The FIFA Weekly Issue #30

ISSUE 30/2015, 31 JULY 2015

ENGLISH EDITION

Fédération Internationale de Football Association – Since 1904

CHANGING CLUBS OVER 30

LAST ADVENTURE JAPAN KASHIMA ANTLERS BANKING ON NEW START

SEPP BLATTER WORLD CUP FINALS MUST REMAIN EXCLUSIVE

FOOTBALL TRICKS WHEN THE GAME BECOMES A DANCE 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

Last adventure Although moving clubs after the age of 30 requires a great deal of consideration, the prospect of one final challenge overseas can be inspiring. Three writers report on the experienced European players searching for a new goal.

South America 10 members www.conmebol.com

B ulgaria The story of Ludogorets's triumphant journey since winning promotion reads like a fairytale.

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S epp Blatter In his weekly column, the FIFA President says: “When you see how systematically, productively and successfully the Russian LOC is working with three years still to go before the World Cup kicks off, there can be no doubt whatsoever: only the best is good enough for Russia.”

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Turning Point Iceland midfielder Dagny Brynjarsdottir recalls how a header transformed her into a national hero.

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Robert Pires At 41, the Frenchman is refusing to contemplate retirement.

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Tricks The best party pieces in footballing history.

(Pictured: Ronaldinho)

Last adventure Our cover image shows 30-year-old Bastian Schweinsteiger and was taken in Germany in 2014.

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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2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final

FIFA U-17 World Cup

Jamaica – Mexico 1:3, 26 July 2015

17 October – 8 November 2015, Chile

imago (3), Vipul Rege

Niko Schmid-Burgk @ Schierke Artists

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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Japan Kashima Antlers are back to winning ways under a new coach.

(Picured: Gen Shoji)

Russia 2018 With the path to the World Cup now laid out after the Preliminary Draw in St. Petersburg, The FIFA Weekly assesses the prospects of teams across the globe.

(Pictured: Patrick Kluivert)

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Š 2015 adidas AG. adidas, the 3-Bars logo and the 3-Stripes mark are registered trademarks of the adidas Group.

# B E T H E D I F F E R E N C E

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Swansongs A

lthough it is often said that life is short, this is particularly true of the professional lives of footballers. Like ballet dancers, they feel an everincreasing pressure to keep performing at the highest level by the time they reach their 35th birthday. Although people in other lines of work are only just beginning to climb the career ladder at this age, this is the point at which footballers are simply considered too old to play an effective role within the world’s top teams.

Provided that they remain free from injuries and are not too fussy about the location of their new club, these veteran world-class players have the option of seeking one extremely well paid “last adventure” where they can strike up their swansong.

Starting on page six, our staff writers Sven Goldmann, David Winner and Jordi Punti report from Berlin, London and Barcelona on what could be the final chapter in Bastian Schweinsteiger, Xavi and Frank Lampard’s careers. Å

Mario Wagner / 2Agenten

Perikles Monioudis

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IN SEARCH OF A NEW CHALLENGE T Although moving clubs after the age of 30 requires a great deal of consideration, the prospect of one final adventure overseas can be inspiring.

he most spectacular transfer of the summer was completed in England as Raheem Sterling made the switch from Liverpool to Manchester City for more than ₏60 million at the age of just 20. As the majority of European leagues prepare to get underway, we take a look at some more experienced players who have opted to take on a new challenge, including Bastian Schweinsteiger, Iker Casillas and Andrea Pirlo. What has inspired them to seek pastures new, how have they weighed up the risks of what could be their final move – and which seasoned performers could have made better decisions? Sven Goldmann reports from Germany, David Winner from England and Jordi Punti from Spain.

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New York City FC / via AP Images / Keystone, Matthew Ashton / AMA, Jeff Mitchell / FIFA via Getty Images

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Striking out from home Andrea Pirlo (left, New York City FC), Bastian Schweinsteiger (top, Manchester United) and Iker Casillas (FC Porto) are all playing for an overseas club for the first time.

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FOLLOW YOUR HEART

in Florence, the powerful frontman has now moved to Besiktas, intent on forcing his way back into the Germany squad for the 2016 UEFA European Championships in France.

EURO 2016 could also prove to be Lukas Podolski’s swansong in a Germany shirt. Since playing alongside Gomez and Klose while at Bayern, Podolski has gone on to represent boyhood club Cologne, Arsenal, Inter Milan and Galatasaray. The 30-year-old has won the World Cup, Bundesliga and the German Cup, but being at a club where he feels settled and happy is just as important for Podolski as winning titles and silverware.

He says the move to Istanbul was “a gut decision and one made from the heart”. However, Podolski also has his heart set on returning to the city of Cologne one day and preferably ending his career there, playing for Die Geißböcke (the Billy Goats).

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Bye bye, Bayern Gomez’s career has followed a similar path to Klose’s.

Having fallen out of favour at Bayern, the striker signed for Lazio’s top flight rivals Fiorentina at the end of the 2012/13 season, hoping the move would help him nail down a place in the Germany squad for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Things didn’t quite go to plan for Gomez, though, who suffered a serious knee injury two months into his Serie A career and was ruled out for half a year.

Gomez then suffered a fresh knee injury not long after his comeback, which put paid to his World Cup hopes.

Having only managed four goals in his second season

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Retirement at 29 Marcel Jansen is another player to have developed a deep affection for one club, but that love has lead to an entirely different outcome. When Hamburg announced last season that they would not be renewing Jansen’s contract, the former Germany international opted to call an abrupt end to his playing career. “I can’t just suddenly kiss another badge. That wouldn’t be right,” said Jansen, who at 29 is eight years younger than Klose. “That’s why I think it’s the right decision to call it a day now.” Å Sven Goldmann, Berlin

Riccardo De Luca / AP / Keystone, Claudio Giovannini / CGEFOTO, Bullent Doruk / AFP

iroslav Klose has fond memories of the summer of 2011. Back then, the veteran striker made a decision that would help him go on to become a world champion with Germany and the leading goalscorer in World Cup history, two extraordinary achievements that seemed impossible not so long ago. Behind Thomas Müller, Mario Gomez and Arjen Robben in the pecking order, Klose scored only one league goal for Bayern Munich in 2010/11 and was not offered a new deal at the end of the campaign. With his 33rd birthday swiftly approaching, Klose had to make a decision. Where to go next?

Having led the line for the Bundesliga’s most successful club for four years, a transfer to one of Bayern’s top flight rivals was out of the question, while a lucrative move to the Middle East would cost him his place in the national team. Eventually, Klose decided to follow in the footsteps of many of his compatriots and sign for an Italian club.

A move to Italy is always a viable option for German players. Serie A has enjoyed a glowing reputation in Germany ever since the 1990 FIFA World Cup Italy™, when half of die Mannschaft’s world-conquering starting eleven plied their trade at Italian clubs, including superstar Lothar Matthaus. By implication, German players are held in such high esteem in Italy that Lazio didn’t think twice about securing Klose’s signature four years ago.

The move paid dividends for both parties. Klose has rediscoverd his predatory instincts in Rome, scoring 47 goals in four seasons at the club and earning himself a new one-year contract at the end of the 2014/15 campaign. Thanks in no small part to Klose’s goals, Lazio managed to secure a UEFA Champions League play-off berth last term. Now 37, the man himself didn’t hesitate in committing his future to the club, saying: “The decision to continue at Lazio came from the heart.”

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In the Eternal City 37-year-old Miroslav Klose has signed a one-year extension to his contract with Lazio.

Old hands keeping young Lukas Podolski, 30, plays for Galatasaray after spells at Arsenal and Inter Milan.

Aiming for EURO 2016 Mario Gomez, 30, has secured a move to Besiktas.

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Falling in love again, over 30.

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Osman Orsal / Reuters

footballer’s career mirrors life, with everything speeded up. Breaking into the first team as a youngster is akin to being born. Youth passes in the blink of an eye. Maturity lasts just a few seasons. By their early 30s even the strongest players experience physical decline and know the big sleep of retirement is drawing near. But top players have plenty of career choices in their final years and there’s something to be said for every option.

One old fashioned solution is simply to stay where you started, but the modern game makes that hard to do.

One-club heroes like Ryan Giggs, who spent 24 years with Manchester United, AC Milan’s 25-season legend Paolo Maldini or AS Roma’s 38-year-old Francesco Totti are a disappearing breed. Supporters complain about disloyal

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or mercenary footballers but since most clubs are unsentimental too, players have to look to their own interests too.

Robin van Persie offers a case in point. Three years ago Arsenal’s captain shocked Gunners' fans by moving to rivals Manchester United. The transfer made sense.

Approaching his 30th birthday, Van Persie reasoned that his chances of fulfilling his dream of winning the Premier League were better under Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford. Arsenal felt betrayed but the Dutchman performed brilliantly and won his winner's medal.

This summer, with his hair greying but good years left in his legs, ’RVP’ faced a new problem. He had fallen out of favour with current boss Louis van Gaal and faced spending his final years as a United substitute. So he surprised everyone again – by moving to Turkey. Fenerbahce

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may not have the glamour of Old Trafford, but Van Persie is already a hit with the club’s passionate fans and is sure to love the energy and culture of Istanbul.

Schweinsteiger rejoins his mentor Meanwhile, as if to prove the maxim about different strokes for different folks, just as Van Persie was leaving Manchester, 30-year-old Bastian Schweinsteiger arrived, thrilled by the challenge of playing in England and looking forward to working again with Van Gaal, who had been his mentor at Bayern Munich.

Both players will be handsomely remunerated at their new clubs, as will New York City’s brand new vintage midfielders Frank Lampard, 37, and Andrea Pirlo, 36. But there’s nothing wrong with that. Indeed, dropping down a level or two to end a career with a big money contract has long been common practice. In the seventies, fading luminaries like Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and George Best joined the gold rush to the North American Soccer League.

In the 90s, Brazil stars Zico and Dunga beat a similar path to the new J-League in Japan. These days, as football surges around the planet, destinations are becoming ever more varied. World Cup winner Alessandro del Piero played in Australia with Sydney FC and in the Indian Super League for Delhi Dynamos. Much-travelled 37-year-old Nicolas Anelka, is now Mumbai City’s player-manager.

Ageing players can still be great. In the 1970s Lawrie McMenemy built an entire team of golden oldies like Peter Osgood and Alan Ball at Southampton. Perhaps the greatest veteran of them all was Johan Cruyff, who retired in 1979 after his brilliant years with Ajax and Barcelona and promptly lost his entire fortune on a pig-farming venture.

Obliged to play again, he took his genius first to the NASL and later back to Ajax where he inspired a second generation of total footballers.

For his final season Cruyff moved once more to prove a point. Ajax had told him was too old at 36, so he signed

for rivals Feyenoord, enjoyed one of his greatest seasons and won them the league and cup double. Money isn’t the only advantage of moving abroad. David Beckham and Thierry Henry ended their playing days with LA Galaxy and New York Red Bulls respectively and fell in love with America.

Beckham is now trying to build a new MLS franchise in Miami while Henry wears his love for the Big Apple on his arm, with tattoos of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty.

How long can you last?

A relaxed atmosphere can also delight a grizzled pro.

Steven Gerrard, the Galaxy’s new marquee man, says he loves being able to walk around Los Angeles like a normal person without being recognized, a simple pleasure that became impossible for him in Liverpool.

Sometimes money barely figures in the decision at all.

An old pro may just want to go home. 35-year-old Rio Ferdinand happily accepted a much-reduced salary to spend his last season at QPR where he’d trained as a boy. Now his former Manchester United team mate Carlos Tevez, 31, fresh from playing for Juventus in the Champions League Final, is thrilled to be back in Buenos Aires with his first club, Boca Juniors.

That still leaves the question of when to call it a day and there are no rules for that either. You can bow out at the top like Eric Cantona, or play on and on like Paul Gascoigne, the one-time Spurs and Lazio star who finished with non-league Boston United. How long can you last?

You may have more time than you realise. While the late 30s is usually the upper limit for outfield players – goalkeepers last longer –, don’t forget Stanley Matthews. The legendary winger started his career in the old English First Division in 1932 and ended it there in 1965 – at the ripe old age of 50. Å David Winner, London

MOST EXPENSIVE TRANSFERS

New favourite Robin van Persie signed for Fenerbahce at the age of 31.

ENGL AND Raheem Sterling, 20, from Liverpool to Manchester City, 62.5 million Euro Christian Benteke, 24, from Aston Villa to Liverpool, 46.5m. Euro SPAIN Jackson Mar tinez, 28, from Porto to Atletico Madrid, 35m. Euro Arda Turan, 28, from Atletico Madrid to Barcelona, 34m. Euro ITALY Paulo Dybala, 21, from Palermo to Juventus, 32m. Euro Carlos Bacca, 28, from Sevilla FC to AC Milan, 30m. Euro GERMANY Ar turo Vidal, 28, from Juventus to Bayern Munich, 37m. Euro Douglas Costa, 24, from Shakhtar Donetsk to Bayern Munich, 30m. Euro Source: transfermarkt.de

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All change without Xavi and Casillas

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Walking in his idols’ footsteps Xavi announced before last season that he was planning to leave Barcelona. Despite having various offers on the table, he was persuaded to stay on by Barça’s new coach Luis Enrique, who told him he remained an important part of the set-up. The player’s reward for another year of loyal service was winners’ medals in every competition.

In now making the move east, he is following in the footsteps of two of his Spanish idols: Raul Gonzalez, who spent two seasons with Al Sadd, and Pep Guardiola, two years a player with fellow Doha club Al Ahli.

In making such a financially sound move, Xavi is continuing to model himself on Guardiola, having never concealed the fact that he too would like to coach Barcelona one day, but not before moving away, learning English and gaining more experience.

Though his Barça farewell proved emotional, with his teammates toasting and applauding him, the sadness was tempered by the fact that the fans know he will be back one day.

Goalkeepers enjoy a longer shelf life and there is little question that Casillas remains a key player. Though Real Madrid have paid tribute to him in the last few weeks, his exit from the club was traumatic.

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Tireless Raul is currently playing up front for New York Cosmos at the age of 38.

Mohamed Farag / AFP, Victor Fraile / Getty Images

ker and Xavi have left the building, and neither Spanish football nor El Clásico will be the same without them. One final chapter remains in their legendary stories, a footnote with clubs other than the ones closest to their hearts, but a lucrative one all the same.

They departed within a few days of each other, the Barcelona midfielder announcing that he had signed for Al Sadd of Qatar and the Real Madrid goalkeeper revealing that his destination was somewhat closer to home – Portuguese giants Porto.

Idols with the clubs they leave behind, Xavi Hernandez and Iker Casillas are also the symbols of Spain’s recent successes on the international scene, helping La Roja win back-to-back UEFA EURO titles and the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.

Casillas made his Real Madrid debut in September 1999 and spent the next 16 years there. Now 34, he has made a record 152 appearances for his country. One year his senior, Xavi has won 28 major trophies, more than any other Spanish player. A Barça youth product, he made his first-team debut under Louis Van Gaal in August 1998, remaining an integral part of it for the next 17 seasons.

In all that time, both players have become benchmarks and have helped maintain cordial relations between the two biggest rivals in Spanish football. Yet though they have enjoyed parallel careers, they signed off from their clubs on very contrasting notes, while their reasons for changing scene and winding down their careers elsewhere also differed.

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The fact is that Casillas’ fate was first shaped three years ago, during Jose Mourinho’s reign at the Bernabeu. The club captain disapproved of the coach’s methods on more than one occasion and fell out of favour. After picking up an injury, he lost his firstteam place to Diego Lopez and only regained it under Carlo Ancelotti. Despite maintaining his high standards between the posts and performing no worse than his team-mates, Casillas was a frequent target for personal criticism.

His switch to Porto seems, then, to have been motivated more by pride than money. In moving to a Champions League club and a less competitive championship right next door to Spain, Casillas has the chance to prove his detractors wrong.

Following his emotive departure from Madrid, his friend Xavi wrote a heartfelt tribute in the newspaper La Vanguardia, describing Casillas as “the most decisive goalkeeper the game has ever seen” and lamenting his treatment at the hands of the media: “When I look at Buffon, who’s 37, I see someone who’s enjoying himself in goal. When I look at Iker, I get the feeling he’s been playing under a lot of pressure of late, as if he feels the need to prove that he is a great goalkeeper in every game and doing so with none of the joy that has always been a hallmark of his game.

“He’s going to Porto now, and I am sure he will get a hero’s welcome there. He will be amazed. People think more highly of him abroad than they do here.”

Off to Al Sadd at 35 Xavi left Barcelona after 24 years for a new chapter in Qatar.

Heading for pastures new Casillas and Xavi are not the only ones who have left La Liga in search of a golden retirement elsewhere, with most going in search of petrodollars. Sergio Garcia has parted company with Espanyol at the age of 32 to play for Al Rayyan of Qatar, while Argentinian forward Joaquin Larrivey, two years his junior, has swapped Celta Vigo for Bani Yas of Abu Dhabi, and David Barral, now 32 and previously with Levante, has joined Al Dhafra of the United Arab Emirates.

Perhaps the most talked-about departure, aside from those of Xavi and Casillas, is that of defender Andoni Iraola, who has left Athletic Bilbao at the age of 33 to sign for New York City, where he will team up with David Villa and Andrea Pirlo. Å Jordi Punti, Barcelona

WHEN DO EUROPE’S LEAGUES KICK OFF? Premier League, England: 8 August 2015 Bundesliga, Germany: 14 August 2015 Primera Division, Spain: 23 August 2015 Ligue 1, France: 7 August 2015 Serie A, Italy: 23 August 2015 Liga NOS, Por tugal: 16 August 2015 Eredivisie, Netherlands: 7 August 2015 Super Lig, Turkey: 16 August 2015 Super League, Greece: 23 August 2015 Jupiler Pro League, Belgium: started 24 July 2015 Premier League, Russia: started 17 July 2015 Premiership, Scotland: 1 August 2015 Super League, Switzerland: started 18 July 2015 Bundesliga, Austria: started 25 July 2015 Superliga, Denmark: started 17 July 2015 SuperLiga, Serbia: started 17 July 2015 1. HNL, Croatia: started 10 July 2015

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XX. Monat 2013

English edition

Fédération Internationale de Football Association – Since 1904

GRASSROOTS

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TALK ING POIN T S

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T H E

Colombia: Categoria Primera A

S a nt a Fe t a k e t h e p o i nt s i n Tu n ja Sven Goldmann is a leading football correspondent at Tages­ spiegel newspaper in Berlin.

Santa Fe CD

Colombian league leaders Santa Fe recently arrived in Tunja for a match that was once a derby but can no longer be termed as such. Boyaca Chico Futbol Club, the club that now calls this city home was originally founded in Bogota and named Deportivo Bogota Chico FC after the capital’s El Chico neighbourhood. After gaining promotion to the top flight in 2003, they accepted an invitation from the Boyaca province to move to the state capital of Tunja, adopted a new name and have been playing 2,800 metres above sea level ever since. This self-imposed exile has transformed Boyaca Chico Futbol Club into a major footballing power: in 2008 they even won the Torneo Apertura and represented Colombia in the

I N S I D E

Copa Libertadores, qualifying for South America’s most prestigious club tournament again the following year.

Chico’s third Clausura match in this season’s Categoria Primera A pitted them against their old hometown’s most renowned side as Club Independiente Santa Fe travelled from Bogota to the Estadio La Independencia. The country’s first professional football champions are once again a force to be reckoned with after securing their eighth league title back in December and beginning the current Clausura campaign with two dominant wins, scoring nine goals while conceding none.

This fine run of form meant the championship favourites’ struggle in Tunja came as something of a surprise.

Chico kept themselves in the hunt for much of the game before one fateful moment of inattention decided the match. Santa Fe’s Argentinian midfielder Omar Perez passed the ball from the centre circle to diminutive striker Wilson Morelo, who skilfully shook off two defenders before slipping the ball through the legs of home goalkeeper Jose

Huber Escobar with one deft flick of his right foot. The goal came 15 minutes before the final whistle and ultimately earned the Bogota team a fortunate1-0 away win. It was the third strike in as many games for Morelo, who previously found the target in his side’s resounding 4-0 victory over Club Deportivo La Equidad and 5-0 thumping of Cucuta Deportivo, and places him at the top of the goalscorers’ list at this early stage of the Clausura campaign.

Despite his team appearing to have lost at least some of their attacking flair during the encounter, coach Gerardo Pelusso was generally satisfied with his players’ efforts. “For me it’s always important to keep a clean sheet and score a goal when you get the chance,” the Uruguayan said. Having previously worked in Chile, Peru, Paraguay and his homeland, Pelusso succeeded Argentinian Gustavo Costas as Santa Fe boss back in May. Despite leading the club to championship glory last December, Costas resigned from his post after the capital city side’s defeat by Brazilian side Internacional in the quarter-finals of the Copa Libertadores. Å

Matchwinner Santa Fe’s Wilson Morelo (centre) scored the only goal of the game against Chico.

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Lu d o go r e t s k e e n to s t ay o n to p Annette Braun is a staff writer on The FIFA Weekly.

The recent story of Ludogorets Razgrad has all the makings of a fairy tale. Back in the 2009/10 season, the side from northeast Bulgaria were playing third division football. Fast forward two years and they lifted the top-flight league title, as well as Bulgaria’s domestic and Super Cup. The treble winning season that followed promotion to the A Group was just the start of a remarkable run of results though, as three championship titles, including another treble in the 2013/14 season, followed.

Ludogorets have dominated Bulgarian football in recent years then, so much so that their rivals are in danger of being left behind.

Last season, Lokomotiv Sofia and record champions CSKA Sofia ended the campaign in third and fifth respectively. In this year’s

table though, neither side is anywhere to be seen. The Bulgarian Football Association refused both clubs a playing license due to debt, relegating them in the process.

The question now is whether those changes will help Ludogorets write their next chapter. This season, the club have hired 39-yearold Portuguese head coach Bruno Ribeiro and already signed five new players. Brazilian talent Cicinho is the pick of the bunch and arrives from Santos to replace Junior Caicara, who left for Bundesliga club Schalke. With so many new faces, can the Eagles continue their success?

So far that does not seem to be the case.

Expectations were raised after last year’s Champions League exploits but this season’s competition ended almost before it began as Ludogorets lost both legs in the second qualifying round against Moldovan club FC Milsami Orhei. Last season, in a group with Liverpool, Basel and Real Madrid, a home win against their Swiss opponents and a draw at Anfield left many impressed. The good set of results from that campaign has counted for little this year though, as Ludogorets have been left

without a ticket to Europe’s most prestigious competition.

Ludogrets’ opening game of the new league season also ended in defeat, Litex Lovech running out 2-0 winners on July 18. A week later, Ludogorets recovered to win 3-2 against Cherno More Varna, but only thanks to an 89th minute own goal from Stefan Stanchev.

Slavia Sofia currently have six points and sit top of the table after the first two games of the new season. The club from the capital the only ever-present team in the league’s history - recently beat Pirin Blagoevgrad 3-0 and are on the hunt for their first title in 20 years. There were also good starts for Montana and Litex Lovech, who currently form the chasing pack with four points each and face off on August 3.

Ludogorets’ quest for a fifth consecutive title is no foregone conclusion then. The team from Razgrad are keen to prove their development at home to Levski Sofia at the start of August, and if Fortuna the eagle – the team’s good luck charm that flies across the stadium – has anything to do with it, Ludogorets’ next chapter could be just as exciting. Å

Tenacious Ludogorets’s new arrival Cicinho (left) tussles with Varna’s Andreas Vasev.

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PFC Ludogorets Razgrad

Bulgaria: A Group

Japan: J. League

Re c o r d c h a m p io n s ba n k i ng on fresh start Alan Schweingruber is a staff writer on The FIFA Weekly.

Things were meant to turn out a little differently for Kashima Antlers, the most successful side in the history of the Japanese J. League. Having failed to lift the trophy for the past six seasons, their task at the start of the current term in early March was clear: secure a strong position in the early rounds of the campaign – preferably top spot – and qualify for the final tournament in the autumn, when the new Japanese champion will be crowned.

Those well-intentioned plans went awry from the start. Brazilian coach Toninho Cerezo and his team failed to gain any momentum and ended June in a distinctly average eighth place. The fact that they lagged 19 points behind top-of-the-table Urawa Red Diamonds at that point illustrated the extent to which they missed their pre-season target.

imago

Although Cerezo came in for his fair share of criticism, he remained in his post, not least because he is held in high regard in Japan. After all, it was the Brazilian who steered the club to their most successful campaign ever in 2000 as they won every domestic competition – an achievement no team has since managed to emulate – before successfully defending their championship crown the following year. That is not a bad record for any coach.

Now though, Cerezo’s second spell with Kashima Antlers has come to a premature end. Club management took action after the team started the second half of the season with the same lack of drive with which they ended the first. The manager who shored up Brazil’s defensive midfield at two World Cups was gone after two years in charge. His successor and former assistant Masatada Ishii began the post-Cerezo era with a 2-1 win over FC Tokyo, grabbing three points that will be vital if the Antlers are to realise their dream of securing their eighth league title in December.

Gen Shoji The defender helped Kashima Antlers to a 2-1 victory over FC Tokyo.

The strong bond between Japan and Brazil is a phenomenon that extends beyond football.

Some 1.5 million Japanese live in South America’s largest country – more than in any other nation outside Japan – while Brazilians play for almost every J. League club, with three still under contract at Kashima Antlers since Cerezo’s departure. The first of their countrymen ever to pull on the club’s colours was none

other than Zico, who played in midfield for the Ibaraki Prefecture side in 1993 before becoming their technical director. Several years later, the man from Rio de Janeiro even coached Japan’s national team all the way to the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals in Germany. Å

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THE INTERVIEW

“Deschamps knows what he's doing” At 41, Robert Pires is not interested in contemplating retirement.

“As long as I’m enjoying myself and I’m healthy, I’ll play,” the former Arsenal star says in an interview.

You are the only player from France’s World Cup-winning squad yet to retire.

Robert Pires: (Laughs) Yes, it’s true. At the moment, I’m waiting to see whether I’ll try one last adventure in India, like last year. I’m kind of just waiting, as I was last year. I’m working hard to be ready to leave if I get called back.

How would you judge your fitness levels?

I feel I’m in good shape. I’m pretty happy because the other day I took part in pre-season training at Arsenal, with the club’s internationals. OK, I’m not going to pretend I didn’t suffer a little because at 41 it’s not the same any more. But let’s just say that the body is willing, the mind is still ready and, above all, I have no issues with getting back to work. As for my vision and technique, they’re still there, even if I always have to work on them – which is true if you’re 20 or 40.

Why is it so difficult for players to hang up their boots, even after a career like yours?

I can’t complain. I played at the highest level for 19 seasons, and I’m aware of having had a wonderful career. Right now, I’m guided by my love of football more than anything else. There are always jealous people who’ll criticise and say that I’m chasing money, but I’ve never heard of any professions that people do for free. The Indians got in touch with me to use my name and image, so it’s only fair that I get paid for that. But, I’ll say it again: I love football. I live in London and, whenever I get a chance to play a five-a-side game with some friends, I’m there. Football is my passion.

What did you make of India?

I enjoyed India a lot. I learned a lot and came face to face with the poverty there, which is very, very tough. One thing’s for sure: I no longer have the right to complain about anything. That’s impossible now. But I discovered a beautiful country, fabulous and very welcoming people, and the local cuisine.

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Does your desire to keep playing reveal a certain frustration with your career? Does it mean that you feel like you haven’t done enough?

France also won the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup, when you were voted player of the tournament. How did you feel during that period?

No, I’m not frustrated. It’s just part of who I am, and I love football. Beyond that, it’s true that I do have trouble retiring. What’s certain is that the highest level is behind me now. But if I can still get to enjoy myself, I won’t hesitate. I have my health for a start, and that’s what’s most important. And former players never stop telling me: “Robert, you’re right. As long as you can still play, as long as you can still run and as long as you still have the desire to work hard, then keep going.” They won’t say it, but there are former players who regret having stopped too soon. I won’t give their names, but some of them have told me (laughs).

So all those jealous and bitter people who think that footballers make too much money for just chasing a ball… There’s no problem. I accept all criticism. But I’m sure that if they were in my place, they would do the same thing.

Arsene Wenger said to me at the time: ‘I don’t know what’s happening at the moment, Robert, but I get the impression you’re flying!’

(Laughs) And it’s true that everything I did was coming off – all the controls, all the dribbles, all the shots. There are moments like that when you’re in a state of grace. I wasn’t about to complain; quite simply, that was my best period. Then, as so often happens in football, I got that injury in 2002. For me, it wasn’t serious: it was part of the game.

You were a world champion at 24 and European champion at 26. Looking back, what are your thoughts now on your early taste of glory?

People put their faith in me, that’s all. The first was Aime Jacquet because he believed in me and saw I had qualities that could help the France team. Above all, there was a very good generation around me.

When France were celebrating becoming European champions on 2 July 2000 thanks to your memorable burst down the left, did you think that was just the start for Les Bleus and yourself?

Yes, and I wanted us to go as far as possible. I started with the senior team in 1996 and finished in 2004. I think I did what was required and it was an honour and pride for me to represent my country. We did the double with our World Cup and EURO wins, and that’s what’s most important for a top-level athlete. I made 79 appearances in blue and I’m very proud of what I’ve achieved, at club level and especially at international level.

France are currently going through a period of change and have had some disappointing results. Does this worry you a year before EURO 2016?

I always believe in the France team. I’m not worried because I think Didier Deschamps is the right man for the task at hand.

He knows what he’s doing and he knows how to manage the players. I really liked the fact that he had a big rant after the Albania game.

That will do everyone some good. I’m not going to judge France on losses to Belgium and Albania because we’ve all been there before. They’re the kinds of games that come at the wrong time.

Why was that?

OK, you have to play them and respect the shirt when you’re called up – that’s very important – but there’s a kind of fatigue that sets in as a result of the past season having been so long. And, above all, it’s a time of year when you have just one thing on your mind: going on holiday and relaxing, because the new season will be even longer. So, to repeat what I said before, I’m not worried and we mustn’t be too harsh on the players. They made a mess of those two games and suffered two defeats, but that’s not the most important thing. What’s most important is that they’re ready for the first match of the EURO. Å Robert Pires was speaking to Julien Sebbah

Name Robert Pires Date and place of birth 29 October 1973, Reims, France Position Midfielder Clubs played for 1991–1992 Stade Reims 1992–1998 Metz 1998–2000 Olympique Marseille 2000–2006 Arsenal 2006–2010 Villarreal 2010–2011 Aston Villa 2014 FC Goa France national team

Allot Warren / Presse Sports / L’Equipe

79 caps, 14 goals

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First Love Place: KukĂŤs, Albania Date: 25 April 2009 Time: 6.15 p.m.

Photog rapher: Christoph Busse

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VISUM

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FOOTBALL FOR HOPE

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

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

MEDICINE

PRESIDENTIAL NOTE

Reducing injuries in youth football Boys and girls across Canada will benefit as the FIFA 11+ warm-up programme gets underway there.

Only the best is good enough

T Warming up An important process before every football match.

kevin C. Cox / FIFA via Getty Images

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ust a few weeks after the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™, football's world governing body, the Canadian Soccer Association and the Public Health Agency of Canada have announced the launch in Canada of the FIFA 11+, a warm-up programme designed to reduce football injuries. The initiative will be a significant legacy of Canada 2015, benefiting youth soccer players across the whole country.

The programme was developed for players aged 14 years and older, and scientific evidence has shown that injuries can be reduced by up to 50% if the programme is practised on a regular basis. It has been successfully implemented in a number of FIFA member associations, including the last two FIFA World Cup™ champions, Germany and Spain, and FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011™ victors Japan. In Canada, the FIFA 11+ will be implemented in conjunction with Movement Preparation, a physical literacy programme developed by Canadian Sport for Life that uses similar exercises, but is geared towards soccer players between the ages of 7 and 13.

Both the Public Health Agency of Canada and FIFA are investing CAD 1 million over four years in this initiative. “I’m extremely pleased to see this programme introduced in Canada with the support of the Canadian government, which shows the contribution that such a programme can have on public health,” said FIFA's Chief Medical Officer Jiri Dvorak. “It will ensure that the FIFA Women’s World Cup leaves a long-lasting legacy for the entire football community in Canada.” Å tfw

he Preliminary Draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™, held in St. Petersburg last Saturday, marked the start of a new era - and triggered the countdown to the 21st FIFA finals.

When the tournament begins on 14 June 2018 in the renovated Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia will take centre stage as hosts for the first time. The majority of the rest of the football community will watch on as spectators, as only 32 of the 209 associations that originally registered will have a place at the competition.

That highlights the value of the qualifying campaign. In the European confederation alone there are sure to be a number of dramatic moments from September 2016 onwards, as there are 52 teams vying for one of the continent’s 13 available places. The road to EURO 2016 is easier by comparison. Of the 54 UEFA associations, 24 will make it to the tournament next year in France – that equates to almost 45 per cent.

The situation is similar in South America. Although there is no qualifying round for the Copa America – the continental championship – there are only four automatic World Cup berths available for the ten teams. The fifth place is decided in an intercontinental playoff with a team from Oceania.

Our fascination with the World Cup should not be reduced to just the tournament itself. The qualifying rounds remain the foundation, with 851 matches providing every national association with a chance to qualify, while also guaranteeing spectacles, entertainment and a culture of performance. After all, the finals must remain an exclusive contest between the world’s elite. On a personal level I’m already looking forward to a thrilling competition that will separate the wheat from the chaff. For when you look at how systematically, productively and successfully the Russian LOC is working with three years still to go before the World Cup kicks off, there can be no doubt whatsoever: only the best is good enough for Russia.

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

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FOOTBALL TRICKS

The Cruyff turn Sweden’s Jan Olsson, in blue, appeared to have everything under control before Johan Cruyff skipped past him.

Box of tricks

Feints, dribbles and shimmies – when play­fulness and creativity are combined with technical excellence, football becomes a form of dance, writes Sarah Steiner.

Screenshots YouTube (12)

The Zidane roulette There was seemingly no stopping the Frenchman when he was on the ball.

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FOOTBALL TRICKS

H

e appears to float, to dance, not so much touching the ball as caressing it, a stroke here, a nudge there. He is utterly mesmerising, a natural, innate mover. This a master at work, a magician and an artist rolled into one. Words cannot adequately describe the feeling of watching him play. He is Zinedine Zidane.

The peerless French playmaker could do virtually anything with a ball at his feet: dribble, shoot, trick and feint. Yet there is one move that stands as a symbol of the way he played. It goes by many names: the Mare turn, the 360, the Marseille turn and the Zidane roulette.

It was the Frenchman’s favourite piece of skill. In essence it comprised three stages: a step, a body swivel and a burst of speed. He would place his boot on top of the ball and in the same movement spin his body round 180 degrees before dragging the ball with his other foot, turning another 180 degrees and dashing onwards.

Zidane simply refused to be separated from the ball, which is why he dodged past the players who got in his way. His inimitable style of play would allow him to shimmy through the best opposition defence.

“It went right in the corner – I never expected it to end up there.”

Ricardo Infante on his Rabona goal.

The birth of the Puskas pullback Zidane is not the only well-known footballer to have lent his name to a trick. Long before he arrived on the scene, Ferenc Puskas had revolutionised the game. In 1953 Puskas was part of the Hungary team that played

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FOOTBALL TRICKS

in the so-called match of the century against England at Wembley, scoring twice in a 6-3 victory against a side that was unbeaten at home until then. The Mighty Magyars' attacking play was sensational and Puskas’ eye-catching goal to put his team 4-1 up made history. The Hungarian captain’s skilful feint, akin to a Torero sidestepping an onrushing bull, left English defender Wright standing. “Nine out of ten times I’d have won the ball,” Wright recalled. “But that time my opponent was the incomparable Puskas and I didn’t win it.” And so the Puskas pullback was born. Today it is considered one of the most widely used tricks in the game, and one of the most effective at eluding opponents.

Brazilian effortlessness Speed, agility and the ability to change direction are vital components of the modern game.

Brazilian football has produced many stars who combined all three characteristics, including Rivelino, Romario and Ronaldinho. The latter perfected one trick in particular, the Elastico, and used it while running at full speed to outfox countless opponents who were powerless to stop him, despite knowing what was coming. Ronaldinho made as if to go past his marker to his right, only to flick the ball back in the opposite direction in the same instant and skip past his opponent on the left. Ronaldinho once said: “Samba and football – that is my life”. The parallels between the two are unmistakable.

Watching the Brazilian in action was a breathtaking experience. His unbridled joy at playing was evident whenever he was in possession, as was his love of the game, desire to score and obsession with the ball. He was blessed with unrivalled technique and would perform his dazzling tricks at unbelievable speed. The pinnacle of his career was winning the 2002 FIFA World Cup™, and he was voted World Player of the Year both in 2004 and 2005. There has scarcely been a player since Pele that has embodied the essence of “Joga Bonito”, the beautiful game, so completely as Ronaldinho.

The Rabona From Ricardo Infante to Diego Maradona and Alex Song (pictured), the Rabona is a popular trick among footballers.

“I didn’t really understand what had happened.”

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Marc Atkins / Offside

Jan Olsson on the Cruyff turn.

The first Cruyff turn Brazilians were not the only ones to execute spectacular tricks. Johan Cruyff became a symbol of Dutch total football and demonstrated as much while playing for the Netherlands at the 1974 World Cup. In the 23rd minute of the Netherlands’ group game against Sweden at the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund, Cruyff received the ball with his right

FOOTBALL TRICKS

foot and for a brief moment it looked as though he would lose control of it. He turned back towards his own goal before shaping to pass, only to drag the ball back and spin 180 degrees, leaving baffled Sweden defender Jan Olsson, who had been right behind him, standing in his wake.

Nowadays, any good technical player can perform the turn, which is frequently employed as an effective way of beating an opponent. Back then it was unique and Olsson was accordingly astounded by it: “To be honest I didn’t really understand what had happened. I thought I was about to get the ball but then suddenly I realised I wasn’t.

I’d never seen anything like it before.” There was even a hint of pride in Olsson’s voice as he continued: “He could have done that to any player but I’m glad it was me. I’m grateful to have met the great Johan Cruyff and to have played against him.”

Presse Sports / freshfocus

The Puskas pullback Ferenc Puskas (l.) perfected his trick while playing for Real Madrid.

The Rabona Another of the most spectacular tricks in the game is the Rabona. In this instance a player is in a position where he should shoot with his weaker foot, but instead wraps his stronger foot behind his standing leg to shoot, effectively doing so with his legs crossed. It is for that reason it is also known as a scissor trick. In July, Boca Juniors player Jonathan Calleri scored the winner against Quilmes with a Rabona that even lifted Diego Maradona out of his seat at La Bombonera stadium.

Maradona was a fan of the technique in his playing days, using it to provide inch-perfect crosses.

The origins of the name Rabona date back to September 1948 when Ricardo Infante scored in that manner for Estudiantes La Plata. An Argentinian sports magazine later published an article with the headline: “Un Infante que se hizo la rabona”. In Argentina the phrase “hacerse la rabona” refers to school pupils rebelling against their parents and playing truant. As ‘Infante’ is a synonym for ‘child’, the article perfectly encapsulated how the 24-year-old had gone against the grain by shooting with his stronger foot when it looked like his only option was to strike with his weaker one. “It went right in the corner – I never expected it to end up there,” said Infante, the sixth highest all-time scorer in the Argentinian league, in 1998 on the 50th anniversary of his Rabona.

He added with a hint of regret that “the goal never got the attention it deserved. Back then there was no television and the print media didn’t cover every game.” Å T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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RU S SI A 2018

Heated duels, high hopes With the Preliminary Draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ now complete, the path to the finals has been set out for football associations across the globe. Annette Braun casts an eye over the national teams’ prospects in all six confederations.

“A

fter the game is before the game,” as 1954 FIFA World Cup™ winning West Germany coach Sepp Herberger once famously said. On 25 July, more than a year after Brazil 2014 and with new champions since crowned in Asia, Africa, South America and North and Central America, the world’s attention turned to Russia. Who, apart from the hosts, will be taking part in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and what highlights can we look forward to in the upcoming qualifiers?

“The gap between the strongest teams and the less-fancied ones has closed a lot in recent years,” said Samuel Eto’o at the event in St. Petersburg. When asked to sum up the situation for African sides, the 28

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poster child of Cameroonian football observed that even regular World Cup participants can no longer be assured of a place at the world’s biggest tournament.

Nevertheless, Côte d’Ivoire’s first task is unlikely to pose any major problems for the reigning African champions as they prepare to face the winner of the encounter between Liberia and GuineaBissau. Other clear favourites within this confederation include Algeria, who will play either Tanzania or Malawi, and Ghana, who are awaiting a tie with Comoros or Lesotho. Africa’s World Cup qualifying will only enter the group stage once the knockout stages have been completed.

imago

A distinguished duel David Silva (right) helps Spain to a 4-0 win over Italy in the EURO 2012 final and the title of European champions.

RU S SI A 2018

In Oceania, the road to Russia begins with an elimination round contested by lower-ranked teams including Samoa and Tonga, with favourites New Zealand only beginning their campaign once these games have been played. The All Whites became Oceanic champions in 2010 and 2014 after Australia switched to the AFC and even won a play-off against Bahrain five years ago to book their place at the finals in South Africa. With Australia having already secured qualification via the AFC, the tournament was the first World Cup to include two teams from Oceania.

Should New Zealand seal a continental triumph as expected, they will face the fifth-placed South American side in a play-off – a mammoth task for a traditionally rugby-focused nation.

Patrick Kluivert The former Dutch international is now seeking success as Curacao coach.

The draw Europe’s qualifiers promise to deliver some fascinating encounters.

Bianca Litscher, Shaun Botterill / Getty Images,imago

Draw favours reigning world champions The task awaiting Germany appears to be an achievable one when European qualification gets underway in September 2016. Tipped as favourites against Czech Republic, Northern Ireland, Norway, Azerbaijan and San Marino, fans of the World Cup holders can almost begin saving for their tickets to Russia already. National team manager Oliver Bierhoff certainly seemed satisfied with the draw, saying: “I’m glad we’re not playing Italy or France.”

The draw was not quite so positive for the Netherlands and Spain, who face the top two nations in Pot 2. While the Oranje will need to overcome both France and Sweden to secure direct qualification from Group A, Group G will witness replays of both the EURO 2012 final and the 2013 FIFA Confederations Club semi-final. Italy and Spain will play the two most prestigious matches in a pool they are widely expected to top ahead of rivals Albania, Israel, Macedonia and Liechtenstein.

Big battles and famous faces Reflecting on the situation in South America, Brazil legend Ronaldo said: “From what we’ve seen in the last few tournaments, this is going to be one of the most keenly contested qualifying competitions of recent times.” A Seleção’s return to World Cup qualification will further intensify the battle for the 4.5 available places as Argentina and recently-crowned Copa America champions Chile join the hosts of the 2014 finals as the continent’s pacesetters.

There will also be excellent opportunities not only for Uruguay and Colombia but also Paraguay and Peru, two sides keen to follow up on their impressive performances at the Copa America. Brazil will face Chile in their first qualifier, while perennial rivals Argentina await them in the third round of matches. The 2014 World Cup finalists appointed coach Gerardo Martino last summer, meaning six of the ten CONMEBOL teams currently have an Argentinian directing them from the touchline.

Caribbean side Curacao can also boast a famous face on their bench after former Dutch international Patrick Kluivert was placed in charge earlier this year. This diminutive nation have already achieved some-

thing remarkable by reaching the third round of CONCACAF qualifying, with the prospect of a further challenge against El Salvador up next.

Jamaica head into their knockout match against Nicaragua with plenty of momentum after progressing to the final of this summer’s Gold Cup. Only then will the decisive group phase begin, with 2014 World Cup sides Mexico, Costa Rica and USA the leading contenders to advance to the finals.

Wins for some favourites, shocks for others With their own qualifying campaign already in full swing, representatives from Asian national sides were absent in St. Petersburg. Usual suspects Iran, Japan, Australia and Korea Republic are currently in the hunt for tickets to Russia 2018, and while the latter two teams managed to win their opening matches, Iran and Japan could only manage a draw apiece.

Meanwhile Guam have sprung the greatest surprise so far, currently leading Group D despite challenging for a World Cup spot for the first time in 15 years. Å

2018 FIFA Wor ld Cup qualif y ing Which teams will meet as they seek to secure one of the 31 available places at the 2018 World Cup? What is the schedule in each confederation en route to the tournament in Russia? For more information regarding the Preliminary Draw in St. Petersburg, and an overview of the results in each group, visit: http://tinyurl.com/yf4jn94

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GENER AL INFORMATION Country: Australia FIFA Trigramme: AUS Continent: Australia Capital: Canberra

Back to their roots Sarah Steiner

Mario Wagner / 2Agenten

M

odern football would be unlikely to exist without Sheffield FC, who were pioneers at the very least. Founded on 24 October 1857, this amateur English side are the oldest club still in existence anywhere in the world. The side's Sheffield Rules was the sport’s first modern rulebook.

Now, almost 160 years on, Sheffield FC have set themselves a major challenge: to play at Olive Grove, where illustrious neighbours Sheffield Wednesday played their first competitive game against Blackburn Rovers on 12 September 1887. Now part of the Northern Premier League Division One South, the eighth tier of English football, Sheffield FC currently run out every other week at the Coach and Horses Stadium in the suburb of Dronfield. But all that may soon change.

Sheffield City Council have agreed for Olive Grove to be leased to the club, but there is much to be done before football can again be played on this hallowed ground. The grassy meadow must be levelled and a small stand built. As the club is run as a foundation, 100 per cent committed to its amateur philosophy, it is now calling on fans of the beautiful game across the globe to support the project. The founders of this initiative are welcoming any donations via a crowdfunding campaign with the motto: “Your £1 for the home of football”.

Sheffield FC need at least £150,000 to realise their dream, but each supporter will receive some kind of reward for their donation.

For example, every fan who donates £1 receives a personalised certificate signed by club president Richard Tims. For £15 you get a team scarf, while £30 is enough for club membership. Anyone able to dig a little deeper into their pockets can pay a weekend visit to Sheffield including a home match and a penalty shoot-out with the team’s goalkeeper for just £250. As if this were not enough, the most avid football philanthropist can donate £1000, giving them the opportunity to play a half for the club in either an official league match or a specially arranged game depending on their age and skill levels.

The location of these one-off appearances will depend on the campaign’s success. If Sheffield FC can reach their target, football will finally return to Olive Grove. Å

GEOGR APHIC INFORMATION Surface area: 7,692,024 km² Highest point: Mount Kosciuszko 2,228 m Neighbouring seas and oceans: Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean

MEN’S FOOTBALL FIFA Ranking: 59th World Cup: 4 Appearances 1974, 2006, 2010, 2014 Best performance: Round of 16, 2006

WOMEN’S FOOTBALL FIFA Ranking: 9th World Cup: 6 Appearances 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 Best performance: Quarterfinals 2007, 2011, 2015

L ATES T RESULTS Men’s: Kyrgyzstan – Australia 1:2 16 June 2015 Women’s: Australia – Japan 0:1 27 June 2015

FIFA INVES TMENTS The weekly column by our staff writers

Since 2011: $ 3,100,000 T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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Footballers enjoy a muddy annual gathering.

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The boggy setting for the “Cup of Russia”.

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THE ART OF FOOTBALL

The layers of the game Ronald Duker

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

“I made a promise to my wife.

We don’t have that many years left together, that’s the reason.

The time has come to enjoy life and our relationship.”

Manchester United coach Louis van Gaal announces he is to retire once his contract expires in 2017.

“For me, us finishing as runners-up is worth a gold medal, rather than a silver one. Jamaica should be very proud of this team. I certainly am.”

Jamaica coach Winfried Schafer after his side’s defeat in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final.

Harun Farocki

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ome football matches linger long in the memory because of one moment in particular. The 2006 FIFA World Cup™ final between France and Italy is one such game, as France’s Zinedine Zidane was sent off for violent conduct near the end of the encounter with an act that possibly contributed to his side’s defeat. Zidane’s headbutt against Italy’s Marco Materazzi has been etched as a tragedy into the collective memory ever since.

The subjective filter of human memory has largely erased the other events that occurred on that summer evening at Berlin’s Olympic stadium. However, thanks to technology the entire game was recorded and saved for eternity. The recently deceased video artist Harun Farocki, a Berlin native, used that final to demonstrate in exemplary fashion just how many different layers a game can have, and how many angles it can be observed, interpreted and analysed from. His video, “Deep Play”, formed part of the ‘documenta’ international art exhibition on display in Kassel a year after the 2006 World Cup. Twelve television screens played fulllength repeats of the final, with each monitor showing a completely different perspective. For example, one screen had the ‘clean feed’, the raw video footage without commentary that was sent from the stadium to the 250 television stations, who would then incorporate it into their live broadcasts. Another screen

showed the simultaneous observations of Patrick Vieira and Fabio Cannavaro on the playing field, while another screen was dedicated entirely to showing the gestures and body language of Italy’s coach. Another allowed viewers to see what the 50 closed-circuit television cameras around the stadium picked up while the match was under way. Furthermore, two and three-dimensional animations translated the action on the pitch into graphics and simulations: passing moves, build-up play and players’ movements – all of that information was obtained in real-time and made readable in a new visual context.

The title “Deep Play” makes it clear that Farocki’s objective was to stress that spectators perceive the fleeting experience of a football match from only one specific and entirely subjective viewpoint. Individual, emotionally charged excerpts are superimposed onto others; certain observations make others invisible. Viewed as a whole, the beautiful game is an infinitely complex affair. Anyone who takes a closer look and, like an archaeologist, uncovers layer by layer all the events that simultaneously take place in a single game, will find that the 90 minutes between kick-off and the final whistle are nowhere near enough to obtain an overview of everything going on. Should anyone be so inclined, they could almost devote an eternity to observing a single game. Å

“It’s not up to me who plays in the league or in the Champions League; the coach decides that. I’ll work hard to play in all competitions. My decision to return to the team earlier than planned was the right one.”

Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen on his decision to cut his holiday short by 11 days in order to join the club’s training camp earlier.

“We can’t make the same mistake we did after 1990. Back then we won the World Cup, East Germany opened up and we got some great new players.

Franz Beckenbauer said we would be unbeatable for years to come. We believed that for ten years and then we woke up and realised a lot of teams had overtaken us.”

Oliver Bierhoff on the German national team.

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TURNING POINT

“The whole country was gripped by women’s football fever!”

Dagny Brynjarsdottir, 23, became a national heroine in Iceland after scoring the goal that earned her country a place in the quarter-finals of UEFA Women’s EURO 2013.

Martin Hangen

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July 2013 will always be a special day for me. That was the day I scored the goal that made me famous. One newspaper in Florida, where I was studying sports marketing and playing for Florida Seminoles College at the time, even claimed that the goal had made me a national hero in Iceland. My goal in the 1-0 victory over the Netherlands at the European Championships in Sweden was a momentous one in the history of our national team, as it sealed our place in the quarter-finals of the Euros for the very first time.

The cross came from the left and I leapt up, won the header and scored the goal. Of course, it was impossible to tell at that point how important that goal would go on to be. I was just celebrating because we had taken the lead in the game. After the final whistle the joy was obviously unbounded. We partied and danced and I ran towards the stands because my parents and boyfriend were at the match.

Because the game was being broadcast live on television, the goal made me famous overnight. The match really captured the imagination of the 320,000 inhabitants of Iceland, who were all gripped by women’s football fever! It was as if the whole country had caught fire.

Ever since my goal I’m often recognised in the street and people come up and talk to me when I’m out shopping. That fills me with pride.

And yet it didn’t even look like I was going to make the starting eleven for that game. I hadn’t felt right during training before our

first match at the Euros, but I did well in the final session ahead of the opener and managed to carry that form into the group stages. I was named in the starting line-up despite the fact I’d been given the number 14 shirt. I think it was down to my fighting spirit. Even as a little girl I had to assert myself physically when I was playing with boys, which made me very tough.

I grew up in Hella, a village of 700 inhabitants south-east of Reykjavik. When I joined local giants Valur in 2007 I was on my own for the first time. My parents had been driving me back and forth to training and to matches.

Eventually they decided that I should move.

From being sheltered at my parents’ house in our little village to being all alone in a big city as a 16-year-old - that was good for my development and helped me cope better after I moved to Florida. It made me grow up. Å Dagny Brynjarsdottir was speaking to Rainier Hennies

Name Dagny Brynjarsdottir Date and place of birth 10 August 1991, Hella (Iceland) Position Midfielder Clubs 2007–2013 Valur Reykjavik 2014 UMF Selfoss 2015 Bayern Munich 2015 UMF Selfoss Major honours 2007-2010 Icelandic champion (Valur Reykjavik) 2009-2011 Icelandic Cup winner (Value Reykjavik) 2015 German champion (Bayern Munich) National team: Iceland 53 caps, 11 goals

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

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MEN’S WORLD R ANKING

Argentina (up 2) Romania (8th, up 4), England (9th, up 6), Wales (10th, up 12) Spain (12th, down 2), Uruguay (13th, down 5), France (22nd, down 13) 213 Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru (7 matches each) Wales (up 226 points) Belize (up 37 ranks) Germany (down 364 points) Central African Republic (down 29 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

1 Argentina

2 1473

55 Egypt

2 Germany

-1 1411

3 Belgium 4 Colombia

+/- Points

Rank Team

0

606

108 Azerbaijan

56 Paraguay

29

603

-1 1244

57 Nigeria

-14

0 1217

58 Guinea

-13

5 Netherlands

1 1204

59 Australia

6 Brazil

-1 1186

60 Congo DR

Last updated: 10 July 2015 +/- Points

Rank Team

+/- Points

7

302

163 Suriname

-13

141

110 Lithuania

-14

301

164 Indonesia

-9

134

601

111 Sierra Leone

-28

300

165 Timor-Leste

-19

130

591

112 Zimbabwe

7

290

166 Bhutan

-7

128

4

559

113 Bahrain

-7

282

167 New Caledonia

2

118

-4

555

114 Namibia

-9

276

168 Malaysia

-6

117

-3

115

7 Portugal

0 1177

61 Mali

-9

550

115 St Vincent and the Grenadines

-3

268

169 Bangladesh

8 Romania

4 1166

62 Panama

-8

549

116 Kenya

7

263

170 Central African Republic

9 England

6 1157

63 Equatorial Guinea

-13

546

117 Syria

4

262

-29

111

171 Yemen

-6

104

10 Wales

12 1155

64 Trinidad and Tobago

3

543

118 Belize

37

257

172 Pakistan

-2

101

11 Chile

8 1129

65 Gabon

-6

524

119 Palestine

-1

255

173 Chad

-1

100

12 Spain

-2 1110

66 Bolivia

23

511

120 St Kitts and Nevis

-6

254

174 Dominica

-6

98

13 Uruguay

-5 1036

67 Norway

-3

495

120 Botswana

-9

254

175 US Virgin Islands

-4

97

14 Croatia

4 1023

68 Bulgaria

-6

489

122 Madagascar

-9

250

176 Maldives

2

87

15 Slovakia

2 1016

69 United Arab Emirates

4

487

123 Kuwait

2

242

177 Laos

-2

86

13

236

178 Montserrat

3

74

0

236

179 Chinese Taipei

-1

72

-10

227

180 Mauritius

-4

71

9

225

181 Cambodia

-3

66

15 Austria

5 1016

70 South Africa

-1

483

124 Philippines

17 Italy

-4 1001

71 Zambia

-3

482

124 Moldova

18 Switzerland

-7

997

72 Burkina Faso

-6

481

126 Dominican Republic

19 Algeria

2

941

73 Uganda

-2

467

127 St Lucia

20 Czech Republic

-4

933

74 Faroe Islands

28

456

128 Mauritania

21

224

181 Macau

4

66

21 Côte d’Ivoire

3

917

75 Uzbekistan

-1

453

129 Korea DPR

17

222

183 Sri Lanka

3

62

22 France

-13

882

76 Jamaica

-11

437

130 Lebanon

5

218

184 Brunei Darussalam

0

61

23 Iceland

14

877

77 China PR

2

436

131 Burundi

3

217

185 Nepal

-2

60

24 Denmark

5

876

78 Rwanda

16

433

131 Lesotho

-9

217

186 Seychelles

1

52

25 Ghana

9

827

79 Haiti

-3

428

133 Guinea-Bissau

22

213

187 Comoros

3

51

26 Bosnia and Herzegovina

6

819

80 Honduras

-5

427

134 Afghanistan

17

212

188 Tahiti

-6

50

27 Ukraine

8

791

81 Montenegro

-11

423

135 Aruba

16

211

189 São Tomé e Príncipe

-1

48

28 Russia

-2

782

82 Estonia

9

420

136 Bermuda

-10

209

189 Cayman Islands

0

48

29 Scotland

-1

774

83 Togo

-6

415

136 New Zealand

2

209

191 Solomon Islands

-1

44

30 Poland

2

769

84 Morocco

8

394

138 Swaziland

24

206

192 San Marino

0

40

31 Hungary

11

763

85 Cyprus

2

391

139 Tanzania

-12

200

193 Turks and Caicos Islands

0

33

32 Tunisia

-3

758

86 Iraq

0

382

140 Thailand

-11

199

194 British Virgin Islands

0

27

33 Sweden

6

752

87 Latvia

-5

377

141 Barbados

-9

198

195 South Sudan

2

24

34 USA

-7

748

88 El Salvador

1

374

142 Kazakhstan

-9

193

196 Samoa

2

19

35 Ecuador

-4

738

89 Armenia

-5

373

143 Gambia

17

188

197 Vanuatu

3

17

36 Albania

15

722

90 Sudan

18

371

143 Nicaragua

8

188

197 Tonga

3

17

7

721

90 Finland

-12

371

143 Vietnam

-16

188

199 Fiji

-4

16

38 Iran

3

716

92 Angola

-4

355

146 Luxembourg

-15

187

200 Bahamas

-4

13

39 Senegal

-3

715

92 Jordan

11

355

147 Liechtenstein

-18

182

201 American Samoa

2

12

40 Mexico

-17

697

92 Saudi Arabia

6

355

148 Tajikistan

-9

181

202 Papua New Guinea

0

9

41 Costa Rica

-27

695

95 Mozambique

-14

354

149 Curaçao

-5

174

202 Andorra

2

9

42 Cameroon

7

672

96 Benin

14

345

150 Puerto Rico

17

169

204 Eritrea

0

8

43 Serbia

2

662

96 Libya

23

345

150 Singapore

4

169

205 Mongolia

-6

6

44 Greece

-19

661

96 Niger

21

345

152 Turkmenistan

21

167

205 Somalia

1

6

45 Venezuela

27

643

96 Qatar

1

345

153 Georgia

-14

165

207 Djibouti

0

4

46 Peru

15

635

100 Belarus

-20

341

154 Hong Kong

10

163

207 Cook Islands

0

4

47 Congo

0

630

101 Ethiopia

-2

333

154 Guam

20

163

209 Anguilla

0

0

48 Turkey

9

627

102 Oman

-1

329

156 India

-15

161

49 Slovenia

-1

626

103 Canada

6

328

157 Kyrgyzstan

20

160

50 Japan

2

621

104 Cuba

3

313

158 Malta

-13

157

51 Israel

-11

620

105 Guatemala

-12

311

159 Guyana

-1

155

52 Cape Verde Islands

-14

608

105 FYR Macedonia

-5

311

160 Grenada

0

153

52 Republic of Ireland

8

608

107 Antigua and Barbuda

-3

303

161 Liberia

-13

152

52 Korea Republic

6

608

108 Malawi

-13

302

162 Myanmar

-19

145

37 Northern Ireland

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