The FIFA Weekly Issue #19

ISSUE 19/2015, 15 MAY 2015

ENGLISH EDITION

Fédération Internationale de Football Association – Since 1904

European players in African national teams

IN THE LAND OF THEIR ANCESTORS CANADA 2015 WORLD CHAMPIONS JAPAN EVEN STRONGER

SEPP BLATTER FOOTBALL AND FIFA AS PEACEMAKERS

ERIC ABIDAL AIDING THE SICK W W W.FIFA.COM/ THEWEEKLY

THIS WEEK IN THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL

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North and Central America 35 members www.concacaf.com

Back to their roots How do footballers who grew up in France, England or Portugal, but whose parents come from Algeria, Ghana or Cameroon, decide which national team to play for?

Mark Gleeson investigates.

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Jordan Not only did Al-Wehdat coach Abdullah Abu Zema mastermind his side’s successful title defence, the tactician has also created a new mindset in Jordanian football.

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Sepp Blatter Ahead of his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the FIFA President said: “Peace is only possible if we strive for it together.”

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“The football gods took care of the rest” Marco Etcheverry scored the most important goal of his career against Brazil, and in doing so played a major role in Bolivia qualifying for the 1994 World Cup.

South America 10 members www.conmebol.com

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Lily Parr The Englishwoman started playing football in 1919 and is now a symbol of the women’s game.

In the land of their ancestors The cover illustration pays tribute to the players Antar Yahia (Algeria), Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (Cameroon) and Frederic Kanoute (Mali).

Mario Wagner (illustration)

Women’s World Cup · Groups A + B

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Group B

Canada

Germany

China PR

Côte d’Ivoire

New Zealand

Norway

Netherlands

Thailand

Getty Images (2), imago (1)

Group A

THIS WEEK IN THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL

Europe 54 members www.uefa.com

Africa 54 members www.cafonline.com

Asia 46 members www.the-afc.com

Oceania 11 members www.oceaniafootball.com

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Norio Sasaki The Japanese coach is eyeing a successful title defence with his side at the Women’s World Cup.

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Eric Abidal An interview with the Frenchman on Lionel Messi, family and the role of modern full-backs.

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Ghana The second half of the season gets under way after a two-week break.

(Pictured: Martin Antwi)

Women’s World Cup · Groups C – F

ghanasoccernet.com (1)

Group C

Group D

Group E

Group F

Japan

USA

Brazil

France

Switzerland

Australia

Korea Republic

England

Cameroon

Sweden

Spain

Colombia

Ecuador

Nigeria

Costa Rica

Mexico

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UNCOVERED

So far away H

ow do new ideas take root in football? Well, the game itself is able to generate new playing styles and systems, but new concepts are developed, taught and spread away from the pitch too: in youth academies, training camps, championships and tournaments.

FIFA invests over USD $600,000 every day in football across the globe. The 209 Member Associations are supported so that each country’s infrastructure and specific expertise directly benefit the game locally.

Players themselves also seek out new approaches in football.

There are many reasons why a footballer born and trained in Europe would decide to uncover his roots and play for the national team of the country from which his family originated. Starting on page six, Mark Gleeson, our writer in South Africa, traces the path of several high-profile players who play for an African side, rather than their European country of birth. Å

Mario Wagner / 2Agenten

Perikles Monioudis

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Born in Europe, eligible for an African team: Nabil Fekir (France), Kevin-Prince Boateng (Ghana), Thievy Bifouma (Congo) and Sofiane Feghouli (Algeria, l-r.) in their respective national teams’ colours.

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E U R O P E /A F R I C A

Back to their roots Many African players ply their trade in Europe, but in recent years a number of European-born stars have opted to represent African countries at international level, writes Mark Gleeson.

Illustration

by Mario Wagner.

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I

t was a goal of Van Bastenesque quality. When Antar Yahia hit a stunning volleyed effort from an acute angle, coming around the back of the Egyptian defence to book Algeria a place at the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals, it marked a massive return for a determined effort to change the rules on international eligibility.

The stunning shot, in the qualifying play-off match in neutral Khartoum, not only saw Algeria return to the World Cup finals for the first time since 1986 but also vindicated the efforts of their football federation, who had been the prime mover, almost a decade earlier, to change the FIFA statutes to allow players, previously capped at junior level for one country, to represent another member association, as long as they held dual citizenship.

It was a change that not only vastly bolstered the playing strength of Algeria’s national team but has also since made a vast improvement to the fortunes of many other African countries – who have been the beneficiaries of a positive change.

Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Cape Verde Islands, Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo and Tunisia are the other 18 African nations who have all benefitted from being able to select players for their national teams who, previously, might have been lost to them.

Bifouma and Choupo-Moting There are several good examples, the most recent of which is the former French under-21 international Thievy Bifouma, who committed himself to the cause of Congo last August. The impact of the Parisian-born striker, with a wildly flamboyant hairstyle but more importantly electric pace and subtle guile, was immediate. He scored two goals for the ‘Diables Rouges’ as Congo won 3-2 away against defending champions Nigeria in the CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in a sensational upset that ultimately saw Congo eliminate the much fancied ‘Super Eagles’ from a place in the 2015 finals.

At the tournament in Equatorial Guinea in January, Bifouma contributed three goals as Congo reached the quarter-finals for only the second time.

“He is a player who made a real difference for us and added greatly to the depth of our squad,” reflected Congo’s veteran coach Claude Le Roy. Cameroon, looking to restore their lustre in a post Samuel Eto’o-era, are now pinning their hopes on the ability of the Hamburg-born Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, a former German under-19 and under-21 international, who they have taken to two World Cups.

The Schalke 04 striker is set for a leadership title as the country look ahead to the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, one he is evidently relishing.

“Deciding to play for Cameroon after having played for Germany up to the Under 21 team was a big change at first.

“I had to adjust to a new mentality as a football player. It did help that I was raised speaking both German and French and that I knew the mentality of the people. And I have to say that my new team mates were very friendly and helpful. They made it easy for me to become part of the team. It did help also that I knew Cameroon and its people because I visited the country time and again with my father when I was a kid.

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The biggest positive for me is to have a close connection to the land of my father and being close to my family there. On sporting matters I’m of course proud to have played twice in the World Cup and once in the African Cup for Cameroon,” he told FIFA Weekly.

Another good Bundesliga player who has switched countries is Borussia Dortmund’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The lightning-quick forward, who turns 26 in June, made one appearance for France’s under-21 side, but eventually opted to represent Gabon and has now taken part in three CAF African Cup of Nations finals tournaments.

The positive input of these players continues to enliven the game in Africa, but also worked to the benefit of others like Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Iran, Jamaica and the USA. Before 2003, the rules on international representation were rigid.

Once a player ran out for one country, even at under-17 level, in an international match, the rest of their career was tied to that country. The most poignant example of this inflexibility was the early career impact on striker Tim Cahill, born in Australia to a father from Ireland and a mother from Samoa.

“The decision to play for Cameroon represented a big change initially.”

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting

On a trip to the Pacific island to visit his grandmother, he was invited to play for Samoa’s under-17 side in an Oceania qualifier for the U-17 FIFA World Cup. He was just 14 at the time, in no way capable for realising the implications of his eager agreement to such a prestigious invitation. Because of an eight-minute run as a late substitute, he was bound for perpetuity to the island, even as he began to emerge as a budding star. Australia, and the Republic of Ireland, were as keen to use his services as he was keen to play for them.

But until the rules changed, Cahill was stuck, stymied from international opportunity through the early part of his career. Prior to 2003, once a commitment had been made, there was no turning back. Algeria’s large migrant community in the former colonial power France – estimated now at close on five-million people – has long been an extraordinary depository of talent, none more so than the genius of Zinedine Zidane.

A right to choose Many French-born players of Algerian descent – with dual citizenship – had turned out for France’s junior national team but only a handful, like Zidane, had kicked on to represent ‘Les Blues’ at full international level.

The rest were condemned to no further international participation, a source of some fury and frustration for Mohamed Raouraoua, the Algerian Football Federation president.

“We didn’t think it was fair that players (of African origin) were being selected for juniors teams of European countries and then never

E U R O P E /A F R I C A

A n ex t r ac t f r om t he r egul a t ion s go v er ning t he a pplic a t ion s o f F IF A S t a t u t e s III. Eligibility to play for representative teams 8 Change of Association 1. If a Player has more than one nationality, or if a Player acquires a new nationality, or if a Player is eligible to play for several representative teams due to nationality, he may, only once, request to change the Association for which he is eligible to play international matches to the Association of another Countr y of which he holds nationality, subject to the following conditions: a) He has not played a match (either in full or in par t) in an Official Competition at “A” international level for his current Association, and at the time of his first full or par tial appearance in an international match in an Official Competition for his current Association, he already had the nationality of the representative team for which he wishes to play.

Louafi Larbi / Reuters

Flying the flag Zinedine Zidane, a World Cup winner with France, at a friendly match in Algeria in 2010.

getting a chance to play at full international level. Our proposal was to give liberty and freedom to these players to have a right to choose,” he told the FIFA Weekly.

The typical tale of a certain player was that if he showed any talent at junior level he would have been quickly capped by the country of his birth. French junior sides, for example, have been packed with young players of Maghrebian or west African descent; the Dutch have used many from their strong Moroccan and Cape Verdian communities and Portugal from former colonies like Angola and Mozambique.

It was Raouraoua, a member of the FIFA Executive Committee, who drove the prospect of change. His suggestion that players who had been capped at junior level by one country could choose to play for another country providing they were dual nationals, made a formal application to FIFA and were under-21, was accepted by the Congress in Doha in 2003.

The age limit would only come into effect after two years, allowing an amnesty for many to make a switch, and it has since been scrapped altogether (see the box to the right).

b) He is not permitted to play for his new Association in any competition in which he has already played for his previous Association.

2. If a Player who has been fielded by his Association in an international match in accordance with ar t. 5 par. 2 permanently loses the nationality of that Countr y without his consent or against his will due to a decision by a government authority, he may request permission to play for another Association whose nationality he already has or has acquired.

3. Any Player who has the right to change Associations in accordance with par. 1 and 2 above shall submit a written, substantiated request to the FIFA general secretariat.

The Players’ Status Committee shall decide on the request.

The procedure will be in accordance with the Rules Governing the Procedures of the Players’ Status Committee and the Dispute Resolution Chamber. Once the Player has filed his request, he is not eligible to play for any representative team until his request has been processed.

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Abbas / Magnum Photos / Keystone

Long ago A derby in Yaounde, Cameroon, in 1971.

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France U-18s (2003) Captain Carl Medjani (bottom row, l.) has played for Algeria since 2010.

Christof Koepsel / Bongarts / Getty Images

Yahia, who played for France at under-18 level, was among an initial batch of four players who were the first to be given FIFA permission to switch international allegiance just two days before Christmas.

On January 3, 2004, he became the first player to benefit from the new rules, debuting for Algeria at under-23 level in an Olympic Games qualifier, scoring in Blida in a 1-0 win over Ghana, and the north African country have not looked back since.

Hundreds of players profit Over the last decade, Algeria have co-opted a total of 17 former French junior internationals to the considerable advantage of their squad and qualified for two successive World Cups.

Had the statutes not been changed the likes of Yahia, Djamel Abdoun, Nadir Belhadj, Ryad Boudebouz and Carl Medjani would not have been selected for the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa and Yacine Brahimi, Sofiane Feghouli, Faouzi Ghoulam and Saphir Taider for Brazil last year.

Countries like France, Portugal, the Netherlands and Britain, with large African migrant communities, are now as much the searching ground for African talent as on the African continent itself.

“My parents are Algerian, I was born in the suburbs of Paris but with Algerian culture dominating at home. That makes the transition natural for me. But I’m also French and I have profited from the superb development structures and training that France offers,” says Feghouli, now playing at Valencia.

“I feel a part of both societies and it is only in football that I have made a choice … for Algeria.”

Sometimes it can be a hard decision with many vested interests and external pressures tugging at the heart strings of players. Recently there was much polemic in France over the choice between France and Algeria of Olympique Lyonnais’ youthful sensational Nabil Fekir. But most footballers find the opportunity to revive their international careers one to jump at.

African coaches, too, welcome their inclusion. Kwesi Appiah, who took Ghana to the last World Cup tournament, ultimately had a falling

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Twenty Centres for Africa Ten years ago FIFA launched its first Football for Hope programmes. The initiative has been a resounding success ever since – particularly in Africa.

It all started in 2005, with a “Football for Hope” solidarity match organised for the victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami. Since then, FIFA’s Football for Hope programme has grown into a comprehensive social development initiative which harnesses football’s huge potential and supports a broad range of community organisations all around the world that work with football to bring about social change.

FIFA is now celebrating the ten-year anniversary of its flagship social initiative. Since its launch, Football for Hope has provided funding for 450 programmes run by 170 NGOs in 78 different countries. In Africa, 20 Football for Hope Centres were built in cooperation with local organisations to provide them with much-needed facilities for the services they offer young people and their communities.

The stage is set The Katutura Football for Hope Centre in Windhoek, Namibia.

Under the floodlights A training session at the Football for Hope Centre, Nairobi, Kenya.

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116 projects planned for 2015 and 2016 Another important element of this programme is the Football for Hope Forum, where the world’s leading professionals in the field come together to discuss issues related to the use of football as a tool for development. The most recent forum was organised in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, during the FIFA Confederations Cup 2013.

For 2015 and 2016, FIFA has already committed to support 116 projects across the globe through Football for Hope for a total amount of USD $5.9m.

All projects went through a rigorous selection process in which applicants had to demonstrate their long-term sustainability so that FIFA can ensure that it only supports and works with community projects that are sustainable, accountable and truly of benefit to the communities they serve. tfw

Della Bella / FIFA (2), Tony Karumba / AFP

Watching and playing Children in Maseru, Lesotho.

USD $56m invested In Brazil, FIFA sought out NGOs that use football for social change and increased the number of NGOs it supports from five to 27 across the country.

Over the past decade, FIFA has been able to serve hundreds of communities and hundreds of thousands of people throughout the world. A total of USD $56m has been invested by FIFA into the programme, which focuses on helping young people improve their own lives and prospects and the lives and prospects of those around them. FIFA’s Head of Sustainability Federico Addiechi said: “Football for Hope has shown how the power and popularity of the beautiful game can make a difference in tackling some of the most pressing issues of our days.”

Education on HIV/AIDS, conflict resolution, gender equality, integration of people with intellectual disabilities into society, peace building, youth leadership and life skills are just some of the many social development objectives that have been pursued.

In addition to supporting projects financially and with equipment, FIFA has used the platform of the FIFA World Cup™ to organise the Football for Hope Festival which brings together young community leaders from around the world to exchange best practices, play football and enjoy the tournament together.

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All’s well that ends well Tim Cahill (r.) scores for Australia in their 3-2 defeat to the Netherlands at the 2014 World Cup in Porto Alegre on 18 June.

“I really enjoyed playing for Mali.”

Frederic Kanoute

Alex Grimm / FIFA via Getty Images

out with German-born Kevin-Prince Boateng, another of those who has made the switch, but still sees the positive side of his inclusion.

“It is always good to have some experienced players in your team.

They fit nicely with the local guys around them, making for a much better team,” he explains.

Since late 2003, and up to February this year, there have been a total of 261 players, both men and women, approved by FIFA to make a switch in international allegiance.

It has been a platform for many that would otherwise they would never have had a chance to step onto.

The experience of reconnecting Frederic Kanoute opted to play for Mali, where his father was born, and competed at three CAF African Cup of Nations finals tournaments for

the west Africans. In 2007, he also became the first, and so far only, African Footballer of the Year to be born in Europe and is now widely regarded among the continent’s all-time greats.

“In Africa we still have much of what is lost in Europe and to see that street football and the thrill of kicking about made me realise the depth of the potential. I enjoyed my time playing for Mali,” said Kanoute.

His decision probably cost him a chance to play for his native France but Kanoute often made clear the the richness of the experience of reconnecting with part of his roots meant he had no regrets. He scored 23 times in 39 matches for ‘Les Aigles’.

What was originally an African initiative has now spread worldwide.

Outside of Africa, a further 41 countries have also used the rule to strengthen their squads. Players like Asmir Begovic (Bosnia Herzegovina), Thiago Motta (Italy), Jermaine Jones (USA) and Ashkan Dejagah (Iran) are among those who have benefitted from Raouraoua and Algeria’s initiative.

And, of course, Cahill. Certainly had the old rules still been tightly enforced there was no way we would have witnessed his brilliant goal for the Socceroos against the Netherlands in Porto Alegre. Å

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TALK ING POIN T S

O N

T H E

I N S I D E Surprise package WAFA have embarked on an impressive run of form since February.

Collective dream The WAFA players hope their success will catch the eye of the national team coach.

Fo ot b a l l a c a d e my m a k i n g w ave s Elio Stamm is a freelance < journalist who lives in Accra, Ghana.

After a fortnight’s break the second half of the Ghanaian Premier League season gets underway this weekend, and the fixture list is crammed with so many midweek games it makes the match schedule in some of Europe’s top leagues look straightforward by comparison. The reason the calendar is so congested was a rights dispute that forced the Ghanaian Football Association (GFA) to postpone the start of the season from September to January. Relegated outfit King Faisal Babes had obtained a temporary injunction after arguing that a direct rival should have been deducted points for late payment of a fine. Eventually a court ruling declared the injunction void.

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The four-month delay has not had an adverse effect on promoted side and surprise package West African Football Academy Sporting Club (WAFA), who are second in the standings having earned 25 points from 15 games in the fiercely contested league. WAFA started the campaign slowly but have embarked on an impressive run of form since February.

WAFA began as a football academy founded

by Dutch club Feyenoord in 1999 with the aim of providing talented youngsters in West Africa with football training and an academic education. Prior to the new season the club, which had hitherto been known as Feyenoord Academy and based in the town of Gomoa-Fetteh, changed its name and moved to Sogakope, near the capital city of Accra.

Their new base, a complex with five artificial pitches, a weights room, a library and modern sleeping quarters for up to 80 students, is unrivalled in Ghana and has evidently aided the development of the young team led by captain Joseph Amoah.

Yet for the club’s Dutch coach John Killa, the success has come as no surprise: “My players are very motivated because they dream of playing in the national team.”

That is no mere pipe dream either, as proven by academy graduates Christian Atsu, now at Everton, and Harrison Afful, at Esperance Tunis, both of whom were in Ghana’s Black Stars squad at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and this year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea. Å

ghanasoccernet.com

Ghana: Premier League

Jordan: Pro League

A l We h d at s e c u r e 14t h l e a g u e t it l e Mohammad Hussien is a regular contributor to FIFA.com and lives in Amman, Jordan.

The 63rd edition of the Jordanian top flight ended exactly like the previous one, with last season’s champions Al Wehdat clinching yet another league crown. The club’s 14th title makes them the second most successful side in the country behind Al Faysali, who have won the league on 32 occasions.

“It was a long and difficult season,” said head coach Abdullah Abu Zema. “Everyone connected to Al Wehdat would like to dedicate this title to our many fans.”

Al Wehdat climbed to the top of the table early on in the campaign and never relinquished their grip on first place. The reign-

ing titleholders picked up 48 points from 22 matches, winning 14, drawing six and losing just twice. They also boasted the best attack (39 goals scored) and the best defence (ten goals conceded) in the division. These figures represent a slight improvement on the previous season, when they accumulated 46 points, scored 31 goals, conceded 12 and lost four times.

The numbers also prove that Al Wehdat’s latest title victory was richly deserved and indeed that last season’s triumph was no coincidence. Abu Zema, himself a former Al Wehdat star and ex-captain of the Jordanian national team, has instilled in his players some of the fighting spirit that characterised his own playing career. In the process, he has helped establish a new philosophy in Jordanian football.

Al Ramtha appeared to be the reigning champions’ biggest threat during the first half of the campaign, but as their title challenge began to falter, Al Ramtha’s attentions soon switched to consolidating

second place – the final AFC Champions League qualifying berth. However, Al Jazeera were not going to give up on the runners-up spot without a fight.

The three-time Jordanian champions, whose last league title dates back to 1956, ended up sealing second place behind Al Wehdat. They had been forced to settle for third spot the previous season, but victory over direct rivals Al Ramtha on the thirdlast matchday of the current campaign paved their way to the runners-up place.

Al Ahli, one of the four founding members of the league in 1944 and currently the third most successful side in Jordan with eight domestic titles to their name, were without doubt the surprise of the season.

After three years in the second tier, the club finished an impressive fifth on 30 points, thereby vindicating their sustained efforts to return to the top flight. Å

YFA

Clinical Al Wehdat’s Saleh Rateb (r.) finishes off an attack against Al Jazeera.

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Name Eric-Sylvain Bilal Abidal Date and place of birth 11 September 1979, Lyon, France Position Defender Clubs 1998–2000 Lyon Duchère 2000–2002 Monaco 2002–2004 Lille 2004–2006 Olympique Lyon 2007–2013 Barcelona 2013–2014 Monaco 2014 Olympiakos Honours (selection) French Champion 2005, 2006, 2007 Spanish Champion 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013 UEFA Champions League 2009, 2011 FIFA Club World Cup 2009, 2011 France National team

Paola De Grenet / pixathlon

67 caps

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THE INTERVIEW

“Lahm is the most complete player” While at the peak of his career in 2011, Eric Abidal was diagnosed with a liver tumour. After an organ transplant he fought his way back, and finally hung up his boots at the end of last year.

In this interview he talks about family, Lionel Messi and the role of modern full-backs.

Eric Abidal, how does it feel to be retired?

Have you found time for old hobbies or taken up any new ones since ending your career?

Eric Abidal: At the start, I was very happy to be able to do my profession and make a career of it. Now that I’ve stopped, I’ve rediscovered a sense of freedom that you just don’t have as a player – a calmness in your daily life. There’s less stress and less to get worked up about. You have more time for family and friends, and to do things at the weekend. Real life, basically. It’s a huge advantage to have the choice to retire, rather than having to stop because of injury or something else. I really needed to retire to be able to feel fulfilled.

Do you miss any of it?

Yes and no. My profession was a team sport, meaning that you share your daily life with the staff and other players. I miss that side of things because you form very strong and intense bonds over a number of years.

Nowadays, it feels different when I go back to clubs to see somebody. There’s still just as much passion and friendship, even if I don’t get to experience that on a day-to-day basis.

You have created a foundation for the fight against cancer. What is its goal?

The goal is to raise money, finance treatments and raise awareness about the need to donate organs. Not everyone has access to social security and medicine is expensive. We want to help children and adolescents, and we also want to help families by ensuring them a level of comfort at hospital via psychological and material support.

After retirement, players are often able to look back and take stock of their careers. What are you proudest of?

It’s not necessarily a moment from my career, but what I tried to put into practice on the pitch were the lessons I learned from my parents. That’s what helped me grow and adapt at all my clubs, in a number of different

countries. Ultimately, that’s what makes you who you are, as opposed to anything else. My parents taught me respect, politeness and to be good in every sense of the word.

You are one of the few French players to have been successful at Barcelona. Have you been surprised by what Jeremy Mathieu has achieved this season?

No, I’m not surprised because he’s a good person and well educated. I know him well, and now that he’s at Barcelona we see each other more often. He’s had a typical career journey, progressing step by step, and moving from Valencia to Barcelona took him to a new level. His goal was to play for a big club and tie down a place in the national team, and I think that he’s not too far from that now.

You rubbed shoulders with some excellent players at Barça. How do you rate the current attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez compared to the talents you played with?

In my six years there, I saw that the club always wanted to have a high-quality attacking trident, with each player ending the season with excellent statistics. The difficulty is getting three players of that quality to function well together. I’m pleased with what I see now because these three perform together very well and every defence in Europe is frightened of them. They’re all different and each player does his job in his own way for the good of the team.

What are your thoughts on how Messi has evolved?

Leo is a very intelligent player. He started out very young at Barcelona and reached a new level each season. He’s still a true goalscorer but he’s also a fully rounded player who can drop back into midfield to make the difference or go on a spectacular 40m run and either provide an assist or score a goal.

For me, he remains and will always be the greatest phenomenon there is.

You played with some fantastic forwards, but who impressed you the most in your role as a defender during training?

You don’t often get to have real 11 v 11 matches during training. It’s more about small games on 30m pitches, where players shoot much more than they dribble. For me, Messi is still the best. I also trained with [Zinedine] Zidane, [Thierry] Henry and [Nicolas] Anelka. Each of them was different and had his own strengths, but all of them were tough to tackle or mark. That’s what helped me grow and prove myself as a defender.

Modern football is very demanding on fullbacks, who cannot afford to let anything get past them while also being asked to contribute in attack. Is it a thankless role?

(Laughs) Thankless, no, because if you ask any full-back if he’s happy to play in that position he’ll say yes. Before, defenders were there to defend. For a few years now, ­full-backs have needed to be able to get forward and make late runs to finish off moves. It’s exciting to be a defender and have stats worthy of a midfielder at the end of a season. Physically, you need to be ready and you must never forget that your priority remains to defend.

Who gets your vote as the best full-back in the world today?

I’ll go for Phillip Lahm of Bayern Munich.

He’s incredibly versatile: he can play on the right, on the left and even in midfield. Otherwise, at left-back David Alaba is very strong, as are Jordi Alba and Kurzawa. But, for me, the most complete player of them all is Phillip Lahm. Å Eric Abidal was talking to Pascal de Miramon

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FIFA QUALIT Y PROGR AMME

PRESIDENTIAL NOTE

New FIFA quality marks for footballs As part of FIFA’s ongoing commitment to ensure optimum competition conditions at every level of the game, FIFA has enhanced its Quality Programme for Footballs with the ­introduction of new quality marks.

A sign of peace

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rom 1 April, all new officially certified footballs can carry one of three new FIFA quality marks: FIFA Quality PRO, FIFA Quality, IMS – International Match Standard. Footballs carrying the previous marks (FIFA APPROVED, FIFA INSPECTED and International Matchball Standard) will still be available for sale for the remainder of 2015 during the transitional period. However, from 1 January 2016, only the new FIFA quality marks will be recognised.

The new FIFA quality marks for footballs will standardise the marks across all areas of the FIFA Quality Programme (football turf, goal-line technology and footballs), while simultaneously increasing awareness of FIFA’s continued commitment to safety, quality and reliability. The FIFA Quality Programme offers an internationally recognised and dependable industry standard in the areas where it matters most: equipment, playing surface, technology and services. Only footballs that have passed rigorous tests are awarded the prestigious FIFA quality labels.

In order to carry any of the new FIFA quality marks, footballs must qualify for the latest quality standards as per the Testing Manual 2015 for the FIFA Quality Programme for Footballs, passing tests of even greater stringency, including reductions in water uptake across all quality levels, as well as a shape-and-size-retention test. Further information on the FIFA Quality Programme, including details of applicable tests and how to become a licensee, can be found on FIFA’s website: Quality.fifa.com/en. The Laws of the Game will be amended accordingly in June 2015 to allow for the new FIFA quality marks. Å tfw

ast Sunday at the Home of FIFA in Zurich the association presidents of Israel and Pal­ e stine, Ofer Eini and Jibril Rajoub, shook hands. It was a significant sign of a willingness to pursue dialogue and rapprochement. Football with its clear laws can offer divided parties an opportunity to find common ground.

An important step was taken in Zurich, and both parties gave assurances that the ­d ialogue would be maintained. At the same time, it is clear that the principles of solidarity and unity must also apply in this case: a solution is only a realistic proposition when those who are privileged are prepared to ­concede something and contribute to equality. The onus in this respect is on Israel with its outstanding infrastructure, fully ­f unctioning professional football league and economic context.

However, some problems can only be solved by politicians, because football can never take sides politically. For this reason I will be visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas next week.

“The state of peace must be instituted, it does not arise by itself,” said German philosopher Immanuel Kant. Football and FIFA can take on the role of peacemaker. If you reach 1.6 billion people you possess positive energy radiating far beyond the touchlines. We score goals in football. And football can achieve goals. But peace is only possible if we strive for it together and do not withdraw the hand we have offered.

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

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First Love Place: Naples, Italy Date: 3 November 2014 Time: 3.29 p.m.

Photog rapher : Ton Ko ene

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HISTORY

EARLY IDOL Lilly Parr from England began playing football as a 14-year-old in 1919. A striker with Dick, Kerr’s Ladies, she rapidly emerged as the best player of her era, writes Steve Feekins.

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Distinctive training methods Lily Parr, Preston 1938.

omplaints have been made as to football being played by women, the Council feel impelled to express their strong opinion that the game of football is quite unsuitable for females and ought not to be encouraged.” That statement, released by the FA in 1921, banning women’s football from being played on affiliated grounds in England, served to stunt the progress of a game that was increasing in popularity, with huge crowds turning out to see women play. That rise in popularity was partly down to the women’s game’s early superstars, one of whom was arguably the most outstanding women’s player of the early 20th century.

Lily Parr was quite a sight, and a remarkable character who led an incredible life.

Close to six feet tall, a chain-smoker with jet black hair and a lethal left foot, her footballing career began in 1919, at just 14 years of age. In her second match, playing for St Helens Ladies against Dick, Kerr’s Ladies, she impressed Kerr’s manager Alfred Frankland, who invited her to join his already talented squad. She moved to Preston, and one of the most prolific goalscorers in women’s footballing history had found her perfect home.

Before the 1921 ban, Dick, Kerr’s Ladies (founded as a World War I-era works team for the Preston company Dick, Kerr & Co.), were a charitable team, holding games to raise money for the National Association of Discharged and Disabled Soldiers and Sailors. A touring French side visited England in 1920 and Dick, Kerr’s, playing unofficially as England’s representatives, won twice, lost one and drew one in the four matches – raising almost £3,000 for charity across the matches, equivalent to over £100,000 today. Return matches were played in France, and the team was in demand when

HISTORY

Leader Lily Parr instructs her Preston Ladies FC team-mates on the game’s tactics.

Getty Images (2)

they arrived back in England, playing games in front of huge crowds (53,000 turned out at Goodison Park) and raising well over £5,000 for charitable causes across a number of matches (over £200,000 in today’s money). In 1921, Parr scored five against the ‘Best of Britain’ in a 9-1 win and, representing their country, Kerr’s saw off the France national side 5-1 in front of 15,000, with Parr scoring all five.

Playing despite politics However, with the growing popularity of Parr, the team, and the women’s game, and the huge amounts of money being raised, Kerr’s and women’s football became embroiled in a political battle. With Kerr’s holding games in support of miners, and the team seen as a tool for helping the Labour Movement, the FA moved to suppress the women’s game. Further to the statement released saying “football is quite unsuitable for ladies”, the FA added: “The Council are further of the opinion that an excessive proportion of the receipts are absorbed in expenses and an inadequate percentage devoted to Charitable objects.”

Stoutly ignoring that football was ‘unsuitable for females’, Kerr’s headed to the United States on tour. They played nine games, some against men’s teams, and Parr was considered the star player, with American newspaper reports labelling her “the most brilliant female player in the world.”

Kerr’s continued to play games on their return, for charitable causes, but without access to larger venues they could not continue to raise the large amounts for charity they had before the FA’s ruling. Parr continued to play, and continued to score. Dick, Kerr & Co. was eventually taken over by English Electric, who proceeded to sack members of the team, including Parr.

Parr found work with Whittingham Hospital and Lunatic Asylum, one of the beneficiaries of Kerr’s charity work, with Frankland opening a grocery shop in Preston and continuing to manage the team. It was while working at the Hospital that Parr met her partner Mary, and together they bought a house in Preston, refusing to hide their relationship as many gay people of the time were forced to do.

Lily Parr’s team-mate Joan Whalley Despite the lack of backing they had enjoyed from Dick, Kerr and Co., Preston Ladies continued to be the best side in England, thumping Blackpool Ladies 11-2 in 1927, with Parr, naturally, on the scoresheet. While some of her teammates got married, or emigrated, and left the team, Parr carried on, and her reputation was spreading across the country.

Bobby Walker, an international player for Scotland, called her the “best natural timer of a football I have ever seen.”

“She had a kick like a mule,” her teammate Joan Whalley recalled. “She was the only person I knew who could lift a dead ball, the old heavy leather ball, from the left wing over to me on the right and nearly knock me out with the force of the shot.”

In 1937, Preston Ladies saw off Edinburgh Ladies 5-1 to claim the “championship of Great Britain and the World”, with Parr and a 15-year-old Whalley on the scoresheet.

Frankland was compelling in a speech delivered at the post-match dinner to commemorate the victory. “Since our inception we have played 437 matches, won 424, lost 7 and drawn 6, scored 2,863 goals and had only 207 scored against,” Frankland said. “We have raised over £100,000 in this country and in foreign lands for charity.”

If Frankland’s fundraising estimates are correct, that means Dick, Kerr’s, Preston Ladies and their star player Parr helped raise what would be the equivalent of several millions of pounds for charity.

After 26 years of service, and after the side played only a small number of games during the Second World War due to the rationing of petrol and Frankland working as an Air Raid Warden, Parr was named captain in 1946. She played her final game on 12 August 1950, aged 45, scoring in an 11-1 victory over Scotland.

Educated estimates put her career goal tally at over 900.

After retiring in the early 1960s from her work at the hospital, she developed cancer in 1967, finally succumbing to the disease in 1978. It was fitting that Parr lived to see the FA repeal their 1921 ruling which forbade women playing on affiliated grounds, doing so in 1971. Since her death, Parr has become an icon for women’s football and gay rights.

She was the only female inaugural inductee into the English Football Hall of Fame at the National Football Museum in 2002, and from 2007-09, the Lily Parr Exhibition Trophy was played between LGBT football teams from England, France and USA, in tribute to Parr and Dick, Kerr’s ladies’ tours in the early 20th century.

Over a century after her birth, Parr would surely be warmed to see the rise of the women’s game in her homeland, with growing attendances in the FAWSL and a crowd of over 80,000 turning out at London 2012 to see the finale to the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament. Those same fans would surely flock in similar numbers to see the power of Parr. Å

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FOREST GREEN ROVERS

THE GREEN BOYS FROM GLOUCESTERSHIRE

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FOREST GREEN ROVERS

Ambitious Promotion to the fourth tier was a distinct possibility this season for Forest Green Rovers.

Ingenious The robotic mower sends ground staff a text message if it encounters a problem.

Ready for use 170 solar panels, each with a capacity of 45 kilowatts, power the stadium. Impressed Supporters are completely behind the club’s philosophy

A robotic lawn mower that sends text messages from the club’s organic pitch, solar panels on the roof of the stadium, and veggie wraps instead of greasy fish and chips at the food stalls – English side Forest Green Rovers have set out to become the “greenest football club in the world”, writes Andreas Jaros.

Pictures by Gareth Phillips.

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uring the club’s vital 3-1 victory over play-off rivals Macclesfield Town in the week after Easter, Forest Green Rovers’ top scorer Jon Parkin achieved a feat that even the great Pele was unable to manage against Czechoslovakia at the 1970 World Cup: seeing the keeper off his line, the veteran striker sent a looping effort from the centre circle high over the retreating custodian and into the back of the net. It was probably the biggest moment of the 33-year-old’s career and took even the scorer himself by surprise. Indeed, such was Rovers head coach Adrian “Ady” Pennock’s excitement afterwards

that he lauded the strike as an event of national significance, telling BBC Radio Gloucestershire that “his goal would have graced any league in the country”.

It is not spectacular goals such as these, however, that have cemented Forest Green ­Rovers’ place on the map of English football.

The reasons for the club’s renown are much more mundane – and all eco-friendly. Rovers are green from top to bottom: from the colour of their shirts and the gentle surrounding hills of the Cotswolds to the club’s ideology.

Founded 126 years ago, the self-styled “greenest football club in the world” takes its

The robotic mower produces organic mulch that helps fertilise the pitch.

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FOREST GREEN ROVERS

F oo t b all f or t he P lane t FIFA believe s we all have a re sponsibilit y to protec t, cher ish and limit our impac t on t he env ir onment . We r e c o gnis e t ha t or ganising inter national spor ting event s c an ha ve a ne ga t i ve imp ac t on t he env ir on ment, and wor k hard to as se s s and limit this negative impac t .

Football for the Planet is our promise to re duce our impac t on the environment and embrace sustainabilit y in ever y thing we do.

Under this programme, we have of fset 75% of our total organisational carbon footprint since 2012, including an annual investment of approximately USD 500,000 for all of our flight emissions; compensated all of the emissions under the operational control of FIFA and the Local Organising Committee at the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ through verified carbon of fsetting projects; trained stadium authorities in Brazil on sustainable stadium operation; developed a waste management and recycling system for all FIFA World Cup stadiums. tfw Visit FIFA .com/sustainabilit y.

mission seriously and could soon be sending its message out to a much wider audience.

For many years, Rovers were plugging along in the English amateur divisions. In fact, they have never been in a higher league than the “Football Conference”, the fifth tier of English football. For the club that draws its fans from Nailsworth, Stroud and other market towns and villages in the vicinity, promotion beyond the fifth division was but a distant dream.

Saved from bankruptcy Despite the euphoria which has accompanied their current rise up the table, nobody has forgotten how close the club came to going out of business five years ago. Their debt had reached alarming proportions, while on the pitch Rovers would have been relegated to the sixth division had Lady Luck not been smiling down on them: fellow strugglers Salisbury City were found guilty of breaching financial rules and were demoted, while Rovers kept their place in the division. A second stroke of fortune followed soon after – in the form of local businessman Dale Vince, who made his name in alternative energy with his company “Ecotricity”. Vince accepted Rovers’ invitation to attend one of their

home games and was immediately taken by the club. If it wasn’t love at first sight, it was the next best thing.

“They had a 100-year history in football, and so we just thought, since this is our back yard, as it were, we ought to do something,” he said. “And then, at the same time, we realised that we could take our message and our work to a new audience that had hitherto known very little about our business.”

With his financial contributions continuing to safeguard the club’s future, Vince rose to become its majority shareholder and eventually chairman. It wasn’t long before he began to implement a number of eco-friendly changes at the club. The stadium’s “South Grandstand” now features 170 solar panels and LED lighting, while a water-harvesting system on the roof of the ground feeds the club’s “organic” playing surface, which is maintained without chemicals or pesticides and cut by a so-called “mowboat” – a solar-powered, GPS-guided machine that not only saves the club’s ground staff time, but also sends them text messages if it detects a problem. As if that wasn’t enough, British football’s first ever robotic lawn mower also produces organic mulch that helps fertilise the pitch.

Inside the kitchen Red meat was even banned from the players’ diets.

Vegetarian Chips and burgers have been replaced by salad and tofu.

Matchday Fans can be seen feasting on an array of delicacies.

Family club Unhealthy snacks are a thing of the past.

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FOREST GREEN ROVERS

“95 percent of the fans are completely behind what Dale is trying to do.”

Even mundane, everyday tasks are being approached with a more open mind by the players. “We turn the lights off when we leave the rooms,” said defender James Jennings, perfectly encapsulating the club’s new philosophy. Whisper it quietly, but not all changes were met with approval: red meat was banned from the diets of the “boys in green” for “health and performance reasons” – a real punch in the gut.

Phil Butter worth, long-time Rovers fan

Eco-friendly way of life Environmental awareness has even increased among the club’s playing staff. After calculations had estimated that the team regularly drove more than 16,000 kilometres during a single week, they were strongly advised to participate in a car-sharing system. Some of the board members even switched to driving electric cars. To reduce carbon emissions even further, the Rovers hierarchy established a hostel where players can indulge in an eco-friendly lifestyle. The complex is equipped with a dozen bedrooms, a kitchen and a common living area.

Falafel and pumpkin hummus Even Rovers supporters have been affected by the club’s policy. Traditional matchday dishes such as meat pies, burgers and sausages all disappeared from the stadium’s catering stalls. Those accustomed to the dietary habits of British football fans can only imagine the culture shock. On matchdays, supporters can now be seen munching on vegetarian items like wraps with pumpkin hummus, grated turnips and carrots, falafel and polenta chips with chili and thyme.

“There was a die-hard group that missed their drinks of Bovril (English beef extract) and sausage rolls,” said Phil Butterworth, who has supported the club through thick and thin for 18 years. “But that’s long past now, and I would say that 95 percent of the fans are

completely behind what Dale is trying to do.”

That figure is only likely to increase if the club’s success on the pitch continues.

Having finished just outside the play-off places in Vince’s first season at the club, Rovers became the very model of consistency, finishing tenth three years in a row.

“The further up the leagues we climb, the greater our impact as the greenest football club in the world will be,” explains Vince.

As if to illustrate his point, the International New York Times recently published a story on Forest Green Rovers. After all, the Big Apple also harbours ambitions of becoming greener. Å

FOREST GREEN ROVERS FC Nicknames: The Little Club On The Hill, The Green Devils, Green Army Founded: 1889 as Forest Green Stadium: The New Lawn, near Nailsworth Capacity: 5,000 Average attendance: 1,000 President: Dale Vince Coach: Adrian Pennock Division: Conference Premier (fifth división) Status quo: Failed to win promotion to the Football League, losing 3-0 on aggregate to Bristol Rovers in the Conference play-off semi-final

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FREE KICK

SPOTLIGHT ON

GENER AL INFORMATION Country: New Zealand FIFA Trigramme: NZL Continent: Oceania Capital: Wellington

Go your own way Alan Schweingruber

Mario Wagner / 2Agenten

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he young boy had dreamed his dream many times. Now he was sitting bleary-eyed at the breakfast table, munching drowsily on his cornflakes when he said: “I want to be like ­Manuel Neuer one day. I want to earn a living playing football.” OK then. At least he will know what to say when visitors inevitably ask him what he wants to be when he’s older.

So, Manuel Neuer then. Hmmm. Well, why not? The boy is good on the ball, he can dive and has applied for a German passport. And considering the way his towering grandfather has to always duck before going through a doorway, he might even grow to be tall enough one day. After all, goalkeepers under 6.2" are considered small.

Right then. We make a start on the goalkeeping project and buy some gloves. “They have to be red on the palms, like Neuer’s are,” says the boy. I see, red. The salesman says they are a bit more expensive, but that it doesn’t matter because it’ll pay off eventually. “Would you like a nice cap to go with that?” the salesman asks. “You know, like Sepp Maier?” “Who’s that?” the boy replies. We leave the shop without the cap.

Our budding professional keeper will get the rest of the gear from his first club. The only question is, which club will that be? The local village team were unmoved by his bold plans for the future. “For children born in 2009 you’ll have to wait at least another year,” they say.

“There are already too many kids at the club.”

We plead his case by sending a civilised email along the lines of: “The boy has to play. He loves football more than anything else. Could you make an exception for him?” “We’re sorry,” comes the reply.

There was a time when clubs would court young players, but today you have to resort to tricks just to get a foot in the door. In the neighbouring village we approach the man in charge of a barbecue and tell him about our situation. He casually reaches for the tongs to turn over a sausage and shakes his head. “Sorry, there’s no room left,” he says. After our third attempt at finding a club, we are exhausted.

The young boy now does judo and high ­d iving in town. It’s not hard to imagine the tabloid headlines of the future, overflowing with stories and anecdotes of the new goalkeeper in the national team who didn’t know what he wanted to be when he was younger. Just look at the photos: he used to do martial arts and ­water sports! Å

GEOGR APHIC INFORMATION Surface area: 269,652 km² Highest point: Aoraki / Mount Cook 3,724 m Neighbouring seas and oceans: Pacific Ocean

MEN’S FOOTBALL FIFA Ranking: 144th World Cup: 2 Appearances 1982, 2010 Best performance: Group stage

WOMEN’S FOOTBALL FIFA Ranking: 17th World Cup: 4 Appearances 1991, 2007, 2011, 2015 Best performance: Group stage

L ATES T RESULTS Men’s: Korea Republic - New Zealand 1:0 31 March 2015 Women’s: United States - New Zealand 4:0 4 April 2015

FIFA INVES TMENTS The weekly column by our staff writers

Since 2005: $ 7,514,172 T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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C O U N T D OW N T O C A N A DA 2015: 22 DAY S T O G O

“This Japan team excites me” After victory at the Women’s World Cup 2011, Japan is expecting more than ever from its team and coaching staff ahead in Canada.

Coach Norio Sasaki discusses his approach and his side’s chances at the global showpiece.

Norio Sasaki: Well, I’m pretty honest and simple. I’m not flashy, I’m not very charismatic. I’m a coach who is like a dad to the players.

Are there situations in football when you get emotional or impulsive, maybe in the dressing room?

During training, I can be very strict at times. But in the dressing room on match day, I don’t get too wound up, because we have put in all the preparation leading up to the game.

I rely on the players to take care of 70 per cent of what happens on the field, while I can control only the other 30 per cent by offering advice and instructions. I am convinced that preparing thoroughly before the game is all I can do. When I’m in the technical area, I might sometimes make gestures that would suggest we’re prepared to fight. This is just a 30

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performance to show that my team and I are up for the battle, and perhaps to put some pressure on the referee.

ahead, we want to continue making advances in Asia and globally. This victory undoubtedly was a turning point in that process.

The Nadeshiko are the current world champions and won the silver medal at London 2012, yet until last year Japan had never won the Asian Cup. Can you describe what finally conquering Asia means for the team, and for Japanese women’s football?

Would you say being head coach of Japan is more pressure or more pleasure?

We had never shown that Japan was the best team in Asia. We had been to the final of this international tournament, but we always seemed to lack that extra something needed to win. Now we have clearly shown that Japan can be the best team in Asian football, so we have gained significant status from that. That gives us a lot of confidence. In the years

There is a good pressure that comes with this position, but I really enjoy being coach of this team; it excites me. I’m also excited about how the players will develop and then perform at this tournament. In terms of results, we are striving to win successive World Cups.

I’m extremely excited about what this team could achieve at the tournament.

What are the differences if you compare the team you had at Germany 2011 and the team that you will have at Canada 2015?

Alex Livesey / Getty Images

Mr Sasaki, the world of football admires you as a coach who is usually undemonstrative, disciplined and analytical. But how would you describe yourself both as a coach and as a person?

World champion Coach Norio Sasaki after Japan beat USA in the final at Frankfurt am Main’s sold-out stadium on 17 July 2011.

22 DAYS TO GO

Who is your next Homare Sawa?

Well, she is still playing football and working hard. I feel that there are several players who could become the new Sawa and become players who step up at important moments in a game.

Which countries are Japan’s rivals for the title?

There are many countries that will be our rivals at the tournament. We have a good chance of defending the title, although it will depend on our preparation in the final months. Provided I can form a clear picture of what we have to do, I believe it will be possible to defend our title.

You were named women’s football coach of the year in 2012. What does winning such an award mean to a coach? Is it motivation for the future?

The players gained some excellent experience during the 2011 World Cup and the 2012 London Olympics, and I believe that individually they have really developed over the past four years. I think I have a better team now than I did in 2011. But the truth is that many other international teams have also greatly improved the level of their football. I believe the Nadeshiko is continuing to develop, and I’m looking forward to seeing how we perform against these other teams. On top of that, in 2011 our team was aiming to win the World Cup, but since we triumphed in that tournament the whole of Japan is watching us and there is an expectation that we should win this time. With that extra motivation, this tournament will be a major opportunity for further growth of the team at the top level.

first consideration, and the tactics we employ and our style of football will be shaped by these elements. I think this is particularly important for Japanese football.

Are you superstitious? If so, are there things you will do ahead of Canada 2015 that you also did ahead of Germany 2011?

There is one thing I do. For me, Lake Kawaguchi is a ’power spot’ [place of soothing energy]. It offers a wonderful view of Mt. Fuji, and it is a beautiful lake. I like to go there and pray to the gods of Mt. Fuji before I go to a tournament. Å Norio Sasaki was talking to Andreas Alf

Yes, it is extremely encouraging, and it also motivates me to try even harder as a coach in the future. But in saying that, this award is essentially not only recognition for my own performance alone. It comes from the process of putting the players first as I and the other staff members all build a team. I think the award will also motivate the other coaching staff, rather than just me individually.

Some coaches believe that tactics must adapt to the players available, and other coaches believe the players have to adapt to the tactics and the system. What’s your opinion?

It is clear to see that Japanese players tend to be smaller than players from other countries. So these physical attributes and the skills female Japanese players possess are our T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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MIRROR IMAGE

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La Paz, Bolivia

1935

Cornelius Scriba / fotogloria

At 3637 metres above sea level, the “Hernando Siles” in the Miraflores district is…

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La Paz, Bolivia

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Cornelius Scriba / fotogloria

…the world’s highest-altitude stadium sanctioned for official matches.

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FIFA PARTNER

NET ZER KNOWS!

How do you stop Lionel Messi?

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

“He’s spectacular, incredible, a competitive animal. He’s playing further from goal and he’s still scored 40 in the league. If he played in goal he’d score 25!”

Thiago Alcantara on Lionel Messi

“I still think I’m the best coach in the Premier League.”

John Carver after his Newcastle United side lost their eighth consecutive game

“Sometimes I get the feeling he moves around the pitch like a youth player.

He just stops moving when he loses a tackle. That’s a bit of a childish way to behave. It’s time he started growing up.”

Franz Beckenbauer on Mario Gotze

Argentinian sunshine Günter Netzer beside a hotel pool in Buenos Aires (1987).

ullstein

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hen Lionel Messi plays like he did in the 3-0 win against Bayern Munich recently, I’m afraid he’s unstoppable. I’ll tell you why in a moment.

In the Seventies, you tried to nullify the threat of the opposition playmaker or their best striker by putting your most aggressive player on him. I admit this may sound like a radical approach, but that player was instructed to follow his opponent’s every turn, even if he had to use the bathroom! No prisoners were taken during the 90 minutes that followed. Thankfully this tactic lost some of its popularity when zonal marking was first introduced. After all, it was a little crude to expect a player to only focus on one opponent. It meant the game completely passed him by.

Zonal marking is effective as long as it works properly. If it doesn’t, it gives technically gifted players more space to operate in.

Lionel Messi is an expert at capitalising on the tiniest of mistakes. All he needs is for the opposition to switch off for just a split second.

Messi then operates on intuition and instinct.

As you can imagine, half a second isn’t enough

to think about what you are going to do. I suspect even Messi himself doesn’t always know what he’s doing.

It’s also interesting how Messi reacts when two or three opponents are bearing down on him, because he enables his teammates to capitalise on the extra space afforded to them. It’s this selfless approach that makes him one of football’s greats. Messi isn’t just capable of playing incredible football, he also knows when to take a step back. Å

“I didn’t get recognition until 2008, when I’d been in the team for ten years.

If I skip through reports from years gone by, it makes me laugh: they said I was obsolete, that Edgar Davids made me look good, that I only moved the ball from side to side.

They called me ‘The Windscreen Wiper’.

Xavi, FC Barcelona

“It’s been an insult to the fans and the entire football community in Simitli. They simply didn’t play seriously in the last few matches.

Enough is enough. I’ll be coaching the team for the next game.”

What have you always wanted to know about football?

Ask Gunter Netzer: feedback-theweekly@fifa.org

Apostol Apostolov, the mayor of Simitli, on appointing himself coach of the Bulgarian town’s second-flight side FC Septemvri T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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TURNING POINT

“The football gods took care of the rest” The highlight of Marco ­Etcheverry’s career was ­scoring the goal that helped Bolivia qualify for the 1994 World Cup finals.

Cornelius Scriba / fotogloria

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o team is invincible! My team-mates and I proved that on 25 July 1993. The La Paz Stadium was packed to the rafters – the attendance far exceeded the official capacity of the ground – and our 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifying opponents that day were none other than a Brazil side featuring Cafu, Taffarel, Leonardo and Bebeto.

We managed to come from behind to win with two goals in the final two minutes of the match. I scored the first in the 88th minute.

That goal helped us turn around a match that we’d given up hope of winning. Wearing the number ten shirt, the back of which was ­a lmost completely hidden by my long hair, I picked up the ball in our own half and charged almost all the way to the by-line. I shook off my opponent and fired a shot towards goal. Taffarel and the football gods took care of the rest.

Our celebrations that day knew no bounds.

Every player dreams of one day playing against great footballing nations with a long history of success, and there’s no doubt that Brazil are one of those sides. Until then, the Selecao had yet to lose a single game in their qualifying campaign and they went on to remain unbeaten during the tournament itself, beating Italy on penalties in the final. We were able to beat the invincibles thanks to my goal – it had nothing to do with playing at a higher altitude in La Paz. Scoring that goal was a very special feeling. I felt a profound love for my country. The

opportunity to represent my nation at the biggest football tournament there is, and to be able to play for Bolivia in front of the eyes of the world, was unquestionably the highlight of my career.

Today, people at home still remember that my goal earned us a place in the history books of world football. After all, it helped us seal our place at the 1994 World Cup finals. I’m proud of that success and to have been part of that exceptional team.

Unfortunately, my World Cup didn’t last very long due to the red card I was shown shortly after coming on as a substitute against Germany in the opening game. Even though I remember it to this day, that red card had no effect on my career. The goal against Brazil did, though. That definitely changed my life for the better. Since then, I’m known as “El Diablo” – the devil – and that’s how I’ll ­a lways be known. Å Marco Etcheverry was speaking to Emanuele Giulianelli

Name Marco Antonio Etcheverry Vargas Date and place of birth 26 September 1970, Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Bolivia) Position Midfielder Clubs 1986–1989 Club Destroyers 1990–1991 Club Bolivar 1992–1993 Albacete Balompie 1994 CSD Colo-Colo 1995 America de Cali 1996–2003 D.C. United 2004 Club Bolivar Clubs coached 2009 SD Aucas Bolivia national team 71 caps (13 goals)

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

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

37

MEN’S WORLD R ANKING

Germany (unchanged) 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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39

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“We’ve gone 22 games unbeaten. It’s amazing!”

Thomas Worle, the coach of Bayern Munich’s women’s team, who won the German league title on the final day of the season.

European finals have now been reached by Barcelona, setting a new continent-wide record, after they completed their UEFA Champions League semi-final win over Bayern Munich. This new benchmark was set in a match which saw Xavi become the first player to reach 150 Champions League appearances. (Pictured: Neymar)

22 10 goals were shared out between Shakhtar Donetsk and Hoverla in the Ukrainian Premier League on Saturday. The match, a 7-3 win for Shakhtar in which eight different players were on target, was recently the highest-scoring in any top flight across the world. (Pictured: Alex Teixeira)

goals in 29 Eredivisie appearances is the tally that has made Memphis Depay PSV’s highest-scoring player in over a decade.

Aged 21, Depay is also the youngest player in any of Europe’s top ten leagues to have broken through the 15-mark. (Pictured: Memphis Depay)

Getty Images (3), FB (1)

18

WEEK IN NUMBERS