ISSUE 6/2015, 13 FEBRUARY 2015 ENGLISH EDITION

Fédération Internationale de Football Association – Since 1904

SOUTH OF FRANCE
CRAZY FOR OLYMPIQUE
DE MARSEILLE

SEPP BLATTER
U-20 WORLD CUP
WILL MAKE HISTORY

LIONEL MESSI
VIDEO CLIP SPARKS
EMOTIONAL MEMORIES

Interview with Arrigo Sacchi

SACCHI’S LEGACY W W W.FIFA.COM/ THEWEEKLY

THIS WEEK IN THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL

6
Arrigo Sacchi North and South America
Arrigo Sacchi was a man of action and a Central America 10 members
revolutionary in his field who managed to 35 members www.conmebol.com
combine pragmatic defensive football with a www.concacaf.com
more attractive, Dutch style of play at the
end of the 1980s. Franchi met the 68-year-old
Italian in his birthplace of Fusignano for an
exclusive interview.

14 Peru
Journeyman Carlos Grossmuller has made the
perfect start at Universitario. Now, the young
team from the capital Lima have their sights set
on a 27th championship title.

19 Messi’s memories
In the first in our series of five key World Cup
moments, four-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel
Messi was visibly moved when confronted with
scenes from Brazil in the FIFA studio.

24 Olympique de
Marseille

23 Sepp Blatter
The U-20 World Cup once provided a spring-
board for Maradona, Messi and Figo. “One of
A legendary club with a
turbulent past

FIFA’s objectives is to make football accessible to

people from all walks of life,” the FIFA President
says in his weekly column. Fiji and Myanmar
will be among the nations contesting the title
from 30 May. 16 Angel Di Maria
Manchester United’s
Argentinian star talks to
The FIFA Weekly.

Sacchi’s legacy
Our cover image shows Arrigo Sacchi
on the AC Milan bench in March 1990.
Two months later, he and his team won
the European Cup for the second time.

imago / Buzzi
Getty Images (2), imago, SHOT Magazine

The FIFA Weekly Magazine App

The FIFA Weekly Magazine is available
in four languages and also on your
tablet every Friday. FIFA Women’s World Cup
http://www.fifa.com/mobile 6 June – 5 July 2015, Canada

2 T H E F I FA W E E K LY
 THIS WEEK IN THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL

Europe Africa Asia Oceania

54 members 54 members 46 members 11 members
www.uefa.com www.cafonline.com www.the-afc.com www.oceaniafootball.com

37 The Philippines
Why Simone Rota returned
to his roots.

29 Côte d’Ivoire
Boubacar Barry put on a
one-man show in the Africa
Cup of Nations final.

Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup FIFA U-20 World Cup FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup FIFA U-17 World Cup
13/14 May 2015, Zurich, Switzerland 30 May – 20 June 2015, New Zealand 9 – 19 July 2015, Portugal 17 October – 8 November 2015, Chile

T H E F I FA W E E K LY 3
 UNCOVERED

4-2-4 formation Arrigo Sacchi’s opinion is highly regarded.

11 versus 0 with Arrigo

T
here is an anecdote dating from 1989 that neatly encapsulates the com-
plex and revolutionary work of Arrigo Sacchi. Ahead of that year’s Eu-
ropean Cup semi-final, Real Madrid sent an observer to AC Milan’s train-
ing camp with the intent of spying on the Italians and learning more
about Sacchi’s successful tactics. The baffled delegate sparked great con-
sternation on his return to Madrid, admitting that he had learned noth-
ing from the coaching session and reporting that the former defender had set
his players up to train “11 versus 0”.
Born in 1946, Arrigo Sacchi was an amateur footballer of average ability
who plied his trade for home team Fusignano for many years before moving to
Bellaria on the Adriatic. But after hanging up his boots, he discovered that he
had a special flair for coaching. He learned quickly, and when Silvio Berlusco-
ni brought him to giants AC Milan in 1987, it seemed as though he had come
from nowhere. “I was an unknown who knew hardly anyone in the football
business,” he later said. “The fact that I didn’t have a past helped me to make
my way in that world.”
Even today, Sacchi occasionally appears at AC Milan’s training ground. This
is usually a bad sign, as it means the outlook is sufficiently poor for the club to
Guido Clerici  /  LUZ / fotogloria

seek the 68-year-old’s advice. One thing is certain: no coach has played a greater
role in shaping the destiny of I Rossoneri than Sacchi, so our reporter Massimo
Franchi travelled to the Italian province of Ravenna to meet him. Our exclusive
interview begins on page six. Å

Alan Schweingruber

T H E F I FA W E E K LY 5
ARRIGO SACCHI

Arrigo Sacchi, 68
“At my age you have to
do regular exercise.”

The creator
Arrigo Sacchi shaped an era in football and his coaching style is still
Guido Clerici / LUZ / fotogloria

revered to this day. Here he talks about Italy’s outdated football,

geniuses and coaches who think too much of themselves.
Massimo Franchi, Fusignano

6 T H E F I FA W E E K LY
A
rrigo Sacchi on 1 April you turn 69. What is an aver-
age day for you like?
Arrigo Sacchi: At my age you have to do regular
exercise in order to stay fit. I get up, have break-
fast, read the paper and watch the television.
Then I do a bit of exercise, preferably riding my
mountain bike. After lunch I take care of some
personal matters, read a bit and then watch football on TV. Some-
times, although not very often, I go to the stadium too. Occasional-
ly, Mediaset [an Italian media company] invite me to be a pundit,
especially for Champions League games. If there’s no football on
TV then I go out with my wife for dinner or to the theatre. In
Fusignano there’s an auditorium dedicated to one of our town’s
famous sons, Arcangelo Corelli, who was one of the greatest com-
posers and violinists in the Baroque period towards the end of the
17th century and the start of the 18th.
You have always been an admirer of art and culture...
Yes, because football is also a kind of art, a spectacle, just like
music, comedic poetry, dramaturgy and cinematics. But as the
great Bertolt Brecht once said, if there is no script there is only
improvisation and therefore only superficiality. Imagine a choir
made up of 11 people, just like a football team and ten of them sing
an aria from Aida perfectly while the 11th acts as he sees fit and
sings something completely different. You can imagine how that
would sound.
Has football changed since you were a coach?
It changes every day, just like life itself. You have to stay up-to-
date and keep developing so that you don’t get left behind. Stand-
ing still is the same as going backwards. Football follows the devel-
opment of society. Today we live in a global world and if you don’t
play a global kind of football then you’re quickly left on the outside
looking in. Modern football is fast – a lot faster than it used to be
not long ago. And if you’re not quick in today’s game then there’s
no room for you.
Italian football also appears to have been left behind...
That has a lot to do with our history. After the collapse of the
Roman Empire, which had spread culture to every corner of the
earth, and also after the Renaissance, Italians led lives that were
shaped by ruses and denunciation for centuries – the infamous art
of coming to arrangements. In a way, that spread to our football, as
can be seen from certain peculiarities in our downright outdated
game. We needed to reorganise to get back on track but when we
once again failed to adapt to the circumstances, we fell further
behind. The thing I personally dislike about our football is its
backwardness, its lack of innovation and the common conserva-
tism that characterises certain teams. Instead of progressing they
take huge steps backwards and get left behind.
There are not many Italian players abroad: Mario Balotelli is usually a
substitute at Liverpool, Alessio Cerci has returned to Italy with Milan
after an unsuccessful spell in Madrid, and Ciro Immobile is struggling at
Borussia Dortmund.
ARRIGO SACCHI
That’s indicative of the state of our football. When one of our
big stars goes overseas they quickly recognise how good they really
are and how they are valued. There’s a huge difference. Even as
little as ten years ago Italy was the best in Europe and always had
teams fighting for the Champions League title. Today we’re in
fourth place behind Spain, England and Germany and we need to
be careful not to fall even further behind. We can already feel the
closest pursuer hot on our heels.
What kind of a sport is football?
Football is an attacking sport, although you have to attack as a
unit. Nowadays there is a lot more emphasis on team unity. After
all, it is a team sport and not a game you play individually.
What do you mean by that?
A team with togetherness has synergy, but one without it does
not have much. In order for that to be possible, all 11 players have
to move as one, they have to keep the right distances between each
other and lose their markers at the right time. At the back they
also have to be well-positioned and mark their opponents. In short,
all 11 players have to be active at all times, both in possession of
the ball and without it. That’s the objective. That’s very difficult to
do today, and was even harder a quarter of a century ago.
“The thing I personally
dislike about Italian football
is its backwardness,
its lack of innovation and
its common conservatism.”
That sounds like a lot of physical and mental effort is required...
The opposite is true in fact: at AC Milan we never invested more
energy than our opponents did. We always had greater stamina
because when you’re in possession you never really need to sprint
further than about 15 metres, but when you’re chasing the ball then
you could be sprinting 40 metres. It’s common knowledge that my
boys could play for a long time. Paolo Maldini only retired when he
was 41, as did Filippo Galli. [Alessandro] Costacurta was 39 when he
hung up his boots, while [Franco] Baresi and [Mauro] Tassotti were
both 37. The only one who had to stop earlier was Marco van Bas-
ten, but that was because he had osteophytes.
So you are saying the whole team shared the burden equally?
That’s exactly right. I always put a lot of emphasis on a univer-
sal kind of football. I always wanted to have a strong collective
rather just having good individual players. So I trained the team
with a view to making every single player better, instead of inte-
grating individuals into the side.
T H E F I FA W E E K LY 7
ARRIGO SACCHI

Vienna 1990
Sacchi wins the European
Cup with AC Milan for the
second year in a row.

Bob Thomas / Getty Images

8 T H E F I FA W E E K LY

Yet great individual players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
are often decisive...
Even superstars are only able to win when they’re given the
right support from the whole team. Ask any of today’s world-class
players and you’ll see what their answer is. Ronaldo and Messi may
play the first fiddle but they’re still only part of a larger orchestra.
Even the best and most talented players have to follow the beat of
the collective. The word ’orchestra’ is a nice term and originates
from Greek theatre: it means a group of people comprised of the
Team talk 1988 Arrigo Sacchi and his star-studded AC Milan side at a training camp.
chorus, instrumentalists and dancers. All of them move simultane-
ously in perfect harmony. That is precisely how the ideal football
team should act too. You can’t confuse a player with a footballer.
What do you mean by that exactly?
imago / Buzzi
Take Mario Balotelli for example. He’s a footballer but not a
player. A player is someone who moves in harmony with the team,
not as a voice separated from the chorus.
ARRIGO SACCHI
What was Diego Maradona?
He was exceptionally talented. I must admit, I would have much
preferred to have coached him than to play against him, as was
often the case in matches between AC Milan and Napoli. Diego is a
kind of sword of Damocles: you never know when it’ll fall.
It is said that in a way you sacrificed great individual players in favour
of tactical discipline...
Some great players enjoyed their best spells under me, such as
[Ruud] Gullit and Van Basten at AC Milan, and [Roberto] Baggio in
the Italian national team..
What do you make of modern coaches?
Generally, I put coaches into one of three categories. There are
the geniuses, the innovators, but there aren’t many of those; then
there are the upstarts, the also-rans who have no idea but think
they’re very clever; and then there are the traditionalists, the
T H E F I FA W E E K LY 9
ARRIGO SACCHI
The Immortals
S
everal years ago, in 2007 to be precise,
Italian mass media company Mediaset
ran a survey asking AC Milan supporters
to name the best side in the club’s history.
The result was unanimous: Arrigo
Sacchi’s ’Squadra’, widely known as ’The
Immortals’, won the vote by an overwhelming
majority, leaving the team Carlo Ancelotti set
about building in 2001 and Fabio Capello’s side
from the early nineties in its wake.
Under Sacchi’s tutelage, Milan dominated
European football at the back end of the 1980s
and remain the most recent club to have won suc-
cessive European Cups in 1989 and 1990. Playing
10 T H E F I FA W E E K LY
a brand of attractive, innovative, spectacular yet
efficient football that is rarely seen on Italian
shores, Sacchi’s team holds a special place in the
memories of the “Tifosi Rossoneri” and football
fans around the globe.
Dutch influence
Like any great artist, Sacchi’s troops succeeded in
blending tradition with innovative ideas of their
own. His Milan team combined a defensive ap-
proach typical of Italian clubs with the creativity
of the individual players at his disposal, not to men-
tion a possession-based system which was first
adopted by a Netherlands side built around the
Naples 1988
Diego Maradona takes
on Marco van Basten.
great Johan Cruyff. The result left nothing to be
desired: a complete team with a rock-solid de-
fence, a patient approach to bringing the ball out
from the back and midfielders who didn’t give their
opponents a moment’s peace on the ball.
Sacchi’s Milan performed with a balance and
rhythm that captures fans’ imaginations to this
day. The goalkeeper, Galli, was unflappable and
reliable, Tassotti and Costacurta formed a formi-
dable centre-back pairing and Baresi excelled at
bringing the ball out of defence in a calm and com-
posed manner. Maldini not only provided extra
cover for the defence, but also possessed a good
eye for a ball into the feet of the attackers. Ance-
lotti was responsible for pulling the strings in mid-
field, while Donadoni and Colombo were just as
good at pressurising opponents as they were at
keeping possession.
Napoli showdown
However, Sacchi’s side is perhaps best known for
the Dutch trio in the final third of the pitch – Rij-
kaard, Gullit and Van Basten. Rijkaard set the
rhythm in attack, Gullit wreaked havoc with a mix-
ture of penetration, awareness and shooting abil-
ity, and Van Basten was simply the icing on the
cake. Affectionately known as the ’Nijinsky of the
penalty box’ due to his sublime first touch and un-
usually long strides, his goals were almost always
of the spectacular variety. They were the end prod-
uct of a visionary and earned him successive Bal-
lon d’Or awards in 1988 and 1989. Incidentally, his
colleagues Baresi, Gullit and Rijkaard joined van
Basten on the podium during that time.
Over the years, Sacchi’s Immortals made the
rest of the world forget that Italy was the birth
place of the catenaccio system. All legends are
based on certain historic events and in the case of
Sacchi’s Milan, three games in particular secured
them that legendary status. The first, a home
match against Diego Maradona’s Napoli side,
took place in January 1988, just after Gullit had
been awarded the Ballon d’Or for the first and only
time. Milan romped to a 4-1 victory at the San Siro,
a result that won Sacchi plenty of plaudits at the
time. The second game was the 5-0 humbling of
a Real Madrid side featuring Butragueno, Hugo
Sanchez and Michel in the semi-finals of the
European Cup in 1989, while the third of those
memorable matches was the final that year, which
ended in a comfortable 4-0 win for the Italians
over Steaua Bucharest, earning them their first
European title. The football world was waxing
lyrical about the Immortals that night – and they
still are to this day.
imago / Buzzi
Jordi Punti

Pointing the way Tactics were always one of Arrigo Sacchi’s strong points as coach and for this photo shoot the 68-year-old got back into character.
downright old-fashioned coaches who follow classical but now
obsolete schools of thought.
Which coaches do you hold in high regard?
My pupil [Carlo] Ancelotti is doing very well, especially last year
when he won both the Champions League and the Club World Cup.
He could ring in the start of a new era at Real Madrid. But I also
rate Jose Mourinho very highly. He’s a genius, albeit in a very
different way to Pep Guardiola. I like Jürgen Klopp too, even if he’s
had a lot of difficulties in the Bundesliga this season. In Italy
Antonio Conte and Zdenek Zeman are without doubt among the
very best. Both of them are conductors who know how to convey
the full score to their orchestras.
“Improvising can work well once,
but meticulous planning
is the only way.”
Guido Clerici / LUZ / fotogloria
Speaking of Real Madrid: Florentino Perez appointed you sporting
director at the club ten years ago, but success remained elusive.
That team had so many champions in it: Zidane, Ronaldo, Figo,
Raul, Roberto Carlos, Beckham, Owen, Casillas, Guti, Morientes,
Solari and Samuel. But things didn’t work out well on the pitch.
ARRIGO SACCHI
What is your opinion of people for whom the end justifies the means as
long as they win?
Results are more important today than ever before but it would
be a mistake to believe that three points are the only things that
matter. Success only comes with a playing style, with a unified side
and the work of the whole team, and that starts in everyday train-
ing. Otherwise, you may win but it’s a lifeless win. You don’t get far
with that philosophy.
Which teams do you think have had the greatest influence on the
development of football in different eras?
I think there have been three: the Netherlands and Ajax under
Rinus Michels, AC Milan under me and Barcelona under Pep
Guardiola.
How do you put a team together that is able to write footballing history?
There are numerous factors that have to be considered and
brought together. First and foremost the club must be ambitious
and have revolutionary ideas. The coach is also important, as he has
to have the ability to put his ideas into practice and to motivate his
players. New signings have to fit in exactly with the tactical con-
cept. You don’t buy a player just because of his name if he can’t play
in the position you need him in. There’s no point in creating unnec-
essary rivalries. Young players who are brought into a new team
must be reliable, unselfish, passionate and intelligent. That’s anoth-
er fundamental aspect that is essential when you’re planning in
meticulous detail. If you don’t work in depth then you’ve lost from
T H E F I FA W E E K LY 11
ARRIGO SACCHI
the outset. That’s as true in football as it is in life. Improvising can
work well once, but that will have been the proverbial exception
that proves the rule. Meticulous planning is the only way.
Did Ronaldo deserve to win the FIFA Ballon d’Or?
Absolutely! He had an outstanding season and set one new
record after the other. He may not have won the World Cup but that
tournament only lasts a month, whereas a year lasts 12 months. In
Brazil Messi was voted as the best player and [Manuel] Neuer as the
World Cup runners-up Sacchi honed Italy’s game and took them to the final of the 1994 World Cup.
best goalkeeper. It’s no coincidence that both of those players were
nominated alongside Ronaldo for the Ballon d’Or. I’d like to single
out Neuer, the number one at Bayern Munich and in the German
national team, for special praise because he’s not only good with
his hands but he’s also a fantastic footballer. I watched the Round
of 16 match between Germany and surprise package Algeria in
Porto Alegre very closely. Neuer came out of his box at least three
times and cleared the ball as if he was a top-class defender. He
truly deserves the nickname “Sweeper keeper”.
12 T H E F I FA W E E K LY
“I rate Jose Mourinho very highly.
He’s a genius.”
What is the greatest compliment anyone has ever paid you?
There are a few examples. For instance, one was when the
French sports newspaper L’Equipe wrote that AC Milan would
never be the same again after our European Cup triumph. Another
was the celebrations at the end of the 1986/87 Serie B season with
Parma. We didn’t even earn promotion but finished three points off
the pace in seventh place, while Cesena, Lecce and Cremonese
entered the promotion play-offs. But our fans cheered us as if we’d
won the Serie A title. Unbelievable! A few days later I left Parma
alongside [Roberto] Mussi, [Walter] Bianchi and [Mario] Bortolazzi
to join AC Milan. And the next year we won the Rossoneri’s 11th
Reuters
league title. Å
 ARRIGO SACCHI

Name
Arrigo Sacchi
Date and place of birth
1 April 1946, Fusignano (Italy)
First team coaching debut
Aged 36, at Rimini (Serie C1)
Clubs coached
Cesena (youth team), Rimini,
Fiorentina (youth team), Parma,
AC Milan, Italy, Atletico Madrid
Major honours
Serie A champion 1987-88
European Cup winner 1988-89, 1989-90
World Cup runner-up 1994
Guido Clerici / LUZ / fotogloria

T H E F I FA W E E K LY 13
TALK ING POIN T S
O N T H E
Peru
E a rl y s e a s on
pr om i s e for a we l l-
t r ave l l e d ve te r a n
Sven Goldmann is a leading
football correspondent at Tagess-
piegel newspaper in Berlin.
It would be fair to say that
the people of Lima had their
reservations. Was Carlos Grossmuller still
any good? At the age of 31, was he at his peak
or were his best years behind him? The
Uruguayan had played in the Champions
League with Schalke 04, but that was seven
years ago, and his brief spell at US Lecce
ended with the club’s relegation from Serie
A. Following that ill-fated stint in Italy,
Grossmuller had returned home to play
for Atletico Cerro and Penarol in Uruguay’s
capital Montevideo, before taking another
crack at playing abroad. This time the
­destination was Peru and his new home
Club Universitario de Deportes, the most
successful team in the country.
14 T H E F I FA W E E K LY
I N S I D E
In the view of his coach Oscar Ibanez, Gross-
muller is a player that “can play in three
positions” but also, more importantly, one
that “can make the difference”. Typical of a
no.10, his preferred role is as an advanced
central midfielder and up until now, the plan
of using him in this position has worked very
well. In the semi-finals of the recent Copa
Bandes tournament, he was named man
of the match in a 1-0 win against famous
Argentinian outfit River Plate, before opening
his account for his new club in the final in a
2-1 loss to fellow Uruguayan side Nacional.
Shortly afterwards, in the opening match of
the Torneo del Inca – the cup competition for
Uruguay’s top-flight teams and, more signi­
ficantly, Grossmuller’s competitive debut – he
grabbed the winning goal as Universitario
secured a narrow but deserved 1-0 victory
against Leon de Huanuco.
Ostensibly his goal seemed nothing special:
midway through the first half, Huanuco’s
goalkeeper Jesus Cisneros parried, but could
not clear, a shot from Juan Diego Gutierrez.
The ball landed at the feet of Grossmuller,
who was practically standing on the goalline
and only needed to make contact for a simple
tap-in. At second glance, however, the silky
midfielder had done far more than merely
help the ball over the line. In fact, it was he
that had started the attack with a clever
switch of play to Gutierrez. That he then
continued his run and was on hand to convert
once his team-mate’s initial effort had been
saved surprised more than a few. “A goal in
your first game obviously gives you confi-
dence,” Grossmuller said subsequently. “We
executed a few things really well but we can
definitely improve, and we have to.”
Alongside Argentine journeyman striker
German Alemanno, four-time Uruguay
international Grossmuller is the player with
the most experience in a young and develop-
ing team and is understandably well aware
of the hopes placed on him at the Estadio
Monumental. The Torneo Inca, meanwhile, is
only the first step to bigger and more pres-
tigious ­a mbitions. May sees the beginning
of the Torneo Apertura, the first stage of the
league championship (the Torneo Descentral-
izado), and record title-winners Universitar-
io will be hoping it brings their 27th league
triumph. Nevertheless, an improvement of
the sort that Grossmuller described is
imperative. In 2014 the Lima-based club
could only finish the season in seventh
place, with local rivals Sporting Cristal
taking the honour of c­ hampions. Å
A successful debut
Carlos Grossmuller is
delivering on his promise
having scored the deciding
Depor
goal against Leon de
Huanuco.
 Oman: Omantel Professional League

A l O r u b a o u t f r o nt
in Oman
Andreas Jaros is a Vienna-based
freelance writer.

A few weeks ago, the travel

section of the New York
Times hailed Oman as “one of
the must-see places of 2015.” The sultanate
offers staggering mountain ranges, a diverse
coastline and the serenity of the Wadis,
where the majority of the rivers run dry but
transform into blooming oases during the wet
season. In a word, this natural jewel – one
that is in stark contrast to the artificial
worlds of neighbours United Arab Emirates
and Dubai – is well worth a look.

Any visitors to Oman also interested in

football will not be disappointed. The Gulf
state and it’s three and a half million inhabit-
ants boast a domestic league with 14 teams
who compete home and away for the title and
to avoid finishing the season in one of the
two relegation spots. They are delighted to
welcome any and every visiting fan.

Dramatic turns might be common in the

landscape, but the same cannot be said for the
top half of the table. Al Oruba are league
leaders and midway through February after 13
games boasted a six-point lead after continu-
ing their winning run of form with a 1-0 win
against Al Shabab. The chasing pack are a
tight-knit bunch. Second-placed Dhofar, who
only managed a 1-1 draw against Al Seeb, and
eighth-placed Fanja SC are separated by just
three points. Last year’s runners up Fanja
would be be nearer the top, but were left
reeling from a 4-2 home defeat against Al Nasr.
Leaving rivals in their wake Nasser Shimley clears confidently for league leaders Al Oruba.
Standings: 1. Al Oruba, 29 points – 2. Dhofar,
23 – 3. Al Nasr – 4. Al Shabab, both 22 points
– 5. Al-Khaboora, 21 points – 6. Sur – 7. Saham
(one game in hand) – 8. Fanja SC, all 20
points.

Defending champions Al Nahda’s fall from
grace is almost beyond imagination. After
being docked six points, the 2013/14 champi-
ons are propping up the table after only
picking up four points in a dozen games.
Times of Oman
space for just 2,000 fans at Ibri, but the
Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in the capital
Muscat, a stadium which acts as home for a
number of top-flight clubs, offers a 39,000
capacity.
recently made an occupational visit to Aus-
tralia for the Asian Cup. Sadly, their country
had the misfortune of being drawn in the
same group as the two finalists: A 4-0 defeat
to hosts and eventual winners Australia was

accompanied by a 1-0 loss to South Korea.

Similarly extreme are the attendance figures Even without the recommendation of the Oman did finish strongly though, beating
in the sparsely populated monarchy. There is New York Times, Oman’s football chiefs local rivals Kuwait 1-0. Å

T H E F I FA W E E K LY 15
THE INTERVIEW
“I try not to watch the World
Cup matches”
Angel Di Maria missed out on the chance to take to the pitch at last summer’s
World Cup Final, but “although I couldn’t play, it was still
the most beautiful moment of my career,” says the Argentinian.
In 2014 you helped Real Madrid become
European champions for the tenth time but
then had to leave the club. With Argentina you
reached the Final of the World Cup in Brazil
but missed their last two games because of
injury. On balance, would you say it was a
bittersweet 12 months?
Ángel Di María: No, no … I’m very happy
about what happened. Aside from injuries,
which can afflict anyone, I achieved big
things, like winning la décima with Madrid
and helping Argentina reach the World Cup
Final after many years. Then there was how
we got there – showing immense desire and
bravery with a spectacular group of players.
It was well deserved and I was more than
satisfied with what we accomplished.
If you had to single out one moment from
2014, what would it be and why?
It might sound strange but it’d be reach-
ing the World Cup Final. It’s something I
never thought I’d be part of, even as a boy.
And although I couldn’t play, it was still the
most beautiful moment of my career.
When you picked up that injury against Bel-
gium, did you realise immediately how serious
it was?
Yes, I knew it might be a bad one from the
pain. It was just as I accelerated past the
defender and was about to break clear. That’s
when I felt the pain. However, I have great
faith and believed I’d be able to play again,
and I did everything in my power to be fit for
the Final. But football’s like that. It can put
you out of the World Cup, but it can also give
you a chance to make amends. Hopefully I’ll
get that opportunity.
Have you watched those World Cup games
since?
No, I try not to watch them. (laughs)
Not even your goal against Switzerland?
That one, yes. From time to time I watch
some clips on Youtube, though it’s mostly
ones featuring the fans. When you’re actually
16 T H E F I FA W E E K LY
part of a World Cup, you don’t see any of
what’s going on outside, where many wonder-
ful things happen. I heard bits from my family
about the sheer numbers who were travelling
and how committed they were. You don’t see
all that, which is why it’s nice to watch it now
and remember it in a different way. We’d have
loved to have given all our compatriots the
ultimate celebration and taken the final step,
and hopefully one day we will.
“My English
is very bad,
but I’m trying
to learn it
bit by bit.”
Have you ever wondered what might have
happened if you’d played in that Final?
No, because I firmly believe things happen
for a reason. If it was God’s will that I didn’t
play in that final, then it’s because I wasn’t
meant to be there. The players that started
gave absolutely everything. We had every
chance of winning that game and many
scoring opportunities, but the ball just
wouldn’t go in. They had two chances: one hit
the post and the other went in. That’s football
for you.
But tactically, against a side with such a high
defensive line as Germany, a player with your
skills might have found the gaps?
Yes, you could think that way after
seeing how the game panned out. Both El
Pocho [Ezequiel Lavezzi] and Leo [Messi]
went at them at pace and got the better of
them. I think it would have been a different
game with someone in my role. I had a good
understanding with Leo throughout the
World Cup, but that’s football and God didn’t
intend it to be.
2014 was also the year you said goodbye to
Real Madrid. What’s your assessment of that
chapter now?
Well, I did everything asked of me: I won
the Super Cup, the Copa del Rey, the Champi-
ons League and the Spanish league. I won
every title except the Club World Cup, as I’d
already left the club by then. I’d been there
four years and the time had come for a
change. I really wanted to play in the Premier
League, which I’d been watching since I was a
youngster every Saturday or Sunday before I’d
go and play for Rosario Central. It was always
a dream and goal of mine to experience
English football.
Football aside, how are you getting on in
England?
Very well. The weather is the only thing …
it doesn’t help a lot. (laughs). But I’m very
content here. The people have a lot of affec-
tion for me, which is the most important
thing. It’s what I value most, and I have that
here.
How are you progressing with the language?
More like regressing! (laughs). It’s very
bad. [I’ve learned] very little and only under-
stand a small bit. That said, I’m trying to
learn it bit by bit and I’m taking classes.
Hopefully I’ll pick it up quickly.
You’re one of the few to have been long-time
team-mates of both Cristiano Ronaldo and
Lionel Messi. Do you tire of people asking you
to compare them?
No, because I always say the same thing:
that they’re two completely different players.
 Name
Angel Fabian Di Maria Hernandez
Date and place of birth
14 February 1988
Rosario, Argentina
Position
Midfielder, winger
Clubs played for
2005–2007 Rosario Central
2007–2010 Benfica
2010–2014 Real Madrid
since 2014 Manchester United
Ben Duffy / Adidas

Argentina national team

57 caps, 11 goals

T H E F I FA W E E K LY 17
 Football is a
brotherhood. It’s peace.
Oscar Arias
Nobel Peace Laureate
© 2014 Visa. All rights reserved.
 THE INTERVIEW

Leo features in every game, making short

Emotional memories
bursts and nonchalantly dribbling past one,
two or three players with great ball control
in tight spaces. Cristiano is more about
power, long range shots… they’re different.
If I were FIFA, I’d have two Ballon d’Or
prizes, one for that pair to fight over, and
another for everyone else.

There’s been a lot of talk about Messi of late,

even rumours that he’d consider a move to
for Messi
Chelsea. As someone who spent time working
with Jose Mourinho, could you see them
together?
In principle, I don’t think Leo wants to
leave Barcelona. It’s hard to walk away from a
club that’s given you everything, where you
effectively grew up. But to answer your
question, no I don’t think he’d have any
problem working with Mourinho. (laughs)

What do you miss most about Argentina?

My friends – and now more than ever, as
English football doesn’t stop over Christmas
and I couldn’t travel home. Then there’s your
family, who are always far from you, includ-
ing my parents and those of my wife. They’re
all in Argentina, which can be also be a bit
hard to take.

Finally, is winning the 2015 Copa America your

top goal this year?
Hopefully we can manage it as I’d love to A difficult moment Lionel Messi, pictured in Rio de Janeiro on 13 July
win something with the full national team. (World Press Sports Photo of the Year 2014)
I’ve won an Olympic title and an U-20 World
Cup, but it’d be really special to round things

off with a Copa title with the seniors. It’s
hard, though, as there are many strong teams
at present, including Brazil, Colombia and
Uruguay, who fight every step of the way.
It’s a tall order but hopefully things go well
for us and we can finally give Argentina
reason to celebrate. Å
Angel Di Maria was speaking
to Alejandro Varsky
Bao Tailiang / Chengdu Economic Daily
A
rgentina won their second and most re-
cent World Cup title in Mexico back in
1986, when La Albiceleste defeated Ger-
many 3-2 in a thrilling Final. The tourna-
ment is remembered for the performances
of one Diego Maradona, who led his team to
victory several times along the way.
The great Maradona continues to cast a
long shadow. Although Lionel Messi is now
repeatedly compared with his exceptional
predecessor, with some believing that the
man from Rosario possesses even greater
skill, the argument always ends the same
way: Maradona must be better because Mes-
si has never made Argentina world champi-
ons. The four-time Ballon d’Or winner con-
tested what was already his third World Cup
in Brazil last summer at just 27 years old.
Five key moments
player of the tournament after the match
at the Maracana served as little more than
a consolation prize.
Although time cannot heal all wounds,
it seems to make past events seem more
bearable. With that in mind, FIFA.com re-
cently had the idea of sitting down with the
2014 World Cup’s most important protago-
nists to review some key moments from the
tournament. The first player to make him-
self available for this special meeting in
front of the cameras was Lionel Messi.
The FIFA clip that resulted from this en-
counter, entitled “Lionel Messi watches Bra-
zil 2014”, caused a sensation when it was
launched online last week. “I don’t know
what to say,” said the Argentinian, visibly
moved as he watched his team’s missed
chances in the Final once again. “We’ll regret
it for the rest of our lives.”

Every fan can bring to mind the scenes af- (tfw)

ter the final whistle on 13 July 2014, with
German players celebrating exuberantly as
the Argentinians consoled one another. At
the centre of it all, the losing side’s captain,
Messi, tried to hold back the tears, while Messi watches Brazil 2014 (video):
the Golden Ball award he collected as the http://tinyurl.com/q45cl4e

T H E F I FA W E E K LY 19
 laif

20 T H E F I FA W E E K LY
First Love
Place: Bel Ombre, Mauritius
Date: 9 July 2014
Time: 4.38 p.m.
Photog rapher: John Fr umm

T H E F I FA W E E K LY 21
 THIS IS THE ONE
Introducing

Official Mascot for the

FIFA U-20 World Cup New Zealand 2015

@FIFAcom #Wooliam /fifau20worldcup

 U - 20 W O R L D C U P 2015 PRESIDENTIAL NOTE

Draw sets stage for

New Zealand 2015

Finals debut for

Fiji and Myanmar

F
ootball’s foundations are becoming broad-
er than ever, with major tournaments
hardly ever featuring outsiders given no
chance of progressing. When the U-20 World
Cup gets underway in New Zealand on 30 May,
it will be contested by two nations who have
Unveiled at last The six groups for the U-20 World Cup have now been drawn. never previously qualified for a FIFA finals
tournament – Fiji and Myanmar. The fact that
this is happening in the highest youth catego-

T
he draw for the U-20 World Cup New Zealand 2015 has taken place in Auckland, ry makes it even more significant. After all,
mapping out the group-stage challenge for each of the 24 teams involved. since it was first held in Tunisia in 1977, this
­A rguably the pick of the sections drawn at the impressive SKYCITY Convention competition has provided a springboard for
Centre was Group D, which pits Mexico against 2013 runners-up Uruguay, the world-class careers of such great players
­Serbia and an as-yet undecided African opponent. Hosts New Zealand, mean- as Maradona, Messi, Figo and Ronaldinho.
while, will take on Ukraine in the opening match on 30 May in a section that One of FIFA’s key objectives is to make
also includes USA and debutants Myanmar. As for the tournament’s other first­- football accessible to people from all walks of
timers, Fiji, they face a demanding debut in the U-20 showpiece, with their first match life, under optimal conditions and supported
a baptism of fire against European champions Germany. by the best possible expertise. Since 1999, we
have invested more than US$ 2 billion in foot-
The stars of tomorrow ball development, implemented 700 Goal pro-
Proceedings were conducted by FIFA’s Events Director, Colin Smith and Senior Com- jects worldwide and laid important social foun-
petitions Manager, Rhiannon Martin, with help from draw assistants Danny Hay, dations with our Football for Hope and Football
Wynton Rufer, Steve Sumner and Ivan Vicelich. for Health programmes.
There were also speeches from New Zealand’s Minister for Sport and Recreation, But the next challenges already await us.
Jonathan Coleman, and from FIFA Vice-President Jeffrey Webb, who spoke of the As a leading international sports federation, we
tournament’s legendary potential for unearthing stars. “Several of the players who must continue to assume responsibility for so-
have starred in previous U-20 World Cups played at last year’s World Cup in Brazil, cial issues in future. The examples of Fiji and
such as James Rodriguez and Paul Pogba,” said Webb, who is also Chairman of the Myanmar prove that this work can also lead to
tournament’s Organising Committee. “No doubt we will see more World Cup stars results on the pitch, because wherever foot-
discovered here in a New Zealand in a few months’ time. This is a wonderful compe- ball’s full integrating power is harnessed, new
tition that inspires many youngsters, both boys and girls alike, to play the game and sporting opportunities can also emerge. I am
to follow football clubs.” already looking forward to the U-20 World Cup
New Zealand 2015 will be the 20th edition of the U-20 World Cup, a tournament in New Zealand, as it will give us a first-hand
already famous for helping launch the careers of Diego Maradona, Ronaldinho, Lionel opportunity to see a new chapter of footballing
Messi and many more of the game’s all-time greats. It will be held between 30 May history being written.
and 20 June in seven cities across the country’s north and south islands. Å

Stephen Sullivan
Brendon O’Hagan

Best wishes, Sepp Blatter

T H E F I FA W E E K LY 23
O LY M P I Q U E D E M A R S E I L L E

At the heart of the city The golden Madonna looks down from the Notre-Dame de la Garde church towards the 65,000m2 roof of the Stade Vélodrome.

Where OM W
ith its narrow alleys and vast squares
where vocal traders and bustling
housewives mingle amid stalls selling
everything from olives and salami to
mobile phones and kitchen utensils,
Marseille offers a potpourri of influ-

means love
ences. Each new corner brings another aroma,
each street a fresh experience. Amid all this,
the colours blue and white seem to be every-
where, always accompanied by the same two
letters  – OM. They represent Olympique de
Marseille, an organisation that is more than
just a football club in these parts. It is a myth,
a legend, a second religion, and the love of
every single Marseillais.
Most importantly of all, Les Olympiens are
Olympique de Marseille is France’s most popular the glue that holds the city together. It is diffi-
cult to imagine a corner of France more multi-
club, despite – or perhaps even because of – the cultural than this one. Founded by the Ancient

many scandals that litter its history. Greeks, captured by the Visigoths, Ostrogoths
and Franks and destroyed by the Saracens, by
Boris Horvat / AFP (2)

the 19th century it was the most important

Sarah Steiner trading post in the French empire. Goods
­a rrived into this Mediterranean port – still one
of the city’s busiest districts – on board ships

24 T H E F I FA W E E K LY

In with the fans The renovated stands offer space for 67,000 spectators in 13 kilometres of seating and have turned the Velodrome into a true cauldron of excitement.
that also contained migrants. Many of the
city’s more than 850,000 residents can boast
foreign roots. Whether Algeria, Morocco, Italy,
Senegal, China or many others, countless cul-
tural influences have shaped modern Marseille
and its inhabitants.
A melting pot of cultures
Nevertheless, people do not always coexist
peacefully in this southern French metropolis,
with crime proving to be a particular problem.
The Marseillais have always been known as
­independent citizens willing to rail against
­authority whenever necessary. When the Sun
King of Paris, Louis XIV, decided to secure the
harbour walls, he did not point its newly in-
stalled cannons out to sea but instead towards
the city, which had long been a pocket of resist-
ance. The attitude of the locals towards the
French capital has changed little ever since.
“I don’t care one little bit what they think of us
in Paris or anywhere else,” celebrated Marseille­-
-born author Jean-Claude Izzo once wrote. “As
far as Europe is concerned, we are still the first
city of the Third World.”
OM would not be
OM were ecstatic
highs not followed by
devastating lows.
Pride brings the locals together, and no-
where is this sense of solidarity more palpable
than at OM’s stadium, the Stade Velodrome.
Together, they are no longer Frenchmen, Alge-
rians or Senegalese – they are blue-and-white
Marseillais.
Success pursued by failure
This city and its club are inseparable, and no
football team in France has created nor con­
tinues to create waves as big as those of
­Marseille. Great players such as Josip Skoblar,
Didier Deschamps, Eric Cantona, Alain Giresse,
O LY M P I Q U E D E M A R S E I L L E
Jean-Pierre Papin, Fabrizio Ravanelli and
­Didier Drogba have all played here. As a child,
Zinedine Zidane’s greatest wish was to play for
Les Phocéens, but it was a dream he never ful-
filled. This son of Algerian migrants learned
football on the streets of Marseille while fol-
lowing the exploits of his idol, OM’s Uruguayan
striker Enzo Francescoli  – even naming his
first-born son after his childhood hero many
years later. But this eventual superstar’s career
took an altogether different path. Discovered
at Cannes, he moved to Bordeaux and then to
Juventus before finally signing for Real M
­ adrid.
Established in 1899, Olympique de Marseille
were among the founding members of Ligue 1.
Success and failure are two common threads
that have run through the club’s history. The
golden era of the 1920s and 1930s and champi-
onship glory in 1948 was followed by relegation
and then promotion. Between 1969 and 1972,
OM won the league twice and lifted a further
two French Cups. The legendary Josip Skoblar’s
44 goals played a fundamental part in their 1971
championship success, but before long the club
sank back into insignificance.
T H E F I FA W E E K LY 25
O LY M P I Q U E D E M A R S E I L L E

1942-1958
Roger Scotti
Scotti was born and died in
Marseille, and the only club he
ever played for was Olympique de
Marseille. He remains the club’s
record appearance holder with
406 matches.

1966-1967, 1970-1973
Josip Skoblar
When Skoblar returned to the
port city in 1970, it didn’t take
him long to recapture fans’
hearts. The Croatian scored
44 times in a single season –
a club record.

1986-1992
Jean-Pierre Papin
The centre-forward, who won
four championships and one
European Cup with OM,
finished top scorer in the
French top flight on five
successive occasions.

1989-2012
(intermittently)
Didier Deschamps
After winning the championship
and European Cup as a player
with the club, Deschamps
guided OM to their first league
title in 18 years in 2010.

1988-1991
Eric Cantona
Cantona wasn’t always able
to keep a lid on his temper at The harbour turns blue and white OM’s fans gathered at the Vieux Port on 16 May 2010 to honour their
his boyhood club, having ­championship-winning heroes.
spats with referees, coaches
and the club’s board as a
young player.
In 1985 Bernard Tapie took the reins at Mar- ditionally. Even the furore concerning illegal
seille and invested money – plenty of it. Karl- transfer dealings during the last decade that
1992-1994 heinz Forster, Klaus Allofs, Rudi Voller, Jean ultimately led to criminal convictions and the
Rudi Voller
Tigana and Jean-Pierre Papin are just some of more recent arrest of Vincent Labrune in late
According to his former
team-mates, Voller is the only the illustrious names to have graced the Stade 2014 did little to deter the Olympique de Mar-
OM player who was not Vélodrome pitch during this era. Olympique de seille faithful, with the club remaining France’s
involved in the alleged drug Marseille not only won Ligue 1 four times in most popular domestic football team. Five years
scandal before the 1993
succession but also made waves on the interna- ago, a league title and successes in both domestic
Champions League final.
tional stage. In 1990, the reigning French cham- cup competitions provided balm for the souls of HO(3), Getty Images (2), imago (2), Presse Sports, Patrick Valasseris / AFP

pions only exited the European Cup at the OM’s dedicated fan base and brought an end to
1997-2008 hands of Benfica in the semi-final, before going a 17-year silverware drought. Tens of thousands
Samir Nasri one better to lose out to Red Star Belgrade in of local supporters celebrated at the Vieux Port
Nasri joined OM’s youth the final a year later. In 1993 came the greatest as the city erupted in blue-and-white elation.
academy at the age of 10
and made his first-team
success in the club’s history  – victory in the
debut as a 17-year-old. Champions League final against AC Milan. North versus south
He now plies his trade But OM would not be OM if ecstatic highs High above the city on the tower of the Notre-­
at Manchester City. were not almost immediately followed by devas- Dame de la Garde church sits the patron saint
tating lows. A match-fixing scandal meant Mar- of Marseille. Standing 11 metres high, the gold-
seille were stripped of their 1993 French title, en figure of the Bonne Mère shimmers in the
2006-2014
Mathieu Valbuena while enforced relegation to the second division sunlight as she looks down upon a modern me-
Nicknamed ‘Le Petit Velo’ and a mountain of debt almost drove the club tropolis. Near the tourist attractions in the
(the small bike) by his out of business. Even their 1993 European tri- central Quartier du Panier lies the upmarket
team-mates, Marseille
umph acquired an unpleasant aftertaste. southern part of the city, whose beachfront
retired the 28 shirt following
the crowd favourite’s move Despite this turmoil, the club recovered once villas contrast sharply with the grey concrete
to Dynamo Moscow. again, and its fans continue to support it uncon- tower blocks of northern Marseille.

26 T H E F I FA W E E K LY
 O LY M P I Q U E D E M A R S E I L L E

Olympique de Marseille
Facts and figures
Founded: 31 August 1899
Stadium: Stade Velodrome, capacity 67,000
Coach: Marcelo Bielsa
Chairman: Vincent Labrune
Club honours: French champions:
1937, 1948, 1971, 1972, 1989, 1990, 1991,
1992, 1993 (later stripped of title), 2010
French Cup winners:
1924, 1926, 1927, 1935, 1938, 1943, 1969,
1972, 1976, 1989
International honours:
Champions League winners 1993,
Intertoto Cup winners 2005

Just four kilometres from the old port, a
futuristic roof makes for a particularly eye­-
catching sight. This is the heart of the football-
ing city of Marseille  – the Stade Vélodrome.
Reopened in October 2014, the arena offers
seating for 67,000 spectators – vital when you
consider that Les Olympiens sell more than
30,000 season tickets each year. Even here, the
north-south divide is a familiar concept in more
ways than one. For starters, there is the club’s
rivalry with Paris Saint-Germain, their adver-
saries from the French capital and the only
­other team in the country that can boast a high-
er number of season ticket holders. But there is
also an internal duel within the stadium. OM
fans do not stand united behind their club in
one block but instead divide themselves be-
tween the north and south stands. The prospect
of playing here is not made any easier for visit-
ing sides when the Marseille battle cry “Aux
Armes” (To Arms) rings out across the pitch.
Magical moments at the Vélodrome
Built in 1937 in preparation for the World Cup
the following year, the Vélodrome has provided
the setting for many legendary matches – and
and buried his shot in the back of the net.
­Dennis Bergkamp is another player with good
memories of the Vélodrome. With the stadium
renovated for the 1998 World Cup and its capac-
ity expanded to 60,000 seats, the Dutchman
brought the ball down from the sky, cut inside
and planted a half-volley into the far corner of
the goal in the last minute of his side’s quar-
ter-final against Argentina to send his nation
into raptures.
Since then the Vélodrome has undergone
another phase of beautification, with tonnes of
concrete and steel being processed as OM con-
tinued to play their home matches there. This
newly renovated footballing temple is France’s

OM sell more not just in club football. One example is

Giuseppe Meazza’s memorable appearance
­
­during the 1938 World Cup. The Italians were
second largest after the Stade de France in Par-
is and is now ready to host games at EURO
2016. But after going into the winter break at

than 30,000 season awarded a penalty during their semi-final

against Brazil, and as Meazza set the ball down
on the spot in front of a 30,000-strong crowd,
the top of the table and currently lying in sec-
ond place, Olympique de Marseille may have
something to celebrate well before Europe’s

tickets each year. the drawstring of his shorts broke, causing

them to slip down. Unfazed, he held his shorts
in place with his left hand, set the ball down
with his right, took a couple of steps of run-up
premier international tournament gets under-
way next year. Marseille will be more than
ready to write a new chapter in its history – this
time a successful one. Å

T H E F I FA W E E K LY 27
#shareacocacola
Share a

sharecocacola.com
with

Coca-Cola and the contour bottle are registered trademarks of the Coca-Cola Company.
 IN BRIEF

A
t the Africa Cup of Nations final in Equatorial Guinea, a hotly contested yet ultimately goalless 120 minutes were followed by a dramatic
penalty shootout from which Côte d’Ivoire emerged victorious after beating Ghana 9-8. But only one name was on everyone’s lips after the
final whistle – Boubacar Barry. Long after the nerves of players, staff, spectators and half the continent had been shredded, the Ivorian
goalkeeper delivered a spectacular solo performance. After the eighth spot-kick, Barry lay stricken on the floor with leg cramp and required
treatment, but just a few minutes later he parried clear a shot from Ghana custodian Razak Brimah before stepping up to convert the decisive
penalty himself. Herve Renard and his team were assured of a hearty welcome home after securing their first triumph in 23 years, with one
million fans gathering to greet the newly crowned African champions in Abidjan. Å

“Côte d’Ivoire – images from the victor y parade”  http://tinyurl.com/k7stkug Alan Schweingruber

F T
ootballers are role models, and so it comes as no surprise that
more and more kids want to imitate their idols. Yet it is not just
by wearing their names on their shirts that today’s youngsters
are celebrating their heroes. These days their affections increas-
ingly extend to copying the players’ haircuts. To see a fellow pro-
fessional do the same thing is altogether rather more uncommon,
though, and the supporters of Peruvian club Universitario de De-
portes could be forgiven for doing a double-take when they first
saw the new hairstyle sported by midfielder Antonio Gonzales. The
28-year-old has adopted an identical Mohawk haircut to that worn
so famously by Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal, and he is now
often mistaken as the Chilean international’s doppelganger. “I ad-
mire Vidal,” he is quoted as saying, “but this hair-do is for my son.
He wanted me to have the same haircut as Vidal and I’m going to
keep it until my son tells me something different. I’m taking it all
Carl de Souza / AFP
he accident happened on 3 April 1961. Two days after playing
a cup match in Osorno, several members of the Club de De-
portes Green Cross squad took a flight home to Santiago. Sud-
denly, their aircraft disappeared from radar screens somewhere
over the Andes. It was never recovered. Now, almost 54 years
later, the almost impossible has happened: mountain climbers
have stumbled upon what is highly likely to be the wreckage of
the plane. “Quite a lot of the fuselage is still there,” expedition
member Leonard Albornoz reported. Eight players, two members
of the coaching staff and three match officials lost their lives in
the crash, including Argentinian international Eliseo Mourino,
while the rest of the squad decided to take a second flight. The
mountaineers do not want to reveal the exact location of the
Douglas DC3. “We don’t want the site to be desecrated,” Albornoz
explained. “It’s important to realise that people died here and the

as a bit of fun.” After the Mohawk choice caused such a stir, Uni- families of the victims deserve our respect.” Å
versitario fans can quite rightly look forward with anticipation to Sarah Steiner
the next idea that pops into the young boy’s head. Å
Tim Pfeifer

T H E F I FA W E E K LY 29
 Developing football
everywhere and for all

Organising inspiring
tournaments

Caring about society

and the environment

For the Game. For the World.

FIFA is committed to developing football for the benefit of all. Our mission is to:

Develop the game Build a better future

FIFA’s primary objective is to develop the game of football Football is much more than just a game. Its universal appeal
in our 209 member associations. The FIFA World Cup™ gives gives it a unique power and reach which must be managed
us the resources we need to invest USD 550,000 per day in carefully. FIFA believes it has a duty to society that goes
football development across the globe. beyond football.

Touch the world

FIFA’s aim is to touch the world through its international
football competitions and events, uniting and inspiring
people everywhere.

FIFA.com
 FREE KICK SPOTLIGHT ON

GENER AL
INFORMATION
FIFA Trigramme:
MAD
Country:
Madagascar

As the snow
Official name:
Republic of Madagascar
Repoblikan’i Madagasikara

gently falls
Continent:
Africa
Capital:
Antananarivo

Sarah Steiner
GEOGR APHIC

W
inter has bared its teeth in Europe recent- resorts rejoice at the arrival of the white blan-
INFORMATION
ly, with freezing temperatures and snow ket, football fans are far less enthused by
Surface area:
sweeping across the continent. In Scandi- heavy snowfall. Last weekend, FC Sion sup-
navia, the professional leagues have settled porters made the trip to Liechtenstein to 587,040 km²
down for their annual weather-enforced winter watch their side’s match with Vaduz, but the Highest point:
slumber ahead of their next block of domestic game they had come to see never kicked off Maromokotro 2,876 m
matches, which lasts from spring all the way because of the snow on the pitch. In Zurich, Neighbouring seas and oceans:
through to autumn. In many European coun- meanwhile, it was almost impossible to kick a Indian Ocean
tries, though, professional football only grinds ball at all. For financial reasons, the city of
to a halt for a short period of time, while in Zurich had scrapped its snow-clearing budget
England there is no break whatsoever. – worth around 50,000 Swiss francs. Thank-
It is hardly surprising, therefore, that fully FIFA lent them a helping hand, allowing MEN’S FOOTBALL
matches during the winter months are often ten pitches to be cleared of snow. Å FIFA Ranking:
affected by the adverse weather. Last Satur- 148th
day, the Serie A contest between Parma and World Cup:
Chievo had to be postponed due to heavy –
snow, while the Scottish second-division
game between Rangers and Heart of Midlo-
thian was abandoned after 25 minutes for the
exact same reason. WOMEN’S FOOTBALL
The big freeze has also caused more than FIFA Ranking:
a few problems in the German Bundesliga. –
Snow and ice have made training conditions
difficult and left ground staff with their work
cut out. At SC Paderborn, a club that is perched
FOOTBALL S TATS
just two points above the bottom of the league
and could probably do with a gruelling train- All players:
ing session or two, fans took matters into their 826,420
own hands ahead of the crucial game with Registered players:
Hamburger SV. Armed with gloves and snow 30,420
shovels, they descended on the training Unregistered players:
ground and managed to clear the playing area
796,000
of snow. Unfortunately they weren’t rewarded
Clubs:
for their efforts as Paderborn slumped to a 3-0
home defeat to HSV. 220
Switzerland has not gone unscathed ei- The weekly column by our staff Officials:
ther. While the alpine nation’s tourist and ski writers 4,788

T H E F I FA W E E K LY 31
MIRROR IMAGE

T H E N
Munich, Germany

1968

Struggling to stay on track: Franz Beckenbauer

imago

32 T H E F I FA W E E K LY
 MIRROR IMAGE

N O W
Madrid, Spain

2011

Eyes on the road: Cristiano Ronaldo

imago

T H E F I FA W E E K LY 33
6 June - 5 July
©2014 FIFA TM
 THE ART OF FOOTBALL
Gentle smiles Ronald Duker
F
or many years now,
we have accepted
that World Cups
throw the participat-
ing teams into the
harsh glare of interna-
tional attention for
several months at a
time. As soon as a na-
tion – no matter how
small or remote –
qualifies for the tour-
nament, we suddenly become fascinated
by its people, how they live and what their
culture is like. Everybody wants to know
the names of their team’s biggest stars or
whether there are any unknown quantities
who could spring a surprise out on the
pitch. At the 1966 World Cup in England,
all eyes were fixed on one completely enig-
matic side – Korea DPR.
The team hailed from the other side of
the Iron Curtain and were as obviously
far-removed from the other nations as the
world in Lewis Carroll’s book Through the
Looking-Glass is from reality. To add to
this sense of mystery, nobody knew any-
thing about any of the North Korean play-
ers, and once this collection of anonymous
footballers travelled home from England,
nobody heard anything more about any of
them for the next 36 years. In 2002, British
documentary filmmaker Daniel Gordon
managed something none of his contem-
poraries had done before, securing permis-
sion to film in the notoriously secretive
state after years of negotiations. With his
authorisation in hand, he set off to track
down the country’s heroes of 1966.
Although it may seem strange to dub
them heroes, the series of interviews given
by members of that team for Gordon’s film
The Game of Their Lives recalls their in-
credible passage to the 1966 quarter-finals,
as defeat against the Soviet Union and a
draw with Chile were
followed by a sensa-
tional victory over Ita-
ly that enabled Korea
DPR to qualify for the
knockout stages at
their European oppo-
nents’ expense. Their
quarter-final against
Portugal – who had
eliminated Brazil in
the previous round –
was no less compelling. Despite taking a
3-0 lead in the opening twenty minutes,
the Koreans could do little but look on in
amazement as the legendary Eusebio
scored four goals in succession to hand the
Portuguese players a 5-3 win.
When players such as Pak Do Ik, Pak
Sun Jin, Rim Jung Son, Ri Chan Myong
arrived in England, it seemed to the rest of
the world as if they had travelled from the
dark side of the moon. Later, rumours
swirled that the entire team had been
thrown into prison for years upon their
return to North Korea as the Great Leader
was unhappy with their exit from the com-
petition. Daniel Gordon’s film dispels such
myths by introducing us to a succession of
cheery elderly gentlemen who, although
they never made money from their sport,
can still draw on their memories of those
wonderful moments. Å
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
"I am disappointed by the boos.
We played well, we won. We don’t
understand what these guys want.
Whether we win or we lose, they boo us.
Maybe they are in the habit of eating
caviar before they come to see us.”
Zlatan Ibrahimovic commenting on
the Paris Saint-Germain fans following
their win over Rennes
“I’m speechless. I don’t remember the
last time I lost three games in a row.
I must have been only ten. Losing like
this hurts. We were fools.”
Roberto Mancini, Coach Inter Milan
“Since Luis Suarez joined us at
Barcelona, Liverpool have not had that
one player they can look to for that
special moment. Couto can be that
player for them, I’m sure. When he has
the ball at his feet, he can make things
happen for himself and he can make
things happen for other players.
He is a very special player.”
Neymar on Philippe Coutinho
“It’s the same story every time.
Umpteen times this season we’ve been
our own worst enemy and it’s not good
enough. Last year we were better away
because we faced teams who didn’t
have the quality of the Premier League.
You make a mistake at this level
and it’s in the back of your net.
It’s the Premier League.”
Joey Barton, QPR
T H E F I FA W E E K LY 35
 © 2014 adidas AG. adidas, the 3-Bars logo and the 3-Stripes mark are registered trademarks of the adidas Group.

THERE
ATERS
WILL BE
 TURNING POINT

“A fire
flared up
inside me”
After growing up in Italy,
one day Simone Rota
sensed the desire to return
to his roots.

O
ne day I found my adoption papers in a
drawer. That was the day a fire flared up
inside of me. My entire history was
summarised in those documents and I
saw my birthday, 6 November 1984,
printed in faded type writer ink. My
place of birth was listed as Paranaque in the
region of Manila in the Philippines – a long
way from the small town near Milan where I
lived with my parents. They had once trav-
elled to the Philippines to collect me from the
‘Per l’altro Onlus’ mission, where I had been
cared for by Sisters May and Marilena. I’ve
never met my biological mother.
There wasn’t anything particularly special
about my adoption papers, certainly nothing
that would have interested anyone apart from
me or my family. But they turned my life upside
down. I felt it course through my body like a
flash. I now knew where I was from and that
awakened the desire to go back. and Marilena. I’ve decided to live here be- Name
I’d started out playing for Pro Sesto in the cause I see myself in the children, although Simone Mondiali Rota
Serie C2 [the Italian fourth division] and we they haven’t been as lucky as I was. I spend Date and place of birth
even managed to gain promotion. After that I my days with them, accompany them to 6 November 1984,
joined Manfredonia and played for several school and join them three times a week in Paranaque City, Philippines
other clubs in the Piedmont region, as well as giving rice and bread to the poor in the run- Position
in Switzerland. However, that day I decided to down areas of Manila. Defender, Midfielder
give it all up and emigrate to the Philippines. I have the feeling that my parents in Italy Clubs
I signed for FC Stallion in the Philippine first always knew that one day I would return to 2002-2010 Pro Sesto
division in 2014 and earned a call-up into the live in the Philippines. I know that the Philip- 2006 Manfredonia (loan)
2008-2009 Lugano (loan)
national team. I made my international debut pine children view me as some sort of hero.
2010-2012 Borgomanero
aged 29 against Laos in the AFC Challenge The fact that I play for the national team 2012-2014 Asti
Cup 2014, the biggest continental tournament shows them that it is possible to make your since 2014 Stallion FC
for emerging Asian football nations, and we dreams come true and to leave difficult living Philippines national team
went all the way to the final. conditions behind you. Å 8 caps, 2 goals
SHOT Magazine

I returned to my roots and now I live once

again in the same mission as before, together Simone Rota was speaking to In Turning Point, personalities reflect
with 21 orphaned children and Sisters May Emanuele Giulianelli on a decisive moment in their lives.

T H E F I FA W E E K LY 37
MEN’S WORLD R ANKING

Leader Germany (unchanged)

Moves into top ten none
Moves out of top ten none
Matches played in total 76
Most matches played Côte d’Ivoire, Congo DR (7 matches each)
Biggest move by points Equatorial Guinea (up 370 points)
Biggest move by ranks Equatorial Guinea (up 69 ranks)
Biggest drop by points Libya (down 156 points) Last updated:
Biggest drop by ranks Libya (down 35 ranks) 12 February 2015

Rank Team +/- Points Rank Team +/- Points Rank Team +/- Points Rank Team +/- Points
1 Germany 0 1729 55 Japan -1 605 109 Qatar -17 305 162 Puerto Rico -1 119
2 Argentina 0 1534 56 South Africa -4 592 110 St Vincent and the Grenadines 11 300 164 Suriname -1 115
3 Colombia 0 1456 57 Egypt 3 590 111 Namibia 0 293 165 Swaziland -1 103
4 Belgium 0 1430 58 Gabon 4 585 112 Sudan -4 288 166 Guyana 1 101
5 Netherlands 0 1385 59 Peru -6 566 113 Libya -35 281 167 Belize 8 100
6 Brazil 0 1333 60 Zambia -10 556 114 Cuba -1 271 167 Tahiti -1 100
7 Portugal 0 1189 61 Panama -6 555 115 Liberia 0 268 169 Gambia -1 95
8 France -1 1168 62 Trinidad and Tobago -7 551 116 Kenya 1 266 170 Montserrat -1 86
9 Uruguay 1 1146 63 Australia 37 548 117 Canada -5 264 171 India 0 85
10 Spain -1 1144 63 Albania -5 548 118 Niger 1 263 171 Pakistan 17 85
11 Switzerland 1 1117 65 Montenegro -6 537 119 St Kitts and Nevis 1 258 173 Sri Lanka -1 78
12 Italy -1 1112 66 United Arab Emirates 14 529 119 Zimbabwe -12 258 174 Comoros -1 75
13 Costa Rica 3 1074 67 Republic of Ireland -2 521 121 Lebanon 1 254 174 São Tomé e Príncipe -4 75
14 Chile 0 1037 68 Burkina Faso -4 513 121 Moldova 2 254 176 Turks and Caicos Islands 1 66
15 England -2 1028 69 Norway -2 512 123 Mauritania 15 251 177 Seychelles 1 61
16 Romania -1 1022 70 Bulgaria -4 506 124 Burundi 4 249 177 Nicaragua -4 61
17 Czech Republic 0 990 71 Uzbekistan 0 493 125 Lesotho -1 243 179 Yemen -3 60
18 Algeria 0 981 72 Rwanda -4 492 126 Georgia 0 234 180 Bermuda -1 55
19 Croatia 0 945 73 Finland -3 475 126 Palestine -11 234 180 San Marino -1 55
20 Côte d’Ivoire 8 932 74 Armenia 5 470 128 Kuwait -3 231 180 Dominica 4 55
21 Mexico -1 912 75 Togo -13 465 129 Luxembourg -2 225 180 Nepal 6 55
22 Slovakia -1 903 76 Uganda 1 464 130 Liechtenstein 2 223 184 Solomon Islands -1 53
23 Austria 0 881 77 Honduras -5 459 131 Azerbaijan 5 222 184 Cambodia -5 53
24 Greece 0 871 78 Haiti -5 454 132 Aruba -3 221 184 Chinese Taipei -2 53
25 Ghana 12 864 79 Venezuela 8 440 132 Vietnam 1 221 187 Timor-Leste -2 51
26 Tunisia -4 860 79 Jamaica -4 440 132 Philippines -3 221 188 Macau -2 50
27 Ukraine -2 859 79 Paraguay -3 440 135 Maldives -4 220 189 South Sudan 0 43
28 Denmark 2 846 82 China PR 14 429 136 New Zealand -1 216 190 Mauritius 0 36
29 Ecuador -3 840 82 Guatemala -9 429 137 Tajikistan -1 215 191 Vanuatu 0 34
30 Bosnia and Herzegovina -1 832 84 Angola -3 391 138 Guinea-Bissau -5 212 192 Fiji 0 30
31 USA -4 824 85 Estonia -2 385 139 Kazakhstan 0 203 192 Samoa 0 30
32 Israel 0 805 86 Sierra Leone -1 382 140 St Lucia 0 202 194 Mongolia 0 29
33 Russia -2 792 87 El Salvador 3 381 141 Myanmar 0 198 195 Bahamas 0 26
34 Wales 0 764 88 Morocco -6 378 142 Barbados 1 191 196 Tonga 0 17
35 Cape Verde Islands 5 756 89 Cyprus -3 376 143 Thailand 1 184 197 US Virgin Islands 0 16
36 Senegal -1 744 90 Mozambique 8 371 144 Afghanistan -2 181 198 Brunei Darussalam 0 15
37 Iceland -4 743 91 Oman 2 368 145 Central African Republic 0 178 199 Papua New Guinea 0 13
38 Scotland -2 738 92 Bolivia -8 362 146 Chad 0 177 200 American Samoa 0 12
39 Serbia -1 723 93 Malawi -5 361 147 Turkmenistan 0 170 201 Andorra 0 9
40 Poland 1 709 94 Iraq 20 360 148 Madagascar -1 166 202 British Virgin Islands 0 8
41 Iran 10 701 95 Benin -6 359 149 Malta -2 164 202 Eritrea 0 8
42 Nigeria 1 664 96 Lithuania -5 355 150 Syria 1 147 204 Somalia 0 6
43 Guinea -4 662 97 Jordan -4 353 151 Kyrgyzstan 1 146 205 Cayman Islands 0 5
44 Sweden 0 654 98 Saudi Arabia 4 351 152 Korea DPR -2 144 206 Djibouti 0 4
45 Cameroon -3 646 99 Antigua and Barbuda -4 344 153 New Caledonia 0 143 206 Cook Islands 0 4
46 Congo DR 11 641 100 Latvia -4 342 154 Malaysia 0 142 208 Anguilla 0 2
47 Slovenia -1 640 101 Belarus -2 331 155 Grenada 0 137 209 Bhutan 0 0
48 Hungary -3 634 102 Ethiopia 7 323 156 Singapore 1 136
49 Congo 12 630 103 Bahrain 7 322 157 Bangladesh 8 129
49 Equatorial Guinea 69 630 104 FYR Macedonia -3 320 158 Indonesia 1 128
51 Northern Ireland -4 626 105 Faroe Islands -2 317 159 Hong Kong -3 127
52 Turkey -4 619 105 Botswana 1 317 160 Curaçao -2 125
53 Mali -4 613 107 Tanzania -3 315 161 Laos -1 123
54 Korea Republic 15 608 108 Dominican Republic -3 310 162 Guam -1 119
http://www.fifa.com/worldranking/index.html
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T H E F I FA W E E K LY 39
 L A S T W E E K’S P O L L R E S U LT S T HIS WEEK’S POLL

Who was the subject of the best winter

transfer in Europe? Which of these former finalists will go

36+28+151164
4% furthest in this year’s FIFA U-20 World Cup?
6%

11% 36%
15%
28% · Argentina
· Brazil
· Qatar
· Portugal
· Mexico
≠ Fernando Torres (AC Milan - Atletico Madrid) · Germany
≠ Juan Cuadrado (Fiorentina - Chelsea) · Uruguay
≠ Andre Schuerrle (Chelsea - Wolfsburg)
Source: Fifa.com

≠ Wilfried Bony (Swansea - Manchester City) Cast your votes at:

≠ Other Fifa.com/newscentre
≠ Lukas Podolski (Arsenal - Inter Milan)

WEEK IN NUMBERS

14 20 9 goals in as many
games at the South
games was how long Western years into his coaching American U-20
Sydney Wanderers, the AFC career, Carlo Ancelotti Championship was
Champions League winners, had to lost a league game by a the tally recorded by
wait for their first victory of the four-goal margin for Giovanni Simeone, son
season in the domestic A-League championship. In the first time ever. Real Madrid’s 4-0 reverse to of Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone, to go
their first 13 assignments the Wanderers chalked Atletico Madrid surpassed the 5-2 defeat the second in the tournament’s all-time scorers chart.
Getty Images (3), imago (1)

up nine defeats and four draws, but managed to
end their barren spell against a Wellington
Phoenix side that had been in fine form prior to
their meeting. A powerful Nikita Rukavytsya
effort and a late strike from Brendon Santalab
were enough to earn them a 2-0 win.
former Italian international midfielder suffered
with Parma against Sampdoria in the 1997/98 Serie
A season. Up until May 2013 Real Madrid went 25
matches unbeaten against their city rivals, but
have failed to win any of the six games against
them this season.
He equalled the total scored by Luciano Galletti in
1999 and Brazil’s Neymar in 2011 to help Argentina
win the title for the first time since 2003. The
competition’s top scorer is Hugo Rodallega, who
found the target 11 times for Colombia at the 2005
edition.