The FIFA Weekly Issue #31

ISSUE 31/2015, 7 AUGUST 2015

ENGLISH EDITION

Fédération Internationale de Football Association – Since 1904

NETHERLANDS AJAX OUT TO RECLAIM THE TITLE SEPP BLATTER FOOTBALL MUST REMAIN INDEPENDENT U-17 WORLD CUP PARAGUAY ARE BACK THE RISE OF JAMAICA

REGGAE BOYZ

W W W.FIFA.COM/ THEWEEKLY

THIS WEEK IN THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL

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South America 10 members www.conmebol.com

Sudan Excitement is rising among Sudanese football fans at the prospect of a potential CAF Champions League semi-final showdown between Al Merreikh and Al Hilal.

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S epp Blatter “We must put an end to clubs rushing into the arms of investors from outside the game and losing control over their own interests for shortterm financial gain,” says the FIFA President in his weekly column.

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G unter Netzer “Appointing a good head of youth development has become an essential requirement,” says our columnist Gunter Netzer.

Oh, Jamaica!

Our cover image shows Jamaican musician Bob Marley (1945-1981) in Amsterdam, and was taken shortly before one of the reggae legend’s concerts in 1977.

David Burnett / Contact Press

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Mexico Club Leon are back on form. (Pictured: Mauro Boselli)

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U-17 World Cup Coach Carlos Jara Saguier has skilfully guided Paraguay to the upcoming FIFA showpiece in Chile.

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 Copa Libertadores final River Plate (ARG) 3-0 Tigres (MEX) (first leg 0-0)

imago, Getty Images, Valerio Pennicino / Getty Images, Clive Brunskill / Getty Images

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North and Central America 35 members www.concacaf.com

Jamaica While the Caribbean island nation’s second-place finish at this summer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup may have been sensational, it was no accident.

Now their German coach Winnie Schafer is seeking to lead his team to their second World Cup. As Sarah Steiner presents a portrait of this cult coach, we reflect on the team’s development and the era of Bob Marley, who adored the beautiful game.

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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Hero for a day Sometimes one match is all a player needs to go down in history. (Pictured: Harald Brattbakk)

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Netherlands The Eredivisie is attracting attention with an array of famous faces on the sidelines.

(Pictured: Ajax coach Frank de Boer)

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More than easy-going T

Mario Wagner / 2Agenten

here are many small and beautiful countries in the world about which the majority of people know little or nothing, and then there are those small and beautiful nations that everyone can immediately identify with, even if they have never been there. Jamaica is one of those places. With its three million inhabitants, broad sandy beaches, easy-going attitude and Bob Marley music playing on every corner, it is an island of dreams.

Jamaicans clearly cherish their laid-back lifestyle, but even though the ­Reggae Boyz undoubtedly draw strength from their serenity, it is not the only key to the national side's recent success - crowned two weeks ago by a glorious second-place finish at the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Any team capable of topping their group ahead of Costa Rica and Canada before eliminating tournament favourites USA must also be tactically, technically and physically adept.

German coach Winnie Schafer has never managed a major club, but he realised at an early stage in his career that his unique combination of footballing expertise and social skills could be used to accomplish great things. In this week’s issue, Sarah Steiner presents a portrait of this Caribbean cult figure, while we also revisit Jamaica’s first World Cup qualifying campaign and reflect on Bob Marley’s love of the beautiful game. Å Alan Schweingruber

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USA TODAY Sports Images

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MR COOL

After their second-place finish at this summer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup, Jamaica are now turning their attention to Russia and 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying. Coach Winnie Schafer is the man tasked with taking them there, as Sarah Steiner writes.

Winfried Schafer The cult coach – seen here ahead of the 2015 Gold Cup final – is making history with Jamaica.

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infried “Winnie” Schafer is nothing if not a globetrotter. From Germany, Cameroon and Dubai by way of Azerbaijan and Thailand, the list of destinations in which the 65-year-old has already coached makes for impressive reading. These days his home is in Jamaica – specifically Kingston, the Caribbean island’s capital. With its endless summer, sun and sand, has Winnie Schafer found paradise? “Jamaica is a very special place,” says the German, before expressing his admiration for the locals’ attitude to life. “If you ask someone how things are going, they always answer with: ’Wonderful, fantastic’. You never hear anybody say they’re feeling bad,” he explains.

Although Schafer lets his Reggae Boyz play with this same positive attitude, the development of Jamaican football still has some way to go. The country’s greatest achievement by far was qualifying for the 1998 FIFA World Cup France™, but the team has been at the fringes of football’s world map ever since.

Nevertheless, Winnie Schafer has ambitious plans. “Although people still remember the 1998 World Cup fondly, 17 years is a very long time in football,” he says. “That’s why we’re working hard to give Jamaicans some new memories.” Plenty of tough preparations are on the team’s agenda as their first Russia 2018 qualifying tie against Nicaragua in September draws ever closer.

Historic Gold Cup success At this year’s Copa America between 11 June and 4 July, Jamaica were in a tough group containing Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. Although they lost all their matches 1-0, the calibre of their opposition meant Schafer considered the campaign a success. “I’m very proud of my team,” he said after the tournament. “Even though Lionel Messi is the best player in the world, it was Angel di Maria who was named man of the match after our game against Argentina. That means we managed to make sure Messi couldn’t play his best football.”

“It’s the same everywhere when it comes to discipline. If you’re not careful the lads will run rings around you, whether you’re in Germany, Thailand or at Real Madrid.”

A great day Jamaica qualified for their first-ever World Cup on 16 November 1997.

Immediately after the Copa America the team moved on to the CONCACAF Gold Cup, where Schafer’s confidence in his team bore fruit. Jamaica won Group B with seven points from three matches before overpowering Haiti in the quarter-finals. Although many thought the last-four encounter with Jurgen Klinsmann’s USA would mark the end of the Reggae Boyz’ American adventure, they proved their doubters wrong with a 2-1 win to become the first Caribbean side to reach a Gold Cup final. “I’ve been in football for more than 40 years and seen it all but believe me, I’ll never forget this night.

Thank you all!” Schafer tweeted after the semi-final.

Jamaica were ultimately defeated 3-1 by Mexico in the final. “For me this second place is more than just a silver medal; it’s worth its weight in gold. The country should be very proud of this team – I know I am,” the German said after the Caribbean island’s best-ever Gold Cup performance, beating their previous third-place finish in 1993.

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Copa America Lionel Messi did not have it easy against Schafer’s team.

Ben Radford / All Sports / Getty Images, Gabriel Rossi / LatinContent / Getty Images

Winnie Schafer

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PARTY IN JAMAICA Jamaica have only ever qualified for a World Cup once, sealing their place at the 1998 finals on a historic day in November 1997. Four bobsleigh riders at the Winter Olympics in Calgary likewise made history for their country.

A f t e r J am aic a’s r e c e n t d e f e a t t o M e x ic o in t h e G o l d C up f i n al, t h e c oun t r y h a d t o t ake s t o c k an d r e f l e c t o n t h e o p p o r t uni t y t h a t h a d p a s s e d t h e m by. T h e y h a v e wo n t h e C ar ib b e an C up si x t im e s , d o in g s o m o s t r e c e n t l y l a s t y e ar, b u t h a v e n e v e r li f t e d t h e G o l d C up – t h e p r e s t igiou s c o n t in e n t al t i t l e – an d h a ve c e r t ainl y n o t d o n e s o o n U. S . s o il . Pe r h ap s c o a c h W innie S c h a f e r wa s r igh t in s a y in g hi s t e am c oul d h a v e wo n t he f inal if t hey ha d no t p r ev iou sl y p l a y e d a t t he C o p a A m e r ic a . Hin d sigh t i s a wo n d e r f ul t hin g , b u t w h o woul d a c t u all y r e j e c t a n i nv i t a t i o n t o p l a y a t s u c h a b i g a n d t r a d i t i o n a l t our n am e n t in S ou t h A m e r ic a?

J am ai c an s h a v e s h ow n t h e y k n ow h ow t o c e l e b r a t e o n many o c c asions . T he island s ta te’s almo s t t hr e e million in habi tant s ar e pr oud of t heir a t hle te s, w ho t r ain abr o ad and show t he wor ld t her e is mor e to t he na t ion t han jus t a ’ham m o c k c ul t ur e’. W h e n Us ain B o l t c o mp e t e s in t h e O l y mp ic G ame s, ever yone in K ings ton take s to t he s t r e e t s . T he s ame t hing happ ene d a t t he end of Jul y, w hen Jamaic a’s na t ional te am e limina te d t i t le f a vour i te s US A f r om t he G old C up in the semi - f inals. T he matc h was br o adc as t onto huge sc r e ens, w i t h S c haf er t he s tar. Me anw hile, i t was a s eminal evening f o r US A’s G e r m an c o a c h Jur g e n K lin sm ann, w h o h a s b e e n h e a v il y c r i t ic is e d an d f a c e s qu e s t io n s a s t o w h e t h e r h e is s t ill t he r ight man f or t he job.

Mauritius Images

There were fireworks for days in Kingston after Jamaica qualified for the World Cup in 1997, while DJs filled the streets with music.

Par ty time W hil e t h e r e wa s a gr e a t s e n s e o f di s ap p o in t m e n t a f t e r l o s ing t he G o l d C up f inal, t he ove r r iding f e e ling in Jam aic a wa s o n e o f j o y a t t h e ir s e n s a t i o n a l r u n n e r s - u p f in i s h , a r e s u l t t h a t s t an d s a s o n e o f t h e b ig g e s t a c hie v e m e n t s in t h e n a t ion’s f o o t b alling his t or y. In t ha t r e g ar d i t f a c e s c omp e t i t ion f o r t h e numb e r o n e s p o t f r o m t h e sid e t h a t qu ali f ie d f o r a F IFA Wo r l d C up™ f o r t h e f ir s t an d t o d a t e o nl y t im e o n 16 N ov e mb e r 1997.

T h a t d a y J am aic a dr ew 0 - 0 w i t h M e x ic o in a p o o r g am e that featured countless long balls in temperatures that r e a c h e d w h a t s e e m e d t o b e 5 0 d e gr e e s C e l siu s . E v e n b e f o r e

Legendary The bathtub scene from Cool Runnings (1993).

t h e m a t c h k i c ke d o f f s e v e r al o f t h e 5 0,0 0 0 s p e c t a t o r s r e c e i v e d m e dic al a t t e n t io n du e t o h e a t s t r o ke . A s t h e Re g g a e B oy z h a d a c c umul a t e d p l e n t y o f p o in t s in t h e ir e ar lie r qu al i f y in g f i x t ur e s , t h e dr a w wa s e n o u gh f o r t h e m t o s e c ur e a t ic ke t t o t h e f in al s in Fr an c e t h e f o ll ow in g y e ar. T h e r e we r e f ir ewo r k s in K in g s t o n f o r d a y s a f t e r war d s , w hil e D Js f ill e d t h e s t r e e t s w i t h mu sic . T h e w il d c e l e b r a t io n s we n t o n and o n a n d w e r e r e m i n i s c e n t o f t h o s e o n 6 A u g u s t 1962, w h e n J am aic a a c quir e d in d e p e n d e n c e f r o m G r e a t B r i t ain .

Cool Runnings A n o t h e r k e y p a r t o f J a m a i c a ’s s p o r t i n g h i s t o r y i s t h e w o r l d - f a m o u s b o b s l e i g h a d v e n t u r e in C a l g a r y, C a n a d a i n 1988. It t ake s a c e r t ain am oun t o f c r e a t i v i t y t o im a gin e f our C ar ib b e an m e n o n ic e a t t h e W in t e r O l y mp ic s , a s n o t e v e n in Jam aic a’s Blu e Moun t ain s , w i t h p e ak s r e a c hing 2,0 0 0 m e t r e s , i s t h e r e s n ow. Ye t A m e r ic an b u sin e s s m e n G e o r g e F i t c h and W illiam Maloney had t he ide a t o s c our Jamaic a f or go o d a t hl e t e s an d f a s t r unn e r s . A f t e r u sin g p o s t e r s t o a t t r a c t ap p lic an t s , t h e ir O l y mp ic p r oje c t did in f a c t m a t e r iali s e . Two ou t s t an din g 10 0 m e t r e s p r in t e r s , Mic h a e l W hi t e an d C hr i s St o ke s ; a mid dl e di s t an c e r unn e r, D e v o n H ar r i s ; an d a h e li c o p t e r p il o t , St o ke s’ b r o t h e r D u dl e y, t o o k p ar t a t t h e g am e s i n C a l g a r y. D e s p i t e t h e i r p o o r p e r f o r m a n c e t h e y b e c a m e s t ar s an d t h e ir s p e c t a c ul ar s t o r y w a s t ur n e d in t o a H o ll y wo o d f ilm – ’C o o l Runnin g s’ – a f ew y e ar s l a t e r in 1993.

Alan Schweingruber

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JAMAICA

From Africa and Asia to the Caribbean That final loss meant Schafer missed out on his second continental crown, having previously led Cameroon to victory in the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations. He was lauded for his ability to instil team spirit among his players as he led the Indomitable Lions to the 2002 FIFA World Cup, with only a golden goal from France denying them glory in the Confederations Cup final a year later. The 65-year-old looks back fondly on his time in Cameroon, saying: “It was love at first sight.”

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From Africa, Schafer continued his journey around the globe, helping Al Ahli become champions of the United Arab Emirates in Dubai in 2006 before winning the Etisalat Emirates Cup, President Cup and UAE Super Cup with Al Ain in 2009. A year later the German signed a two-year contract with Azerbaijani club FK Baku and was subsequently named Thailand coach in 2011.

Winnie Schafer has now been managing teams around the world for 14 years, and, despite the obvious cultural differences, can see a

Roberto Maya / MEXSPORT / AFP

Savouring the moment Jamaica’s players soak up the atmosphere ahead of the Gold Cup final.

JAMAICA

common thread running through all these experiences. “It’s the same everywhere when it comes to discipline,” he explains. “If you’re not careful the lads will run rings around you, whether you’re in Germany, Thailand or at Real Madrid.” This vastly experienced coach knows exactly how to adapt to a new country and its people, always tries to treat unfamiliar cultures with respect, and is far from tired with his life’s work. “Every time I want more, more, more,” says Schafer, whose contract in Jamaica runs until 2018.

“Now we’ve got to take this vital step forward. We’ve got to keep this spirit and carry on working hard.”

Winnie Schafer

David Goldman / AP / Keystone

Karlsruher’s talent pool When Winnie Schafer’s career in football began more than 45 years ago he featured on the pitch rather than alongside it, winning the Bundesliga and UEFA Cup with Borussia Monchengladbach. After hanging up his playing boots, he switched to coaching and soon took charge at Karlsruher SC. His 12 years at the helm produced the most successful decade in the club’s history, including promotion to the Bundesliga and numerous heady nights in the UEFA Cup. The evening still remembered most fondly in Baden-Wurttemberg is Das Wunder von Wildpark (’The Wildpark Miracle’), when Karlsruher inflicted a resounding 7-0 defeat on then Spanish league leaders Valencia and advanced all the way to the semi-finals.

Winnie Schafer made a virtue of necessity during his time in Karlsruhe, as a lack of funds for marquee signings forced him to build a successful team from the youth ranks instead, with Oliver Kahn, Mehmet Scholl and Jens Nowotny among the eventual world-class footballers to learn their craft from him. He is still hailed as a hero in Karlsruhe, where he is affectionately nicknamed Winnie Wahnsinn (’Crazy Winnie’).

“Bringing a dead club to life and taking them to the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup is something people don’t forget,” he says.

A specialist in team building Although Schafer’s once-sandy hair is as long now as it was during in his Karlsruher days, it has since turned white. Nevertheless, he has no intention of retiring any time soon, explaining: “I’ll stop when I can’t run anymore.” Another talent that remains undimmed is his ability to mould a group of footballers into a functioning team – a skill he proudly names as his greatest strength and around which his entire coaching philosophy is built. On his arrival in the Caribbean, Schafer discovered the conditions for progress were optimal in more ways than one. He explains that Jamaican football was badly organised and lacked a long-term vision, presenting him with a situation requiring plenty of hard work and some carefully chosen words.

The coach has made great strides since then. Jamaicans once again have confidence in their national team, while Schafer has managed to mix older, more experienced players with young, hungry hopefuls to form a team with a promising future. Despite this achievement, there is still a long way to go. “Now we’ve got to take this vital step forward,” he says. “We’ve got to keep this spirit and carry on working hard.”

“Take the blame, good sir” Jamaica are set to play their qualifying tie against Nicaragua on 4 and 8 September. If they pass that tough test, they will meet Costa Rica,

Stunning the football world Jamaica beat the USA 2-1 on 22 July 2015.

JAMAICA C apit al c it y : K ings ton Sur f ac e area: 10,991 k m² Popula t ion: 2,950,210 ( July 2015) Independent sinc e: 6 Augus t 1962 Sys t em o f gover nment: Par liamentar y monarc hy F oo t ball F edera t ion f ounded: 1910 Number o f f oo t ball c lub s: approx . 275 C onf edera t ion: CONC AC A F FIFA member sinc e: 1962

FIFA IN JAMAICA: A s par t of it s Goal Programme, FIFA has suppor ted t he Jamaic an F o ot b all F e der a t ion w it h $1.8m USD sinc e 20 03.

T he money has been inve s ted in diver se projec t s aimed at improv ing t he t r aining c ondi t ion s ac r o s s t he c ount r y, w i t h t r aining pitc he s and c hanging r o oms c ons tr uc te d in Mona, f or example.

B e t we e n 2011 and 2015 t he F inanc ial A s sis t anc e P r o gr amm e c ontr ibuted $2.6m USD.

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Battersea Park, London Bob Marley plays with his band, the Wailers, against the Island Records team in 1977.

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56 Hope Road Music / Urbanimage.tv

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Bob Marley: “Football is freedom” In what might be a unique moment in world history, Jamaica simultaneously witnessed the birth of both a nation and an entirely new musical genre.

Reggae has b een an intr insic p ar t of Jamaic a’s cultur al identit y ever sinc e it gained independenc e in the summer of 1962. In Marc h 1964, almo s t a year bef ore the c ountr y ’s national f ootball team pla yed their f ir s t - ever Wor ld C up qualif ier agains t Cuba, 17- year - old Millie Small s tor med the inter national char t s with “My Boy Lollipop”. At around the same time, Bob Mar ley and the Wailers celebrated their f irs t number one hit on the island with a signature s t y le then s till ref er red to as ska rather than reggae.

T he r hy thm and blue s sound made famous by ar tis t s such as Fat s Domino was enor mously popular in Jamaic a, but when this genre fell out of fashion in the USA , propr ietor s of wander ing Jamaican discos or “sound sys tems” f illed the gap in supply with produc tions of their own. T he looming pros pec t of independence gave them the conf idence to take lib er tie s with this venerable music al s t y le, in par ticular by switching the r hy thmic emphasis from the f ir s t to the second beat – and ska was bor n.

Panama and either Haiti or Grenada, who also meet in September for a place in Group B of the fourth round of CONCACAF qualification.

Throughout all this, the German’s target will remain the same: to take the Reggae Boyz to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Schafer can rely on strong support from this Caribbean island nation as its enthusiasm for football hits new heights. The gratitude towards Winnie Wahnsinn is illustrated by an open letter published in Jamaican newspaper The Gleaner a few days ago. “Thank you, Mr Schafer! Your German engineering has given a nation full of potential some optimism moving forward,” the author writes. “A nation full of challenges often needs this type of positive vibe. The players and management staff speak highly of you. I was even more proud when I saw you singing the national anthem at the Gold Cup final. Take the blame, good sir. This one you truly deserve!” Å

“Thank you, Mr Schafer!

Your German engineering has given a nation full of potential some optimism moving forward.”

Open letter in Jamaican newspaper The Gleaner

David Goldman / AP /Keystone

Dreadlocks and mopeds Ever y thing moved ver y quickly af ter that, as Jamaica’s young people discovered their voice and with it their future. Dur ing the Six tie s, ska gave r ise to the slightly slower bluebeat and then reggae – a s t y le of music capable of expre s sing the en tire spec tr um of human emotion in an emerging nation.

A nother key component of this musical movement was the ideolog y of Ras tafar ians with their dreadlocks, splif f s, mo peds – and footballs. T he beautiful game, not cr icket, was the spor t mos t closely as sociated with reggae. Bob Mar ley was also a pioneer in this re spec t af ter growing up as an ardent admirer of Brazilian club Santos and Pele in par ticular. “Football is freedom,” he once said, as well as: “If you want to get to know me, you’ll have to play football agains t me and the Wailer s.”

Battle of the bands on the pitch A s well as play ing prof e s sionally f or Atlanta Chief s, A llan “Sk ill ” C ole ser ved as the band ’s tour manager f or many year s. Mar ley regular ly organised matc he s agains t other bands or his rec ord c ompany and was bur ied with both his guitar and a f ootball when he died.

T he link bet ween reggae and football endure s to this day.

In 20 02 an entire album entitled Football Reggae – A Tr ibute to the Reggae Boy z was compiled in the national team’s hon our, while Bob Mar ley ’s olde s t daughter C edella ac tively suppor ted the Jamaican women’s team’s ef for t s to fund their FIFA Women’s Wor ld Cup 2015 campaign. Across the Atlantic Ocean in England, the Har r y J A lls tar s’ popular hit “ T he L iq uidator ” c ontinue s to rouse player s and f ans alike bef ore ever y Chelsea home game.

Hanspeter Kuenzler, London Stopping the USA “I’ll never forget this night,” Schafer (right) later tweeted.

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XX. Monat 2013

English edition

Fédération Internationale de Football Association – Since 1904

GRASSROOTS

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Mexico: Liga MX

L e o n r e d i s c ove r fo r m e r s t r e n g t h Sven Goldmann is a leading football correspondent at Tages­ spiegel newspaper in Berlin.

The Lions are back, hungry for goals and eager for the success they enjoyed when the greatest Mexican player this century laced his boots in Leon.

Rafael Marquez has since moved on, to Italian Serie A side Hellas Verona, but his departure was keenly felt at Club Leon. Between 2012 and 2014 Marquez played at the Estadio Leon, known simply as the Nou Camp by the locals.

That it shares its name Barcelona’s home, where Marquez plied his trade for several years, is mere coincidence. He has won everything there is to win in club football: the Champions League, the Spanish and French league titles and even the Club World Cup. However, the Mexican did not win any silverware in his homeland before moving to Leon.

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positioned. The game took a turn for the worse for Veracruz after the interval though, when Arturo Paganoni blocked Argentinian defender Guillermo Burdisso’s header on the line with his hand after 60 minutes. Paganoni was sent off but breathed a sigh of relief when his goalkeeper Meliton Hernandez saved the ensuing penalty from Leon’s second Argentinian, Mauro Boselli.

In the end, however, it did turn into an Argentinian evening at the Nou Camp after

an inspired substitution by Leon coach Antonio Pizzi. Four minutes after Boselli’s missed spot-kick, the Santa Fe native brought on veteran striker Miguel Sabah, and the 35-year-old equalised four minutes later.

Leon seized the initiative and Burdisso quickly added another before Boselli stepped up to the penalty spot again to make it 3-1.

Shortly before the end Boselli grabbed his second, with three goals from Argentinians leaving the Mexican Lions satisfied at the final whistle. Å

In the lead Club Leon’s Argentinian defender Guillermo Burdisso celebrates after putting his side 2-1 up against Veracruz.

After arriving he led the club, based in the state of Guanajuato, to the 2013 Apertura title and the 2014 Clausura; the sixth and seventh championships in their 72 year history. As captain and defensive rock, Marquez was a pillar of the side and since he moved to Italy following the FIFA World Cup™ in Brazil last summer, Leon have struggled to cope. They failed to finish among the top eight for two successive campaigns, thus missing out on the championship play-offs. Now, however, the green and whites are striking fear into their Liga MX opponents once again in the recently started Apertura 2015, with two wins from two putting Leon top of the table on goal difference ahead of three other teams.

Isaac Ortiz / MEXSPORT / Afp

Club Deportivo Tiburones Rojos de Veracruz witnessed Leon’s return to form first hand on Matchday 2, with Leon triumphing 4-1 in an entertaining game that only went the league leaders' way in the second half.

The ‘Red Sharks’ from Veracruz were an equal match for Leon and went in front midway through the first period thanks to a stunning strike from Uruguay’s Juan Angel Albin. Leon subsequently increased the pressure and were unlucky not to equalise when Elias Hernandez hit the bar when well T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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Leading the way Marhoum Mohamed and his Al Merreikh team-mates currently top the table in Sudan.

Mo r e a b u z z t h a n e ve r Mark Gleeson is a Cape Townbased journalist and football commentator.

There are many leagues around the world where just a handful of clubs dominate the winners’ podium but few where there are just two who have a complete stranglehold, as is the case in the Sudan. Since a national championship was first introduced in the north African country in 1962, neighbours Al Hilal and Al Merreikh have almost totally dominated the honours’ board. In 50 previous championships, Al Hilal have won 28 times, Al Merreikh 19 times and there have only been three league titles taken by other clubs, the last time in 1992.

Any thoughts that this season’s championship chase might be any different are fanci16

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ful as Al Merreikh and Al Hilal are already an effective nine points clear of the chasing pack. Al Merreikh lead the standings by three points from Al Hilal, who have played one match less and therefore, effectively, the two rivals are evenly matched as they go into the final three months of the title race. This after Al Merreikh dropped points on Sunday at Merreikh Al Fasher.

Al Merreikh must still host Al Hilal in the closing stages of the campaign. The two have stadiums close by in Omdurman, the sprawling suburb of the capital Khartoum which sits on the western bank of the River Nile, and their rivalry is among the most passionate on the African continent. That there is little to choose between them is reflected in their last three meetings, which have all ended in draws, the last two without any goals.

This year’s chase for the Sudan title, however, could be overshadowed. Over the last decade, both clubs have also become constant contenders in the annual African club competitions, although Al Merreikh are the

only Sudanese club to have won a trophy – in 1989 in the now-defunct African Cup Winners’ Cup. Al Merreikh and Al Hilal are on course to meet each other in the CAF Champions League semifinals in September as Hilal head their group and Merreikh lie second in the other pool.

This prospect is as appetising as any of their previous derby clashes have ever been and with games this weekend in the Champions League set to provide clarity on the group positions, Sudanese fans are more abuzz than ever. Taking their age-old rivalry out of the Sudan league and onto the stage of Africa’s top club competition could mark a new chapter for both clubs. Å

augenklick

Sudan: Premier League

Netherlands: Eredivisie

A ja x w a nt t h e t it l e b a c k Annette Braun is a staff writer on The FIFA Weekly.

The names of the players who have passed through PSV Eindhoven or Ajax on their way to successful careers on the world stage form an impressive list: Romario, Ruud Gullit, Ronaldo, Arjen Robben, Johann Cruyff, Edwin van der Saar, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Luis Suarez, to name but a few.

The Dutch top flight may only be viewed as a springboard to one of Europe’s top leagues, but the youth work done at Eredivisie clubs has long been considered outstanding.

imago

Just this summer, for instance, Arsenal signed 16-year-old striker Donyell Malen from Ajax, forcing the Amsterdam-based side to bid farewell to a hugely promising talent and the league itself to lose an upcoming star. That is the fate the Dutch clubs have come to learn to live with, even if Ajax

expressed their disappointment at the youngster’s departure.

In the wake of that transfer, head coach Frank de Boer will be keeping a close eye on Jasper Cillessen’s situation. The goalkeeper is on Manchester United’s radar, but De Boer is hopeful the Netherlands international will stay put and lead the team into the new season.

That would be a positive step in helping the club achieve its aim of winning the title back. Ajax won the Eredivisie for four consecutive years before PSV Eindhoven took the honours last season, finishing 17 points ahead of the Amsterdam giants, AZ Alkmaar and Feyenoord to lift the trophy for the first time since 2008.

The new season was due to kick off on 7 August, but a proposed strike by police officers could put paid to that plan and lead to some matches being postponed, among them the meeting between reigning champions PSV Eindhoven and ADO Den Haag.

their campaign against AZ Alkmaar, and Feyenoord doing likewise against FC Utrecht. Last season’s top four are not only united by their title ambitions, but also by their respective coaches. De Boer (Ajax), Phillip Cocu (PSV), Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Feyenoord) and John van den Brom (Alkmaar) are all well-known names who helped shape a generation of Dutch football in their playing days. As well as lacing their boots in the domestic league, all four also made waves abroad, in Spain, England and Turkey.

Now the quartet are all in their mid-40s and have their sights set on silverware as coaches. Cocu goes into the new season as defending champion; Van den Brom has ten years experience on the touchline; De Boer has led his team to the title four times, while Van Bronckhorst is a debutant. It is a blend that lends the league even greater appeal. Å

It seems as if PSV’s main rivals will be in action, however, with Ajax set to kick off

Fully focused Ajax coach Frank de Boer (m.) prepares his side for the new season.

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HISTORY

Promotion joy to top-tier glory Every now and then the euphoria of promotion inspires a team to kick on and win the title again in their new league.

Just ask Nottingham Forest, Bordeaux or Kaiserslautern.

I

Surprises and records Bordeaux’s maiden first-division title in the 1949/50 season was a proud moment for the French club. Promoted from the second division at the beginning of the season, they immediately made their mark in the top flight but still trailed frontrunners Lille by six points midway through the campaign. Bordeaux were more than up for the challenge as they were a veritable tour de force throughout the remainder of the season. The unlikely title-chasers were boosted by a new signing in Dutch winger Albertus De Harder, and when the dust finally settled after the final matchday, the debutants were crowned league champions, six points clear of Lille.

Some 14 years after Bordeaux’s triumph, Saint-Etienne followed in their footsteps, winning the second division in 1963 to then go on and claim their second Ligue 1 title the following year. The man who captained Saint-Etienne to that historic championship was none other than Aime Jacquet, who as France national team coach led Les Bleus to victory at the 1998 FIFA World Cup™ on home soil.

Matching the feat were fellow-French side Monaco, who captured their third Ligue 1 crown in 1978 under coach Lucien Leduc. Their victorious campaign was notable for the exceptional performance of young goalkeeper JeanLuc Ettori, who went on to start between the posts in 604 matches for his side, a record that still stands to this day. Monaco’s win surprised almost everyone, not least their own players, with forward Christian Dalger admitting afterwards: “We never thought we’d win the league.

We were confident we could finish halfway up the table maybe!”

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An unexpected triumph Nottingham Forest defender Kenny Burns shows off the championship trophy in 1978.

Bob Thomas / Getty Images

t is sometimes said that victory is all the sweeter when it is unexpected. In football, championship glory for a club who have only just climbed into the country’s highest division remains an exceptional achievement, especially when the side in question are making their top-flight debut. A quick glance at domestic football’s history books reveals a whole host of sides who have made this swift transition from promotion hopefuls to national champions.

HISTORY

Champions at last Lekhwiya first tasted league success in 2011, just months after gaining promotion.

That same year, in England, there was a massive upset in the top flight when newcomers Nottingham Forest defied all the odds to pip title-holders Liverpool to the post. Nor was it a flash in the pan for Brian Clough’s side, who then went on to lift the European Cup the following two seasons.

Karim Jaafar / AFP

In 1978, Nottingham ­F orest defied all the odds to pip title-holders Liverpool to the ­c hampionship.

Rosario’s golden moment Even by the standards of Argentinian football, fans of Rosario Central are notoriously passionate about their club. Perhaps the most famous Rosario supporter of all was the writer Roberto Fontanarrosa, a native of the city, who once wrote: “Rosario Central’s supporters always love to think that their side is best at everything, at least outside of Buenos Aires.

Rosario were the first side from the provinces to win the first division, the first to play in the Copa Libertadores and the first to win an international title.”

But of all the club’s great achievements, the one the fans treasure most came in the 1986/87

season, when they beat bitter hometown rivals Newell’s Old Boys by one point to win the Primera A after being promoted from the second division the season before. Rosario’s coach at the time, Angel Tulio Zof, showed how much the win meant in an interview shortly after the title was confirmed. “It’s so emotional. There are no words to describe what we’re going through right now. These feelings, the people around us – it’s just what we dreamed of. Thankfully, this is for the good of football. These young players are dedicated and have done what they needed to do to become champions.”

The legends of Kaiserslautern In Germany, FC Kaiserslautern were relegated to the second tier ahead of the 1996/97 season, but coach Otto Rehhagel never lost faith in the side and brought them straight back up to the Bundesliga, where they proceeded to stun everyone by romping to a fourth league title the following year.

That Kaiserslautern side had a host of star names in its ranks, including Andreas Brehme, whose goal had secured West Germany the 1990 FIFA World Cup™, Ciriaco Sforza, Michael Ballack and Olaf Marschall, with the latter finishing second-highest scorer in the Bundesliga that year.

In Qatar, meanwhile, Al Gharafa had looked set to dominate the Stars League in the 2010/201 season having won the previous three league titles, but that was discounting lowly Lekhwiya. The club rose from the second tier to snatch the crown to the astonishment of most observers. In a recent interview with FIFA.com Algerian coach Djamal Belmadi had this to say about his side’s achievement: “The question everybody is asking is how a new club could come from the second division and do what we did. I talked with the players and told them we had a single aim this season, but when I said that we were going to win the league they thought I was crazy. It was an incredible feeling to win.” Lekhwiya quickly cemented their place at the pinnacle of Qatari football by winning three more championships, most recently in the 2014/2015 season.

Finally to Japan, where Kashiwa Reysol became the first side in Japanese history to win the second and first division titles in successive years. The club then crowned an unforgettable 2011 by finishing fourth at the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2011, where only a penalty shoot-out defeat by Qatar’s Al Sadd denied them a podium finish. Å Mohammed Hallal

Lekhwiya’s meteoric rise In Asia, Lebanese outfit Olympic Beirut had a dramatic start to the new millennium, moving up from the second division to claim a league and cup double with a nucleus of local players.

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First Love P l a c e : G a z a C i t y, P a l e s t i n e Date: 28 July 2015 Time: 6.44 p.m.

Photog rapher: Mohammed Salem

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Reuters

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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.

WOMEN'S FOOTBALL

PRESIDENTIAL NOTE

Fans pack the stands in England and USA Fans continue to show their support for women’s football in the wake of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada.

Football must remain independent

F

Wembley More than 30,000 spectators gathered to watch the Women’s FA Cup final between Chelsea and Notts County.

T

Getty Images

he landmarks continue to tumble for English women’s football, with the latest being a record club attendance of 30,710 at Wembley Stadium for the FA Women’s Cup Final - the first to be played at the famous London venue.

There was a first for Chelsea too as they scooped the club’s inaugural silverware with a 1-0 defeat of Notts County on 1 August 2015.

A lone first-half strike from Korea Republic star Ji Soyun, following an assist from player of the match Eniola Aluko, proved enough to separate the sides.

It was a case of recent history repeating in USA’s NWSL over the weekend of 1 and 2 August as strong attendance figures combined with yet more goals for one of the league’s form players. Seattle Reign stretched their lead at the summit on the back of a 2-1 win at Boston Breakers in front of a sell-out crowd. There was also a full house at Chicago Red Stars where the locals saw Christen Press score twice, only for the visiting Kansas City to twice draw level. Å tfw

ootball’s popularity and global appeal also have their downsides.

For example, our sport can be abused as an object of speculation and literally become a plaything for investors. In this regard FIFA made the policy decision – which came into force on 1 May 2015 – to ban third-party ownership and acquisition of players’ rights. At the end of July, a first instance tribunal in Brussels supported the new regulation and rejected the case made by sporting rights agency ­Doyen Sports Investments and Belgian second division club Seraing United for a temporary injunction to suspend the implementation of the worldwide ban on third-party ownership (TPO) of players’ ­economic rights. In other words: the transfer of players’ rights can now only be made from club to club.

Even though this reform could cause short-term financial difficulties for some clubs, it is of utmost importance to the future of the game. The reason is that currently 30 per cent of all international transfer fees go to third parties – meaning clubs miss out. The worstcase scenario is that this could lead to the foundation of football being undermined. The scale of the issue can be gauged by looking at the flow of money. According to the FIFA Transfer Matching ­System, clubs from Europe’s top five leagues alone (England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France) invested $466m USD in the 2014/15 ­w inter transfer period.

The ban on TPO ensures clubs’ independence and integrity, and therefore football’s credibility. Nevertheless, it should not put the affected clubs at a disadvantage. In light of the sports-political scope and the legal complexities of this matter we must proceed with ­caution.

Yet the objective is to regulate the market sensibly. We must put an end to clubs rushing into the arms of investors from outside the game for short-term financial gain, thus becoming embroiled in a conflict of interest and losing control over their own destiny.

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

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ONE- GAME WONDERS

Crowned Mike Trebilcock (m.), whose brace helped Everton win the FA Cup, celebrates with team-mates Brian Harris (l.) and Brian Labone.

HEROES FOR ONE GAME

Keystone

Sometimes one match is enough for a player to earn a place in football folklore. Stephen Sullivan looks back on players who won championships, staved off relegation and defined World Cups.

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ONE- GAME WONDERS

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very team has its heroes. And, in most cases, the elevated status of these legendary figures has been secured gradually over years of outstanding service. There are, however, a group of footballers who bypassed this long route to adoration. For this select few, one game has been sufficient to etch their names into the folklore of club and country.

Take, for example, Mike Trebilcock. The overall statistics from the striker’s Everton career – 14 appearances, three goals – would suggest that his time at Goodison Park was at best underwhelming. But Trebilcock, who now lives in Australia, is guaranteed a hero’s welcome whenever he returns to Merseyside because one of those 14 matches was a career-defining performance that yielded an FA cup win.

It was Trebilcock, after all – surprisingly picked ahead of England international Fred Pickering for the 1966 FA Cup final – who scored twice to inspire Everton to come from two goals down to beat Sheffield Wednesday 3-2. “People still talk to me about that cup final day, it never changes,” the Wembley hero said years later. “People say to me, ‘When did you stop celebrating?’ And I say, ‘We haven’t!’ Even in Australia people remember that match. I’m still asked about it and I always say, ‘We’re still celebrating and I’ll be celebrating until the day I die’.”

Clive Brunskill / Allsport, Alex Morton / Action Images, Reuters

Title-winning goal Another of Britain’s great football cities has produced a similar type of hero. It would be near-impossible to find a Celtic fan with a bad word to say about Harald Brattbakk and yet, if pressed, all would admit that the Norwegian was largely unimpressive during his three years in Glasgow.

But while all the striker’s below-par performances have faded easily from the memory, what remains is the unforgettable image of a goal that ended one of the bleakest periods in the club’s history.

Celtic had been waiting 10 years to win the title when Brattbakk rose to prominence in 1998. On the final day of the season he scored the

decisive goal against St. Johnstone to make it 2-0 to Celtic, sealing the championship in the process. “That goal stopped Rangers winning tenin-a-row, which would have broken Celtic’s record,” Brattbakk explained.

“As achievements go, that was definitely the highlight of my career. It meant so, so much to so many people.”

Goalscoring keeper It would be tough to beat the drama and emotion of a title-clincher on the last day of a season, but if anyone has a claim to having done so, it is Jimmy Glass. The journeyman keeper was on loan at struggling Carlisle United in 1999 and kept goal for their final match of the campaign, when a win against Plymouth Argyle was needed to prevent the club falling out of the football league altogether.

“I always was a frustrated forward” Goalkeeper Jimmy Glass (Carlisle United)

With just ten seconds remaining and the score locked at 1-1, Glass lumbered forward for a corner and, when the ball fell loose, volleyed unstoppably past his opposite number. Carlisle survived – and a legend was born. “I always was a frustrated forward,” he told The Independent.

“People think the goal was a bit of a freak occurrence but I scored a hattrick the day before in training.” This fateful match was one of just three Glass played for Carlisle and within two years – aged just 27 – he had hung up his gloves for good.

Unforgettable Harald Brattbakk’s (l.) goal secured the title for Celtic on the final day of the season; goalkeeper Jimmy Glass (top right) scored to keep Carlisle United in the football league; Roy Essandoh made history after replying to an advert from Wycombe Wanderers before firing them into the FA Cup semi-finals.

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German joy Nia Kunzer (top left) headed Germany’s women’s team 2-1 up against Sweden to win the World Cup; Dirk Weetendorf’s (bottom left) brace kept Hamburg in the Bundesliga; David Odonkor’s run against Poland helped Germany to a group stage victory at the 2006 World Cup.

Championship winners and relegation heroes Britain may provide some of the most memorable examples, but onegame wonders are a global phenomenon. Every football fan in Argentina will, after all, know the names of Claudio Benetti and Ruben Bruno, and yet neither hit spectacular heights during their respective careers. ­Benetti, though, scored a goal every bit as important for Boca Juniors fans as Brattbakk’s was for Celtic. He made his debut for the club against San Martin in December 1992 on the final matchday of the Apertura championship, and his goal sealed a first title in 11 years. Bruno, meanwhile, ended River Plate’s longest-ever period without a trophy in 1975, claiming, aged 17, the goal that won Los Millonarios’ first championship since 1957.

Just as this duo will never be celebrated among their country’s alltime greats, so Dirk Weetendorf is unlikely to feature on any list of 26

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Bundesliga legends. He did, after all, find the net just three times in a disappointing top-flight career. Nonetheless, Weetendorf remains a ­beloved figure at Hamburg – even earning the nickname ‘Horst-Uwe’, referring to club idols Horst Hrubesch and Uwe Seeler – because two of that trio of goals came in a 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund that helped save the club from relegation in 1997.

German fairytale Germany also has an international equivalent. In 2013, David Odonkor retired from professional football at the age of 29, cutting short his contract with Ukraine’s Hoverla Uzhhorod and bringing down the ­ ­curtain on a career that never lived up to its promise. Yet in his homeland, this flying winger will always be remembered fondly for the 2006 FIFA World Cup™, when his injection of pace and inch-perfect cross provided a goal for Oliver Neuville that sunk Poland and was pivotal in Jurgen Klinsmann’s side’s memorable campaign. Germany’s summer fairytale ended with a bronze medal at the tournament on home turf.

When Germany’s women’s team won their first-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup™ title in 2003, one player in particular played a major role in the triumph: Nia Kunzer, who netted the Golden Goal in the final against Sweden with a powerful header. She was still 23 at the time, and seemed to have a glittering career ahead of her. But while Germany and teammates such as Birgit Prinz went from strength to strength, Kunzer suffered a cruciate ligament injury just a few months later and never fully recovered, retiring from the game in 2006.

World class displays While on the subject of wonder goals, everyone will surely remember Saudi Arabia’s Saeed Al-Owairan weaving his way through the Belgian defence to provide one of the great World Cup moments at USA 1994, and

Getty Images, Reuters, pixathlon

Advertising for a striker Another player who appeared suddenly in the headlines and then disappeared just as quickly was Roy Essandoh. In 2001, fourth division side Wycombe Wanderers reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, where they faced Premier League outfit Leicester City. However, with six strikers on the injury list Wycombe were short of options up front, forcing manager Lawrie Sanchez to resort to unconventional methods. He placed an advert on the now-obsolete digital TV news service Ceefax for a fit, non-cup-tied forward. Essandoh was the only person who answered. The club would not regret the decision to field him, as his headed winner helped Wycombe into the semi-finals, making it probably the most important goal in their history.

Yet the Northern Irishman’s strike was the only goal he scored in 13 appearances for the club, and he spent the rest of his career almost exclusively in non-league obscurity.

ONE- GAME WONDERS

put his side through to the last 16. But if you are wondering why little was heard of him thereafter, it is because his career petered out, with a nadir reached when Al-Owairan was suspended from football for a year and jailed for violating his country’s alcohol laws.

Josimar is another player who left his mark on a World Cup, and not only with a stunning strike against Northern Ireland at Mexico 1986.

However, while the 25-year-old Brazilian was voted the tournament’s outstanding right-back and seemed set for a stellar career, the pressures of overnight fame led to a spectacular fall from grace. “I just lost it,” Josimar said in an interview with FourFourTwo. “I was poor one day but

a celebrity the next and everyone knew me. Off-field distractions caused me to lose my perseverance and concentration.”

World Cups have a habit of throwing up career-defining matches and no-one knows that better than Oleg Salenko. The Russian striker arrived at USA 1994 without a single international goal to his name and yet, in one single match – a 6-1 demolition of Cameroon – he scored five, setting a new group stage record in the process. Remarkably though, while that haul made him joint-winner of the tournament’s adidas Golden Boot, he was out of the team for Russia’s next match. Indeed, Salenko – perhaps the ultimate one-game wonder – never appeared for his country again. Å

“I was poor one day but a celebrity the next”

imago (3)

Brazil’s Josimar

Post-World Cup falls from grace Despite being voted as the best right-back at the 1986 Word Cup, Josimar (l.) failed to have a successful career; Oleg Salenko (top right) scored five goals for Russia in a single game against Cameroon but never appeared for his country again; Saeed Al-Owairan was unable to reproduce his displays from USA 1994.

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U -17 W O R L D C U P C H I L E 2 0 1 5

Paraguay are back After a 14-year absence, Paraguay will once again participate at the U-17 World Cup in Chile.

They have Carlos Jara Saguier to thank for their success, writes Diego Zandrino.

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t the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament in 2004, Carlos Jara Saguier coached Paraguay’s U-23 side to the silver medal. This year he will take a team to the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile, marking the first time in over a decade that a Paraguayan side in that age category will take part in the tournament. It is an achievement that underlines the quality of the work being done by the supremo and his staff.

Even before this latest success, the surname Jara Saguier already had a place in Paraguay’s footballing history. Carlos is one of seven brothers to have played professionally in the South American nation.

“I don’t think there’s any other family in the world that’s done that,” the 64-year-old coach said with a smile. “And that’s not all.

My father also founded Rubio Nu, who now play in the first division. I’m one person who can definitely say that I’ve got football in my blood.”

The birth of a dynasty Jara Saguier has no fewer than six sisters and six brothers. The latter – Dario, Toribio, Enrique, Angel, Alberto and Crispulo – grew up football fanatics, which meant a lot of broken windows at the family home and a fair bit of damage in the garden.

“That’s the way it was,” he recalled.

“We had to put the whole house back together after every family gathering. We never had a single fight though,” he added, as if making a point for his young charges in the Albirroja U-17 side.

With the exception of Alberto, the male siblings all played for Cerro Porteno.

Four of them were star players and league champions and are still remembered today at Ciclon, as the club from the Barrio Obrero, in a district of Asuncion, is known.

Some say that Carlos was the best of them.

“We all had something to offer,” he explained. “I was an attacking midfielder but I played for Cerro at the same time as

Norberto Duarte / AFP

Mission accomplished Paraguay’s U-17 captain Oscar Rodas (m.) celebrates sealing a World Cup berth with his team-mates.

U -17 W O R L D C U P C H I L E 2 0 1 5

Saturnino Arrua, who was in a class of his own in that position, so they put me in the centre of midfield. Thanks to my vision and skill on the ball I was still lucky enough to score quite a few goals.”

Carlos won three league titles with El Ciclón between 1972 and 1975 before joining Mexican club Cruz Azul, where he also became a firm favourite in picking up two league winners’ medals. He then returned to Cerro, where he called time on his career in 1985. Four years later he returned to Mexico to take up his first coaching position, with Monterrey.

The experience factor Five of the seven brothers also played for Paraguay: Dario, Enrique, Angel, Alberto and Carlos, who had the longest international career of them all, featuring in the FIFA World Cup™ qualifying competitions for Germany 1974, Argentina 1978 and Spain 1982. Each of those campaigns ended in failure for Los Guaraníes, hence his delight at the U-17 side’s qualification for Chile 2015.

“I don’t see it as payback in any way,” said the coach, who has been in charge of the side since 2014. “For me it’s a wonderful opportunity to find out how it feels to be involved in a World Cup. I tried hard to achieve that when I was playing and I know how difficult it is.

“That’s why I’m thinking about these kids.

They have to know that they might not experience something like this ever again, and they need to enjoy it. They have to show the same kind of responsibility as they did at the South American championships, but they still need to go out there and have fun.”

Jara Saguier’s experiences as a player are helping him to bridge the generational and cultural gap between him and his players:

privately (2), Nestor Soto / CONMEBOL

Footballing family Enrique, Dario and Angel (l. to r.) in Cerro Porteno’s colours.

“Teenagers like to rebel but if you give them the right kind of guidance you can help them acquire the experience they need.

“We chat to them so that they can understand just how important this phase is in their careers. I’m happy with these kids because they listen and they give their all in everything they do.”

Lessons to learn Jara Saguier’s “kids” came through a baptism of fire in hosting the South American Championships. After winning their first-round group, La Albirroja beat direct rivals Uruguay in their last game to secure the fourth and final World Cup berth.

“They really felt the pressure but you’d expect that with 16-year-olds,” he explained.

“We weren’t always able to control it and that’s why we were inconsistent.” The Paraguayans showed plenty of promise in World Cup qualifying though and boasted the most prolific attack in the tournament.

“We played well up front. Averaging two goals a game is no easy task,” said their appreciative boss. “We did have problems at the back, though, and we must find some balance.

You have to do three things if you’re going to play well: create chances, convert half of them and don’t give the opposition any chances.

We’re going to work on the third one because you pay for your mistakes in a World Cup.” Jara Saguier saw no reason to wait for the Final Draw to lay down Paraguay’s objectives in Chile. “I’d be lying if I said we’re going there with designs on winning the trophy or fighting for it.

“What I’m concerned about right now is making them understand that they have to work as hard as they can, because there are a

At home on the pitch Carlos (l.) and Alberto.

lot of things that can work against you in football: your opponents, the ball, the referee, the pitch etc. One thing people can’t stop you from doing, though, is giving your all in trying to play good football and getting a result.”

That sound philosophy stems from his family life, and even today the experienced coach continues to seek advice from his brothers: “I ask for their opinion on things and we exchange ideas. I always try to look for what’s best for Paraguay.”

In taking charge of the country’s talented youngsters, Jara Saguier is also proud to maintain the long-established links between his family and the sport he loves: “It’s great to keep the name in a prominent place in Paraguayan football.” Å

Mastermind Carlos Jara Saguier is preparing for the tournament in Chile and fine-tuning his tactics.

U-17 World Cup: a platform for youth Since the first FIFA U-17 World Cup was held in China in 1985, the best youth sides on the planet have met every two years to crown a new world champion. Nigeria will be the defending champions at the 2015 tournament hosted by Chile between 17 October and 8 November. A total of 24 U-17 national teams will take part this year after qualifying for the finals via their respective continental championships. The group stage draw was held on 6 August, after The FIFA Weekly went to press, creating six pools of four sides. For all the latest news, visit: http://tinyurl.com/2d5j9dz

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Touchline antics Annette Braun

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“V

ictory at any cost” was presumably the mantra running through the head of Pablo Martel, coach of Argentinian club Atletico Union Santiago, this week. During his side's match against Deportivo Comercio de Santa Sylvina, an opposing player stormed down the wing towards the corner flag with the ball at his feet, seemingly intent on playing a dangerous cross into the penalty box.

How does a manager typically react to such a situation? He might bark some last-minute instructions to his defenders, accept the fact that the opposition are about to get an excellent opportunity to score, or turn away from the match in disappointment, cursing his team’s defensive shortcomings with a shake of the head. He might even turn his anger into positive energy and try and use it to motivate his players.

Instead of selecting any of these approaches, Pablo Martel opted to give new meaning to the term “twelfth man”. As the opposition player drew level with the Argentinian coach, the latter stepped up to the sideline, stuck out his left foot and unceremoniously sent the winger flying.

Martel's unorthodox approach brought to mind Alan Pardew’s headbutt back in 2014, although the then-Newcastle United manager did have his moment of madness during an off-theball skirmish rather than interrupting play.

GEOGR APHIC INFORMATION Surface area: 160.4 km²

Pardew clashed heads with Hull City’s David Meyler during his team’s 4-1 win over the team from Humberside, picking up a seven-match ban for his trouble and being banned from entering the stadium for three of those games.

Coaches are only permitted to go above and beyond the call of duty on very special occasions. Jose Mourinho made the most of this opportunity at last summer’s Soccer Aid charity match to step onto the pitch and tackle singer Olly Murs.

That incident did not prompt a sideline fracas or punishment for the coach, but instead drew smiles from all involved. After all, Mourinho’s comic contribution was all for a good cause. Å

Highest point: Vordere Grauspitz 2,599 m Neighbouring seas and oceans: –

MEN’S FOOTBALL FIFA Ranking: 147th World Cup: No appearances

L ATES T RESULTS Men’s: Liechtenstein - Moldova 1:1 14 June 2015

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Emilio Ronchini / Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images

Soviet Union defender Konstantin Krizevskij takes a break during the World Cup.

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MIRROR IMAGE

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Splash / dukas

Besiktas striker Mario Gomez makes the most of his summer holidays.

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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NET ZER KNOWS!

What makes a good head of youth development?

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

“Zlatan’s the best. We usually slept in the same room before games.

One night he woke up and said, ‘Adi, wake up! I had a nightmare.

I dreamed Ronaldo was better than me!’ He only went back to sleep after I told him, ‘No, Zlatan, no! You are the best in the world! Calm down!’”

Adrian Mutu on former Juventus team-mate Zlatan Ibrahimovic

“If I was playing today, I would bet anybody that I would be the best in the world two or three times. The way football is overseas, I would definitely have over 50 goals per season.

Easily. Especially in Spain.”

Rivaldo

Always on the move Monchengladbach’s playmaker Gunter Netzer at the age of 20.

imago

A

ppointing a good head of youth development has become an essential requirement for any ambitious club. Although it has long been common knowledge that it is possible to steer the course of an emerging player’s career – something major clubs realised at an even earlier stage – there was little understanding of the consequences of unprofessional youth work based primarily on chance.

A good head of youth development must be sensitive, as they are both in constant contact with the first team coach above them and responsible for the youth teams below them. The fact that they bring these strands together means their opinion is often pivotal when it comes to making contentious decisions, such as the right time for a talented youngster to make their senior debut. If it were up to the player and those around them – and possibly the press too – then the preference would be to get the budding starlet out on the pitch as soon as possible, but it goes without saying that this is not always the best option.

Just like a good teacher in school, the ability of a youth coach or head of youth development to respond to the needs of each player individually is crucial. They need to appreciate that their team is made up of many different characters without ever pampering anyone, they must sense what each player needs in order to improve – whether that means motivating some youngsters or reining in others – and, of course, quickly establish whether or not they have the potential to pursue a professional career.

The issue of bringing youngsters in from overseas is even more delicate. A player’s personal environment plays a particularly important role for teenagers, and that potentially means organising a move for their families. Lionel Messi is a prime example of what can happen if you get everything right, as Barcelona did. Å

What have you always wanted to know about football?

Ask Gunter Netzer: feedback-theweekly@fifa.org

“Fashion is my passion. To me it’s just a confidence thing – confidence in what you’re wearing. My butt’s out, my legs are showing, and I enjoy it.

As long as you dress and look good, you feel good, and the weather doesn’t really matter.”

Kei Kamara (Columbus Crew)

“I understand people need scapegoats and they also need heroes. Messi carries the two roles on his shoulders.

When the team wins and he contributes to the success with his fantastic football, we go to the altar to worship him. When the team loses, we go to the same altar to sacrifice him.”

Jorge Valdano on Lionel Messi T H E F I FA W E E K LY

35

TURNING POINT

“If you score here, you’ve made it” Carolina Morace is a figurehead of women’s football in Italy whose record four goals at Wembley in 1990 secured her a permanent place in sporting history.

Alex Livesey / FIFA

A

lthough I rarely remember specific dates, I make an exception for 19 August 1990. It was the day I played for the Italian women’s national team against England at the legendary Wembley Stadium ahead of the FA Charity Shield between Liverpool and Manchester United. As the players sat together in the dressing room before the match, the coach took me to one side and said to me: “Carolina, if you score here then you’ve made it as a footballer.” Those words really got through to me and I went out onto the pitch full of motivation. We won the match 4-1 and I scored all of Italy’s goals. I was just happy to have got on the scoresheet at Wembley when the first strike went in, but I could barely contain my elation after scoring the second. When the third and fourth goals prompted thunderous applause and even a standing ovation from the spectators, I knew something special was happening. No player, male or female, had ever found the target at Wembley four times in a single game before.

Although I’ve achieved many things in my career – I’ve lifted trophies, been named among the four best players in the vote for player of the decade and was the first woman to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in my homeland – there is no doubt that my success in London is the moment that will live longest in my memory. The wonderful thing about it is that it was accepted as the record without any gender discussions, thus confirming the

fact that I never felt the need to specifically prove myself just for being a woman throughout my time as a striker. In fact, the exact opposite was true – I always felt the same sense of regard from everyone.

Things are slightly different when it comes to coaching. You need an exceptional background to be accepted as a female coach, and will struggle to establish yourself if you’re unable to point to any major past successes. My Wembley goals helped me in that respect. That achievement, together with my skills as a television commentator, showed the world that I know something about the game and opened doors for me all the way to my current job as head of a training camp in Perth. That’s why I’ll always remember that record. Plus, there’s no way anyone can ever beat it – after all, the old Wembley Stadium no longer exists! Å Carolina Morace was speaking to Annette Braun

Name Carolina Morace Date and place of birth 5 February 1964, Venice (Italy) Position Striker Clubs as player (selected) 1989–1991 AC Reggiana 1991–1993 ACF Milan 1996–1998 C.F. Modena Clubs as coach (selected) 2000–2005 Italy 2009–2011 Canada Major honours European Championship runner-up (as a player) 12-time Italian champion (as a player) 2010 Gold Cup winner (as coach) National team 150 appearances, 105 goals

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

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

37

MEN’S WORLD R ANKING

Argentina (unchanged) Chile (10th, up 1) Netherlands (12th, down 7) 29 Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, USA (6 matches each) Albania (up 166 points) Jamaica (up 21 ranks) Germany (down 185 points) Serbia (down 23 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

0 1425

55 Jamaica

2 Belgium

1 1244

3 Germany

+/- Points

Rank Team

Last updated: 6 August 2015 +/- Points

Rank Team

+/- Points

21

596

108 Guatemala

-3

299

163 Timor-Leste

2

56 Trinidad and Tobago

8

595

110 El Salvador

-22

289

164 Bhutan

2

128

-1 1226

56 Japan

-6

595

111 Namibia

3

284

165 Suriname

-2

124 124

130

4 Colombia

0 1218

58 Paraguay

-2

588

112 Bahrain

1

282

165 Indonesia

-1

5 Brazil

1 1186

59 Congo DR

1

555

113 Mauritania

15

273

167 New Caledonia

0

118

6 Portugal

1 1177

60 Guinea

-2

552

114 Benin

-18

269

168 Malaysia

0

116

7 Romania

1 1166

61 Australia

-2

551

115 St Vincent and the Grenadines

0

268

169 Central African Republic

1

111

8 England

1 1157

62 Equatorial Guinea

1

546

116 Kenya

0

266

170 Bangladesh

-1

102

9 Wales

1 1155

63 Mali

-2

545

117 Syria

0

259

171 Pakistan

1

101

1 1124

64 Gabon

1

544

118 Palestine

1

255

172 Chad

1

100

10 Chile 11 Spain

1 1110

65 Panama

-3

528

119 St Kitts and Nevis

12 Netherlands

-7 1032

66 Serbia

-23

523

119 Cuba

1

254

173 Dominica

1

98

-15

254

174 Yemen

-3

96 90

13 Croatia

1 1023

67 Bolivia

-1

515

121 Botswana

-1

253

175 Maldives

1

14 Slovakia

1 1016

68 Norway

-1

495

122 Madagascar

0

251

176 US Virgin Islands

-1

88

14 Austria

1 1016

69 Bulgaria

-1

489

123 Belize

-5

242

177 Laos

0

86

16 Italy

1 1001

70 United Arab Emirates

-1

484

124 Korea DPR

5

240

178 Montserrat

0

74

17 Switzerland

1

997

71 Burkina Faso

1

482

125 Philippines

-1

239

179 Chinese Taipei

0

72

18 Uruguay

-5

988

72 South Africa

-2

478

126 Kuwait

-3

237

180 Cambodia

1

66

19 Algeria

0

941

73 Zambia

-2

465

127 Moldova

-3

236

181 Mauritius

-1

63

20 Czech Republic

0

933

74 Uganda

-1

463

128 Lesotho

3

229

182 Sri Lanka

1

62

21 Côte d’Ivoire

0

912

75 Faroe Islands

-1

456

129 Dominican Republic

-3

224

183 Brunei Darussalam

1

61

14

888

76 Uzbekistan

-1

452

130 Lebanon

0

223

184 Nepal

1

57

23 France

-1

882

77 Montenegro

4

423

131 St Lucia

-4

220

185 Seychelles

1

56

24 Iceland

-1

877

78 Estonia

4

420

132 Swaziland

6

218

186 Comoros

1

50 50

22 Albania

25 Denmark

-1

876

79 China PR

-2

416

132 Burundi

-1

218

186 Tahiti

2

26 Mexico

14

838

80 Togo

3

415

134 Afghanistan

0

212

188 Macau

-7

49

27 Ghana

-2

827

81 Honduras

-1

409

135 Bermuda

1

209

189 São Tomé e Príncipe

0

48

28 Bosnia and Herzegovina

-2

819

82 Cyprus

3

391

135 New Zealand

1

209

189 Cayman Islands

0

48

29 USA

5

816

82 Morocco

2

391

137 Aruba

-2

201

191 Solomon Islands

0

47

30 Ukraine

-3

791

84 Haiti

-5

387

138 Barbados

3

198

192 San Marino

0

40 33

31 Russia

-3

782

85 Iraq

1

386

139 Thailand

1

197

193 Turks and Caicos Islands

0

32 Scotland

-3

774

86 Latvia

1

377

140 Tanzania

-1

194

194 British Virgin Islands

0

27

33 Poland

-3

769

87 Sudan

3

375

141 Kazakhstan

1

193

195 South Sudan

0

22 20

34 Tunisia

-2

768

88 Armenia

1

373

142 Gambia

1

191

196 Vanuatu

1

35 Hungary

-4

763

89 Angola

3

371

142 Guinea-Bissau

-9

191

197 Samoa

-1

19

36 Ecuador

-1

758

89 Finland

1

371

144 Nicaragua

-1

188

198 Fiji

1

17

37 Sweden

-4

752

91 Rwanda

-13

369

145 Luxembourg

1

187

198 Tonga

-1

17

38 Costa Rica

3

728

92 Jordan

0

357

146 Guam

8

185

200 American Samoa

1

12

39 Senegal

0

722

93 Saudi Arabia

-1

351

147 Liechtenstein

0

182

201 Papua New Guinea

1

9

40 Northern Ireland

-3

721

94 Libya

2

345

148 Curaçao

1

173

201 Andorra

1

9

41 Iran

-3

718

95 Qatar

1

344

149 Turkmenistan

3

172

203 Eritrea

1

8

42 Cameroon

0

667

96 Belarus

4

341

150 Puerto Rico

0

169

204 Mongolia

1

6

43 Congo

4

666

97 Mozambique

-2

339

151 Hong Kong

3

168

204 Somalia

1

6

44 Greece

0

661

98 Malawi

10

335

152 Guyana

7

167

206 Djibouti

1

4

45 Turkey

3

627

99 Ethiopia

2

330

153 Vietnam

-10

166

206 Cook Islands

1

4

46 Slovenia

3

626

99 Oman

3

330

154 Georgia

-1

165

208 Anguilla

1

0

47 Israel

4

620

101 Canada

2

323

155 Singapore

-5

162

208 Bahamas

-8

0

48 Venezuela

-3

617

102 Niger

-6

312

156 Kyrgyzstan

1

160

0

160

-10

159

49 Peru

-3

612

103 FYR Macedonia

2

311

156 India

50 Cape Verde Islands

2

608

104 Sierra Leone

7

304

158 Tajikistan

50 Republic of Ireland

2

608

105 Antigua and Barbuda

2

303

159 Malta

-1

157

52 Egypt

3

606

106 Azerbaijan

2

302

160 Grenada

0

153

53 Nigeria

4

601

107 Lithuania

3

301

161 Liberia

0

150

54 Korea Republic

-2

599

108 Zimbabwe

4

299

162 Myanmar

0

142

38

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President Joseph S. Blatter

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