The FIFA Weekly Issue #2

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1 NOVEMBER 2013

ENGLISH EDITION

Fédération Internationale de Football Association – Since 1904

JOSEPH S. BLATTER: GOAL-LINE TECHNOLOGY IS A MUST PALESTINE: GIRL POWER MARIO KEMPES: “ARGENTINA ARE FAVOURITES”

Belgium out to make waves at Brazil 2014

SHOOTING STARS FOR THE

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CONTENTS

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Report on Belgium The Belgian national team is back: After qualifying comfortably for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, coach Marc Wilmots’ team has leapt to fifth in the FIFA world rankings. How did they get there, and what are Belgium’s chances at the World Cup? Perikles Monioudis goes on the hunt for answers.

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On the inside In Italy, former Inter owner Massimo Moratti was being honoured, whilst in Spain, Barça emerged victorious from “El Clasico”. Meanwhile in England, Manchester United are no longer dominating the Premier League, and in Germany, Hertha BSC gave Bayern a fright. All the latest news from Europe’s top four leagues.

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Interview with “El Matador” Mario Kempes, who was an integral part of Argentina’s 1978 World Cup winning team, discusses his new home in America, Lionel Messi and how best to prepare for a World Cup: “Players have to forget about fatigue in the run-up to the tournament.”

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Countdown to Brazil 2014 A s captain of “A Seleção”, Thiago Silva is approaching what is certain to be a career highlight. “Every day I dream about the World Cup trophy,” the Brazilian said, 32 weeks before the tournament kick-off.

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Top 11 From Real Madrid’s “White Ballet” side to Italy’s World Cup winning team of 1982, we select the best teams of all time.

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Debate T he “phantom goal” of Hoffenheim would not have been given if goal-line technology had already been introduced in Germany. FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter makes his position on the matter clear.

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Match-fixing in football FIFA Director of Security Ralf Mutschke explains the efforts being made to tackle match fixing and why World Cup qualifiers are difficult to fix.

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Netzer knows! Gunter Netzer answers your questions in his regular column. This week: “Do Brazil have what it takes if the World Cup finals turn out to be tough going?”

South America 10 members 5.5 World Cup places www.conmebol.com

Turning Point Alexi Lalas

Countdown to Brazil 2014

Peace ambassador All the passion, without the clichés: The story of 29-year-old Palestinian Honey Thaljieh illustrates how football can build bridges.

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North and Central America 35 members 3.5 World Cup places www.concacaf.com

The interview Mario Kempes

Qualified

Qualified

USA

Brazil (hosts)

Costa Rica

Argentina

Honduras

Ecuador

Play-off 13 & 20 November 2013 Mexico-New Zealand

Chile Colombia Play-off 13 & 20 November 2013 Jordan-Uruguay

Turning point In 1990, Alexi Lalas went to the World Cup in Italy as a backpacking student. Soon afterwards the American became a professional footballer himself, and appeared at the next World Cup on home soil.

T H E F I FA W E E K LY


THIS WEEK IN THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL

Europe 53 members 13 World Cup places www.uefa.com

Africa 54 members 5 World Cup places www.cafonline.com

Asia 46 members 4.5 World Cup places www.the-afc.com

Oceania 11 members 0.5 World Cup places www.oceaniafootball.com

Top story World Cup dark horses Belgium

1. NOVEMBER 2013

DEUTSCHE AUSGABE

Fédération Internationale de Football Association – Seit 1904

JOSEPH S. BLATTER: TORLINIENTECHNOLOGIE MUSS HER PALÄSTINA: GIRLPOWER MARIO KEMPES: “ARGENTINIEN IST DER FAVORIT”

Belgien hofft an der WM 2014 auf den grossen Coup

SHOOTING FORTHE STARS

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Popular Eden Belgian international and Chelsea star Eden Hazard

Cover: Mareike Foecking   Inhalt: Getty Images, Marc Latzel

The pioneer Honey Thaljieh

Qualified

Play-offs (First Leg)

Qualified

Play-off 13 & 20 November 2013

Italy

Burkina Faso 3-2 Algeria

Australia

Mexico-New Zealand

Netherlands

Côte d'Ivoire 3-1 Senegal

Japan

England

Ethiopia 1-2 Nigeria

Iran

Russia

Tunisia 0 - 0 Cameroon

Korea Republic

Belgium

Ghana 6-1 Egypt

Switzerland Bosnia-Herzegovina Germany Spain

Play-offs (Second Leg)

Play-off 13 & 20 November 2013 Jordan-Uruguay

Algeria-Burkina Faso (19 November) Senegal-Côte d'Ivoire (16 November) Nigeria-Ethiopia (16 November)

Play-offs 15 & 19 November 2013

Cameroon-Tunisia (17 November)

Por tugal-Sweden

Egypt-Ghana (19 November)

Ukraine-France Greece-Romania Iceland-Croatia

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emirates.com

Tomorrow brings us all closer To new people, new ideas and new states of mind. Here’s to reaching all the places we’ve never been. Fly Emirates to 6 continents.


UNCOVERED

A miracle called Belgium? Magic leather: wearing these football boots, Helmut Rahn scored the winning goal in West Germany’s 3-2 victory over Hungary in the 1954 FIFA World Cup final. Could Belgium be celebrating a famous pair of boots of their own after next summer?

Thomas Renggli

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he best sporting stories are written when expectations go out the window, the so-called experts’ opinions are made to look ridiculous and events transpire that border on the impossible. “The miracle of Bern”, West Germany’s triumph at the 1954 World Cup is one such story, and the “miracle on ice”, when the USA ice hockey team improbably beat the Soviet Union en route to gold at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York, another.

Spohler/laif

The knockout of then-unbeaten world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson by James “Buster” Douglas in 1990 was a massive shock, while an entire book could be written about the racehorse Foinavon, the 100-1 rank outsider who won the 1967 Grand National. In football, the biggest fairy tales of recent times have almost always taken place on the international stage. No one saw Denmark’s triumph at EURO 1992 coming, nor Greece’s surprise victory in the same tournament 12 years later. At the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, Zambia caused perhaps the biggest upset in the tournament’s history by beating Côte d’Ivoire

on penalties in the final, 19 years after the plane crash that claimed the lives of 18 Zambian national team players. Then there is the Copa America, the oldest national football tournament in the world aside from the Olympics, and the scene of many a shock result. Peru and Paraguay were able to pen their own Cinderella stories, albeit with the help of contemporary rules. The former advanced to the final in 1975 only after the drawing of lots, while the latter won the title on goal difference in 1979 after a 0-0 draw with Chile in their deciding game. At the World Cup, the age of miracles ended with the final of 1954. Upsets have occurred, but almost exclusively in one-off matches: England lost to USA in 1950, Korea DPR defeated Italy in 1966 and Switzerland pulled off an opening win against eventual champions Spain in 2010. Triumphant underdogs have featured prominently in the early running, but by the end of the World Cup marathon it is the usual suspects who are left celebrating. Only eight nations have won the 19 World Cups staged to date: Brazil, Italy, Germany, Argentina, Uruguay, England, France and Spain. T H E F I FA W E E K LY

Will there be a new entrant into that exclusive circle next summer? The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking and the recent 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign have thrust one nation to the forefront of possible candidates: Belgium. This nation of just 11 million souls boasts one of the strongest teams in the world at present. After a recent journey there to look at the origins of this golden generation, FIFA Weekly editor Perikles Monioudis concluded that the current team’s success is built on four pillars: education, football culture, experience of foreign leagues and a blend of young and superbly gifted players. Marc Wilmots’ squad currently boasts a transfer value of €350 million, a figure surpassed only by Brazil, Germany and Italy. So is the country of waffles, chips and famous cyclists ready to lift the most coveted trophy in football? If it comes down to pure talent, yes, but there is another barrier they need to overcome and it is psychological. Having coasted through qualification, the so-called dark horses have lost their element of surprise. In Brazil next summer, they will most definitely be on the radar. Å

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THE DARK HORSES

Marc Wilmots is leading Belgium’s “golden generation” at next year’s World Cup. How did Belgium climb back up the rankings, and how far can they go at next year’s global showpiece? We went to Brussels to find out.

DAWN IN BELGIUM Everton star Romelu Lukaku after training with the Belgium national team.

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THE DARK HORSES

“One step at a time. That is how we build a better future for Belgian football”

Marc Wilmots

Born on 22 Feburary 1969 in Dongelberg, Belgium, Marc Wilmots made his professional debut for K. Saint-Trond VV in 1987. After spells at Mechelen and Standard Liege, the 70-time Belgium international moved to FC Schalke 04 where he spent the majority of his career, apart from the 2000-01 season when he turned out for Bordeaux in the French Ligue 1. Wilmost was part of the Königsblauen team that lifted the UEFA Cup in 1997. After calling time on his playing career in 2003, he briefly took on interim coaching duties at the Gelsenkirchen-based club. Manager of K. Saint-Trond VV for the 2004-05 season, he was first assistant coach and then took charge of the Belgian national side in 2012.

Perikles Monioudis (Text) and Mareike Foecking (picture)

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arc Wilmots stares up at the sky. A man who has had his fair share of critics, the coach of Belgium is now at the head of one of the strongest national teams in the game. Sporting the red coat of the Belgian Football Association and with two balls under his arm, Wilmots’ gaze is transfixed on the clouds above. Training has just come to an end at the King Baudouin Stadium. There is a great sense of camaraderie among the players as they head back to the dressing room, receiving a warm embrace or a pat on the shoulder from their coach on the way. A complex training session centred has seen stars such as Marouane Fellaini, Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard, Christian Benteke, Kevin De Bruyne, Axel Witsel and Vincent Kompany demonstrate they have fully mastered the art of moving the ball quickly. For Wilmots, “moving the ball fast creates goalscoring opportunities. That’s what the fans enjoy, and that’s what we enjoy too.” The 44-year-old honed his craft as an assistant, first to Dick Advocaat when the Dutch tactician took charge of the Belgian national side in 8

2009, and then under Georges Leekens. His appointment to the top job in 2012 nevertheless surprised many observers, but with qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil safely in the bag, Belgium have reason to celebrate, and to look forward. Well aware of the hype surrounding his side’s potential to go all the way in Brazil, Wilmots prefers to keep it simple. “I want to win,” he says, and his players are required to share the same mentality no matter what. “If you win it’s satisfying,” Wilmots explains. “If you step out onto the pitch, you have to want to win. We want to do that regardless of the opposition.” For Belgium, winning has not always been so easy. The Red Devils slipped to 71st in the FIFA World rankings in 2007 and had to content themselves with the odd success over Europe’s top 15 national sides. Today they sit fifth in the FIFA rankings, behind Spain, Germany and Italy as the fourth-strongest team on the continent. The squad itself has a market value of 350 million euros, an amount surpassed only by Germany, Brazil and Italy. “The right mentality” “I take each day as it comes,” Wilmots says. “Success comes when you work hard and take things one step at a time.” At Schalke, he was T H E F I FA W E E K LY

known as the Dongelberg Bull. A tireless runner with a never-say-die attitude and a killer instinct in front of goal, Wilmots lifted the UEFA Cup with the Royal Blues, as well as playing his part in four FIFA World Cups for Belgium. Despite all the success, one incident still haunts him to this day: the referee’s decision to rule out his 36th-minute header in the Round of 16 of the 2002 World Cup against Brazil. That match in Kobe, Japan was to be Wilmots’ final appearance for his country, and Belgium went on to lose 2-0. Wilmots took the matter up with match officals, FIFA and UEFA, and questions the decison to this day. He has not forgotten, just as he remembers those in the press who doubted his credentials as national team coach. His is a tale of injustice that would surely have inspired Belgian singer-songwriter Jacques Brel.

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ilmots’ playing style and that of today’s Belgian national team could not be further apart. The majestic abil­ ities of Chelsea’s 22-year-old Hazard are complemented by the lightning-quick and clinical Lukaku (20, Everton). Then there is fellow striker Benteke, (22, Aston Villa) and the hard-working Witsel (24, Zenit St. Petersburg), who operates along-


Romelu Lukaku used to sit in this host mother’s living room. Today it’s where the football students at RSC Anderlecht watch their predecessors on television.

Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht Founded en 1908, RSC Anderlecht have won the Belgian league 32 times. The “Purple and Whites” were most dominant between 1976 and 1983, when they won two European Cup Winners’ Cups, in 1976 and 1978, and a UEFA Cup in 1983. Amon the great names to have played for Anderlecht over the years are Paul Van Himst (1959-75), Robert Rensenbrink (1971-80), Morten Olsen (1980-86), Franky Vercauteren (1975-87), Enzo Scifo (1982-2000), Marc Degryse (1989-95), CelestineBabayaro (1994-97), Par Zetterberg (1986-91, 1993-2000, 2003-06), Lorenzo Staelens (1998-2001) and current international Vincent Kompany (2002-06).

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After a 12-year absence, Belgium are back at the World Cup finals. The fans in Brussels cannot contain their joy.

BELGIUM’S ROU TE T O BR A ZIL P W D L GA PTS Belgium 10 8 2 0 +14 26 Croatia 10 5 2 3 +3 17 Serbia 10 4 2 4 +7 14 Scotland 10 3 2 5 –4 11 Wales 10 3 1 6 –11 10 FYR Macedonia 10 2 1 7 –9 7 World Cup appearances: 11 Best performance at a World Cup: Semi-finalists at Mexico 1986 Olympic Gold medal winners: 1920

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THE DARK HORSES

“In order to hold our own against other strong teams, Anderlecht need to know how to play our own way.” Jean Kindermans

Jean Kindermans (l.) looks out from his office over RSC Anderlecht’s training ground. The club’s youth players train according to his ideas.

side Kevin de Bruyne (22, Chelsea) and Marouane Fellaini (25, Manchester United) at the heart of a robust-looking midfield. At the back, Wilmots can call on Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany (27), Thomas Vermaelen (28, Arsenal), Jan Vertonghen (26, Tottenham Hotspur) and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (21, Atletico Madrid). Not that Belgium rely on individual brilliance alone. Honed in the English Premier League, the team’s collective strengths are what impress: fabulous technique, an emphasis on running hard, aggression and an enormous will to win. This group of players live and breathe what Wilmots calls the “winning mentality, day by day, one step at a time. That is how we build a better future for Belgian football.” As a rule, whoever plays for the national team will have come through the U-21 and U-19 sides, if not the U-17s too. “It’s a chain bound by hard work,” Wilmots says. In that sense, the coaches and teams at each level work hand in hand. Decisive in the process is the moment at which the players decide to move abroad and test their mettle at some of the strongest clubs. Defining the ’right moment’ is not easy.

Vital early years The youth team director at Belgian giants RSC Anderlecht (RSCA), Jean Kindermans deals with budding talent each day. His office overlooks the training ground of the current UEFA Champions League participants. As the players take to the gym in rainy northern Brussels, Kinderman modestly describes his latest success story. Eighteen year-old Adnan Januzaj, a product of the Anderlecht system, made his first Premier League start for Manchester United on 5 October and scored twice. Still to decide whether or not to represent Belgium at international level, the young winger is the talk of England. The Belgian of Albanian descent joined Anderlecht as a ten-year-old, before leaving for England six years later. Eden Hazard made the leap even earlier, moving to Ligue 1 outfit Lille as a 14-year-old. Seven years later, he joined Chelsea. “Januzaj is the perfect example of how we like things to go here,” said Kindermans. “Yet the reality is that only a small proportion of the kids who have grown up on football make it to the top.” With that in mind, Anderlecht are keen to promote the value of academic pursuits. The T H E F I FA W E E K LY

club’s Purple Talents programme works with three schools in the city, championing young footballers but never at the expense of their education. With their parents’ permission, Kindermans can offer the gifted young footballers the opportunity to move to Brussels, a place at one of the public partner schools and training at RSCA. At present, there are nine such children staying with a ’guest mother’. Romelu Lukaku, whose brace against Croatia secured Belgium’s place at the FIFA World Cup finals two weeks ago, opted for this route and a poster of the striker now hangs on the living room wall of his former guest house. The resident guest mother cried when she saw her former protégé play professionally for the first time. So far, four of her fosterlings have made it to the highest level of the Belgian game. Other clubs are already following RSCA’s example. In Belgium, there are no less than five top sport schools dedicating 12 hours of their weekly 32-hour schedule to football. Each year, RSCA runs several ’Talent Days’, giving children the opportunity to show off their skills to the club. The ’Football and Fun’ programme, meanwhile, introduces boys as 11


THE DARK HORSES

In Tubize: which national team has its own cafeteria? Belgium’s referees training just in front of the building.

young as four years old to football. At seven, they move up to the ’Multi Move Section’, with its emphasis on coordination and balance. The path to finding the right mentality also starts very early, on and off the pitch. Anderlecht’s basic approach to football is underpinned by ten elements, starting with “attack-minded, creative and academic football.” Next, “you must never bow to the opposition’s strengths”, “spend as much time as possible in the opponent’s half”, “switch fluently between attack and defence”, “move forward in three triangles”, while pupils are taught that “playing style is more important than the result.” The final point requires further explanation. “If you are unequivocally the strongest club in the country, it isn’t enough just to want to win,” Kindermans says. “You won’t make progress that way. In order to hold our own against other strong teams, Anderlecht need to know how to play our own way. If not, we’ll fall away.” Kindermans is nevertheless aware of the inherent paradox in his plan. If his programmes are successful, youth players are drawn to Europe’s top sides at an early stage because the club does not enforce written 12

agreements until the player turns 16. Until then, the parents and outside influences such as player agents are free to tie up deals that send the youngsters further afield. Kinderman realizes there is very little he can do, given the pulling power of the big clubs, and goes about things in a similar way when he wants to bring very young players from smaller clubs to Brussels. In his view, however, the amount of training compensation should be higher. Tubize refuge Belgium’s national sides from the U-15s right through to the seniors all train at the football association’s headquarters in Tubize, around 30 kilometres south of the capital. The Belgian FA invested proceeds from the 2000 UEFA European Championships into developing the complex which also boasts other pitches, some artificial and one for Beach Soccer. This is the place where Wilmots and his team can get away from the media, who are incessant in their comparisons between his young team and the great Belgian side of 1986, which went all the way to the semi-finals of the World Cup in Mexico before falling 2-0 to a Diego Maradona-inspired Argentina. Here he T H E F I FA W E E K LY

does not need to remind anyone of the fact that an outsider has never won the global showpiece or that his young charges have never been to a major tournament yet, let alone a World Cup. “Belgium are given a lot of respect now”, he admits, and there can be little doubt that he intends to ensure his team are worthy of their new standing in the world game. With the country’s underage teams also performing admirably, the future looks very bright for the Red Devils. Whether the 2014 World Cup comes too soon for his side is yet to be seen, but with the fans behind them Wilmots is surely excited at the prospect of leading Belgium on their Brazilian adventure. Å


TALK ING POIN T S

O N

T H E

I N S I D E

Aiming high: Gareth Bale (above) came down to earth as Real Madrid lost 2-1 in El Clasico against Barcelona at the Camp Nou.

Primera División

A ve r y o r d i n a r y a ffa i r Jordi Punti is a novelist and the author of many football features

AFP

in the Spanish media.

No fixture in the Spanish league generates quite as much passion as el clásico, or “The Match of the Century” as it is also known, a somewhat misleading moniker given that there are four or five of them every year. The arrival of Pep Guardiola and Tito Vilanova in the Barça dugout, followed by Jose Mourinho’s appointment at Real Madrid, upped the stakes even more. As if scripted by Spielberg, the rivalry took on a whole new twist, with the opposing coaches espousing starkly contrasting approaches to the game, and superheroes Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo engaging in a personal duel. The resulting tension led to a seemingly endless succession of incidents on and off the pitch, as the

fixture became a tale of humiliating defeats, red cards, fiery verbal exchanges and physical aggression – the defining image of which was Mourinho jabbing a finger into Vilanova’s eye. Every passing match highlighted the chasm that separated the personalities involved, the clubs and their fans, while also confirming how much both sides needed each other. Compared to that recent golden age, the latest Barcelona-Real Madrid clash seemed anything but a clásico, let alone a match of the century. Everything about it was utterly ordinary: an ordinary game between two ordinary teams on a very ordinary Saturday. The appointment of new coaches in both dugouts has resulted in, for the time being at least, a loss of intensity. While adhering to Barcelona’s ball-playing principles, Gerardo Martino has brought a touch more practicality to their game, at the expense of entertainment levels. Opposite number Carlo Ancelotti has doubts in his mind as he attempts to work out how to perm together several new players in a team that has had its heart ripped out, a heart by the name of Mesut Ozil. T H E F I FA W E E K LY

It is all very reminiscent of James Bond films. From Sean Connery to Daniel Craig, the arrival of a new Bond brings with it a shift in quality. This season Barça and Madrid have brought more intrigue to the plot by investing heavily in star names Neymar and Gareth Bale. With Messi still short of his best form, the Brazilian played a starring role in last Saturday’s match, providing a focal point for Barcelona’s play along with Andres Iniesta. Bale also started in what was Ancelotti’s latest experiment, though judging by his lacklustre display his presence on the pitch seemed to owe more to president Perez’s wish to see his new favourite succeed. A start for the Welshman meant a place on the bench for Isco, one of Madrid’s most in-form players, all of which left Ronaldo to fight a very lonely battle. In the end the match was decided by a few touches of class, rare flickers of the intensity of bygone clásicos: Neymar’s goal, which owed more to desire than precision; Karim Benzema’s thundering drive against the bar; two fine stops by Victor Valdes; a second goal by Alexis Sanchez, who lit up the match with ten seconds of pure fantasy; and a goal 13


on the counter by Jese, which came too late to alter the 2-1 final scoreline. Barcelona emerged all the stronger from the game, though in psychological terms they could do with feeling a little less sure of themselves. Lost in a maze of their own making, meanwhile, Real Madrid opted to pin the blame for defeat on the referee, an excuse that brought back memories of Mourinho’s blackest afternoons. The fact of the matter is, however, that in a couple of weeks we will all have forgotten about this utterly ordinary match. For the time being at least there seems to be more life to the Barcelona-Madrid rivalry in coffee-time chats than on the pitch. A few days ago there was a rumour going round that Real Madrid were about to close a deal with Bill Gates, one that would see their home ground renamed the Microsoft Santiago Bernabeu. Reacting to the speculation, a Barça-supporting friend of mine tweeted: “I don’t know why the Barcelona president hasn’t got in touch with Apple yet. The name would be very easy: Camp Nou (New Field)”. Å

Bundesliga

Berl i n back on the fo ot b a l l m a p Sven Goldmann is a football expert at Tagesspiegel newspaper in Berlin.

With the final seconds running down at the Alianz Arena last Saturday, hosts Bayern Munich had to resort to hitting long balls forward down field to protect their 3-2 lead over Hertha Berlin. After the final whistle, coach Pep Guardiola reflected on a match in which his side had faced “the strongest team we’ve played so far.” That is quite some compliment for newly-promoted Hertha, especially as Bayern have dominated ties against the likes of Schalke, Bayer Leverkusen and Manchester City already this season. Berlin styles itself as a cosmopolitan opposite to Munich and is proud of its reputation as a city on the cutting edge, where east and west meet in the world's most exciting metropolis. Until a few months ago it was also unique for another 14

“In footballing terms, Berlin is still divided into east and west, between tradition and commerce.” reason; it was the only capital city in the world without a club in its country's top flight. Now though, Hertha Berlin are back in the Bundesliga, and their bold style has already earned them 15 points and fifth spot in the league, while second-tier side Union Berlin sit behind next opponents and league leaders FC Köln in the table, increasingly confident of their promotion chances.

hosted Hertha in the Berlin derby a year ago, tickets for the game were sold out within hours. It would be fascinating to see how long it would take should Pep Guardiola’s Bayern pay them a visit next season. Å

Premier League In footballing terms, Berlin is still divided into east and west, between tradition and commerce. Hertha cater to a fan base rooted in the wealthier west yet have accumulated 37 million Euro worth of debt; small change for an Arab sheikh, but a lot of money for a cash-strapped club in Berlin.

D y n a s t ic c h a n ge s David Winner is a London-based author and journalist. His books on football include ‘Brilliant Orange’ and ‘Dennis Bergkamp: Stillness and Speed’.

Following promotion last summer, Hertha's Dutch coach Jos Luhukay managed to put together a team on a shoestring budget that has swiftly become one of the best and most adventurous sides in the Bundesliga. The Suddeutsche Zeitung, not usually renowned for focusing its attentions on Germany’s capital, was moved to summarise Luhukay’s squad reconstruction thus: “Public authorities have only rarely invested in Berlin quite so shrewdly.” That is only partly true, as Union Berlin, the old-school side from the east of the city have enjoyed an equally intriguing rise. This is a club where the president still takes to the terraces with the fans and drinks his beer out of a plastic cup. After teetering on the verge of bankruptcy following relegation to the fourth tier in 2005, Union are now back on their feet and the proud owners of the renovated An der Alten Forsterei stadium. Thanks to the work of countless volunteers who helped with its reconstruction, Union’s home ground has become one of the most atmospheric in the whole country. When Union T H E F I FA W E E K LY

Just ask any old Ottoman, Inca or Roman and they’ll all tell you the same thing: nothing lasts forever. However mighty its power, no matter how seemingly durable and impregnable its fortresses, sooner or later every empire declines and falls. It’s the same in football. Hence the great question of the age: is Manchester United’s 20-year domination of the English game about to go the same way as the superpowers of the past? Under Sir Alex Ferguson, United bestrode its world like a colossus, winning nearly 40 trophies including 13 league titles and the Champions League twice. No club in English football, not Preston North End of the 1880s, Arsenal in the 1930s, nor even the great Liverpool of the 1970s and 80s held sway for so long. Fergie’s team-building brilliance, charisma and motivational skills are said to have been worth between 10 and 20 points a season.


But Fergie is now gone. He abdicated in favour of fellow Scot and former Everton boss David Moyes. And now, five months later, United’s aura of invincibility lies broken.

Serie A

Cha nging times Luigi Garlando is an editor at Gazzetta dello Sport and is the

To the club’s fans, mediocre performances and the dropping of home points to teams like Southampton and West Bromwich Albion have felt like seeing their city sacked by Alaric the Visigoth. Had Moyes’s men succumbed to Stoke City as well on Saturday, unstoppable panic and despair may well have engulfed the citadel. As it was, late goals by Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez turned trauma into a triumph. Yet problems remain. United know their turning of a 2-1 deficit into 3-2 win owed as much to Stoke’s best player, Marko Arnautovic, leaving the field as it did to their own efforts. That frustrated United fans even turned on one of their own players, the Portuguese winger Nani, bodes ill. As historians debate the causes of the fall of Rome, so pundits and supporters attempt to read the United runes. The club’s reputation and financial clout remain the envy of the world. The hugely experienced Moyes must surely be better than the out-of-his-depth caricature depicted by his detractors. On the other hand, problems incipient in Fergie’s last days have become all-too apparent. At the heart of a newly-fragile defence, Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand are not merely veterans but noticeably ageing. This season’s Robin van Persie is a shadow of last season’s one. In midfield, the creative void left by the retirement of the great Paul Scholes remains conspicuously unfilled by the arrival of Marouane Fellaini. Are United about to slip away as Liverpool did after their glory years - the Merseysiders haven’t won the league since 1990 - or will a bit of confidence and a couple of astute winter signings help to quickly restore normal Old Trafford service? In other words, are we witnessing the beginning of a United end, or the start of a new beginning? Are we seeing a turning point for the club and English football, or merely a transition from the era of one imperial dynasty to the next? Only history will tell. Å

author of numerous children’s books.

Massimo Moratti was given a very special reception at the San Siro last Sunday. Upon taking his place in the stands ahead of Inter Milan’s match with Chievo Verona, the 68-year-old was greeted by a long, heartfelt, standing ovation from the fans, a sign of the high esteem and great affection in which Inter’s president is held. Having ruled over the Nerazzurri’s fortunes for 18 years, Moratti had just sold a 70-per-cent stake in the club to Indonesian industrialist Erick Thohir. Moratti bought Inter Milan in 1995. His wife, Milly Moratti, was famously in the kitchen chopping vegetables when she heard the news on television. She tore off her apron and went to remonstrate with her spouse, who, fearing

Massimo, who followed in his father’s footsteps in guiding the team to European and global success in 2010, led Inter in a similarly paternal fashion, appearing to care more about Ronaldo’s numerous injuries than his achievements on the pitch, for example. However, such an approach came to appear out-dated in the modern age when vast costs and extensive obligations dominate the game. Having invested over a billion euros of his own money into the club over the past 18 years, with the latest figures showing a loss of 80 million in the last year alone, Moratti was forced to seek foreign investment. Significantly, the move coincides precisely with the surprise success of league leaders AS Roma, who are owned by American James Pallotta and the only Serie A club in foreign ownership. A sign of the times? AC Milan, too, are considering bringing in partners from abroad. Thus, Italian football is gradually following in the footsteps of other major leagues, and England’s Premier League in particular. The alternative model is that of Juventus, owned by the Agnelli family, whose

“Signora Moratti feared that Inter would disrupt family harmony.” his wife’s disapproval, had kept his actions a close-guarded secret. Signora Moratti was concerned that the harmony within the family would be disrupted were Inter to encroach too much on their domestic lives. Over time, however, Milly became so fond of her husband’s ‘adopted child’ that she vigorously opposed the sale of the club to Thohir. It was another woman, Erminia, who first introduced the Nerazzurri to the Moratti family back in the mid-Fifties. Erminia was a passionate football fan, so much so that her love for the game rubbed off on her husband Angelo, Massimo’s father, who bought the club in 1955. The rich oil industrialist, who led Inter to the pinnacle of European and world football in the Sixties – creating the legend of Grande Inter in the process – showed a fatherly affection for his players. After each match, he would present the best performers with a valuable gold coin. T H E F I FA W E E K LY

most recent annual figures showed record profits of 274.8 million, not least thanks to events held in their Juventus Stadium, the only Serie A venue in club ownership. Italian football is in need of either new funds or new ideas. Gold coins from a paternal president are no longer enough. Å

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Name: Mario Alberto Kempes Chiodi Date of birth: 15 July 1954 Place of birth: Bell Ville, Argentina

Height: 1.84 m Position: Forward Youth career: Instituto Atletico Central Cordoba Career: 1970 – 1973: Instituto (Arg) 1974 – 1976: Rosario Central (Arg) 1977 – 1981: Valencia CF (Esp) 1981 – 1982: River Plate (Arg) 1982 – 1984: Valencia CF (Esp) 1984 – 1986: Hercules (Esp) 1986 – 1987: First Vienna (Aut) 1987 – 1990: St. Polten (Aut) 1990 – 1992: Kremser SC (Aut) 1995: Fernandez Vial (Chi) 1996: Pelita Jaya (Idn) International appearances: 43 (20 goals), 1973 – 1982 Latest news:

Jeff Zelevansky/FIFA/Getty Images

Mario Kempes will be involved in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ Final Draw on 6 December.

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T H E F I FA W E E K LY


THE INTERVIEW

“I’m happy that Messi is Argentinian” Mario Kempes brought happiness to the whole of Argentina when he scored two goals against the Netherlands in the 1978 FIFA World Cup final, helping his country to lift the trophy as hosts. Today, “El Matador” resides in the USA and is looking forward with excitement to the 2014 World Cup. Mr. Kempes, you once said that winning was more important than playing attractive football. What do you mean by that? Mario Kempes: If you play good football, you have more opportunities to win. But you can also play badly and still win a game.

Would your national team coach from 1978, Cesar Luis Menotti, have agreed with that? He was a proponent of clean and attractive football. Every coach has his own ideas, but what happens on the pitch is in the hands of the players. And anyway, you don’t get called up to play for your country so that you can play pretty football or because you’re a good guy. You’re there to be part of a team. Every player has to adapt to that.

Do you still keep in touch with Menotti? We see each other rarely. I work in the USA as a TV commentator with the sports broadcaster ESPN and only really travel to Argentina for celebratory events with the World Cup team from 1978. Every now and then I hear from my former team-mates Osvaldo Ardiles, Leopoldo Luque and Daniel Bertoni.

In the 1978 World Cup final, you scored the first two goals against the Netherlands. What do you feel when you look back on that? The best memories I have are from the days after we won the tournament. We brought the people so much joy, we encountered it everywhere we went. That was the most wonderful thing, the joy on peoples’ faces.

At that time Argentina was going through a difficult economic and political situation and the pressure on the team playing at home was massive. What do you still remember from the final? The Dutch players came out onto the pitch really determined and they created a lot of chances, but we were hungrier than them.

We wanted to win at home, whatever it took, even if we were less experienced than they were. We were able to impose our game on them and won in extra time.

You were top scorer at that World Cup, despite not scoring in the first three group games. It is said that Menotti told you to shave your moustache. I first shaved my beard, then my moustache, and then the goals came. That’s true. But I couldn’t tell you if it was me or Menotti who had the idea. I can’t remember.

Your compatriot Lionel Messi plays beautiful football and is successful too. Is he the perfect player? In club football, Messi has won everything there is to win. The only thing he hasn’t achieved yet is to win something with the national team. He knows that himself and of course he wants to change it. It’s a lie for people to say that when he puts on an Argentina shirt, he doesn’t give his all.

Like you, Messi came to Europe at a very young age. He is a part of the tiki-taka culture. Is he Argentinian or Spanish? I’m happy that Messi is Argentinian.

Is he the best player in the history of football? Or is that still Pele? You are one of the few people from Argentina who count themselves as one of the Brazilian’s admirers. Whoever saw Pele play back then knows how great a player he was. But every player has his time, and every time has its players. You can’t compare him to Di Stefano, nor with Maradona, Cruyff, Beckenbauer or Messi.

Can Argentina beat hosts Brazil at the World Cup in 2014?

developments and there isn’t much in the team’s game that needs changing. They do need to take one more step, though. In Brazil, they need to conquer their fears, but that’s the same for every team.

In 1982, four years after winning the World Cup, Argentina were not ready coming into the tournament and lost their opening group game. What is important during the preparation? To be fresh. The players will have played dozens of games by the time they head off to the World Cup. Again it’s the same for every country, but as soon as they arrive in Brazil and preparation begins, the tiredness needs to be overcome.

You can relax and observe what happens, since you now live in Cincinnati, USA. Life goes on and mine is now here in the USA, in the best country in the world.

Do you not feel at home in Argentina? Yes, I do, but my job is here in the USA, and as long as that’s the case, this country will be the best in the world for me. If I were to work somewhere else tomorrow, then that country would be the best in the world.

What are you hoping for from the World Cup in Brazil? That it will be a good World Cup and that everyone can enjoy the games and everything that goes with them. Football is what brings us together. Å Interview: Perikles Monioudis, assisted by Lefteris Coroyannakis (Spanish).

My favourite for the title is Argentina, and I say that not just for patriotic reasons. In qualifying there have been some positive T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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32 W E E K S T O G O

Thiago eager to make up for South Africa disappointment

“Do I dream of lifting the World Cup trophy in the Maracana stadium? Of course. I dream about it every day!” Sérgio Xavier Filho

F

or Thiago Emiliano da Silva de Souza, or Thiago Silva as he is better known, lifting the FIFA World Cup trophy in Rio de Janeiro as captain of Brazil would be a truly unforgettable experience. It would be all the more special considering there was a time when it seemed the career of the Rio native, born in the city on 22 September 1984, might be about to unravel. After he joined Dynamo Moscow from FC Porto in 2005, the then 20-year-old was diagnosed with severe tuberculosis. Doctors contemplated removing part of his lungs, a move which would have spelled the end of his playing days. However, Thiago opted to return to his homeland rather than undergo surgery in Russia and the decision proved to be the right step, not only in

terms of aiding his recovery but also for his career, as Fluminense soon offered him a lifeline. Breakthrough at AC Milan Thiago made 117 appearances, scoring 11 times for the Rio-based club and helped them to success in the Copa do Brasil in 2007. Furthermore, his composed displays for Fluminense not only earned him a maiden call-up to the national side under coach Dunga in 2008, they also caught the eye of the powers that be at AC Milan. The defender signed a three-year contract worth ten million euros with the Italians and swiftly became an idol at the club.

tirely to plan. As a substitute, Thiago was powerless to prevent A Seleção succumbing to a 2-1 quarter-final defeat at the hands of the Netherlands. “I hate losing,” Thiago said. “We played really well in the first half but everything fell apart after that. The manner in which we lost makes it all the more painful.” Dream come true Next year Thiago will have the chance to make amends, and on the strength of his towering performances for Paris St. Germain will do so as captain. “The 2014 World Cup will be one of the biggest challenges of my life. But above all it’ll be the fulfilment of one of my dreams. Only few players have the opportunity to lead out their country as captain. That makes me very proud.” Å

Yet Thiago’s upward trajectory stalled somewhat in 2010, with his involvement at his first World Cup in South Africa not going en-

Name: Thiago Silva Date of birth: 22nd September 1984 Birthplace: Rio de Janeiro Height: 1.83 m Position:

AFP

Defender

Talented and ambitious: Brazil captain Thiago Silva T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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MIRROR IMAGE

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Port-au-Prince, Haiti

2010

Alex Ogle/afp

Sanctuary in the stadium. In the aftermath of the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti, Sylvio Cator national stadium in Port-au-Prince became one of the most important places of refuge. “Only one thing can make the people of Haiti happy, and that’s football,” declared former national coach Ernst Jean-Baptiste.

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T H E F I FA W E E K LY


MIRROR IMAGE

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Port-au-Prince, Haiti

2012

Simon Bruty/FIFA

Restored to life. Two years on from the natural disaster, the game is back in business. Football played an important part in the reconstruction of the country. Funds came in part from the proceeds of friendly matches involving the 32 participating teams at the 2010 World Cup. FIFA pledged $4 million from its development fund.

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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With Visa you are always welcome in the country of football.

© 2013 Visa. All Rights Reserved. © 2013 Getty Images.


FREE KICK

W E E K LY T O P 11

The best teams of all time

1

Real Madrid. Led by Alfredo di Stefano, the 'White Ballet' won the European Cup five times in a row between 1956 and 1960, winning the 1960 final thanks to four goals from Ferenc Puskas and three from Di Stefano.

2

Hungary’s “golden team” of the 1950s remained unbeaten in 31 games and were the first side from continental Europe to win in England in November 1953.

The man in black and the imaginary invalid 3 Thomas Renggli

“I

t was the bloody ball’s fault!” Rudi Gutendorf once lamented when reflecting upon the iniquities of football. Such musings hay not have helped the much-travelled tactician to qualify for a World Cup, but it did earn the man who held 55 coaching positions from 1946 onwards a permanent place in any anthology of sporting soundbites.

The content of his most famous phrase is widely disputed though, as referees, rather than the ball itself, are more frequently held responsible for a team’s failings. The problem stems from the fact that a referee’s work is often not respected. Lothar Matthaus, a World Cup winner and no stranger to the managerial, and matrimonial, merry-go-round, commented after hanging up his boots as a player: “There’s no question of me becoming a referee. I’d prefer a job that has something to do with football.” That was no off-the-cuff remark. The statistics show that a referee’s value in financial terms is considerably lower than that of the other on-field participants. On average a referee makes between 150 and 180 decisions per match (roughly one every 30 seconds), and runs 11.5 kilometres. He does so for a fee that barely covers the cost of parking. Compare that to Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo, who averages 10.5 kilometres per game and is contractually guaranteed to earn 46,575 euros per day, not to mention a similar sum in sponsorship deals. And yet, without a man in the middle to control proceedings, Ronaldo would have no stage on which to showcase his step-overs, shimmies and other skills to the world.

It has not always been this way. In football’s embryonic years in the 19th century, team captains were charged with running the game. If there was a foul, the captain of the offending side would stop the match and give the ball to the opposition. If there was a less clear-cut decision to be made, the captains would discuss the matter before determining the outcome. Referees only appeared for the first time in 1880 and took sole charge of matches from 1890 onwards. Nowadays referees are not only required to have extensive knowledge of the game, they must also be constantly alert to the threat of being deceived, so widespread has diving become across the globe. At regular intervals during a match grown men throw themselves to the ground with cries of anguish. Reminiscent of Tchaikovsky's Dying Swan, they appear to have suffered a mortal wound, only to be miraculously revived by medical staff wielding only a spray and a wet sponge. Not even famed Lourdes healer Bernadette Soubrious could compete with the power of such modern-day physicians. Were he alive today, Jean Baptiste Moliere would surely be moved to adapt his comedy The Imaginary Invalid to give the main protagonist a role in football. Å

The weekly column by our staff writers T H E F I FA W E E K LY

Liverpool. Between 1964 and 1986, the Reds won 11 of their 18 English league titles, and won the European Cup four times.

4

Manchester United. After eight of their players were killed in a plane crash in 1958, United fought back to win the English league in 1965 and 1967 and the European Cup in 1968.

5

Barcelona. The team’s 'tiki-taka' style of play changed the face of football and elevated Barça to the pinnacle of European football.

6

Spain. The Spanish national side has also benefited from Barça’s playing style, and were the first team to win two successive European Championships (2008, 2012) and the intervening World Cup (2010).

7

AC Milan. Dutch footballing wizards Ruud Gullit, Marco Van Basten and Frank Rijkaard starred for i Rossoneri at the end of the 1980s, leading them to two European Cup triumphs.

8

Brazil. A Seleção dominated the 1970 FIFA World Cup like no team had done before, crowning their performance with a 4-1 victory over Italy in the final.

9

Ajax. The Dutch side won the European Cup three times in succession between 1971 and 1973 as Johan Cruyff, Johan Neeskens and Arie Haan pioneered “total football”.

10

Benfica. Eusebio was the figurehead for the two-time European Cup winners, in 1961 and 1962, and was named in FIFA’s World Cup All-Star Team in 1965.

11

Italy. The Azzurri’s third World Cup win in 1982 was their most spectacular. Their team featured the free-scoring Paolo Rossi and an impenetrable defence led by Dino Zoff and Gaetano Scirea.

23



PROFILE

A pioneering centre forward As a pioneer, peace ambassador and captain of the Palestinian national team, Honey Thaljieh has broken down barriers and is living proof that football can build bridges.

P

Thomas Renggli

Marc Latzel

erhaps inevitably, Honey Thal­ jieh’s first name raises eyebrows wherever she goes and is often a source of suspicion among off­ icials at border crossings, where she is frequently asked for her “real name”. Yet Thaljieh is as genuine as they come, and the story behind her christening is befitting of her extraordinary life so far. “My father wanted to call me Annie,” the 29-year-old ex­ plained. “But the doctor in the hospital deliv­ ery room in Bethlehem thought that Honey sounded much better.” The permanent shadow of war in the Pal­ estinian territories shaped Thaljieh’s child­ hood, with checkpoints, walls and bomb

threats as much a part of everyday life as the constant fear of being caught in crossfire. Thaljieh grew up in basic living conditions, raised as a member of the Christian minority by her father, a floor layer and her mother, a nursery school teacher. Along with four other siblings, the entire family lived in a single room in a simple house on the famous Milk Grotto street, just a stone’s throw away from Jesus’ birthplace. F r e e d o m i n n a r r ow a l l e y w ay s As heart-wrenching as her upbringing seems, Thaljieh recalls it with a glint in her eye and a ready smile. With such contagious ener­ gy, it swiftly becomes clear why she became captain of the national side. “Fate doesn’t have to determine the future,” she said. “Anyone who takes their life into their own hands can break down barriers.”

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

Thaljieh has been doing just that ever since her childhood spent in the narrow alleyways and courtyards of central Bethlehem, playing a game normally reserved for the opposite sex. “I saw the boys running after the ball and I loved the game straight away,” she said. Her passion for the sport was met with an almost equally powerful scepticism, as football-play­ ing girls in Arab society were unheard of. “They called me a tomboy and predicted that nobody would want to marry me,” Thaljieh said. “People couldn’t accept that I played in shorts and t-shirts.” Yet neither such resist­ ance, nor a lack of shoes or the fact that a heavy, oversized, pain-inducing medicine ball had to be used, was enough to dissuade Thal­ jieh from playing. She would skip past her opponents with ease, score from virtually anywhere and was unafraid to throw herself wholeheartedly into 25


A PROFILE

T HE PALE S T INI AN FOO T BALL A S SOC I AT ION Founded: 1928 FIFA member since: 1998 Number of standard-sized football pitches: 12 Clubs: 148 Teams: 132 (men’s), 16 (women’s) Coaches: 477 (men), 20 (women) Registered players (aged 18 or over): 3769 (men), 120 (women) Registered youth players (under 18 years): 2520 (boys), 330 (girls) Unregistered players: 4200 (men), 2240 (women) Futsal players: 980 (men), 96 (women) Current FIFA Ranking: 150th (men), 85th (women)

WOMEN’S NAT IONAL T E AM S TAT IS T IC S First official international match: 22 September 2005 (West Asian Championship in Jordan): Jordan 5-0 Palestine First home game: 26 October 2009 in the Faisal-Husseini stadium in Al-Ram (14,000 spectators): Palestine 2-2 Jordan Biggest victory: 20 October 2010 in Jordan: Palestine 18-0 Qatar

S c o r i ng go a l s to o p e n d o o r s Not only that, but Thaljieh soon recognised that her on-pitch activities could also have a wider effect away from the game too. “I fought for a better life and wanted to show that by breaking the mould I could set an example and encourage underprivileged people, especially women and children,” she said. In the midst of the daily chaos, football became a refuge of sorts. 26

Thaljieh’s memories of the second intifada in 2002, when escalating violence on the streets of Bethlehem led to a state of emergency being declared, are startling: “We didn’t have anything to eat or drink and were dependent on the supplies the Red Cross brought. There was a curfew in Bethlehem, so everyone met up in one house and watched the World Cup.” Thaljieh’s own football career began to develop upon her arrival at Bethlehem University. After receiving the backing of her sports professor, Thaljieh founded a women’s side, although initially it fell a long way short of being a proper team: “Four girls signed up. We played with four outfield players and a goalkeeper, always against men, on asphalt pitches.” Nevertheless, the idea had taken root and almost immediately sent ripples through both local and international media. One knock-on T H E F I FA W E E K LY

effect of the greater publicity within Palestine was that more women joined the team. Soon the Palestinian national side had been established, before there was even a club or league in place. A 5 - 0 l o s s , b u t s t i l l v i c to r i o u s Thaljieh captained the team on their debut match in 2005 in Jordan. “We lost 0-5 but it was still a victory,” said the striker. “We played on grass for the first time ever.” They went on to demonstrate their ability on the unfamiliar playing surface in their second outing, picking up their first ever point in a 1-1 draw with Bahrain. Today, the Palestinian women’s team occupies 85th place out of 120 teams in the FIFA/ Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking. However, even such historical achievements could not protect Thaljieh from the enemy of every professional sportsperson: injury.

Privat

tackles, much to her father’s displeasure. “Whenever I came home with another black eye or broken toe, he would tell me off,” Thaljieh said. “I would have to stand in the corner and promise to stop playing football.” She would always go back on her word, however, after realising that the game was more than a mere pastime for her: “I discovered I had a talent that may have stayed hidden forever under normal circumstances.”


A PROFILE

“I had to stand in the corner and promise to stop playing football.”

From the shadows to the spotlight: Honey Thaljieh in a backyard in Bethlehem (l) and celebrating as Palestine’s captain (above).

After damaging her knee, Thaljieh was forced to hang up her boots. But the movement she had set in motion was not to be stopped and in 2011 the Palestinian women’s league was launched with a match between Sareyyet Ramallah and Diyar Women’s Soccer Team, with Thaljieh as coach. That inaugural game in Al Ram attracted 11,000 spectators, prompting Jibril Rajub, head of the Palestinian Football Federation, to describe the occasion as a “social, political and sporting revolution for women”. Broken taboo Thaljieh received support from the German Willi Lemke, Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary General on Sport for Development and Peace, and Chairman of the Supervisory Board at Bundesliga club Werder Bremen: “Without her, women’s football would still be a taboo in Palestine," he said. "Considering where she started out, what she’s achieved is

sensational. Her courage, commitment and enthusiasm have been the driving force behind a whole movement. She’s living proof that one person can make a difference.” Together with Denis Oswald, a member of the IOC Executive Board, Lemke was influential in helping Thaljieh secure a place on the FIFA Master in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport course at Neuchatel University in Switzerland. Today she works in FIFA’s Communications Department in Zurich, while FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter underlined her importance in sporting diplomacy in the Arab region: “Honey not only speaks the language of the people there, she also understands their mentality.”

Peace and Sport, joining an elite club of global sporting stars such as pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva, FIFA World Cup™ winner Christian Karembeu and tennis world No 1 Novak Djokovic. “I’m the only member of the foundation without a gold medal,” Thaljieh said, laughing. True as that may be, her accomplishments in women’s football go far beyond the scope of what any precious metal could adequately reward. Å

A c h a m p i o n w it h o u t a go l d m e d a l In March Thaljieh was named as Champion for Peace ambassador by the organisation T H E F I FA W E E K LY

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T HE DEBAT E

Goal or no goal?

Goal-line technology is catching on and is set to make its World Cup debut in Brazil next year.

Perhaps the “phantom” goal in Hoffenheim would not have been awarded if goal-line technology were already in operation in Germany; but is it really necessary in the first place?

stand in England’s 4-2 victory over West Germany in the 1966 World Cup final. Conversely, Frank Lampard scored a perfectly valid goal when the two countries met in the 2010 World Cup quarter-final, which Germany won 4-1. Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda, however, failed to spot that the ball had landed well behind the goal line after hitting the underside of the bar.

The weekly debate. Any thing you want to get off your chest? Which topics do you want to discus s? Send your sugges tions to: f eedbac k-T heWeek l y @ f i f a.or g.

Perikles Monioudis

The “phantom” goal in Hoffenheim has once again drawn attention to the potential benefits of goal-line technology, almost 20 years after the infamous “goal” involving FC Bayern’s Thomas Helmer who, like Stefan Kiessling, didn’t actually put the ball in the net.

Decisions of this nature will be a thing of the past at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where world cup referees will have access to goal-line technology for the first time. An argument against the introduction of such technology is that it could also come in handy in other situations – such as offside incidents – and can thus be viewed as an arbitrary encroachment on the game. Even so, goal-line technology made its debut in the Premier League this season. Other leagues are certain to follow their lead. Å

Swiss referee Gottfried Dienst would have given his right arm to have made the correct call and not allowed Geoff Hurst’s strike to 28

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

DFB rules stipulate that the playing area has to be inspected by the officials before the start of the game. The ultimate responsibility thus rests with the referee rather than the home team. An association that sets great store by fair play can either decide to adjust the result or replay the game – anything else is a farce. The referee’s doubts are obvious, judging by the TV footage, which is why he should never have awarded the goal. Jorg Denzler, Bremen

The principle of reaching decisions based on fact is all well and good – that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t welcome goal-line technology. If my own personal sense of justice prevailed and the result was declared void,

Getty Images

Did the ball cross the line or not? This question is asked almost daily on football pitches around the globe. The say-so of players is suf­ ficient to settle the matter during a kick-about, but in the professional game technology made in Germany is helping to eradicate all doubts.


T HE DEBAT E Rudi Voller’s proposal to replay the final 22 minutes with the score at 1-0 would be the fairest solution. Markus Mayer, Innsbruck

I personally think the ruling is unfair, but I’m happy that the match won’t be replayed, as there was no infringement of the rules. We would probably have to wait until Christmas 2015, until all the appeals that would be lodged against the ruling were exhausted to find out who goes down and who wins the league in 2014. Besides, there have already been enough goals scored from offside positions this season. Fabienne Ehrler, Baden (Switzerland)

The referee’s authority shouldn’t be called into question. The decision he made on the pitch must stand. Where would we be if computers were used to scan every controversial incident in the game? Sven Magnusson, Malmo

The rules of football are completely outdated. We only have to look at the United States to see how modern-day sports should work. It’s a scandal that points should be awarded for goals scored via the side netting in this day and age. Vincenzo Carlino, Canicatti, Italy

The responsibility for the ’phantom goal’ clearly lies with the home club Hoffenheim, who failed to prepare the field of play adequately for the match. They have thus forfeited the right to demand a replay.

PRESIDENTIAL NOTE

his hands following the header? Everyone always talks about fair play, but when it affects you directly, it’s completely ignored. I also think that the DFB is powerful enough to take an independent decision on the matter. Andreas Blum, Hanover

From a legal perspective, the matter is quite clear: According to rule 5 of the DFB rules 2013/14, the referee’s decisions on incidents during the game are final. However, according to rule 1 of the DFB Rules 2013/14, this only applies to incidents on the field of play. In this case, the ball entered the goal, which isn’t strictly speaking part of the field of play, from the outside through the side

“Hoffen- B heim are clearly responsible.”

y rejecting Hoffenheim’s appeal against the ’phantom goal’ awarded in their match against Bayer Leverkusen, the German Football Association (DFB) made the only reasonable judgement available to them.

Their ruling was correct because the Laws of the Game governing world football and decided by the International Football Association Board clearly state that decisions made by the referee regarding facts connected with play are final. If Hoffenheim’s appeal had been upheld, such a decision would have had unforeseeable consequences. Every game would have to be legally reviewed because every decision made by the referee could be challenged after a match. With this in mind, the answer becomes clear: a goal is a goal if the referee deems it to be one, just as it is offside if the referee blows his whistle.

Frank Morel, Strasbourg

In my opinion, the only sensible decision that could have been taken was to replay the game. That’s because the referee was at fault. It’s his job to make sure that the pitch and goals are in perfect condition before the match, so he should have noticed the hole in the net. All the nets in the Bundesliga are now being inspected incredibly thoroughly. Dieter Barsch, Koblenz

The game should be replayed. How could Kiessling claim not to have seen the incident properly when he had his head in

Goal-line technology for all major leagues

netting. In that respect, I consider the TV evidence to be admissible, especially since players can be charged retrospectively following bad fouls which were not spotted – and not punished – by the referee at the time. In my opinion, the way Kiessling behaved shows more than just a complete lack of sportsmanship. Harald Beisemann, Berlin

“The ruling is unfair!” T H E F I FA W E E K LY

At the same time, this recent incident should open the eyes of any lingering sceptics and remove any doubts as to whether goal-line technology should be introduced. Previously, I was also opposed to the introduction of any technical aids, but I changed my mind after the 2010 FIFA World Cup when Frank Lampard scored his goal against Germany that was not given. It is important to hold a view on certain issues, but you must also be prepared to review your position. For this reason, all major leagues and competitions now have a responsibility to introduce goal-line technology, preferably sooner rather than later. The future of football has already arrived.

Best wishes, Joseph S. Blatter

29


Only eight countries have ever lifted the FIFA World Cup Trophy.

Yet over 200 have been winners with FIFA. As an organisation with 209 member associations, our responsibilities do not end with the FIFA World Cup™, but extend to safeguarding the Laws of the Game, developing football around the world and bringing hope to those less privileged. Our Football for Hope Centres are one example of how we use the global power of football to build a better future. www.FIFA.com/aboutfifa


THE EXPERT

“The key to success is prevention”

Ralf Mutschke

“I

had an informal meeting here in Zurich with someone who had been found guilty of match fixing. He looked right at me and said: ‘Organised crime is moving away from its original criminal activities and into match fixing, because there’s little risk and lots to gain.’

Daniel Bejar

Making sure that match fixing does not take place is the primary task of my team, and it is important that the entire FIFA community is involved in the fight against organised crime. That is my main aim and also my biggest challenge. We need to strengthen the football community in the fight against corruption and match fixing. We want to demonstrate that FIFA, in conjunction with our partner Interpol, is focusing intently on this issue. In February, a whistle-blower hotline was set up enabling anyone to write in via e-mail (www.bkms-system.net/ FIFA). This will give people who have suspicions the opportunity to contact FIFA anony-

mously, thereby enabling the governing body to act on any tips it receives. But that is not all. An additional measure is raising member associations’ awareness of the matter, which is done in cooperation with Interpol. In doing so, the importance of the programme is highlighted further. This includes holding information sessions ahead of all FIFA tournaments and making top officials for the Confederations Cup 2013 and the 2014 World Cup Brazil more ­attuned to the phenomenon. Regional and ­ national workshops are also held in all confederations to ensure a uniform and systematic approach. World Cup qualifying matches are tough to fix as a general rule, since the World Cup is the biggest event there is for teams and above all players. It only comes round every four years and is the competition they really want to take part in. Obviously we still keep a very close eye on those matches, but as yet there have been no suspicions of fixing. International friendlies, on the other hand, are much more susceptible to this kind of thing.

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

Plenty of member countries have shown a real interest in working with FIFA on this matter and have already approached me with specific queries. FIFA will be using its Integrity Team (FIT) to provide intensive support to these countries and to take up the fight on the broadest possible scale against organised crime. My main aim is to set up a global network of integrity officers. The key to success is prevention, and we can only succeed if we work together.” Å

R a l f M u t s c h k e ( 5 4 ) i s F I F A’s D i r e c t o r o f S e c u r i t y. 31


Place: Sittwe, Myanmar Ye a r : 19 95

32

T H E F I FA W E E K LY


FIRST LOVE

Steve McCurry/Magnum Photos

THE FIF FA A W E E K LY

33


F A 150 G A L A

Royal honour for The FA

Greg Dyke, Prince William Terry Venables, Roy Hodgson

Michael Owen

Joseph S. Blatter

Joseph S. Blatter, Greg Dyke, Jérôme Valcke

Howard Webb

June Kelly

Michel Platini

Geoff Hurst

Paul Potts

AFP, The FA via Getty Images

England have been trying to recapture the glory of their FIFA World Cup triumph for 47 long years. They may not have succeeded yet, but there were still grounds for celebration last weekend at the 150th anniversary of The Football Association in London.

T

his celebration of the English game in the Grand Connaught Rooms in London was graced by the presence of royalty, with Prince William the focus of attention at The FA’s 150th anniversary gala. Casting aside his royal reserve, the second-in-line to the throne nailed his colours to the mast: “When my club Aston Villa thrashes Manchester United at Villa Park, my son George will be in the stadium,” he said. FIFA 34

President Joseph S. Blatter highlighted the role played by the ‘home of football’ in a candid speech: “Three of the previous eight former FIFA presidents were Englishmen. Sir Stanley Rous in particular played a crucial part in the development of the game.” Reality TV star Paul Potts also hit the right note with his interpretation of Puccini’s classic Nessun dorma. The discussion revolved around the magnificent past of English football as guests feasted on T H E F I FA W E E K LY

British beef and French wine. Among them was the man who almost single-handedly wrote the most important chapter in England’s football history. Sir Geoff Hurst, scorer of what the Germans call the ‘Wembley Tor’ (the Wembley goal), is delighted that goal-line technology has now been introduced in England – a mere 47 years later. Å


FIFA WORLD R ANKING Rank Team

Change in ranking Points

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 8 10

Spain Germany Argentina Colombia Belgium Uruguay Switzerland Netherlands Italy England

0 1 -1 1 1 1 7 1 -4 7

1513 1311 1266 1178 1175 1164 1138 1136 1136 1080

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 44 46 47 47 49 49 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 61 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 71 73 74 75 76 77

Brazil Chile USA Portugal Greece Bosnia-Herzegovina Côte d'Ivoire Croatia Russia Ukraine France Ecuador Ghana Mexico Sweden Denmark Czech Republic Serbia Romania Slovenia Costa Rica Algeria Nigeria Honduras Scotland Panama Venezuela Armenia Peru Turkey Mali Cape Verde Islands Hungary Japan Wales Iceland Norway Tunisia Paraguay Iran Egypt Burkina Faso Austria Montenegro Uzbekistan Korea Republic Australia Albania Cameroon Republic of Ireland Libya South Africa Finland Senegal Slovakia Israel Zambia Guinea Poland Jordan United Arab Emirates Bolivia Sierra Leone Cuba Togo Bulgaria Morocco

-3 4 0 -3 -3 2 2 -8 -4 6 4 -2 1 -3 -3 -3 5 15 2 -1 2 -4 3 6 28 -1 -1 17 -5 9 -3 2 -13 -2 8 8 -8 -1 -8 -1 -1 -1 -6 -27 2 2 -4 -13 2 -1 9 7 -7 2 -5 3 4 8 -4 3 11 -9 -1 10 2 -12 -3

1078 1051 1040 1036 983 925 917 901 874 871 870 862 860 854 850 824 783 778 767 752 744 741 724 720 715 702 692 687 686 670 668 662 636 634 634 633 632 632 613 613 610 598 596 584 582 569 564 563 554 550 540 540 538 530 528 515 513 512 503 502 496 496 493 492 488 487 478

Ranking May 2013

June 2013

July 2013

Aug. 2013

Sept. 2013

Oct. 2013

1 -41 -83 -125 -167 -209 Top spot   78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 103 105 106 107 107 109 110 111 112 112 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 121 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 129 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 141 143 144

Biggest climber

Dominican Republic New Zealand Haiti Trinidad and Tobago Jamaica Belarus Gabon Uganda FYR Macedonia Congo DR Azerbaijan El Salvador Northern Ireland Congo Oman Angola Benin Ethiopia Moldova China PR Botswana Estonia Georgia Saudi Arabia Zimbabwe Lithuania Iraq Qatar Liberia Korea DPR Central African Republic Kuwait Niger Canada Guatemala Antigua and Barbuda Guyana Mozambique Tajikistan Latvia Kenya Equatorial Guinea St Vincent and the Grenadines Lebanon Burundi Bahrain Malawi Turkmenistan New Caledonia Luxembourg Namibia Rwanda Tanzania Suriname Grenada Afghanistan Cyprus Kazakhstan Sudan Philippines St Lucia Gambia Malta Syria Lesotho Thailand Tahiti

T H E F I FA W E E K LY

Biggest faller 9 -12 -2 4 -4 -3 -1 -4 -11 4 19 4 -4 1 4 -4 -4 -2 33 2 6 -11 -3 8 -1 9 2 3 8 6 -4 0 -8 -5 -12 -1 16 1 1 -2 0 -21 2 -1 3 -2 -2 0 -31 -1 -1 2 -2 4 -13 -1 0 -3 4 4 0 -3 2 2 6 -4 2

474 470 464 457 456 441 438 431 430 411 407 404 399 394 381 380 378 376 369 365 354 351 350 338 328 323 323 313 312 310 310 307 306 296 294 294 286 282 280 277 274 273 271 267 267 266 263 254 249 247 246 242 242 237 233 223 219 216 215 213 203 202 192 183 183 181 179

145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 162 162 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 171 173 173 175 176 177 178 178 180 181 182 183 183 185 186 186 188 189 190 191 192 193 193 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 202 204 204 206 207 207 207

Belize Palestine St Kitts and Nevis Hong Kong Myanmar Kyrgyzstan Vietnam Mauritania Nicaragua India Singapore Chad Maldives Liechtenstein Puerto Rico Malaysia Bermuda Indonesia São Tomé e Príncipe Bangladesh Nepal Sri Lanka Laos Pakistan Dominica Curaçao Solomon Islands Guam Barbados Aruba Faroe Islands Chinese Taipei Yemen Samoa Mauritius Madagascar Guinea-Bissau Vanuatu Swaziland Mongolia Fiji American Samoa Tonga Bahamas Montserrat Comoros US Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Brunei Darussalam Timor-Leste Eritrea Seychelles Papua New Guinea Cambodia British Virgin Islands Andorra Somalia Djibouti Cook Islands South Sudan Macau Anguilla Bhutan San Marino Turks and Caicos Islands

0 3 -10 0 13 -6 2 -2 0 1 4 2 -5 -2 1 1 -4 8 1 4 -2 2 5 2 -2 4 -2 4 -22 -8 7 -1 -4 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 3 2 2 2 2 3 4 3 -1 0 -11 -11 0 0 0 1 -2 0 0 1 1 1 -2 0 0 0 0

178 175 172 171 169 161 159 158 155 151 149 148 147 141 139 137 127 120 120 120 119 108 105 102 89 88 86 86 82 82 81 79 72 62 62 57 56 53 49 49 47 43 43 40 33 32 30 29 26 26 24 23 21 20 18 16 14 11 11 10 10 3 0 0 0

35


NET ZER KNOWS!

THE OBJEC T

D o B r a z i l r e a l l y h ave t h e r e c ip e fo r Wo r l d C u p s u c c e s s? O r w i l l t h e m o r e p hy s ic a l s t y l e a n d h i g h e r te m p o o f t h e E u r o p e a n g a m e t r iu m p h i n t h e N e w Wo r l d? Question from Conny Müller in Gottingen That’s an intriguing question. I wouldn’t say that Brazilian footballers are physically inferior to European players. That certainly used to be the case. Back in the day, Brazil’s intricate technique and fleet-footed style was a cut above what was on offer in Europe, where attempts were

made to emulate it. As this wasn’t always successful, the Europeans largely stuck to their physical style of play. The two football cultures, once so profoundly different, have now become much more similar. Most of the Seleção earn their living at some of Europe’s top clubs and thus no longer lag behind in the physical department. To come back to your original question, Ms Müller, Brazil will find it difficult to lift the World Cup next summer. It’s by no means an impossible task for Luiz Felipe Scolari and his team – he has a very talented squad and home advantage is another reason to back Brazil for their sixth World Cup title. But Spain and Germany also currently have the wherewithal to win the tournament. Experience has taught us that it would be foolish to rule out the Italians. And let’s not forget Argentina – a team built around Lionel Messi

Perikles Monioudis has no reason to fear anyone. Brazil’s home advantage could also prove a hindrance, however. The euphoric support from the stands can give the hosts an edge and every footballer dreams of playing the game of their lives at a World Cup in front of their own fans. But you mustn’t underestimate the pressure it puts on the team. Two hundred million Brazilians expect their team to win the title next summer and even second place would be a failure in their eyes. That puts the team in a difficult position before a ball has even been kicked. Å

Joseph S. Blatter’s Presidential Note from last week (“A level playing field for Africa!”) has caused a huge stir worldwide. London’s Daily Telegraph wrote: “Blatter’s proposal will cause outrage amongst the traditional powerhouses of world football from Brazil and Argentina to Germany and Spain. (…) There will be consternation over the route to the World Cup being made harder for European and South American sides.” 36

CNN asked Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho for his views on the Presidential Note: “I respect his opinion, but I disagree,” said the Portuguese supremo. “The history of football was made equally by many races. And the black players have a fantastic contribution of what football is” . Danny Jordaan, president of the South African Football

Bond’s heart, however, was neither shaken nor stirred. Even Roger Moore, whose English villa was recently sold for 4.5 million pounds – the current value of an average Premier League player – is hardly associated with the beautiful game, despite once claiming to be a follower of Reading FC.

Association took another view, telling the New Zealand Herald that it was “an important matter for debate.” Cameroon were the first African team to reach the quarter-finals of a FIFA World Cup, at Italy 1990. Only Senegal at Korea/Japan 2002 and Ghana, at South Africa 2010, have since replicated that success. Å

Moore is unlikely to have suffered any similar frisson from Kahn’s performance. His thoughts may rather have drifted to his five imaginary football pitches in London, which the resident of Switzerland and Monaco had not used for some time. When Moore stood up from his seat to applaud the players in Yokohama, the envelope containing his invitation fell to the ground - an envelope that would have spontaneously combusted in a Bond film, but which is now archived at the Home of FIFA in Zurich. Å

Gian Paul Lozza

Perikles Monioudis

The Daily Mail took a similar line: “Any changes in the tournament’s make up could mean European teams struggle, and at a time when England’s own route to Brazil 2014 was occasionally a struggle.”

The five football pitches are certainly not meant in any literal sense. Football – in all its profanity – has only its playing surface in common with the traditional sporting pursuits of golf and lawn tennis. It took the revolution of the common man for the sport to capture the hearts of the general public.

Having long since retired from his Bond role, Moore attended the final of the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Yokohama, where he sat in the VIP stand. He looked on as German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn failed to prevent a Brazilian victory. Kahn gritted his teeth, possibly reminding Moore of the steel-toothed Jaws from The Spy Who Loved Me, to whom he delivered a mighty electric shock with a broken bedside lamp.

FEEDBACK Reaction to The FIFA Weekly, No.1, 25 October 2013, p. 29.

When Roger Moore was filming the first of his Bond films in 1973, he enjoyed the luxury lifestyle of his alter ego. His rural villa was surrounded by five football pitches’ worth of land, just a short drive by Aston Martin to the centre of London.

T H E F I FA W E E K LY


TURNING POINT

“My evening in Florence” In 1990, Alexi Lalas was a hitchhiking student visiting the World Cup in Italy. Just four years later, he was playing for the USA himself. Here, the 43-year-old cult hero describes the groundbreaking moment that launched his career.

“J

Name:

ust for the fun of it, and pretty much by chance, I went to a match at the World Cup in Italy in June 1990 with some friends. I was a student at the time and had no ambitions when it came to football. Four years later, I was on the pitch playing for USA. But let me tell my story from the start.

Alexi Lalas Date of birth: 1 June 1970 Place of birth: Birmingham, Michigan (USA) Body size: 1,91 m International appearances: 96 Position:

I grew up in Detroit, where football is anything but a popular sport. Everything revolves around ice hockey and I used play it every day. I was a defender for my high school team.

Defender End of career: 2003 with L.A. Galaxy

I made an effort to keep up other interests outside of school too. I’ve played the guitar my whole life (Lalas has his own recording studio at home in Los Angeles) and liked playing different sports, but I was always specially keen on football. Even though it wasn’t very popular in the United States for a long time, I loved it.

Privat

I can’t remember exactly when I decided to focus completely on the game, but it must have been around the start of my time at Rutgers University, so I would have been about 16. I earned a place on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights team and in the same year, 1986, I watched the World Cup in Mexico on television. The atmosphere, the football, Diego Maradona in his prime - it was fantastic. Looking back now, it seems like those four weeks in front of the TV shaped me, and that was without the US team being there, as they didn’t qualify. From then on, my life was all about football. And so four years later I came to be at the World Cup in Italy with a couple of friends. It happened by chance because being a group of 20-year-old fun-loving students, football wasn’t the only thing on our minds. We wanted to hitchhike, discover Europe and party. It

just fitted into our schedule that the tournament was taking place in Italy. And USA were there. So on 19 June 1990 I found myself in the stands in Florence. The heat was sticky and I was sweltering. USA were playing Austria, and we were forced to witness the 2-1 defeat that ended our participation at the tournament. That was a tough moment, but also a unique and inspiring one. The atmosphere at that World Cup was fantastic and I recall looking down onto the pitch that day and thinking: ‘I’d love to experience something like this again’. And I did, although when it happened the circumstances and atmosphere exceeded all my expectations. On 18 June 1994, almost exactly four years after that evening in Florence, T H E F I FA W E E K LY

I ran out onto the pitch in front of 80,000 fans at the sold-out Silverdome with my ten team-mates on the US national team. It was the opening game of the World Cup against Switzerland in Detroit; I still get chills down my spine when I talk about that 1-1 draw. The stadium was rocking, the world was watching and the USA discovered soccer. I was in the thick of it, in the stadium, barely ten minutes away from my home by car, where everything began back in my youth.” Å

I n Tu r n i n g P o i n t , p e r s o n a l i t i e s reflect on a decisive moment in their lives. 37


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.


FIFA QUIZ CUP

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

Let’s warm up gently with the first two questions. Here we go!

1

One of these gentlemen recently lost his job. Once upon a time, he was head coach of the Vatican national team. Which one? A

H

President: Joseph S. Blatter B

Secretary General: Jérôme Valcke Director of Communications & Public Affairs: Walter De Gregorio

2

F

Which national side has four stars, for four World Cups, on their shirts?

Chief editor: Thomas Renggli

A

Art director: Markus Nowak

O

E

I

Staff writers: Perikles Monioudis (Deputy Editor), Alan Schweingruber, Sarah Steiner Contributors: Jordi Punti, Barcelona; David Winner, London; Roland Zorn, Frankfurt/M.; Sven Goldmann, Berlin; Sergio Xavier Filho, Sao Paulo; Luigi Garlando, Milan

OK, now it’s make-or-break time.

3

Picture editor: Peggy Knotz

Introducing Troglodytes musculus, alias …

Production: Hans-Peter Frei (head of section), Richie Kronert, Philipp Mahrer, Marianne Crittin, Mirijam Ziegler, Peter Utz, Olivier Honauer

L

Proof reader: Nena Morf

B

I

N

Contributors to this issue: Delia Fischer, Brian Alexander 4

Editorial assistant: Loraine Mcdouall Translation: Sportstranslations.com

Which World Cup officially took place in the year XII? The well-known World Cup poster displays this “date” as well as the “normal” year … D 1934

Project management: Bernd Fisa, Christian Schaub Printer: Zofinger Tagblatt AG 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, 2013”. The editor and staff are not obliged to publish unsolicited manuscripts and photos. The FIFA logo is a registered trademark. Made and printed in Switzerland.

K 1954

L 1974

I 1994

Inspiration and implementation cus

Please send your answers to feedback-TheWeekly@fifa.org by 6 November 2013. Correct submissions for all quizzes until 31 Decmber 2013 will go into the draw to win two tickets to the FIFA Ballon d’Or 2013 on 13 January 2014. Before sending in your answers, all participants must read and accept the competition terms and conditions and the rules, which can be found at en.fifa.com/aboutfifa/organisation/the-fifa-weekly/rules.pdf. Å The answer to last week’s Quiz Cup was FAIL. T H E F I FA W E E K LY

39


ASK FIFA!

T HIS WEEK’S POLL

Can Manchester United get back on their feet?

Eight points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal after ten games. Like Red Devils’ striker Javier Hernandez, seen here in a Champions League tussle with Real Sociedad’s Inigo Martinez, England’s defending champions have been knocked out of their stride. Send your reply to: feedback-TheWeekly@fifa.org

L A S T W E E K’S P O L L R E S U LT S:

35+25+2010 37 24

Answered by Matthias Kunz, FIFA historian: Yes – Florin Raducioiu. The Romanian played in Italy for Verona, Bari, Brescia and Milan; in Germany for VfB Stuttgart; in England for West Ham United; in Spain for Espanyol in Barcelona; and in France for AS Monaco. He scored at least once in all five leagues. Four players have appeared in Italy, Spain, England and Germany: Abel Xavier, Gheorghe Popescu, Pierre Wome and Jon Dahl Tomasson.

Who will lift the World Cup in July 2014?

10%

10%

35%

20%

World Cup qualifying: WHO WILL BOOK THE LAST TICKETS TO BRAZIL?

≠ BRAZIL ≠ SPAIN ≠ GERMANY ≠ ITALY ≠ OTHERS

25%

HOT FROM THE SPOT

T H E M A N A G E R I A L M E R R Y- G O - R O U N D

COMING UP NEX T WEEK

ON THE INSIDE: The latest news from Germany, England, Italy and Spain FC BARCELONA: History of a legend Interview: ROMANIA COACH VICTOR PITURCA THE SOUND OF FOOTBALL: World in motion IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Racism in Germany

AVAILABLE FROM 8 NOVEMBER.

THE WORLD CUP PIONEER

coaches have already been dismissed by Christian

teams took part in the first

Constantin during

FIFA World Cup Uruguay in 1930.

his time as presi-

It was the only World Cup

dent of Swiss club

qualification: Only four

we went to press.

European teams – Belgi-

Constantin is fast running out of

um, France, Yugoslavia and Romania – were

options, however:

prepared to face the

Current coach

arduous three-week

Laurent Roussey

40

that did not require

Sion – at the time

voyage to South

is now in his third

penalty shoot-outs have already

America. The hosts

spell with the club.

been contested by the Zambian

won the tourna-

national team – more than any

ment, with

other side. The central Africans

Argentinian

have emerged victorious on eleven

Guillermo Stabile

occasions. (photo: Emmanuel

(pictured) emerging as the

Mayuka)

top goalscorer. T H E F I FA W E E K LY

13 Getty Images, afp

Question from Hilde Scheppers of Utrecht: has any player ever appeared in all the top European leagues?


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