The FIFA Weekly Issue #33 by Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)

ISSUE 33, 6 JUNE 2014

ENGLISH EDITION

Fédération Internationale de Football Association – Since 1904

Bosnia and Herzegovina at the World Cup

ALREADY WINNERS

IRAN DANIEL DAVARI’S NEW IDENTITY WORLD CUP REFEREES PERSONAL PERSPECTIVES BLATTER BRAZIL IS READY W W W.FIFA.COM/ THEWEEKLY

CONTENTS

6 18

“Neymar is the key to success” Junior was part of the great Brazil team of the 1980s. In an interview, the 60-year-old expresses his love for Flamengo and rates A Seleção’s chances of lifting the Trophy.

Sepp Blatter: Brazil is ready The FIFA President explains why the 2014 World Cup could be the best tournament ever held: “We will experience an incredible festival of football – thanks to Brazil, with Brazil and for Brazil.”

North and Central America 35 members www.concacaf.com

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Nothing is impossible With just six days until the Opening Ceremony, Bosnia and Herzegovina has sent a team to the World Cup for the first time in its young history. The country remains devastated by a war that took place 20 years ago. Reporter Doris Ladstaetter met the team in Sarajevo to discover why Bosnia’s new breed of players are bringing fresh hope to the nation.

South America 10 members www.conmebol.com

Portugal Despite a thigh strain, Cristiano Ronaldo is keen to be ready for his country’s opening World Cup match against Germany on 16 June.

F atboy Slim’s love of football The British musician’s passion for the World Cup has led him to release a double album to celebrate this summer’s tournament and is travelling out to Brazil to play nine live shows.

22 World Cup debutants The photo montage on our cover page shows Asmir Begovic, Edin Dzeko and Zvjezdan Misimovic. All the images were shot at the team’s hotel base in Sarajevo. Salvatore Vinci / 13 Photo

Kick-off Before the tournament begins, we asked ten World Cup referees to share their anecdotes and personal reflections.

World Cup 2014: Groups A-C Group A

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T H E F I FA W E E K LY

Group B

Group C

Brazil

Spain

Colombia

Croatia

Netherlands

Greece

Mexico

Chile

Côte d’Ivoire

Cameroon

Australia

Japan

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

Daniel Davari Iran’s goalkeeper is in the midst of a rollercoaster ride, setting off for his first World Cup just weeks after being relegated with Eintracht Braunschweig.

Ghana In this week’s Turning Point, Opoku Nti explains how a goal in the final of the African Champions League changed his life.

World Cup 2014: Groups D-H

imago (3), Adrian Bretscher

Group D

Group E

Group F

Group G

Group H

Uruguay

Switzerland

Argentina

Germany

Belgium

Costa Rica

Ecuador

Bosnia-Herzegovina

Por tugal

Algeria

England

France

Iran

Ghana

Russia

Italy

Honduras

Nigeria

USA

Korea Republic

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

EVERY GASP EVERY SCREAM EVERY ROAR EVERY DIVE EVERY BALL E V E RY PAS S EVERY CHANCE EVERY STRIKE E V E R Y B E AU T I F U L D E TA I L SHALL BE SEEN SHALL BE HEARD S H A L L B E FE LT

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A life in canary yellow Behind the wheel in Sao Paulo.

“A Copa das Copas” T

Nacho Doce / Reuters

he World Cup begins in less than a week, and the new world champions will lay hands on the famous trophy on 13 July. But the tournament has already produced a winner, the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team. The best players from a relatively diminutive association have beaten the odds and qualified for the finals, an achievement that has allowed the nation’s different ethnic groups to share a common passion and fever for the World Cup. The FIFA Weekly contributor Doris Ladstaetter met Edin Dzeko, Asmir Begovic, Zvjezdan Misimovic and the team in Sarajevo.

aniel Davari was born and grew up in Germany. He made a name for himself as a Bundesliga goalkeeper, but is now a member of the Iranian World Cup squad. How did that come about? And what does the 25-year-old think of his team’s prospects in Brazil? Roland Zorn asked Davari in person.

aking part in a World Cup is the stuff of dreams, and not only for the players. A dream has come true for the 25 referees appointed to this summer’s tournament. Prior to their departure for Brazil, we teased a few personal thoughts out of the top match officials.

n his weekly column, FIFA President Blatter expresses his desire for sport to come to the fore over the next four weeks in Brazil. Nowhere is football as big a part of everyday culture as in the host nation, he observes, “and if this positive energy is released we will experience the best World Cup in history: A Copa das Copas.” Å Perikles Monioudis

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BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Asmir Begovic

Goalkeeper, 26

Nothing is impossible How Bosnia and Herzegovina triumphed even before setting foot in Brazil.

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BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Miralem Pjanic Midfielder, 24

Senad Lulic

Midfielder, 28

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BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Doris Ladstaetter (text) and Salvatore Vinci (images), Sarajevo

A Edin Dzeko

Striker, 28

smir Begovic is ready. When superstar Lionel Messi steams into the Bosnia and Herzegovina penalty box at the Estadio de Maracana in Rio de Janeiro on 16 June, Asmir will defend the goal of his still wounded homeland with every millimetre of his 6'4 frame. The 26-year-old has a good chance of winning any one-on-ones with Messi, having established himself as one of the most formidable goalkeepers in the Premier League during his five years with Stoke City. It is now only a matter of time before Begovic is given a chance with one of the league’s biggest clubs. This summer’s tournament marks Bosnia and Herzegovina’s first World Cup appearance, 22 years after the nation’s birth. Memories of the war that led to the country’s declaration of independence in 1992 haunt its people to this day. The ethnic and religious boundaries drawn up after the end of the war in 1996 still prevent many from making a fresh start. The country also faces economic problems; in May, heavy rainfall caused widespread floods across Bosnia and Herzegovina, robbing a quarter of the population of their harvest and source of income this year. For a year now, the people have at least been able to dream about one thing – the World Cup. And they are right to dream: never before has Bosnia and Herzegovina had such a world-class group of players at its disposal. Asmir Begovic tends goal authoritatively, while Miralem Pjanic masterminds the midfield having spent the past three years as one of Roma’s most important players. Meanwhile, Lazio’s Senad Lulic provides pace, with Zvjezdan Misimovic bringing years of experience after spending his formative years with Bayern Munich and Galatasaray before moving to current club Guizhou Renhe. Spearheading the attack is Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko, who led Bosnia and Herzegovina to the World Cup finals almost singlehandedly before firing his club to the Premier League title last month.

From refugee to football star Asmir Begovic has never lived in Bosnia and Herzegovina as an adult, but has spent his life speaking the language with his parents. He has always felt Bosnian while at the same time both Canadian and German too. The Stoke keeper was born in 1987 in Trebinje, a town of 30,000 inhabitants in the south-west corner of what is now Bosnia and Herzegovina, near 8

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BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Xinhua / imago, Infografik: Mirijam Ziegler

the border with Montenegro. At the time Begovic was born, it was one city among many in the ethnically diverse country of Yugoslavia, predominantly home to orthodox Serbs but also Bosniaks and Croatian Catholics. His father was the goalkeeper for local side FK Leotar Trebinje. Suddenly, this quiet place was thrown into disarray. Yugoslavia disintegrated, Croatia became an independent country and Bosnia and Herzegovina descended into chaos. Four years of terrible war followed. The Bosniaks were driven from Trebinje, and were replaced by many orthodox Serbs who had fled from other parts of the country. What entered the history books as ethnic cleansing changed the path of young Asmir’s life forever. His parents decided to flee a world gone mad to seek out a new life in a foreign country whose language they did not speak and whose customs they did not know. Asmir Begovic was four when he became a refugee for the first time, and lived in Germany for the next five years. But when he turned ten, his life began again for the third time, moving to Canada to face another new language, new school and new friends. How does a child deal with a life filled with so much uncertainty? “It helped that we fled when I was just a child,” Begovic explains, “as at that age you don’t think about the fact that our accommodation was too small or worry about your existence. As a kid, you just go outside and kick a ball about whenever things get too much for you. You make friends on the football pitch, and that enables you to learn a new language. That was my anchor. It was all much tougher for my parents.” Asmir Begovic is sitting at Sarajevo’s Hotel Austria, where the Bosnia and Herzegovina team are preparing for the World Cup. It can hardly be described as a retreat; people are con-

CROATIA

BRCKO

Banja Luka REPUBLIC SRPSKA

Tuzla

SERBIA

Zenica Srebrenica FEDERATION OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA Mostar

Sarajevo Gorazde

MONTENEGRO Trebinje

The Dayton Accords put an end to the Bosnian War in 1995, but also cemented and ratified the country’s ethnic division. Even now, Bosnian territory is split into a Bosnian-Serb republic and a Moslem-Croat federation. The Bosnia and Herzegovina Football Association (NFSBIH) was founded in 1992 and became a member of FIFA in 1996. The national team generally play their home games at the 18,000 capacity Bilino Polje Stadium in Zenica. The ground was renovated in 2013 and is preferred by Bosnia and Herzegovina fans to the 37,500-capacity Asim Ferhatovic Hase Stadium in Sarajevo, venue for the opening ceremony of the 1984 Winter Olympics. Many fans feel the running track at the bigger stadium and the corresponding distance between the crowd and the players detracts from the atmosphere at football matches.

27 May 2014 Off to the World Cup: The Bosnia and Herzegovina team at Sarajevo airport.

tinually coming and going, and fans, family members and the police await the team on the other side of a barrier. Having now become accustomed to winning, all of Bosnia and Herzegovina is hoping for further success at this summer’s tournament. The fans’ minimum expectation is that their team will reach the last 16 of the World Cup, proving that they are as ambitious as they are optimistic. The players are aware of this pressure; after all, they were the ones who raised the bar this high. The team navigated qualifying almost flawlessly and were greeted by jubilant crowds upon returning to Sarajevo from their final qualifier against Lithuania, despite arriving back in the capital after midnight. “Bosnian fans are something very special,” says Miralem Pjanic. “They have spurred us on to victory in matches we no longer believed we could win. That’s when I realised what we mean to the fans – and what they mean to us.” Pjanic is fiddling with the zip on the dark blue shorts provided by the team’s German clothing sponsor, part of a collection the players have been seen proudly promoting on billboards across Sarajevo for several weeks now. The images are a ray of sunshine for the people who pass on the streets below, some of whom are missing an arm or a leg – a constant reminder of their endurance through the country's turbulent past. The man who united Bosnia and Herzegovinan football Miralem Pjanic was one of the lucky ones. He had the good fortune to have a father who played professional football and was offered a job in Luxembourg with FC Monnerich almost as soon as war broke out. Pjanic became a citizen of Luxembourg and thrived in this small country, playing football alongside 16-yearolds by the time he was 13. As a fan, he travelled by bus from Luxembourg to Bosnia and Herzegovina to watch international games. At the age of 17, Miralem was given a professional contract in France. There, his skills as a playmaker with a brilliant touch attracted the attention of the French national side, but he opted to play for Bosnia and Herzegovina instead. “In the first few years, there were constant problems,” Pjanic explains. “At times the association wouldn’t support its players, while at other times they would. Now these problems are largely behind us, and that’s all thanks to Ivica Osim. He has done an incredible amount for this team.” Ivica Osim is the conscience of Bosnia and Herzegovinan football. Despite being 73, the former Yugoslavia coach – who, along with his team, was excluded from the 1992 European Championship shortly before the start of the competition due to the outbreak of war – has not been worn down by his efforts to unite his country's footballing community. Osim was the man T H E F I FA W E E K LY

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

of the hour when relations between players and the Bosnia and Herzegovina Football Association reached crisis point in 2008, and again in April 2011 when FIFA and UEFA temporarily suspended the Bosnia and Herzegovina FA after its general assembly failed to reach a majority to amend its statutes as decreed by the world and European governing bodies. Osim brought Bosnian Croats, Bosnian Serbs and Bosnian Muslims around the same table and got them to agree on a president selected by all the country’s population groups to replace the association’s previous three-member presidency. The resolution prompted FIFA and UEFA to lift their suspension. “Football can unite a country like Bosnia,” says Ivica Osim. “Our national team has helped us to take a big step towards overcoming ethnic and religious barriers. These players were brought up abroad, so they have different ideas about football and life, and that’s a good thing. They’re simply more professional than any players we’ve had in the team before.” Bringing joy back to Bosnia and Herzegovina Miralem Pjanic finally has his new shorts under control and grins broadly. Over the past three years, he has played his way into the heart of football fans in Rome, where he is as popular as local hero Francesco Totti. A few days before we meet at the team hotel in Sarajevo, he was photographed buying the entire stock of a local pharmacy to help victims of the country’s recent floods. Pjanic earns more than €2 million

“Football can unite a country like Bosnia.”

Ivica Osim

Zvjezdan Misimovic

Midfielder, 32

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a year at Roma, with three more years left on his contract, but despite this, he is not even the highest-earning player in the Bosnia and Herzegovina squad, as Edin Dzeko earns more than €8 million a year. That is a tremendous amount of money by Bosnian standards, so giving something back is the name of the game. “I’m still waiting a little longer until it’s easier to work out where help is really needed in the flood-hit areas,” says Miralem Pjanic. “There’s water everywhere. Aid is being sent in now, but

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Salvatore Vinci (2)

in six months time, everyone will have forgotten about these people again. That’s when they’ll need my support.” Other players in the squad are also involved with humanitarian causes. Goalkeeper Asmir Begovic founded his own aid organisation just a few months ago, with the aim of creating good training opportunities for children in Bosnia and Herzegovina and England. “I want to make sure that kids who need a distraction can find one in sport. It helped me an unbelievable amount,” he explains. Team captain Emir Spahic, a Bayer Leverkusen defender with Croatian roots, star striker Edin Dzeko, a Bosniak, and midfielder Zvjezdan Misimovic, a Bosnian Serb, were sent by the football association to visit Maglaj, a small town near the Serbian border that was badly affected by the floods. “The owner of our hotel came up to me and said jokingly ‘I know you,’ and ignored Dzeko. He actually knew who all of us were” Misimovic says, laughing. Jokes about ethnicity are part of life within the team too. “Sure, I laugh about it,” says the midfielder, “because I think we Bosnians should make the most of the fact that three different religions co-exist in Bosnia. I can’t understand why some people still have trouble tackling that.” Zvjezdan Misimovic was born in Munich, and part of his family still live in the Banja Luka area of Serbia. “Fans in Serbian areas ordinarily support the Serbian team, not us,” said the 32-year-old, “but these aren’t normal times, and that’s a good thing.” Edin Dzeko does not want to talk about the war. He is the team’s star, the man who scores the most goals and holds all of Bosnia and Herzegovina's goalscoring records – in short, an exceptional footballer. But unlike several of his teammates, Dzeko was never a refugee. He experienced the war first hand in the one place nobody wanted to be. For every one of the 1,425 days that the Bosnian-Serb army occupied his home city of Sarajevo, he was there. Edin’s mother, Belma, once recounted a story that gives an idea of the memories he still carries with him: “I worried every time Edin went out to play football, but I couldn’t stop him playing; he was only a kid. Once he begged to go out and play, but I said no. A few minutes later, a bomb landed on the playground. Many children died that day.” Help from overseas World Cup qualification and the floods are two exceptional events that have led Bosnians, whether Croats, Serbs or Bosniaks to come a little closer together and break down the ethnic barriers in people’s minds. After 25 years, neighbours finally helped neighbours once more as the heavy rainfall overwhelmed the houses and crops of one

Bubamara, school for football and life Everyone else was trying to flee Sarajevo, and he could have gone too, but Predrag Pasic chose to stay. Considered a major footballing talent in his day, Pasic played in the German Bundesliga and spent almost a decade with FK Sarajevo. Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, currently standing trial accused of war crimes, was his team's psychological coach in 1991. “He of all people preached a doctrine of team unity. I can only guess at what passed through his mind after that,” Pasic muses. During the war VfB Stuttgart offered to bring Pasic back to Germany. Instead, in the middle of the besieged city of Sarajevo, he opened a football academy for youths from every part of the city, different religions and ethnic backgrounds. “I wanted to show the kids who were growing up in wartime what a colourful city Sarajevo was before the war. I wanted to show them what's possible in life," Pasic says. In pursuit of his goal, he risked his life every day for almost four years. In the war years from 1992 to

1995, the Bubamara football academy was a school for life for many boys. Away from the academy their fathers had suddenly become enemies, and snipers shot at people who simply wanted to cross bridges or streets. But behind the walls of the school the youths played football, learned community and social skills, and were taught the irrelevance of ethnic boundaries. “In training, we could see which of the kids were worst traumatised. You move differently if you've lost someone you love," Pasic reflects. “Football can help a kid overcome a terrible shock. Daily training is a wonderful form of rehabilitation. I'd never have found that out if it wasn't for the war.” Nowadays, Pasic operates five academies in various parts of the country. Leading Italian club Inter partially funded Pasic’s projects for a long period, but after a change in ownership in Milan, membership fees are the only source of income for Pasic’s schools. Despite this, orphaned and destitute kids can still attend the academies free of charge. Å

Training for the dream It is too early to tell, but one of these boys might end up as the new Dzeko.

Uncertain future Predrag Pasic at daily training in Sarajevo

quarter of the population in mid-May. With each match Bosnia and Herzegovina fans attend across the world, it becomes less important as to whether the supporters stood alongside them are Croats, Serbs or Bosniaks. “It’s a sad fact, but it took a war and help from countries such as Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, the USA and Canada, who took in our refugees and made them better people,” mused Ivica Osim. “Without their help, we would never have managed to qualify for this World Cup.” Senad Lulic was already 12 years old when he moved to Switzerland with his parents and

sisters from a small village near Mostar. The family lived in a refugee home in the Swiss city of Bergen for a year. “The first thing we had to do was learn German,” says Lulic. He only began playing professional football at the age of 19 after training as a car mechanic. Since then, his rise has been meteoric: having spent the last two years with Lazio, he is expected to make the switch to Serie A champions Juventus this summer. “I was a late bloomer in football terms,” says the midfielder, “but if I had my chance again, I wouldn’t change a thing.” T H E F I FA W E E K LY

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Icon SMI / imago, Dado Ruvic / Reuters

In 2013, Lulic fired Lazio to victory in the Coppa Italia final against arch rivals Roma – team-mate Miralem Pjanic’s side. The match was a super-derby eagerly anticipated by both sets of fans across Rome for weeks in advance, and by sealing their win, Senad Lulic became a king to the Lazio fans. “They kissed my scoring foot in the middle of the street – that was awkward,” he explains with a laugh. The 28-year-old never experienced such outpourings of emotion with clubs in Switzerland, a country whose customs he seems most at ease with. “I had greater difficulties adapting to the Italian way of life when I arrived from Switzerland two years ago than I did when I arrived in Switzerland from Bosnia,” he explains. “When they say here that training will start at eight in the morning, everyone arrives at ten.” Even as he explains this, Lulic still seems astounded at how much time gets wasted this way. For Senad Lulic, home is Switzerland and the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina feels like it was an age ago. “I definitely remember it,” he says reflectively. “War is never pleasant for anyone, especially children. I’ve been able to forget many things, but occasionally things come to mind even now, and when they do I try not to think about them.” Despite this, Lulic only ever wanted to play international football for Bosnia and Herzegovina. “At some point, I realised that our game is much more than just football for people in Bosnia,” he explains. “I realised we could make people happy in the midst of a life that often isn’t easy.” Responsible for their homeland Asmir Begovic recognised his Bosnian identity when he came to Bosnia and Herzegovina three years ago for the funeral of a grandfather he had never met. “I met my relatives in Bosnia and could feel their pain for those years I never experienced. After that, I knew I wanted to play for Bosnia.” With that, he stands up. In just a few hours, the team is scheduled to fly across the Atlantic to a World Cup at which they will represent the dignity of a nation that has survived the most devastating conflict since the Second World War. But before he leaves, Begovic adds one more important sentiment in his Canadian-inflected English: “We’re not playing for money. We’re doing it because whenever we walk through the streets here, we feel our responsibility. Whenever I’m here, total strangers approach me and say: ‘Do it for the people’. That’s an incredible incentive.” It is not important how far Bosnia and Herzegovina progress in this summer’s World Cup in Brazil. What counts is that they will be there despite all the obstacles their country has overcome. The fact that these players are new role models for their young people is already a victory for their nation. Å

30 May 2014 On the scoresheet again: Dzeko scores again in Bosnia and Herzegovina's friendly with Côte d’Ivoire in St. Louis, Missouri

15 October 2013 Bosnia and Herzegovina qualify for the World Cup. Fans in Sarajevo finally have a reason to celebrate.

All 64 match summaries in sign language With FIFA.com, you’ll miss none of the individual skills, goals and roller-coaster emotions from the World Cup. Our comprehensive tournament coverage includes two-minute video summaries of all 64 matches for online viewing.

The official homepage will also offer an additional service for the hearing impaired: six hours after the final whistle, all match summaries will be available with sign language commentary. The signed videos will be produced by our in-house studios in Zurich. → http://www.fifa.com

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Bento’s soothing morsels Alan Schweingruber is a FIFA Weekly staff writer.

Paulo Bento is a calm character. Nothing causes him to lose his composure in a hurry. Even so, the Portugal coach’s consistently unruffled and patient demeanour at the present time is still remarkable. Confronted with the troubling case of superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, not exactly the easiest of characters at the best of times, he has managed to find some new snippet of wisdom in almost all his public utterances. “I have to take everything into account,” the 44-year-old said. “A World Cup with or without Ronaldo.” A day later, when he was again pinned down by reporters after a listless goalless draw in a friendly with Greece, all he said was: “We’ve not set a deadline for Ronaldo to resume training. He has to feel fit, and he’s also only human.” The World Player of the Year has been struggling with a painful pulled muscle in his thigh since winning the Champions League with Real Madrid, and his knee hurts too. When the Portuguese squad boarded their plane in Lisbon last Monday for a pre-tournament training camp in the USA until 11 June, the prognosis at the time was relatively reassuring: Ronaldo would sit out friendlies against Mexico and

Ireland, but would play in the World Cup opener against Germany on 16 June. “I believe I’ll be in peak condition by then,” the player himself pledged. A will-he, won’t-he debate now rages on Portuguese television every evening. It is all vaguely reminiscent of the build-up to the World Cup in 2002. Back then Portugal travelled to the tournament in Korea and Japan with their hopes resting on gifted but exhausted Madrid playmaker and Champions League winner Luis Figo. Expectations were high in the south European nation of ten million, but Portugal and their half-fit m idfield supremo failed to survive the group stage. At least the Portuguese will be spared an endless debate about line-ups at this edition of the tournament. The nation has long grown used to Bento’s innate conservatism. Since he took up the job three-and-a-half years ago, the regular formation has barely changed. Bento’s greatest success at the national helm came at the European Championship two years ago, where he led his team to the semi-finals and an unlucky penalty shout-out defeat to Spain. On arrival in the former colony of Brazil with its estimated Portuguese population of some six million, Bento will be looking to build on the summer of 2012. And every time he speaks, he has another comforting morsel to hand: “Portugal have travelled to a World Cup tournament with the best player in the world in the past but didn’t win the trophy. Why should we suddenly be favourites with Ronaldo?” Å

The star and the boss Cristiano Ronaldo hopes to recover fitness soon, while coach Paulo Bento calms the nation’s nerves.

Costa Rica’s last hope Striker Bryan Ruiz.

Costa Rica

What next without Saborio? Sven Goldmann is a leading football correspondent for the “Tagesspiegel” newspaper in Berlin.

As Costa Rica’s national team made their final preparations for their final training camp in Florida, team doctor Dr Alejandro Ramirez asked to speak with head coach Jorge Luis Pinto. During their discussion, Ramirez broke the bad news that Alvaro Saborio would have to miss the World Cup in Brazil. After closer inspection, the sharp pain the striker felt after a tackle in training turned out to be a broken fifth metatarsal in his right foot. “Although Alvaro does not need an operation, it will take four weeks for the injury to heal,” the team doctor confirmed. “As a result, he will not be fit in time for the World Cup.” Alvaro Saborio is not just any player – he is by far the most dangerous striker in Costa Rica. The 32-year-old, who plays for Major League Soccer side Real Salt Lake, scored eight of his team’s 27 goals in World Cup qualifying, more than any other player. “It’s definitely a big blow for the team,” coach Pinto explained. “Alvaro is not just an exceptional striker, he’s also one of the biggest personalities in the dressing room. It won’t be easy to replace him.”

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imago

Por tugal

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The problem is that Costa Rica are not particularly blessed with attacking players who can consistently score goals. Although the team’s defence, led by UD Levante’s talented goalkeeper Keylor Navas, is impressive, their attacking options are less satisfactory. The burden of scoring goals now falls squarely onto Bryan Ruiz. After failing to settle in the Premier League for Fulham, the right-winger was loaned out to PSV Eindhoven, where he scored five times in 14 matches during the second half of the season. Coach Pinto also has high hopes for Joel Campbell, an Arsenal player currently on loan to Olympiakos, where he scored in his side’s Champions League last-16 match against Manchester United. The Ticos played extremely well in the first half of their penultimate friendly against Japan in Tampa, going ahead through a goal from Ruiz, but failed to capitalise on their momentum and eventually lost the match 3-1. After one final match in Florida against the Republic of Ireland, the team will travel to their World Cup base in Santos to prepare for their first World Cup game against Uruguay in Fortaleza. Their other opponents in what is possibly the most challenging group at the 2014 World Cup are Italy and England. Interestingly, Italy coach Cesare Prandelli named Costa Rica as their toughest opponents. When asked why, Prandelli responded: “Because we know so little about them.” Å

Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images, Marco Zanoni

Slice, dice and cook to taste Swiss World Cup chef Emil Bolli prepares the team’s meals with meticulous care.

Although Costa Rica’s defence is impressive, their attacking options are less satisfactory.

Switzerland

The World Cup menu Thomas Renggli writes for

mins and mineral salt. He will also stick to one of his basic principles: “No meat just before a game, no fats that are difficult to digest and sugar intake needs to be kept moderate.”

The FIFA Weekly.

As tempting as it may be for teams to adopt a 'when in Rome' attitude to being in Brazil, eager as they are to sample the local culture and customs, on a culinary level at least that could lead to difficulties. Brazil’s national dish, Feijoada, consists of sausages, tongue, pig ears and a generous helping of beans, all of which hardly fit the dietary requirements of elite athletes. As such, the Swiss national team’s head chef, Emil Bolli, will not be experimenting with the menu in South America. “It’s vital to ensure the players’ digestion remains stable,” he said, and will instead focus on providing low-fat, carbohydrate-rich dishes containing plenty of vita-

The timing of meals is equally important. The Swiss team must eat exactly four hours prior to a match, with the menu depending on the kick-off time. If a game is scheduled to begin in the afternoon then the players will have a vegetable soup as a starter, a typical main course of pasta with a tomato or meat sauce and apple pie for dessert. Before an evening game, dried meat can be eaten as an appetizer, while Bolli serves lamb or chicken if the kick-off is later at night. The sheer size of Brazil - the world’s fifth largest country in terms of geographical landmass - poses a huge logistical headache to the World Cup chefs, with the tropical climate in Manaus in particular requiring special T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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measures to be taken. With 80 per cent humidity and temperatures in excess of 30 degrees centigrade expected, keeping food from spoiling will be a challenge in itself. Keen to leave nothing to chance, Bolli will touch down in Brazil with Swiss chocolate, milk drinks, spices, Bircher muesli, barley and his own pans in his luggage. His daughter Andrea will accompany him as sous chef and he will employ two local kitchen hands upon arrival in the country. Bolli has been responsible for feeding the Swiss national team for the last 18 years, despite the side being left to digest a 1-0 defeat away to Azerbaijan at the beginning of his tenure at the end of August 1996. That particular loss weighed heavy on the stomach, and national team coach Rolf Fringer was the one who would later feel the after effects most keenly. Å

Croatia

Gearing up for the “perfect match”

“We’ll do everything to ensure Neymar and Co only show what they can do in their second match.” Ivan Rakitic

aforementioned clubs from the Spanish capital, if mounting speculation is to be believed. Furthermore, Ivica Olic and Ivan Perisic were both inspirational in allowing Wolfsburg to dream of a Champions League place right to the end of the Bundesliga season. Veteran Olic enjoyed an Indian summer and stated that he felt “as good as I was during my time at Bayern Munich,” while Perisic exploded onto the scene in 2014, finally demonstrating why Wolfsburg were happy to pay Borussia Dortmund €8 million for his services the previous year. He scored in three consecutive league matches for the first time and attracted headlines on the final day of the season when he hit the woodwork three times - each post and the crossbar – with a single shot at goal.

Andreas Jaros is a freelance writer based in Vienna.

imago

The Croatian national team may have been a long way from their country’s borders, but at their pre-World Cup training camp in the Austrian spa town of Bad Tatzmannsdorf, situated 75 minutes from Vienna, they were made to feel right at home. Aware of Austria’s reputation as five-star training camp hosts, the town went all out in welcoming the third-place finishers at the 1998 World Cup: the governor of the province made an appearance, lines of flag-waving children adorned the streets, music filled the air and a cake was decorated with the words “Good luck for Brazil” drizzled on top. For a week Croatia’s every wish was catered for, including the use of a sauna that could be adapted to replicate the Brazilian climate.

The opening game against Brazil on 12 June in Sao Paulo cannot come soon enough for

Croatia. “It’s clear that we need to play a perfect match,” said Rakitic, although he refused to elaborate on what tactics the side would employ to achieve that. “I’m not going to tell The FIFA Weekly our game plan,” grinned the blonde, Swiss-born midfielder, sporting sparkling ear studs. “But I can promise you one thing: we’ll do everything we can to ensure that Neymar and Co only show what they can do in their second match.” The only sign of nerves at the camp appeared when the police were called to intervene with an alleged spy at one of the team’s training sessions. Croatia suspected that the individual, a German national, could have been sent by Cameroon’s German head coach Volker Finke with a view to gaining insight ahead of the teams’ meeting in their second group stage match. The whole botched episode even made the front page of Austria’s biggest tabloid newspaper. Å

Determined Croatia, pictured here at a pre-tournament camp in Austria, aim to upset Brazil on 12 June.

The players themselves also contributed to the buoyant atmosphere around town, as several of the team’s attacking contingent arrived off the back of successful seasons with their clubs. For instance, Real Madrid’s Luka Modric had a key role in orchestrating his side’s 4-0 away win at Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-finals, even if the wiry playmaker failed to shine in the title decider against Atletico Madrid. Ivan Rakitic captained Sevilla to Europa League glory, his displays catching the eye of both of the T H E F I FA W E E K LY

Name Leovegildo Lins da Gama Junior Date and place of birth 29 June 1954, Joao Pessoa (Brazil) Playing career Coaching career CR Flamengo, Corinthians Brazil national team 88 appearances, eight goals

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IPA Photo / Imago

CR Flamengo, Torino, Pescara

THE INTERVIEW

“I was born only ever to play for Flamengo” Leovegildo Lins da Gama Junior, better known simply as Junior, was a member of the Brazil dream team of the 1980s. The FIFA Weekly spoke to the 60-year-old about the love of his life, A Seleção’s prospects at this World Cup, and his singing career.

Let’s open with the $64,000 question: who’ll lift the World Cup on 13 July? There can only be one answer, and it’s Brazil!

Which other teams might stop that happening? In the wake of last year’s Confederations Cup triumph A Seleção are clearly prime candidates for the trophy, followed by Argentina, Germany and Spain.

A Seleção triumph would certainly have a positive influence on the national mood... Definitely. We’re all desperately hoping for the Hexa, the sixth world title. It’s close to the heart of the entire nation. Anyone who’s remotely interested in football really has a duty of sorts to wish A Seleção all the best.

You appeared in the 1982 and 1986 World Cup finals. The class of ’82 with Zico, Socrates and Falcao was widely considered a dream team, so why didn’t they win the trophy? The pivotal match was the 3–2 defeat to Italy in the second round. It was one of those episodes showing how unpredictable and fascinating football can be. Even now it’s hard to comprehend. We were wasteful in front of goal but still had gilt-edged chances, especially Oscar’s 89th-minute header. I remember it as if it were yesterday. However, it was Italy’s best performance of the tournament, and we were guilty of individual errors too: Cerezo’s wayward pass leading to Italy’s second goal, and my mistake when I stayed rooted to the goal line and played the Italians onside for their third.

With the benefit of hindsight the game plan you used back then looks horribly naive. Brazil poured forward in search of a goal even though the score was 2–2 and a draw would have been enough to go through. Knowing what we now know about tactics we’d still have played attacking football, but I guess we wouldn’t have tried man-marking the Italians in their own half.

You seem to have been dogged by misfortune at World Cup tournaments. You were knocked out by France on penalties in 1986… ’Unfortunate’ is the right word to describe that defeat. We played well and created some great chances, but yet again we were undone by a lack of ruthlessness. Zico even missed a 75th-minute penalty.

the playing record with 874 appearances. I had a hand in all the biggest triumphs, with four Brazilian league titles, six Rio regional championships and one Copa Libertadores success. There was also the biggest of the lot, the 1981 Intercontinental Cup victory over Liverpool.

Had it come, would you have accepted an offer from Fluminense?

What was the difference between that generation and the teams that went on to win the World Cup in 1994 and 2002?

No, never. I was born only ever to play for Flamengo in Brazil.

I think the decisive difference was individual class at key moments. The 1994 team had Romario and Bebeto, who rose above themselves and scored the goals that took the team to the Final. In 2002 that role fell to Rivaldo and especially Ronaldo with his two goals in the Final.

You were a beach soccer world champion, four times no less, and you always finished as top scorer. Are you a better player without boots?

Who could fire Brazil to the trophy this year? Neymar! He’s the key to success, even though he’s still only 21. But Pele was four years younger when he won it the first time.

You were nominally a defender but you always looked to get forward. Does a young Brazilian have to be forced to play as a defender? It does look as if attack is inborn for most Brazilians. But I can remember periods when there were good defenders and goalkeepers. Coaches nowadays place tactical limits on individual players’ freedom. Brazil aren’t as Brazilian as they used to be.

Pele named you in his list of the best 125 living players. What does that mean to you? For me personally it’s the greatest possible honour for a professional footballer.

You played for Torino and Pescara in Europe, but your name is inextricably linked with Flamengo. What does the club mean to you? Flamengo means everything to me. I spent almost 20 years of my life there, as a player, coach and technical director. It’s where I grew up, both as a player and a person. I still hold

My time spent playing beach soccer was obviously one of the best spells of my career. I learned the football basics on the beach, when I first started playing on Copacabana at the age of nine. Once beach soccer became established as a sport in its own right, I spotted an opportunity to help in bringing it on. I played from the age of 29 until I was 47, and with great enthusiasm too. I specially enjoyed travelling the whole world.

And you also had a crack at show business, as a singer. Your single “Voa Canarinho” prior to the1982 World Cup posted sales in excess of 800,000. Are there any more songs in the pipeline for your fans? “Voa Canarinho” was a nice opportunity for me to get into music. It was a catchy tune with a simple set of lyrics all about A Seleção. The song became more and more successful every time the national team played. Music remains one of my passions and I’m still singing, these days in a community project I organise in Rio de Janeiro. We charge for admission to our concerts, using the money to pay for food which we distribute to five different aid organisations. The project is called “Samba da Sopa”. Å Junior was talking to Thomas Renggli and Manuel Rieder

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First Love

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Obie Oberholzer/laif

Pl ace: P rov i nce Te te, Moza mbique Date: 8 September 2013 T i m e : 9. 4 3 a . m .

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C O U N T D O W N T O B R A Z I L 2 0 14 : 6 D A Y S T O G O

Men in Black Referees may only step into the limelight on rare occasions, but they are nonetheless a vital cog in ensuring a World Cup runs smoothly. But what lies behind the public facade of being a strict official?

Sarah Steiner and Giovanni Marti

he eyes of the world will be trained on the 32 teams jostling for supremacy at Brazil 2014 over the next few weeks. The eventual victor will have to play seven games to lift the title, while a total of 64 matches will be contested. Each of those fixtures must be officiated by referees, who tend to only come to the fore if a mistake is made. It would be impossible to stage a World Cup without them, as they ensure that the Laws of the Game and Fair Play are upheld out on the pitch and can also shape the flow of a match. FIFA, guided by its motto of choosing “the best referees for the world’s biggest and

most important sporting event,” picked 25 refereeing trios over the course of a three-year selection process. In a series of preparatory seminars they were trained on key issues, such as how to protect players, coherence and consistency, reading of the game and understanding of players and a team mentality. Special attention was paid to positioning, as only when well-placed can a referee anticipate and judge certain situations, especially in the so-called grey areas such as the penalty box. “We have chosen the best and are confident that they will provide the level of quality we are looking for,” said M assimo Busacca, Head of FIFA’s Refereeing Department. For the first time at a World Cup, officials will have goal-line technology and a vanishing spray at their disposal. Å

“People call us ‘Kiwis’, but do you know why? Back home in New Zealand, we eat kiwi fruit, but the kiwi is also our national bird. Most people outside New Zealand only know the fruit. I’m proud to represent my country and I will do my best.” Yuichi Nishimura, Japan *17 April 1972, Referee

“My students are always giving me feedback about my performance as a referee. They discuss game situations with me and ask me why I gave a penalty, for instance, or why I didn’t. They are very proud that their teacher is going to the World Cup as one of the selected referees.” Benjamin Williams, Australia *14 April 1977, PE teacher

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“Before each game I take off my ring and kiss it four times in honour of the four women in my life: my mother, my wife and my two daughters.“ Sandro Ricci, Brazil *19 November 1974, Civil servant

foto-net

Peter O’Leary, New Zealand *3 March 1972, Teacher

“A lot of people have supported me in my preparations for the World Cup. In every match that I take charge of, I will dedicate the kick-off whistle to all my supporters as a sign of appreciation.”

C O U N T D O W N T O B R A Z I L 2 0 14 : 6 D A Y S T O G O

→ http://www.fifa.com/worldcup

“My younger referee colleagues like to compare me to a Hollywood star: but unfortunately not exactly a good-looking one! They say that I look like Shrek, which explains why I have a picture of him as a screensaver on my mobile phone!

“I love football in all of its forms. Watching a good football match is as good as having a good Argentinian barbeque with friends, and sharing some fabulous Argentinian meat.” Nestor Pitana, Argentina *17 June 1975, PE teacher

Howard Webb, England *14 July 1971, Policeman

"I’m so proud because I’m the first referee to represent Serbia after a long period of absence from the World Cup. I want to give everything for my country.”

“I try to bring many things from the world of engineering into refereeing, and vice versa. That’s my mentality, that’s how I work.” Carlos Velasco Carballo, *Spain, 16 March 1971, Engineer

Milorad Mazic, Serbia *23 March 1973, Manager in the meat industry

“I’m fortunate that I have been able to dedicate myself full-time to refereeing ever since last year. The other side of my life was mathematics. I spent 17 years as a highschool maths teacher.” Mark Geiger, USA *25 August 1974, Referee

“In my country, where I live there is a local sport called buri. It’s more or less like wrestling. I’m not really very good at it, but I like to do it as a hobby.”

The road to Brazil The World Cup referee selection process began in 2011 after the Club World Cup in Japan, when the 52 best officials were identified. Over the course of 19 seminars they underwent intensive training and had to pass tests in fitness, theory and match analysis. On 14 January 2014 FIFA selected the 25 refereeing trios and eight support duos that will officiate the matches at the World Cup in Brazil. During the tournament, refereeing trios will be informed which match they will take charge of 48 hours prior to kick-off. The decision will be made by the refereeing department and the members of the referees’ committee. For more information on all the referees go to: fifa.to/1wxZ1HA

Bakary Gassama, Gambia *10 February 1979, Businessman

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T HE DEBAT E

Goalless draw in store? Flying flags The Opening Ceremony at the 2010 World Cup in Johannesburg.

World Cup fever is already infecting fans across the globe, but the Opening Match rarely lives up to expectations.

f there is one thing bigger than the hype surrounding the World Cup, it is the pressure on the home team. South Africa certainly fell victim to it in Johannesburg four years ago, with the 1-1 draw in the first match against Mexico offering little in the way of the flowing football and joie de vivre that has become synonymous with the African game. “At the beginning my team was affected by the atmosphere,” revealed national team coach Carlos Alberto Parreira apologetically. The reporter writing for Suddeutsche Zeitung saw things slightly differently: “The Bafana Bafana weren’t just affected. They were paralysed, as if they were running into a strong headwind.” It is not yet possible to provide a reliable wind forecast for Sao Paulo on 12 June, although it is likely that there will be a slight breeze at this time of year. This will at least ensure that the host country kicks off its World Cup campaign in optimal weather con24

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ditions, even if the football itself is unlikely to be quite so straightforward when Brazil’s opponents come to town. The Croatian squad will be making the journey to South America with ambitions of their own, and their mix of experienced and young players in the squad means they are perfectly capable of springing a surprise. Should the Croats succeed, A Seleção certainly cannot afford any slip-ups in their subsequent group matches against Mexico and Cameroon. But those who are expecting the Sao Paulo showdown to be full of style and flair might be disappointed – at least according to the statistics. An official Opening Match has kicked off every World Cup since 1966, and the first four editions all ended goalless, with the first strike in the tournament opener scored by Belgium as they beat Argentina 1-0 in 1982. There have only ever been three such matches with more than one goal: Bulgaria 1-1 Italy in 1986, Brazil 2-1 Scotland in 1998, Germany 4-2 Costa Rica

in 2006 and South Africa 1-1 Mexico in 2010. The reigning champions kicked off each tournament up until 2002, but this honour is now bestowed upon the host nation given that the holders no longer qualify automatically. The Brazilians have been involved in an Opening Match on two occasions: a 0-0 draw against Yugoslavia in 1974 and that 2-1 win over Scotland in 1998. Should they fail to score on this occasion, it should not be seen as a disaster for the South American nation - after all, the winner of the Opening Match has never lifted the trophy. Å

The weekly debate. Any thing you want to get off your chest? Which topics do you want to discuss? Send your suggestions to: feedback-theweekly@fifa.org

Jamie Squire / Getty Images

Thomas Renggli

T HE DEBAT E

PRESIDENTIAL NOTE

The FIFA Weekly asked on FIFA.com: Which group game are you most looking forward to? Brazil versus Croatia. It’s the opening game at the World Cup, it’s being played near to where I live and I’m going to be there. I’ll be a volunteer at the stadium because there’s no way I’m going to miss this match!

Germany versus Portugal. For Portugal it’s THE chance to get off to a perfect start at the World Cup.

The opening game. All the pressure is on Brazil but [Luiz Felipe] Scolari should be able to lead the boys successfully and avoid any embarrassment against Croatia. Another great match is going to be the Group B opener between Spain and the Netherlands. It’ll be a chance for revenge for the 2010 World Cup Final. Group D is also going to be interesting, with three former World Cup winners in there. It’ll be a great opportunity for Costa Rica to gain experience.

moutigol, Portugal

victorinoban, Brazil

rp. robson, Brazil

I’m looking forward to all of the games because World Cups are becoming increasingly competitive. That means that every team needs to give everything right from the start in order to get through to the next round. usmansherazi, Pakistan

All of the matches are going to be exciting but some more so than others. I’m most looking forward to watching Spain versus the Netherlands, England against Italy and Germany against Portugal. Schalkefan13, Germany

Iran versus Nigeria because it’ll be decisive in determining how the rest of the tournament pans out. Then Iran against Argentina as it’s incredible to be playing against a team like that. Under normal circumstances we would never face them unless the FA was able to find millions to stage a friendly match. Finally, I’m looking forward to Iran versus Bosnia and Herzegovina because it will be crucial in deciding the final group standings. Hopefully Iran can win two of their three games.

“Every match is going to be great.” I can’t wait to see Spain against the Netherlands and also Switzerland’s first match against Ecuador. guarana02, Switzerland

p.edram, Iran

It’s a World Cup so I’m looking forward to every game and seeing every team play. Each match is going to be great and I can hardly wait for it to start. Neymar87_87, Germany

Argentina against Bosnia and Herzegovina is going to be immense as it’s the latter’s first ever match at a World Cup. The Maracana will be packed and it’ll be a great game. Goalgetter10, Bosnia

“It’ll be a chance for revenge for the 2010 Final.”

Sport to the fore

he Opening Match at the World Cup is also a moment of closure, marking the end of years of preparatory work in which everyone involved has invested prodigious energy and solved the problems that arose with intense dedication. Today we can proudly declare: Brazil is ready! My wish is that sport comes to the fore in the days and weeks ahead. Nowhere is football as big a part of everyday culture as in Brazil. Nowhere do the people identify so strongly with their players as here. If this positive energy is released we will experience the best World Cup in history: “A Copa das Copas”. For me, this also involves the inclusion of the Brazilian people in their entirety, with the whole nation taking pleasure in the football on show. With the “Handshake for Peace” we want to send out a signal, contributing to the building of bridges and promoting peace. Even though the gesture is only symbolic, it stands for football’s inclusive and pacifist message. This is also the meaning behind the white doves, three in total, which will be released into the skies at the Opening Match. As history teaches us, it is impossible to overestimate the power of symbolism. However, Brazil lies at the heart of the World Cup. We are not turning a blind eye to the concerns of the general public. But making FIFA responsible for concerns arising from public policy decisions in Brazil is wrong. We have not used a single cent of tax revenue for the operating costs, but have instead invested US$2 billion. I’m confident we’ll experience a magnificent festival of football over the next four weeks, thanks to Brazil, with Brazil and for Brazil. Å

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

IRAN

“I was welcomed with open arms” German-born goalkeeper Daniel Davari is travelling to this summer’s World Cup with Iran. The FIFA Weekly met with him to find out how he got the call-up and his hopes for the Iranian team in Brazil.

Daniel Davari: A lot has happened this season, and I’ve had plenty of very positive experiences along the way. To play for Iran and be able to experience a World Cup was really unexpected, so in that respect it has been a wonderful time for me. But of course, I’m disappointed that I couldn’t help to prevent Braunschweig’s relegation before I left.

How did Iran’s national coach Carlos Queiroz become aware of you? The Bundesliga is followed very closely in the country my father came from, both on the television, on the Internet and in ten daily sports newspapers. Queiroz’s American assistant and goalkeeping coach Dan Gaspar first contacted me over a year ago. After that, the Iran head coach came to Germany too. I was observed over a long period before making my debut on 15 November 2013 in a qualifier for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. The fact that we won 3-0 in Thailand and I kept a clean sheet made it even better.

Do you think you’ll play in goal at the World Cup for Team Melli, as the national team are known in Iran? 26

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It’s still completely open. The goalkeepers who have been named in the World Cup squad are similar in ability and none of us have much international experience. But I want to represent this country, whose citizenship I hold alongside my German one, with dignity whether or not I play in the end. For me, it’s a big honour just to be there.

Had you ever visited Iran before you were called up to the national team? I went there once as a child. When I go there now, I do so with my eyes open and an acute awareness of the ways in which Iran differs hugely from where I was born in Giessen, Germany. It didn’t take me long to adjust to all the things and customs that were new to me there.

What impressed you the most on your first visit to the country as an Iranian international? The incredible friendliness and generosity of the people. I was welcomed with open arms and often recognised on the street. Traders in Tehran invited me into their shops and kindly invited me to choose a souvenir of my choice, something that would be unimaginable in Germany. I was really struck by this warmth in their dealings with one another and the enthusiasm for football in a big country that has already won the Asian Cup three times.

Hallbauer + Fioretti Fotografie

You’ve had an eventful season, playing your first international game for Iran, being relegated with Eintracht Braunschweig and being named in Iran’s World Cup squad. What was it like for you?

IRAN

Name Daniel Davari Date and place of birth 6 January 1988, Giessen, Germany Position Goalkeeper Height 192 cm Clubs played for 2007-09 1. FSV Mainz 05 II 2009-14 Eintracht Braunschweig 2014 Grasshopper Club Zurich International caps 4 (Iran) World Cup group matches Group F: Nigeria (16 June), Argentina (21 June), Bosnia and Herzegovina (25 June)

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IRAN

Settled Daniel Davari with his Iranian team-mates

I’d been prepared a little by my father, who is very proud of me, and by my relatives living in Iran. At 26, I’m now at an age where I can soak up and enjoy all the experiences I have. It’s a very enriching and exciting time for me.

How much of an understanding of social life and the political situation in Iran did you pick up there? As a Catholic and considering the fact that the World Cup is coming up, I’ve been entirely focused on sport, and I haven’t been asked any political questions. The religion you follow and where you stand on the country’s politics is a separate issue.

Do you still have some way to go in learning Iran’s language, Farsi? I’m currently trying to learn it and improve on the knowledge I’ve been building up once a week during the Bundesliga season, and I hope that I’ll be able to speak much better Farsi by the end of the World Cup. Talking with my international team-mates, most of whom I currently chat to in English, will certainly help too. In any case, I don’t feel like an outsider despite the language barrier, nor do I feel like a foreigner in the national side of a country I’m very excited to be representing in Brazil. 28

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“I’ve found my way.” How would you rate Iran’s enthusiasm for football? The fact that the national team is going to their fourth World Cup in Brazil is definitely a big reason for the game’s popularity in Iran. You can see how football captivates the masses every year at the big Tehran derby between Esteghlal and Persepolis, when 120,000 fans pack into the country’s biggest stadium.

Can you describe your feelings when you heard the Iranian national anthem at your first international game in Thailand and realised that your dream was coming true? It was one of the most amazing moments of my life, because it was so unbelievably personal and moving. When you consider that it was all happening in front of around 15,000 spectators, it was an unforgettable and intense few moments. My international career took another dramatic turn, albeit a shocking one, four days later. On the day of our Asian Cup qualifier against Leba-

Amin Jamali / Getty Images

Were you prepared for that?

IRAN

Not afraid of the big names Davari gets into position in a Bundesliga match against Bayern Munich's Arjen Robben (right).

non, there was an attack on the Iranian embassy in Lebanon, with several people killed and injured. The game still went ahead, but behind closed doors. We won 4-1 but could barely think about the football.

You now face some extremely demanding sporting tests, not just from Argentina and Lionel Messi but also from Bosnia and Herzegovina, whose attack will be spearheaded by Edin Dzeko. You also face a match against African champions Nigeria. Do you ever get worried about the prospect of playing such teams?

MIS / imago

Not at all. I’m a calm, realistic person by nature and don’t think too much about “what ifs” before a game. I don’t even lose sleep over Lionel Messi, particularly after a tough year in the Bundesliga. The experiences I’ve had on my way from the amateur leagues to the top flight of the Bundesliga have enabled me to find my way. I can also count on our strong defence, which provides a foundation for our well-organised style of play. We’ve also got an internationally renowned, totally professional coach who can equip us with the right strategy against big teams like Argentina. I’m glad that I can keep learning from our coach.

The way he was able to anticipate play and defuse dangerous situations on the pitch really impressed me. His body language and his confident, intelligent demeanour off the pitch stayed with me too.

At first glance, it seems that Iran’s chances of reaching the last 16 from this difficult group are fairly slim. How do you rate your national team’s prospects? Our ambition is to spring some surprises at the World Cup – that’s our aim. We want to make things difficult for our opponents. We have a chance to take something away from each one of our games. If we can get some points from our first match against Nigeria, the door will be open for us. We’ve got to do everything we can to make the people of Iran proud. Å Daniel Davari was speaking to Roland Zorn

You once named former German international goalkeeper Jens Lehmann as your role model. Why? T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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F I F A T O P 11

World Cup debutants

1934 World Cup Italy: 10 debutants Teams: Egypt, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Austria, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary Best performance: Italy (winners)

2006 World Cup Germany: 6 Teams: Angola, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine Best performance: Ukraine (quarterfinals)

Rubber ring, oyster, lunch box 4 3

Perikles Monioudis

hen does a World Cup actually start? In purely technical terms with the opening ceremony of course, or even more precisely with the opening declaration. But in reality a World Cup begins much, much earlier – years earlier in fact – for FIFA, for the host nation, the associations, players and indeed everyone involved in the planning and implementation of the event. Even before the conclusion of the qualifying competition, the national associations who, realistically or not, assume their sides will be appearing at the tournament, begin the search for a suitable base, a camp from where they can tackle the World Cup finals. For a host of fans the World Cup starts with the release of the Panini sticker album and the collecting and swapping of its colourful picture cards; other enthusiasts get into the World Cup mood even earlier, once the team kits are unveiled, or at the latest when the final squad lists are published. For me personally, the moment when it all really starts is when I read and digest an overview of the World Cup stadiums. Even as a child I was utterly fascinated by the stadiums, the rows of seats in red, orange, blue, white and other colours, and the architectural concept – freely admitting I never recognised it as architecture as such. I compared the stadiums, or rather their look and feel, with the everyday items you tend to use when trying to describe unfamiliar shapes: a rubber ring, an oyster, a lunch box, and so forth. I was gripped by the stats associated with the stadiums – their location, capacity, and year of construction. I tore pictures of them out of the papers or a football magazine, folded

them neatly and stuck them in my back pocket. I gazed at them at every available opportunity, my eyes taking in the broad sweep of each arena, just as if I was there in person. It was as if I could get right into the places where in a very short space of time the festival to end all festivals, the tournament of tournaments, the World Cup of football, would be staged. That’s how the World Cup started for me, long before the formality of the opening ceremony. Not that I later chose to go on and study architecture. No, the humanities and social sciences were where I felt more at home. In the event it turned out people interested me more than construction materials. And yet I still sense this moment of initiation when I first lay hands on the overview of the World Cup stadiums, even if I no longer meticulously fold the colourful pages and carry them about my person. It is a nameless yearning for the fabled event with its grandiose panoramas, glittering stars who rise there for the first time, and matches that make history even before they’re played: in Brazil it could easily be the “Rumble in the Jungle” when England face Italy deep in the Amazonian rainforest. So when does a World Cup end? In our memories, never. Å

1982 World Cup Spain: 5 Teams: Algeria, Honduras, Cameroon, Kuwait, New Zealand Best performance: Algeria, Cameroon (3rd in group stage) 2002 World Cup Korea/Japan: 4 Teams: China, Ecuador, Senegal, Slovenia Best performance: Senegal (quarterfinals)

1998 World Cup France: 4 Teams: Jamaica, Croatia, Japan, South Africa Best performance: Croatia (3rd)

1974 World Cup West Germany: 4 Teams: Australia, Haiti, Zaire, East Germany. Best performance: East Germany (second round)

1938 World Cup France: 4 Teams: Cuba, Dutch East Indies, Norway, Poland Best performance: Cuba (quarter-finals)

1994 World Cup USA: 3 Teams: Greece, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia Best performance: Nigeria, Saudi Arabia (round of 16)

1990 World Cup Italy: 3 Teams: Costa Rica, Ireland, United Arab Emirates Best performance: Ireland (quarter-finals)

1986 World Cup Mexico: 3 Teams: Canada, Denmark, Iraq Best performance: Denmark (round of 16)

1970 World Cup Mexico: Teams: El Salvador, Israel, Morocco Best performance: all (4th after group stage)

The weekly column by our staff writers

Source: FIFA (Milestones and Superlatives, Statistical Kit, 12.5.2014) T H E F I FA W E E K LY

MIRROR IMAGE

Germany’s training base, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France

1984

teutopress / imago

Coach Jupp Derwall organises a free-kick drill while training the German national team at the European Championships in France.

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MIRROR IMAGE

Borussia Dortmund training ground, Germany

2011

Christoph Reichweinâ&#x20AC;&#x2030;/â&#x20AC;&#x2030;imago

Plastic dummies have long since taken their place in the wall, being positioned here by Borussia coach Jurgen Klopp.

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TURNING POINT

“Ghana is like Brazil” African Footballer of the Year, an African Champions League winner and an adopted legend in Switzerland: Ghanaian Samuel Opoku Nti knows his fair share about football’s many faces.

Adrian Bretscher

single goal can sometimes change your entire life. In my case, it happened on 11 December 1983 in the second leg of the African Champions League final between my hometown club Asante Kotoko and the Egyptian champions Al-Ahly. I can remember it as if it were yesterday: it was the 16th minute of the game in the Baba-Yara Stadium in Kumasi, Ghana. Al-Ahly attacked but had left a lot of men forward in our penalty area. Our right-back Ernest Apau started a counter-attack with a precise pass to Yahaya Kassum in midfield, who then released John Smith Bannerman in behind the defence. Bannerman left a defender for dead and crossed into the middle, where I lifted the ball over the advancing keeper to make it 1-0 and spark unimaginable joy amongst the 40,000-strong crowd. It turned out to be the winner and it opened the door to a new life for me. I was named African Footballer of the Year and the media put me alongside the game’s greats by giving me the nickname “Zico”. The biggest effect it had was on my immediate future, and talk of a transfer abroad gathered pace quickly. The first offer came from Côte d'Ivoire, so I travelled to the capital Abidjan with my agent. There we were made aware of interest from various French clubs. Like most African footballers, it was my ambition to play in Europe, so I packed my things and left for France, but a move never materialised. Instead I found myself on my way to Switzerland, where I signed for Servette in Geneva. The transfer rather came about my accident, but it was another turning point in my life. Switzerland became a second home for me and today my entire family has Swiss citizenship.

In a footballing sense, though, my home has always been Ghana, where I currently serve as Chief Executive of Asante Kotoko. I’m a lways asked when an African team will finally win a World Cup and my answer is the same: in terms of talent, it could have already happened. Ghana is like Brazil: overflowing with players of God-given ability. The thing missing in African football is structure and coaching opportunities. The fact that we’re behind the times also has something to do with circumstances, though. Up until 1978, only one African country was permitted to compete at a World Cup; now we have five spots, and for that we can be very grateful to Sepp Blatter. Adapted by Thomas Renggli

Name Samuel Opoku Nti Date and place of birth 23 January 1961, Kumasi (Ghana) Clubs 1983 – 1985 Asante Kotoko 1985 – 1986 Servette FC 1986 – 1989 FC Aarau 1989 – 1990 FC Baden National team 7 caps for Ghana

In Turning Point, personalities reflect on a decisive moment in their lives. T H E F I FA W E E K LY

FIFA WORLD R ANKING Rank Team

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

Change in ranking Points

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Spain Germany Brazil Portugal Argentina Switzerland Uruguay Colombia Italy England

0 0 1 -1 2 2 -1 -3 0 1

1485 1300 1242 1189 1175 1149 1147 1137 1104 1090

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 52 54 55 56 57 57 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77

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

1 -2 1 -1 0 1 -1 2 -1 -1 4 3 0 -2 4 2 -5 6 3 0 4 -7 -3 2 4 -12 1 -5 3 1 6 -2 -6 0 -3 1 -2 1 -3 5 3 6 -1 17 0 -6 2 -2 -6 1 -9 -3 1 -2 0 4 1 1 3 -4 3 -5 4 -11 3 3 -1

1074 1064 1035 1026 981 915 913 903 893 882 873 858 809 809 800 791 786 762 761 745 743 741 731 724 722 715 704 682 674 672 644 643 641 640 627 626 624 612 591 575 574 566 566 565 562 558 547 547 539 538 532 526 510 498 496 495 483 481 474 473 470 460 452 451 444 441 439

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Ranking 01 / 2014

02 / 2014

03 / 2014

04 / 2014

05 / 2014

06 / 2014

1 -41 -83 -125 -167 -209

78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 90 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 110 112 113 114 115 116 116 118 119 120 120 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 134 136 137 137 139 140 140 142 143 144

Top spot

Biggest climber

Bulgaria Oman FYR Macedonia Jamaica Belarus Azerbaijan Congo DR Congo Uganda Benin Togo Gabon Northern Ireland Saudi Arabia Botswana Angola Palestine Cuba Georgia New Zealand Estonia Zimbabwe Qatar Moldova Equatorial Guinea China PR Iraq Central African Republic Lithuania Ethiopia Kenya Latvia Bahrain Canada Niger Tanzania Namibia Kuwait Liberia Rwanda Mozambique Luxembourg Sudan Aruba Malawi Vietnam Kazakhstan Lebanon Tajikistan Guatemala Burundi Philippines Afghanistan Dominican Republic Malta St Vincent and the Grenadines Guinea-Bissau Chad Suriname Mauritania St Lucia Lesotho New Caledonia Syria Cyprus Turkmenistan Grenada

-5 3 0 0 1 2 4 7 0 10 1 -2 -6 -15 -1 1 71 -5 7 14 -5 -1 -5 -2 11 -7 -4 1 -2 -6 -2 0 -5 0 -10 9 6 -7 3 15 -4 -7 -3 35 0 -7 -6 -11 -5 -3 -3 11 -2 -5 -4 -7 50 31 -5 2 -4 2 -2 -6 -12 13 -8

Biggest faller

425 420 419 411 397 396 395 393 390 386 383 382 381 381 375 364 358 354 349 347 343 340 339 334 333 331 329 321 319 317 296 293 289 289 284 283 277 276 271 271 269 267 254 254 247 242 241 233 229 226 221 217 215 212 204 203 201 201 197 196 196 194 190 190 189 183 182

144 146 147 148 149 149 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 164 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 176 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 190 192 192 192 195 196 196 198 198 200 201 202 202 204 205 206 207 207 207

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

45 -9 6 -14 -3 -6 -9 -8 -8 -7 -8 -5 -5 -9 14 -7 -4 -12 -5 -5 -5 22 -5 5 -6 -9 -7 -5 5 10 -6 -8 -6 -7 -6 -8 -5 -5 -4 -4 16 0 0 -6 -6 0 -10 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

182 175 171 166 163 163 158 152 149 144 141 137 135 134 133 124 122 118 112 102 102 99 98 97 93 92 89 86 85 84 83 78 78 77 73 70 66 65 61 57 47 40 35 34 32 28 28 26 26 26 23 21 21 18 18 16 11 8 8 6 5 3 0 0 0

THE SOUND OF FOOTBALL

THE OBJEC T

Perikles Monioudis

S Fatboy Slim bringing Brazilian beats to Brazil Hanspeter Kuenzler Fatboy Slim is going to the World Cup this summer. The musician will be performing nine shows in the host country, featuring a brand-new double album containing remixes of Brazilian hits.

Sion Ap Tomos

atboy Slim’s love for football is profound, as is his appreciation for music. The two have gone hand in hand for the superstar DJ ever since the days when he was still known as Norman Cook and first heard “Back home,” the England song for the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. “I was seven years old,” chuckled Norman. “We’d won the previous tournament. I sang my heart out, completely expecting England to lift the trophy again.” The South American wizards in yellow put paid to Fatboy’s belief in his country’s invincibility: “It was a life lesson,” he confessed.

The sport was still on Norman’s mind when he was topping the charts with the Housemartins, resulting in the band’s debut album’s football-themed title: “London 0 Hull 4”. Bands such as Beats International and Freak Power followed the Housemartins, before Norman transformed into DJ Fatboy Slim and founded big beat, a studio mix of techno, house, rock and samples from all over the world. Big beat also found its way to Brazil. When Fatboy Slim strutted his stuff on the beaches of the Copacabana in February 2007, some 370,000 fans turned up. Fatboy Slim is a fervent supporter of English south coast side Brighton & Hove Albion and around that time bought a number of shares to help save the club from financial meltdown,

making his record label Skint their main sponsor for a number of years. Fatboy Slim was in the thick of the action in South Africa four years ago, and Brazil will be no different. Nine shows have been booked, with Norman also hoping to watch five World Cup matches live. He will be bringing “Fatboy Slim Presents Bem Brasil” with him, a brand-new double album full of remixes of Brazilian hits which also includes a new version of his song “Weapon of choice”, newly recorded with the help of the legendary percussion group Olodum from Salvador. Æ

ilver spoons are quite striking, usually coming in sets of six or twelve, but sometimes alone too. The phrase “to be born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth” is even used to describe a child born into wealthy family. The Beatles once sang “She came in through the bathroom window, protected by a silver spoon”, while Van Morrison added: “Then sometimes it feels so easy, like I was born with a silver spoon.” The Who subsequently satirised the notion of the silver spoon, perhaps instigating a turning point in material value with their lyrics: “I was born with a plastic spoon in my mouth.” The FIFA collection includes a small case made of grey artificial leather and containing four silver tea spoons. The handles are adorned with a football-themed decoration and the caption “Sverige”, while the gold print on the artificial leather case reads: “Skottland – Sverige 1953”. The friendly match on 6 May 1953 – a game played prior to Sweden’s ultimately unsuccessful World Cup qualifying campaign – ended in a 2-1 away victory for the Svenska Fotbollforbundet. The Scandinavians attempted to alleviate the disappointment of defeat by presenting the Scots with a small gift: four silver spoons, which must have all been placed in the cradle of Graeme Souness, who was born that very same day. The tough-tackling Scottish midfielder enjoyed a stellar spell at Liverpool, winning five English league titles and three European Cups during his time with the club before returning as coach for three years in 1991. What a wonderful career – Sweden is due some credit! Å

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The FIFA World Cup™ is where all of us want to be.

The FIFA Weekly Published weekly by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Internet: www.fifa.com/theweekly Publisher: FIFA, FIFA-Strasse 20, PO box, CH-8044 Zurich Tel. +41-(0)43-222 7777 Fax +41-(0)43-222 7878

FIFA QUIZ CUP

Three models, two-time opponents, a beach clock and a shirt with no crest. Test your knowledge!

President: Joseph S. Blatter Secretary General: Jérôme Valcke

How many of these pairings appeared on the cover of Vogue magazine in 2013 and 2014?

F 0 H 1

Director of Communications and Public Affairs: Walter De Gregorio

M 2 W 3

Chief Editor: Perikles Monioudis Staff Writers: Thomas Renggli (Author), Alan Schweingruber, Sarah Steiner

This clock counts down to the start of the World Cup, but where is it located?

Art Direction: Catharina Clajus

H Rio: Ipanema O Rio: Copacabana

Picture Editor: Peggy Knotz

R Zurich: Goldcoast Y Kapstadt: Soccer Beach

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

Proof Reader: Nena Morf, Kristina Rotach Contributors: Sérgio Xavier Filho, Luigi Garlando, Sven Goldmann, Hanspeter Kuenzler, Jordi Punti, David Winner, Roland Zorn Contributors to this Issue: Lucia Clement (Picture), Andreas Jaros, Doris Ladstaetter, Giovanni Marti, Markus Nowak, Manuel Rieder, Alissa Rosskopf, Andreas Wilhelm (Picture)

Sometimes, two teams have to face each other twice in a single World Cup tournament. Which of these sides did not play two matches against one another at the same World Cup?

R 2002: Brazil – Turkey L 1954: Turkey – Germany

N 1954: Germany – Hungary O 1938: Hungary – Italy

This unusual shirt has been made for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. It does not feature a traditional crest or any lettering. Which team will be wearing it this summer?

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

P Ghana L Cameroon

G Italy D The Netherlands

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

Getty Images (2), zvg (2)

Contact: feedback-theweekly@fifa.org Reproduction of photos or articles in whole or in part is only permitted with prior editorial approval and if attributed “The FIFA Weekly, © FIFA 2014”. The editor and staff are not obliged to publish unsolicited manuscripts and photos. FIFA and the FIFA logo are registered trademarks of FIFA. Made and printed in Switzerland. Any views expressed in The FIFA Weekly do not necessarily reflect those of FIFA.

The answer to last week’s Quiz Cup was GOAL (detailed answers on www.fifa.com/theweekly). Inspiration and implementation: cus

Send your answer by 11 June 2014 to feedback-theweekly@fifa.org. Correct submissions for all quizzes received by 11 June 2014 will go into a draw to win two tickets to the FIFA World Cup Final on 13 July 2014. Before sending in your answers, all participants must read and accept the competition terms and conditions and the rules, which can be found at http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/af-magazine/fifaweekly/02/20/51/99/en_rules_20140417_neutral.pdf T H E F I FA W E E K LY

A S K T H E W E E K LY

T HIS WEEK’S POLL

How will the Opening Match end?

Will favourites Brazil start the tournament with a win on 12 June? Will the World Cup Opening Match end in a draw, as it so often has in the past? Or can Croatia upset the odds with a victory in Sao Paulo? Email your predictions to feedback-theweekly@fifa.org

Is it true that Germany always win their penalty shoot-outs at the World Cup? Steve Young, Sheffield (England)

L A S T W E E K’S P O L L R E S U LT S Which team can spring a surprise at this summer’s World Cup?

44.74% ..................................................... Belgium 19.14% . . ..................................................................................................................................................................................... other 12.94% ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Chile 9.43% ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... Bosnia-Herzegovina 6.74% ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ Nigeria 4.85% . . ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Japan 2.16% ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Switzerland

100 12

WEEK IN NUMBERS

caps was the milestone

reached by Didier Drogba in Côte d’Ivoire’s 2-1 friendly

defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The 36-year-old

games without loss was the

striker marked the occasion

MLS joint-record that came to

in typical style, scoring a

an end for Real Salt Lake in

ferocious late free-kick. He

spectacular style. A 4-0 defeat at

unanswered goals against Norway gave France

expressed his joy and said

Seattle Sounders was the Claret

their biggest win at the Stade de France in nine

“Wearing this jersey and

and Cobalt’s first regular season

years. Not since they racked up an identical 4-0

representing my country

reverse since last September,

scoreline against Cyprus in 2005 have Les Bleus

100 times has always been a

and ended their hopes of

won so convincingly in their home stadium.

privilege.”

seizing the record outright.

imago (3), Getty Images (2)

It is perhaps no surprise that this question has come from England. Yes, it’s true: Germany have never lost a shoot-out! Since 1982 there have been 22 penalty shoot-outs at the World Cup. Germany have been involved in four, and won them all. Argentina are second in the charts with three shoot-out victories. By contrast, England have been involved in three penalty contests but lost every time. However, the worst performance from the spot actually came from Switzerland. Their Round-of-16 meeting with Ukraine in 2006 went to penalties, and the misfiring Swiss failed to score even once. (thr)