ISSUE 41/2015, 16 OCTOBER 2015
ENGLISH EDITION
Fédération Internationale de Football Association – Since 1904
FIFA U-17 WORLD CUP CHILE 2015
DANCE OF THE DEBUTANTS BRAZIL ARTHUR FRIEDENREICH’S GREAT LEGACY PANAMA DAU CLOSING IN ON OWN RECORD MADAGASCAR A NATIONAL TEAM ON THE UP
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THIS WEEK IN THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL
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North and Central America 35 members www.concacaf.com
U-17 World Cup in Chile Mario Gotze and Neymar both graced the FIFA U-17 World Cup as youngsters, but neither managed to lift the trophy. Now the world’s most talented youth footballers are gathering in Chile to take their first steps on the international stage. Sven Goldmann reports on the strength of the African teams and the hosts’ lofty ambitions.
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Panama Club Deportivo Arabe Unido hold a comfortable lead over their league rivals and are closing in on a recordbreaking season.
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N ew Zealand The Oceanian country’s U-20 women’s team have qualified easily for next year’s World Cup in Papua New Guinea.
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Marco Amelia “A text took me to Chelsea” says the 2006 world champion, who endured difficult times before being handed a fresh challenge in England.
South America 10 members www.conmebol.com
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Xherdan Shaqiri The midfielder discusses his ambitions with Stoke City and Switzerland.
17 Dance of the debutants Our cover image shows Luca Zidane, second-eldest son of the legendary Zinedine, in his France U-17 kit.
Costa Rica Serial title challengers Alajuelense and Herediano are currently heading up the league table. (Pictured: Edder Nelson, Herediano).
Dimitar Dilkoff (AFP)
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 U-17 World Cup
FIFA Club World Cup
17 October – 8 November 2015, Chile
10 – 20 December 2015, Japan
THIS WEEK IN THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL
Europe 54 members www.uefa.com
Africa 54 members www.cafonline.com
Asia 46 members www.the-afc.com
Oceania 11 members www.oceaniafootball.com
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Madagascar Lalaina Nomenjanahary’s journey to becoming a professional footballer in France.
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Arthur Friedenreich Preserving the memory of a goalscoring legend.
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ith your national team shirt on your back, your country’s crest on your chest and the national anthem ringing in your ears, the World Cup is a special moment for every player. The cameras are now ready to introduce a new generation of superstars to football fans around the globe as the FIFA U-17 World Cup begins in Santiago, Chile on 17 October. Efrain Juarez, who became U-17 world champion in Peru in 2005, says: “I remember it as if it were yesterday. We were dreamers. It sounds strange, but every day we imagined ourselves lifting the trophy, and that shared vision helped us to become a family.” Every player from each of the 24 teams competing in Chile shares that same ambition. It is the dream of a title, the dream of a great career – the dream of football. Å
Mario Wagner / 2Agenten
Sarah Steiner
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Will anyone be able to beat the African teams? With the U-17 World Cup about to kick-off in Chile Sven Goldmann explores the state of play.
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Richard Heathcote / FIFA via Getty Images
DEBUT ON THE WORLD STAGE
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Aiming high Right: The U-17s are looking to excel at the World Cup in Chile (pictured: Santiago de Chile). Left: In the build-up to the 2013 final, in which Nigeria beat Mexico 3-0.
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obody forgets their first FIFA World Cup™. Just ask Mario Gotze, the creative fulcrum of Germany’s national team. In the final game at his maiden tournament, he scored a spectacular goal against strong opposition - yet come the final whistle there were no celebrations, only disappointment. Gotze’s debut on the global stage was not at Brazil 2014, where he scored a memorable winner in the 1-0 victory over Argentina in the final, but almost five years earlier at the FIFA U-17 World Cup Nigeria 2009. Gotze was the star of the Germany team that year and found the target in his side’s first and last game in the knockout phase against Switzerland. However, he was unable to prevent a 4-3 reverse, meaning Germany – European champions at the time – were eliminated in the Round of 16 while Switzerland went on to lift the title. 8
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Over the coming days the best youngsters in the world will gather in Chile, where the 16th edition of the U-17 World Cup will kick off in the capital Santiago on 17 October and conclude three weeks later in the coastal resort of Vina del Mar. It is the second largest event to be staged in Chile this year, after the country also hosted the Copa America in June and July. Of the 24 participating teams, South American champions Brazil are among the favourites, along with their European counterparts France, who boast the biggest name of the tournament in their ranks: Luca Zidane, son of superstar Zinedine. The youngster is not an ingenious playmaker like his father once was, but a goalkeeper who was one of the key members of the France side that triumphed at the U-17 European Championship in Bulgaria in May. He saved three penalties in a shoot-out against Belgium in the semi-finals, paving the way for France to reach the final, where they beat Germany 4-1. The Germans are also title contenders in Chile and are eager to lift a trophy they have
Richard Heathcote / FIFA via Getty Images
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never won before. “We’re not going there as tourists,” said coach Christian Wuck. “We want to show we can thrive at this level and go as far as possible. In concrete terms, that means getting to the final and maybe even winning it.“ History on Africa’s side And what of Switzerland? Last year, the surprise 2009 U-17 world champions failed to reach the European Championship from a group containing Belgium, Azerbaijan and Bosnia and Herzegovina in a qualifying campaign in which the six UEFA berths for the global showpiece were awarded. That victory six years ago over Nigeria, hosts and defending U-17 world champions at the time, remains the biggest triumph in the history of Swiss football. Looking back on the tournament’s past reveals much about its character. The U-17 World Cup is held biennially and pits the youngest national teams on the planet together. The game is constantly developing, and there are no
South American champions Brazil are among the favourites, along with their European counterparts France.
Joern Pollex / FIFA via Getty Images, Jamie McDonald / FIFA via Getty Images
FIFA U -17 Wor ld Cup One for the scrapbook In 2013 Kelechi Iheanacho won the U-17 World Cup with Nigeria and was also awarded the Golden Ball (l.). Germany’s Mario Gotze (l.) faced Ogenyi Onazi for the first time ever on the world stage in 2009 (top right). Switzerland went on to win the title in Nigeria in 2009 (bottom right).
Host country: Chile Dates: 17/10 – 8/11 2015 Participants: 24 teams (4 AFC, 4 CAF, 4 CONCACAF, 4 CONMEBOL + Chile, 1 OFC, 6 UEFA) Previous winners: Nigeria (1985, 1993, 2007, 2013), Brazil (1997, 1999, 2003), Ghana (1991, 1995), Mexico (2005, 2011), France (2001), Saudi Arabia (1989), Switzerland (2009), Soviet Union (1987)
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guarantees, even for the big sides. Both Uruguay and Argentina are famous for their excellent youth work, yet neither have ever won the title, while some of the players currently considered the best in the world – Lionel Messi for example – have also never lifted the trophy. Nobody in Argentina paid any attention to Messi when the country’s U-17s travelled to Finland for the tournament in 2003. Several members of that squad, which finished in third place, are now Messi’s team-mates in the senior team, including Ezequiel Garay, Lucas Biglia and Fernando Gago. In 2001, the Portugal U-17s that counted Cristiano Ronaldo among their number were not among the trio of European participants at the World Cup in Trinidad & Tobago. Meanwhile, Neymar da Silva Santos Junior made his debut on the global stage at the same time as Gotze in 2009, but only played second fiddle to Philippe Coutinho and Wellington in the side. Neymar sported a Mohican haircut at the finals and only scored once in three games: a tap in on the rebound in a 3-2 victo-
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ry over Japan. Brazil were eliminated after losing their other group fixtures against Mexico and eventual champions Switzerland. The U-17 World Cup evidently does not serve as a showcase for major stars then, or those who strive to become such one day. Instead, the team comes first. Underdogs can still triumph here, something that is virtually impossible at senior level. Alongside Switzerland, a number of other nations have won the U-17 World Cup but never done so at full international level: the former Soviet Union, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, Mexico and Nigeria, who regained the U-17 crown in the United Arab Emirates four years after losing the 2009 final. Indeed, Nigeria have won the tournament more often than any other nation, having triumphed in four of the 15 editions staged to date. Ghana have also won it twice. At U-17 World Cups African teams seemingly effortlessly fulfil their eternal promise of playing a leading role on the world stage. No other continent has been anywhere near as successful.
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Emphasis on the collective Nigeria celebrated their fourth U-17 World Cup triumph in Abu Dhabi in 2013 (bottom left). South Africa will make their tournament debut this year (top right). In 2009 Neymar (l.) was unable to get the better of Takuya Okamoto and was not a key figure in the Brazilian team. Great expectations
Richard Heathcote / FIFA via Getty Images, Ryan Wilkisky / Backpagepix, Jamie McDonald / FIFA via Getty Images
Underdogs can still triumph here, something that is virtually impossible at senior level.
The rise of Kelechi Iheanacho There will be four African representatives in Chile, but Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets are not considered the pick of the bunch. At the most recent African Championship in Niger in February and March they could only finish fourth behind Guinea, South Africa and Mali, who took the title for the first time. The same rule applies to a nation accustomed to success as it does to every other country: there is no guarantee that a new generation of players will automatically live up to their predecessors. Nigeria coach Emmanuel Amunike will be hoping one of his players bursts onto the scene, just like Kelechi Iheanacho did during their run to glory in the UAE two years ago. Not only did the striker score six goals in seven games, he also won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player. Iheanacho took advantage of the attention his performances drew to take the next step in his career. Last summer he left home to move to the youth academy at Manchester City, and after joining up T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON France are one of the favourites for the trophy at the FIFA U-17 World Cup Chile 2015™. Among their ranks is Luca Zidane, the second son of the legendary French footballer Zinedine Zidane. Like his father, Luca dreams of being a world champion, but not as a playmaker - as a goalkeeper.
Luca Zidane: I’m feeling good. I’m over the moon to be here, and obviously I’m really proud to be able to represent my country at this tournament. For any footballer, the World Cup is the most important tournament there is. We’re a tight-knit group that’s come a long way, and now we’re all looking forward to the challenge in front of us.
France have been drawn in a group with New Zealand, Paraguay and Syria. What do you make of your opponents? We haven’t watched those teams yet so we don’t really know them that well, but they’re all big names. Every team can be dangerous for us and give us problems. We need to take all of them very seriously, and we will.
on you? And indeed, to what extent might the name ’Zidane’ have been a barrier for you?
You’re a goalkeeper that’s very active in play. How has this part of your game developed?
When I hear the name ’Zidane’, my first thought is of my grandfather, who’s a really important person in our family. But obviously I’m also the son of Zinedine Zidane. I’m very proud of what my father has achieved and I’m very happy to carry his name, but I also don’t like being compared to him.
I love playing football and I always have. I want to be a part of the game and I like being involved. I want to be our team’s 11th player out on the pitch. Future goalkeepers will be more and more involved in the action, I feel sure about that. And they’ll need to be very good on the ball. I think that in a few years, the goalkeeper will play an even more decisive role in matches than he does now.
Is that the reason you became a goalkeeper? As a goalkeeper, I’m judged on my performances - there’s no way of comparing me with my father. So in that sense, yes, it’s definitely one of the reasons I became a keeper.
You start the tournament in Chile as current European champions. Are you feeling the pressure of expectation? No. We know that everything starts from zero here – that’s what the coaching staff have constantly been telling us. We arrive as European champions, and we’re very happy about that, but at this tournament, we go right from the beginning again.
That will depend on the situation. At the end of the day, the coach and the players decide the takers together, but you have to remember how the game has gone and whether the situation requires someone else stepping up to take responsibility. And If I’m asked to take a penalty, then I’ll take one. I’m ready. Å
We’re a very ambitious group with a lot of quality, and we’ll go as far as we can, but thinking about the final now would be a bad idea. We’ll take it game by game and we won’t be arrogant in the way we go about our job. We’ll give it our all until we’ve left everything out on the pitch. Obviously, though, our dream is to lift the trophy.
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I take the situation as it comes. I train hard in every aspect of my game, but I don’t do special training for penalties. Penalties are a thing of intuition and I think I’ve had that since I was a little kid. It’s a special situation: this one-on-one battle with your opponent. Instinct takes over and it’s all-important.
At the European Championships you saved three penalties in the semi-final to help your team reach the final. You also took a penalty yourself and missed. Will you be stepping forward to take one in Chile?
How far can this team go?
Football is in your genes. How big an impression has your father Zinedine left
Big tournaments like these are often decided by penalty shootouts. How do you prepare yourself for something like that?
Luca Zidane was speaking to Sarah Steiner
Number 1 Zidane celebrated winning the European title in May
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You’re about to enjoy your first taste of a World Cup. How are you feeling?
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“We’ll work hard and patiently this time too. That’s all we have the power to do.” Nigeria coach Emmanuel Amunike
LatinContent / Getty Images, Jonathan Mancilla / MEXSPORT / AFP
with the senior squad this season has even scored his first Premier League goal. Amunike is too modest to speak about mounting a successful title defence. “God helped us win the tournament in 2013,” said the former Barcelona player. “We’ll work hard and patiently this time too. That’s all we have the power to do.” In any case, his main objective is to look to the long term and develop players for the senior side, which is coached by his former team-mate Sunday Oliseh. Nigeria face Croatia, USA and tournament hosts Chile in Group A at the U-17 World Cup. The Chileans are known as ’La Rojita’ (’The little reds’), an affectionate nod to ’La Roja’, the red-shirted seniors who celebrated their biggest achievement in July by winning the Copa America. Yet at the Campeonato Sudamericano in Paraguay six months ago, it became clear that the Chilean youngsters are struggling to reach the heights of Claudio Bravo, Arturo Vidal and Alexis Sanchez. They lost each of their group games against Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia and Ecuador, and are only participating at the U-17 World Cup by virtue of being hosts. The team’s elimination in Paraguay was labelled a disaster by the Chilean press and coach Alfredo Grelak paid the price with his job. Buoyed by Copa America success The last time Chile’s U-17s participated at a World Cup was in 1997. Their only other tournament outing was also their most successful: a third-placed finish at Japan 1993. That does not bode particularly well for the forthcoming competition, which will be staged between the city of Coquimbo in the north of the country and Puerto Montt in the Los Lagos region. Nevertheless, Chile upset the odds a couple of months ago when the senior side led by Bravo, Vidal and Sanchez defeated Lionel Messi and Co. in the Copa America final to seal their first ever triumph in 99 years. They are hoping to channel that energy into the U-17 World Cup, which will be played out under the slogan “Una fiesta en nuestra cancha” – “A festival on our pitch”. Under new coach Miguel Ponce, the U-17s recorded four victories and a draw on a warm-up tour of Europe and Africa. Ahead of their first group assignment against Croatia, Ponce confidently announced that “the team will be one of the main protagonists” Å
Great expectations After Gonzalo Jara, Gary Medel and Eduardo Vargas (top, from l.) helped the senior Chile side win the Copa America, the U-17s are expected to shine on home soil too – preferably in the final in Vina del Mar (bottom).
FIFA U-17 WORLD CUP CHILE Group matches from 17 to 25 October 2015 Group A 17.10. Nigeria 17.10. Chile 20.10. USA 20.10. Chile 23.10. USA 23.10. Croatia
Group B - USA - Croatia - Croatia - Nigeria - Chile - Nigeria
Group D 18.10. Belgium 18.10. Honduras 21.10. Belgium 21.10. Ecuador 24.10. Mali 24.10. Ecuador
17.10. England 17.10. Brazil 20.10. England 20.10. Korea Republic 23.10. Guinea 23.10. Korea Republic
Group C - Guinea - Korea Republic - Brazil - Guinea - Brazil - England
Group E - Mali - Ecuador - Honduras - Mali - Honduras - Belgium
19.10. South Africa 19.10. Korea DPR 22.10. South Africa 22.10. Russia 25.10. Russia 25.10. Costa Rica
18.10. Australia 18.10. Mexico 21.10. Australia 21.10. Argentina 24.10. Argentina 24.10. Germany
- Germany - Argentina - Mexico - Germany - Australia - Mexico
Group F - - - - - -
Costa Rica Russia Korea DPR Costa Rica South Africa Korea DPR
19.10. New Zealand 19.10. Syria 22.10. New Zealand 22.10. Paraguay 25.10. France 25.10. Paraguay
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France Paraguay Syria France Syria New Zealand
For details of the full match schedule, visit http://www.fifa.com/u17worldcup T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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Panama: Liga Panamena de Futbol
DAU c l o s i n g i n o n t h e i r ow n r e c o r d Sven Goldmann is a leading football correspondent at Tages spiegel newspaper in Berlin.
After 14 of 18 matchdays in the Liga Panamena de Futbol (LPF), Arabe Unido occupy top spot with 33 points. So far ahead of their rivals are the Colon-based club, known countrywide as DAU, that it might even have become a little lonely at the top, not that anyone minds too much in the country’s second city, a port located near the Caribbean entrance to the Panama Canal.
LPF
DAU’s closest “pursuers” are Chorrillo, a club from the capital, Panama City, who sit ten points behind the leaders. With a month until the play-offs kick off and the country’s four best sides face off, there is no serious challenger in sight.
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Unsurprisingly, the top side were the first club to mathematically confirm a place in the league’s final four courtesy of a 1-0 victory over Sporting San Miguelito at home on matchday 14. Panama U-23 international Edgar Yoel Barcenas scored the only goal of the game midway through the first half, dribbling past two men before sending a left-footed drive unerringly into the right-hand corner of the net. It was a wonderful goal and, such was DAU’s dominance, more could easily have followed. There were no fans in attendance at the Estadio Armando Dely Valdes to witness their side’s impressive display, however. The victory over Sporting had to be played behind closed doors due to repeated recent instances of DAU supporters setting off flares amid exuberant celebrations. The side who sport unmistakeable blue shirts and are coached by the Colombian Sergio Guzman, ploughed on even without the usual fervent support to extend a run of near-unbroken success that stretches back six months. At the end of May, DAU triumphed in the Torneo Clausura 2015,
overcoming Independiente F.C. 2-1 in a tense, hard-fought final. Guzman’s charges had in fact finished the Clausura in second behind Sporting; an aberration rectified this Apertura by going unbeaten in all but one game so far. So comfortably are DAU the league’s best team that many are predicting a recordbreaking season. The current LPF record of 38 points, established by DAU six years ago and equalled by record champions Tauro in 2013, is well within reach. By a quirk of fate, the fixture list has decreed that DAU could set a new points record outright in the clash with age-old rivals Tauro on 26 October, when the two heavyweights of Panamanian football meet in Colon. The club from the capital have won 12 titles to DAU’s eleven – although the current leaders twice triumphed in a previous incarnation of the league, Nacional de Futbol No Aficionado. Å
On the ball DAU defender Daniel Ortiz
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Royal visit Pele celebrates Atletico de Kolkata’s win with league founder Nita Ambani, former cricketer Sourav Ganguly and minister Bobby Hakim.
Where Bra zi l meets Ind ia Sarah Steiner is a staff writer on The FIFA Weekly.
The Indian Super League is now entering its second season. Founded in 2013 in an attempt to make domestic football more attractive, competitive action began a year later. It is the country’s highest-ranked championship apart from the I-League, which allows teams to qualify for the AFC Champions League, and follows the same franchise model. Its eight teams are intended to represent not only their respective cities but also their entire region. The league has laid down rules for the composition of each side, specifying that every squad must contain a so-called ‘marquee player’ – a superstar with past international experience – together with seven additional overseas professionals. With all this in mind, the Delhi Dynamos came up trumps when they turned to the 16
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transfer market this summer, luring several big names to this vast metropolis. Frenchman Florent Malouda, who won the FA Cup and UEFA Champions League with Chelsea just three years ago, has been tasked with delivering goals for the Dynamos while Norway’s most-capped player John Arne Riise has also arrived to contribute some of the immense experience he amassed at Monaco, Liverpool, Roma, Fulham and APOEL. Without a doubt, though, the biggest name of all is Brazilian world champion Roberto Carlos, who has been brought on board as player-coach. Although Carlos wasted no time in bringing himself on as a substitute in the Dynamos’ season opener, he was unable to prevent their 2-0 defeat at the hands of FC Goa. “We lost because we made too many mistakes,” he said after the match. “It’s a very short championship so we can’t allow individual errors.” Indeed, the final round of league games will be played on 6 December, before the four highest-placed teams battle it out in the play-offs to determine who will challenge for the title in the final on 20 December. While a broken finger prevented Carlos from featuring in his side’s second game against
Chennaiyin, they nevertheless emerged as 1-0 winners. The Dynamos then recorded a second successive victory without their talisman as they beat league leaders FC Pune 2-1. Meanwhile, in Kolkata another Brazilian has been causing a stir. Thirty-eight years after captivating the city by playing for New York Cosmos in a friendly against Mohun Bagan, Pele returned to India in early October to watch Atletico de Kolkata beat Kerala Blasters 2-1. Kolkata are the defending champions and are co-owned by Spanish club Atletico Madrid. Pele wasted no time in enthusing about his visit. “It’s an honour for me to be able to make this trip,” said the superstar. “India is a very special country and I have fond memories of the time I spent here many years ago. The fans were fantastic,” he continued. “This nation is passionate about football and I’m delighted to have been able to meet a whole new generation of people who love this sport.” Å Saikat Das / ISL
India: Super League
Costa Rica: Primera Division
A lajuelense a nd He r e d i a n o l e a d the pack Annette Braun is a staff writer on The FIFA Weekly.
When it comes to picking a winner in the Costa Rican title race, it is difficult to look beyond Alajuelense, Herediano and Saprissa. In recent years the trio have dominated both the Invierno and Verano tournaments that make up the season. Since 2010 Alajuelense have won five titles, while Herediano and Saprissa have enjoyed three successes each.
imagenesencostarica.com
In the current Invierno of the 95th Primera Division season, the top of the table again has a familiar look to it. Alajuelense and Herediano are out in front, although Saprissa find themselves in mid-table and parted company with coach Jeaustin Campos last month. The situation does not
look that bad for the club from Tibas, though, who now have Douglas Sequeira at the helm. They have two games in hand on most other teams and could easily climb up the table. Alajuelense also had a change of coach in the summer. Costa Rican football legend Oscar Ramirez, who played for both Alajuelense and Saprissa as well as representing his country at the 1990 FIFA World Cup™, left the club to become the new head coach of the national team. That switch came after Paulo Wanchope resigned following an altercation with a fan during an Olympic qualifier in Panama. “I am aware of the responsibility that comes with this position,” said 50 year-old Ramirez. After five years at Alajuelense, he is now focused on getting Costa Rica back to the form they showed at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, when they were knocked out on penalties in the quarter-finals by the Netherlands.
Hernan Torres Oliveros’ side actually lost 2-0 against Uruguay on matchday 12 but their closest rivals Herediano failed to take advantage, losing 1-0 to Carmelita. With Alajuelense’s matchday 13 fixture being postponed, Herediano were then able to draw level on points at the top of the table with a 3-1 victory over Uruguay. All the goals came inside the opening half hour with Luis Cordero (16) and Keyner Brown (19) giving Herediano the lead. Alejandro Alpizar (23) pulled one back for Uruguay before Jonathan Hansen’s decisive goal in the 29th minute. The result keeps Herediano hot on the heels of the league leaders, albeit having played one more game. In December the top four teams will go through to the semi-finals to battle it out for the Invierno title. Considering the current standings and the history of the league, it would be no surprise if the names of Alajuelense, Herediano and Saprissa were among them. Å
The team from Alajuela have lost a popular coach but are nevertheless top of the table with 27 points from 13 games. New coach
Taking the lead Jose Luis Cordero scores the opener for Herediano in the 16th minute. T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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Name Xherdan Shaqiri Date and place of birth 10 October 1991, Gnjilane, SFR Yugoslavia Position Attacking midfielder 2009-2012 Basel 2012-2015 Bayern Munich 2015 Inter Milan since 2015 Stoke City Switzerland national team 49 caps, 17 goals
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Maurice Haas / 13 Photo
Clubs played for
THE INTERVIEW
“I’ve arrived at the best league in the world” As the man they call the Kraftwürfel (’Power Cube’), Zauberzwerg (’Magic Dwarf’) or Shaq Attack, Xherdan Shaqiri boasts not only a remarkable array of nicknames but phenomenal skills on the pitch. You can now call the Premier League home after spells in the Bundesliga and Serie A. What is it that makes each of these top leagues so strong?
clubs. As a result, many of them have made the leap to the Bundesliga or are playing for other foreign sides.
focus on the challenge ahead. Only by doing that were we able to deliver such a strong performance against Argentina.
Xherdan Shaqiri: The key element in Germany is discipline. Football in Italy was very tactically oriented, and now here in England I can sense a real emphasis on attacking play. The football here is tough and spectacular, and I’m enjoying it. Although I’ve only played a few matches in the Premier League so far, I feel I’ve arrived in the best league in the world.
At the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, you and the Nati progressed past the group stage and were only narrowly beaten 1-0 after extra time by eventual runners-up Argentina. What do Switzerland still need in order to overcome the world’s biggest sides such as Germany, Argentina or Brazil?
Vladimir Petkovic took over from Ottmar Hitzfeld as national team coach after the 2014 FIFA World Cup, while first-choice goalkeeper Diego Benaglio also announced his retirement from international football. What changed as a result and how did you deal with it as a team?
We made it to the Round of 16 and were then edged out by big opponents in Argentina, who were aiming to lift the trophy. The match itself was an extremely emotional experience, and we very nearly managed to win it. I would say that it wasn’t luck but efficiency that made the difference. If you want to succeed against teams like Argentina, you have to be able to take advantage of every opportunity you get, no matter how small. Unfortunately we didn’t manage to do that and that’s what made the difference. The Argentinians were simply more ruthless and made the most of the chances they got.
We’re fortunate in Switzerland that many promising youngsters are already playing in the Super League or have made their breakthrough at foreign clubs. These players have integrated perfectly; they not only play great football but also have personalities that fit with the team. That, combined with a new coach who has been trying out a few things, has sustained our national team’s success.
You have played for Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and now Stoke City – but there is no doubt that Stoke have yet to achieve the same level of international recognition as your previous two clubs. What appeals to you most about this new challenge? Although Stoke don’t yet have the same kind of international reputation, the club is pursuing ambitious targets. They want to establish themselves in Europe and that’s what tempted me here. Stoke are offering me the opportunity to continue developing both as a player and as a person. Above all I want to play, perfect my game and move forward with the team.
Having featured at the last two FIFA World Cups in 2010 and 2014, you are now a constant presence in Switzerland’s starting line-up and are undoubtedly among the national team’s top performers. What characterises your play and does La Nati’s footballing ethos suit you particularly well? We played great football under Ottmar Hitzfeld. He made the breakthrough by utilising plenty of young players and throwing them in at the deep end; I was one of them. This confidence in youth helped to push Swiss football forward. We’re playing high-quality, attractive and attacking football, and that fits my style perfectly. We’ve succeeded in setting new benchmarks in recent years, with many young players making a name for themselves with exceptional performances not only for the national team but also for their
Scoring three goals in one match is always special, but how did it feel to bag a hat-trick at the World Cup, the biggest stage of all? The game against Honduras was our third group match in Brazil, and after a 2-1 win over Ecuador and a 5-2 defeat by France it was clear that only a win would be enough to take us to the Round of 16. As players, we were extremely focused at this stage and were always convinced that we could progress to the next phase of the tournament in Manaus. We already knew that the media and others had asked many questions after our resounding loss to the French, but we were determined not to let it drive us crazy and remain focused on our job. Although my hat-trick was probably the most obvious statistic from that match, we showed what we could do as a team. I managed to score three goals because of the excellent support I received. Although the match ball still serves as a reminder of that success, we did the same thing afterwards as we had after losing to the French: forget about it and
Looking ahead to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, what do you think the team can achieve? Will they qualify again and could they even top their 2014 result? Every team wants to qualify for the World Cup in Russia, including Switzerland, but there’s still a long way to go. EURO 2016 in France is currently our main focus. In any case, our aim is to qualify for every tournament and I’m very confident about our chances. We’ve shown in the past that we can do it. We’ve got a great mix of experience and youth in our team – a team that can still bring plenty of joy to the Swiss fans.
If you believe the ratings in the EA Sports game FIFA 15, then your strengths are acceleration (92), dribbling (86) and shot power (84), while defending (57) and heading (37) are among your weaknesses. Would you agree with that? (laughs) I’d already noticed that! It’s definitely true that my strengths are dribbling, shooting power and acceleration, and yes, heading is one of my weaknesses – but I’d give myself a higher score for defending. Å Xherdan Shaqiri was speaking to Beatrix Hammer and Andreas Alf T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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First Love Place: Acholiland, Uganda Date: 10 April 2013 Time: 2.57 p.m. Photog rapher: Frédéric Noy
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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
WOMEN’S FOO TBALL
New Zealand dominate to reach Papua New Guinea in style New Zealand will represent Oceania at next year’s FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Papua New Guinea after cruising through the qualifying tournament in Tonga. The Junior Football Ferns will be a part of a small piece of history, with the tournament to be the first FIFA women’s event to feature two Oceania nations.
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apua New Guinea have long been New Zealand’s main challengers in the Oceania region, and the Kiwis profited hugely from their absence in the qualifying tournament. New Zealand proved dominant in the most emphatic fashion imaginable, winning all four matches and racking up a remarkable tally of 69 goals without conceding. The tournament was held over ten days at the Loto-Tonga Soka Centre, which most recently was the site for the opening round of OFC’s 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ qualifiers. Also competing were Samoa, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and the host nation. Kiwis dominant New Zealand saw off home side Tonga 15-0 on the opening day of competition, setting the standard early for what was to be a recurring theme. They followed that up with a remarkable 26-0 victory over New Caledonia, then an 18-0 rout of Vanuatu, before rounding out their tournament with a 10-0 winning margin against second-placed Samoa. New Zealand forward Emma Rolston profited most from the goal-fest, notching several milestones along the way. Her 11-goal haul against New Caledonia was the highest ever individual tally by a female player in an OFC match. Rolston eventually finished on 25 goals, winning the tournament golden boot for the second time running, and surpassing wellknown New Zealand goalscorer Rosie White for the most goals ever by an Oceania U-20 women’s player. Among other notable names featuring for the Kiwis at the tournament were captain Jasmine Pereira, who collected the Golden Ball as the competition’s best player, and midfielder Daisy Cleverley, both of whom were part of New Zealand’s squad at this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in Canada. New Zealand qualified last Thursday without kicking a ball, with the Kiwis learning of their qualification via Twitter as they followed the action from afar. A 3-3 draw between Samoa
Record breaker Emma Rolston (left) hit 25 goals to win the Golden Boot.
and Vanuatu on the penultimate matchday meant neither of their nearest challengers could catch them heading into Saturday’s tournament finale. The equaliser for Samoa deep into injury time in that six-goal thriller ultimately saw the Polynesians wrap up the silver medal ahead of Vanuatu. New Caledonia finished fourth, and while Tonga ended bottom they did collect two draws suggesting competition amongst the Pacific nations remains tight. Meanwhile, Samoa earned an honour with Katarina Ah Sui named the best goalkeeper. “It’s a great achievement and the girls are really excited,” New Zealand coach Leon
Birnie said upon confirmation of his team’s qualification for PNG 2016. “We’ve come here wanting to win and make sure we got qualification, but also put on a good performance in the games and I think we’ve achieved both.” Now the challenge for New Zealand is to improve upon their all-time high of a spot in the quarter-finals achieved last year in Canada. They had come close on several previous occasions, notably falling agonisingly short of that goal at Chile 2008 and Japan 2012. Å tfw T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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MADAGASCAR
Tiny cars, major success and the greatest love of all Although Madagascar midfielder Lalaina Nomenjanahary took the bold step of moving to France to pursue a professional career with top-flight side Lens, he always remembers starting out on the island of his birth, writes Julien Sebbah.
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ong before he ever dreamed of local club.” His first team was Ajesaia, making a living with his feet, for whom he played in 2007 and then Lalaina Nomenjanahary used to rejoined two years later, after a season put his hands to good use, fashwith JS Saint-Pierroise on Reunion ioning little toys out of recycled Island. tin cans, a common sight on the market stands of his native MadagasPlay, study, work car and across Africa as a whole. While playing for a club on his home island had its advantages, NomenjanThe little boy from Antananarivo, ahary, who was in his early 20s at the the capital of Madagascar – one of the time, still had the problem of making poorest countries in the world – later ends meet. “It was an opportunity but defied the odds by building a career it wasn’t easy to play football, keep up in France with RC Lens. It was a deciwith my studies and make some monsion borne of economic necessity beey at the same time,” he explained. cause, as he explained, earning a living from the game in Madagascar is “I wasn’t thinking about turning no easy task. professional. I was just thinking about “It’s really difficult to get by when day to day: playing, going to college you play sport in general and footand getting enough money together so ball in particular,” said NomenjanaI could eat. I was tired and I kept fallFocused Lalaina Nomenjanahary in action for Lens. hary. “It’s an amateur game here. ing asleep in class, but I needed to There’s no exposure and no one hang in there. I finished my classes at midday and I started training half an hour later. Then, in the comes to see the players. It’s a tough situation and you have evening, I had to work to make some money.” to fight to make a living from your sport and embark on a professional career. For a Malagasy it’s impossible to do that The job in question involved delivering goods for wholesalers, if you stay in Madagascar.” while he devoted the rest of his time to his other passion: makA midfielder by trade, Nomenjanahary made his way first ing little toy cars from recycled metal. The budding footballer of all to Reunion Island – the promised land for Madagascan enjoyed making them so much, he earned a nickname from it: players – and then on to France. In the meantime, however, he “I loved making cars from tins and cans, which I’d sell around has never forgotten the difficulties faced by his compatriots. the neighbourhood to get a little money. One day, my aunt said I liked cars too much and she started to call me Bôlida (bolide As a boy, playing the game in the streets, he never harbeing a French word meaning “racing car”). boured dreams of becoming a professional. His obvious talent gave him a chance to reach for the top, however: “I played in my In the meantime, he strove to achieve his personal goals local neighbourhood and I was spotted and asked to sign for a and make all his hard work pay off, departing for Reunion again
MADAGASCAR
laif (4)
A matter of the heart Whether at the stadium, in school or in their free time, the beautiful game is part and parcel of everyday life for children and young people in Madagascar.
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MADAGASCAR
Madagascar making waves across Africa
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t was one of the most memorable results in Madagascan football history: in the quarter-finals of this year’s Cosafa Cup in South Africa, the Barea beat guest nation and former World Cup quarter-finalists Ghana 2-1 at Rustenburg’s Royal Bafokeng Stadium. The shock victory - albeit against a domestic-based Ghana side without their star players - was nothing short of a minor miracle and serves as proof that Madagascan football is on the rise. The Indian Ocean islanders went on to lose 3-2 to eventual winners Namibia in the last four of the competition, but bounced back with an impressive 2-1 win over Botswana in the third-place play-off. Their success at the regional tournament has given the players a taste of the big time and left them hungry for more. “During the Cosafa Cup, the local players learned to play together step by step and we improved in each match,” said Franck Rajaonarisamba, who coached the side in South Africa. “They grew in confidence and we played better and better until the last game.” The wave of euphoria that swept through Madagascar following their third-place finish in the Rainbow Nation has yet to subside. Indeed, a 2-1 defeat to Congo DR in their opening 2017 CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualifier was soon forgotten as they overcame the Central African Republic in the first qualifying round for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™, winning 3-0 away before drawing 2-2 at home in the return leg.
Team spirit essential Everyone connected with Madagascan football, including their head coach, hopes the team can build on their Cosafa Cup achievements in the coming years. “To continue to improve, we need to play more games, like friendly matches, so [the players] will improve the way they play together,” says Rajaonarisamba. “We need to play other games before official matches so that expatriates and domestic players can play together and realise their potential.” Senegal, Madagascar’s opponents in next month’s second qualifying round for the 2018 World Cup, would be well advised not to underestimate Rajaonarisamba’s side. bra
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Battling it out Nomenjanahary (right) takes on superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
“I wasn't thinking about turning professional. I was just thinking about the day to day.” Lalaina Nomenjanahary
to join Saint-Pauloise FC before suddenly making the journey to France to sign for northern amateur side CS Avion. “You don’t really expect to find a club in Europe when you play in Madagascar. So when I arrived in France, I said to myself that I’d need to stick in there because it was a fantastic opportunity to change my life,” said Nomenjanahary, who recalled what he did with the first pay packet he received in France: “I sent the money back to my mother, and after that I always tried to save as much as I could for her and my brother.”
Getty Images
Beach soccer leading the way The Madagascan football team could do a lot worse than follow the example set by the country’s beach soccer outfit, who have recently demonstrated how much can be achieved in a relatively short space of time. The team made their first appearance at a World Cup finals earlier this year, just six years after instructors arrived on the African island to train coaches and referees as part of a FIFA development programme. When the squad arrived in Portugal for the tournament, they were fascinated by the size of the cities, the pitches, the supporters and even the food. For players whose diet is based on rice and a little bit of fish and meat, the pasta they were served in Europe represented a whole new culinary experience. Needless to say, the tournament itself also left a lasting impression on the squad, making them more determined than ever to relive the experience at the 2017 finals in the Bahamas. The success of Madagascan beach soccer continues to spur the football team to greater heights, and FIFA has also been doing its bit for the cause. As well as investing just under USD 1.8 million in Madagascan youth football through the Goal project, the governing body has embarked on a new development programme alongside the Malagasy Football Association with the aim of giving the country a better understanding of grassroots training, as well as encouraging more children to take up the sport. Last summer, training courses took place in the towns of Tulear and Fianarantsoa, situated respectively in the southwest and the centre of the island. In total, some 1,800 children took part in the workshops.
MADAGASCAR
Name Lalaina Nomenjanahary Date and place of birth 1 June 1986, Antananarivo, Madagascar Position Midfielder Clubs played for 2006-2009 Ajesaia 2009-2010 SS Capricorne 2010-2011 CS Avion since 2011 RC Lens Madagascar national team 26 caps, 7 goals
Pure delight Nomenjanahary has made his mark in French professional football.
Presse Sports
Those first wages would have been even higher had he remained with Saint-Pauloise. That Nomenjanahary turned the extra money down was due in no small part to former Lens player Herve Arsene, a fellow Madagascan who was working as an assistant coach with the national team at the time and who offered him the opportunity to sign for Avion. “To begin with he didn’t want to come,” said Arsene, a member of the Sang et Or side that won the French title in 1998. “You have to look at things from his viewpoint though: there he was with the chance to get a good salary on a neighbouring island, and there I was telling him to come to Avion.” The high life A few weeks after signing for Saint-Pauloise, Nomenjanahary called Arsene to say he had changed his mind and was heading to France after all. Explaining his decision, the 29-year-old defender said: “When I went to Reunion, my girlfriend passed her high school exams and went to France to study. So I rang Arsene and told him: ‘Coach, if you still want to give me a trial, then I’m ready to come’.” Arsene duly paid for his flight and did not regret the investment.
Nomenjanahary spent a season with Avion in the French third division before being snapped up by neighbouring Lens, which shares facilities with the lower-league club. After helping Les Sang et Or gain promotion back to Ligue 1 in 2014, he scored his first top-flight goal in their opening win of last season, a 1-0 defeat of Lyon. In the meantime, he married his girlfriend, Julia, who discovered that though her beloved Bôlida was still the same, their lives had most definitely changed: “The players’ wives congregate in the VIP boxes at the Stade Bollaert (Lens’ home ground) and enjoy a very swish buffet with cocktails, champagne, wine, appetisers and the like,” she recalled in August 2014. “I was offered champagne the first time I went in, but I turned it down because I thought they were going to make me pay for it later.” That is just one of the perks of having a hard-working footballer for a husband, a man who is now hoping to see more of his fellow countrymen break into the professional game. “For the sake of our football, I hope we’ll be seeing a lot more Madagascan players coming to Europe.” Å
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HISTORY
Nose for goal Arthur Friedenreich only ever took the ball in one direction - forwards.
A star like no other
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t almost seems like fate – a precursor to the place Arthur Friedenreich would eventually hold in football’s history books. As dementia took hold in the years leading up to the striker’s death at the age of 77 on 6 September 1969, he could no longer recall his victories and defeats, just as it seems his name and feats are so often forgotten by fans of the beautiful game today. Born in Sao Paulo on 18 July 1892, this son of a German businessman and a Brazilian washerwoman was capable of delivering goals as if from a production line. Arthur Friedenreich found the target over and over again for Germania, Sao Paulo, Flamengo, Ypiranga, Atletico Mineiro and Paulistano over a 26-year career and was named Brazil’s top goalscorer in 1912, 1914, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1921, 1927 and 1929, netting a record 1,329 times in 1,239 matches. This mark is even higher than that of 28
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Pele, who scored 1,281 goals in 1,363 games, prompting many of the latter’s most die-hard fans to argue that Friedenreich’s goal and game totals should be reversed, while devotees of Ferenc Puskas have been known to suggest that their idol found the target as many as 1,395 times in just 355 matches. No matter which way you look at it, Friedenreich’s tally is impressive – a view shared by Pele himself: “Arthur was a tremendous player in Brazil. My father often raved about his goals.” A pioneer of the beautiful game Arthur Friedenreich could dribble, had an instinctive feel for any given situation or space and never gave up – a trait that earned him the nickname ’The Tiger’. He pioneered jogo bonito, Brazil’s “beautiful game”, invented the curling shot still favoured by the sport’s greatest
players, and even played a vital part in the event that is widely considered to mark the birth of Brazilian football - the 1919 Copa America. A Seleção began with a 6-0 win over Chile, with Friedenreich contributing a hattrick, and progressed all the way to a final showdown with Uruguay. That epic encounter went to four 15-minute periods of extra time as the two teams struggled to break the deadlock. Had that final period had also ended goalless, the winner of the tournament would have been decided by the toss of a coin. As it was, Arthur Friedenreich’s winning goal moments before the final whistle was celebrated across the country, to the point that even his boots were paraded through the streets. Just like that, a hero was born. Scoring goals time and time again was all Friedenreich ever wanted to do and to have
Global Photo / fotogloria (3), AFP (1)
Arthur Friedenreich broke records and scored even more goals during his career than Pele. In doing so, the prolific striker not only shaped a generation of footballers in Brazil but also impacted society as a whole.
HISTORY
done so with such astounding regularity was testament to his immense talent. The truth is he could have found the target even more frequently had he not been temporarily prevented from playing. At the Copa America in Argentina in 1921, Friedenreich was not included in Brazil’s squad after the country’s president Epitacio Pessoa demanded that only white players should be called up.
“Arthur was a tremendous player in Brazil.” Pele
Representing his country The German-Brazilian striker won 23 caps for A Seleção, scoring 10 goals along the way.
Striving for acceptance Friedenreich continually battled racial segregation.
Friedenreich was not white as his mother was descended from freed slaves, forcing him to fight for acceptance and respect from the start of his career. He would smooth down his curly locks before every match and lighten his somewhat dark skin tone with rice flour. Despite his goals, undisputed qualities on the pitch and social status, he was not always permitted to celebrate with his team-mates and experienced racism in various forms, including from referees who refrained from blowing their whistles when he was fouled. He never let that get him down though, and by demonstrating a fighting spirit, the Tiger took a stand against racial segregation and paved the way for the many black players who came after him. All that mattered to Friedenreich was his love of football and passion for the beautiful game. By pursuing these fundamental truths he brought about a change in attitudes in Brazilian society, with the exclusion of black players at the 1921 Copa America triggering protests up and down the country. Fading memories Arthur Friedenreich’s fleet-footed playing style led to the relaxation of long-entrenched structures both on the pitch and among the wider Brazilian population. Although he left an indelible mark on a divided society, his impact has slipped from the footballing world’s collective memory as easily as it did from the mind of the man himself in the twilight of his life. The fact that he never featured in a World Cup may be the reason for this oversight. He was left out of the squad again in 1930, not because of the colour of his skin this time, but due to the location of his club. At that time the Brazilian Football C onfederation only selected players from Rio de Janeiro and unfortunately for both Arthur Friedenreich and Brazil as a whole, he hailed from Sao Paulo. Å Annette Braun 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: Peru FIFA Trigramme: PER Confederation: CONMEBOL Continent: South America Capital: Lima
Innovative Oranje Perikles Monioudis
Mario Wagner / 2Agenten
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utch football has traditionally been one of the most innovative contributors to the beautiful game. Indeed, innovation and tradition are two essential facets in the history of the west European country, which has always managed to make the best of any situation. Not only has the nation’s economy thrived for centuries; the capitalist economic system was, in a manner of speaking, invented in the Netherlands. “De Gouden Eeuw” was the golden age in the 17th century in which the region emerged as a global power in trade and seafaring whilst at the same time advancing its artistic sophistication, especially in painting. The Dutch showed us that efficiency and beauty – two key components in football – can be compatible. On the pitch, Johan Cruyff was the perfect embodiment of this combination. There is little point in shying away from the fact that the Netherlands failed to qualify for the 2016 European Championship in France. The team surprised the football community, only this time in a negative way. The outlook was rather different for the Oranje at the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups™, where they reached the final and semi-finals respectively. Holland were one of the world’s top sides, even if they performed poorly between those tournaments and were knocked out of EURO 2012 at the group stage after losing all three matches.
The Netherlands have had their fair share of ups and downs, and this time they fell at the qualifying stage. Our contributor David Winner outlined the reasons for their failure a couple of weeks ago: “The national team is stuck between generations. In Dutch football there is a gap between the 18 and 21-yearolds, and the traditional tactics of playing with two wingers ahead of the ball has been left behind“ Centuries ago the Dutch created their own prosperity and art from wide expanses of open space, which they overcame thanks to a clearly defined distribution of roles in all areas of society. They transferred that principle of order over to football via Totaalvoetbal. A new order is precisely what is needed in the Dutch game. The Oranje will need courage to find their way, just as the Spaniards did when they blazed a trail with a refined possession-based style that brought them such success. Going back further, G ermany reinvented the game with Franz Beckenbauer as sweeper. It will be intriguing to see what the Netherlands’ next contribution to world football will be over the coming years – after all, it seems highly probable that there will be one. Å
GEOGR APHIC INFORMATION Surface area: 1,285,220 km² Highest point: Nevado Huascarán 6,768 m Neighbouring seas and oceans: Pacific Ocean
MEN’S FOOTBALL FIFA Ranking: 50th World Cup: 4 appearances 1930, 1970, 1978, 1982 Best performance: quarter finals, 1970
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL FIFA Ranking: 60th World Cup: No appearances
L ATES T RESULTS Men’s: Colombia - Peru 2:0 8 October 2015 Women’s: Colombia - Peru 1:0 19 September 2014
FIFA INVES TMENTS The weekly column by our staff writers
Since 2001: $ 4,600,000 T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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MIRROR IMAGE
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Slg. Raiss / fotogloria
The local football club pays homage to König Fussball (“King Football”), as the sport is often termed in Germany.
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Giant balls herald the start of the Bundesliga season in Munich.
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NET ZER KNOWS!
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
Should players train behind closed doors?
“At the moment, the LFC family is too nervous, too pessimistic, too much in doubt. They all celebrate the game but they don’t believe in this moment. History is great but it’s only to remember.” Jurgen Klopp at his opening press conference as Liverpool manager
“I turned down the chance to take charge of Real Madrid after we had won the Champions League with Borussia Dortmund in 1997. I lost a fair bit of sleep over that decision. But in the end I thought ‘I will get fired before I even get the chance to learn Spanish’.” Legendary coach Ottmar Hitzfeld on turning down the chance to take charge at the Santiago Bernabeu
“This is the best defeat of my life.” Gareth Bale reacts to losing 2-0 to Bosnia and Herzegovina, having also just found out they still clinched a place at UEFA EURO 2016 after Israel’s defeat to Cyprus
Quality control Franz Beckenbauer (l.) and Netzer test the new balls (1965).
Schirner Sportfoto
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remember when I played for Real Madrid there were occasionally 15 or 20 spectators in attendance who we would greet at the side of the training pitch. Nowadays, in an example of the frantic nature of modern life, thousands of fans regularly flock to watch world-famous stars being put through their paces. Despite the relentless attention on the players, I am no advocate of behind closed doors training sessions. After all, supporters and the media are important to clubs and neither group should have the door closed to them. On the other hand, it is easy to understand why a team would sometimes want to work in peace and quiet. For some players being away from the world’s glare can be liberating, while the coach may be trying to practise set-piece situations or other planned moves. Naturally, that is not something any club would want to broadcast to their rivals. It is my view that instantaneous modern communication is the main reason for
the regrettable situation whereby fans and media representatives are increasingly turned away. To use another example: wherever a modern footballer is or whatever they are doing, they always have to assume that someone is taking a photograph or is ready to concoct a story. While trying to guard against that may come across as arrogant to some people, it is in fact an understandable response from the player in question. Each and every professional footballer has a life off the field that they must protect. If it is impossible to find peace and quiet when out for a run, for example, then they have every right to go and look for it elsewhere – even if that is on the training pitch. Å
“As soon as I stuck my thumb up, the Greeks scored. So that will never, ever happen again. It’s not in my make-up to be like that. The supporters were singing for me to give a wave. Personally, I hate that.” Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill’s one regret from the night that Northern Ireland qualified for UEFA EURO 2016
“The chance to play against Messi would be unbelievable, or even Brazil. Neymar would be great to come up against, I’d like to test myself against Neymar.” Kyle Lafferty feigns a geography meltdown as he jokingly responds to an interviewer’s question over who he hopes Northern Ireland will face at France 2016
“He didn’t have the baby, did he? Unless he’s breastfeeding he should be fine.” What have you always wanted to know about football? Ask Gunter Netzer: feedback-theweekly@fifa.org
Roy Keane responds to being asked if Robbie Keane would be available to face Germany with the Republic of Ireland on Thursday – three days after wife Claudine gave birth T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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FIFA PARTNER
TURNING POINT
“A text took me to Chelsea” World champion Marco Amelia had to rebuild his football career from the ground up, saved Serie B club Perugia from relegation and has now been given an exciting new opportunity in London.
Darren Walsh / KEYSTONE / AP ChelseaFC
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he fact that I’m in London right now, the fact that I was chosen to defend the Chelsea goal a year after taking the decision to stop playing football in order to devote myself to my projects, demonstrates clearly what I’m about and what I’m made of. If I hadn’t been ready physically and above all psychologically and mentally, in terms of motivation and determination, Mourinho would never have called me for a trial and I would never have been signed by a club of this stature. I won a World Cup with Italy in 2006 and two league titles with Roma and Milan. Then, after my contract with the Rossoneri ended, I chose to quit the professional game. I did it because I fancied doing something else, I wanted to build something that would last in my local area of Rocca Priora, near Rome. The project ended because we couldn’t build the stadium that I wanted, the sports arena and a guesthouse hotel 800 metres above sea level that would have given stability to my local club. But bureaucracy and a lack of interest among some individuals involved in the project didn’t allow me to achieve it. From there I returned to professional football by deciding to go and help Perugia in Serie B, who were struggling to avoid relegation. I brought my experience, especially in the locker room. I showed the guys what masters like Lippi and Capello taught me: that a dinner together or staying behind
after training to perfect your game can go a long way towards lifting a group that has lost its motivation. And we came close to getting promoted. When I heard an interview with Mourinho in which he said that Chelsea were looking for a goalkeeper after the injury to Courtois, I didn’t think twice and sent a text to Rui Faria to tell him that I felt I was ready to replace the Belgian goalkeeper. The most satisfying thing was that Mourinho himself called me back right away to invite me to London for a trial with Chelsea. And here I am, ready to give everything and eager to win again. Å Marco Amelia was speaking to Emanuele Giulianelli
Name Marco Amelia Date and place of birth 2 April 1982, Frascati, Italy Position Goalkeeper Clubs played for 2000–2001 Roma 2001–2008 Livorno 2008–2009 Palermo 2009–2010 Genoa 2010–2014 AC Milan 2014–2015 Rocca Priora 2015 Perugia 2015 Lupa Castelli Romani since 2015 Chelsea Major honours 2000/01 Serie A champion with Roma 2004 U-21 European champion 2004 Olympic bronze medal 2006 World champion 2010/11 Serie A champion with AC Milan Italy national team 9 caps, 0 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) Spain (6th, up 5) Romania (13th, down 6) 149 American Samoa, Cook Islands, Gabon, Samoa, Tonga (3 matches each) Norway (up 243 points) Liberia (up 65 ranks) Romania (down 134 points) Cyprus, FYR Macedonia (down 28 ranks each)
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
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Rank Team
+/- Points
Rank Team
+/- Points
Last updated: 1 October 2015 Rank Team
+/- Points
1 Argentina
0 1419
55 Guinea
8
582
109 Zimbabwe
-1
313
163 Myanmar
-1
147
2 Germany
1 1401
55 Japan
3
582
110 Georgia
37
308
164 American Samoa
35
145
3 Belgium
-1 1387
57 Jamaica
-5
576
111 Botswana
7
305
165 Puerto Rico
-13
134
4 Portugal
2 1235
58 Australia
3
567
112 St Kitts and Nevis
7
303
166 Cook Islands
39
132
5 Colombia
-1 1228
59 Trinidad and Tobago
-5
564
113 Burundi
21
302
167 India
-12
128
6 Spain
5 1223
60 Congo DR
5
563
114 Cyprus
-28
300
168 Mauritius
17
123
7 Brazil
-2 1204
61 Paraguay
-6
552
115 Aruba
22
299
169 New Caledonia
-3
120
8 Wales
1 1195
62 Mali
-2
546
116 Lithuania
-7
298
170 Timor-Leste
-7
118
9 Chile
-1 1177
63 Serbia
3
538
117 Cuba
-4
294
171 Malaysia
-2
111
10 England
0 1161
64 Finland
28
534
118 Belize
10
292
171 Indonesia
-6
111
11 Austria
2 1100
65 Gabon
-2
529
119 Dominican Republic
4
290
173 Bhutan
-9
106
12 Switzerland
5 1044
65 Panama
-6
529
120 Niger
-19
287
174 Dominica
-2
102
13 Romania
-6 1042
67 Equatorial Guinea
-5
510
121 Sierra Leone
-16
286
175 Chad
-4
100
14 Netherlands
-2 1004
96
15 Czech Republic
5
983
69 Venezuela
16 Croatia
-2
965
67 Bolivia
0
510
122 St Vincent and the Grenadines
-6
284
176 Maldives
1
-19
501
123 Syria
-2
283
177 Pakistan
-7
89
70 United Arab Emirates
0
491
123 Bahrain
-11
283
178 US Virgin Islands
-2
88
17 Italy
-1
962
71 Zambia
3
487
125 Namibia
-14
274
179 Laos
-5
85
18 Slovakia
-3
936
72 Montenegro
5
470
126 Central African Republic
42
271
180 Yemen
-5
82
19 Algeria
0
927
73 South Africa
-1
465
127 Madagascar
-6
262
181 Suriname
20 Uruguay
-2
919
74 Uzbekistan
2
464
128 Kuwait
-1
260
-15
79
182 Bangladesh
-9
77 69
21 Côte d’Ivoire
0
916
75 Uganda
-4
455
129 Korea DPR
-3
252
183 Chinese Taipei
-4
22 France
2
899
76 Burkina Faso
-3
427
130 Palestine
-11
246
184 Seychelles
8
67
23 Iceland
0
882
77 Haiti
10
418
131 Kenya
-15
245
184 Montserrat
-6
67
24 Ukraine
5
874
78 Bulgaria
-10
414
132 FYR Macedonia
-28
239
186 Cambodia
-6
66
25 Ghana
2
849
79 Togo
0
411
132 Moldova
-8
239
187 Brunei Darussalam
-5
61
26 Russia
6
845
80 Morocco
5
407
134 Philippines
-9
238
188 Tahiti
-6
60 59
27 Mexico
-1
842
81 China PR
3
405
135 Swaziland
0
224
189 Fiji
-8
28 Denmark
-6
835
82 Guatemala
16
401
136 Tanzania
4
218
190 Nepal
-5
51
29 USA
-1
807
83 Antigua and Barbuda
22
400
137 Guyana
17
210
191 Sri Lanka
-7
49
30 Bosnia and Herzegovina
0
787
84 Sudan
5
399
138 Bermuda
-6
209
191 Cayman Islands
-4
49
31 Ecuador
3
765
85 Iraq
-3
396
139 St Lucia
-8
208
193 Comoros
-3
48
-10
396
140 Lebanon
-7
201
193 Macau
-6
48
-7
388
140 Lesotho
-12
201
193 São Tomé e Príncipe
-3
48
32 Albania
-7
755
85 Faroe Islands
33 Hungary
4
741
87 Estonia
34 Norway
35
739
88 Saudi Arabia
5
384
142 Kazakhstan
3
199
196 San Marino
-3
35
35 Northern Ireland
6
724
89 Mauritania
25
379
142 Luxembourg
-1
199
197 Turks and Caicos Islands
-3
33
36 Tunisia
-3
722
89 Honduras
-8
379
144 South Sudan
54
198
197 Solomon Islands
-10
33
37 Turkey
9
717
91 Armenia
-8
377
145 Thailand
-8
196
199 British Virgin Islands
-4
27
38 Senegal
0
713
92 Qatar
2
365
146 Kyrgyzstan
9
195
200 Tonga
-1
17
39 Iran
1
703
93 Rwanda
-15
364
147 Guinea-Bissau
-5
193
201 Vanuatu
-4
13
40 Scotland
-9
702
94 El Salvador
13
363
148 New Zealand
-12
188
202 Eritrea
-1
8
41 Cape Verde Islands
15
701
95 Liberia
65
360
149 Vietnam
3
187
203 Mongolia
-1
6
42 Costa Rica
-3
691
95 Nicaragua
44
360
150 Afghanistan
-20
183
203 Somalia
-1
6
43 Poland
-9
680
97 Angola
-9
353
150 Guam
-4
183
205 Andorra
-3
5
44 Greece
0
676
98 Belarus
-1
350
152 Curaçao
-4
181
206 Djibouti
-1
4
45 Sweden
-9
672
99 Jordan
-8
348
153 Hong Kong
-2
180
206 Papua New Guinea
-1
4
46 Slovenia
-1
662
100 Benin
15
341
154 Barbados
-10
175
208 Anguilla
0
0
47 Israel
-1
659
101 Malawi
-5
339
155 Turkmenistan
-6
172
208 Bahamas
0
0
48 Cameroon
-6
640
102 Oman
-2
338
156 Liechtenstein
-6
170
49 Congo
-7
636
103 Latvia
-13
335
157 Singapore
0
164
50 Peru
-2
623
104 Canada
-2
333
157 Malta
3
164
51 Egypt
-2
620
105 Azerbaijan
5
328
159 Grenada
-1
159
52 Nigeria
1
600
105 Libya
-7
328
160 Tajikistan
-2
156
53 Korea Republic
4
590
107 Mozambique
-12
327
161 Gambia
-18
154
54 Republic of Ireland
-3
587
108 Ethiopia
-5
315
162 Samoa
34
152
38
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