ISSUE 18/2015, 8 MAY 2015
ENGLISH EDITION
Fédération Internationale de Football Association – Since 1904
Firmino and A Seleção
THE NEW BRAZIL ENGLAND MOURINHO’S RECEIPE FOR TITLE SUCCESS
YOUNG TALENT DREAMING BIG AT THE BLUE STARS / FIFA YOUTH CUP
ALGERIA TITLE RACE STILL WIDE OPEN W W W.FIFA.COM/ THEWEEKLY
THIS WEEK IN THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL
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First impressions Although the FIFA World Football Museum does not open its doors in Zurich until next year, the Showroom is already offering a glimpse of what is in store.
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S epp Blatter In his weekly column, the FIFA President reflects on ten years of Football for Hope, saying: “As part of the 2014 World Cup we also took our development assistance in South America to a new level.”
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North and Central America 35 members www.concacaf.com
The new Brazil The 7-1 defeat by Germany on home soil at the 2014 World Cup was a humiliation. Now, almost a year on, ‘A Seleção’ are well on their way back to attacking, high-tempo football under the watchful eye of coach Carlos Dunga. Sven Goldmann reports on the transition.
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England Jose Mourinho is celebrating with champions Chelsea thanks to the modern version of ‘catenaccio’.
Dreaming big Football’s rising stars are preparing to assemble at the Blue Stars / FIFA Youth Cup. For two days, promising youngsters from Brazil, Germany, Sweden, Portugal, Turkey, Switzerland and the Netherlands will enjoy a moment in the spotlight.
The new Brazil Our cover picture shows 23-year-old Roberto Firmino of TSG Hoffenheim. The photograph was taken on 5 March 2014.
South America 10 members www.conmebol.com
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Sticker fever The Panini album for the Women’s World Cup in Canada has been launched.
The FIFA Weekly Magazine App The FIFA Weekly Magazine is available in four languages and also on your tablet every Friday. http://www.fifa.com/mobile
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FIFA Women’s World Cup™ 6 June – 5 July 2015, Canada
imago (3), Panini
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
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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Algeria With four rounds of matches left to play, any of the 16 teams in Ligue 1 can still be crowned champions. (Pictured: Akram Djahnit)
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Hugo Lloris The France goalkeeper explains his switch from tennis to football.
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
Never again 7-1 T
Mario Wagner / 2Agenten
here are times in football when your belief in the possibility of victory disappears and you just want the match to end. “Please don’t concede any more goals,” you implore. Honourable defeats can be accepted, but losing heavily is humiliating. The details of Brazil’s 7-1 loss to Germany in the World Cup semi-finals on 8 July 2014 do not need to be revisited, and ten months have now passed since A Seleção’s limitations were exposed that day. Back then, if you had tried consoling a Brazilian fan by saying everything would be all right again, he would probably have continued crying uncontrollably. Yet now it appears that everything really is going to be all right, and a lot sooner than expected. Brazil’s new, young team under coach Carlos Dunga have won all eight games since the World Cup, including victories over sides of the calibre of France and Argentina. A further, equally important factor to Brazilians is that the Verde-Amarela are once again enthralling spectators with a bold attacking style, having played more defensively for the previous three years. Brazil’s first competitive fixture is on 14 June at the Copa America, and the whole nation is looking forward to the tournament. If we’re honest, we are too. Turn to page six for more on Brazil’s comeback. Å Alan Schweingruber
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BACK IN THE GROOVE
Brazil are in the process of putting their disastrous 7-1 defeat to Germany well and truly behind them. Sven Goldmann reports on how coach Carlos Dunga has managed to revive A Seleção’s attacking spirit. 6
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Rafael Ribeiro / CBF (4), Adrian Dennis / AFP
A Seleção 2015 The new-look Brazil features Firmino (top left) and new captain Neymar (top right), as well as Luiz Gustavo (bottom left) and Willian (bottom right).
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Firmino The young attacking player (left) is a symbol of A Seleção’s new era. 7
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What became of this winning team?
levelled at the 51-year-old by many critics after his first spell in charge, which ended after Brazil’s wayward 2010 World Cup campaign in South Africa. During his career as a defensive midfielder known for his no-frills approach, Dunga spent a couple of years plying his trade in Germany when it was still the home of slide tackling and unpolished skill. “Brazilian football has always been something very special; we didn’t become five-time world champions by accident,” says Cafu, welcoming the former Stuttgart player’s new willingness to play the Brazilian way. This fresh approach is precisely why the country is eagerly awaiting the team’s arrival back at Sao Paulo on 7 June, exactly 11 months and one day since their 7-1 World Cup semi-final defeat by Germany. The sense of excitement has been building for a couple of months, with the national side not only marching from one victory to the next but playing beautiful football in the process. All of Brazil will be watching, whether in pubs, bars and cafes or by spontaneously taking to the streets where televisions are turned out of windows every hundred metres or so, each one immediately drawing a crowd. Street vendors on Copacabana Beach are once again selling as many of the yellow-and-green shirts of A Seleção as Fluminense, Flamengo, Botafogo or Vasco da Gama jerseys. Dunga’s post-World Cup upheaval This turn of events could not have been foreseen after the humilhaçao historica, Brazil’s unprecedented humiliation at the hands of the Germans. Overnight, an entire nation woke up in a different world, one in which their national side were no longer the five-time world champions but the team who lost 7-1 to Germany. Dunga’s Brazil is no longer the side their countrymen wanted nothing to do with after last summer. The previous team was represented by players like Fluminense striker Fred who, according to newspapers the day after that fateful semi-final, emerged from the encounter with a poorer pass completion rate than Manuel Neuer and only covered slightly more ground than the German goalkeeper over the 90 minutes. Fred still plays for the club he signed for back in 2009 and has recently been crowned top goalscorer of the campeonato carioca, Rio de Janeiro’s regional championship. Despite this recent resurgence, he wants nothing more to do with the national team, declaring back in November that “for me, A Seleção is done.” Dunga has not made any attempts to lure him back.
This is the team that won the 2013 Confederations Cup under coach Luiz Felipe Scolari. The players in yellow are still in the Brazil squad today. (Not pictured: Jo, who replaced the injured Leandro Damiao).
Diego Cavalieri Hulk Marcelo
Réver
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Platon / NIKE
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razilan fans have another four seemingly endless weeks to wait until 7 June rolls around and A Seleção meet Mexico on home soil, an event that will be cause for national celebration. By that time, plenty of water will have flowed down the Amazon from Manaus to Belem, Flamengo will have played Fluminense in Rio and Corinthians will have faced Palmeiras in Sao Paulo. With the state championships now drawing to a close, the coming weeks will herald the start of a new campeonato brasileiro, but even the nail-biting derbies in the country’s largest and most football-obsessed cities are merely a matter of routine for the torcedores – as the fans of the Auriverde are known. From Porto Alegre in the south to Fortaleza in the north, the supporters have been itching to get a chance to watch their stars again. That is hardly surprising given the nation’s top players such as Neymar, Oscar and Thiago Silva not only play for European clubs but also represent their country in well-paid internationals there, with occasional stops in North America or Asia. As a result, sightings of A Seleção in their homeland are rare. The last match Brazil played in front of a home crowd took place on 12 July 2014, when they suffered a sorry 3-0 defeat at the hands of the Netherlands to end an unhappy World Cup in fourth place. Although few Brazilians could have imagined welcoming a reunion with their national team any time soon after that match, they are now experiencing real anticipation after eight wins in eight matches at the dawn of a new post-Copa do Mundo era. That run has constituted a great start for Carlos Dunga, the best for a Brazilian coach since Joao Saldanha masterminded nine successive victories back in 1969. “We’re on the right track but we’ve still got to find our balance,” said Dunga after an impressive 3-1 win over France in Paris a couple of weeks ago. Twenty years after captaining Romario, Bebeto and their teammates to glory at the 1994 World Cup, the former midfielder has taken on the world’s best and most difficult coaching job for the second time. “He’s exactly the right man for the job,” believes Cafu, who became a world champion alongside Dunga in 1994 and is the only player ever to have appeared in three World Cup Finals. “Dunga has given the team their confidence back. What’s more, he isn’t making the mistake of straying from our nation’s footballing philosophy.” This was the accusation
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In any event, Brazil’s current coach has not inherited much of his predecessor Luiz Felipe Scolari’s setup. Of the 11 hopeful players who strode singing onto the Belo Horizonte pitch to face their German opponents on 6 July 2014, less than half remained in the national squad by the spring of 2015. Like Fred, Julio Cesar retired from international football, and although Hulk has returned to form for Zenit St Petersburg after recovering from injury, he has yet to play a minute under Dunga’s leadership. Maicon was banished from the squad at the start of the team’s new era due to an unspecified disciplinary issue, while Dante and Bernard no longer play a part in the new coach’s plans. Reliant upon Neymar David Luiz, Luiz Gustavo, Fernandinho and Marcelo are the only remaining members of last summer’s semi-final starting line-up. They are joined by Thiago Silva, who was suspended for the Germany game, and Neymar – the undisputed and, at present, only global star Brazilian football has to offer the world. “That’s our problem,” says Cafu. “Previously we had five or six players of that quality playing in the national team. Nowadays we only have Neymar.” This has been the one consistent factor throughout the transition from Scolari to Dunga. Of the 18 goals scored by Brazil so far during their current coach’s second stint in the hotseat, eight were provided by the Barcelona striker, who missed the World Cup semi-final after suffering a fractured vertebra.
“Previously we had five or six players of that quality playing in the national team. Nowadays we only have Neymar.” Glyn Kirk / AFP
Cafu
Carlos Dunga The 51-year-old has so far defied his critics in his second spell in charge.
Dunga is well aware that depending on Neymar is a problem. “Although we’ve got good-quality players, there’s no longer a Careca, Ronaldo or Rivaldo in the ranks,” he says. While there is no doubt that this is not good for Brazilian football, one of the national team boss’s first acts after taking on the job was to place even greater emphasis on
David Luiz
Luiz Gustavo Jefferson Hernanes
Fernando Filipe Luís
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Name Roberto Firmino Barbosa de Oliveira Date and place of birth 2 October 1991, Maceio, Brazil Position Attacking midfielder Clubs 2009–2010 Figueirense FC Since 2011 TSG 1899 Hoffenheim Brazil national team 4 caps, 2 goals
“MY DISSATISFACTION IS MY BIGGEST MOTIVATION” 10
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The 2014 World Cup was a momentous event for Brazil’s national team. Their disappointing end to the competition not only brought about a change of coach but also gave many new players a chance to prove themselves in the side. Roberto Firmino is one of them.
What does 12 November 2014, the day you made your Brazil debut against Turkey, mean to you? Roberto Firmino: It was the realisation of a lifelong dream. Every boy in Brazil wants to play for their country, from the moment they start kicking a ball about in the streets as a youngster.
Brazilians often reiterate just what an honour it is to play for the national team. What is it that makes ’A Seleção’ so special? The team is a symbol for the entire country. Brazil are record world champions and some of the greatest players in football ing history have played for this country: Pele, Zico, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo. They are legends recognised all over the world, just like the nickname ’A Seleção’. To run out onto the pitch in that shirt is simply unbelievable. It was a little surreal for me at first, but I think I did a good job.
You scored your first international goal in only your second game – and a stunning goal at that. How did that feel? I really can’t describe it. It was pheno menal. I could feel that it was a good shot the moment it left my foot, but for it to end up in the top corner was wonderful.
How do you rate your chances of continuing to be named in the squad? I’ve got to keep performing week in, week out for Hoffenheim; if I can do that then I think I’ve got a pretty good chance. It all starts at TSG and goes from there.
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
What personal targets do you want to achieve with the national team? I haven’t thought about that at all. I just want to be called up and play as often as possible.
The World Cup in Brazil was not long ago. Do the national team still discuss it at all? What is the overall mood like within the squad?
By the time I joined the side it was no longer an issue and the atmosphere within the camp was good. Of course that exit to Germany was a bitter setback. I watched the match in the team room at our running training camp in Westerburg and couldn’t really believe what I was seeing. I think every Brazilian had imagined that World Cup ending differently.
’A Seleção’ experienced significant upheaval after the tournament. What do Brazil need to change to get closer to being among the best in the world again? As in every side, the coach naturally plays an important role. He gives very clear instructions and determines the team’s playing style. I don’t think Brazil are far from the top, and I think they’ll show that again in future.
How important is coach Dunga for you? He’s the one who called me into the national side for the first time, so he’s an important figure for me. He and the other members of the squad made my first stint with Brazil easy – it really was a great experience.
How do you view your role within the national team? Have I got a role yet? I’ve only been called up three times and I’ve played four games so far. I’m a young player who still needs to find his place, and I hope I’ll get an opportunity to do that. Neymar has his role within the side, so does Oscar, so does David Luiz – they’re players who are much further along in their careers than me.
Markus Gisdol became coach in April 2013. We want to play TSG football and constantly keep improving. This continuity and the painstaking work that goes with it are extremely important factors in the team’s performances.
What’s possible for TSG this season? We’ll see. We go into every match with the same objective – to win – but every week we come up against another opponent with a similar aim. We can only make the absolute best of our opportunities in every game. If we can do that, we’ve done our job.
You’ve been in Germany since 2011. Has German football made you a more complete player? I think so. When I arrived at Hoffenheim I could already play football, but I’ve devel oped physically, technically and tactically since then. The Bundesliga is one of the world’s best leagues. I had to adapt and improve to get ahead here, and although I’ve now reached a good level, there’s still more left to do. My own dissatisfaction is my biggest motivation.
Your contract with Hoffenheim runs until 2017. Do you want to stay in Germany and Hoffenheim or do you feel drawn to another club or even another league? 2017 is still a long way off. We’ll see what happens. Å Roberto Firmino was talking to Marius Achatz
You are enjoying a good season with Hoffenheim. What sets the 2014/15 team apart? The different characters within the squad work really well together. There’s a good atmosphere within the dressing room, and that’s important for a start. What’s more, we’ve had a clear philosophy ever since T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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Brazil discovers Hoffenheim Then there are the entirely new members of the squad – a handful of talented young footballers who never attracted much interest from Scolari. They include Danilo, who has developed into one of Europe’s best full-backs at Porto and has agreed to join Real Madrid for €31.5 million next season, and Philippe Coutinho, who consistently shines in Liverpool’s No.10 shirt and has even been named in the Premier League team of the year by his contemporaries. Nor should we forget Roberto Firmino, who also wears the number 10 for a club known to precious few in Brazil until the 23-year-old came to their attention. This delicate, quick-thinking attacking midfielder plays in the Bundesliga for up-and-coming
small-town club Hoffenheim. Indeed, it may be due to Dunga’s special connection with Germany that Firmino has finally been given his chance. The attacking approach taken by the new Brazil was on display for all to admire in London at the end of March. At Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, A Seleção duelled with their perennial bogey team Chile, who gave them a serious scare in last summer’s Round of 16. Although it was not the most aesthetically pleasing encounter, that was less down to the Brazilians than to their Chilean adversaries, who set up their game in the usual way even for a friendly, spending 90 minutes not only hunting down the ball but occasionally their opponents’ legs too. Matches against Chile are always a test of character that demand answers to questions such as “How far am I prepared to go?” and “How much do I dare to commit?”
Matches against Chile are a test of character. How much do I dare to commit? Brazil seemed to become exasperated, particularly Neymar, who was sent flying across the turf on more than one occasion. Half an hour before the final whistle, Dunga took off his striker Luiz Adriano and sent Firmino on in his place – a move which quickly changed the match. A Seleção’s new arrival had barely settled into the game when a masterful pass from Danilo found its way into his path. He needed just two touches to complete his strike: the first, with his left foot, steered the ball past the lunging goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, while the second right-footed touch guided it into the empty net from an acute angle – a strike that ultimately proved the difference in a 1-0 win. This combination of high-tempo football and virtuoso technique is the way the new Brazil intend to play. Mexico are next up on the agenda in front of an expectant home crowd on 7 June, before the challenge of the Copa America , which is being hosted by their dear friends in Chile. It was left to Thiago Silva to sum things up after the recent victory in London, with words that served not only as a tribute to goalscorer Firmino but also as a message of hope for the new-look Brazil: “This lad is a star who will shine brightly one day.” Å
Dante
Neymar
Bernard Júlio César Thiago Silva
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the 23-year-old’s unique talent and appoint him as captain, a decision that was not entirely without controversy given that the promotion of one player inevitably means demoting another. In this specific case, that man was defensive stalwart Thiago Silva, whose performances at the World Cup came closest to rivalling Neymar’s world-class efforts. It is possible that Dunga wanted this decision to be viewed as a signal to all those critics who pointed to his first hapless term as Brazil coach, a spell marked by somewhat unprepossessing defensive football and which hit its lowest ebb with a quarter-final exit at the 2010 World Cup. Removing a defender as captain and replacing him with a striker was certainly not a bad way of dispelling fears of a return to an offensively reticent Seleção. Carlos Dunga now allows his team to play free-flowing football. “We’re keeping our heads up and pushing forward,” Neymar recently explained in Paris. “That wasn’t so easy after everything that happened at the World Cup, but we’ve turned a corner.” The turnaround has been achieved with attractive attacking play and 18 goals in eight matches. What’s more, their opponents in those games have been anything but weak and include Argentina, France and Colombia among others. Others are flourishing in Neymar’s shadow. Chelsea’s stylish wide man Willian has found the target twice after having been left on the bench by Scolari for much of the World Cup. Dunga was also not too proud to hand a comeback to Robinho who, though now 31, is still blessed with quick feet. Another player to be welcomed back into the Brazil fold is Elias, who returned to his homeland permanently in 2014 after several years in Europe.
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When it really hurts
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David Gray / Reuters
ef eat is par ticular ly painf ul when it come s about unexpec tedly. T he locals were not the only ones counting Brazil among the favour ite s for the 2014 Wor ld Cup, so when A Seleção were comprehen sively swept away and outclas sed 7-1 by Germany in the semi - f inal, the reac tion was one of collec tive shock . A lthough it is pos sible to argue that the memorable evening of 8 July 2014 surpasses the humiliation of 1950, it is unlikely. Back in Rio de Janeiro 65 years ago, ever y thing was already in place for a major par t y. Celebra tions had been planned up and down the countr y to mark Brazil’s f irst World Cup tri umph, while the f irst t wo days af ter the Final had of f icially been declared national holi da ys. Re s taurant s and halls ever y where were booked out. T he only thing Brazilians had not prepared for was their opponent s, diminutive souther n neighbour s Ur uguay, who beat the favourites 2-1. Hours af ter the f inal whistle sounded, tens of thousands of home fans s till sat s tunned in the s tands. T his defeat at the Maracana Stadium was even given it s own name – the Maracanaço . One lift journey, two goals Per haps the problem is that the inner con tentment and excitement about what has seemingly been ac hieved c an sometime s
retired tennis s tar Bor is Becker, who was watching the game from high in the Camp Nou stands that evening. Shor tly before half pas t ten, he and Bayer n pre sident Franz Beckenbauer lef t their seat s to prepare for the trophy presentation. W ith the score at 1- 0, they made their way to a lif t that would take them to an internal room on the bot tom f loor of the stadium, but by the time the lif t door s opened at ground level Manche s ter United had won the match 2-1. Ever y thing moved a lit tle fas t that night, even for the members of the press who were present. One German newspaper had already given the Bayern players high marks, and al though the journalists were able to change their ratings at the last moment, it was the old incorrec t version that went to press. 1950 World Cup Joseph Gaetjens of the USA scores the surprise winning goal against England past goalkeeper Bert Williams (left).
take hold too soon – even if only by a mat ter of a few minutes. In Europe, the 1999 Cham pions League f inal went down in histor y as a f ootballing trauma for losing side Bayer n Munich. T he Germans led 1- 0 until the 90 th minute, only for Manchester United to score t wice in stoppage time. Numerous anecdotes from that fateful night in Barcelona emerged over the c oming days, inc luding that of
Not a transmission error Talking of erroneous repor t s, one British newspaper refused to believe what they were seeing af ter the USA inflicted a surprise 1- 0 defeat on tournament favourites England at the 1950 World Cup in Brazil. Assuming there had been a transmission error in the tele graph they received, the paper took it upon themselves to change the 1- 0 loss to a 10 -1 victor y for the Three Lions in their repor t. Alan Schweingruber
Fred
Oscar Lucas Moura
Dani Alves
Jádson
A year later, Sc olar i named his 2014 Wor ld C up squad. In c ame Ma x well, Henr ique, Ramire s, Fer nandinho, W illian, V ic tor and Maic on. Mis sing f rom the squad were Rever, Diego C avalier i, Jean, Fer nando, F ilipe L uis, L eandro Damiao, L uc as Moura and Jadson. T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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Wrong footed HIFK’s Pauli Kuusijärvi (in red) skips past Jussi Vasara of SJK.
F i n l a n d: Vei k ka u s l i i g a
A wo r t hy r i v a l at l a s t fo r H J K Alan Schweingruber is a staff
Jouko Hänninen / I-Mediat
writer on The FIFA Weekly.
The season appears to be panning out as expected in Finland’s Veikkausliiga, where HJK Helsinki, one-time employers of former Ajax, Barcelona and Liverpool star Jari Litmanen, are in their customary position at the top of the standings going into Matchday 6. The club have won the Finnish league title for the last six years and earned three more points last weekend thanks to a comfortable 3-0 home victory over Jakobstad-based side FF Jaro in spring-like conditions in Helsinki.
Since then, the table has taken on a somewhat unusual appearance, and one that has never been seen before in the league’s history. Presently, no two teams have the same number of points, with the points column ascending in consecutive order: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. Serial champions HJK are top, while Vaasan PS, who have yo-yoed between the divisions for the last few decades, are at the bottom. Nevertheless, the title race is set to be anything but predictable. Sitting in second place behind HJK with a game in hand are Seinajoen Jalkapallokerho – no ordinary side. The club was founded in 2007 as the result of a merger between TP-Seinajoki and Jalkapalloseura Sepsi-78, and have since played their way from the third division into the top flight. Last season SJK, as they are known for short, won the League Cup and reached the Europa League qualifying
rounds after finishing as runners-up in the Veikkausliiga. They owe their rapid rise to Finnish businessman and club president Raimo Sarajarvi. SJK have continuously improved their squad with good signings both before and after gaining promotion to the first division. One of the newcomers, Toni Lehtinen, scored the crucial second goal in the 86th minute to kill the game off in a 2-0 victory over Helsingfors IFK in his team’s most recent home match. There is, then, something afoot in Seinajoki, the small city in western Finland the club call home. Until recently, it has primarily been famous for its annual tango festival, but now a new stadium meeting international standards is being constructed there. If all goes to plan it could even open next year. And who knows, it may even be home to the new Finnish champions by then. Å T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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Premier League
Mou r i n ho’s t ac t ic a l m a ster c la s s David Winner is a London-based author and journalist. His books on football include ’Brilliant Orange’ and ’Dennis Bergkamp: Stillness and Speed’.
As Chelsea sauntered to their fourth Premier League title in ten years with three games to spare their fans mocked their detractors. Two years into coach Jose Mourinho’s second spell with the club, Chelsea are the strongest, best-balanced team in England. This has not made them universally popular and critics say they are no fun to watch. But Blues fans don’t mind a bit. For the 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace on Sunday some wore T-shirts showing Mourinho at the wheel of a bus with the caption “He parks where he wants”. The fans usually sing about strikers who “score when they want”. This, by witty contrast, was a way of roaring their approval of the team’s defensive style. “Parking the bus” – defending in such depth and strength that the goal seems barricaded with a London double-decker – is one of Mourinho’s specialities. And his attackers are always good enough to win games by scoring on the counter. The tactic is the modern version of old Italian catenaccio, though Mourinho prefers the term ’deep block’.
But mid-season defeats, including an FA Cup failure against third tier Bradford City, 16
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Mission accomplished
Jose Mourinho’s tactics have paid off in London
persuaded Mourinho to go back to what he does best. And there’s a beauty in that too. Mourinho’s style requires high levels of technique, speed and strength as well as sophisticated appreciation of space. Can Chelsea keep winning titles? Mourinho would like us to think so. In an interview last month, the Portuguese suggested he and his team were still improving. “I’m getting better at everything related to my job since I started,” he told the Daily Telegraph. “There has
been evolution in many different areas – the way I read the game; the way I prepare the game; the way I train; the methodology… I feel better and better”. Å
R. Parker / Keystone / Sportsphoto / Photoshot
This season, with veteran centre half John Terry and holding midfielder Nemanja Matic imperious in a remodeled rearguard, the tactic has often functioned perfectly. And it drives opponents crazy. Last month Arsenal fans frustrated by their side’s failure to breach the thick Blue line chanted that Chelsea were “boring, boring”. Mourinho is untroubled by the brickbats. He has mastered the art of winning and varies his tactics as necessary. His team can play brilliant offensive football, too, as they did in the first part of this season when attacking midfielders Eden Hazard (voted Player of Year) and Oscar were devastating and new signings Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa provided guile and goals.
Algeria: Division 1
Title race open to all Sarah Steiner is a staff writer on
lead with 42 points. The difference in class was more readily apparent at this point last season, when league leaders USM Alger held a 40-point advantage over bottom-of-the-table Bordj Bou Arreridj and Ain Fakroun.
many sides have a similar style. The play is quite physical and matches are fiercely contested. That has led to these very balanced conditions where there isn’t much to separate each individual side.”
The dominance of clubs from the capital is now a thing of the past. MC El Eulma coach Jules Accorsi, whose team currently sit in 11th place, believes that this finely-balanced championship tussle is not only exciting for the fans but also provides a valuable opportunity for the country’s lesser-known sides. “I think it’s a kind of blessing that the league is so close this year,” he said.
Nevertheless, one look at the CAF Champions League suggests that it is not all bad news for Algerian football. The country has three representatives in the group stage – a historic achievement. ES Setif, USM Alger and MC El Eulma are among the best eight clubs on the continent, and as if that was not enough, the group draw on 5 May revealed that all three will go head-to-head in this competition too. Å
The FIFA Weekly.
The Ligue 1 season is entering the final straight, with just four matches to go until this year’s champion is crowned. While the title race has already been either decided or narrowed down to a few clubs in many leagues, it is hard to imagine a more exciting battle for top spot than the one unfolding in Algeria. The top flight is made up of 16 teams – and all 16 could still lift the trophy.
Chris Brunskill Ltd / Getty Images
With ES Setif currently heading the table on 41 points and Hussein Dey bringing up the rear with 30, theoretically anything is still possible; there is even a scenario in which ten sides could finish their campaigns tied for the
Alain Michel holds the opposite view. Having spent many years coaching in Ligue 1, CR Belouizdad is the fourth club he has managed in Algeria. “Football in this country suffers from a lack of stability among its coaching staff,” he explained. “Teams cannot spend much time adapting to a system, which is why so
ES Setif The Algerian league leaders are aiming for their seventh championship crown.
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FIFA PARTNER
FIFA WORLD FOOTBALL MUSEUM
Showroom provides taste of things to come Building work on the FIFA World Football Museum began last year, and now the FIFA Museum AG has installed a showroom that whets the appetite for more.
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TRIAD
onstruction is going according to plan at the FIFA World Football Museum. And in order to give football and museum enthusiasts a sample of what to expect, the FIFA Museum AG has set up a showroom at Seestrasse 37 in Zurich which is open to the public on weekdays between 11 am and 2 pm. “We’re right on schedule” The opening of the showroom is an important landmark for the FIFA Museum AG on the way to completing the new museum. “We’re right on schedule,” said CEO Stefan Jost, who has been in the role since March 2015. “The plans to settle the final details will be concluded in the next few weeks. We can stick to the scheduled opening in the first quarter of 2016.” The showroom offers a first impression of the planned appearance and size of the finished museum. Furthermore, there is an explanation of the exhibition concept and an approximately eight-minute film that gives a visual overview of the museum’s different levels. “The showroom gives future visitors a first feel of the multimedia world of experience we’re creating in the FIFA World Football Museum,” said creative director David Ausseil, who is responsible for the museum’s layout.
The museum aims to showcase all facets of the football world, and not only FIFA’s own extraordinary history and the uniqueness of the World Cup. The interactive multimedia world of experience illustrates how the game stirs people’s emotions across the globe on a daily basis, influencing and inspiring them. The idea is to make the museum a venue that comes alive for the global footballing family. Over 1000 exhibits The museum houses over 1000 exhibits and the ‘Planet Football’ entrance hall welcomes fans upon arrival. Meanwhile, ‘The Rainbow’, an expansive, circular glass cabinet, holds national team jerseys from all FIFA member associations and important items from each continent. ‘The Timeline’ documents the game’s historical highlights as well as the illustrious history of FIFA, which has constantly driven the sport’s development since 1904. The second level of the FIFA World Football Museum is in the basement, where ‘The World Cup Gallery’ traces the path of the World Cup en route to becoming the biggest sporting event on the planet. It is here that the original World Cup trophy has been given its own special location.
The third level of the museum, called ‘Fields of Play’, is on the first floor, where the beauty and importance of the game can be experienced in an unconventional way, by viewing football as an inspiration, an art form and a way of life in diverse cultures. Additional highlights are provided by the ‘Game Corner’ and the giant ‘Pinball Machine’, where visitors can test their own skill on the ball. Å tfw
The FIFA World Football Museum C ons tr uc tion b e gan in 2014 and w ill b e c omple ted 20 months later in Dec ember 2015. T he Museum is sc heduled to open in the f ir s t quar ter of 2016. T he exhibition spac e c over s approx imately 3,50 0 square m e t r e s s p r e a d ov e r t hr e e l e v e l s . T h e c omp le x al s o inc or p or a t e s s ome 1, 5 0 0 s q u a r e m e t r e s o f p u b l i c l y a c c e s s ib l e spac e f eatur ing a museum s tore, a spor t s b ar, a bis tr o and a c af e ter ia. T he upp er s t or ey s c ont ain of f ic e s f or ar ound 14 0 s taf f, and 34 apar tment s.
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First Love
P l a c e : Ya z d , I r a n Date: 15 May 2014 Time: 6.30 p.m. Photog rapher: Simon Koy
Favorite Picture
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FOOTBALL FOR HOPE
Football for Hope is our global commitment to building a better future through football. To date, we have supported over 550 socially-responsible community projects that use football as a tool for social development, improving the lives and prospects of young people and their surrounding communities
To ďŹ nd out more, visit the Sustainability section on FIFA.com.
LIVE YOUR GOAL S
PRESIDENTIAL NOTE
200 girls happy to live their goals in Ottawa The latest event in the Live Your Goals festival series was held in Canada to mark the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup™ 2015 and inspire hundreds of girls and young women.
Hope through football
B A great success More than 200 girls took part in the Live Your Goals festival in Ottawa.
O
n Sunday 3 May 2015, some 200 girls arrived at the Louis Riel Dome in Ottawa, Ontario for two hours of soccer activities and fun. The girls were aged between 8 and 12 and hailed from clubs in the Ottawa area and Quebec. Hours earlier, 40 women coaches and volunteers from all over Ontario had been busy preparing the facility for all the football fun that was about to take place. The dome looked resplendent in its “Live Your Goals” banners and flags. Portable goals, bouncy castles, face painting, shooting contests and many other activities were designed to engage the girls whilst they interacted with new friends. Shuéme, the FWWC2015 mascot, was there too, an added attraction for participants and parents alike. Joseé Bélanger, recently selected as a member of the home nation’s squad for Canada 2015, and Kristina Kiss who played for Canada at two World Cups and earned 75 caps for her country, offered their support to Live your Goals and proved excellent role models for the young girls. The event was a huge success. Two hours later, the girls left with smiles on their faces, sweat on their brows and a happy heart, ready to kick their new soccer balls all the way home. Å
ack in 1975 “Project 1” was my first mission as a member of the FIFA staff. It was a programme to develop and promote football all over the world, especially in Africa and Asia, where the game was still largely rootless and isolated. It was the start of a process that has yielded ground-breaking progress, such as the first World Cup finals in Asia in 2002 or the African premiere in 2010. At the same time we intensified our social and community involvement. After awarding the 2010 World Cup to South Africa, we launched “Win in A frica with Africa” in 2005, an initiative that significantly improved the infrastructural situation throughout the continent and established new foundations for African football in the most literal sense of the phrase. In parallel we established “Football for Hope” in 2005, the programme combining FIFA’s vision of a better future with concrete aid projects, including the construction of 20 “Football for Hope” centres in Africa to promote education, health and football. This was far from the only goal we achieved. In the context of the 2014 World Cup, we increased our social development support to South America to new levels: the number of organisations we support in Brazil alone rose from five to 37. Via “Football for Hope” we have supported 550 programmes across all six confederations. We look back on ten years of Football for Hope with pride, but the work is far from over. We are fully aware of this and will do everything within our power to meet our responsibilities, for the next decade and many years thereafter.
FIFA
tfw
Best wishes, Sepp Blatter T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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B L U E S T A R S / F I F A Y O U T H C U P
A taste of the limelight Every aspiring young footballer dreams of playing on the biggest stage of them all one day. At the Blue Stars / FIFA Youth Cup in Zurich on 13-14 May, some of them will have a foretaste of what that is like, writes Sarah Steiner. Illustrations by Julien Pacaud.
Illustration: Julien Pacaud / Talkie Walkie
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yes trained on the grass, a club pennant in one hand and spotless shirts on their backs, the youngsters take to the pitch. They steal a longing glance at the matchball on the pedestal in front of the stands, take a shy peek at the thousands of spectators watching on, among them some of the biggest names in football: Christian Karambeu, filming with his smartphone, while FIFA President Sepp Blatter chats to tournament president Jurg Hofmann. And then there are the countless talent scouts who have arrived in Zurich on this spring day to watch the youngsters, find the truly gifted ones and maybe even launch their careers. The glare of the spotlight is unrelenting. ‘Where stars are born’ is the slogan of the Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup, one of the most prestigious international youth tournaments on the calendar which is held every year around Ascension Day at the Buchlern sports complex in Zurich. This year’s competition, which takes place on 13-14 May, will be the 77th edition. Ten clubs will travel to Switzerland to put their youngsters to the test. So far 232 teams from 40 countries have participated at the event, and in last year’s World Cup squads there were 25 players who had previously take part at the Youth Cup. Those may look like mere numbers on a page, but they are nevertheless revealing, and put the youngsters under a certain degree of pressure. “Pressure is part and parcel of the game” Yet pressure is inevitable in football and any aspiring professional will have to deal with it on a daily basis. They must be well prepared and in good shape both physically and mentally in
rder to perform during a match. Players and o coaches alike are well aware that talent scouts come to the tournament. “It’s part and parcel of the game,” said Mats Gren, coach of the IFK Goteborg side.
“Tournaments like this are important for young players to develop.” Roy Makaay, Feyenoord youth coach The trip to Zurich is a homecoming of sorts for the Swede, who played for Grasshoppers Zurich between 1985 and 2000, winning the league title five times and the domestic cup on four occasions. “The lads have to get used to pressure” he said, adding that facing international opposition is crucial to players of their age: “It helps them develop. It teaches them life lessons as well as giving them match experience.” The list of famous former Youth Cup participants is a lengthy one, including Sir Bobby Charlton, Gerard Pique, David Beckham and Kaka. It is here that many careers began to take off, and many stars started to shine. Yet the ‘star’ most inextricably linked to the tournament is the host club itself: Blue Stars. They
may have never made it on the international stage, and currently play in Switzerland’s fifth tier, but the small club realised early on that good youth work was the key to success. As such, in 1921 they became the first club in Switzerland to establish a youth department, founding the tournament 17 years later. It would prove to be a long-term investment. Jurg Hofmann, Blue Stars president and head of the local organising committee, has been involved for many years now. In 1960 he even played in the competition himself against Manchester United, and the experience left its mark. “I can still clearly remember the best player on the pitch – a guy with long, curly hair. His name? George Best!” he said, laughing. Nowadays Hofmann and his team are responsible for organising the tournament, putting together the match calendar, inviting teams to play and balancing the budget. Their work has paid off, as the Youth Cup is one of the most popular youth competitions in the world. “In total we get 15,000 visitors,” Hofmann said. Exams come first Much has changed in the 77 years since the event’s inception. What started out as a national youth tournament has developed into one of the most prestigious youth competitions in the world. This year the event once again has an illustrious list of participants. Reigning champions Atletico Paranaense will travel from Brazil aiming to defend their title, but will have to overcome Werder Bremen, among others, to do so. The latter are one of Germany’s most successful youth teams and are coached by Mirko Votava, who won the tournament with Borussia Dortmund in 1973. “I’m heading to Zurich T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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B L U E S T A R S / F I F A Y O U T H C U P
with a very young team,” said Votava, whose ensemble are not able to arrive from northern Germany before the evening of 12 May. “Some of my players are taking their A-Level exams during the day,” he explained. “They’re really looking forward to going to Zurich.”
“More is expected of young players now.” Mats Gren, IFK Goteborg youth coach
Whereas previously clubs would primarily focus on professionalising their first team, nowadays that extends to all age categories. Preparation and prevention, regeneration and individualisation; today, young players at every level are schooled with a view to a potential professional career in the game. 26
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
The Feyenoord Academy, known as Varkenoord, is one of the best youth training centres in the Netherlands and has won the Rinus Michels Award as the finest youth academy in the country for five consecutive years since 2010. Robin van Persie, Stefan de Vrij, Georginio Wijnaldum and Bruno Martins Indi all stood out at last year’s World Cup in Brazil, and all of them began at the Feyenoord Academy in Rotterdam. “The boys train very hard and they train professionally,” said Goteborg coach Mats Gren, whose club likewise place great emphasis on youth work. “On top of that, more is expected of them now. Working with young players isn’t only important for the club but for society too. It has an important social value.” Talent alone is not enough So what is the key to success? Which factors are decisive in a young player making the
grade as a professional? Nowadays, ability alone is not enough. “Talent is important, but without hard work, dedication and commitment it’s not possible to succeed,” said Makaay. The Dutchman speaks from experience, having won titles in Germany, Spain and the Netherlands in his playing days. Bremen coach Votava expanded further: “The most important thing for a young player is to gain match experience. If you don’t play you can’t improve, so you have to take the right steps at the right time.” In addition to all the meticulous planning, players also need a little bit of luck on their side in the end, for instance in avoiding serious injuries. Youth academies today cater for every eventuality, and clubs stress the importance of speaking to their players about life after, or maybe even without, a career in professional football. Youngsters are offered the opportunity to receive training in an area that could
Illustration: Julien Pacaud / Talkie Walkie
The Feyenoord Academy The same could be said for Feyenoord. “Tournaments like this are important for young players to develop,” said coach and former worldclass striker Roy Makaay. The word ‘development’ is repeated frequently in youth football circles, so it is no surprise that huge changes have been made in this area in recent years.
B L U E S T A R S / F I F A Y O U T H C U P
BLUE SARS / FIFA YOUTH CUP 2015 PARTICIPANTS Group A: Atletico Paranaense, Bursaspor, Werder Bremen, Grasshoppers, FC Zurich Group B: Benfica, Feyenoord, IFK Goteborg, FC Lucerne, FC Blue Stars
give them job prospects away from football. “We invest a lot of time in this area,” said Makaay. “It’s important to give time to the players who won’t make it as professionals.” Heading home with pride Eyes raised to the terraces, an opponent’s shirt in one hand, a proud glance at the trophy that sits on the pedestal in front of the stands, the youngsters stroll across the pitch. The tournament has been won and the glare of the spotlight is fierce. But now what? After two exciting and intense days the players return home to their domestic leagues, to everyday life where they must fight for a place in the team and prove their ability over and over again. Many of them will not make it. Football will always be a part of their lives but becoming a professional just a step too far. However, some of them will return to the spotlight and play in one of the big leagues,
win titles and savour success. Their stories will be told in a few years’ time. And they will be mentioned alongside Charlton, Pique, Beckham and Kaka, whose careers likewise began here in Zurich. Å
MOST NOTABLE PLAYERS (SINCE 1990) Roy Keane, Christian Nerlinger, Markus Babbel, Jay-Jay Okocha, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Ivan de la Pena, Eidur Gudjohnson, Nuno Gomes, Kaka, Alexander Frei, Diego Benaglio, Alberto Aquilani, Joao Moutinho, Nani, Gerard Pique, Ron-Robert Zieler, Xherdan Shaqiri, Ricardo Rodriguez, Adnan Januzaj PARTICIPANTS (SINCE 1939) 232 clubs from 40 countries MOST SUCCESSFUL CLUBS Manchester United (18 tournament wins), Grasshopper Club (6), Barcelona and Young Fellows (both 3) 2015 TOURNAMENT Wednesday 13 May 2015 (from 15:00) and Thursday 14 May 2015 (from 09:15) Buchlern Sports Complex, Zurich, Switzerland
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FREE KICK
SPOTLIGHT ON
GENER AL INFORMATION Country: Vietnam FIFA Trigramme: VIE Continent: Asia Capital: Hanoi
Resounding proof Perikles Monioudis
Mario Wagner / 2Agenten
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he ball is played to Lionel Messi on the edge of the penalty area and the world holds its breath. The lively Argentinian skips away from a defender and gets the better of goalkeeper Manuel Neuer only for cool, calm and collected defensive stalwart Jerome Boateng to clear the ball a short way from the German line. Ten months later, a similar scene plays out between the same protagonists, but in another context on a different continent and an entirely separate competition. Messi, now clad in a Barcelona shirt, picks up the ball and jinks past the imposing figure of Boateng – now wearing a Bayern Munich jersey –, catching him on the wrong foot and causing him to fall like “a felled tree”, according to the gloating comments on various Internet chatrooms. This time as the ball evades Neuer, there is one substantial consequence: Messi scores his and Barça’s second goal in their 3-0 Champions League semi-final first leg win at home to German champions Bayern on the evening of 6 May. Ten months ago, at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana, it was Boateng and Neuer who were celebrating victory against Messi as they won the World Cup Final 1-0. It goes without saying that a World Cup trophy outweighs a promising result in a continental competition, but that is not the point here. We would be rubbing our eyes in disbelief at these apparent coincidences were it not for the fact that as passionate football fans we have long since become accustomed to seeing
the same exceptional players at work in the year’s most important matches. The phenomenon proves one thing at least: that the world’s best players – Messi, Mascherano, Neuer and Lahm et al. – really are the best players in the world. Nevertheless, for all this talk of Barça and Bayern, there is one man who cannot be left out at any cost: Cristiano Ronaldo. The incomparable Real Madrid star could yet outwit the rest this season and claim the European crown for himself. Å
GEOGR APHIC INFORMATION Surface area: 331,690 km² Highest point: Fansipan 3,143 m Neighbouring seas and oceans: South China Sea
MEN’S FOOTBALL FIFA Ranking: 125th World Cup: no appearances
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL FIFA Ranking: 34rd World Cup: no appearances
L ATES T RESULTS Men’s: Vietnam - Malaysia 2:4 11 December 2014 Women’s: Vietnam - Malaysia 7:0 4 May 2015
FIFA INVES TMENTS Since 2000:
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C O U N T D OW N T O C A N A DA 2015: 29 DAY S T O G O
Panini
The collectors’ album has 56 pages with space for 478 stickers – including 29 special stickers. Each sticker packet will contain five stickers (seven in North America) with packets to be sold in approximately 25 countries.
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Panini launches new FIFA Women’s World Cup sticker album
29 DAYS TO GO
Football fans are preparing to go collecting crazy once more as the seventh edition of the Women’s World Cup Canada 2015 is commemorated with a sticker album – the second of its kind after Germany 2011.
P
anini S.p.A. is the world’s largest publisher of collectibles. The historic Italian company operates worldwide and sells its famous portraits in over 120 countries. Panini and world football governing body FIFA, the organisers of the Women’s World Cup, recently announced the expansion of their collaboration to enable the possibilities offered by the tournament to be better explored. The Women’s World Cup Canada 2015 is the seventh tournament of its kind and the second to be recognised with a Panini sticker album. The finals will be held across six cities between 6 June and 5 July as Canada hosts the competition for the first time. A great success Panini has been creating World Cup sticker albums since 1970 and and has since been granted exclusive rights by FIFA for the official
sticker album, collectible trading cards and trading card games for 14 World Cup tournaments, including the 2011 and 2015 Women’s World Cups. The very first FIFA Women’s World Cup collection was launched to much acclaim in Germany in 2011. Peter Warsop, Panini’s Group Licensing Director, stated: “We take enormous pride in joining this year’s program to celebrate and help create additional awareness and excitement about the Women’s World Cup. We have already had many fans of the game reaching out to us from all over the World in anticipation of a sticker album being launched and we are delighted to be providing it for them. The 2011 tournament in Germany was very successful in all respects, which has prompted us to extend our marketing and distribution of this year’s collection to around 25 countries. Given the increase in teams to 24, the sticker album has also grown to ensure
we cover all participating teams and their potential player squads. For fans of the game who cannot find supplies within their own territories, we will make stocks available for purchase online.” On sale in around 25 countries FIFA Marketing Director Thierry Weil added: “We are delighted to be working with Panini ahead of the Women’s World Cup and know that fans of football around the world will be eager to get their copy of this years’ album. The release of each Panini Sticker Album incites excitement in supporters that comes in the build-up to a major tournament, and with just over one month to go I am sure that focus is now firmly turned towards Canada.” Å tfw
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MIRROR IMAGE
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London, England
1931
Fox Fotos / Getty Images
Arsenal players undergoing UV therapy.
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A. Beier / Getty Images for FC Bayern
Bayern Munich players Bastian Schweinsteiger (right) and his older brother Tobias observe a partial solar eclipse.
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THE ART OF FOOTBALL
The ‘final’ final Ronald Duker
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
“I am happy that players attempt the ‘Panenka’ penalty, and that journalists talk about it and fans enjoy it. Players like Francesco Totti and Zinedine Zidane have also done it, but Messi’s was the most beautiful of all. Not too powerful, down the middle and looping – his technique is impressive and the goal is just further proof of his amazing talent.” Antonin Panenka on Lionel Lionel Messi’s ‘Panenka’ penalty versus Getafe
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June 2002 was one of those very special days: the World Cup Final in Japan. Brazil versus Germany, Ronaldo versus Oliver Kahn – an encounter the striker no doubt looks back upon with more fondness than the goalkeeper. Although Kahn was named player of the tournament, an incredibly unfortunate bounce of the ball led to him conceding his first goal in the 67th minute of the world’s biggest football match and ultimately decided the result. Nevertheless, there is a reason other than the World Cup Final why 30 June 2002 was such a special day. On top of the world – in Bhutan, the small kingdom at the foot of the Himalayas, to be precise – another showdown took place at the same time as the game in Yokohama. This match also had 22 men on the pitch; again, two goals were scored and, just like in Japan, a winning team ultimately emerged – but otherwise this was an entirely different affair. Johan Kramer’s documentary “The Other Final” tells the story of this incredible game but picks up the narrative long before kick-off. Matthijs de Jongh, a simple football fan from the Netherlands, organised it all – but why? After his own country were eliminated from the World Cup during qualifying, the Dutchman developed an interest in the culture of defeat that ultimately led him to the two most vanquished sides in football. One look at FIFA’s world rankings showed him that the 202nd-ranked Bhutan and Montserrat, in 203rd place, were last of all the nations listed. Even the geographical location of these two countries was not immediately obvious. Closer inspection revealed Montserrat
to be a tiny island in the Caribbean that suffered widespread devastation after a volcanic eruption in 1997, while Bhutan is a kingdom in South East Asia almost completely isolated from the rest of the world. Whereas cricket is Montserrat’s national sport, residents of Bhutan tend to prefer traditional archery – even though the king himself was a decent goalkeeper in his own right during the 1970s, a fact Johan Kramer unearthed while preparing for this big game between two footballing minnows. Although the Dutchman’s camera primarily remains focused on the players representing both sides, his film gives viewers a chance to learn quite a bit about everyday life in these two completely different locations of the world. It reveals how players from both nations slowly get to know each other and overcome their language barriers by playing music together; for example, the song “Hot Hot Hot” has been Montserrat’s unofficial anthem ever since the volcano erupted. It shows how they express their sporting and personal dreams, how the monks sit down to pray before the big match and, despite all this excitement, how football remains at the centre of proceedings throughout. The documentary is a testament to how the world’s most beautiful game can still be beautiful even when the football on display is not played by professionals. Without wishing to give anything away, the Other Final was ultimately decided by, of all things, a spectacular goalkeeping error – a mistake so spectacular that Oliver Kahn can forever make peace with his own performance in the day’s more prominent showpiece. Å
“It doesn’t matter how you win, if you win. People like to see us playing nice football – clever turns and everything – but that doesn’t count now. It doesn’t matter how ugly or terrible it is – long balls – people can say whatever they want. It doesn’t matter. I want to win. I need to win!” Roly Bonevacia of Wellington Phoenix
“Cristiano Ronaldo could play for Millwall, QPR, Doncaster Rovers or anyone and he’d score a hat-trick. I’m not sure Messi could do it. Ronaldo’s got two feet, he’s quick, he’s good in the air and he’s brave, though Messi’s brave too of course. I just think Messi is a Barcelona player.” Sir Alex Ferguson T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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TURNING POINT
“The team spirit swayed me” French international goalkeeper Hugo Lloris was once regarded as one of the country’s best young tennis players, but he was soon won over by the beautiful game.
Charlie Forgham Bailey/Presse Sports/freshfocus
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rowing up as the son of a lawyer and a banker on the Cote d’Azur, football wasn’t automatically my first choice as a child. I also loved tennis – as a player and as a fan. Every spring the famous Monte Carlo clay tournament was held not far from Nice, where I was born. I obviously had to go. Pete Sampras, the American player, was my hero. I don’t know if I was good enough to turn professional, but I was certainly told I had talent. But it’s not as if tennis has been swept completely under the carpet. Normally I don’t have time, but I have played every now and then during the holidays and I always notice how quickly the old spark comes back. At the same time, I was playing football for amateur club CEDAC (Centre de Diffusion et d’Action Culturelle) at the Cimiez arts centre on the outskirts of Nice.At first I really wanted to be a striker, but after a while the coaches must have realised that I was better suited to playing in goal. They said it was due to my exceptional anticipation, pace, handeye coordination and reflexes. On the recommendation of ex-French international goalkeeper Dominique Baratelli, I then signed for his former club, OGC Nice. I must have been ten or eleven years old when football started gaining the upper hand over tennis. I was training more regularly during the week and it soon became clear that I had to make a decision. I had to concentrate on
just one sport, and that sport was football. The team spirit probably tipped the scales in football’s favour, the prospect of being successful with my mates. After all those seasons in Nice’s youth academy, making my first-team debut as an 18-year-old, the subsequent moves to Olympique Lyon and Tottenham Hotspur in London, and being appointed captain of the Equipe Tricolore a year before the European Cham pionships on home soil, I have to say: “Non, je ne regrette rien.” Å Hugo Lloris was speaking to Andreas Jaros
Name Hugo Lloris Date and place of birth 26 December 1986, Nice, France Position Goalkeeper Clubs 1997–2008 OGC Nice 2008–2012 Olympique Lyon Since 2012 Tottenham Hotspur France national team 65 caps Honours U-19 European Champion 2005 Ligue 1 Goalkeeper of the Year 2008, 2010, 2011 French Cup 2012
In Turning Point, personalities reflect on a decisive moment in their lives. T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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MEN’S WORLD R ANKING
Germany (unchanged) none none 3 no team with more than one match Russia (up 47 points) Suriname (up 14 ranks) Montenegro (down 34 points) Mauritania (down 9 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
Last updated: 7 May 2015 Rank Team
+/- Points
Rank Team
+/- Points
1 Germany
0 1687
55 Gabon
0
583
109 Cuba
0
298
163 Guyana
-8
128
2 Argentina
0 1494
56 Mali
0
578
110 St Vincent and the Grenadines
6
291
163 Bhutan
0
128
3 Belgium
0 1457
57 Albania
0
575
111 Sudan
-1
288
165 Dominica
12
121
4 Colombia
0 1412
57 Korea Republic
0
575
112 Libya
-1
281
166 Malaysia
-2
120
5 Brazil
0 1372
59 South Africa
1
553
112 St Kitts and Nevis
-1
281
167 Puerto Rico
-1
119
6 Netherlands
0 1301
60 Zambia
-1
552
114 Namibia
-1
279
168 Yemen
2
117
7 Portugal
0 1221
61 Equatorial Guinea
0
549
115 Canada
-1
277
169 Hong Kong
-2
116
8 Uruguay
0 1176
62 Republic of Ireland
0
546
116 Azerbaijan
-1
264
169 Bangladesh
-2
116
9 Switzerland
0 1135
63 Peru
1
532
117 Kenya
0
258
171 Grenada
-6
113
10 Spain
0 1132
64 Australia
-1
531
118 Dominican Republic
0
257
172 Montserrat
-1
107
11 France
0 1127
65 Trinidad and Tobago
0
519
119 Niger
0
252
173 Pakistan
-1
106
12 Romania
0 1086
66 Burkina Faso
0
517
120 Moldova
1
245
174 US Virgin Islands
-1
104
13 Italy
0 1085
67 Bulgaria
0
505
121 Lesotho
1
242
175 New Caledonia
-1
101
14 England
0 1030
68 United Arab Emirates
0
501
122 Burundi
1
237
176 Guam
-1
97
15 Costa Rica
0 1016
69 Venezuela
0
495
123 Zimbabwe
0
235
176 Swaziland
-1
97
16 Chile
0 1002
70 Norway
0
491
124 Vietnam
1
229
178 Laos
0
88
17 Croatia
0
977
71 Uganda
1
485
125 Syria
1
225
179 Cambodia
0
86
18 Czech Republic
1
923
72 Uzbekistan
1
476
126 Kuwait
1
224
179 Chinese Taipei
0
86 70
19 Slovakia
1
920
73 Rwanda
1
474
127 Liechtenstein
1
219
181 Nepal
0
20 Algeria
1
917
74 Jamaica
1
466
128 Bermuda
1
217
182 Brunei Darussalam
1
69
21 Wales
1
916
75 Montenegro
-5
457
129 Mauritania
-9
216
183 Turks and Caicos Islands
1
66
22 Mexico
-4
908
76 Honduras
0
453
130 Barbados
0
215
183 Macau
1
66
23 Côte d’Ivoire
0
907
77 Armenia
0
449
131 St Lucia
5
214
185 Tahiti
1
65
24 Greece
0
900
78 Finland
0
446
132 Guinea-Bissau
-1
212
185 Mauritius
-4
65
25 Austria
0
891
79 Haiti
0
442
132 Liberia
-1
212
185 Comoros
1
65
26 Ghana
0
833
80 Togo
0
435
134 Kazakhstan
-1
210
188 Sri Lanka
-2
64 60
27 Russia
5
828
81 Paraguay
0
415
135 Afghanistan
0
208
189 Seychelles
0
28 USA
-1
825
82 China PR
0
408
136 Aruba
-2
204
190 São Tomé e Príncipe
0
58
29 Denmark
-1
808
83 Belarus
0
397
137 Philippines
2
200
191 Cayman Islands
0
48
30 Scotland
-1
796
84 El Salvador
0
388
137 Luxembourg
0
200
192 Solomon Islands
0
46
31 Tunisia
-1
793
85 Latvia
0
387
139 Georgia
-1
197
193 South Sudan
0
43
32 Bosnia and Herzegovina
-1
783
86 Mozambique
0
383
140 Maldives
1
191
194 San Marino
0
40
33 Ukraine
0
772
86 Iraq
0
383
141 Palestine
-1
190
195 Vanuatu
0
34
34 Ecuador
0
762
88 Sierra Leone
0
382
142 Thailand
0
183
196 Fiji
0
30
35 Poland
0
753
89 Angola
0
381
143 Tajikistan
0
173
196 Samoa
0
30
36 Senegal
0
752
90 Morocco
1
371
144 Central African Republic
0
163
198 Bahamas
0
26
37 Cape Verde Islands
0
737
90 Guatemala
0
371
144 Lebanon
0
163
198 British Virgin Islands
0
26
38 Iceland
0
728
92 Bolivia
0
360
144 New Zealand
0
163
200 Mongolia
0
19
39 Sweden
0
704
93 Estonia
0
358
147 India
0
161
201 Tonga
0
17
40 Iran
0
689
94 Benin
0
357
148 Curaçao
0
159
202 Papua New Guinea
0
13
41 Guinea
0
678
95 Saudi Arabia
0
349
149 Malta
0
158
203 American Samoa
0
12 8
42 Northern Ireland
0
672
96 Cyprus
0
342
150 Madagascar
0
156
204 Andorra
0
43 Hungary
0
665
97 Oman
0
341
151 Timor-Leste
1
151
204 Eritrea
0
8
44 Serbia
0
664
97 Malawi
0
341
152 Chad
-1
150
206 Somalia
0
6
99 Qatar
45 Nigeria
0
659
0
337
153 Kyrgyzstan
0
148
207 Djibouti
0
4
46 Israel
0
649
100 Lithuania
0
333
154 Nicaragua
0
142
207 Cook Islands
0
4
47 Slovenia
0
648
101 Ethiopia
0
321
155 Suriname
14
141
209 Anguilla
0
2
48 Cameroon
0
627
102 Faroe Islands
0
318
156 Korea DPR
1
139
49 Congo
0
624
103 Jordan
0
316
157 Gambia
-1
138
50 Japan
0
614
104 Botswana
0
314
158 Myanmar
0
133
51 Egypt
0
612
105 FYR Macedonia
0
312
159 Turkmenistan
0
131
52 Turkey
0
603
106 Antigua and Barbuda
0
311
159 Indonesia
0
131
53 Panama
0
587
107 Tanzania
0
304
159 Belize
0
131
54 Congo DR
0
584
108 Bahrain
0
299
162 Singapore
0
130
38
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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PUZZLE
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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 of these continental champions will go furthest at this year’s 2015 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup?
Who will win the 2014-2015 UEFA Champions League?
47+32+1263 12%
Source: Fifa.com
32%
3%
47%
≠ Brazil ≠ Mexico ≠ Madagascar ≠ Russia ≠ Oman
10
consecutive league titles is the milestone reached by Croatia's preeminent side Dinamo Zagreb to further consolidate their extraordinary position of dominance. The capital city club have the longest series of successive championships in the world, apart from Gibraltarian outfit Lincoln FC, who, coincidentally, sealed their 13th straight title triumph on exactly the same day. (Pictured: Angelo Henriquez)
· Barcelona · Bayern Munich · Juventus · Real Madrid Cast your votes at: FIFA.com/newscentre
WEEK IN NUMBERS
21
successive home games without defeat is the new club record set by VfL Wolfsburg following their 2-2 draw with Hannover 96. The Wolves are the only Bundesliga side not to have lost in front of their own fans this season.
8
goals without reply was the scoreline posted by Barcelona against Cordoba, equalling their biggest ever league win. The Catalan club have only previously won two championship matches away from home by such a large margin of victory: in 1959 against Las Palmas and in 2010 against Almeria. (Pictured: Luis Suarez)
Michael Regan / Getty Images, Getty Images (3)
6%