WWW.FIFA.COM/MAGAZINE JULY / AUGUST 2017 ENGLISH EDITION A FEAST FOR FANS RUSSIA GABRIEL BATISTUTA THE FIFA LEGEND ON HIS ADVENTURES ABROAD FIFA WORLD FOOTBALL MUSEUM PANINI STICKERS PROVE THEIR CULTURAL WORTH WOMEN’S FOOTBALL NEW GIRLS’ TOURNAMENTS IN CHINA AND LAOS FIFA U-20 WORLD CUP ENGLAND WIN FIRST WORLD CUP FOR 51 YEARS
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WWW.FIFA.COM/MAGAZINE JULY / AUGUST 2017ENGLISH EDITION
A FEAST FOR FANSRUSSIA
GABRIEL BATISTUTA THE FIFA LEGEND ON HIS ADVENTURES ABROAD
FIFA WORLD FOOTBALL MUSEUM PANINI STICKERS PROVE THEIR CULTURAL WORTH
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL NEW GIRLS’ TOURNAMENTS IN CHINA AND LAOS
FIFA U-20 WORLD CUP ENGLAND WIN FIRST WORLD CUP FOR 51 YEARS
GRASSROOTS
FIFA inspiring girls and boys to play football.FIFA’s Grassroots programme is the core foundation of our development mission, aimed at encouraging girls andboys around the world to play and enjoy football without restrictions. Grassroots focuses on the enjoyment of thegame trough small-sided team games, and teaching basic football technique, exercise and fair play.
For more information visit FIFA.com
EDITORIAL
RUSSIA IN RAPTURESRussia loves football, Russia lives for football. If anyone doubted the passion of
fans in the world’s biggest country, they needed only to look at the crowds that
flocked to the FIFA Confederations Cup and put on such a colourful display with
Mexican waves and chants for all eight teams.
Their passion and enthusiasm was infectious right from the start, when FIFA
President Gianni Infantino was applauded for opening the tournament in Russian:
“Dorogie druz’ya [Dear friends], dobro pozhalovat [welcome]!“
The Confederations Cup was a start full of so much promise in the countdown
towards the World Cup this time next year. FIFA 1904 also travelled to Russia to
get a feel for the joyful atmosphere first hand, and also heard some equally
compelling reasons for fans to attend the World Cup next year – from the CEO of
the Local Organising Committee and from a street artist on Saint Petersburg’s
Nevsky Prospect, from a voluntary youth coach and from a Russian player outside
a stadium dressing room. Read our report starting on page 8.
Perikles Monioudis
EDITORIAL
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4 FIFA NEWSFIFA’s most recent investments in world football.
6 FIFA/COCA-COLA WOMEN’S WORLD RANKINGJordan have climbed two places – and are setting their sights firmly on the 2019 World Cup in France.
8 CONFEDERATIONS CUP 2017The two-week FIFA tournament is more than just a warm-up for the World Cup. We report from Moscow and Saint Petersburg about white nights, convivial beer gardens and well-travelled fans.
16 SNAPSHOTSuperstar Lionel Messi at the barber’s.
19 SOCIAL MEDIA“Who should your club sign this transfer window?” Our readers give their opinions.
20 YOUNG BLOODThe FIFA U-20 World Cup in Korea Republic resulted in a historic victory for England, their first world title win since 1966. Could this be the birth of a new golden generation?
24 FIRST LOVESaint-Pierre, Italy.
26 FIFA/COCA-COLA MEN’S WORLD RANKINGIran and coach Queiroz: a seemingly inseparable couple who are on the way up.
28 INTERVIEWGabriel Batistuta achieved legendary status in Argentina and Italy. He talks to FIFA 1904 about his foreign odyssey, the striker position and Argentina’s title drought.
32 COOL STADIUMThe first stadium to be completed for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar has opened its doors and allayed all concerns that the heat could be a problem in five years’ time.
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42
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CONTENTS
COVER PICTUREAs this month’s cover illustrates, Russia is an enticing destination for fans all over the world.
Illustration: Mario Wagner
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34 THEN AND NOWFrom Bayreuth (1977) to Asunción (2015).
36 WOMEN’S FOOTBALL“I saw older girls, how they played football and enjoyed the game, and I desperately wanted to join in.” The experience of 15-year-old Phonethip from Laos is typical of girls in East and South East Asia. U-15 tournaments for girls have now been held.
40 DEBATE – PRESIDENT’S MESSAGEThree-step procedure against discrimination – President Gianni Infantino: “At times, the FIFA U-20 World Cup felt like an authentic glimpse of how football may look in the future. And, I must say, it looked rather fascinating to me.”
42 PANINI COLLECTORSVisitors to the FIFA World Football Museum in Zurich can feast their eyes on over 4,000 stickers (going back as far as the 1970 World Cup). A report on collectors, faces and sideburns.
46 THE OVERHEAD KICKSuccessful exponents of the art score spectacular goals and thrill fans – but what is the overhead kick, actually?
50 PHOTO ARCHIVE College room-mates: a snap from 1993 shows four soon-to-be-famous football stars taking a stroll in North Carolina.
52 STATISTICSFacts and figures on the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
54 BENFICAThe Portuguese giants are aiming to rejoin the global elite. How good were they? We take a look back at Benfica’s salad days.
58 FIFA MEMBER ASSOCIATIONSSnippets from around the world.
62 CELEBRATIONAustralia’s Socceroos shortly before qualifying for Brazil 2014.
64 PUBLICATION DETAILS
FIFA 1904 appFIFA 1904 appears monthly in four languages and is also available as an app for smartphones and tabletshttp://www.fifa.com/mobile
3FIFA 1904 /
FIFA NEWS
In 2016, FIFA
conducted a global
youth football survey in which
178 of its member associations took
part. One of the survey’s findings was
that despite the prevalence of national
youth teams, the number of national youth
leagues is still low. FIFA is responding to the
results by stepping up its efforts under the
Forward Development Programme to
ensure that boys and girls can fulfil
their potential, an objective
enshrined in the FIFA 2.0
strategy.
A number of
workshops have already been
held around the world under the
umbrella of the FIFA Forward Programme to
make sure that member associations are up to
speed with the new funding opportunities avail
able. The first seminar was held in Paraguay in
November 2016, and involved ten South American
associations. This was followed by further workshops
in Jamaica, Ireland, Egypt, Thailand and Fiji. “This
workshop was very useful for us to better under
stand the philosophy of Forward and how to
prepare our contract of agreed objectives,”
enthused Joseph Boso, acting CEO of
the Solomon Islands Football
Association.
The FIFA Quality Programme,
which sets internationally recognised
industry standards for products, technolo
gies and pitches, will be represented at the 2017
International Trade Fair for Amenity Areas, Sports
and Pool Facilities in Cologne from 7 to 10 November
2017 by a team armed with a whole wealth of informa
tion about football turf. The One Turf Concept will
also be presented at the IAKS Congress taking place
at the same time, where local authorities, cities and
architects in particular will have an opportunity
to discover the minimum criteria in terms
of safety and playing conditions where
football turf pitches are to be used
for multiple sports.
FIFA has published
its new Human Rights
Policy, which was approved by
the FIFA Council in May. Among the
policy’s key planks are monitoring and
enforcement mechanisms for workers’
rights on stadium construction sites and
the creation of a Human Rights Advisory
Board comprising experts from the
UN, trade unions, society stake
holder groups and FIFA
sponsors.
4 / FIFA 1904
5FIFA 1904 /
Illustration: Julien Pacaud
Last updated:23 June 2017
1 USA 13 2118
2 Germany 3 2111
3 France 4 2076
4 Canada 10 2027
5 England 2 2024
6 Japan 4 1981
7 Australia 0 1976
8 Brazil 10 1971
9 Sweden -21 1956
10 Korea DPR -4 1949
11 Norway -2 1924
12 Netherlands -5 1918
13 Spain 0 1885
14 China PR -7 1875
15 Denmark 2 1872
16 Korea Republic 21 1871
17 Switzerland -8 1858
18 Italy 5 1841
19 Iceland -8 1829
20 New Zealand 0 1827
21 Scotland -5 1788
22 Belgium 3 1756
22 Colombia 0 1756
24 Austria -3 1746
25 Russia 2 1738
26 Mexico 0 1733
27 Ukraine -8 1718
28 Finland -8 1704
29 Thailand 17 1669
30 Poland 19 1657
31 Costa Rica -1 1645
32 Vietnam 14 1644
33 Republic of Ireland 3 1635
34 Nigeria 0 1613
35 Wales 1 1612
36 Czech Republic 0 1610
37 Romania -1 1609
38 Portugal 0 1590
39 Hungary -3 1578
40 Chile 3 1562
41 Uzbekistan 9 1557
42 Chinese Taipei -6 1553
43 Slovakia -9 1549
44 Serbia -3 1535
45 Myanmar 9 1533
46 Ghana 0 1499
47 Trinidad and Tobago -10 1484
47 Cameroon 0 1484
49 Papua New Guinea 0 1473
50 Jordan 39 1462
51 Belarus -11 1452
52 Equatorial Guinea 0 1446
53 South Africa 0 1444
54 Croatia 7 1422
55 Iran -7 1411
56 Israel 0 1410
57 Peru -3 1409
58 Slovenia 5 1408
59 Turkey 0 1407
60 Northern Ireland -1 1404
60 India 0 1404
62 Venezuela 10 1388
63 Bosnia and Herzegovina -4 1387
64 Côte d'Ivoire 0 1386
65 Greece -6 1370
66 Kazakhstan 7 1362
67 Azerbaijan 0 1353
68 Bulgaria 1 1345
69 Hong Kong -21 1323
70 Faroe Islands 29 1318
71 Philippines 3 1315
72 Tunisia 0 1313
73 Morocco 0 1299
74 Guatemala 0 1297
75 Albania 1 1296
76 Algeria 0 1283
77 Guam 0 1282
78 Bahrain -10 1278
79 Guyana 0 1274
80 Malaysia -2 1262
81 Egypt 0 1256
82 Senegal 0 1248
83 United Arab Emirates -23 1242
84 Montenegro 4 1226
85 Estonia -45 1221
86 Zimbabwe 0 1217
86 Bolivia 0 1217
88 Mali 0 1216
89 Moldova 41 1215
90 Latvia 40 1211
91 El Salvador 0 1198
92 Lithuania -43 1181
92 Palestine -11 1181
94 Malta 8 1179
95 Puerto Rico 0 1156
96 Georgia 5 1145
97 Ethiopia 0 1143
98 Singapore -10 1137
99 Nepal 2 1136
100 Luxembourg -33 1125
101 Cyprus -3 1120
102 Guinea 0 1077
103 Nicaragua 0 1073
104 FYR Macedonia 0 1069
105 Burkina Faso 0 1060
106 Zambia 0 1038
107 Namibia 0 1026
108 Tajikistan 1018
109 Kosovo 0 1015
110 Bangladesh 0 1003
111 Sri Lanka 0 971
112 Tanzania 0 960
113 Maldives 0 959
114 Syria -6 921
115 Rwanda 0 908
116 Afghanistan 0 884
117 Iraq -9 873
118 Kenya 0 857
119 Uganda 0 836
120 Bhutan 0 771
121 Andorra -1 748
122 Botswana 0 732
Argentina ** 0 1621
Paraguay ** 0 1459
Ecuador ** 0 1451
Haiti ** 0 1372
Panama ** 0 1363
Uruguay ** 0 1361
Jamaica ** 0 1352
Indonesia ** 0 1321
Fiji ** 0 1292
Laos ** 0 1273
Tonga ** 0 1258
New Caledonia ** 0 1252
Tahiti ** 0 1238
Cuba ** 0 1217
Congo ** 0 1206
Dominican Republic ** 0 1191
Benin ** 0 1187
Cook Islands ** 0 1185
Suriname ** 0 1152
Honduras ** 0 1152
Solomon Islands ** 0 1144
Vanuatu ** 0 1139
Samoa ** 0 1138
Angola ** 0 1134
Kyrgyzstan ** 0 1134
Sierra Leone ** 0 1132
Congo DR ** 0 1132
Armenia ** 0 1104
American Samoa ** 0 1075
Eritrea ** 0 1060
Gabon ** 0 1052
St Vincent and the Grenadines ** 0 1000
St Lucia ** 0 989
Barbados ** 0 979
Lebanon ** 0 949
Bermuda ** 0 943
St Kitts and Nevis ** 0 942
Guinea-Bissau ** 0 927
Pakistan ** 0 926
Grenada ** 0 914
Rank Team + / – Points
Dominica ** 0 900
Liberia ** 0 877
Mozambique ** 0 873
Kuwait ** 0 870
British Virgin Islands ** 0 867
Qatar ** 0 864
US Virgin Islands ** 0 852
Cayman Islands ** 0 849
Malawi ** 0 838
Swaziland ** 0 836
Lesotho ** 0 836
Curaçao ** 0 831
Belize ** 0 825
Antigua and Barbuda ** 0 767
Aruba ** 0 745
Turks and Caicos Islands ** 0 704
Timor-Leste * 0 991
Macau * 0 889
Libya * 0 883
Comoros * 0 761
Madagascar * 0 714
Burundi * 0 519
Mauritius * 0 335
Rank Team + / – Points Rank Team + / – Points Rank Team + / – Points
FIFA/COCA-COLA WOMEN´S WORLD RANKING
** Inactive for more than 18 months and therefore not ranked.
* Provisionally listed due to not having played more than five matches against officially ranked teams.
6 / FIFA 1904
http://www.fifa.com/worldranking
LEADERUSA
MOVES INTO TOP TENNONE
MOVES OUT OF TOP TENNONE
MATCHES PLAYED IN TOTAL116
MOST MATCHES PLAYEDBAHRAIN, GREECE, IRAQ, JORDAN, KOREA DPR, PHILIPPINES, TAJIKISTAN, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (5)
BIGGEST MOVE BY RANKSNO COUNTRY IMPROVED BY MORE THAN 2 RANKS
BIGGEST DROP BY RANKSLITHUANIA AND LUXEMBOURG (down 10 ranks)
Learning curve Jordan (pictured: captain Stephanie al-Naber, left, and striker Abeer al-Nahar, centre) lost their first meeting with Algeria 1-0 but fought back to win the second match 3-2.
It is not even a year since the eyes of the
football world turned towards Jordan as it
hosted the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup,
the first major international women’s football
tournament in the Middle East. Even though
the home team lost all three of their group
games, they gained a great deal from playing
in front of their fans and collected vital
experience for the future. The next highlight
for this football-mad kingdom is less than
12 months away because in April 2018,
Jordan will be the setting for the Women’s
Asian Cup, a tournament that will determine
the five AFC teams that will head to France
for the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in 2019.
As hosts, Jordan will take their place in those
2018 qualifiers, which will be their second
appearance in this important competition
after previously featuring in 2014. Expect-
ations are now high – not only for new coach
Michael Dickey, but also for the players
themselves, who have come on in leaps and
bounds in recent years, rising to the occasion
and eagerly tackling the challenges that
come their way.
MOVING ON UPTwo friendlies against Algeria in mid-June
provided the perfect example of Jordan’s
ability to learn. After narrowly losing the
first match 1-0, the Jordanians bounced
back from two goals down in the second
game to seal a 3-2 win on the back of some
aggressive pressing and assured possession
football with goals from Shahnaz Jibreen,
Maysa Jabarah and Luna al-Momani.
The win also saw Jordan gain ground in
the women’s world ranking, breaking into
the top 50 for the first-ever time.
Their climb has naturally stirred up even
more interest in the team’s fortunes but
it has also given rise to fresh hopes, particu-
larly that they will be able to take the next
step next year and qualify for their first
Women’s World Cup. It’s fair to say that
Jordan do not merely want to be good
hosts – they also have their sights set on
making history on the pitch.
Annette Braun
7FIFA 1904 /
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RARING TO GO
RUSSIA
Russians can’t wait for the World Cup – and FIFA 1904 also saw enough on its trip to recommend that fans around the world think about planning their trip for next summer as soon as possible. By Perikles Monioudis (text) and Sergey Maximishin (photos) in Saint Petersburg and Moscow
White night in Saint Petersburg The scene by the Palace Bridge on the Neva at one in the morning.
8 / FIFA 1904
It’s summertime in Saint Petersburg, and the impressive World
Cup stadium on Krestovsky Island, a stone’s throw from the heart
of the city, is bathed in afternoon sunshine. The spanking-new
arena is accessed by foot through parkland with large ponds
and shady groves of birch peopled by bathers, picnickers and
barbecuers. In the distance, the glittering Baltic Sea stretches as
far as the eye can see.
9FIFA 1904 /
RUSSIA
ALEXEY SOROKIN: “EXPERIENCE OUR RICH CULTURE!”
Deep inside the impressive Saint Peters
burg Stadium, Russia 2018 CEO Alexey
Sorokin has just announced to the world’s
media that supporters will be able to enter
Russia without a traditional visa by using
the Fan ID and travel by train free of
charge between match venues in the
country. Outside, the pitch is bathed in morning sunlight.
Sorokin, a qualified linguist, says: “If I had to give one
reason why the fans should come to Russia, I’d say: because
of our rich culture.” As with any country, you have to go
there to really discover what it has to offer.
Calm before the storm The Saint Petersburg metro seems eerily quiet on matchfree days.
Not far from the stadium is a restaurant with the highly
descriptive name of “Russian Fishery”, where customers can
take the weight off their feet and scan the menu in comfort.
Here, you can catch your own fish – trout, which teem in
the large, specially created ponds, or carp, which slowly do
their rounds further below. The catch can then be prepared
according to taste.
MAKING IT THROUGH THE WHITE NIGHTSFor the big event next year, restaurant manager Vladlena
Strelitz plans to put up a number of long, Oktoberfeststyle
tables for fans together with the neighbouring “Karl &
Friedrich” beer garden, the logo of which features cartoon
depictions of two major figures in Russian history, Karl Marx
and Friedrich Engels. One is wearing chef’s headgear,
the other a Tyrolean hat with feathers, but the scene
nonetheless exudes an air of relaxed professionalism.
Vladlena proudly informs us that all fans are guaranteed to
be served within five minutes.
10 / FIFA 1904
Such a short period doesn’t come into the equation when it
comes to exploring the city on days when there are no
matches, of course. Visitors may care to while away the hours
at the State Hermitage Museum – one of the largest and
oldest in the world – during the day, and in the evening wind
their way down Rubenstein Street off the busy thoroughfare
of the Nevsky Prospect, which has been a magnet for Russian
artists for a century now and offers an array of eateries to
choose from. There are also clubs and small rock venues for
the musically inclined.
To find out how other matches are proceeding, supporters
can visit the capacious Fan Zone, with its attractions and
public viewings, or one of the numerous sports bars in the
vicinity, and go dancing in the clubs once the action has
finished. Here, partying until dawn takes on a different
meaning, as during the white nights of June, the concept
of “dawn” doesn’t really exist, the sun only disappearing
briefly. The light has a magical quality to it, lending the city a
SALEKS: “THE FANS WILL GIVE US SOMETHING NEW!”
The artist known as Saleks (real name
Svetlana) displays her small oil paintings
on the Nevsky Prospect, the busy
thoroughfare that runs 4.5km through
Saint Petersburg’s historic centre, to
potential customers in the form of
passers-by. “Why should football fans
come to Russia?” ponders Svetlana, in response to the
question. “To give us something new, of course!” She
laughs heartily. “I’ve been meaning to try Irish coffee for
years now. I love its colours, but what does it actually taste
like? Hopefully I’ll find out soon!”
Brotherhood of fans Chileans and Russians travelling
to the stadium together.
11FIFA 1904 /
romantic ambience. Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s 1848 White Nights
novella, about a 17-year-old girl and outsider called Nastenka,
describes this summer spell in vivid detail.
SBORNAYA FEVERA four-hour journey away by express train, Chilean fans are
already congregating on Moscow’s famous Red Square in
the early morning. “Chi-chi-chi, le-le-le, viva Chile!” chant
some 12,000 red-clad La Roja fans, who have travelled from
the far corners of Europe as well as their homeland to follow
their team. They pose outside the Kremlin for selfies with
passers-by and some of the many volunteers – not forgetting
World Cup mascot Zabivaka, a friendly wolf in football kit
who embodies the Russians’ hopes that the Sbornaya will
create an upset on home soil. The team last gave its fans
something to shout about at EURO 2008, where it overcame
the Netherlands in the quarter-finals, but disappointment
has reigned ever since, especially at EURO 2016. Striker Fedor
Smolov – who netted in the opening Confederations Cup
RUSSIA
Ubiquitous Zabivika Seen here in Moscow’s Red Square, the Official Mascot certainly gets around.
VLADIMIR GABULOV: “RUSSIA IS BEAUTIFUL – IN EVERY WAY!”
When Vladimir Gabulov won the UEFA
Cup – the precursor to the Europa League
– in 2005 with CSKA Moscow, the then
21-year-old was behind the even-younger
Igor Akinfeev in the goalkeeping pecking
order. Akinfeev and Zenit St Petersburg
legend Vyacheslav Malafeev were both
also preferred to him at national level too, restricting
Gabulov’s appearances for the Sbornaya. Now, however,
the veteran shot-stopper is back in the international fold,
and delighted at the prospect of turning out for his country
again. “Russia offers a great deal of beauty – in every way,”
laughs Gabulov outside the Russian team’s dressing room
in Saint Petersburg Stadium. “The fans won’t be able to
miss it!”
12 / FIFA 1904
match against New Zealand (2-0) – summarised the
situation thus at the post-match press conference: “We
have a very difficult target at the Confederations Cup – to
make the Russian people fall in love with the national
team again.” Clearly, everyone is striving towards that
goal.
TOGETHER IN DIVERSITYRussia, the world’s biggest country, is a multi-ethnic nation
with people of many different faiths living side by side.
What better opportunity for FIFA to launch a three-step
plan to combat discrimination for the first time in an official
tournament? Referees now have the power to stop the
match in the event of derogatory chants in the stands or
remarks to players, coaches or officials and request a public
announcement to insist that the discriminatory behaviour
cease. If this does not work, they can suspend the match,
and in a third step even abandon it. There are now also
three observers among the fans.
Hands across the water Cameroon and Chile fans shake hands in a spirit of camaraderie.
VARIK: “THE FANS WILL EXPERIENCE THE HEART AND SOUL OF RUSSIAN FOOTBALL!”
Tucked away just off Lenin Street in the heart
of Saint Petersburg is a small football pitch,
where Changyan Varazdat is coaching local
boys on the artificial turf. When the lads are
not addressing the 26-year-old, who graduated
and works in economics, as “Sir”, they call him
“Varik”, and he in turn treats the youngsters
with respect. “There’s no booze or cigarettes here – the only
drug is football,” he remarks in the tiny office of the modest
clubhouse. “However big a footballer becomes, he always starts
off small. Playing on rough-and-ready pitches is key.” He is
looking forward to the World Cup. “The fans should come to
Russia – they’ll meet like-minded people who love the game.
We play football with our heart and soul, even though the
Russian team still has a long way to go.”
13FIFA 1904 /
RUSSIA
Another innovation has had a positive
response: the use of video assistant
referees (VARs). “What fans have been
waiting for over so many years is finally
happening,” said Gianni Infantino after
the first major VAR decision in Russia.
“Video assistant refereeing is the future
of modern football.”
Football history is being written in Russia.
Portuguese fan Martim, who has travelled
to Moscow from Porto with his wife and
child, says: “We’ve just met a group of
Russian fans, who were really friendly.
I’m definitely coming back next year.” To
the delight of Vladlena and many others,
no doubt.
Grassroots Youngsters in the makeshift “dressing room” of a tiny downtown football facility.
ROB ASPERHEIM: “A DECENT PUB ON EVERY CORNER!”
Becoming a volunteer at the 2018 World Cup isn’t completely
straightforward – you have to have something to offer. Rob
Asperheim from Washington DC and Laurent Cabanes from
Paris certainly tick the boxes, as both of them – like many other
volunteers – have taken three weeks off and booked flights for
Russia to do their bit in the hope that the Confederations Cup,
and especially the World Cup, will be a resounding success.
Rob (wearing the jacket in the photo) is an event manager who wants to learn
as much as he can for his job back in the States, while management controller
Laurent’s main focus is on the unique experience of the trip, along with the
educational benefits that it will bring. Rob nods in agreement: “I’ve been to Russia
before. Saint Petersburg is my favourite European city, and I enjoy meeting people
here. Plus there’s a decent pub on every corner – and good beer, too.” Laurent,
who is visiting Russia for the fourth time, laughs. “A France v. USA World Cup final?
Now that I wouldn’t mind seeing.”
14 / FIFA 1904
Flying the flag Unbridled passion in Russia, the largest
country in the world.
ALEXEY SMERTIN: “COME TO RUSSIA TO FULLY UNDERSTAND OUR COUNTRY!”
Alexey Smertin is one of the leading voices in
Russian football when it comes to analysing the
beautiful game. The former midfielder and captain
of the Russian national team (55 caps from 1998
to 2006) played at the 2002 World Cup and
EURO 2004 as well as for Chelsea, Bordeaux and
Fulham.
Alexey, why should people come to Russia for the 2018 World Cup?Alexey Smertin: To answer this question on a very basic level, people
should of course come to Russia in the summer of 2018 to witness an
incredible festival of football, involving the finest football players in
the world, competing for glory on the pitch.
The fans want to celebrate in the cities, as well.To answer the question in a different way, people should come to Russia
in 2018 in order to see for themselves a country full of amazing surprises.
The World Cup will be an opportunity to combine watching your national
team play live with the discovery of a country with a wealth of touristic
highlights. The 11 Host Cities are gateways to natural wonders, a vast
cultural offering and an array of historical riches.
The fans will also experience Russia, the biggest country on earth, first-hand. In a way, this is more important: people should come to Russia for the
World Cup in order to fully understand the country. Many people’s
perceptions of Russia are based on a false view, often encouraged by
the international media. Russia will delight visitors of all nationalities.
They will find out for themselves that actually, Russia is full of
opportunities for the tourist. And what’s more, Russia loves football!
15FIFA 1904 /
Grooming the groom Lionel Messi and former Argentina team-mate Martín Demichelis (right) get a short back and sides before the Barcelona man’s wedding (Rosario, Argentina, 30 June 2017).
SNAPSHOT
16 / FIFA 1904
17FIFA 1904 /AFP / www.messi.com / Andres Preumayr
hybrid electricplug-in
Driven by e-motion.
SOCIAL MEDIA
“REAL MADRID SHOULD SIGN NOBODY BECAUSE OUR CURRENT TEAM IS PERFECT AND THEY HAVE WON TWO UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUES BACK TO BACK.”
Rajarshi Mallick (India) on Facebook
“ARSENAL NEED A LOT OF PLAYERS, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY A TRUE STRIKER. IN MY OPINION, THEY NEED CAVANI.”
Ismaeil Abdul Razzaq (Iraq) on Twitter
“RIYAD MAHREZ, HÉCTOR BELLERÍN, VERRATTI OR KANTÉ. BECAUSE THE RIGHT FLANK OF BARCELONA IS EMPTY, AS WE SAW LAST SEASON.”
Nitin Bhongade (India) on Facebook
“SANTIAGO ARIAS TO SWANSEA. HAVING HIM AND MARTIN OLSSON RUNNING THE FLANKS CROSSING TO LLORENTE IS DEADLY.”
Mark Orlowski (USA) on Twitter
“AUBAMEYANG TO LIVERPOOL. ALL LIVERPOOL NEED TO BE AN ATTACKING FORCE IS A TOP-QUALITY STRIKER WHO CAN SCORE GOALS.”
Trent Lethorn (Australia) on Twitter
FIFA 1904 ASKED ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER“Who should your club sign this transfer window?”
19 FIFA 1904 /
Get
ty Im
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FIFA U-20 WORLD CUP
Fifty-one years is enough by anyone’s standards, but England have finally won another World Cup, even though it may not be “the big one”. Could this be the birth of a new golden generation?By Alan Schweingruber
YOUNG BLOOD
Echoes of 1966 Top: the young world champions
celebrate after beating Venezuela in the final. Right: the class of
1966 with the Jules Rimet Trophy.
20 / FIFA 1904
Some people in England may have been a little envious in
early June when many countries in southern Europe basked
in the first heatwave of the summer, with picture after
picture of ice creams and dips in cool water flooding social
media while England was still making do with a cool breeze
and temperatures around 15 degrees. But then, as the sun
started to set on Saturday, 10 June, it wasn’t so bad after all
because those temperatures are the ideal conditions in which
to play – and enjoy – football. And because Scotland failed
to upset the apple cart by beating England at home for the
first time in 32 years, it was the English who were left
celebrating in Glasgow after Harry Kane salvaged a point in
the 94th minute, hauling the Three Lions level at 2-2 just four
minutes after Leigh Griffiths had fired the home side into a
2-1 lead. Most Scottish fans in Hampden Park had followed
the World Cup qualifying action standing up, so their players
could certainly not complain about a lack of support.
England fans would certainly have savoured their post-match
pints that evening, safe in the knowledge that their team is
still on course for Russia. And those fans only had to wait a
little longer to watch history be made thanks to BBC2’s
coverage the next morning of the U-20 World Cup final in
Korea Republic, where the Young Lions defeated Venezuela
“We are world champions, and England has waited
51 years to be able to say that again.”
Paul Simpson, England U-20 head coachHeroes Bobby Moore is carried around the old Wembley Stadium in 1966 (left); some of England’s substitutes can’t hide their joy as Freddie Woodman saves a penalty.
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thanks to a solitary Dominic Calvert-Lewin strike. It was a historic
goal as, to update a rather famous song lyric, it ended 51 years of
hurt. For the first time since 1966, England had won a World Cup.
SPOT OF JOYAll of that nostalgia aside, the question must be asked – was
this the birth of a new golden generation of English players?
Will these U-20 world champions, who are all bidding farewell
to their teenage years, now turn into strong, responsible players
who are able to cut it at the highest level? Perhaps at the 2022
or 2026 World Cup?
Nobody with even a passing interest in football will need any
reminding about England’s record from the penalty spot in
shootouts, the pain of losing to the Germans at Italia ’90 and
EURO ’96 on home soil all too fresh in English memories. And
FIFA U-20 WORLD CUP
“Will these U-20 world champions, who are all bidding farewell to their teenage years, now turn into strong, responsible players who are able to cut it at the highest level? Perhaps at the 2022 or 2026 World Cup?”
then came the Portuguese, the Italians... Just as damaging as
those defeats was the mentality that seemed to take root in
English players, with opponents often believing that if they
could keep the Three Lions at bay for 120 minutes, they almost
had victory in the bag as the English players – and their fans in
the stadium or watching back home – seemed to know what
was coming next...
But, once again, Paul Simpson’s Young Lions did the unexpect-
ed. When the referee gave a Venezuela a penalty in the 73rd
minute, England fans probably thought “Here we go again”.
Young goalie Freddie Woodman had obviously not read the
script though, plunging to his right and showing incredible
reflexes to keep out Adalberto Peñaranda’s effort with his left
hand. His team-mates immediately mobbed him in celebration,
and together they held on for a 1-0 win. Even Prince William
Alright in red or white Celebrations – 51 years
apart – in England’s two traditional colours.
22 / FIFA 1904
WOODMAN BEST GOALKEEPERU-20 World Cup – final standings
1. England
2. Venezuela
3. Italy
4. Uruguay
Host cities
Cheonan, Daejeon, Incheon, Seogwipo, Jeonju, Suwon
No. of goals
140
Awards
adidas Golden Ball: Dominic Solanke (England)
adidas Golden Boot: Riccardo Orsolini (Italy, 5 goals)
adidas Golden Glove: Freddie Woodman (England)
FIFA Fair Play Trophy: Mexico
was in the mood to celebrate, tweeting: “Huge congratula-
tions to England on winning the U-20 World Cup – high
hopes for the future of English football!”
BUILDING FOR THE FUTUREThe coach, Paul Simpson, was obviously even more effusive
in his praise, knowing that – unlike the future king – he had
more than 140 characters at his disposal. “I honestly don’t
know what it means for English football,” said Simpson,
who only took over in March 2017. “But we are trying to
create football players who are capable of being successful
at senior tournaments. But for the Under-20s it means
everything. We are world champions and we have waited
51 years to be able to say that again as an England team.”
England’s path to glory saw them win six of their seven
matches, seeing off some tricky opposition, including Italy,
Argentina and Mexico, en route to winning the tournament
– which, incidentally, was the first FIFA youth tournament
with video assistant referees at all matches.
As the triumphant young Englishmen danced around the
pitch in a hot and humid Korea, back home the fans raised
another glass to their young heroes. Chief among them
was national team coach Gareth Southgate, who had a
keen interest in the match – not only because these players
are the future of English football, but also because the
goalkeeper, Freddie Woodman, is his godson.
Picture perfect Left: Bobby Moore kisses the trophy
in 1966; young Ademola Lookman strikes a similar pose in 2017.
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Magnum
PLACE Saint-Pierre, Aosta Valley, ItalyDATE 26 September 2016TIME 16:24PHOTOGRAPHER Steve McCurry
FIRST LOVE
25FIFA 1904 /
Last updated:6 July 2017
Rank Team + / – Points Rank Team + / – Points Rank Team + / – Points Rank Team + / – Points
FIFA/COCA-COLA MEN’S WORLD RANKING
1 Germany 2 1609
2 Brazil -1 1603
3 Argentina -1 1413
4 Portugal 4 1332
5 Switzerland 4 1329
6 Poland 4 1319
7 Chile -3 1250
8 Colombia -3 1208
9 France -3 1199
10 Belgium -3 1194
11 Spain -1 1114
12 Italy 0 1059
13 England 0 1051
14 Peru 1 1014
15 Croatia 3 1007
16 Mexico 1 1003
17 Uruguay -1 995
18 Sweden 16 933
19 Iceland 3 927
20 Wales -7 922
21 Slovakia 0 917
22 Northern Ireland 6 897
23 Iran 7 893
24 Egypt -4 866
25 Ukraine 12 843
26 Costa Rica -7 839
27 Senegal 0 831
28 Congo DR 11 823
29 Republic of Ireland -3 816
30 Bosnia and Herzegovina -1 815
31 Ecuador -7 791
32 Netherlands -1 782
33 Turkey -8 779
34 Tunisia 7 764
35 USA -12 752
36 Cameroon -4 738
37 Austria -2 723
38 Greece 2 716
39 Nigeria -1 715
40 Czech Republic 4 714
40 Paraguay -4 714
42 Serbia 8 713
42 Romania 4 713
44 Burkina Faso -3 698
45 Australia 3 689
46 Japan -1 684
47 Denmark 4 683
48 Algeria 5 677
49 Haiti 15 667
50 Ghana -1 665
51 Korea Republic -8 662
52 Panama 7 653
53 Slovenia 3 652
54 Bulgaria 6 643
54 Montenegro -2 643
56 Côte d'Ivoire -9 631
57 Hungary -24 616
58 Scotland 3 612
59 Mali 7 607
60 Morocco -4 604
61 Saudi Arabia -8 601
62 Russia 1 590
63 Albania 3 583
64 South Africa 1 581
65 Uzbekistan -3 579
66 Guinea 6 541
67 Bolivia 6 532
68 Curaçao 2 531
69 Venezuela -11 521
70 Israel -15 512
71 Belarus 12 503
72 Honduras -3 499
73 Armenia -5 480
74 Uganda -3 476
75 United Arab Emirates 0 459
76 Jamaica 3 442
77 China PR 5 441
78 Trinidad and Tobago -1 436
79 Qatar 9 435
80 Azerbaijan -4 427
81 Mauritania 23 425
82 Syria -5 423
83 Sierra Leone 30 415
84 Kenya -10 408
85 Guinea-Bissau 18 407
86 Congo -1 399
87 Libya 5 396
88 Norway -1 391
89 Madagascar 8 380
90 Faroe Islands -10 376
91 Gabon -5 373
92 Zambia 7 369
93 Benin -12 366
94 Palestine 22 364
95 Cyprus -4 358
96 India 4 341
97 Mozambique 9 336
98 Estonia 0 334
99 Lithuania 5 333
100 Canada 9 331
101 Zimbabwe 14 324
102 Guatemala -7 320
103 Iraq 17 319
103 El Salvador 3 319
105 Nicaragua -5 312
106 Kazakhstan -6 308
107 Suriname 12 305
108 Jordan 1 300
109 Togo 3 296
110 Finland -2 293
111 Malawi 6 291
112 Georgia 10 290
113 Korea DPR 1 288
114 Tanzania 25 287
115 Cape Verde Islands -31 284
116 Niger 14 283
117 Antigua and Barbuda -24 276
118 Equatorial Guinea -9 272
119 Central African Republic 10 271
119 Oman -1 271
121 Burundi 27 262
122 New Zealand -27 258
123 Bahrain 10 257
124 St Kitts and Nevis -35 255
124 Lebanon 11 255
126 Philippines 0 249
127 Kyrgyzstan 5 248
127 Rwanda 1 248
129 Andorra 57 246
130 Latvia -8 242
131 Thailand -4 235
132 Swaziland -42 232
133 Vietnam -2 231
134 FYR Macedonia 2 228
135 Luxembourg 10 223
136 Ethiopia -11 215
137 Turkmenistan 6 214
138 Lesotho 2 204
138 Botswana -17 204
140 Comoros 4 203
141 Angola 0 201
142 Maldives 14 199
143 New Caledonia 19 196
143 South Sudan 4 196
145 Hong Kong 3 192
145 Yemen -21 192
147 Chinese Taipei 13 185
148 Tahiti 3 181
149 Tajikistan -12 179
150 Liberia 1 172
151 Chad 3 168
152 Puerto Rico -19 167
153 Mauritius -3 166
154 Solomon Islands 26 162
155 Afghanistan 3 160
156 Namibia -62 159
157 Myanmar 6 157
158 Moldova 3 154
159 Dominican Republic -14 144
160 Guyana -22 135
161 Gambia 6 132
162 Papua New Guinea -9 130
163 Grenada 1 128
164 Cuba 1 123
164 Bhutan 2 123
164 Sudan -6 123
167 Malaysia -12 119
167 Belize -26 119
169 Singapore -12 118
170 Nepal -1 117
171 Laos 1 116
172 Aruba -1 113
173 Kuwait -5 111
173 Cambodia 1 111
175 Indonesia 0 110
176 São Tomé e Príncipe 2 98
177 Dominica 16 90
177 Kosovo -4 90
179 St Vincent and the Grenadines -3 88
180 Fiji 1 87
181 Barbados -12 84
182 Macau 2 82
183 St Lucia -6 78
184 Bermuda 1 72
185 American Samoa 4 64
185 Cook Islands 4 64
185 Djibouti 10 64
188 Guam -5 62
188 Brunei Darussalam 0 62
190 Bangladesh 2 60
191 Malta -9 56
191 Liechtenstein -5 56
193 Samoa -4 53
194 Vanuatu -15 51
194 Seychelles 0 51
196 Timor-Leste 0 42
197 Sri Lanka 0 34
198 Mongolia -1 30
199 US Virgin Islands 0 26
200 Pakistan 0 24
201 Montserrat 0 20
202 Turks and Caicos Islands -1 13
202 Cayman Islands 1 13
204 San Marino 0 12
205 British Virgin Islands 0 6
206 Anguilla 0 0
206 Bahamas 0 0
206 Eritrea 0 0
206 Gibraltar 0 0
206 Somalia 0 0
206 Tonga 0 0
26 / FIFA 1904
http://www.fifa.com/worldranking
LEADERGERMANY
MOVES INTO TOP TENNONE
MOVES OUT OF TOP TENSPAIN (11, down 1)
MATCHES PLAYED IN TOTAL177
MOST MATCHES PLAYEDMEXICO (10 matches)
BIGGEST MOVE BY POINTSANDORRA (up 177 points)
BIGGEST MOVE BY RANKSANDORRA (up 57 ranks)
BIGGEST DROP BY POINTSARGENTINA (down 213 points)
BIGGEST DROP BY RANKSNAMIBIA (down 62 ranks)
THE TIES THAT BINDAs relationships go, it’s almost a miracle that
Carlos Queiroz and Iran are still together
after six years. They’ve often come close to
parting ways after long discussions played out
in public, only to eventually come together
and make up, most recently in January when
Iran’s club coaches protested against the
Portuguese coach’s plans for a training camp
in Dubai. And then there was the confusion
that surrounded his position during the 2014
World Cup when he appeared to resign, only
to then sign a new deal after all. Somehow,
neither can live without the other.
But now to the cold hard facts: under Queiroz,
Iran have become a powerhouse of Asian
football and are currently on an unbeaten
run in competitive football that stretches
back three years with no sign of it ending
any time soon. They still have to play Korea
Republic and Syria this year, but they will do
so in the knowledge that they are – with
Russia and Brazil – only the third team to
World Cup qualifiers Iran coach Carlos Queiroz after his side’s 2-0 win against Uzbekistan (Tehran, 12 June).
have already qualified for Russia 2018. The
seemingly inseparable couple of Queiroz and
Iran have comfortably negotiated two World
Cup qualifying campaigns, which has also
seen them climb the world ranking.
In 12 months’ time, however, their relationship
will be put to the test again. With just one
World Cup win under their belts (against the
USA at France ’98), the Iranians will be
targeting their second – and if possible, third
– in Russia.
Queiroz’s contract will be up again after the
World Cup. That is the current state of play.
But neither he nor Iran are looking for a
divorce just yet.
Alan Schweingruber
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Gabriel Batistuta, 48 Fiorentina’s all-time record goalscorer
THE INTERVIEW
28 / FIFA 1904
Gabriel Batistuta’s career was not all plain
sailing. When still at River Plate in Argentina,
he was once dropped from the squad and
nearly missed his chance to get into the inter-
national elite. But shortly after that he found
his form again at Boca Juniors, from where
he took the most decisive step in his career:
a move to Italy to play for Fiorentina. From
that moment on and over the course of nine
seasons, no conversation about Fiorentina was
complete without mentioning “Batigol”, who
scored 168 goals for la Viola.
Even when Fiorentina were relegated to Serie B
in 1993, Batistuta stayed loyal to the club,
helping them win promotion back to the top
flight the very next season. This consistency
of character was also evident in his playing
style – uncomplicated goalscoring, precise
passing, and an ability to instinctively be in the
right place in the penalty area before a cross
had even been played.
Today, the 48-year-old former footballer has
switched to polo (he has a handicap of 0),
and owns the Argentinian polo club La Gloria
Polo.
“ITALY LACK CHAMPIONS”A superstar in Italy, a legend in Argentina: Gabriel Batistuta talks to us about the role of the striker, the Copa América, and his adventures abroad.By Alejandro Varsky
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THE INTERVIEW
NAME Gabriel Batistuta BORN 1 February 1969, AvellanedaCLUBS Newell’s Old Boys, River Plate, Boca Juniors, Fiorentina, Roma, Inter Milan, Al-ArabiINTERNATIONAL CAREER 78 matches, 56 goalsMAJOR HONOURS One Italian league title, one Italian cup, two Copas América
Gabriel, did you imagine that the goal you scored against Mexico in the 1993 Copa América would bring Argentina their last title to date?No! I thought we would win in 1995 too
(laughs). But seriously, no I never imagined it.
No way! It’s incredible that Argentina haven’t
won anything since then. They’ve always been
close. But when we won the Copa América in
1991 it had also been a long time since we’d
last won it. Historically I would say it hasn’t
been very easy for us.
What do you think is the reason for that?It’s not easy. If you’re looking for reasons,
one of them could be that Argentinian players
are playing abroad all year. They are playing
a lot of matches, much more than players from
other national teams. They arrive at the Copa
América tired or injured and can’t give 100%.
Apart from Brazil, I can’t think of any other
team where all 25 of their players are based
abroad.
What are you like as a fan? Did you watch the finals in which Argentina played recently?I watch but I’m pretty calm. Of course I’m an
Argentina fan and I want them to win. I used
to experience all those situations that the
Argentinian players were experiencing as if it
was me out there, I put myself in their shoes...
But now I don’t get so nervous.
Strikers such as Sergio Agüero or Gonzalo Higuaín have come in for a lot of criticism in Argentina. Do you have a particular opinion?They have had a lot of bad luck. Higuaín,
especially, very bad luck. He missed key chances
in the three finals (two Copas América and one
FIFA World Cup™). I say it’s bad luck because
in those three cases he made the opportunities,
“Apart from Brazil, there is no other team where all 25 of their players are based abroad.”
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How far do you think he’s going to go?He could score another 50 goals! He’s young,
there’ll be loads more matches. I think he can
do a lot more.
There’s something we’d like to clear up. It was once reported that you said “I never liked football”. Is that true or is it a myth?I did say it, but it was in self-defence against
the press and the public. I tried to put forward
this idea so that they wouldn’t ask me anything.
I was finding all the training too much. Don’t
forget, I was playing in Italy in the good times.
There was a lot of pressure, everyone talked
about football all the time and I found it quite
boring. Of course I love the game, the tactics,
the training, everything that happens on the
pitch. Football did become my passion, even
if it hadn’t been so much in my youth. I mean,
I lived and breathed football. Now I have
difficulty walking because of that: because I
gave much more than I actually had to give.
The truth is somewhere in the middle: I love
the game and everything involved with the
process of actually playing. What I don’t like
so much are the interviews (laughs), the
controversy, and the people who until recently
were in charge of the world of football.
I didn’t like that at all. You can put this answer
wherever you think best. I liked the game, but
not all the stuff around it.
Why do you say you played in Italy “in the good times”? Don’t you like Italian football nowadays?No, no… football now is nothing like what we
played. I hope that it’s in a period of renewal,
and not just a debacle. But the football of
the ‘80s and ‘90s was different. All the best
“This goalscoring record for Argentina was something close to my heart, but now Messi has surpassed it. Once upon a time, I also broke the record. These things happen.”
it’s not like a team-mate did everything and he
did nothing. He was in the right place at the
right time. But then he was unlucky that he
finished poorly. Against Germany, for example,
he made a mistake in front of goal after having
recovered the ball by being attentive and
involved in the match; he did nine out of ten
things right, everything... apart from scoring the
goal. These things happen. If it had happened
in another match, or at an earlier stage, it
wouldn’t have mattered. On the contrary, we
would all have applauded him for creating the
situation in the first place.
What would you say to him if he was here in front of you?The same thing I’m saying to you now. I did
say that to him, I talked to him. I see it as nine
out of ten, right? But the fans don’t see it like
that, they don’t know what goes through your
head at such a moment. Especially in that last
match with Chile when he ran several metres
with the ball. Imagine what it’s like: from the
moment he gets the ball until he shoots,
what’s running through his mind is the chance
he missed against Germany and the one in the
previous final against Chile... all these thoughts
complicate matters. Maybe it would have been
easier if he’d got a rebound, without time to
think. But that’s football.
Let’s talk about Lionel Messi, who has overtaken you as the alltime record goalscorer for Argentina. Were you surprised?Not at all. I’ve seen it coming for five or six
years. I thought he would have done it earlier!
This record was something close to my heart,
but he surpassed it and that’s that. Once upon
a time I also broke someone else’s record
(laughs). These things happen.
players wanted to come to Italy. That hasn’t
been the case for quite a while, and the level
has come down a bit. They still play very
tactical, very disciplined football and all that,
but they lack champions, as they say themselves.
Looking from the outside at English football, at
Spanish football, it’s more interesting, and they
have the champions and the celebrities that
they want to see. But with the passion that
Italians have for football, the pride that they
have, I don’t think the game will stay that way.
I think they’ll get back to being what they were
before.
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QATAR 2022
COOL TECHNOLOGYThe first proposed 2022 FIFA World Cup™ stadium recently opened its doors and immediately allayed all concerns that the Qatari heat could be a problem.
stadium in the world to be cooled. By utilis
ing district cooling, the stadium is cooled in
a way which lowers energy consumption
and keeps fans and players alike comfort
able, regardless of the temperature outside.”
The new cooling method, which has been
developed in Qatar, is 40 per cent more
efficient than conventional techniques.
Chilled water is piped into the stadium from
an energy centre one kilometre away. Once
the water arrives, cold air is pumped onto
the field of play and spectator seating areas
through nozzles with moveable plastic parts
at the side of the pitch. During the final, the
temperature was measured at 20°C on the
pitch and at 23°C in the stands.
The Khalifa International Stadium was
originally opened in 1976, and has hosted
numerous tournaments, including the FIFA
World Youth Championship in 1995, the
Asian Games in 2006, and the final of the
AFC Asian Cup in 2011, as well as various
friendly matches. The President of the Qatari
FA, Hamad Bin Khalifa Bin Ahmed Al Thani,
said: “This historic venue is close to Qatari
hearts, and has seen some of Qatar’s
biggest sporting occasions over the years
since 1976.”
AlSadd’s 21 victory over AlRayyan in the
final of the Emir of Qatar Cup at the Khalifa
International Stadium in Doha in midMay
offered a glimpse of what lies in store at
the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The stadium
is the first proposed World Cup venue to
be ready for action, more than five years
ahead of the World Cup, after undergoing
major renovation work.
Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of
the Supreme Committee for Delivery &
Legacy, said: “The completion of our first
stadium for the 2022 FIFA World Cup is an
important milestone for Qatar and reflects
our commitment to delivering all of the
proposed venues well in advance of the
tournament.”
The stadium meets all of FIFA’s requirements.
In addition to the new stand in the eastern
sector and a new sports museum inside the
venue, the Qataris are particularly proud of
the innovative cooling technology.
NEW COOLING TECHNOLOGYDr Saud AbdulAziz AbdulGhani, Professor
at the College of Engineering at Qatar
University, said: “The cooling technology in
place makes the venue the largest openair
“The completion of our first stadium for the 2022 FIFA World Cup is an important milestone for Qatar and reflects our commitment to delivering all of the proposed venues well in advance of the tournament.” Hassan Al Thawadi
32 / FIFA 1904
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Architectural and technical masterpiece The Khalifa International Stadium
recently opened its doors.
Nothing left to chance Workers carefully cleaning the nozzles of the new cooling system.
“EXPECT AMAZING”The issue of the heat in Qatar, which has
been the subject of much debate, has
therefore been resolved – and the Qataris
are promising even more innovations.
“People thought the cooling technology
was only a dream. The reality is it was in
Al Sadd Club, and today it is at the Khalifa
International Stadium,” said Al Thawadi.
“It is continuing, and becoming something
normal and deliverable. There’s more to
come. Expect amazing, we’re delivering
amazing.”
F04
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THEN
Rot-Weiss Essen midfielder Siegfried Bönighausen corrects a wardrobe malfunction during the German Cup quarter-final against SpVgg Bayreuth.
1977 BAYREUTH, GERMANY
34 / FIFA 1904
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Fresh shorts are also the order of the day for Argentina striker Carlos Tévez in the World Cup qualifier against Paraguay at the Defensores del Chaco stadium.
2015 ASUNCIÓN, PARAGUAY
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WOMEN’S FOOTBALL
KICK-OFF TIMEThey want to play. And they want to play as often and for as long as possible. New U-15 tourna-ments have given football-mad girls in East and South East Asia the chance to do just that. By Annette Braun
NAME: Phonethip PhommachanhAGE: 15FROM: Phonsavang Tai Village, Laos
“I saw older girls, how they played football and enjoyed the game, and I desperately wanted to join in. I’ve now been actively involved for five years. My favourite team is Manchester United, because they play very attractive football and the club is one of the most successful in football history. One of my favourite players is Neymar. He’s good technically and he’s creative.”
At some point there’s an itch that needs
scratching. At first just a little, then more
and more. Training is great, in fact it’s
extremely important for the development
of girls dreaming of one day forging a
career in football, but there comes a point
where you want to put what you’ve learnt
into practice. At an official level and
against opponents who are not your own
team-mates. When that happens, you
need to be able to measure yourself
against others in order to grow and make
progress.
It’s like a school play, where the rehearsals
go on for weeks. The tension rises and
everyone feverishly anticipates the big day,
until things finally gets serious and it’s time
36 / FIFA 1904
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for curtain up. Now it’s time to prove
yourself – in front of an audience and
under competitive conditions.
GROWTH THROUGH COMPETITIONInternational comparisons are rare in girls’
football. This meant even greater enthusi-
asm among Asia’s U-15 talent for the
youth tournaments of the ASEAN Football
Federation (AFF) and the East Asian Foot-
ball Federation (EAFF) that took place in
Laos and China in April and May this year,
supported by FIFA’s Forward Programme.
The tournaments allowed teenage girls to
come together and test themselves in
NAME: Lanoy VongsingkhamAGE: 15
FROM: Phonsavang Village, Laos
“I really like the Portugal team. They play attractive football and they’re tactically adept. Cristiano Ronaldo’s skills in
particular are out of this world. I’ve been involved for eight
years, and it’s my aim to play for the senior national team.
After I’ve finished playing, I’d love to be a coach.”
competition. Of course, every team had its
own level and its own agenda. There were,
for example, the Northern Mariana Islands,
whose club coaches are often the parents
of the girls and have little coaching experi-
ence. And then there were Korea DPR and
Japan, where there has been greater
development in girls’ or women’s football,
accompanied by international success.
There was a team from Hong Kong, whose
players head to football training after
school, and Mongolia, whose U-15 nation-
al team got to celebrate its first goal and
its first victory on the international stage.
A milestone. The Korea Republic team
trained every day except weekends, the
Guam team even had a training camp to
prepare for the tournament, while the
Laos girls mostly just kept themselves fit
throughout the year.
INSPIRATION FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENTSo, the participating teams had different
starting points, but despite the differences
they all shared a joy in the game and an
unbridled will to make progress. This
meant that determining a winner was not
a priority, and the tournament in Shanghai
didn’t even have a final. It was much more
about the opportunity for exchange and
rewarding the commitment of the girls and
their coaches. Identifying where there is
37FIFA 1904 /
potential to improve and where action
within an association has already reaped
the rewards of success. A never-ending
learning process with the goal of creating
the best possible conditions for the devel-
opment of women’s football.
The smiles on the players’ faces during the
tournaments spoke volumes and clearly
showed their desire for more such compe-
titions. It showed that that itch is only
getting stronger. Training is still great and
still important – and more than ever when,
from time to time, there’s a reminder of
exactly what all that training is for.
A CHANCE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION
In order to promote girls’ and women’s football on a sustainable basis,
there were two youth tournaments in Asia for U-15 national teams.
EAFF U-15 GIRLS’ TOURNAMENT 2017
14-22 April 2017 (Shanghai, China PR)
Participating teams: China PR, Japan, Korea DPR, Korea Republic,
Chinese Taipei, Guam, Hong Kong, Mongolia, Northern Mariana Islands,
Shanghai Jinshan
AFF U-15 GIRLS’ CHAMPIONSHIP 2017
8-20 May 2017 (Vientiane, Laos)
Participating teams: Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand,
Philippines, Singapore, Cambodia, Indonesia
NAME: Phetlavanh XaiyaphetdalaAGE: 15
FROM: Khoknin Village, Laos
“I’ve been training for two years and I want to keep on getting better so that I’ll still be an important part of the
national team in the future. I’m a Manchester United fan because
they’ve shaped football over many years. My role model –
including because we play the same position – is David de Gea,
because he’s very intelligent in the way he keeps goal.”
39FIFA 1904 /
FIFA
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DEBATE
THREE-STEP PROCEDURE AGAINST DISCRIMINATION
discrimination in football. Based on Fare’s
“Global guide to discriminatory practices in
football”, the match observers monitor the
behaviour of fans from both teams, as well
as any spectators who are not affiliated to a
particular team playing in the match.
If any discriminatory incidents occur during
a game, the evidence collected by the
match observers is forwarded to the FIFA
Disciplinary Committee for review and
potential action. Furthermore, the match
observers help operational staff to resolve
incidents of discrimination before and
during matches by being in direct touch
with security personnel.
“The work that has been carried out in FIFA
World Cup qualifier matches in all confeder-
ations has now been implemented for the
first time in a FIFA tournament. Together
with the possibility to apply the three-step
procedure, these are ground-breaking
changes in the global fight against discri-
mination that marked the 2017 edition of
the FIFA Confederations Cup,” said FIFA
President Gianni Infantino. “Both initiatives
are extra tools for the referees and match
officials to prevent discriminatory attitudes
and ensure that the atmosphere in the
stadium is one of fair play and respect.”
“We are pleased that Russia has been
entrusted with the mission to become the
first host country of the Confederations Cup
and the World Cup to implement such
initiatives with the aim of making world
football better,” added Russia’s Deputy
Prime Minister and Local Organising
Committee (LOC) chairman, Vitaly Mutko.
“This is a very honourable role and a big
responsibility.”
In 2015, FIFA published the Good Practice
Guide on Diversity and Anti-Discrimination
to support all of its member associations
and also introduced the annual FIFA
Diversity Award to highlight the efforts of
organisations, groups or individuals that are
standing up for diversity in football and
inspiring unity, solidarity and equality
among all people.
At the semi-finals in Kazan on 28 June and
Sochi on 29 June, FIFA and the LOC also
celebrated the FIFA Anti-Discrimination
Days with a special pre-match protocol, an
annual event that has been part of the FIFA
calendar since 2001.
For the first time in an official tournament,
FIFA used a three-step procedure in case of
discriminatory incidents and also deployed
anti-discrimination observers at all matches
of the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017. With
this new three-step procedure, referees
have the authority to first stop the match
and request a public announcement to
insist that the discriminatory behaviour
cease, to then suspend the match until the
behaviour stops following another warning
announcement, and finally, if the behaviour
still persists, to decide to abandon the match.
The anti-discrimination observers, mean-
while, are a natural continuation of the
monitoring system that FIFA has put in
place to monitor 2018 FIFA World Cup™
qualifiers and selected friendlies. The match
observers are coordinated and trained by
the Fare network, an organisation with a
long track record of monitoring and fighting
We say no to racism FIFA’s new three-step procedure will be used to tackle all forms of discrimination in the stadium (pictured: FIFA Confederations Cup semi-final between Portugal and Chile in Kazan on 28 June 2017).
40 / FIFA 1904
Get
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PRESIDENT´S MESSAGE
Yours in football,
Gianni Infantino
FIFA President
THE FUTURE OF FOOTBALL LOOKS FASCINATING
I am certainly not the only one watching
the FIFA U-20 World Cup with an eye
to the future. This is what our youth
tournaments are all about, after all:
precious opportunities for young players
to experience what it is like to take
centre stage. The tension, the pressure,
the unknown opponents from around
the world: we watch these youngsters
going through everything that they will
eventually have to face to make it as
international footballers. And so the
exercise of watching becomes one of
projecting the future.
But I get the feeling that this year’s
edition of the U-20 World Cup in Korea
Republic was particularly foretelling. As
I watched England play Venezuela in
the final in Suwon, I could not help but
think of the layers of meaning in that
match.
For years, English football fans have
been debating about what many of
them consider to be a talent drought,
or a struggle to develop young players.
Yet, in the meantime, hard groundwork
was being done. And then you realise
you are watching this rock-solid team,
filled with talents like Dominic Solanke
and Freddie Woodman, lifting the trophy
as world champions. It does not get any
more auspicious than that.
Just as impressively, on the other side,
it was an unprecedented place in the
final for Venezuela, the only country
in CONMEBOL never to have qualified
for a FIFA World Cup™. The idea of
expanding football’s greatest tournament
to 48 teams touches precisely upon a
generation like this Venezuelan one. Can
you imagine how much these 23 talented
kids dream of playing in the FIFA World
Cup? The new format is a catalyst for
dreams like this – and I am quite sure
that there are many more very talented
dreamers the football world over.
Added to all this is the fact that the
tournament in Korea Republic was the first
youth event to use the video assistant
referee (VAR) system. Over the 52 matches,
seven game-changing decisions were
corrected as a result of VAR intervention.
The significance of such decisions for
those directly involved in an international
tournament like this is immeasurable.
There are definitely still improvements
to be made – which is why we are con-
ducting a thorough testing period – but it
was another very solid step forward.
At times, the FIFA U-20 World Cup felt
like an authentic glimpse of how football
may look in the future. And, I must say,
it looked rather fascinating to me.
41FIFA 1904 /
Luka
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FIFA WORLD FOOTBALL MUSEUM
WITH SIDEBURNS PLEASEThe newest Panini stickers will soon hit the shops. Those who simply can’t wait any longer can pay a visit to the FIFA World Football Museum and feast their eyes on sticker albums from the last 47 years. By Alan Schweingruber
Lavishly produced material in any form is always manna
for museums, acting as a magnet for the public as it does.
With good reason – after all, some light relief is welcome
from the more subtle and possibly dowdy historical
artefacts commonly on display in museums. That’s why
young visitors to the FIFA World Football Museum in Zurich
usually run first to the games consoles or the blinking and
beeping machines – those interactive exhibits where they
can flex their physical and intellectual muscles and get the
fully immersive digital experience. For teenagers, the
so-called digital natives, the competitive games are the
most fun.
The adult visitors (especially those adults who don’t really
feel like exerting themselves physically or embarrassing
themselves when they visit a museum), however, are drawn
to something different.
MORE THAN 4,000 PORTRAITSAt first it might go overlooked, a small console somewhat
off to the side, hidden away next to the window looking
out to the trams and trains that run past the museum.
The unpromising start makes the short explanatory note
on the display screen all the more enticing: Panini sticker
albums, all editions since 1970. A simple note that makes
your heart quicken at the thought of the memories
and the nostalgia that are waiting for you through this
innocent-looking portal. You pause, take a breath, just
a couple of swipes on the touchscreen and you are in,
transported through the years with a veritable flood of
images. Here are all 12 albums spanning from 1970 to
2014, plus the two women’s editions from 2011 and
2015 bringing the total up to 14. Not quite so many
stickers were produced in the 1970s as are today, but
nevertheless there are more than 4,000 players here.
Over 4,000 portraits, and what portraits they are!
Grimacing faces, wacky hairstyles, bushy beards, snazzy
sideburns, magnificent moustaches, toothy grins – the
idiosyncratic style of footballers across the eras is here in
all its glory, getting worse (or, arguably, better) the further
back one goes. Some look more like they want to be rock
stars than athletes; it wouldn’t be a surprise to turn the
page and find Jimi Hendrix or Joe Cocker looking back at
you. Looking at old Panini albums is almost like looking
back at one’s own old photo albums, maybe recognising
a hairstyle that you once experimented with, or a trend
that one of your “cool” friends once rocked. You can
imagine the protagonists preening themselves in front of
the mirror before the photo was snapped, capturing that
questionable fashion choice forever.
42 / FIFA 1904
Get
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Milan, 1960 The start of something big: children in Italy swap Panini stickers. A packet then cost 10 lire (roughly 0.01 euro).
43FIFA 1904 /
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NEW CULTURAL PROGRAMME AT THE FIFA WORLD FOOTBALL MUSEUMPodium discussions, readings, film evenings and a special
exhibition: the FIFA World Football Museum in Zurich is
set to launch its first cultural programme in July 2017.
Between July and September, the museum will host more
than 50 cultural events, taking as their common theme
“The six continents of football”.
SWAPPING AT SCHOOL BANNEDCollecting pictures of famous young people sounds like
something only kids would do. But is it any more mature to
collect sticky squares of paper with pictures of steamers?
Stamp collectors exist the world over – some of them don’t
start collecting until their old age, others make millions
from their obsession. It is said that collectors are happy
people because there is no limit to their hobby. They bring
together the things that fascinate them. There are good
reasons why doctors or lawyers pursue such hobbies –
after a stressful working day, sorting one’s collection is like
pressing the pause button, only more fulfilling.
Leafing through stamps or stickers, arranging them,
pressing them into albums – there’s a place for everything
and everything has its place. The hobbyists will have a
surge of energy in the coming year, when the Italian
company finally publishes the 2018 FIFA World Cup™
album ahead of the tournament in Russia. It doesn’t just
pose a challenge for collectors and for Panini, but also for
the world’s schoolteachers. In fact, many schools have
banned Panini swapping in the playground, claiming it
disrupts learning. There’s no doubt that hard bargains are
driven and some children are even persuaded to part with
cash in order to get their hands on a Higuaín or a Neymar,
though no one has yet become a Panini millionaire.
It is said that collectors are happy people because there is no limit to their hobby. They bring together the things that fascinate them.
Visit www.fifamuseum.com for more information about the new cultural programme and to download the brochure with the full calendar of events.
45FIFA 1904 /
Pani
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OVERHEAD KICKS
When successfully executed, the overhead kick is a work of art, thrilling fans and ensuring that its
exponent joins a rare elite in the footballing annals.By Annette Braun
A RUSH OF BLOOD TO THE HEAD
46 / FIFA 1904
FIFA
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A lot of goals are scrappy, like tap-ins or the result of a goalmouth
scramble, when the ball somehow miraculously ends up in the net
after boot is finally correctly applied to ball at the right moment,
conveying the latter at the appropriate speed into the corner.
A beautiful goal can arise after a move involving outstanding
link-up play, for example when a winger leaves an opponent or
two for dead, perhaps after playing a slick one-two, and then
“FOOTBALL IS AN ART, LIKE DANCING IS AN ART – BUT ONLY WHEN IT’S WELL DONE DOES IT BECOME AN ART.” ARSENAL MANAGER ARSÈNE WENGER
crosses the ball for his team-mate, who needs no invitation to
dispatch it into the net.
Then there are goals that stand out because they seemingly come
from nowhere and bear no relation to how the team is playing.
Goalscorers need to have full control of their bodies and excellent
shooting technique, which elevates the game of football to an
art form.
Overhead kicks certainly belong to this category, their acrobatic
finesse epitomising goalscoring at its finest. Standing with his back
to goal, the player hits the ball behind him with his foot high in
the air – a consummate skill that calls for great awareness in terms
of the flight of the ball and the situation of the match. If it comes
off, it will forever be spoken of in hushed tones of reverence
as well as being a shoo-in for the goal of the month or season.
47FIFA 1904 /
If the acrobatics have the desired effect, even the opposition
reach for the superlatives. Take England’s Steven Gerrard after
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s spectacular effort at his side’s expense in
November 2012, for instance. From over 25 metres out, Sweden’s
star striker lashed the ball over his head into an empty net after
England keeper Joe Hart’s calamitous headed clearance.
“That was a world-class performance from a world-class player,”
was Gerrard’s verdict after the match.
Pelé, Hugo Sánchez, Paolo Pulici, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne
Rooney – all have executed the spectacular swivel par excellence
in their time. Klaus Fischer was even renowned for his overhead
exploits, almost turning the feat into an everyday occurrence in
Germany. His most important effort in international colours came
in the 108th minute in the 1982 World Cup semi-final against
France during the “Night of Seville”, the goal taking the game to
penalties.
For many, the overhead kick is a display of matchless technique,
while for others it is merely a means of correcting a positional
mistake. Former Italian coach Arrigo Sacchi is firmly in the latter
camp, looking beyond the thrills undoubtedly created by such
kicks and instead regarding them as a desperate attempt to
remedy a chain of errors that began when the player in question
found himself in the “wrong” part of the pitch.
“IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST GOALS I’VE EVER SEEN LIVE.” STEVEN GERRARD, FORMER ENGLAND CAPTAIN
“WHEN I TRIED IT, I HAD TO WEAR A NECK BRACE FOR THREE WEEKS AFTERWARDS .”SASCHA RUEFER, SWISS SPORTS REPORTER
“IF A PLAYER IS CORRECTLY POSITIONED, HE WILL HAVE THE GOAL IN FRONT OF HIM, SO THAT HE CAN PUT THE DEFENCE IN AS MUCH DIFFICULTY AS POSSIBLE. AT BEST, ACROBATIC PLAY CAN BE DESCRIBED AS A WAY OF CORRECTING A PLAYER’S ERROR IF HE FINDS HIMSELF IN THE WRONG POSITION ON THE PITCH.” ARRIGO SACCHI, FORMER ITALIAN COACH
“BODY IN THE AIR, BACK TO THE GROUND, HE SHOT THE BALL BACKWARDS WITH A SUDDEN SNAP OF HIS LEGS, LIKE THE BLADES OF A PAIR OF SCISSORS.” EDUARDO GALEANO, URUGUAYAN AUTHOR
Such opinions obviously get short shrift from the likes of Zlatan
Ibrahimovic, and his wonder goal even led to a new verb, “to
Zlatan”, meaning to dominate, being added to the Swedish diction-
ary at the end of 2012.
Who invented the overhead kick? The first mention of this tour de
force in print occurred in Chile in 1914, where 19-year-old Ramón
Unzaga is said to have demonstrated the stunt. The Basque Country
expat was considered an outstanding athlete and he also performed
the feat for the Chilean national team. When he repeated the
exploit at the 1920 South American Championship, the watching
Argentinians, Brazilians and Uruguayans were stunned and dubbed
the overhead kick la chilena (meaning “in the Chilean style”).
Whether or not he scored from his efforts is unrecorded: as a
defender, Unzaga was more concerned with preventing goals than
scoring them.
The story of the immigrant kid who took football fans in his new
homeland by storm with his spectacular skills was strongly disputed
in Peru, however. Nobel Prize in Literature winner Mario Vargas
Llosa has pointed out that oral accounts exist of the overhead kick
being performed at least two decades earlier in a match between
British sailors and Peruvian athletes at the end of the 19th century.
Everyone agrees that the overhead kick has been delighting the
public for many years – it is eye-catching yet fiendishly difficult to
execute, which is what makes it so special. For mere mortals, trying
to reproduce what they have seen at a match or on the TV can
be a painful experience, so they need to think twice before they
try to emulate Ibrahimović et al – or at the very least, wear plenty
of padding.
49FIFA 1904 /
PHOTO ARCHIVE
Student life Tisha Venturini (on crutches), Keri Sanchez, FIFA Legend Mia Hamm and Angela Kelly (from left to right) were room-mates as well
50 / FIFA 1904
as team-mates at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (7 October 1993).
51FIFA 1904 /
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STATISTICS
ENTERING THE FINISHING STRAIGHT2018 FIFA WORLD CUP™ QUALIFICATION
THE QUALIFIERS FOR RUSSIA 2018 KICKED OFF
IN 2015 AND INVOLVED 209 TEAMS FROM 6 CONFEDERATIONS.
A TOTAL OF 2 ,202 YELLOW AND
109 RED CARDS HAVE BEEN SHOWN.
5-TIME WORLD CHAMPIONS BRAZIL
WERE THE FIRST TEAM TO QUALIFY FOR
THE TOURNAMENT (EXCLUDING HOSTS RUSSIA). IRAN HAVE ALSO BOOKED THEIR TICKET FOR 2018.
52 / FIFA 1904
THE 32 SLOTS FOR THE WORLD CUP, WHICH
WILL BE HELD FROM 14 JUNE TO 15 JULY 2018,
ARE DIVIDED UP AS FOLLOWS: HOSTS RUSSIA;
AFC 4.5; CAF 5; CONCACAF 3.5; CONMEBOL 4.5;
UEFA 13; OFC 0.5.
IN THE 663 MATCHES PLAYED SO FAR OF THE 871
TO BE CONTESTED, 1,903 GOALS HAVE BEEN SCORED,
OR 2.9 PER MATCH. THE TOP GOALSCORER TO DATE IS
SAUDI ARABIA’S MOHAMMAD AL-SAHLAWI WITH 16,
WHILE JAPAN’S MAYA YOSHIDA HAS THE MOST MATCH TIME,
HAVING SPENT 1,440 MINUTES ON THE PITCH AFTER
APPEARING IN THE WHOLE OF HIS TEAM’S 16 GAMES SO FAR.
2017THE FINAL QUALIFIERS WILL
BE PLAYED ON 14 NOVEMBER 2017 WITH THE SECOND LEGS OF THE INTERCONTINENTAL PLAY-OFFS, WHICH WILL PIT THE
FOURTH-PLACED TEAM FROM THE CONCACAF QUALIFIERS AGAINST THE FIFTH FROM THE AFC QUALIFIERS, AND THE TOP TEAM FROM THE OFC QUALIFIERS
AGAINST THE FIFTH-PLACED CONMEBOL TEAM TO SEE WHO WILL FILL THE TWO REMAINING WORLD CUP SLOTS.
53FIFA 1904 /
AFP
Portrait of a footballing genius as a young man
Eusébio poses for a photographer.
HISTORY
54 / FIFA 1904
imag
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THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD BACK TO GLORY
Once one of the biggest clubs in world football, Portuguese giants Benfica entertain hopes of rejoining the global elite.
By Perikles Monioudis
In the early 1960s, the name “Benfica”
would strike fear into the hearts of the
opposition, as Portugal’s most successful
club swept all before them at home and
on the international stage, starting with
their European Cup triumph in 1961.
This spectacular feat ended Real Madrid’s
five-year winning streak since the launch
of the tournament – the precursor of the
Champions League – began.
A GOALSCORING MACHINE CALLED EUSÉBIO The breathtaking artistry of the unforget-
table Eusébio, combined with the nous
of the equally legendary coach Béla
Guttmann, put Benfica on the road to
success, a journey that saw the club secure
another European Cup in 1962. This second
triumph in the continent’s biggest cup
competition was arguably more impressive
than the first. The Lisbon-based team went
on to dominate the domestic scene in the
60s, winning eight league titles (Primeira
Liga) and three Portuguese cups (Taça
de Portugal). Winner of the Ballon d’Or in
1965, Eusébio’s record of 473 goals in
Benfica’s colours is unlikely to be beaten
anytime soon. He died of heart failure in
2014 at the age of 72.
Benfica’s second European Cup win in 1962
remains the club’s last European triumph to
date. Legend has it that when Guttmann
left Benfica shortly afterwards when his
request for a pay rise was rejected, he put a
curse on the club, saying: “Not in a hun-
dred years from now will Benfica ever be
European champions.”
CRISIS AND RENEWALDespite the team’s best efforts to break the
“curse”, they were beaten finalists in the
1963, 1965, 1968, 1988 and 1990 editions
of the European Cup, and they fared no
better in the finals of the UEFA Cup (1983)
and Europa League (2013 and 2014) either,
despite the 2014 match against Sevilla
going to penalties.
That Guttmann’s jinx had preoccupied
Benfica for some time is evidenced by
Eusébio’s visit to his former mentor’s grave
in Vienna before the 1990 European Cup
final, where he beseeched the late coach in
prayer to lift the curse. Alas, his plea was in
vain, as a superior AC Milan side prevailed
1-0 (for more about Béla Guttmann, see
the interview with David Bolchover at the
end of this article).
At least their Europa League final appear-
ances prove that Benfica can consider
themselves part of Europe’s elite once
more. The club has a long and successful
history. Founded in 1904 as Sport Lisboa,
it merged with Grupo Sport Benfica four
years later and changed its name to Sport
Lisboa e Benfica. The Águias dominated
the Primeira Liga almost from the start of
its inception in 1934, winning it three times
in a row from 1936 to 1938, but their
ascendancy was soon threatened by two
clubs of the group that eventually became
the other members of Portugal’s “Big
Three”, FC Porto and Sporting Lisbon.
Champions of Europe Benfica’s first European Cup triumph in 1961.
55FIFA 1904 /
Pres
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EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS ONCE MORE?Benfica still managed to win 13 league
titles and ten Portuguese cups between
1970 and 1996, but financial difficulties
caused by over-investment consigned
the club to mid-table mediocrity as the
century drew to a close. The turning
point in its fortunes came with the
demolition of the venerable Estádio
da Luz and the construction in its place
of a new stadium at a cost of EUR 119
million, which opened in 2003. Just
two years later, with coach Giovanni
Trapattoni at the helm, Benfica secured
their 24th league title after a drought of
11 years, and they are the main force in
Portuguese football once more after
winning the league for the last three
seasons. The question remains, how-
ever: when will they taste success on
the European stage again?
“When will Benfica taste success on the European stage again?”
In “The Greatest Comeback: From Genocide to Football Glory“, David Bolchover sheds light on Béla Guttmann’s mysterious life. The ingenious coach and football philosopher
Guttmann won the European Cup twice with Benfica (1961, 1962). He influenced the way we look at football today, but his life was in danger more than once.
“HE RISKED HIS LIFE FOR FOOTBALL“
FIFA 1904: Mr Bolchover, you wrote a book on Béla Gutt-mann. Why? David Bolchover: I think
that any writer interested in
football and history who
scratches the surface of
Guttmann’s life would be
unable to stop writing about
him. It’s the most incredible
individual story in the history
of football.
There has been much written about Guttmann. You claim to have produced a more thorough account.There has always been a big gap in the portrayal
of Guttmann’s life. The mystery has always been:
what happened to Guttmann, a Hungarian Jew,
during the Holocaust? The received wisdom has
to date been inaccurate.
What did you find out?Guttmann himself hardly spoke about these
years. It has been said that he stayed in Austria
until the Nazi invasion in March 1938, before
moving to Hungary, where he won the Mitropa
Cup with Újpest FC in 1939. Most writers have
also said that Guttmann then went from Hungary
to neutral Switzerland, a safe haven for Jews.
You say both those stories are false.What I’ve found out is that Guttmann didn’t go
from Vienna to Budapest in 1938. With the whole
of Jewish Europe desperate to leave,
Guttmann managed to secure a highly prized visa
for permanent residency in the United States.
What happened next?He travelled to the United States, stayed for a few
months and then returned to
Europe. He must have
been one of only a handful of
Jews who returned from the
security of the United States
to Europe at that time. But
he came back to take up the
job at Újpest, where despite
his success, he lost his job
because he was a Jew,
consigning him to poverty.
He was never in Switzerland.
How did he survive?When the Nazis entered Hungary in 1944,
Guttmann hid in an attic near the Újpest ghetto.
He was then in a slave labour camp but escaped
together with another great coach, Ernő Egri
Erbstein, who was killed in the Superga air
disaster with his Torino champions in 1949.
Why did Guttmann return to war-ridden Europe in the first place?Because he loved football. He couldn’t envisage
a life without it. He risked his life for football.
Mr Bolchover, what do you draw from Guttmann‘s story personally?Guttmann won 12 titles as a player and as a
manager, but he experienced terrible adversity in
between. His elderly father, his sister and his wider
family were murdered by the Nazis. He said: “In my
life, I was more down than I was up.” The lesson
of Guttmann’s life is clear: Never ever give up!
London-based author David Bolchover was interviewed by Perikles Monioudis.
Calling the tune Coach Béla Guttmann at work.
David Bolchover, “The Greatest Comeback: From Genocide to Football Glory“, Biteback Publishing, London 2017, hardback, 304 pages.
57FIFA 1904 /
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FIFA MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS
FEMALE COACHING COURSE IN NZ
More female voices
are likely to be
heard on sidelines
across New Zealand as
New Zealand Football (NZF)
continues to encourage
women to try their hand at
coaching and break down
some of the barriers tradition-
ally hindering them from doing
so. New Zealand Football
Women’s Development
Manager Holly Nixon says
there are a number of barriers
that can put females off
pursuing a coaching career
and NZF is taking steps to
ensure that will no longer be
the case, including the running
of a women-only NZF Senior
Level 2 Coaching Award in
Wellington. The 32 coaches
involved were able to take part
in the course entirely free of
charge. There were plenty of
notable names among them
with Football Ferns midfielder
Annalie Longo (above),
National Women’s League
player Katie Barrott, ex-youth
international Eileish Hayes,
Central Football Women’s
Development Officer Aleesha
Heywood and former
Football Fern Wendy Sharpe
all participating.
FUTSAL WORKSHOP IN TONGA
INDIAN ROAD MAP FOR THE FUTURE
IRAN NATIONAL GRASSROOTS CONFERENCE
Futsal instructor
Kalisitiane Koaneti
hosted a workshop
at Loto-Tonga Soka Centre to
upskill and refresh new and
experienced futsal referees on
the Laws of the Game, before
kick-off of the 2017 Tonga
Football Association (TFA)
Futsal Competition. Guiding
22 match officials through
the Laws of the Game with
assistance from the TFA’s
Head of Refereeing Tevita Vea,
Stakeholders in
Indian football have
agreed a clearly
defined road map to create
the right structure for Indian
club football in the coming
years, to culminate in a new
and sustainable future for
the game across the country.
Chaired by AFC General
Secretary Dato’ Windsor John,
the meeting included repre-
sentatives of the All India
Football Federation (AIFF),
the Sports Ministry of India,
the I-League and ISL clubs
as well as from the world
governing body, FIFA, players’
representatives and the AFC.
Agreement was reached that
a strong league would help
develop better players and
coaches, which would enhance
the national team and which
would then, in turn, assist
the continued growth of club
football. Independent research
would be commissioned
and analysed before being
evaluated by the AIFF and
the stakeholders, with the
decisions on the medium and
long-term pathway being
taken as soon as possible after
the FIFA U-17 World Cup, to
be held in India later this year.
The Football Federa-
tion Islamic Republic
of Iran (FFIRI) held
its second Islamic Republic of
Iran National Grassroots
Conference recently in
conjunction with the AFC’s
Grassroots Football Day. Over
600 grassroots coaches and
managers from across Iran
participated in the conference,
the main objective of which
was to discuss the develop-
ment of grassroots activities
throughout Iran. The confer-
ence also covered the topic of
fair play in grassroots football
courtesy of a presentation by
Dr Kabiri, while UEFA/FIFA
instructor Richard Bate dis-
cussed the future of football
and role of grassroots in
building a future for football.
AFC Grassroots Panel member
Anders Krystad spoke about
the upcoming AFC Grassroots
Charter. The charter is a
development tool with which
member associations can raise
the quality of their grassroots
activities through an endorse-
ment programme, and Krystad
explained the criteria, key
concepts and financial support
required to develop grassroots
football in Asia.
Eduardo “Nelo”
Vingada (above,
opposite page) has
been named as the new head
coach of Malaysia. Nicknamed
Koaneti’s main objective for
the two-day course was to
ensure that Tonga’s futsal
referees were all on the same
page ahead of the national
competition, which took place
in May.
EDUARDO VINGADA NAMED HEAD COACH OF MALAYSIA
58 / FIFA 1904
PHO
TOSP
ORT
, Tw
itte
r, G
etty
Imag
es
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT IN ECUADOR
NEW STATUTES FOR BOLIVIAN FOOTBALL
The Ecuadorian
Football Association
(FEF) has launched
its new Liga de Desarrollo
de Fútbol Femenino (women’s
football development league).
The development league
includes the U-14 and U-16 age
groups, and in an initial phase
players will be registered via
an online platform. A regional
and national competition
phase will begin in June 2017,
Jorge Sampaoli
(below) is the new
coach of Argentina.
“the Professor”, Vingada
began his coaching career as
assistant to Carlos Queiroz
with Portugal’s U-20 side,
before going on to win the
1996 AFC Asian Cup with
Saudi Arabia and guiding
Jordan to second place at the
2008 West Asian Football
Federation Championship. The
64-year-old also oversaw
Zamalek’s 2003 title success in
Egypt and Korea Republic
powerhouse FC Seoul’s memo-
rable domestic double in 2010.
Most recently Vingada has
worked as a coach in India.
with the aim of establishing
the national champion by
November. The start of the
competitive phase in South
America is planned for January
and February 2018, while the
U-14 girls will participate in
the Disney Cup in July 2018.
In addition, Fernando Bocca
Ruiz has been appointed as
the FEF’s new Development
Director, taking on responsibil-
ity for future football projects
of the Ecuadorian football
governing body.
He succeeds Edgardo Bauza,
who was relieved of his duties
with the Albiceleste back in
early April. Sampaoli returns
home after spending one
season in charge of Sevilla,
where he led the Spanish club
to the round of 16 of this
season’s UEFA Champions
League. Before his brief stint
in Europe, he had a successful
spell as coach of Chile. He
guided them to the last 16 at
the 2014 FIFA World Cup
Brazil™ before leading La Roja
to their first major honour
when they claimed the Copa
América title on home soil in
2015. He will be tasked with
turning Argentina’s World Cup
qualifying campaign around,
with the Albiceleste sitting
in fifth place in the South
American zone standings,
one point outside the
automatic qualifying spots for
Russia 2018.
The Bolivian Football
Association (FBF)
approved its new
statutes at its extraordinary
congress in the city of
Cochabamba on 29 May in
what was unanimously
dubbed a “historic” act by
the various stakeholders of
national football in Bolivia.
The congress had been
called by the FBF Executive
Committee, presided over by
Marco Peredo Mercado,
accompanied by Freddy Cortez
García, Vice-President,
Marcos Rodríguez Ibáñez,
General Secretary, and Cliver
Rocha Rojo, treasurer. One of
the basic principles of the new
statutes is that specific interest
groups (representatives from
women’s football, futsal and
beach soccer, and football
players, coaches and referees)
will become members of the
organisation, although they
will only be able to enjoy all
their rights and duties as
delegates once they have been
established as legal entities
and met all the associated
requirements. Another is that
the future president will be
elected together with four of
the members of the Executive
Committee, two from the
professional football arena
and the others representing
amateur football. In the case
of the vice-presidents, there
will be one for each sector.
The participation of women
on the committee will be
greatly increased, and
functions such as the current
position of treasurer (possibly
with another name) will
become paid positions.
SAMPAOLI TAKES CHARGE OF ARGENTINA
59FIFA 1904 /
WOMEN ENTER DANISH FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME
For the first time in
history, two big
names from the
women’s game have been
inducted into Danish football’s
hall of fame. At this year’s
Danish football awards
ceremony, Lone Smidt Nielsen
and Susanne Augustesen
were named as the latest new
editions to Danish football’s
hall of fame, making them
the first women to join the
prestigious company of players
such as Michael Laudrup,
Allan Simonsen and Peter
Schmeichel. During her career,
Smidt Nielsen was often
described as the best female
player in the world and,
among numerous achieve-
ments, won the Italian
championship twice with her
club Sanitas Trani. In 2015,
she was named female
football player of the century
by the Danish FA. Like Smidt
Nielsen, Augustesen played
for Sanitas Trani and was
part of the championship
winning team in the 1980s.
In total, she won six Italian
championships and was
Serie A’s top scorer eight
times, scoring more than
600 goals during her career
overall. Her list of achieve-
ments also includes victory in
the then unofficial Women’s
World Cup in Mexico in 1971,
when she scored all three
goals in Denmark’s 3-0 win
against the hosts in the final,
in front of 110,000 spectators
at the Estadio Azteca.
BELGIAN HOMELESS CUP
NEW MANDATE FOR GILLIÉRON IN SWITZERLAND
Peter Gilliéron
(above) has been
re-elected president
of the Swiss Football Associa-
tion (SFV/ASF) for a further
two-year term. Gilliéron,
who was confirmed in office
by acclamation, became the
Swiss national association’s
president in 2009, and will
now take up his fifth term.
Raised in Italy, Peter Gilliéron
moved to Switzerland with
his family at the age of 13.
An attorney at the Federal
Department of Social Security,
he later headed the law
department at the Swiss
Cheese Union, and served
as general secretary of the
SFV/ASF from 1994 before
taking the association’s helm.
Ángel María Villar
Llona (below) is
beginning his eighth
term as president of the
Spanish Football Association
(RFEF) after his re-election
at the association’s general
assembly. Villar Llona has
been at the helm of Spanish
football since 1988, and will
now serve a new term until
2020. The 67-year-old former
VILLAR LLONA STARTS EIGHTH TERM IN SPAIN
Belgium’s national
training centre in
Tubize played host
to the Belgian Homeless
Cup, in which more than
250 players in 21 teams
competed alongside each
other in a spirit of fun and
friendship. This event is a
football tournament for
homeless people and other
acutely vulnerable members
of society. With teams coming
together from all over Belgium,
it gives people an opportunity
to regain confidence in
themselves through football
and enjoy the experience of
playing with others.
professional footballer for
Athletic Club, who also made
22 appearances for Spain
between 1973 and 1979,
said he was looking forward
to the prospect of beginning
his new mandate and he has
pledged total commitment to
the further development of
Spanish football.
61FIFA 1904 /
Get
ty Im
ages
, Key
ston
e
CELEBRATION
THE SOCCEROOSThis shot may date back a couple of years
now, but the tight-fitting shirts, the hairstyles
and Tim Cahill’s sleeve tattoo make it clear
that these Australian celebrations were recent
and will still be fresh in the memories of
many. The picture shows a group of joyful
Aussies in their opponent’s goal, Cahill hang-
ing on the net and Mark Bresciano biting it.
What exactly was going on?
The year was 2013 and the Socceroos had
just opened the scoring en route to beating
Jordan in Melbourne, three points that
would leave them well-placed to seal direct
qualification for the World Cup. An easy,
comfortable home win then? Sort of. The
Aussies had gone into the game on 11 June
under considerable pressure having dropped
vital points against Japan and Oman, and
having suffered a 2-1 reverse at the hands of
the Jordanians in Amman. In other words:
their dream of playing at Brazil 2014 was in
the balance.
But then, as the clock struck 19:15 Down
Under, Robbie Kruse broke clear down the
right, drove into the penalty area and pulled
the ball back from near the goal line for
Bresciano to slot home from close range and
give his side the all-important lead.
The Australians didn’t look back, going on
to win 4-0 before heading off for the airport
the next day to catch a flight to Sydney,
where they would defeat Iraq 1-0 in front
of 81,000 fans to secure their ticket for their
fourth World Cup as group runners-up.
Alan Schweingruber
62 / FIFA 1904
63FIFA 1904 /
Vin
ce C
alig
iuri
/ Get
ty Im
ages
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