The FIFA Weekly Issue #28

ISSUE 28, 2 MAY 2014

ENGLISH EDITION

Fédération Internationale de Football Association – Since 1904

BRAZIL THE TRAUMA OF 1950 HODGSON A CLEAR VISION FOR ENGLAND BLATTER FAIR PLAY MEANS MORE GOALS

The Uruguayans World Cup legend Alcides Ghiggia

W W W.FIFA.COM/ THEWEEKLY

CONTENTS

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North and Central America 35 members www.concacaf.com

U ruguay Ordinarily, countries with 3.3 million inhabitants play a minor role in world football, but Uruguay is no ordinary footballing nation. The two-time world champions have trained a succession of world-class players and defeated a string of world football’s strongest teams. 64 years after their World Cup triumph in Brazil in 1950, we search for the clues to their success.

South America 10 members www.conmebol.com

Mexico Wizards and witchcraft: We examine the influence of supernatural powers on fans and matches in Mexico's Primera Division.

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S epp Blatter Despite several rule changes in the past 25 years, the number of goals per game is steadily declining. According to the FIFA President, “there is a magic formula for making football more spectacular, and it is both simple and complex: fair play.”

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G unter Netzer The former midfield maestro does not understand the constant criticism levelled at international friendlies. “These meetings are vitally important for national sides, and it’s high time the clubs accepted that too.”

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1950 World Cup Final The Jules Rimet Trophy was ready and waiting for Brazil when Uruguay’s Ghiggia scored to give his side a 2-1 win.

World Cup 2014: Groups A-C

The Uruguayan A 23-year-old Alcides Ghiggia poses in his football kit in an image captured by Bob Thomas in 1950. That same year, Ghiggia scored the legendary World Cup winning goal in the Final in Rio.

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Group B

Group C

Brazil

Spain

Colombia

Croatia

Netherlands

Greece

Mexico

Chile

Côte d’Ivoire

Cameroon

Australia

Japan

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Cover: Albert Gea / Reuters

Group A

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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Nam Taehee The “Korean Messi” travelled to Europe to pursue a career in football at the age of 16. Now the Lekhwiya striker wants to fulfil his World Cup dreams.

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Roy Hodgson England's national coach wants his team to draw on the excitement in his home country.

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Escape from East Germany Falko Gotz recounts his decision not to return to his homeland after an away match in Belgrade in 1983.

World Cup 2014: Groups D-H

Inhalt: Getty Images (4)

Group D

Group E

Group F

Group G

Group H

Uruguay

Switzerland

Argentina

Germany

Belgium

Costa Rica

Ecuador

Bosnia-Herzegovina

Por tugal

Algeria

England

France

Iran

Ghana

Russia

Italy

Honduras

Nigeria

USA

Korea Republic

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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

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The fascination of Uruguay

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Andres Stapff / Reuters

here are many reasons to visit Uruguay: the architecture, the climate and the people, to name just three. And then there are childhood dreams, which refuse to follow logic. Sven Goldmann, who penned our cover story on Uruguayan football, wrote in an email to the editorial team: “I fell in love with Uruguay when I was a boy. I thought the name of the place was fascinating and imagined all sorts of things about the place. Of course, I had to see it for myself later in life.”

After several visits, the result is an in-depth report full of incredible images that asks the key question: How does a small country with just 200,000 footballers manage to play such a dominant role in world football? The main article ends with the tale of a young winger who sealed Uruguay’s second World Cup triumph with his

goal in the 1950 Final. His name is Alcides Ghiggia and he features on the cover of this issue.

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years after that goal, Ghiggia is the only surviving member of the team that lifted the 1950 World Cup in Brazil. He is now 87 years old. Our two-page history feature documents how his winning goal plunged an entire nation into a state of shock. After all, on 16 July 1950 the whole of Rio de Janeiro was ready to celebrate Brazil being crowned world champions, only for things to work out differently.

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n contrast, Falko Gotz’s escape went exactly to plan. While in Belgrade for an away match in 1983, the former East Germany attacking midfielder decided never to return to his homeland. Climbing into a taxi marked a turning

point in the life of the German, who later won the UEFA Cup with Leverkusen, and his story makes for a fascinating read.

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isciplined team organisation and greater physical strength has reduced the number of goals scored in matches in recent years, but Sepp Blatter does not believe the rules should be changed as a result. “Instead, constructive play should be protected,” says the FIFA President in this week’s column. “The players are also responsible for this, as fair play makes the game more watchable.” Å Alan Schweingruber

Montevideo, June 2010 A family celebrates Uruguay’s passage into the quarter-finals of the World Cup in far-flung South Africa in their own unique way.

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Natacha Pisarenko / Keystone / AP

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Symphony in sky blue Time and time again, Uruguay surprise the world with their remarkable football and gifted footballers. What makes this tiny nation so special?

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Sven Goldmann

he sky blue shirts of Uruguay shine as brightly as the skies above Brazil surely will when the World Cup gets underway in six weeks' time. At first glance, the four stars emblazoned above the Uruguay crest appear strange; after all, the country only won the Copa Mundial in 1930 and 1950, back when the trophy was named in honour of former FIFA President Jules Rimet. Current Uruguay coach Oscar Washington Tabarez is used to fielding questions about the apparent excess of stars on his team’s jersey, but is always glad to provide an answer. “At home, we also count our two Olympic titles from 1924 and 1928,” the man known as El Maestro explained. He then gave a short lecture about the years preceding the first official World Cup – an era when the Olympic Games acted as a de facto world championship and Uruguay came from nowhere to upset an established footballing order previously dominated

by European teams.

Oscar Washington Tabarez has spent the past eight years in charge of La Celeste – the nickname the team were given because of the colour of their shirts. Tabarez previously took the helm in 1988 and masterminded Uruguay’s qualification for the 1990 World Cup in Italy,

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where they exited in the Round of 16. Disappointed with the elimination, he dedicated himself to club coaching, even enjoying a short spell in charge of AC Milan. However, after a shock play-off defeat by Australia denied his compatriots a place at the 2006 World Cup, Tabarez allowed himself to be talked into a second stint as national coach. Many credit him with a minor miracle at South Africa 2010, where he guided Uruguay to fourth place with only the Netherlands barring their way to the Final.

El Maestro relished the achievement in his usual understated way, but immediately vowed to try and repeat the feat this year. Some would say he has an even better squad at his disposal this time around, including exceptionally talented individuals such as Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez, two of the world’s most sought-after players who could form the best strike partnership in Brazil.

The great World Cup triumph of 1950 Coach Tabarez celebrated his 67th birthday a few weeks ago, making him just three years old when La Celeste last held football’s greatest trophy aloft. Back then, in the first World Cup to be played on Brazilian soil, there was no Final but instead a final round of four teams. Brazil only needed a draw in their last match but the diminutive Alcides Ghiggia

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scored the decisive goal for Uruguay in a 2-1 victory that sent the hosts into national mourning – the memories of which still linger today. The Brazilians even gave this most enduring of all defeats its own word, the Maracanazo, a legacy that baffles the Uruguayans.

Tabarez himself believes living in the past like this achieves nothing, and although everyone in his country remains proud of their history, such pride alone does not score goals or win matches. Having been only three years old in 1950, he cannot remember his parents raving about the miraculous achievements of Alcides Ghiggia, Juan Schiaffino and Obdulio Varela, no matter how hard he tries.

A man for the big occasion Oscar Tabarez has been coaching Uruguay for eight years and masterminded their vital World Cup qualifying win over Argentina in October 2013

Alto Rendimento: Uruguay's secret weapon Nevertheless, Uruguay have taken great pleasure in frustrating their bigger neighbours over the years. At the Copa America three years ago, they were responsible for hosts Argentina’s quarter-final exit in Santa Fe, spelling the end of hapless coach Sergio Batista’s reign. Uruguay then completed a straightforward 3-0 victory over Paraguay in the final, qualifying for the Confederations Cup in Brazil in the process. At last summer’s World Cup dress rehearsal, they put up the most resilient defence of any team against the mighty Seleção before finally succumbing 2-1 after a late goal. “Compliments to

The miracle of South Africa Uruguay beat Ghana at the 2010 World Cup (seen here before extra-time) to reach the semifinal.

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Uruguay, that was a very tough match for us,” said Luiz Felipe Scolari after the game. Anyone who knows the Brazil’s coach’s admiration for hard work will realise what high praise that was.

And so, with the World Cup fast approaching, the world of football is again casting envious glances at the team in sky blue. How do they do it? How does a tiny nation with 200,000 footballers in just 1,000 clubs manage to play such a dominant role in the global game? Anyone seeking answers to that question should make their way to the Centro de Alto Rendimento, the training centre of the Uruguay Football Association. Its five football pitches and accompanying facilities are situated only a few minutes’ drive from Montevideo’s Carrasco International Airport.

Getty Images (3)

Early, concentrated youth development keeps little Uruguay competitive at the highest level.

U RU G UAY

Fotogloria (2), Getty Images

The Association has certainly known more peaceful times than this. Just a few weeks ago, the entire board resigned after a major row with the country’s president, Jose Mujica, over his refusal to continue paying for police to deal with Uruguay’s football hooligans. Despite this, it is business as usual at the facility, where La Celeste will make their final preparations for the World Cup in Brazil. Suarez, Cavani and Forlan all progressed through the national team’s ranks at the Alto Rendimento, but only occasionally return here since making a name for themselves in Europe’s biggest leagues. In contrast, Tabarez is here almost every week and involved in the centre’s day-to-day business. In what other established footballing nation does the first team’s head coach observe the passing drills of the country’s most promising 15 and 16-year-olds in person?

As Uruguay does not have many footballers, spotting the few truly gifted players in the country and training them as well as possible is crucial. In this respect, the country - sandwiched between Brazil and Argentina - uses its diminutive size to its advantage, particularly as all the best teams play in the same city. Fourteen of the 16 clubs in Uruguay’s Primera Division hail from the capital, Montevideo, and many of the country’s promising young players are developed there. The clubs and national football association have agreed that it is in their mutual interest to send the clubs’ brightest talent to the Centro de Alto Rendimento three times a week.

Sparking interest abroad It is here that the foundations for Uruguay’s future are laid. The national players travelling to Brazil in June have known each other since their earliest youth team days, even though they all grew up in different clubs. Although this early, concentrated youth development is what keeps little Uruguay competitive at the highest level, it comes at a price – stirring the curiosity of competitors overseas. Even at this stage in their development, Uruguayan youth coaches have to let their players travel halfway across the world to international tournaments.

Six of the U-20 side that reached last summer’s World Cup final and lost to France have since been signed up by clubs in Europe. Among them is Nicolas Lopez, the star striker of the last Copa America and one of Uruguay’s great hopes for the future, who currently plies his trade for Udinese in Italy’s Serie A. As a footballing nation, Uruguay has long accepted that its most famous representatives are destined to be scattered across the globe.

“We don’t see each other often, but it’s always great fun when we do,” said Diego Forlan. The

87 years old Uruguayan Alcides Ghiggia is the last surviving player from the 1950 World Cup-winning team.

The centre image depicts his legendary winning goal in his side's 2-1 win over Brazil.

A World Cup winning side Uruguay pose for a picture before the Final in Rio on 16 July 1950.

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2010 World Cup hero travelled alone from Japan to a friendly match in Austria a couple of weeks ago.

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Ghiggia, hero of the Maracana Andrade was the first global footballing icon – and he was black. For many so-called enlightened Europeans, the idea of a black footballer playing at all was a travesty.

Thanks to football, Uruguay made a name for itself as a modern, open-minded nation but also had to face the arrogance of the Old World. In 1930, the country hosted the first World Cup in celebration of 100 years of independence, but only four European teams thought it worth the trouble of making the long journey to the Rio de la Plata.

Football nations such as Germany, Italy and England boycotted the inaugural World Cup, despite Uruguay building what was then the biggest stadium in the world especially for the occasion.

Enrique Marcarian/Reuters (3)

Joy unconfined Heartwarming scenes of elation, such as these between Uruguay's Forlan and Suarez, are part of what makes a World Cup unforgettable.

Inventing the one-two pass Hardly any Uruguayan professional footballer stays in his homeland any longer than necessary. This makes the domestic league less than competitive. Montevideo’s leading clubs, Nacional and Penarol, may have dominated the championship for decades, but it has been many years since they graced the world’s biggest club tournaments. Penarol defeated Eusebio’s Benfica in the final of the Club World Cup (then the Intercontinental Cup) back in 1961, and repeated the feat against Gento’s Real Madrid five years later, while Tabarez himself won the Copa Libertadores in 1987, also with Penarol.

This tiny nation, sandwiched between Argentina and Brazil, owes its place on the world stage to the quality of its football. “At the World Cup in South Africa, we were the reason many people heard of Uruguay for the first time,” Tabarez revealed.

Little has changed since their initial rise to prominence. When the Uruguayans captivated the world with their technically adept play at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris, crowds were amazed to see the first examples of one-two passing, combination play between more than three players, and the dribbling wizardry of Jose Leando Andrade, who also appeared as a dancer and singer during the Paris Games with a band called “The Poor Cuban Negro”. French writer Henry de Montherlant raved about this sporting revelation: “Here we have real football. Compared with this, what we knew before, what we played, was nothing more than a schoolboy’s hobby.”

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To this day, the Estadio Centenario in Parque Batlle remains a monument to a fondly remembered chapter in the nation’s history, not least because of Uruguay’s 4-2 win over Argentina in the first ever World Cup Final. Although it can no longer hold the 100,000 spectators it once did, the ghosts of the past still dwell among its steps. The stands and terraces bear the names Olimpica, Colombes, America and Amsterdam – memorials to the sites of La Celeste’s greatest victories.

Uruguay remained undefeated at the World Cup for 20 years thanks to their refusal to travel to the 1934 and 1938 tournaments in Italy and France, still affronted by Europe’s snub to the inaugural World Cup competition in their homeland. When they returned to the competition in 1950, they rounded off a successful campaign with the legendary 2-1 victory over hosts Brazil in front of 200,000 fans. Alcides Ghiggia, scorer of the winning goal, later sealed his place in history with this wonderful remark: “Only three people have ever silenced 200,000 at

Uruguay national football team

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etween 1924 and 1930, the Uruguayan national football team won five major titles in six years: the Olympic football tournaments in Paris and Amsterdam, the first World Cup in 1930 and the Copa America in 1924 and 1926.

In 1950, this small country (with 3.3 million inhabitants today) celebrated their second World Cup win with a now-legendary victory over mighty Brazil.

Uruguay have participated in 11 of the 19 World Cups and most recently finished fourth at the 2010 World Cup under the guidance of Oscar Tabarez.

“At the World Cup in South Africa, we were the reason many people heard of Uruguay for the first time.” Oscar Washington Tabarez

SZ Photo/Spaarnestad,Getty Images (2)

the Maracana with a single gesture: Frank Sinatra, Pope John Paul II and me.”

Alcides Ghiggia is now 87 years old and the only surviving player from Uruguay’s 1950 World Cup triumph. If his health allows, he will travel to this summer’s World Cup in Brazil as an invited guest of FIFA to watch the Final on 13 July 2014 at the Maracana, the place he stunned into silence 64 years earlier. Å

The king of the dribble Uruguay's Jose Leandro Andrade enchanted crowds at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris and at his home World Cup in 1930.

1928 Olympics Andrade, who also regularly performed as a singer and dancer, assumes the role of barman in an Amsterdam pub (image below), while his team-mates enjoy a break.

For more on the 1930 World Cup in Uruguay, see page 30 T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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Tactical discipline and magic moments The elegance of the past has given way to modern, expedient pragmatism in Uruguay’s national team today.

Sven Goldmann

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t the start of the third millennium the playing style favoured by Uruguay’s Celeste has almost nothing in common with the flamboyance usually associated with South American football. The critics had a field day in South Africa four years ago, claiming Uruguay had fundamentally bypassed any form of constructive midfield activity: the bus was parked at the back while Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez worked their magic at the other end.

Undeniably, Uruguay’s strength is drawn from their ability to combine cast-iron tactical discipline with individual quality. Forlan is about to turn 35 though, and has been playing in Japan for a couple of months now.

As a result, he is no longer first choice for the national team, but on the plus side Edinson Cavani is enjoying an outstanding season alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic at Paris St. Germain, and Luis Suarez has shifted up to an even higher level with Liverpool. “He’s the best player in the world at the moment,” Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard recently

enthused. The Football Supporters Federation voted the temperamental and impetuous Suarez its Premier League Player of the Year 2013 despite a string of red cards and a racial abuse incident involving Manchester United’s France star Patrice Evra. State president José Mujica personally intervened to defend the striker, but it has still not been entirely forgotten.

Suarez scored 11 times in South American World Cup qualifying, one more than Lionel Messi of Argentina. Without those goals it would have been a close-run thing for Uruguay, who contrived to make a drama out of qualifying as always. After a patchy campaign they clawed their way to fifth place thanks to a late spurt, earning a play-off double-header against Jordan.

The return match demonstrated the depth of support and level of expectation across the country. The tie was fundamentally done and dusted after a 5–0 victory in Jordanian capital Amann, but a 55,000 crowd at the Centenario in Montevideo wildly celebrated a goalless stalemate - absolutely the right result on the day.Å Corbis

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U RU G UAY

The deadly core Alongside the young Bel-

gians, Uruguay are regarded as a good outside bet in Brazil. But can we really speak of dark horses when a team boasts arguably the best forward line at the World Cup? Strikers Luis Suarez of Liverpool and PSG’s Edinson Cavani are among the most potent scorers in the global game and form the core of the Uruguay national team.

Crowd hero Diego Forlan is no longer a regular for the Celeste, but is very likely to receive playing time at his third World Cup. T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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Brazil bonus for the blind In Brazil, volunteers will provide commentary of the matches for blind and partially-sighted fans – a project that will continue long after the tournament.

Alexandre Cossenza

Getty Images

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or partially-sighted and blind fans to enjoy the full experience at a football stadium, they need to understand what is happening on the pitch and all around the ground,” Joyce Cook, Managing Director of the Centre for Access to Football in Europe (CAFE), said at a training session for this innovative project which is being implemented in Brazil at the World Cup. Aimed at enhancing the experience of attending matches for partially-sighted and blind fans, a pioneering audio match commentary service will be provided in four stadiums. On Wednesday, in Rio de Janeiro’s famous Estadio Maracana, a training seminar was held for volunteer commentators. The commentary will be similar to radio commentary, only with a greater emphasis on describing the atmosphere all around the stadium. The specially trained commentators will provide additional information about all the significant visual details inside the venue, setting the scene by depicting the body language and the facial expressions of the main protagonists in words, as well as the team movements, kit descriptions, the colours on view, and any other relevant aspect to fully transmit the spectacle and the atmosphere in the stadium.

“The commentary relates how the fans are reacting, the banter, the referee’s running style, and so on. These are aspects that nobody considers important, because you watch them naturally,” said Anderson Dias, chairman of Urece Esporte e Cultura para Cegos, an NGO partner of FIFA which works on special projects for partially-sighted and blind fans.

The commentary will be provided in Portuguese in four stadiums at the World Cup: Belo Horizonte (Estadio Mineirao), Brasilia (Estadio Nacional), Rio de Janeiro (Estadio do Maracana) and Sao Paulo (Arena de Sao Paulo). There will be two commentators per game, and their commentary will be broadcast on a radio frequency captured by specially provided individual headphones. Partially-sighted and blind fans can sit and listen anywhere in the stadium.

A project for the future Just as important as the innovative aspect of the project in Brazil is the legacy it will leave.

After the showpiece event, the commentary equipment installed in each stadium will be donated to local organisations that want to build on the project. “The best part of this project is the human legacy we are creating. These volunteers are learning skills regarding how to describe events to the partially-sighted and blind fans,” said Paula Gabriela Freitas, leader of the FIFA Sustainability Team in Brazil.

“They are Brazilians who will be staying in the country and who can afterwards provide this service not only at football matches or sports events, but also at other kinds of cultural events.”

Joyce Cook seconds this idea and sets ambitious goals for Brazil. “The ideal is to furnish all the stadia and sports venues in Brazil with this service, to make it commonplace. Partiallysighted and blind fans could then go to sports events like any other spectator, listen to the commentary and have the complete experience.”

At least 12% of the global population is partially sighted. More than 840 million people have this disability, of which 285 million are either blind or have low vision. In Brazil, very few venues currently provide services for the partially-sighted and blind fans who go to live events, such as football matches. Å

Total sensory perception At the 2014 World Cup volunteers will provide match commentary specially for the visually impaired.

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Albanian dancing KF Skenderbeu players celebrate winning the title in 2013.

The grass is always greener Nicola Berger writes about Albanian football.

Albania is a footballing stronghold. Of sorts. In the cafes of the capital city of Tirana you will find people happy to debate the disappearance of the Trequartista until your heart is content and, of course, have a flutter on any and every game around the world. Football is king in this corner of the Balkans, and has long been one of its greatest exports. When national team heroes such as Lorik Cana (30, S.S. Lazio) are in action, the country is glued to the television. Yet despite the enthusiasm with which Albanians follow the world’s big leagues, when it comes to their own top division, the Kategoria Superiore, people are far more indifferent. No team attracts an average of more than 4,000 fans and only two – Flamurtari and champions KF 16

Skenderbeu – play regularly in front of more than 3,000.

The problems in Albanian football are manifold – and, in part, self-inflicted. Only 11 teams instead of 12 have been permitted to contest the national championship this year, since KS Bylis Balsh’s president Besnik Kapllanaj beat a football association delegate with a club following a goalless draw with KF Laci, resulting in the club’s expulsion from the league in mid-March, as well as a lifetime ban for the man himself.

There is potential to be tapped in Albanian football, however, believes 57-year-old Italian Gianni de Blasi. “Albanian football has come on leaps and bounds in the last few years and we’re on a very encouraging path right now,” says the former Udinese and Levante coach, now in charge of the Albanian national team, a post he has held for three years. “The groundwork has been laid and in terms of tactics, the players are now educated to an excellent standard.”

The Kategoria Superiore is unlikely to profit from this, however. Players who have the T H E F I FA W E E K LY

opportunity to do so move abroad early on in their careers, where wages are higher and the infrastructure better, and in the emerging national team, as has indeed long been the case, players who stay in Albania are becoming even more of a rarity.

Even the champions Skenderbeu have just two representatives in the national team in defender Renato Arapi and Orges Shehi, Albania’s back-up goalkeeper. The success of the team simply does not capture people’s hearts and minds in anything like the fashion of the eponymous 15th-century prince and freedom fighter Gjergj Kastrioti Skenderbeu, after whom the club is named.

They sealed their third title in a row last Wednesday thanks to a 3-3 draw with Kukesi. The question is, though, how many people in Albania noticed? Å

LSA / Jurgen Dino

Albania Kategoria Superiore

Mexican First Division

Double, double toil and trouble Jordi Punti is a novelist and the author of many football features in the Spanish media.

Mexico is a country of superstitions, witchcraft and supernatural beliefs, and football usually offers as good a scenario as any in which to put them into practice. One of the country’s best known sorcerers is Antonio Vazquez Alba, El Brujo Mayor (The Great Wizard), a man with a long white beard who is sometimes invited before Mexico games to take up position in the centre circle at the Estadio Azteca and clear the pitch of negative energy, the idea being to give the national team good luck. Ahead of the intercontinental play-off for Brazil 2014, El Brujo Mayor performed a ritual in which he “decreed” a Mexico win over New Zealand, whose players, he said, “wear tattoos and magic symbols that give them strength and power against their enemies”. The charms he used

in the ceremony included the hide of a coyote, a sphinx with 100 hands and an old ball with magnetic properties.

another league championship until Leon had returned to the top flight and won the title they had been denied 1997.

Over the years many a superstition and evil eye has affected players, fans and stadiums in Mexico and even shaped the course of some longstanding rivalries. A case in point is provided by the 1997 Torneo Invierno play-off final between Cruz Azul and Club Leon, which went into extra-time after the two sides had drawn 1-1 on aggregate over two legs. During those extra 30 minutes Leon keeper Angel Comizzo committed a wild challenge on Cruz striker Carlos Hermosillo and gave away a penalty. The front man duly picked himself up to score the golden goal from the spot and give Los Cementeros the title. It had been a terrible final, with neither side doing much to make it a spectacle. The following year there began to circulate rumours that the two teams had both been cursed for their parts in it, with both suffering prolonged slumps in form. Club Leon’s extended lean spell would eventually see them suffer relegation to the second division in summer of 2002, prompting their fans to put a hex on Cruz Azul: namely that they would not win

Supporters are superstitious beasts and will cling on to any belief in a bid to retain faith in their team. Yet there was not much Cruz Azul fans could do against this curse, one that condemned them to defeat in every one of the next five league play-off finals they reached. In the meantime, Club Leon had to wait fully ten years before making their return to the Mexican first division in the 2012 Apertura. It proved to be an impressive one too, as they finished third in their first season back.

Aiming for the double Cruz Azul and Mariano Pavone (left) face Club Leon (Rafael Marquez pictured here) in the play-offs.

Coached by Gustavo Matosas and inspired by the veteran Rafael Marquez in the centre of defence, La Fiera then topped that achievement by winning the 2013 Apertura, comfortably disposing of America in the final. In doing so they broke the first part of the 1997 curse, the second part of which could now be about to crumble as well, with Cruz Azul having just topped the 2014 Clausura regular season standings and positioning themselves as one of the favourites for the title. With Luis Fernando Tena at the helm, the Mexico City outfit have just enjoyed one of their best ever seasons thanks to their combative style and collective will, qualities that also helped them get the better of Toluca in last week’s CONCACAF Champions League final and book their place at the FIFA Club World Cup Morocco 2014. The last time the club won the continental title was in – yes, you’ve guessed it – 1997, when Tena just happened to be in charge too.

Victor Straffon / A FP

As they celebrated that long-awaited success, the Cruz Azul players sent a message to the fans, telling them: “We’re going for the double now”. As fate would have it, however, their opponents in the upcoming quarter-finals of the league play-offs are none other than Club Leon. The wizards are busy preparing their potions already. Å

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Name Roy Hodgson Date and place of birth 9 August 1947, Croydon, England Coaching career highlights Jonne Roriz / Getty Images

Malmo, Switzerland, Inter Milan, Blackburn Rovers, Copenhagen, Udinese, Finland, Liverpool, England (since 2012) Major honours Swedish championship (4) and cup (2), Danish championship

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THE INTERVIEW

“I’m excited” How will England deal with the unfamiliar role of underdogs this summer?

“The mood in the country is very good and there’s a lot of enthusiasm,” national coach Roy Hodgson told The FIFA Weekly. “We think we can feed off that energy.”

Roy Hodgson, what’s the first World Cup you remember?

Roy Hodgson: ’58 would be the first one, but mainly because of my time in Sweden when I sort of got reacquainted with it.

Unfortunately I didn’t see much of the actual tournament. I’m not even certain we had a television set in 1958. I was 11 and mad about football. But I learned a lot about the ’58 World Cup in Sweden and in particular I became close friends with Orvar Bergmark, who for many years was the most-capped player in the world with his 92 caps. And of course, I met a lot of fellow coaches who played in 1958 – Bengt Gustavsson and Agne Simonsson for example. The ’62 World Cup I don’t remember well. The ’66 one I of course remember very, very well.

What are your memories of the tournament?

Did you go to any of the games?

No. To be fair aside from the games that were played at Wembley, a lot of the games were played around the country at that time.

I was never in a position to get a ticket to be perfectly honest, so I watched the games on the TV. I remember the England games quite well with the various big moments and controversies.

Which teams or matches have stuck in the memory, particularly in recent times?

I don’t know if I see matches as a fan any more, because I see so many games in relation to my work. I might see a fantastic game and I might watch it and enjoy it but I don’t retain much. I remember the ’94 games very well because I was involved as Switzerland coach.

Our games against USA and then Romania were both in an indoor dome where they rolled the grass in, which was quite revolutionary at the time. I thought the worst in terms of heat and humidity was the Silverdome in Detroit.

What do you think will make the World Cup in Brazil so special?

I think we associate Brazil with World Cups and football because it’s such a football-crazy country where the people basically

live for the game. We’re all used to seeing the Copacabana and beaches filled with people playing on the sand. But it’s not just that, it’s all of the Brazilian players who have travelled all over the world. And then there’s the amazing variety: the colour, the Samba dancing, the carnivals, the people, the incredibly diverse ethnicity of the place.

long time. Certainly over the last couple of weeks I’ve become pretty much sure of what I want to do when it comes to the team. But when you say ’nervous’ you’re asking me about injuries of course. Obviously you can hope these things don’t happen, but there’s no point being nervous or worried because it’s totally outside of your control.

The six World Cups played in Mexico or South America were all won by South American teams. Do you think that’s just a coincidence or are there other factors at work?

Sir Alex Ferguson always said ’Experience is the key component.’ How valuable is the experience you and your staff possess?

Let’s be fair, being at home is a great advantage to anyone. Think of France in 1998, and Germany in 2006. They exceeded everyone’s expectations. But I think those advantages and disadvantages will even out more and more. The European teams are getting stronger and more adept at playing in different conditions. South American teams are exporting all their players to Europe, so there’s a certain European-ness about even the South American teams these days.

How do you feel at the moment as two years of preparations with England come to a climax?

We’re very excited in the right way. We bear quite a large responsibility, but I think the mood in the country is very good. There’s a lot of support for us, and a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of hope going into it. We find it exciting and positive. We think we can feed off that energy, and at this particular moment in time, I think we’re in a good position. We’ll be as well prepared as we can be. At the moment it’s all talk and you can say what you like. You can talk down your chances. You can play mind games. You can talk up your chances. It’ll boil down to when you step over the white chalk line and onto the patch of green. When all the talking stops and the playing begins, how well do you play? The fact is we’ve got three games, but we’d like to have a lot more.

I think experience on the managerial front is good because it helps you keep the right sense of perspective. It stops you getting too carried away with a good result or too blown away by a bad result. If the players retain their passion, energy and enthusiasm it can only a be positive if you can add experience to that. There’s nothing negative you can say. Sometimes experience could be regarded as less valuable if it means that person has developed a sense of cynicism or scepticism or has lost a bit of passion. I think you have to work on the basis that if you’re going to do this job to any reasonable level, you need qualities like energy, enthusiasm, leadership skills, the ability to motivate players, the ability to put yourself in other people’s shoes, et cetera. You might have these qualities in spades early doors. Jose Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson both won things in their early years. Getting the balance right is everything in football.Å Roy Hodgson was talking to Martin O’Boyle

With four games left in the English Premier League, how are you feeling? Are you nervous?

No, not at all. I’ve had a very clear idea of what I want to do with this squad for a long, T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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First Love

Place: Finima, Bonny Island, Nigeria D a t e : 5  J u n e 2 0 0 6 Time: 2.32 pm

Ed Kashi / VII

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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T HE DEBAT E

Surrounded No way through for Andres Iniesta (m.) against a compact Italian defence.

While diverse rule changes over the last 25 years have benefited attacking football, the number of goals being scored is ­decreasing. Regulations can only do so much against defensive organisation and improving physical fitness.

Thomas Renggli

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arl Rappan would likely have scoffed at the school of thought that claims ’attack is the best form of defence’ and that ’winning is all about scoring one more than your opponent’. The Austrian coach, who worked primarily in Switzerland, was a fierce proponent of a contrasting philosophy, namely that ’if you don’t concede, you can’t lose’. To that end he developed the ’bolt’ strategy in the 1930s and while he never led Switzerland to World Cup glory using that style, it did subsequently shape the way the game was played for generations to come. Argentinian coach Helenio Herrera adapted and perfected the defensive approach while in charge of Inter Milan, sparking a footballing revolution known as Catenaccio. Under Herrera’s reign in the 1960s, Inter won the Italian 22

championship three times, the European Cup twice and the Intercontinental Cup once.

It signalled the end of tactical experimentation and free-flowing attacking play, with the American football maxim of ’offence wins games – defence wins championships’ taking root in European football too. Up until 1990 the number of goals being scored at World Cups sank continuously (see “Presidential Note” for more).

Targeted rule changes tried to buck that trend and re-introduce a more attacking flavour into matches. Since 1990, players who are level with the last man are no longer considered to be offside; in 1992 the back-pass rule was introduced, forbidding goalkeepers from picking up the ball if played to them by the boot of a team-mate; and as of 1993 it has been a sending off offence if the last defender brings down an attacker when through on goal. Furthermore, T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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

Markus Ulmer

Bolts, rules and goals

the three-point rule was implemented in 1994, designed to encourage teams to attack more by increasing the points difference between a win and a draw.

However, such changes can only do so much given the tactical and physical developments made in the professional game. Moreover, an increased awareness of the importance of scoring the first goal has reduced teams’ willingness to take risks. Statistics from major international tournaments show that the team that breaks the deadlock wins 70 per cent of matches, draws 16 per cent of them and finishes empty handed just 14 per cent of the time.

Perhaps more significant is teams’ improved on-pitch organisation, increased competition at the different tournaments and more rigorously-schooled players. The backpass rule also forced players to develop technically as goalkeepers and defenders now needed to find more constructive solutions to defensive problems. As a game, football has progressed tremendously in the last 40 years, having become quicker, more athletic, and more dynamic. Anyone who watches replays of matches from the 1970s could be forgiven for thinking the game is being played in slow motion and will swiftly come to the realisation that it is not only the number of goals scored that makes football so appealing. Å

T HE DEBAT E

PRESIDENTIAL NOTE

O n F I FA . c o m , T h e F I FA We e k l y a s k e d : W h ic h r u l e c o u l d i n c r e a s e t h e nu m b e r s o f go a l s p e r g a m e?

The game should be left the way it is, but I’m in favour of making the goal larger. This would mean all the shots that currently hit the posts and crossbar would end up in the back of the net. It would also encourage the players to shoot from a greater distance.

It would be interesting if the number of points awarded corresponded to the number of goals each team scores. This would make high-scoring results more important in the race for a league title and automatically lead to more goals.

danpentke (Canada)

The offside rule should be abolished and zone rules introduced instead, like they have in lacrosse. Under such rules, a team would have to have one or two player in the opponent’s half at all times, for example, and no more than seven players in the penalty area. Nowadays, teams that have no chance against attacking sides (such as Brazil, Spain, Argentina or Colombia etc.) often play with five or six defenders and wait for counterattacking opportunities (Ghana, Greece etc.)

This makes the game incredibly boring. I’m 100% sure this will also be the situation at this summer’s World Cup.

Pablo.G.C. (Costa Rica)

Abolishing or at least adjusting the offside rule would increase the number of goals per game. Many goals are disallowed by the linesmen even though players aren’t actually offside. The human element cannot be entirely removed from sport. FIFA has approved the introduction of goalline technology for the next World Cup in Brazil, and for me that represents a huge development. If the offside rule could be given greater consideration, we would certainly see more goals per game. mfonjohn (Nigeria)

jeapaisa (USA)

A stopwatch, like in basketball, would prevent the players from slowing down the game, hitting the ball out of play or lying around on the field of play for nothing. This would mean more actual playing time and lead to more chances and goals.

Hassan Ghenaw (Libya)

It’s not so much the offside problem that prevents many goals, but the referees who incorrectly disallow goals. The solution?

Give the fourth referee a camera station where he can analyse each situation in play.

TruSake (USA)

In order to increase the number of goals per game, players who commit a foul should be dismissed immediately and a penalty awarded. That should happen in every situation where the attacking player only has the goalkeeper left to beat, whether inside or outside the penalty area. jamel.belaid (Algeria)

“The offside rule should be abolished.”

Greater respect, more goals

A

glance at the goals-per-game stats from World Cup finals leads to some interesting conclusions. Following the all-time high of 5.38 goals per game at the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland, the trend was relentlessly downward until the all-time low of 2.21 at Italy 1990.

After the introduction of three points for a win the figure temporarily rose to 2.71 at USA 1994. Fewer goals have been scored since then: the 2010 edition in South Africa produced 2.27 goals per game.

How can we stop this trend? Should we make the goals bigger? Or abolish offside? No. Interfering with the Laws in this way would change the core fundamentals of football and could not be justified.

The key is to be found in better protecting constructive play (and thereby attacking players). Referees can make an important contribution by more rigorously applying the existing Laws. However, responsibility also lies with the players. It is in their own hands – and indeed their feet – to keep the game more open by showing greater discipline and more respect towards their opponents. So-called tactical fouls such as shirt-pulling and obstruction significantly inhibit the flow of the play. Especially at corners and free-kicks it is extremely difficult for referees to see everything that may be going on.

There is in fact a magic formula for making football more spectacular. It is both simple and extremely complex at the same time. Its name is: Fair Play!

The old North American Soccer League introduced a 35-yard line for the offside problem. After a player crossed this line he couldn’t be flagged offside, even if he was standing in front of the last defender.

Best wishes, Sepp Blatter

chimike9607 (USA) T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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KORE A REPUBLIC

Eye on the ball Nam Taehee at the 2012 Olympic Games.

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T H E F I FA W E E K LY

KORE A REPUBLIC

Childhood dream World Cup

Mohammed Hallal

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Stuart Franklin (FIFA via Getty Images)

Nam Taehee’s greatest ambition is to travel to Brazil with the Korea Republic national team. “I’ve been dreaming of the World Cup for 12 years.”

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

orea Republic midfielder Nam Taehee knows a thing or two about long-­d istance travel, having left his family behind at the age of 16 in a bid to make his name on foreign shores. His global odyssey began in 2007, while still a high school student in Seoul, with England his first port of call. In making the move and joining Reading’s youth academy a year later, the intrepid Nam took a step that most youngsters would have thought twice about, but which came naturally to him, as he explained: “Moving to Europe at the age of 16 wasn’t a problem for me because I’ve been living far away from my family at school since I was ten.”

As it turned out, however, his future did not lie in England, and in 2009 he crossed the channel to sign his first professional contract with Valenciennes, though it took him a while to settle and get to grips with French. “Reading offered me a contract but I had to leave England for administrative reasons,” he explained.

“The best solution was to head to France and Valenciennes, where I did sign terms. The club gave me the chance to play in Ligue 1 and I was delighted to play for the first team and to put pen to paper on my first professional contract.”

Nam began what would be a three-season stay in France with a debut outing against Nancy in August 2009, becoming, at the age of 18, the youngest Asian player ever to grace Ligue 1. Reflecting on the experience, he said: “I was young and I wanted to develop my game.

I learned a lot in France, playing alongside some really good players and under a very experienced coach.”

Dubbed “The Korean Messi” at Valenciennes, Nam took off for Qatar in 2012, signing on the dotted line for Lekhwiya. It did not take long for him to make his mark in the Emirates, forming part of a side that last season finished runners-up in the Qatar Stars League and won the Crown Prince Cup, the prelude to their league championship win this year. “I wasn’t getting much football at Valenciennes, which is why I decided to leave for Qatar, so I could get more first-team action,” the Korean Republic international said. “I’ve had three seasons there now and I think the time has come for me to seek a fresh challenge back in Europe.”

Olymic success The 22-year-old found himself back in England a couple of years ago, as part of the Korea Republic side that took part in the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament London 2012, the Asian side advancing beyond the group phase for only the second time in their history. They would 25

game onor game over

all in or nothing

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KORE A REPUBLIC

Name Nam Taehee Date and place of birth 3 July 1991, Jinju (Korea Republic) Position Midfielder Clubs 2008–2009 Reading FC 2009–2012 FC Valenciennes 2012 Lekhwiya Korea Republic national team 11 caps, 0 goals

AFP

eventually go to break new ground by claiming the bronze, the country’s first Olympic football medal. Recalling their historic achievement, Nam said: “The Olympic tournament was tough but we put in some good performances. We learned to play together and to compete against some teams with big reputations.” He added: “It was fantastic for my team-mates and I to win what was a well-deserved bronze medal. I still remember the match against Great Britain, which we won on penalties. That tournament will always be etched on my mind.”

A childhood dream In contrast to the Olympic side, however, Korea Republic’s senior team were made to sweat before finally securing their ticket to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the Taeguk Warriors eventually taking second place in their final qualification group on goal difference from Uzbekistan. Explaining their qualifying struggles, Nam said he believed improving standards in Asia have made World Cup preliminaries much harder than they used to be: “Luck was on our side in quite a few games. Even so, I think we deserved to go through because we’ve put in some good displays of late. I just hope we can keep it going.”

Korea Republic have a tough challenge awaiting them at the world finals, with Belgium, Russia and Algeria providing their opposition in Group H. “It’s a difficult section and it’s going to be hard for us, for sure,” Nam said, a team-mate of Algeria’s Madjid Bougherra at Lekhwiya, offering his view on the task ahead.

“If we show who we really are, then we can qualify. The match against Russia will be the most important one because it’s our first. Then we’ll just have to see how we go against Belgium and Algeria, who are both good sides.” Flashing a smile, he then said: “I talk to Madjid every day about the World Cup, and our coach, Eric

Driven Nam challenges for a header for Lekhwiya.

Korea Republic at the World Cup Group: H Games: 7 June, Cuiaba: Russia – Korea Republic; 22 Jun2, Porto Alegre: Korea Republic – Algeria; 26 June, Sao Paulo: Korea Republic – Belgium National team coach: Hong Myungbo Stars: Son Heungmin (Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Koo Jacheol (1. FSV Mainz 05), Lee Chungyong (Bolton Wanderers), Shinwook Kim (Ulsan Hyundai), Lee Keunho (Sangju Sangmu FC)

Gerets, is Belgian. He talks to us about the competition too and each team’s chances.”

Though upbeat about the national team’s prospects, Nam was unsure as to his chances of making it to Brazil 2014: “I watched Korea/ Japan 2002 when I was a kid and I’ve been T H E F I FA W E E K LY

dreaming of playing in the World Cup ever since. I hope to be able to take part in what is a global event one day.” That day could well be a lot closer than the globe-trotting Nam thinks, and if the opportunity does come his way, then the fearless midfielder will look to seize it. Å 27

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

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F I F A ’ S T O P 11

All-time World Cup leading scorers

Tales from the touchline Perikles Monioudis

G

rowing up, football seemed almost as though it was divided into three parts.

Naturally, the most beautiful element of football was the football itself: playing the game, training and matches in all weathers, from heatwaves in summer to heavy rain in autumn. Matches played under floodlights had a magic all of their own, seemingly warding off the night and giving football a fascinating power to prolong the day into the darkness by 90 minutes or more.

But there were two other pursuits that accompanied each football match. The first was supporting matches in the stadium or, more often, at home on television. On European Cup night after European Cup night – those immense nights with big winners and big losers – you recognised the unavoidable truths of football matches as if they were your own games unfolding in miniature before you, from a conciliatory handshake after a tactical foul to a throw-in awarded to the opponent because the linesman – an even younger youth player than you – had flagged it incorrectly.

Providing these auxiliary services on the touchline was the third aspect of football. As youth players, we took it in turns to run the line on Sunday to support the referee of the first team’s match. We watched like hawks as the ball approached the touchline, eager not to miss anything or – even worse – make the wrong decision. Although it was not quite so bad if poor decisions affected the visitors rather than your own club, such thoughts had to be put aside as the job required nothing less than total concentration. If the ball rolled out, you were suddenly roused from your fixation with it and often forgot which team had last touched it. Then, to top it all, you had to re-

member to signal the correct way by raising the flag in the direction the ball should now be played; that is, towards the half of the team who put the ball out. Although this contradicted our initial reflex, we managed to control it over time.

It soon became clear to us that there is a difference between what you see from the touchline and what you experience on the pitch. As a player, you know exactly who the throw-in should be awarded to as soon as you go in for a tackle. Of course that doesn’t stop you from wanting to grab the ball and throw it in, despite knowing full well that the referee has given it the other way. Sometimes you are simply happy to let another uneventful few seconds pass, particularly if your team has a narrow lead and the match is edging ever closer to full-time. Either way, you know exactly which team has earned the throw-in, but it was never so clear from the touchline. When you were part of the team of officials looking on rather than an actual player in the match, you lacked that total certainty.

We can only imagine how much more stressful the role of referee on the pitch must be – it seems an impossible task. The referee does not simply look at the line and flag for the odd offside decision; he leads the entire match.

For us as youth players, the scale of that task was impossible to comprehend. Å

1

Ronaldo, Brasil Goals: 15 Tournaments: 1998, 2002, 2006

2

Gerd Muller, FRG Goals: 14 Tournaments: 1970, 1974

3

Just Fontaine, France Goals: 13 Tournaments: 1958

4

Pele, Brasil Goals: 12 Tournaments: 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970

5

Jurgen Klinsmann, Germany Goals: 11 Tournaments: 1990, 1994, 1998

Sandor Kocsis, Hungary Goals: 11 Tournaments: 1954

7

Gabriel Batistuta, Argentina Goals: 10 Tournaments: 1994, 1998, 2002

eofilo Cubillas, Peru T Goals: 10 Tournaments: 1970, 1978

iroslav Klose, Germany M Goals: 10 Tournaments: 2002, 2006

rzegorz Lato, Poland G Goals: 10 Tournaments: 1974, 1978, 1982

ary Lineker, England G Goals: 10 Tournaments: 1986, 1990

Source: FIFA (FIFA World Cup, Superlatives, Statistical Kit 5, 4.8.2010)

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

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HISTORY

The Maracanazo With Brazil needing only a draw to win the 1950 World Cup as hosts, preparations for an almighty celebration had already been made throughout the country.

However, things did not turn out as planned.

Dominik Petermann

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IFA President Jules Rimet can scarcely have imagined what was about to unfold when he left his place in the stands to make his way down to the pitch with 15 minutes left of the decisive final-round fixture between Brazil and Uruguay at the 1950 World Cup. Everything was set for the award ceremony at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro. His speech, written in Portuguese, was safely tucked inside his jacket pocket, while the World Cup trophy, which had been named after him, was in his possession and ready to be handed over to the champions. As he left his seat the score was 1-1, a result which would have secured Brazil the title due to the tournament format at the time.

Rimet had arrived in the catacombs and was about to climb the steps leading up to the 30

pitch when the sound of the referee’s whistle echoed through the stadium and was met with a long, uneasy silence. What had happened? If it had been a foul some of the supporters in the stands would have screamed their disapproval, while it was still too soon for full time. It must have been a goal, and the lack of cheering led Rimet to the conclusion that the whistle and the ensuing silence could only mean one thing: Uruguay had scored to make it 1-2. Everyone, Rimet included, was in a state of shock.

Out on the pitch, winger Alcides Ghiggia had torn down the right flank once again and made his way towards the Brazilian goal. It was his trademark move and the hosts knew what to expect: he would drive forward towards the goal-line and then play the ball square across the box. Anticipating that, Brazilian goalkeeper Barbosa positioned himself to be able to intercept the cut-back and left a small gap at his T H E F I FA W E E K LY

Pain of defeat The loss plunged Brazilian football into a state of crisis. The new Maracana stadium, purpose-built for the 1950 World Cup, had not even been painted but had now become tainted with an air of negativity. The plan had been to paint it a gleaming white after the final game of the tournament to match the all-white kit Brazil had worn until then. However, it was now considered cursed and the kit was consigned to history, never to be worn again. The stadium’s concrete facade was left untouched.

The country’s appetite for the game shrank and the team did not play again for almost two years. The tragedy gnawed away at the players and Ademir later admitted: “I just needed to disappear, to go far away and forget about it all.

I took my family and fled to Itacuruca” [a fishing town 94 kilometres from Rio]. After the game Juvenal said he went home and did not want to speak to anyone, locking himself in for the next 15 days. Zizinho revealed he suffered from nightmares in the immediate aftermath of the loss: “I would always dream about the match and in my dream it hadn’t kicked off yet, we were always just walking out on to the pitch.

Everything that had happened was a lie, a bad dream. The real game was about to start.” Cap-

Getty Images (3)

Stunned FIFA President Jules Rimet hands over the eponymous trophy to Uruguay captain Obdulio Varela.

front post. Yet Ghiggia had no intention of passing and instead smashed the ball towards the empty space. Barbosa could not react in time and the ball squeezed past him and over the line, putting Uruguay in front with just ten minutes left on the clock.

When the final whistle sounded, the reality of the situation came as a crushing blow. Brazil had lost the title-decider at home to their smaller neighbours and their dream of winning a maiden World Cup title was over. It left the country in sombre mood and the Maracanazo has since become one of the most tragic narratives in tournament history.

It was a while before Rimet was able to find Uruguayan captain Obdulio Varela amidst the chaos on the pitch to hand him the trophy.

There was no pompous ceremony, no speeches and no brass band; instead the handover took place almost in passing and nobody in the stands was aware it happened. As a country Brazil was blinded by tears, struggling to digest the loss while searching for an explanation.

Complacency and Barbosa’s positioning were swiftly identified as being to blame, while the subsequent post-mortem highlighted several other shortcomings. The two-hour church service in the morning had been too long, the local politicians who gave speeches during the team lunch had interrupted the players’ concentration, and General Eurico Gaspar Dutra, Brazil’s president at the time, had put too much pressure on the squad in a pre-match address by exhorting them to fulfil their duty and win the trophy.

HISTORY

Proud hosts In 1950 Brazil played in an all-white kit.

Awards ceremony Uruguay receive the trophy in 1950.

©2012 FIFA TM

Brazil 1950 A World Cup poster.

Brazil 2014 A tip of the hat to its 1950s predecessor.

tain Augusto had a similar experience: “I dreamed about the game a few times, but things turned out differently. We won and I saw myself lifting the trophy into the air. I dreamed about that a lot.” However, goalkeeper Barbosa would suffer more than most after being made into the scapegoat for the defeat, and he was rarely able to go shopping or to the cinema without the trip ending in an unpleasant war of words. “The maximum punishment in this country is a 30-year sentence,” Barbosa said in a television interview in 1993. “I’ve already exceeded that by 13 years.” He would add another seven to that tally before passing away aged 79 in 2000.

New format The 1950 World Cup was plagued by difficulties in the build-up to the tournament. The Brazilian organising committee did not want the competition to follow the knockout format of the 1934 and 1938 finals, but instead envisaged a system whereby the four group winners in the first round would progress to a four-way round-robin final stage. The prospect of increased revenues due to the greater number of games also played a significant part in their reasoning. The committee made it known that should FIFA reject Brazil’s proposal, the country would “regrettably” be forced to withdraw from hosting the event. FIFA reluctantly agreed but subsequently had to deal with the resignation of one of the World Cup founders and member of the organising committee Henri Delaunay.

Moreover, three teams pulled out of the tournament shortly before it got underway.

Scotland were only willing to travel to Brazil if they won their qualifying group, a target they missed in their last game against England.

They still qualified for the tournament proper as group runners-up but the Scottish Football Association nevertheless cancelled the trip.

Elsewhere, Turkey and Austria were due to play each other in a decisive World Cup qualifier but their respective associations failed to agree on the details of the tie. While Turkey insisted on the two-legged home and away format suggested by the World Cup organising committee, Austria wanted to settle matters in a single game and eventually pulled out due to the difference of opinion. That left the door open for Turkey to take part, but financial problems meant they were unable to afford the trip to South America and so they too withdrew. As if that were not enough India also went on to drop out, doing so amidst a haze of rumours. It was reported that they backtracked after being forbidden from playing bare foot, even though FIFA never explicitly banned it.

The governing body merely made the following statement at a planning meeting: “The organising committee is of the opinion that all players should use footwear. However, it is known T H E F I FA W E E K LY

that football is played barefoot in some countries, especially in India. A letter was sent to the Indian Football Association highlighting Article 4 in the Laws of the Game, which states that football boots are considered part of the necessary equipment and that a referee can therefore prevent a team from playing barefoot.”

Multiple withdrawals An alternate version suggests that India were completely unaware of their eligibility to take part at the competition. Burma had qualified as Asia’s World Cup representative but had to withdraw at short notice because a “rebellion” had broken out in the country and every member of the national team had been called to arms. The Philippines chose to stay at home and Indonesia were unable to participate as they were not yet a fully affiliated FIFA member, effectively giving India a bye to the tournament as the continent’s only available side.

It seems FIFA’s telegrams of invitation did not arrive in time and while they later offered to cover India’s travel costs, the country’s FA still declined due to “a difference of opinion regarding team selection, as well as insufficient training time.”

FIFA offered France and Portugal last-minute tickets to Brazil but again received replies in the negative, meaning that just 13 nations lined up at what had been scheduled as a 16team tournament. However, rather than spreading the sides across four approximately equal groups, Brazil insisted on abiding by the draw that had been made on 22 May 1950. That left the first round somewhat lopsided, with two groups of four teams, one of three and one group with just two sides. Uruguay’s only opponent in Group 4 was Bolivia, meaning they reached the final round having played just a single game. By contrast, the hosts had to play two extra matches and were accordingly more tired due to their greater exertions.

Brazil had to wait a further 64 years before hosting the World Cup again. In the intervening years the national team’s kit has been adapted to match the country’s traditional colours: a yellow shirt, blue shorts and white socks. The sartorial change brought the desired success, with A Seleçao being crowned world champions five times in their new attire. Å

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Bullspress / Mirrorpix

England’s Kevin Keegan (r) and Emlyn Hughes (l) watch team-mate David Johnson attempting a long putt.

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Urbanizacion La Cala Golf, Malaga, Spain

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Andy Mueller / freshfocus

Grasshoppers midfielder Shkelzen Gashi tees off at a training camp as his team-mates look on.

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FIFA WORLD R ANKING Rank Team

Change in ranking Points

1 2 3 4 5 6 6 8 9 10

Spain Germany Portugal Colombia Uruguay Argentina Brazil Switzerland Italy Greece

0 0 1 1 1 -3 3 -1 -1 3

1460 1340 1245 1186 1181 1174 1174 1161 1115 1082

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 25 25 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 47 49 50 51 52 53 54 54 56 56 58 59 59 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 76

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

1 -2 1 1 -4 1 1 1 1 -4 3 15 -1 2 -4 2 0 -5 2 -2 1 4 8 0 -6 -6 5 -3 -1 4 -2 -9 -3 -1 2 4 1 2 -5 0 2 6 2 5 -8 4 1 -6 -3 4 1 9 6 2 3 -2 -6 2 9 -16 1 1 -6 0 0 0 1

1043 1039 1015 1011 967 935 913 903 876 871 830 825 819 798 795 795 795 790 787 759 756 754 750 744 739 731 715 713 711 673 670 665 653 623 620 616 613 613 597 583 580 578 577 555 555 551 551 546 545 545 528 522 511 510 504 500 499 497 488 486 484 479 460 456 455 454 454

Ranking Nov 2013

Dec 2013

Jan 2014

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

Feb 2014

Mar 2014

Apr 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 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 106 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 122 124 125 126 127 128 129 129 131 131 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 143

Top spot

Biggest climber

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

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

-13 0 2 0 -2 0 2 6 -1 1 -4 0 3 4 -5 -1 2 6 2 -3 4 9 3 -1 2 -4 1 1 3 1 2 4 2 -21 8 6 1 1 9 5 9 -22 4 -7 -5 5 2 4 -15 7 -6 2 5 5 6 -12 -2 4 -18 -4 5 5 8 5 -1 -3 -13

Biggest faller

450 446 443 418 414 404 400 398 395 386 380 374 371 369 367 366 347 336 333 332 329 325 324 319 315 303 293 289 284 284 283 273 272 271 266 261 252 251 242 241 235 234 233 227 226 226 224 215 212 204 201 197 197 190 190 188 184 181 174 172 159 158 156 155 153 152 152

145 145 147 147 149 150 151 152 153 153 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 164 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 174 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 184 186 187 188 189 190 191 191 191 194 195 195 197 197 199 200 201 202 202 204 205 206 207 207 207

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

4 7 -1 3 2 3 3 3 4 3 7 -14 -19 -13 1 -1 -3 -1 -1 3 -2 -1 1 1 1 1 2 -7 0 -2 -1 0 -1 0 0 5 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 0 0 1 -2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

144 144 143 143 139 137 135 127 124 124 122 119 116 111 107 103 102 101 98 91 91 86 84 83 80 78 77 75 74 73 73 67 66 65 64 60 55 47 45 43 43 40 35 33 32 28 26 26 26 23 21 21 18 18 16 11 10 8 8 6 5 3 0 0 0

35

NET ZER KNOWS!

THE OBJEC T

Are international friendlies a good idea?

Question from Serge Fontannaz, Paris (France)

A man of vision A 27-year-old Netzer, one year before his transfer from Monchengladbach to Real Madrid.

I

nternational friendlies are always a point of contention unfortunately, and they become an especially problematic issue when club coaches and managers complain that they lose their best players during the league season. The team is deprived of important figures and its rhythm is interrupted. In that sense, you can understand why clubs complain. I don’t share their view though. Clubs need to accept that they have to bear the consequences when they sign an international player, and that includes allowing him to join up with his national team without questioning the decision. Meeting up with the squad is of vital importance for a national team coach; how else is he expected to do his job properly? How else can he be expected to build a team in the long term?

For international friendlies these days, it’s not just about team tactics and systems, as many people think. It’s also about the players seeing each other and communicating with each other. The coach will want to discuss 36

things with the players and staff, and they need to be able to analyse problems together. The players themselves need to spend time together.

It simply wouldn’t work if national team squads were only called up for competitive games. In pressure situations, they wouldn’t be able to perform to the best of their ability. Qualifiers against smaller footballing nations might look easy on paper, but if a team doesn’t have the rhythm that comes from playing as regularly as they can, games like that can be lost and then qualification for a tournament can be put in jeopardy.

In short, international friendlies are necessary and a good idea. It’s time everybody accepted that. Å

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

At a throw-in, the players on the field are permitted to handle the ball. In every other situation in a game, they would be shown a yellow card for the use of a hand. A throw-in is therefore a unique event, if not the most distinctive moment in a match. The area of the playing field is limited, so if the ball runs out of play it must be reintroduced from the sidelines, and this is done via a throw-in. The unique characteristic of the throw-in is rarely given much thought and by extension neither is the player performing it (except in this statue of C.B. Fry at the FIFA congress, circa 1900). However, not only does the throw-in follow a single rule, it also has its own exceptional effect on the game as there can be no offside from it. The ball may be thrown to any team-mate on the pitch, regardless of where he or she is positioned. The thrower therefore increases the area of play in which his team can operate, something only the most talented strikers such as Pippo Inzaghi can usually do. Pippo spent his career playing on the shoulder of the opponents’ last defender and was often caught offside. Whenever a team-mate played the killer pass at precisely the right moment, however, the Italian was able to escape his marker and race unchallenged towards goal.

At a throw-in, a combination of both elements was often a good option for Inzaghi. His ‘off-the-shoulder’ style of attacking paired with the throw-in meant the opposition always needed to be on their guard. The throw-in is, in its very essence, static, but a forward, straying close to or even into an offside position, can still feed off the situation to make something happen. And yet, without throw-ins, the game would just end at the edge of the pitch. Å

Keystone / interfoto / Schinkel

Perikles Monioudis

TURNING POINT

“We fled through a side door” On 3 November 1983 Falko Gotz managed to do what only few East German sportsmen ever achieved: He fled to West Germany, where he forged a career for himself.

Name Falko Gotz Date and place of birth 26 March 1962, Rodewisch Position Midfielder/striker

Mark Roberts

I

n 1974 my family moved to the Treptow district in Berlin. I was 12 years old and from then on I saw the Wall every day: it was big, high and long. It took a while to for it to dawn on me that it wasn’t there as a means of protection, but was rather a concrete barrier standing between me and freedom. I started to feel increasingly constricted in East Germany and the idea of leaving the GDR [German Democratic Republic] began to grow inside me.

I wanted to escape and I soon realised that football was my only ticket to the West. I was a striker, strong in the air and with a good physique, but above all I was ambitious. Despite not having had the best training conditions as a youngster, I still managed to break through at BFC Dynamo Berlin, the Stasi club. When I was 19, I represented the country at youth level for the first time and by the GDR’s standards I was doing well. As a professional footballer I was earning ten times the salary of the average worker.

But even in the East, the West’s Bundesliga was everywhere and was a massive temptation.

Every Saturday I’d watch the ’Sportschau’ program on television with my family and would dream of playing there myself one day. The urge to leave intensified when a scout approached me while I was in Sweden for a game with the national team. I knew then that I wouldn’t be staying to make a name for myself in the East. I had plenty of relatives in the West, something which aroused a lot of suspicion in the paranoid world of the GDR. Together with my childhood friend and team-mate Dirk Schlegel I planned my escape.

My father was sceptical and advised me to establish myself in the GDR Oberliga first. In 1982 we helped Dynamo qualify for the European Cup Winners’ Cup and Dirk and I both knew we had to try and escape on one of the trips abroad. We had a game against Jeunesse Esch in Luxembourg so I called a friend in the West for help, but he wasn’t able to get hold of forged documents for us in time.

Clubs played for BFC Dynamo Berlin, Bayer Leverkusen, Cologne, Galatasaray, Saarbrucken, Hertha Berlin Select honours Three-time East German champion with BFC Dynamo (1981–1983), UEFA Cup winner with Leverkusen (1988), Two-time Turkish champion with Galatasaray (1993, 1994)

In November 2013 we played Partizan Belgrade and flew to Yugoslavia in the aeroplane of Stasi chief Erich Mielke. The day before the game we went on a shopping trip in the city centre and our minders seemed to be very keen on seeing what was on offer, or at least, they weren’t especially vigilant. Dirk and I strolled into a record shop and sneaked out through a side door into freedom. We started running and the only thing we could think of was ’don’t look back’. We stopped a taxi and went to the German embassy. From there we were to be smuggled to Munich via Zagreb and Ljubljana. The most critical moment was still to come, however: the border crossing at Jesenice. If we’d been found out it would have all been over and I knew we’d have been thrown in jail back home. Fleeing the country was considered a serious offence in the GDR. We were helped by our fame as footballers though, as the customs official was more interested in getting our autographs than seeing our passports.

At that point all the tension I’d been carrying around left me and the feeling of happiness I had is hard to describe. I’ve never expeT H E F I FA W E E K LY

rienced joy quite like that ever again. Once we arrived in Munich we bought the ’Bild’ newspaper because we wanted to find out the result of Dynamo’s game. The headline on the front page was: “Two GDR players flee – where are they?”

We later arrived at the processing centre in Giessen, where the coach Jorg Berger, who had also fled, first made contact with Bayer Leverkusen a couple of years earlier. I signed on with Leverkusen for a base salary of 5,000 Marks and earned a further 2,500 Marks for manning the checkout at the Bayer store during my first year. I’d been handed a one-year international ban so wasn’t allowed to play.

I made my Bundesliga debut on 3 November 1984 exactly 365 days after my getaway, coming on as a substitute away to Bielefeld. Back home my parents watched me on ’Sportschau’ with pride and I knew then we’d made the right decision. Å Interview by Nicola Berger In Turning Point, personalities reflect on a decisive moment in their lives.

37

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

FIFA QUIZ CUP

Internet: www.fifa.com/theweekly

An eye, an armband and the first global club champions at the Maracana – test your knowledge!

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

1

Which club became the inaugural champions of a FIFA tournament at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro?

President: Joseph S. Blatter Secretary General: Jérôme Valcke Director of Communications and Public Affairs: Walter De Gregorio Chief Editor: Perikles Monioudis

R

S

X

W

Staff Writers: Thomas Renggli (Author), Alan Schweingruber, Sarah Steiner Art Direction: Catharina Clajus

2

Picture Editor: Peggy Knotz

Which team won penalty shootouts in three successive World Cups?

O Argentina

I Italy

E England

A Germany

Production: Hans-Peter Frei Layout: Richie Krönert (Lead), Marianne Bolliger-Crittin, Susanne Egli, Mirijam Ziegler

3

Which was the first World Cup Final in which one of the captains wore a captain’s armband?

Proof Reader: Nena Morf, Kristina Rotach Contributors: Sérgio Xavier Filho, Luigi Garlando, Sven Goldmann, Hanspeter Kuenzler, Jordi Punti, David Winner, Roland Zorn Contributors to this Issue: Nicola Berger, Alexandre Cossenza, Mohammed Hallal, Markus Nowak, Martin O’Boyle, Dominik Petermann, Andreas Wilhelm (Picture) Editorial Assistant: Honey Thaljieh Project Management: Bernd Fisa, Christian Schaub Translation: Sportstranslations Limited www.sportstranslations.com Printer: Zofinger Tagblatt AG www.ztonline.ch

M 1966

4

K 1970

Any views expressed in The FIFA Weekly do not necessarily reflect those of FIFA.

L 1978

Hi there! I stand in the lobby of FIFA’s headquarters in Zurich and my name is ...

E Fuleco T Zakumi

Q Sepp Y Questra

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

Inspiration and implementation: cus

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.

V 1974

Send your answer by 7 May 2014 to feedback-theweekly@fifa.org.

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

Which of the big nations will be knocked out of the World Cup first?

Which city has had the most representatives in the same European club competition?

Siri Hakkinen, Tampere (Finland)

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

Who will finish top scorer at the World Cup in Brazil?

25% 23%

Messi

23%

Ronaldo

unanswered Real Madrid goals on april 29 handed Bayern Munich their biggest-ever European defeat and their heaviest home loss in 35 years. The margin of

Neymar

22%

Benzema

6%

Others

1%

5

WEEK IN NUMBERS

4

Suárez

0

defeats in 26 games is the record with which Kuwait’s new champions, Al Qadissi­ yah, ended their season.

A 1-0 win over Al Nasr on Saturday completed

goals in 47 minutes was the remarkable contribu­

a near-perfect cam­

tion made by Esteban Paredes to Colo Colo’s 5-3

paign for the Kuwait

1963 Fairs Cup, and was the worst

win at Nublense on Sunday. Paredes’ one-man

City outfit, who have

experienced by Bayern in any

demolition job helped provide a fitting end to the

won 21 and drawn five

competition since going down 4-0

Clausura season for Chile’s record champions, who

to Arminia Bielefeld in 1979.

had already wrapped up their 30 th national title.

the Spaniards’ victory eclipsed Dinamo Zagreb’s 4-1 win in the

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

of their top flight fixtures.

imago, Getty Images (4)

Answered by Thomas Renggli: In 1996, four teams from Mos­ cow qualified for the UEFA Cup: Spartak, Dynamo, Torpedo and CSKA – a European record.

London and Athens are next in the list, with Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham repre­ senting the English capital in the UEFA Cup in 1999; and AEK, Panathinaikos and Olympiakos representing the Greek metro­ polis in the 2003 Champions League. The latter feat was a first for Europe’s premier club com­ petition.

Both Italy and France failed to survive the group stage at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa with neither team able to muster a single victory. But who will be eliminated first in 2014? Email your answers to feedback-theweekly@fifa.org