The FIFA Weekly Issue #62/63

ISSUE 62/63, 23 DECEMBER 2014

ENGLISH EDITION

Fédération Internationale de Football Association – Since 1904

KOREA REPUBLIC CHAMPIONS JEONBUK AND THE K LEAGUE CLASSIC MANCHESTER CITY FC ROSE AND HER TEA ROOM FOOTBALL BOOKS VAN GAAL, GUARDIOLA AND CO.

World Cup year 2014

Magic moments

THIS WEEK IN THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL

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Sepp Blatter The FIFA President recalls the Christmas Truce of 1914, when soldiers in the First World War laid down their guns and emerged from the trenches to play football.

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A u revoir, Thierry Henry It all began in 1995 when Thierry Henry, a young hopeful from the Paris suburbs, scored his maiden goal as a professional. We pay tribute to a truly illustrious career.

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North and Central America 35 members www.concacaf.com

Magic moments An extraordinary year in football is drawing to a close. The crowning glory was the World Cup in Brazil, a fantastic tournament despite great scepticism beforehand. We look back on four magic moments in 2014.

South America 10 members www.conmebol.com

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Teatime For decades now, Rose has served up tea to the press photographers at Manchester City.

Footballing twins Nina Nymark Jakobsen from Norway relates how she and her sister took up the game at the age of 11.

40 Magic moments The panoramic image taking up both the front and back covers of this edition was captured in Rio de Janeiro in 2011.

Bright future It will be an exciting 2015 with the Ballon d’Or, Women’s World Cup and Beach Soccer World Cup.

See you next year!

The first issue of the new year will appear on Friday 9 January 2015.

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The FIFA Weekly Magazine App The FIFA Weekly, FIFA’s magazine, is available in four languages as an e-Magazine and on your tablet every Friday.

Getty Images (2), Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC, imago

Gustavo Pellizzon

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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Korea Republic JBFC have won the Korean league title for the third time.

We analyse the reasons behind their success.

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Herr Pep Our staff writers review six football-themed books published in 2014.

Premier League 26.12.2014

28. / 29.12.2014

01.01.2015

Chelsea – West Ham United Burnley – Liverpool Crystal Palace – Southampton Everton – Stoke City Leicester City – Tottenham Hotspur Manchester United – Newcastle United Sunderland – Hull City Swansea City – Aston Villa West Bromwich – Manchester City Arsenal – Queens Park Rangers

Tottenham Hotspur – Manchester United Southampton – Chelsea Aston Villa – Sunderland Hull City – Leicester City Manchester City – Burnley Queens Park Rangers – Crystal Palace Stoke City – West Bromwich West Ham – Arsenal Newcastle United – Everton Liverpool – Swansea City

Stoke City – Manchester United Aston Villa – Crystal Palace Hull City – Everton Liverpool – Leicester City Manchester City – Sunderland Newcastle United – Burnley Queens Park Rangers – Swansea City Southampton – Arsenal West Ham – West Bromwich Tottenham Hotspur – Chelsea

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Š 2014 adidas AG. adidas, the 3-Bars logo and the 3-Stripes mark are registered trademarks of the adidas Group.

instinct takes over

#predatorinstinct

adidas.com/predator

2014

UNCOVERED

2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014

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nd so a World Cup year draws to a close. The footballing world turned out in force last summer in one of the sport’s greatest nations – Brazil. As the tournament approached, media outlets issued prophecies of doom: the heat would make fast-paced play impossible, the players would be exposing themselves to the risk of heatstroke or worse, and besides, the event would be unlikely to happen at all because Brazilians simply did not want it. All these fears proved to be entirely unfounded; instead, a technically breathtaking World Cup unfolded with highlights aplenty as the host nation impressed every corner of the globe. Starting on page 6, our editorial team revisit four magical moments – all subjectively chosen, of course. After all, the beauty of a World Cup comes from the way individual impressions merge to form a collective experience.

In Brazil, ecstatic fans from countless nations came together to take part in a festival of football. Each left with his of her own memories, but all shared a splendid, unforgettable experience.

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here are yet more footballing highlights to look forward to in 2015. The Women’s World Cup takes place in Canada from 6 June until 5 July, and before that the 2014 Ballon d’Or and other glittering accolades will be awarded in Zurich on 12 January. These events will be followed by the U-20 World Cup in New Zealand, the Beach Soccer World Cup in Portugal and the U-17 World Cup in Chile. Turn to pages 40 and 41 for a preview of this exciting new year. Å Perikles Monioudis T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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MAGIC MOMENTS

HIGHLIGHTS IN ABUNDANCE

Dylan Martinez/Reuters

An extraordinary year in football is drawing to a close, with Brazil 2014 its crowning glory. We bring you four impressions of the world’s greatest football showpiece.

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MAGIC MOMENTS

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n that day, no-one could have anticipated everything would boil down to this one image. Not that it was entirely impossible to imagine beforehand that German attacker Mario Goetze would come on as a substitute in the World Cup Final on 13 July 2014 at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro and accept an assist from fellow sub Andre Schurrle before scoring the decisive extra-time goal against the Argentinians. But there were so many other ways the Final might have ended – and the associated dreams as well.

On the day before the Final the city was jammed with vehicles bearing Argentinian licence plates; a throng of fans dressed and decorated in white and light blue stretched as far as the eye could see.

They cooked up the vegetables, rice, beans and fruit they had brought with them to the Copacabana. The Albiceleste supporters shared one heartfelt desire too: their team had to emerge from the World Cup Final with one more victory. But for the hordes who spent so many

days in their cars criss-crossing the country of their greatest adversaries Brazil, it was to remain a mere dream and they drove home again, heartbroken, shortly after the match.

The German fans, in contrast, arrived by plane, including IT consultant Thorsten Hill from Aachen. Independently of his trip he organised an online prediction game for charity, with the €1,600 raised earmarked for a day-care facility in Brazil. He arrived in Rio with a cardboard cut-out picture of the World Cup Trophy sticking out of his rucksack, a one-metre long omen.

His terminally ill father also took part in the World Cup prediction game but would not live to witness Germany’s triumph. Thorsten’s family insisted he fly to Brazil for the Final despite it all.

Back home in Aachen, he wrote an email to someone he briefly encountered on his trip. “It was a one-off experience,” and: “I wish you all the very best and that your dreams come true.” Å Perikles Monioudis

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MAGIC MOMENTS

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o country is so closely associated with football or epitomises the world’s love for the game better than Brazil. Its people cheer, celebrate and live for A Seleção – and earnestly suffer with them too. The anticipation was immense ahead of the 2014 World Cup as Brazilians looked forward to welcoming a copa das copas, as it was dubbed before the tournament, back to their shores. The euphoria was almost boundless, and no matter where you went, there was a palpable belief that the Verde-Amarela would lift the trophy at home – for their people. No single player represented this plan better than Neymar da Silva Santos Junior, better known simply as Neymar.

The hopes of a nation rested on the slight shoulders of a 22-year-old prodigy capable of astounding dribbling and technical skill – a player who never seems to tire and gives everything to help his team succeed.

Neymar withstood the pressure to make a blistering start to the tournament, with two goals in the Opening Match against Croatia followed by another brace against Cameroon. Brazil qualified for the Round of 16, where they were taken to penalties by Chile. Again, Neymar stepped up and scored to take his side another step closer to a much longed-for sixth World Cup title.

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Then came the match against Colombia. In the 86th minute, with A Seleção leading 2-1 and with one foot in the semi-finals, Juan Zuniga jumped into Neymar’s back. The Barcelona star collapsed and was carried from the pitch crying. An entire nation held its breath. Then came the diagnosis: a fracture of the lumbar vertebra. Brazil was plunged into a state of shock as the realisation hit home that Neymar would not be playing any further part in the World Cup. The team had to carry on, of course, and attempt to see their grand dream through to the end. The presence of their talented youngster could be felt everywhere at the semi-final. The squad wore white baseball caps emblazoned with “Força Neymar” on their journey to the stadium past roadsides packed with hundreds of thousands of fans, nearly all of them wearing number 10 shirts or masks bearing the likeness of Brazil’s four-time goalscorer. The team continued to pay homage to their absent star when David Luiz held Neymar’s shirt aloft during the national anthem. It seemed as though he was everywhere and nowhere all at once as Brazil slumped to a rushing 7-1 defeat against eventual world champions Germany. And so the country’s dream lay in tatters. All that remained was the question of what might have been. Å Sarah Steiner

Fernando Bizerra/Keystone

SHATTERED DREAMS

MAGIC MOMENTS

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A COSTA RICAN FAIRYTALE

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

n the aftermath of the draw for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Group D most vividly fired the imagination of the world’s headline-writers. The talk was of a “Horror” or “Monster” section, a classic “Group of Death” including a trio of former World Cup winners in England, Italy and Uruguay. The speculation was all about which two of the three would qualify for the next round. But what of Costa Rica, the fourth team in the group? Practically no-one gave the Central Americans the slightest chance of a last sixteen berth. In the event the rank underdogs sensationally emerged as the surprise team of the tournament and won the group by virtue of a 3-1 victory over Uruguay, a 1-0 win against the Italians and a goalless draw with England. The boundless joy and pleasure at this upset is written all over the face of Jose Miguel Cubero, brimming with pride as he poses with the national flag and brilliantly capturing the spirit of the nation’s famous motto “pura vida” (“pure life”). The Ticos breezily continued compiling a footballing fairytale in the knockout stages, defeating Greece in the last sixteen and reaching the quarter-finals at a World Cup for the first time, where they finally succumbed to the Dutch on penalties. “We wanted to surprise the world and Costa Rica. We wanted to make history,” declared defender Giancarlo Gonzalez after the shootout. The Ticos impressively did just that. Å Tim Pfeifer

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imago

MAGIC MOMENTS

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STROKE OF GENIUS

MAGIC MOMENT

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n Rio de Janeiro, it takes a good half hour to drive from the Copacabana to the Maracana. If the streets are congested – and they usually are – even the most experienced taxi driver takes 45 minutes to complete the journey. Our driver managed it in 20. It was a blisteringly quick ride. Right on time, we took our seats in the very same stands where Pele was lauded in the Seventies. The sheer number of Colombian fans meant that the Maracana was bathed in yellow with the odd dash of light blue. Could Uruguay make an impact on this Round-of-16 match without the suspended Luis Suarez?

The atmosphere in the stadium on 28 June 2014 was electric, with many Brazilians also turning out to witness proceedings. Two local boys sitting in front of us teased each other, taking it in turns to whisper things in each other’s ears. “It’s a public holiday,” the fan in the neighbouring seat told us.

The first half hour of the match could best be described as average.

Then, in the 28th minute, Colombian prodigy James Rodriguez chested down the ball before hammering it under the bar from 20 metres out.

The stadium, Brazilians included, erupted with joy.

At that moment, a text message reached us from Europe that simply read: “Did you see that?” We replied: “You bet. We’re sitting in the stadium.” The friend answered: “Real Madrid will sign this lad after the World Cup.” We laughed.

Three hours later, we tucked into a juicy steak at a nearby restaurant. Delirious fans at a large table nearby drank wine and sang Colombian folk songs, while the television set in the corner played the same scene on an endless loop: chest, volley – goal! Å Alan Schweingruber T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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Connecting every fan of the game Make new friends and discover shared passions in the Emirates A380 Onboard Lounge.

#AllTimeGreats youtube.com/emirates

Hello Tomorrow

ROSE’S PHO T OGR APHERS ROOM

A snappers’ gathering in 1977 Guest of honour Rose serves up some tea.

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Tea time in the Premier League Rose has been serving tea and homemade pastries to press photographers at Manchester City for decades.

The FIFA Weekly pays a visit to “Rose’s Room” at the Citizens’ home ground.

hustle and bustle of a Premier League t is often said that modern-day stadium shortly before kick-off. The sign club football is all about the monabove the door declares that this is ey. Many argue that traditional “Rose’s Photographers Room”, and bevalues have been compromised, gradually squeezing out that fore long comes a greeting from the which matters most in football: charming Rose herself, a confident woman with a friendly smile. “Can I get you a the feeling of shared identity that goes beyond your own team to incup of tea? Weak or strong? Sugar or sweetener? Any milk?” she asks rapidly, corporate respect for others and without which the sport could not not forgetting to point out the freshly filled sandwiches and handmade pasbe played. In fact, nothing could tries on offer to complement your brew. be further from the truth. Follow Who could possibly resist? a press photographer through the corriPerikles Monioudis (text) and “I never take sugar myself,” she admits. dors of the City of Manchester Stadium Alex Livesey (images), Manchester “Although there were ten of us at home, on a match day and you will soon find including my parents, there were always four or five spoonfuls yourself in a small ground-floor room that would otherwise be of sugar in your cup.” If a game kicks off at 3 p.m., Rose gets to almost impossible to find. Stepping inside, you are welcomed by the stadium at noon. She unpacks all the dishes she has p ­ repared the kind of warm hospitality you do not expect to find in the T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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Calm before the storm Rose brews the tea on match day.

at home and makes a pot of peppermint tea. Before long the first press photographers arrive, sit down with their cameras and heavy lenses at the lavishly laid table and make conversation – mostly with Rose. “The photographers come back at half-time and drink their tea here,” she explains. “I pack up fifteen minutes before the end of the game, otherwise it’s almost impossible to get a taxi once the match finishes. Manchester City very kindly send a taxi to get me to and from the stadium.”

Kevin Keegan the gentleman The corridor opens out onto the pitch just a few steps away from Rose’s Photographers Room. The stadium is gradually filling up.

“I’m into my 40th season now,” she says, “and I almost didn’t go with the club when they moved to this new ground ten years ago – it’s so far from my house. But that wonderful, wonderful gentleman Kevin [Keegan] convinced me, together with the chairman at the time, the lovely, lovely John Wardle.”

Rose gestures to one of the plethora of photos pinned to the wall. Keegan was the Citizens’ manager when they left their old home at Maine Road back in 2003. “And that’s my friend

Special guests Kevin Keegan (in the centre) and Mike Summerbee (top right).

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Dinner is served Cheese rolls and peppermint tea wait to be consumed.

­ haldoon Al Mubarak, the current chairman,” she explains.

K “He’s been in here for a cuppa before too.” After all, tea is a very popular hot drink not only in England but also in the Arab world.

Luckily, Rose has an assistant on hand to help her out when the shop begins to buzz with life. With two hours to go until kick-off, half a dozen photographers have so far found their way to her door, but she has hosted more than fifty people in her tiny tearoom on Champions League nights. After half an hour she tries to encourage some of the snappers to move on as others are keen to come in. “Some of them sit there at the table and look at me all wide-eyed, so I say: ‘Hello, I’m Rose and I’m here to take care of you. We’ve got scones too.’”

By now, the tearoom’s masterful proprietor has her hands full as the photographers steadily stream in. “Another scone?” she asks. Like everything here, the scones are exquisite. “It’s quite a small room,” Rose says. “I originally asked for a bigger one.” With just half an hour until kick-off, there are so many customers in the room that she can barely speak to them individually. She mentions in passing that she does not have the faintest idea about football, admitting: “I’ve never watched a

ROSE’S PHO T OGR APHERS ROOM

Fancy a cuppa? Rose enchants customers with her hospitality.

Grateful guests A photographer kisses Rose goodbye before heading out to the game.

match in my entire life.” But she has witnessed plenty within Regular customer and club legend these walls. What has changed over the decades? “Well, previSuddenly the smiling face of Mike Summerbee appears at the ously the players used to visit from time to time, but I don’t door. The Manchester City ambassador, who played for the see them anymore. Kevin used to like to pop in though.” club between 1965 and 1975 and also won eight England caps, pours himself a cup of tea and takes a seat at the table. “Mike The big question, though, is just how did she land this partcomes here a lot,” says Rose. She jokes with him affectionatetime job in the first place? “Around Christmas 1974, Stan Gibson asked me whether I’d have a few hours spare on a Saturday afterly, as she does with everyone – but Mike is something special.

He is quick-witted and funny and knows just how to strike up noon to come to the stadium, so I went.” Maine Road’s legendary groundkeeper Gibson passed away in a conversation with Rose about the 2001. Before locking the stadium each good old days. When it comes to double evening, he would take his German shepacts, Ginger and Fred have got nothing on these two. herd for a walk around the pitch. “At that time they didn’t have anyone who served In the hustle and bustle of the teatea, so I started with that,” says Rose, room, it is difficult to tell what prompted turning her attention to the photos on Mike to reminisce about his acting days, the wall to pick out particular names and when he played footballer Sid Harmor alongside Pele, Bobby Moore, Michael years. She mentions 23 August 2003, the Rose day Manchester City played their first Caine and Sylvester Stallone in the 1981 home match at their new ground – and John Huston film “Escape to Victory”, the day her son called her to tell her that which sees a team of Allied prisoners of her husband had just succumbed to a heart attack. “My husband war pitted against their German guards in occupied Paris. “I can was a good man, absolutely great,” she says reflectively, before still remember the film shoot in Hungary so well,” he recalls. continuing to peruse the images. “I’ve met a few lovely people “The opposing side were from Moscow…”

Rose cannot imagine not serving tea here. She loves what here at Manchester City, that’s for sure. There are some wondershe does, and sees her gift to those who come through the door ful memories on this wall.” She says she has not missed a single as a simple one: “A bit of hospitality.” Å Citizens home match since 1989, adding: “I’m always here.”

“I’ve never watched a match in my entire life.”

Lending a hand Rose hands out starting line-ups to the photographers.

“I’m grateful” Rose is part of Manchester City Football Club.

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TALK ING POIN T S

O N

T H E

I N S I D E

Tough times Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson and Steven Gerrard.

Unu s u a l l y s te e p e d i n memor y David Winner is a London-based author and journalist. His books on football include ’Brilliant Orange’ and ’Dennis Bergkamp: Stillness and Speed’.

It is a measure of Liverpool’s melancholy-laced season that Martin Skrtel’s surprising late equaliser to earn a 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Sunday felt like a morale-boosting victory. In the corresponding fixture last season the Reds, playing the kind of thrilling attacking football not seen at Anfield for a generation, thrashed the same opponents 5-1.

That victory, inspired by genius Luis Suarez, was the start of an 11-match winning run. It seemed that Liverpool were about to regain their long-lost status as England’s top club and win the league for the first time since 1990.

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Yet at the decisive moment of the crucial game against Chelsea three games from the end of the season, captain Steven Gerrard stumbled, Liverpool lost, and the title slipped away.

Since then, Suarez has left for Barcelona, manager Brendan Rodgers has been criticized and critics have poured scorn on new signings like Dejan Lovren, Adam Lallana and Mario Balotelli. Liverpool may have reached the semi-final of the League Cup, but they were knocked out of the Champions League by Basel and sit tenth in the Premier League with 14 fewer points than at the same stage last year.

We are obliged to mention the past because Liverpool is a club unusually steeped in memory. Fans still wave flags bearing the portraits of legendary managers Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley. But endless reference to and reverence for the club’s golden age can be a burden. All former footballing superpowers have trouble adapting to changed circumstances. But Liverpool’s on-pitch inability to be as good as they were in the 1960s, 70s and 80s is dwarfed by trauma off it.

Nothing has been the quite the same at the club since April 15th 1989, when 96 of their fans were crushed to death in the Hillsborough disaster, the worst stadium tragedy in British history. Hillsborough changed the entire culture of English football, but in Liverpool the wounds remain unhealed.

Last year’s title challenge fell apart in the immediate aftermath of the extraordinarily emotional events marking the 25th anniversary. Meanwhile, families of those who died still search for justice rather than closure.

New inquests into the deaths began last April.

As Liverpool’s season progresses, the hearings continue. Å

Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images

English Premier League

B r a z i l ’s S e r i e A

B r e n o ’s e m ot io n a l return Sven Goldmann is a leading football correspondent at Tages-­ spiegel newspaper in Berlin.

Brazilian football’s most interesting signing took place practically behind closed doors. Breno Vinicius Rodrigues Borges landed at Sao Paulo’s Guarulhos airport just before Christmas, signed a few autographs and left again. Breno, as everyone knows, was once the most talented player at Sao Paulo, a fantastic central defender who lifted the Campeonato title in 2007. Back then, he was only 18 and everything pointed towards a bright future for the youngster when he was signed by Bayern Munich. Now he is back, after seven difficult years that were largely lost.

Breno only played a total of 29 games in the Bundesliga and is keen to start from scratch again back at Sao Paulo.

Rubens Chiri

The Brazilian season finished some time ago and it was a good year for Sao Paulo, who

finished second in the Brazilian championship ahead of local rivals Corinthians, Santos and Palmeiras, albeit quite a distance behind the champions, Belo Horizonte side Cruzeiro.

Breno followed all of that from afar, first from prison where he was serving a sentence for arson. The defender, who never fully adapted at Bayern, set fire to his own house in September 2011 and was sentenced to three years and nine months in jail. Towards the end of his term, he was at an open prison and also worked as an assistant coach for an amateur team in Munich.

all about the club’s latest recruit, having led the Sao Paulo side in which Breno featured to the title in 2007. Back then, the youngster was named the best defender in the Brazilian championship and Bayern paid an estimated €12 million to sign the talented centre-back.

Now he is back for free. Å

After two and a half years, Breno was given conditional liberty and travelled to Brazil straight away. At Sao Paulo, they always believed in him. When his contract with Bayern expired, the Brazilian club decided to sign him with a view to a future collaboration. Sao Paulo also supported him economically during his time inside. “I am back with my head held high,” Breno said. “Sao Paulo have always supported me in the most difficult moments and my heart has always been with them.”

The defender will return to training on January 5. His coach, Muricy Ramalho, knows

Breno A fresh start with Sao Paulo.

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BOOKS

FUR COATS AND FANCY CARS

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BOOKS

The captivating book ’The Beautiful Game’ showcases magnificent images - free of dust and any discolouring - of Pele, Johann Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer and Bobby Moore in their playing days.

Perikles Monioudis

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ack in the 1970s, when the only way to find out about a football match was via word of mouth or from faint, blurry black and white images flickering on television screens, the concept of photographic aesthetics was rather different to the modern understanding of the term. Advertising gradually started changing from endeavouring to satisfy customers’ needs to awakening new needs within them, and the way football stars were perceived transformed from being sporting heroes to fashion icons. No longer did footballers merely lend a certain extra gloss to a particular product, they became a product themselves, with millions of fans following their every move on social networks.

Before such changes came to pass however, footballers were - almost without exception - a mundane species, although Gunther Netzer and George Best did break the mould. Franz Beckenbauer, for instance, was visibly uncomfortable when he was once spotted wearing an extravagant overcoat, and Gerd Muller is perhaps the most introverted star in the history of the game.

All of those names, as well as numerous other players who helped shape football in some way in that era, are featured in ’The Beautiful Game’. The book’s consistently high-quality photographs, its length and large format make it a captivating read.

In observing the images of the 1970, 1974 and 1978 World Cups, and the pictures of the protagonists in both familiar and unusual scenarios in a mixture of sports and fashion photography, you are immediately transported back in time to an era of world football that is anything but old and dusty.

Reuel Golden (ed.): ’The Beautiful Game.

Football in the 1970s’

Taschen publishers, Cologne 2014, Hardcover, 26 x 34 cm, 300 pages, €40, available in German, English, French and Spanish.

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BOOKS

BEHIND THE SCENES AT BAYERN Marti Perarnau’s book offers an exceptional insight into modern elite professional football – and paints a sensitive psychological portrait of champion Bayern coach Pep Guardiola.

Jordi Punti

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little bit more about his subject. Guardiola hints at the odd problem or two at the Camp Nou when recalling his trophy-laden stay there. On other occasions we read of him meticulously preparing for matches, racking his brains for specific solutions to new problems.

A first-class and terrifically paced piece of journalism, Herr Pep is written from an unusually close vantage point. A superb account of the modern professional game, it is also a psychological portrait of Guardiola, the pensive perfectionist who can be effusive in private and boasts a personality that projects beyond the boundaries of football. On occasion we learn of his family life and his very keen interest in the world that surrounds him, including Bavarian culture. Naturally, though, his daily routine is mostly taken up with football.

Herr Pep offers Bayern supporters a lot of information on their team and playing heroes, though football fans in general will also find much to enjoy when Perarnau focuses his attention on the less well-reported aspects of the modern game: the physical preparation it involves, the dietary demands and the relentless polishing of tactics and technique.

The game has seen few coaches whose vision of it and of life in general have provided sufficient grounds for in-depth analysis of their careers and the stories surrounding them. In the past, Bobby Robson, Cesar Luis Menotti, Francisco Maturana, Arrigo Sacchi, Bora Milutinovic and Johan Cruyff have all made worthy subjects for writers, a select band that Guardiola has now joined thanks to Herr Pep.

Martí Perarnau: “Pep Confidential: Inside Guardiola’s First Season at Bayern Munich”

Arena Sport, 2014, 488 pages, £14.99.

Also available in German.

Christian Webber

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panish journalist Marti Perarnau spent the 2013/14 season in Munich, keeping a close eye on Pep Guardiola in his first season as Bayern coach and then writing an excellent account of it all, entitled Herr Pep. A true professional with many years of experience behind him, Perarnau attended every Bayern match and press conference and even had access to the club’s training sessions, chatting on a regular basis with Guardiola, his assistants and the players. Freed from the pressure of having to dig out news on a daily basis, Perarnau watched the first year of Guardiola’s Bayern tenure unfold before his very eyes, making copious amounts of notes as he did so.

Following his hugely successful four-year reign in Barcelona, Guardiola took a one-year sabbatical before surprisingly choosing to resume his coaching career at Bayern Munich. His many triumphs at Barça and his approach to football had earned him worldwide fame, and his German admirers welcomed his appointment, believing it would only enhance the prestige of the Bundesliga. Guardiola arrived in Bavaria in June 2013, ready to introduce his philosophy as part of a long-term project in which his character would play a prominent role.

Bayern had won an unprecedented Bundesliga, Champions League and German Cup treble under Jupp Heynckes the previous season, with Guardiola seeing his first year as a transitional phase in which he would drip-feed his ideas to his squad. Perarnau duly charted the former Barcelona coach’s first steps in his new post, documenting Bayern’s pre-season preparations and training sessions as well as Guardiola’s first meeting with his players and the long hours he spent in the office. We follow the team’s ups and downs over his first few months in charge. Players come and go, serious injuries are sustained and matches are won, for the most part, with Perarnau’s account gaining in intensity when the business end of the season arrives and the big games come thick and fast.

In the end, Guardiola’s first season in charge was a largely successful one as Bayern cruised to the league title, though the shine was taken off the campaign by their painful Champions League exit at the hands of Real Madrid in the semifinals. On-field action aside, Perarnau’s book comes into its own when he focuses on day-to-day events. With each passing game, the writer is able to reveal that

BOOKS

SOME “TOTAL PERSONS” When stars befriend journalists it can lead to ­unpleasant consequences. However, that was not the case when Hugo Borst portrayed Louis van Gaal.

David Winner

Ryan Pierse/FIFA via Getty Images

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s Louis van Gaal crazy? That is the question that drives “O, Louis”, Hugo Borst’s delirious and highly original biography. Van Gaal, the former Ajax, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Netherlands boss, is famous for his innovations, success and holistic “Total Person” philosophy. As he declared in his first press conference as Manchester United manager “I am a democratic and empathetic human being”. Yet he is also known for his quick temper and for having fallen out with some players, rival coaches, employers and journalists.Is this because he is a “delusional dictator” with a “split personality” as his detractors claim? Or is he a decent, misunderstood man of principle?

In Holland, Van Gaal is almost as well-known for insulting “stupid” journalists as he is for winning trophies. And he is still at it. Shortly before getting the job at Old Trafford, he took a BBC reporter to task for asking him to “just tell us about Manchester United.” Most managers would have responded with something bland and PR-savvy. But Van Gaal refuses to suffer fools, so he said: “That’s a stupid question, I think. It’s a stupid question!” And then he laughed.

Fortunately, Hugo Borst is no fool. He is one of the best and most original sportswriters around. And he’s been mesmerized, charmed and appalled by Van Gaal ever since first seeing him play for his beloved Sparta Rotterdam in the 1970s. By the 2000s the coach and the journalist had become firm friends, even sharing a golfing holiday in Portugal. Then came a phone call about a phone call and everything went wrong. Van Gaal wrongly accused Borst of giving his phone number to another journalist. Borst not only denied this but insisted Van Gaal apologise. Van Gaal refused. As Humphrey Bogart didn’t quite say in “Casablanca”, “Louis, I think this is the end of a beautiful friendship.”

The incident sets Borst on his often very funny quest to understand his subject’s complex personality. He consults an array of psychoanalysts, writers, performers, business, public relations and political experts. Along the way he hears terrific anecdotes involving flying false teeth, a good deal of wine, an allegedly “golden” penis, and one of the worst poems ever performed in public.

God appears quite a lot, too. Louis lost his Catholic faith after his first wife died of cancer. Years later, the Bayern boss Uli Hoeness accused him of cosmic

arrogance: “Van Gaal’s problem is not that he’s God, but he’s God’s very own Father. Louis was already there before the world even existed.”

After his wife points out that he is actually beginning to sound and act like his subject, Borst finally turns his lens on himself and his feelings toward Van Gaal mellow. Borst has often written about fathers and sons and his own psychoanalyst suggests this may be the root of his obsession. Hugo’s own father was a gentle, sweet soul. But boys are supposed to rebel against their fathers.

So Louis could be the difficult father he needed but never had.

At one point the author tells Van Gaal: “I love you, Louis” and means it.

Critical though he is, what he really wants, says the analyst, is for Louis to love him back. By the end, the two men are not exactly reconciled, but Hugo is wiser and less obsessed. When he tells Louis he’s writing this book, the man the Daily Mail called “abrasive, humble and charming” responds in characteristic fashion.

“Well, let me be the first to congratulate you,” he says. “This book will sell well. Everything with my face on it sells well.”

Hugo Borst: “O, Louis: In Search of Louis van Gaal”

Yellow Jersey Press, London 2014, 320 pages, £9.99 T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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BOOKS

BETTER THAN THE EUROPEANS, SOMETIMES “Golazo” is a comprehensive and intelligent study of the highs and lows of Latin American football.

Alissa Rosskopf

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atin America’s identity is inseparably linked to modern football. Its history begins with the European immigrants who founded the first clubs and launched the sport on a path to universal popularity. Football has been a driving force ever since, connecting people from every ethnic background regardless of age and gender and contributing to the formation of entire nations’ identity and consciousness. Brazil’s triumph at the 1958 World Cup bears testimony to this. Pele made Brazil a united country where the barriers between people of differing skin colour began to decline in importance.

In his book “Golazo”, which loosely translates as “great goal”, London-based Uruguayan essayist and publisher Andreas Campomar successfully combines a homage to football in Latin America, with its artists of the game such as Garrincha, Maradona, Pele, Di Stefano, Socrates and Messi, and an analysis of the game’s explosive social and political power. Drawing on a wealth of analyses, episodes and anecdotes, he demonstrates how football in Latin America has become fused with the continent’s history and soul.

Despite the author’s accurate and sober eye and his powerful eloquence, the reader senses a fevered passion for the beautiful game on every page. This attribute also seems to be an essential component of the Latin American footballing soul.

Andreas Campomar: “Golazo! The Beautiful Game from the A ztecs to the World Cup: The Complete Histor y of How Soccer Shaped Latin America”

Quercus Books, London 2014, 512 pages, £17

THE NEXT GAME IS ALWAYS THE TOUGHEST

Anyone with an interest in both the beautiful game and the words used to describe it will enjoy reading “Football Clichés”.

Ronald Duker

A

s matches approach half-time, TV commentators often observe the benefits of being able to score and head down the tunnel with a clear advantage – a sentiment no fan watching at home would dispute. Meanwhile, a player being interviewed after a game will remark: “I know it’s a cliché,” before continuing earnestly, “but I take every match as it comes.” British football journalist Adam Hurrey cannot get enough of these turns of phrase.

Some people find them ridiculous, some are charmed, while others simply view them as an insult to their intelligence.

In the 150 years since football came into being, the sport has gradually acquired a language all of its own. Now Hurrey has collated every possible cliché, truism and caricature – first in an online blog and now in this book – to produce a proper grammar book for “football speak”.

The number of words the Eskimos have for snow pales in comparison to the vocabulary offered up by football experts. In one example, Hurrey lists no fewer than one hundred words with the same meaning. Whether referring to a “clinical finish” or the way in which a player “buries” the ball, the simple fact in every case is that someone has just scored a goal. The magnificently illustrated Football Clichés is a must for everyone with a passion not only for football but also the language used to describe it. Unfortunately, this book is only published in English.

Adam Hurrey: “Football Clichés”

Headline Book Publishing, London 2015, 160 pages, £12.99 22

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BOOKS

FLASHBACK TO A GOLDEN SUMMER

Should anyone make room on their shelves for an extremely thick, heavy, gold and black book on the 2014 World Cup? Actually, yes they should.

Alan Schweingruber

B

ook covers with simple designs are generally attractive, but in this case the picture selection does not quite work. Why, with space for only six key images on the front cover, would the publisher opt for Klaas-Jan Huntelaar kicking the corner flag? The shot of the woman in carnival dress is also a clumsy choice, but the other pictures of decisive moments of the best summer for four years make it impossible not to delve in right away: World Cup all-time top scorer Miroslav Klose performing a somersault, Luis Suarez and his bite-victim Giorgio Chiellini, Neymar in pain and Manuel Neuer punching the ball away against Algeria.

Rather than overloading the reader with information, the editors chose to let the pictures speak for themselves without any text. That allows you to appreciate the images as you turn towards the table of contents, viewing the 32 days of the tournament in June and July on ten double-page spreads. It is wonderful. It is difficult not to dwell on the shot of Mario Gotze scoring the decisive goal in the 113th minute of the final, lying sideways on the pitch waiting for the ball to ripple the net. Even if you think you have already seen that moment countless times already, you have not seen it quite like this. The level of detail in the close-up is impressive: Gotze’s ring finger is covered in tape; damp strands of grass stick to his tanned thighs and his face is youthful and expectant, without so much as a bead of sweat because he had only just entered the pitch as a substitute. You can almost hear the words of the German sitting next to you when you watched the final: “Why is Joachim Low bringing on the inexperienced Gotze of all people?”

The table of contents comes on page 27 and it soon becomes clear that this is no hastily put-together tome. The publishers had a clear concept and saved the best for last, which also happens to be the title of the eponymous first article in praise of the Germany side. Despite being released by a German publisher, the piece does retain its objectivity; after all, it is about the World Cup winners. The texts are refreshing and provide plenty of analysis. Here too, there are good pictures that you realise you had almost forgotten. There is one of Joachim Low wearing shorts and sunglasses as he walks along the beach with his Swiss head scout Urs Siegenthaler, listening with a

hint of a smile on his face as the latter explains something, gesticulating with his hands, as if to say: “You need to reshuffle things a bit, Jogi.” The ocean waves are on the left and in the background there is a family capturing the moment on a smartphone. Now, almost six months after the tournament ended, lethargic fans must be asking themselves “Why on earth didn’t I travel to Brazil myself?”

Low, the mastermind behind the World Cup triumph, appears frequently in the book, including the section where the coaches are portrayed in a humorous manner using old photos. Here, incidentally, you discover that Vicente Del Bosque has had a moustache all his life. Indeed, historical photos make a valuable contribution to the book. A black and white picture from the year 1954 shows a large crowd welcoming Germany’s World Cup winning side as they arrive from Bern. People can be seen waving from a crane on Munich’s central square, Marienplatz, which bears the scars of the Second World War. A couple of pages further on there is a shot of Neymar waving from a helicopter; the pictures provide a contrast.

Statistics and match data are also included, alongside details about the stadiums and the different groups. The publishers could easily have got bogged down in detail here but there is a good mix and the images serve to break things up. Take, for example, the picture of nine disappointed Spaniards as they trudge off the pitch in a line, one after another. This book illustrates that scene across a double-page spread, adding gravitas to the image of Spain’s premature exit from the competition.

It is a fantastic World Cup book with whimsicallywritten articles and beautiful pictures.

Klaus Hoeltzenbein: “The World Cup. The book.”

Suddeutsche Zeitung Edition, Munich 2014, 436 pages, 39.90.

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First Love Place: Shenyang, China Date: 23 December 2011 Time: 10.45 a.m.

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Reuters

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KORE A REPUBLIC

Athletic football, tactical discipline #JBFC is not only one of the most common hashtags all over Asia, it also stands for one of Korea Republic’s most successful club sides in recent history.

Emanuele Giulianelli

J

BFC stands for Jeonbuk Hyundai M ­ otors Football Club, the side from North J­ eolla Province which has just won the K League Classic for the third time in its 20-year history.

Coach Choi Kang-hee has been at the commands for all of JBFC’s title triumphs, and for the last two was assisted on his backroom staff by Brazilian fitness coach Fabio Lefundes.

Lefundes was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1972 and for a while in 2013 he even stood in as the team’s caretaker manager.

“I arrived in Korea Republic in 2011,” Lefundes told us. “Previously I was working at Saudi club Al-Raed. At the end of the season I received an official invitation to come to JBFC. I accepted immediately, without hesitation, because I was very well aware of how that acronym is viewed throughout the continent.”

The fame of Jeonbuk is due especially to the AFC Champions League title won in 2006.

The team from North Jeolla were the first club from East Asia to win the most prestigious trophy in Asia since it adopted its new format in 2003. Choi Kang-hee was manager back then too as Jeonbuk prevailed in the showpiece final against Syrian team Al-Karamah from the city of Homs, notorious today for having been a battlefield.

Second most popular sport Fabio Lefundes works very closely with Choi Kang-hee: “My job mainly consists of giving the head coach all the help he requires,” he said.

“It’s not easy to give a specific function to my role. Along with all the staff I perform numerous tasks throughout the season. We all work very hard to achieve important results.”

The K League Classic, South Korea’s main domestic football championship, is a quite recent invention: its first edition took place in

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Masashi Hara/Getty Images

Motivation Fabio Lefundes (left) and Lee Kyuro at Jeonbuk’s AFC Champions League Match in Kashiwa, Japan.

KORE A REPUBLIC

1983 under the name of the Korean Super League. Only five teams took part: Hallelujah FC, who won the league that year, Yukong Elephants, POSCO Dolphins, Daewoo Royals and Kookmin Bank FC. In 1998 the Korea Republic Super League became the K League Classic: “Our league is composed of 12 teams, seven of them with the franchise relocation system,” said Lafundes. “The season is made up of three rounds, the first two involving home and away matches, and the final round when only the top six sides compete for the title and the four coveted Asian Champions League spots. Football is the second most popular sport in Korea Republic, after baseball. The average attendance at a home match of Jeonbuk is 20,000, but that number is increasing year on year. We believe that the results we have obtained so far are contributing to this growth.”

League because Oh Hyung-kun and his partners were unable to raise enough funds to register and sustain a professional club in the top league. A local alcohol manufacturer, BoBae Ltd, formerly known as Bobae Distillery, then stepped in to shore up the club and it was able to take part in the 1994 Korean Super League, changing its name to Jeonbuk Buffalo. But again, it was dissolved after the last match of the 1994 season for financial reasons.

Fortunately, in 1994 Korea Republic kicked off their bidding campaign to host the 2002 World Cup and Hyundai Motors, the biggest manufacturer in the country, saw in football an important promotional opportunity. The car firm took over Jeonbuk Buffalo and launched their own team, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Football Club, which explains why the official history of the club starts from 1994 - and not from 1983.

Strong players abroad “I’m sure Korea Republic have the potential to become the new frontier of Asian football, following China’s example or the Indian Super League. The K League is already one of best in Asia,” explained Lefundes. “They play very athletic football, with strong players, and every day talented players come through who are ready to play in Europe. The main difference with European football is the technical level, which is lower in Asia. Korean tactical discipline is levelling off to the European standard.”

“My adaption to Korea Republic was so good that my family and I intend to stay here for a long time,” said Lefundes. “This is a wonderful country, with many natural and technological resources. They have high-quality education and, above all, it’s a very safe place to live.”

The standard of football in Korea Republic has been increasing a lot in recent years. After

The first Korea Republic player to became famous in Europe was Kim Joo-sung, who took part in three World Cups and played from 1992 to 1994 with German side Bochum in the Bundesliga, scoring four goals in 34 matches. Ahn Jung-hwan then achieved international fame in 2002 by scoring the winning golden goal for Korea Republic against Italy.

Jeonbuk’s AFC Champions League triumph in 2006, FC Pohang Steelers won the same tournament in 2009, followed by Seongnam in 2010 and Ulsan Hyundai in 2012. Jeonbuk were also runners-up in 2011 when they lost on penalties in the final against Al-Sadd Sports Club from Qatar.

Jun Tsukida/AFLO

Aerial duel Kim Jung-woo (Jeonbuk Hyundai; front) tussles with Yosuke Kashiwagi (Urawa Red Diamonds).

2002 World Cup bid The original name of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC was Wansan Puma FC. The club was founded in 1983 by Oh Hyung-kun when the country’s first professional championship was launched.

Unfortunately Wansan Puma FC went into bankruptcy before getting the chance to take part in the first edition of the Korean Super

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KORE A REPUBLIC

The first Korea Republic player to became famous in Europe was Kim Joo-sung, who took part in three World Cups.

Hardly a rarity Seunggi, Lee Dong-gook and Han Kyo-won of Jeonbuk celebrate a goal.

At the time Jung-hwan played for Perugia in Italy’s Serie A, where he bagged five goals in 30 matches before enjoying a globetrotting career that included spells in Japan, France, Germany and then back in his home country. His last experience was with Dalian Shide in 2010/11. Park Ji-sung was another Korean star in Europe, winning the Premier League four times with Manchester United, the 2008 UEFA Champions League and the Club World Cup in the same year.

No big stars “None of the foreign players in the K League today is a famous star, as happens in China, India or Japan. The main problem is the level of investment, which is much higher in those countries and in Europe,” said Fabio Lefundes.

The most well-known player in the current K League is Filip Kasalica, a striker from Montenegro, formerly of Red Star Belgrade. Osmar Barba, from Spain, plies his trade with FC Seoul.

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Football Club won the league by a comfortable margin, finishing on 81 points from 38 matches, 14 points ahead of second-placed Suwon Samsung Bluewings. They scored 60 goals in the process, only conceding 22 and successfully blended a mix of three Brazilians - Vinicius Reche, Kaio and Leonardo -, Australian Alex Wilkinson and Sattar Safizada from Afghanistan into a squad bursting with local talent including Korea Republic internationals Han Kyo-won, Kim Kee-hee, Lee Seung-gi and 35 year-old Lee Dong-gook.

“The best teams in the current championship were, without any doubt, Jeonbuk, Suwong Samsung, FC Seoul and Pohang Steelers,” concluded Lefundes. “This was my second title here, but it was really special because we played very good games.” Welcome to Korea Republic, the new frontier of Asian football. Å

2013/14 champions Jeonbuk lift the K League Classic trophy for the third time in six years.

Accustomed to success Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC fans.

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CLUB WORLD CUP

Experience prevails

Real Madrid turned theiir winning run into a world title.

The overwhelming favourites lived up to their billing as Real Madrid triumphed in Morocco, ­sealing a fourth trophy of 2014 to crown the most successful year in their history.

ElÓi Silveira, Marrakech

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Cup in 2007 with Milan, is now a two-time world club champion. As for Real, it is the first time the men from Madrid have ever claimed the Club World Cup. Impressive displays But while the manager is entitled to enjoy his team’s success, he is also already thinking about the future. “I’m proud to say that I have a very professional, serious and focused group of players to work with. I’d be delighted if we could repeat what we’ve achieved this year.”

It would take a brave man to bet against it.

With a talented, versatile squad, Madrid showed how dangerous they are once again in Morocco, even if their biggest star did not find the net. This season’s top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo failed to score in the wins over Cruz Azul (4-0) and San Lorenzo, but still managed to play a key role in his team’s triumph. And as proof of the team’s versatility, it was a central defender who scored the decisive goals.

Ramos named best player Sergio Ramos set Madrid on the road to victory in both the semi-final and the final, thanks to the same strength, determination and positional awareness he displayed when scoring the dramatic late equaliser in the Champions League final against Atletico Madrid. The adidas Golden Ball award he received after the tournament was a fitting reward for this goal-scoring defender’s heroics. Å

Ian Walton / FIFA via Getty Images

T

he praise heaped on Real Madrid by the team’s FIFA Club World Cup rivals before the tournament turned out to be justified. The ruthless manner in which Madrid brushed the opposition aside may have had a familiar look to it – after all, Carlo Ancelotti’s men had conquered Europe in May by winning the UEFA Champions League for the tenth time. But the team’s current 22 game winning streak – their most recent victory coming in the 2-0 victory over San Lorenzo in the final –, has taken Los Merengues to another level. Madrid, who disappointed at their last appearance at the Club World Cup in 2000, will now make sure the trophy takes pride of place in the Santiago Bernabeu cabinet.

“It’s a fitting end to an unforgettable year.

I’m proud of what we’ve achieved and delighted with our performances. For me, Real Madrid are the best team in the world,” said Ancelotti who, after winning the Club World

T HE DEBAT E

PRESIDENTIAL NOTE

FIFA.com users comment on the Club World Cup in Morocco Not so really happy that they have won but good to see that the cup is still coming to Spain.

Dzigbajogba, Ghana

Real Madrid deserved to win. Los Blancos are definitely the best team in the world!

JojO2015, Saudi Arabia

Once again it was best proved that Ramos was the man for the big matches for Real Madrid in 2014. After Ramos, there were Gareth Bale and Angel di María. I don’t think Cristiano Ronaldo showed anything like his true potential and he was disappointing.

Greek_Plato, Greece

It would be great if Real Madrid could win this again next year. I hope they win all the trophies they can get in 2015! wendylau, Russia

Los Blancos are definitely the best team in the world!

In my opinion Toni Kroos has been the best player at the Club World Club! He makes Real Madrid into a team that are among the best in the world.

Froboy96, USA

I think the team from New Zealand have performed fantastically! Their brilliant passing game has brought them third place and they definitely deserve it.

Messi_Junior, Austria

The European entrants have won the Club World Cup for the seventh time in eight years. Corinthians from Sao Paolo were the only ones to break the European stranglehold back in 2012. What at first glance may look like only a moderately exciting event seems on closer inspection to be an increasingly important showcase for the non-European clubs to show the watching world what they’re capable of.

Football, not war

T

he First World War ranks as the seminal catastrophe of the 20th century. It was the first mass global conflict conducted on an industrial scale and cost more than 17 million lives between 1914 and 1918. This tragic chapter in history was very briefly interrupted on 25 December 1914. At the front in the vicinity of French village Frelinghien on the Belgian border, German soldiers from the 133rd Royal Saxon Regiment began singing Christmas carols. Four of their number subsequently emerged unarmed from their trenches and approached their adversaries from the 2nd Battalion Scots Guards.

The soldiers gathered in no-man’s land between the opposing trenches, exchanging tobacco, chocolate and schnapps and joining together in song. A football match became a symbol of this Christmas ceasefire. One of the Scots produced a ball, and helmets were placed on the ground for goalposts. The enemies who previously and subsequently battled to the death played football – not against each other but together. Football also silenced the guns at other points on the Flanders front. European governing body UEFA has published an excellent article on this subject on its official website.

These spontaneous friendly matches came to be known as the Christmas Truce, and although they were only an isolated episode they encapsulate football’s ability to promote dialogue between enemies and build bridges between warring peoples. On 28 June 1914, the very day of the assassination of Austrian heir apparent Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, the 11th FIFA Congress in Oslo resolved that “every course of action should be supported to bring the nations closer to each other and substitute arbitration for violence”.

You occasionally hear the claim that football is just a substitute for war. The events of 1914 prove the opposite: the universal language of football is a powerful agent in promoting tolerance and understanding. It can establish connections and pave the way for diplomacy when politicians cannot make headway. Football can provide important assists in moves towards peace.

I wish you a joyful and peaceful Christmastide and, even at this early stage, a good start to the new year.

machete_82, Switzerland

Best wishes, Sepp Blatter

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THIERRY HENRY

Au revoir, Thierry Henry!

He was one of the game’s most gifted footballers, a world and European champion who won all there was to win in France, England and Spain. Now, after almost 20 years, Thierry Henry has called time on his career.

Simon Emmett / Trunk Archive

Sarah Steiner

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THIERRY HENRY

H

e runs on to a through-ball in the penalty area, deftly dribbles past the goalkeeper and stops the ball a yard or so before the by-line.

He looks up and curls a shot into the far top corner from the tightest of angles. The day is 29 April 1995 and a star is born. His name is Thierry Henry and he will illuminate the footballing firmament for another two decades. Henry is a 17-year-old kid from a Paris suburb playing for AS Monaco and he has just scored his first professional goal. From the moment the ball hit the back of the net, the writing was on the wall. The youngster with the short dreadlocks and thick teenage moustache would clearly go on to achieve great things. “The qualities he had were those of a player for the future: he was quick, he could defend, pass and shoot. He worked hard, he respected his team-mates and at the same time, he had this healthy confidence in his own ability,” recalls former team-mate Mickaël Madar.

The trophy collector Last week, a little under 20 years after that historic goal against Lens, Thierry Henry, or Titi as he is affectionately known in France, announced his immediate retirement from professional football. “It has been an incredible journey and I would like to thank all the fans, team-mates and individuals involved with AS Monaco, Juventus, Arsenal, Barcelona, the New York Red Bulls and, of course, the French national team that have made my time in the game so special,” said the 37-year-old as he brought his glittering career to an end.

It was indeed a career that could hardly have been more impressive. A league champion and cup winner in France, England and Spain, he was also victorious in the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup with Barcelona. Then there is the small matter of winners’ medals he won in the World Cup and European Championship, bringing his haul of trophies to a staggering 18.

“It has been an incredible journey and I would like to thank all those people that have made my time in the game so special.”

Henry’s first profes­ sional goal came for Monaco (1995).

Henry playing for Juventus against Parma in a Serie A game in January 1999.

imago (3)

Thierry Henry A king in another land A corner comes out to Henry, halfway inside the South ­A frican half. He almost loses the ball, gets it back and all of a sudden is running at the Bafana Bafana defence. He pokes it through the legs of a defender, sprints onto it, gets there before the keeper and deftly chips home into the back of

Henry enjoyed one of his best years in football with Arsenal in 2006.

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THIERRY HENRY

Henry playing for Catalan giants Barcelona against Valencia in early 2010.

Henry’s last profes­ sional club was the New York Red Bulls.

the net. The day is 12 June 1998 and he has just scored his first international goal, in his side’s opening match of a World Cup no less. France are the tournament hosts and go on to lift the trophy for the first time in their history.

Henry represented his country at every age group from U-15 level to the senior squad, yet despite his contribution in winning the World Cup, it was only in later years that he came to be considered a hero in France, instead becoming a king in another land. “The English erected a statue in his honour, but the French haven’t always given him the recognition he deserved,” admitted Frédéric Thiriez, President of France’s Professional Football League (LFP).

It was in England where Thierry Henry became, in footballing terms at least, a king and a hero. At Arsenal, Arsene Wenger was his coach, Dennis Bergkamp his teacher on the pitch and under such excellent tutelage, Titi developed into one of the most complete strikers of his generation. Bergkamp would go on to say of his protégé: “Henry has everything. There isn’t a player like him on the planet.” In 258 Premier League appearances spread over two spells, he scored 175 goals. The devastating Gunner bagged 30 of those in one season that has gone down in English football’s history books, the 2003/04 campaign, when Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ were crowned champions after going an entire league season unbeaten. Henry was the team’s focal point and vanguard, the man that made everything possible.

Arsenal is the club that touched Henry the most. “Arsenal is in my blood and in my heart. I’ll be a Gunner for the rest of my life,” he famously said.

Henry had arrived in London from Italian giants Juventus in the summer of 1999, after an unhappy spell in Serie A. He had been posted out on the wing by the Old Lady and at one point even utilised as a defender, but Wenger knew his strengths and brought his difficult time at the Stadio delle Alpi to an end after eight months. “With Thierry, the best thing you can do with him is just watch him play football and don’t waste time talking about it,” said Wenger. Arsenal and Titi soon became a love affair – not what one might ­expect for a Frenchman – and it was not just the club that

“With Thierry, the best thing you can do with him is just watch him play football.”

The World Cup and European Champion­ ship winner in action for his country.

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adored him but the people as well. The reason for that was easy enough to understand though. In his 374 competitive appearances he scored a club record 228 goals, for which he was honoured with the building of a statue in 2011. Set in bronze, the man voted Arsenal’s best player of all time kneels in celebration in front of the club’s Emirates Stadium.

imago (2), Getty Images (1)

Arsene Wenger

THIERRY HENRY

From Barcelona to New York, via London He receives a pass perfectly in his stride, takes three steps forward and then shoots, caressing the ball gracefully into the far top corner. It is 20 February 2008 and Henry has just scored the winner for Barcelona away to Celtic in the first leg of a Champions League last 16 tie, perhaps his best goal for the club so far. He has been in the Catalonian capital since the previous summer following a €24 million transfer, but he pulls no punches about how tough a decision it has been to move to the Camp Nou. “I’ve always said that I would only go to Barcelona if I actually had to leave Arsenal,” he stated at the time. In the end, he chose Barca for the football they play, the stadium they reside in and the history they boast and he remembers to this day the moment he accepted a move to the 1992 European Cup winners. Yet when

“One of the great ­f ootballers of our time and a top bloke.”

TV studio. He is also set to take his coaching badges, meaning a comeback to the club that holds that special place in his heart could be on the cards. “I don’t know when or in what capacity, but everyone knows that I would like to return to Arsenal one day.”

His love for the Gunners is one that never fades, but wherever his future path takes him, one thing is certain: a life without football is inconceivable for Thierry Henry.

He collects a pass just outside the opposition penalty area with his back to goal and a defender on his shoulder.

With one touch he gently chips the ball in the air, pivots on his standing leg and, all in the same movement, sends a volley looping towards goal, over the bewildered goalkeeper’s head and into the corner. This memorable effort came on 1 October 2000 against Manchester United, with the man between the sticks his compatriot Fabian Barthez.

That goal was one for the history books, and there is no doubt we will miss Titi. But we can forever enjoy looking back on his achievements, knowing that what Arsene Wenger said about the boy from Les Ulis will always ring true: ­“ Thierry Henry could take ball in the middle of park and score a goal that no one else in the world could score.” Å

Gary Lineker

pressed about which was the tougher decision – moving to Spain or quitting football altogether – he does not need to think twice: “Ending my career was a lot harder. Everyone knows I cried when I left London because it was a difficult time. But ending my career now was the logical thing to do and I’m at peace with the decision I’ve made.”

Before hanging up his boots definitively, however, Henry spent the last four years of his career playing in Major League Soccer with the New York Red Bulls. Here he played a major part in the club’s footballing development, helping the Red Bulls qualify for the MLS play-offs in four consecutive seasons, and even though he may not have added to those 18 trophies, he is under no illusions as to the contribution he made. “It’s a great feeling that this club is now at a point where it can say, ’Yes we can!’ We can make it to an MLS final. That’s a wonderful achievement and one that makes me proud.”

Congratulations and thanks in order Now that the days of Thierry Henry terrorising defences are officially a thing of the past, tributes have poured in from across the world of football. “One of the greatest strikers in history is departing professional sport after a truly extraordinary career. We say thank you and congratulate Thierry Henry on a remarkable 20 years,” said the French Football Federation (FFF), while former England international Gary Lineker tweeted: “Congratulations to Thierry Henry on a truly wonderful career. One of the great footballers of our time and a top bloke. Bonne chance.”

The two men will likely cross paths in the near future as Lineker works as a presenter for the BBC and Al Jazeera, while Henry is set to return to television screens next season as a pundit for football broadcaster Sky, where he will pass on his knowledge of the game from the comfort of a

Honours and awards Honours (selection) World Cup: 1998 European Championship: 2000 FIFA Confederations Cup: 2003 Champions League: 2009 Club World Cup: 2009 French Championship: 1997 English Premier League: 2002, 2004 English FA Cup: 2002, 2003, 2005 Spanish Championship: 2009, 2010 Spanish Cup: 2009

Awards (selection) French Player of the Year: 2000, 2003-2006 English Player of the Year: • Football writers’ award: 2003, 2004, 2006 • Players’ award: 2003, 2004 • Fans’ award: 2003, 2004 UEFA Team of the Year: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006 FIFPro World XI: 2006 Premier League top scorer: 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006 European Golden Shoe: 2004, 2005 IFFHS World’s Top Goal Scorer of the Year: 2003 MLS Best XI: 2011, 2012, 2014

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IN BRIEF

F

ather Christmas hails from Rovaniemi, the northern Finnish capital of Lapland and it was here that he also founded FC Santa Claus. If legend is to be believed, that version of events is true. Yet such a club does actually exist. ’Santa’ play their home games at the Keskuskentta, a stadium located just a few kilometres away from the Arctic Circle. Heavy snow falls on 175 days of the year and no football is played from October onwards, but even during the warmer months, players and spectators have to brave arctic weather conditions to turn out for the team. FC Santa Claus was officially established in 1992 after a merger between two clubs, and the success that they originally envisaged was duly achieved when Santa gained promotion to the second tier. “We all went into the sauna, then swimming in ice cold water and then there was a celebratory dinner,” recalls chairman Juha Etelainen of the club’s typically Finnish celebrations. Father Christmas himself even attends games from time to time – indeed it is a matter of honour for him. “Obviously he loves all sports, not just football,” says Etelainen. “But we can say with good justification that we are the only football team with a special place in his heart.” Å Sarah Steiner

FC Santa Claus

A

lthough press conferences are normally a monotonous part of everyday life for professional footballers and media representatives, the parents of Pione Sisto recently ensured that their son made a memorable appearance that will probably live long in the memory of all the journalists present. The 19-year-old FC Midtjylland striker, who was born to Sudanese parents in Uganda before moving to Denmark as a baby, has performed so strongly in the Superliga that he has not only been recognised as Player of the Year but has also been named in U-21 national coach Jess Thorup’s squad for their match in Turkey in January. As the youngster discussed his first call-up at a press conference, his proud parents – smeared in white powder and “armed” with broomsticks – burst into the room singing loudly to perform a tribal dance. The press corps seemed delighted, and even son Pione overcame his initial embarrassment to paint himself in the same white powder and pose for a souvenir photograph with his mother and father. Å Tim Pfeifer

B

ack in 2004 or 2005, Arjen Robben acquired a less than illustrious nickname – the Man of Glass. He was still playing for Chelsea at the time, but the amount of time he spent sidelined through injury ultimately gave rise to this pithy moniker. Although Robben was similarly unlucky for much of his subsequent stint with Real Madrid between 2007 and 2009, there is little talk of his apparent fragility today. In fact, if you ask young fans about the fleet-footed Dutchman, they are often completely unaware that he once played for clubs other than Bayern Munich. This December, Robben received a very special honour by being voted Dutch Sportsman of the Year – an accolade made all the more precious by the fact that it is rarely awarded to footballers. “The last one was Ruud Gullit, 27 years ago,” the 30-year-old said at the award ceremony, “and now I’ve got this in my hands. That makes me happy.” The item in question is a statuette of speed skating and cycling world champion Jaap Eden – cast in bronze, not glass. Å Alan Schweingruber T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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MIRROR IMAGE

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Sven Simon

A fan drops to his knees in awe and reverence for keeper Sepp Maier (Bayern Munich).

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Lars Baron / Getty Images

Marcelo (Real Madrid) begs for clemency from referee Bjorn Kuipers.

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2015

2015 P R E V I E W

2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015

Far from offering a football hangover after the men’s World Cup, 2015 promises to deliver an array of fascinating tournaments from Canada to New Zealand.

Getty Images (3)

Alan Schweingruber

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2015 P R E V I E W

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t is never a good idea to make too stressful a start to the New Year, as this only has an adverse effect on the health we hoped to maintain when making our resolutions at the end of the previous year. With this in mind, football fanatics will be particularly tested in 2015; after all, how is a fan supposed to enjoy our sport in a stress-free way when things get off to such an exciting start?

On 12 January, a veritable who’s who of international football will gather in Zurich for the Ballon d’Or Gala to honour the best players, coaches, teams and goals from the past year.

The show promises to be a glamorous television spectacle culminating in the answer to one important question: Who will be crowned World Player of the Year? Will goalkeeper Manuel Neuer win the FIFA Ballon d’Or or will Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo be rewarded instead?

Women’s World Cup a highlight Football’s top representatives on the African continent will have to follow events in Switzerland from afar as they prepare for the 30th Africa Cup of Nations. This three-week tournament kicks off in Equatorial Guinea on 17 January, and anyone who has ever been to Africa during this historic tournament will know just how valued it is. It is even safe to say that in some countries the Africa Cup of Nations trophy is even more highly prized than the World Cup. Nevertheless, the undoubted highlight of the coming year is the Women’s World Cup 2015. The seventh edition of the tournament is being promoted by a magnificent poster (see image left) depicting sun, horizons, mountains, rivers, bustling cities and captivating football – all of the elements that will make Canada 2015 such an exciting prospect. Japan will defend their crown in a tournament that stretches across six cities – Edmonton, Moncton, Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal and Winnipeg. The action kicks off on 6 June and ends on 5 July.

6 June - 5 July

©2014 FIFA TM

FIFA Ballon d’Or Will Neuer, Messi or Ronaldo be awarded the illustrious prize?

New footballing fairytales will unfold at this year’s youth tournaments.

Canada 2015 Are the hosts ready to claim the World Cup title?

Beach Soccer World Cup Can Russia triumph for the third time in a row?

New footballing fairytales The story of the Women’s World Cup is also one of Canadian Christine Sinclair. Initially called up to the British Columbia province’s U-14 All Star team at the age of eleven, she was later a key part of the side that finished as runners-up at the U-19 Women’s World Cup in Canada back in 2002. Now the country’s most-capped player, Sinclair is preparing to lead her team on home soil once more. New footballing fairytales will also unfold at this year’s youth tournaments: the U-20 World Cup in New Zealand from 30 May to 20 June, and the U-17 World Cup in Chile from 17 October to 8 November.

2015 has yet more football to offer in Portugal, the host nation for this year’s Beach Soccer World Cup. Winners of the last two editions, Russia will face stiff competition from across South America and Europe, with the Brazilians particularly keen to reclaim the trophy they held for so long. Having been part of the FIFA calendar since 2005, the competition is held every two years and runs from 9 to 19 July. Still missing the men’s World Cup? Thought not! Å 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

THE NEW 4K LED TV

“SONY” and “make.believe” are trademarks of Sony Corporation.

THE SOUND OF FOOTBALL

Football in no-man’s land A charity single marks the 100th anniversary of the 1914 Christmas Truce.

Hanspeter Kuenzler

Sion Ap Tomos

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n an oft-quoted legend of the First World War, English and German soldiers on the Western front in Flanders laid down their weapons at Christmas in 1914, emerged from the trenches and played football. Peter Hooton, a Liverpool fan and lead singer with The Farm, wrote about the Christmas Truce in a 1980s pop song. “All Together Now” described the heartwarming scenes of young men ceasing hostilities and coming together in no-man’s land: “All together now/In no man’s land, together”.

Along with Happy Mondays and The Stone Roses, The Farm were important players in the “Madchester” world.

The music combined jangly guitars with Acid House dance beats and fuelled a 24/7 party scene. The lyrics to “All Together Now” and indeed the melody, which clearly borrows from Johann Pachelbel’s Canon in D major, rather jarred with the sybaritic spirit of the age. Despite this, the song ended up being the band’s biggest hit and spent weeks in the English top ten.

A new version marking Everton’s progress to the FA Cup Final was released in 1995. Yet another even became the official England team song for Euro 2004 and made it into the top five. Under the aegis of Mick Jones and Suggs, formerly of The Clash and Madness respectively, the song has now been reworked again. It features the likes of the Proclaimers, Engelbert Humperdinck, Shara Nelson and naturally The Farm: the band is still gigging today. The recording was released under the “Peace Collective” banner, with proceeds earmarked for the Red Cross and the Shorncliffe Trust, a charity working to promote a better understanding and appreciation of history among young people. The Peace Collective first appeared two years ago with a benefit single for dependents of victims of the Hillsborough disaster. Their version of “He Ain’t Heavy He’s My Brother” was the Christmas number one in England. The whole of England could well spend this year’s festive season singing a football song. Æ T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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F I F A’S WO M E N WO R L D R A N K I N G

Rank Team

Change in ranking

Points

1 Germany

1 2176

2 USA

-1 2158

3 France

1 2091

4 Japan

-1 2084

5 Sweden

0 2000

6 England

1 1984

7 Korea DPR

4 1981

8 Brazil

-2 1968

9 Canada

-1 1962

10 Australia

0 1957

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 21 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 50 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60

Netherlands Norway China PR Italy Spain Denmark Korea Republic New Zealand Switzerland Iceland Russia Scotland Finland Ukraine Mexico Belgium Austria Colombia Republic of Ireland Czech Republic Thailand Nigeria Wales Vietnam Poland Argentina Costa Rica Romania Hungary Chinese Taipei Chile Portugal Serbia Myanmar Trinidad and Tobago Ecuador Slovakia Papua New Guinea Belarus Ghana Paraguay Cameroon India Equatorial Guinea Israel Jordan Peru Turkey Croatia South Africa

4 -3 1 -1 1 -4 0 1 -1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 -1 3 0 -2 -1 3 -1 0 -2 1 3 -2 3 -1 -3 -1 1 1 1 3 0 -1 0 4 -1 0 1 7 1 -5 3 -1 -4

1933 1928 1880 1879 1875 1855 1836 1827 1826 1818 1783 1783 1778 1772 1737 1710 1702 1691 1666 1657 1651 1639 1631 1630 1629 1617 1597 1578 1576 1569 1559 1551 1531 1530 1489 1485 1482 1477 1475 1459 1459 1454 1434 1425 1424 1420 1412 1410 1408 1405

http://www.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/ranking-table/women

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Rank Team 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 67 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 75 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 96 98 99 100 100 102 103 103 105 105 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130

Haiti Slovenia Northern Ireland Venezuela Côte d’Ivoire Panama Uruguay Hong Kong Greece Kazakhstan Bosnia and Herzegovina Jamaica Bulgaria Estonia Indonesia Albania Algeria Morocco Tunisia Philippines Bahrain Guatemala Tonga Faroe Islands Guam Laos Egypt Malaysia Senegal Lithuania Montenegro Bolivia Dominican Republic Cuba Zimbabwe Mali Palestine El Salvador Latvia Singapore Cook Islands Ethiopia Suriname Honduras Malta Luxembourg Nepal Nicaragua Puerto Rico Cyprus FYR Macedonia Namibia St Vincent and the Grenadines Zambia St Lucia Bangladesh Sri Lanka St Kitts and Nevis Bermuda Maldives Tanzania Pakistan Afghanistan Qatar Cayman Islands Swaziland Lesotho Belize Bhutan Antigua and Barbuda

Change in ranking

Points

-1 4 1 -1 -1 1 14 1 5 0 0 -1 -4 10 1 -2 -2 -1 -1 0 2 -3

1397 1391 1386 1381 1373 1363 1361 1361 1356 1354 1353 1352 1343 1337 1330 1330 1321 1316 1314 1309 1304 1300 1299 1295 1287 1283 1275 1269 1257 1231 1219 1217 1207 1206 1195 1191 1191 1184 1182 1177 1177 1154 1152 1152 1146 1146 1115 1111 1108 1100 1092 1037 1000 998 991 987 970 956 943 938 931 926 889 864 849 838 836 825 778 767

-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 -1 -1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1 0 2 0 -2 1 1 1 1 2 0 1 0 1 1 1

1 1 1 1 1 0

Rank Team 131 Aruba 132 Botswana United Arab Emirates ** Uzbekistan ** Iran ** Azerbaijan ** Fiji ** Guyana ** Congo ** Tahiti ** Solomon Islands ** New Caledonia ** Benin ** Moldova ** Vanuatu ** Kyrgyzstan ** Angola ** Congo DR ** Samoa ** Armenia ** Georgia ** American Samoa ** Guinea ** Eritrea ** Gabon ** Grenada ** Uganda ** Lebanon ** Guinea-Bissau ** Syria ** Dominica ** Iraq ** Mozambique ** Kuwait ** Malawi ** Curaçao ** Sierra Leone * Burkina Faso * Barbados * Rwanda * Macao * Liberia * British Virgin Islands * US Virgin Islands * Kenya * Andorra * Comoros * Turks and Caicos Islands *

Change in ranking

Points

0 0

758 735 1665 1548 1412 1341 1306 1256 1238 1238 1195 1188 1187 1177 1139 1136 1134 1132 1110 1104 1100 1075 1063 1060 1031 1029 965 955 927 927 906 882 873 870 840 831 1132 1038 997 996 922 877 867 852 816 791 761 704

** Inactive for more than 18 months and therefore not ranked. * Provisionally listed due to not having played more than five matches against officially ranked teams.

TURNING POINT

“Anne was always that bit faster than me.”

Nina Nymark Andersen followed her sister Anne into club football at the age of 11. The Norwegian World Cup winners from 1995 are probably the most successful footballing twins on the planet.

Name Nina Nymark Jakobsen, née Andersen Date and place of birth 28 September 1972, Bergen (Norway) Clubs played for

Privat

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nne and I don’t really look very similar; she has short blonde hair and I have long black hair. There are some similarities but we never dressed the same way. We each have our own personality; we’re not clones of each other but we are good friends. Even Pellerud, who was coach of the Norwegian national team in our day and is back in the role again now, once described us perfectly. He said Anne was more of an introvert but the more talented player in midfield, and that I was an uncompromising defender with good leadership qualities.

After meeting my husband, who is from Tromso, on a holiday, I left Bergen and moved to the arctic north. I’ve felt at home here for a long time now. After hanging up my boots I was assistant coach at Floya IL for four years and became head coach in 2008. I live in a suburb of Tromso called Kvaloyetta and today I train the women and girls at Kvaloya SK. In 2013 the U-16 girls’ team won the Norwegian championship. I really enjoy coaching youth teams.

I started out at the Adnamarka and Arna Bjornar clubs in Bergen, and later joined Sandviken IL in the national league. Even when I was living in Tromso I commuted back to Bergen for two seasons by plane. Bergen is my home but I love the city of Tromso and the surrounding nature.

1991 – 1993, 1995 – 96 Sandiviken IL Bergen 1994 Floya IL Tromso Clubs coached 2001 – 2005, 2008 Floya IL Tromso since 2014 Kvaloya SK Tromso Norwegian national team 50 caps (1993 – 1996) Major honours Olympic bronze medal 1996 World Cup winner 1995 European Championship winner 1993

As a trained chef I worked in a pub for many years. The local brewery, which incidentally is the northernmost brewery in the world, gave us mugs in the shape of footballs. I was involved in doing all kinds of work in our pub: laying tables, washing up, preparing special fish dishes. Today I work for a catering service.

When I was a child, playing football was the most natural thing in the world for girls in Norway, and I was no different. When Anne joined a club when we were 11, I followed suit. It was an excellent decision because playing football today is even more enjoyable. Somehow my twin sister was always that little bit faster than me, but I would always follow behind.

I played my first game for the senior national side in Cyprus when we took part in the Cyprus Cup in 1993. I came on as a substitute in a 3-3 draw with Denmark. The number 13 on my shirt became my lucky

number because I was in the starting line-up when I earned my second cap. Anne had already been a full international for three years by that point. Before that we’d played together in the Norwegian U-16 and U-20 sides. My 50th cap was also my last and came in a 4-0 victory away to Slovakia in August 1996. Before then Anne and I had won Olympic bronze at the games in Atlanta. We won the World Cup together in 1995 by beating Germany 2-0 in the final in Stockholm. It was an incredible experience. In 1993 we also triumphed at the European Championship, which probably makes us the most successful twins in world football. Å As told to to Rainer Hennies

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

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Football is a brotherhood. It’s peace.

© 2014 Visa. All rights reserved.

Oscar Arias Nobel Peace Laureate

The FIFA Weekly Published weekly by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Internet: www.fifa.com/theweekly Publisher: FIFA, FIFA-Strasse 20, PO box, CH-8044 Zurich Tel. +41-(0)43-222 7777 Fax +41-(0)43-222 7878

FIFA QUIZ CUP

Eleven home-based players, an apostle and many hands: test your knowledge one last time!

1

All 11 Spain players in the 2010 World Cup Final were drawn from the Spanish league.

When did another starting line-up for a World Cup Final exclusively comprise players from the country’s domestic league?

President: Joseph S. Blatter Secretary General: Jérôme Valcke Director of Communications and Public Affairs: Walter De Gregorio Chief Editor: Perikles Monioudis Staff Writers: Alan Schweingruber (Deputy Editor), Sarah Steiner, Tim Pfeifer

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“The Four Apostles” by Albrecht Duerer. What is Matthew’s position?

Art Direction: Catharina Clajus

D Wide on the left P Wide on the right M Inside right V Not in the team

Picture Editor: Peggy Knotz Production: Hans-Peter Frei Layout: Richie Krönert (Lead), Tobias Benz, Marianne Bolliger-Crittin, Susanne Egli, Alissa Rosskopf 3

Proof Reader: Martin Beran, Nena Morf, Kristina Rotach

Sharing a name: The first five letters of which coach’s first name are identical to the first five letters of his club’s name?

Contributors: Sérgio Xavier Filho, Luigi Garlando, Sven Goldmann, Hanspeter Kuenzler, Jordi Punti, Thomas Renggli, David Winner, Roland Zorn Contributors to this Issue: Ronald Düker, Emanuele Giulianelli, Rainer Hennies, Andrés de Kartzow, Elói Silveira, Andreas Wilhelm Editorial Assistant: Honey Thaljieh

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If we look at the players from all World Cup-winning teams since 1930, how many hands does a player from the winning team have on average?

Project Management: Bernd Fisa, Christian Schaub Translation: Sportstranslations Limited www.sportstranslations.com Printer: Zofinger Tagblatt AG www.ztonline.ch

L R N S

Exactly 2 Fewer than 2 More than 2 No-one can possibly know

Contact: feedback-theweekly@fifa.org Reproduction of photos or articles in whole or in part is only permitted with prior editorial approval and if attributed “The FIFA Weekly, © FIFA 2014”.

The editor and staff are not obliged to publish unsolicited manuscripts and photos. FIFA and the FIFA logo are registered trademarks of FIFA. Made and printed in Switzerland.

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

The answer to last week’s Quiz Cup was FIFA Detailed answers on www.fifa.com/theweekly Inspiration and implementation: cus

Send your answer by 31 December 2014 to feedback-theweekly@fifa.org.

Correct solutions to all quizzes published from 13 June 2014 onwards will go into a draw in January 2015 for a trip for two to the FIFA Ballon d’Or on 12 January 2015.

Before sending in answers, all participants must read and accept the competition terms and conditions and the rules, which can be found at: http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/af-magazine/fifaweekly/02/20/51/99/en_rules_20140613_english_neutral.pdf T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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The FIFA Weekly wishes you a joyful festive season and a Happy New Year!

Gustavo Pellizzon

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