cup (or Champions League) titles to their name, Ajax are the yardstick by which all other Dutch teams are measured. In 2012, the Amsterdam side sealed the championship with a 2-0 victory over Venlo and treated themselves to a collective dip. Here, Jan Vertonghen’s refusal to let go of the trophy means Daley Blind has to make do with a pair of flip-flops.

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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HISTORY

How football came to Brazil A dusty pitch in the heart of Sao Paolo Charles W. Miller’s Sao Paulo Railway Team played the first recorded game of football in Brazil right here.

Alois Gstöttner

Brazilians’ passion for football permeates all strata of society and A Seleção are five-time world champions.

It is a love story with its roots in chilly Britain.

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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HISTORY

Dominik Petermann

W

hen 19 -year-old Charles William Miller packed his bags for the journey home to Brazil from England in the winter of 1894 he took with him two balls, a pump, two shirts, a pair of boots and a copy of the Hampshire Football Association Laws of the Game. Football had become his controlling passion during a decade of school and study in England, and he was never going to leave the motherland of the game without his football equipment. As a pupil at Banister Court School in Southampton Miller emerged as one of the best players at St. Mary’s FC, a club founded in 1885. His ability as an agile and athletic striker did not go unnoticed: he was invited to play for London’s celebrated amateur club Corinthian FC. We can easily imagine his dismay and disappointment when his ship docked in Santos on 18 February and the Sao Paolo-born son of a Scottish railway engineer and his English wife realised that football was as yet completely unknown in the land of his birth.

The sobering discovery meant Miller found his calling in life. For his day job he followed in the footsteps of his father, who had emigrated to Brazil to work on construction of the rail line between Santos and Sao Paolo. Charles Miller worked on the railways and entered a perfect environment for establishing a football team.

He set up the Sao Paulo Railway Team with co-workers, who busily set about learning the game on the city’s dusty pitches. On 14 April 1895 the team ran out for their maiden competitive appearance. On that chilly autumn afternoon, Charles William Miller and the Sao Paulo Railway Team took part in the first public and documented football match on Brazilian soil.

The opposition was provided by a works team from a local gas supplier by the name of Companhia de Gás. Miller and his men won the historic encounter 4–2. The match was played in a generously proportioned, leafy green park by the name of Varzea do Carmo in what is now the centre of Sao Paulo. Football is still played here today, albeit on a shale pitch known as Dom Pedro II and bounded by two urban freeways.

“It’s still a great place for a kick about, and they even put up new goals a few years ago,” writes author and photographer Alois Gstöttner in his book “Goool do Brasil”, before adding: “Sao Paulo’s development as a city provides a wonderful example of how football reflects the wider social context. The old myth of the street kids blessed with prodigious talent who somehow end up in A Seleçao a couple of weeks later no longer bears any relation to reality,” Gstöttner traces the history of a vibrant national passion and captures Brazilians’ all-encompassing love for the game in words and pictures. The 34

images explore a world far beyond the dusty pitches and famous stadiums, and the words are drawn from dozens of interviews. Gstöttner talked to Socrates, charismatic captain of the 1982 Seleção, about the military dictatorship and his democracy movement. He spoke to re-

and the rulebook in his luggage would have on his fellow countrymen. The national team have been crowned world champions on five occasions and remain the world’s best in many people’s eyes.

Charles W. Miller himself ended up playing

feree Dourado in the bathroom of a dressing room about the challenge of imposing the laws of the game. He interviewed beauty queen Larissa about her part in the world’s most exotic football tournament and asked Paulinho, a prisoner in the Guarulhos state penitentiary, about freedom. During his ocean voyage in 1894, Charles William Miller cannot have known he would become the father of Brazilian football, nor realised what an effect the balls

in a organised league. After 1896 he was the driving force behind the launch of a Sao Paulo municipal championship, Brazil’s first actual league, won by Miller as a member of Sao Paulo Athletic Club in 1902, 1903 and 1904. Å

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

Charles William Miller arrived home in Brazil with two footballs and a pump.

Honoured and remembered at SC Corinthians Paulista: the square in front of Estadio do Pacaembu in Sao Paolo is named after Charles W. Miller.

Getty Images, Alois Gstöttner

“Gooool do Brasil – Kartografie einer nationalen Leidenschaft” [Cartography of a National Passion] Text and photos: Alois Gstöttner 176 pages, 17 x 22 cm, 86 illustrations Publisher: Club Bellevue ISBN: 978-3-200-03492-1

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

35

THE SOUND OF FOOTBALL

THE OBJEC T

Perikles Monioudis

Hanspeter Kuenzler

Petar “Radi” Radenkovic would have been immersed in the world of music from a young age if it hadn’t been for war, but the outbreak of global conflict in the late 1930s deprived the boy of his father’s cultural influence in his formative years.

It remains the only plausible explanation for the path pursued by young “Radi”, who later haunted the German charts with the notoriously bad “Bin i Radi, bin i König” (I am Radi, I am the King).

Petar Radenkovic was born on 1 October 1934 in Belgrade in the former Kingdom of Yugoslavia. His father was a guitarist and a singer, travelling the world under the name of Rascha Rodell and working in the USA at the outbreak of war. Trapped on the other side of the Atlantic, Radenkovic senior placed the young boy in the care of his grandmother.

While his father spent his days entertaining the noble 36

guests of the Eden Roc Hotel in Miami Beach with continental classics, “Radi” was learning the art of goalkeeping at OFK Beograd. In fact, the young shot-stopper demonstrated such passion and talent between the sticks that he soon became one of the first foreigners to feature in German football, moving to 1860 Munich via Wormatia Worms in 1962.

And it was in Munich that his ability to entertain the masses first came to the fore, a characteristic he had undoubtedly inherited from his father. His dribbling runs towards midfield were greeted with excitement from the crowd, the goalkeeper’s wonderful reflexes and outstanding ability to read the game seemingly earning him the freedom to do as he pleased.

“Radi” won the German Cup with 1860 in 1964, lost the final of the European Cup Winners’ Cup to West Ham in 1965 and even won the German league with them in 1966.

It was at this point that “Bin i Radi, bin i König” first came onto the scene, the title for the song coming from a post-match interview in which he had used his broken German to express his opinion on the game. The spirited song was bolstered by the presence of a Bavarian Umpa-Humpa band in lederhosen playing in the background.

To the astonishment of music lovers everywhere, the single sold over 400,000 copies, remained in the German charts for seven weeks and even made it up to number five. But it may well have been “Radi’s” footballing insights in the song’s lyrics, rather than the music itself, that inspired the sale of so many singles: “Standing here in goal/I sometimes stop and think/Fans forget it’s just a game/No sense of humour/Shots fly in like lightning/Often look quite frightening/But most of them I save/ With a smile on my face.” Æ

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

Sion Ap Tomos

The King who lost his way

The latest highly-visible technological achievement in world football is the ball that will be used at this summer’s World Cup in Brazil.

Called ‘Brazuca’, the first syllable of the ball’s name stands for the host nation, but you would be better off asking the approximately one million Brazilians who voted for it online for an exact definition of the ‘zuca’ part. ‘Emotions, pride and warm-heartedness’ are among of the most common explanations.

The Brazuca instantly catches the eye with its bright colours and looping design. When you kick it, it immediately becomes apparent that it moves through the air in a more stable manner than its predecessor the ‘Jabulani’, which would flutter around unpredictably, yet also highly effectively, as many a free-kick taker discovered.

In addition to forming a pleasing alliteration, the name Brazuca also combines the essence of the ball itself. It would not be the same without the lightness of its bounce on the ground and flight through the air or without the weight that pulls it to ground again and permits it to fly in the first place.

Just like the ball, Brazil itself - and this is in no way meant disparagingly - combines lightness, in its Samba, with heaviness, from the beats of the bossa. It is impossible to view the ‘ball for Brazil’ as anything other than a symbol.

German sociologist Niklas Luhmann, who believed everything formed part of a series of overriding processes within a system and systems, wrote in his essay ‘Football’ that, “more than other speciality in the modern era, football lends itself to symbolising both lightness and weight.” Luhmann was talking about the game itself, but his words could easily apply to the Brazuca too: surely there has never been a more fitting World Cup ball than the Brazuca in Brazil. Å

TURNING POINT

“A voluntary step backwards” With Klaas Jan Huntelaar’s early career as a striker stalling, the Dutchman’s decision to join second division outfit Apeldoorn proved crucial.

Dieter Roeseler / laif

I

’ve always been inquisitive but I’ve never been a dreamer. I’ve stayed a realist throughout all of the incredible moments I’ve experienced as a regular goalscorer and successful striker and that’s why I know my biggest step forward was actually one I took backwards. I had been a youth team player at PSV Eindhoven, one of the biggest clubs in the Netherlands, since 2000 and in 2002 I came on as a substitute in the 76th minute of a 3-0 win away to Rosendaal in the Eredivisie. But I wasn’t really making much progress there, just as I hadn’t at De Graafschap Doetinchem, where I trained between 1994 and 2000. When PSV loaned me back there on 1 January 2003 I couldn’t really help the club very much: I didn’t score at all in nine games. They were in the Eredivisie back then but are now in the second division. As I striker I wasn’t at the stage in my development where the goals would seemingly just come by themselves and neither did I have the knack of being in the right place at the right time in professional football.

What helped me was a voluntary step backwards that I took by going to AGOVV Apeldoorn, who were in the second division back then. It was kind of a turning point in my career, which hadn’t properly taken off yet. On loan there from Eindhoven, I was desperate to show what I was capable of and I managed to do that. I scored 26 goals during the 2003/04 season and finished as top scorer in the Eersten Divisie. For the first time I felt that I was really part of the team in Apeldoorn and I enjoyed playing regularly. My self-confidence grew and I was finally able to show the qualities that define me as a striker: anticipation, quick reactions, decisiveness in front of goal and clinical finishing. For me it was the springboard to a career that kept progressing step by step.

When PSV sold me to Eredivisie side SC Heerenveen in summer 2004 I had reached a point where I was able to score goals and decide games at a high level, and would later do so at the highest level. I was tingling with excite-

Name Dirk Klaas Jan Huntelaar Date and place of birth 12 August 1983, Voor-Drempt (NL) Position Striker Clubs played for Hummelo en Keppel, De Graafschap, PSV Eindhoven, Apeldoorn, Heerenveen, Ajax, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Schalke 04 National team Netherlands 60 games, 34 goals

ment ahead of my first league game and I managed to score the equaliser in a 1-1 draw in Alkmaar. I think my record of 17 goals in 34 games was ok for my first year at a club where I was still settling in. When I netted 17 times in 15 matches in the first half of the next season I knew that my patience in moving to Apeldoorn had paid off.

I was in demand after that and on 1 January 2006 I moved to my favourite club, Ajax. In the 2005/06 campaign I scored a combined total of 33 goals for Heerenveen and Ajax and finished as the Eredivisie’s top scorer for the first time.

I won the award again in the 2007/08 season after scoring 34 goals in 33 games for Ajax. I joined Real Madrid in winter 2009 but I wasn’t as lucky there, even though I still scored eight times in 20 matches during the half year I was at the world’s most famous club. Nevertheless, they sold me in the summer later that year to AC Milan, where I was mainly used as a wide attacker, rather than as a centre forward.

I only really felt at home again when I joined FC Schalke 04 in summer 2010 and got to know the Bundesliga. I’m proud to have finT H E F I FA W E E K LY

ished the 2011/12 season as the Bundesliga’s top scorer. Going from Apeldoorn into the wider football world I never set myself any limits and I know that I can always do what I do best: score goals, goals and more goals. Å Interview by Roland Zorn

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

37

A FIFA World Cup in Brazil is just like Visa: everyone is welcome.

™

TM & © 2014 Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Used Under Authorization.

FIFA QUIZ CUP

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

James Bond’s encounter with one of the world’s top clubs, and the longest team name in football - test your

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

What was the name of the white marking that made a brief appearance on football pitches back when these two legends were playing in the same league?

B 5-foot corner S 25-inch posts

President: Joseph S. Blatter

D 15-metre point T 35-yard line

Secretary General: Jérôme Valcke Director of Communications and Public Affairs: Walter De Gregorio

2

Which of these four top flight clubs has the longest club name (and perhaps the longest of any team anywhere)?

Chief editor: Thomas Renggli Art director: Markus Nowak Staff writers: Perikles Monioudis (Deputy Editor), Alan Schweingruber, Sarah Steiner 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

A Serie A

3

Picture editor: Peggy Knotz, Adam Schwarz Production: Hans-Peter Frei (head), Marianne Bolliger-Crittin, Susanne Egli, Richie Krönert, Peter Utz, Mirijam Ziegler Proof reader: Nena Morf, Kristina Rotach

E Eredivisie

R Primera Division

Which two teams had never competed in a World Cup qualification match prior to 1957, against either one another or any other team?

A Uruguay & Argentina L Spain & Germany

4

L Ligue 1

E England & Brazil R Italy & France

Shaken, not stirred: I turned down an opportunity to play for a club that went on to win the Club World Cup and instead rose to fame in the James Bond films. Who am I?

Contributors to this issue: Dominik Petermann, Tim Pfeifer Doris Ladstaetter

R

Editorial assistant: Honey Thaljieh Translation: Sportstranslations Limited www.sportstranslations.com

M

K

S

AFP, Vario Images, United Archives, Getty Images

Project management: Bernd Fisa, Christian Schaub 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, © FIFA 2014”.

The editor and staff are not obliged to publish unsolicited manuscripts and photos. FIFA and the FIFA logo are registered trademarks of FIFA. Made and printed in Switzerland.

The answer to last week’s Quiz Cup was RUSH (detailed answers on www.fifa.com/theweekly).

Inspiration and implementation: cus

Please send your answers to feedback-theweekly@fifa.org by 19 March 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 http://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

Will Germany win the World Cup?

When were footballers first required to wear shinpads?

Camilla Petersson, Gothenburg, Sweden

World Cup bliss: Thomas Hassler, Andreas Brehme and the World Cup Trophy (from right to left) after Germany’s 1-0 win over Argentina in the 1990 Final.

12

69+31 L A S T W E E K’S P O L L R E S U LT S

Is there an alternative to penalty shoot-outs?

YES

39%

61%

T HE C AP TAIN

THE FOREIGNERS

The number of millions of euro that Carles Puyol could still earn over the next two years at Barcelona. But the “Eternal Captain” has decided to leave the Catalan club at the end of this season – two years before his contract expires. It

88.9

The percentage of Inter Milan’s players (including captain Javier Zanetti (Argentina, pictured) that

remains to

hail from overseas. In Europe’s top

be seen

five leagues, Chelsea and Udinese

whether he

boast the next highest

will hang up his boots

proportion of foreign

or make his way to the

players with 80% each. Of

USA for a year. But

the 15 clubs in Europe

there is no doubt

with the fewest home-

surrounding his success

grown players, 14 are

as a player: 15 years, 593 matches and 21 titles.

40

NO

Italian or English.

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

13

THE JOURNEYMAN The number of stops made by Nicola Amoruso on his journey through Serie A, where he played for Sampdoria, Padova, Juventus, Perugia, Napoli, Como, Modena, Messina, Reggina, Torino, Parma, Atalanta and Siena. With the exception of his six-month loan spell at Siena, he scored at least once for each team. No other player has scored for so many clubs.

Mirrorpix / Bulls Press, dpa / Keystone, Getty Images, AFP

Answered by Thomas Renggli, chief editor: The rule was formally introduced in 1990. Before that, many players went without shin protectors, even though today they seem as much a part of the kit as shoes or shorts.

Footballing wizards such as Platini or Maradona played with their socks ostentatiously rolled down, a style that would not be permitted in official matches nowadays.