The FIFA Weekly Issue #21

ISSUE 21/2015, 27 MAY 2015

ENGLISH EDITION

Fédération Internationale de Football Association – Since 1904

EXTENDED PRINT RUN FOR

MORE THAN A GAME

FINLAND NEW GENERATION OFFERING HOPE SEPP BLATTER TEAMWORK, RESPECT AND FAIR PLAY VENEZUELA COPA AMERICA WITH TOMÁS RINCÓN 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

Finland’s path A master plan is in place in Finland to improve domestic football based on successful youth development and new infrastructure.

Alan Schweingruber reports from Helsinki.

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Uruguay With just two games left to play in the Primera Division, Penarol and River Plate are locked in a head-to-head battle – with just a solitary point separating the two clubs.

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“My aim is to reach the 2018 World Cup” In an interview with The FIFA Weekly, Tomas Rincon discusses football’s development in Venezuela, the upcoming Copa America and the country’s long-term objective of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.

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S epp Blatter In his weekly column, the FIFA President reflects upon the common goal of the member associations – “to safeguard the interests of football and protect the game from negative influences.”

South America 10 members www.conmebol.com

24/30/37

Canada 2015 Referee Bibiana Steinhaus, Côte d’Ivoire coach Clementine Toure and Brazil coach Vadao on the upcoming Women’s World Cup.

More than a game Our cover shows the symbolic Handshake for Peace between South African Aaron Mokoena (left) and Norway’s Morten Gamst Pedersen in Rustenburg, South Africa, on 28 March 2009.

The FIFA Weekly app FIFA’s magazine The FIFA Weekly is published in four languages every Friday and is also available free of charge on smartphone and tablet. http://www.fifa.com/mobile 2

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imago (3), AFP, Getty Images

Trond Tandberg / Getty Images

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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China After 11 rounds of matches, four clubs share the lead in the Chinese Super League.

(Pictured: Gao Lin)

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Handshake for Peace This joint campaign by FIFA and the Nobel Peace Centre focuses on peace and fair play.

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Croatia Angelo Henriquez fired Dinamo Zagreb to the domestic double.

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UNCOVERED

Respect and fair play I

n days gone by it was customary for travellers arriving somewhere with peaceful intentions to send children ahead of them as a gesture of their goodwill.

Visitors then shook hands with those they encountered to show them that they were unarmed.

Over the centuries that followed, neither young people nor handshakes have lost any of their power to bring people together. Youth development is one of FIFA’s most important areas of investment while the Handshake for Peace that forms part of every match at a FIFA tournament has been established by world football’s governing body and the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo as a symbol of respect, peace and fair play – a gesture that transcends the football pitch and extends across the globe. The 52-minute documentary ’A Journey of Hope’ charts the inspiring history of the Handshake for Peace. Turn to page 22 to read more.

Starting on page six, this week’s main report – written a few days ago in ­Helsinki by our reporter Alan Schweingruber – explains how since building 30 indoor football halls, Finland’s hopes rest primarily on the next generation. Å

Mario Wagner / 2Agenten

Perikles Monioudis

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FINLAND

TIME FOR A NEW PLAN

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FINLAND

Against all odds, football is on the verg e of a new era in Finland, w rites Alan Schw eingruber f rom Helsin Pictures fr ki. om Aapo H uhta.

HJK HELSINKI Japanese midfielder Atomu Tanaka and Finns Toni Kolehmainen (left) and Tapio Heikkila prepare for training.

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FINLAND

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he good weather has arrived in Helsinki and, better late than never, the city is blossoming again. While southern Europeans can enjoy the warmth of sandy beaches, locals here savour a fresh but sunny afternoon in mid May. On the first day of Finland’s summer, people are sitting outside cafés and bars. After last night’s rain, there is even a queue of children at the ice cream shop with the rusty canopy. It is 18 degrees Celsius.

This is what life can be like in a country where winter is dark and endless. There is a longing for warmth and light, and for social interaction too. Finnish people have to spend a number of months inside, whether at home, school, work, the local swimming pool or even restaurants. Often it is cold and windy outside, and even though Helsinki is in the south of the country, a lot of snow falls in the city.

And so to this lovely day in May, one that was unexpected according to the forecast. We are stood at the top of the stands in the Sonera Stadium. In this small but neat arena in the middle of a residential area where the policemen ride around on horses, HJK Helsinki play their football. The club has won 27 Finnish titles in the Veikkausliiga, including the last six in a row. With four million euros to spend, the biggest wage bill and the best players, HJK are the biggest football club in the country.

On the pitch, the players are warming up. The energy that such days deliver is palpable. The stadium speakers are attached to the roof and the sounds of the 1980s hit Careless Whisper drift out. George Michael has been around for over 30 years but he’s never sounded better than on this early evening in Helsinki. His music provides the perfect backdrop; the players are warming up, the fans are in the stands with a fish sandwich or a beer in their hand – and Finnish summertime is here.

Broken plans Unsurprisingly, the opposition from Turku do not put up much of a fight.

HJK secure a 2-0 win and claim back top spot in the table, having lost it to Seinäjoki the night before. But how can talk possibly be of battling for success when the club eases to the title year after year? Does the league not grow dull without competition?

In front of the VIP lounge stands a man aged mid-fifties. He is inconspicuous, wearing a light brown leather jacket and a blue and white scarf around his neck. Olli-Pekka Lyytikäinen has been president of HJK Helsinki for 15 years. Even his father was in charge once. “Do you know,” said Lyytikäinen. “No one ever gets bored of winning and collecting trophies. It is always nice to be able to give back to the fans. You can never have enough great games of football. But it’s not even about that.

We are trying to develop players here. HJK is where Finnish players are given a platform to impress foreign clubs. We regularly compete in the UEFA Europa League, which is great, but it also demands a lot of responsibility. If a player gets the chance to make that jump, it is a proud moment for us. Do not think I am sad. They will come back one day.”

On this evening, for example, Robin Lod is departing HJK. The young midfielder heads to the stands after the win and is embraced by the fans.

It is Lod’s final game for Helsinki as he heads to Athens to play for Panathinaikos next season. There is also talk of young international Rasmus Schüller leaving the club soon. “I’m still here,” said Schüller in the mixed zone after the game. “But of course every Finnish footballer’s dream is to play abroad.” Talented players look for a club and the chance to develop so as to secure a good contract abroad, where they are supposed to become even better footballers. This is HJK and Finland’s master plan, one that has long been in place. The only problem is that it has not always been as successful as desired.

There is just not enough interest or money in the game up here. People would rather watch ice hockey, a sport that Finland just happens to excel at. Nordic skiing is also popular, while medals in cross-country skiing and ski jumping are also part of tradition. So where does that leave football?

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Litmanen’s golden generation A casual shrug of the shoulders is the response from most Finnish people when asked about the development of football in the country.

With a population of five million, it is hard for them to know what to expect. The master plan, as mentioned earlier, should bear fruit at some point. Participating in a UEFA European Championship is the aim, and even one day appearing at the FIFA World Cup™.

Just after the millennium, things were on the up for Finnish football. The team, built around Jari Litmanen, the country’s best ever footballer, had a great deal of potential. Alongside the brilliant playmaker were the likes of Sami Hyypia of Liverpool, Jonatan Johansson of Glasgow Rangers and Aki Riihilahti of Kaiserslautern, now manager at HJK. All of them were at the peak of their careers and the team even managed to spark some hope in Finland, only to come up short in the final reckoning. The fans’ trust dissipated and that shrug of the shoulders is the result, even on this glorious evening in HJK’s stadium.

Finland’s plan should start to bear fruit at some point.

The aim is to participate in a major tournament.

One could argue that football and Finland just do not go together.

After all, smaller and lesser known countries have qualified for the World Cup. Could the reason be a lack of enthusiasm? Do people just not want to play football in Finland? The 128,000 registered football players in the county suggest otherwise. That number is twice as big as that for ice hockey, but the problem lies in the fact that many youngsters stop playing when they have to choose between the beautiful game and ice hockey. Of the 128,000 footballers, 60,000 are under the age of 12. These significant figures have left HJK boss Lyytikäinen perplexed. “I know, it’s huge. We have not managed to create a connection between youngsters and football. If a teenager is looking to pursue a career in sport, there is more promise in ice hockey. That is where the money and the big stars are. We do not have any big stars in the Finnish football league.” The average wage of a player in the Veikkausliiga is 20,000 euros a year. Ice hockey players earn three times as much.

HJK HEL SINKI Name: Hel singin J alk ap allok lubi (Hel sink i F oo t b all C lub) F ounded: 1907 P r esiden t : Olli - P ek k a Ly y t ik ainen C oach: Mik a L ehk o s uo Championship t it les: 27 (F innis h r ec or d) Bigges t in t er na t ional suc c ess: P a r t ic ip a t ed in 19 98 / 9 9 UE F A C h ampion s L e ague ( gr oup s t age) S t adium c apacit y : 10,770 s pec t a t or s (S oner a S t adium)

FINLAND

DEDICATED HJK president Olli-Pekka Lyytikainen (top left) and the Football Association of Finland’s Hannu Tihinen, whose office is located within the club’s stadium complex.

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FINLAND

HJK YOUTH, HJK FANS Children and teenagers train behind the stadium while fans cheer the 27-time Finnish champions on to victory against Turku.

The problem in Finnish football is that many young players drift away when asked to choose between football and ice hockey.

Shovel snow The day after HJK’s win against Turku we meet the former Finland international Hannu Tihinen. The defender grew up in Lapland, in the northern part of Finland where the sun is a constant in the summer but noticeable by its absence throughout the winter. As he drives

FIFA IN FINL A ND A s par t of the Goal programme, FIFA inve s ted a total of $512,0 0 0 in F innish f o o t b all in 20 0 9 and 2013. A m o ng o t he r t hing s , the f unds were used to se t up a new I T s ys tem at the Football A s sociation of F inland ’s headquar ter s. O ver the las t t wo year s, the sp or t ’s wor ld gover ning b o d y has also pr ov ide d $250,0 0 0 of suppor t f or youth f ootball and $20 0,0 0 0 f or the women’s game in F inland.

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us through Helsinki in his Volvo, it is clear just how proud Tihinen is of his career. He talks of the past and laughs loudly as he recalls it all. Damn cold is what it was outside in the north when he and his teammates had to shovel snow just to train. Tihinen worked hard but wasn’t discovered until he was 21 years old, when he made the jump to HJK. Later on in his career, Tihinen played in Norway, England, Belgium and Switzerland, where his backheel goal proved the winner for FC Zurich in their 2009 UEFA Champions League game against AC Milan. Is there a better story to convince young Finns to play football than Tihinen’s, the man who left the Polar Regions to play in Europe’s elite football competition?

Today, the 38-year-old works for Finland’s football association.

Two days a week, Tihinen drives to clubs or to meet government figures to talk about football. His aim is clear. He wants to publicise the sport so as to strengthen the connection with the country.

“Sometimes it is the little things that have the biggest effect. I think it is terrible that so many kids go home after school to sit in front of a television or to play video games. Would it not be great if football

FINLAND

JAMES PYE, 15 A big fan of Jari Litmanen.

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“He must be a little crazy” F

innish football is inextricably linked with the name Jari Litmanen. No Finnish player has ever enjoyed the level of success that he achieved and he remains his country’s record appearance-maker and goalscorer. In the 1990s, Litmanen belonged to the world’s elite group of players, representing the likes of FC Barcelona, Ajax and Liverpool, as well as HJK Helsinki in his homeland. It was at Finland’s capital club where his career wound down.

He is well known for his unorthodox – sometimes even slightly chaotic – way of doing things, and it is unsurprising that Litmanen never officially retired as a professional after his contract at HJK expired. Obviously, age has caught up with him and it is certainly difficult – perhaps indeed impossible – for a

44-year-old to still compete in professional football, but HJK are delighted to have him nonetheless. “It’s great that he’s still involved with the club,” says president Olli-Pekka Lyytikäinen, “but we know that he won’t be back.“ A slow boat to Helsinki The Lahti native, who represented his country in four different decades between 1989 and 2010, currently lives with his family in the Estonian capital of Tallinn.

If he ever wants to take in a game at his former club, he boards a ferry that takes him back to Helsinki in just two hours.

Mention Litmanen’s name to Finnish teenagers and their eyes light up. James Pye, practicing his keepy-

ups, pauses for a moment and then says: “Jari? He’s our biggest star. He had unbelievable technique. Every kid playing football in Finland wants to be like him.”

James is 15 years old and never saw his idol play live.

It could all have been so different in the life of the Eagle-Owls’ greatest player. Like many children in Finland, Litmanen grew up playing ice hockey, and observers say he possessed even more talent on an ice rink than he did on a football pitch. In the end, though, the youngster chose football, the game his father and mother had played. He trained hard and was perhaps fortunate that at Lahti, his club from the age of five, a large indoor hall with artificial pitches was built when he was ten, meaning the young Jari could also train in winter.

Catalan connections He was crowned Finland’s Player of the Year in 1990 and would go on to win the award a further eight times, but it was the first of these accolades that was of the most significance to Litmanen, as it opened the door to Europe. At that time, recipients of Finland’s most prestigious individual footballing honour were rewarded with a week of training at Barcelona. In Catalonia, Litmanen got to know legendary Dutchman Johan Cruyff, before signing for Ajax – Cruyff’s hometown club – as a 21-year-old two years later.

Litmanen once said in an interview: “If you come from Finland, you come from a country where football isn’t important. It’s difficult to be a footballer there – everything is against you. The winters are very long and I had to work hard, many hours a day, often by myself, just training with a ball. And people thought, ’That boy must be a little crazy.’” sca

Name Jari Olavi Litmanen Date and place of birth 20 February 1971, Lahti, Finland Position Attacking midfielder, striker Clubs as player (Selectedl) 1987–1990 Lahden Reipas 1991–1992 HJK Helsinki; MyPa 1992–1999 Ajax 1999–2001 FC Barcelona 2001–2002 Liverpool 2005–2007 Malmö FF 2008–2010 FC Lahti 2011–2012 HJK Helsinki Awards

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9x Finnish Footballer of the Year 1993 Player of the Year in the Netherlands Finnish national team 137 appearances, 32 goals

Iimago

JARI LITMANEN A world-class talent at his best, seen here playing for HJK in 2011.

FINLAND

A RECORD-BREAKING CLUB HJK’s stadium, indoor halls and training facilities are located in a residential neighbourhood of Helsinki.

“The indoor football halls are a saving grace. Over the last few years I’ve seen progress. There is something growing here.”

Hannu Tihinen

could be integrated into schools somehow? Training sessions could be offered at the end of lessons. It would interest young people, I am sure of it.” Tihinen pulls into a car parking space and says: “But now it is time to show you something different.”

Good indoor facilities the key It is clear the cold winters have curbed the development of the country’s youngest players, but over the last decade, 30 indoor football halls have been built in Finland. We step into one of the biggest in the country. There is a slide and a playground for young children on the ground floor, and a restaurant on the first. On the second, lies the masterpiece: a football field stretching over 100 meters. Behind the goals are colourful banners used by fans to create a great atmosphere. Tihinen tells us that later this afternoon, this place will be busy. First the kids have their training session, followed by the adults in the evening. “This way, we can play football all year round. Halls like this are a saving grace.

Over the last few years, I’ve seen progress in the U14, U15 and U16 national teams. There is something growing here.”

This afternoon, HJK Helsinki’s first team is also training here.

The temperature climbs to 20 degree Celsius. It is quiet in the stadium, where title after title has been collected. Only the faint sound of children can be heard. As we leave, we pass the office of Finland’s football association where we catch sight of two posters promoting the vital EURO 2016 qualifier against Hungary on 13 June. The words read: Risk everything. Finland have not got off to the best start in their qualifying campaign, but providing they stick to that motto, the future looks bright. Å

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HANDSHAKE FOR PEACE

The Handshake for Peace is an initiative between FIFA and the Nobel Peace Center combining the global reach of football with a simple handshake – a Handshake for Peace – that seeks to set an example of friendship to society.

The handshake forms an integral part of all FIFA events, giving a strong platform for this positive gesture of peace, respect and solidarity.

TALK ING POIN T S

O N

T H E

Uruguay: Primera Division

Z a l aye t a s t i l l go i n g s t r o n g Sven Goldmann is a leading football correspondent at Tages­ spiegel newspaper in Berlin.

Mariano Alvez

Marcelo Zalayeta’s journeyman career in professional football started in his native Montevideo at Atletico Penarol, but he spent the defining years of his playing days in Europe at Sevilla, Perugia, Napoli, Bologna and, in particular, Juventus. The striker has been back at Penarol for four years now and even at the age of 36, he has lost none of his goalscoring instincts. On Matchday 13 of the Torneo Clausura, Zalayeta had a hand in both of his team’s goals in a 2-0 victory over Atletico Rentistas.

His clever pass set up Jonathan Urretaviscaya for the early opener, and he was subsequently involved in almost all of the Aurinegros’ dangerous attacks. Zalayeta killed the game off with his side’s second goal shortly before the final whistle to seal a win for Penarol that kept them top of the table.

I N S I D E

The game may not have been much of a spectacle but the league leaders were in control throughout. Rentistas, Penarol’s local rivals from the Cerrito de la Victoria district, had handed out free hamburgers to children at the iconic Estadio Centenario in order to boost their numbers in the stands, but the strategy failed to pay off as Zalayeta’s ­experience and muscular presence led Penarol to victory.

There are two more rounds of matches to play in the Clausura, with only two teams left in what had been a three-horse title race. After reigning champions Danubio Futbol Club’s shock 1-0 defeat at home to Institucion Atletica Sud America, River Plate moved up to second, just a point behind Penarol, following their 4-0 triumph over bottom club El Tanque Sisley in a game in which Michael Santos scored a hat-trick.

River Plate have been unable to match the success of their namesakes in the neighbouring city of Buenos Aires. Apart from a few short spells outside the top flight, River have been regulars in Uruguay’s Primera Division since 1932 but have never managed to lift the title in 66 seasons. Football fans

across the country would not mind if it stayed that way, as should Penarol win the Clausura they would meet Torneo Apertura champions and arch-rivals Club Nacional ­ de Football in the final to decide the ­Uruguayan championship.

Penarol versus Nacional is the ‘Clasico’ in Uruguayan football, comparable to Boca versus River on the other side of the Rio de la Plata in Buenos Aires, or Flamengo against Fluminense in Rio de Janeiro. Of the 110 championships in the Primera Division Profesional de Uruguay so far, 91 have been won by either Penarol (47 times) or Nacional (44 times). Since 15 July 1900, 520 ‘Clasicos’ have been played, with Penarol marginally on top in this regard too, having posted 184 victories to Nacional’s 171.

The duo’s dominance continues to this day and their stranglehold was only broken when Danubio triumphed last year. Nacional’s most recent title win was in 2012, while Penarol’s was in 2013. Back then the newspaper ‘El Observador’ named a certain Marcelo Zalayeta as Player of the Season. Å

Key player Even at the age of 36 Marcelo Zalayeta (r.) still scores for Penarol, and did so in their last game against Atletico Rentistas.

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Croatia: Pr va HNL

One goal after another Angelo Henriquez (l.), on loan at Dinamo Zagreb from Manchester United, celebrates finding the net.

Dina mo Zagreb s e c u r e d o m e s t ic double Perikles Monioudis is chief editor of The FIFA Weekly.

Last week, Dinamo Zagreb clinched the domestic double with victory over RNK Split in the Croatian Cup final. In front of 11,000 fans at Dinamo’s own Maksimir stadium, the Prva HNL’s seventh-placed side defended valiantly against their technically superior opponents and even made it to the end of extra time without conceding a goal. However, the reigning and newly-crowned champions eventually triumphed 4-2 on penalties.

Coach Zoran Mamic, himself a former player for Zagreb and German outfit Bayer Leverkusen, has guided the club to successive titles since taking over the reins in 2013. “I’m delighted that we’ve won the double,” he told the media after the cup final. “This is one of the sweetest achievements of my career.”

Incidentally, the man who installed Mamic as head coach just happens to be his older brother Zdravko, Dinamo’s president.

longer plies his trade in Croatia. The Dinamo youth product netted all his goals in the first half of the campaign, before joining English outfit Leicester City in the winter transfer window. The Croatian international striker made his Premier League debut a day after signing for the club - in a 1-0 defeat to Stoke City. His first goal came in a 2-1 reverse at Arsenal, but needless to say that goal no longer counts towards his Prva HNL total, which became invalid following the move to England.

Chilean international Angelo Henriquez, meanwhile, has showcased his exceptional goalscoring pedigree in both league and cup this season. The 21-year-old, currently on loan at Dinamo from Manchester United, converted his spot-kick in the cup final and has bagged 21 league goals so far this term.

Henriquez is now all but guaranteed to finish top of the goalscorers chart in Croatia.

However, in order to end the campaign ahead of Kramaric, Henriquez has to find the net one more time. Having failed to add to his tally in a 1-1 draw at Istra 1961 last time out, his final chance of ending the campaign as the outright top scorer comes on the final day, when Dinamo take on Rijeka - the club that sold Kramaric to Leicester last winter.

Andrej Kramaric also scored 21 times for second-placed NK Rijeka, even though he no

Dinamo’s latest title victory confirmed their place in the qualifying rounds for next

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season’s UEFA Champions League, having last qualified for the group stage of Europe’s premier club competition in 2012/13. Rijeka, who sit ten points behind Dinamo ahead of their final-day encounter, are one of three Croatian sides attempting to reach the group stages of the UEFA Europa League. Hajduk Split, currently on 49 points, and Rijeka will be joined in the qualifying stages by one of three teams - NK Lokomotiva (45 points), NK Zagreb (43) or Slaven Belupo (42). Å

Goran Stanzl / PIXSELL

Winning the double is hardly a rarity for “the Blues”, who have lifted the title every year since the 2005/06 campaign and have won six Croatian Cups in that same period. In February 2000, the club changed its name from Croatia Zagreb - a name they had adopted in 1993 - back to Dinamo, as supporters had never really come to terms with being called “Croatia”. Following a barren spell which culminated in a seventh-place finish and an early exit from the cup in 2004/5, Dinamo bounced back to win the league title the following season and have not looked back since.

China: Super League

C a n n av a r o hu mb l e d e s p ite s u c c e s s Sarah Steiner is a staff writer on

team-mate Hyuri, who lobbed the ball over the Shanghai goalkeeper to open the scoring.

Shortly after the break the Guiyang-based side doubled their advantage when Hyuri’s compatriot Ricardo Santos, playing his first season in China, scored from a free-kick to seal the victory and spark wild celebrations.

The FIFA Weekly.

With almost half of the season gone in the Chinese Super League the title race is starting to heat up. Four teams are level on 22 points after Matchday 11, with Guangzhou Evergrande FC top, followed by Shandong Luneng, Shanghai SIPG and Beijing Guo’an.

The reigning champions and 2013 AFC Champions League winners only reached the summit after the last round of games, their 2-2 derby draw against Guangzhou R&F proving enough to lift them into first place after Shanghai SIPG succumbed to a shock 2-0 reverse away to Guizhou Renhe.

imgao

It was a first defeat of the season for the club from the eastern Chinese metropolis, and it came against the side second from bottom in the standings. In an otherwise dull first half, Zhu Baojie’s pass played in Brazilian

SIPG coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, who is in his second spell in charge of a Chinese side following a stint at Guangzhou R&F, will have been left disappointed with his team’s performance but is otherwise happy with life in China, even praising the quality of football there. “China have invested a great deal in the game and the long-term target is to participate at a World Cup, to host a tournament of that calibre and to even win it one day,” said the Swede. “It’s a very ambitious aim but in the next ten to 15 years it is realistic to think that China will be able to compete at the very highest level."

until February before departing altogether and leaving his countryman with some big shoes to fill. “Mr. Lippi is one of the best coaches in the world,” said Cannavaro of his predecessor. “You can’t compare me to him. I only hope that in future I’ll be able to achieve even ten per cent of what he’s done.” Cannavaro’s side have only lost once so far this term, a 2-1 defeat against Henan Jianye.

The coaches of the other two clubs in the leading quartet are also from overseas.

Second-placed Shandong Luneng have Brazilian Alexi Stival, also known as Cuca, at the helm, while Beijing Guo’an are led by Spanish tactician Gregorio Manzano, creating a showdown with a foreign flair in the world’s fourth largest country. Å

Eriksson is not the only European coach in China, as Fabio Cannavaro is currently on the touchline at title rivals Guangzhou Evergrande. Last year the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ winner took over from Marcello Lippi, who remained at the club as technical director

Lippi’s successor Fabio Cannavaro at a training session with the Guangzhou Evergrande team.

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Name Tomas Rincon Date and place of birth 13 January 1988, San Cristobal, Venezuela Position Midfield 2006 UA Maracaibo B 2007–2008 Zamora FC 2008–2009 Deportivo Tachira 2009–2014 Hamburger SV Since 2014 Genoa CFC National team Venezuela 54 caps

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Lukas Maeder / 13 Photo

Clubs

THE INTERVIEW

“My aim is to reach the 2018 World Cup” With Venezuelan football on the rise, we caught up with 27-year-old midfielder Tomas Rincon for his thoughts on the game’s development in his homeland and the forthcoming Copa America.

Given that baseball is more popular than football in Venezuela, how did you get started in the game?

Tomas Rincon: Like many people my age I can play baseball too, but in my hometown San Cristobal football is very popular. My father took me to a football academy when I was four and the game has played a big role in my life ever since. As a young boy I played for FC Zamora and Deportivo Tachira, before spending five seasons in Germany at Hamburg. Last summer I signed on for Italian side Genoa.

You played for Venezuela at junior level and made your debut in the senior side seven years ago. What are your memories of that game?

It was the realisation of a childhood dream. My whole family was at the 1-0 win over Haiti, at a time of upheaval in Venezuelan football. It was an unforgettable moment.

How is football viewed in Venezuela?

While it’s by far the most popular sport in other South American countries, it faces stiff competition from baseball with us, not least because we didn’t always have good results in the past. In the 2000s the national team beat Paraguay and Peru for the first time in competitive matches and we’ve progressed steadily since then, as can be seen by the fact we reached the quarterfinals of the Copa America on home turf in 2007.

When did you realise Venezuela were no longer merely whipping boys for other teams?

The turning point came in 2011 and it happened in two phases. In July that year we finished fourth at the Copa America in Argentina and then in October we beat

Argentina, Lionel Messi included, in a World Cup qualifying match. Venezuelans started to identify with the national team at that point and lots of boys began preferring football to baseball.

You were voted into the Team of the Tournament at that Copa America, which must have been an unforgettable experience...

It was, it was an indescribable feeling.

In the group stage we drew 0-0 with Brazil, among others, and beat Chile 2-1 in the quarter-finals. Unfortunately we lost our semi-final against Paraguay 3-5 on penalties after the game itself had ended goalless.

But it was still a historic achievement for Venezuela, and the memories of people cheering when we arrived back home are simply priceless. There were huge crowds waiting for us and celebrating with us from the airport in La Guaira all the way into Caracas.

The next Copa America is just around the corner, with 16 teams set to fight for continental supremacy from 11 June. Venezuela have been drawn in a tough group with Brazil, Colombia and Peru, which will make progressing to the next round difficult…

players are now at European clubs and we understand each other and support one another. We’ve taken the tactical ideas of coach Noel Sanvicente on board and can also rely on my friend Salomon Rondon, who plays up front for Zenit St. Petersburg.

Who do you think will win the Copa America this year?

As has been the case so often in the past, Argentina and Brazil will probably battle it out between themselves again, but we hope we can cause a few surprises, like we did in 2011.

How do you think the future of the national team will pan out?

Our main objective is to qualify for a FIFA World Cup™ for the first time. Personally, I’m aiming to reach the 2018 finals in Russia and I’ll give everything to achieve that. If we make it there, I’m sure baseball’s days as the most popular sport in Venezuela will be numbered. Å Tomas Rincon was speaking to Franco Nicolussi

That may be true but you can’t forget that even coming third can be enough to reach to the next round. On top of that, we were drawn in a very strong group four years ago too. Those teams are more technically adept than us, but we’ll try to compensate for that with our strong physical presence and a down-to-earth attitude, as we know we still have a lot of hard work to do.

What sort of a team are Venezuela?

We’re a strong unit and have good team spirit away from the pitch too. A lot of our T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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First Love Place: Bali, Indonesia Date: 15 November 2010 Time: 4.47 p.m.

Photog rapher: Levon Biss

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Photography by Levon Biss with Support from Umbro / RPM

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HANDSHAKE FOR PEACE

A JOURNEY OF HOPE ‘A Journey of Hope’ is a 52-minute documentary that tells the story of the Handshake for Peace, following its historic roots through to becoming a symbolic gesture before football matches.

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Big names, big cause Gerard Pique and Neymar support the Handshake for Peace campaign. http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/video/video=2243471/ 22

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Christian Grund / 13 Photo

n this documentary, prize-winning British filmmaker and author Stewart Binns traces the history of the Handshake for Peace by focusing on five decisive moments, starting with the Greeks, for whom shaking hands was a sign of reconciliation, through to ­A frican slaves in America and Nelson Mandela’s own remarkable story. The film also charts the beginnings of the Nobel Peace Centre and FIFA before looking back on the inaugural Nelson Mandela Challenge in 2009, when photographer Trond Tandberg captured a magnificent shot of the first ever Handshake for Peace between South Africa’s Aaron Mokoena and Norway’s Morten Gamst Pedersen (our cover image). The Handshake for Peace was born and a new journey began.

Over 100 years ago, when peace seemed lost and the First World War was raging, English and German troops played a football match on Christmas Eve amidst all the horrors and despair of the time. It is precisely that message of hope that the game should convey today too.

With the help of numerous interviews – for example with FIFA President Sepp Blatter; Geir Lundestad, director of the Nobel Institute; Bente Erichsen, director of the Nobel Peace Centre; South African politician Tokyo Sexwale and Nelson Mandela’s grandchild Mandla ­Mandela – the documentary examines the history of the Handshake for Peace. The film was made available free of charge to all FIFA Media Rights licensees in order to help spread word of the initiative around the world. Å tfw

HANDSHAKE FOR PEACE

PRESIDENTIAL NOTE

A gesture of peace and fair play Players will once again be reaching out to offer a Handshake for Peace at this summer’s World Cups in Canada and New Zealand.

Parliament for peace

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Handshake for Peace A symbol that unites all players.

FIFA via Getty Images

T

he Handshake for Peace initiative created by FIFA and the Nobel Peace Center will once again form part of every match at this year’s FIFA tournaments. Just as at the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014™, it will play a central role at both the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in Canada and the FIFA U-20 World Cup™ in New Zealand. This powerful gesture of friendship and respect reaches an audience of millions via the biggest platform in sport.

As part of the official match protocol, the two team captains and officials will gather in the centre circle to shake hands both before and after each game. From now on the act will also be depicted on an official flag, while both the match officials and team captains will wear the Handshake for Peace logo on their kit to identify them.

This joint initiative by FIFA and the Nobel Peace Center in Norway combines football’s international reach with the simple gesture of a handshake to promote peace and fair play. The Handshake for Peace has been an integral part of all FIFA events since making its debut at the FIFA Club World Cup Morocco 2013™, with players and officials alike gladly taking the opportunity to set a good example in front of both the fans inside the stadium and the wider public watching games on television.

“The Handshake for Peace means more than just talking about peace,” said FIFA President Sepp Blatter. “It’s about bringing people together and connecting them. A crucial pillar of FIFA’s mission is to build a better future for all through the power and popularity of football.” Å tfw

n Thursday and Friday this week, FIFA meets in Zurich for its annual Congress. It will be the 65th meeting of our footballing parliament since the seven founding members – Belgium, Denmark, France, Holland, Sweden, Switzerland and Spain, represented

by Madrid FC – formally established world football’s governing body in Paris in 1904.

For me, efforts to achieve peace are the primary focus of this year’s event. Wherever football is played, people are open for dis­ cussion – something I experienced last week in my conversations with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Although no immediate consensus could be found, the way out of the impasse is clear to all parties. Only those who reach out a hand can live together in peace – the very spirit embodied by our unifying Handshake for Peace campaign.

Proposals for improving our sport at all levels will be discussed in Zurich. As well as the 27 members of the Executive Committee, we will welcome more than 1,000 delegates from our 209 member associations and the confederations. Democracy will be of paramount importance: every national association has one vote irre­ spective of its size or geographical location, and every one of them may contribute not only solutions and points of view but may also air their problems.

This regular discourse between our members offers a direct link to the foundations of our sport and provides the essence of our development and aid programmes across all six confederations. More than 400 experts are meeting to exchange views in Zurich at the Medical Conference alone.

We all have a common goal: to safeguard the interests of football at every level and protect the game from negative influences. The tactics required to achieve this are the same as those found on the pitch: teamwork, discipline, respect and fair play.

Football’s global problems, much like social issues, can only be solved by our shared efforts – for a better game and a more peaceful world. Together!

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

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CÔTE D’IVOIRE

World Cup debutante raring to go

Clementine Toure is leading the Côte d’Ivoire women’s national team to their first World Cup – and wants to ensure that they give a good impression of Ivorian football.

One of a kind Clementine Toure is the only female coach of an African team at the Women’s World Cup.

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CÔTE D’IVOIRE

Team spirit Côte d’Ivoire’s strength lies in their togetherness.

I Issouf Sanogo / AFP

n 2011 Clementine Toure should have been at the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in Germany as a member of the Equatorial Guinea coaching staff, but it was not to be as football officials in her native Côte ­d’Ivoire had earlier asked her to take over their women’s team and it was a request that the coach could not turn down. “When your country asks you to serve, you have to follow the call,” Toure explained.

“I moved to Equatorial Guinea in 2006 to coach the club Aguilas Verdes,” Toure continued. “A year later, I was asked whether I wanted to become national team coach. I said yes, and in 2008 we won the African Women’s Championship.” Two years later the side lost in the final against Nigeria, but still qualified for the Women’s World Cup. “That would have given me the opportunity to go to the World Cup, but I did not take it,” Toure said.

At the time, she had no idea that the chance would come again, and at the expense of her old team no less. Even after the Ivorians eliminated Equatorial Guinea in the qualifiers for the 2014 CAF African Women’s Championship, they did not go to the continental finals in Namibia as one of the favourites and then, after advancing to the semi-finals where they lost to Cameroon, many thought that the final hurdle would be too big to overcome.

Difficult task for rookies Canada 2015 is the first time that Africa has been allowed three representatives on the global stage, so the play-off against a powerful South African side provided Toure and her team with a last roll of the dice. South Africa had more of the game but failed to take their chances, giving the west Africans an opportunity to grab the final

CÔTE D’IVOIRE WOMEN’S NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM World Cup: 2015 Africa Cup of Nations: 2012, 2014 FIFA Ranking: 67th position Head Coach: Clementine Touré

SQUAD 2015 WORLD CUP Goalkeepers: Lydie Saki, Dominique Thiamale, Cynthia Djohore Defenders: Fatou Coulibaly, Djelika Coulibaly, Nina Kpaho, Miriam Diakite, Fernande Tchetche, Sophie Aguié, Raymonde Kacou Midfielders: Rita Akaffou, Ida Guehai, Christine Lohouès, Binta Diaktie, Jessica Aby, Aminata Haidara Forwards: Nadege Essoh, Ones Nrehy, Sandrine Niamien, Ange Nguessan, Rebecca Elloh, Josee Nahi, Nadege Cissé

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Every dream needs a kick-off.

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CÔTE D’IVOIRE

ticket for Canada with a late goal scored by Ida Guehai. “It is a great honor to coach the team at their first World Cup,” Toure said.

“For several years the federation has been providing the means to develop the women’s game and ensure the team is well prepared. This is the reward.”

The Women’s World Cup rookies have been drawn into a rugged opening group and will face two-time champions Germany, Norway, who have a sweep of medals, as well as fellow rookies Thailand in Group B. Toure is aware that it will not be easy to escape the group.

“This will obviously be a very difficult group, but we will not go to Canada as victims” Clementine Touré

“Germany and Norway are amongst the best teams in the world, so nobody can say that we got an easy draw,” she said. “And Thailand will also be a complicated opponent. This will obviously be a very difficult group, but we will not go to Canada as victims. We want to achieve as much as we can and give a good image of ourselves and football in our country.”

Familiy tradition Toure and her technical staff have been preparing by studying previous matches their opponents have played. “We do not know much about Thailand as we have been struggling to find recordings of their games,” she said. “But we know that Norway and Germany play a fast game.

These two teams each have big personalities and Germany is a team that scores a lot of goals.”

She is keeping her tactics tightly under wraps at this stage. “I will not reveal my plans,” Toure explained. “We have some good players, with several players who play abroad, especially in Europe. We will rely on the squad that provided the backbone at the African championship in Namibia, but there will be some new players. But the main thing for us is not to concentrate only on our individual players, but also to look at the team as a collective and I think that will be one of our strengths.”

Toure played 22 times for her national side before moving into coaching officially. She has spent some time developing her own skills as a coach and is a qualified professor of physical education and sport, as well as a FIFA instructor, which she became in 2009. As a player, she turned out for several clubs in Abidjan and the surrounding areas, as well as in Ghana, winning three titles. She then started her career as a coach with JCA Treichville, where she had also played. After some success with the Abidjan-based club, she moved to Ghana.

World Cup warm-up Striker Rebecca Elloh during a 3-2 friendly defeat against Cameroon on 10 May.

“I come from a family of coaches, so it was a natural step for me to become involved as well,” Toure said. “I even did that as a player. I was always telling my team-mates where to position themselves. Becoming a full-time coach was a logical step for me.”

The team has now to realise the expectations in Canada. Everybody is excited about the event. Both the squad and the coach who explains: “We had been waiting for this moment for such a long time. What the ”girls“ achieved is fantastic. It is a historic achievement – the first time Côte d’Ivoire has reached the World Cup. We have to thank the ­federation, who believed in us and in the team, but also the Ivorians for their prayers.” Å African Football Media

Issouf Sanogo / AFP

The team is the star Unlike Af ric a’s t wo ot her Wor ld Cup represent atives, C ameroon and Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire are a side without any real st ar players, their achievements having been b u i l t o n t e a m e f f o r t r a t h e r t h a n i n d i v i d u a l s k i l l . A p e rfect example of the resilience shown by the entire team w a s i n t h e t h i r d p l a c e p l a y - o f f, w h e n L e s E l e p h a n t e s withstood a barrage of South African at tacks only to snatch victor y with a goal f ive minutes from time.

T h e m a j o r i t y o f C l e m e n t i n e Tr a o r e ’ s s q u a d p l a y t h e i r c l u b f o o t b a l l i n t h e i r h o m e c o u n t r y, w i t h M o r o c c a n based Cecile Esmei Amari (WAC C asablanca) and Marie C l a i r e Y a s s i (C h a b a b A t l a s 5 K h é n i f r a ), a s w e l l a s E s t e l l e Marie Josée Nahi (Zvezda 2005 Perm) and Tia Vino Ines N’Rehy (ZFK Spar t ak Subotica) being the exceptions. The lat ter pair have played in the UEFA Champions League this season with some success, Nahi scoring four goals

as her Russian club Zvesda Perm qualif ied for the sec ond round with a 5 -2 victor y against Stjarnan, while N’Rehy scored a ten-minute hat-trick for Spar t ak Subotica as the Serbian club won their qualif ying match a g a i n s t M o l d o v a n c l u b G o l i a d o r C h i s i n a u 19 - 0 . tfw

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GENER AL INFORMATION Country: Cuba FIFA Trigramme: CUB Continent: North America Capital: Havana

GEOGR APHIC INFORMATION

Pioneer of diversity Perikles Monioudis

Mario Wagner/2Agenten

F

ootball has been described as “the most important pastime in the world”, but it is so much more than a mere pastime these days. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the sport’s power to bring people from crisis-torn regions together.

The Handshake for Peace, a gesture that symbolises friendship and respect, calls for all the players involved in a match to observe universal human values. Thus the message of the Handshake for Peace – a joint initiative of the Oslo-based Nobel Peace Center and FIFA – is transported from the pitch into the stands, and from the stadium out into the world.

On the subject of the stands, FIFA is set to publish its Good Practice Guide on Diversity and Anti-Discrimination in June.

This will provide the 209 member associations with a general concept and practical tool in their efforts to combat discrimination in the sport. A new monitoring system will see specially trained match observers reporting on games that have been identified as high risk.

The Good Practice Guide has been developed on the recommendation of FIFA’s Task Force Against Racism and Discrimination, chaired by FIFA Vice-President Jeffrey Webb. The Task Force was established on the basis of a resolution approved at the 63rd FIFA Congress in 2013. FIFA’s very first resolution to combat discrimination was taken

53 years earlier, in 1960, in a bid to counter the policies of South Africa’s apartheid regime.

Tackling racism and discrimination takes time. There is no magic wand that can be waved: instead a complex approach involving both sanctions and education must be used to eliminate such practices. FIFA’s concept is based on five key elements: regulations, controls and sanctions, communication, education, and networking and cooperation.

Simple solutions just don’t work when it comes to dealing with this type of problem.

The Good Practice Guide, however, is bound to prove effective, with “the most important pastime in the world” once again taking on a pioneering role in society. Å

Surface area: 109,884 km² Highest point: Pico Turquino 1,974m Neighbouring seas and oceans: Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea

MEN’S FOOTBALL FIFA Ranking: 109th World Cup: 1 Appearance 1938 Best performance: Quarter-finals

WOMEN’S FOOTBALL FIFA Ranking: 96th World Cup: no appearances

L ATES T RESULTS Men’s: Jamaica - Cuba 3:0 30 March 2015 Women’s: Haiti - Cuba 1:0 3 June 2014

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C O U N T D OW N T O C A N A D A 2015: 10 D AY S T O G O

“Football is full of surprises” Although Brazil are among the favourites to clinch the title at this summer’s ­Women’s World Cup in Canada, for coach Vadao the tournament serves one primary purpose – to prepare his team for the 2016 Olympic Games.

E

Intensive preparations The challenge of tackling both the Women’s World Cup 2015 and the Women’s Olympic 30

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Football Tournament 2016, not to mention this July’s Pan American Games in Toronto, forced the Brazilian Football Association (CBF) to take exceptional measures to ensure A Seleção are up to the task. “Our domestic championships aren’t competitive enough,” explained Vadão, “So we decided that the only way to achieve peak levels in terms of fitness, tactics and ­intensity would be by training all together.”

Therefore, since the start of this year, Vadão has been working with a ‘permanent’ squad of players based at the Spa Sport Resort in Itu, with only those under contract at clubs abroad, such as Marta and Bias, excused from attending. “It’s a situation which can be somewhat wearing and tiring, but we’re handling it

well thanks to a great deal of planning. The majority of the players are from Sao Paulo state, where we’re based, so they’re able to see their families during rest periods.”

A lack of competitiveness and solid infrastructure in Brazilian women’s football is just one of the obstacles in the path of a man who has been in charge of Corinthians, Sao Paulo, Bahia, Atletico Paranaense, Ponte Preta and Guarani, amongst others. “At first my main dilemma was a shortage of time. When I took the squad to the Copa America chasing qualification for the World Cup and the Pan American Games, it was only the second time I’d worked with the group. Fortunately everything went well and we were crowned champions,” said Vadão.

Rafael Ribeiro / CBF

“

very Brazilian coach dreams of being in charge of the national side, and I got that call,” enthused Oswaldo Fumeiro Alvarez, clearly revelling in holding the reins of Brazil’s senior women’s squad. “At a point in my career when I’d managed to build up a lot of experience, this role gave me a shot at a different kind of challenge. It has forced me to study, learn and work harder. It’s a great opportunity, both personally and professionally.”

The strategist better known in footballing circles as Vadão, who made the switch to the women’s discipline on the back of a 20-year ­career in the men’s game, has just celebrated his first anniversary at the helm of A Seleção. “Overall it’s gone very well,” said the supremo. “The team’s made a lot of progress and we’re expecting to be very well-prepared come the World Cup.” Indeed, the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™ is the next major challenge on the horizon for the China PR 2007 runners-up, ­ though the 58-year-old also has one eye on a ­certain other event next year: “For us, the 2016 Olympic Games are our primary objective. As we’ll be the host nation, there are huge expectations in Brazil surrounding all of those aiming to compete at the Games.”

Up for the World Cup Brazil will be seeking to lift the trophy into the air in Canada, as well as their coach Vadao.

10 DAYS TO GO

“Another challenge was learning more about the major powers in women’s football, so having the opportunity to go and take part in the Algarve Cup and see them first-hand was a big help. What impressed me most [about the top teams] is how tactically disciplined they are.

Women players are very strong in that regard.”

Marta the linchpin And speaking of tactical discipline, what kind of approach has he instilled in his Canarinha charges? “The main characteristic of Brazil’s play is our touch. We’ve got two very settled ways of playing: 4-4-2, with two banks of four, and 4-3-3, with three forwards. In any case, at the World Cup we’ll have to face up to very

diverse styles of football, and in our recent friendly games we’ve learned that we have to able to vary things, to change our play, whether that means using the full width of the pitch or going more direct – it all depends on what the opposition are doing,” explained Vadão, famed for giving a young Kaka his debut at Sao Paulo back in 2001.

In addition to the strides made in terms of tactical versatility, Brazil, who have yet to miss an edition of the Women’s World Cup, can also count on the talents of a Marta at the peak of her powers. “She is the standard bearer for women’s football, worldwide,” said Vadão, on his stellar No10. “She’s consistent, is always available for the team and always in good

­ hysical condition. She doesn’t rely on her p name or her reputation to benefit herself, ­instead she plays for the good of the team as a whole. As well as being an extraordinary player, her character is exceptional.”

With the likes of Cristiane and Formiga also continuing to add the weight of their vast experience to the Auriverde cause, the inclusion of up-and-coming performers such as A ndresinha can only help the balance and ­ strength in depth of a squad aiming high at Canada 2015. “I think that the favourites to win this World Cup are those teams near the top of the FIFA Ranking and yes, I include Brazil in that list,” he continued.

“That’s what we’re working towards and I’m pretty confident we’ll go into the competition in good shape. But at a World Cup, as well as being well-prepared, you need to get the luck of the draw. Often you can end up getting knocked out because you find yourself up against a ­major power early on.”

Yet to even reach the knockout phase, ­Brazil will have to negotiate a Group E also ­containing Spain, Korea Republic and Costa Rica. “I think that, on paper, Spain will be our main rivals, because they’re a team that play one-touch football and put you under pressure,” concluded Vadão, before taking his leave.

“That said, football can surprise you …” Å Tamara Castro T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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MIRROR IMAGE

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London, England

1967

imago

Players from the Soviet Union brush the mud from their boots after a training session.

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MIRROR IMAGE

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Manchester, England

2014

imago

Trainees from Manchester City’s youth academy hose down their footwear.

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FIFA PARTNER

BEST OF NETZER

“Africa has produced some outstanding players” Since the first issue of The FIFA Weekly, Gunter Netzer has been writing on this page about the latest issues in world football.

Here is a selection of memorable quotes from his column.

“A co ac h’ s re pu ta ti on as a pl ay er ca n he lp be gi nn in g bu t he at th e ca n’ t li ve of f it fo r lo ng , es pe ci al ly as it lo se s al l va lid it y on ce th e si de go th ro ug h a ro ug h p at ch .”

p la y e rs “M a g n if ic e n t o v e r a n d A fr ic a e m e rg e fr o m in g th e b e s t ak o v e r a g a in , m o rl d – a n d ew le a g u e s in th – e v e n b e tt e r e n e ra l fo o tb a ll in g a th le ti c is m w it h th e ir a n d s k il l.”

ant changes “A n y s ig n if ic n s id e re d a t s h o u ld b e c o ass a s th e b a c k -p h c u s , th g n le h is e d in 19 9 2 . T ru le in tr o d u c e n io u s w a s a n in g ” a d ju s tm e n t.

al lvoet b “ To t a l t b a l l ’ ) , a s eir l foo (’ t o t a h t er med t h t in tc on t he Du ppr o ac h, c eir th ga pl ay in o in f luenc e ” u e s t b a l l t o d a y. foot

“ Tr a d i t i o cher ish ns are t o be ed – bu tf player q uo t a s in or eign foot ba are now a t h i n g ll of t he p a s t .”

Star of the 70s Germany’s Gunter Netzer wearing Borussia Monchengladbach’s colours.

imago

“Baseball and American football are obviously exciting sports, but they are tailor-made for a US audience. The way a sport is set up reflects a nation’s sporting mentality. We Europeans appreciate the simplicity of a game: 22 players, two goals, one ball and 90 minutes in which to get the ball into the back of the net as often as possible.”

“Football fans need heroes, figures they can identify with.

My hero is Lionel Messi.

He’s the best player of the current era and a charming man away from the field.”

e “O ve r th e de ca de s th ha ts ve Re al M ad rid pr es id en on e al w ay s m an ag ed to do r th in g: en te rt ai n th ei de m an di ng fa ns .”

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TURNING POINT

“Now the answer will be out on the pitch” For Bibiana Steinhaus, the next game is always the most important one. It is with this attitude that the German referee is preparing for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™.

Sophie Stieger / 13 Photo

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ootball was always a part of my life. I played myself – not with that much success I’ll admit – and my father was a referee. The sport was always there, and it was clear to me that I wanted to stay involved in football in some way. I had to find something to do, and so I became a referee. Somehow it just felt like the logical thing to do.

It’s very important to me that I’m at peace with myself. I can’t measure my decisions on what other people make of them. Basically I had to find a yardstick for myself, because it’s about having a good barometer for making decisions. You’ll always make mistakes. Mine gnaw at me, hurt me and affect for me for a long, long time. But you learn from mistakes and you improve. We had the fitness test for World Cup referees and I travelled to Zurich full of excitement. Finally I’d get to see the rest of my refereeing family again.

We have a really important period in front of us, this huge tournament, the World Cup in Canada. For the first time, 24 teams are taking part and the media interest is massive. We’re as well prepared as we’ve ever been, and in every facet of the job: technically, physically, mentally and medically. We’ve worked hard as a collective to get to this tournament and this moment will really move me.

I keep thinking to myself, “What’s it going to be like?” We’ve studied and trained together, and now the answer will be out on the pitch.

I love what I do. And I love this family of referees. We’re making this journey together, and we succeed and suffer together. I wish for every one of my colleagues that they have

great games, and they wish the same for me.

I’ve given my best performances, and the fact that they now allow me to travel to Canada makes me proud and is another turning point in my career.

I can still remember the 2011 tournament in Germany. I was chosen to officiate the final, which was very unexpected. Everyone had predicted that Germany would reach the final, and then of course I’d never have been considered. It was an unbelievable experience. Was it my favourite game? That’s hard to say. Every game is special and the next game is always the most important one. And every game has earned the right to have the best possible referee. It’s with that thought that I’ll be heading to Canada. Å Adapted by Sarah Steiner

Name Bibiana Steinhaus Date and place of birth 24 March 1979, Bad Lauterberg im Harz, Germany Profession Policewoman Finals officiated Women’s German Cup Final 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final™ 2011 Women’s Olympic Final 2012 Awards German Women’s Referee of the Year 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011; IFFHS Women’s Referee of the Year 2013 and 2014

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

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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MEN’S WORLD R ANKING

Germany (unchanged) none none 3 no team with more than one match Russia (up 47 points) Suriname (up 14 ranks) Montenegro (down 34 points) Mauritania (down 9 ranks)

Leader Moves into top ten Moves out of top ten Matches played in total Most matches played Biggest move by points Biggest move by ranks Biggest drop by points Biggest drop by ranks Rank Team

+/- Points

Rank Team

+/- Points

Last updated: 7 May 2015 Rank Team

+/- Points

Rank Team

+/- Points

1 Germany

0 1687

55 Gabon

0

583

109 Cuba

0

298

163 Guyana

-8

128

2 Argentina

0 1494

56 Mali

0

578

110 St Vincent and the Grenadines

6

291

163 Bhutan

0

128

3 Belgium

0 1457

57 Albania

0

575

111 Sudan

-1

288

165 Dominica

12

121

4 Colombia

0 1412

57 Korea Republic

0

575

112 Libya

-1

281

166 Malaysia

-2

120

5 Brazil

0 1372

59 South Africa

1

553

112 St Kitts and Nevis

-1

281

167 Puerto Rico

-1

119

6 Netherlands

0 1301

60 Zambia

-1

552

114 Namibia

-1

279

168 Yemen

2

117

7 Portugal

0 1221

61 Equatorial Guinea

0

549

115 Canada

-1

277

169 Hong Kong

-2

116

8 Uruguay

0 1176

62 Republic of Ireland

0

546

116 Azerbaijan

-1

264

169 Bangladesh

-2

116

9 Switzerland

0 1135

63 Peru

1

532

117 Kenya

0

258

171 Grenada

-6

113

10 Spain

0 1132

64 Australia

-1

531

118 Dominican Republic

0

257

172 Montserrat

-1

107

11 France

0 1127

65 Trinidad and Tobago

0

519

119 Niger

0

252

173 Pakistan

-1

106

12 Romania

0 1086

66 Burkina Faso

0

517

120 Moldova

1

245

174 US Virgin Islands

-1

104

13 Italy

0 1085

67 Bulgaria

0

505

121 Lesotho

1

242

175 New Caledonia

-1

101

14 England

0 1030

68 United Arab Emirates

0

501

122 Burundi

1

237

176 Guam

-1

97

15 Costa Rica

0 1016

69 Venezuela

0

495

123 Zimbabwe

0

235

176 Swaziland

-1

97

16 Chile

0 1002

70 Norway

0

491

124 Vietnam

1

229

178 Laos

0

88

17 Croatia

0

977

71 Uganda

1

485

125 Syria

1

225

179 Cambodia

0

86

18 Czech Republic

1

923

72 Uzbekistan

1

476

126 Kuwait

1

224

179 Chinese Taipei

0

86 70

19 Slovakia

1

920

73 Rwanda

1

474

127 Liechtenstein

1

219

181 Nepal

0

20 Algeria

1

917

74 Jamaica

1

466

128 Bermuda

1

217

182 Brunei Darussalam

1

69

21 Wales

1

916

75 Montenegro

-5

457

129 Mauritania

-9

216

183 Turks and Caicos Islands

1

66

22 Mexico

-4

908

76 Honduras

0

453

130 Barbados

0

215

183 Macau

1

66

23 Côte d’Ivoire

0

907

77 Armenia

0

449

131 St Lucia

5

214

185 Tahiti

1

65

24 Greece

0

900

78 Finland

0

446

132 Guinea-Bissau

-1

212

185 Mauritius

-4

65

25 Austria

0

891

79 Haiti

0

442

132 Liberia

-1

212

185 Comoros

1

65

26 Ghana

0

833

80 Togo

0

435

134 Kazakhstan

-1

210

188 Sri Lanka

-2

64 60

27 Russia

5

828

81 Paraguay

0

415

135 Afghanistan

0

208

189 Seychelles

0

28 USA

-1

825

82 China PR

0

408

136 Aruba

-2

204

190 São Tomé e Príncipe

0

58

29 Denmark

-1

808

83 Belarus

0

397

137 Philippines

2

200

191 Cayman Islands

0

48

30 Scotland

-1

796

84 El Salvador

0

388

137 Luxembourg

0

200

192 Solomon Islands

0

46

31 Tunisia

-1

793

85 Latvia

0

387

139 Georgia

-1

197

193 South Sudan

0

43

32 Bosnia and Herzegovina

-1

783

86 Mozambique

0

383

140 Maldives

1

191

194 San Marino

0

40

33 Ukraine

0

772

86 Iraq

0

383

141 Palestine

-1

190

195 Vanuatu

0

34

34 Ecuador

0

762

88 Sierra Leone

0

382

142 Thailand

0

183

196 Fiji

0

30

35 Poland

0

753

89 Angola

0

381

143 Tajikistan

0

173

196 Samoa

0

30

36 Senegal

0

752

90 Morocco

1

371

144 Central African Republic

0

163

198 Bahamas

0

26

37 Cape Verde Islands

0

737

90 Guatemala

0

371

144 Lebanon

0

163

198 British Virgin Islands

0

26

38 Iceland

0

728

92 Bolivia

0

360

144 New Zealand

0

163

200 Mongolia

0

19

39 Sweden

0

704

93 Estonia

0

358

147 India

0

161

201 Tonga

0

17

40 Iran

0

689

94 Benin

0

357

148 Curaçao

0

159

202 Papua New Guinea

0

13

41 Guinea

0

678

95 Saudi Arabia

0

349

149 Malta

0

158

203 American Samoa

0

12 8

42 Northern Ireland

0

672

96 Cyprus

0

342

150 Madagascar

0

156

204 Andorra

0

43 Hungary

0

665

97 Oman

0

341

151 Timor-Leste

1

151

204 Eritrea

0

8

44 Serbia

0

664

97 Malawi

0

341

152 Chad

-1

150

206 Somalia

0

6

99 Qatar

45 Nigeria

0

659

0

337

153 Kyrgyzstan

0

148

207 Djibouti

0

4

46 Israel

0

649

100 Lithuania

0

333

154 Nicaragua

0

142

207 Cook Islands

0

4

47 Slovenia

0

648

101 Ethiopia

0

321

155 Suriname

14

141

209 Anguilla

0

2

48 Cameroon

0

627

102 Faroe Islands

0

318

156 Korea DPR

1

139

49 Congo

0

624

103 Jordan

0

316

157 Gambia

-1

138

50 Japan

0

614

104 Botswana

0

314

158 Myanmar

0

133

51 Egypt

0

612

105 FYR Macedonia

0

312

159 Turkmenistan

0

131

52 Turkey

0

603

106 Antigua and Barbuda

0

311

159 Indonesia

0

131

53 Panama

0

587

107 Tanzania

0

304

159 Belize

0

131

54 Congo DR

0

584

108 Bahrain

0

299

162 Singapore

0

130

38

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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

PUZZLE

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

President Joseph S. Blatter

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8

4

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Chief Editor Perikles Monioudis

Art Direction Catharina Clajus

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2

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5

9

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Production Hans-Peter Frei

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Project Management Bernd Fisa, Christian Schaub

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

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Editorial Assistants Alissa Rosskopf

Reproduction of photos or articles in whole or in part is only permitted with prior editorial approval and if attributed “The FIFA Weekly, © FIFA 2015”. The editor and staff are not obliged to publish unsolicited manuscripts and photos.

FIFA and the FIFA logo are registered trademarks of FIFA. Made and printed in Switzerland.

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5 7

Contributors to this Issue Tamara Castro, Christiane Ludena, Franco Nicolussi

Internet www.fifa.com/theweekly

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MEDIUM

Contributors Ronald Dueker, Luigi Garlando, Sven Goldmann, Andreas Jaros, Jordi Punti, Thomas Renggli, David Winner, Roland Zorn

Contact feedback-theweekly@fifa.org

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Proof Reader Nena Morf (Lead), Martin Beran, Kristina Rotach

Printer Zofinger Tagblatt AG

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Staff Writers Alan Schweingruber (Deputy Editor), Sarah Steiner

Translation www.sportstranslations.com

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Director of Communications and Public Affairs Walter De Gregorio

Layout Richie Kroenert (Lead), Tobias Benz, Susanne Egli

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Secretary General Jérôme Valcke

Picture Editor Peggy Knotz, Andres Wilhelm (Deputy)

1

EASY

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HARD

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1 1

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T H E F I FA W E E K LY

Puzzles courtesy: opensky.ca/sudoku

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

The objective of Sudoku is to fill a 9x9 grid with digits so that each of the numbers from 1 to 9 appears exactly once in each column, row and 3x3 sub-grid.

39

FOOTBALL FOR HOPE

Football for Hope is our global commitment to building a better future through football. To date, we have supported over 550 socially-responsible community projects that use football as a tool for social development, improving the lives and prospects of young people and their surrounding communities

To ďŹ nd out more, visit the Sustainability section on FIFA.com.