Messi makes history. Third straight FIFA Ballon d Or triumph. March 2012

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1 March 2012 FIFA Ballon d Or reviewed Transfer figures revealed New anti-doping test profiled Preparations in Brazil Celebrations in Russia Ambitions in Qatar Africa s new champions Argentina s blind hero America s unlikely film star Messi makes history Third straight FIFA Ballon d Or triumph

2 the fastest boot just got a brain 2011 adidas AG. adidas, the 3-Bars logo and the 3-Stripes mark are registered trademarks of the adidas Group. adizero f50 micoach The boot worn by the world s best player Leo Messi. adidas.com/football

3 EDITORIAL An emotional few weeks Dear friends of football, I was deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic incidents in the Egyptian city of Port Said. At the same time, I have called for a full report into this black day for football in order to ensure that such catastrophes can be avoided in the future. The first two months of this year have already seen a number of footballing spectacles and celebrations which have served as a reminder of the global joy which our game inspires. At the same time, following the recent terrible events in Egypt, we have also witnessed how that joy can be tarnished. In January, the leading stars of both the men s and women s game descended upon Zurich for the FIFA Ballon d Or 2011, an event which saw Lionel Messi winning FIFA s top men s individual honour for the third consecutive year. On an emotional evening, Japan s FIFA Women s World Cup-winning captain Homare Sawa was crowned Women s World Player of the Year, and Sir Alex Ferguson received the Presidential Award in recognition of his 25 years of continued success at just one club. In February, I then had the pleasure of travelling to the Gabonese capital, Libreville, to attend the final of the Africa Cup of Nations, and see Zambia crowned continental champions for the first time in their history. While the FIFA Ballon d Or and Africa Cup of Nations both symbolised the joie de vivre with which football should always be associated, last month also showed the dangers to which our game can be exposed. I was deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic incidents in the Egyptian city of Port Said and expressed my deepest sympathies to all those affected. At the same time, I have called for a full report into this black day for football in order to ensure that such catastrophes can be avoided in the future. While, sadly, there is still clearly work to be done to ensure that football stadiums around the world can be viewed purely as places for peaceful celebrations, we can continue to take heart from the large number of positive stories surrounding our game, which, thankfully, far outweigh the negative ones. This latest issue of FIFA World contains several such stories, including the incredible tales of Silvio Velo, the captain of Argentina s blind football team, and USA defender Jay DeMerit, whose unlikely rise up the footballing ladder was recently turned into a documentary film. There are also updates on all three of the next FIFA World Cups, as we take a look at the continuing preparations for Brazil 2014, the growing excitement building up around Russia 2018, and the astonishing sporting ambitions which are already bearing fruit ahead of Qatar Football has acquired an unprecedented global reach and magnitude in recent years and we must do our utmost to ensure that the sport is always seen in a positive light. With diligence, passion and common respect for our fellow humans, however, I remain confident that our game will continue to be a force for good. Joseph S. Blatter FIFA WORLD I MARCH

4 Around the world Zambians crowned Zambia are the surprise new champions of Africa following a penalty shoot-out victory over Côte d Ivoire in the 12 February final of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations. After 120 minutes of goalless action and 16 penalties had failed to separate the sides in the Gabonese capital of Libreville, it was left to Zambian midfielder Stoppila Sunzu to complete an 8-7 shoot-out victory after Côte d Ivoire s Gervinho missed the target with his kick. Zambia s title triumph was their first in international football and capped a series of surprises at this year s Cup of Nations. For a full review of the tournament, turn to page 38. Black day in Egypt At least 79 people died after violent clashes broke out following an Egyptian league match between Al-Masry and Al-Ahly at the Port Said Stadium on 1 February. More than 1,000 injuries were recorded as the crowd attempted to flee the stadium, while players were forced to run from the pitch to escape chasing fans. Following the tragedy, FIFA said it would be working closely with the Egyptian football authorities to determine the causes. World football s governing body also said it would donate financial aid of USD 250,000 to the families of the victims. I stated after the tragedy that this day was a black day for football, and I m still very shocked by what happened, said FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter. Many of the victims were so young. The football community, including FIFA, must assist its Egyptian brothers and sisters. Match-fixing bans FIFA sent a clear message around the world in February that match-fixing and illegal betting will not be tolerated by extending 26 sanctions imposed by the Turkish and Finnish Football Associations to have worldwide effect. Taking in players, coaches, club and match officials, the 24 bans imposed in Turkey, which ranged from one-year to lifetime exclusions from football-related activities, were the result of a vast investigation into alleged match-fixing and betting on matches in the country s league championship. Two players were given two-year suspensions from all football activities following a similar investigation in Finland. FIFA s commitment to tackling match-fixing is unwavering, said FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke. If you do not play by the rules, you will be punished. Splashing the cash January s player transfer window witnessed another major spending spree by clubs looking to shake up their dressing rooms during the European winter break. Figures published by FIFA subsidiary Transfer Matching System in February revealed that clubs around the world spent around USD 400 million on international transfers during the period an increase of 25% on the January 2011 figure of USD 320 million. Paris Saint-Germain were among the big spenders, bringing in Brazilian international Maxwell from Barcelona and Brazilianborn Italian international Thiago Motta (pictured) from Inter Milan. While European clubs accounted for 84% of the spending on international transfers during the month, that figure was down from 92% in January 2011 suggesting that European clubs might no longer have things all their own way when it comes to luring the world s best players. 4 FIFA WORLD I MARCH 2012

5 Inside this issue VIEW NEWS FOCUS SUMMARY 6 Libreville, Bata, Manchester Striking images from the world of football 12 Golden boy Another hat-trick for Lionel Messi 20 An eye on Brazil FIFA steps up cooperation with 2014 organisers 38 African kings An emotional triumph for Zambia 44 Thinking big Qatar s footballing aspirations 60 Associations São Tomé celebration, Capello resignation 62 World ranking Zambia and Gabon reap Africa Cup rewards 24 Centennial celebrations Russian football looks back and forward 28 Moving costs Behind the international transfer headlines 49 From pub to screen The improbable rise of Jay DeMerit 54 Blind ambition Meet the skipper of Argentina s bat pack 64 Archive Remembering Russia s Black Panther FIFA WORLD I MARCH

6 VIEW Showing their colours Gabon fans celebrate the co-hosts second goal against Niger in the group stage of this year s CAF Africa Cup of Nations while a painted Senegal supporter waits for the game against Equatorial Guinea to begin. 6 FIFA WORLD I MARCH 2012

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9 Hang this Norwegian international Brede Hangeland seems to have had enough as his Fulham side endure a snowy 3-0 defeat away to English Premier League high-fliers Manchester City in February. FIFA WORLD I VIEW 9

10 Letters to FIFA A selection of comments from the FIFA World and FIFA.com mailbags January/February 2012 Rebuilding Haitian football Tackling match- xing Growing the women s game Race to Brazil heats up 2012 year preview Tokyo Exco review Green Goal success New goalkeeper courses Ethiopia s nest hour Year-end rankings On top of the world Barcelona take FIFA Club World Cup by storm Bravo Barça! Thank you to the magnificent Barcelona team whose performances at the FIFA Club World Cup showed the world how the beautiful game should be played and enjoyed by the millions of fans worldwide. Their emphatic destruction of Santos was quite simply a master class. If they continue to play so beautifully, they will have no equals! FIFA.com user (Australia) As an Argentinian, I would just like to say well done to Venezuela! I hope that Argentina s title drought will end at the next World Cup and Messi will justify the comparisons that are being made between him and Maradona. Come on Argentina! FIFA.com user (Mexico) January/February issue Let us hear your views, either on what you have read in FIFA World, or in regard to anything else in the world of international football. You can contact us via at feedback-fifaworld@fifa.org or by writing to FIFA World, FIFA-Strasse 20, P.O. Box, CH-8044, Zurich, Switzerland. What a wonderful performance by Barcelona. They dominated from the first minute of the first match. But no one should judge Messi and Neymar based on this one game. Barcelona are a dream team and Santos are just a good team. Let s wait for the 2014 FIFA World Cup that s when we ll really be able to say who s the better player. FIFA.com user (Brazil) Interestingly, nine of the 11 players on Barça s winning team came up through their La Masia youth academy. This shows that organic development and staying true to your own unique style of football works. FIFA.com user (USA) Barcelona were fantastic! Hopefully, they will keep playing this style of football forever and stay faithful to their tradition of beautiful football. Long live Barcelona! FIFA.com user (Ecuador) Race to Brazil Zico is making excellent progress with Iraq. It really looks like he ll take us to the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Iraq always get good results with Brazilian coaches. Hassan (Iraq) I want Venezuela and Bolivia to do as well as they can in the World Cup qualifiers because I want football in South America to be competitive and well-balanced, without any talk of small teams. And obviously I want my home country Colombia to improve and win. Walterino (Colombia) With its 2-1 victory over Tonga, American Samoa showed the world just how far its football has progressed since its 31-0 defeat to Australia 11 years ago. FIFA.com user (USA) The [CONCACAF third round] group with Mexico, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Guyana is an interesting one. Mexico are the favourites to win it, but you never know, the other teams could get some unexpected wins and turn it into a surprise group. Form will be an important factor whichever teams show the best form will qualify. FIFA.com user (USA) 10 FIFA WORLD I MARCH 2012

11 Tackling match-fixing It s sad to see the amount of money being made from this illegal business, but it s also a relief to know that something is being done about it. FIFA.com user (Mexico) I agree that match-fixing in the world game needs to be tackled and am happy that FIFA s security department is playing a crucial role in applying prevention measures. FIFA.com user (England) True great Dr Socrates was a real surgeon on the field. He was very elegant and played artistic football alongside Zico, Falcao and Eder. We may never see another player of his ability. Rest in peace, Socrates. FIFA.com user (USA) The great players always make everything look easy and Socrates was no exception. He was the captain of one of the best teams not to win a World Cup. FIFA.com user (Trinidad and Tobago) I remember watching the 1982 World Cup and he was a class act. He seemed to glide across the pitch and the ball was tied to his boot lace. His goal against the USSR at the 1982 FIFA World Cup was fantastic. I have great memories of him. RIP the bearded one. FIFA.com user (Wales) Supermessi Lionel Messi s reputation soared even higher in January as the Barcelona and Argentina forward was named the world s best player for a historic third straight year. For more, see page 12. FIFA WORLD I VIEW 11

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13 Messi s triple triumph Lionel Messi has cemented his reputation as the leading footballer of his generation after being voted the world s best player for a third straight year. By Mark Ledsom, Zurich It was the crowning moment of this year s FIFA Ballon d Or gala, even if the outcome itself had been widely predicted by most football fans in the months leading up to the glittering awards ceremony. For the third year in a row, Barcelona s diminutive Argentinian forward Lionel Messi was hailed as the world s best player, following on from his triumph at the inaugural FIFA Ballon d Or 2010 and its previous incarnation, the FIFA World Player Gala, in Messi s margin of victory was once again emphatic, with the 24-year-old star picking up more than twice as many votes as his nearest rival, the 2008 FIFA World Player Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi s Barça teammate Xavi was named as the third-best player for a third consecutive year after receiving just over nine per cent of the votes cast by national team coaches and captains, and football journalists selected by French magazine France Football. Coming off the back of another impressive year for Barcelona, in which the Catalan club secured the Spanish league and Super Cup, lifted the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Super Cup trophies and then capped their achievements with a second FIFA Club World Cup in three years, it was certainly no big surprise to hear Messi s name read out at the Zurich Kongresshaus. Rather, the drama came from the sense of history being made as Messi s status as the undisputed king of world football was confirmed once again. Although two other players (Ronaldo and Zinédine Zidane) had previously won the FIFA World Player award three times, Messi is the first to do so in consecutive years. Michel Platini, the former French midfield maestro turned UEFA President, was the only other player to achieve a similar run of success, winning the France Football l Ballon d Or three times between 1983 and 1985 though that award was only open at the time to European players based at European clubs. It s a huge pleasure and a huge honour for me to get this award for a third time, Messi told the Zurich audience after receiving the award from Ronaldo. I would like to share this pleasure with the people who voted for me and I also want to thank my Barcelona and Argentina team-mates. Barça s night On a night in which Barcelona s current dominance of club football was plain for all to see, Messi and Xavi were among a quintet of Barça stars selected for the FIFA WORLD I NEWS 13

14 FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter gets the gala festivities under way. FIFA/FIFPro World XI, with team-mates Gerard Piqué, Dani Alves and Andrés Iniesta also making it onto the dream team. The fantasy line-up, chosen by members of the world players union, was drawn exclusively from three clubs, with Real Madrid quartet Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Xabi Alonso and Cristiano Ronaldo joining Manchester United s Nemanja Vidić and Wayne Rooney in the talent-packed side. Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola was also among those honoured in Zurich, with the 40-year-old manager being named as the FIFA Ballon d Or 2011 the winners FIFA Ballon d Or: Lionel Messi (47.88%) Cristiano Ronaldo (21.6%) Xavi (9.23%) FIFA Women s World Player: Homare Sawa (28.51%) Marta (17.28%) Abby Wambach (13.26%) FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men s Football: Pep Guardiola (41.92%) Sir Alex Ferguson (15.61%) José Mourinho (12.43%) FIFA World Coach of the Year for Women s Football: Norio Sasaki (45.7%) Pia Sundhage (15.83%) Bruno Bini (10.28%) FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men s Football, ahead of Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and Real Madrid coach José Mourinho, the winner of last year s inaugural FIFA World Coach award. I would like to share this award with José Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson, because it is an honour to be a colleague of yours and of all the coaches around the world who love this game, said Guardiola, a former graduate of Barça s youth academy who went on to make nearly 400 appearances for the club s FIFA/FIFPro World XI: Iker Casillas; Dani Alves, Gerard Piqué, Sergio Ramos, Nemanja Vidić; Xabi Alonso, Andrés Iniesta, Xavi; Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney FIFA Puskás Award: Neymar FIFA Presidential Award: Sir Alex Ferguson FIFA Fair Play Award: Japan Football Association senior team, and has now won 13 major titles with the Spanish giants since taking over as coach in June I also want to dedicate this to the thousands of people who have worked at Barcelona for more than 100 years and helped to develop one of the best clubs in the world, Guardiola added. It is a privilege to be a part of this magnificent club. Sweet for Sawa While Barcelona took the top two prizes in the men s categories, Japan were the night s other main winners, with the country s representatives taking home no fewer than three awards. Japan s title triumph at last year s FIFA Women s World Cup was strongly reflected in the women s football categories, with Nadeshiko team captain Homare Sawa being named FIFA Women s World Player of the Year while team coach Norio Sasaki was voted FIFA World Coach of the Year for Women s Football. I am really happy that I was able to add a new page to Japanese football history, and even happier that my award will show Japanese children that a Japanese player can win a Ballon d Or, a kimono-clad Sawa told reporters immediately after the ceremony. Sawa s success ensured a rare second place for Marta, as the Brazilian star s 14 FIFA WORLD I MARCH 2012

15 incredible run of five consecutive FIFA Women s World Player awards finally came to an end. American striker Abby Wambach, whose side narrowly lost out to the Japanese in last year s thrilling final, took third place. I had been feeling satisfied with the fact that I made it to the last three nominees alongside Marta and Abby, so I was surprised and totally delighted to receive the award, Sawa added. The trophy is actually really heavy, and I felt that it was filled with the weight of the 18 years since I joined the national team and the 30 years since Japan started playing women s football. Our success in Germany also came just a few months after the terrible earthquake that struck Japan last year. Even though all we did was win a football competition, so many people told us that our victory raised their spirits and gave them the courage to carry on. So helping my compatriots to feel that way made me very happy indeed. Coming onto the stage to accept the coach s award, Sasaki also reflected on the wider national significance of his team s tournament victory. In Germany, throughout the FIFA Women s World Cup matches, we managed to show our courage and also provide support and courage to the Japanese people, Sasaki told the gala audience. There were also many, many people from the football family who provided support and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them. I am just so overwhelmed and excited because I feel this award has been presented to the entire Japan team. Simply the best ever? Lionel Messi s historic coronation as the world s best footballer for a third straight year prompted plenty of speculation at the FIFA Ballon d Or gala as to whether the Argentinian star can already be considered the best player of all time. While Messi himself has repeatedly shied away from talk comparing him to the greats of previous years, stating once again in Zurich that his plan was to just try to enjoy every moment, enjoy some great experiences and win titles, there was no shortage of football talents past and present in attendance at the gala expressing views on the subject. Messi is currently the world s best player, and he may well be the best player of all time, said former world champion and two-time Ballon d Or winner Franz Beckenbauer. But we ll only find out in time. In the coming years, we ll see if he really is the number one. Raymond Kopa, the former French international who won three consecutive European Cups with Real Madrid and was awarded the Ballon d Or in 1958, was meanwhile among those who pointed out that most of Messi s major achievements to date have been in club football. We shouldn t forget that when he plays for Argentina, he doesn t get his way as much, Kopa said. He s surrounded by great players when he plays for his club. It was similar with me. I won the Ballon d Or because I had some brilliant team-mates around me. You never reach number one all by yourself. Other gala attendants were somewhat sceptical about the validity of even comparing players of different generations. Messi is the whole package, a born finisher with a real killer instinct, even if he seems very nice off the pitch, said UEFA President Michel Platini, the only other player in the men s game to have won the Ballon d Or in three successive years. But you shouldn t try to place him in time. He s the great player of this generation, just like there were great players in other generations. It s only in football that people compare generations. I ve never heard someone compare [Italian pop singer] Adriano Celentano, The Beatles or Edith Piaf, but in football it happens. Echoing Kopa, Platini said he also felt that Messi could do with a FIFA World Cup win with Argentina to assure him of a place alongside the likes of Pelé or Maradona. Messi will always be great with or without the World Cup but the World Cup does something special, the Frenchman insisted. Look at Diego Maradona, everyone remembers what he did in 1986, nobody remembers so much what he did with Napoli, with Barcelona. It s the World Cup which sticks in people s minds. While Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson agreed with Platini s general point about the difficulty of comparing across the generations, he insisted that Messi had certainly earned his place among the all-time greats. There is this generational thing of course, and a lot of critics over the years have addressed this question and asked whether a player like Pelé would be able to play at today s level, Ferguson pointed out. But my answer to that is that great players can play in any generation. They would all be able to play at any level simply because they are great players and Lionel Messi without any question comes into that category. Sitting beside Ferguson at the time, Messi s coach Pep Guardiola said he was happy to bow to the Scottish manager s greater experience. It s a good question for Sir Alex because he was lucky enough to see the likes of Pelé and Di Stéfano play, Guardiola grinned. But I think we ll agree with Sir Alex and say that Leo can sit with that group of players. Those are huge words and it s now up to him and what he does in future to see if he can stay there. FIFA WORLD I NEWS 15

16 Gala briefs Tuning in This year s FIFA Ballon d Or gala attracted a broad global following, both in terms of conventional television broadcasts and online streaming. A total of 36 television networks broadcast the show to a staggering 185 territories around the world up from 170 for last year s inaugural FIFA Ballon d Or event. FIFA s official website FIFA.com witnessed an even greater surge in interest, with the site seeing nearly four times as many visitors and page views as last year. More than 125,000 users watched the gala via the site s live stream, while over 1.5 million votes were cast online to elect the winner of the FIFA Puskás Award for the year s most beautiful goal. Trophies on tour The Japan Football Association is planning to put its three trophies from the FIFA Ballon d Or gala on special display for the people living in the disaster-damaged areas of East Japan. The trophies will be presented in early April when the Japanese women s team are due to play a friendly match against the USA. Announcing the plans in Tokyo two days after the gala, JFA President Junji Ogura said the association hoped to further encourage recovery and restoration efforts in the affected regions. Honoured guests: Sasaki, Sawa and Ogura pose with their awards at the gala. The Japan Football Association s efforts to boost morale across the country in the wake of last year s catastrophe were additionally recognised at the gala, with the association receiving the FIFA Fair Play Award. As well as commending the association for its post-disaster activities, the award recognised the fact that Japanese teams won Fair Play Awards at two FIFA tournaments (the FIFA U-17 World Cup and the FIFA Women s World Cup) in the space of eight days, and also ended a difficult year with an exemplary hosting of the FIFA Club World Cup. We received the FIFA Fair Play Award once before, following our joint hosting of the 2002 FIFA World Cup with Korea Republic, but to win again this year is very special, JFA President and former FIFA Executive Committee member Junji Ogura said after the show. Last year we also had the 90 th anniversary of our association and, thanks to our women s team, became world champions for the first time. To receive these awards on top of all that, I really think I am a blessed president. Feting Ferguson In addition to finishing runner-up to Guardiola in the FIFA World Coach of the Year vote, Sir Alex Ferguson received the special accolade of the FIFA Presidential Award in honour of his outstanding dedication, commitment and service to football during 37 years as a coach. Coming onto the stage to hand over the award, FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter listed the 30 major trophies won by Ferguson to date, and made particular reference to his staggering 25-year reign as manager of Manchester United. In today s world, where coaches are expected to produce instant results or be [dismissed], his longevity is absolutely extraordinary, and a shining example of what can be achieved through stability, continuity, investment in development and trust and confidence in the coach himself, Blatter told the audience before calling Ferguson to the stage. What an honour to give me in the twilight of my life! replied the coach with a grin. This is very much appreciated and in recognition of my 25 years at a club that always shared my vision and passion. Manchester United is a special club, which has always retained the courage to play to try to win. We don t always win, sometimes we lose. But we always try to win, and that s more important than anything. As well as reflecting on one man s contribution to the game over the course of 37 years, the gala also celebrated what can be achieved in the space of 12 seconds, with a dazzling run and strike scored by rising Brazil and Santos FC star Neymar picking up the FIFA Puskás Award for the most beautiful goal of the year. I think it s the best goal I ve ever scored, acknowledged a grinning Neymar after the show, as the highly rated 19-year-old recalled his solo effort against Flamengo in a Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A match played in July of last year. Picking up the ball near the touchline, Neymar weaved his way past two opponents before playing a neat one-two with a team-mate. He then wriggled clear of two more Flamengo defenders before deftly poking the ball past the advancing keeper. It was just about the perfect move, beamed Neymar whose goal was voted ahead of similarly spectacular strikes by Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney and Messi in a poll of more than 1.5 million visitors to the FIFA.com and francefootball. fr websites. Having been widely tipped as a young player who could one day be picking up the gala s main prize, Neymar said he was just happy to be here attending this party, and if one day I m nominated [for the FIFA Ballon d Or] then I ll be even happier. Neymar s patient approach may turn out to be the right one, with Lionel Messi showing no signs yet of surrendering his grip on the annual awards ceremony. A record-breaking fourth year at the top may be too early to predict, but the Argentinian star s parting words certainly signalled his intent. I guess that s all, the modest star shrugged as the glittering show came to a close. Thank you, and let s see how much more we can do. 16 FIFA WORLD I MARCH 2012

17 Q&A Sir Alex Ferguson FIFA Presidential Award winner Shortly before Sir Alex Ferguson received the FIFA Presidential Award in recognition of his phenomenal achievements during 37 years as a coach, FIFA World caught up with the legendary manager to get a brief insight into the secrets of his success. FIFA World: You first entered coaching in How has football changed since then? Sir Alex Ferguson: The game has changed in all sorts of different ways. When I first started, for example, you could tie players down with much longer-term contracts. In fact, when I was Aberdeen coach, we used to joke about giving players contracts with eight-year options! The level of media attention at that time was also very different. It was less intense, and there was less pressure on the players. So the game has changed fundamentally. Many of the changes, such as the introduction of sports science, have been for the better, of course. Many coaches bring about a short-term improvement in results when they first arrive at a club, but success is difficult to maintain. How have you managed to remain successful over such a long period of time? I think it s actually easier to maintain motivation levels and keep adapting when you stay with the same club. It s also been an advantage that I ve generally had the same staff around me for more than 20 years. Everybody at the club knows who the coach is, which has brought stability and enabled us to plan for success in the future. When you first started in the game, coaching giants such as Sir Matt Busby, Bill Shankly and Jock Stein were still plying their trade. How do you think they would have fared in the modern game? I ve had to adapt over the years, and they would have done the same. Perhaps you don t always like some of the changes you see but you have to find a way of coping and readjusting. You have to change your own mindset, by making a conscious effort to adapt and welcome change. Don t resist it. The older you get, the more stubborn and resistant to change you become. But that approach doesn t work. Coaching a football team is a complex business nowadays, with specialist medical staff, nutritionists, psychologists and statisticians all contributing their expertise. Is it important for coaches to have knowledge of these different areas? I have overall control, of course, but I let the other staff get on with their own jobs. There are too many different aspects now. When I first started out in coaching, I only had my own team and the youth to worry about, and those are the two areas I m still very much involved in. But I couldn t possibly take control of all the different facets of the club nowadays. It would be too complex. You ve been quoted as saying you d like to retire in three years time. Are you looking forward to a quieter life when that day comes? No, I m not looking forward to retirement at all! I ve been on the treadmill for so many years that I won t know what to do with myself when I come off it. The most important thing is to make sure that you remain active and working. FIFA WORLD I NEWS 17

18 Hard-earned success Homare Sawa s coronation as the current queen of women s football comes at the latter end of a lengthy and impressive career in which she has matured from being a child prodigy in the Japanese national team to being its highly-experienced captain. Making her full international debut in 1993 at the age of just 15, Sawa demonstrated her strength of character and will to win by firing four goals past the Philippines in that maiden outing and has rarely been out of the line-up since. Back in 2001, she took the brave step of travelling thousands of kilometres from home to try her luck in the USA s Women s United Soccer Association (WUSA) league with Atlanta Beat, for whom she scored the first goal in the club s history. After the WUSA folded in 2003, Sawa returned to her homeland to turn out for NTV Beleza, where she remained until another USA outfit Washington Freedom snapped her up ahead of the inaugural 2009 Women s Professional Soccer (WPS) campaign. Although she returned to Japan to sign for current club INAC Kobe Leonessa in the build-up to the FIFA Women s World Cup 2011, the physical and technical improvements which she had made during her American adventures were cle arly evident in Germany last summer as Sawa led her country to glory in a thrilling fina nal victory against the USA. Sawa s participation at Germany 2011 marked her fifth straight appearance at the tournament, following on from her Women s World Cup debut in Norway in The long wait certainly proved worth it, as the Japanese improved dramatica cally on a record that had previously produc uced just one quarter-final appearance in five attempts. As if taking home a gold medal wer ere no t enough, Sawa also made a clean sweepe of the individual awards in Germany, winn ing the adidas Golden Ball for the decisive role she played in leading Japan to the title, and the adidas Golden Boot for the five goals she scored in the process. She s an iconic figure for the Nadeshiko, said Japan s women s senior coach Norio Sasaki, on the importance of the inspirational 33-year-old midfielder to his team and the sport as a whole in his country. She perfectly symbolises the kind of football that our team tries to pull off. f. I d like the whole world to learn about our football through Sawa, that s why she e s our captain. Having tasted top-level success late in her career, Sawa is now eyeing ano th er sho hot at glory with her team-mateses at this year r s Women s Olympic Football Tou ourn rnam amen ent. Success at London 2012 would see Japan make history as the first team to win FIFA Women s World Cup and Olympic titles in successive years and provi vide the perfect send-offfor Sawa who has hinted that sh e might retire followi wing the Gam es. 18 FIFA WORLD I MARCH 2012

19 Hat-trick hero It was another phenomenal year even by the incredibly high standards of Lionel Me ss i as the young man from Rosario re eleded in another impressive haul of trop hies with the help of his FC Barcelona team-m at es. Ju st two day s after picking up the FIFA Ball on d Or for his achievements during 20 10, the Ar ge ntinian star gave an early in dica cati tion of how 2011 might pan out when he st ru ck his first hat-trick of the New Year dur in g a 5-0 Co pa del Rey quarter- fina n l firstt-leg victor y ov er Real Betis. Though Barç rça wer ere ul tima mately denied victory in the cup comp et itioio n by the heir arc h-rivals Real Madrid, little else eluded them over the course of the past 12 months, with Messi often the architect of the club s successes. In May, the Catalan side wrapped up their third successive Spanish league title before brushing Manchester United aside 3-1 (with Messi scoring the decisive goal) in the Champions League final. As well as helping Barcelona secure their third European crown in the space of six years, Messi achieved the individual feat of topscoring in the competition for a third straight year. The new season got under way in a similar vein to the old one when Barça won a third successive Spanish Super Cup final with a 5-4 aggregate win over Real Madrid, with Messi scoring three times over the two legs, as well as providing the assists for the two other goals. Nine days later, another goal and an assist put paid to Porto 2-0 in the UEFA Super Cup. Messi s influence on the team was similarly ap parent in Japan at the end of the year, as Barcelona became the first club ever to win the FIFA Club World Cup twice reaffirming their current status as the best team in the world, spearheaded by the worl d s best player. Of cou rse, goals are only part of what makes Messi such an extraordinary fo otballer. At the end of another year in which he again wowed not only the sport s fans but also his fellow professionals, Barcel elon a team-mate and FIFA Ballon d Or nominee Xavi attempted to sum up th e attributes that set his colleague apart. He s good at everything, everything, Xavi explained. He s got that winning mentalit y whichh makes him the best in the world and he s got such skill and speed of execut ion But there are loads of aspects to his game: he scores goals, is good in the air despite his small size, but the main thing is his personality: he s humble, a winner and he always puts the squad first. He s an example for the whole of world football and for any child who wants to play the game. FIFA WORLD I NEWS 19

20 Eye on the ball FIFA stepped up its on-the-ground monitoring of Brazil s 2014 FIFA World Cup preparations in January, as a delegation led by Secretary General Jérôme Valcke made the first in a series of two-monthly visits to the host country. With just over two years remaining until Brazil s staging of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, FIFA s January visit included several high-level meetings with both the tournament s Local Organising Committee and the Brazilian government, as well as the chance to check up on developments in the host cities of Fortaleza and Salvador da Bahia. January s visit also provided a first opportunity for Brazilian footballing icon Ronaldo to meet with his FIFA counterparts, following his appointment to the LOC management board at the end of last year. The two-time world champion told reporters he was optimistic about the months ahead because of the strong will of everybody to show that Brazilians are not only great footballers but also great organisers. The FIFA and LOC delegations stopped off first at the Brazilian sports ministry in Brasília, where the FIFA Secretary General met Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo in order to set out FIFA s priorities for the visit. Valcke emphasised the importance of staying across several of the country s key stadium, airport and urban transport projects and again stressed the need for speedy approval by the Brazilian parliament of the so-called General Bill the package of laws pertaining specifically to the 2014 tournament. It is essential that we have the possibility to discuss the issues regarding this famous The discussions are far advanced. Now is the time to sign agreements. FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke bill face-to-face, Valcke later told a media conference as debate continued over some of the bill s finer points, including insurance liabilities and ticketing prices. Asked if Brazil had been making a lot of demands of FIFA, Valcke gave a goodhumoured response: Probably because you guys won five World Cups you think you can ask, ask, ask! he joked. It s true that you have to ask in order to get things. That s a principle of life. But the discussions are far advanced. Now is the time to sign agreements. Hands-on approach: Ronaldo meets construction workers at the new Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador da Bahia. 20 FIFA WORLD I MARCH 2012

21 Ronaldo and FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke inspect progress on the Castelão Stadium in Fortaleza. Ticking clock Rebelo said he was confident that the pending issues would soon be resolved, with the minister expecting the General Bill to be passed by the parliament by March. Brazil asked to host this event and at the time we agreed with all the requirements, he explained. Our goal was to have the bill approved by the end of last year, so we are not as advanced in terms of legislation as we are in terms of the stadiums. We need to move on and speed up. Following on from their meeting with Rebelo, the FIFA and LOC delegations travelled north for the first two stadium visits of the year. First up was Fortaleza s There s a strong will to show that Brazilians are not only great footballers but also great organisers. LOC management board member Ronaldo Castelão Stadium, a semi-final venue for next year s FIFA Confederations Cup, where the delegation launched a clock counting down to the stadium s planned inauguration on 30 December They then continued on to Salvador da Bahia to check on the latest status of the Arena Fonte Nova, which hopes to be confirmed in June 2012 as a FIFA Confederation Cup venue. It will be a huge challenge, said Valcke. But having met the team today, I am confident that if the work continues with the same enthusiasm, the stadium, accommodation and transportation will be ready on time for the FIFA Confederations Cup. Beneficial exchange Having seen for themselves how work on the stadiums was progressing, the FIFA and LOC delegations made their FIFA WORLD I NEWS 21

22 when the moment happens focus matters Shoot 10fps in perfect focus. is a trademark of Sony Corporation.

23 way back south to Rio de Janeiro for the board meeting of the Local Organising Committee on the final day of the trip. The meeting, the first of its kind to be staged in Brazil following several similar meetings around the world over the last two years, covered a wide range of technical aspects relating to the organisation of preliminary events and the tournament itself and resulted in a number of announcements. São Paulo was selected as the host city for December s FIFA Confederations Cup draw, with the actual venue still to be confirmed, while a March deadline has been pencilled in for the unveiling of the official World Cup slogan. An update was provided on the team base camp evaluation process, with the first sites scheduled to be announced by mid-2012, and the event s marketing plans were also discussed. It was a very good meeting, Valcke concluded, and I definitely hope that the Sports Minister will be part of all the board meetings until 2014 because such an exchange of information on that high level is crucial and very beneficial for all parties involved. I m very pleased that we re walking side by side with the federal government and in the right direction. The next leg of the Secretary General s 2012 tour of Brazil will take place in March, when he visits the stadiums in Recife and Cuiabá alongside Ronaldo and Brazilian legend Pelé, as well as attending the next status meeting of the LOC management board in Brasília. FIFA SECRETARY GENERAL January s five-day trip to Brazil was an important step and the perfect way to begin 2012, as it gave us, for the first time, a true feeling of what is happening at the venues in Brazil, so that we no longer have to rely only on evaluation reports. All the negative media reports over the last few months nearly had me doubting whether the Brazilians really wanted to host the FIFA World Cup something that was almost impossible to imagine, because I know the one thing that every football fan dreams about experiencing is a FIFA World Cup staged in a Brazilian way. Together with Ronaldo and the sports minister Aldo Rebelo, we had an amazing time, and were overwhelmed by the warm welcome and reception from the Brazilian people, the host city and state authorities, as well as the beautiful scenery and diversity of this wonderful country that is Brazil. The passion for football and the huge anticipation for the FIFA World Cup could be felt at every corner and provided the best motivation for us to recharge our organisational batteries. We were reassured in particular by the construction workers who told us that they would work around the clock to make sure that the stadiums were delivered on time. It is these people whose hard work truly needs to be acknowledged, and so Ronaldo and I have made it clear that we will provide the workers with free tickets to a World Cup match in the venues which they helped to build, just as we did for the stadium workers at South Africa Being able to travel through the country with a Brazilian icon like Ronaldo is also something special. His humility and presence alone cause people to dream, and it is those dreams that make a FIFA World Cup special. As a Frenchman, I was privileged to have witnessed France win the World Cup title on home soil a once-in-a-lifetime experience which I hope the Brazilians will also be able to enjoy in It is the responsibility of the Brazilian national team to make this dream a reality, of course, but together with the LOC and the Brazilian government we can at least ensure that Brazil is a champion when it comes to the organisation of the event. We still have a lot of work ahead of us before 13 July 2014, when we will hopefully be able to say that we have achieved it: that FIFA, the LOC, the Brazilian government and the Brazilian people have scored the most important goal of all, a successful 2014 FIFA World Cup. For this to become a reality, we must continue at the same pace as we have started I am already looking forward to our upcoming visits to Recife, Brasília and Cuiabá in March when I will be joined by both Ronaldo and Pelé two true icons in the land of football. Jérôme Valcke FIFA WORLD I NEWS 23

24 Russia celebrates past and future Russia s future hosting of the 2018 FIFA World Cup was a popular talking point in January as St Petersburg hosted a special event to celebrate 100 years of the Russian Football Union. By Mikhail Malkin, St Petersburg St Petersburg s Mikhailovsky Theatre provided a suitably historic setting on 19 January as football dignitaries from across Russia, Eastern Europe and the wider world came together to mark the hundredth anniversary of a remarkable football association. While the theatre building itself predates the Russian Football Union (RFU) by nearly 80 years having opened its doors in 1833 by decree of Tsar Nicholas I the RFU has certainly enjoyed its fair share of drama in the century since its own founding in a St Petersburg restaurant (see From guests to hosts ). Underlining the importance of football, and the upcoming FIFA World Cup, to modern Russia, the night s opening address was made by none other than Vladimir Putin. Today marks a celebration for Russia s army of football supporters and all of our sports fans, the Russian Prime Minister told the gathered guests. Exactly one hundred years ago, the newly created Russian Football Union became the first organisation in our country to unite lovers of the beautiful game. Since that day, Russia has been an integral part of the world s football family. Turning his attention to the preparations for 2018, Putin confirmed that Russia planned to waive visa restrictions for all fans arriving in his country with tickets for the tournament. He also announced that organisers were looking at allowing free transport between the host cities for all ticketed fans. We have begun proactive, intensive work to prepare for the World Cup, Putin added. This massive project must bring together the efforts of government, business, public organisations and supporters. I have every confidence in 24 FIFA WORLD I MARC RCH 20 12

25 our success: we will host one of the best tournaments in the history of world football. Passionate fans Having attended the opening of the 20 th edition of the annual CIS Cup competition and met with representatives of several fan groups earlier in the day, FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter then told the audience how impressed he had been with the people s passion for the game and with their overwhelming support for Russia s hosting of the 2018 tournament. After seeing the fans, I know that both the country s leaders and ordinary supporters want Russia to host the World Cup, Blatter said. We have absolutely no doubt that Russia will deliver an exceptional tournament. It will be the first time that Eastern Europe has had the World Cup on its soil, and the tournament will also connect all the people of Russia, added Blatter, whose two-day Russian visit also included individual meetings with leaders from 15 of the region s football associations. In his joint role as UEFA President and FIFA Vice-President, Michel Platini said he was particularly keen on working alongside the Russians in the build-up to 2018 having not had much joy when pitted against them during his playing days. We will host one of the best tournaments in the history of world football. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin I was never part of a team that managed to beat Russia, even though I was involved in five matches against them, recalled the former French midfield maestro with a smile. My contemporaries and I grew up with stories of the fantastic Lev Yashin, and youngsters today still watch those blurred black-and-white images of this legendary goalkeeper flying through the air, FIFA WORLD I NEWS 25

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27 making saves in his black outfit and cap. Russia is, of course, a huge country, covering 11 time zones, and that has to be reflected in the standard of the football here. I am confident that it will continue to develop and that the 2018 World Cup can only help the process. Home win? As the night continued with a colourful show in which actors and singers gave a theatrical rendition of football s emergence over the years into the world s most popular sport, RFU President Sergey Fursenko echoed Platini s optimism on the future of Russian football going as far to suggest that his country could emerge as real contenders for a home-soil triumph in Pelé once said that Russia will win the football World Cup when Brazil succeeds at the ice hockey world championships, Fursenko told FIFA World. Well, last year we won the Beach Soccer World Cup so I would say the ball is now in Brazil s court! Speaking more seriously, we want to get some more experience under our belts before hosting the World Cup, so we re going to do all we can to also bring the European Youth Championship to Russia as well. We are going to do our best to achieve all our objectives and I really believe we can host the World Cup in 2018 and win it too! From guests to hosts As Russia looks ahead to welcoming the world in 2018, it seems fitting to recall that the country s football association was brought into existence with the specific aim of taking part in one of the sport s earliest international competitions. It was in January 1912, with just a few months until the start of that year s Olympic Summer Games in Stockholm, that a handful of ex-pats with names like MacPherson, Hartley, Pearson and Duperron gathered at the Vienna restaurant in St Petersburg to found the All-Russian Football Union. After suffering a narrow 2-1 defeat to Finland at the Games (and a much more comprehensive 16-0 thrashing by Germany in the subsequent consolation tournament ), Russia played just five more friendly games before the empire and the All-Russian Football Union was swept away by the events of the Russian Revolution. Barring a couple of friendly matches against Turkey in the 1920s, it was to be a full 40 years before Russian footballers would again play in FIFA-recognised internationals, this time within the framework of the Soviet Union Football Federation. With the muscle and size of the entire USSR now behind the team, major successes soon followed on the pitch, starting with a gold-medal triumph at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne. Four years later, the Soviet team celebrated an even bigger first, when they won the inaugural UEFA European Championship (known at the time as the European Nations Cup), beating Yugoslavia 2-1 in the Paris final. A further Olympic triumph was to follow in Seoul in 1988, before the break-up of the Soviet Union three years later necessitated further adjustments. The modern Russian Football Union was formed in February 1992 and reinstated into FIFA just over a year later, inheriting the match results and titles of its Soviet-era predecessors, but struggling to emulate their achievements in the early years of the new organisation. Twenty years on from that rebirth, however, the RFU can look back on a number of positive achievements that have given fresh confidence to the future World Cup hosts. EURO 2008 proved to be a major turning point for the men s senior team, as a young Russian squad playing highly attractive football reached the semi-finals of a major tournament for the first time since the Soviet era. Signs of a successful youth programme had already been seen in previous years, starting in 2005, when Russia won the UEFA European Women s Under-19 Championship to secure the country s first post-soviet title. A second came just one year later, when the boys matched the girls with victory at the UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship. Russia has also emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the sport s sand and indoor versions. At the FIFA Futsal World Cup, the country has secured top-four finishes in its last three finals appearances, while its rise in beach soccer has been even more formidable with the Russian team transforming itself from group-stage casualties on their FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup debut in 2007 to shock world champions in Ravenna last year. Secured 99 years after the founding of the RFU, Russia s sandy triumph over the established beach soccer stars of Brazil finally ended the country s long wait for a senior world title, and also demonstrated the sporting ambition of the modern Russian association. As Russia now prepares to stage the biggest football event of them all in 2018, the contrast between today s association and those ex-pat founders of 1912 could hardly be more striking. From being mere willing guests at international tournaments of old, the Russians are now relishing the opportunity to play welcoming hosts to the football world. Team captain Igor Netto takes hold of the Henri Delaunay Trophy following the Soviet Union s victory at the inaugural UEFA European Championship in FIFA WORLD I NEWS 27

28 The truth about transfers Football clubs spent more than USD 3 billion on international player transfers last year but newly released figures from the global market s first-ever official review reveal that headline-grabbing millionaire superstars formed only a small percentage of footballers on the move. Big money transfers, such as Samuel Eto o s move to Russian side Anzhi, account for only a small part of the international transfer market. Football fans around the world have long become accustomed to newspaper or internet headlines telling them about the latest multi-million dollar transfer of big-name players to similarly big-name clubs. But while billions are indeed being spent on player acquisitions at the sport s highest level, detailed figures from the firstever Global Transfer Market report reveal that the vast majority of transfers involve no money at all changing hands. The comprehensive review has been prepared by FIFA TMS, the FIFA subsidiary which oversees the online transfer matching system that became mandatory for all professional football clubs in October In keeping with one of the system s central aims to increase transparency regarding international transfers statistics from each calendar year (starting with 2011) will now be collated and published to give a detailed picture of the global transfer market. The transfer matching system was created for a number of reasons, most notably to ensure that international player transfers were conducted in a correct manner, both legally and financially, points out Marco Villiger, FIFA s Director of Legal Affairs. By checking the financial details at both ends of the transfer both within 28 FIFA WORLD I MARCH 2012

29 the system itself and through the follow-up enquiries made by our Integrity and Compliance Department TMS is intended to help minimise the threat of corruption or money laundering in football. On top of that, the system has already been adapted to monitor the international movement of players aged under 18, both professional and amateur, in an effort to stop players being shipped abroad at too young an age. Now, with the publication of the Global Transfer Market report, we are also coming good on our promise to open up the market to outside scrutiny. There is a lot in the review which will be of interest to people working in the football industry, but there s also plenty for general football fans, who I m sure will be surprised by Football fans may be surprised by some of the findings, especially if their knowledge of the transfer market only comes from the back pages of newspapers. FIFA Director of Legal Affairs Marco Villiger some of the findings especially if their only previous knowledge of the transfer market has come from the back pages of newspapers. Big spenders Since the transfer matching system deals exclusively with footballers whose registrations are transferred from one association to another, the report does not include players who switched clubs within the same country or footballing territory. What it does show, however, is the large amount of money that was spent last year by clubs signing players from outside their own associations. Financial compensation in international transfers Total: USD 3.1 billion 10% Conditional transfer compensation 7% Training compensation 1% Solidarity contribution Transfer types 10% 12% 8% 82% Agreed transfer compensation 70% The vast majority of last year s transfer-related payments involved fixed-sum agreements between two clubs ( Agreed transfer compensation ). Ten per cent was spent on conditional payments which are generally dependent upon how players perform at their new clubs (e.g. If the player makes more than 40 appearances for Club B, Club B will pay Club A an additional USD 250,000 ), while training compensation and solidarity contributions, both of which are intended to offset the cost of training a young player, accounted for a combined eight per cent of clubs outlay. The FIFA TMS report shows that the vast majority of transfers in 2011 involved players who were out of contract with their previous clubs. Registration periods: global transfer activity in 2011 Open registration periods by confederation Transfers Transfers 3,000 2,500 2,000 1, OFC CONMEBOL AFC CONCACAF CAF UEFA 1, Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec FIFA WORLD I NEWS 29

30 In total, clubs spent USD 3.1 billion on such transfers in 2011, a figure that corresponds to an average transfer compensation of USD 1.5 million per player. As with the newspaper scoops, this headline figure tells only part of the story, however. A closer look at the figures in the report makes it clear that the average transfer fee is skewed upwards by the relatively small number of multi-million dollar deals. Looking instead at the median figure (the typical transfer which sits exactly in the middle of the full list of transfer fees), the report finds a fee of only USD 200,000. Countering the common perception of football transfers even further is the fact that only 14 per cent of last year s international transfers involved any kind of financial compensation from one club to another. In other words, a surprising 86 per cent of international transfers are conducted without any money whatsoever changing hands. The main reason for this is that 70 per cent of players were free agents when they signed for their new clubs (either because their previous contracts had expired or been terminated, or because they were signing their first professional contract). It is also interesting to note that twothirds of all agreements between clubs for the transfer of a player involve loan deals. Taken together with the large number of deals involving free agents, it turns out that the permanent club-to-club agreements which tend to dominate media coverage constituted just ten per cent of the total transfers completed in 2011 (see Transfer types graphic). Of course, the media will continue to focus on the glamour of the big-name signings, but we hope that this review will at least shed some light on the overall scale of the international transfer market, and the number of players who are moving from country to country to do their job without huge sums of money being involved, says Mark Goddard, general manager of FIFA TMS. Around the clock The total number of international transfers completed in 2011 backs up that assertion, with more than 11,500 such moves taking place last year amounting to one such transfer taking place, on average, every 45 minutes. While the first edition of the Global Transfer Market review contains plenty of interesting statistics, both for casual fans and industry experts, it is viewed by the TMS team as only a first step, with plans to add more detailed information and market trends in the coming years. This is obviously just a starting point, because even with the main figures such as the total amount that was spent on international transfers last year, you want to have something to compare that to, explains Goddard. Obviously, USD 3 billion is a lot of money, but it s only when we bring out next year s report that we ll be able to say whether club spending is going up or down. A link to the full version of the Global Transfer Market 2011 report can be found on the FIFA TMS webpage: 30 FIFA WORLD I MARCH 2012

31 Meet the typical footballer One key conclusion of the Global Transfer Market 2011 report is that there is no such thing as an averagee footballer, with the report pointing out vast differences in the ages, nationalities and pay packets among the thousands of players who made international moves last year. Nevertheless, the data which clubs have to enter into the transfer matching system when processing international transfers does at least make it possible to extrapolate the most common traits among those players on the move in Based on the ages, nationalities and salary details provided for each player, the report reveals that, statistically at least, the typical professional footballer is 23, Brazilian and not paid as much as you would expect. The relative youth of the average player is borne out by the fact that over 75 per cent of professional players making international transfers are aged 27 or under. Players do continue to be transferred internationally well into their thirties, the report notes, but the numbers taper off significantly after the age of 35. The preponderance of Brazilian nationals in the international transfer market is no new phenomenon but it is still remarkable to see that the country s players accounted for 13 per cent of all international transfers carried out in Adding in the seven per cent of international transfers involving Argentinian players, the two South American neighbours provided a full fifth of all the players crossing international borders last year (see graphic). Based upon samples drawn from ten different associations around the world, FIFA TMS calculated that the average player salary in 2011 amounted to a very comfortable USD 244,000. As with the total amount spent on transfer fees (see main text), however, this figure was heavily skewed by the small number of extremely high-paid players within the sample. Looking instead at the median salary, the report comes up with a figure of USD 43,000 meaning that half of the professional footballers in the sample earned more than USD 43,000 a year, and half of them earned less. While the typical player is therefore taking home far less money than the superstars at the top of the game, the FIFA TMS report goes on to compare both the average and median salaries against the GDP per capita in the countries where the players are based, and notes that footballers in general still enjoy a higher standard of living than most. Age distribution Transfers 1,200 The age distribution of players in international transfers showed a sharp decline in interest in players aged 28 or over. Player nationalities Transfers 1,600 1,400 1,200 1, % Brazilian and Argentinian players continued to be the most internationally mobile in Players salaries USD 1, , , , , , , , Player age 7% 3% 3% 3% 3% 3% Brazil Argentina France Uruguay Colombia Serbia Nigeria England Spain Portugal Western Europe 1 Western Europe 2 Western Europe 3 Asia Eastern Europe Latin America 1 Latin America 2 A study of players average and median salaries, based on samples from ten associations, reveals a wide difference in pay between the sport s highest and lowest earners. In almost all associations, however, footballers salaries still compared favourably with GDP per capita. 2% North America Africa 2% 2% Average salary Median salary GDP per capita Global average USD 244,000 Global median USD 43,000 Middle East FIFA WORLD I NEWS 31

32 Piloting a new course FIFA s medical experts are hoping to add a new weapon to their armoury in the fight against doping by using footballers individual steroid profiles as a smarter way of catching potential cheats. While Barcelona were setting a new milestone on the pitch at December s FIFA Club World Cup by becoming the first team to lift the trophy twice, an important first was also taking place off the field as FIFA s Medical Department used the year-ending tournament to pilot an innovative testing procedure in the fight against doping. In the weeks leading up to the world club showpiece in Japan, FIFA doping control officers paid an unannounced visit to each of the seven participating teams to conduct out-of-competition doping tests on the players, the results of which were used to provide baseline values for a new procedure known as steroid profiling. Steroid profiles are intended to address the problem that many of the substances Steroid profiling will be carried out at all of this year s FIFA competitions. used in doping occur naturally within the human body. Detecting small increases in these substances is made even more difficult by the fact that normal levels can vary significantly from one person to another. Profiling therefore takes a different approach, comparing an individual s test results against the historical values of his or her previous results, rather than against a single, absolute threshold. In this way, physicians can pinpoint deviations in the individual s biological markers which might raise the suspicion of manipulation. While variances in a player s biological markers across different tests do not in themselves constitute proof of wrongdoing, they could raise a suspicion of manipulation and therefore provide rational grounds for follow-up tests and the inclusion of the player in FIFA s international registered testing pool the group of internationallevel players who are categorised as being FIFA s anti-doping timeline FIFA has been committed to the fight against doping in football for almost half a century now, from the introduction of drug testing at the 1966 FIFA World Cup to the latest trials of steroid profiling. Here are a few of the key milestones: 1966 Drug testing is introduced at the FIFA World Cup. FIFA thus becomes one of the first international federations, alongside its counterparts in cycling (UCI) and athletics (IAAF), to introduce testing in its world championship. The IOC follows suit at the 1968 Olympic Games 1970 FIFA expands its anti-doping activities to cover all of its competitions in order to ensure that the results of national and international matches are a fair reflection of the ability of those taking part A member of the Haitian squad becomes the first player to be sent home from a FIFA World Cup for failing a doping test Following a further positive test at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, world football s governing body sets up the FIFA Medical and Research Centre (F-MARC), an independent research unit to protect players health and promote football as a healthy activity. Since then, no player has tested positive for doping at a men s FIFA World Cup. 32 FIFA WORLD I MARCH 2012

33 at high-risk of doping and on whom FIFA focuses its testing. Steroid and blood profiling might currently be the most effective means of fighting doping, explains FIFA s Chief Medical Officer Prof. Jiri Dvorak. The main advantage is that the profiles are based on the consistency of the player s physiology. New drugs are constantly appearing on the market and it can take several years to create an effective method of detecting them, but a human being s physiology is inherited and remains broadly the same through several generations. Another positive side-effect of this study is that it is helping to raise awareness of our existing anti-doping programme and hopefully acting as a deterrent to would-be cheats and their advisors because it shows the lengths we are going to in order to expose them. As well as curbing the use of illegal substances, Dvorak is also keen to emphasise that profiling can be in players own interests. By indicating deviations from a player s baseline values, profiling can make it easier to identify diseases or abnormalities at an early stage, bringing added health benefits for players. Sports-specific approach Football is not alone in considering a longterm, individual-orientated approach to anti-doping, with the international cycling and skiing federations having already introduced blood profiling into their testing concepts. FIFA is, however, the first international sports federation to investigate the possibility of using an individual steroid profile. The decision to focus on steroid rather than blood profiling was based upon results from an extensive series of blood tests carried out at the 2002 FIFA World Cup and at the UEFA EURO 2008, which did not show any indication of blood manipulation at international elite level in football. It is not cost-effective or practical to carry out endless numbers of anti-doping tests, so you have to consider what Steroid and blood profiling might currently be the most effective means of fighting doping. FIFA Chief Medical Officer Prof. Jiri Dvorak advantages athletes would seek to gain in your particular sport, explains Dvorak. Blood profiling examines the different components of the blood count to detect blood doping and makes sense in sports which call for high endurance, such as cycling or cross-country skiing. So the blood profile that has been introduced by the International Cycling Union is a perfectly valid and targeted strategy in terms of the most commonly observed prohibited substances in cycling. Thankfully, doping as a whole remains a relatively rare phenomenon in football, with so-called social drugs such as marijuana accounting for the vast majority of positive tests, followed (at a considerable distance) by stimulants, anabolic steroids and glucocorticosteroids. Spreading the word While an analysis of the pilot-study test results by the Swiss Laboratory for Doping Analyses in Lausanne has fortunately shown that none of the players values lay outside the normal parameters, a separate feasibility looking at the testing procedure itself and the costs involved has shown steroid profiling to be an effective procedure. The results of the study clearly demonstrate that steroid profiling is a precise and reliable way of establishing each player s steroid blueprint, and it will be possible to use this method in the near future to prevent manipulation using steroid hormones in professional football, says Dr Martial Saugy, head of the laboratory. FIFA now plans to introduce steroid profiling in all of its competitions later this year, and its medical team will share their initial findings and experiences with their colleagues in the confederations and at the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). While the programme is still in its infancy, WADA has welcomed football s targeted solution. We were very happy to hear that FIFA has piloted this study, WADA s Director General David Howman told FIFA World. The challenges to sport presented by doping are becoming increasingly sophisticated and the anti-doping movement has to explore every avenue in its efforts to root out cheats. We look forward to sitting down with FIFA to learn more about their experiences with steroid profiling The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), an independent agency funded by the sports movement and the world s governments, is set up to fight doping and monitor compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code the document harmonising anti-doping policies across all sports FIFA signs a collaboration agreement with WADA and the IOC, as a result of which it makes various amendments to its Statues and Disciplinary Code to ensure the appropriate sanctions for doping infringements are enforced in all FIFA member associations FIFA ratifies the 2009 World Anti-Doping Code, which, importantly for FIFA, provides for individual case management, meaning all doping cases must be considered and sanctioned uniquely. In the same year, FIFA establishes its Anti- Doping Unit, a team of medical and disciplinary staff dealing specifically with antidoping matters On 1 January 2009, FIFA incorporates the applicable provisions of the World Anti-Doping Code into its own FIFA Anti-Doping Regulations FIFA carries out a pilot study at the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup into the use of steroid profiling (see main article). FIFA WORLD I NEWS 33

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35 Confederations Cup takes wing On 1 February, FIFA and the Brazil 2014 Local Organising Committee marked the start of the 500-day countdown to next year s FIFA Confederations Cup by letting fly the tournament s colourful official emblem. The T distinctive flame-red body of the native Brazilian rufous-bellied thrush took to the air in February, as organisers celebrated the 500 days remaining until the FIFA Confederations Cup 2013 kicks off in Brasília s new Estádio Nacional. The bird, which was designated as one of Brazil s national symbols following a presidential decree in 2002, provides the main visual element of the tournament s official emblem, and will be increasingly spotted on the nation s streets as the event draws ever closer. Being staged next year for the ninth time, the FIFA Confederations Cup involves the reigning world champions, the champions from the six confederations and the host country s national team. In 2001, the event was first used as a test run for the organisers of the following year s FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan, an idea which was then repeated ahead of the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups in Germany and South Africa. However, the high quality of the participating teams and the frequently attractive nature of the football on display mean that the competition is now seen as being much more than just a warm-up for the main event. Indeed, the concept has been so successful that the 16 matches played at South Africa 2009 were transmitted live to 149 territories, with audience figures totalling 550 million people. To all of us in the Local Organising Committee, the FIFA Confederations Cup is much more than just a preparatory tournament for the FIFA World Cup, said Brazil legend and current member of the LOC s Management Board, Ronaldo, who was a FIFA Confederations Cup winner at Saudi Arabia We re determined to put on a great fiesta next year, a genuine Festival of Champions. Shaping up Five of the tournament s eight participants are already known, with Brazil and defending world champions Spain having been joined by CONCACAF champions Mexico, AFC Asian Cup winners Japan and South American champions Uruguay. Two more teams will be added to the line-up this year, following the completion of UEFA EURO 2012 and the 2012 OFC Nations Cup, before the octet is completed at the start of 2013 by the winner of that year s Africa Cup of Nations. I think that we ll have the strongest set of national sides since the tournament began, added Ronaldo. It will be a great opportunity for Brazilian fans to watch top-level football in new stadiums, as well as to give the world a little taste of our hospitality. As with the 2014 FIFA World Cup one year later, Rio de Janeiro s legendary Maracanã stadium is set to host the 30 June Confederations Cup final. Belo Horizonte and Fortaleza are also scheduled to host matches, while Recife and Salvador are still waiting on final approval from FIFA and the Brazil 2014 LOC. A final announcement on the tournament s match schedule and the confirmed host cities is due to be made in June of this year, with the final draw set to take place in São Paulo on 1 December. As well as hosting the tournament, the Brazilians will certainly be among the favourites to win the title, having already being crowned FIFA Confederations Cup champions a record three times, in 1997, 2005 and Having helped inspire Brazil to the second of those triumphs at Germany 2005, star forward Ronaldinho used the 500-day countdown event to express his own desire to make the squad again next year. It s an extremely important competition, it s like a preview for the FIFA World Cup, said the 2002 FIFA World Cup winner and two-time FIFA World Player of the Year. The next edition will have a special flavour since it s in Brazil. For that reason I m very motivated, and I m hoping to take part in this competition in FIFA WORLD I NEWS 35

36 The US team celebrate the 3-0 win over Costa Rica that made sure of their place at London US women romp to Olympic qualification The USA have emerged as strong contenders for a fourth gold medal at this year s Women s Olympic Football Tournament, after cruising through January s regional qualifying tournament in Vancouver. The US women s team endured an unusually bumpy ride during the qualifying competition for last year s FIFA Women s World Cup, but there were no such difficulties for Pia Sundhage s side this time around, as the Americans dominated the eight-team Olympic qualifying event from start to finish. In their first two matches against Dominican Republic and Guatemala, the USA ran out 13-0 and 14-0 winners. They then wrapped up the group stage with a 4-0 victory over Mexico, the same side whose shock 2-1 win over the Americans in November 2010 had consigned Sundhage s charges to the play-offs for Germany It was redemption for us, admitted midfielder Carli Lloyd, after scoring three of the game s four goals. There s no second chance in Olympic qualifying, so we came out strong. A similar show of strength against Costa Rica in the semi-finals saw the USA score three times without reply to make sure of 36 FIFA WORLD I MARCH 2012

37 their Olympic spot. The icing on the cake then came with a 4-0 victory over their Canadian hosts in a final match watched by a competition-record crowd of 25,427. We understand that 13 or 14-0 games can be looked down upon by some fans, but the truth is that we didn t get the job done properly in the last qualifying tournament and so this is a statement we are making to the rest of our region and the rest of the world, said striker Abby Wambach, who fired in six of the Americans 38 goals in Vancouver, including two in the final, to overtake former team-mate Kristine Lilly as the second-highest goalscorer in the history of international football. We re not taking any game for granted, and that s why the results are the results that you have seen, added Wambach, who is now just 27 goals shy of fellow American Mia Hamm s all-time record of 158 international goals. Consolation for Canada While unable to contain their southern neighbours in the final, Canada were at least able to console themselves with the tournament s second Olympic qualifying spot, secured with a 3-1 win over Mexico in the semi-finals. Boosted by the form of striker Christine Sinclair, whose nine goals made her the tournament s top scorer, the Canadians are already vowing to up their game further by the time London 2012 comes around. This is a massive learning curve for us, Canada s coach John Herdman told reporters after the final. The Americans can boss a game because of their physicality, they can outrun you. But we can close that gap with some more conditioning work, and how we select and manage the players. If we can do that a little bit better, then we ll be closer. While Canada are now looking ahead to only their second appearance at the Women s Olympic Football Tournament, having also qualified for the last edition in Beijing, the Americans will be aiming to build upon by far the best record of any country at the Games. Since hosting and winning the inaugural tournament at Atlanta 1996, the USA have struck gold at three of the four editions held to date, as well as taking silver behind Norway at Sydney Taking shape The line-up of the teams who will be out to stop the Americans adding to their gold medal haul is now all but complete, with only the representatives from Oceania still to be determined in April. Aside from the British hosts, Brazil and Colombia were the first teams to secure places in the 12-nation tournament all the way back in 2010, with the South American qualifiers for the 2011 FIFA Women s World Cup also doubling up as the region s Olympic qualifying tournament. Sweden and France then booked the two remaining European slots thanks to their semi-final appearances at Germany Reigning world champions Japan will of course be expected to mount another strong challenge to the Americans, having come through unbeaten in their own regional qualifying competition in September last year, along with fellow qualifiers Korea DPR. Africa will meanwhile be represented by some new faces, after South Africa and Cameroon finally ended Nigeria s unbroken run of three straight Olympic qualifying successes. The picture is less clear for the Men s Olympic Football Tournament, with seven of the 16 final places still up for grabs. Four European teams (Spain, Switzerland, Belarus and the British hosts), three African (Gabon, Morocco and Egypt) and two South American (Brazil and Uruguay) have already made sure of their places. The identity of the remaining participants will only become clear in April, however, following the completion of the Asian, CONCACAF and Oceania qualifiers and a final play-off tie between Senegal and the fourth-best team from the Asian qualifying competition, scheduled to take place in Coventry, England, on 23 April. Hot on the heels of that match comes another key date, with the official draws for both the men s and women s tournaments due to be held in London just one day later. FIFA briefs FIFA 12 scores big FIFA brand licensee EA SPORTS announced in February that its officially licensed FIFA 12 video game had become the biggest-selling sports game of all time. The Canada-based designers reported that the game s latest edition had sold more than ten million copies by the start of the month. FIFA 12 is the 19 th game in the FIFA series to be launched since the start of the official licensing agreement in Japan confirmed Japan has been officially confirmed as the host of this year s FIFA U-20 Women s World Cup, following the receipt in February of the necessary government guarantees. The Japan Football Association was first proposed as the tournament s new host at December s Executive Committee in Tokyo, after it was decided that Uzbekistan was no longer able to stage the event. Thai taster A host of Asian football dignitaries gathered in Bangkok on 17 January to celebrate a colourful launch ceremony for this year s FIFA Futsal World Cup. The event, which was also attended by Thailand s Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, culminated in the unveiling of the tournament emblem as well as its official mascot, a football-playing elephant. Taking place between 2 and 18 November, the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2012 will be the tournament s seventh edition and the first to feature 24 sides. FIFA WORLD I NEWS 37

38 FOCUS 38 FIFA WORLD I MARCH 2012

39 A win for the ages Zambia secured their first continental title in poignant fashion last month, winning the CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2012 just a few kilometres from the site of the plane crash in which the country s previous golden generation tragically lost their lives. By Mark Gleeson, Libreville Few continental title victories can have been more universally acclaimed than that of plucky Zambia in this year s CAF Africa Cup of Nations. Completed against significant odds at the end of a tournament already packed with surprises, the Southern African nation s maiden win was even more compelling for the way that it tied the current crop of Zambian stars to the emotive memories of a past fallen generation. Upsetting pre-tournament favourites Senegal and Ghana on their way to the 12 February final, the Copper Bullets then took on highly fancied Côte d Ivoire in the emotionally charged setting of Libreville. The Gabonese capital was already indelibly etched in the collective memory of Zambia s football supporters as the city from which their national team s airplane had taken off in 1993 en route to a World Cup qualifying match in Dakar, crashing with no survivors just minutes later. Though they could have been weighed down by the pressure of that sad history, the current Zambian squad and their French coach Hervé Renard sought instead to draw inspiration from their tragic predecessors. Delight and despair: Zambia celebrate their penalty shoot-out triumph over the dejected Ivorians. FIFA WORLD I FOCUS 39

40 Upon arriving in Libreville two days before the final, the entire Zambian delegation headed to the shoreline close to the crash site to pay their respects. While tears were shed and wreaths laid, the players and officials also spoke of the galvanising effect that the visit had had on the team s spirit. It may have been 19 years ago, but it feels like yesterday, insisted Zambian FA President Kalusha Bwalya, the undoubted star of the 1993 squad who only missed the fatal flight because of a club commitment with his Dutch side PSV Eindhoven. A lot of people had worked hard for that team and I m sure that our boys know all about the gallant heroes who died off the coast of Gabon. I m happy that we can connect the old team and the new team it s a good connection for us and for the Zambian people. While clearly not lacking for motivation, Zambia s current stars still had to go out and fulfil what many were already describing as their destiny. After a physically draining and nerve-biting 90 minutes, including a second-half penalty miss by Ivorian captain Didier Drogba, it took extra time and 17 penalty shoot-out kicks before the Zambian celebrations could finally begin. It may have been 19 years ago, but it feels like yesterday. I m happy that we can connect the old and new Zambian teams. Zambian FA President Kalusha Bwalya They found the strength, I don t know where, said Renard, fighting back tears as his players paraded the trophy. We were talking about it right from the time we started our preparations in December. I told them if we got to the final we would play in Gabon where the plane crashed and our first match was against Senegal, where the team had been headed to play. My players were magnificent. We were not the best but we had a force that has made us African champions. Whether it was fate or just footballing fortune that determined the final result, there were certainly few dry eyes among the neutrals as Renard s men lifted the trophy, capping a remarkable end to a tournament which had already had more than its fair share of surprises. Brazil in focus for coaches who survive There were still five days to go before the Africa Cup of Nations final between Côte d Ivoire and Zambia when the tournament s first coaching casualty was announced. Amara Traoré was the man in question, paying the price for Senegal s surprise early elimination with his job a harsh blow for a young coach who had shown much early potential. It was very sad for a coach who represented the inspiration of local coaches to succeed at the top level, said his Ivorian counterpart François Zahoui. The Africa Cup of Nations has traditionally had a high attrition rate among coaches who football associations feel have not delivered the required result, but while more coaching casualties are likely in the coming days and weeks, it is possible that dismissals will not come as thick and fast as they often have in the past. The main reason for this is the proximity of this year s tournament to the upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, with 15 of the 16 Cup of Nations participants set to begin their Brazil 2014 campaigns in June. But for those coaches who do avoid the axe following worse-than-expected results in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, there will be little time to learn from past mistakes, with a number of tough group fixtures already awaiting some of the teams who struggled. Morocco, for example, were expected to be serious contenders for the African crown but did not make it past the first round. They must now prepare for a World Cup qualifying group that includes a Côte d Ivoire side eager to prove themselves after falling just short in the Cup of Nations final. Senegal coach Amara Traoré was dismissed two weeks after his team s early exit. Four-time African champions Ghana will also surely not be filled with joy at the prospect of travelling to Ndola in June for a meeting with Zambia, the newly crowned African champions who eliminated the Ghanaians in this year s semi-finals. Whoever takes up the reins for Senegal will meanwhile be thrown into key early qualifiers against Liberia and Uganda in June. The aim will be to rediscover the solid form that saw the Senegalese qualify unbeaten for the 2012 Cup of Nations, while forgetting the finals themselves, where the West Africans, like so many other favourites, crumbled under the burden of expectation. 40 FIFA WORLD I MARCH 2012

41 Up in the air: Zambia s Hichani Himoonde and Côte d Ivoire s Max-Alain Gradel vie for the ball during the closely contested final. Opening day upsets The twists and turns that punctuated the event could be seen from the very first day when Senegal, another of the pretournament favourites, were beaten 2-1 by the Zambians and the supposed minnows of Equatorial Guinea rose to their status as tournament co-hosts to snatch a late victory against Libya. Despite fielding a squad full of stars from top European sides and coming to the finals with one of the best records from the qualifying competition, the Senegalese would go on to lose all three of their matches. The second of these, against an Equatorial Guinea side positioned more than 100 places behind them in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, was widely considered as one of the biggest shocks in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations. Played out under a blanket of torrential rain, with players frequently skidding across the sodden Bata pitch, the game had seemed on course for an already unlikely 1-1 draw when Equatorial Guinea full back Kily who plays his club football for Spanish fourth-tier side Langreo fired in a long-range shot four minutes into stoppage time. The 2-1 win sent the Equatoguinean underdogs through as the first team to reach the quarter-finals. In a surprisingly good tournament for the home sides, they were then joined two days later by their Gabonese co-hosts who thrilled their own supporters and neutrals alike with a highly dramatic 3-2 win against Morocco. As if looking to prove that they could match their neighbours kick for kick, Gabon s victory also came courtesy Gabon s diminutive defender Edmond Mouele lines up behind Mali s Mustapha Yatabaré and Cheick Diabaté during the two sides quarter-final clash. FIFA WORLD I FOCUS 41

42 Motivation in defeat Côte d Ivoire stars Kolo Touré and Gervinho weren t the only players to suffer the anguish of penalties at this year s Africa Cup of Nations, with young Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang also failing to score during the shoot-out that spelled the quarter-final exit for the tournament s plucky co-hosts. But while Côte d Ivoire had come to the competition as strong favourites for the title, Gabon s Panthers had been widely expected to go out in the group stage as they had done in three of their four previous appearances at the finals and the fact that they didn t owed a lot to Aubameyang. The 22-year-old Saint-Étienne striker scored three of his team s six goals during that opening stage, including the only goal in the closing 1-0 win over 2004 African champions Tunisia which earned the co-hosts a surprise top place in the group, one point ahead of the North African heavyweights. During those three opening games, Aubameyang achieved heroic status in Gabon, evoking huge cheers every time he touched the ball or whenever his face appeared on the giant TV screens at the stadiums in Libreville and Franceville. Team-mates also heaped praise upon the young star, with midfielder Eric Mouloungui describing Aubameyang s goals against Niger and Morocco as the moments that turned the country s fans from sceptics into believers. The sense of disbelief was therefore understandably high when a timid shot from Aubameyang was comfortably saved by Mali keeper Soumaïla Diakite in the shoot-out that concluded their quarter-final encounter. As the only player not to score, it was his kick that ended the dreams which he himself had inspired among the Gabonese fans. A distraught Aubameyang was helped off the pitch by his father and former Gabon captain Pierre, but support was also soon flooding in from every level of Gabonese society. First up was a consolation message from none other than the country s president, Ali Bongo Ondima. Then, braving a restaurant for dinner on the night after the game, the player received a rousing reception from the other diners. It was an emotional moment for the striker whose involvement in this year s tournament was far from a foregone conclusion. Eligible to play for both Italy and France, and having already played for the French U-21s, Aubameyang only finally opted for Gabon in But after all the ups and downs of his first major tournament, he seemed happy with his decision. I did not expect the reaction I got, Aubameyang said. I was really touched and am now more motivated than ever to perform for my country. Aubameyang looks for a way past Tunisia s Khalil Chemmam and Hocine Ragued during Gabon s final group-stage match. of a late long-range winner Bruno Zita Mbanangoyé curling in a spectacular free kick in the eighth minute of time added on scored shortly after the North Africans appeared to have snatched a share of the spoils by converting an injury time penalty. In my job, one day you can be king and the next day not, acknowledged Morocco coach and former Belgian international Eric Gerets as another highly fancied team bowed out of the tournament after just two games. We choose the most difficult job in the world and must accept the consequences, but I know the Moroccan people are very generous and love football so I hope we can change things in the future and put a smile back on their faces. Sudan were another of the tournament s surprise packages, bouncing back from an opening defeat against Côte d Ivoire before twice coming from behind to draw 2-2 with Angola. In their decisive group stage game they then beat Burkina Faso 2-1 to grab their first win at the finals in 42 years and narrowly secure a place in the last eight. That turned out to be as far as they went, with Zambia making the most of the red card shown to Sudan s Saif Eldin after just 19 minutes to eventually run out 3-0 winners. But the Sudanese, fielding a squad made up entirely of home-based players, could still take considerable pride in having reached the quarter-finals for the first time since winning the Africa Cup of Nations all the way back in Big guns undaunted For all the surprises and big-name casualties, there was still a sense right up until the semi-finals that West African giants Ghana and Côte d Ivoire were moving inexorably towards a dream final between the continent s top-ranked sides. The Ivorians, in particular, showed little sign of the nerves that were affecting the other leading teams, with coach François Zahoui even talking of a calmness and serenity in his side as they topped their group with three straight wins. The Ghanaians also came out on top of their group, beating Botswana and Mali in their first two matches before securing the point they needed against Guinea to progress. The two favourites then successfully navigated the quarter-finals, Ghana coming through a bruising 2-1 encounter with Tunisia that went to extra time and Côte d Ivoire finally ending Equatorial Guinea s surprise run with an emphatic 3-0 win. One day later, the tournament was also shorn of its other home side, with Gabon suffering the agonies of a penalty shootout exit to Mali. The Gabon public are as disappointed as we are, but I feel we gave them a lot of pleasure too, said winger Eric Mouloungui after the game. Before the competition, they were sceptics, pessimists even. But we rose up and took them with us, changing their expectations. Smooth organisation The same could also be said for the two countries hosting of the event, which more than matched the on-pitch performances of their teams. Adopting many of the high standards that had made South Africa s staging of the 2010 FIFA World Cup such a success, and also providing an infrastructure that worked seamlessly 42 FIFA WORLD I MARCH 2012

43 across their national borders, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea were put forward by CAF President Issa Hayatou as an example of how well co-hosting can be done. This is the first time that we had two countries bidding together to host the finals and it proved a great success, said Hayatou, pointing out that Ghana and Nigeria had only stepped in late on to co-host the 2000 finals following the late withdrawal of original hosts Zimbabwe. It is not written in our statutes that the Africa Cup of Nations has to be organised by one country, and co-hosting offers an ideal opportunity for small countries to save resources compared to having one country catering for 16 teams. This might be a way for many of our member associations that don t have the chance to host the Africa Cup of Nations on their own to one day hold the event. The final twists With the hopes of the home teams extinguished, albeit much later than many had expected, the path seemed clear for either Ghana or Côte d Ivoire to triumph. But, clearly, the Zambians had other ideas. After surviving several defensive scares in their semi-final against the Ghanaians, Renard s men took control of the match with just 12 minutes remaining young substitute Emmanuel Mayuka collecting a pass from Isaac Chansa before coolly firing his team into the final. There was no such upset in the other semi-final as Côte d Ivoire maintained the upper hand in their long-standing rivalry with Mali, though it took a superb solo effort from Gervinho to eventually decide the match in the Elephants favour. Boasting a perfect record of five wins from five matches (as well as six from six in qualifying) and having not conceded a single goal en route to the final, the Ivorians were the understandable favourites, though the squad tried their best to keep an air of humbleness amid all the confident assertions of their superiority by the tournament s pundits. Perhaps they too were aware of history, not just in regard to Zambia, but also concerning their own team s two previous appearances in the Africa Cup of Nations final. On both those occasions the scores had finished goalless after extra time, with Côte d Ivoire going on to beat Ghana on penalties in 1992 before losing to Egypt in the same manner in For the Côte d Ivoire fans it will of course seem cruel that they have now suffered that same fate in their latest final appearance, particularly after their side maintained that impressive record of making it all the way through the tournament without conceding a goal. Given the historic baggage which Zambia brought with them to Libreville, however, few will surely have begrudged the Southern Africans their remarkable triumph. Results: Africa Cup of Nations 2012 Group A Equatorial Guinea v. Libya Senegal v. Zambia Libya v. Zambia Equatorial Guinea v. Senegal Equatorial Guinea v. Zambia Libya v. Senegal 2-1 Group B Côte d Ivoire v. Sudan Burkina Faso v. Angola Sudan v. Angola Côte d Ivoire v. Burkina Faso Sudan v. Burkina Faso Côte d Ivoire v. Angola 2-0 Group C Gabon v. Niger Morocco v. Tunisia Niger v. Tunisia Gabon v. Morocco Gabon v. Tunisia Niger v. Morocco 0-1 Group D Ghana v. Botswana Mali v. Guinea Botswana v. Guinea Ghana v. Mali Botswana v. Mali Ghana v. Guinea 1-1 Quarter-finals 4.2. Zambia v. Sudan Côte d Ivoire v. Equatorial Guinea Gabon v. Mali 1-1 a.e.t. (4-5 PSO) 5.2. Ghana v. Tunisia 2-1 a.e.t. Semi-finals 8.2. Zambia v. Ghana Mali v. Côte d Ivoire 0-1 Match for third place Ghana v. Mali 0-2 Final Zambia v. Côte d Ivoire 0-0 a.e.t. (8-7 PSO) a.e.t. = after extra time PSO = penalty shoot-out Final respects: Zambian players and coaching staff lay flowers near the site of the 1993 air crash. FIFA WORLD I FOCUS 43

44 Just over a year ago, tiny Qatar surprised many football fans with its successful bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. But the Arab state is already working hard both on and off the pitch to prove its doubters wrong. By And rew Warsha haw, Doh oha 44 FIFA WORLD I MARC H 2012

45 An aerial view of the 250-hectare ASPIRE Zone sports complex being used as a launch pad for the next generation of Qatari footballers. FIFA WORLD I FOCUS 45

46 Qatar 2022 head Hassan Al-Thawadi (above) believes Al- Sadd s achievement in winning the 2011 AFC Champions League (left) demonstrates the improving standards of Qatari football. questioned Qatar s lack of footballing pedigree both in the build-up to and in the immediate aftermath of the country s 2022 hosting victory. We didn t expect the avalanche of accusations, inaccuracies and misperceptions that came in the aftermath of what was supposed to be a historic day, he acknowledges. But at least it showed us the issues we have to tackle about the true face of Qatar and the Middle East. Each World Cup provides a showcase for the host nation s culture, he continues. In our case, the legacy is not only about Qatar may have faced considerable scepticism in the West since winning the right in December 2010 to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, but the tiny Gulf state is determined to prove that it can stage the planet s biggest footballing spectacle effectively and provide a showcase for the entire Middle East region. When it comes to the country s performances on the pitch, meanwhile, the Qataris are also keen to not just make up the numbers in Rather, it is their ambition to have a national team worthy of the occasion, and early indications already suggest that their work in this regard is starting to pay off. Last year, the country s leading side Al-Sadd were crowned Asian champions before going on to finish in third place on their December debut at the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan, two achievements which provided proof of the giant strides being made by Qatari football. The club s penalty shoot-out victory over Korea Republic s Jeonbuk Motors in the AFC Champions League final represented a particularly huge landmark in Qatar s fledgling footballing history, sending out a clear message to those who believed the country s sporting interests extended barely beyond falconry and camel racing. Al-Sadd s success was a source of great pride for us and a true demonstration of the development of our football infrastructure, says Hassan Al-Thawadi, Secretary General of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee. I m absolutely certain that the initiatives being undertaken by clubs such as Al-Sadd and also the national team will ensure that we have a very good team in 2022 that will do us proud. Al-Thawadi is also convinced that Al-Sadd s achievements have provided a positive first response to those who The Middle East is passionate about football but it has not had the proper spotlight thrown on it. So we ve always said 2022 will be a Middle Eastern World Cup. Hassan Al-Thawadi, Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee Secretary General nation-building but it s also about the entire region. It s indisputable that the Middle East is passionate about football but it has not had the proper spotlight thrown on it. So we ve always said 2022 will be a Middle Eastern World Cup. I can t disclose a lot just yet but there is a tangible 46 FIFA WORLD I MARCH 2012

47 initiative right now towards developing a 2022 World Cup with a distinctly Middle Eastern flavour. Youthful aspirations Underpinning Qatar s efforts to be taken seriously as an emerging footballing nation is the state-of-the-art ASPIRE Academy for Sports Excellence, based in a gigantic multisport complex located in the capital Doha, where dozens of hand-picked student athletes are given specialist training by elite youth coaches drafted in from overseas. Eduard Graper, a talent-spotting Dutchman who has also worked at the famed Ajax academy, is the man who coaches the coaches at ASPIRE and oversees the football skills development centre. He believes football in Qatar can only go one way. It s a different culture so nothing is going to happen overnight. But the facilities here in terms of sports science and research are second to none, he explains. Not even Manchester United can match them. The long-term plan is to turn as many ASPIRE graduates as possible into stars of the future. Three classes have already graduated from the academy since its inception, including half of the current national U-19 side. One member of the U-19 squad who embodies the soaring sense of ambition being felt by Qatar s young players is Muhammad Hussein. Interest in football in Qatar has grown a great deal, he tells FIFA World. This has put a certain responsibility on the players and there is now an excellent professional mentality. The proof is at a club like Al-Sadd, which has proved that nothing is impossible. With hard work and persistence, you can reach your goals. As part of the generation which will be the country s ambassadors as they pursue regional and international ambitions before getting ready to host the world, Hussein is also keenly aware of the role his country s hosting of the World Cup will play in painting a new picture of the Middle East. It will entirely change the way people see the region, he says. People think of the Middle East as having political problems and lacking stability and security. However, if they come and see Qatar now or in 2022, they ll be amazed at the level of security and of course the hospitality of the people of Qatar and all the Arab people. I m sure that their opinions will change 180 degrees. Home help Like several other Asian countries, Qatar has, in the past, acquired a reputation as something of a career-ending staging post for European and South American players. But while foreign players will continue to be brought in to provide short-term allure for the 12-team Qatar Stars League, efforts are now also underway to encourage the development of young home-grown talents. They have a great vision here to provide a true environment for the future stars of Qatar sport, reckons ASPIRE s Director General Ivan Bravo, a former director of strategic planning at Real Madrid. You can organise World Cups, have great venues and facilities, but the way you really drive passion and pride is by having your own people accomplish success. Those plying their trade in the Stars League have also been impressed by what the Qataris have started to achieve. This is the beginning of professionalism in Qatar, insists Pa Modou Kah, a Norwegian defender who played for seven years in the Netherlands and is now People who come to Qatar now or in 2022 will completely change their views of the Middle East. Muhammad Hussein, Qatar U-19 player contracted to Al-Khor. Obviously they have huge steps to take to become a big football nation but in the long run they will get there. All of us who have played in various leagues around the world are hopefully helping too, by bringing our own experience. The people here are openminded and really try to help each other. While all efforts are being focused on preparing Qatari s footballers for 2022, Qatar want to build a team that can hold its own against Asia s traditional footballing powers. FIFA WORLD I FOCUS 47

48 officials in the country are of course not averse to success coming earlier. While the tiny nation would still appear to have some way to go before it can compete with Asia s traditional powerhouses, qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil is still seen as a dream worth pursuing. The way you really drive passion and pride is by having your own people accomplishing success. Ivan Bravo, ASPIRE Academy Director General Qatar started comfortably enough with a 4-2 aggregate victory against Vietnam in the second round of Asian qualifying. As this edition of FIFA World went to print, the team were on course for a place in the region s fourth round, holding a threepoint and nine-goal lead over nearest rivals Bahrain with just one round of matches left to play. The Qatar FA realised some time ago that there was a need to restructure its football, says Mushtaq Al-Waeli, the association s senior advisor for planning and development. In conjunction with the ASPIRE academy, there is now a very strong focus on youth. The idea is to bring them through a specific development programme all the way to the senior team. Wider picture As Al-Waeli also explains, the country s leaders took the decision to invest so heavily in sport as a great way of bringing about social transformation in a country that has some of the highest obesity levels in the world. The Emir wants to take the people on a journey, to use sport as a tool for change, he says. This is an objective shared by Wayde Clews, ASPIRE s Director of Sport. Maybe only a small percentage of our young athletes will reach the highest level, the Australian national points out. But at least we are creating a sporting environment for them here, and a healthy, positive lifestyle. With around 700 boys honing their skills at talent centres across the country, the future is certainly looking much brighter for Qatari football. You have to understand that this country does not have a huge amount of history sports-wise, says Eduard Graber, whose coaches, drawn from all the major footballing countries, scout around 10,000 kids every year in schools before picking out the best for specialist training. I m trying to create an environment of football and every week we invite teams from all over the world to come and play against ours. Everything needs time though. Look how long it took Europe to get where it is and people expect Qatar to get there in ten years! It s always about your talent pool and in Qatar there are still only 4,500 registered players. For Hassan Al-Thawadi, whose bid team confounded all expectations in 2010, Qatar s size is no obstacle to achievement, however. By 2022 you will see Qatari players in Spain s La Liga and the English Premier League, he confidently predicts. Also, you will find young players from Europe looking to come to the Middle East to play in our leagues here. If ever a country has showed that nothing is impossible, it s us. Fans of the Qatar national team hope to have plenty to cheer by the time 2022 comes around. 48 FIFA WORLD I MARCH 2012

49 From pub league to silver screen In 2010, American defender Jay DeMerit completed an improbable journey from the lowest levels of English pub league football to the heights of playing at the FIFA World Cup. Now, his story has been chronicled in an equally unlikely documentary film. By Mark Ledsom There T is nothing very Hollywood about England s pub football league the popular name given to the loosely organised collection of fixtures that take place on public pitches every Sunday, operating outside of the country s official 24-level football pyramid. And yet the story of one player who left the United States to launch an international career in exactly these surroundings has now been projected onto cinema screens on both sides of the Atlantic. FIFA WORLD I FOCUS 49

50 DeMerit made his professional breakthrough with English second- tier side Watford FC. Filmed in the weeks leading up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Rise & Shine: the Jay DeMerit Story tells the tale of how Green Bay native Jay DeMerit headed to England at the age of 23, after failing to secure a place at any Major League Soccer clubs. Against all the odds, he climbed up from the pub leagues and through The film kind of mirrored Jay s story, because we had no plan and no résumé just an idea in our minds and the dedication to get it done. Rise & Shine co-director Nick Lewis the amateur divisions before securing a professional contract with Watford FC and then helping the club win promotion to the country s Premier League (see Green Bay to Vancouver the roundabout way ). It was the defender s subsequent call-up to the USA s World Cup squad that prompted the makers of Rise & Shine to produce the documentary, but the making of the film itself turned out to be an adventure on a scale comparable to DeMerit s own rollercoaster career. It s always a huge deal in the US when an American player gets into the English Premier League and there had already been some ideas kicking around of turning Jay s story into a real Hollywood-style picture with actors playing the parts, but nothing had come of it, explains Nick Lewis, who co-directed the film along with Ranko Tutulugdzija, a college soccer colleague of DeMerit. As the World Cup got closer, Ranko and I were discussing how the story could be told best as a documentary and we both agreed that it had to be filmed straightaway, since Jay was about to leave England at the end of the season. Lewis, it should be explained, is an attorney, while Tutulugdzija is an acupuncturist, and neither of them had originally planned to direct the film. Dedicated amateurs We had a professional English director all lined up for the project but then, just before we came over to shoot the film, his wife suffered pregnancy complications and he had to cancel, Lewis explains. Suddenly we had to decide whether to call it all off or go ahead on our own. I could talk for an hour about what we did and the discussions we had, but essentially we made up our minds to do it. The situation kind of mirrored Jay s story a bit, because we had no plan and no résumé just like when he set off for England. All we had was an idea in our minds and the dedication to get it done. During the subsequent hectic period of shooting the film, the amateur directors travelled to Green Bay, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, London, Watford, Johannesburg and Rustenburg, grabbing interviews with DeMerit s friends, family members and team-mates along the way, as well as filming the varied locations that formed the backdrop to his career. Even when the filming was completed, there was still the major headache of finding the funds to complete the project. To save money, most of the editing process was carried out on a laptop, but the two men still needed additional financing to help get the film distributed, and to secure expensive rights to the footage of DeMerit in action. With no personal backers to turn to, the pair went instead to Kickstarter.com a Getting to grips with Lionel Messi during a March 2011 friendly. 50 FIFA WORLD I MARCH 2012

51 Green Bay to Vancouver the roundabout way Rise & Shine: the Jay DeMerit Story recounts DeMerit s unlikely climb up the footballing ladder, in the words of the player himself as well as those of the friends, fellow players and coaches whom he encountered on the journey. The documentary begins in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where DeMerit had been a promising schoolboy athlete, before going on to impress with his college soccer team at the University of Illinois in Chicago. It was his failure to get picked up by any Major League Soccer clubs in his home country that prompted the young defender to embark on the tortuous journey that would eventually, many years later, earn him a place in the USA s World Cup squad. Persuaded by an English team-mate to try his luck in Europe, DeMerit headed to the Old Continent with less than two thousand dollars in savings. The film describes the two friends almost comical attempts to get trials literally turning up on bicycles at training grounds in Belgium and the Netherlands and flourishing hand-written recommendations from a scout who, at that time, had not actually seen DeMerit play before tracing his slow but determined climb up England s footballing ladder. He came over here looking to play pro football, believed he was good enough, recalls Dennis Bainborough, former coach of Southall FC, where DeMerit spent an entire season playing in the ninth level of the English football league system. I never believed it the first time I saw him, Bainborough acknowledges in the film. He was so raw, so green. After many false starts, all the time staying at the house of his friend s mother and doing odd jobs to contribute a little to the family s bills, DeMerit s refusal to take no for an answer finally paid off. Having built up something of a reputation at Southall, he was given an opportunity to play a few games for nearby Northwood, whose pre-season schedule included a friendly game against professional side Watford FC. Watford, who were playing at the time in the second tier of English football, were so impressed with how well DeMerit coped with their Icelandic striker Heiðar Helguson that they offered the American a two-week trial period, before slinging him in at the deep end in the words of then Watford coach Ray Lewington with a starting appearance in another pre-season friendly, this time against Spanish top-division side Real Zaragoza. Again, DeMerit rose to the occasion, showing enough raw talent to persuade the club to offer him a one-year contract. Fortunately, for both player and club, DeMerit did enough in his first professional season to earn another year s extension. At the end of that season, in a promotion play-off final against heavy favourites Leeds United, it was DeMerit who headed in the opening goal in a 3-0 win that fired Watford into the Premiership. The American was named man of the match while the financial worth of his header to the club led to it being dubbed the 70 million pound goal. That was probably the most special moment I ve had on a football field, because it symbolised everything about my journey, with my friends, my family, my old coaches, my non-league team-mates all there in the stadium, DeMerit tells the camera as he looks back on the goal that completed his leap from the pub league to the Premiership. You see this line of superstars and you re like How am I here? How am I supposed to be here? when three years earlier I was watching these guys on television with my pub friends or before playing non-league games. In March 2007, four years after leaving the United States on what many of his friends and family had considered to be a wild goose chase, De Merit received his first call-up to the national squad. He went on to represent his country at both the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 where the Americans famously reached the final after ending Spain s record 35-match unbeaten run before playing in every minute of the USA s 2010 FIFA World Cup campaign. In a voiceover near the end of the documentary, DeMerit insists that hard work, perseverance and a relentless belief are you all you need to achieve [your] dream. Perhaps patience should also be added to that list. After joining Vancouver Whitecaps at the end of 2010, DeMerit finally made his MLS debut last year at the age of 32, a mere nine years after being overlooked by the league s talent scouts. Though now barely two thousand miles or a threeand-a-half hour flight from his Green Bay home, DeMerit can certainly not be accused of taking a short cut. FIFA WORLD I FOCUS 51

52 fundraising website for creative projects. Promising their donors rewards ranging from free copies of the film to the boots which DeMerit wore in South Africa, they were finally able to raise their full target of USD 215,000. Chance encounter A chance encounter with a former FIFA employee at New York s Kicking and Screening football film festival then provided another boost. Attending the festival in his new role as a freelance film-maker, one-time head of FIFA s World Cup office Alex Klosterkemper was so impressed by the documentary s message that he passed on a copy to world football s governing body. FIFA Films, the department which oversees the external use of competition footage, agreed to let the film-makers use the shots of Jay in action at a reduced rate. The project would probably have been dead without the footage rights, so that was the moment when we knew it was really going to happen, recalls Tutulugdzija. Again, it was just like the journey Jay went on. I doubt he ever thought he would be in the players tunnel at a FIFA World Cup, getting ready to walk out and face England, and we certainly never thought we would be making a film that would be shown in cinemas across England and the USA, with major organisations like FIFA donating footage to us. I doubt Jay ever thought he would be playing at the FIFA World Cup, and we certainly never thought we d be making a film that would be shown in cinemas across England and the USA. Rise & Shine co-director Ranko Tutulugdzija With the footage acquired, the filmmakers were able to secure screenings in around 150 cinemas across the United States. A further 55 theatres showed the film upon its January launch in the UK. A lot of the screenings were aimed at soccer-specific communities, and in the towns and cities where Jay grew up or played football, but it s also been amazing to get so many letters and s from people who aren t into soccer, or even any other sports, and still enjoyed the film, says Tutulugdzija. Jay kept believing in himself, and certainly with the US cinema-goers it s that positive mentality and hard work ethic that s been appreciated. If the film has done well in the US, it s because of the fact that it s not just about an individual footballer s career, but more about the wider message of what he did and how he did it. A link to the Rise & Shine website can be found on the FIFA World web page: High-flier: DeMerit keeps tabs on England s Emile Heskey during the 2010 FIFA World Cup group stage. 52 FIFA WORLD I MARCH 2012

53 Q&A together after being about USD 130,000 short with 30 days to go. It really looked for a while as if it wouldn t happen but then it somehow came together in the last couple of weeks, with the likes of FIFA also helping out. So, in the end, it was really down to all the contributions that we got from all levels of the game. Jay DeMerit Shortly after the first screenings of Rise & Shine in England and ahead of his second season with MLS side Vancouver Whitecaps, FIFA World caught up with Jay DeMerit to hear his thoughts on the project that turned him into a somewhat reluctant film star. FIFA World: Your football career has obviously involved quite a few strange twists and turns but how strange was it to see that career described in a documentary film? Jay DeMerit: For me, it s always a bit weird to be asked to do these kind of things, and I was very sceptical at the start, firstly because my playing career is not yet over and secondly because I knew I d have to do a lot of look at me style things. But the film-makers did a very good job planting the seed in my head about why we should get the story out there and how it was ultimately about that story rather than just being about me. I went to the premiere in Seattle and it definitely feels funny to be in a theatre and see yourself on the big screen, but it was also very humbling to see the film come to fruition, knowing how much the soccer communities in England and the USA had helped make it possible. The early parts of the film show all the knock-backs and rejection that you had to face when you first started playing in England. Do you think that s what makes it work as a story? I d say that s the general message, yes. I was talking to [the film s directors] Nick and Ranko just the other day and we were saying how it s not just a soccer story, it s more about having a dream and going out to achieve it. And it sounds like the making of the film was quite an achievement in its own right Yeah, it s kind of funny how it mirrored the story of the movie itself, with so many setbacks and so much perseverance required to get the film out there, using social media and getting all the money Just to update your story a bit since the film was made, you re now getting ready for your second season captaining Vancouver, after a pretty tough opening season in the MLS. That s true, but we all knew there d be a lot of challenges in coming into the league as a new expansion team. Last season we had a lot of injuries, changes of managers, players coming and going and no training ground of our own things that we ve now generally sorted out. We ve just signed a great player, Sébastien Le Toux, from Philadelphia, and we ve got a hungry new manager with a new school approach, so I can t wait now for the season to begin. And what about your international career? You haven t had a call-up since Jürgen Klinsmann took over as coach of the US team. I haven t heard from Jürgen Klinsmann personally yet, but I know he s starting a new cycle now looking ahead to the next World Cup, so of course he ll want to look at some of the other guys and give them a chance to show what they can do. The thing about me is that I try to stick to what I ve done best in the past, and hopefully people know now what I can offer. Of course I want to keep playing for the national team and hopefully I can prove that by playing well for Vancouver. But, if not, then that s the nature of football and I probably know as much as anyone about all the game s ups and downs! FIFA WORLD I FOCUS 53

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55 The blind Maradona Argentina captain Silvio Velo is considered one of the world s most talented players in the sport of blind football. Now preparing for a last tilt at Paralympic gold medal glory, the 40-year-old two-time world champion has been speaking to FIFA World about London 2012, disabled rights and the hobby that changed his life. By Alejandro Varsky, Buenos Aires The T lives of the world s best footballers are usually synonymous with multi-milliondollar contracts, publicity and global celebrity. The Argentinian Silvio Velo is an exception to this rule, however. At forty years old and twenty years into his career as an Albiceleste, the striker champions a different cause as the top exponent of the emerging sport of blind football, which will once again be on the list of events at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. Being considered the best in the world at what I do is an important honour of course, but I think that my friends and family enjoy it more than I do. I never attached much importance to that kind of label, Velo tells FIFA World in Buenos Aires, where his qualities on the pitch have earned him the nickname The Blind Maradona. His story is also an unusual one and is a true lesson in perseverance and determination. The fourth of 13 brothers and sisters, Velo was born blind after being infected with toxoplasmosis and spent his childhood in love with the radio... and football. I spent it listening to whatever matches were on, Boca Juniors, of whom I was a big fan, even lower-division games. I may have been born unsighted, but that didn t stop me from having an uncontrollable passion for football. This passion resulted in Silvio playing his first matches with sighted friends, which put him at a disadvantage but at the same time was a great challenge. It wasn t easy, but it was one of the nicest things that has happened to me. To join in and play with other boys, even though I couldn t see the ball. It felt very special being there as one of the guys, that was important, he smiles. But life was not all football, and Velo encountered a new difficulty: his home town of San Pedro, which is 160km from Buenos Aires, did not have any educational facilities for the blind, which meant that he had to transfer to a specialist school in the capital. It was only there that he was to finally discover the sport of blind football, which uses a noise-making ball to make things a lot easier for unsighted players. Though he could not imagine it at the time, this proved to be the launch pad for an impressive sporting career. Velo in action against Brazil at the blind football Copa América in FIFA WORLD I FOCUS 55

56 National figure In 1991, Velo received a call from one of his teachers. It was Enrique Nardone, one of the people responsible for drawing up the rules for the sport, who wanted to offer him a place in the inaugural Argentinian blind football team. I accepted straight away, how could I refuse? I had dreamed about it all my life: playing football and making it into the national team. I knew that it was my opportunity and I didn t let it slip away, Velo recalls. Success followed soon after, with the Murciélagos ( Bats ) quickly making a name for themselves and winning two World Championships, among other titles. Blind football is becoming increasingly well known, but it still needs more promotion. It would be great to show it on television, he says with a smile. While his footballing skills have helped turn Velo into a well-known figure in his homeland, he remains all too aware of the difficulties which still confront blind and partially sighted people in their daily lives. There is a lack of information on how to help us in our everyday lives, like with Why the blindfolds? A beginner s guide to blind football Originally based on the Laws of the Game for the indoor, five-aside sport of futsal, the rules of blind football were developed by an international trio consisting of Argentina s Enrique Nardone, Carlos Campos of Spain and Brazilian Ramón Souza. Taking into account the participants level of visual impairment, the rules provide for two teams of five players each, in which only the goalkeepers are sighted. Because of the obvious advantage that this confers, goalies may not leave their respective areas, which measure two metres by five. Since the other players may have varying levels of visual impairment, eyeshades are worn to ensure that everyone plays under equal conditions. Playing on a pitch of approximately 40 x 20 metres, with rebound walls ensuring that the ball never goes out of play, the players have two things to help them: the ball, which makes a ringing sound due to the ball bearings contained inside it, and the indications provided by the three guides, namely the goalkeeper, the coach and a special assistant behind the opposing goal. It s important for spectators to remain silent during the match so that we don t lose our bearings and can hear the guides properly, says Silvio Velo, who adds that the players shout Voy! or Go! to indicate that they are challenging for the ball. Blind football will be on the Paralympic programme this year for a third time, with the first two tournaments in 2004 and 2008 having both been won by Brazil. Eight men s teams are due to take part, with two groups of four teams being used to determine the identities of the semi-finalists. Games will be held at the brand new Hockey Centre in the Olympic park, on alternating days with the Paralympic s other football event, a 7-a-side competition played by athletes with cerebral palsy. Brazil s Severino Silva takes a penalty during the final of the 2004 Paralympic Games five-a-side tournament in Athens. 56 FIFA WORLD I MARCH 2012

57 crossing the road, for example, points out Velo, who still travels 320km three times a week to train with the national team. I am in a privileged position, everyone wants to help me because I appear on television and in magazines. That s why I say that it s important to use your position to make a contribution. In my case, I tell my story and try to help out. Silvio is well qualified to talk about promoting disability sport he was the flag bearer for the Argentinian delegation at two Paralympic Games and was one of the 100 personalities chosen to carry the torch of the Beijing Olympic Games in Buenos Aires. This is why he is quick to underline the sport s importance in the development of unsighted people: Football gave me everything. I am what I am thanks to that; it teaches us values such as sacrifice, discipline, team spirit, solidarity. Sport instilled all of that in me and now I put it into practice in my everyday life. Golden ambition A lot has happened since Silvio Velo agreed to join the Murciélagos two decades Blindfolds are used to prevent partially sighted players receiving an unfair advantage. Key terms Countdown: During the last two minutes of each half, the clock is stopped for free kicks, kick-ins, goal clearances and corner kicks. Extra time: If a match in the knockout stages is tied at the end of 50 minutes (a regular game of blind football consists of two halves of 25 minutes each), the teams play ten minutes of extra time to determine the winner. If the score still remains tied, a penalty shoot-out is then used to decide the match. Guides areas: The pitch is divided into thirds, with each team allowed one guide for each third of the pitch to call out instructions: the attacking third; the midfield third, for which the team s coach is the guide, and the defensive third, for which the goalkeeper serves as the guide. Germany take on Turkey at a 2010 blind football day event, played in front of the German national parliament. FIFA WORLD I FOCUS 57

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59 of anecdotes and triumphs, which have seen him feted by numerous personalities and bodies, including an event staged last year in his honour by the Buenos Aires city government. Attended by a host of top footballers and stars from the world of entertainment, the homage was particularly pleasing for Velo s biggest admirers, namely his wife Claudia and his five children. All the tributes they paid me were a real treat after all the sacrifices I made, acknowledges the man who, despite winning two world titles and being labelled the world s best player, still has one burning desire left in his heart: to win gold at the Paralympic Games in London this September. Certainly, this would be the icing on the cake for a player who has already won bronze and silver medals at the Paralympics. In 2004, when the sport made its Paralympic debut, Velo and his team-mates only narrowly missed out on gold following a penalty shoot-out defeat against arch-rivals Brazil. Four years later, they fared better from the penalty spot, beating Spain 1-0 in a shoot-out to decide the bronze medal. We have just finished second in the Pan-American Games and I want to prepare myself in every way to achieve this goal, Velo insists. It won t be easy because there are teams like Brazil, China and Spain, but I will give everything I ve got to win gold. It would be the ideal way to bring my sporting career to an end. Even when the time does come for Argentina s captain to finally hang up his boots, he already has plenty of off-thefield activities into which he can throw his energy. When not practising with the national team, or working on his autobiography and a television series at his San Pedro home, he can be found travelling the country to give motivational speeches at companies, prisons and schools. I try to get my message across and underline the importance of being positive. What have I got to cry about? It would have been easy for me to resign myself and wonder why this happened to me, but you have to make the most of the other senses and move forward, tackling life head on, he explains. And he s certainly put this into practice: Life has gone pretty well for me! I can t complain. What s more, if I d been able to see, today I d be retiring from any club in the world. And here I am, still playing for Argentina s national team in my own way! That s all thanks to football and the passion and spirit I carry inside me. Breaking down barriers with Argentina s Batmen Since its debut in 1991, the Argentinian blind football team has captured the attention of football lovers, not just thanks to the good results achieved over the years two World Championships, two Copas América and one Pre-Olympic Cup but also due to the bravery and determination of the team s individual members. The Murciélagos [ Bats ] have broken down barriers, explains their proud captain Silvio Velo. Before people thought of blind people as poor things, people who begged for money or sold biscuits on trains. We have now destroyed this myth. Velo, who was a tournament winner, top goalscorer and best player at the 2002 World Championship in Brazil, has been the team s public face in the media and has been received by various Argentinian Presidents over the past 15 years. It s a big thing to be face to face with the country s most representative figure, one of the many honours and achievements of my career, he affirms. In 2005, Velo and his team-mates even appeared on Diego Maradona s famous television show, La Noche del Diez [ An Evening with No. 10 ] to promote their activities. For the captain, who was the one appointed to speak with Maradona in front of millions of viewers, it represented something more than a courtesy call: It really helped us to get our message across. All athletes are equal. Whether we can see or not, we all have to make sacrifices. I may not have seen Maradona thread a ball through an opponent s legs, but I have the same burning passion for this sport as anyone else. That s the magic of football: it allows a blind person to do things that are supposedly intended only for someone who can see. Argentina s Bats have made a name for themselves, both on and off the pitch. FIFA WORLD I FOCUS 59

60 SUMMARY Member associations Asia Africa North & Central America and Caribbean The AFC Champions League group stage kicks off this month, with 32 teams in the chase for the continent s leading club title. Both the group stage and the subsequent round of 16 are divided into East and West Asian halves, before the competition turns into a pan-asian affair from the quarter-finals onwards. Record winners Pohang Steelers of Korea Republic (pictured), who last lifted the trophy in 2009, have been given a tough start after being drawn against Japan s 2008 champions Gamba Osaka in Group E. Reigning champions Al-Sadd of Qatar are meanwhile absent altogether, having finished sixth in their domestic league competition and missing out on a qualifying spot. Football education topped the agenda in Asia in recent weeks, as the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur played host to the Asian Football Confederation s annual Elite Education Seminar (EES). Held in two parts from 9-20 January and 1-14 February, this year s seminar involved a record 29 individual courses and was attended by around 800 participants from all over the continent. I believe that the future is Asia, and that Asia is the future, was the confident message of AFC Acting President Zhang Jilong as the event got underway. Because of this we need more frontrunners with the right knowledge and skills to work together to develop the Asian game even more. The island archipelago of São Tomé e Príncipe celebrated some rare footballing success in January when they won a competitive tie for the first time in their history. The former Portuguese colony, with a population of just over 160,000, beat Lesotho 1-0 in a two-legged qualifier for the next CAF Africa Cup of Nations in A penalty converted by Jair Nunes after only three minutes was enough to assure São Tomé of victory in the opening home leg, before a goalless draw in Maseru saw them through to the qualifying competition s second round. São Tomé will next face Sierra Leone, the same team that they shocked 2-0 during the first leg of a 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier though they went on to lose the second leg 4-0. The team s only other victory was back in November 1999, when they beat Equatorial Guinea 2-0 in a friendly. South Sudan were inaugurated as provisional members of the Confederation of African Football on 10 February at the organisation s congress in Libreville, Gabon. A flag-raising ceremony was held to welcome the world s newest country, declared independent in July last year. A new South Sudan Football Association was established at the start of the year and a first election for leaders will be held in April. The association is aiming for full FIFA membership by 2014, with the intervening time being used to develop the country s football infrastructure and administration. Member associations wishing to submit news items to FIFA World can send s to feedback-fifaworld@fifa.org. Please bear in mind that items should be submitted more than a month in advance of the issue in question. The CONCACAF region mourned two former playing legends in February, following the deaths of former USA international Harry Keough and long-time Honduran national team player and youth coach Rodolfo Trinidad Ramírez Godoy. Keough (pictured on the left), who died at his St Louis home at the age of 84, represented his country at the 1950 FIFA World Cup, as part of the USA team which famously beat England 1-0 in one of the tournament s greatest ever upsets. The former defender s death leaves Walter Bahr, Clarkie Souza and Frank Borghi as the team s three surviving members. Godoy, more commonly known by his nickname Popo, spent 13 years on the Honduran national team before moving into coaching. His greatest success came at the 1976 CONCACAF Youth Championship in Puerto Rico, where he guided Honduras to second place to secure qualification for the FIFA U-20 World Cup 1977 earning the country its first-ever appearance in a FIFA tournament. Ted Howard was installed as CONCACAF s Acting General Secretary in January, stepping up from his role as Deputy General Secretary following FIFA Executive Committee member Chuck Blazer s decision to leave the post after 21 years. Howard, 66, was executive director of the old North American Soccer League from 1971 until 1984, director of marketing for Ohlmeyer Communications for three years and director and group manager of NBA Marketing from 1988 until he joined CONCACAF in In addition to his duties at CONCACAF, the American also serves on the FIFA Referees Committee as well as the FIFA Stadium and Security Committee FIFA WORLD I MARCH 2012

61 South America Oceania Europe Colombia have handed their national team reins to Argentina s 2006 World Cup coach José Pékerman, whose first task will be getting the country s 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign back on track. Pékerman, 62, takes over from Leonel Álvarez, who was dismissed in December after Colombia took just four points from their opening three qualifying matches, two of which were at home. The Argentinian, whose playing career included a spell at Deportivo Independiente Medellín, is Colombia s first foreign coach in over 30 years, the last having been his compatriot Carlos Bilardo. As well as taking Argentina s senior side to the 2006 World Cup quarter-finals, Pékerman boasts an outstanding record from his days as a youth coach, having won three FIFA U-20 World Cup titles with Argentina in 1995, 1997 and Uruguay coach Óscar Tabárez received a rare off-the-pitch honour in January, when he was named a Champion for Sport by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Tabárez, who led Uruguay to a fourth-place finish at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, was given the award in recognition of his commitment to promote education and sport programmes for vulnerable children in Uruguay, his charitable activities in the framework of the Tabárez Project, and his dedication to the ideals and aims of the Organization. Tabárez is one of only 13 sports personalities to have received the UNESCO award and only the second footballer, following on from the award s very first recipient, Pelé. The improving standard of New Zealand s women s football was further demonstrated in January, with two of the country s most promising young talents signing professional contracts with European clubs. Aroon Clansey (pictured), understudy to veteran national team goalkeeper Jenny Bindon at last year s FIFA Women s World Cup, secured a dream move to English FA WSL side Liverpool, while full-back Anna Green penned a deal with German side Lokomotiv Leipzig. It s a really good feeling and it s kind of scary at the same time because Liverpool are such a huge club, said lifelong Reds fan Clansey. It s going to be an honour. The Football Ferns, who picked up their first point at a FIFA Women s World Cup last year when they drew with Mexico, now have a number of players playing in Europe s toughest leagues, with leading national team players such as Rebecca Smith and Amber Hearn starring in Germany s Frauen-Bundesliga with VfL Wolfsburg and FF USV Jena and team captain Hayley Moorwood plying her trade in England s top division with Chelsea. Tonga played host to a FIFA Futuro III refereeing instructors course in February with referee and fitness trainers from all over the Pacific taking part. The workshop, led by FIFA Refereeing Development Senior Manager Fernando Tresaco-Gracia, was the first of its kind to be staged in Oceania, with participants receiving instruction and attending practical sessions on a wide range of refereeing development issues. European football s governing body, UEFA, presented a stark set of financial figures from the continent s leading clubs in January. The publication of UEFA s fourth Club Licensing Benchmarking Report revealed that the clubs in Europe s leading divisions had posted combined losses of EUR 1.6 billion in the 2010 financial year. Describing the figures as a wake-up call for club owners, and an additional justification for UEFA s new financial fair play measures, General Secretary Gianni Infantino pointed out that while club revenues had risen 6.6% to EUR 14.4 billion, these gains had been offset by a 9.3% increase in expenditure. We are still in time, and it is encouraging that revenues are still going up, Infantino added. But the [expenditure] figures cannot continue to rise in this way. England s Football Association announced the surprise departure of national team manager Fabio Capello on 8 February, four months to the day before the start of UEFA EURO The highly-experienced Italian coach took charge of England in December 2008, leading them to the quarter-finals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and then through their successful qualifying competition for the upcoming EURO. Capello stepped down from the post following a disagreement with The FA over their decision to remove the England team captaincy from John Terry. FIFA WORLD I SUMMARY 61

62 Bullets shoot up ranking February s CAF Africa Cup of Nations has left its mark on the latest edition of the FIFA/Coca- Cola World Ranking, with newly crowned champions Zambia catapulting themselves back into the top 50 for the first time in over a decade. The Copper Bullets climbed 28 places to 43 rd position after clinching their first international title in Libreville. Despite being edged out on penalties in the final, Côte d Ivoire (15 th, up 3) remain the continent s highest-ranked team, while tournament hosts Gabon (45 th, up 46) and Equatorial Guinea (110 th, up 41) shot up the ladder after defying expectations to make the last eight. Third-placed Mali (44 th, up 25) also gained considerable ground while Egypt, winners of the previous three editions, paid the price for failing to qualify by dropping 153 points to 61 st in the ranking. In the top ten, Germany (2 nd, up 1) have leapfrogged the Netherlands into second place behind leaders Spain. Portugal (6 th, up 1) and Italy (8 th, up 1) have also made headway, while Denmark (10 th, up 1) have swapped places with Argentina. These changes are due to the devaluation of matches from previous years as no top-ten team played a match in February. The results of 51 international matches were included in this month s ranking, of which 32 took place at the Africa Cup of Nations and 19 were friendly matches. The next ranking will be published a week early, on 7 March, to allow the Asian Football Confederation to use an up-to-date ranking in the fourth-round draw of its 2014 FIFA World Cup preliminary competition on 9 March. Zambia captain Christopher Katongo lifts the trophy following his side s Africa Cup of Nations win over Côte d Ivoire. Rank Team +/- Ranks Jan Feb 2012 Points Feb /- Points Jan Feb Spain Germany Netherlands Uruguay England Portugal Brazil Italy Croatia Denmark Argentina Chile Russia Greece Côte d Ivoire Switzerland France Sweden Bosnia-Herzegovina Republic of Ireland Mexico Australia Ghana Norway Serbia Turkey Paraguay Slovenia Czech Republic Japan Rank Team +/- Ranks Jan Feb 2012 Points Feb /- Points Jan Feb USA Colombia Peru Korea Republic Israel Algeria Hungary Slovakia Belgium Ecuador Armenia Wales Zambia Mali Gabon Venezuela Iran Scotland Panama Jamaica Montenegro Romania Libya El Salvador Estonia Nigeria Tunisia South Africa Honduras Ukraine Rank Team +/- Ranks Jan Feb 2012 Points Feb /- Points Jan Feb Egypt Morocco Costa Rica Sierra Leone Guinea Cameroon Belarus Senegal Cape Verde Islands Poland Austria Canada Haiti Latvia Burkina Faso China PR Uzbekistan Albania Finland Iraq Georgia Jordan Angola Guatemala Trinidad and Tobago Northern Ireland Uganda Bulgaria Saudi Arabia Antigua and Barbuda FIFA WORLD I MARCH 2012

63 Rank Team +/- Ranks Jan Feb 2012 Points Feb /- Points Jan Feb Kuwait Guyana Lithuania Togo Oman Qatar Bahrain Malawi Zimbabwe Vietnam FYR Macedonia Mozambique Iceland Botswana Bermuda Korea DPR Bolivia Rwanda Azerbaijan Equatorial Guinea Niger Sudan Puerto Rico Lebanon Gambia Cuba St. Kitts and Nevis Faroe Islands Congo DR Namibia New Zealand Syria Kenya Liechtenstein Liberia Suriname Cyprus Central African Republic Dominican Republic Congo Thailand United Arab Emirates Rank Team +/- Ranks Jan Feb 2012 Points Feb /- Points Jan Feb Grenada Luxembourg Belize Benin Ethiopia Kazakhstan Tanzania Tajikistan Chad Moldova Burundi Nicaragua St. Vincent and the Grenadines Indonesia Yemen Singapore Turkmenistan Malaysia Samoa Nepal Curaçao Bahamas India Philippines Bangladesh Madagascar Fiji Malta Lesotho Palestine Hong Kong New Caledonia Aruba Chinese Taipei Guinea-Bissau São Tomé e Principe Barbados Mongolia Laos Cambodia Vanuatu Myanmar Rank Team +/- Ranks Jan Feb 2012 Points Feb /- Points Jan Feb Maldives Dominica Tonga Afghanistan Swaziland US Virgin Islands Pakistan Solomon Islands Sri Lanka Tahiti Cayman Islands St. Lucia American Samoa Comoros Seychelles Eritrea Somalia Kyrgyzstan Guam Papua New Guinea Mauritius Macau Cook Islands British Virgin Islands Djibouti Anguilla Bhutan Brunei Darussalam Mauritania Timor-Leste Andorra Montserrat San Marino Turks and Caicos Islands Note: Teams inactive for more than four years do not appear in the table. Elections The following member associations have elected presidents since the last issue of FIFA World: Portugal: Fernando GOMES DA SILVA American Samoa: Alex GODINET (re-elected) Malawi: Walter NYAMILANDU MANDA (re-elected) United Arab Emirates: Yousuf AL SERKAL (acting) Tajikistan: Guyana: Syria: Turkey: Seychelles: Rustam EMOMALI Franklin WILSON Salah EDEEN RAMADAN Husnu GURELI (acting) Roch HENRIETTE (acting) FIFA Calendar March-April March IFAB Annual General Meeting, London 22 March UEFA Congress, Istanbul March FIFA committee week, Zurich March FIFA Executive Committee meeting, Zurich April CONCACAF Champions League Final, first leg 23 April Play-Off Men s Olympic Football Tournament, Coventry 24 April Official Draw for Olympic Football Tournaments, London April CONCACAF Champions League Final, second leg FIFA WORLD I SUMMARY 63

64 FIFA Archive Goodison Park, Liverpool, England 25 July 1966 The Russian Football Union s recent celebrations to mark the first 100 years of its existence (see article on page 24) provide a timely reason to look back on the career of one of the greatest Russian players of all time: goalkeeper Lev Yashin, also known as the Black Panther because of his allblack attire. Yashin had a spectacular career. With the Soviet Union, he won the Men s Olympic Football Tournament in Melbourne in 1956 and the European Championship in Paris in He also appeared in three FIFA World Cups from 1958 to 1966 and was included in the Soviet squad in 1970 at the age of 41, although he only played a supporting role. However, his 13 appearances in World Cups is still a Russian record today. With Yashin between the posts, the Soviet Union always reached at least the quarter-finals of the World Cup. The best finish they achieved was fourth place in England in 1966, when the Black Octopus, as he was jokingly dubbed in England on account of his long arms, was unable to prevent his team from succumbing 2-1 to West Germany in the semi-final. One of the most stunning saves of Yashin s career, when he pushed a free kick around the post, is pictured here. At the height of his powers in 1963, Yashin was voted European Footballer of the Year (now merged within the FIFA Ballon d Or) by France Football magazine, and he remains the only goalkeeper to have won the award. Lev Yashin revolutionised the art of goalkeeping. He knew how to organise his defence and would also support his teammates by running out of the penalty area to thwart attacks. The concept of the modern footballing goalkeeper was thus born a model that is still applied in goalkeeping training today. As well as being an idol on the pitch, Yashin gained much respect after hanging up his boots for his work on behalf of the Russian Football Union. He received the prestigious FIFA Order of Merit in 1988 for his services to football, and in 1998 was selected as the goalkeeper in the FIFA World Team of the Century. Lev Yashin died of cancer in Moscow in 1990 at the age of 60. Spectacular saves, such as the one shown here to block a German free kick during the semi-finals of the 1966 FIFA World Cup, were just part of what made Lev Yashin such a formidable keeper. 64 FIFA WORLD I MARCH 2012

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66 Coming up In the April issue of FIFA World From globetrotter to planet saver Footballer-turned-environmental activist Lutz Pfannenstiel And then there were ten The remaining Asian candidates for Brazil 2014 Lawmakers gather IFAB Annual General Meeting reviewed Publication date: 2 April 2012 Publisher: Content: Articles: Production: Contact: FIFA, FIFA-Strasse 20, P.O. Box, Communications & Public Mark Ledsom, Andrew Loan, Hans-Peter Frei (Head); Please send any comments on CH-8044 Zurich, Switzerland Affairs Albert Miller, Mikail Malkin, Philipp Mahrer (layout), FIFA World to Tel.: +41-(0) Taras Barabash, Vasily Konov, Repro Studio Büsser AG feedback-fifaworld@fifa.org. FIFA World No. 27, Fax: +41-(0) Director: Mark Gleeson, Andrew For subscription information or March 2012 Walter De Gregorio Warshaw, Alejandro Varsky, Printing: to read an online version of the Internet: Ravi Kumar, Suleiman Habuba, Bruhin AG, Switzerland magazine, please visit Official monthly publication of Editor: Steven Torres, Brian Home- the Fédération Internationale Mark Ledsom wood, Priscilla Duncan, André Photos: de Football Association (FIFA) Vieli, Dominik Petermann Getty Images, foto-net, Editorial deadline feedback-fifaworld@fifa.org Deputy editor: Reuters Pictures, AFP Image for this issue: Andrew Loan Translations: Forum, Keystone, pixathlon, 12 February 2012 President: Gabriela Straube (head); Imago, Action Images, Gus- Joseph S. Blatter Assistant editor: Andrew Hurley, Stuart Makin, tavo Ortiz, Diario Olé Any views expressed in FIFA Albert Miller Zoë Morrow, Gwenn Ward World do not necessarily reflect Secretary General: (English); Maxime Ferréol, Cartoons/Illustrations: those of FIFA. The reproduction Jérôme Valcke Alexandre Károlyi, Nicolas Beach of photos and articles even Samier, Estelle Valensuela, partially is prohibited unless Camille Lovichi (French); permission has been sought Helena Barrio, Alfonso Ferrer, from the editors and a reference José Ibarra, Juan F. López Vera, is made to the source neutral Printed Matter Maritza García Arias (Spanish); Sandra Locher, Reto Gustin ( FIFA 2012). The editors are not obliged to publish No myclimate The Climate Protection Partnership (German) unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. The FIFA logo is a registered trademark. Produced and printed in Switzerland FIFA FIFA WORLD I MARCH 2012