The FIFA Weekly Issue #29

ISSUE 29, 9 MAY 2014

ENGLISH EDITION

Fédération Internationale de Football Association – Since 1904

ARGENTINA JORGE VALDANO ON MESSI BLATTER STOP THE HOOLIGANS WEBB A DIFFERENT DREAM CAME TRUE

Côte d’Ivoire

In Drogba’s footsteps W W W.FIFA.COM/ THEWEEKLY

CONTENTS

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North and Central America 35 members www.concacaf.com

Côte d’Ivoire: The dream of Europe Football is as popular as ever among Ivorian fans and the nation is excitedly looking forward to the World Cup. All this serves to overshadow the talent-starved domestic league, as few of the best players can resist the lure of Europe.

We visited Abidjan to see who might succeed Didier Drogba and Co.

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Sepp Blatter: Kick out the hooligans In the wake of serious violence in Italy FIFA President Blatter again calls for a rigorous clampdown by the police, national associations, leagues and clubs.

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“ I still remember it so clearly” Jorge Valdano won the World Cup with Argentina.

In our FIFA Weekly interview he recalled the 1986 triumph and his time as a coach, and discussed Argentinian expectations prior to the World Cup in Brazil.

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U n’ Estate Italiana The official song of the 1990 World Cup was a hit in Italy and parts of Europe, but more or less sank without trace in the rest of the world. Our regular “Sound of Football” column examines why that might have been.

South America 10 members www.conmebol.com

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Howard Webb The 2010 World Cup Final changed Howard Webb’s life, as the top referee explains in this week’s “Turning Point”.

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FIFA Goal of the Century The story of Maradona’s amazing dribble at the 1986 World Cup.

In Drogba’s footsteps A youngster practises headers at the “Ivoire Football Academy”. His overriding ambition is to emulate his hero Didier Drogba and make the grade with a leading European club.

Nic Bothma / Keystone

World Cup 2014: Groups A-C

TO A GREATER GOAL™ 2

Group A

Group B

Group C

Brazil

Spain

Colombia

Croatia

Netherlands

Greece

Mexico

Chile

Côte d’Ivoire

Cameroon

Australia

Japan

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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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Madjid Bougherra The Algeria captain on what he expects from the World Cup in Brazil.

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Wizards of Oz Brisbane Roar celebrate their third title triumph since the creation of the Australian A-League.

World Cup 2014: Groups D-H

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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

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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Paths to success

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n reaching Brazil 2014, Côte d’Ivoire qualified for a third successive World Cup. The Elephants relied heavily on the talent and experience of their foreign-based players to get there. That is nothing new, as many countries benefit from their stars receiving their footballing education abroad – in Europe in particular – before putting their abilities to good use on the international scene with their homeland. But how is youth development progressing in Côte d’Ivoire? Grace Ligbet reports from Abidjan.

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ndisputed giants of the world game, Argentina lifted football’s most coveted trophy at home in 1978 and then again at Mexico 1986.

It was at the latter tournament that Diego Armando Maradona hoisted the silverware skywards in Mexico City after a 3–2 triumph over Germany in the Final, as well as scoring FIFA’s Goal of the Century in the last eight against England. What will the nation be able to achieve under the leadership of captain Lionel Messi this year? Jorge Valdano, scorer in the 1986 Final, gives us his thoughts.

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e also chat to Howard Webb, who fulfilled a childhood dream in Johannesburg by participating in the Final at South Africa 2010. That he did so as referee and not as a player is of little consequence to the English official ahead of taking part at the forthcoming tournament in Brazil.

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n the aftermath of the horrifying events surrounding the Italian cup final in Rome, FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter issues a reminder that “football stadiums are not lawless vacuums. They are meeting places for lovers of sport drawn from all generations and social classes.” He stresses that clubs must assume responsibility for what happens in their arenas. Å

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Perikles Monioudis

Lasting impression In winning the World Cup and scoring the Goal of the Century, Diego Armando Maradona certainly left his mark on the Mexico 1986 tournament .

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CÔTE D’IVOIRE

All eyes on the Elephants Côte d’Ivoire have won nothing since their African Cup of Nations triumph in 1992, and times are tough in the domestic league.

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Grace Ligbet

he stylish football played by Côte d’Ivoire has been admired by observers ever since the West ­ ­A frican nation first participated in the World Cup in 2006. Ivorians treat their star players as ­heroes, especially those who are based at top European clubs. The country’s domestic football, though, is suffering from a growing lack of interest and dwindling attendances, with top-flight clubs ASEC Mimosas, Africa Sports, Stella Club Abidjan, Stade Abidjan and the country’s reigning champions Sewe Sport San Pedro regularly playing in front of small crowds. Yet most of these clubs have made a significant contribution to the development of the game in their homeland.

So what are the reasons behind this decline?

Essentially, supporters have stopped buying

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Emanuel Ekra / Keystone / AP

Drogba the icon Côte d’Ivoire’s hopes rest on their experienced star.

CÔTE D’IVOIRE

Francois Mori / Keyston / AP

Standout Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba is one of Côte d’Ivoire’s top stars.

tickets because they believe the level of football in Côte d’Ivoire is too poor and that the games offer little in the way of a spectacle. For their part, the clubs bemoan the lack of the financial resources required to keep hold of their best players. “The fact of the matter is that nowadays no clubs are in a financial position whereby they can keep a player,” said Francis Quegnin, Club President and Chairman of the Football Section at ASEC Mimosas. “Some players leave their clubs too early. But how can we keep hold of a player who’s earning $400 when clubs in Europe can offer him ten times as much?”

In recent times, more and more development centres have been springing up out of nowhere in Côte d’Ivoire. The number of applicants has grown immeasurably over the course of the last few years. However, a lot of young footballers who drop out of school in order to pursue their dream of a great career are left disappointed, with many of the centres not run as professionally as they should be.

MimoSifcom leads the way One centre which does live up to expectations in terms of the development of young ­footballers is the Academy MimoSifcom, which is affiliated to ASEC Mimosas. The academy has the optimal framework and ideal infrastructure for the development of good young footballers. Julien Chevalier, one of those responsible for the academy, said: “Development at MimoSifcom is free of charge. But twelve selection criteria must be fulfilled within a year for a player to be taken on. The development process then lasts between one and four years. The minimum age for acceptance to our academy is between 14 and 18 years.” Approximately two training sessions are held each day, thus equating to a total of nine or ten per week. There is a particular focus on honing the tactical, technical and athletic capabilities and skills of the children and youths.

The success enjoyed by ASEC Mimosas has been groundbreaking for Côte d’Ivoire and Africa as a whole, with the Academy ­MimoSifcom T H E F I FA W E E K LY

now having produced three ­ generations of footballers. “The level of competition has therefore also grown stronger,” said Chevalier.

And yet the last few years have been a real rollercoaster ride for ASEC Mimosas, with the club having failed to win the league for three seasons. Their performances in African competitions have also been average in recent times.

If things are not working out for the role model, what incentive do the other Ivorian clubs have to follow suit?

Inject life into the big derbies The implementation of a policy supported by the state and federal structures and aimed at recreating the conditions and success of previous years is one possible solution. For example, there has been talk of reviving the big derbies in an attempt to make them comparable to other big clashes around the world. Such a plan could really inject a new lease of life into many local clubs with little in the way of financial 7

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

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CÔTE D’IVOIRE

Leading from the front Ivorian Laurent Pokou training with Stade Rennais in January 1974.

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resources. The presence of more spectators in the stadium would lead to higher revenue from ticket sales and could also attract potential sponsors for the clubs. But this is not the first attempt to breathe new life into Ivorian domestic football, with spectators allowed to attend top-flight games free of charge in 2012 and 2013. The stands still remained empty, though.

Former players as ambassadors The Ivorian team and its European-based stars always attract attention. The Elephants’ matches are broadcasted by a large number of private stations and the level of excitement skyrockets each time the national team is involved in a tournament. Every Ivorian is eagerly anticipating 14 June, the date of the country’s World Cup opener against Japan.

Abdoulaye Traore is no exception in this respect. But the former star, who developed into one of the best forwards in the history of Ivorian football between 1985 and 1998, remains critical of youth development and has called for

raised awareness at domestic level. “The older guys should serve as a sort of ambassador for the younger players and convey just how they should prepare for the future. You need to have proven yourself in the domestic game before you can be successful in Europe.”

Drogba’s generation as role models That would at least serve to increase the appeal of the Ivorian domestic league for the moment, even if the players in Ligue 1 continue to dream of an international career. Their idols are the generation of countryman Didier Drogba, Cameroon forward Samuel Eto’o and the big names in Europe such as Lionel Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo. “My dream is to one day hold the Champions League trophy aloft,” said Toure Amara, a 19-year-old Ivorian youth footballer. And Nzue Kouassi Ghislain, who triumped with Côte d’Ivoire at a recent youth tournament in Montaigu, France, echoed Amara’s thoughts.

“I dream of Europe,” he declared. Å

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Côte d’Ivoire Federation Ivorian Football Federation Coach Sabri Lamouchi (FRA) World Cup appearances 2006, 2010, 2014 World Cup group games Japan (14 June), Colombia (19 June) Greece (24 June) FIFA ranking 21 Key Players Didier Drogba (Galatasaray Istanbul), Salomon Kalou (Lille), Didier Zokora (Trabzonspor), ­ Yaya Touré (Manchester City), Gervinho (AS Roma), Emmanuel Eboué (Galatasaray Istanbul), Kolo Touré (Liverpool)

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Nic Bothma / Keystone

CÔTE D’IVOIRE

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CÔTE D’IVOIRE

Incubator for African stars The steady rise of Ivorian football actually began more than 50 years ago.

Grace Ligbet

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ôte d’Ivoire in the 1960s: the likes of Laurent Pokou, Kallet Bially, Niankouri Joseph and Blé Théodore wrote the first glorious chapter in Ivorian footballing history, despite the almost total lack of organisational structures in the country and when a derby meant a clash between neighbouring regions. These players never followed a classic youth development path. They were marked out by pure passion for the game, and they were united by a desire to attack at all times.

Never forgotten: Laurent Pokou Laurent Pokou, or Laurent N’Dri Pokou to give him his full name, became one of the most eye-catching players of the 1970s thanks to his pacy dribbling skill and predatory goalscoring instinct. He made the breakthrough with ASEC Abidjan, where Pokou comfortably won the bulk of his career honours. Pokou was twice named African Player of the Year for his performances on the international stage. He also twice finished top scorer at the African Cup of Nations, finding the net six times at the 1968 edition in Ethiopia and eight times in 1970 in Sudan. Pokou even scored five goals in a single match, a performance earning him the nickname “The Man of Asmara”. His total of 14 goals made him the all-time top scorer at the continental showdown for 38 years until Cameroon hitman Samuel Eto’o surpassed his record.

Superstar: Didier Drogba In the period after 2002 Didier Drogba steadily matured into a worthy successor to Laurent

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Pokou for the Côte d’Ivoire national team.

Drogba, who spent most of his childhood in France, earned global fame not only as a prolific striker for Chelsea but also through his commitment to humanitarian causes. He was named a United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador in 2007, and became a member of the Côte d’Ivoire Commission for Dialogue, Truth and Reconciliation in 2011.

From Mimosas to the big clubs Discovering talented new players is an important activity in Côte d’Ivoire. In the 1990s gifted youngsters switched straight from the ASEC Mimosas youth academy, first set up in 1994, to pursue top-class careers with leading overseas clubs. Players such as Kolo Touré (Liverpool), Salomon Kalou (Lille) and Emmanuel Eboué (Galatasaray) were nurtured by Jean Marc Guillou, founder of the “Académies JMG” development centre. They belong to a generation currently forming some 90 percent of the Côte d’Ivoire national team.

Abidjan arch-rivals The Ivorian domestic scene has been dominated by an Abidjan rivalry since the 1980s.

Africa Sports rate as the nation’s second most successful club behind long-term foes ASEC Mimosas. The local derbies between the two leading clubs from the capital have made an essential contribution to Ivorian football taking a place among the continental elite. Between them the pair have won the African Cup Winners Cup twice, in 1992 and 1999, the African Champions League in 1998 and the African Super Cup on two occasions, in 1993 and 1999. Å

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TALK ING POIN T S

T H E

Australia: Hyundai A-League

The Lions roar again Jordi Punti is a novelist and author of numerous football features in the Spanish media.

Call me Eurocentric but every time I watch football in farflung leagues, from Asia to Oceania, I cannot help but see them as reflections of their European counterparts, smaller copies of a parallel world that reproduce the same styles, trends and tendencies. They may arrive there later and in a diluted form, but given that the majority of the players have passed through the European game at some point, it is not surprising that they repeat what they picked up on their travels.

The Australian A-League grand final between Brisbane Roar and Western Sydney Wanderers last Sunday offered the perfect example. Having respectively finished first and second in the standings, both teams continued their good form into the play-offs to reach the title-decider, where parallels between the recent Champions League semi-finals in Europe were all too apparent. The scoreline may not have been the same but the overall flow of the game was, with one side exerting a Bayern Munich-like control on proceedings, and the other relying on fast and aggressive counter-attacks in the manner of Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Chelsea.

Brisbane’s orange coloured shirts hark back to the club’s founding as Brisbane Lions by Dutch

I N S I D E

immigrants in 1957 and the influence of the team’s forefathers can still be seen in the current crop’s playing style. Under the guidance of British coach Mike Mulvey, Brisbane control possession, make good use of the flanks and rely heavily on their marquee signing, German central midfielder Thomas Broich, as well as the technically gifted Luke Brattan. By contrast, Western Sydney Wanderers have only been in existence for two years and their name is a tribute to Sydney Wanderers, the first football team to be founded in Australia towards the end of the 19th century. The club, whose colours and emblem were voted for by their new fan base, opted for a counter-attacking playing style, perhaps in order to distinguish themselves from city rivals Sydney FC. Head coach Tony Popovic has established a solid defensive unit and has built his side around the talents of Japanese attacker Shinji Ono. The club enjoyed instant success, winning the league title in their first full season last year, while reaching the final again this time around.

Both Brisbane and the Wanderers stayed true to their tactics of choice in the title-decider, making for a fiercely-contested spectacle with numerous goalscoring chances at either end.

Following an evenly balanced first half, defender Matthew Spiranovic put the Wanderers in front from a corner and the side subsequently sat deeper to protect their lead while Brisbane increased their efforts in attack. With just five minutes left on the clock before full time, the imposing Besart Berisha headed in the equaliser from Broich’s cross to set up a grandstand finale and send the tie into extra time. It was not until the closing stages that Brisbane netted the

Party time Brisbane Roar celebrate winning the A-League title.

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decisive goal to win 2-1, as Brazilian attacker Henrique, a second half substitute, finished from close-range to seal the title and allow the Lions to roar once again.

Brisbane are now the country’s most decorated team, having won three of the nine A-League championships played. Broich was named man of the match for the victors, while Iacoppo la Rocca was awarded the same honour for Sydney.

Such a thrilling season curtain-closer was in keeping with the boom Australian football is currently enjoying: the national side – the Socceroos – have qualified for the World Cup and the general public are growing ever more enthusiastic about club football. A new attendance record was set last season and more than 50,000 spectators crammed into the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane to witness the final.

Brisbane forward Berisha is the perfect embodiment of both the increasing combativeness and quality in the Australian game. The Albanian journeyman played for several second division sides in England and Germany before arriving at Brisbane aged 26. He has since enjoyed the most successful spell in his career thanks to his competitiveness and no-nonsense approach that have even led to confrontations with his own team-mates. Berisha bade Brisbane a tearful farewell following the triumph having agreed to join Melbourne Victory next season, doubling his salary to become one of the A-League’s best-paid players. As in European football, clubs poaching their rivals’ stars is a sign of normality in Australia. Å

Robert Cianflone / Getty Images

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Crowded penalty area Copenhagen’s Georg Margreitter leaps highest in a 1-1 draw with Brondby IF.

Denmark: Superliga

Anger in Copenhagen Sven Goldmann is a football expert at Tagesspiegel newspaper in Berlin.

Lars Rønbøg / Frontzonesport / Keystone

Football in Copenhagen has seen better days. The Danish capital’s two big clubs Brondby IF and FC Copenhagen currently lie in third and fourth place in the table respectively, and have been forced to watch from a distance as FC Midtjylland and Aalborg BK fight it out for the title and those all-important Champions League places. An automatic spot is guaranteed for the Superliga champions, while the runners-up must enter the preliminary qualifying rounds.

Third place would be a great success for Brondby, given that the club from the suburbs only narrowly escaped relegation last term and are currently in a transitional phase.

However, reigning champions FC Copenhagen will be disappointed to have seen their traditional objectives almost slip out of sight with three matches of the current campaign still to play. FCK became the first Danish team to reach the last 16 of the Champions League just four years ago.

That said, there was still a lively atmosphere at Parken, the biggest and most modern stadium in Denmark, for Sunday’s showdown between the two capital clubs. Some 33,000 fans attended the fixture, which the Danes have now named the “New Firm” after the Glasgow derby between Celtic and Rangers.

An angry atmosphere at FCK prior to the match had resulted in the sacking of Carsten Vagn Jensen, a surpising decision given his involvement as a player, co-coach, head coach and sporting director at the club since 1993.

Current coach Stale Solbakken has now taken on the additional role on an interim basis.

Norwegian Solbakken’s first match in his double role almost ended in disaster, with the club just seconds away from a first home defeat by Brondby for ten years. FCK were unable to convert their dominance into goals and the away side made them pay. Just fifteen minutes were left on the clock when

shot-stopper Johan Wiland parried a strike

by Zimbabwean striker Quincy Antipas into the path of Paraguayan Jose Ariel Nunez, who was only signed from Club Libertad in Asuncion in January. The South American tapped the ball into the empty net and shortly after his opener, coach Thomas Frank brought on South African Lebogang Phiri as a replacement for the striker in an attempt to provide greater defensive stability. It worked well for a while, but with seconds of stoppage time remaining, Pierre Bengtsson sent one final cross into the Brondby penalty area and Thomas Delaney rose to head home the equaliser.

The action might have been over for the players, but the police certainly had their hands full, with 200 fans involved in a mass brawl after leaving the stadium. No wonder the derby is also referred to by those in Danish law enforcement as the “Battle of Copenhagen”. Å

“Brondby IF and FC Copenhagen have been forced to watch from a distance.”

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Name Madjid Bougherra Date and place of birth 7 October 1982, Longvic (France) Clubs FC Gueugnon, Crewe Alexandra, Sheffield Wednesday, Charlton Athletic, Glasgow Rangers, Lekhwiya Algerian national team 58 appearances, 3 goals Sven Simon

World Cup 2014 Group stage : Belgium (17 June), Korea Republic (22 June), Russia (26 June)

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THE INTERVIEW

“We need to give our all and enjoy the occasion” Fresh from winning a second consecutive Qatari league title with Lekhwiya, Madjid Bougherra (Algeria) speaks about his life in Qatar, his time with Glasgow Rangers, his objectives for Brazil 2014 and the social responsibilities football has to fulfil.

You had successful stays in France, England and Scotland before leaving for Qatar. Why did you decide to join Lekhwiya?

Madjid Bougherra: What made me sign for Lekhwiya was the fantastic project the club’s directors presented to me. They want to build a big club that’s strong in Qatar and Asia. As you can see, I’ve spent three years here and in that time we’ve won two league titles and a Crown Prince Cup, successes that have made us one of the most respected clubs in Qatar and have got us noticed on the continental scene.

You’ve played in the UEFA Champions League and taken on big teams such as Manchester United and Valencia. How big is the gap with the AFC Champions League? What does Asia need to close the gap on Europe?

You can’t compare the two competitions because the level is exceptional in Europe.

We are not far behind the major international competitions: we’ve got great players and the stadiums are full. The audience and the style of play are different in Asia and there’s a step-up in quality from the quarter-­finals onwards.

You won three Scottish championships with Rangers. Do you still follow them?

Yes, I know they’ve just got promoted from the Scottish second division. The club has always attracted big support and they get crowds of around 50,000 for every match. I’m absolutely convinced the team will make it back to the top.

Let’s talk a little bit about Algeria. What do you think about the team’s performances over these last four years?

The national FA has done a lot and things have got better in the last six or seven years or so. The players are looked after and a training centre has been built especially for the national team. We also have quite a few people playing professionally in Europe, and there’s also the fact that Halilhodzic

(the national team coach, Vahid) has done a good job. It’s up to the young players in the new generation to keep the momentum going over the next four years.

You starred in South Africa, especially in the match against England. What are your memories of the tournament and that game?

It was a fantastic match in front of a sell-out crowd and it was a pleasure for me to play against the English. The conditions were good to play in and we put in a good performance against a great team. Nobody expected us to get a result (0-0) like that. Everyone thought we would lose. We showed in that game just what Algerian football can do. My only regret is that we didn’t get better results in the tournament. Fear held us back but it was a great experience for us and it will stand us in good stead in Brazil.

Moving on to Brazil 2014 now, Algeria will be taking part in their second World Cup in a row.

What are your chances in Group H?

sibilities. When you’re a footballer at the highest level you have to set an example.

I’ve been to quite a few events organised by Unicef in Algeria and I was very happy to attend them. I’ve also set up the Bougherra Foundation to help youngsters and families in need.

What social role can football play, especially off the pitch?

I got involved because I think football is a force for good in society. A player has to use his image to do positive things because football is a great sport played by millions of people around the world. Personally, I have the greatest respect for players who help develop the game and are committed to society. A lot of them were born in poor neighbourhoods and they feel as if they have a mission to perform, which just shows the power of the modern game today. Å Madjid Bougherra was talking to Mohammed Hallal

We’re aiming to get past the first round for the first time in our history. The people of Algeria want us to show how far our football has come on and that we can play the game in the right spirit. For some of the players it’s their first major competition, and it’s up to the older members of the team to tell them to give it all they have and enjoy the occasion.

When and why did you get the nickname “The Magician”?

When I went to Crewe Alexandra they’d gone 17 matches without winning. Then in my first game we went and won. We got some more good results after that, which is why the club’s fans started calling me “The Magician”.

You are a Unicef Goodwill Ambassador in Algeria. What does that position mean to you?

It’s very important to me because it gives me the chance to help children and get the message across about football’s social responT H E F I FA W E E K LY

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game onor game over

all in or nothing

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→ http://www.fifa.com/worldcup

FIFA to distribute 50,000 tickets to stadium workers Just over a month before the World Cup, FIFA has announced a special thank-you gift to stadium construction workers.

Marcio Mac Culloch

Eraldo Peres /Keystone/ AP

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y way of thanks for their unstinting efforts in helping to make the 2014 World Cup Brazil a reality, FIFA has announced it will hand out nearly 50,000 tickets to workers involved in the construction and refurbishment of the tournament’s 12 stadiums.

The tickets will be distributed to the construction companies responsible for work at the stadiums, who will then hand them out to the workers. The constructors are free to decide the distribution criteria and the number of tickets allocated to each worker. The Category 4 tickets are for all 47 first-round games with the exception of the Opening Match between Brazil and Croatia on 12 June in Sao Paulo.

Ticket Distribution Centres open As agreed with the constructors, tickets were allocated in accordance with the final number of workers involved in the construction of each stadium, the number of tickets per stadium being proportional to the percentage of workers employed there.

The tickets will be distributed in the middle of May and are only collectable by a representative of each constructor. The companies will in turn hand out the tickets to their workers.

More than 2.73 million tickets have been sold for Brazil 2014 to date. Ticket Distribution Centres opened to the public in 11 of the 12 Host Cities on 18 April. To collect tickets customers must present the credit card used for the transaction and an official document including a ­photo to prove identity. When collecting tickets T H E F I FA W E E K LY

for fans eligible for concessions (over 60s, students, recipients of the Bolsa Familia family grant, people with disabilities and mobility-­ impaired people) appropriate documentation proving entitlement must also be presented.

In addition, starting in May some 540,000 tickets will be sent out to those people who chose the “home delivery” option at the time of purchase. Å

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T HE DEBAT E

The dark side of football

As recent events in Recife, Rome and Bern have shown, unruly football fans can play havoc with the game’s image. These acts of violence tend to echo the social problems of the country in question.

Thomas Renggli

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t times, the world of football has resembled a battlefield in recent weeks. Three fans were injured by gunfire ahead of the Italian Cup final in Rome, while another fan was killed during heavy clashes between Santa Cruz and Parana fans after a Brazilian second division match in Recife. In Bern, 45 people were arrested after a group of supporters had caused substantial damage in the city following the Swiss Cup final.

Crime statistics are more likely to make headlines than goal-scorers at the moment and it’s casting a shadow over the game. In Italy in particular, the situation appears to be out of 18

control. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi witnessed the full extent of the ructions from the executive box at Rome’s Olympic Stadium. Renzi, along with several other famous figures from the world of politics, football and show business could only watch on helplessly as Gennaro De Tommaso, known throughout the country as the head of Napoli’s Ultras, appeared to be conducting negotiations with officials and police, delaying kick-off by 45 minutes. The situation is made all the more complex by the ringleader’s background – De Tommaso is the son of an alleged Camorra mafia boss.

Before the game, the “Capo” of the AS Roma Ultras, Daniele De Santis, had fired a gun at Napoli fans in the streets, injuring three. For 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.

Getty Images / Central Press

Friend and helper Mounted police help keep the peace during the 1923 FA Cup final at Wembley. The game became known as the “White Horse final”.

the record, the game ended in a 3–1 victory for Napoli over Fiorentina.

Renzi was powerless as he followed the sorry scenes from his VIP box, and the Italian police and justice system have proved no more adept at dealing with the situation. The Ultras are more or less under control when they’re packed into a stadium, but it’s difficult to keep tabs on them when they gather en masse in the surrounding streets. Punishments appear to motivate rather than deter the perpetrators.

Italian president Giorgio Napolitano said of the troubles: “These outbreaks of violence echo the moral crisis in our country. We mustn’t negotiate with these troublemakers and the same goes for the club presidents. They have to sever all ties with these criminals who call themselves fans.”

A glance at some of Europe’s other leagues shows that draconian penalties, in conjunction with other preventive measures, are the only way forward. England set an example in 1985 by imposing stricter rules following the disaster at Heysel Stadium in which 39 people lost their lives. In the wake of the tragedy, alcohol was banned from stadiums, standing was outlawed, away fans were escorted to and from the stadium by police, CCTV cameras, stadium bans and compulsory registration were introduced. A general increase in ticket prices has also made it more difficult for troublemakers to attend matches.

Turkey adopted an altogether different approach. In April, Fenerbahce clinched their domestic title in front of over 40,000 women and children, after the Turkish Football Association decided to ban men from the stadium in an attempt to cool the atmosphere inside the ground. However, the 2011 corruption scandal continues to cast a dark shadow over the Süper Lig and thwart all efforts to address the issue of violence among fans. Ultimately, the same applies in Turkey as in Italy: even the toughest sanctions aren’t enough to tackle a nation’s deep-rooted problems. Å

T HE DEBAT E

Severe punishments are unfortunately the only way to keep people from breaking the law. For example, people should fear having their driving license revoked, paying a hefty fine, imprisonment, a ban from attending events, membership exclusion, public shaming of the culprit or doing social service, among others. If people have no fear of the consequences then nothing will seem too risky to attempt. Police on horseback are another effective tool at public gatherings, as the very sight of them is intimidating and commands respect. The presence of animals also helps to quell aggression and can contribute to helping calm down an enraged crowd. England and Germany can provide evidence of that, but the powers that be in Zurich decided against it.

fan clubs. If there was a straightforward answer to how to prevent violence in football then plenty of other conflicts around the world would also be solved.

Stefan Berger, Kufstein

Football could be so amazing. A certain rivalry is all part and parcel of the game, as long as it’s in a sporting sense. Out on the pitch teams don’t normally resort to violence and it’s sad that a few so-called ’fans’ spoil the enjoyment of watching a game. I play football myself and used to attend a lot of matches in stadiums, but I don’t go anymore due to the outbreaks of violence. You’re so focused on making sure you don’t get hit with anything that you miss the entire game.

Bernhard Sorg, Wallisellen

“They should face severe punishments.”

Violence is not a problem unique to football, it’s something that afflicts society as a whole. Clubs do have to shoulder some responsibility and seek dialogue with their fans but they can’t be expected to answer for a deeper social issue. Co-operation between clubs and fans helps to keep unrest at stadiums to a minimum, and even prevent it outright. However, clubs can’t be held accountable for anything that happens outside of the stadiums and neither can organised

PRESIDENTIAL NOTE

Stop the hooligans now

Oliver G., Dusseldorf

All parties need to make a great deal more effort to find a solution. There’s no point in having ’fan escorts’ if they don’t work with the state authorities in a consistent manner.

In Switzerland the police are frequently out of their depth: if a force of several hundred officers cannot find and isolate ten troublemakers then they’ve completely failed. That’s why perpetrators should be immediately arrested both in and outside the stadiums and they should be face draconian punishments like they do in England. On top of that, co-operation between all the parties involved needs to be massively improved. However, it’s ultimately a problem with society. A good education begins at home.

Ralph Hennecke, Zurich

The only way to bring the matter under control is by implementing more severe punishments and by the clubs distancing themselves from the anarchists and troublemakers. It’s ridiculous that a hooligan can determine if and when a top-flight match kicks off. If the clubs, governing bodies and relevant authorities fail to act against these people then matches will soon be played in front of empty stands. I’m no longer willing to go to a stadium and pay 70 Francs or more for a ticket, for example for the cup semi-final between Zurich and Thun, only to put my 12-year-old son at risk.

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n recent days and weeks hooligans and roving thugs have left behind an appalling trail of damage before and after football matches in Recife, Rome and Berne. This is especially deplorable because these are not isolated incidents. They remind me of a bad movie that manages to get an airing every weekend.

We need to break this seemingly endless loop. When Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff says: “A nation that loves football so much can no longer tolerate violence in stadiums. The police must take rigorous action,” she hits the nail on the head. However, in addition to the public authorities, the clubs and ultimately the national associations and leagues must be held responsible, because in most cases the perpetrators are known to them.

Unfortunately many club presidents are irritatingly hesitant in distancing themselves from these individuals, making themselves dangerously susceptible to blackmail. Football stadiums are not lawless vacuums. They are meeting places for lovers of sport drawn from all generations and social classes. Anyone who refuses to grasp this fact has no place in football. And any club found to be protecting hooligans must be subject to severe punishment to the full extent of the available sporting penalties, from the deduction of points to expulsion from all competitions.

Edi Koller, Bulach

“Violence is a problem in society as a whole.”

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

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First Love 20

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Place: Limestone quarr y Ungasan, Bali Date: 14 November 2005 Time: 5.02 pm

Photograph by Levon Biss with support from Umbro / RPM

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FIFA WORLD R ANKING Rank Team

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Top spot

Biggest climber

Israel Zambia FYR Macedonia Jamaica Oman 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 Tajikistan Malawi Tanzania Guatemala Burundi Dominican Republic St Vincent and the Grenadines Malta Afghanistan Cyprus Suriname Rwanda St Lucia Gambia Syria Grenada Korea DPR New Caledonia Mauritania Philippines Lesotho Antigua and Barbuda Thailand Belize

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Biggest faller

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Malaysia Kyrgyzstan Singapore India Puerto Rico Liechtenstein Guyana Indonesia Maldives St Kitts and Nevis Aruba Turkmenistan Tahiti Hong Kong Pakistan Nepal Barbados Bangladesh Dominica Faroe Islands Chad Palestine São Tomé e Príncipe Nicaragua Bermuda Chinese Taipei Guam Solomon Islands Sri Lanka Laos Myanmar Seychelles Curaçao Swaziland Yemen Mauritius 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

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ARGENTINA

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ARGENTINA

“MESSI IS THE REASON ARGENTINA HAVE A CHANCE”

fotogloria

In 1986 Jorge Valdano won the World Cup alongside Diego Maradona.

He later went on to coach Real Madrid. In this interview he reveals why he believes his compatriots will need more than just Lionel Messi’s “genius” to take the title in Brazil.

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ARGENTINA

Jorge Valdano was speaking to Jordi Punti

Scoring in a World Cup final and then winning it with your team is as good as it gets, there is nothing that can top that. I’m sure I’d have been a little less happy for the rest of my life had I not had the honour of scoring when I did. I can still remember that afternoon so clearly I can’t believe it’s been almost 30 years since it happened. That’s a horrible reminder of the passage of time in amongst so much happiness. That’s not a nice feeling.

Looking back on the pictures of when Maradona scored his extraordinary goal against England, you went to pick the ball out of the net. What was going through your mind at the time?

That’s right, I had the honour of picking up the ball Maradona had just put there, even if it is a relatively minor honour. I remember thinking that the goal belonged more to him than it did to the team and that it would be better to leave him to celebrate it by himself.

That’s why I decided to do something useful when he ran off cheering, so I took the ball out of the net.

You arrived in Spain as a 19-year-old and you played for several teams, including Alaves, Real Zaragoza and Real Madrid, where you were later coach and general manager. Given your vast experience of Spanish football, what do you believe has changed in recent years to make the Spanish national side so strong? Is it just a question of having good players or does the overall character matter too?

“I think Colombia and Chile could be dark horses.”

I think there are two very positive influencing factors. Firstly, the fact that Spain won the last World Cup made them the yardstick by which every other nation measured themselves and they seem to have even influenced more traditional footballing countries such as Germany and Italy. Secondly, the tournament is being played in Brazil, a country passionate about football that appreciates the game being played efficiently as much as it does watching it played in style. I hope the combination of those two factors will make for a fantastic World Cup. Every team that has won the title already could win it again, although I think Colombia and Chile could be dark horses.

Moving on to Argentina, Messi will arrive at the World Cup aged 27, the perfect age to leave his mark on the tournament. However, he has suffered with injuries and a trying

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Messi’s a genius regardless of the team he represents. He’s the main reason Argentina have a chance in Brazil but you need more than a genius to win the title. With regard to Sabella, he’s doing a fantastic job.

Which current member of the Argentina side reminds you most of yourself when you won the title in 1986?

For his sheer range of ability, Di Maria.

But that’s where the similarities end, we’re very different.

Do you think Germany will take advantage of Pep Guardiola’s influence at Bayern Munich in the same way Vicente Del Bosque did with Spain when Guardiola was coach at Barcelona?

I don’t think so, no.

A Wo r l d C u p w i n n e r a n d G a l a c t i c o s c o a c h

It’s come from a revolution at youth level that has taken in the academies of every club in Spain, not just Real Madrid and Barcelona.

While other countries were concentrating on tactics and physique, Spain focused on collective technique and that’s been the biggest difference.

Brazil, Spain, Argentina and Germany are among the favourites going into the World Cup. What are your thoughts ahead of the tournament? Who do you think could be dark horses?

season with Barcelona. Do you think national team coach Alejandro Sabella has found the right formula to get the best out of him?

Jorge Valdano scored in the final of the 1986 World Cup, which he also won with an Argentina side built around the talents of Diego Maradona. That triumph marked the pinnacle of a long and successful career,

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which had seen him move to Spain as a 19-year-old. Valdano was a swift, elegant player with a huge stride and wonderful attacking ability. He played for Real Zaragoza and Real Madrid among others, and later became head coach and general manager of the latter, as well as coaching CD Tenerife and Valencia CF. Valdano has written several books on football, combining his first-hand experience as a player with a critical and intellectual take on the game, doing so with a passionate and analytical literary style that puts the defence of good football above winning at all costs.

Jordi Punti

Getty Images

You belong to a select group of players who have scored in a World Cup final. What do you remember most about that afternoon in Mexico?

Name Jorge Alberto Francisco Valdano Castellanos Date and place of birth 4 October 1955, Las Parejas, Argentina Position Striker Clubs played for 1973–1975 Newell’s Old Boys 1975–1979 Deportivo Alaves 1979–1984 Real Zaragoza, Spain 1984–1987 Real Madrid, Spain Select honours as a player World Cup winner 1986; Spanish champion 1986, 1987; UEFA Cup winner 1985, 1986 National team 1975–1990, 23 caps for Argentina Clubs coached 1992–1994 Tenerife 1994–1996 Real Madrid 1996–1997 Valencia Honours as coach Spanish champion 1995

Reinaldo Coddou/fotogloria

Speaking of Guardiola, you have said on more than one occasion that his spell as Barcelona coach was like the game taking a huge step forward. On one occasion you even called him the Steve Jobs of football. Can you summarise what his impact has been?

Guardiola stands out because his teams always look to dominate. It’s infinitely more difficult to attack with eight players in a structured fashion than it is to defend with nine men behind the ball. Guardiola wants to win in style, by taking risks and creating a spectacle. On top of that he’s an innovator with the ability to adapt in the midst of great success and that’s something I’ve only rarely seen in my forty years in the game.

A World Cup is also a fantastic stage for new players to demonstrate their talents. Who will you be keeping a close eye on?

Belgium’s Eden Hazard, Colombia’s James Rodriguez and the Spaniards Thiago and Isco if Del Bosque selects them. World Cups aren’t surprising any more though, we already know everything about everyone.

Since retiring as a coach you have combined your work as a football commentator with writing, and you have even produced some works of fiction. What do you like about writing?

It is not very often that football transcends a purely emotional plane to enter a more rational one…

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Love is also an emotion and it’s inspired literature throughout the ages, so why not write about football? It’s as exciting a subject matter as any other. Apart from that I believe it’s the overriding metaphor of our times.

Can you recommend any football-related literature in the build-up to the World Cup? In Spanish, “Heroes de nuestro tiempo” (Heroes of our time) by Santiago Segurola and anything written by Spain’s Enric Gonzalez, Mexico’s Juan Villoro or Argentina’s Juan Sasturain. Å

Go to page 28 for more.

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ARGENTINA

Four World Cup Finals, two triumphs After an early scare in qualifying Argentina set off on a run of 14 games without defeat. With the clock ticking down to the World Cup, where do coach Alejandro Sabella’s team stand?

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fter setting out on their World Cup qualifying campaign with a 4–1 win against Chile, Argentina then stumbled against Venezuela and drew 1–1 at home to Bolivia, raising doubts whether coach Alejandro Sabella, who took over after the Copa America 2011, was up to the task.

But La Albiceleste got back on track with a 2–1 win over Colombia in Barranquilla, ushering in a 14-match unbeaten run through the remainder of qualifying, where they finished top of the South American table.

Argentina scored 35 goals and conceded only 15 on the way to winning the preliminary competition for the third time. The rest of the South American hopefuls were left trailing in Argentina’s wake throughout the final qualifying fixtures.

imago

Joy unconfined Mario Kempes after scoring twice in the 1978 World Cup Final.

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ARGENTINA

World Cup finals history Argentina have contested four World Cup Finals in all. Their first appearance came at the inaugural 1930 tournament in Uruguay, where they went down 4–2 to the host nation.

Mario Kempes led the charge as La Albiceleste claimed the biggest prize in football on home soil in 1978 and Diego Maradona starred in their triumph at Mexico 1986, but their most recent appearance in the game’s ultimate showpiece ended in defeat to an Andreas Brehme penalty at Italy 1990. They have failed to progress beyond the quarter-finals ever since.

A multiple trophy winner with Barcelona and the holder of a plethora of goalscoring records, La Pulga is now looking to achieve greatness with his country after surprisingly firing blanks at South Africa 2010. He will be aided and abetted by an all-star cast featuring Carlos Tevez, Javier Mascherano and Angel Di Maria, all of them on top of their game with some of Europe’s leading clubs. Å Diego Zandrino

Bob Thomas / Getty Images

The key players Lionel Messi won the FIFA Ballon d’Or an unprecedented four times in a row from 2009 to 2012 and is the undisputed leader of the Argentina national team.

BEST PERFORMANCES IN A FIFA COMPETITION: • 1978 and 1986 World Cup winners • Gold at the Olympic Football Tournament 2004 and 2008 • Confederations Cup 1992 • Silver at the Olympic Football Tournament 1928 and 1996

Maximum security Argentina captain Daniel Passarella shares the World Cup Trophy with a police officer

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F I F A T O P 11

World Cup attendances

The countdown is on Sarah Steiner

T

he head coaches of the 32 nations participating at the 2014 FIFA World Cup must submit their provisional squad of up to 30 players to FIFA by 13 May. Only players carrying an injury can be replaced between then and 2 June, when the final squad lists are announced. Over the course of the coming days, around 960 footballers will find out whether their dream of taking on the world’s best in Brazil this summer will become a reality.

Most of us can empathise with these players. It may not have been as prestigious as the World Cup, nor did it generate as much media interest, but for a child the selection process for the weekly football match in gym class was just as nerve-wracking.

Even before a ball had been kicked, the race was on as everyone stormed into the changing rooms and leapt into their kits, breathing in that familiar smell of sweat, wood, leather and rubber. Back then, I was crazy about Alain Sutter, Switzerland’s long-haired midfield star.

Alas, Sutter broke his toe at the 1994 World Cup, thereby ending the footballing minnows’ hopes of success at the tournament. For me, though, Sutter was immortal, and wearing his shirt would almost certainly spur me on to greater heights. After sprinting down the stairs and entering the sports hall, we all lined up in a row, waiting for our teacher to select the two captains who would be tasked with choosing the teams – a task that also awaits the coaches of the 32 teams at the World Cup. I was rarely picked as a captain, so I waited nervously with the others alongside me – Matthäus, Maradona, Baggio, Ronaldo, Milla, Larsson, and the rest – until our names were called out. To ensure the teams were even, our teacher decided that the captains must alternate between

choosing a boy and a girl for their respective sides. The girls were very grateful to the teacher, but the boys – well, let’s not go into that.

Next on the agenda was deciding which lucky kids would start the game. Claudios, our star player, was usually the first name on the team sheet. Extremely quick, a good finisher and tough in the tackle, Claudios essentially gave his team a one-goal advantage even before the teacher had signalled the start of the match. Why my name was always one of the last to be called out was a mystery to me at the time. Thankfully, you don’t tend to worry about that sort of thing for long as a child. Despite my perceived lack of talent as a footballer, I never lost my passion for the game – a passion that still grips me today whenever I catch sight of a football, even if I’m in the stands rather than on the pitch. I’ve come to realise that I’m much more use to my team as a fan than I am as a player.

Over the course of this week, I’ll be following the coaches’ squad announcements with interest, sympathising with every player waiting nervously in line – or by the telephone – for his name to be called out. Å

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

1

1994, USA Ø spectators per match: 68 991 Total: 3 587 538 Matches: 52

2

2006, Germany Ø spectators per match: 52 491 Total: 3 359 439 Matches: 64

3

1970, Mexico Ø spectators per match: 50 124 Total: 1 603 975 Matches: 32

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2010, South Africa Ø spectators per match: 49 670 Total: 3 178 856 Matches: 64

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1974, FRG Ø spectators per match: 49 099 Total: 1 865 753 Matches: 38

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1966, England Ø spectators per match: 48 848 Total: 1 563 135 Matches: 32

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1990, Italy Ø spectators per match: 48 389 Total: 2 516 215 Matches: 52

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1950, Brazil Ø spectators per match:: 47 511 Total: 1 045 246 Matches: 22

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1986, Mexico Ø spectators per match: 46 039 Total: 2 394 031 Matches: 52

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1998, France Ø spectators per match: 43 517 Total: 2 785 100 Matches: 64

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2002, Korea/Japan Ø spectators per match: 42 269 Total: 2 705 197 Matches: 64

Source: FIFA (FIFA World Cup, Milestones, facts & figures, Statistical Kit 7, 26.3.2013) 31

HISTORY

Maradona’s atonement

Perikles Monioudis o feature on the Argentinian national team would be complete without mentioning the country’s World Cup triumphs in 1978 and 1986. The first one arrived as tournament hosts on 25 June 1978 amidst a turbulent political and economic backdrop, with the home support unleashing snowstorms of shredded paper at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires as coach Cesar Luis Menotti’s side beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time.

attacker in the 1986 Final and would go on to lift the trophy himself four years later in Italy, admitted as much in the wake of defeat in the title-decider.

That should not disguise the fact that Maradona’s World Cup has lived so long in the memory in part because of the extraordinary goal he scored against England in the quarter-finals. His solo run and finish, as he sprinted with the ball over 60 metres in the searing heat of Mexico City, was an unforgettable goal and one that every strike ever since has been measured against.

1986: Maradona’s World Cup The Albiceleste’s second coronation as world champions, and indeed the 1986 tournament as a whole, is inextricably linked with the name Diego Armando Maradona. Rarely has a player stamped their authority on a World Cup in as decisive and self-confident a manner as Maradona did in Mexico. Germany’s Lothar Matthaus, who had shadowed the Argentinian

“Long live football!”

Uruguayan commentator Victor Hugo Morales was covering the game for Argentinian radio that day and he instantly recognised what he had witnessed as a momentous occasion: “I want to cry, holy cow, long live football!” The goal was a celebration of the game as a whole, scored by one of the best players the world has ever seen, and in 2002 FIFA announced

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Maradona’s effort as Goal of the Century following an internet poll.

Maradona’s masterpiece began in his own half as he jinked past two English players who had boxed him in, hopping over the ball and dragging it backwards with the sole of his boot and bursting into space with his next touch.

That piece of skill inspired him to keep going as he crossed the halfway line, and nothing could stop him as he headed directly for England’s goal.

He skipped past another two English players as he sped forward before darting into the penalty area and tricking goalkeeping legend Peter Shilton by feigning to shoot left, only to drag the ball around the custodian and nonchalantly put Argentina 2–0 up just before he was brought to the ground.

What propelled Maradona to embark on that run? When exactly did he decide he was going to go for goal himself? While he was still in his own half? Or when he spied a route into the box while sprinting down the right wing?

Afp

How did Diego Maradona manage to score the Goal of the Century?

HISTORY

Would he even have attempted the feat had the move not begun with such a brilliant moment of skill? Did that impetus last all the way to the penalty area or did his hunger for goals take over along the way?

Atonement for the ’Hand of God’ Maradona was only interested in giving answers out on the pitch. It can be argued that the genesis of the goal actually began four minutes earlier in the 51st minute when he had put Argentina 1–0 up. In jumping for the ball with Shilton, Maradona used his hand to punch the ball past the goalkeeper while simultaneously making a movement with his head, which was enough to persuade the referee it had been a legitimate goal. Years later Maradona publicly admitted to using his hand and went on to dub it as the ‘Hand of God’.

Players always know which part of their body they used to score, so in a sense Maradona was protecting himself from the inevitable onslaught of recriminations for his opener in that match by following it up with the best goal ever scored. It was Maradona’s way of providing atonement. Å

Getty Images (2), Pixathlon

F I FAWO RL D C U P.C O M G OA L O F T H E C E N T U RY 1 MAR ADONA (1986 vs Eng): 18,062 Votes 2 Michael OWEN (1998 vs Arg): 10,631 Votes 3 PELE (1958 vs Swe): 9,880 Votes 4 MAR ADONA (1986 vs Bel): 9,642 Votes 5 Gheorghe HAGI (1994 vs Col): 9,297 Votes 6 Saeed OWAIR AN (1994 vs Bel): 6,756 Votes 7 Rober to BAGGIO (1990 vs Czh): 6,694 Votes 8 Carlos ALBERTO (1970 vs Ita): 5,388 Votes 9 Lothar MAT THAUS (1990 vs Yug): 4,191 Votes 1 0 Vincenzo SCIFO (1990 vs Urg): 2,935 Votes Over the six weeks of the Goal of the Centur y competition in 2002, 341,460 votes were cast from over 150 countries.

Entering the penalty area Maradona skips past the last hurdle en route to goal.

In full flight Maradona breezes through the penalty area.

The finish Despite a last-ditch challenge, Maradona taps the ball into the net.

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MIRROR IMAGE

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White Hart Lane, London, England

1954

Monty Fresco / Getty Images

Raindrops keep falling on my head: Helpers use brooms in an effort to clear the waterlogged pitch prior to the FA Cup third round tie between Tottenham Hotspur and Leeds United.

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MIRROR IMAGE

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Arena Thun, Switzerland

2013

Peter Schneider / Keystone

Making a splash: Smiles all round as the artificial turf is cleared of water prior to a Europa League qualifier between FC Thun and Chikhura Sachkhere of Georgia.

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THE SOUND OF FOOTBALL

THE OBJEC T

Perikles Monioudis

Hanspeter Kuenzler Hardly any other football song has a more complex family history than “Un’ Estate Italiana,” the official FIFA song of the 1990 World Cup in Italy.

The piece was composed and produced by Giorgio Moroder, with the American Tom Whitlock writing the elegaic lyrics. While the English version was released in the summer of 1990 under the title “To Be Number One,” Italian superstars Edoardo Bennato and Gianna Nannini created a slightly subtler Italian version of the text which they sang themselves. Their rendition of “Un’ Estate Italiana” spent weeks scaling the heights of the Italian charts and also found its way into the top 10 in Germany, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. Neither the English nor the Italian versions were held in high regard elsewhere though, except perhaps for Cameroon. With the song blaring through the San Siro 36

speakers, the Indomitable Lions took to the field on 8 June 1990 and caused one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history by defeating an Argentina side containing Diego Maradona 1–0. It is hard to explain the reasons for the song’s limited success. Moroder, who hails from the Italian part of South Tyrol, first achieved recognition in the charts in Germany in 1969 with his cheesy Beach Boys parody “Looky Looky” before blossoming into one of the most important pioneers of synth-pop. He collaborated on “Love to Love You Baby” by Donna Summer, “No. 1 Song in Heaven” by Sparks, “Cat People (Putting Out Fire)” by David Bowie and “What a Feelin’” with Irene Cara. His English version of “Un’ Estate Italiana” was published under the name of the Giorgio Moroder Project and also featured Paul Engemann, who had previously enjoyed chart success with bands such as Device and Animotion.

The song was strikingly similar

to the emotional ballad “Take My Breath Away” from the film “Top Gun”, also written by the duo of Moroder and Whitlock.

In particular, the Italian version seemed to have greater vocal character – hardly surprising given Bennato’s status as a highly-respected veteran of the Italian singer/songwriter scene and Nannini’s as a post-punk pioneer ten years his junior. But why did a song that seemed so promising enjoy such limited success? Perhaps it was down to the negative and sometimes brutal tactics employed by many teams in Italy for which the tournament became known and subsequently forgotten.

Perhaps football fans found it hard to accept that a World Cup with 16 red cards and numerous backpasses – the backpass rule was changed shortly afterwards – was accompanied by the words “Running like the wind/Playing hard but always playing fair”. Æ

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Sion Ap Tomos

Italian passion

It’s a matchday – and it’s raining! The wellgroomed man and the elegant lady glance towards the door to check that the umbrella is still standing in place. Taking it, they head off to the stadium. The rain is pouring down and the man’s trousers will no doubt be drenched prior to his arrival. The match will be a wet and windy affair, full of long-range shots and hopeful balls bypassing midfield.

The umbrella will serve its purpose though.

It is kept in a cast-iron stand from the late 19th century (FIFA Collection), pushed up against the wall in the family home to serve the specific purpose of those rainy trips to the stadium.

The umbrella stand with the footballer motif originates from the days when the game was not yet governed by all the binding regulations in existence in the modern era, although admittedly the rules for “Association Football” were slowly being introduced at that point. The FA in England was founded in 1863.

Roy Hodgson, the England national team coach, is no stranger to rainy weather. Not just because of his nationality, but also as he was once in charge of the Swiss national team, steering the country to the 1994 World Cup. When he arrived with the Switzerland squad for the Opening Match against the USA, he was impressed by the venue, the Silverdome in Detroit, and its retractable roof. And what’s more, the roof was closed.

That World Cup match was the first to be played under a closed roof. Others have followed, yet the umbrella stand remains in place. Å

TURNING POINT

“The 2010 Final changed my life” As a boy, 42-year-old Howard Webb dreamed of appearing in a World Cup Final. However, he never imagined he would do so as a referee.

Jeroen Hanselaer

I

worked hard to try and make it as a professional footballer. I was a defensive midfielder and could read the game well, but I was never very good in the air. I suppose I just wasn’t good enough to make the grade.

I used to believe that referees were bald old men, which is why I didn’t really consider it as an option when my father [a semi-professional referee] suggested it to me. I thought, ’No, that’s not for me’.

When I was 17 I decided to try it, along with a friend from school. That decision ended up taking me to the Final of the 2010 World Cup and also to 44 countries in five different continents.

The World Cup Final was incredible – walking towards the pitch, picking up the golden Jabulani ball and going past the World Cup Trophy. I’d seen it many times before, both on television and in the form of replicas, but there I was next to the real thing in Johannesburg.

It was the shiniest piece of metal I’ve ever seen in my life.

I was there in a different capacity to what I’d dreamt of – I had wanted to lift the trophy as captain one day – but it was still a great honour to be there. Even speaking about it now, the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end! It was fantastic. That Final completely changed my life.

It was a very tight, intense game between Spain and the Netherlands and there are some things I will never forget. I remember leaving the pitch and going to look for my father, who

was in the stands. He had an English flag with the words ’Can’t play but can ref’ on it. It was great. The match lives on in my mind and in my heart.

It’s a win-win situation for we English officials at the World Cup this year. If England have a good tournament I’ll be happy, but if they get knocked out then it’ll be a good opportunity for us. I’d prefer the former to happen though.

Any referee will tell you that football is their passion, although some of us had rather different boyhood dreams. Å

Name Howard Webb Date and place of birth 14 July 1971, Rotherham (England) Biggest matches Champions League final 2009/10 World Cup Final 2010 European Championship quarter-final 2012 Confederations Cup semi-final 2013 Honours Member of the Order of the British Empire (2011), World Referee of the Year (2010, 2013)

Interview by Alejandro Varsky

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

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37

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FIFA QUIZ CUP

A helmet, a star, a badge, and a 203rd-minute goal. Test your knowledge!

1

The last goal of the European Cup final came after some 203 minutes.

One team scored a total of five goals and one goal was scored by …

President: Joseph S. Blatter Secretary General: Jérôme Valcke Director of Communications and Public Affairs: Walter De Gregorio Chief Editor: Perikles Monioudis Staff Writers: Thomas Renggli (Author), Alan Schweingruber, Sarah Steiner

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2

Art Direction: Catharina Clajus Picture Editor: Peggy Knotz

3

Proof Reader: Nena Morf, Kristina Rotach

Editorial Assistant: Honey Thaljieh Project Management: Bernd Fisa, Christian Schaub

T

E Senna O Piquet

Which national team was first to wear a single star on the national team shirt for winning one World Cup? T

P

Contributors: Sérgio Xavier Filho, Luigi Garlando, Sven Goldmann, Hanspeter Kuenzler, Jordi Punti, David Winner, Roland Zorn Contributors to this Issue: Mohammed Hallal, Grace Ligbet, Marcio MacCulloach, Markus Nowak, Alejandro Varsky, Andreas Wilhelm (Picture), Diego Zandrino

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In 2014 a famous football club paid tribute to the world champion commemorated by the memorial (right) at the scene of his fatal accident.

Which champion?

A Alonso I Rossi

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

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4

R

Where was this classic footballing badge most recently awarded?

A Estadio Azteca O Estadio da Luz

E Stadio Olimpico P Soccer City

Translation: Sportstranslations Limited www.sportstranslations.com Printer: Zofinger Tagblatt AG www.ztonline.ch

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

Inspiration and implementation: cus

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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”.

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

Please email your answers to feedback-theweekly@fifa.org by 14 May 2014. Correct submissions for all quizzes published since the Ballon d’Or 2013 will go into a draw on 11 June 2014 to win two tickets to the FIFA World Cup Final on 13 July 2014.

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A S K T H E W E E K LY

T HIS WEEK’S POLL

What’s your dream Final at the 2014 World Cup? Some people think Brazil are a shoe-in, others might want to see the Dutch and holders Spain contest a rematch. Tell us who you’d like to see in the Final: email to feedback-theweekly@fifa.org

Champions League finalists Real and Atletico both come from Madrid. Has there ever been a local derby in the final of a European competition before?

Florian Schenker, Kosice

L A S T W E E K’S P O L L R E S U LT S Which of the big nations will be knocked out of the World Cup first?

204

successive Eredivisie matches,

or 18,360 consecutive minutes, was the amazing record equalled by

NAC Breda goalkeeper Jelle ten Rouwelaar

26% 22% 17%

France Italy England

13%

Uruguay Portugal

10% 4%

Argentina

4%

Brazil

4%

Colombia

25

WEEK IN NUMBERS

3

successive Italian championships is a feat that, until 4 May, had not been achieved by Juventus

Tunisian championships was the milestone

(pictured Andrea Pirlo) in

reached by Esperance (pictured Ahmed Akaichi)

nearly eight decades. AS Roma’s 1-4 defeat to

on 4 May. The capital club crossed the finishing

Catania – the first time the challengers had

season and reached the benchmark set by Ruud

line in the title race with two games to spare,

conceded so many goals this season – confirmed

Hesp, who played every minute of every match for

having lost just one of their 28 league matches

that this streak of success, first achieved between

Fortuna Sittard in a period between 1987 and 1993.

this season.

1931 and 1935, would finally be emulated.

(pictured) on 3 May. He has enjoyed an uninterrupted run as his club’s no. 1 since the 2007/08

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AFP, Getty Images (2), imago (2)

No. Since 1997, when the Champions League was opened to clubs who were not reigning domestic champions, four finals have featured teams from the same country: Real Madrid and Valencia in 2000, AC Milan and Juventus in 2003, Manchester United and Chelsea in 2008, and Bayern and Dortmund last year.

But there has never been a true derby, nor has the UEFA Cup/ Europa League produced a final between teams from the same city. (tre)