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WWW.FIFA.COM/MAGAZINE JUNE 2017ENGLISH EDITION
DREAMING BIG
BLUE STARS / FIFA YOUTH CUP
FIFA CONFEDERATIONS CUPTHE TOURNAMENT WITH TRADITION
EDINSON CAVANI “GOALS FULFIL ME”
MADAGASCAR COACH DUPUIS DELIVERS
AUSTRALIA HIGH HOPES FOR THE MATILDAS
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EDITORIAL
GIVING SOMETHING BACK TO FOOTBALLThe annual FIFA/Blue Stars Youth Cup in Zurich sparks interest for two reasons.
Firstly, its international aspect demonstrates the opportunities that football
can open up for young players. Secondly, it helps the youngsters find out if they
have what it takes to forge a professional career. Fans watching the action
closely at the Buchlern sports ground might be lucky enough to glimpse one
or two future stars in action (see report from page 8).
A professional career won’t be an option for everyone, but even for those who
don’t make it, football can still continue to play a big part in their lives: the
emotions it arouses, the joy of playing, the physical exercise, the team spirit and
sense of community on and off the pitch – these memories will stay with the
youngsters for their whole lives.
The best way to help those memories live on is to give something back to
football – whether that means volunteering behind the scenes or coaching a
youth team, using one’s free time to help boys and girls to play football and
thereby enrich their lives can be a hugely rewarding experience.
FIFA believes strongly in giving something back. With its development projects
which are designed to do just that, FIFA also endeavours to ensure that football
reaches as diverse a range of people as possible, and that all forms of discrimi n
ation are avoided. Because investing in football means investing in people.
Perikles Monioudis
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CONTENTS
COVER PICTUREIndependiente Santa Fe youngsters at the Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup 2017 in Zurich.Photo: Vera Hartmann / 13 Photo
4 FIFA NEWSFIFA’s most recent investments in world football.
6 FIFA/COCA-COLA MEN’S WORLD RANKINGUnder coach Nicolas Dupuis, Madagascar have risen nine places.
8 BLUE STARS/FIFA YOUTH CUP 2017The annual tournament in Zurich shows the high standard that can be achieved by young exponents of the beautiful game. We also take a look at football as played by children and their dreams of making it to the top.
16 SNAPSHOTThe FIFA U-20 World Cup Korea Republic 2017 has kicked off in spectacular fashion.
19 SOCIAL MEDIA“Who will win the FIFA Confederations Cup and why?” Our readers reply.
20 FIFA BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP 2017 Reigning champions Portugal were unable to prevent Brazil from winning their fifth World Cup after an eight-year gap.
24 FIRST LOVEHerat, Afghanistan.
26 INTERVIEWPSG’s Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani has been one of Europe’s top attackers for some time now. We caught up with the nature lover in Paris.
30 AJAX AMSTERDAMThe Dutch club that took Europe by storm in the early seventies are on their way back to the top.
34 THEN AND NOWFrom Durham to Martigny.
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FIFA 1904 appFIFA 1904 appears monthly in four languages and is also available as an app for smartphones and tabletshttp://www.fifa.com/mobile
36 WOMEN’S FOOTBALLThe Matildas are aiming high: Australia’s women’s team are gunning to win the 2023 World Cup, no less.
40 DEBATE – PRESIDENT’S MESSAGEThe FIFA Congress 2017 in Bahrain – in his monthly column, President Gianni Infantino says: “What I saw over the course of the week in Manama makes me very confident for the future. However, I will not refrain from pointing out just how much remains to be done as we continue to move forwards.”
42 FIFA WORLD FOOTBALL MUSEUM Stories of extraordinary folk who happen to love football: eight inspirational short films await museum visitors.
46 FA CUPSMany national cup competitions produce matches that go down in football folklore.
50 PHOTO ARCHIVEThe Belgian team stretch their legs on a Montevideo beach after three weeks at sea (1930).
52 STATISTICS Facts and figures on Russian football.
54 HISTORYThe FIFA Confederations Cup has been thrilling crowds and viewers for many a year with pure football enjoyment.
58 FIFA MEMBER ASSOCIATIONSSnippets from around the world.
62 CELEBRATIONCarlos Valderrama is generally acknowledged to be the best footballer that Colombia has ever produced.
64 PUBLICATION DETAILS
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FIFA NEWS
Qatar Airways is
a new Official Partner and
the official airline of FIFA until
2022. “Qatar Airways understands the
power of sport in bringing people together
in the spirit of friendly competition. FIFA, as
the governing body of the world’s most
popular sporting tournament, understands
the power of football’s popularity, and
as such is a natural partner for Qatar
Airways,” said His Excellency Akbar
Al Baker, Qatar Airways Group
Chief Executive.
FIFA President
Gianni Infantino recently
visited Rwanda to lay a ceremonial
stone for one of the first projects under
the FIFA Forward Programme, a hotel that
will generate income for development activ
ities for the Rwandan FA. “It is an innovative
project which, with good investment and proper
management, will yield benefit to Rwandan
football. FIFA will continue to support
Rwanda in its plans to take the game
to another level,” said the FIFA
President while in Rwanda.
FIFA has
published its Financial,
Governance and Activity Reports
for 2016. 76% of the forecast revenue
for the 20152018 cycle has already been
contracted, and a positive net result in the
region of USD 100 million is expected by the end
of the cycle. Continued revenue growth alongside
focused cost containment measures have allowed
direct investment in football development to
be tripled through the new FIFA Forward
Programme, with 82% of the total invest
ments over the 20152018 period
going directly back into
football.
The FIFA Confederations
Cup 2017 will take centre stage in
Kazan, Moscow, Saint Petersburg and
Sochi from 17 June to 2 July. The tourna
ment will also see the use of video assistant
referees (VARs) who will be able to support
referees with “gamechanging” decisions. The
VARs will be given access to all broadcast
feeds inside a video operations room,
enabling them to provide information to
the referee on the field of play in
order to correct any clear
mistakes.
4 / FIFA 1904
Last updated:7 May 2017
Rank Team + / – Points Rank Team + / – Points Rank Team + / – Points Rank Team + / – Points
FIFA/COCA-COLA MEN’S WORLD RANKING
1 Brazil 0 1672
2 Argentina 0 1603
3 Germany 0 1464
4 Chile 0 1411
5 Colombia 0 1348
6 France 0 1294
7 Belgium 0 1281
8 Portugal 0 1259
9 Switzerland 0 1212
10 Spain 0 1204
11 Poland 0 1183
12 Italy 0 1165
13 Wales 0 1119
14 England 0 1103
15 Uruguay 0 1097
16 Mexico 0 1076
17 Peru 0 1044
18 Croatia 0 1016
19 Egypt 0 910
20 Costa Rica 0 902
21 Iceland 0 872
22 Turkey 0 863
23 USA 0 847
24 Slovakia -1 846
25 Ecuador 0 839
26 Northern Ireland 0 823
26 Republic of Ireland 0 823
28 Iran 0 820
29 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0 815
30 Senegal 0 805
31 Hungary 0 801
32 Netherlands 0 792
33 Cameroon 0 779
34 Sweden 0 768
35 Burkina Faso 0 765
36 Austria 0 762
37 Ukraine 0 761
38 Paraguay 0 738
39 Greece 0 730
40 Nigeria 0 726
41 Congo DR 0 712
42 Tunisia 0 701
43 Korea Republic 0 700
44 Japan 0 685
45 Ghana 0 682
46 Czech Republic 0 679
47 Romania 0 676
48 Côte d'Ivoire 0 672
49 Serbia 0 671
50 Australia 0 661
51 Denmark 0 657
52 Saudi Arabia 0 646
53 Morocco 0 633
54 Algeria 0 628
55 Slovenia 0 614
55 Bulgaria 0 614
57 Panama 0 607
58 Venezuela 0 595
59 Scotland 0 589
60 Uzbekistan 0 586
61 Russia 0 561
62 Montenegro 0 560
63 Israel 0 557
64 South Africa 0 539
65 Haiti 0 537
66 Albania 0 533
67 Armenia 0 527
68 Honduras 0 524
69 Mali 0 504
70 Curaçao 0 492
71 Guinea 0 474
72 Uganda 0 463
73 Bolivia 1 460
74 Jamaica -1 458
75 United Arab Emirates -1 453
76 Trinidad and Tobago 0 439
77 Faroe Islands 0 431
78 Kenya 0 428
78 Belarus 0 428
80 Syria 0 426
81 China PR 0 425
82 Cape Verde Islands 0 418
83 Benin 0 396
84 Gabon 0 392
84 Congo 0 392
86 Norway 0 387
87 Azerbaijan 0 386
88 Swaziland 0 378
89 Qatar 0 369
90 Libya 1 361
91 Mauritania -1 359
92 Guatemala 0 352
93 Antigua and Barbuda 0 349
94 Namibia 0 346
94 Guinea-Bissau 0 346
96 Cyprus 0 343
97 Finland 0 335
98 Zambia -1 334
98 St Kitts and Nevis 1 334
100 Nicaragua 1 331
100 Lithuania 1 331
100 India 1 331
100 Estonia 1 331
104 Kazakhstan 1 325
105 Mozambique 1 323
106 Togo 1 320
107 El Salvador 1 317
108 Canada 1 312
109 Jordan 1 311
110 Zimbabwe 1 304
111 Madagascar 9 302
112 New Zealand 0 301
113 Sierra Leone 0 300
114 Malawi -14 291
115 Oman -1 290
116 Korea DPR -1 289
117 Equatorial Guinea -1 287
118 Rwanda -1 285
119 Suriname -1 284
120 Iraq -1 278
121 Botswana -1 276
122 Georgia 0 274
123 Yemen 0 268
124 Latvia 0 265
124 Ethiopia 0 265
124 Palestine 0 265
127 Philippines 0 254
128 Kyrgyzstan 0 250
129 Thailand 0 245
130 Central African Republic 0 239
131 Niger 0 235
132 Bahrain 0 232
133 FYR Macedonia 0 225
134 Puerto Rico 0 221
135 Tanzania 0 218
136 Vietnam 0 217
137 Lebanon 0 216
138 Tajikistan 0 205
139 Guyana 0 194
140 Turkmenistan 0 193
141 Liberia 0 192
141 Burundi 0 192
143 Comoros 0 190
144 Angola 0 189
145 Belize 0 188
146 South Sudan 8 186
147 Luxembourg -1 185
148 Dominican Republic -1 184
149 Lesotho -1 181
150 Hong Kong -1 179
150 Chad -1 179
152 Maldives -1 175
153 Tahiti -1 167
154 Afghanistan -1 161
155 Sudan -1 155
156 Papua New Guinea 0 154
157 Mauritius 3 147
158 Malaysia -1 145
159 Moldova -1 142
160 Singapore -1 141
161 Chinese Taipei 0 136
162 Aruba 0 127
163 Cuba 0 124
164 Bhutan 0 123
165 New Caledonia 0 121
166 Kuwait 0 120
166 Myanmar 0 120
166 Gambia 0 120
169 Grenada 7 117
170 St Vincent and the Grenadines 7 116
171 St Lucia -2 115
172 Kosovo -2 112
173 Nepal -3 110
173 Barbados -1 110
175 Cambodia -2 108
176 Laos -2 107
177 Indonesia -2 105
178 São Tomé e Príncipe 0 98
179 Vanuatu 0 94
180 Solomon Islands 0 92
181 Fiji 0 90
182 Malta 0 86
183 Guam 0 82
184 Macau 0 77
185 Bermuda 0 75
186 Dominica 0 74
187 Andorra 0 66
188 Brunei Darussalam 0 65
189 Liechtenstein 0 64
189 American Samoa 0 64
189 Cook Islands 0 64
189 Samoa 0 64
193 Bangladesh 0 60
194 Djibouti 0 53
195 Timor-Leste 0 52
196 Seychelles 0 51
197 Mongolia 0 34
197 Sri Lanka 0 34
199 US Virgin Islands 0 26
199 Montserrat 0 26
201 Pakistan 0 24
202 Turks and Caicos Islands 0 20
203 Cayman Islands 0 13
204 San Marino 0 12
205 British Virgin Islands 0 5
206 Anguilla 0 0
206 Bahamas 0 0
206 Eritrea 0 0
206 Gibraltar 0 0
206 Somalia 0 0
206 Tonga 0 0
6 / FIFA 1904
http://www.fifa.com/worldranking
LEADERBRAZIL (unchanged)
MOVES INTO TOP TENNONE
MOVES OUT OF TOP TENNONE
MATCHES PLAYED IN TOTAL7
MOST MATCHES PLAYEDMADAGASCAR, MALAWI, MAURITIUS, SEYCHELLES, SOMALIA, SOUTH SUDAN
(2 matches each)
BIGGEST MOVE BY POINTSSOUTH SUDAN (up 31 points)
BIGGEST MOVE BY RANKSMADAGASCAR (up 9 ranks)
BIGGEST DROP BY POINTSMALAWI (down 42 points)
BIGGEST DROP BY RANKSMALAWI (down 14 ranks)
MADAGASCAR ON THE MARCHPétanque may still be the sport of choice for many in in Madagascar, the second-biggest
island state in the world, but football is certainly catching up fast, even though the fans’
dreams of seeing their heroes qualify for their first Africa Cup of Nations in 2017 were quickly
dashed after they picked up only three points – from three draws – in their qualifiers, leaving
them rooted to the foot of their group.
Time moves quickly, however, and 2017 could well be remembered as the year in which it
all changed for Madagascar. A new coach, Frenchman Nicolas Dupuis, was hired in March.
The 49-year-old, most recently in charge at AS Yzeure in the French fourth division, summed
it all up perfectly when he said: “Madagascar and their football fans have been waiting for
far too long”. That won’t come as a surprise to many, but just two months on from his
appointment, the progress is clear for all to see. Madagascar recently won four games on the
spin, firstly dispatching São Tomé e Príncipe twice in the 2019 Cup of Nations preliminary
round qualifiers before handing out similar treatment to Malawi in the qualifiers for the
African Nations Championship 2018.
Those four wins have certainly had an effect on the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking too,
as Dupuis’ charges have benefitted from the recent lull in action on the international stage
to climb nine places to 111th, where they sit just ahead of New Zealand. Recent results have
certainly got fans dreaming again – this time of the Africa Cup of Nations 2019 in Cameroon.
Alan Schweingruber
Pointing the way forward Madagascar defender François Randrianomenjanahary is hoping to play at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2019.
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DREAMING OF FOOTBALLFootball certainly arouses strong, positive emotions in us when we are children, emotions that – as the years roll by – become fond memories. But how can dreams of football be kept alive for a lifetime? Images from the prestigious Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup in Zurich.By Perikles Monioudis (text) and Vera Hartmann (photos)
BLUE STARS/FIFA YOUTH CUP
8 / FIFA 1904
The joy of football Youngsters from Independiente
Santa Fe – the first Colombian side to take part in the Blue Stars tournament (24-25 May 2017) –
relax in the dressing room. They finished eighth.
9FIFA 1904 /
In the middle Two young girls follow the action while surrounded by West Ham United players.
BLUE STARS/FIFA YOUTH CUP
10 / FIFA 1904
A ball is certainly a magical object. Is it the perfect
shape of what is essentially a spinning, rolling, flying
sphere that fascinates young children all over the
world, drawing them in and creating a love affair that
generally lasts a lifetime? Is our sport the most beauti-
ful game in the world simply because it has the ability
to place the joy that we feel when we kick a ball into a
wider context in which fairness, personal development
and social competence all start to flourish for the first
time, all while firing our imagination and giving wings
to our dreams?
Football gives us something deeply human and perma-
nent in our lives, and it’s no wonder that we can
hardly help but surrender to its spell. But when exactly
does that spell take hold of us as youngsters? When
does football draw us in and refuse to let go? Is joining
a football club our first decision in that respect? Is it
when we pull on our very first football shirt? Or is it
the first game of whatever club we may have chosen?
And what happens when we get even more involved
in the game, heading off to training sessions or
matches maybe two, three or even five times a week?
What about when it’s time to join a football academy,
Positional play FC Zurich squeezed past Benfica 1-0 and eventually claimed third place. The Portuguese had to settle for sixth spot.
Words of consolation Young Grasshoppers players after losing to local rivals FC Zurich in the match for third place.
11FIFA 1904 /
Benfica Winners in 1996, the Portuguese club are tournament regulars.
or later on when studies and education come calling?
Does football remain the be-all and end-all in a young
life? For how long?
A distinction has to be made, of course, between life as
a professional player and a childhood with the game.
Any questions about how long the game casts its spell
over any particular person are – if truth be told – some-
what moot because a career in the game depends on
a whole host of factors, not least whether you are
actually talented enough to make a living from the
sport, whether you are fortunate enough to avoid
serious long-term injury, and whether you also make
the right decisions in terms of signing for Club A or
Club B. There are no such variables in the sport when
you are young though. Football will always play an
important role in a child’s life for as long as he or she
enjoys the game, creating memories that the child will
look back upon with a smile one day.
FIFA INVESTS IN PEOPLEDeveloping the game and helping those within it – at
all levels – is one of FIFA’s main objectives. This is
exactly where FIFA’s many development projects, which
Football gives us something deeply human and permanent in our lives, and it’s no wonder that we can hardly help but surrender to its spell.
BLUE STARS/FIFA YOUTH CUP
12 / FIFA 1904
Mike Trésor Ndayishimiye, 18, RSC Anderlecht Boris Babic, 19, FC St. Gallen
Nikola Gjorgjev, 19, Grasshopper Club ZurichToni Domgjoni, 18, FC Zurich
13FIFA 1904 /
Alan Dzabana, 20, Olympique Lyonnais Daniel Steven Valdelamar, 20, Independiente Santa Fe
Domingos Quina, 17, West Ham UnitedNiklas Kölle, 17, FSV Mainz 05
14 / FIFA 1904
are available to each and every member association,
come into play. The Forward Programme, for example,
offers a wide range of possibilities in all areas of devel-
opment, which in turn can lead to projects such as
“Downside Up”, which is part of the Football for Hope
movement and focuses on teaching the game to Russian
children with Down syndrome, or “Football Connects”,
a project that uses the football facilities at the Home of
FIFA to give around 250 young refugees from countries
such as Eritrea, Afghanistan and Syria a chance to find
their feet in Switzerland.
MAKING GOOD THINGS HAPPENIn May, FIFA held a course for 24 young referees in
Somalia, who will now take that knowledge back into
their local youth leagues. In the same month, FIFA
worked closely with the Moroccan FA’s women’s foot-
ball department to continue to pave the way for
Moroccan women’s teams to be able to play at all levels
of international football. In Mexico, meanwhile, FIFA’s
support has helped to set up a cup competition for
23 women’s teams ahead of the start of the inaugural
season of the women’s professional league in September.
Everyone involved in these – and other – FIFA projects,
in whatever capacity it may be, will certainly look back
fondly on them in the years to come, and take the
related emotions back into their daily lives. Or maybe,
just maybe, football will become their daily lives. So
those childhood dreams of football can indeed come
true, and last for a lifetime. For FIFA, actions truly do
speak louder than words.
Visit FIFA.com for the facts and figures on
the tournament.
Any questions about how long the game casts its spell over any particular person are somewhat moot because a career in the game depends on a whole host of factors.
Champion selfie Olympique Lyonnais players pose for a pic with local young fans.
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FIFA U-20 World Cup Korea Republic 2017 For striker Lee Seung-woo, the tournament is an
opportunity to shine in front of his home fans. He is shown here helping his team to a 3-0 victory in Jeonju
in the group match against Guinea (20 May 2017).
17FIFA 1904 /
Robert Cianflone / FIFA via Getty Images
SOCIAL MEDIA
FIFA 1904 ASKED ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER“Who will win the FIFA Confederations Cup and why?”
“I THINK GERMANY WILL WIN AS THEY ARE THE REIGNING WORLD CHAMPIONS. IT SHOULD BE A GOOD PREPARATION FOR NEXT YEAR’S FIFA WORLD CUP.”
Alankrit Mathur (India) on Facebook
“PORTUGAL. STRONG DEPTH IN SQUAD, UNREAL YOUNG TALENTS AND THE COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCED PLAYERS WITH RONALDO
LEADING GIVES THEM A HUGE BOOST.”Kawsar Ibn Absar (United Arab Emirates) on Twitter
“I BELIEVE THAT MEXICO CAN CAUSE AN UPSET AND WIN IT. PEOPLE UNDERESTIMATE MEXICO TOO MUCH.”
Mario Rodríguez (Mexico) on Facebook
“PORTUGAL OR CHILE BECAUSE PORTUGAL HAVE AN IRON DEFENCE AND THE BEST YOUNG SQUAD IN THE WHOLE COMPETITION,
THE BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD IN RONALDO, AND THE BEST PLAYER IN LIGUE 1 IN BERNARDO SILVA. CHILE, ON THE OTHER HAND,
HAVE AN INCREDIBLE ATTACK AND THEY ARE SURVIVORS.” Hugo Canario (Portugal) on Facebook
“GERMANY WILL WIN BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE STRONGEST TEAM AND THE BIGGEST WILL TO WIN.”
Lars Walter (Germany) on Twitter
19 FIFA 1904 /
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Quarter-final showdown Brazil (pictured: Bruno Xavier, left) beat Portugal 4-3 on 4 May 2017. Leo Martins is the man swallowed
by the sand.
FIFA BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP 2017
BACK ON TOP After a gap of eight years, Brazil have won the Beach Soccer World Cup again in a stunning comeback that saw off all challengers, with only Portugal posing a threat to the South Americans.By Alan Schweingruber
20 / FIFA 1904
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There was a time when Brazil seemed to be winning every beach
soccer tournament going. One glance at the World Cup stats
confirms their dominance, the winners’ column an almost unbroken
line of that familiar flag with its green background, blue globe and
yellow diamond. From 1995 to 2009, virtually no one could touch
the Seleção on sand, unless the opposition happened to play out of
their skins over the three periods of 12 minutes and the planetary
alignment was just right on the day. The overall figures make for
impressive reading, with 13 of the 15 tournaments played in that
golden period going to the beach soccer giants of South America.
The trophies just kept on coming, as befitted a nation of serial
World Cup winners.
FALLOW PERIOD But then came an eight-year dry spell when the Canarinhas – so-
called because the team’s yellow shirts are the colour of canaries –
were singing and dancing no more. In fact, things got so bad that
Brazil had to be content with fifth place at the 2015 World Cup
Ten days in the Bahamas The 32 World Cup games in Nassau thrilled the fans. Top: Brazil v. Italy (8-4) in the semi-finals; right: Iran v. Italy (4-5); left: Japan’s Takasuke Goto celebrates during his team’s opening victory over Poland (9-4).
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Brazil’s goalkeeper Mão, 38.
– unthinkable! The country itself was experiencing severe problems
and its more glamorous grass-based players had endured a lengthy
drought since the last World Cup triumph (2002), so for their beach
soccer counterparts, eight years must have seemed like an age.
“Brazil were resting on their laurels a bit and the smaller countries
had caught up with them,” says Angelo Schirinzi, head coach of
Switzerland (currently ranked sixth in the world). “But we all knew
that they’d come back. It’s no surprise that they won the World
Cup: Brazil have massive potential.”
Before the tournament, however, no one really knew what to
expect from the Seleção, although they could certainly not
be taken for granted. A taste of what was to come was given at
the group stage when Tahiti, Poland and Japan were routinely
dispatched in matches that evoked the glory days. These wins
represented the 30th, 31st and 32nd victories in a row in all compe-
titions for Brazil, who had been unbeaten since the World Cup
quarter-final defeat to Russia in 2015. That figure has now gone
up to 35 after they secured their fifth World Cup title since FIFA
took over the tournament in 2005. The 8-4 defeat of Italy in the
semi-final and 6-0 thrashing of Tahiti in the final were a clear
demonstration of their superiority.
A FIRST FOR THE BAHAMASThe Brazilians’ major hurdle came in the quarter-final on 4 May
against Portugal, traditionally their weaker cousins but now,
as world champions, a force to be reckoned with. It proved to be
the match of the tournament. Some 1,800 spectators crowded into
the National Beach Soccer Arena in Nassau in temperatures of over
30 degrees in the shade. Portugal opened the scoring after just
two seconds and almost immediately conceded an equaliser, but
FIFA BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP 2017
QUARTER-FINALS TO THE FINAL
QUARTER-FINALS, 4 MAY 2017
Paraguay v. Tahiti 4-6
Brazil v. Portugal 4-3
Switzerland v. Iran 3-4
Italy v. Senegal 5-1
SEMI-FINALS, 6 MAY 2017
Iran v. Tahiti 1-1, 2-3 PSO
Italy v. Brazil 4-8
MATCH FOR THIRD PLACE, 7 MAY 2017
Iran v. Italy 5-3
FINAL, 7 MAY 2017
Tahiti v. Brazil 0-6
led 2-1 at the first interval. The entertaining, end-to-end match saw
further goals for both sides, and with less than three minutes on
the clock and the fans looking forward to extra time with the sides
level at 3-3, Brazilian Rodrigo scored a stunning overhead kick –
probably the finest goal of his career – to send his team into the
semi-finals.
The Bahamas also made history. Not only did Nassau stage a
fantastic tournament, with crowds of 3,000, including many
tourists, regularly packing out the arena for the evening games
when the temperature had dropped a little, the host team became
the first Caribbean side to win a match at a Beach Soccer World
Cup (4-1 against Ecuador). “We’re stoked,” said captain Gavin
Christie. “It’s just the beginning for the Bahamas, a building block
for a new culture of beach soccer in the country.”
Up front for Italy Gabriele Gori, 29.
22 / FIFA 1904
AWARDSADIDAS GOLDEN BALL: Mohammad Ahmadzadeh (Iran)
ADIDAS SILVER BALL: Mauricinho (Brazil)
ADIDAS BRONZE BALL: Datinha (Brazil)
ADIDAS GOLDEN BOOT: Gabriele Gori (Italy)
ADIDAS SILVER BOOT: Rodrigo (Brazil)
ADIDAS BRONZE BOOT: Mohammad Ahmadzadeh (Iran)
ADIDAS GOLDEN GLOVE: Peyman Hosseini (Iran)
FAIR PLAY AWARD: Brazil
Emotions, emotions, emotions Committed Senegalese (top), patient Iranians (right) and the celebrating world champions from Brazil.
23FIFA 1904 /
PLACE Herat, AfghanistanDATE 8 October 2016TIME 17:20PHOTOGRAPHER Aref Karimi
FIRST LOVE
25FIFA 1904 /
AFP
Training is scheduled for 11:00. Access for fans
and journalists? “Under no circumstances,” says
a security officer, sticking out his right arm. Yet,
as noon approaches, the gates are spontaneously
opened, and a set of stairs leads to a small first-
floor terrace from where visitors have a fantastic
view of the two football pitches. PSG’s pro
players have their last few touches on the ball.
While the captain, Thiago Silva, enjoys a kick-
about with a young boy, Julian Draxler relaxedly
jogs off into the bowels of the training complex.
Further back, on pitch 2, something different is
happening: an assistant coach and Edinson
Cavani are doing repeated sprints together for
15 minutes. Then, it’s all over. A little while later,
the 30-year-old appears for his interview in a
white T-shirt and black leather jacket.
“GOALS FULFIL ME”After Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s departure, Edinson Cavani’s talent really blossomed, and the Uruguayan is in the form of his life. Alan Schweingruber spoke with Ligue 1’s most reliable goalscorer at Paris Saint-Germain’s training base.
Edinson Cavani, at the end of April you extended your contract with Paris Saint-Germain until 2020. That’s interesting timing.Edinson Cavani: What do you mean?
The club had just lost its league title to Monaco and was knocked out of the Champions League early.The things you mention had no bearing on my
contract negotiations. I feel trusted here – I’m
comfortable in Paris. And, let’s not forget,
I’m fortunate to be playing at the top of one
of the best leagues in world football, here.
At Paris Saint-Germain we may have missed
our targets but, believe you me, that’s a
motivation for me. We still have plans here.
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THE INTERVIEW
NAME Edinson CavaniBORN 14 February 1987, Salto (Uruguay) POSITION StrikerCLUBS Danubio FC, US Palermo, SSC Napoli, Paris Saint-GermainINTERNATIONAL CAREER 91 matches, 38 goalsMAJOR HONOURS Three French league titles, two French cups, one Italian cup, one Uruguayan league title, fourth place at the 2010 World Cup
Do you live in the city?No, I live a little bit outside – a ten-minute drive
from Paris. I like nature and quiet surroundings.
It’s good for me.
Do you go hunting there?I’d rather do that back home in Uruguay. As it
happens, I actually prefer fishing to hunting.
There are a few lakes close to Paris, but it’s
something I leave for back home.
You come across as a calm, even-tempered individual off the pitch.Even as a kid, I was always the quiet type.
Maybe my time in the great outdoors shaped
me. We used to do a lot of things in the country-
side, with the family, with friends. Either way,
when things get tough nowadays I don’t always
find it easy to stay calm. Like if we lose, or if I
get injured. It’s something I need to learn.
How much does God mean to you?A lot. I’m very grateful for the fact that I am an
athlete, and that I get to earn money through
something I’m really passionate about. Having
this as my job is a blessing, don’t you think? It’s
a gift I will cherish until the day I retire.
You were just 20 when you left Uruguay. There were a lot of things that could have gone wrong for you in Europe.Well... if you’re constantly analysing everything,
thinking about every possibility, somewhere
along the line you will reach the conclusion that
there could be a risk involved in a particular
decision. But that’s not what it’s about. I worked
hard in Uruguay. I had a dream, right from being
a little boy. I had to grab that opportunity at
“I’m very grateful for the fact that I am an athlete, and that I get to earn money through something I’m really passionate about. Having this as my job is a blessing, don’t you think?
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When I enter a stadium nowadays, I can sense
how much I’ve internalised this position. Goals
fulfil me. They are part of me. Goals are football.
What would you have done if it hadn’t worked out in football?I don’t know. Maybe I would’ve tried working in
the countryside in Uruguay. Outdoors, with
animals. Farming is very worthwhile.
What do you miss most from back home?Of course, what you miss most is always the
people. My family, my parents, my brothers, and
my friends, too. Then there are the little things
that I miss every now and then, like the food.
Have you heard of cazuela? It’s a really nice dish
– a stew of meat and vegetables.
Can’t you find it in Paris anywhere?Every once in a while we go to an Italian restaur
ant that has it. It’s the only place I know of in
Paris. Getting hold of all the ingredients and
cooking it at home is quite a job.
You’ll soon have the opportunity to eat cazuela at home: there’s a key game against Argentina coming up for your country.It’s a crucial game, there’s no doubt about that.
We’re close to qualifying for Russia 2018. But
what does that mean? You can quickly find
yourself playing catchup and losing a couple of
places in the table. The four remaining games
are all important – and that includes the ones
against Paraguay, Venezuela and Bolivia.
[Pause] You know, every time I get to pull on
“I’m not one to get too close to the coach. For me, that can lead to disagreements and misunderstandings within a team. It’s important to have a healthy distance between the coach and the players.”
Palermo – anything else was out of the question.
Luckily, everything went well. I had six great
years in Italy.
You have Italian roots, don’t you?Yes, my grandfather was born in Maranello. He
emigrated to Uruguay with his parents at the
age of three. Your ancestors will always be a
part of you. I have Italian blood and my relation
ship with the country was special from early on.
Of course, my spells at Palermo and Napoli only
strengthened that bond even more.
Salto, where you come from, is on the border with Argentina. What kind of relationship do you have with Argentina?The two border cities benefit from each other.
We often used to go shopping in Argentina, and
the Argentinians often came over to us, too.
People also holiday in the other country. But it’s
not the case that I have any special relationship
with Argentina.
Weren’t you a big fan of Gabriel Batistuta?Yes, that’s true. [laughs]
As a boy? To this day. Batistuta wasn’t a typical striker. A
powerful footballer who was incredibly effective
in front of goal. I always tried to copy him. I still
do, a little bit.
Why did you become a striker?As a boy, I was a midfielder. Even then, though,
I felt the urge to take the ball towards the goal.
the Celeste jersey, it’s a special feeling. I only
have to think back to the last World Cup in
Brazil. It was a oneoff, a onceinalifetime
experience.
What kind of relationship do you have with the coach of the national team, Óscar Tabárez?I’m not one to get too close to the coach. For
me, that can lead to disagreements and misun
derstandings within a team. It’s important to
have a healthy distance between the coach and
the players. To answer your question, I get on
well with Óscar Tabárez. I value him as a coach
and as a man. He’s a winner – a winner at life.
Everyone can learn a lot from him.
He’s regarded as taciturn, isn’t he?He’s a man of few words, but when he does
speak, it’s worth listening to. His instructions are
clear. That’s what matters.
When your contract at PSG runs out, you’ll be 33. Will you be heading back to Uruguay?I can’t be thinking that far ahead. I don’t even
know what’s going to happen tomorrow
[laughs]. I want to live in the moment and enjoy
everything that happens. We missed out on the
league title at PSG, so we’ll go again next
season. I want to win titles. That’s why I’m here.
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AJAX AMSTERDAM
STAYING TRUE TO THE CRUYFF APPROACHYoung athletes with great stamina and
passing skills, welded to a strict collective
formation but with the freedom to take
over the role of any other player in the
team – such was the thinking behind the
“total football” made famous by the
Netherlands sides back in the day,
and in particular by Johan Cruyff.
Ajax made Cruyff great, and he
returned the favour for the club
with which he made his name. His was a
graceful, fast and highly accurate technique,
which he constantly endeavoured to
improve. This technique was so refined
that seemingly every touch he took was
with the outside of his foot, thus
raising the level of what could be
done with the ball to dizzying heights
– but he was also reliable, always
available for a pass and fighting for
the team.
Inspired by the young Pelé and
ginga – individual flair with
typical Brazilian movement
It’s 22 years since
revered Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam last
won a European title, when Louis van
Gaal’s team overcame the fancied AC Milan
in Vienna, scene of the 1995 Champions
League final. The Milan side contained the
likes of Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini and
Marcel Desailly but were beaten by a single
goal in the 85th minute. The average age
of this Ajax team was a youthful 23, so it is
hardly surprising that the goal in question
was scored by an 18-year-old Patrick Kluiv-
ert. All part of the Ajax philosophy.
BACK TO THEIR ROOTS
Ajax Amsterdam are back on the European stage with a vengeance – deploying the same philosophy that made the club a force to reckoned with in the Seventies.By Perikles Monioudis
Like father… Patrick Kluivert in action against AC Milan (14 August 1996). A
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“Scoring crucial goals at just 18 has always been part and parcel of the Ajax philosophy.”
and rhythm – Cruyff created a unique style
of aesthetically pleasing play that consigned
the solid, results-orientated approach of
Dutch coaches to the history books and left
its mark on an entire football era. As a
player and later as a coach, he pointed the
way forward to a better and more success-
ful way of playing the beautiful game for
generations of pros. As a testament to his
legacy, FC Barcelona recently announced
that it would name its stylish new youth
academy stadium after the Dutch legend.
NEW KLUIVERT, OLD SYSTEMCombining individuality with a team ethic,
developing players at a young age, playing
better for greater success: it all seems
to be paying off again for Ajax.
Justin Kluivert, whose father
Patrick notched the vital goal in
1995 at 18, has just turned 18
himself. He has been at Ajax since
2007 and made his first-team debut in
the Eredivisie in January this year,
incidentally at a younger age than his
dad when he played his first league
match.
Mature beyond his years, the out-and-
out attacker symbolises the new Ajax
in so many ways through his success
at a tender age and as a throwback to
the club’s meticulous and inspired
training methods. Of course, Justin
is not the only one: seven players
from the club’s youth ranks or
second team appeared alongside
the pros this season, while seven
of the team who started the first
leg of the UEFA Europa League semi-
final against Olympique Lyon, which Ajax
won 4-1, were 21 or under.
…like son! Justin Kluivert
during a league match against
Go Ahead Eagles (7 May 2017). im
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THE BRILLIANCE OF BOSZThe young and impressive Ajax team
has been assembled by head coach
Peter Bosz, who embodies the ideas
and approach of Johan Cruyff while
taking a leaf out of Louis van Gaal’s
book in terms of game plans and,
in former top goalkeeper and
Ajax CEO Edwin van der Sar, has
the right man in charge to take the rich
Ajax heritage forward. A meticulous and
inspirational teacher, Bosz turned out for
rival Feyenoord in his playing days, but he
has long been versed in the Ajax way of
playing football.
And should he, with his firm commitment
to attacking play, consult his assistants
Dennis Bergkamp, Richard Witschge
“Ajax made Cruyff great, and he returned the favour for the club with which he made his name.”
and Aron Winter on the training pitch or
elsewhere together with Van der Sar and
Director of Football Marc Overmars, this
dream team of legends can only have one
ambition: to make Ajax even better.
An exceptional talent and visionary Johan Cruyff in his element (6 February 1972).ul
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THEN
These Italians, taking time out of training for the World Cup, wouldn’t have had an inkling that they would slip to a 1-0 group-stage defeat by Korea DPR.
1966 DURHAM, ENGLAND
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Cows grazing (or lazing) at the side of the road is a familiar sight for FC Sion players.
2016 MARTIGNY, SWITZERLAND
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WOMEN’S FOOTBALL
WALTZING MATILDASDon’t be fooled by the title: the Australian women’s team are not celebrating the waltz,
nor are they moving rhythmically round in circles in the manner of the famous dance, but going forwards, always forwards, as befits a team with a big future.
By Annette Braun
It’s all in the name Along with the Australian flag, the Matildas scarf is a common sight at national team matches.
36 / FIFA 1904
Sweden in the semi-finals. Alas, Australia
lost 7-6 in the shoot-out in front of a
crowd of 52,000 – a disappointing end
to a campaign that they had nevertheless
a lot to be proud about. The defeat came
after another quarter-final exit a year
before at the FIFA Women’s World Cup™,
that time at the hands of subsequent
finalists Japan (1-0).
All the signs are, then, that a major
breakthrough is just around the corner:
however, the spot-kick agony endured in
Although the dream has yet to be fulfilled,
the results at least underline that Australia
are making steady progress towards
reaching the elite level. Women’s football
is popular in the country and goes back a
long way – a 1921 match in Queensland
attracted a crowd of 10,000, for example.
However, it was mainly thanks to the drive
of one Elaine Watson, who held various
positions in the FA between 1970 and
1990, that the game finally received the
promotion it deserved and established
itself in world football.
In 1895, Australian poet Andrew “Banjo”
Paterson wrote the poem Waltzing Matilda,
the words of which were later set to music
for the famous folk song that remains an
integral part of Australian culture to this
day. The story of the singing itinerant
worker (“waltzing” is Australian slang for
travelling on foot and has nothing to do
with the dance) was once a contender for
the national anthem and indeed was used
in that capacity at the 1974 FIFA World
Cup™ in West Germany and the Montreal
Olympic Games in 1976.
Even though Advance Australia Fair
prevailed in a 1977 plebiscite to choose
the country’s national anthem, the
popularity of Waltzing Matilda remains
undimmed in Oz and beyond. The song
was first recorded in 1926 by John
Collinson and has since been adapted by
a wide range of international artists,
including Tom Waits and Rod Stewart.
It has also influenced the game of football
in Australia, the national women’s team
having adopted the nickname Matildas
in 1995 in honour of the catchy ditty,
the chorus of which every self-respecting
Aussie can sing in their sleep. The team
had previously often been referred to as
the Socceroos, like their male counterparts,
but the new name stuck and gave them
their own identity while firmly connecting
them with their homeland.
There are thus now two celebrated
Matildas Down Under: one plays a starring
role in one of the nation’s favourite songs,
while the other collectively chases a ball
around the pitch to increasingly successful
effect.
PENALTY HEARTACHE CRUSHES OLYMPIC DREAMAn Olympic medal seemed in sight for the
team at Rio 2016 when their quarter-final
match against Brazil went to penalties as
the two sides vied to see who would face
Brazil still hangs over the team, as was
shown at this year’s Algarve Cup in Por-
tugal when the Matildas had to settle for
fourth place in the prestigious tournament
after losing to Denmark in the dreaded
penalty shoot-out.
CHAMPIONS IN WAITING? The Australian footballers’ trade union,
Professional Footballers Australia (PFA),
has drawn up a roadmap for the next four
years that includes the winning of trophies
among its targets, in addition to greater
A taste of success The Australia team (seen here celebrating a goal in a warm-up match against New Zealand before the 2016 Women’s Olympic Football Tournament) are now established members of the world’s elite.
37FIFA 1904 /
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financial support and the further expan-
sion of the national W-League. The main
aim of the vision is for the Matildas,
who are huge role models for all female
players in the land, to triumph at the 2020
Olympics in Tokyo and the 2023 World
Cup. Key to this success will be creating a
larger pool of talented players, which
would give coach Alen Stajcic strategic
options at important moments of the
game and thus tilt the balance in favour
of his team.
Achieving these ambitious goals would
give women’s football further impetus in
Australia and guarantee its expansion.
It would also probably make Matilda an
even more popular name than it is now
and, in the words of the waltzing version
(“Who’ll come a-waltzing Matilda with
me?”), attract more fans to accompany
the players on their exciting journey.
The goals have been set, and captain
Clare Polkinghorne and her team, the
majority of whom play in the Australian
league, are raring to go, secure in the
knowledge that they have plenty of
support and the potential to win a
tournament – even if it comes down to
a penalty shoot-out.
DID YOU KNOW THAT...
…THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S SOCCER ASSOCIATION (AWSA) WAS FORMED IN 1974?
…SANDRA BRENTNALL SCORED THE MATILDAS’
FIRST INTERNATIONAL GOAL IN THE MATCH
AGAINST NEW ZEALAND IN OCTOBER 1979?
…AUSTRALIA’S FIRST-EVER WORLD CUP GOAL WAS NOTCHED BY ANGELA IANNOTTA? SHE FOUND THE BACK OF THE NET IN THE 25TH
MINUTE AGAINST CHINA PR AT THE 1995
TOURNAMENT.
…THE MATILDAS WERE THE FIRST DOWN UNDER TEAM TO QUALIFY FOR A MAJOR TOURNAMENT AFTER AUSTRALIA MOVED CONFEDERATIONS FROM THE OFC TO THE AFC? THEIR DEFEAT OF JAPAN AT THE 2006 AFC WOMEN’S ASIAN CUP TOOK THEM THROUGH TO THE WORLD CUP THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
…THE COUNTRY’S MOST
CAPPED PLAYER IS
CHERYL SALISBURY
WITH 151 APPEARANCES
TO HER NAME?
… KATE GILL IS AUSTRALIA’S TOP SCORER IN THE WOMEN’S GAME
WITH 41 GOALS?
…THE MATILDAS’ HIGHEST POSITION TO DATE IN THE
FIFA/COCA-COLA WOMEN’S WORLD RANKING IS 5TH (2016)?
The main aim of the vision is for the Matildas to triumph at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo and the 2023 World Cup.
39FIFA 1904 /
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DEBATE
THE 67th FIFA CONGRESS IN BAHRAIN
associations from CAF, CONCACAF,
CONMEBOL and the OFC to express their
interest in hosting the tournament. The
decision on whether to select any of the
bidders as the host(s) of the 2026 FIFA
World Cup will be taken by the 68th FIFA
Congress, which will convene in Moscow
on 13 June next year, on the eve of the
opening match of the 2018 FIFA World
Cup™.
THE APPROVED MOTION ON THE 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP“Based on specific regulations to be issued
by the Council, the FIFA general secretariat
shall establish a bidding procedure inviting
initially the member associations of
CONCACAF, CAF, CONMEBOL and the
OFC to express their interest by 11 August
2017 to submit to FIFA a bid to host the
final competition of the 2026 FIFA World
Cup. The 68th FIFA Congress will decide
on the selection of the candidate host
associations.
Should the 68th FIFA Congress not select
any candidate host associations, the FIFA
general secretariat will invite further
member associations – including the
member associations of AFC and UEFA
and excluding those member associations
that submitted a bid initially – to submit a
bid to host the final competition of the
2026 FIFA World Cup.”
FIFA’s 211 member associations assembled
on 11 May 2017 in Manama, Bahrain for
the 67th FIFA Congress. The organisation’s
supreme body made a few important
decisions to validate reports on FIFA’s
activities in 2016 and, more importantly,
to agree on key steps for the future of the
organisation.
This included the ratification of the next
stages of the bidding process to select the
host(s) of the 2026 FIFA World Cup™.
Following the approval of the bidding
requirements by the FIFA Council on 9 May,
the FIFA Congress agreed, with 93% of
the valid votes, on a three-month period
– until 11 August 2017 – for member
Presidential address Gianni Infantino at the 67th FIFA Congress in Bahrain.
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PRESIDENT´S MESSAGE
Yours in football,
OTHER KEY DECISIONS: • Election of the members of the Audit and
Compliance Committee, the Governance
Committee and the judicial bodies. The
members have been elected for a term of
office of four years, effective immediately.
• Approval of the detailed budget for 2018,
with a total investment of USD 2.899
billion – 91% of which is allocated to
football activities, chief among which is the
organisation of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
• The 67th FIFA Congress followed the
proposal of the FIFA Council with regard
to the motion submitted by the Palestinian
Football Association – “a request for
official recognition of the Palestinian
Football Association’s entitlements to all
of its rights as described in the FIFA
Statutes”. The FIFA Congress approved,
with 73% of valid votes, the following
proposal: “Considering that the matter is
not a Congress competence but a Council
competence, that a consolidated report
of the monitoring committee is not yet
ready, and that more time is needed to
evaluate the situation and to take a
decision, the Council proposes to the
Congress not to vote on the proposal of
the Palestinian Football Association and
to give time to the Council to take a
decision before the end of March 2018.”
Nevertheless, the Council has already
committed to deciding on the matter at
its next meeting, on 27 October 2017.
MORE RESPONSIBILITY, MORE DEBATE
A few weeks back, we had many concrete achievements to report to the
FIFA Congress in Bahrain – from the implementation of the reforms to the
blossoming of the FIFA Forward development programme.
But while it would have been very convenient to focus solely on the positive
changes that have been brought about in FIFA over the last year, it would
also have been somewhat irresponsible.
We should of course take pride in the work we have done to build a better
institution, but it should also be clear to each one of us that we must
remain vigilant. The work of rooting out wrongdoing in our sport is not
complete. I know that, and it is my duty as FIFA President to ensure that so
do our members.
The FIFA I saw during the week that culminated in the 67th FIFA Congress
is already very different from the one I joined. It is a more diverse, open and
democratic institution. There are many new faces. There is more debate.
There is certainly more disagreement – and that is exactly how serious
decision-making should be carried out.
Take the process to select the host(s) of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, for example.
It was not until after several rounds of discussions involving various stake-
holders that the Congress voted on a clear process and on a comprehensive
timeline. A set of high-standard bid requirements has been approved too.
This is how a more open and more democratic FIFA takes important steps:
only after careful analysis. This is our responsibility towards the world of
football.
What I saw over the course of the week in Manama makes me very
confident for the future. However, I will not refrain from pointing out just
how much remains to be done as we continue to move forwards. Even
when this may require some strong words.
Gianni Infantino
FIFA President
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Blind football A museum visitor watches the film about the moving life story of Yvan Wouandji.
FIFA WORLD FOOTBALL MUSEUM
AGAINST ALL ODDSIt’s not all about great players at the FIFA World Football Museum, where visitors can watch eight two-minute films about football enthusiasts who lead more humble lives. We present three examples below.By Alan Schweingruber
As the group of youngsters from Scotland, in high spirits after
taking in everything on show at basement level, take the glass lift
up to the first floor, they wave at some other visitors who are
paying for their tickets at the counter. The scene is reminiscent
of one earlier, when the first bunch of kids of a school group to
go through the museum mocked those following behind them, as
if to say: What, you’re still down there? We’ve nearly finished!
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Today, Wouandji is one of the best blind footballers in France.
He even says at the end of the film that his life is so fulfilled that
he hardly wants to see again. This statement alone makes the
film worth watching.
On display nearby is Wouandji’s eye mask. Such items must be
used in blind football to avoid giving partially sighted players an
unfair advantage. Watching the Frenchman slalom his way past
the opposition, switching the ball back and forth between his feet
at lightning speed, he could clearly give some sighted players a run
for their money. He makes his way purposefully forwards, leaving
opponents for dead and waits for the right moment to pull the
trigger. The shot has to be a good one, as the rules state that the
goalkeeper is the only sighted player in the side.
THE SMALLEST LEAGUE IN THE WORLDThe second example (shown on the same monitor) seems at first
to pale into insignificance after Wouandji’s story. The film starts by
indicating the location of the Scilly Isles, an archipelago off the
south-western tip of England with a population of just over 2,000,
on a map. There reside boatbuilder Andrew Hicks and his Wool-
pack Wanderers team, who play in eye-catching yellow shirts and
have genuine hopes of winning the title every year – which is
not surprising, as they have won the most Isles of Scilly Football
League titles.
The Scottish children look momentarily puzzled, before the lift
doors open on the first floor and they are greeted by an array of
machines and monitors. They were probably unaware that the
museum had been laid out in keeping with the old adage of
leaving the best until last, something that quickly becomes evident
to anyone who watches the short films about individuals who, in
their small way, have left their mark on football through their
never-say-die spirit. The eight professionally made clips, shown on
four monitors, make for fascinating viewing.
SENSES WORKING OVERTIMETake the story of Yvan Wouandji, for instance, who used to play
football incessantly like so many any other kids, with dreams – so
important to children – of becoming a star footballer. After all,
who wouldn’t want to be the next Lionel Messi? Wouandji was no
different to any other aspiring player, and he had talent – but one
day he woke up, aged just ten, and his world collapsed around him
when he realised he couldn’t see. It transpired that his retina had
become detached. “I thought my football days were over,” says
the Frenchman in the film, which can be watched in English,
Spanish, French or German. You can see how Wouandji picks
himself up: he learns Braille and studies music history – and starts
to play football again. Not the usual game, of course, but blind
football, with balls that make a sound as they roll, eye masks and
goal guides who stand behind the goal to orientate the players.
Scilly Isles The Woolpack Wanderers
(in yellow) only have one opponent: the
Garrison Gunners (in red). It’s the smallest football
league in the world.
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Mind you, the Wanderers have to contend with the red-clad
Garrison Gunners, who have ambitions of their own – and rightly
so: after all, they are the only other team in the league... Week in,
week out, year in, year out, both sides go through the same ritual:
train, play against each other, go home, tinker with tactics and
systems, accumulate points, check the transfer news, and play
each other again, until someone wins the league. “Boring it is
not,” says Hicks about the smallest league in the world. “Every
season is exciting. Some years it even comes down to goal
difference.” It may be a tiny league, but it’s a league all the same:
the two teams also contest an official cup competition, which
naturally enough consists of just the final, when everything is to
play for again.
THE FLOATING FOOTBALL PITCHOur third film relates the intriguing story of how the beautiful
game came to be played in Koh Panyee, a tiny fishing village in
southern Thailand. It all started in 1986, when Prasit Hemmin and
his friends had an idea: to construct a pitch made out of wood –
a somewhat madcap plan given that the village of 1,500 inhabit-
ants where the children grew up is built on stilts. There is water
wherever you look. “Impossible?” asks Hemmin with a twinkle
in his eye. “I wouldn’t say that.” Inspired by Diego Maradona
and his 1986 World Cup-winning side, the lads were not to be
deterred: they gathered bits of wood from the neighbourhood
and sawed, nailed down, sanded and finished them until they
had their own pitch.
South Thai idyll A short film tells the story of the floating football pitch in the fishing village of Koh Panyee.
The film ends with an impressive still, taken 30 years later, showing
a huge modern raft that gently sways on the water next to some
fishing boats. Some girls and boys, maybe Hemmin’s own kids,
chase a ball around the “pitch”. A happy ending that impresses the
group from Scotland, whose mood is now one of quiet reverence
as they discreetly take photos.
“The plan in 1986 to build a football pitch out of wood was a rather madcap one. The fishing village is built on stilts.”
45FIFA 1904 /
Chr
isto
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Arc
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t/ / A
FP
The FFA Cup The Australian FA’s cup competition has a rich heritage and was won in 2014 by Adelaide United.
FA CUPS
46 / FIFA 1904
Dan
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THE MAGIC OF THE CUP
so Boskovic asked Australian FA president
Ian McAndrew to decide how to proceed.
The latter then conferred with both club
chairmen and the three men agreed
that each team would take a maximum of
15 penalties, and if that failed to produce
a result, the match would be replayed.
The replay subsequently took place under
floodlights three days later and Hakoah
secured the trophy, winning 2-1. Today,
the competition is called the FFA Cup, the
current holders of which are Melbourne
City, who beat Sydney FC 1-0 in November
2016 in a duel between the country’s top
two clubs.
MAIDEN CUP VICTORYDramatic cup finals continue to provide
a welcome diversion to many a league
season, such as the thrilling climax to the
2016 Women’s Knockout Cup in New
Zealand, when Forrest Hill Milford overcame
Glenfield Rovers 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out.
It was a battle of nerves, and the first time
that Forrest Hill had lifted the trophy.
In June 2016, the final of the Uganda Cup
pitched Vipers SC against Onduparaka FC
in a packed Nakivubo Stadium in the
capital, Kampala. Both teams put out
attacking formations with speedy players,
Could you call Australia a footballing
nation? You most certainly could, even
though after four qualifications for the
World Cup without making much of an
impression, winning football’s ultimate
global prize looks as far off as ever for the
Socceroos. However, the team won the
AFC Asian Cup for the first time in 2015,
and the country also has a cup competi-
tion with a long and colourful history.
The original Australia Cup was launched
in 1962, when former BSK Belgrade striker
Tiko Jelisavčić netted four times in the
final for Yugal against St George Budapest
(8-1). Jelisavčić also led Australia in their
first-ever World Cup qualifying campaign
in 1965 as coach.
The first final to feature a showdown
between the two metropolises of Sydney
and Melbourne occurred in 1964, when
Sydney’s APIA Leichhardt Tigers succumbed
to Melbourne’s Sunshine George Cross,
but it wasn’t until the following year that
a classic cup showdown took place, with
Sydney clubs Hakoah and APIA giving no
quarter during a nail-biting final and the
match going to penalties with the score
at 1-1 at the end of extra time. With the
score level after each side had taken ten
spot kicks, referee Tony Boskovic – who
would later become the first Australian to
officiate at a World Cup – ordered the
teams to take another series of five penal-
ties each. However, the players wanted to
leave the pitch and share the prize money,
FIFA’s member associations want their national teams to be successful, but they also stage cup competitions for clubs like the FA Cup in England or the Uganda Cup, many matches of which have gone down in football folklore.By Perikles Monioudis
First FA Cup winners Wanderers over-came Royal Engineers 1-0 in 1872 to win the first edition of the FA Cup (the photo here from 1863 is the only one of the team, when it was known as Forest FC).
47FIFA 1904 /
PD
who had to cope with a bumpy pitch. The
fans’ fervour seemed to be transmitted to
the teams on this special occasion, this
of course being the biggest cup match of
the year in Uganda. The Vipers ran out 3-1
winners, securing the trophy for the first
time in their history in the 42nd edition
of the tournament. The victory entitled
them to represent Uganda in the CAF
Confederation Cup, albeit not in the CAF
Champions League. However, although it
may only be the second most important
FA CUPS
“No other sport can match the cup competitions of FIFA’s member associations for giant-killing opportunities.”
football competition in the country,
the Uganda Cup does play an integrative
role as teams from the five divisions can
take part in the annual tournament, i.e.
all registered clubs. After the final, young
striker Muhammad Shaban – who failed
to score for up-and-coming Onduparaka
in the match but was the top scorer in
the tournament – spoke with the confi-
dence of youth when he said: “It just
wasn’t our day today. I hope we pull it off
next time.”
INCLUSION AND REPETITIONIt would seem then that in Uganda, they
are as much “up for the cup” as anywhere
else in the world. Its inclusive character not
only helps the tournament itself: it reminds
every player that regardless of the gap
between big and small, between pros and
amateurs, all are united in their love of
the game. The cup is a great leveller, and
the chance of a David and Goliath upset
never fails to whet the appetite. Underdogs
versus top dogs: no other sport can match
the cup competitions of FIFA’s member
associations for giant-killing opportunities.
And if the little guys don’t manage to turn
over their illustrious counterparts this time
around, there’s always next year. The
national cup is alive and well: as they say,
if it didn’t exist, we would have to invent it.
The Korea Republic FA (KFA) sums it up
thus: “The Korean FA Cup is Korea’s
biggest football tournament as entry is
open to all professional and amateur clubs
in the country. It gives smaller amateur
and semi-professional clubs from the lower
Pure joy Melbourne City’s Tim Cahill celebrates with the cup after his team beat Sydney FC in the final (Melbourne, 30 November 2016).
48 / FIFA 1904
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rt C
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/ Get
ty Im
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leagues a chance to show what they can
do.” Dating back 90 years, the competition
has nevertheless only been open to all
clubs since 1996, taking in works and local
amateur teams following preliminary
rounds in 2003. It has already achieved
legendary status thanks to major upsets
such as the march of Daejeon Citizen from
the wrong end of the K-League table all
the way to victory in the 2001 final and
the achievement of semi-pro club Ulsan
Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in reaching the
2005 final. In 2004, amateur club JEI
Education managed to reach the round of
16. In addition to securing the trophy,
medals and prize money, the winners of
the Korean FA Cup automatically qualify
for the AFC Champions League.
PAST AND PRESENTWhere was the first-ever cup tournament
held? Here, one can say without fear of
contradiction that England is the location
of the oldest knockout tournament in
the world. The Football Association (FA)
was founded in 1863 and published the
first Laws of the Game in the same year.
In 1871, FA Secretary C.W. Alcock
proposed “that a Challenge Cup should
be established in connection with the
Association for which all clubs belonging
to the Association should be invited to
compete”. This led to the inaugural
FA Cup kicking off in November 1871
with 15 teams (one having withdrawn)
on a knockout basis. London-based
Wanderers – who had “Prince of
Dribbling” Robert Walpole Sealy Vidal in
their ranks – prevailed in the final against
the favourites Royal Engineers at
Kennington Oval in London in front of
2,000 spectators on 16 March 1872,
thus winning the first cup competition to
be organised by a football association
anywhere in the world. The two teams
met again at the same venue 140 years
later on 7 November 2012: this time,
Wanderers lost 7-1.
Four-time winners Suwon Samsung Bluewings won the Korean FA Cup for the fourth time in 2016 by beating FC Seoul after a penalty shoot-out.
First-time winners (II) The women of Forrest Hill Milford are cock-a-hoop after their 2016 cup triumph over Glenfield Rovers (4-3 on penalties).
First-time winners (I) Vipers SC won the Uganda Cup in 2016 (3-1 v. Onduparaka FC).
49FIFA 1904 /
FUFA
, Ben
Cam
pbel
l /Ph
otos
port
.nz,
Seo
Hye
min
Finally back on terra firma! The Belgian squad stretch their legs on a Montevideo beach after three weeks at sea en route to the inaugural FIFA World Cup in Uruguay in 1930.
51FIFA 1904 /
Popperfoto / Getty Images
STATISTICS
IN 1998, LEGENDARY GOALKEEPER
LEV YASHIN WAS NAMED IN FIFA’S
WORLD TEAM OF THE 20TH CENTURY.
THE ORIGINS OF
FOOTBALL IN RUSSIA
DATE BACK TO THE EARLY
20TH CENTURY,
WHEN BRITISH FACTORY
WORKERS INTRODUCED
THE SPORT TO THE
COUNTRY.
FOOTBALL
IN RUSSIA
52 / FIFA 1904
Get
ty Im
ages
, im
ago
THE SOVIET UNION FOOTBALL TEAM WAS FORMED IN 1923, ALTHOUGH ITS FIRST SIGNIFICANT FORAY INTO
THE INTERNATIONAL ARENA DID NOT TAKE PLACE UNTIL THE 1952 OLYMPIC GAMES. AFTER WINNING
THE OLYMPIC FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT IN 1956, THE SOVIETS QUALIFIED FOR THEIR FIRST WORLD CUP
IN SWEDEN TWO YEARS LATER.
RUSSIA IS THE LARGEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD BY SURFACE
AREA AND HAS A POPULATION OF OVER 140 MILLION,
MORE THAN HALF OF WHOM ARE EITHER FOOTBALL FANS OR AT LEAST FOLLOW
THE GAME ON A CASUAL BASIS.
IN 2014, THE “LEATHER BALL” NATIONAL YOUTH TOURNAMENT,
WHICH FEATURES 40,000 TEAMS AND 600,000 PLAYERS,
CELEBRATED ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY.
THE SOVIET UNION WON THE 1960 EURO BY BEATING YUGOSLAVIA 2-1 IN THE FINAL VIKTOR PONEDELNIK SCORING THE DECISIVE GOAL.
53FIFA 1904 /
HISTORY
A CUP WITH HISTORYThe history of the FIFA Confederations Cup is one of star names and memorable matches. Here, we look back at four-time champions Brazil, the unforgettable 2003 final, and the tournament’s all-time leading goalscorer, Cuauhtémoc Blanco. By Annette Braun, Alan Schweingruber and Perikles Monioudis
A sea of yellow, green and blue Brazil celebra-ting the team’s 3-2 win in the 2009 final.
54 / FIFA 1904
BRAZIL: THE UNDISPUTED NUMBER ONESIt is probably fair to say that Brazil’s most recent
triumph at the FIFA Confederations Cup was also
their biggest yet – a surprisingly comfortable 3-0
stroll past then-world champions Spain on 30 June
2013. Nearly everything the Seleção tried that day
came off in front of a capacity Maracanã crowd that
was a sea of yellow, green and blue. Neymar, just
21 and already the new darling of Brazilian football,
bagged his third goal of the tournament, his strike
sandwiched by two more from Fred, the first while
lying on the ground. And when Spain briefly saw
a chance to draw level at 1-1, in slid David Luiz
to miraculously shin the ball off the line from right
under the bar.
There can be no doubt that the South Americans are
the undisputed number ones when it comes to win-
ning tournaments. The FIFA Confederations Cup – in
its current format – first saw the light of day in 1997,
and Brazil have since won four of the seven titles
including the last three, which means that they are
the only team to have lifted this trophy since 2005.
That said – and it may of course simply be down to
bad luck – Brazil have never gone on to win the World
Cup the year after winning the Confederations Cup.
This time round, it is Chile’s turn to represent South
America after winning the Copa América, leaving
Brazil to prepare themselves for their last four qualify-
ing matches for Russia 2018. That is something they
will no doubt relish, given that they booked their
ticket back in March 2017 under the guidance of new
coach Tite, which all augurs rather well for their
chances at world football’s biggest event next year.
2003 FINAL: JOY AND GRIEFShould they even play the FIFA Confederations Cup
final? Back in the summer of 2003, that was the
question being asked of France’s players, and par-
ticularly those from Cameroon, in the wake of the
tragic passing of Cameroon midfielder Marc-Vivien
Foé, who had suffered heart failure during his side’s
semi-final with Colombia just four days earlier. In the
end, the players decided to play the final, encour-
aged to do so by Foé’s widow, Marie-Louise.
Finals are always emotional affairs as they are all
about the thin line that separates glory and despair,
about who lifts the trophy, and about who gets the
clammy, celebratory handshakes. The final of the
FIFA Confederations Cup 2003, however, took the
emotional aspect to an entirely new level.
The two teams walked onto the pitch at Paris’
Stade de France carrying a giant picture of the late
Foé. They were still locked together at 0-0 after
90 minutes, and when Thierry Henry scored the
only goal of the game seven minutes into extra time,
it proved to be not only football’s very last golden
goal but also the strike that sealed France’s second
consecutive Confederations Cup title following their
triumph in 2001.
This time, however, captain Marcel Desailly did not
lift the trophy on his own as he asked Cameroon
skipper Rigobert Song to join him. Together, the two
men clutched the trophy in what is still an unforget-
table image of joy and grief intertwined. It was a
night in which the football community showed its
power to pull together under quite extraordinary and
trying circumstances.
55FIFA 1904 /
Mic
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HISTORY
Goal-getter Cuauhtémoc Blanco bagged six goals in the 1999 edition – including one against Brazil in the final (4-3 to Mexico).
CUAUHTÉMOC BLANCOALL-TIME LEADING GOALSCORER
He will always be known for his crazy dribbles,
daring shots and incredible goals. His game was
based on vision and imagination, and he could do
anything with the ball at his feet. We are talking, of
course, about none other than Cuauhtémoc! Time
and time again over the course of his career – which
included no fewer than 120 caps for El Tri – the
Mexican maestro showed the world just how gifted
his right foot was, often leaving reporters from his
homeland speechless after scoring yet another
crucial goal for Club América or the national team.
Blanco scored three goals at his first FIFA Confeder-
ations Cup in Saudi Arabia in 1997, including one
against eventual champions Brazil, before doubling
his haul two years later with six strikes on home soil.
Nine goals in total – which means that Blanco still
tops the Confederations Cup goalscoring charts
alongside a certain Ronaldinho.
The two great men came face to face in the 1999
final after Blanco fired the Mexicans past the USA
with the only goal of their semi-final. The clash
in front of 110,000 fans at the Estadio Azteca in
Mexico City turned out to be an end-to-end,
goal-laden affair. Blanco shone again by giving his
side a healthy 4-2 lead, and although Brazil clawed
another goal back, it was all in vain as Mexico
claimed their first – and to date only – Confeder-
ations Cup title.
Blanco will not feature in the Mexicans’ squad for
Russia 2017 after retiring from international duty
in 2014 with 39 goals to his name. Which simply
begs the question: who can step into his shoes?
56 / FIFA 1904
AFP
31.05.2017 © FIFA
Russ
ia (R
US)
New
Zea
land
(NZL
)Po
rtug
al (P
OR)
Mex
ico
(MEX
)
Gro
up A
Cam
eroo
n (C
MR)
Chile
(CH
I)A
ustr
alia
(AU
S)G
erm
any
(GER
)
Gro
up B
Saturday17 June
Monday19 June
Wednesday21 June
Friday23 June
Sunday25 June
Tuesday27 June
Thursday29 June
Saturday1 July
Sunday18 June
Tuesday20 June
Thursday22 June
Monday 26 June
Wednesday28 June
Friday30 June
Sunday2 July
Saturday24 June
3rd
Pla
cea
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lS
emi-
Fina
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Gro
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Ka
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Kaza
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Mos
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Spar
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Rest days
Rest day
Rest day
Rest days
Soc
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Sa
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Pet
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Sain
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Stad
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MA
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SC
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LE
Subject to Change. W = Winner, L = Loser
1218:00
CHI
v. AUS
0518:00
RUS
v. POR
0821:00
GER v. CHI
1321
:00
WA v. RB
1515:00
L13 v. L14
0918:00
MEX v. RUS
0418:00
AUS
v. GER
0621:00
MEX v. NZL
1421:00
WB v. RA
1118:00
GER v.
CMR
0218:00
POR
v.MEX
0718:00
CMR
v. AUS
1018:00
NZL v. POR
1621:00
W13 v.
W14
0118:00
RUS
v. NZL
0321:00
CMR
v. CHI
Russia 2017 Match schedule for the Confederations Cup (17 June – 2 July)
57FIFA 1904 /
FIFA
FIFA MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS
NEW CHALLENGE FOR BAUZA
The United Arab
Emirates have
appointed Argentin-
ian Edgardo Bauza (above) as
the new coach of their nation-
al side as they pursue a place
at their first FIFA World Cup
in almost 30 years. Replacing
the outgoing Mahdi Ali, who
resigned in March following a
2-0 defeat to Australia, Bauza
arrives having recently parted
company with his native
Argentina. With three games
remaining, the Gulf side hope
the South American will be
able to inspire a late revival to
keep their dreams of reaching
Russia 2018 alive, having not
appeared at the global show-
piece since Italia ‘90.
THAILAND APPOINT RAJEVAC AS COACH
VAR FOR AUSTRALIA’S A-LEAGUE
NEW LEAGUE AND PRESIDENT FOR CANADA SOCCER
WOMEN’S FOOT-BALL ON THE RISE
Serbian Milovan
Rajevac has been
named as the
new head coach
of Thailand. The 63-year-old’s
arrival comes after previous
incumbent Kiatisuk Sen-
amuang resigned in March.
Rajevac has some impressive
World Cup experience under
his belt, having led Ghana
to within a shoot-out of
the South Africa 2010 semi-
finals. Since heading up the
Black Stars, he has had a brief
spell in charge of the Qatar
national team and a stint
leading Algeria on either side
of five years as an instructor
and lecturer with the Football
Association of Serbia.
Australia’s A-League
recently made history
by becoming the first
domestic competition in the
world to trial the new video
assistant referee (VAR) system.
In a ground-breaking move,
the technology was in place
for Melbourne City’s 1-0 win
over Adelaide United at the
beginning of April, but was
not called upon. The VAR
system can be used to help
officials review incidents
relating to goals, penalties, red
cards and cases of mistaken
identity. It had previously been
trialled during March’s interna-
tional friendly between Spain
and France, as well as in
France’s 3-1 win over Italy last
September.
Canada Soccer has
achieved a major
milestone with its
members’ approval of the
Canadian Premier League.
The unanimous endorsement
encourages Canada Soccer
to further grow the game
in the country through a
professional league that
is fully aligned with the
national teams’ programme.
The 2017 annual meeting
also saw the election of
Steve Reed as Canada Soc-
cer’s 34th President. Reed will
now serve the remaining
three years of Victor Mon-
tagliani’s four-year term,
who has left the post after
being elected as President of
CONCACAF.
Mexican football
is entering a new
era. The inaugural
season of the country’s
new professional women’s
league will get underway
in September and, as an
appetiser and dress rehearsal
ahead of the big kick-off,
a total of 12 clubs recently
contested a cup competition,
the Copa de la Liga MX
Femenil, at the headquarters
of the Mexican Football
Association (FMF), with
Pachuca cruising to a
9-1 victory over Tijuana on
6 May to seal the title.
58 / FIFA 1904
AFP
DUDAMEL SIGNS NEW CONTRACT
VAN GENEUGDEN NAMED MALAWI COACH
BAFANA BAFANA RE-APPOINT BAXTER
BRAZILIAN FOOT-BALL CONFERENCE
MAALOUL NAMED TUNISIA COACH ALCARAZ
APPOINTED NEW ALGERIA COACH
Rafael Dudamel, the
coach of the Venezue-
lan national team, has
renewed his contract and will
now be responsible for La
Vinotinto and the U-20 team
until 2022. Last year, Dudamel
took the senior team to the
quarter-finals of the Copa
América, and in early 2017, the
U-20 squad qualified for the
World Cup in Korea Republic.
Ronny Van
Geneugden has
been named as
Malawi coach on a two-year
deal. Originally, the Football
Association of Malawi (FAM)
had unveiled Gerald Phiri but
the Malawian will now act as
an assistant to the 48-year
old Belgian. Van Geneugden
celebrated his biggest success
with Belgium’s Oud-Heverlee
Leuven in 2010-2011, leading
The South African
Football Associa-
tion (SAFA) have
appointed Stuart Baxter
(below) as the new coach of
their national team. The
63-year-old returns for a
second spell in charge of
Bafana Bafana, having previ-
ously led the side during
African zone qualifying for
the 2006 FIFA World Cup
Germany™. Baxter has
replaced Ephraim “Shakes”
Mashaba, who was dismissed
back in December. Baxter
will take over once he has
completed his current duties
as coach of SuperSport United
after SAFA reached an agree-
ment with the South African
club to acquire the services of
the former Finland coach.
The Brazilian FA recent-
ly hosted a series of
conferences entitled
“We Are Football: the Second
Brazilian Football Development
Week”. Brazil coach Tite,
Argentinian coach Marcelo
Bielsa, Italian coach Fabio
Capello, and Emily Shaw, Head
of Governance and Leadership,
in FIFA’s Women’s Football
Division discussed the status
of women in the game, paying
special attention to the
important role that national
associations play in the
consolidation and growth of
domestic leagues.
The Tunisian FA
have appointed
former national-team
midfielder Nabil Maaloul as
their new head coach. The
54-year-old returns after a
short six-month spell in 2013
during the 2014 FIFA World
Cup Brazil™ qualifiers. A
former coach of the Kuwait
national team, Maaloul will
Algeria have appointed
Lucas Alcaraz (above)
as their new coach
following the resignation of
Georges Leekens in February.
The Spaniard, a former coach
of Granada, is the fourth
permanent coach to have
taken charge in 13 months.
Christian Gourcuff, who had
been in the role since Vahid
Halilhodžić stepped down
following Brazil 2014, resigned
in March 2016. Milovan Raje-
vac then took control for two
games before Leekens stepped
in, but the Belgian called time
on his reign after Algeria’s
group-stage exit at the CAF
Africa Cup of Nations. Alcaraz
will take over with the Desert
Foxes languishing at the
bottom of their Russia 2018
qualifying group, having
picked up just one point from
their opening two fixtures.
be tasked with trying to guide
Tunisia to the World Cup in
Russia. Tunisia are currently
joint-top of Group A with
Congo DR after two matches
in round 3 of Africa’s Russia
2018 qualifiers. Maaloul and
the Eagles of Carthage will
host Congo DR on 28 August
in a crucial top-of-the-table
clash. Each of the five African
group winners will book a
place at next summer’s
World Cup.
them to the second-division
title and promotion to the
top flight for the 2011-2012
season.
59FIFA 1904 /
AFP
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TECHNICAL DIRECTORS COURSE IN NZ
ADVOCAAT BACK IN CHARGE OF ORANJE
SUCCESSFUL “FOR ALL” INITIATIVE
NEW SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY DEPARTMENT IN PORTUGAL
PE TEACHERS RECEIVE FOOTBALL EDUCATION
RAISING PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
Technical directors
from across
Oceania recently gathered in
Auckland to upskill and collab-
orate at a FIFA MA Technical
Directors Course in a bid to
continue raising the standard
of football in Oceania. With
the introduction of FIFA’s
new Forward development
programme, the position of
member association technical
director has become more
important than ever for the
analysis, planning, implemen-
tation and monitoring of
football projects. The week-
long course aimed to update
participants on Forward, build
a better understanding of the
role and expectations of a
technical director, and provide
tools and processes to en-
hance their work.
Dick Advocaat
(below) has been
named as the coach
of the Netherlands
for a third time, with Oranje
legend Ruud Gullit confirmed
as his assistant. Advocaat, 70,
succeeds Danny Blind, who
was sacked in March in the
aftermath of a 2-0 defeat in
Bulgaria that left the Dutch
fourth in their FIFA World
Cup™ qualifying group.
Advocaat is a vastly experi-
enced coach who has won
titles in Russia, Scotland and
his native Netherlands and has
Football is open to
everyone – and The
Football Association
(FA) in England is determined
to raise awareness that anyone
can take part in and experi-
ence the joys of the game. As
part of this drive, The FA’s
far-reaching “For All” cam-
paign is enjoying considerable
success. The FA runs initiatives
to encourage all types of
player as well as new coaches,
referees and volunteers.
Among the series of ongoing
initiatives, the Girls’ Football
Week is just one example
to get more girls involved in
the game.
The Association
of Football
Federations of
Azerbaijan
(AFFA) is running a project
aimed at strengthening
the football knowledge of
secondary school PE teachers.
Teachers from schools in
Baku, Gusar, Shaki, Ismayilli,
Lankaran and Ganja recently
attended a seminar, which
was organised as part of the
special project supported by
the AFFA and the Azerbaijani
ministry of education. The
main aims of the project are
to promote a healthy lifestyle
among pupils, to further
physical education teachers’
professional development
by improving their football-
specific knowledge and
experience, to improve pupils’
knowledge of the sport
(e.g. of the Laws of the Game),
to promote fair play and to
identify talented children.
According to its
strategic plan for
2015-2020, one
of the objectives of the Roma-
nian Football Association (FRF)
is to bring about a lasting
improvement in the organisa-
tional performance of its
members, in particular by
enhancing the professional
skills of their staff. To that end,
the FRF has concluded a
partnership agreement with
the Bucharest Academy for
Economic Studies to organise
various educational pro-
grammes. Ad hoc and regular
courses are to be organised for
club executives, press officers,
safety and security officers,
team managers and other club
officials. In addition, a master’s
in sports management is due
to be launched in 2018. This
programme will be aimed at
club executives, sports federa-
tion managers, government
representatives, etc. and will
be expanded across Europe in
the near future.
coached several other national
teams. He has also held this
position on two previous
occasions (1992-1994 and
2002-2004). After agreeing to
take charge for a third time,
he will leave Turkish giants
Fenerbahçe at the end of the
2016-2017 season. Gullit,
meanwhile, is an all-time
Oranje great, one of the
heroes of the team’s 1988
UEFA European Championship
triumph and a player who won
the last of his 66 senior caps
under Advocaat.
The Portuguese FA
is intensifying its social
responsibility work by
creating a new public relations
and social responsibility depart-
ment. One of the first initia-
tives of this new department
was to team up with the
Portuguese professional
players’ union and the Portu-
guese referees’ association in a
campaign to promote respect
across the game under the
slogan “On the pitch we all
play the same game”.
61FIFA 1904 /
Get
ty Im
ages
CELEBRATION
CARLOS VALDERRAMAWhen this photograph was sent via the press
agencies on the evening of 22 June 1998, the
response from newspaper editors was instant:
print! It depicted the wild celebrations that
followed the only goal of the World Cup group
match between Colombia and Tunisia in Mont-
pellier, which was scored by Columbia’s Léider
Preciado in the 82nd minute, sending the team’s
yellow-and-blue-clad fans into a frenzy.
This unanimous acceptance by sports newspapers
of a shot that didn’t even show a face, let alone
a ball, was highly unusual: a ball depicts action
while a face conveys emotion, and as such, both
are staples of football photographs, but then
again, it could be argued that hair does both.
Or maybe not, as the case may be.
Carlos Valderrama, featured left, is generally
acknowledged to be the best footballer that
Colombia has ever produced. His darting runs
and outstanding technique inspired the national
team to qualify for three World Cups, but it is also
fair to say that he was equally known around the
world for his voluminous locks, which always
seemed to have a mind of their own come rain
or shine, flying up at all angles whenever their
owner released a perfect through-ball or found
the back of the net with a deft flick of his boot.
Thankfully, there is no manual for goal celebra-
tions. Some players have a well-rehearsed routine
that is guaranteed to catch the eye, while others
are more modest – rather like Preciado, seen here
with his shirt over his head after scoring the
winning goal, or even Valderrama, in whose mane
he buried his face. After all, there was no lack of
room in there.
Alan Schweingruber
62 / FIFA 1904
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64 / FIFA 1904
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