ISSUE 57, 21 NOVEMBER 2014
ENGLISH EDITION
Fédération Internationale de Football Association – Since 1904
DANTE EXUBERANCE IS NOT ENOUGH RELIGION TOLERANCE IS THE STARTING POINT GIGI RIVA I FOUND FREEDOM ON THE PITCH
Turkey
Fatih Terim’s new targets 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
A passionate affair Although the Turkish national team rarely qualifies for major tournaments, they have often performed much better than expected at the five World Cups and European Championships in which they have appeared. What is the reason behind these highs and lows? Reporter Alan Schweingruber spoke with coach Fatih Terim in Istanbul and visited a small football school on the banks of the Bosphorus.
South America 10 members www.conmebol.com
Cook Islands Excitement is building in the Round Cup, with Tupapa and defending champions Puaikura level on points at the top of the table with one match to go.
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Jay-Jay Okocha His tricks out on the pitch are the stuff of legend, but what happens when the Nigerian takes to the microphone?
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Gigi Riva The former Italian international played exclusively for Cagliari Calcio throughout his career. “I fell in love with Sardinia,” explains the now 70-year-old.
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Bermuda Champions Dandy Town Hornets are in urgent need of points.
Fatih Terim’s new targets Our cover photo was taken on 11 November 2014 in Istanbul. It shows Turkey coach Terim talking to The FIFA Weekly. Tolga Sezgin (image)
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The number of teams taking part in the final competition has been fixed at 24, to be apportioned among the confederations as follows: AFC: 5 Teams, CAF: 3 Teams, CONCACAF: 3,5 Teams*, CONMEBOL: 2,5 Teams*, OFC: 1 Team, UEFA: 8 Teams, Host: Canada *The fourth-ranked team from the CONCACAF preliminary competition will compete in a play-off (home and away) against the third-ranked team from the CONMEBOL preliminary competition for a slot in the final competition.
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Qualified Costa Rica Mexico USA
Qualified Brazil Colombia
Play-off (Second Leg) 2 December 2014 Trinidad and Tobago – Ecuador
Play-off (First Leg) 8 November 2014 Ecuador – Trinidad and Tobago 0:0
Canada (Host)
imago (2), Mark Tatem, Salvatore Vinci
Dante The Bayern star on his future with A Seleção.
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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Religion Minister Josef Hochstrasser on football, tolerance and justice.
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Ebola Stars, including Gareth Bale, are helping to raise awareness.
The FIFA Weekly Magazine App The FIFA Weekly Magazine is available in four languages as an e-Magazine and on your tablet every Friday. http://www.fifa.com/mobile
Qualified Germany England France Norway Sweden Switzerland Spain + Playoff Winner
Qualified Côte d’Ivoire Cameroon Nigeria
Qualified Australia China PR Japan Korea Republic Thailand
Qualified New Zealand
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UNCOVERED
“On the right track” Foretelling the future of Turkish football in Istanbul’s Old City.
Fresh approaches
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urkey finished third at the 2002 World Cup finals, apparently signalling the nation’s arrival at the highest level. But that appearance 12 years ago remains their most recent showing at a World Cup, and the team currently only stand 46th in the FIFA rankings. Our reporter Alan Schweingruber travelled to the southeastern corner of Europe to get a sense of where Turkish football is headed. His report starts on page six.
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hen football talks, everybody listens,” says FIFA’s Chief Medical Officer, Prof. Jiri Dvorak. “We doctors have experienced the power of football while successful implementing the ‘FIFA 11 for Health’ programme in 15 African countries. Now we are using the same system to tackle Ebola, by presenting simple educational messages to prevent the spread of the disease through the voices of football stars.” Find out more on page 30.
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razilian Bayern Munich defender Dante won several top trophies in 2013, but was unable to add the World Cup title on home soil this year. The FIFA W eekly catches up with the defensive star in an interview starting on page 18. Å
Tolga Sezgin
Perikles Monioudis
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A passionate affair T H E F I FA W E E K LY
TURKISH FOOTBALL
Sohretler restaurant in Besiktas A place to eat and become immersed in Turkish football.
Turkey, a footballobsessed nation of 80 million, yearns for a return to past glories. But are the Turks their own worst enemies? We report from Istanbul. Alan Schweingruber (Text), Tolga Sezgin (Fotos), Istanbul T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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he unthinkable has happened. Our taxi driver has no idea where to go next. He applies the brakes and steers his car into a sandy lay-by. A man kitted out for manual labour is standing there and surveys the vehicle dubiously. Those of us on the back seat are thoroughly taken aback too. Do Istanbul taxi drivers really need to stop and ask directions? The stereotypical image of the chain-smoking, hard-accelerating yellow cab driver familiar with every passage and back alley is in fact true here, and they are rightly very proud of their sense of direction. But Istanbul is home to an estimated 15 million people. It is the only metropolis in the world spanning two continents, Europe and Asia. The trip from Istanbul’s most western to its most eastern point measures something approaching 100 kilometres, a scale you should not forget as a foreigner stepping into a taxi full of expectation and anticipation. We are on the Asian side now, in the hinterland to the north-east of Istanbul, where sheep graze and the citizens come for some rest and relaxation. This is a leisure paradise in the summer, but in November the area feels like a ghost town even with temperatures nudging 20 degrees. Many restaurants are closed, and grubby tables and chairs litter the long grass. Somewhere behind us a farmer has lit a fire. And this is where we’re supposed to be meeting Fatih Terim? Are we really in the right place? The man in work clothes approaches our taxi. He raises his protective face mask as if knowing where we want to go. The Turkish FA’s new training centre, he says, is very close. “Over there!” He waves a hand. The taxi driver nods and winds up the window. Training by the Black Sea Over there. Sounds like it will only take a couple of minutes at the most. We check our watches and feel a mild sense of relief. Failing to show up on time is not only rude, it puts latecomers on the back foot before an interview gets going. Very briefly, we imagine Fatih Terim in one of his paroxysms of rage. It is a mental image best dispelled, even if you are armed with a highly credible excuse - the Istanbul traffic. “You know something,” he tell us later.,“I don’t do anything unemotionally.” But more of that anon. Fatih Terim was once a classy libero and Turkey’s most-capped international for many years. But that is all a long time ago. In 1973 he won promotion to the top flight with his hometown club Adana Demirspor, and later spent 11 seasons in Istanbul with Galatasaray. Even then, Terim was an impulsive character. He started coaching when he was only 34, first 8
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Istanbul hinterland The Turkish FA training centre is located in the Riva leisure district.
with Ankara and then with Turkey and Galatasaray in the 1990s. It was a successful era: Terim led Turkey to EURO ’96, the first time they had ever reached the European Championship finals. With Galatasaray he won the UEFA Cup and six domestic league titles.
Turkey WORLD CUPS 1954, Switzerland: first round 2002, Japan/Korea: Third place EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS 1996, England: group stage 2000, Belgium/Netherlands: quarter-finals 2008, Austria/Switzerland: semi-finals CONFEDERATIONS CUP 2003, France: third place EURO 2016 QUALIFYING Group A (after four matches) 1. Czech Republic 12 pts. 2. Iceland 9. 3. Netherlands 6, 4. Turkey 4. 5. Latvia 2., 6. Kazakhstan 1. Next matches, 28 March 2015: Netherlands - Turkey. Czech Republic - Latvia. Kazakhstan - Iceland. FIFA HELPS In addition to $1.8 million for infrastructure and women’s football between 2010 and 2014, FIFA contributed $673,522 towards the construction of a technical centre with training facilities and floodlights in Malatya in 2011.
“Sure, I regret my mistakes.”
Fatih Terim
But for all the 61-year-old’s success, Terim has always been regarded as a wholly unpredictable and uncompromising boss. His fiery temperament is his hallmark. It wins him matches and trophies, but it also leads to defeats, trivial and significant alike. He was dismissed by Galatasaray last year. The taxi makes its way past a broken down tractor and deposits us right at the front entrance of Riva Hasan Dogan. This is the official name of the association’s sizeable, utilitarian facility, constructed in 2013. It incorporates a hotel, restaurant, conference rooms, a fitness centre and of course football pitches. This is where the nation’s best players gather in the build-up to home fixtures such as last week’s meetings with Brazil and Kazakhstan. There are plans to continue expanding the complex and close down the old headquarters building in the city centre. The new edifice is an impressive sight. A 30-minute stroll through an adjacent wooded area leads you to an old fishing town, here on the Black Sea coast where they say the restaurants are truly wonderful. Fatih Terim appears a couple of minutes early for our appointment. He is not wearing his usual sharp suit, but a red training jacket with the Turkish flag emblazoned across his chest. He is smiling and seems relaxed. Is this really the ultimate volcano of a coach meeting
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On the Bosphorus The new Besiktas stadium is located near Dolmabahce Mosque.
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TURKEY
“Germany’s an important country for us” A coach whose impulsive nature provides talking points on a regular basis, 61-year-old Fatih Terim took charge of the Turkish national side for the third time last year. Fatih Terim, how important are emotions to you? Fatih Terim: I’d never have achieved any
success without emotions. They’ve been a vital part of my career. You lack strength without emotions, but I believe it’s even more important to be able to control them. Fans can be cheering you one moment and insulting you 30 seconds later. Coaches and players need to be able to deal with that.
You are known for your explosiveness on the touchline. Were you as loud in your younger days as a sweeper? [Laughs] Let me put it this way: I was a key member of the national team when I was only 23. I enjoy being a leader.
What do you feel when you look back on your 27-year coaching career? I feel great. Victories and success outweigh everything else. Of course I’ve made mistakes, just like everyone else, but it’s important to learn from that. I’ve always stayed true to myself. The way you see me as a coach is the way I am as a person too.
Which mistakes do you regret? There are always incidents you regret later on but they’re in the past now. In the heat of the moment everyone acts with the conviction that what they’re doing is right.
How passionate a person are you? I’m sure I’m passionate enough. Passion is important as long as it doesn’t have a negative impact. Too much passion can lead to certain things being experienced too intensely.
A lot of Turkish fans are currently dissatisfied. Is Turkish football in a bad way? It’s unstable, like so much in our country. We need to work on that. With a population of almost 80 million people Turkey has huge potential, but we’re lacking a lot of things. The clubs’ financial problems need to be solved, we need to get more fans into the stadiums and we have to find talented youngsters we can develop. That’s exactly why I’m here. As national team coach I feel responsible for making progress in those areas with our football association and the country as a whole. The role of head coach is only part of
Fatih Terim “It’s important to give the Turks living abroad a sense of home.”
Fatih Terim Date and place of birth 4 September 1953, Adana Clubs played for Adana Demirspor, Galatasaray Clubs coached Ankaragucu, Goztepe Izmir, Turkey, Galatasaray, Fiorentina, AC Milan Major honours Six time Turkish champion Two time Turkish Cup winner UEFA Cup winner, Euro 2008 semi-finalist
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What would happen if Turkey failed to qualify for the European Championship again? You never know, we might win the rest of our games. But even if we don’t qualify it’s not the end of the world. We’d be able to deal with it. I’m here to create a national team that can reach the final of any tournament. That kind of process needs time.
What is your relationship with Germany like? It’s good. I enjoy visiting Germany and when I’m there I meet up with friends such as Sepp Piontek, who I worked with for a long time. In a general sense Germany’s an important country for Turkey.
How do you deal with the situation when a player with dual nationality opts to play for Germany despite having Turkish parents? I respect it and understand that it’s not an easy decision. If a Turk wants to play for his homeland then he’s always very welcome. It’s important to give the four million Turks living abroad a sense of home.
You once lived abroad for a long period when you coached Fiorentina and then AC Milan. What do you think of Italy as a country?
Name
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my job. That was one of the reasons why I signed on again. The FA wants me to make things happen.
I love it. It’s my second home, probably because I lived there with my wife and children. That creates a connection. Maybe I’ll go back there one day, who knows?
Do you still visit the city of Adana, where you grew up? Frequently. My parents and relatives all still live there. I recently gave speech in front of over 1,000 business people in Adana.
Did you speak about football? No, about leadership.
Alan Schweingruber
TURKISH FOOTBALL
us in the Istanbul hinterland for a nice cup of tea and a chat? With all due respect, we are initially a little taken aback by his aura of serene calm. Relaxed Terim Terim is currently serving a third stint as national coach. His biggest success was leading the team to the semi-finals at Euro 2008, but after a miserable start to qualifying for the 2016 tournament, certain questions beg to be asked. Is Turkish football in poor shape? When will the national team again contest the finals of a major tournament? And why has he declined to retire from the game? “If Turkey want me as national coach, it is a question of honour. You don’t just simply turn it down,” Terim explains. “Enough people think I’m the kind of coach who’s only interested in points and trophies. But I want to create something sustainable. I’m looking out for the up-and-coming players. Watching an individual come on as a player is also a success. There’s still a long way to go in qualifying for the Euro in France, and it wouldn’t be the end of the world if we fail to qualify. We could cope. People need to be patient. Patience is important in life. Success will come in good time.”
Talents scouted Yavuzselim Spor seeks out young players on the streets.
What factors make a tournament team? Patience is indeed a virtue, but not one necessarily associated with highly emotional characters. Why are you always so emotional, Mr Terim? Does your passion occasionally become an obstacle? Do you regret anything you’ve done in the past? “Emotions and passion are important in everything you do in life. Look at this building,” he replies with a sweep of the hand. “Do you seriously believe the architect could have created something like this without passion and emotion? I love my job with all its good and bad aspects. I’m emotional about everything I do. Sure, I regret my mistakes. But certain situations call for decisions. And at a given moment in time, decisions are based on conviction and passion, and that’s good.” Go with the flow of life is proverbial w isdom in Turkey. Hayatın akışına birak kendini.
The coach Cihan Yavuz and his team on the training ground by the shores of the Bosphorus.
Good tournament team The history of the Turkish national team is genuinely intriguing, as they have only qualified for a major international tournament on five occasions, twice for the World Cup and three times for the European Championship. Despite that, the Turks reached the semi-finals twice and the quarter-finals once, only falling at the T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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Kadıkoyon the Asian side Meeting point for Fenerbahce fans.
Friendly against Brazil Only a handful of fans were confident prior to a 4-0 defeat.
group stage on two occasions. That is a far better than average return and would suggest Turkey have the mentality required of a tournament team. No coach on the planet would want fourtime world champions Germany in their group, for understandable reasons. But no coach in the world would want the Turks in their group either, despite their far less glittering record. What are the factors behind a successful tournament team, and how can we explain the roller-coaster highs and lows apparently inextricably bound up with Turkish football? Some three hours after our conversation with Fatih Terim (the interview appears in full on page 10), our taxi takes us to an artificial turf pitch on the shores of the Bosporus - and for the record, the driver patently knows the way this time. The waters glisten in the moonlight, reflecting off a mosque in the background. The Yavuzselim Spor youth team certainly trains in a picturesque location. It is by no means a conventional club either, as its self-declared priority is to guide teenagers aged between 11 and 17 to the brink of the professional ranks. The teams comprise of kids who are certainly talented but would not have joined a club of their own accord: they are approached by club officials who spot them playing football out on the streets. Hampered by emotions? The pitch is enclosed by a fence. From our position behind the wire we attempt to establish contact with the coach. “Go all the way round the outside to the left and you’ll get in,” he explains. “Then I’ll have a few things to tell you.” We are intrigued. The lads trot out and immediately throw themselves into training. All over the world, we observe with some amusement, you always see a little bit of extra effort in the presence of visitors. “We share the pitch with another club,” says coach Cihan Yavuz. “It’s hardly ideal conditions. I’d like to see much more support for youth football in Turkey. A lot of people think only about themselves. But working with the youngsters is so enjoyable.” Yavuz uses his smartphone as a stopwatch. He takes a few steps back and blows his whistle before rejoining us. Asked about the apparent lack of consistency in Turkish football, the qualified coach has a telling observation: “It’s a bit typical of this country that we finish a World Cup in third place and then fail to qualify for the next 12 years. There are two obvious reasons: first, we like to rest on our laurels. Second, we have trouble dealing with our emotions. Things spin out of control sometimes, and that makes it difficult for us to win matches. But we’re always driven on by our emotions.” A question of honour This country with eight neighbours is in good
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Besiktas district Fans honour deceased former president Suleyman Seba.
economic shape. Istanbul, a pulsating and beautiful city, is an enduringly popular tourist destination. But the nation’s football is in the doldrums. Galatasaray did set out on their Champions League campaign this season with lofty ambitions and a clutch of proven veterans, but the team has so far merely run up the white flag. An inspection of “Free Hill” in the Besiktas district gives a few hints that football could benefit from the booming economy. The hill gets its name form the fact that Besiktas fans used to be able to see into their stadium from here, thus avoiding the necessity of paying at the gate. The Inonu stadium is famous and feared: the Besiktas faithful once managed to generate a staggering 132 decibel wall of noise at a match against Liverpool. At the moment, the location is a sprawling construction site with (at a guess) 200 labourers beavering away. The new Besiktas Stadium is scheduled for completion in the spring. We are addressed by man aged about 60 leaning on a guardrail: “I often come here and check on their progress. I’m not euphoric but I’m very confident about Turkish club football. This is going to be a beautiful stadium, as you can see. It’ll re-energise Besiktas, but also Istanbul and the whole of Turkey.” The frenzied fans of the city’s big three clubs, whose bitter rivalry is well-known and documented, are in fact capable of laying aside their differences. Questions of national
The fans generated a staggering 132 decibel wall of noise at a match against Liverpool. importance prompt Galatasaray, Fenerbahce and Besiktas supporters to form a united front, as in the Taksim Square protests in 2013. The death of a character from the footballing world, like that of former Besiktas president Suleyman Seba last summer, is noted with honour and respect even by followers from the rival camps. At the heart of the Besiktas quarter, where the widely-known kebab restaurant Sohretler welcomes its guests (“including Fatih Terim,” says a third-generation family chef), Besiktas fans hung banners in honour of their deceased president. Honour, emotion and passion are never far away in Turkey, in the beautiful game and in life.
A flashing red and green light indicates a “Fal” café. “Fal” cafés are small bistros where Turkish fortune-tellers ply their trade. On the spur of the moment we allow our names to be added to the waiting list, and we are served strong Turkish coffee. Unbeknown to us, soothsayer Tasula Turkan is one of the best-known in the district. A steady stream of women passes in and out. We drink our coffee and wait a full 90 minutes. Finally it is our turn. “I will answer all your questions,” says Turkan, studying our coffee grounds. Will Turkey take part at the European championship in 2016? “Yes. The team will pull itself together after a tough start and win many games next year,” the fortune-teller replies. Is Fatih Terim the right coach for Turkey? “Yes, he’s the right man.” Will Turkey qualify for the 2018 World Cup? The moment of truth has arrived, but the fortune-teller has no answer for us. “It’s too far into the future,” he says, and turns over a card. “But Turkish football is on the right track.” Å
The fortune-teller We go with the flow of life in the Old Town: an ancient train screeches past on rusty rails behind moustachioed men wearing caps and sitting in a side alley, talking and drinking tea. T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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TALK ING POIN T S
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Cook Islands Round Cup
Tu p a p a t h r ow t it l e race w ide open Tim Pfeifer is an editor at FIFA.com and The FIFA Weekly.
There have been goals, thrills and spills, and closely-fought contests aplenty in this year’s battle for the league title on the Cook Islands. With one game of the season remaining, Tupapa Maraerenga FC and reigning champions Puaikura FC are level on points at the top of the table, but Tupapa’s vastly superior goal difference gives them a clear advantage over
their nearest challengers. Victory for the Avarua-based club over Takuvaine FC will, in all likelihood, secure their eighth league championship since 2001. As recently as mid-October, Puaikura had appeared firm favourites to defend their crown, which they had won without losing a single match the previous season. However, head coach Tuka Tisam’s side slumped to a damaging 2-1 defeat to Takuvaine at a critical stage in the current campaign. Many felt Puaikura’s star-studded ensemble, which includes former Glasgow Rangers striker Stuart Kelly, looked jaded on the back of the OFC Champions League qualifying round, which had taken place in Apia, Samoa,
Title hopefuls Paavo Mustonen (right) and Tupapa Maraerenga in their match against Titikaveka. 14
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I N S I D E the previous week. Tisam’s charges picked up four points from their three group encounters, finishing second behind hosts Lupe ole Soaga and thereby missing out on becoming the first club from the Cook Islands to qualify for the group stage proper of the Oceania continent’s premier club competition. Domestically, things haven’t been going much better. Although Puaikura managed to bounce back from defeat to Takuvaine with a 2-1 win over Tupapa, the league leaders went on to win their next three matches, scoring a whopping 26 goals in the process, to leave the destiny of the league title firmly in their own hands. It would be the eleventh championship for Tupapa, whose squad is mostly made up of homegrown internationals. Å
Cook Islands Football Association
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Bermuda Premier Division
Ho r n e t s aw a it first league w in Andres de Kartzow is an editor at The FIFA Weekly.
With just five matches of the current Bermudan championship season played, the unpredictability of football on this 34-kilometre long chain of islands in the North Atlantic is already apparent. Reigning champions Dandy Town Hornets have had a surprisingly poor start to their title defence. Last season, the club from Pembroke parish lifted the trophy after losing just three times in 18 games. This time, coach Jomar Wilkinson’s side have started their campaign with three successive defeats and currently languish at the bottom of the Bermuda Premier Division on just one point. Despite this poor start, the Hornets players put on a very different display in the Dudley Eve Cup final against Somerset Trojans last week. They created numerous high-quality chances from the very start until Kevin Hurdle gave them the lead in the 59th minute. Tomiko Goater doubled that advantage in the 74th minute before 17-year-old substitute Jahnazae Swan scored from a tight angle in stoppage time to round off a 3-0 victory.
Mark Tatem
Unfortunately, the Hornets’ cup win was overshadowed by events off the pitch. Shortly after the final whistle blew, shots were fired near the National Sports Centre and 20 kilometres away at the Somerset Cricket Club, wounding four men. The Bermuda Football Association called off the following weekend’s championship games and used the time to bring sports officials and politicians together to discuss the recurring issue of gun crime on the island. Since then, the situation on Bermuda has stabilised somewhat, allowing Premier Division matches to get underway once more this weekend. The Hornets face Devonshire Cougars, who currently top the league together with record champions PHC Zebras and recently promoted St. George’s Colts. It will not be an easy task for the defending champions, who have had nothing to celebrate in the championship for many weeks now. Å
Dudley Eve Cup The Hornets (with Damon Ming, right) defeated Somerset Trojans 3-0. T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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IN BRIEF
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oincidences sometimes occur with just the right sense of timing, meaning journalists barely have to lift a finger when penning an article. Stories write themselves, like the tale of a debt-ridden, former chart-topping singer who happens to release his third ‘Best Of’ compilation in the run-up to Christmas just as his ex-wife files a lawsuit against him. A group who find themselves in a similarly sticky situation at present are Claudio Ranieri, Giovanni Trapattoni and Fabio Capello – three of Italy’s most respected coaches who have recently been living up to their image of ageing tacticians with outdated styles of play. This week Capello’s Russia were beaten by Austria, while Ranieri’s Greece slumped to a home defeat to the Faroe Islands. Those results were certain to grab the media’s attention, but when you take into account that the man rumoured to be about to replace Ranieri in the Greek hotseat is Trapattoni, who at 75 is known for his old-fashioned approach to coaching, well that does take your breath away. Another such story revolved around a certain Jupp Heynckes who in 2013, at the age of 68, guided Bayern Munich to an historic treble of the Bundesliga title, German Cup and UEFA Champions League. Ageing he may have been, but his playing style was much more modern. Å Alan Schweingruber
Angelos Tzortzins / AFP
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he past week was a memorable one for Wayne Rooney. The 29-yearold earned his 100th international cap for England in a 3-1 victory over Slovenia in EUR0 2016 qualifying, scoring the equaliser from the penalty spot. “It was a special evening and I’ll never forget it,” said Rooney of his landmark appearance. Is if that were not enough, three days later the Manchester United forward netted his 45th and 46th goals for England in a 3-1 triumph over arch-rivals Scotland to move within three of the country’s all-time record of 49 held by Sir Bobby Charlton. While England celebrated and the Daily Mail hailed the side’s “Captain fantastic,” former national team striker Gary Lineker, in second place behind Charlton on 48 goals, took to Twitter to write: “BREAKING NEWS: Wayne Rooney retires from international football.” It was, of course, a joke as the striker is still a long way off hanging up his boots for England. “I’m on a good run of goals and I hope that continues,” said Rooney, who is now within touching distance of the 125 appearances that made Peter Shilton England’s most-capped player. Å Tim Pfeifer
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henever the England national team take to the pitch, they do so accompanied by the sound of John Hemmingham and his band. The trumpet player and his ensemble have become fixtures at the country’s matches ever since they were first heard playing in 1993, mixed in among some Sheffield Wednesday supporters. At the 1996 European Championship on home turf they were invited to England’s games by the FA and have since been become known as the England Supporters’ Band. From that tournament onwards, Hemmingham set himself the task of never missing an England game and was therefore in the stands when Roy Hodgson’s side recorded a 3-1 friendly victory away to Scotland a few days ago. As they often do at away matches, the band played a rendition of ‘Follow England Away’. However, a section of the crowd began singing a different set of lyrics, mocking the Irish Republican Army. Once a band member found out what was going on via Twitter – the fans in his immediate vicinity were singing the correct words – Hemmingham immediately stopped playing and struck up another song. He later publicly apologised for the incident, despite it not being his fault. Å Perikles Monioudis T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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Name Dante Bonfim Costa Santos Date and place of birth 18 October 1983, Salvador (Brazil) Position Centre-back 2002–2003 EC Juventude 2004–2005 OSC Lille 2006 Sporting Charleroi 2007–2008 Standard Liege 2009–2012 Bor. Monchengladbach since 2012 Bayern Munich Brazilian national team 13 caps, 3 goals
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Julian Baumann
Clubs
THE INTERVIEW
I’ll never forget that defeat” Dante has won numerous titles with Bayern Munich, but success has been more elusive with the Brazilian national team. In this interview the 31-year-old reflects on a historic defeat and discusses his future with A Seleção.
Dante, you’ve had a whole season under Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich now. How does this team differ from Jupp Heynckes’ side? Dante: I think the biggest difference is the
one people most expected. With Heynckes we played a more direct game, whereas now we’re working on being more patient and keeping the ball for longer.
Many people have been surprised to see Guardiola settle in so quickly in Germany. You know for yourself what that involves, having left Salvador in Brazil ten years ago and joined Bundesliga outfit Borussia Monchengladbach in 2009.... People often talk to me about that, about facing up to the cold and the language barrier, but I’ve honestly always seen them as easy hurdles to overcome. Lots of people learn German so why couldn’t I? I was ready to overcome that kind of obstacle and to get where I’ve got.
Inevitably, we have to talk about the World Cup semi-final against Germany. Have you watched the game again? I’ve seen bits of it, yes. I’m never going to forget it and it still hurts. It hurts a lot when I think about that day, and the only way we can make that pain go away is by winning more titles in the future. I’m calm about it, though. My view on it is that we didn’t prepare for the World Cup in the right way psychologically. We should have looked on ourselves as favourites and felt that need to win, while having respect for the game and all the unpredictable things it can throw up. The scoreline didn’t reflect the difference in quality between the two teams, but it did reflect our psychological state heading into
the World Cup. Given the enormous pressure on us we weren’t prepared for things going wrong. Our preparations were focused on us becoming the champions but not on how to handle things if they went wrong.
It’s been said that no team has ever played under as much pressure as Brazil did at the World Cup. Do you agree with that? That might be true. The Brazilian national team is a unique case and there’s no other tournament like the World Cup, so to play in one in Brazil is not something that everyone can handle. Every minute of it was an intense experience for me, regardless of the final outcome. It was a great experience, in both a positive and a negative sense. I learned a lot.
Such as? That football can also bring you disappointment, both on and off the pitch. I learned that if you don’t control yourself psychologically, there comes a time when words like ‘love’, ‘determination’ and ‘emotion’ are not enough. You need to have that ability to stop and think.
Are you fearful that being part of that team will leave you scarred?
Did you expect Germany to be as good as they were at the World Cup? Yes, absolutely. I said before the World Cup that they were the favourites along with Brazil, Argentina and Spain, who I was expecting a lot of at the time. I really believed in Germany because they had seven Bayern players in the team, and every time they came back from Germany games I could see them talking among themselves about what worked and what didn’t work. There’s a lot of hard work and self-analysis behind their success. They’re all very flexible and willing to improve.
Is the national team a thing of the past for you now? Or do you have still have ambitions left at international level? I work first and foremost for Bayern. That’s the way it has to be. I totally understand that when a new coach comes in after a World Cup that younger players are going to get a chance. That’s only natural. But it goes without saying that if I get called up again, I’ll be delighted to go. A Seleção has given me a lot and makes me and my family feel very proud. Å Dante was speaking to Bruno Sassi
No, I’m not. If I am scarred, then it will just be in the eyes of a few people because I know what I’ve had to do to get this far. I’ve won all there is to win in football apart from the World Cup. No other player in world football won more major trophies than me in 2013, and they didn’t put up a statue to me or anything, so why should I start believing all this negativity now? I’ve been through too many battles in my career to let it all be summed up by 90 minutes. T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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20 T H E F I FA W E E K LY
First Love Place: Costa da Caparica, Por tugal Date: 26 June 2014 Time: 3.28 p.m.
Diogo Pinto / FPF
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Developing football everywhere and for all
Organising inspiring tournaments
Caring about society and the environment
For the Game. For the World. FIFA is committed to developing football for the benefit of all. Our mission is to: Develop the game FIFA’s primary objective is to develop the game of football in our 209 member associations. The FIFA World Cup™ gives us the resources we need to invest USD 550,000 per day in football development across the globe. Touch the world FIFA’s aim is to touch the world through its international football competitions and events, uniting and inspiring people everywhere.
FIFA.com
Build a better future Football is much more than just a game. Its universal appeal gives it a unique power and reach which must be managed carefully. FIFA believes it has a duty to society that goes beyond football.
T HE DEBAT E
PRESIDENTIAL NOTE
FIFA.com users share their views on the best goal of the year (FIFA Puskas Award 2014): I’m still impressed by Robin van Persie’s goal. The event, the big teams and, above all, the timing of the goal were all fantastic! It’s a goal that will be remembered for a long time.
Steph Roche’s goal is just amazing. Fantastic combination of skills, technique and vision. I could watch it a thousand times – incredible effort!
portuviejo, Canada
Pajtim Kasami – class, utter class! The run, the way he took the touch and turned it into an arrow-straight volley – it was simply brilliant! It was the best goal by a mile! Butty940, England
James Rodriguez should win! The way he turned at lightning speed and just as quickly fired in that wonderful goal – and at a World Cup, remember – was just inspired! Ibrahimovic or Ronaldo can’t even come close to matching that strike. mossabmadrid, Canada
Stephanie Roche deserves to win. Her technique is very similar to James’s and the video doesn’t do justice to that. Her volley was incredibly good!
ruudgullit, Netherlands
The democratisation of the IFAB
Van Persie’s goal will be r emembered for a long time.
jons20022, Republic of Ireland
Zlatan Ibrahimovic definitely gets my vote. You don’t see a back-heeled goal every day! Bapolaris, USA
I’d give the award to Kasami. Controlling the ball at speed with his chest and volleying into the net from a tight angle makes this the toughest of any of these goals. Amazing!
A lot of people don’t realise how hard James’s goal was; he was surrounded by five players and only had to touch the ball once with his chest before scoring with a difficult volley. It takes an amazing amount of talent to react so precisely and within such a short time, particularly as he probably didn’t get a proper look at goal!
TrifficSkill, USA
Froboy96, USA
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he world keeps turning, and a new era in football development is set to begin over the coming weeks. Two new advisory panels tasked with providing the International Football Association Board (IFAB) with technical support and expert opinion on rule changes will meet in Belfast for the first time – a Technical Advisory Panel made up of former referees, and a Football Advisory Panel comprised of coaches and former players. The introduction of these new bodies is a small revolution that effectively heralds the democratisation of the IFAB. From now on, these committees will meet twice a year to advise on the Laws of the Game and present their findings and recommendations to the IFAB. Topics included on the agenda at the initial meetings on 24 and 25 November include the so-called “triple punishment” rule, rolling substitutions for amateur/recreational football and electronic performance monitoring systems, as well as technical support for referees. The IFAB has previously discussed these items and has now referred them to the two committees for further analysis. Thanks to these newly created advisory panels, the IFAB’s members will be able to d iscuss issues in a more efficient and solution-oriented manner at their next AGM in Belfast on 28 February 2015. This is vitally i mportant for the future of football.
You don’t see a back-heeled goal every day! Best wishes, Sepp Blatter T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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“Tolerance alone is not enough” When he is not officiating at baptisms, marriages and funerals, Reformed Church minister Josef Hochstrasser is passionate about playing football. Ottmar Hitzfeld’s biographer spoke with The FIFA Weekly about justice and the duty to stand up for what is right.
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FOOTBALL AND RELIGION
Mr Hochstrasser, in your book “Einwurf” (“Interjection”) you write that justice and solidarity are at the heart of the world’s religions, but where do you see justice and solidarity in the ultra-competitive footballing world? Josef Hochstrasser: Solidarity is the foundation of every team sport. If I don’t cover for a team-mate who has made a mistake, that affects the entire team. Solidarity means stepping up to help a colleague who has made an error and putting it right.
How far does solidarity extend beyond your own team? Well, solidarity has a global dimension. Football can raise issues within society that would perhaps have taken much longer to come to light otherwise. Let’s take Brazil as an example. There’s a lack of hospitals, roads and communications infrastructure there, so football comes in with good intentions and says: “Now the whole world is talking about you”. Creating a global platform for this country by awarding it the World Cup is one way for our sport to contribute through solidarity, but football alone cannot solve the nation’s problems.
Above all, football connects us; it brings together people from all social classes. Is it like a religion in this respect? Yes, football can take on the role of a religion. It brings people together; that’s its great power. But it bears repeating that although football can identify problems, it’s much tougher for it to solve them.
That’s where our second term, justice, comes in. By justice I mean dealing with each other in a caring and loving way. The term makes most sense in a social context. If I deal with you in a good, fair way, then justice is coming into play.
What do you see as unjust? For a worker anywhere in the world, it is truly unjust when exorbitant wages are paid in football. This violates the idea of fair treatment even through it is not a direct interaction, as a highly paid footballer has little to do with the average construction worker in everyday life.
Salvatore Vinci / 13 Photo
Do you believe a financial limit has been exceeded there? In industrial nations, nobody should earn more than $500,000 or less than $45,000 a year. Anything above or below that seems unjust to me.
Gareth Bale’s transfer cost Real Madrid $100 million.
Yes, there’s a lot of money in world football, but FIFA is investing $606,000 every day on development and education within the sport all over the world: in Africa, South America, Asia, everywhere. That’s why I think football is on the front line when it comes to promoting fair conduct. I’m glad you brought up those two terms – solidarity and justice.
Excuse the crude question, but do Gareth Bale’s goals in some way ‘redeem’ us? Without some kind of corrective action, men can turn into gods. Humility is needed, even among players. After all, the end – death and the end of our earthly existence – will catch up with every player, but before that comes the end of their careers. Players know that at 25 years old, they can enjoy plenty of success, perform well, help their team, earn a lot of money and receive ample media coverage, and all the while their physique is celebrated. But what happens when they get to the age of 40 or 50?
At the graveside, success is put into perspective. You’re calling for social consciousness among players. Exactly. Even in interviews, players should reflect more upon the fact that success is relative and every life has its value. Almost a year ago, I led the funeral service for one of Basel’s officials. Basel are celebrating success in the Champions League but at the graveside that success was all put into perspective, even in the presence of the club’s other leading figures.
Jesus knew where his Roman critics wanted to put him – up on a cross. In your book, “Einwurf” (“Interjection”), you say that Jesus teaches us to voice our criticism of the circumstances we see around us. The founders of Christianity and Islam, Jesus and Mohammed, demonstrated that clear statements are vital. You have to stir things up. FIFA is doing that too. Football brings joy to millions of people, and the T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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Football is a brotherhood. It’s peace.
© 2014 Visa. All rights reserved.
Oscar Arias Nobel Peace Laureate
FOOTBALL AND RELIGION
sport’s world governing body is standing up and taking a clear position even in sensitive matters that result in immediate political consequences. Take, for example, the clear statement from FIFA President Sepp Blatter on his visit to Iran, where he demanded that women should be able to go to stadiums to watch football matches. Or the critical issue of construction workers in Qatar, a situation for which Mr Blatter has once again demanded a public explanation. If that didn’t happen, football would exist according to the Roman principle of “bread and circuses” [superficially appeasing the public] while the world continues to tackle its problems. That wouldn’t go far enough. FIFA is doing something with both its words and actions.
As well as the Fair Play campaign, FIFA has introduced initiatives such as the “Handshake for Peace” or “Say No to Racism”. What does tolerance mean to you? Although tolerance is very, very important, tolerance in itself is not enough. It is a term that often implies we should simply let others do their own thing. I believe joy is more important – finding joy in other people and the fact that they exist. Without others I can’t play a football match. Tolerance is good, but appreciating people who are different from me is better. Å Josef Hochstrasser was speaking to Perikles Monioudis
Salvatore Vinci / 13 Photo
Josef Hochstrasser was born in Lucerne, Switzerland, in 1947. The Reformed Church minister and former religious education teacher has written several books, including the authorised biography of legendary coach Ottmar Hitzfeld. He recently published “Einwurf” (“Interjection”), a conversational piece set in paradise, where Mohammed and Jesus discuss the state of the world – including football. “Einwurf”, 112 pages, Verlag Ruegger, Chur and Zurich, Switzerland
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FREE KICK
F I F A ’ S 11
Players to score in more than one FIFA Club World Cup
Flexing new muscles
1
5 goals Cesar Delgado (CF Monterrey, MEX) 3 goals in Japan, 2012 2 goals in Morocco, 2013
2
4 goals Mohamed Aboutrika (Al Ahly, EGY) 3 goals in Japan, 2006 1 goal in Japan, 2012
4 goals Lionel Messi (Barcelona, ESP) 2 goals in UAE, 2009 2 goals in Japan, 2011
3
3 goals Flavio (Al Ahly, EGY) 2 goals in Japan, 2006 1 goal in Japan, 2008
3 goals Ronaldinho 1 goal in Japan, 2006 (Barcelona, ESP) 2 goals in Morocco, 2013 (Atletico Mineiro, BRA)
4
2 goals Mbenza Bedi (TP Mazembe, COD) 1 goal in UAE, 2009 1 goal in UAE, 2010
2 goals Aldo de Nigris (CF Monterrey, MEX) 1 goal in Japan, 2011 1 goal in Japan, 2012
2 goals Dwight Yorke 1 goal in Brazil, 2000 (Manchester United, ENG) 1 goal in Japan, 2005 (Sydney FC, AUS)
2 goals Neri Cardozo 1 goal in Japan, 2007 (Boca Juniors, ARG) 1 goal in Morocco, 2013 (CF Monterrey, MEX)
2 goals Emad Meteab (Al Ahly, EGY) 1 goal in Japan, 2005 1 goal in Morocco, 2013
2 goals Humberto Suazo (CF Monterrey, CHI) 1 goal in Japan, 2011 1 goal in Morocco, 2013
Sarah Steiner
W
hen one door closes, another one opens. After calling time on their playing careers, many footballers use their accumulated expertise to work as coaches, sporting directors or players’ agents, while others make the most of their fame to open a restaurant, nightclub or even a hotel. Still others return to their original jobs as insurance agents, draughtsmen or bank clerks. And then there are players who cannot tear themselves away from the sporting world and instead forge a second career in another discipline. The latest example of a player taking the latter path is Tim Wiese. Although the 33-yearold is still under contract as a goalkeeper for Bundesliga side Hoffenheim, he has been released from training and matches since the start of the year. Despite this, he has not stopped training; on the contrary, Wiese has now increased his weight to 120 kilograms. “I’ve got to calm down a bit,” he admits. This new muscle mass makes his 1.93 m frame even more imposing and has opened up a new door to a career in professional wrestling. Rumour has it that the USA’s WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) has offered the former shot-stopper a contract. Although it has not yet been confirmed whether Wiese has accepted the offer, he made his first appearance in the sport as a special guest at a show event in Frankfurt. The audience went wild as the former Werder Bremen keeper flexed his muscles. “I can imagine it,” he said. “Sure, it’ll be full on, but then I used to throw myself in the way of every ball without any fear.” Wiese is not the first footballer to switch sports. Argentina’s Gabriel Batistuta discov-
ered his love of polo and went on to win some of the country’s biggest tournaments. Frenchman Bixente Lizarazu is European champion in his weight class in the martial art of jiujitsu. And Turkey’s Ilhan Mansiz swapped turf for ice in an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to qualify for the Winter Olympic Games. It remains to be seen whether Tim Wiese’s second career will prove to be a success, but one thing is for sure – the German seems to be made for wrestling. His style, gestures, demeanour and patter are already in place; all that is missing now is a suitable pseudonym. Nevertheless, from “Gym Wiese” to “The Holy Goalie”, at least there is no shortage of suggestions. Å
The weekly column by our staff writers
Source: FIFA (FIFA Club World Cup, Statistical Kit, 17/11/2014) T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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FIGHT AGAINS T EBOL A
Together against Ebola Top international football players are joining forces with world football’s governing body FIFA, the Confederation of African Football and health experts to raise global awareness and promote simple preventative measures in the fight against Ebola. Didier Drogba (Chelsea FC, Côte d’Ivoire)
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George Davies (Greuther Furth, Sierra Leone) and FIFA Chief Medical Officer Prof. Jiri Dvorak.
More about this campaign at: http://tinyurl.com/o5kgrdh
FIFA
he “11 against Ebola” campaign, featuring Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, Barcelona’s Neymar Jr, Chelsea’s Didier Drogba and FC Bayern Munich’s Philipp Lahm among others, promotes 11 simple health messages selected with the help of doctors and health experts from Africa, the World Bank Group and the World Health Organization who are tackling the outbreak in West Africa. Underneath the slogan “Together, we can beat Ebola” and the hashtag #wecanbeatebola, players share each message with the help of animated films, radio content, banners, posters and pictures in a multimedia campaign. Each health message has been chosen to improve public understanding about how the virus spreads, and to provide clear information that can be used to reduce the chances of the virus spreading in affected communities. FIFA Chief Medical Officer Prof. Jiri Dvorak, MD said: “We doctors have experienced the power of football when it comes to prevention and health, while successfully implementing the ‘FIFA 11 for Health’ programme in 15 African countries as part of the medical legacy of 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Now we are using the same system to tackle Ebola, by presenting simple educational messages to prevent the spread of the disease through the voices of football stars – ‘When football talks, everybody listens’.” The popularity of football and its top players has proven to be a powerful way to connect with a wide audience and to transmit public health messages. This is the first emergency health campaign of its kind implemented by FIFA. The world governing body of football has
FIGHT AGAINS T EBOL A
“11 against Ebola” 1
REPORT UNUSUAL ILLNESSES Please report any unusual illnesses or deaths in your community.
2
KNOW THE SYMPTOMS Do you have a fever with a loss of appetite, headache, fatigue, pain, vomiting, bleeding or diarrhoea? Know the symptoms of Ebola.
3
SEEK IMMEDIATE MEDICAL HELP Please seek urgent medical help if you have a fever with additional symptoms.
4
AVOID BODY CONTACT Avoid direct, skin and body contact with anyone suffering from Ebola.
5
WASH YOUR HANDS AND DISINFECT Wash your hands regularly and disinfect anything touched by suspected or confirmed Ebola sufferers.
6
WEAR PROPER PROTECTION Wear gloves and proper protective clothing if you are caring for an Ebola sufferer, and get the right instruction for the use of protective clothing.
7
COOK MEAT PROPERLY Cook all meat and animal products thoroughly before consumption.
8
ALWAYS PRACTISE SAFE SEX Use protection if you are having sex with anyone recovering from Ebola.
9
AVOID CONTACT WITH WILD ANIMALS AND BATS Wild animals and bats can carry the Ebola virus. Avoid them.
Gareth Bale (Real Madrid, Wales)
10
DO NOT TOUCH THE DEAD Avoid direct contact with dead Ebola victims or anyone who has died from a strange disease.
11
SEEK HELP FOR SAFE BURIALS Please seek help from local authorities to bury any victims of Ebola or strange diseases.
Behind the scenes Jerome Boateng prepares to be filmed for the campaign.
“We all hope this positive campaign will improve people’s understanding of the Ebola virus and help us to reduce the chances of it spreading.” Neymar
achieved positive results with previous public health awareness campaigns such as the FIFA 11 for Health, which recruited top players to promote simple health messages for children around the world. FIFA President Blatter said: “The popularity of football gives us a unique platform to reach all communities. We hope that football can play its part and that this campaign against Ebola can make a real difference on the ground as the world comes together to fight the virus and to help those living in affected communities.” According to the World Health Organization, as of 9 November, a total of 14,098 confirmed, probable and suspected cases of Ebola virus disease have been reported in six countries. There have been 5,160 deaths. Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone have seen the highest number of cases. Å
Neymar (FC Barcelona, Brazil) T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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MIRROR IMAGE
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Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland
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Sepp Schmid / Keystone
A radio commentator reports on Switzerland's international match against Sweden.
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Maracana Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Friedemann Vogel / Getty Images
Cameramen film the World Cup game between Ecuador and France.
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FIFA WORLD R ANKING Rank Team
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 46 48 49 50 51 52 52 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77
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http://www.fifa.com/worldranking/index.html
Change in ranking Points
Germany Argentina Colombia Belgium Netherlands Brazil France Uruguay Portugal Spain
0 0 0 1 -1 0 2 -1 2 -2
1669 1565 1420 1388 1375 1307 1191 1184 1175 1119
Italy Switzerland Chile Croatia Algeria Costa Rica Mexico Greece Ukraine England Romania Czech Republic USA Slovakia Côte d’Ivoire Bosnia and Herzegovina Ecuador Iceland Austria Russia Tunisia Denmark Cape Verde Islands Wales Ghana Slovenia Scotland Egypt Sweden Cameroon Senegal Nigeria Northern Ireland Poland Israel Turkey Serbia Albania Trinidad and Tobago Hungary Iran Japan Togo Peru Guinea Panama South Africa Mali Bulgaria Congo DR Republic of Ireland Congo Finland Montenegro Uzbekistan Korea Republic Gabon Norway Honduras Antigua and Barbuda Burkina Faso Guatemala Libya Jordan Armenia Paraguay Sierra Leone
2 -2 -1 5 5 -1 -1 -4 5 -2 5 6 -6 16 -3 -1 -6 6 10 -7 0 -5 8 -5 -2 17 -8 23 -7 2 -5 -5 28 26 19 -8 -12 -3 37 4 -7 -4 73 -7 -7 -1 10 1 -13 13 1 -14 2 -21 -7 -3 16 8 -13 10 -23 -15 -5 -5 -23 -16 -2
1064 1063 1060 1002 989 974 954 946 920 919 876 870 862 861 842 837 826 816 810 792 780 763 716 715 685 683 674 658 646 637 635 632 625 621 615 614 614 604 598 561 560 559 559 558 552 546 542 533 532 521 519 512 510 504 498 496 487 481 480 478 469 466 440 434 432 423 421
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
Ranking 05 / 2014
06 / 2014
07 / 2014
08 / 2014
09 / 2014
10 / 2014
1 -40 -80 -120 -160 -200
78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 88 88 88 92 93 94 95 96 97 97 99 99 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 113 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 126 128 129 130 131 132 132 134 134 136 137 138 138 140 141 142 143 144
Top spot
Biggest climber
Zambia United Arab Emirates Dominican Republic Iraq El Salvador Oman Uganda Venezuela Benin Angola Estonia China PR Morocco Qatar Lithuania Haiti Australia Rwanda Cyprus Mozambique Saudi Arabia FYR Macedonia Latvia Zimbabwe Botswana Bolivia Bahrain St Vincent and the Grenadines Belarus Sudan Palestine Malawi Tanzania Ethiopia Cuba Namibia Jamaica St Kitts and Nevis Kenya Georgia Lesotho Moldova Kuwait Niger Canada Liberia Lebanon Equatorial Guinea Azerbaijan Luxembourg Burundi Philippines Guinea-Bissau New Zealand Kazakhstan Aruba Tajikistan Afghanistan Vietnam Myanmar Turkmenistan St Lucia Mauritania Chad Maldives Madagascar Central African Republic
10 -6 27 9 -10 -7 -5 -19 -8 14 -7 9 -1 8 11 26 -10 -2 -11 12 -15 13 0 -9 -11 -9 0 1 -17 26 -6 -11 5 21 10 0 -13 2 -5 -7 -3 -14 4 -14 -2 3 -3 -11 -31 1 2 5 0 -13 -5 -3 2 1 6 6 3 -15 0 3 3 3 -7
Biggest faller
418 413 405 393 392 391 389 388 375 373 369 369 369 369 364 360 359 356 348 341 341 340 340 330 323 310 308 302 301 298 297 292 291 289 286 284 284 279 273 271 266 262 261 258 251 249 246 238 233 233 232 229 226 225 218 218 214 214 208 207 197 197 195 194 183 180 178
145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 157 159 159 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 168 170 171 172 172 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 180 182 182 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 194 194 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 203 205 205 207 208 208
Grenada Barbados Curaçao Korea DPR Suriname Kyrgyzstan Syria Guyana New Caledonia Laos Liechtenstein Malaysia Indonesia Malta Puerto Rico India Singapore Guam Hong Kong Swaziland Thailand Tahiti Belize Gambia Nicaragua Montserrat Seychelles Bermuda Comoros Sri Lanka São Tomé e Príncipe Bangladesh Turks and Caicos Islands Yemen Nepal Solomon Islands Dominica Pakistan Timor-Leste Macau Cambodia South Sudan Faroe Islands Chinese Taipei Samoa Vanuatu Mauritius Fiji Mongolia Bahamas American Samoa Tonga US Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Papua New Guinea Eritrea Cayman Islands Andorra Somalia British Virgin Islands Djibouti Cook Islands Anguilla Bhutan San Marino
-8 15 1 2 -2 1 1 1 -16 15 17 -2 -1 -2 -2 -1 -12 2 1 -4 -7 -4 -4 -2 2 -2 1 -2 2 2 2 5 3 6 4 2 -13 -7 11 2 14 -1 -8 -10 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -1 -1 -1 -5 -5 0 2 -3 1 1 -4 0 0 0 0 0
176 172 171 168 167 158 154 148 142 141 136 134 129 129 119 119 115 111 109 103 102 100 99 90 90 86 81 80 80 76 72 68 66 62 61 53 53 51 51 49 46 43 42 39 37 33 32 30 29 26 26 26 20 15 13 11 10 9 8 8 6 6 2 0 0
THE SOUND OF FOOTBALL
“I I, am am, Jay Jay” Jay Jay Okocha is famous for his wizardry and tricks on the ball. What’s he like in front of a microphone? Hanspeter Kuenzler
Sion Ap Tomos
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hen Jay Jay Okocha stepped onto the hallowed turf he was transformed from a footballer into a ballet dancer. Nobody else could tie defenders in knots like he did. Whenever the ball suddenly looped over the head of an opponent and back onto the cultured foot of the Nigerian you often had to look at slow-motion replays to work out what had happened. As a 17-year-old he went to Germany just to visit a friend but ended up training with Borussia Neunkirchen where he was immediately signed up. He was playing for Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga two seasons later. His goal against Karlsruher SC, where he left three defenders and goalkeeper Oliver Kahn floundering – “he’s torn his shirt off and he’s doing the samba!” screamed the commentator - was voted goal of the season for 1993 by viewers of the ARD Sportschau programme. He started and ended his career as a pop singer the following year. Studio owner and singer Martin Meinschaefer made a name for himself locally with a rock band called Hob Goblin and went on to achieve some success with Dolls United where songs from children’s TV programmes were
set to a techno beat. One of Meinschaefer’s best mates had contacts at Eintracht Frankfurt and Okocha came on down to the studio. No money changed hands. “We just wanted to see what would happen,” says Meinschaefer today with a smile on his face. “We hoped he could sing a bit but unfortunately we were well wide of the mark.” It took a huge amount of work before the song, complete with (deliberately) silly text, was in the can. “Soccer is locker (cool) / the commander of Knickerbocker” rapped Jay Jay to a hearty Euro disco beat. “A really great bloke,” said Meinschaefer in summing up the experience. Okocha moved on from Frankfurt to Fenerbahce, then Paris Saint-Germain and Bolton Wanderers. He was reunited with the world of music on the Sceptered Isle when the fans came up with a song for him: “Jay Jay Okocha, so good that they named him twice.” In 2008, just after ending his playing career at Hull City, he finally made it into the charts. The single was “Paper Planes” by Mathangi Arulpragasam, aka M.I.A. “I’m a legend, something like Jay Jay Okocha,” proclaimed Nigerian guest rapper African Boy. Æ T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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EVERY GASP EVERY SCREAM EVERY ROAR EVERY DIVE EVERY BALL E V E RY PAS S EVERY CHANCE EVERY STRIKE E V E R Y B E AU T I F U L D E TA I L SHALL BE SEEN SHALL BE HEARD S H A L L B E FE LT
Feel the Beauty
BE MOVED
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TURNING POINT
“I found freedom on the pitch” A one-club man throughout his playing career, to this day Gigi Riva harbours no regrets about rejecting offers from clubs from northern Italy to stay in Sardinia with Cagliari Calcio.
imago
H
ow time flies. It’s unbelievable to think that I recently turned 70. When I was younger I experienced the harsh reality of the post-war era first hand. I didn’t have an easy childhood and that difficult period shaped who I am. I’ve been called one of Italy’s footballing legends, but it’s also been written that even my goal celebrations were muted, tinged with melancholy. One thing I can say without any doubt is that the only place I felt free was on a football pitch with the goal in my sights. “I found freedom on the pitch”. Having completed primary school I started working for an elevator company when I was 14. At that time I would travel from stadium to stadium and play a game for a club before moving on to the next one. I did it because I enjoyed it but also because I would get something in return: sometimes I was given money, at other times I was given prosciutto ham, salami or a kilo of butter. When I was 18 my life changed over night when Cagliari Calcio signed me. It was my first professional contract. I took an unconventional path: most talented players ended up going to one of the northern clubs, but I chose to stay in Sardinia. To this day I don’t regret making that decision. I fell in love with the island and the people here straight away and I still live in Cagliari. I helped the club win promotion to the Serie A and winning the Scudetto in the 1969/70 season made me into something of a figurehead for the Sardinians. I’m very proud of that. Their love for me was so strong that I rejected all offers from the top clubs and only ever played for the Red and Blues. I don’t know what would have happened if I’d left the island and played somewhere in Milan or Turin.
Name Luigi “Gigi” Riva Date and place of birth 7 November 1944, Leggiuno (Italy) Position Striker Club 1963–1976 Cagliari Italian national team 42 caps, 35 goals
Despite choosing to live in Sardinia I’ve always remained a proud Italian. I scored 35 goals in 42 matches for the national team and am still the country’s all-time top scorer. Wearing the Italy shirt made me very proud and I enjoy looking back on my time with the Squadra Azzurra. In 1968 we won the European Championship on home soil and two years later we only lost out to Brazil in the World Cup Final in Mexico. I’ll never forget the ‘Game of the Century’ when we beat Germany 4-3 in the semi-finals. What a match that was. I hung up my boots in 1976 but stayed in Sardinia and became sporting director and then president of US Cagliari. In 2005 I was awarded honorary Sardinian citizenship and Cagliari Calcio retired the red and blue jersey with ‘my’ number 11 on it.
Now I’m 70 years old. I celebrated my birthday in Sardinia. I would have liked to have had a quiet do, but things didn’t quite turn out that way … Å As told to Giovanni Marti
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FIFA QUIZ CUP
Clubs that refuse to reveal where they come from and a disappearing World Cup stadium – test your knowledge! 1
One played in the same four World Cups as the other, while both scored at least one goal at each of those tournaments. Which pair of players are we talking about?
President: Joseph S. Blatter Secretary General: Jérôme Valcke Director of Communications and Public Affairs: Walter De Gregorio
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Chief Editor: Perikles Monioudis Staff Writers: Alan Schweingruber, Sarah Steiner, Tim Pfeifer
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Several World Cup matches took place on this very spot. The centre circle stood where the small patch of grass on the left lies now. Which noteworthy World Cup match was played here?
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Picture Editor: Peggy Knotz Production: Hans-Peter Frei Layout: Richie Krönert (Lead), Tobias Benz, Marianne Bolliger-Crittin, Susanne Egli, Alissa Rosskopf
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Italy 0-1 Costa Rica Italy 0-1 Ireland Italy 0-0 Israel Italy 0-1 Korea DPR
Who received this coveted award from Sepp Blatter in November 2014?
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Two clubs from the same city reached a European final in the same year. The name of the winning side does not include the name of its hometown, but then neither does the name of the losing team. Where do the two clubs come from?
D Italy G Great Britain E Germany N Spain
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The answer to last week’s Quiz Cup was JUMP Detailed answers on www.fifa.com/theweekly Inspiration and implementation: cus
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L A S T W E E K’S P O L L R E S U LT S Which team will win the 2014 Brasileiro Serie A?
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T HIS WEEK’S POLL
Which of these clubs will win the 2014-2015 UEFA Women’s Champions League?
4%
6%
7%
27%
15%
≠ ≠ ≠ ≠
Sao Paulo
Atletico Mineiro Cruzeiro
Choose from the following: · Brondby (DEN) · Bristol Academy (ENG) · Frankfurt (GER) · Glasgow City (SCO) · Linkoping (SWE) · Paris (FRA) · Rosengard (SWE) · Wolfsburg (GER)
23%
18%
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Internacional Gremio
Cast your votes at: Fifa.com/newscentre
Fluminense
Corinthians
“How good was Puskas? He would be better than anyone you would consider great. Almost incomparable. I played against him in Glasgow and Madrid. He was as quick and fit as anyone on the pitch.” Willie Henderson, the former Rangers star, on Ferenc Puskas
126 34 matches and almost
matches and eight years
three years after their
without a home defeat
last goal from a direct
– the longest such
free-kick, Racing Club
streak in world
belatedly profited from a set
football – was the
piece. It was a strike worth the
run that came to an
wait, with Gustavo Bou
end for Spain. Germany were
Diaz to Cerro Porteno’s title
smashing home a swerving
the team to bring it to an close,
challenge. And if that seems
effort from over 30 yards to
with an 89th-minute winner
a laudable but fairly unre-
become the first dead-ball
from Toni Kroos reaffirm-
markable tally, it should be
scorer for his club since
ing the world champions’
added that Diaz is still
Giovanni Moreno on
status as the game’s
just 15.
26 November 2011.
pre-eminent force.
goals in 2 appearances was the contribution made by Sergio
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WEEK IN NUMBERS