ISSUE 15/2015, 17 APRIL 2015
ENGLISH EDITION
Fédération Internationale de Football Association – Since 1904
ALGERIA NEW COACH AIMING HIGH
NORTHERN IRELAND EURO 2016 BERTH REALISTIC
BLATTER WE MUST PROTECT FOOTBALL
W W W.FIFA.COM/ THEWEEKLY
THIS WEEK IN THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL
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North and Central America 35 members www.concacaf.com
Football’s stage It appears to be just a rectangular field with lines marked on it, a centre circle, a flag on every corner and a goal in the middle of the two shorter sides. Yet the design of the football pitch is elegant, simple and perfect. David Winner reports on the 150-year evolution of this symmetrical masterpiece.
South America 10 members www.conmebol.com
Top-of-the-table thrills Record Austrian Bundesliga champions Rapid Vienna clawed their way back to a draw after going 3-0 down to holders Salzburg in a fascinating encounter. Despite this heroic effort, the battle for second place is far from over.
S epp Blatter In his weekly column, the FIFA President reflects on the independence of football, declaring: “Our sport must never be reduced to a plaything for the powers that be.”
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Francesco Acerbi The Italian returned to the pitch after emerging victorious from his battle with cancer.
O n the up Northern Ireland are on track to qualify for EURO 2016. This achievement is thanks in no small part to coach Michael O’Neill, who previously retained the support of the Irish Football Association despite a series of defeats.
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Costa Rica There were no winners in the Primera Division’s latest Clásico. (Pictured: Jonnathan Mc Donald (l.), Alajuelense; Keilor Soto, Saprissa)
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FIFA Women’s World Cup 6 June – 5 July 2015, Canada
Randall Campos Munoz / Imagenes en Costa Rica
The pitch Our cover illustration is taken from “A History of the Laws of Association Football” by Sir Stanley Rous CBE and Donald Ford MA, a book published by FIFA (Zurich 1974).
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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Korea Republic Ji Soyun wants to make footballing history with her national team in Canada.
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imago (1), Getty Images (2)
Christian Gourcuff After spending 32 years as a club coach, the Frenchman is now at the helm of Algeria’s national team.
Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup
FIFA U-20 World Cup
FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup
FIFA U-17 World Cup
13/14 May 2015, Zurich, Switzerland
30 May – 20 June 2015, New Zealand
9 – 19 July 2015, Portugal
17 October – 8 November 2015, Chile
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Every dream needs a kick-off. Inspire her passion. Use your Visa Card to purchase tickets to the FIFA Women’s World Cup™.
UNCOVERED
Pitch perfect I
t is often said that “the truth is on the pitch”. Although the origin of this phrase is difficult to pinpoint, even after extensive research, it seems to have come from the German-speaking world. The two men most likely to have coined the adage are 1954 World Cup winning coach Sepp Herberger or Otto Rehhagel, the man who steered Greece to their surprise EURO 2004 triumph. Determining the meaning of the phrase is a far less onerous task. No matter what is said or done away from the pitch, all the winning and losing is done on it. The hallowed turf allows us to clearly differentiate the victors from the vanquished, even when those roles seem to have been assigned the other way around in the build-up to a match. A football pitch is designed symmetrically. This fits neatly with the saying “symmetry means fairness” quoted by our London-based reporter David Winner this week as he explores the 150-year evolution of the football pitch, describing it as a brilliant and perfect design. His report on how these familiar markings came into being starts on page six. Å
Mario Wagner / 2Agenten
Perikles Monioudis
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Many of us take the functionality and attractiveness of the football pitch for granted, but the truth is altogether more interesting. David Winner reports on the evolution of a perfect design – a story that stretches back more than 150 years. T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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Leonardo Finotti
Masterpiece
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men sat down in a London pub in 1863 to settle the first laws of the game there were two sets of goal posts, flags in four corners of the field … and that was it! No white lines at the beginning The design we know today was created later over a period of decades by the rule-setting body known as the International Football Association Board IFAB. Despite its title this was an entirely British entity in its relevant early decades and its most influential members were practical, powerful administrators. One long-serving IFAB member was Charles Crump, the monocle-wearing FA vice-president whose knowledge of football law was said to be encyclopedic.
“Symmetry means fairness” Alex Bellos, author
Another intriguing figure was RC Gregson, the Lancashire bruiser and former England player. In argument he could be “the embodiment and epitome of cold, relentless, solid reasoning. And he had a well developed aesthetic sense as well. He was a fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and photographed some of the best players of his era. But there was no grand plan. The pitch evolved in response to practical problems that arose from playing the game. The goal net, for example, was invented in 1889 by an engineer from Liverpool called John Brodie. It neatly solved the problem of knowing whether
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he markings on a football pitch are so familiar that few of us ever stop to consider the utter brilliance of the design. We assume that the various white curves, dots and lines on the grass must have existed since the beginning of football itself. We rarely wonder what the markings might mean outside the context of the game. Architect Sam Jacob, however, has been fascinated by such questions for years. When The Times of London asked experts to nominate the best-ever British designs Jacob picked the pitch. “It’s an amazing piece of visual culture,” he explains. “It’s elegant, simple and precise but at the same time incredibly rich and complex.” Yet no designers were involved in this “astonishing” piece of design. “It was designed by a committee, the sort of committee you wouldn’t expect spatial design to come from.” Dutch photographer Hans van der Meer, who has explored the spatial possibilities of the game in books like “Dutch Fields” and European Fields”, agrees and likens the design to a perfect mathematical formula or a work of art by Piet Mondrian. “It is very beautiful. Like chess, the football pitch feels very old and none of the people who came later had the idea to change it. People often talk about changing rules or other details of football. But no one ever talks about changing the size of the pitch or the lines.” Alex Bellos, author of books on mathematics and football, including Pele’s ghosted autobiography, observes another element. “There’s something about sports which is about fairness,” he says. “You see that in the geometry of the football pitch. It is balanced and equal and has a mathematical symmetry. Symmetry means fairness.” Perhaps the most surprising thing about the pitch is that the game existed without it for decades. When a group of English gentle-
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Stephan Zirwes / plainpicture
or not the ball had passed between the goalposts. Brodie went on to build the Mersey Tunnel and help lay out New Delhi. But he always said he was most proud of his net. Frustratingly, the minutes of IFAB meetings fail to record the discussions which led to its decisions. But we learn from the memoirs of William Pickford, a member of the Football Association Council, that lawyers often sought to influence the organization in the late nineteenth century. And rules seem to have evolved in a legalistic way as players and coaches exploited loopholes and probed the possibilities of the game. In any case, as Bellos says, the pitch itself reveals the mindset: “The thinking seems to be ’we are laying down the rules, this is the law.’ It reminds me of what happened when the British first invented trains and they only had two types of track: straight lines and curves.” Remarkable trial and error results For example, pitches started out longer than they are now – up to 200 yards. Experience proved this distance was detrimental to the game so, in 1897, the maximum length was reduced to 130 yards. (Pitches can still vary in size though most major stadiums now have standardized fields of 115 yards x 74.). In another telling late nineteenth century intervention, 90 degree corners were made compulsory and some of the odd, rhomboid pitches of the early days were banned. Intriguingly, the ratio of most pitches today is close to that of the so-called ’perfect’ Golden Ratio rectangle, but the longer, narrower rectangle of the goal frame is more like the shape of a door or a grave. In 1866 a tape was introduced to turn two free-standing posts into a box. At the IFAB meeting of 1883 the flimsy tape was replaced by a solid wooden crossbar. The same meeting ordered the edge of the pitch to be marked with painted white touchlines, a move which ended arguments about when the ball was in play.
1863–1865 No bar and no lines on the ground. No minimum lengths and breadths specified. This led to some very curiously shaped pitches.
1866–1874 Tape adopted. 1875–1882: Bar was now a possibility. Minimum length of 100 yds and minimum breadth of 50 yds now adopted.
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1891–1895 These changes followed the introduction of the Penalty-kick in 1891. The theoretical 18 yd line was not specified by Law.
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Plenty of symbolism Humans have seen circles as signifying everything from the sun, moon and planets to the cycle of life, infinity and the Jungian concept of self. More prosaically, as Alex Bellos, says, the shape is practical. “The circle is present in nature in a way that most other geometric shapes are not. The cross section of an egg is a circle. The iris of an eye is a circle. And it’s the only geometric shape that is really easy to make. All you need is a piece of string and a pen, or a compass.” Meanwhile, the introduction in 1891 of the penalty kick paved the way for the biggest innovation of all: to the bits of the field nearest the goals. The problems were obvious. How could the newly sensitive zone controlled by the new law be defined? And from where should the penalty kick be taken? For over a decade administrators struggled with the graphic consequences of the rule and a profusion of devices to mark distances from the goal were tried. Various lines – some of them broken – stretched across the pitch at six, 12 or 18 yards intervals from the goal line. Briefly, the goalkeeper’s space was marked by a
David Price / Arsenal FC via Getty Images
1883–1890 Bar was made compulsory. Touch-lines must be marked on the ground.
By the 1880s the game was recognizably modern. The FA Cup was well-established. There was a panoply of international matches. Professionalism was permitted in 1895, league football began in 1888 and most of the great English clubs we know today came into existence. Yet there were still no markings inside the field of play. This changed in 1891 with the arrival of the centre circle. The circle, which preceded the coming of the halfway line by a decade, is one of the strangest elements of the field. Largely irrelevant to the playing of the game – when did you last see infringement at a kick off? – it is nevertheless a brilliant, crucial part of graphic design, visually anchoring and enlivening the whole pitch.
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weird double curve like the letter B. Before the invention of the penalty spot kicks could be taken from anywhere on the 12 yard line. This chaos was ended in 1902 with the elegantly simple solution: penalty and goal boxes and a painted dot to mark the penalty spot. Strangely, the ’D’ at the edge of the penalty area was not added until 1937.
Leonardo Finotti
A representation of heaven and earth combined Its function was simply to stop players encroaching when a penalty is taken. Unwittingly, it turned the simple box into something much more interesting: a rectangle with a dome on top. This is the signature shape of many of the world’s most important buildings from the Pantheon in Rome – the foundational building of western architecture – to the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul and the Capitol in Washington DC. Such buildings combine the two shapes for a reason. Circles and spheres have always been associated with the sacred and sublime while squares, cubes and rectangles have been seen as symbolic of the profane and earthly. Put the two together – so the architectural theory goes – and you have a representation of heaven and earth combined. Then again the play between the two shapes is woven into every aspect of the game. Players move in an environment of rectangles,
1891 There were considerable variations in practice. This grid-iron pitch was common, for example.
1891 Simpler markings, not strictly legal. Note the half-way line. 1897 Touch-lines had to be at right-angles to the goal-lines.
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1901 F.A. Law 1 now stated : “A suitable mark shall be made opposite each goalpost, 18 yds from the goalline.”
1901 A popular example of the pitch markings, as permitted by the loosely worded Law.
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Perfect pitch markings Photographer Hans van der Meer sees the pitch as being like a theatre stage – a place of imagination where the normal rules of society do not apply. And architect Sam Jacob has spotted that the landscape of the field represents the landscape of actual fields in England. He explains: “It’s a codification of the medieval, mythic roots of football”. The precursors of modern football were the wild, riotous ’folk football’ matches played between rival villages. On these occasions, hundreds of men on each side would rampage across ‘pitches’ several miles long and including fields, hedges, stream and narrow streets. Accordingly, the centre circle might represent an English village pond and the penalty areas could be the church or pub. This, says Jacob, would also fit with the English historic taste for the ‘picturesque’, which was a highly stylized ‘improvement’ on nature. Where the French liked great ornamental landscapes such as the gardens of Versailles, English landscape visionaries like Capability Brown devised sweeping vistas that seemed perfectly natural. Perhaps even more significantly, he points out that the pitch is infinitely reproduceable. It can be can be created anywhere on earth and be instantly iconic and recognizable. Hans van der Meer muses: “The football pitch is such a great imprint on everybody’s collective consciousness that it’s impossible
Stephan Zirwes / plainpicture
circle and circle fragments, and the aim of the game is to get a sphere (the ball) into a rectangle (the goal). It recalls what the Apollo astronauts saw when they looked back from the surface of the moon. Or, as Plato uncannily wrote in ‘Phaedo’ some 2,200 years before the invention of football: a man looking down from above the clouds would see that the Earth resembled “one of those balls which have leather coverings in twelve pieces.”
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to imagine it being done differently. It would be interesting to know if there is life in other galaxies. Imagine if there are other planets in other Milky Ways where they’ve also developed the football game. Do you think they would have made the pitch markings in the same way? It’s hard to imagine they’d have done it differently.” Å
1902 After three years of discussion the square (rectangular) penalty-box was adopted, and a half-way line became compulsory.
Stephan Zirwes / Getty Images
Our photos The sur face of the ear th is adorned with millions of football pitches. Our images por tray a select handful. The lead photo on pages 6 and 7 is t aken from “Futebol. Urban Euphoria in Brazil. With photographs by Leonardo F i n o t t i a n d E d V i g g i a n i ” ( L a r s M ü l l e r P u b l i s h e r s : B a d e n / S w i t z e r l a n d 2 0 14), w h i c h i s a l s o t h e s o u r c e f o r t h e i m a g e s o n p a g e 11. T h e p i c t u r e s w e r e t a k e n by Leonardo Finot ti. German photographer Stephan Zir wes abseiled from a h e l i c o p t e r t o c a p t u r e h i s a e r i a l p h o t o s , f e a t u r e d o n p a g e s 9 , 12 a n d 13 ( A g e n t u r P l a i n p i c t u r e). E u r o l u f t b i l d . d e ( A g e n t u r V i s u m ) p r o v i d e d t h e i m a g e o n p a g e 8 , a n d G e t t y I m a g e s t h e p h o t o b y D a v i d P r i c e o n p a g e 10 . mpe
1937 The Penalty arc of a radius of 10 yds from the penaltyspot was introduced.
Our illustrations are taken from “A History of the Laws of Association Football” by Sir Stanley Rous CBE and Donald Ford MA, a book published by FIFA (Zurich 1974). T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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Costa Rica: Primera Division
C lá sico end s i n d ra mat ic fa sh ion Sven Goldmann is a leading football correspondent at Tages spiegel newspaper in Berlin.
Football’s truly classic fixtures can often be relied upon to deliver excitement, and so it proved in the top-of-the-table encounter in the Liga de Futbol de Primera Division, on the 19th matchday of the Campeonato de Verano. There is no bigger fixture in Costa Rican football than Club Deportivo Saprissa versus Liga Deportiva Alajuelense; league leaders Saprissa have won the title a record 31 times, while their biggest adversaries have enjoyed comparable success with 29 championships to their name. The game unfolded like a Greek tragedy, complete with one brilliant and one tragic hero, both guarding the goal for their respective teams. Saprissa’s Danny Carvajal was ultimately hailed for saving a penalty while Alajuelense custodian Patrick Pemberton had to be consoled after an unfortunate incident that led to a last-gasp equaliser in the 1-1 draw.
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ties for La Liga, who would have deserved three points in their battle for one of the top four spots in the table and a place in the semi-finals. Currently in fourth place, A lajuelense are currently level with Club Sport Uruguay in fifth with 27 points – a lthough the latter have played one more game. They now have five more matches in which to secure their passage to the next round of the championship. Los Rojinegros made a bright start on the artificial turf of the Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Ayma. Although the champions were the superior team, the away side’s skilful counterattacking meant they could – and should – have taken the lead in the first half. Shortly before half-time, referee Henry Bejarano awarded the visitors a penalty after goal keeper Danny Carvajal’s foul on Jonathan McDonald. Ariel Rodriguez stepped up, but his weak and poorly placed spot-kick was parried clear by the Saprissa shot-stopper. Alajuelense made up for their earlier misses at the start of the second half when
McDonald was fouled again, this time by Adolfo Machado, and Bejarano once again pointed to the spot. Although Carvajal almost got a hand to the subsequent shot, visiting midfielder Johan Venegas had luck on his side and slotted home the conversion. Having taken the lead, Alajuelense looked on course to secure a memorable away win at the home of the champions and exact the perfect revenge for their 2-0 defeat in the reverse fixture – but then came the 90th minute and with it the defining moment in this Clásico. With time for one final attack from The Purple Monster, as Saprissa are known in Costa Rica, substitute Mynor Escoe played a tightly-angled pass to Jonathan Moya in the centre of the box. The striker eventually gathered up the ball on the by-line, and his attempted cut-back had the good fortune to meet Patrick Pemberton. As the Alajuelense keeper tried to raise his hands and make the save, the ball instead hit him squarely in the face and ricocheted into the goal. With the game’s tragic hero confirmed, the final whistle sounded moments later. Å
Randall Campos Muñoz / Imágenes en Costa Rica
The game u nfolded like a Greek tragedy. The two sides last squared up in December’s Campeonato de Invierno semi-final, having met in the final the previous year, and Saprissa – who play their home games in a suburb of the capital San Jose – emerged victorious on both occasions. This time the stage seemed set for their rivals from the country’s second-largest city Alajuela – right up until Pemberton’s error in the final seconds of the match enabled the champions to secure a point that seemed all but lost just moments earlier. Having gone four previous Clásicos without a win, it was an evening of missed opportuni-
Rock solid Saprissa goalkeeper Danny Carvajal saves one of the game’s two penalties. T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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Austria: Bundesliga
Bit ter s weet showdow n Andreas Jaros is a Vienna-based freelance writer.
On 12 April 2015 the two best teams in Austrian football, Rapid Vienna and Red Bull Salzburg, met at the Happel Stadium in the nation’s capital and produced a spectacle far more entertaining than anything to be found at the famous neighbouring Prater amusement park. To round things off after the match a spectacular sunset left the sky above the stadium glowing a pinkish-red. Emotions have run high in the fixture over the last decade, with hard-fought, evenly-matched games peppered by last-minute goals and the occasional inexplicable scoreline.
The visitors went ahead in the third minute through Valon Berisha and doubled their lead after Soriano finished off a superb team move to add a second 15 minutes later. There seemed to be no way back for the hosts when Marcel Sabitzer made it 3-0 in the 32nd minute, as Salzburg completely outclassed the home side. Visiting fans could have been forgiven for dreaming of revenge for the so-called ‘Easter Miracle’ of 2008, when the ‘Bulls’, led by defensive-minded coach Giovanni Trapattoni, were humbled 7-0 at home by Rapid. Such thoughts were dispelled two minutes before the break when left-back Andreas Ulmer was sent off for a reckless tackle in midfield. “It was unintentional, I just wanted to poke the ball away,” he said afterwards, while his coach Adi Hutter claimed it had not been a “studs up” c hallenge. Nevertheless, the 29-year-old’s dismissal paved the way for Rapid to stage a memorable comeback. It was 3-2 by the hour mark after Slovenian attacker Robert Beric had netted his 20th league goal of the campaign and substitute Philipp Schobesberger, a highly-promising youngster, 16
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Top of the table clash Salzburg’s Stefan Ilsanker (l.) and Rapid’s Robert Beric tussle for possession in the 3-3 draw.
had also hit the target. Gradually Salzburg’s personnel concerns became all the more apparent, with key players missing through injury and suspension. Still, the title favourites looked to have weathered the storm when Rapid’s Mario Pavelic was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 79th minute, only for Philipp Prosenik to continue his knack of scoring stoppage time goals by rifling in the equaliser in the 92nd minute following chaotic defending in Salzburg’s penalty area. “The big step we were going to take towards defending the title became a half-step,” said Hutter afterwards. His side still have a six-point lead at the top of the standings and a better goal difference than
their pursuers. With eight games left to play, Rapid will have to be on their guard to defend second place and the accompanying berth in the Champions League qualifying round, as Sturm Graz and promoted outfit Altach are not far behind. Meanwhile, seventh-placed Austria Vienna, Rapid’s fiercest rivals alongside Salzburg, are still waiting for the honeymoon period to start under new coach Andreas Ogris, a former striker for the club who participated at the 1990 World Cup. There was no colourful sunset after his charges’ 1-1 draw in Grodig; the sky over the Generali Arena remained overcast. Å
Rapid will have to be on their guard to defend second place ahead of Sturm Graz and Altach.
Mario Kneisl / GEPA pictures
The latest encounter was no exception. Some 26,800 spectators witnessed league leaders, defending champions and the division’s best away side Salzburg race to a 3-0 half-time lead. However, second-placed Rapid, record titleholders and the division’s best home team, clawed their way back to draw 3-3.
Cote d’Ivoire: Ligue 1
P rov i nc ia l m i n nows f ly i ng h ig h Mark Gleeson is a Cape Townbased journalist and football commentator.
For many years, the title race in Cote d’Ivoire was a rather predictable affair: the league crown either went to ASEC Abidjan or local rivals Africa Sports, while the other teams in the division were reduced to the role of spectators. These two leading clubs dominated the domestic game for 26 consecutive seasons between 1985 and 2011, representing the west African country in continental competition and commanding respect from far beyond the nation’s borders.
Sport Ivoire
Their monopoly was only broken in 2012, when Sewe Sports won the first of three successive league titles. It looked as if Sewe had entered their own period of supremacy, but the reigning titleholders are currently struggling in second-bottom of the division, barely six months after reaching the final
of the CAF Confederations Cup. At the halfway mark of the season, Sewe have only managed to win two of their first 14 league games. ASEC Abidjan, meanwhile, have returned to the division’s summit. The league leaders’ closest challengers are now AS Tanda, who are based in the Zanzan region on the Ghanaian border and are enjoying only their second season in the top flight. Their recent success would not have been possible without Bernardin Gba, who was appointed Tanda head coach at the beginning of the campaign after spells at several other clubs, including Africa Sports. Abidjan are coached by former international goalkeeper Alain Gouamene, a player who achieved legendary status in Cote d’Ivoire thanks to several outstanding performances during the country’s memorable CAF African Nations Cup win in 1992. Gouamene’s side only returned to the top of the table last week after Tanda’s match was abandoned due to heavy rain. The provincial club, who now have a game in hand on Abidjan, face the leaders next month in a clash that could prove vital in deciding the destination of the title.
While supporters eagerly await that top-ofthe-table encounter, Sewe Sports’ desperate form remains a mystery. They were dumped out of the CAF Champions League as early as the first round, which ended up costing Gervais Rigo his job, despite the fact he had led the club to successive league titles in the previous two seasons.
Sewe Sports’ desperate form r emains a mystery. Rigo was succeeded by Mauril Mesack Njoya, who had guided the side to their first domestic crown back in 2012. Njoya went on to win two more league titles during a spell in Mauritius, but has failed to pick up where he left off since his return to Sewe Sports, having overseen just a single victory in five league games. Å
Abandoned Due to heavy rain, the game between AS Gagnoa and AS Tanda was called off after 60 minutes. T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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THE INTERVIEW
“The Germany game made my job more difficult” After 32 years as a club coach, Christian Gourcuff has taken on a national team for the first time. “The emotional freshness of the Algeria players surprised me a lot,” the Frenchman said.
Was it a dream of yours to take charge of a national team? Christian Gourcuff: I didn’t dream about it, in the sense that it wasn’t premeditated. It’s something that came about over time, but it wasn’t planned. In the evolution of a career, you need to coach a club to amass experience, which you can then draw on to perform well with a national side. That’s the order in which things need to happen. Until a few months ago, when I was still working day to day at club level, I didn’t see myself becoming an international coach.
At Lorient, you developed a style of play based on possession and flowing moves. Has it been a challenge to translate that to Algeria? It’s obviously more difficult because we have less time to work on team understanding, but that’s something I was well aware of before I took over. That’s also one of the main reasons I didn’t feel ready to lead an international team a few years ago, but now it’s a sort of challenge for me to try to have an influence on the team in a very short space of time. I’m focused on the quality of the work and the best possible use of that time. That’s what’s exciting about this job.
only able to spend time with the players during squad get-togethers.
What’s the most important message you’ve tried to pass on to your players? In general, I’ve been stressing the team ethic and the pleasure that comes from playing with each other and for each other. The pleasure of playing together depends first of all on fulfilling your duties to your colleagues. As soon as you accept that, we can all move forward. If the players aren’t open to that, anything you plan in terms of tactics will always be a little shaky.
What was it like watching Algeria at the World Cup, knowing you might be the team’s next coach? The hardest thing was to wait while being in a slightly ambiguous position. International tournaments don’t correspond with the period between seasons at a club, so it was risky to just wait. You oversee things and imagine the future while watching the team perform on the pitch. It wasn’t an easy situation to be in, but I thought the team showed a lot of solidarity and enthusiasm.
How would you define the main characteristics of the Algeria players at your disposal?
Did their Round of 16 match with eventual winners Germany make your job easier or more difficult?
On the technical side, they exude a love of playing. Lads like Yacine Brahimi and Sofiane Feghouli live and breathe football. On a human level, I’ve found that the players have a real freshness about them. I don’t want to go overboard, but their emotional freshness surprised me a lot at the start. There’s a richness in our exchanges that you don’t get at a Ligue 1 club, for example. That’s been really good for me, even if I’m
More difficult, obviously! My tactical approach was the opposite of my predecessor’s, and the team were enjoying huge media attention after that performance. I took over just before the next qualifying campaign, so I couldn’t afford to mess up. The two games against Ethiopia and Mali were massively important. It was a new start, so I had to underline the tactical choices I intended to work with, and do it with enough tact that
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there was a sense of continuity. I think it worked out, given that the qualifiers went well. Plus I had another advantage, which was also one of the reasons I committed myself to Algeria: I sensed that the players had similar sensibilities to my own. It wasn’t a guarantee of anything, but it was an additional factor that nudged me towards taking on the role.
Do you think you’ll be able to build something over the long term with Algeria? It’ll obviously depend on how the team develops. My approach hasn’t changed in terms of ambition, even if it’s true that a national side has a very short lifespan, which is less the case at club level. There are exceptions, though. I try to use Germany as a template: they made some very clear decisions in the 2000s and, at first team level, they’ve benefited from all the investment made in recent years. As a coach you don’t always get the chance to harvest the fruits of your labour. But that’s what it takes to get results with a national team, even if it’s less clear-cut than with a club. Å Christian Gourcuff was speaking to Pascal De Miramon
Name Christian Gourcuff Date and place of birth 5 April 1955, Hanvec, France Playing position Midfield Clubs as player 1972–1974 Stade Rennais 1974–1978 Berne 1978–1980 Guingamp 1980–1981 Rouen 1981–1982 La Chaux-de-Fonds 1982–1986 Lorient 1986–1989 Le Mans 1989 Montreal Supra 1989–1991 US Pont-L’Abbe Clubs as coach
Vincent Michel / Presse Sports / freshfocus
1982–1986 Lorient 1986–1989 Le Mans 1989–1991 Pont-L’Abbe 1991–2001 Lorient 2001–2002 Stade Rennais 2002–2003 Al Gharrafa Doha 2003–2014 Lorient Since 2014 Algeria national team
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First Love
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P l a c e : H o C h i M i n h C i t y, V i e t n a m Date: 30 September 2012 Time: 6.07 p.m. Photog rapher: Simon Koy
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Developing football everywhere and for all
Organising inspiring tournaments
Caring about society and the environment
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R U S S I A 2018
PRESIDENTIAL NOTE
Asia enters second World Cup qualifying phase
F
our weeks after the opening round of Asian qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the continent’s second round draw took place on 14 April 2015 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. All 40 teams, including the six qualified sides and the 34 nations given a bye, have now discovered the identity of their opponents on the road to Russia 2018. In Group F, top seeds Iraq face a considerable amount of travelling to their away qualifiers as they head to south-east Asia to play Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and Chinese Taipei. Group C pits 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar against China PR, among others, while in Group A United Arab Emirates face neighbours Saudi Arabia. Asian champions Australia meet Jordan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Bangladesh in Group B. The teams, divided into eight groups of five, will battle for places in the final qualifying round, and also for berths at the AFC Asian Cup 2019. The draw for the continent’s final qualifying phase is to be made separately from the preliminary draw for the remaining five confederations, which will take place at a ceremony in St. Petersburg on 25 July 2015. As hosts of the 2018 finals Russia are guaranteed a place at the tournament, while for the first time in the history of the World Cup the national teams of every member association were registered for preliminary qualifying. Å tfw
Kuala Lumpur The eight qualifying groups were revealed on 14 April.
Independence is our watchword
F
ootball is a wonderful game, bringing social classes and cultures together both on and off the pitch. The game maintains a permanent dialogue with political authorities and officialdom. It is a question of give and take: the national associations must obey local laws. At the same time football benefits from government support in many places. I am grateful for this. However, strict limits must be observed. Political bodies must never exploit or misuse football. Our sport must never be reduced to a plaything for the powers that be. The member associations’ political independence is clearly defined in Article 17 of the FIFA Statutes. One of the clauses says this: “Each Member shall manage its affairs independently and with no influence from third parties.” And this: “A Member’s bodies shall be either elected or appointed in that Association.” FIFA will not tolerate any compromise in this matter. What we demand for our member associations must also apply to FIFA. As the governing body for our sport we must be able to act free of outside influence and interference. This is stipulated as follows in Rule 25 of the Olympic Charter: “The statutes, practice and activities of the IFs [International Federations] within the Olympic Movement must be in conformity with the Olympic Charter, including the adoption and implementation of the World Anti-Doping Code. Subject to the foregoing, each IF maintains its independence and autonomy in the administration of its sport.” The intentions of the father of the modern Olympics and IOC founder Baron Pierre de Coubertin are more pertinent than ever: “Sports organisations within the Olympic Movement shall have the rights and obligations of autonomy, which include freely establishing and controlling the rules of sport, determining the structure and governance of their organisations, enjoying the right of elections free from any outside influence and the responsibility for ensuring that principles of good governance be applied.” This opinion is also shared by the United Nations. In a historic decision taken last November in New York, the UN passed a resolution officially confirming the independence of the international federations. This is now the basis on which we should cultivate and promote our relations with political institutions such as the UN and nongovernmental organisations (NGOs). Our guiding principle has to be respected: football belongs to everyone, which is why we must protect it.
Best wishes, Sepp Blatter T H E F I FA W E E K LY
23
NORTHERN IRELAND
A new lease of life Coach Michael O’Neill has rediscovered success.
Colm Lenaghan / Pacemaker Press, Milos Bicanski / Getty Images, Charles McQuillan / Getty Images
Built on trust Northern Ireland’s players celebrate victory.
24
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
NORTHERN IRELAND
THE EURO PROJECT After a series of disappointing defeats, the Irish Football Association opted not to sack Northern Ireland coach Michael O'Neill but to extend his contract instead. Their decision paid off, and now the Green and White Army are dreaming of their first appearance at the European Championships, writes Mark Lowdon.
I
t was widely considered the darkest night in Northern Ireland’s footballing history. They had been the victims to Luxembourg, a team comprised of students, bankers and a gym caretaker somehow seizing the minuscule nation’s maiden home victory in a World Cup qualifier in September 2013 – 41 years and 43 matches after their first attempt. That was not the only thing drowning Michael O’Neill in pressure. The former Newcastle United, Dundee United and Hibernian player had only won once in almost two years in the hot-seat, during which time Northern Ireland had plummeted to an all-time low of 129th in the world rankings. Yet just when his sacking seemed inevitable, the Irish Football Association (IFA) chose a less conventional path and presented the luckless O’Neill with a new contract instead. Heads shook in disbelief and, six winless matches later, they were still shaking as the Northern Irish entered EURO 2016 qualifying – where Greece, Hungary, Romania and Finland awaited. The team’s record at that point was eyewatering; one victory in 22 outings. The omens were not good then, as Northern Ireland began their campaign. Having finished below Azerbaijan and only one point above rock-bottom Luxembourg in their Brazil 2014 qualifying group, they were expected to do battle with Faroe Islands to avoid Group F’s wooden spoon. Now though, O’Neill’s men are firmly en route to their first major tournament since 1986.
Kyle Lafferty’s last-gasp effort snatched them a first away win in four years. The towering 27-year-old, who is on loan at Caykur Rizespor from Norwich City, then scored in back-to-back 2-0 victories: first at home to Faroe I slands and then, remarkably, in Greece. Northern Ireland’s progress was stunted when, stricken by injury, they lost 2-0 in Romania in November. What had nevertheless been a superb start to EURO qualifying, coupled with the devaluation of previous results, has rocketed the Green and White Army up the world rankings. They now sit in 42nd – above the likes of Turkey and Republic of Ireland.
Top scorer Kyle Lafferty shows where Northern Ireland are headed.
Steadily on the up Northern Ireland kicked off their campaign in Hungary and, despite being behind with ten minutes remaining,
“Michael is the best manager I have played under.” Kyle Lafferty on Michael O’Neill T H E F I FA W E E K LY
25
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NORTHERN IRELAND
Qualifying round UEFA Euro 2016 Group F
Trust has been a catalyst in Northern Ireland’s upturn. This upward momentum continued at the end of March as Northern Ireland defeated Finland 2-1 to leave them second in their group, one point behind Romania, four points clear of Hungary and a whopping eight above fourth-placed Finland. The top two qualify automatically, while the third-placed finishers are guaranteed at least a play-off.
David Maginnis / Pacemaker Press
In the footsteps of the Danish Dynamite Veteran goalkeeper Roy Carroll, defender Gareth McAuley and captain Steven Davis have all been central to that unforeseen success, but there’s no doubt to whom it is most indebted. Lafferty, who collected more red cards than goals in Brazil 2014 qualifying, got both those goals against the Finns – a fine volley preceding a canny header – to leave him trailing only England’s Danny Welbeck on EURO qualifying’s scoring chart. “Kyle has scored two fantastic goals,” said O’Neill. “He’s put a difficult time behind him. He’s playing with bags of confidence and with a smile on his face.” The man who has been named man of the match in all of Northern Ireland’s four victories returned the praise. “What Michael says inspires me and gets me up for the games,” said Lafferty of O’Neill. “I’m buzzing playing for him. He is the best manager I have played under and gets the best from me. He pulls me to one side before every game. The last campaign I let everyone down, but Michael had a word with me and it really hit home. The trust he has shown in me means a lot.” Trust, indeed, has been the catalyst in Northern Ireland’s up-
29 March 2015
1 2 3 4 5 6
Team Romania Northern Ireland Hungary Finland Faroe Islands Greece
MP 5 5 5 5 5 5
W 4 4 2 1 1 0
D 1 0 2 1 0 2
L 0 1 1 3 4 3
Pts 13 12 8 4 3 2
turn. The Danish Football Association (DBU) was under intense pressure to remove Richard Moller Nielsen from its reins in the early-1990s but resisted, and he ultimately masterminded a sensational moment in European Championship history by guiding his team to the title. The IFA’s faith in O’Neill, and his in Lafferty, could result in another fairytale. “Qualifying is realistic,” said the manager. So too, perhaps, is the possibility of eclipsing Northern Ireland’s personal best of 27th in the world rankings in the near future. Å
Confidence Fans celebrate at Belfast’s Windsor Park.
TEAM OF NORTHERN IRELAND World Cups played: EUROs played: National coach: Captain: Most-capped player: Association:
1958, 1982, 1986 None so far Michael O’Neill Steven Davis (Southampton) Pat Jennings (119 caps) Irish Football Association
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
27
C O U N T D OW N T O C A N A DA 2015: 50 DAY S T O G O
Stanley Chou / Getty Images
Exciting prospect Reaching the 2015 Women’s World Cup is a dream come true for 24-year-old Ji Soyun.
28
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
Korea Republic primed for first win Named Player of the Year in England, dubbed “one of the best midfielders in the world” by her coach and heading for the World Cup with her Korea Republic team-mates, Ji Soyun has officially arrived on the world stage. Now she wants to make footballing history in Canada.
T
he 24-year-old midfielder Ji Soyun made headlines in her adopted country when she won the FA Women’s Player’s Player of the Year award in her debut season, as her Chelsea Ladies side narrowly missed out on the FA Women’s Super League title. In doing so, she became the first Asian to claim this individual accolade. “It was an honour for me to earn that prestigious award,” she said, reflecting on her first English season, “I am aware that I am representing not only my country but also Asia, so I always strive to become a better player here.” Global impact Even before her move to England at the start of last year, Ji had made a name for herself with a series of eye-catching showings for both club and country. A product of Dongsan Info & Industry HS, she made an immediate impression in the international arena in the 2006 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, netting a brace against Chinese Taipei to become the youngest goalscorer in Korea Republic women team’s history at the age of 15 years and 282 days. “I started playing football in my early elementary school years and I often played
50 DAYS TO GO
f ootball with the boys,” she recalled, “I believe such early experiences helped with my progress.” It was at the 2010 U-20 Women’s World Cup in Germany that she truly announced her emergence as a star in the making. The lively attacker scored eight times, including a treble in the 4-0 opening rout of Switzerland as her side secured an unexpected third-place finish. Such performances saw her pick up both the adidas Silver Boot and Silver Ball awards, second only to Germany prodigy Alexandra Popp in both categories. Blessed with exceptional pace and skill, Soyun also impressed Chelsea coach Emma Hayes, who lauded her as “one of the best midfielders in the world”, though Ji was quick to confess that she is more comfortable in the role of second striker. “I can play well and show my best skills when I am played behind the centre-forward,” explained Ji, who has been dubbed “Jimessi” by Korean media and fans due to her similar playing style to the Barcelona star. World Cup hopes The Taeguk Ladies are still seeking their first victory at the tournament ahead of this, their second World Cup appearance and Ji, with 30 international goals to her name, is itching to
showcase her predatory talents. “It is my first Women’s World Cup,” she said. “I have been dreaming of playing in such a competition and of course I will give my all to help my team achieve the best results.” Qualifying for the latter stages will be a tall order for a Korea Republic side that has been drawn alongside Brazil, Spain and Costa Rica. Ji, though, believes that her year-and-a-half in England has helped prepare her for the challenge. She said: “The first test I had to pass with Chelsea was the challenges by the physically stronger European players and their aggressive style. To counter that, I have tried to quicken my judgement and pace, and that has proved effective. I believe these experiences will bolster my performance in the Women’s World Cup.” In their only previous Women’s World Cup at USA 2003, Korea Republic lost all three group matches, conceding 11 goals while scoring just once. For Ji, Canada 2015 provides her and her team-mates with an opportunity to make history. “It goes without saying that our opponents are all strong,” she said.“However, we should keep in mind that we are representing our country. We will do whatever we can to qualify for the second round.” Å Junsheng Liu
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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SPOTLIGHT ON
GENER AL INFORMATION Country: Lesotho FIFA Trigramme: LES Continent: Africa Capital: Maseru
Consistently fresh Perikles Monioudis
Mario Wagner / 2Agenten
W
hen it comes to contemporary music, there are those who claim that every melody has already been composed and, as a result, that there are absolutely no new tunes left in the world. Explained briefly, the idea behind this proposition is that from the very first note, a melody can only continue by one further interval at a time; for example, a fifth may be followed by a fourth, then a sixth, then perhaps an octave, a tone and possibly a third. When viewed from this mathematical perspective – and leaving aside other considerations such as note length, modulation, performance, etc. – theory dictates that there are only a limited number of potential melodies. Accusations of plagiarism are now a reality in the music industry, particularly when it comes to making and marketing international pop hits. Parties trudge through lengthy lawsuits disputing exactly how many consecutive notes in an original song are identical to those found in the alleged plagiarised piece. Fortunately the systems and styles used in the world of football cannot be patented, not least because such a rule would be contrary to the spirit of the game. Imagine the impact on artistic freedom if the Spanish were to copyright their tiki-taka so that no other team in the world could play that way, or if the Dutch brand of Total Football or England’s kick-andrush game – a style even they have long since abandoned – were similarly safeguarded. Can a
GEOGR APHIC INFORMATION Surface area: 30,355 km² Highest point: Thabana Ntlenyana 3482 m
particular team be credited with having abolished the use of a centre forward, and if so, has this idea been internationally protected yet? If there are really no new melodies waiting to be written and every new song contains elements of classics such as Beethoven’s Fifth, Tchaikovsky’s Sixth or Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World”, then how does this relate to football, a game similarly composed of many small individual steps? Like countless custodians before him, the goalkeeper throws the ball out to the rightback, who receives the ball and plays a short pass to the midfielder – as so many other defenders have previously done in the same situation – before the midfield maestro plays a quick one-two with the waiting striker. There is no doubt that this scenario has been played out a thousand times before – and we have not even discussed dead-ball situations yet. With all this in mind, will there come a point when we watch a match that is exactly the same as one we have witnessed before? The answer is a simple “no”, as the emotion involved in both football and music means both disciplines are continually reinventing themselves. Å
Neighbouring seas and oceans: none
MEN’S FOOTBALL FIFA Ranking: 122nd World Cup: no appearances
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL FIFA Ranking: 131st World Cup: no appearances
L ATES T RESULTS Men’s: Lesotho - Burkina Faso 0-0 15 November 2014 Women’s: Lesotho - Zimbabwe 1-5 1 November 2013
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MIRROR IMAGE
T
H
E
N
On board a flight to Colorado, USA
1986
Bob Thomas / Getty Images
Everton players Peter Reid, Gary Lineker and Trevor Steven (left to right) en route to England's World Cup camp.
32
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
MIRROR IMAGE
N
O
W
On board a flight to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2014
Ben Coonan / Getty Images
Australia internationals Ryan McGowan (left) and Mark Bresciano make good use of their time on the way to the World Cup.
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
33
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THERE WILL BE ATERS
NET ZER KNOWS!
What makes a good sporting director?
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
“As a club, collectively, we accept it wasn’t good enough. I’m talking about the people at the top, from the board down, over to the tea lady – we all take responsibility.” John Carve, Coach of Newcastle United
“In Portugal they say that you can change everything except your mum and your football club. I understand football’s power – socially, politically and culturally – but how can a footballer be in Forbes magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world? It’s absurd. By royal appointment Gunter Netzer as a strategist for Real Madrid in 1976.
We don’t save lives.” José Mourinho, Coach of Chelsea
imago
A
sporting director, or director of football, can be considered to have done a good job if he manages to put together a homogeneous group of players. He is responsible for shaping the team, and for that he needs an insight into human nature, good contacts and an in-depth knowledge of the game. The full detail of the role is somewhat more complicated, as the role of sporting director brings together a variety of responsibilities. He should be fully involved in many different aspects of a club’s life while also appreciating when to keep a low profile. For example, I don’t think it’s appropriate for him to make ostentatious appearances at the training ground during times of crisis, as that’s the domain of the head coach and his staff. At the same time, having a good relationship with the coach can make such a difference. As the sporting director is the one responsible for signing players, he should ideally be in daily contact with the man who
picks the team. There should be no misunderstandings between these two figures as they lead the team together. Last but not least, the secret to being a good sporting director is hiring the right coach in the first place, someone who is a good fit with the club. This means being able to tell at an early stage that a shrewd tactician might not be the right man for the job despite his qualities. After hanging up my boots I became the director of football at Hamburg. I had a great time, and we won three Bundesligas and a European Cup during my time in the role. Nevertheless, after eight years it was time to call it a day, as I simply couldn’t do such an energy-sapping job any longer. Å
“Real tried, they wanted me. I had intensive talks with Uli Hoeness, who was still president back then, and chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. They told me I should not go, how the club needed me, how I was as important for Bayern as Lionel Messi was for Barcelona.”
What have you always wanted to know about football? Ask Gunter Netzer: feedback-theweekly@fifa.org
Franck Ribéry, Bayern Munich T H E F I FA W E E K LY
35
FIFA PARTNER
TURNING POINT
“My initial reaction was pure anger” You either face up to circumstances or you die, says former AC Milan defender Francesco Acerbi, a cancer survivor.
Piero Martinello / fotogloria
W
hen I was diagnosed with testicular cancer for the first time, my initial reaction was one of pure anger. Over and over again I looked for reasons why it had happened but I could never find one. Then I reminded myself that it was a less aggressive form of the disease and that I could probably play football again a few weeks after the operation. That helped me take things a bit easier. When a second tumour was diagnosed I was told I needed chemotherapy. It didn’t frighten me too much because I was more curious than anything: I was curious as to what it was like and what the process would be. Then, for the umpteenth time in my life, I started fighting. It was like when I was a boy and decided to become a professional footballer and play in the Serie A just to prove to my father that I could. He had provoked me by telling me I’d never make it. The day I signed my first Serie A contract at Chievo Verona, I held it under his nose and said: “You never believed in me, now you have to take back what you said.” Nevertheless, without him I’d never have become the person I am today. I’ve always been a rebel, and that’s how I approached chemotherapy too. Either you face up to it or you die, there’s no alternative. The first couple of sessions were very difficult but the subsequent ones weren’t as bad because I’d got used to it by then. I thought about a lot of things in the hours I received treatment: my life flashed before my eyes, the mistakes I’d made and the stupid things
I’d done, the things I’d said and hadn’t said, the things I should have said. I never wasted any energy thinking I wouldn’t make it. It was my destiny to get back on the football pitch. I believe in destiny. Now I just want to enjoy every single day, give everything in training, lead a healthy life, rest, be 110 per cent fit to play on Sundays and never have any regrets. Whenever I leave the pitch I ask myself if I’ve done my best or whether I could have done any more. The answer to the latter question has to be no, and that’s always been the case this year. Å Adapted by Emanuele Giulianelli
Name Francesco Acerbi Date and place of birth 10 February 1988, Dresano, Italy Position Centre-back Clubs 2010–2011 Reggina Calcio 2011–2012 AC Chievo Verona 2012–2013 AC Milan 2013 CFC Genoa, AC Chievo Verona (loan) Since 2013 US Sassuolo Calcio
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) Switzerland (9th, up 3 ranks), Spain (10th, up 1 rank) France (11th, down 3 ranks), Italy (13th, down 3 ranks) 135 British Virgin Islands, Dominica (3 matches each) Wales (up 153 points) Bhutan (up 46 ranks) Israel (down 231 points) New Caledonia (down 23 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
Last updated: 9 April 2015 +/- Points
Rank Team
+/- Points
1 Germany
0 1687
55 Gabon
-1
583
109 Cuba
1
298
163 Bhutan
46
128
2 Argentina
0 1490
56 Mali
-5
578
110 Sudan
0
288
164 Malaysia
-11
123
3 Belgium
1 1457
57 Albania
4
575
111 Libya
120
4 Colombia
-1 1412
57 Korea Republic
-1
575
111 St Kitts and Nevis
5 Brazil
1 1354
59 Zambia
1
556
113 Namibia
6 Netherlands
-1 1301
60 South Africa
-5
553
114 Canada
7 Portugal
0 1221
61 Equatorial Guinea
-11
549
115 Azerbaijan
8 Uruguay
1 1176
62 Republic of Ireland
4
546
9 Switzerland
3 1135
63 Australia
2
10 Spain
1 1132
64 Peru
11 France
-3 1127
65 Trinidad and Tobago
12 Romania
2 1086
66 Burkina Faso
13 Italy
-3 1085
67 Bulgaria
14 England
3 1030
15 Costa Rica
-2 1014
16 Chile
-1
991
17 Croatia
2
977
1
281
165 Grenada
-7
10
281
166 Puerto Rico
-6
119
0
279
167 Hong Kong
-10
116
2
277
167 Bangladesh
-5
116
24
264
169 Suriname
-8
115
116 St Vincent and the Grenadines
3
262
170 Yemen
5
111
531
117 Kenya
1
258
171 Montserrat
1
107
-5
526
118 Dominican Republic
-11
257
172 Pakistan
-2
106
-2
519
119 Niger
-5
252
173 US Virgin Islands
24
104
2
517
120 Mauritania
-5
246
174 New Caledonia
-23
101
4
505
121 Moldova
1
245
175 Guam
-8
97
68 United Arab Emirates
1
501
122 Lesotho
-2
242
175 Swaziland
-12
97
69 Venezuela
3
495
123 Burundi
3
237
177 Dominica
4
96
70 Norway
0
491
123 Zimbabwe
1
237
178 Laos
-8
88
70 Montenegro
-3
491
125 Vietnam
5
229
179 Cambodia
2
86
18 Mexico
3
937
72 Uganda
2
485
126 Syria
26
225
179 Chinese Taipei
9
86
19 Czech Republic
-3
923
73 Uzbekistan
-1
476
127 Kuwait
-2
224
181 Nepal
-1
71
20 Slovakia
2
920
74 Rwanda
-10
474
128 Liechtenstein
-5
219
181 Mauritius
9
71
21 Algeria
-3
917
75 Jamaica
1
466
129 Bermuda
40
217
183 Brunei Darussalam
15
69
22 Wales
15
916
76 Honduras
5
451
130 Barbados
1
215
184 Turks and Caicos Islands
-8
66
23 Côte d'Ivoire
-3
907
77 Armenia
2
449
131 Guinea-Bissau
3
212
184 Macau
3
66
24 Greece
3
900
78 Finland
0
446
131 Liberia
-14
212
186 Tahiti
-22
65
25 Austria
-2
891
79 Haiti
-2
442
133 Kazakhstan
5
210
186 Comoros
-9
65
26 Ghana
-2
833
80 Togo
-5
435
134 Aruba
-6
204
186 Sri Lanka
-12
65
27 USA
5
815
81 Paraguay
-1
418
135 Afghanistan
2
203
189 Seychelles
-11
60
28 Denmark
0
808
82 China PR
29 Scotland
10
796
83 Belarus
30 Tunisia
-5
793
84 El Salvador
31 Bosnia and Herzegovina
-1
783
85 Latvia
1
408
136 St Lucia
-4
202
190 São Tomé e Príncipe
-11
58
15
397
137 Luxembourg
-1
200
191 Cayman Islands
14
48
5
388
138 Georgia
-12
197
192 Solomon Islands
-8
46
10
387
139 Philippines
-11
193
193 South Sudan
-5
43
32 Russia
1
781
86 Mozambique
0
385
140 Palestine
0
192
194 San Marino
-13
40
33 Ukraine
-2
772
86 Iraq
11
385
141 Maldives
-8
191
195 Vanuatu
-4
34
34 Ecuador
-5
759
88 Sierra Leone
-1
382
142 Thailand
0
183
196 Fiji
-4
30
35 Poland
-1
753
89 Angola
-5
381
143 Tajikistan
-2
175
196 Samoa
-4
30
36 Senegal
0
752
90 Guatemala
-8
372
144 Central African Republic
-1
163
198 Bahamas
-4
26
37 Cape Verde Islands
1
737
91 Morocco
-2
371
144 Lebanon
2
163
198 British Virgin Islands
3
26
38 Iceland
-3
728
92 Bolivia
0
360
144 New Zealand
-10
163
200 Mongolia
-5
19
39 Sweden
6
704
93 Estonia
-6
358
147 India
26
161
201 Tonga
-5
17
40 Iran
2
689
94 Benin
-2
357
148 Curaçao
11
159
202 Papua New Guinea
-3
13
41 Guinea
3
678
95 Saudi Arabia
4
349
149 Malta
-4
158
203 American Samoa
-3
12
42 Northern Ireland
1
672
96 Cyprus
-11
342
150 Madagascar
-3
156
204 Andorra
-3
8
43 Hungary
3
665
97 Oman
-1
341
151 Chad
-3
155
204 Eritrea
-3
8
44 Serbia
-4
664
97 Malawi
-6
341
152 Timor-Leste
33
151
206 Somalia
-2
6
45 Nigeria
-4
652
99 Qatar
10
337
153 Kyrgyzstan
-3
146
207 Djibouti
-1
4
-20
649
100 Lithuania
-6
333
154 Nicaragua
31
142
207 Cook Islands
-1
4
47 Slovenia
1
648
101 Ethiopia
1
321
155 Guyana
11
139
209 Anguilla
-1
2
48 Cameroon
1
627
102 Faroe Islands
3
318
156 Gambia
12
138
46 Israel
49 Congo
3
624
103 Jordan
-2
316
157 Korea DPR
-8
137
50 Japan
3
614
104 Botswana
2
314
158 Myanmar
-5
133
51 Egypt
7
612
105 FYR Macedonia
3
312
159 Turkmenistan
-15
131
52 Turkey
4
603
106 Antigua and Barbuda
-4
311
159 Indonesia
-3
131
53 Panama
8
587
107 Tanzania
-7
302
159 Belize
5
131
54 Congo DR
-7
584
108 Bahrain
-4
299
162 Singapore
-9
130
38
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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PUZZLE
Published weekly by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)
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39
R E S U LT S O F PR E V I O U S P O L L
T HIS WEEK’S POLL
Which team surprised you most in the recent international friendlies?
Which seeded team in Asia was drawn into the toughest group for Russia 2018 qualifying?
36+31+16764 7%
6%
4%
· United Arab Emirates · Australia · Iraq · Japan · Iran · China PR · Uzbekistan · Korea Republic
36%
16%
Cast your votes at: FIFA.com/newscentre
Source: Fifa.com
31%
≠ Cape Verde ≠ Australia ≠ Other ≠ Panama ≠ Qatar ≠ Slovakia
11 41 WEEK IN NUMBERS
years and 21 days was the age at which Frode Johnsen scored to help injury-stricken Odd stun defending champions Molde in their Tippeligaen curtain-raiser. The former Norway striker had been playing in defence in the Skien club's warm-up matches.
seconds is the astonishing time Hector Bellerin set to break Theo Walcott’s Arsenal record for the 40 metres – faster than Usain Bolt managed at the same distance during his world record-breaking 100-metre run in 2009.
hours and 33 minutes is how long Atletico Madrid have gone without conceding a goal at home in the UEFA Champions League. Diego Simeone's men have kept consecutive clean sheets ever since Kaka netted in AC Milan’s 4-1 defeat at the Vicente Calderon in last season’s Round of 16. (Pictured: Antoine Griezmann (No. 7), Diego Simeone)
Getty Images (2), imago
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