GRAVITY WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.
City’s heart of defence back after a long absence.
Vincent Kompany is set to miss Manchester City’s crunch Champions League quarter-final against Paris St Germain.
Vincent Kompany will miss Manchester City’s crunch Champions League quarter-final against Paris St Germain. The Blues skipper joined full training for the first time in a month, but he was then ruled out of tomorrow’s second leg at the Etihad Stadium. But on the bright side, Nicolas Otamendi, who limped away from Saturday’s win over West Brom with an ankle injury, and missed training this morning, WILL be fit to take on Zlatan and Co. That means Kompany, Raheem Sterling and the ineligible Samir Nasri – who was dropped from the Champions League squad in January due to his long-term injury – are the only players unavailable. Sergio Aguero took a painful blow to the Achilles tendon against the Baggies and David Silva missed the game with his ongoing ankle trouble, but both will be OK to play. “The squad list for tomorrow does not include Samir Nasri, Raheem Sterling continues to be injured, and Vincent Kompany is not 100 per cent,” said manager Manuel Pellegrini. When pressed on Kompany, who has been out for a month with a calf injury, the manager said: “It is not possible.” The 29-year-old centre-back is a crucial part of the Sky Blues back line, providing leadership that simply does not exist in his absence. Unfortunately for Kompany, the calf problem that has blighted his 2015-16 campaign has flared up with alarming frequency this term. He has missed time for both club and country, and City’s title assault has stuttered as a result. “I feel great, and I’m glad I got to do it (play for Belgium),” Kompany told Sky Sports News HQ. “It’s going again now, and I’m looking forward to the next games,” he added. The City captain’s return will have come as something of a shock to Pellegrini, who had claimed on Oct. 2 Kompany wouldn’t be fit for Belgium’s Euro 2016 qualifiers Vincent Kompany will miss Manchester City’s crunch Champions League quarter-final against Paris St
Back in training Germain. The Blues skipper joined full training for the first time in a month, but he was then ruled out of tomorrow’s second leg at the Etihad Stadium. But on the bright side, Nicolas Otamendi, who limped away from Saturday’s win over West Brom with an ankle injury, and missed training this morning, WILL be fit to take on Zlatan and Co. That means Kompany, Raheem Sterling and the ineligible Samir Nasri – who was dropped from the Champions League squad in January due to his long-term injury – are the only players unavailable. Sergio Aguero took a painful blow to the Achilles tendon against the Baggies and David Silva missed the game with his ongoing ankle trouble, but both will be OK to play. The 29-year-old centre-back is a crucial part of the Sky Blues back line, providing leadership that simply does
not exist in his absence. Unfortunately for Kompany, the calf problem that has blighted his 2015-16 campaign has flared up with alarming frequency this term. He has missed time for both club and country, and City’s title assault has stuttered as a result.
The LEGEND of CRUYFF Will Live Forever The death of the great Netherlands footballer Johan Cruyff leaves a huge hole in the world of football. But his legacy will long live on. Three-times winner of the Ballon d’Or, the sport’s top individual prize, he set the field alight with his skill and was the pioneer of the world famous style of play, “total football”.
NE Y MA R , RON A L DO, ME SS I ? Barcelona duo Lionel Messi and Neymar and Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo have been shortlisted for the 2015 FIFA Ballon d’Or award. The prize is the most prestigious individual player award in the game and the three were chosen from a longer list of 23 names which also included Wales and Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale. Ronaldo has won four Ballon d’Or awards, including for the past two years. Messi also has four, which came consecutively from 2009 to 2012. The Argentina forward helped Barcelona win the treble last season, and is odds-on favourite to make it Ballon d’Or number five in 2016.
Ballon D’or
16
El - Clasico The passing of each El Clásico leaves in its wake without exception — a brand new chapter in the annals of history documenting the grandest of rivalries: Futbol Club Barcelona versus Real Madrid. Saturday night’s match at Camp Nou, however, was more than just another episode. It was an epic game that had it all — a tear-inducing pre-game tribute
to the recently passed Johan Cruyff and a minute of silence, frighteningly fearless tackling, heart-stopping end-to-end play and, somewhat surprisingly, a tight, evenly matched encounter standing in juxtaposition to an uncommonly large gap between the two arch-rivals in the league table. Nevertheless, the biggest jolt of all came when the game ended in a shocking 2–1 upset victory for Real Madrid.
-1 -2
One-On-One Does he mind being called a super-sub? Did he ever piss off Roy Keane? Was he a better finisher than Ruud van Nistelrooy? And does he still play Football Manager?!
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Interview Chris Flanagan Portrait Erik Birkeland
“We have a saying in Norway: there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing,” Ole Gunnar Solskjaer chuckles as FFT shivers pitchside at Molde’s smart Aker Stadion, an arena his £1.5 million transfer to Manchester United helped build. It’s just above freezing and snow is on the ground in this tiny city of 25,000 people on the banks of the Romsdalsfjord, where the blizzards are followed by brief periods of bright sunshine, allowing stunning vistas of the 222 peaks of the surrounding mountains. Solskjaer grew up a few miles away at the other end of the treacherous Atlantic Road in Kristiansund, but it’s in Molde where arguably the greatest super-sub of all time forged his reputation as a player and manager. If his ill-fated period as Cardiff City boss left him pining for the fjords, the 43-year-
old appears reinvigorated by his return for a second spell in charge of Molde. In fact, he’s positively beaming when we arrive. “I’ve always read FourFourTwo,” he says, explaining how he bought the magazine even before he moved to England in 1996. A lot has happened in the 20 years since… Were you a fan of your ‘Baby-Faced Assassin’ nickname? Did your youthful looks give you any advantages or disadvantages as a kid? James, London The nickname was no problem. It was nice to be given one. When I came to the Premier League, I knew I looked young, but I could still be a devil – if I had to hit a player’s ankle
in a tackle, I hit his ankle. Were there any benefits when I was younger? None at all. I remember on one family holiday to Majorca you had to be either 15 years of age or above 140cm to go on this slide. I was over 15 but they still wouldn’t let me go on the slide! I was tiny at that age. I was a very late developer – I only really started developing when I was 20 or 21. Then I moved from my local team, Clausenengen, to Molde and my career took off.
“Sir Alex spoke at length to Teddy at half-time, not me. I thought: ‘I’m going to prove you wrong’”
One-On-One
Was your fi rst opportunity to become a manager when you were offered the job with the Norwegian national team? If that is true, why did you turn it down? Christian, Trondheim Yes, it was. I’d just started coaching at United, I had a good chat with the gaffer and he said: “Why do you want to do that? You can do that when you’re 50.” He was so right. I was in the best place to learn. I thought about it, though. Which was the most challenging aspect of the transition from player to manager? Jamie Wilkins, London At Molde I’ve had only success, more or less, so the transition wasn’t diffi cult at all. I’m very stubborn: I want to do it my way, and the players and the club responded really well to what I wanted to do. The club had never won the league in its history, then we won it twice. But going to Cardiff, that was hard. I was probably the wrong man at the wrong time. I’d always been at Manchester United or Molde, dominating games and played attacking, entertaining football. I wasn’t mean or cynical enough. My teams weren’t solid enough back then. Now I’ve learned a lot. My team at Molde are a lot more solid now. Do you regret going to Cardiff? You were linked to Aston Villa before that – why didn’t you go there instead? @J__Forrest, via Twitter I’d had approaches before, but I felt Cardiff was the right time for me. I don’t regret it – stand by your decisions. If they’d known what they know now, maybe they wouldn’t have done it; maybe I wouldn’t have done it. It was a valuable experience, but it didn’t turn out well. I feel bad when I look at the results. It’s hard when you get relegated. But I can look back and say I wasn’t ready. And I never dreaded going into work at Cardiff. Vincent [Tan] and I spoke a lot that was never an issue. He wanted his team to be successful, and he’s right to do what he wants to do. I wish
him all the very best. Do you regret saying: “Let’s make sure we finish above Swansea” when you arrived? Huw Mellor, Fernham That was the aim and I felt we could do it, but we were unlucky because Swansea change their manager just before we played them. That turned their season, and it probably turned ours as well when we lost at their place. They could have waited another week or so before Garry Monk got the job... How did the initiation ceremonies in football compare with the ones in the army when you did national service? Dave, via email I was only 19 but we were all new recruits together so you didn’t have to impress anyone. It’s harder to come into a team of footballers and dance or sing. At Cardiff I sang What Does The Fox Say? in front of the players – it was Norway’s anthem that year. That’s strange when you’re supposed to be the players’ boss. But that was me making a fool of myself in front of them because I wanted them to never be afraid of making mistakes. They were at times it felt like they thought they weren’t good enough for the Premier League. Would you rather play for Louis van Gaal or be eaten by a hungry bear? @TripleMeasures, via Twitter [Laughs] Before every game Sir Alex would say: “Express yourselves, enjoy the game, show us what you can do, but work
your bollocks off.” That’s the Manchester United I want to see again, where players move freely and get in behind. But we’re all different. Louis van Gaal has got a fantastic CV, so I can’t criticise him. Has your experience with Cardiff put you off managing in the Premier League or Football League again? @StewartsGloves, via Twitter I became Molde manager the fi rst time with the aim of doing as well as I could for Molde but knowing I was going to manage in the Premier League. I was chasing that career as a manager. This time I’m not looking at that. I’m completely different in my mindset if it comes, it comes. We got through [the group] in the Europa League: we beat Celtic twice, we won at Fenerbahce, we didn’t lose to Ajax. It was historic – an unbelievable achievement for this club. To have those matches... no disrespect but when you look at some of the Championship teams that I managed against, this is the better option. If I manage again in a different country, my team is going to be solid, but I can never stray away from the way I want my teams to play football – with creativity and imagination, just as I learned under Sir Alex Ferguson. Is United still the dream job for me? Every Manchester United player who goes into management has that ultimate dream.
HEEEEEEEEERE’S SANCHEZ! Ten months is a long time in football. Spend it injured and it’s an absolute eternity. So it was with more than a little frustration that Alexis Sanchez rose highest to meet Mesut Özil’s injury-time free-kick against table-toppers Leicester to secure a vital victory. Cue bedlam and a renewed title hope.
WILLIAN: I JUST WANT TO FORGET The Brazilian reflects on a shocking campaign for his club but an impressive one for him Marcus Alves chats to the Blues’ Brazilian to reflect on what has been a shocking campaign for his club, but an impressive one on a personal level… Chelsea haven’t had much to celebrate this season, even after ending Tottenham’s Premier League title bid. But there’s at least one figure around Cobham who has reasons not to cry about the past few months. Ask anyone – there’s no doubt Willian has
dethroned Eden Hazard as the Stamford Bridge side’s best player after his outstanding recent form. “His feet worked like hands,” interim coach Guus Hiddink noted in February. The Brazilian ace was Chelsea’s best player under Jose Mourinho before the Portuguese’s sacking in December, and although his fellow colleagues have picked up under Hiddink, Willian has remained their most consistent player. Scoring 11 goals and chipping in with 10
assists wasn’t enough for him – he also impressed everyone with his outstanding record from free-kicks in the Blues’ Champions League campaign, after netting four times. But he’s still not content.
Leicester’s amazing season is thanks in no small part to Riyad Mahrez but the Premier League Player of the Year contender hasn’t had it easy! Tears trickled down the cheeks of a skinny 18-year-old as his manager broke the news. The young Riyad Mahrez wasn’t expecting this: a teenager, hundreds of miles from home, seeing his dreams of becoming a footballer snatched away. It was 2009 and Quimper, an amateur team in France’s fourth tier,
had decided that the tricky winger, who just under seven years later would be leading the most unlikely of Premier League title assaults with Leicester City, wasn’t good enough for them. Or so it seemed. Manager Ronan Salaun, a wily former pro, had liked what he’d seen of Mahrez on a July trial
day featuring more than 20 other players, but he had been fi ghting a losing battle trying to convince the club’s powers that this spindly young wideman was worth the bare minimum €750-per-month contract. By September, however, after he’d been playing for a month, they’d caved. Mahrez was the only player
Quimper signed from that trial day. The Algeria international recalls that period vividly when FourFourTwo meets him at the King Power Stadium, the setting for many of the 25-year-old’s dazzling highlights as one of the Premier League’s standout players this season. “They said: ‘We can’t [sign you], because we’d have to give you a good contract and we don’t know if you deserve that’,” Mahrez recalls with a knowing smile. “I’d been with them
for one month by then – I didn’t know how they could say that. They didn’t say it in the beginning. I had got used to playing with the team. They said they wanted to keep me but would have to check with the boss to see if he agreed. They spoke with him… and he did.” Mahrez joined Quimper alongside Mathias Pogba, younger brother of Juventus dynamo Paul and future Crewe Alexandra striker, who became his fl atmate in an apartent
provided by the French club. First, though, Mahrez was sent to play with their seventh-tier B team. It seemed they still weren’t entirely convinced. “He was a street player who had taught himself football in his neighbourhood,” recalled former coach Mickael Pellen. “It was both an advantage and a disadvantage: good because he was an excellent dribbler, comfortable with both feet and already very good at set-pieces, but a disadvantage because on a Cont
RIYAD MAHREZ
tactical level he knew nothing.” Mahrez’s unquestionable technical ability had seen him this far, but Quimper were concerned about his slight frame and knew he needed toughening up. To Mahrez, it was merely a mildly annoying continuation of what doubters had always told him. “I used to play with older boys, always,” the Foxes trickster tells FFT. “When I was 15 or 16 I’d play with 20-year-olds, and when I was 20, maybe with 25-year-olds. It helped me. It does not make me sad or anything, looking back. “How did I prove them wrong? Just with my ability, my quality. They would say those things, then we’d play a game, I’d play well and they’d change their opinion. I used to play a lot in the city and it helped me. I’m just confi dent, and happy. I never thought that I couldn’t be a footballer. Never.” Mahrez needed only the second half of the 2009-10 season to stake his claim in Quimper’s fi rst team. They were relegated to the fi fth tier, but his personal improvements hadn’t gone unnoticed. Le Havre’s reserves played in the same league, and signed him that summer. Yet, despite 13 goals in his debut season for the second-stringers, it would be another 18 months before he got a proper sniff of Ligue 2 with their fi rst team. The teenager would have to be patient again. Mahrez was born in Sarcelles, a greying suburb north of Paris, to an Algerian father and Moroccan mother in February 1991. Ten miles from the capital’s centre, it’s known for its high migrant population as a popular settlement for those fl eeing the Algerian War in the 1950s and ’60s, but its streets would also
Fox he is today. “It’s a good place where everyone knows everyone,” Mahrez recalls of his old stamping ground. “My early memories of my dad taking me to play football in the club when I was six are happy ones. They are my favourites.” Tragically, when Mahrez was only 15 he and his mother and three siblings lost his father Ahmed to a heart attack. As a former player with minor clubs in Algeria and France, Ahmed Mahrez had been his son’s only true footballing infl uence when he was growing up. “It defi nitely affected me because I was 15, still young,” Mahrez remembers. “Then, when you have only one parent, it’s diffi cult. But it made me stronger. It affected my football positively, because it gave me more ambition. He wanted me to be a professional.” Recently, a video emerged on social media of a 17-year-old Mahrez showing off his skills to a camera-happy friend. Immediately featured is the double stepover that has bamboozled his Premier League opponents all season. “The other kids didn’t hate me for my skills – they just
kicked me instead,” the Franco-Algerian chuckles. Mahrez joined AAS Sarcelles in his early teens. Back then, he was just one of many skilful youngsters in his area, representing the B team and generally staying in the shadows.
“Maybe when there are four or five matches left I can dream of winning the title. Not yet” What’s happened since has been nothingshort of staggering. After helping the Foxesseal the Championship title in a dominant second half to 2013-14, Mahrez showed flashes of his ability last season as Leicester ensured their Premier League status with a memorable late-season surge to safety. But he was also often wasteful in front of goal and suspect defensively. Not this time around. “Fantastic,” says a beaming Mahrez when we ask him to describe a season in which his jaw-dropping contributions have set up one of English football’s most exciting title races. “I speak about the whole team, because I don’t like to speak about just me. This is Leicester’s best season ever and we just need to keep going. We have the quality and we have the confidence, then when you start winning games you gain even more confidence. That’s how football goes. Collectively Leicester have captured the imagination of neutrals, but individually Mahrez has stolen the show. Two days after FFT’s visit, his deft dribbling proves impossible for Manchester City to cope with: inside three minutes he wins the free-kick fromwhich he lays on Robert Huth’s fi rst goal then he effectively kills off the game just a half-time by tying Martin Demichelis in knots and firing the ball past Joe Hart. Hart. All season long he has made it look easy to embarrass top flight de-
defenders, but why the sensational improvement? “More experience, maybe?” he suggests sheepishly. “More confidence, too. For me, when I go onto the pitch it’s about enjoying myself – I want to take pleasure in playing. But now, when you’re playing for a place in the top four, you can have fun but you also have to think of the team as well. You can’t just be thinking about yourself. “Maybe we don’t have the same level of tiredness as guys who started at a club like Leicester at 14, training every day, having to be somewhere at certain times every day. We came from non-league, so it was easier. It helps some players. It helped me; maybe it helped Vards and N’Golo, too.” It’s not all been peaches and cream for the Algerian maestro, though. Two crucial missed penalties in draws against Bournemouth and Aston Villa in January were a true test of character. Afterwards, Ranieri revealed that Mahrez would take a step back from spot-kick duties – or so went the narrative back then. “No, no… if we had another penalty, I would have taken it,” Mahrez insists. “He said: ‘Maybe you shouldn’t take the next one’ and I agreed. But then I thought about it and went back to him to say: ‘No, you know what? I’m going to take it.’ He said: ‘OK, if you’re sure’.” He didn’t get that opportunity, as it turned out – Vardy drilled home the next spot-kick, against Arsenal.
In Conversation with
CR 7
CR 7
On the Ballon d’Or and his rival- semi-finals.” ry with Messi: On people’s impressions of him “I’m always disappointed when I lose, its after watching the film: normal, I’m not a fake person, I’m not going to hide it when I feel disappointed. But it doesn’t depend on me, winning the Golden Ball, it depends on votes. But I’m not complaining because I’ve won three times, I never thought I would win one Golden Ball, so to win three is great, gives me great motivation to work hard and achieve more. “I want more and more, I still have many years to play football, and I want to win more things. I’m always motivated, I don’t need other players to motivate myself. “Messi is an unbelievable player, and maybe it pushes me more, harder to be better and better. But the people who know me, know I’m always like that, I try to be the best professional in my job, I try to be the best all the time. “But sometimes it’s not possible because we are human beings, we are not machines. But in my mind I’m the best and I work like the best. This is the way I see my life till the end of my life, this is what I want and what I want to be.”
On the Premier League vs La Liga: “For me, they are the best leagues in the world, the Spanish and English. In England there are more honest players, they are faster and stronger than here, but here they are more technical. It’s different, but it’s great to have the opportunity to play in both. “I think they are great, if you see in the Champions League, there are always Spanish and English teams in the
“To be honest I’m not worried about the impression that they have about me, because it’s such a natural movie that I was not thinking about that. Of course we are always wanting to have a good image but when you see the movie you will see its all natural. Because I’m not an actor I don’t know how to act.”
On the young players he rates: “You see many players with potential, I will mention [Martin] Odegaard of Madrid for example, at 16 he’s still young but you can see he’s a very good player. [Eden] Hazard for example, the No.7 of Manchester [Memphis] Depay is a good player too, [Paul] Pogba and maybe Neymar.”
“Messi is an unbelieveble player, and maybe it pushes me more, harder to be better and better.�