The FIFA Weekly Issue #34 by Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)

ISSUE 34/2015, 28 AUGUST 2015

ENGLISH EDITION

Fédération Internationale de Football Association – Since 1904

OFC qualification

DREAMS FROM THE SOUTH SEA ISLANDS

BAYERN MUNICH THE LONG JOURNEY OF KARL-HEINZ RUMMENIGGE SEPP BLATTER FIFA MASTER COURSE REMAINS VITAL PARAGUAY CLUB OLIMPIA AND THE HYPERBARIC CHAMBER W W W.FIFA.COM/ THEWEEKLY

THIS WEEK IN THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL

Zimbabwe This season Harare side Dynamos are locked in a fascinating three-way battle with Chicken Inn and Triangle United.

S epp Blatter “Football’s core values – discipline, respect and fair play – should also guide our path in our everyday lives. The FIFA Master combines these qualities with academic work,” says the FIFA President in his weekly column.

Manuel Pascali The Italian reflects on his love for Scottish club Kilmarnock, how financial considerations drove his decision to return home and making a fresh start at Cittadella.

Dreams from the South Sea Islands Our cover image shows the Tahiti national team shirt. The photo was taken in Rio de Janeiro in June 2013. Alex Livesey / Getty Images

South America 10 members www.conmebol.com

Italy Udinese opened their Serie A campaign with a shock win over champions Juventus (Pictured: Ali Adnan Kadhim, left, and Cyril Thereau).

U-17 World Cup England coach Neil Dewsnip has a knack for spotting and training talented youngsters.

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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FIFA Club World Cup

FIFA U-17 World Cup

10 – 20 December 2015, Japan

17 October – 8 November 2015, Chile

Clint Hughes / Getty Images, Valerio Pennicino / Getty Images

North and Central America 35 members www.concacaf.com

World Cup qualifying in Oceania The first round of qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ begins in Oceania on 31 August as the Cook Islands, Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga step onto the international stage. Alan Schweingruber, Annette Braun and Peter Smith take a look at the region’s logistical challenges, ambitious coaches and the famous ‘Haka’ dance.

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

Reg Date A remarkable career far from the spotlight.

imago, Laurie Schwab collection / Deakin

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge In an interview with The FIFA Weekly, Bayern Munich’s executive board chairman discusses jealousy, lucky coincidences and becoming more relaxed with age.

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ÂŠ 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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The invisible continent T

here is no need to take your world map out of your office drawer to know more or less what it shows. They all depict the same thing, after all: five or six immense and immediately recognisable tracts of land, with the blue of the sea providing the backdrop. And it is there in that backdrop that Oceania can be found, an invisible continent lying to the north and east of Australia. The South Pacific is a place where you can spend your life on a boat, venturing from one new island to the next. There are estimated to 7,600 of them in all, 2,000 of which are inhabited. Figuring among them are Tonga, Samoa, American Samoa and Cook Islands, four nations who are about to embark on their FIFA World Cup™ qualifying campaigns. Though their chances of reaching the world finals in Russia are slim, they are all eagerly awaiting the start of their adventure. Read our report on page 6 to find out more about the Oceania quartet. Å

Mario Wagner / 2Agenten

Alan Schweingruber

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THE JOURNEY IS THE

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GOAL The Oceania Football Confederation is made up of 11 national associations, of which New Zealand are the team to beat in 2018 World Cup qualifying. Alan Schweingruber, Annette Braun and Peter Smith cast the spotlight on the national sides in the South Pacific, where the OFC qualifying campaign is about to begin. Illustrations by Bianca Litscher.

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Huddle up The American Samoa team fire themselves up. 8

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Reared in the game Welshman Sherman may be youthful by international coaching standards, but he does boast a lengthy resume for one so young. Despite a spell in the youth team at Swansea City, Sherman decided that a career as a top-flight footballer was not likely, and he turned his attention to coaching. Football analysis and tactical discussion were a constant for Sherman as a youngster, thanks in part to the influence of his father – current New Zealand technical director Rob Sherman. “My mum will probably tell you it must have been a nightmare for her whenever football was on TV,” Drew Sherman told FIFA, recalling some of his earlier football memories. “We [Drew and father Rob] would be talking the tactical details, not just the match, and that was from as young as I can remember. So definitely subliminally he was an enormous influence. “He also has worked in coach education for a very long time, and also with some top players like Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey in Wales, so knows his stuff. It is great to have someone there to bounce ideas off and support you. I wouldn’t say he has played a close role in terms of mentoring and being there in person, but he has certainly

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he vast global nature of FIFA World Cup™ qualifying invariably offers up the quirky and unexpected. One such nation that fits the bill is Cook Islands, where the logistics of assembling an international football team are significant to say the least. The Polynesian nation located at the far eastern end of Oceania is made up of 15 inhabited islands, and an area which would cover most of western Europe. Yet a tiny population of some 15,000 inhabitants makes Cook Islands among the smallest nations to ever compete in World Cup qualifying. Adding another fascinating layer is coach Drew Sherman, who at just 28, is among the youngest coaches to lead a team during the Russia 2018 campaign. Almost four years since their last international matches during 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying, the Cook Islanders, and their young coach, will finally have the chance to test themselves when Oceania matches commence later this month. Tonga will host a four-nation tournament commencing on 31 August – American Samoa and Samoa will also be part of the quartet – where one ticket to next year’s second round will be up for grabs.

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THE ROAD TO RUSSIA (OCEANIA) Round 1: 31 August to 8 September 2015 American Samoa, Cook Islands, Samoa and Tonga (the four lowest-placed teams based on the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking) play each other in a league format. Round 2: May to June 2016 The winner of the first round is drawn into one of two groups with the region’s remaining seven associations. The three best teams from both groups then qualify for Round 3. Round 3: March to October 2017 The six remaining teams are drawn into two groups, with the two group winners then contesting a play-off match. Intercontinental play-offs: November 2017 The Round 3 winner plays the fifth-placed side from South American qualification home and away. The winner of this tie qualifies for the FIFA 2018 World Cup.

Gregory Boissy / AFP

0.5 qualifying places have been allocated to the OFC for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

provided a lot of guidance and advice from 12,000 miles away.” Young Sherman had stints at Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers before running the Aldershot Town academy, which was followed by a youth development role at Southampton - a club renowned for its player production line. “I guess I have had a ten- to 15-year head start on coaching compared to most people. I went through my badges quite quickly, so had my UEFA A License at 21 and I think made me one of the youngest people in the UK to have that.” Then came a rare opportunity to work in a remote part of Oceania. “It is a great football opportunity, as well as a great life opportunity,” Sherman says of a lifestyle on the main island of Rarotonga where the sun-kissed Pacific Ocean is rarely further than walking distance away. He is far from the first aspiring coach to start small. Current Zenit St. Petersburg boss Andre Villas-Boas, who also previously worked in the English Premier League, started out at the helm of Caribbean nation British Virgin Islands, where the population size is similar to that of the Cook Islands. Sherman is also following in the footsteps of a growing number of British coaches prepared to take on roles away from the limelight – Guam’s Gary White and India’s Stephen Constantine being two such examples.

Tahitian joy The Toa Aito, or Iron Warriors, a few weeks before their first outing at the 2013 Confederations Cup. T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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All Blacks Of all the country’s athletes, New Zealand’s rugby players probably perform the famous Haka the best.

THE KIWI PROJECT

New Zealand are favourites to win Oceania’s World Cup qualifying campaign, and the country is already bracing itself for the play-offs in November 2017. They are hoping their young coach and the famous ’Haka’ will help them succeed. Almost exac tly a year ago there was an amusing scene prior to the basketball Wo r l d C up m a t c h b e t we e n t h e US A an d un d e r d o g s N e w Z e a l a n d in t h e S p a ni s h c i t y o f Bilb a o. T h e l a t t e r p e r f o r m e d t h e f am o u s ’H a ka’, a r i t u a l i s t i c M a o r i d a n c e t h a t i n v o l v e s in t imid a t in g c h an t s an d e qu all y t e r r i f y in g f a c ial e x p r e s s io n s . T h e aim i s , a f t e r all, t o s c ar e t h e o p p o s i t i o n . US A w e n t o n t o w in t h e g am e 98 -71 bu t t h e im a g e o f t h e in c r e dul o u s D e r r i c k Ro s e an d J am e s H ar d -

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en staring open - mouthed at the dancing New Zealanders was seen around the world. I t i s al w a y s w o r t h w a t c hin g N e w Z e al an d ’s s p o r t s t e am s e xe c u t e t h e d an c e o n t e l e v i s i o n . T h e c am e r a s u su all y z o o m in o n t h e wide - eyed per formers, and anyone una ware of the seemingly innocuous lyric s (“ S l a p y o u r t hi g h s”, “P u s h y o u r c h e s t f o r w ar d ”, “B e n d y o ur k n e e s an d hip s”, “ St amp y o u r f e e t a s h a r d a s y o u c a n”, e t c) c o u l d

w e ll f e e l a p an g o f f e ar in t h e ir ow n li v in g r o o m . T h e m o s t im p r e s s i v e H aka d i s p l a y i s p r o du c e d by N ew Z e al an d ’s all - c o n qu e r in g r u gb y t e am , t h e A ll B l a c k s , w h o h a v e h a d p l e n t y o f p r a c t i c e p e r f o r min g i t . Waiting for the play-offs In t e r m s o f p o p u l a r i t y, f o o t b a l l i s a l o n g w a y b e h i n d r u g b y, c r i c k e t a n d s a i l i n g am o n g N e w Z e al an d ’s 4. 5 milli o n inh ab i t an t s , a s t h e c o un t r y i s am o n g t h e w o r l d ’s

OFC QUALIF YING

Sherman, who is also responsible for the overall development of football in the archipelago, says the fact that some squad members are older than him has not been an issue. “If you have players keen to learn and develop, and you take a vested interest in helping them do that, they will buy into the fact you are trying to make them a better player. Ultimately that is what developing a team is: maximising individuals.”

b e s t in t h o s e s p o r t s . T h e A ll W hi t e s , a s t h e football team are known, are also well v e r s e d in t h e H aka an d h a v e t ake n p ar t in t w o F IFA Wo r l d C u p s™ t o d a t e . T h e f i r s t w a s a t S p a in 1982, w h e r e t h e y w e r e e limi n a t e d a t t h e gr o u p s t a g e w i t h o u t p i c k in g up a s in gl e p o in t . T h e s e c o n d w a s a t S o u t h A f r i c a 2010, w h e r e t h e y l i ke w i s e h e a d e d home af ter the first round, albeit with t hr e e p o in t s f r o m t hr e e dr a w s , in c lu d in g a 1-1 s t al e m a t e w i t h t h e n w o r l d c h am p i o n s I t al y. S u c h p o s i t i v e r e sul t s e v e n sur p r i s e d t h e N e w Z e a l a n d c a m p: c o a c h R i c k i H e r b e r t h a d alr e a d y b o o ke d a h o li d a y w i t h hi s f amil y a f t e r t h e gr o up s t a g e , w hil e s t r ike r Chris K illen had planned his honeymoon dur in g t h e t o ur n am e n t ’s k n o c ko u t p h a s e . T h e A ll W hi t e s’ c h an c e s o f r e a c hin g Ru s s i a 2018 i s a m u c h - d e b a t e d t o p i c a m o n g t h e c o u n t r y ’s f o o t b a l l c o m m u n i t y. E i t h e r wa y, t h e K i w i s w ill h a v e t o b e p a t ie n t . In a t e l e p h o n e in t e r v iew w i t h T h e F IFA We e k l y, f o r m e r We r d e r B r e m e n s t r i k e r W y n t o n Ru f e r, w h o n ow r un s a f o o t b all s c h o o l, s aid: “Qu ali f y in g r oun d s t w o an d t hr e e w o n’t b e t h e p r o b l e m . New Z e al an d c an b e a t t h e S o l o m o n I s l a n d s , F i j i a n d Va nu a t u , b u t t h e n c o m e t h e p l a y - o f f s . A n d ju s t like l a s t t im e t h a t ’ll b e a g ain s t a t e am f r o m S ou t h A m e r ic a . It ’ll b e v e r y di f f ic ul t f o r u s .” N ew Z e a l and l o s t t o Me x ic o dur ing Br a z il 2014 qu al i f y in g an d t h e p l a y - o f f s f o r t h e n e x t Wo r l d C up h a v e b e e n s e t f o r N ov e mb e r 2017.

Alan Schweingruber

Drew Sherman, Cook Islands coach

From far and wide After six months, Sherman and his charges finally have the chance to test themselves on the international stage. Understandably the logistical challenges of putting together a team, let alone a competitive one, have been considerable. The squad are effectively split into three groups, one based domestically, one in New Zealand, plus a handful of players in Australia. Cook Islands suffers from depopulation with residents seeking work elsewhere, meaning there is a large Cook Islander diaspora. “It is about finding the best Cook Islanders to represent us,” said Sherman. “We have a population of 14,000 people to select from, and we have some 70,000 in New Zealand and 20,000 in Australia, so it makes sense to broaden the net as widely as possible.” Most players in the squad are from the main island of Rarotonga, with a handful originally from the outer islands. The squad, however, are further hampered by the timing of the domestic league which commences this week, meaning many are lacking match fitness.

Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images, Cook Island Football

Playing in Europe I n t h e b u i l d - u p t o Ru s s i a 2018 t h e N e w Z e al an d F o o t b all A s s o c ia t io n h e r al d e d t h e star t of a new era by hiring the litt l e - k n ow n A n t h o ny Hu d s o n a s h e a d c o a c h . T h e 34 - y e a r - o l d , w h o s e f a t h e r i s f o r m e r C h e l s e a s t a r A l a n Hu d s o n , w a s a j o u r n e y man footballer during his playing days a n d h u n g u p h i s b o o t s a t t h e a g e o f 27, h a v in g s t ar t e d t ak in g hi s c o a c hin g b a d g e s e a r l y o n . “ I ’ d l i ke t o b u i l d a g o o d t e a m t h a t b r in g s j o y t o t h e p e o p l e o f N e w Z e a l a n d ,” h e s a i d . Re g u l a r f r i e n d l y m a t c h e s h a v e b e e n s c h e du l e d t o t a ke p l a c e in Eu r o p e , w h e r e t h e c o u n t r y ’s m o s t im p o r t a n t players, such as captain W ins ton Reid ( We s t H a m U n i t e d ) , B i l l Tu i l o m a ( M a r s e ill e) a n d C h r i s Wo o d (L e e d s Uni t e d ) , a r e l o c a t e d . T h a t w o u l d all ow Eu r o p e a n t e l e vision viewers to finally mar vel at the H a ka o n c e a g a in .

“Ultimately, developing a team is about maximising individuals.”

Leading the way Cook Islands coach Drew Sherman (l.) on the training pitch. T H E F I FA W E E K LY

OFC QUALIF IC AT ION

READY FOR THE NEXT STEP Tonga, Samoa and American Samoa have one goal: to qualify for the OFC Nations Cup. It is a huge challenge, but one they are tackling confidently.

o f t h e f o u r - t e a m c o n t e s t , t h e ir c o a c h s a w s o m e e n c o u r a g in g a s p e c t s o n w h i c h t h e y c a n b u i l d: “ T h e l a d s p l a y e d a g o o d g am e ,” h e s aid . “ We c an l e ar n s o m e t hin g f r o m F iji, p ar t ic ul ar l y w h e n i t c o m e s t o high b all s an d d e f e n din g .”

Hungry for more Tonga coach Timote Moleni.

S a m o a , To n g a a n d A m e r i c a n S a m o a a r e s e p a r a t e d b y j u s t a f e w p l a c e s i n t h e F I FA /C o c a - C o l a Wo r l d Ra n k i n g . T h i s s h o u l d make the encounters bet ween their national sides in the f irst r o u n d o f q u a l i f i c a t i o n f o r t h e F I FA 2018 Wo r l d C u p i n R u s s i a all the more interesting, par ticularly in light of the fac t that the previous edition of this competition was so closely con t e s t e d i n 2011. A l t h o u g h a l l t h r e e o f t h e s e S o u t h P a c i f i c i s land nations, together with the Cook Islands, have a rich tradition of rugby that is t ypical of Oceania, the trio also share a love of football. T h e y w ill b e ab l e t o d e m o n s t r a t e t hi s e n t hu s i a s m o n c e a g ain f r o m 31 A u gu s t , w h e n To n g a w ill h o s t t h e Wo r l d C up p r e limi n ar y qu ali f ic a t io n c o mp e t i t io n . F our y e ar s a f t e r t h e ir l a s t ap p e a r a n c e o n t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l s t a g e , c o a c h T i m o t e M o l e n i ’s t e am ha ve s e t t he m s e l ve s high go al s in f r ont of t heir home f an s . W i t h o ne w in, o ne dr a w and o ne d e f e a t no t e nou gh t o t ake t he m t o t h e n e x t r oun d o f qu ali f y in g in 2011, t h e y w ill b e ou t t o im prove on this per formance on home soil. Although they suc c umb e d t o a 5 - 0 d e f e a t a t t h e h an d s o f F iji in a f r ie n dl y ah e a d

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End of a drought A lthough A mer ic an Samoa have never taken par t in the OFC Na tions Cup, there is one date to c elebrate in the c ountr y ’s f ootball ing his tor y. On 21 November 2011, the national team won their f ir s t - ever ma tc h, b e a t ing Tonga 2-1 to sp ar k e c s tas y in t heir homeland. A f ter suf f er ing so many year s of def eat s and c onc ed ing so many goals – mos t notably in their rec ord 31- 0 thrashing at the hands of Aus tralia in 20 01 – the player s c ould hardly be lieve they had se c ur e d their f ir s t thr e e p oint s in a Wor ld C up qualif ier. T heir c oac h that day, Dutc hman T homas Rongen, even said that his squad were not even sure how to reac t to their mo mentous v ic tor y. A mer ic an Samoa’s f ootballing his tor y prov ide s such r ich enter tainment f or the spor t ’s romantic s that it has even been immor talised in f ilm. P r e s i d e n t o f t h e c o u n t r y ’s f o o t b a l l a s s o c i a t i o n F a i i v a e I u l i A l e x G o d i n e t i s e x c i t e d a b o u t h i s t e a m ’s u p c o m i n g g a m e s , confident that they have matured and will have oppor tunities t o m a k e i t t h r o u g h t h i s r o u n d o f q u a l i f i c a t i o n . “ We ’v e g o t great conf idence in our team and believe they can take us a s t e p f u r t h e r,” h e s a i d . A f t e r p r e p a r i n g w e l l i n S e a t t l e , A m e r ican Samoa are ready to launch a major coup, and progress ing to the nex t stage would represent another milestone for t h e c o u n t r y ’s f o o t b a l l d e v e l o p m e n t . G o d i n e t i l l u s t r a t e d t h e l e v e l o f s u p p o r t f o r t h e t e a m , s a y i n g : “A l l o u r p e o p l e w i l l b e p r a y i n g f o r t h e m .” I r r e s p e c t i v e o f t h e p a s s i o n f o r r u g b y i n these par ts, there is no doubt that football holds a special p l a c e i n O c e a n i a ’s h e a r t . Annette Braun

Shane Wenzlick / phototek

Samoa making histor y The team to beat on the road to the nex t round are Samoa, w h o e m e r g e d v i c t o r i o u s f r o m t h e f ir s t r o u n d o f qu ali f i c a t i o n in 2011. A s e r ie s o f c l o s e l y c o n t e s t e d m a t c h e s – a 3 -2 w in ov e r Cook Islands, a 1- 0 vic tor y against American Samoa and a dr a w w i t h To n g a – s t e e r e d t h e S am o an s t o t h e t o p o f t h e t ab l e a n d s e c u r e d t h e i r f i r s t - e v e r t i c ke t t o t h e O F C N a t i o n s C u p, t h e s e c o n d s t o p o n t h e r o a d t o t h e Wo r l d C u p. A l t h o u g h t hi s p r o v e d t o b e t h e e n d o f t h e r o a d a s t h e y c o n c e d e d 24 g o al s and scored just one in a group containing New Caledonia, Va nu a t u a n d e v e n t u al w in n e r s Ta hi t i , t h a t e x p e r i e n c e o n t h e Solomon Islands s toked the Samoan players’ hunger to a c hi e v e e v e n m o r e . Enc ouraging them f rom the sideline s this year is Phineas Young, who is delighted with the c ountr y ’s ar ray of talented youngs ter s. “I get lot s of emails and c ontac t reque s t s f rom Samoan f ootball er s in New Z ealand or Aus tralia intere s ted in play ing f or us,” he explained. W ith the national U -23 side opting not to play at the Pacif ic Game s, the as sociation is c ompletely f ocused on the f ir s t round of Wor ld C up qualif y ing in Tonga.

OFC QUALIF YING

Cook Islands Football

Despite the limitations Sherman maintains a level of ambition as the nation enters its sixth FIFA World Cup campaign. Indeed, while they finished bottom in Oceania last time, and have yet to win a qualifier against a FIFA Member Association, Cook Islands have come close to claiming continental scalps on several occasions. “For us, it is about trying to get together the style of play we have been working on, and coming together cohesively,” Sherman says of the upcoming challenge in Tonga. “I’m confident we have a strong group of players, and their attitude has been exemplary. We finished bottom of the group last time and there is certainly no expectations on us, so the challenge is on us to surprise people. “It is a strong culture, and they are very proud to represent Cook Islands. We want to make people here proud and in a way galvanise the nation. If we give a good account of ourselves and help grow football in this country, then it is a success for us.” Å Peter Smith

FIFA IN THE COOK ISLANDS As part of its Goal Programme, FIFA has supported the Cook Islands Football Association with $2,374,900 USD since 2001. Part of that amount was put towards building a new headquarters for the association. The objective was both to improve the quality of the pitches used for matches and training, and to set up an adequate infrastructure in order to implement specific technical programmes and activities. A technical centre was also built, with the primary focus to support and improve the U-17 development programme, which brings players from outlying islands to live on Rarotonga for 12-15 months. Furthermore, financing was provided to help carry out local programmes and activities to support athletes in general and talented young footballers in both the men’s and women’s game.

Training in Matavera The Cook Islands national team tune up their skills on a small pitch.. T H E F I FA W E E K LY

TALK ING POIN T S

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Paraguay: Primera Division, Clausura

A hy perbaric boost for Olimpia

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how the use of a hyperbaric chamber is also bringing results in terms of recovery. “The players take in more oxygen, which increases their blood pressure and enables the affected muscles to recover more quickly and efficiently,” added the sports scientist.

Sarah Steiner is a staff writer on The FIFA Weekly.

Of the 12 teams who compete in Paraguay’s top flight, seven hail from the capital Asuncion. Local derbies are therefore a regular occurrence, with none bigger than the Superclásico between Cerro Porteno and Olimpia, the country’s two most successful and thus most popular clubs. Last June, El Ciclón, as the former are known, secured the Apertura title with their Olimpia rivals 17 points back in fourth place.

other end of the table too, where Nacional find themselves bringing up the rear on six points but having played a game fewer than General Diaz and Rubio Nu, who are only a point above them. High drama is thus assured at both top and bottom during the second half of the Clausura. Å

In contrast, there is little breathing room at the top of the league table. Olimpia lead the way with 17 points from eight matches, with Cerro Porteno second on 14 with a game in hand, while Sportivo San Lorenzo and Sol de America are level on 12 points in third and fourth place respectively. It is tight at the

With eight matchdays now gone in the ongoing Clausura, however, the gap is rather narrower. Indeed, in the last Superclásico, whoever won would have gone top of the league, leaving Olimpia understandably distraught by the resulting 1-0 home reverse – their arch-rivals inflicting on them their first defeat of the season.

Fernando Romero / ABC Color

Coach Francisco Arce responded to the setback by making several changes to his team, the tweaks paying dividends as his side returned to winning ways with 2-1 victories over both Deportivo Capiata and Rubio Nu. Striker Nery Cardozo was the match-winner on both occasions, scoring the decisive goal against Deportivo Capiata before weighing in with two against Rubio Nu. In performances that were about more than just goals, the 26-year-old also impressed with his outstanding technical ability and vision. “The coach has shown faith in me and I train hard every week to try and make sure I’m in the team for the next match,” he said. Proper preparation is also given a great deal of importance at Olimpia, especially since the recent appointment of Luiz Cesar Martins. The 45-year-old Brazilian is a professor of sports science and is responsible for tailoring the players’ individual preparations before each match. “Based on research we have carried out, we calculate that the players will cover a distance of around 360 kilometres in matches and training up to 12 September. We can then evaluate whether they will be able to complete that without overexerting themselves,” explained Martins, before outlining

Collective joy The Olimpia players congratulate goalscorer Nery Cardozo. T H E F I FA W E E K LY

Juventus ta ke a rea lit y check Alan Schweingruber is a staff writer on The FIFA Weekly

As well as the Spanish Primera Division, last weekend also saw the start of the Italian Serie A season. Surprisingly, in the country that invented the ultradefensive Catenaccio system, not a single 0-0 draw was registered on the opening day. Champions Juventus lost at home on matchday 1 for the first time in the club’s history, while Sampdoria won 5-2 against new boys Carpi having led 5-0 inside the first 37 minutes. Juventus must have been pleased when the fixture list handed them an opening game

at home to Udinese, whose 16th place finish last term was a major disappointment. The scene was set for a comfortable kick-off to Juventus’ quest for a fifth consecutive title, but things turned out very differently on a balmy summer evening in Piedmont. La Vecchia Signora dominated but failed to take their chances, and on 78 minutes the visitors embarked on a rare attack. The Bianconeri defence left Udinese’s fastest player, Frenchman Cyril Thereau, unmarked at the back post and he confidently prodded home the winner. There are mitigating circumstances behind Juventus’ false start. The departures of key players Andrea Pirlo, Carlos Tevez and Arturo Vidal left an unbalanced squad. On top of that, injuries to Sami Khedira, Alvaro Morata and Claudio Marchisio mean the Turin title favourites are currently short on quality, even after Colombian midfielder Juan Cuadrado’s season-long loan move from Chelsea was confirmed on Monday. A move for Schalke’s

A shock for Juventus Udinese’s Thereau slots home the winner in the 78th minute. 16

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Julian Draxler is still on the cards with the transfer window remaining open until 31 August. Juventus travel to AS Roma next, who have strengthened over the summer as they search for a first Scudetto in 14 years. However i Giallorossi will be wary of premature optimism after last season, which started brilliantly with five wins but soon went downhill. First there was the 3-2 defeat in the crunch match with Juventus, before a crushing 7-1 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League from which Roma never really recovered. The side from the capital began this campaign with an unsatisfactory 1-1 draw at Verona. Luca Toni failed to get on the scoresheet for the home side but after becoming the oldest top goalscorer in Serie A history last season, the 38 year-old said: “I will retire when I only score three goals in a season.” Å

Valerio Pennicino / Getty Images

Italy: Serie A

Staying on the ball Dynamos are in pursuit of their fifth successive title.

Zimbabwe: Premier Soccer League

Unfamiliar tussle for top spot Mark Gleeson is a Cape Townbased journalist and football

Dynamos FC

commentator.

Most countries have their gold standard club and in Zimbabwe it is the popular Harare outfit Dynamos, who have dominated the league for the last four successive seasons and have previously played in a CAF Champions League final. This year Dynamos are on course for a fifth title but with twothirds of the campaign completed, find themselves in an absorbing four way tie at the top. A defensive error on Sunday saw them lose out on valuable away points at relegation-threatened Tsholotsho as captain Stephen Alimenda miscued an attempt at a clearance and the ball spun viciously back into his own team’s net. The final score was 1-1. Dynamos therefore moved up just a single point to 36 and sit in third place in the

Premier Soccer League, behind Triangle United on goal difference only and four points off the leaders Chicken Inn. Despite topping the table, not everything is going to plan for Chicken Inn. The Gamecocks, as they are known, suffered their fourth defeat of the season at the hands of Hwange in front of a home crowd on Saturday August 22. As a team from Bulawayo, Chicken Inn carry the hopes of the southern part of the country who have a rich rivalry with the capital Harare for honours, but they are now under severe threat after an unexpected loss of points at a crucial juncture of the season. “We are involved in a succession of big games and they don’t stop coming,” said coach Joey Antipas. “We have to keep our composure and remain focused. Everybody wants to brings us down.” Antipas was the title winning coach with Motor Action in 2010, the last club to win a title before Dynamos’ current streak of dominance.

In between sit Triangle United, who are from Chiredzi and backed by a sugar company. They were held to an away draw by How Mine at the weekend but have had a consistent run of form in the second half of the season. The club is coached by Zambian Kelvin Kaindu, who stayed on in Zimbabwe after his playing career ended. Although the other side still with a realistic title bid are FC Platinum, whose haul of 35 points puts them five off the top place, it seems clear who will ultimately hoist the trophy aloft in Zimbabwe. Dynamos’s total of 21 titles in Zimbabwe is three times more than the next best effort of seven league wins for Highlanders. There will be few betting against them making it five titles in a row come the end of the season in November. Å

Chicken Inn now face a derby in Zimbabwe’s second city against Highlanders, who used to be a considerable force but are struggling in mid-table. But it will be later on in the campaign when they host Dynamos, that matters might well be settled. T H E F I FA W E E K LY

F I F A U -17 W O R L D C U P

England building for the future

An eye for talent Neil Dewsnip looks on from the touchline.

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Clint Hughes / Getty Images

Neil Dewsnip will coach England’s U-17s at the World Cup in Chile in October. Countless talented footballers have already benefited from his experience.

F I F A U -17 W O R L D C U P

hen it was announced that Wayne Rooney would succeed Steven Gerrard as England captain in the summer of 2014, another Liverpool native beamed with pride: Neil Dewsnip, who is in the unique position of having played a direct role in influencing the early years of the current and former England skippers. Before taking a coaching role with Everton’s academy, Dewsnip worked as a PE teacher at Cardinal Heenan school in Liverpool, where a young Gerrard was a pupil. Dewsnip then played a key part in the development of Rooney in his subsequent role with the Toffees, before the then 16-year-old introduced himself to the wider footballing world with that memorable goal against Arsenal in 2002. “It’s been absolutely incredible for me personally as a coach to see two young men who I’ve worked with, in Wayne and Steven, both go on to captain the country,” said Dewsnip. “It means an awful lot to me.”

Stuart Franklin / FIFA via Getty Images

Dewsnip’s proteges Steven Gerrard (left) and Wayne Rooney on England duty at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Talent in the spotlight Working with talented youngsters is second nature to Dewsnip. Despite his current role as the nation’s U-18 coach, he will be taking the age level below to the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile in October after the man who guided them there, John Peacock, departed for a first team role at Derby County in the summer. “I’ve met with John and I’m well briefed by what his thoughts on the group were,” the coach said. “I’ve monitored them closely as well over the last year, knowing that I would be picking them up [in his role as U-18 coach].

“It will be interesting to see where we are in ten years’ time.” I’m well down the line in terms of knowing what we’ve got in the group.” One potential member of the U-17 squad has recently gained wider attention beyond the scouting reports of Peacock and Dewsnip. Reece Oxford, captain of the squad which was successful in qualifying for the global finals, became the second-youngest starter in English Premier League history on 9 August. His top flight debut for West Ham United against Arsenal came aged just 16 years and 236 days (Jose Baxter, another Dewsnip apprentice at Everton, is the youngest) and his commanding performance in midfield against Mesut Ozil, Santi Cazorla and Co catapulted him into the national spotlight. “First and foremost I’m delighted that a young English player can do so well on his first start in a very high profile Premier League game,” Dewsnip said. Oxford certainly seems to have impressed the England U-17 coach, who named the youngster in his final squad for the upcoming tournament in Chile. “We’re delighted about the draw” On their arrival in South America, England will have to negotiate a tough group after they were handed a fascinating draw in Santiago. Guinea, Korea Republic and three-time U-17 World Cup winners Brazil stand in their way. “I think what we’re about is giving the players at the young ages international experiences which equip them for the day when they hopefully become full internationals,” Dewsnip said. “We’re delighted about the draw. It’s really good in terms of fulfilling our criteria of playing against different cultures and different nations.” To ensure they are optimally prepared for the upcoming World Cup, Dewsnip and his final squad will travel to Zeist, near Utrecht, at the start of September to take on the Netherlands’ U-18 team in two matches. England’s national training centre at St George’s Park will also play a key role in the youth team’s preparations. A hub of coaching creativity and debate, the national team base sees all coaches, including the senior manager, come together to discuss the future of the English game. “Roy Hodgson has been to a number of our meetings over the last couple of years,” revealed Dewsnip. “He shows an in-

terest and a desire to know about the young players who are coming through. What we’ve got now is a world-leading facility. It’s still in its infancy, so it will be interesting to see where we are in ten years’ time but we feel as though we’re on a positive pathway right now.” The coach is well aware that this path is not always a smooth one. “We as coaches need to be a little bit braver to allow them to show that creativity, in the right place and at the right time,” said Dewsnip. “Over the last number of years England haven’t fulfilled their potential and I like to think I can maybe play a part in improving our record at all age groups in years to come.” With Gerrard, Rooney and Barkley among his previous apprentices, it would not be much of a surprise to see some of Dewsnip’s class of Chile 2015 emerge as England’s future leaders. Å Steve Feekins

Chile 2015 17 October - 8 November Group A Chile Croatia Nigeria USA

Group B Brazil England Guinea Korea Republic

Group C Argentina Australia Germany Mexico

Group D Belgium Ecuador Honduras Mali

Group E Costa Rica Korea DPR Russia South Africa

Group F France New Zealand Paraguay Syria

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

First Love Place: Dongo, Congo DR Date: 24 June 2015 Time: 8.45 p.m. Photog rapher : Feder ico Scoppa

AFP

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GRASSROOTS

FIFA inspiring girls and boys to play football FIFAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Grassroots programme is the core foundation of our development mission, aimed at encouraging girls and boys around the world to play and enjoy football without restrictions. Grassroots focuses on the enjoyment of the game through small-sided team games, and teaching basic football technique, exercise and fair play. For more information visit FIFA.com

WOMEN’S FOO TBALL

PRESIDENTIAL NOTE

More integration for women The calls to action made at the sixth FIFA Women’s Football Symposium, held during the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™, were central to the discussions of the FIFA Task Force for Women’s Football which met in Zurich in mid August.

IFA President Blatter, who announced the creation of the Task Force in October 2013, opened the third meeting by saying: “The resounding success of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada shows how far women’s football has come while also demonstrating why it is so important to ensure girls and women have the best possible access to the game, both on and off the field. Women are part of football and need to be given equal opportunities. FIFA is committed to taking a leading role in promoting gender equality and encourages all confederations and member associations to do the same.” The Task Force proposes that women in football be considered as a priority by the 2016 FIFA Reform Committee. It also proposes that FIFA issue guidelines on gender inclusiveness in football governance and management. The Task Force agrees that FIFA should itself work towards being the role model for those guidelines, which should include: a target of 30 per cent for women’s participation on boards and committees and in senior management roles; women’s football being represented at the highest level and in the decision-making bodies through specialists, ideally women; women’s football being fully integrated in the strategy of every member association and processes, including the club licensing management process, being adapted to the specific needs and situations of women’s football. The Task Force proposes that FIFA issue a strategy and plan to make football more female-friendly by increasing the number of female coaches, referees and other officials. The Task Force also agrees that, in order to continue to develop competitions, in addition to the creation of a FIFA Women’s Club World Cup (currently a work-in-progress), the number of teams and matches at confederation level for FIFA tournament qualifiers of all age categories should be increased. The Task Force proposes that FIFA issue a declaration stating that football at all levels should be funded without discrimination as to gender in fair financial proportion to its participation levels and potential, and provide guidelines for all football stakeholders to achieve this. It also proposes the development and implementation of a high-growth commercial strategy for women’s football to make it the highest economically valuable women’s sport in the world. This proposal includes conducting a research programme to analyse the current market value of women’s football and the commercial and public interest in the sport. Among other topics discussed during today’s meeting were the newly launched Female Leadership Development Programme and the next International Women’s Day conference due to take place in March 2016. The Task Force for Women’s Football will now present the outcomes of this meeting to the FIFA Executive Committee for approval. Å

The leaders of tomorrow

ootball is more than a game. With 300 million active players and 1.6 billion people directly or indirectly associated with our sport, it plays a powerful role from an economic, social and spiritual perspective. Football has the power to bring people together – and to educate them. This was the fundamental idea when we launched the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) at Switzerland’s University of Neuchatel exactly 20 years ago. Together with De Montfort University in Leicester and the SDA Bocconi School of Management in Milan, we created an offering that enables students to receive sports management training and gain an internationally recognised degree, the FIFA Master in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport. The programme has been a resounding success, with 20 partner universities on four continents becoming involved since its launch. The course offers the ideal blend of theory and practice, enabling students to meet leading figures from the world of sport and establish a valuable network of contacts. By providing this opportunity, we are generating the human resources and guaranteeing the expertise required to give football an organisational, administrative and logistical foundation for the future. Football is part of our society, captivating people from every world religion and all ethnic and social groups. Its core values – discipline, respect and fair play – should also guide our path in our everyday lives. The FIFA Master combines these qualities with academic work and, most importantly, reflects the educational power of our sport. Whatever applies on the pitch must also apply beyond the touchline – in families, communities and educational institutions. Football has immense potential to act as a school of life. I have been asked whether this educational programme will continue after the extraordinary Congress next February. The answer is simple: of course it will! Neither CIES nor FIFA are dependent on individuals. They thrive on ideas, philosophies, passion, hope and emotions. The ball will keep on rolling, no matter who leads FIFA.

tfw

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

“I’M NOT SOMEONE WHO GETS JEALOUS” 24

K ARL-HEINZ RUMMENIGGE

After so many years in the shadow of Franz Beckenbauer and Uli Hoeness, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is now the figurehead of Bayern Munich. Roland Zorn interviewed the retired world-class striker.

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, you turn 60 on 25 September, having now spent more than 34 years with Germany’s most successful club as a world-class player, vice-president and, since 2002, as chairman of Bayern München AG’s executive board. Do you ever marvel at this seemingly inseparable partnership? Karl-Heinz Rummenigge: Good fortune is

“The years I spent away from Munich, playing in Milan and Geneva, inspired me for life.”

part and parcel of life. When Bayern Munich called us at home and asked me if I could imagine playing for a club that was already internationally renowned at that point, it gave my mother a wonderful shock. When, as a 19-year-old in 1974, I moved from Westphalian amateur side Borussia Lippstadt to Munich for a transfer fee of 17,500 Deutschmark, I sensed that this was my big opportunity. As for my second career as one of Bayern’s foremost representatives, I can only say that I had the good fortune to be in the right place at the right time. I've tried to use the chances I’ve been given after hanging up my boots to serve the club as decisively as a striker in front of the opposition’s goal.

You were known for being quite shy during your first year as a Bayern player. That’s not all that surprising when you start your career at 19 in a team of global stars and luminaries such as Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Muller, Sepp Maier or Uli Hoeness, who had just been crowned world champions in Munich.

What then gave you that all-important boost on your journey to becoming a world-class striker? The good Lord gave me talent and, after a brief phase of settling in, I felt a duty to make something decent of it. My professional career progressed smoothly after that.

Daniel Delang

Looking at the titles you have won, it seems impossible to argue with that assessment. My time as a player was wonderful primarily because being a professional always gives you the chance to make an impact. My experiences overseas at the end of my career were also very helpful, particularly at Inter Milan but also at Servette. The years I spent away from Munich inspired me for life. I’m

still benefiting from that experience in my second career, as my colleagues and I need to ensure that financial conditions are right and that the club is being led in a sound and responsible way.

You have been regarded as Bayern’s ‘foreign minister’ for some time now, due to your strong international connections and your role as chairman of the European Club Association in particular. How did this come about? Football has enabled me to see the whole world, and in this sport, as in many other lines of work, it’s extremely important to have a network. To do that, you have to get out and about a lot and enjoy travelling. You’re constantly seeing and learning something new and establishing connections with people who may be able to help you one day. I did a huge amount of travelling while serving as Bayern Munich vice-president between 1991 and 2002, partly to better understand other clubs such as Ajax, Manchester United or Real Madrid. In doing so, I was able to constantly develop in the slipstream of our then-president Franz Beckenbauer and general manager Uli Hoeness, and I made the most of this opportunity. Back then you could still jump in at the deep end with a lifebelt, whereas in today’s world, where everything you do or fail to do is followed pretty closely by the public, you have to take that leap without any such protection.

As the heart and soul of Bayern for so many years, local hero Beckenbauer and Swabian Hoeness were always more popular than you and constantly seemed to be the main attraction. Did that ever bother you? I’m not someone who gets jealous. In any case, Franz’s charm and his Bavarian manner are unparalleled, and my friend Uli was always our club’s guiding light. Everyone gets the attention they deserve. As a somewhat less emotional Westphalian, it was always a joy and an extremely pleasant experience to work alongside both of them.

You captained West Germany on 51 occasions, pulling on the armband at a young age just as you did for your club. Is this experience still T H E F I FA W E E K LY

Talented and dedicated Rummenigge as West Germany captain at the 1986 World Cup (top right), as a young Bayern striker in 1981 (bottom left) and today. 26

K ARL-HEINZ RUMMENIGGE

useful now that you are leading a club with 258,000 members – more than any other team in the world – and annual revenues of 540 million euro?

“I once told our captain Philipp Lahm: ‘You’re better professionals now than we used to be – far more serious and intense.’”

Undoubtedly. Anyone given such responsibility must also act responsibly and do all they can for the good of this great club. I once asked Dr Martin Winterkorn, chairman of the Board of Management at Volkswagen AG and a member of our Supervisory Board, how he leads a group with 600,000 employees, and he simply answered: “With good people.” Here at Bayern we also have good people and extremely solid hierarchies. Our club has been set up extremely well, and everyone knows what is required of them.

There has also been consistent and rapid growth at this world-class club... We have seen some breathtaking increases in both members and revenues in the past. Whenever that happens, we have to take care to ensure that everything stays healthy and that we can handle those heady heights without gasping for breath. Failing

that, someone has to be there to bring you back down to earth, because when you’re flying high you always need someone who lets you have the odd rough landing.

Having married your childhood sweetheart Martina and as the father of five grown-up children, have you changed with age? I’ve got a more relaxed attitude towards my grandchildren than I had towards my own children. I generally try to be as laid-back as possible about everything that comes my way.

Would you have preferred to be a professional footballer in the current era? I’ve never asked myself that question. I only know that the sport moves faster now than it did during the best years of my career. I once told our captain Philipp Lahm: “You’re better professionals now than we used to be – far more serious and intense.” These days there are far greater demands on players in every respect. Although they earn much more than we did in those days, they’ve got to do far more to earn it. Å

Daniel Delang (2), Getty Images,imago

Speedy dribbler, thoughtful analyst In his playing days as a striker Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was an expert dribbler whose other outstanding qualities included his speed and powerful shot. He became a star at Bayern Munich, where he scored 162 goals in ten years before moving to Inter Milan in 1984. That transfer created headlines across the globe after the Italian club agreed to pay a fee of 11 million Deutsch Marks. At the start of the 1980s Bayern’s annual turnover was approximately 16 million Deutsch Marks; nowadays it is 530 million Euro. Rummenigge was voted European Player of the Year in 1980 and 1981 and scored 45 goals in 95 appearances for the German national team. In 1980 he won the European Championship with Germany in Italy, and later captained the side at the 1982 and 1986 FIFA World

Cups™, finishing a runner-up each time. The 59-year-old has been a member of Bayern’s executive board since 1991 and chairman since 2002, when the club became a public limited company. After club president Uli Hoeness’ tax affair in 2014, Rummenigge became the new face of Bayern. In contrast to Hoeness, a businessman who often made decisions based on his gut feeling and emotion, Rummenigge is more rational and analytical. In the summer of 2012 it was he who brought in Matthias Sammer as sporting director. Rummenigge is married and has five adult children. He is extremely active in the football community and has presided over the European Club Association since 2008. sca

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HISTORY

Stars Down Under Gordon Nunn, Bob Lawrie, Alan Johns and Reg Date (left to right).

Australia’s forgotten goalscoring king The history of football is littered with supremely gifted players who, for one reason or another, never attained the kind of enduring star status that their talent deserved. Australia’s Reg Date is undoubtedly one such player.

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“A great player and a great bloke, but boy he could drink,” said Marston. “The selectors, they never liked Reggie. He was too much of a larrikin. They couldn’t handle him.” Football in that era could be hugely physical, and it was an environment in which the stocky but powerfully-built Date thrived. A real team player Despite his roguish nature and physically imposing style, Date was renowned not only for his technique and finesse, but as a team man who played with old-fashioned sporting values. “Never did I see a footballer play the game more fairly,” Jack Mathews, sporting editor of the Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, said following Date’s retirement. “Never did I see one more brilliant, one more spectacular or dangerous to his opposition than was Date. Date was all those things, yet was always a team man who shunned every chance to shine as an individual.” This prolific striker reportedly turned down offers to play with Cardiff City and for Glasgow Rangers, in moves that would have pre-dated Marston’s breakthrough move to the mother country by several years. Reg Flewin, captain of an England XI which toured Australia in 1951, said of the local hero: “He’d be a top-liner in an English team.” Date, who grew up in Newcastle’s outer suburbs, was never coached as a young player. His upbringing was against the backdrop of a working-class city, where the local coal and steel industries were the dominant employers. As a

Jack Pollard’s Soccer Records

charismatic and colourful character off the field, Reg Date’s scoring record was nothing short of astonishing. From his debut as a raw-boned teenager in 1937 until his final outing in 1954, Date tallied an incred ible 664 goals across club and representative matches. “The best Australian player I ever played with or against,” was how he was described by Joe Marston, Australia’s football pioneer of the era, who enjoyed a high-profile career in England decades before his compatriots did so. On several occasions, Date has been referred to as the ‘Don Bradman of Australian football’, in reference to the Australian cricketer of the same era who, statistically, is unquestionably that game’s greatest player. Yet the New castle-born Date, who passed away 20 years ago aged 74, is barely known even in Australia’s football community, let alone further afield. Partly that is a result of the era in which he played, when – unlike today – media coverage was minimal. During that period Australia’s sporting focus only infrequently turned to football, a situation that largely remained the case until a decade ago. Partly too it was a reflection on the personality of a man who eschewed the limelight, following his own path. Date worked as a coalminer during the week, and was seemingly happy to play on weekends with the local team. Never one to follow a conservative path, he owned a pub in a tough neighbourhood just down from the docks in Newcastle, and was known to enjoy partaking in boxing, even in his latter years.

HISTORY

Laurie Schwab collection / Deakin

664 goals Reg Date (right) was considered by many Australians to be the best player in the world between 1937 and 1953.

r esult, Newcastle was arguably the home of Australian soccer in the 1930s and ‘40s. Date’s local team, Wallsend, was the epicentre of the game in Newcastle, with their Crystal Palace ground playing host to international matches during that period. Encouraged by his grandmother, Date practised as a youngster by kicking a tennis ball against the wall of the local power station. This self-taught approach mirrored that of Bradman, in fact, who famously honed his skills by hitting a golf ball with a cricket stump against a corrugatediron water tank. Date scored hundreds of goals at junior level, and in one season reportedly scored seven or more every time he took to the field. Wallsend soon called and the 16-year-old stepped seamlessly into the rough-and-tumble of senior football in a working man’s town. His rare on-field ability and off-field magnetic persona quickly made Date a hero. And the local boy-made-good flourished in familiar surroundings. He spent his entire career at his hometown club, aside from three typically prolific seasons with top Sydney side Canterbury. One season in Sydney produced a record 73 goals, a tally that will surely never be surpassed. Brief taste of glory Sadly, though, Date’s international career in the national team colours was brief. While it spanned six years, he only played in five full internationals, all of which came over the

course of a single month during 1947. Date, however, typically displayed his ability for the exceptional by scoring after just four minutes of his debut against South Africa, en route to a tally of eight goals in his five outings. World War II and the paucity of internationals played by Australia were contributing factors to Date’s limited outings in the green and gold. But equally, according to his contemporaries, were his brushes with officialdom. “He [Date] was the outstanding player of those years, no doubt about that,” Australia forward of the era Frank Parsons said of his fellow Novocastrian. “[But] Reg was outspoken. Reg didn’t make either of those tours to New Zealand [1948] or South Africa [1950] and he should have made both of them. He should have been the first picked to go to New Zealand. “We had a few nights together in Newcastle and enjoyed each other’s company. He just loved to talk about soccer. Reg was a character and that pub of his... He was a tough hombre, Reg – the right man for a hotel.” Australia has produced numerous headline names in recent years, but the Socceroos’ lineage stretches back to arguably the greatest of them all – a knockabout coalminer with little interest in fame or fortune, simply playing the game he loved. Å Peter Smith

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

Football breaks down barriers Football builds bridges. It has a unique power to inspire friendship, respect and equality. FIFAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Say No To Racism campaign is part of our commitment to tackle all forms of discrimination in football. Everyone should have the right to play and enjoy football without fear of discrimination. Say no to racism. For more information visit FIFA.com

FREE KICK

SPOTLIGHT ON

GENER AL INFORMATION Country: Côte-d’Ivoire FIFA Trigramme: CIV Confederation: CAF Continent: Africa Capital: Yamoussoukro

GEOGR APHIC INFORMATION

Hidden talents Annette Braun

Mario Wagner / 2Agenten

illions of children across the globe pursue their passion by playing football, although only a few of them will succeed in turning their hobby into a job. For the vast majority, playing professionally will remain but a dream. As well as having the requisite discipline and being in the right place at the right time, talent is vital. Footballers who have a little bit more than others are therefore truly blessed, and it hardly seems fair for a player to possess other special gifts in addition to their on-field abilities. Sometimes such talents are in entirely unexpected areas. New Manchester United signing Bastian Schweinsteiger, for example, could also have become a professional skier. He has often told the anecdote from his youth of when he beat his friend Felix Neureuther, who is Germany’s best downhill skier, in a race. Schweinsteiger is also a keen basketball player and during his time at Bayern Munich he would regularly watch the club’s basketball team in action. Andrey Arshavin, who joined Kuban Krasnodar this summer, is a fashion designer. He once admitted that his decision to study design alongside playing football was primarily to meet women, but now he has his own clothing line. Arsenal striker Theo Walcott, meanwhile, is an author and has already published

several children’s books about a boy called T.J whose most fervent desire is to become a professional footballer. Another example is Italy international Mario Balotelli, who caused great surprise two years ago by playing the national anthem on the piano for team-mate Andrea Pirlo. Footballers have long been drawn to music and it is now difficult to imagine the build-up to a match without the sight of players sporting oversized headphones. Occasionally there are also players who take to the microphone themselves. Kevin Keegan was one of them, having stormed the charts in 1979 with the song Head over heels in love. The German national team did likewise in 1990 when they collaborated with Udo Jurgens on Wir sind schon auf dem Brenner (“We’re raring to go”). Whether or not the players actually had any singing talent is open to debate, but they did go on to win the FIFA World Cup™ later that year. Å

Surface area: 322,461 km² Highest point: Mont Nimba 1,752 m Neighbouring seas and oceans: Atlantic Ocean

MEN’S FOOTBALL FIFA Ranking: 21th World Cup: 3 Appearances 2006, 2010, 2014 Best performance: Group stage 2006, 2010, 2014

WOMEN’S FOOTBALL FIFA Ranking: 67th World Cup: 1 Appearances 2015 Best performance: Group stage, 2015

L ATES T RESULTS Men’s: Gabon - Côte-d’Ivoire 0:0 14 June 2015 Women’s: Côte-d’Ivoire - Zimbabwa 3:0 (Forfeit) 19 July 2015

FIFA INVES TMENTS The weekly column by our staff writers

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MIRROR IMAGE

Guadalajara, Mexico

1970

imago

West German internationals Siggi Held (left) and Berti Vogts take a break during the FIFA World Cup.

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MIRROR IMAGE

Crans-Montana, Switzerland

2015

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Daniel Hoegh (left) and Marc Janko enjoy some downtime during Baselâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s summer training camp.

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THE ART OF FOOTBALL

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

Of birds and men

“I want to kiss him tonight.” Louis van Gaal on Memphis Depay after the Dutchman’s double against Club Brugge

Ronald Duker

“If Lazio have invested that amount of money, it’s because it represents my value.” Sergej Milinkovic-Savic on his transfer to Lazio

“There’s a real lack of excitement, a lack of quality more than anything. Newcastle at home, you should be beating them. If you’re going to win the league, you need to be winning these types of games.”

hat does a bird see when it flies over a football stadium during the final of a European Championship? It sees things differently to spectators watching at home in front of their television screens, where the match can be experienced with close-up and slow motion replays. Of course, the bird also sees things from a totally different perspective to the players themselves, who face each other at eye level down below and can never gain an overview of the entire pitch. The best way to appreciate a bird’s eye view of such a final is to view the images of photographer Andreas Gursky, specifically his EM Arena series dating back to 2000. Long before television broadcasters were covering matches from this camera perspective – the first such example was at the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2005 – Gursky defined this view of the beautiful game as a work of art. We can now only guess at how exciting this series of photographs must have been to their original audience 15 years ago. After all, we have since become accustomed to dramatic visualisations enabling us to understand the game by using aerial shots to show specific moves and shifts in play. Gursky’s view is that of a cold-hearted deity. Players from both sides recede into the background as a series of indistinguishable individuals with no physical features or even any star faces recognisable among them. The fact that they can be recognised at all means they simply serve to depict what is unfolding below, reduced to nothing more than individual building blocks in the overall structure of football.

Paul Scholes on his former club

Gursky is well known for capturing photographs in which the individual components are secondary to the ornamental flatness of the overall subject. His interior views of libraries shrink individual books down to mere pixels, while something similar happens to the huge quantities of confectionery stacked in the aisles of a supermarket, the individual apartments that comprise the façade of a colossal residential complex or hundreds of brokers jostling on a Chicago trading floor. What would a bird see if it looked at Gursky’s EM Arena images? It would probably see nothing at all, as it is not trained to have any particular interest in people, let alone footballers, although the bold stripes mowed into the grass might briefly catch its eye. Any human football fan viewing the pictures, however, sees a match frozen in mid-flow – and perhaps that is exactly what makes these photographs so engaging. They awaken the desire to step in and press the play button, enabling the game to continue and allowing the players to continue a move interrupted by the click of a camera’s shutter. After all, everyone knows that football is the most beautiful game in the world – when the ball is rolling. Å

Manchester United

“He left through the back door, when all the doors were open to him and the red carpet was unrolled.” French coach Elie Baup on Marcelo Bielsa’s exit from Marseille

“Is Gigi the best in Italian history? No, but he is the best of his generation. For the greatest, there’s Zoff. And even during my era there was Zenga, and then Peruzzi. But Buffon is a great goalkeeper. And he could still be like Zoff – he could play in the World Cup at 40. He is still in shape and playing well. I certainly hope he makes it to Russia.” Retired Italian goalkeeper Stefano Tacconi

“Why? Some other clubs, they are disappointed for 15 years and the manager is the same.” Jose Mourinho responds to being asked if he was surprised Manuel Pellegrini was handed a new Manchester City contract T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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TURNING POINT

“Initially, I was scared to return” Manuel Pascali spent seven years playing in Scotland before a drastically reduced contract suddenly forced him to return to Italy.

A.S. Cittadella

even years. That’s a long time for someone like me. After all, I’d never spent more than two seasons with the same team before I went to Scotland. But that’s how long my adventure with Killie, Scottish Premier League side Kilmarnock, lasted: seven years. Every story must come to an end, though, especially the most beautiful ones. I arrived in East Ayrshire in 2008, after a wonderful time with Foligno in Italy’s C1, the country’s third tier, helping them achieve promotion to Serie B and sharing a dressing room with the likes of Massimo Volta, Marco Parolo and Fabrizio Cacciatore, who all play in Serie A now. As soon as I arrived in Kilmarnock and Scotland I felt right at home. Killie will always be my team, though I’ve been more than happy at every club I’ve played for. I pulled on their jersey in more than 200 games and captained the side for my last four years as an Italian abroad, with the highlight being the historic League Cup win in 2012. The Killie score is the first one I look for when I come back from training on a Saturday. But then last February – when the coach was sacked and our top-flight status was in jeopardy after picking up only three points in eight games – they told me there was no longer a place for me in the team. Even though I was the skipper, they told me that if I wanted to renew my contract I’d have to take a 60-percent pay cut and pay my own rent. I’m not exaggerating when I say I’d have had a job making ends meet and getting to the end of the month. It wasn’t easy, but in view of all that and the fact that a very close relative of mine was ill back home, I decided to return to Italy. I was scared to begin with. I knew nothing about the new Lega Pro and there were all these doubts in my head. However, I was keen to return to Italy, to a division I’d never played in and prove – to myself more than anyone else – that I could make the grade.

After a month and a half I can honestly say that I’m having a lot of fun. I know I’ve got a lot of football left in me and I’m itching to achieve something special. I’ve always believed that if you work hard you can achieve big things, and it’s that commitment that’s helped me forge a career I can be proud of. All I want to do is to keep the story going. Cittadella’s a very close-knit and friendly club and they live and breathe football here. I’d only been here a month when they offered me a contract extension, which just goes to show that I’ve still got a lot to offer in this sport, even to Kilmarnock, where I’m aiming to go back one day, this time as a coach. Å Manuel Pascali was talking to Emanuele Giulianelli

Name Manuel Pascali Date and place of birth 9 September 1981, Milan, Italy Position Midfielder / central defender Clubs played for 2000–2002 Sant’Angelo 2002–2003 Alessandria 2003–2005 Pizzighettone 2005–2007 Carpenedolo 2007–2008 Parma 2007–2008 Foligno (loan) 2008–2015 Kilmarnock since 2015 Cittadella Major honours Scottish League Cup 2012

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

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

596

108 Guatemala

-3

299

163 Timor-Leste

56 Trinidad and Tobago

595

110 El Salvador

-22

289

164 Bhutan

128

-1 1226

56 Japan

-6

595

111 Namibia

284

165 Suriname

-2

124 124

130

4 Colombia

0 1218

58 Paraguay

-2

588

112 Bahrain

282

165 Indonesia

-1

5 Brazil

1 1186

59 Congo DR

555

113 Mauritania

273

167 New Caledonia

118

6 Portugal

1 1177

60 Guinea

-2

552

114 Benin

-18

269

168 Malaysia

116

7 Romania

1 1166

61 Australia

-2

551

115 St Vincent and the Grenadines

268

169 Central African Republic

111

8 England

1 1157

62 Equatorial Guinea

546

116 Kenya

266

170 Bangladesh

-1

102

9 Wales

1 1155

63 Mali

-2

545

117 Syria

259

171 Pakistan

101

1 1124

64 Gabon

544

118 Palestine

255

172 Chad

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

254

173 Dominica

-15

254

174 Yemen

-3

96 90

13 Croatia

1 1023

67 Bolivia

-1

515

121 Botswana

-1

253

175 Maldives

14 Slovakia

1 1016

68 Norway

-1

495

122 Madagascar

251

176 US Virgin Islands

-1

14 Austria

1 1016

69 Bulgaria

-1

489

123 Belize

-5

242

177 Laos

16 Italy

1 1001

70 United Arab Emirates

-1

484

124 Korea DPR

240

178 Montserrat

17 Switzerland

997

71 Burkina Faso

482

125 Philippines

-1

239

179 Chinese Taipei

18 Uruguay

-5

988

72 South Africa

-2

478

126 Kuwait

-3

237

180 Cambodia

19 Algeria

941

73 Zambia

-2

465

127 Moldova

-3

236

181 Mauritius

-1

20 Czech Republic

933

74 Uganda

-1

463

128 Lesotho

229

182 Sri Lanka

21 Côte d’Ivoire

912

75 Faroe Islands

-1

456

129 Dominican Republic

-3

224

183 Brunei Darussalam

888

76 Uzbekistan

-1

452

130 Lebanon

223

184 Nepal

23 France

-1

882

77 Montenegro

423

131 St Lucia

-4

220

185 Seychelles

24 Iceland

-1

877

78 Estonia

420

132 Swaziland

218

186 Comoros

50 50

22 Albania

25 Denmark

-1

876

79 China PR

-2

416

132 Burundi

-1

218

186 Tahiti

26 Mexico

838

80 Togo

415

134 Afghanistan

212

188 Macau

-7

27 Ghana

-2

827

81 Honduras

-1

409

135 Bermuda

209

189 São Tomé e Príncipe

28 Bosnia and Herzegovina

-2

819

82 Cyprus

391

135 New Zealand

209

189 Cayman Islands

29 USA

816

82 Morocco

391

137 Aruba

-2

201

191 Solomon Islands

30 Ukraine

-3

791

84 Haiti

-5

387

138 Barbados

198

192 San Marino

40 33

31 Russia

-3

782

85 Iraq

386

139 Thailand

197

193 Turks and Caicos Islands

32 Scotland

-3

774

86 Latvia

377

140 Tanzania

-1

194

194 British Virgin Islands

33 Poland

-3

769

87 Sudan

375

141 Kazakhstan

193

195 South Sudan

22 20

34 Tunisia

-2

768

88 Armenia

373

142 Gambia

191

196 Vanuatu

35 Hungary

-4

763

89 Angola

371

142 Guinea-Bissau

-9

191

197 Samoa

-1

36 Ecuador

-1

758

89 Finland

371

144 Nicaragua

-1

188

198 Fiji

37 Sweden

-4

752

91 Rwanda

-13

369

145 Luxembourg

187

198 Tonga

-1

38 Costa Rica

728

92 Jordan

357

146 Guam

185

200 American Samoa

39 Senegal

722

93 Saudi Arabia

-1

351

147 Liechtenstein

182

201 Papua New Guinea

40 Northern Ireland

-3

721

94 Libya

345

148 Curaçao

173

201 Andorra

41 Iran

-3

718

95 Qatar

344

149 Turkmenistan

172

203 Eritrea

42 Cameroon

667

96 Belarus

341

150 Puerto Rico

169

204 Mongolia

43 Congo

666

97 Mozambique

-2

339

151 Hong Kong

168

204 Somalia

44 Greece

661

98 Malawi

335

152 Guyana

167

206 Djibouti

45 Turkey

627

99 Ethiopia

330

153 Vietnam

-10

166

206 Cook Islands

46 Slovenia

626

99 Oman

330

154 Georgia

-1

165

208 Anguilla

47 Israel

620

101 Canada

323

155 Singapore

-5

162

208 Bahamas

-8

48 Venezuela

-3

617

102 Niger

-6

312

156 Kyrgyzstan

160

-10

159

49 Peru

-3

612

103 FYR Macedonia

311

156 India

50 Cape Verde Islands

608

104 Sierra Leone

304

158 Tajikistan

50 Republic of Ireland

608

105 Antigua and Barbuda

303

159 Malta

-1

157

52 Egypt

606

106 Azerbaijan

302

160 Grenada

153

53 Nigeria

601

107 Lithuania

301

161 Liberia

150

54 Korea Republic

-2

599

108 Zimbabwe

299

162 Myanmar

142

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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