The FIFA Weekly Issue #35

ISSUE 35/2015, 4 SEPTEMBER 2015

ENGLISH EDITION

Fédération Internationale de Football Association – Since 1904

SEPP BLATTER A TACTFUL AND SENSITIVE REFEREE

GHANA YOUTH WORK FOR A GREAT FUTURE

FRANCE LIGUE 1 AMAZED

BY CORSICA W W W.FIFA.COM/ THEWEEKLY

THIS WEEK IN THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL

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North and Central America 35 members www.concacaf.com

Ghana With Baba Rahman’s surprise move to Chelsea offering further proof of the excellent youth development work being done in Ghana, Elio Stamm visited a football academy in Accra to find out more. We also report on football in Mali, where major plans are being made for the future.

South America 10 members www.conmebol.com

Botswana Extension Gunners fans have been waiting for a championship title since 1994. Now their hopes are being raised after the team’s blistering start to the season.

S epp Blatter This week, the FIFA President praises the tact and sensitivity of a referee: “Nikolaj Hanni demonstrated that a situation can be defused without exhausting every option in the rulebook.”

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Premier League Manchester United are currently the focus of several unanswered questions.

(Pictured: Wayne Rooney)

Francis Kokoroko

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Chile National team returnee David Pizarro reflects on the wonderful feeling of victory.

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

Photosport / imago, Stu Forster / Getty Images

Youth work for a great future “Our cover image shows Ghana U-17 international William Ntori Dankyi.

It was captured with the iPhone 6+ on 27 August 2015.”

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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Live Your Goals Five young footballers reflect on their experiences.

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PanoramiC / imago, FIFA

Corsica Newly promoted side Gazelec Ajaccio are determined to prove themselves in Ligue 1.

(Pictured: Thierry Laurey)

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UNCOVERED

The success of tomorrow T here is a Ghanaian proverb that says: “Whoever wants to climb a tree should start from the bottom, not the branches.” The country’s football association has taken these wise words to heart by devoting itself to carrying out coordinated youth work combined with numerous academies that offer young players both sporting development and a formal education.

The success of this initiative is reflected in Ghana’s leading role in African youth football, the senior side’s participation in every World Cup since 2006 and the increasing impact made by the country’s players in Europe’s top leagues. The latest example of this phenomenon is Baba Rahman’s switch from Augsburg to Premier League champions Chelsea. Our colleague Elio Stamm's report from Accra begins on page six. Å

Mario Wagner / 2Agenten

Annette Braun

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Academy sweet academy

FRIENDLY MATCH, TEMA Ghana’s U-17s take on Glow Lamp Academy on 26 August 2015.

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FOOTBALL ACADEMIES IN GHANA

European clubs are clamouring to sign players from Ghana, a West African nation where football is akin to religion. Such interest would be inconceivable without the youth work undertaken by the national association and clubs and the growing number of academies across the country, as Elio Stamm writes from Accra. Photos by Francis Kokoroko.

ROOM-MATES U-17 internationals Lawrence Ofori (left) and Joseph Paintsil take a break.

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hese are good times for Dreams FC. The club from Madina, a vibrant neighbourhood to the north of Ghana’s capital Accra, is living up to its name. After the last home match of the season, fans celebrated exuberantly on their tiny stadium’s uneven pitch together with players clad in t-shirts printed especially for the occasion.

Songs echoed around the ground while children guzzled soft drinks to their heart’s content. The Dreams players had three reason to celebrate: they had just won 2-1, secured promotion to Premier League for the very first time in their previous game and, above all, were now confident of realising their dreams of forging a successful career abroad, just as former team-mate Abdul Rahman Baba – better known as Baba Rahman – has done.

Not since Samuel Kuffour became a defensive stalwart and scourge of opposition attackers at Bayern Munich in the 1990s has a Ghanaian defensive specialist garnered as much attention as Baba. Thanks to his pace, technique and composure on the ball, the 21-year-old left-back made the switch from Bundesliga side FC Augsburg to English Premier League giants Chelsea in mid-August for a fee rumoured to be in the region of €20 million – ten times more than Augsburg paid to bring him to the club from league rivals Greuther Furth 12 months earlier.

Although Rahman’s rapid rise to one of the world’s biggest clubs is far from commonplace, it comes as less of a surprise when considering the number of Ghanaian footballers currently plying their trade overseas. Between two and seven of the country’s players appear in each of the five top European leagues, while these figures are often far larger in the continent’s less prominent top divisions. In Sweden, for example, Ghanaians make up the biggest foreign contingent in the championship after neighbouring Norway, with 14 representatives. Senegal are the only other African nation who can boast a comparable number of players stationed across Europe.

Baba Rahman was 14 years old when Dreams FC lured him from Tamale in northern Ghana to Accra.

PLENTY TO CELEBRATE Baba Rahman poses for a photo with advisor Sascha Empacher after his sensational move to Chelsea (above); fans celebrate Dreams FC’s promotion with coach Charles Akonnor (centre) and player Ben Nash Quansah (below).

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Greuther Furth quickest on the draw Baba Rahman was 14 years old when Dreams FC lured him from Tamale in northern Ghana to Accra on the Atlantic coast. Club president Edwin Kurt Okraku still remembers the day well: “I received a call from one of the coaches in Tamale, who said I definitely had to see this lad.” Baba immediately began training with the first team, who were still playing in Ghana’s third tier at that point. Although the youngster began attracting interest from European sides, particularly Anderlecht, as soon as he began making league appearances for the club a year after joining, at 16 he was still too young to make such a big move. Instead he spent a further two years gathering experience in his homeland before daring to take the leap, at which point Greuther Furth beat Anderlecht to his signature.

Okraku recently spent six weeks in Europe handling Baba’s move to Chelsea. As well as discovering the talented young defender, he is also Sascha Empacher’s partner at SPOCS Sports Consultants, the company that officially represents the player.

The trip was an extremely successful one for Dreams FC and

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Baba’s management company for reasons other than the 21-yearold’s Premier League move. The duo also secured a three-year deal at top-flight Belgian side Standard Liege for 18-year-old Benjamin Tetteh, an imposing striker standing almost two metres tall, and arranged for two further Dreams players to undergo trials with European clubs. The excitement and anticipation of 18-year-old Leonard Owusu, heading to Furth, and Anderlecht-bound 17-year-old Emmanuel Adjei Sowah was clear for all to see during the Accra club’s promotion celebrations. Baba’s management company are active not only in Ghana but also in

Egypt and Central and Eastern Europe. For chief executive Empacher, Ghana’s success at developing young footballers is closely connected with the relatively high development and living standards in the sub-Saharan African nation. “Of course, passion is the foundation of football,” he explains. “Many kids already have very good technique after spending so many hours playing on the streets, but talent can be found just about everywhere in Africa.”

Empacher believes that Ghana’s key advantages are its footballing infrastructure, the national association’s training pro-

THINKING CLEARLY Almost in the Ghanaian Premier League: Hours after winning promotion, two Dreams FC players appear to realise the scale of what they have achieved.

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MALI CATCHING UP Significant progress has been made in ­developing young footballers in this West African country. Now the appointment of French coach Alain Giresse at the helm of the senior side suggests that even greater success may lie ahead.

Alain Giresse The Frenchman has set his sights on winning the Africa Cup of Nations with Mali.

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dotted throughout the countr y. Initially their proliferation threatened to get out of hand but there is now concer ted co - ordination to ensure that all the players at these centres come under the microscope of national team staff.

Ready for the U-17 World Cup Among the more high profile schools was the Centre Salif Keita, set up by the former St Etienne striker who was the recipient of the first ever African Footballer of the Year award. The centre grew from being a youth development project to a fully-fledged club that now competes in Mali’s premier division and has already competed in the African Champions League. Their honours roll includes success in the “Coupe du Mali’.

Mahamadou Diarra, who went on to play for Olympique Lyonnais and Real Madrid, was among the first batch of kids to come through Keita’s hands, as did the founder's nephew Seydou Keita, formerly of Barcelona and now with Roma.

Mali went to the FIFA U-20 World Cup with this generation for the first time in 1999 and finished third. Keita was the best player and Diarra ended up joint top goal scorer with five goals. Since then, the countr y has played at five more FIFA U-20 World Cups, making themselves regulars on the stage.

There has been a steady progression of players from this level through to professional football in Europe and also into the Mali national team, delivering a steady return on develop ment. At under-17 level, Mali are current African champions and play next month at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile.

Scouting in France Mali have had three past appearances at the competition, in a row between 1997 and 2001 when they got to the quar ter-finals, and are hopeful their latest batch of players, drawn from development centres around the countr y, can also go on to shine at professional level. Mali also enjoys another source of players from a different developmental source, in that the country also calls upon a growing contingent of players who were born and grew up in France and have undergone their football education there.

Marrying the two types of footballer can sometimes be perilous but more often than not is a major advantage. Mali now hopes that at senior level it can reap rewards. Alain Giresse is the new coach as they set their sights on winning the 2017 CAF Africa Cup of Nations. Their opponents will be treating them with the due respect.

Mark Gleeson

PanoramiC / imago

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ali’s march to the semifinals of the recent FIFA U -20 World Cup in New Zealand came as no surprise, even if the achievement came from an arid West African nation currently beset by occasional political conflict and with no past success at senior level.

A steady stream of exciting youngsters continues to emerge from the land on the fringe of the Sahara Deser t and at junior level they are now regarded with the same respect and fear that almost all African countries have for teams from Ghana and Nigeria, the two countries who have dominated youth competition on the continent for decades.

Mali have yet to win a CAF African Cup of Nations title or qualif y for the FIFA World Cup, but it would seem a matter of time now before one, or both, occurs.

From 1974 to 1994, Mali did not qualif y for a single Nations Cup tournament and the spor t stagnated to such an extent the countr y was regarded as something of a football lightweight.

But that all changed af ter a surprise run to the semi-finals at the 1994 Nations Cup in Tunisia and since then Mali has been transformed into one of the continent’s heav y weights.

At the apex of this success is the large number of soccer schools, or ‘centres de formation’,

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grammes and a steadily increasing number of youth academies, of which there are currently more than ten. “Everything here is done to an international standard,” he says, adding that the high quality of basic education also helps to make the transition to life overseas easier. “Ghanaian players integrate comparatively easily,” the SPOCS chief executive says. “What’s more, scouting is relatively uncomplicated. It’s safe and easy to travel around the country, enabling club officials to gain their own impression of a player in person.” As if that was not enough, the Ghanaian Premier League can also be watched via pay TV, offering enough high-quality video footage to follow matches from a distance.

WAFA’s football boarding school success Dreams FC are keen to play a key role in that very championship next season, with club officials confident that coach and former Wolfsburg and Ghana captain Charles Akonnor can cement the top-flight status of a young side in which no player is older than 21. “The higher standard of the Premier League will make that leap to European football a little easier for our talented youngsters,” says Dreams president Mohammed Jiji Alifoe, who oversees the club with Okraku.

Dreams FC’s aims have already been achieved by the West African Football Academy SC, or WAFA for short, who have been this season’s surprise package after gaining promotion the year before. With two rounds of matches remaining, Dutchman John Kila’s side currently lie sixth in the 16-team division, just two points adrift of third place.

WAFA, who were supported by leading Dutch club Feyenoord until two years ago and are based at the Feyenoord Academy in Gomoa Fetteh, have provided a youth development model for Ghanaian football to follow. Led by experienced Ghanaian coach Sam Arday, the academy offers by far the most state-ofthe-art sporting facilities anywhere in the country, originally built by drinks giant Red Bull to house their own academy before WAFA moved in.

With its three artificial pitches and a further a natural turf pitch soon to be added, plus a modern gym, swimming pool, offices and player accommodation, the site is reminiscent of a holiday resort.

The complex is currently Sam Arday, head of the WAFA football boarding school unusually empty. With the school holidays well underway, most of the academy’s 75 players have returned home to families they have not seen in months. Unlike Dreams FC, where players receive an exclusively football-oriented education, WAFA is more akin to a boarding school for the sport. Players are invited to the academy at the age of 12 after being selected by a team of three full-time scouts led by Belgian Karel Brokken. According to academy head Arday, getting a place at the school is extremely difficult, “but once you’re in, you have a unique opportunity”.

The budding young footballers receive a five-year scholarship, completing their education during this time while progressing through the academy’s youth ranks under the watchful eye of its six c­ oaches. Players regularly pit their skills against Europe’s best youth teams at tournaments; three weeks ago, the U-16s defeated sides such as Borussia Dortmund at the Next Generation Trophy in Salzburg before falling to Red Bull Salzburg in the final.

“It’s extremely d­ ifficult to get a p­ lace at the academy, but once you’re in you have a unique opportunity.”

WAFA, A MODEL ACADEMY Sam Arday, head of the boarding school, poses with talented youngster Majeed Ashimeru (centre); the top image was taken in Arday’s office, while the bottom photo shows the first team being put through their paces at training.

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Once they complete their education at around 17 – something Arday considers hugely important – the young graduates are free to decide on their future. The most talented members of the class make it into the first team, where none of the players are older than 20, or move to another club in Ghana in a bid to make it onto an even greater stage. At the very least, the remaining students leave with a formal education and the chance to succeed in another sphere of life.

The success of the WAFA model is confirmed by its list of alumni, which includes current Ghana internationals Chris-

tian Atsu – currently on loan at Bournemouth from Chelsea – and Harrison Afful, who plays for MLS side Columbus Crew.

The academy also provides the national team’s youth ranks with a steady stream of players. Currently based at the national association’s technical centre in Prampram as they prepare for a tournament between West African nations in Burkina Faso, the U-17 side contains four WAFA players, including slender yet agile Lawrence Ofori, who pulls the strings in defensive midfield. Arday has a special connection with the Black Starlets, as the U-17s are known in Ghana, having coached

TECHNICAL CENTRE, PRAMPRAM Thanks to FIFA funds, improvements have been made to these facilities over recent years, including the player accommodation in the background.

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them to victory in the World Cup for their age group back in 1995. Although he had eight months with the team to prepare them for that competition, he explains that this period was vital at a time when the country had yet to establish a single academy and the players were far less polished. While current U-17 national coach Paa Kwesi Fabin has just six weeks to mould his players into a unit, the fact that almost half of them have been through academies is a great help. “They’ve got a better tactical grounding than players from other clubs,” Fabin confirms. It is no coincidence that the U-17s consistently play friendlies against academy sides; a week earlier they inflicted a 2-0 defeat on Glow Lamp Soccer Academy, led by former Anderlecht, Aston Villa and PSV Eindhoven midfielder Nii Odartey Lamptey. The game was a good test, and not just for the young internationals. “It’s tough to find competitors at our level,” said Lamptey.

Encouraging 10-year-olds The Ghana Football Association has acknowledged this problem, as technical director Francis Oti Akenteng – a coaching legend in his own right and assistant to Sam Arday in the U-17s 1995 World Cup triumph – confirms: “We will organise special tournaments for academies in future.” This move will enable promising young footballers to test themselves against players in the same age group. Ghana’s FA is also keen to bolster clubs’ youth departments, with every Premier League club already obliged to form an U-20 side, while FIFA’s new, globally implemented Club Licensing System will require them to have two youth teams from next season onwards. Another idea is to operate a football academy for 10 to 15-year-olds at the technical centre in Prampram to reduce the FA’s reliance on the work of private academies. The buildings for this school have already been built.

One of the association’s first large-scale scouting initiatives in Tamale unearthed a slender youngster by the name of Abdul Rahman Baba, who benefited from its grassroots efforts long before Dreams FC brought him to Accra. As Akenteng says: “The fact that he is now playing for Chelsea has already made us feel a little proud.” Å

“People are more receptive to pointing a mobile phone at them than they would a traditional camera. This atmosphere allows me to engage them more intimately without the awkward tensions that exists between sitter and photo­grapher. I used the Hipstamatic app on the iPhone 6+. I maintained a consistent lens/film combination.” Francis Kokoroko

GHANA

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE Lawrence Ofori (top) and his U-17 team-mates (bottom) after their 2-0 win over Glow Lamp Academy; the centre image shows a plaque at association headquarters declaring the implementation of FIFA’s Goal project.

POPULATION: 27 million CAPITAL: Accra PRESIDENT: John Dramani Mahama NATIONAL TEAM COACH: Avram Grant WORLD CUP APPEARANCES: 2006, 2010, 2014 FIFA: FIFA invested approximately $1 million between 2009 and 2012 as part of the Goal programme. These funds enabled the improvement of facilities at the technical centre in Prampram. A football academy is also being established at the same location.

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Botswana: Premier League

G u n n e r s e n j oy p e r fe c t s t a r t Annette Braun is a staff writer on The FIFA Weekly.

After four wins in four matches, the new Premier League season could not have started any better for Extension Gunners. The Lobatse club sit at the top of the table and with 12 points on the board, nine goals scored and only two conceded, expectations among the club’s fans have been raised.

Monirul Bhuiyan / BackpagePix

Extension’s most recent success was a 2-1 win over Gaborone United, although coach Keitumetse Paul complained after the match about his side’s wastefulness in front of goal. “The main thing is that we’ve got maximum points. We can try to improve other areas in the coming games,” he said.

I N S I D E

The Gunners have always been one of the most well supported clubs in the country but you have to go back to 1994, when they were called LCS Gunners, for their last league title.

It has been a long drought since then and it was not until 2009 that the tide started to turn, when the Gunners finished the season in fourth place. Last summer’s appointment of former national team assistant coach Paul has brought a new style of play to the team, with less emphasis on possession and more on pace and power. The signings of Oabile Makopo and Odirile Kgaodi have also strengthened the squad and after a very promising start to the season, the club have their sights set on the ultimate prize.

playing the final half hour with ten men.

The result left Rollers in fifth place, four points behind the leaders.

The closest challengers to Extension Gunners are Police XI and Miscellaneous SC Serowe, both on ten points. Police XI followed their 4-0 win on matchday three with a 3-2 win against Sankoyo Bush Bucks, while Miscellaneous were 3-1 winners at home to Satmos.

When they return from the international break, Extension Gunners will be looking to continue their good form against last year’s runners-up Orapa United. Å

Last season Township Rollers of Gaborone won the league, and they did so after suffering a damaging 3-1 loss to BR Highlanders at a crucial time in the title race.

The two sides met again on matchday four of the new season and this time the game ended in a 1-1 draw, despite BR Highlanders

Cause for celebration The season has started well for Jomo Moatlhaping and Extension Gunners who are aiming for their first title since 1994 T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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England: Premier League

M a n c h e s te r Un ite d s t u mb l e o u t o f t h e block s Perikles Monioudis is chief editor of The FIFA Weekly.

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney is in an unenviable position at present. After all, his team’s performances so far this season have left a lot to be desired. Try as they might, Louis van Gaal’s charges simply haven’t clicked into gear.

After four league games, United have only managed to hit the net three times, including one own goal. Thankfully from the Red Devils’ perspective, those three goals have earned them seven points, leaving them in fifth place in the Premier League table.

Nonetheless, United have failed to match their lofty ambitions in any of their four league matches. Their build-up play has been laboured and they have looked toothless in attack. Juan Mata, United’s Spanish playmaker, is struggling to unlock opposition defences with killer passes, while Rooney is looking increasingly isolated up front. Then there’s Bastian Schweinsteiger, who was involved in practically every attacking move during his 12-year spell at Bayern Munich. Back then, he exuded an air of supreme confidence and always kept the ball in his line of sight.

Last weekend, Swansea managed to come from 1-0 down to beat van Gaal’s team 2-1 at home. With ten minutes of the contest remaining, the Dutchman threw on tall midfielder Marouane Fellaini, instructing the Belgian international to win the aerial battles in the opposition area in the hope that United’s strikers would latch onto the second balls – a fruitless approach and a far cry from total football.

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In dire need of offensive reinforcements, United signed 19-year-old Frenchman Anthony Martial for a reported 80 million euros from Monaco on the final day of the transfer window. Van Gaal will need Martial to hit the ground running at Old Trafford, particularly following the

departures of Adnan Januzaj and Javier Hernandez on transfer deadline day. Belgian youngster Januzaj has signed a season-long loan deal with Borussia Dortmund – a club where Mata would flourish – while Mexico international Javier Hernandez, more commonly known as Chicharito, has

Paul Ellis / AFP

In Manchester, the World Cup winner looks a shadow of his former self.

He seems more concerned about the whereabouts of his opponent than the ball, constantly glancing over his shoulder. In short, the 31-year-old looks afraid.

transfer window. Goalkeeper David De Gea had been expected to sign for Real Madrid, but the Spanish giants failed to complete the transfer before Monday’s deadline, with both Real and United publicly blaming each other for the collapse of the deal.

Before the debacle at Swansea, Rooney managed to score a hat-trick against Club Brugge in the Champions League play-off second leg. A glimmer of hope, perhaps, that the 29-year-old may yet prove a valuable asset to a side that has yet to find its feet this term.

United’s fierce rivals Manchester City have had no such problems. The Citizens boast a 100 per cent record in the league and sit top of the table with a goal difference of +10. The acquisition of Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne from Bundesliga side Wolfsburg, meanwhile, will only strengthen City’s star-studded ensemble even further. Å

Stuttering start Man United coach Louis van Gaal cut a frustrated figure following his side’s 2-1 loss to Swansea

joined Dortmund’s Bundesliga rivals Bayer Leverkusen for a reported £7.3 million.

Talking to BBC Radio 5 in England, former Arsenal striker Ian Wright held no punches in his assessment of United: “I haven’t got a clue what Van Gaal is trying to do,”

he said. “What is his system? Surely Manchester united have got to play with a bit more pace and thrust and tempo.

They seemed desperate.”

That desperation was coupled with an air of confusion in the final hours of the T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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Name David Marcelo Pizarro Cortes Date and place of birth 11 September 1979, Valparaiso, Chile Position Midfield 1997-1998 Santiago Wanderers 1999-2005 Udinese Calcio 2001 Universidad de Chile (loan) 2005-2006 Inter Milan 2006-2012 AS Roma 2012 Manchester City (loan) 2012-2015 Fiorentina Since 2015 Santiago Wanderers Chile national team 46 caps, 2 goals

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Pablo Ovalle /AgenciaUno

Clubs

THE INTERVIEW

“We have to stay humble” David Pizarro returned to the Chile national team in 2013 after a lengthy absence.

Here, the 35-year-old talks about his country’s Copa America success, the raised levels of expectations and the danger of social media.

Has Chile’s Copa America triumph taken on a new dimension now that several weeks have gone by?

Earlier you mentioned the World Cup, a competition that you’ve yet to appear in. Do you dream of making it to Russia 2018?

David Pizarro: We achieved something important. Winning a championship that our national team had never won before is a very big deal, and we’re fully aware of that. What worries me now is hearing that they want to make 4 July [the date of the 2015 Copa final] a national Day for Sport in Chile. That makes me wonder: do people think we’re never going to win anything else!

Very much so. Due to decisions I took at the time, and which I still totally stand by, I missed out on other World Cups, but I’m still in with a chance of staying involved with the national squad. And there’s nothing bigger in football than the World Cup. Even so, if I don’t manage to make it as a player I won’t let it get to me. Perhaps I’ll need to wait until I’m a coach instead. I’ve got to get to a World Cup, whatever it takes!

What’s the next step for this squad of players?

The plan is to make the most of this generation of players and keep challenging for trophies. The way Chile play was [originally] put in place by [Marcelo] Bielsa. I compare it with what [Johan] Cruyff did at Barcelona: he instilled an ideology which to this day is bringing significant results. That’s the issue in question. The goal is to change the destiny of Chilean football history.

The Copa America success has earned Chile a ticket to the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017.

How much will it mean to take part?

We’re really excited about it! We’ll be competing against heavyweight national teams and it’ll be an important preliminary test ahead of, God willing, another World Cup campaign. It’ll mean a great deal for a generation of players that are very bold, very gutsy and have a lot of character. We want to keep breaking records and build on the Copa America success.

What’ll be the hardest part about trying to stay successful?

Staying humble and not letting egos become a problem. Let me give you an example: social media. I can’t say that I see much point in it. In my view it’s a tool that, more than anything else, serves to inflate people’s egos. The key will be to maintain the same levels of passion and commitment, particularly given how hard it was to get this far. If we can manage that, we’ll be on the right track.

Is there any risk of complacency setting in after winning the Copa America? I ask because South American Zone qualifying will begin shortly...

For a footballer, at national-team level, [appearing at] a World Cup will always be the pinnacle. In world football, that’s the highest you can go. We’re now champions of South America, but Chilean players shouldn’t settle for that. We’re part of a process. There are players coming through with the same hunger [for success] as those currently in the squad.

And for this generation, the likes of Arturo Vidal, Alexis Sanchez, Gary Medel and Claudio Bravo, they’re at major clubs where life is constantly demanding. They’re called upon to take responsibility at their clubs, they’re all under pressure to win, and that helps the national team to stay competitive too. Chile mustn’t lose that determination to go toe-totoe with anybody. As a Chilean footballer, that’s what concerns me.

to go and play in places like Bolivia and Ecuador, which is always incredibly tough.

Look, I spent a long time in Europe and I always gave my [European] team-mates stick about their national teams’ qualifying phases.

They just don’t compare to ours!

How would you define the role you play in La Roja’s dressing room?

I see myself as having an important role in terms of the group as a whole. That’s something that’s always mattered to me, that the squad always pulls in the same direction, that nobody goes off alone down the wrong path or tries to put themselves before the squad. Those are things that I won’t stand for, because I understand that this is a team sport. Å David Pizarro was speaking to Diego Zandrino

Players like the ones you mention and Chile’s performances in general mean they’ll now be among the favourites at every competition.

What are your thoughts on that?

There’s no doubt that Chile have earned that [favourites] tag. But, if there’s one thing the Copa America made clear it’s that these qualifiers will be the hardest they’ve been for a long time. On top of the leading contenders from previous campaigns you’ve got Peru and a resurgent Paraguay. What’s more, you’ve got T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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First Love Place: Barcelona, Spain Date: 1 August 2015 Time: 11.14 a.m.

Photog rapher: Mike Gamio

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Football breaks down barriers Football builds bridges. It has a unique power to inspire friendship, respect and equality.

FIFA’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

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PRESIDENTIAL NOTE

FIFA Monitoring Committee Israel-Palestine in Zurich

A tactful and sensitive referee

F A new era The Israel Football Association and Palestinian Football Association met at the Home of FIFA in Zurich.

foto-net

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he FIFA Monitoring Committee Israel-Palestine, comprising representatives from the Israel Football Association (IFA) and the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) led by their respective presidents Ofer Eini and Jibril Rajoub, held its first meeting at the Home of FIFA in Zurich at the end of August, under the chairmanship of Tokyo Sexwale and in the presence of Sepp Blatter.

The Monitoring Committee was set up following the intense mediation work by the President and the subsequent approval by the 65th FIFA Congress.

During the meeting, the Monitoring Committee discussed details related to its mandate and clarified its composition, which will include the chairman Tokyo Sexwale, the IFA General Secretary Rotem Kamer, the IFA Legal Counsel Efraïm Barak, the PFA Director of the International Department Susan Shalabi Molano, the PFA Legal Counsel Gonzalo Boye and two representatives of the FIFA Congress from CONCACAF, CONMEBOL or the OFC to be designated shortly.

“I’m humbled as this is not an easy task, but this meeting represents an important first step towards the consolidation of a regular exchange between the football associations of Israel and Palestine.

I’m feeling confident after seeing the team spirit today, as both associations have confirmed their intention to promote dialogue. As we have witnessed in my home country South Africa, I’m convinced that here too we’ll bring people together through the power of sport,” said chairman Sexwale.

“This is a new era, there is a different feeling in the room with the two associations talking to each other. There was a clear consensus at the Congress that a solution should be found. FIFA will continue its tireless efforts to bring both member associations together to reach a solution for the benefit of football in the region,” commented FIFA President Blatter.

“I’m very happy to start the process towards finding solutions,” said Jibril Rajoub. “I believe that we will be able to develop a dynamic of cooperation. Both Mr Rajoub and I want fair conditions for our footballers,” said Ofer Eini.

Now that the composition has been established, the Committee will next meet in the Middle East region in September. Å tfw

rom cigarette lighters to spirit bottles, drinking cups to golf balls, the items that occasionally fly in the direction of the pitch during football matches often leave us dumbfounded. On one occasion in Spain Luis Figo was almost hit by a pig’s head, while Inter’s tifosi once hurled a Vespa from the stands in Milan. Some spectators evidently believe that the playing surface doubles as a landfill site – and that visiting a match gives them the chance to channel their personal frustrations and aggression.

Last Sunday the Swiss league game between Basel and FC Zurich was affected by this kind of excessive behaviour when Basel playmaker Matias Delgado was pelted with projectiles from the Zurich fans’ section as he attempted to take a 37th-minute corner. Although it is difficult to imagine what might have happened if the Argentinian had been hit, it is unlikely the match could have continued. With this in mind, referee Nikolaj Hanni stepped in with immense tact, sensitivity and pragmatism in an attempt to “save” the game.

The match official first ordered all of the players into the centre circle to send out a clear message. When a hail of objects again rained down on Delgado as he made a second attempt to deliver the corner kick, Hanni sent both teams back down the tunnel for ten minutes, combining this gesture with an unambiguous announcement that the match would be abandoned if the same thing happened a third time.

Fortunately, it did not. The atmosphere settled down, enabling the game to continue without further interruptions. By intervening in the way that he did, Hanni demonstrated that such a situation can be defused without exhausting every option in the rulebook. Abandoning the game might have allowed the situation to escalate completely and given a tiny yet destructive minority the impression that they can “abuse” football. Why should 30,000 peaceful fans be punished for the stupidity of a few disruptive individuals?

In any event, it is alarming enough that the break in play was the main topic of conversation in subsequent media reports, as Basel’s 3-1 win and the fact that they have yet to drop a point after seven matches became little more than a side note. This should not be the case. After all, the main event in any football stadium always takes place on the pitch, not in the stands!

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

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GA ZELEC A JACCIO

Small club in the big time Gazelec Ajaccio are in Ligue 1 for the first time ever. They aim to stay there on limited means and Corsican values, writes Sarah Steiner.

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Pascal Pochard-Casabianca (2) / AFP, Presse Sports

Tra Mare e Monti Gazelec Ajaccio play between the sea and the mountains in France’s Ligue 1.

GA ZELEC A JACCIO

W

ith its white sandy beaches, turquoise sea, rugged mountains and spectacular forests, Corsica is a holidaymaker’s paradise. Yet the French Mediterranean island also has much more to offer. Its colourful history ranges from the Romans to the Goths and the Saracens through to Corsican independence and its integration into the French kingdom. One man in particular made the island famous: Napoleon Bonaparte. Born in Ajaccio, the French emperor played a significant role in shaping European history. His presence can still be felt everywhere on the island, his image adorning plazas, shop windows, streets and cafes – even the airport has been named after him. Corsica has a culture, history and identity of its own, and its football is no different.

Whereas PSG operate with a 500 million budget, Gazelec get by on less than 14 million.

Corsica is football crazy. For 320,000 inhabitants, the island boasts two teams in Ligue 1, SC Bastia and Gazelec Football Club Ajaccio, one in Ligue 2, AC Ajaccio, and a fourth in the French third division, CA Bastia.

Mismatch Zlatan Ibrahimovic (l.) battles with Gazelec defender Cedric Hengbart.

Lifelong commitment Honorary president Francois Fanfan Tagliaglioli (l.), who has been involved with Gazelec for over 50 years, and club president Oliver Miniconi.

Denied promotion Of that quartet, the one currently making waves in France is Gazelec. It did not start out as a professional club but as a company team of the energy firm EDF-GFD. In 1960 the side, whose name stems from the amalgamation of “gaz” and “électricité”, merged with FC Ajaccio. Success soon followed and they won four French amateur titles that decade. Yet their path to Ligue 1 was a long and rocky one.

In 1999 Gazelec were denied promotion to Ligue 2 despite having earned their place there. At the time the French professional league (LFP) did not allow a city with fewer than 100,000 inhabitants to have more than one team in the same division. It was not until 2012, when that rule was abolished, that they made the step up to the second tier.

Gazelec went straight back down again, but in 2015 they caused a sensation by winning proT H E F I FA W E E K LY

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GA ZELEC A JACCIO

motion to Ligue 1 despite having the smallest budget of all teams in Ligue 2 (€4.5 million).

“Money doesn’t always buy happiness,” said honorary club president Francois Fanfan Tagliaglioli. “If you don’t have the means then you need to find another way.” Having dedicated 50 years of his life to Gazelec, the 76-yearold Frenchman knows what he is talking about. “The club is in my heart and flows through my veins,” he said. “It’s in my blood.”

And when Gazelec beat Niort 3-2 on 15 May 2015 to secure the runners-up spot in Ligue 2, there was no holding back for Tagliaglioli.

With tears in his eyes he stood in front of television cameras celebrating, saying: “It’s the best day of my life!”

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T H E F I FA W E E K LY

Powered by volunteers The new Ligue 1 season is now under way and once again Gazelec have the smallest budget of all teams. As early as Matchday 2 they went up against the club at the opposite end of the scale: Paris Saint-Germain. It was a veritable David versus Goliath affair, which the capital club comfortably won 2-0.

Numbers do not tell the whole story in football, but there is no point of comparison between the two clubs. The differences in finances, squad and ambitions could not be more pronounced. They may be in the same division, but the teams are worlds apart.

Whereas PSG operate with a €500 million budget, of which €15 million go to superstar

Pascal Pochard-Casabianca / AFP

Family environment The Gazelec Ajaccio players are a close-knit group.

GA ZELEC A JACCIO

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the Corsican top-flight newcomers get by on less than €14 million.

Gazelec can only dream of having a training academy or a reserve side, while much of the administrative work at the club is done by volunteers. Indeed, such heartfelt dedication and pride are highly valued at Gazelec and are qualities that shape the environment at the club.

Collective strength Nonetheless, Gazelec have invested heavily.

A new training ground has been built, the capacity of the Ange Casanova stadium expanded and the size of the press box increased – and everyone helped out. Even the club president and sporting director got on their hands and knees to lay the new pitch, an act in keeping with Gazelec’s history.

When the stadium was first constructed in 1960, fans and players alike helped build it.

“Our players and their coach Pierre Cahuzac put up the fences, painted the changing rooms and laid the grass,” said then president Ange Casanova, from whom the arena takes its name. “This stadium is our house, the fruit of our labour.” Work is still ongoing, however. Over the summer the capacity was increased from 2,800 to 5,000, but the objective is to reach 8,000.

Gazelec also invested in the team, albeit prudently. The biggest signings were Jacques Zoua, brought in from Hamburg, and Issiar Dia from Lekhwiya. No huge sums were spent and nor were unrealistic targets set: the most important aim this season is to avoid relegation. The club hopes to achieve that by finding the right balance.

Captain Louis Poggi, who has laced his boots for Gazelec since 2007, is the focal point of the side. Achieving promotion is his biggest triumph to date, and he is aware of what it means to the club. “We’ve gradually realised what we’ve accomplished,” he said prior to the start of the new season. “But now we need to stop living with our heads in the clouds.” Gazelec’s limited resources restricted their activity in the transfer market, but the club also made a point of keeping the team together.

“Nobody believes in us but we’ll make up for our financial and infrastructural deficits with our mental strength,” said the skipper. “That’s what the club and Corsica stand for.”

Tagliaglioli added that Gazelec “can’t attract players by offering them a fat pay check,” and that the club endeavoured to keep players’ salaries at a similar level in order to avoid dressing room rivalries. “What we can offer is human warmth and the solidarity of a family club where everyone in charge is very close to the players,” he said.

Bottom of the table Corsica is a special kind of place, as former goalkeeper Pascal Olmeta can attest. He started out between the posts at SC Bastia and went on to win the French championship twice with Marseille before ending his career at Gazelec. “When you arrive on the island you have to be able to adapt,” he said. “The salaries aren’t very high but you live a happy life. The three most important values in Corsican football are identity, passion and humility. If a player isn’t able to understand that then there’s no point in him coming to a Corsican club.”

For Gazelec the dream of top flight football is now a reality, even if the season has not started according to plan. Coach Thierry Laurey’s side are bottom of the standings after four rounds of matches, and have lost

every game aside from a draw with Troyes in their opening fixture. “If we continue being so naïve at the beginning of our games we won’t get very far,” said Laurey of his team’s disappointing start. The 51-year-old is now eager for his charges to go on the front foot: “Out on the savannah the lion never attacks the strongest zebra; it goes for the injured one. At the moment we’re a little bit injured. We need to rediscover our strengths, otherwise we’ll get bitten again.

I’m not sounding the alarm yet, but we need to be more realistic and above all, more aggressive.”

Perhaps the minnows could look to the island’s most famous son for inspiration.

Napoleon made a name for himself as a ruthless warrior and brilliant strategist. Gazelec could urgently do with a bit of both. Å

“The lion never attacks the strongest zebra.”

Gazelec coach Thierr y Laurey

Ga z elec F oo t b all Club A jac cio Facts and figures F ounded: 1960 – mer ger o f F C A jac cio (1910) and G a zelec A jac cio (1956) P r o f e s sion al sinc e: 2012 S t adium: S t ade A nge C as anov a, c ap acit y 5,000 C o ach: T hier r y L aur ey P r e siden t s : Olivier Minic oni ( pr e siden t), F r anc ois F an f an Tagliaglioli (honor ar y pr e siden t) C lub honour s : F r ench am at eur ch ampions (C FA ) 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968

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LIVE YOUR GOAL S

Committed to a good cause Five players were chosen for the leading roles in the TV spot “No Barriers”.

Unbounded enthusiasm In the “No Barriers” TV spot, five young female footballers work together to break down an imposing wall. The girls spoke passionately about the inspirational campaign during a recent trip to Zurich.

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Next year, the Under-17 Women’s World Cup will take place in Jordan – the first time the tournament is being held in a country from West Asia. The possible creation of a Women’s Club World Cup was also discussed at the recent FIFA Task Force for Women’s Football,

Kick-about with the President Sepp Blatter surprised the five girls during their visit to Zurich.

FIFA

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uiza, Taylor, Eleisha, Alia and Ivy have already watched the No Barriers TV spot on numerous occasions. After all, they play the leading roles in FIFA’s Live Your Goals campaign, which was broadcast millions of times on television during the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™. Even so, the girls still find it strange seeing themselves on TV. Things were no different during their recent trip to Zurich, which was organised as a “thank you” for taking part in the FIFA project. This time, the girls weren’t watching the spot at home or with their friends, but with none other than Sepp Blatter. “To meet him in person was absolutely incredible,” gushes Luiza, recalling her first encounter with the FIFA president.

40,000 girls have already taken up football as a direct result of the Live Your Goals campaign, which was launched in 2011 during the Women’s World Cup in Germany. It’s an impressive figure, but the organisers insists that this is just the beginning. The ultimate aim is to ensure that every girl and women who wants to play the game has the opportunity to do so. The development of women’s football is top of their agenda.

LIVE YOUR GOAL S

For many women, the route into football is still littered with obstacles.

An eye for detail The film crew used state-of-the-art technology to film the TV spot.

which Sepp Blatter opened by saying: “Women are part of football and need to be given equal opportunities.”

Learning from the best The five girls who took part in the highly successful TV spot will doubtless agree. The clip shows the girls working together to break down an imposing wall by kicking a football against it with increasing determination, skill and power. Once the wall has collapsed, the players emerge into the roar and bright lights of a huge stadium. The spot highlights the fact that a woman’s path to professional football is littered with numerous boundaries and obstacles. “You shouldn’t let other people place obstacles in your way, especially when it prevents you from doing something you’re passionate about,” says Eleisha, who was overwhelmed by the friendly atmosphere during the recording of the video and is now certain that she wants to play football professionally – no matter how many boundaries she has to overcome to achieve her goal. “Don’t let anyone say you can’t play football just because you’re a girl,” adds Luiza.

The girls can take heart from the likes of Lina Magull, Clara Schöne and Katie Duncan, who all realised their dream of forging a career in football and surprised the five girls with a private training session during their visit to Zurich. Magull and Schöne both play for SC Freiburg, while Duncan plies her trade at FC Zurich and represented New Zealand at the 2015 World Cup in Canada. The three players were only too happy to answer the girls’ questions.

friends, but playing football boosted her confidence and she soon grew more comfortable with her surroundings. “Football knows no boundaries, whether social, ethnic or economical,” she says. “It brings people together from different backgrounds.”

Like her fellow stars, Ivy has been inspired by the campaign and is determined to show her support to every girl she meets who wants to join a football club. Alia, meanwhile, feels that women’s football deserves more attention. The Live Your Goals campaign has only strengthened her belief that she wants to pursue a career in football.

The five girls’ undying passion for the sport became apparent during a kick-about in the Zurich sunshine with Sepp Blatter himself.

No inhibitions, no boundaries, just unbounded enthusiasm for the beautiful game. “If you dream about football, live your dream. That’s what I would do,” says Taylor, grinning from ear to ear. Å Annette Braun

Unique experience The girls were given a tour of the FIFA headquarters.

Source of inspiration Football’s powerful role in society is perhaps best illustrated by Ivy’s story. As a young girl, Ivy’s shyness made it difficult for her to make T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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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.

FREE KICK

SPOTLIGHT ON

GENER AL INFORMATION Country: USA FIFA Trigramme: USA Confederation: CONCACAF Continent: America Capital: Washington, D.C.

Setting an example Sarah Steiner

Mario Wagner / 2Agenten

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he images we have been seeing from Europe’s borders portray unspeakable suffering. They show men, women and children fleeing their homelands, and depict scenes of desperation, fear and pain on an unimaginable scale.

Europe’s politicians face the difficult task of finding solutions to this crisis, while news reports of attacks on refugee shelters in Germany have left the world stunned. At times like these, football seems irrelevant, even insignificant. Yet that is not the case.

To some extent we all have an individual duty in such situations, and TSV Troglitz have certainly fulfilled theirs. The club, which plays in the Kreisliga Burgenland 2, is based in a small municipality in Saxony-Anhalt that was the scene of an arson attack on a planned refugee shelter in the spring. TSV reacted to the incident by announcing that refugees are welcome at the club anytime, and that promise has come to fruition: since August an Afghan has been playing for the club.

The new member of the squad may not speak any German or English but he can still communicate, whether via his hands and feet or through a translation app. TSV’s head of football Jorg Heinold said: “We can all help with the influx of migrants in a positive way, but for that to happen we need to extend our hands and the refugees must be willing to integrate. Learning the language is the first step.

As a football club we can play an important role in this process.”

It is not just Troglitz who are setting a good example. Across Germany, football is showing support for the refugees. In Babelsberg, Germany’s first refugee team, Welcome United was founded. Werder Bremen fans held a collection for sporting goods at their recent home game against Borussia Monchengladbach, and a Europe-wide supporters alliance has donated €1,000 to two projects for refugees in Leipzig.

These are important acts, and they remind us once again of the power that football has to make a difference and unite people. Å

GEOGR APHIC INFORMATION Surface area: 9,826,675 km² Highest point: Denali 6,168 m (named Mount McKinley until August 2015) Neighbouring seas and oceans: Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean

MEN’S FOOTBALL FIFA Ranking: 29th World Cup: 10 Appearances Best performance: Third place, 1930

WOMEN’S FOOTBALL FIFA Ranking: 1st World Cup: 7 Appearances Best performance: Winners 1991, 1999, 2015

L ATES T RESULTS Men’s: USA - Panama 1:1 (2:3 wop) 25 July 2015 Women’s: USA - Costa Rica 7:2 29 August 2015

FIFA INVES TMENTS The weekly column by our staff writers

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

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Sardinia, Italy

1970

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Gerd Muller calmly rows backwards.

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2010

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SG Dynamo Dresden players negotiate the rapids.

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NET ZER KNOWS!

Is English football overrated?

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

“If someone has to grow at Juve, it’s the coach, not the Argentine. Allegri is like all Italian coaches: he thinks he can influence the game, but he doesn’t understand that talented players must be let loose. Within two or three years, Dybala could ­b ecome the new Messi.”

Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini on Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri

“I feel like a player who’s just finished the first half of his career. I played and lived like a kid. I’ve wasted a lot of opportunities. But the game’s not over, I still have a second half to play.

Now I’ll play it like a man. I know a lot of people don’t believe in my ­c omeback. Milan have taken a gamble, but I’ve made a promise to myself and all the people who support me.”

AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli

Happy times Gunter Netzer in December 1985.

imago

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he sums of money being spent by English Premier League clubs are unbelievable.

No other league has benefited more from TV money than the Premier League. This has to be taken into account when assessing the English game. The wealth of the Premier League enhances English football, but that mustn’t be confused with the English national team.

Domestically, English clubs are under pressure to achieve short-term success. They can afford the best players in the world, yet they disregard their own home-grown talent.

The standard of football is high, but it has little to do with traditional English football.

Nowadays, football in the Premier League is of the finest quality – a far cry from the kickand-rush approach that used to embody the strength of Great Britain.

The current English national team is a pale imitation of the Premier League. It is playing catch-up with other teams in terms of style and quality. They have a lot of work

to do at youth level, as did Germany not so long ago. The English have got a long, difficult journey ahead of them.

The fact that the English Football Association outlined proposals to reduce the maximum number of non-home grown players to 13 is a good sign. I’m convinced that the national team will return to the very top of the global game. Å

“We’d get out here, take the truck, open the trunk, listen to music, set up two goals, and me and my cousins and team-mates would go at it. They would always set up a huge barbecue. You could get a burger, a hotdog, however many you wanted. Then we’d follow the crowd and march on into the stadium. It just meant a lot to me. And from then on I was like, ‘Man, I really wanna play for DC United one day’.”

DC United and USA goalkeeper Bill Hamid

“To think that you are not going to adapt your team, to change to impact on the other teams that you’re playing against and their strengths. It is ­e ither naive or arrogance. Because they keep losing this way. Belief?

It is misheld belief.”

What have you always wanted to know about football?

Ask Gunter Netzer: feedback-theweekly@fifa.org

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville on Arsenal and their manager Arsene Wenger T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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FIFA PARTNER

TURNING POINT

“The time had come to take a different path” After winning the Champions League with 1. FFC Frankfurt and playing at the 2015 Women’s World Cup in Canada, Celia Sasic called time on her career – at the age of 27.

Christof Mattes / WirtschaftsWoche / Fotofinder

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t’s not easy to find the right time to end your career. I didn’t make my decision overnight; it was the result of a lengthy process. It started with a feeling I had, a feeling that said the time might have come to take a different path and take on challenges away from football.

I observed how that feeling developed over subsequent weeks and only discussed it with a select few people. Obviously I told my husband, because the decision would affect him too in the long-term, and I also spoke with my family, my closest friends and my agent.

It was only after the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in Canada that I made my final decision. During the tournament it didn’t even cross my mind that the next game could be my last. During the competition you’re so focused that there’s no time to think about anything else. It was only afterwards with a clear head again that I could think about my future.

I’m really looking forward to starting a new chapter, which will include finishing my studies and starting a family. In the USA it’s not uncommon for female players to take at least a year out to have a baby and then continue their careers. In Germany the professional game still lacks the right kind of environment and financial support to be able to do that.

Over the summer I enjoyed being able to organise my time by myself again, without having to take training times or matches into account. Nevertheless, football will always play an important role in my life. In my view

it will always be the best sport in the world.

At the start of the Bundesliga season I was at the stadium in Frankfurt. I was rooting for my former team-mates because I knew exactly how they were feeling out on the pitch and how much effort they put in. I didn’t feel melancholic; instead I was happy to be there as a spectator. That tells me I made the right decision.

I experienced so many wonderful moments throughout my career. I played at major tournaments and won titles, such as the 2009 and 2013 European Championships and the Champions League last season. There have been awards, like being voted Best Player in Europe recently. There were also smaller moments that brought great joy, such as fighting back from 3-0 down to win a game. I’m grateful for all of that and will always enjoy looking back on those things. And who knows, I could well imagine returning to football one day, in whatever capacity that may be. Å Celia Sasic was speaking to Annette Braun

Name Celia Sasic Date and place of birth 27 June 1988, Bonn, Germany Position Striker Clubs 2004–2013 SC 07 Bad Neuenahr 2013–2015 1. FFC Frankfurt Major honours U-19 World Cup winner 2004 Olympic bronze medal winner 2008 European champion 2009, 2013 DFB Cup winner 2014 Champions League winner 2015 Awards Germany’s Player of the Year 2012 and 2015 Named in the EURO 2013 Best XI Golden Boot winner Women’s World Cup 2015 UEFA Best Player in Europe 2015 Germany national team 111 caps, 63 goals

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

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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MEN’S WORLD R ANKING

Argentina (unchanged) none none 15 Cambodia, China PR, Fiji, Japan, Korea DPR, Korea Republic (2 matches each) Rwanda (up 57 points) Fiji (up 17 ranks) Northern Ireland (down 34 points) Seychelles (down 7 ranks)

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

+/- Points

Rank Team

+/- Points

Rank Team

+/- Points

Last updated: 3 September 2015

Rank Team

+/- Points

1 Argentina

0 1442

55 Paraguay

3

592

109 Lithuania

-2

294

163 Timor-Leste

0

130

2 Belgium

0 1269

56 Cape Verde Islands

-6

589

110 Azerbaijan

-4

291

164 Bhutan

0

128

3 Germany

0 1248

57 Korea Republic

-3

574

111 Namibia

0

284

165 Indonesia

0

121

4 Colombia

0 1224

58 Japan

-2

570

112 Bahrain

0

281

166 New Caledonia

1

120

5 Brazil

0 1209

59 Panama

6

551

113 Cuba

6

280

166 Suriname

-1

120

6 Portugal

0 1186

60 Mali

3

550

114 Mauritania

-1

273

168 Central African Republic

1

118

7 Romania

0 1176

61 Australia

0

548

115 Benin

-1

269

169 Malaysia

-1

115

8 Chile

2 1149

62 Equatorial Guinea

0

546

116 Kenya

0

268

170 Pakistan

1

105

9 Wales

0 1146

63 Gabon

1

535

116 St Vincent and the Grenadines

-1

268

171 Chad

1

100

10 England

-2 1143

63 Guinea

-3

535

118 Botswana

3

266

172 Dominica

1

98

11 Spain

0 1122

65 Congo DR

-6

529

119 Palestine

-1

256

173 Bangladesh

-3

95

12 Netherlands

0 1054

66 Serbia

0

528

119 St Kitts and Nevis

0

256

174 Laos

3

92

13 Austria

1 1038

67 Bolivia

0

521

121 Madagascar

1

251

175 Yemen

-1

90

14 Croatia

-1 1037

68 Bulgaria

1

503

121 Syria

-4

251

176 US Virgin Islands

0

88

15 Slovakia

-1 1013

69 Norway

-1

496

123 Dominican Republic

6

248

177 Maldives

-2

82

16 Italy

0 1012

70 United Arab Emirates

0

484

124 Moldova

3

245

178 Montserrat

0

74

17 Switzerland

0 1011

71 Uganda

3

478

125 Philippines

0

241

179 Chinese Taipei

0

72

18 Uruguay

0 1002

72 South Africa

0

469

126 Korea DPR

-2

237

180 Cambodia

19 Algeria

0

955

73 Burkina Faso

-2

468

127 Kuwait

-1

235

181 Fiji

20 Czech Republic

0

940

74 Zambia

-1

464

128 Lesotho

0

227

182 Tahiti

4

61

21 Côte d’Ivoire

0

924

75 Faroe Islands

0

459

128 Belize

-5

227

182 Brunei Darussalam

1

61

22 Denmark

3

901

76 Uzbekistan

0

453

130 Afghanistan

4

226

184 Sri Lanka

-2

59

23 Iceland

1

894

77 Montenegro

0

430

131 St Lucia

0

222

185 Mauritius

-4

56

24 France

-1

893

78 Rwanda

13

426

132 Bermuda

3

220

185 Nepal

-1

56

25 Albania

-3

878

79 Togo

1

418

133 Lebanon

-3

219

187 Macau

1

49

26 Mexico

0

848

80 Estonia

-2

405

134 Burundi

-2

218

187 Cayman Islands

2

49

27 Ghana

0

827

81 Honduras

0

404

135 Swaziland

-3

213

187 Solomon Islands

4

49

28 USA

1

823

82 Iraq

3

399

136 New Zealand

-1

209

190 Comoros

-4

48

29 Ukraine

1

812

83 Armenia

5

394

137 Thailand

2

201

190 São Tomé e Príncipe

-1

48

30 Bosnia and Herzegovina

-2

811

84 China PR

-5

393

137 Aruba

0

201

192 Seychelles

-7

43

0

66

17

64

31 Scotland

1

789

85 Morocco

-3

391

139 Nicaragua

5

198

193 San Marino

-1

40

32 Russia

-1

780

86 Cyprus

-4

386

140 Tanzania

0

195

194 Turks and Caicos Islands

-1

33

33 Tunisia

1

774

87 Haiti

-3

385

141 Luxembourg

4

194

195 British Virgin Islands

-1

27

34 Ecuador

2

764

88 Angola

1

381

142 Guinea-Bissau

0

191

196 Samoa

1

25

34 Poland

-1

764

89 Sudan

-2

377

143 Gambia

-1

189

197 Vanuatu

-1

23

36 Sweden

1

756

90 Latvia

-4

366

144 Barbados

-6

186

198 South Sudan

-3

22

37 Hungary

-2

740

91 Jordan

1

356

145 Kazakhstan

-4

184

199 American Samoa

1

17

38 Senegal

1

734

92 Finland

-3

351

146 Guam

0

182

199 Tonga

-1

17

39 Costa Rica

-1

731

93 Saudi Arabia

0

350

147 Georgia

7

180

201 Eritrea

2

8

40 Iran

1

716

94 Qatar

1

347

148 Curaçao

0

178

202 Mongolia

2

6

41 Northern Ireland

-1

687

95 Mozambique

2

340

149 Turkmenistan

0

172

202 Andorra

-1

6

42 Congo

1

671

96 Malawi

2

336

150 Liechtenstein

-3

171

202 Somalia

2

6

42 Cameroon

0

671

97 Belarus

-1

335

151 Hong Kong

0

169

205 Djibouti

1

4

44 Greece

0

657

98 Libya

-4

333

152 Vietnam

1

166

205 Cook Islands

1

4

45 Slovenia

1

653

98 Guatemala

10

333

152 Puerto Rico

-2

166

205 Papua New Guinea

-4

4

46 Israel

1

635

100 Oman

-1

329

154 Guyana

-2

165

208 Anguilla

0

0

46 Turkey

-1

635

101 Niger

1

326

155 Kyrgyzstan

1

160

208 Bahamas

0

0

48 Peru

1

628

102 Canada

-1

319

155 India

1

160

49 Egypt

3

619

103 Ethiopia

-4

313

157 Singapore

-2

159

50 Venezuela

-2

613

104 FYR Macedonia

-1

305

158 Grenada

2

155

51 Republic of Ireland

-1

605

105 Antigua and Barbuda

0

304

158 Tajikistan

0

155

52 Jamaica

3

602

105 Sierra Leone

-1

304

160 Liberia

1

154

53 Nigeria

0

599

107 El Salvador

3

300

160 Malta

-1

154

54 Trinidad and Tobago

2

594

108 Zimbabwe

0

298

162 Myanmar

0

142

38

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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

PUZZLE

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

President Joseph S. Blatter

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5

Chief Editor Perikles Monioudis

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2

Art Direction Catharina Clajus

1

4

6

8

2 6

3

2

1

4

3

9

1

9

4

7 9

6 7

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7 9

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4 7

1

4 5

5

3

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Production Hans-Peter Frei

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2

1

2

7

5

3

HARD

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Contact feedback-theweekly@fifa.org

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

3

MEDIUM

Editorial Assistants Alissa Rosskopf

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

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

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4

Contributors to this Issue Mark Gleeson, Christiane Ludena, Elio Stamm, Diego Zandrino

Internet www.fifa.com/theweekly

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

Printer Zofinger Tagblatt AG

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8

5

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

Translation www.sportstranslations.com

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1

7

Staff Writers Alan Schweingruber (Deputy Editor), Annette Braun, Sarah Steiner

Project Management Bernd Fisa, Christian Schaub

2

6

Director of Communications and Public Affairs Nicolas Maingot (a. i.)

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

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Secretary General Jérôme Valcke

Picture Editor Peggy Knotz, Andreas Wilhelm (Deputy)

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EASY

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9

8 8

9

1

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5 4

3 2

2

9

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5 2

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8

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

Puzzles courtesy: opensky.ca/sudoku

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

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

39

GRASSROOTS

FIFA inspiring girls and boys to play football FIFA’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