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WWW.FIFA.COM/MAGAZINE JULY 2016ENGLISH EDITION
ON THE PULSE OF THE GAME
THE FIFA TECHNICAL STUDY GROUP TURNS 50
NEW MEMBERSWELCOME TO GIBRALTAR AND KOSOVO
HEALTHIT’S ALL IN THE MIND
MIROSLAV BLAŽEVIĆA LIFE DEDICATED TO FOOTBALL
WOMEN’S FOOTBALLMAJOR TOURNAMENTS IN JORDAN AND BRAZIL
EDITORIAL
THE JOY OF FOOTBALL Whatever happened to the sweeper? Where are the classic centre forwards?
Is catenaccio still alive and well? And when exactly did the era of tiki-taka end?
The beautiful game is developing more and more, and the development shows
no sign of letting up. The pace has increased and the players’ technical and
tactical skills have been refined to such an extent that almost every match, even
in the lower rungs of amateur leagues, is now worth watching.
The FIFA Technical Study Group (TSG) will this summer celebrate its 50th anniver-
sary, having first convened at the 1966 World Cup. Since then, every single
match in the World Cup final competitions has been painstakingly analysed and
the findings have been made available to coaches worldwide – every coach,
player and fan can consult the reports. The technical reports are written by the
members of the TSG, who change for each competition. Experts to have served
the group include Enzo Bearzot, Gérard Houillier, Tina Theune-Mayer and Roy
Hodgson. In later years, the TSG also began producing technical reports for
other FIFA tournaments, such as the U-17 World Cup and the Olympic Football
Tournaments, and the TSG have been present at the Women’s World Cup since
the very first edition in China in 1991.
What goes into the preparation of these reports, who is involved and how, and
what has been the result of the analysis over the last 50 years? Find out from
page 8.
Perikles Monioudis
1FIFA 1904 /
Illus
trat
ion:
Ste
phan
Wal
ter
4 FOR THE GAME. FOR THE WORLD.FIFA’s most recent investments in world football.
6 WOMEN’S WORLD RANKINGIceland move up four places and are back on the rise.
8 TECHNICAL STUDIESSince the 1966 World Cup in England, FIFA’s Technical Study Group, with a constantly changing set of experts, has been analysing what’s been happening on the pitch. How has football changed over the past 50 years? FIFA 1904 investigates.
16 SNAPSHOTGlobal superstar Zlatan Ibrahimović in his last match for Sweden.
18 MEN’S WORLD RANKINGMadagascar leap 29 places to consolidate the improvement in their football fortunes.
21 SOCIAL MEDIAHow will the U-17 Women’s World Cup in Jordan benefit women’s football? Our readers give their opinions.
22 NEW FIFA MEMBERSWe introduce FIFA’s two newest members, Gibraltar and Kosovo.
28 FIRST LOVEKolkata, India.
30 THE INTERVIEWA lifetime devoted to football: Miroslav Blažević has successfully coached several national teams and numerous clubs. We met him in Zagreb, just months after he celebrated his 81st birthday.
34 THEN AND NOWFrom London Colney to Barcelona.
36 DEBATE – PRESIDENT’S MESSAGEVideo assistant referees on trial: football in all its diversity.
36
40
8
CONTENTS
COVER PICTURESome key terms from football’s rich lexicon.Illustration: Rinah Lang
2 / FIFA 1904
Get
ty Im
ages
, FIF
A (2
), In
o Ze
ljek,
Mar
tin H
aake
(Ill
ustr
atio
n)
30 58
38 FIFA WORLD FOOTBALL MUSEUMThe ball is round: the eventful history of a spherical object that conquered the world.
40 WOMEN’S FOOTBALLThe U-17 Women’s World Cup in Jordan is nearly upon us. Before it kicks off, the qualified teams will do battle at the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament in Rio.
44 PHOTO ARCHIVELeônidas da Silva and his Brazilian team-mates on their way to Paris for the 1938 World Cup.
46 HISTORYNorth Korea stunned the footballing world at the 1966 World Cup in England.
50 STATISTICS FIFA’s 2015 at a glance.
53 FACES OF FIFAProfiles of three FIFA employees.
54 AN EVENTFUL JUNEImages of two major tournaments: the Copa América Centenario and EURO 2016.
58 HEALTH Mental health problems are stigmatised in football – but they certainly exist. FIFA is investigating the issue.
61 A DAY IN THE LIFE OF...We accompany FIFA Senior Women’s Football Development Manager Mayrilian Cruz Blanco on a trip to Beijing.
62 CELEBRATIONHugo Sánchez was only too pleased to display his trademark somersault goal celebration at the World Cup in his home country of Mexico in 1986.
64 PUBLICATION DETAILS
FIFA 1904 appFIFA 1904 appears monthly in four languages and is also available as an app for smartphones and tabletshttp://www.fifa.com/mobile
3FIFA 1904 /
FOR THE GAME. FOR THE WORLD.
Prepara-
tions for the FIFA World
Cup™ and the FIFA Confedera-
tions Cup in Russia are already in full
swing, including the recruitment process
for the volunteers. By 6 June, more than
30,000 applications had been received. “Vol-
unteering is really close to my heart. Of course,
the process requires a lot of effort but every
single event inspires and stimulates you,”
says Anastasiya Kulyagina, a member
of the FIFA World Cup™ volunteer
centre in Volgograd.
The “FIFA 11 for
Health” programme, which
educates children about disease
prevention and living a healthy lifestyle, is
to be rolled out in 16 primary schools in Port
Moresby, Papua New Guinea, the host country of
the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. David Chung,
President of the Papua New Guinean Football Asso-
ciation and of the Oceania Football Confederation,
says: “The programme is very welcome as it will
greatly impact the lives of young children in
the schools, because they will be the ones
taking the messages home to their
parents and siblings.”
From 6 to 9 June, the
second part of the FIFA Female
Leadership Development Programme
(FLDP) took place in Zurich. The programme
was launched in 2015 in order to support,
strengthen and promote women in leadership
positions and identify women in sport with leadership
potential, with the aim of increasing the number of
women at the highest decision-making levels around
the world. FIFA Senior Women’s Football Develop-
ment Manager Mayrilian Cruz Blanco says: “We are
committed to supporting the participants in
further developing their potential as
leaders and along their pathway
in our sport.”
Twenty-three new FIFA
security officers completed a
three-day workshop in Zurich at the end
of May and familiarised themselves with
FIFA’s rules and regulations. The 16 women and
seven men will be on duty at FIFA tournaments
and FIFA World Cup™ qualifying matches in the
future. “This is already a group of experienced and
active security professionals, but we want to
make sure that all the specificities of this role,
when working for FIFA, become second
nature to them,” explains FIFA Direc-
tor of Security Ralf Mutschke.
4 / FIFA 1904
5FIFA 1904 /
Illustration: Julien Pacaud
Last updated:24 June 2016
1 USA 0 2168
2 Germany 0 2115
3 France 0 2064
4 England 0 2021
5 Australia 0 2011
6 Sweden 0 2002
7 Japan 0 1991
8 Brazil 0 1982
9 Korea DPR 0 1952
10 Canada 0 1938
11 Norway 0 1923
12 China PR 0 1914
13 Netherlands 0 1902
14 Spain 1 1861
15 Switzerland 4 1850
16 Iceland 4 1849
17 New Zealand -1 1848
18 Italy -4 1847
19 Korea Republic -2 1843
20 Denmark -2 1838
21 Scotland 0 1778
22 Russia 0 1762
23 Ukraine 0 1756
24 Colombia 0 1748
25 Austria 0 1747
26 Belgium 2 1737
27 Mexico -1 1732
28 Finland -1 1726
29 Costa Rica 1 1658
30 Thailand 2 1643
31 Republic of Ireland 2 1639
32 Czech Republic -1 1638
33 Poland -4 1636
34 Vietnam 1 1620
35 Wales 1 1607
36 Romania 3 1593
37 Nigeria 0 1592
38 Chinese Taipei 0 1590
39 Hungary 1 1566
40 Portugal 1 1565
41 Slovakia 2 1541
42 Uzbekistan 0 1540
43 Serbia 2 1529
44 Myanmar 0 1527
45 Trinidad and Tobago 2 1494
46 Ghana 2 1487
47 Cameroon -1 1484
48 Papua New Guinea 1 1473
49 Belarus 1 1456
50 Ecuador 2 1451
51 Equatorial Guinea 0 1446
52 South Africa 2 1442
53 Croatia 0 1427
54 Jordan 1 1423
55 Iran 2 1418
56 Israel -1 1414
57 India 1 1412
58 Turkey 2 1409
59 Slovenia 0 1405
60 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2 1404
61 Northern Ireland 1 1388
62 Côte d’Ivoire -2 1386
63 Greece 2 1378
63 Venezuela 1 1378
65 Haiti 1 1372
66 Kazakhstan 1 1355
67 Jamaica 1 1352
68 Hong Kong 1 1347
69 Bulgaria 0 1344
70 Indonesia 2 1321
71 Tunisia 0 1313
72 Philippines 1 1312
73 United Arab Emirates -3 1309
74 Morocco 1 1299
75 Guatemala 2 1297
76 Fiji 2 1292
76 Albania 0 1292
78 Bahrain 1 1288
79 Egypt 4 1287
80 Faroe Islands 2 1286
81 Algeria -7 1283
82 Guyana 2 1274
83 Estonia -3 1273
83 Laos 2 1273
85 Malaysia 1 1260
86 Tonga 1 1258
87 New Caledonia 1 1252
88 Senegal 1 1248
89 Lithuania 2 1226
90 Montenegro -1 1225
91 Mali 2 1222
92 Cuba 0 1217
93 Zimbabwe 2 1208
94 Congo 0 1206
95 Palestine 1 1192
96 Dominican Republic 1 1191
97 El Salvador 1 1188
98 Cook Islands 1 1185
99 Moldova 1 1174
100 Latvia 1 1171
100 Malta 1 1171
102 Singapore 1 1166
103 Puerto Rico 1 1156
104 Ethiopia 1 1155
105 Solomon Islands 1 1144
106 Georgia 4 1141
107 Samoa 0 1138
108 Kyrgyzstan 0 1134
108 Luxembourg 0 1134
110 Cyprus 1 1124
111 Nepal 1 1120
112 Nicaragua 1 1083
113 Guinea 1 1077
114 FYR Macedonia 0 1069
115 Burkina Faso 1 1060
116 Gabon 1 1052
117 Namibia 2 1026
118 Zambia 0 1021
119 St Lucia 1 989
120 Bangladesh 1 987
121 Sri Lanka 1 978
122 Lebanon 1 949
123 Maldives 1 948
124 Tanzania 1 947
125 St Kitts and Nevis 1 942
126 Grenada 2 914
127 Dominica 2 900
128 Malawi 3 838
129 Swaziland 3 836
130 Kenya 3 822
131 Aruba 4 745
132 Botswana 4 732
128 Argentina ** 0 1621
129 Chile ** 0 1559
130 Paraguay ** 0 1459
131 Peru ** 0 1412
132 Panama ** 0 1363
Uruguay ** 0 1361
Azerbaijan ** 0 1341
Guam ** 0 1287
Tahiti ** 0 1238
Bolivia ** 0 1217
Benin ** 0 1187
Suriname ** 0 1152
Honduras ** 0 1152
Vanuatu ** 0 1139
Angola ** 0 1134
Sierra Leone ** 0 1132
Congo DR ** 0 1132
Armenia ** 0 1104
American Samoa ** 0 1075
Eritrea ** 0 1060
St Vincent and the Grenadines ** 0 1000
Rwanda ** 0 996
Uganda ** 0 965
Bermuda ** 0 943
Guinea-Bissau ** 0 927
Syria ** 0 927
Pakistan ** 0 926
Macau ** 0 922
Afghanistan ** 0 889
Iraq ** 0 882
Rank Team + / – Points
Liberia ** 0 877
Mozambique ** 0 873
Kuwait ** 0 870
British Virgin Islands ** 0 867
Qatar ** 0 864
US Virgin Islands ** 0 852
Cayman Islands ** 0 849
Lesotho ** 0 836
Curaçao ** 0 831
Belize ** 0 825
Bhutan ** 0 778
Antigua and Barbuda ** 0 767
Comoros ** 0 761
Turks and Caicos Islands ** 0 704
Barbados * 0 979
Libya * 0 883
Andorra * 0 763
Madagascar * 0 714
Mauritius * 0 335
Rank Team + / – Points Rank Team + / – Points Rank Team + / – Points
WOMEN´S WORLD RANKING
** Inactive for more than 18 months and therefore not ranked.
* Provisionally listed due to not having played more than five matches against officially ranked teams.
6 / FIFA 1904
http://www.fifa.com/worldranking
LEADERUSA
MOVES INTO TOP TENNONE
MOVES OUT OF TOP TENNONE
MATCHES PLAYED IN TOTAL99
MOST MATCHES PLAYEDSOUTH AFRICA (6)
BIGGEST MOVE BY RANKSSWITZERLAND AND ICELAND (up 4 ranks)
BIGGEST DROP BY RANKSALGERIA (down 7 ranks)
ICELAND’S FAIRY-TALE RISE
Dagný Brynjarsdóttir’s career is the stuff of
dreams. Having grown up in a village with a
population of 800, she now plays in the
National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in
the USA, often playing to crowds of 15,000
at home matches of her club Portland
Thorns, where the Icelander is a firm favourite
with the fans. Although her homeland is
fabled as a place where elves, trolls and
gnomes abound, Brynjarsdóttir’s story is
actually no myth, but emblematic of the
burgeoning success of women’s football on
the Nordic island.
While the men’s team have impressed many
at this year’s European Championship in
France, where they made their tournament
debut, the women’s team had already quali-
fied twice for the Women’s EURO, in 2009
and 2013, and Freyr Alexandersson’s side are
currently going great guns in the qualifiers
for the 2017 edition in the Netherlands.
With a maximum haul of 18 points from six
matches, Iceland are currently sitting pretty
at the top of the table above Scotland,
Slovenia, Belarus and Macedonia. In the last
three matches, they have fired in 17 goals
Goal rush Iceland’s superior strike force are sweeping all before them.
without reply (5-0 against Belarus, 4-0
against Scotland and 8-0 against Macedonia),
Brynjarsdóttir scoring the final goal in two of
the matches and her strike partner Harpa
Þorsteinsdóttir netting seven times in total.
Iceland are hitting the headlines, and this
time for all the right reasons, six years after
the Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupted. “In
recent years, we have improved a lot,”
confirms Brynjarsdóttir. “We have beaten
teams that we would never have beaten in
the past. We have a good mix in the side and
I’m sure that we will get even better,” adds
the player mainly responsible for the steady
rise in the number of female players in her
country.
The team is already looking ahead to the
2019 World Cup in France. “If we carry on
improving, I believe we have a good chance
of qualifying,” says Brynjarsdóttir.
Things are stirring in Iceland, and this time,
it’s not one of its volcanoes.
Annette Braun
7FIFA 1904 /
imag
o
2010 World Cup final A precise sketch of the passes and ball movements that led to Andrés Iniesta’s winner for Spain in the 116th minute: Casillas > Xavi < Van der Wiel > Sneijder > Van Persie > Elia > Van der Vaart > Elia < Puyol > Navas < Elia > Braafheid < Iniesta > Fàbregas > Navas > Torres < Van der Vaart < Fàbregas > Iniesta > 1-0 to Spain.
50 YEARS AT FOOTBALL’S SERVICEWhat do you need to analyse a game of football? A pitch marked on a piece of paper, a pen ... and the expert eyes of the FIFA Technical Study Group. By Annette Braun
FIFA TECHNICAL STUDY GROUP
8 / FIFA 1904
9FIFA 1904 /
©zz-p.ch (zahnzimmermannpartners creative projects ag)
WHAT IS THE TSG – AND WHAT DOES IT DO?The main job of the FIFA Technical Study Group (TSG), which depending on the
tournament can consist of anything from three to 13 people, is to analyse the matches
and identify and record new trends. The TSG also selects the best outfield players and
the best goalkeeper of the tournament. The technical report and DVD, with images
and video material to illustrate match situations, is produced in four languages and
sent to all 211 FIFA member associations and the six confederations.
Jean-Paul Brigger, Head of the TSG, says: “The goal of our work is to give people –
including coaches who weren’t there – a technical view of the competition. They can
then adapt their training sessions with the help of FIFA programmes, ensuring that they
keep their fingers on the pulse.” After all, the TSG’s main priority is to develop the
world’s most popular game.
F04
THE FIRST TSG (1966) AND OTHER SELECTED MEMBERS
1966 WORLD CUP IN ENGLAND:Valentin Granatkin (USSR), chairman
Walter Winterbottom OBE
(England), director
Ron Greenwood (England)
Harold Hassall (England)
Gavriil Kachalin (USSR)
Roger Quinche (Switzerland)
René Courte (Switzerland), secretary
OTHER SELECTED MEMBERS:Dettmar Cramer, West Germany
(1970 World Cup in Mexico)
Dr Václav Jíra, Czechoslovakia
(1974 World Cup in West Germany)
Rinus Michels, Netherlands
(1978 World Cup in Argentina)
Mawade Wade, Senegal
(1982 World Cup in Spain)
Carlos Queiroz, Portugal
(1990 World Cup in Italy)
Andy Roxburgh, Scotland
(1994 World Cup in the USA)
Gérard Houllier, France
(1998 World Cup in France)
Carlos Alberto Parreira, Brazil
(2002 World Cup in Korea/Japan)
Roy Hodgson, England
(2006 World Cup in Germany)
Teófilo Cubillas, Peru
(2010 World Cup in South Africa)
Sunday Oliseh, Nigeria
(2014 World Cup in Brazil)
Enzo Bearzot, Italy
(1988 Olympic Football Tournament in Seoul)
Óscar Tabárez, Uruguay
(U-20 World Cup 1999 in New Zealand)
Tina Theune-Meyer, Germany
(Women’s World Cup 2007 in China)
April Heinrichs, USA
(2008 Olympic Football Tournaments
in Beijing)
F04
FIFA TECHNICAL STUDY GROUP
All for football In 2014, the FIFA Technical Study Group travelled to Brazil for the World Cup, and in 2016, the group will celebrate its 50th anniversary.
Technical reports The TSG has been publishing its post-tournament analyses since 1966.
10 / FIFA 1904
FIFA
At the 2014 World Cup, the TSG noted that coaches were taking calculated risks by pushing their full-backs high up the pitch.
the teams’ transitions between defence and
attack after regaining possession – which
can often be the difference between
victory and defeat – were performed with
extraordinary quality and at speed. The top
teams’ playing styles were built around
assertiveness, pace, technical ability and
vision, but they also worked hard, passed
the ball around well and showed great unity.
It also became more and more clear that
goalkeepers were becoming increasingly
involved in build-up play, acting almost as
an additional outfield player when their
team was in possession of the ball, and also
taking up a position just in front of their
own penalty area to clear danger – either
with their head or their feet – whenever
Part and parcel of being a football fan is
preparing yourself for your team’s next
game, almost as if you were the coach and
giving tactical instructions to your players.
You sit down and study your opponents’
strengths and weaknesses, and you ponder
long and hard about your team’s ideal
formation. All of a sudden, the match has
become more of a personal affair as you
analyse and commentate on the game to
your heart’s content, driven by your passion
for the sport and all of the emotions that
come with it.
The FIFA Technical Study Group (TSG) has
been analysing all FIFA World Cup™ games
since 1966, as well as all FIFA Women’s
World Cup™ matches since 1991, as part of
its work to identify new trends in the game
and help to further develop football all
around the world. But, unlike fans, the
TSG’s analysis is not emotional and subjec-
tive, but rather rational and objective. They
of course marvelled at Gheorghe Hagi’s
stunning 35-yard strike for Romania in the
1994 World Cup, an unerring lob from out
wide on the left, but they also analysed
the positions of the midfielders, the role
of the goalkeeper, and the frequency of
long-range goals.
By the same token, they dissected Carli
Lloyd’s stunning hat-trick in the cauldron
of the opening 16 minutes of the 2015
Women’s World Cup final between the USA
and Japan, which paved the way for the
Americans to win their third title after
previous triumphs in 1991 and 1999, as
well as the subsequent tactical adjustments
and substitutions that the Japanese made
to try and find a way back into the game.
RISKS, ASSERTIVENESS, “SWEEPER-KEEPERS”At the 2014 World Cup, for example, the
TSG noted that coaches were taking
calculated risks by pushing their full-backs
high up the pitch so that they could press in
their opponent’s half of the pitch. In Brazil,
their opponents played balls over the
defence. Manuel Neuer in Germany’s
round-of-16 clash with Algeria was a prime
example, as he played as a “sweeper-
keeper” in front of his box and raced
strikers for the ball, almost as if it were
second nature to him.
At World Cup matches, the TSG members
can be found in the stands with a pen and
a notebook in their hands and deep in
concentration. They jot down the starting
formations as well as the teams’ attacking
and defensive tactics, take a note of the
set pieces on show, decide whether and to
what extent the coaches’ substitutions
represent a tactical manoeuvre, and also
break down how the goals were scored.
German coach Otto Rehhagel, who led
Greece to the European title in 2004,
once said that “the truth lies on the pitch”,
and as such it is the TSG’s job to document
that truth and relay it to coaches all around
the world so that they can consult the
technical reports and plan their training
sessions accordingly, all in the interests of
player development.
Sweeper-keeper Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer puts his outfield skills to the test as he takes on Algeria’s Islam Slimani in a race for the ball at the 2014 World Cup.
11FIFA 1904 /
Reut
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Leon
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Foe
ger
One pitch, different formations A bird’s eye view of the 1994 World Cup final between Brazil and Italy in Pasadena (Brazil won 3-2 on penalties).
Jean-Paul Brigger, who won 35 caps for the
Swiss national team as a player, is now the
Head of the TSG. He is fully committed to
his job, analysing each and every game that
he watches in exactly the same way,
whether it is for the TSG or purely as a fan.
“I guess I’m just football-crazy,” he says,
laughing.
ENTHUSIASM AND VISIONThe TSG has now been providing FIFA’s
member associations with technical reports
for 50 years. When Jean-Paul Brigger sits
back and thinks about his group’s anniver-
sary, then he does so with humility and
gratitude: “The members of the 1966
group were pioneers who thought outside
the box and helped football take strides
forward.” Back then, he says, travel was not
as easy as it is today and the flow of infor-
mation was much more complicated, with
modern-day tools such as the internet, SMS
or WhatsApp still a long way off. In their
own way, those pioneers helped to put
football where it is now, and they ensured
that the TSG could go about the work it
does today.
Nevertheless, Brigger is still a football fan at
heart, and there are times when emotions
get the better of him too. Take 2009, for
example, when “little Switzerland” reached
the final of the FIFA U-17 World Cup and
ended up winning the title. Brigger was sat
in the stands that day, pen and notebook at
the ready, when his expert eye saw the
decisive header by Haris Seferović – now a
full Swiss international and playing for
Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga – hit
the back of the net a split-second before it
actually did so. Brigger jumped up from his
seat, briefly punching the air in celebration
before sitting down again and refocusing
on the match. “That is football in a nut-
shell,” he smiles, “and the reason why we
all love it so much.”
The TSG’s next mission is just around the
corner: three women and three men will be
heading off to Rio to scrutinise the Olympic
Football Tournaments 2016. So let the
opening game between Sweden and South
Africa begin!
“The members of the 1966 group were pioneers.”Jean-Paul Brigger
FIFA TECHNICAL STUDY GROUP
12 / FIFA 1904
Mik
e Po
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llspo
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etty
Imag
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BACK TO THE FUTUREJust because a formation falls out of favour doesn’t necessarily mean that it was a bad one. The Dutch totaalvoetbal system is making a comeback – and there are even signs of the sweeper returning. By Alan Schweingruber
Pointing the way Bill Dodgin, Southampton manager between 1946 and 1949, issuing instructions to his players.
13FIFA 1904 /
Mirr
orpi
x
FIFA TECHNICAL STUDY GROUP
Tiki-taka or catenaccio? Switzerland coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg at the 2015 Women’s World Cup in Canada.
You don’t always know when the good
times are coming to an end. For a case in
point, you need look no further than
the final weeks and months of the all-
conquering tiki-taka. That was back in the
European summer of 2012, and it would
have been interesting to have read the mind
of modern coach Cesare Prandelli, who
looked on pensively rather than in horror as
his Italian team were dismantled 4-0 by
Spain in the EURO 2012 final in Ukraine.
Could that defeat have been prevented by a
different tactical approach? Probably not.
Prandelli’s side were never really in the
match, despite having begun full of vigour.
Against the fleet-footed Spaniards, however,
they quickly resembled a team that had just
completed a three-day boot camp in the
forests of Kiev. While Prandelli ruminated
on the touchline, the howling Azzurri fans
in the stands made it perfectly clear that
they wanted tiki-taka to be consigned to
the rubbish bin of history.
That wouldn’t happen for a while, if at all,
but cracks began to appear in the short-
passing system that had taken the world by
storm as instead of winning match after
match, Spain started to suffer the odd draw
or even defeat. Having won two European
championships and one World Cup
between 2008 and 2012, it all unravelled
for them at the 2014 World Cup with the
team’s exit at the group stage and the end
of their beloved playing style was declared
nigh. A system is no longer effective if it
fails at crucial moments. Opponents,
particularly less sophisticated ones, adapted
to the hitherto world-conquering Spanish
style. And today? Contrary to current
thinking, tiki-taka is neither defunct nor has
it landed in the aforementioned refuse
receptacle. Every coach practises the elegant
and efficient short-passing game, provided
his or her players have the requisite quality
to implement it. The system calls for good
technique and even more agility than
before, which can clearly be a drawback for
teams with older players.
THE REFINED SWEEPEROf course, a formation is never completely
a thing of the past: it would be more
accurate to say that it is no longer in vogue.
The same applies to playing positions of
old, such as the sweeper, that elegant
defender who could read the game perfect-
ly, join the attack when necessary and help
to construct moves. A player who was
always involved in the play and who took it
upon himself to rescue his team as often as
possible was Franz Beckenbauer, the German
who revolutionised the position of sweeper
by adopting the role of playmaker at the
same time. In the 1970s and 1980s, sweep-
ers had a lot of freedom, provided they
were relatively reliable and creative. They
were certainly not bound by the defensive
duties of other defenders such as full-backs.
It sounds like a cool job, one that would
appeal to anyone with an eye for sophisti-
cation, but sweepers are actually no longer
around, at least not in professional football,
where every defender worth his salt has to
be highly creative and exceptionally reliable
to be able to ply his trade. It is a different
story lower down the leagues and in youth
football, however, where the sweeper can
still be found, albeit in a slightly different
position, such as behind the back four of
the modern era. Greece played with such a
formation when they won EURO 2004, for
example, which, although it was 12 years
ago, demonstrates that teams can win Franz Beckenbauer revolutionised the position of sweeper by adopting the role of playmaker at the same time.
Total football’s biggest advocate was Johan Cruyff, who learnt the system at Ajax and fine-tuned it later at FC Barcelona.
14 / FIFA 1904
Geo
ff R
obin
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FP
major trophies without having a Ramos or
an Iniesta in their ranks.
FUTURISTIC TOTAL FOOTBALL Systems have always changed in football.
How would today’s coaches react if forward
passes were not allowed, as was the case in
the 19th century? They would have to
instruct their players to practise dribbling
and 50-yard sprints with the ball. Today’s
footballers are beneficiaries of systems such
as catenaccio (“the door bolt”) from Italy
and Switzerland or total football from the
Netherlands. Even contemporary coaches
like José Mourinho are increasingly reverting
to the less-than-entertaining catenaccio,
with its emphasis on defence and counter-
attacks.
By contrast, the idea behind total football
was that every outfield player could play in
every position. If, say, a midfielder pushed
forward, his place was filled by a team-mate.
When the team had possession, all outfield
players were involved in the attack, and
when the ball was lost, they all defended
together. Total football’s biggest advocate
was Johan Cruyff, who learnt the system at
Ajax and fine-tuned it later at FC Barcelona.
Cruyff, of course, died earlier this year, but
his legacy lives on. The following notewor-
thy sentence appeared in the FIFA technical
report for the 2014 World Cup: “Teams
tended to use flexible systems rather than
static formations, with players assuming
different positions but also sticking to their
role when the match situation required it.”
Words that could have come straight from a
young Johan Cruyff.
Incidentally, it was the Dutch who highlight-
ed the limitations of Spain’s tiki-taka. Every
football fan remembers how the Oranje
demolished the world champions 5-1 in
their first 2014 World Cup group match:
Van Persie’s breathtaking diving header just
before the break cancelling out Spain’s
opener, followed by four Netherlands goals
in the second half. It was the stuff of
Hollywood: had a film ever been scripted, it
would have had a working title of “Total
Football Mark II Obliterates Tiki-Taka (Part
One)”.
Johan Cruyff A man who helped to shape football both as a player (pictured here in a friendly against England in 1977) and as a coach.
15FIFA 1904 /
Ger
ry C
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am / O
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Hanging up the gold and blue Swedish national hero Zlatan Ibrahimović in action in the 1-0 defeat to Belgium on 22 June 2016 in the Stade de Nice. The global star retired from international football after Sweden’s group-stage exit from EURO 2016.
SNAPSHOT
16 / FIFA 1904
Yves Herman / Reuters
17FIFA 1904 /
Last updated:2 June 2016
1 Argentina 0 1503
2 Belgium 0 1384
3 Colombia 1 1328
4 Germany 1 1310
5 Chile -2 1293
6 Spain 0 1267
7 Brazil 0 1257
8 Portugal 0 1181
9 Uruguay 0 1150
10 Austria 1 1077
11 England -1 1069
12 Italy 3 982
13 Ecuador -1 978
14 Netherlands 3 959
15 Switzerland -1 948
16 Mexico 0 942
17 France 4 925
18 Turkey -5 919
19 Ukraine 3 894
20 Hungary -2 886
20 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0 886
22 Romania -3 878
23 Costa Rica 2 853
24 Slovakia 8 852
25 Northern Ireland 1 851
26 Wales -2 846
27 Croatia -4 842
27 Poland 0 842
29 Russia -2 828
30 Czech Republic -1 815
31 USA -2 803
32 Algeria 1 786
33 Republic of Ireland -2 768
34 Iceland 1 751
35 Sweden 1 735
36 Côte d'Ivoire -2 732
37 Ghana 1 728
38 Denmark 3 697
39 Iran 3 688
40 Greece -3 678
41 Senegal 2 677
42 Albania 3 667
43 Scotland -3 659
44 Paraguay -5 638
45 Egypt -1 631
46 Jamaica 9 630
47 Tunisia 0 629
48 Peru -2 623
49 Cape Verde Islands -2 620
50 Korea Republic 4 603
51 Norway -2 593
52 Congo DR -1 589
53 Japan 4 581
54 Serbia 2 576
55 Guinea 3 573
56 Panama -4 572
57 Slovenia 4 567
58 Cameroon 5 566
59 Australia -9 563
60 Congo -1 560
61 Nigeria 6 559
62 Morocco 2 555
63 Mali 2 554
64 Trinidad and Tobago -11 550
65 Saudi Arabia -5 545
66 Uzbekistan 0 544
67 Finland -6 536
68 South Africa 2 529
69 Bulgaria 0 518
70 United Arab Emirates -2 517
71 Israel 5 513
72 Uganda 0 500
73 Burkina Faso 2 479
74 Haiti -3 478
75 Benin -2 473
76 Equatorial Guinea 7 466
77 Venezuela -3 456
78 Belarus -1 442
79 Zambia -1 436
80 Jordan 2 434
81 China PR 0 423
82 Bolivia -3 420
83 Antigua and Barbuda 2 413
84 Cyprus -4 407
84 Qatar -1 407
86 Honduras 0 393
87 Botswana 4 391
88 Gabon 0 388
89 Faroe Islands 1 383
90 Montenegro 4 382
91 Guatemala -2 378
92 St Kitts and Nevis 0 374
93 Canada 2 363
94 Estonia -1 360
95 Togo 8 358
96 Central African Republic 0 351
97 Mozambique 4 349
98 Korea DPR 14 348
99 El Salvador -2 342
100 Oman -2 338
101 Syria 9 336
102 Iraq 2 334
103 Rwanda -16 332
104 Latvia 3 330
105 Nicaragua 0 329
106 Chad -8 326
107 Malawi -1 320
108 Sierra Leone 10 317
108 Madagascar 29 317
110 Armenia 0 315
111 Kyrgyzstan -11 313
112 Kazakhstan 5 312
113 Palestine 17 311
114 Belize 0 307
115 Guinea-Bissau -13 303
115 Zimbabwe 11 303
117 Niger 3 302
117 Thailand 2 302
117 Swaziland 16 302
120 Philippines -5 299
121 Mauritania -12 294
122 Libya -10 293
123 Angola -2 292
123 Liberia -15 292
125 Ethiopia -2 288
126 Cuba -1 285
127 Lithuania 11 282
128 Sudan 0 278
129 Kenya -13 276
130 Guyana 2 271
130 Bahrain 0 271
132 Burundi -10 269
133 Vietnam 12 266
134 Turkmenistan -7 264
135 Namibia 0 263
136 Tanzania -7 261
137 Georgia -14 260
138 Azerbaijan -5 252
139 FYR Macedonia 2 250
140 Barbados 4 245
141 Kuwait -1 241
142 Mauritius 12 239
143 Hong Kong 0 233
143 Aruba -7 233
145 St Lucia -6 225
146 Luxembourg 0 221
147 New Zealand 14 220
148 St Vincent and the Grenadines -7 211
149 Singapore -1 207
150 Grenada 7 203
151 Lebanon 7 199
152 São Tomé e Príncipe -2 197
153 Dominican Republic -2 193
154 Curaçao -2 191
155 Lesotho -7 185
156 Afghanistan -9 184
157 South Sudan -2 174
158 Puerto Rico -6 167
159 Moldova -3 165
160 Guam 2 164
161 Myanmar 6 161
162 Comoros -3 158
Rank Team + / – Points
163 India -1 151
164 Tajikistan 0 150
165 Gambia 3 145
166 Malta -1 141
167 Bermuda 2 135
168 Liechtenstein 5 128
168 American Samoa 2 128
168 Cook Islands 2 128
168 Samoa 2 128
172 Dominica -7 124
173 Malaysia 1 116
174 Laos 2 115
174 Maldives -14 115
176 Solomon Islands 16 110
177 Timor-Leste -2 106
178 Yemen -1 102
179 Tahiti 17 96
180 Seychelles -1 94
181 Bangladesh -3 93
182 Nepal -2 77
183 New Caledonia 8 74
184 Cambodia -1 73
185 Vanuatu -4 72
186 Fiji -3 68
187 Indonesia -2 65
188 Bhutan -2 64
189 Sri Lanka -2 58
190 Suriname -2 57
191 Chinese Taipei -9 56
192 Pakistan -2 54
193 Papua New Guinea 5 51
194 US Virgin Islands -1 44
194 Montserrat -6 44
196 Macau -2 42
197 Brunei Darussalam -2 37
198 Turks and Caicos Islands -1 33
199 Cayman Islands 0 21
200 San Marino 0 20
201 British Virgin Islands 0 16
202 Andorra 0 11
203 Mongolia 0 4
204 Anguilla 0 0
204 Bahamas 0 0
204 Djibouti 0 0
204 Eritrea 0 0
204 Somalia 0 0
204 Tonga 0 0
Rank Team + / – Points Rank Team + / – Points Rank Team + / – Points
MEN’S WORLD RANKING
18 / FIFA 1904
http://www.fifa.com/worldranking
LEADERARGENTINA
MOVES INTO TOP TENAUSTRIA (up 71 ranks)
MOVES OUT OF TOP TENENGLAND (down 1 rank)
MATCHES PLAYED IN TOTAL49
MOST MATCHES PLAYEDUSA (3 matches)
BIGGEST MOVE BY POINTSSLOVAKIA (up 68 points)
BIGGEST MOVE BY RANKSMADAGASCAR (up 29 ranks)
BIGGEST DROP BY POINTSRWANDA (down 69 points)
BIGGEST DROP BY RANKSRWANDA (down 16 ranks)
IN FESTIVE MOOD
Madagascar has a population of 23 million,
roughly the same number as Australia.
Although football is not the most popular
sport in either country, the world’s
second-largest island nation (i.e.
Madagascar) had a huge celebration last
year when the national team somewhat
unexpectedly finished third at the annual
COSAFA Cup in Southern Africa. You can
imagine the scenes in the arrivals hall at
the airport in Antananarivo when the
plane carrying the team, led by skipper
Johann Paul, landed. It was an incredible
achievement.
Of course, expectations rise with every
champagne cork popped, and many
Madagascans already wistfully recall the
now legendary day of 25 May 2015,
when their team eliminated Ghana 2-1 in
the quarter-finals of the COSAFA Cup.
To knock out such serial World Cup
qualifiers, who as a visiting team and the
tournament favourites did not have to
contest any group matches and thus
maybe assumed that they would breeze
through to the final, was like a dream.
COSAFA Cup 2016 Fanomezana Tojo Claudel (Madagascar; second from right) wheels away after netting against the Seychelles at the Sam Nujoma Stadium in Windhoek, Namibia (11 June 2016).
It was also slightly reminiscent of the beach
soccer team. On sand, Madagascar is one
of the strongest countries in the world,
and people quickly hoped that the success
of their agile compatriots would rub off on
the football team. The aims were high,
perhaps too high for a country that,
although on the up, still has to go toe-to-
toe against world-class teams from Africa.
And so it was that the team failed early on
in its quest to qualify for its first Africa Cup
of Nations, but they can at least be
content with a climb of 29 places to 108th
in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking.
There will soon be movement in the top 40,
as the results of EURO 2016 and the Copa
América Centenario will be taken into
account in July. Will Argentina and Belgium
still be at the top? Who will break into the
top ten for the first time? And where will
Madagascar figure after failing to reach the
quarter-finals of the 2016 COSAFA Cup in
Namibia? The next edition of the ranking
will certainly make for interesting reading.
Alan Schweingruber
19FIFA 1904 /
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SOCIAL MEDIA
FIFA 1904 ASKED ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER
“WHAT LEGACY DO YOU WANT THE #U17WWC IN JORDAN TO LEAVE FOR WOMEN’S FOOTBALL?”
“IT WILL INSPIRE SO MANY GIRLS AROUND THE KINGDOM TO PLAY THE BEAUTIFUL GAME AND
REALISE THAT FOOTBALL IS NOT JUST FOR BOYS.”Yan Malkosh (Jordan) on Twitter
“FOOTBALL IS FOR ALL OF US. FIRST MAJOR FIFA TOURNAMENT WITH HIJAB. THIS MATTERS. IT INSPIRES.”
Shireen Ahmed (Canada) on Twitter
“DREAMS DO COME TRUE IN COUNTRIES LIKE JORDAN. COUNTRIES THAT ARE SMALL IN SIZE BUT HUGE IN POTENTIAL.”
Zayna Al-Hamarneh (Jordan) on Twitter
“JORDAN WILL BE AN EXAMPLE AND AN INSPIRATION FOR OTHER COUNTRIES OF HOW TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN AND NOT JUST MAKE EXCUSES.”
Patricia González (Azerbaijan) on Twitter
“IT WILL EMPOWER GIRLS EVERYWHERE TO FOLLOW THEIR DREAMS!” Zeina Shahzada (Jordan) on Twitter
21 FIFA 1904 /
Winston Churchill Avenue is not as big and grand as its name would suggest. There are
no expensive cigars for sale, and neither does it lead to Woodstock, Churchill’s birthplace
in England. The four-lane “avenue” is just a few hundred metres long and links Spain
with the small British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The road runs right across the
peninsula’s only airport, meaning that whenever a plane takes off, a barrier comes down
and pedestrians and cars have to wait.
In May 2016, Gibraltar and Kosovo were admitted as members of FIFA. We present the two newest member associations.By Alan Schweingruber and Perikles Monioudis
NEW FIFA MEMBERS
WELCOME!
National pride An emotional Albert Bunjaku after scoring Kosovo’s first-ever goal.
22 / FIFA 1904
Jan
Hue
bner
/ im
ago
Gibraltar is home to a good 30,000 people, and as the runway shows, one thing is clear:
space is at a premium on the rock at the southernmost tip of the Costa del Sol. Victoria
Stadium, a multi-purpose sports facility, can hold 5,000 spectators. From the stands,
the fans can also wave at the passengers in the passing aeroplanes or the red double-
decker buses outside the stadium. Gibraltar has something of the feel of London, only a
lot smaller of course.
30,000 fans The entire population of Gibraltar would fit
into one stadium.
23FIFA 1904 /
Gon
zalo
Arr
oyo
Mor
eno
/ Get
ty Im
ages
But this small country has no need to measure itself against the world’s big and powerful
nations. In fact it is partly its manageable size that makes Gibraltar such an interesting
place – it covers an area of only 6.5km2, yet has its own airport and its own government.
While the inhabitants of British cities like Birmingham or Leeds dream of summer holidays
on the beach, the Gibraltarians enjoy their Friday night beers with the Med lapping at
their feet.
WHEN ENGLAND CALLSGibraltar, an overseas territory of football’s mother country as it is, of course also has its
own national team as a matter of honour. It even has two leagues, giving all those English
tourists spending a few days’ holiday in their southern outpost the pleasant feeling of still
being in football’s heartland. The same could of course be said of those a few miles away
on the Spanish mainland. But when the sun is shining it doesn’t matter too much if the
Eurobet Division, in which players are all semi-professional or amateurs, doesn’t quite live
up to La Liga or the Premier League.
As far as youth football development goes, however, Gibraltar has a herculean task. There
is certainly talent, and young players can play at home or for one of the neighbouring
Spanish clubs. The problem is that many young footballers leave the peninsula at the age
of 18 or 19 to go and study in the UK. There they play for university teams, or if they
show promise they join British football clubs. The best known Gibraltarian players at the
moment are Scott Wiseman who plays for Scunthorpe United (in Football League One,
England’s third-highest division), and Jake Gosling playing for AFC Newport (Football
League Two, England’s fourth-highest division), both on professional contracts. In terms
of planning for the future the question is also, which national team would a super-talent
from Gibraltar play for? Given the choice, most players would probably opt for England.
NEW FIFA MEMBERS
GIBRALTARFIFA member:
since 13 May 2016
Coach:
Jeff Wood (England)
Home stadium:
Victoria Stadium (5,000 capacity)
Population:
30,000
Form of government:
British Overseas Territory
Official language:
English
All 6.5km2 of Gibraltar A bird’s eye view of Gibraltar – replete with the Rock of Gibraltar, the stadium and the airport runway.
24 / FIFA 1904
HO
AGAINST ÅLAND AND RHODESGibraltar, already a member of UEFA since 2013, was admitted to FIFA just two months
ago. At the moment it all feels very new. Photos of the famous Barbary monkeys on the
cliffs will now no longer just adorn the pages of travel magazines and cruise brochures,
but also the sports pages of the international press. Gibraltar did quite well in their first
European Championship qualification phase, even if the final competition was never really
within reach. Their last few games, and in particular the noteworthy 0-0 against Slovakia
in their very first game as a UEFA member, show they are leaving their modest past
behind. It might have been fun before, but the International Island Games with
entertaining matches against teams such as Åland (Finland) or Rhodes (Greece) will no
longer take priority.
For their international home games, the team led by manager Jeff Wood use the Estádio
Algarve in Portugal. It would be possible to fit all of Gibraltar’s inhabitants into this
stadium. But somebody has to stay at home to drive the red double-decker buses...
THE SUN IS SHINING ON KOSOVO It is early June, and coach Albert Bunjaki’s Kosovan national team has come together
under a cloudy Frankfurt sky, the players’ black shorts and blue shirts almost seeming
to blend in against the backdrop of the unseasonably gloomy weather. Summer is
(apparently) approaching, but there is no sign yet of the weather playing ball in Germany.
Undeterred, the players begin their first training session with a gentle jog around the
pitch – and despite the inclement weather, the players are beaming because after years
of trying and waiting, the Kosovan FA (FFK) was recently granted official membership of
FIFA at the world governing body’s Congress in Mexico City in mid-May.
As the players go about their business on the pitch ahead of their first friendly – against
the Faroe Islands – they do so under the watchful gaze of some of their fans, referred
to as “compatriots” in an official FFK press release, and they probably are exactly that,
given that there are some 420,000 Kosovans living abroad, mainly in Germany, the USA,
Austria and Switzerland, in addition to the 1.8 million who live in the football-mad
country itself. Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia on 17 February 2008 and
is now recognised by more than 100 UN member states, despite not actually being a
member of the body itself. The country’s population is the youngest in Europe, with 33%
of people below the age of 16. More than half of the population are younger than 25,
and the birth rate is far higher than the mortality rate. From a footballing perspective, it is
easy to conclude that Kosovo will surely be able to build on the potential of their youth.
FOCUS ON INFRASTRUCTUREOne area in which the country is lacking, however, is football infrastructure. FFK President
Fadil Vokrri is under no illusions about the size of the job ahead for his association,
with special attention needing to be paid not only to the legal side of its operations, for
Some 1.8 million people live in
football-mad Kosovo, and that does not
include the estimated 420,000 Kosovans
who currently reside abroad.
2018 WORLD CUPThe 14-month European
race to qualify for
Russia 2018 will get
under way in September.
Both Kosovo and
Gibraltar will be under
starter’s orders for the
very first time. Kosovo
have been added to
Group I
(Croatia, Iceland,
Ukraine, Turkey, Finland),
whereas Gibraltar
have joined
Group H
(Belgium, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Greece,
Estonia, Cyprus).
Thirteen out of the
52 European entrants
will qualify for the final
competition.
F04
25FIFA 1904 /
visa.com
We’re proving our innovative spirit with every dip, swipe, click, and tap.Visa is fully committed to innovation, aiding in transforming the way we shop and pay through
billions of connected devices, everywhere. Innovation starts with Visa.
KOSOVOFIFA member:
since 13 May 2016
Coach:
Albert Bunjaki (Kosovo)
Home stadium:
Trepča Stadium, Mitrovica
(18,000 capacity)
Population:
1.8 million
Capital city:
Pristina
Official languages:
Albanian and Serbian
Pristina, division two A few hardy souls turn up early for a match between KF Ramiz Sadiku and KF Trepça.
example with the drafting of a sponsorship law and an anti-hooligan law, but also to
renovation work on the main stadium in the capital city of Pristina as well as on the
Trepča Stadium in Mitrovica. There is also talk of building a new national stadium.
Back in Frankfurt, the team has now moved on to technical and tactical combination
work but the atmosphere is still relaxed, even though the players are fully focused.
Later that evening, the players are all brought together again for the low-down on the
revised Laws of the Game. They will have one final training session tomorrow morning
ahead of the match on 3 June, for which the FFK’s official Facebook page proudly posts a
screenshot of the FIFA.com page showing the match pairing under the FIFA logo. As for
the game itself, some 7,000 fans flock to FSV Frankfurt’s stadium to see Kosovo run out
2-0 winners thanks to goals from Albert Bunjaku, a player with previous Bundesliga
experience under his belt (1-0; 44th minute), and Elbasan Rashani (2-0; 90th).
“A LOT OF WORK AHEAD OF US”In Kosovo, there is a professional super league as well as a second division. At European
level, they will be represented in the first round of UEFA Champions League qualifiers by
FC Feronikeli, and in the first round of Europa League qualifiers by FC Pristina, who won
the Cup thanks to a 2-0 victory over FC Drita, with 19-year-old Ghanaian Abdul Basit
Khalid scoring both goals.
There is clearly still a lot to do, but Kosovan football is willing to go the extra mile to make
their dreams come true. After helping Kosovo win their first official FIFA international
match, Albert Bunjaku (who played six times for Switzerland before switching to Kosovo,
and should not be confused with coach Albert Bunjaki) said: “There is a lot of work ahead
of us. But I believe that our team has a great future.”
27FIFA 1904 /
Agr
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/ Reu
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PLACE Kolkata, IndiaDATE 15 October 2013TIME 12.29PHOTOGRAPHER Tuul & Bruno Morandi
FIRST LOVE
28 / FIFA 1904
29FIFA 1904 /
laif
Miroslav Blažević, 81 “I coached 28 teams? That’s crazy.”
THE INTERVIEW
30 / FIFA 1904
Is it nice to be so popular?My wife doesn’t like it when people come up
to me in the street wanting to have long
conversations, take pictures and the rest of it.
But I value every encounter and am grateful for
the experience. In Bosnia, where I was born,
I get even more attention. But you have to enjoy
it: after all, I might die tomorrow.
Schoolchildren also wave at you. What do they know about you and your career?Kids probably know me from the adverts that I
do for salami, plus I’m still involved in politics
and appear in newspapers. Or maybe they know
me from the stories that their parents and
grandparents tell them.
Do you know how many professional teams you’ve coached in your career?No idea. Go on, how many is it?
Have a guess.26?
“YOU HAD TO BE TOUGH WITH THEM”Despite celebrating his 81st birthday in February, legendary coach Miroslav Blažević has lost none of his originality or vitality. FIFA 1904 met him in Zagreb.By Alan Schweingruber (text) and Ino Zeljak (photos)
28.That’s crazy.
You coached Dinamo Zagreb four times alone. The first spell at Dinamo was fantastic, so
exciting. That time shaped me as coach more
than any other because we lit up the whole
region with our football.
That was in the early 80s... Yes, 1982. We won the Yugoslavian champion-
ship for the first time in 24 years. Can you
imagine how everyone reacted to that? Dinamo
Zagreb sold 42,000 season tickets. 42,000!
Only Barcelona could match that sort of figure.
Zagreb was the place to be.
But the climax of your career came later, when Croatia finished third at the 1998 World Cup.We made history in 1998. No one can take that
away from us, and I have many great memories
of that campaign. Our third-place finish is etched
in the memory of every Croatian, as you can see
When Miroslav Blažević arrives in the
Croatian capital, we go off together seeking
the quiet sanctuary of a café or bistro. Just
three minutes later, we are in Ban Jelačić
Square, where Blažević is immediately
surrounded by a group of teenagers
clamouring to have their photograph taken
with him, all calling him by his nickname
“Ćiro”. A few steps later, he is accosted by
a nun who clasps his hand and whispers:
“I’ve been praying for you, Ćiro.”
The Bosnian Croat thus gradually makes
his way over to the other side of the square
until 15 minutes later, he is finally ensconced
in the Johann Franck restaurant.
Mr Blažević, a tram just stopped when the driver saw you.Yes, they always do when they see me, and I
wave to them to say thank you.
31FIFA 1904 /
Ino
Zelja
k
THE INTERVIEW
[laughs]. But my personal highlight would be
Dinamo in ‘82, although not everyone might
see it that way. France ‘98 touched the
whole nation, and it wasn’t so long after the
war had ended.
People still talk today about how you reached the semi-final, after Croatia beat Germany 3-0. What was it like?Oh, it was crazy.
The match?Not just the match, everything before and after
it. I gave my tactical talks in preparation,
as normal, which is something that is important
to me. You have to focus all your energy on it
and come up with a plan, otherwise it’s not
worth all the effort. Anyway, on the day itself,
everyone was waiting for my big plan but
suddenly – before this huge match – it just
wasn’t happening. I went green in the face, I
felt really ill from all the excitement. And when
the players saw me in that state... well, you can
imagine. The team was affected by my mood.
So you sent the team out onto the pitch?I deliberately said nothing in the dressing room
for seven minutes. I can still see the players’
faces today – they were all as white as a sheet.
But this reverence that they had for the Germans
is actually what spurred them on and was the
reason they won.
That sounds a bit fanciful: after all, no psychologist uses fear as a motivator.It’s wrong to believe that fear always paralyses
a team. Fear can energise the players and help
them to get through a difficult period. It’s a
bit like running for your life and then the knots
suddenly unravel.
“France ‘98 touched the whole nation, and it wasn’t so long after the war had ended.”
NAME Miroslav “Ćiro” BlaževićBORN 10 February 1935 in Travnik (today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina)PLAYING CAREER NK Travnik, FK Sarajevo, NK Rijeka, Dinamo Zagreb, Vevey Sports, FC SionCOACHING CAREER Vevey Sports, FC Sion, FC Lausanne-Sport, NK Rijeka, Dinamo Zagreb (four times), Grasshoppers Zurich, FK Priština, FC Nantes, PAOK Saloniki, Croatia, Iran, NK Osijek, NK Mura, NK Varteks Varaždin, Hajduk Split, Neuchâtel Xamax, NK Zagreb (twice), Bosnia and Herzegovina, Shanghai Shenhua, China PR U-23, Mes Kerman, FK Sloboda Tuzla, NK Zadar MAJOR HONOURS 3rd place at the 1998 World Cup (with Croatia), 5 league titles
32 / FIFA 1904
Ino
Zelja
k
(Blažević sticks a cigarette in his mouth and a
young woman rushes over from a nearby table
to give him a light.)
As a coach, you had a reputation for being strict, but you don’t seem like that at all today.When I look back on my time with Croatia, with
all of its stars, you had to be tough with them.
If I’d stood before the team and mollycoddled
them, no one would have listened. Discipline
and order are important. It’s true that I was a bit
strict [laughs].
Why do you laugh?I’ve just remembered a scene with Davor Šuker.
I summoned him to my office and told him
what I expected from him. I was a tad cross,
it must be said. Of course, I asked him questions
during this discussion, but every time he
answered, I shouted: “Be quiet! I’m doing the
talking here!” [Laughs at length.] When I think
about it today, the whole affair embarrasses
me. I can also remember very little of it.
These are the sorts of stories that ex-players tell
amongst themselves.
Are today’s footballers spoilt?Yes, but they were then, too. It’s up to the coach
as to how he handles the players, what he
actually allows and what he doesn’t. Players
are allowed to be spoilt, playful, free, I have no
problem with that. But when push comes to
shove, they have to knuckle down. I have never
won a match anywhere in the world if the
players have been messing about in the dressing
room beforehand.
Where did you learn the most as a coach?In Switzerland where it all began, and I’m always
going back there. My wife lives in Lausanne.
“It’s up to the coach what he actually allows. Players are allowed to be spoilt, playful, free, I have no problem with that. But when push comes to shove, they have to knuckle down.”
Was that the secret of your success at the 1998 World Cup?No, it was just the quarter-final against
Germany. During the tournament as a whole,
I would tell the team that they should aim to
win it.
Seriously?It wasn’t so unrealistic, when you get down to
it. We had world-class players in our team in
Šuker, Boban and Šimić. The current squad are
no slouches, either. When I see these names…
[Blažević grabs the newspaper]... Modrić,
Rakitić, Mandžukić, Perišić… I mean, come on!
Croatia are top drawer. These players are all
playing for big clubs.
Does national team coach Ante Čačić ever ask you for advice?We speak to each other occasionally.
What does a good coach need today?In professional football, seven factors are
crucial: talent, motivation, character, intelligence,
hard work, ambition and luck. The more of
these qualities that come into play, the greater
your chances of success. By “intelligence”, I
don’t mean you have to have a degree in rocket
science: using your instinct is also a form of
intelligence.
Is Pep Guardiola the best coach in the world at present?I cannot say, from where I am. He’s doing a
great job, for sure, but so is José Mourinho.
Maybe you should only judge a coach after a
certain amount of time – say after 20 years of
success, like Alex Ferguson at Manchester
United. Being a good coach isn’t just about
tactics and systems.
When I stopped playing at the end of the ‘60s at
FC Sion, I immediately wanted to work as a
coach. I already had the necessary badges, but
unfortunately nobody wanted me until one day,
an opportunity came up with Vevey Sports in the
Swiss third division. Six years later, I won the
Swiss Cup with Sion, and a delighted local
journalist wrote: “Blažević is the best coach in
the world!” And I believed it, too! [laughs] That
was the start of my coaching career.
Were you always competitive?No.
Yet you won the Yugoslavian cross-country skiing championship at 18… That’s because I became competitive. Both of
my brothers died in the war, in 1942 and 1944.
My parents also died young, so my three sisters
and I were left alone from an early age. That
leaves its mark on you. I became very ambitious
and won the national title you mentioned in
1953 before switching to football.
Will you come back as a coach again?No, it’s over now.
That’s what you said when you were 70.It’s my final decision. Football was my life,
but now I’m enjoying just watching games. The
nice thing is that people haven’t forgotten me.
What greater honour could you wish for?
28 TEAMS, 6 GRANDCHILDREN AND 3 PASSPORTSBosnian-born Miroslav Blažević coached a
total of 28 professional teams in his long
career and today lives on the Adriatic coast
in Croatia and in Zagreb. He is married
with three children and six grandchildren.
Blažević also has Croatian and Swiss
nationalities.
33FIFA 1904 /
THEN
England’s Kevin Keegan holds up the plastic eye from his Madame Tussauds model to compare it with his real eye.
1976LONDON COLNEY, HERTFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND
34 / FIFA 1904
Pres
s A
ssoc
iati
on
NOW
Nearly 40 years later, Brazilian star Neymar does the same.
2015BARCELONA, SPAIN
35FIFA 1904 /
Cou
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Mad
ame
Tuss
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Orla
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DEBATE
VIDEO ASSISTANT REFEREES ON TRIALfour cases: goals, penalty decisions, instances
involving sending players off (direct red
cards) and administrative cases involving
mistaken identity.
“The International Football Association
Board believes the best way to answer the
question of whether the use of VARs will
improve the game is to test it in different
regions, so we are delighted that competi-
tions in four confederations have already
signed up,” says IFAB Secretary Lukas Brud.
Those competitions are:
Australia: Hyundai A-League; Brazil: various
competitions under the auspices of the
Brazilian Football Association (CBF); Germany:
Bundesliga (as a joint project of the German
Football Association (DFB) and the German
Football League (DFL); the Netherlands:
various competitions under the auspices of
the Dutch Football Association (KNVB);
Portugal: Taça CTT, the Portuguese Cup and
Super Cup; USA: Major League Soccer.
“The organisers of these competitions can
now begin installing and testing video
Video assistant referees (VARs) and video
evidence have been part and parcel of
many sports, including ice hockey and
American football, for some time now.
Football, however, is another matter, with
objections being raised as to the purpose of
VARs. Some say that they would interrupt
the flow of play, while others contend that
video technology would then be used for
every single infringement on the pitch.
Neither view is correct, however, as the tests
with VARs will only initially be conducted in
GOALSThe role of VARs is to assist the referee to determine whether there was an infringement that means a goal should not be awarded. As the ball has crossed the line, the play has already been interrupted, so there is no direct impact on the game.
PENALTY DECISIONSThe role of the VARs is to ensure that no clearly wrong decisions are made in conjunction with the award or non-award of a penalty kick.
RED CARD INCIDENTS The role of the VARs is to ensure that no clearly wrong decisions are made in conjunction with the sending-off of a player.
MISTAKEN IDENTITYThe referee cautions or sends off the wrong player, or is unsure which player should be sanctioned. The VARs will inform the referee so that the correct player can be disciplined.
REVIEWABLE DECISIONSThree main (plus one administrative) incidents have been identified as game-changing. Only these are part of the VARs experiments:
REVIEW INITIATED BY REFEREE AND/OR VAR
STEP 1The referee informs the VARs or the VARs recommend to the referee that a decision/incident should be reviewed.
STEP 2The video footage is reviewed by the VARs who advise the referee via headset what the video shows.
STEP 3The referee decides to review the video footage at the side of the pitch before taking the appropriate action/decision
or
the referee accepts the information from the VARs and takes the appropriate action/decision.
36 / FIFA 1904
PRESIDENT´S MESSAGE
Best wishes, Gianni Infantino
replay facilities as well as training match
officials and technical staff in line with the
protocol and in consultation with The IFAB
and FIFA’s Football Technology Innovation
Department,” adds Brud. The VAR tests will
initially be conducted in the background
(offline) before the introduction of live tests
with full participation. Depending on how
the first tests go, the FIFA Club World Cup
Japan 2016 could serve as a dress rehearsal
before The IFAB authorises live tests for the
start of the following year.
mpe
FOOTBALL – BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER
EURO 2016 has undoubtedly produced a host of close, exciting matches,
featuring players whose performances have epitomised football at its finest in
their pursuit of winning a major trophy. The tournament has been captivating
and, once again, reminded us why we love this sport of sports.
I was delighted to attend the final of the Copa América Centenario, which
too was noteworthy for the outstanding quality on display. The players
experienced the sort of high drama and moments of triumph that only the
beautiful game can produce, and we fans followed them every step of the way.
Two great celebrations of football – yet trouble erupted in and around the
stadiums in some EURO 2016 host cities, with flares even thrown onto the
pitch, wreaking havoc. A minority of troublemakers and hooligans attempted
to disrupt football by leaving a stain on the game and destroying the unifying
force that binds it together. But football belongs to everyone who approaches
it with joy and a competitive spirit. It belongs to all of us – to every supporter
who can endow it with values such as respect for others and unqualified
appreciation of a team’s good performance, regardless of who they are.
I know that football fans everywhere, especially all those who love the game,
will agree with me when I say: football is a unifying force, it has a pure nature,
we celebrate the way it brings people together, and we will not let others ruin
it for us. That is what I stand for both as the FIFA President and as an ordinary
fan, along with every other devotee of the game in the world.
I will say it again, so as to leave no room for doubt: no one who wilfully seeks
to damage the game we love will succeed. Football continues to be a force for
unity all over the globe and it belongs only to its true fans.
37FIFA 1904 /
Luka
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FIFA WORLD FOOTBALL MUSEUM
WHEN LEATHER FELL OUT OF FASHIONA football reveals much about the period in which it was made, the first versions consisting simply of a few bundled rags. By Alan Schweingruber
The search for perfection in football began
early on in its history when it came to
fashioning a decent ball with which players
could do battle against each other. But
what is perfection when it comes to that
all-important spherical object? The first
versions were roughly concocted some
1,500 years ago using anything that came
to hand, including rags, which were held
together by a form of netting. It must have
been an agreeable feeling to convey a ball
around a field with one’s bare feet.
Early days Three boys attempt to tie the lace of a leather ball while keeping it airtight in 1930.
38 / FIFA 1904
Fox
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But that was way back at the beginning.
Soon, a more robust material appeared in
the form of leather, and – with animals
already proving a rich source of materials –
other ideas began to emerge as to what to
use for a ball, such as an inflated pig’s
bladder. This organ could withstand a good
deal of pressure, although admittedly it was
a long way from being the finished article.
The originally round spheres soon became
misshapen and eventually only served as a
dog’s plaything.
SODDEN BALLSTransforming the original leather versions
into today’s sophisticated feats of technology
was a long process. Visitors to the basement
level of the FIFA World Football Museum in
Zurich can feel three models from 1900,
1930 and 2014 with their hands, together
with football boots from the period, and
experience 116 years of history. To put it
bluntly, in 1900, footballers kicked a small,
brown medicine ball around the pitch with
leather clodhoppers, and today, they wear
soft, garish boots to manipulate a sphere
of synthetic material weighing a mere
450 grams towards the opposition’s goal.
In terms of the match itself, the onset
of rain, while hardly pleasant for the
spectators, does not have a major impact
on the players – far from it, in fact. As a
rule, the groundsman gets to work before
every match to ensure that the grass is nice
and wet, making the game slick as a result.
In the past, rain would take all of the pace
out of the game, which is exactly what
happened at the 1954 World Cup final
between Hungary and West Germany.
The leather ball quickly became sodden,
and elegantly struck crosses suddenly failed
to reach the intended attacker’s head, or
simply landed at the defender’s feet. That’s
just how things used to be.
THE LEGENDARY TANGOThose images of the Berne mudbath were
still in the collective memory at the time of
the 1978 World Cup in a rain-drenched
Argentinian June, but then came the Tango
ball. The name itself said it all: light, ele-
gant, bewitching – like the dance, which
originated in the barrios of Buenos Aires.
And rather like other dramatic names like
Mr Crack (the ball from Chile 62), the Tango
was intended to evoke passion.
More importantly, like its predecessor, it
boasted the Durlast coating, a mixture of
plastic and artificial resin whose waterproof-
ing qualities proved especially effective in
the 1978 tournament. An era was dawning
in which young pros grinned uncertainly
whenever the 1950s were mentioned.
Leather balls smeared with grease?
In addition to the original balls and boots,
the whole history can be read in detail on
the museum’s computer. And if you click on
the Brazilian Brazuca, the sophisticated
2014 model, you can be a fly on the wall in
the manufacturers’ research laboratories.
The World Cup in Russia kicks off in two
years’ time: striving for perfection used to
be a lot easier, or so it would seem.
This picture shows notes made during the
controversial 1966 World Cup quarter-final
between England and Argentina by
German referee Rudolf Kreitlein, who sent
off the Argentinian captain Antonio Rattín
in the 35th minute. The latter, however,
refused to leave the field, and asked for an
interpreter, as the notes record. They also
reveal that he had already received a final
warning. He eventually trudged reluctantly
off the pitch.
That Wembley quarter-final and, more
specifically, the Rattín incident, led to
the introduction of yellow and red cards.
After the match, English referee Ken Aston
was waiting at traffic lights in his car and
the idea of the cards came to him when
the red and amber lights lit up.
Kreitlein’s notes are just one document in
the Zurich museum’s extensive collection
of more than 1,000 exhibits, including
nostalgic objects, documents and images
from the FIFA archives.
F04
In the past, rain would take all of the pace out of the game, which is exactly what happened at the 1954 World Cup final between Hungary and West Germany. The leather ball quickly became sodden, and elegantly struck crosses suddenly failed to reach the intended attacker’s head.
MEMENTOS
39FIFA 1904 /
FIFA
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WOMEN’S FOOTBALL
ON THE BIG STAGEThe FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup will get under way in Jordan on 30 September. The stadiums and the mascot are ready and primed for action in a tournament that is sure to shape the region and further strengthen women’s football. By Annette Braun
and dreamers have built the mythology of
the unicorn on her resilient frame. Hunters
have done their best to stamp out her
existence, yet she remains – not as a relic
of the region’s past, but as an enduring
symbol ready to gallop into the future.
OF HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCEThis message is ideal for the FIFA U-17
Women’s World Cup, which will take place
in Jordan in September and October.
As ever, the tournament promises thrilling
Aseela, the official mascot of the FIFA U-17
Women’s World Cup 2016, brought a
smile to the faces of everyone at a recent
FIFA/LOC press conference in Amman,
with the Arabian oryx playing a key role in
drumming up public interest for what will
be a historic tournament in Jordan.
In Aseela, football fans in the kingdom not
only have a mascot that appeals to their
national identity but also underlines the
significance of the first major women’s
football tournament in the Arab world.
At the press conference in Amman, Aseela
took to the stage in her bright-red, laced-
up football boots and pointed the way
forward for women’s football, saying that
she wants to inspire girls in Jordan to
follow in her “hoofsteps” and embrace
the game of football with open arms.
The Arabian oryx is an antelope that is
renowned in its Hashemite homeland for
its power and grace. Poets have dedicated
countless verses to her striking presence,
40 / FIFA 1904
Surprise visitor German international Mesut Özil drops in on a training session of the Jordan U-17 national team.
THE GROUPS AT A GLANCE:GROUP A: Jordan
Spain
Mexico
New Zealand
GROUP B: Venezuela
Germany
Cameroon
Canada
GROUP C: Nigeria
Brazil
England
Korea DPR
GROUP D: USA
Paraguay
Ghana
Japan
“This tournament will be a milestone for women’s football in the region and the world.”HRH Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein
matches galore as teams vie for the title,
but this year it will also be about develop-
ing women’s football and the legacy of the
tournament, the first major one of its kind
in the Middle East. As HRH Prince Ali Bin
Al Hussein said: “This tournament will be a
milestone for women’s football in the
region and the world.”
Regular seminars have also been held in
the region in the build-up to the event to
give young girls a closer insight into the
game and to train female coaches. “The
FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup is part of
FIFA’s commitment to promote, develop
and invest in women’s football, so that the
sport and those who play it can grow to
reach their full potential in Jordan, across
the Middle East, and beyond,” stressed
Lydia Nsekera, who in 2013 became the
first woman to be elected as a full member
of the FIFA Executive Committee. Safa
Abdallah Al-Shaoubi, head of women’s
football in Yemen, said: “My wish is for
decision-makers in my country to under-
stand the role of women within football for
greater inclusion and diversity in society.”
AN ILLUSTRIOUS GUESTPreparations for the tournament in Jordan
are going according to plan. The stadiums
are 95% ready, other infrastructure in the
country has been expanded, and the
Jordanian U-17 team is raring to go. The
team was recently visited by none other
than Mesut Özil, who trained with the girls
before visiting the Zaatari refugee camp to
give children some shirts and to have a
kick-about with them too. Rania Juneidi,
a 12-year-old Syrian refugee, was thrilled:
“I passed the ball to Mesut Özil himself and
he gave me a high five, this is the best day
of my life!”
The final of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World
Cup will be played on 21 October. Only
one team will be able to lift the trophy –
but one thing is already certain: and that is
that women’s football will be the winner,
not only in Jordan, but also in the entire
Middle East and all over the world. And
Aseela, the strong and graceful oryx, will
be there to celebrate with all of the girls.
Ready to go The Al-Hassan Stadium in Irbid is all set for the start of the tournament.
41FIFA 1904 /
Muh
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Flowers for Rio The Swedish national team celebrates qualifying for the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament.
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL
THE OLYMPIC DREAMTwelve teams have qualified for the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament in Rio. Their goal: gold, silver or bronze – or is it just the taking part that counts?By Annette Braun
a record matched only by the USA and Brazil. At the European
qualifying tournament in the Netherlands in March, Pia Sundhage’s
charges saw off the hosts, as well as Norway and Switzerland, to
claim not only those sunflowers, but more importantly, their
tickets to Brazil alongside fellow European representatives France
and Germany, who had already sealed their Olympic places at last
year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in Canada.
The players are holding sunflowers in their hands, the beautiful
bouquets blending in perfectly against their traditional yellow
shirts. The Swedish women’s team have, once again, qualified for
the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament, which this year will
be played in Rio, starting on 3 August. Women’s football has
been part of the Olympics since 1996, and the Swedes have
played in all six tournaments so far – consistency personified, and
42 / FIFA 1904
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MORE AND MORE FANSThe magic number, in Rennes on 3 June at least, was
24,385 – that was the number of fans who watched the
Women’s EURO qualifier between France and Greece in
north-west France, a new record for a women’s football
match in France. Those who turned up were rewarded
with a 1-0 victory for the home team, but more
importantly the attendance was yet more proof that
women’s football is continuing to go from strength to
strength all over the world.
No fewer than 1,353,506 fans attended matches at last
year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in Canada – yet
another record. England also surprised many with their
excellent showing in Canada, finishing in fourth place,
and their performances last year have also seen league
attendances on the rise back home. They aren’t alone in
that feat either, as the USA also welcomed more and
more fans in 2015, with an average of 5,000 fans at each
league game, an increase of more than 20% compared
to the previous year’s figures.
For the players, such support is priceless. After the
Greece match on 3 June, France’s Wendie Renard said:
“It’s great to play in front of so many people. It gives us
more motivation to do our best. We play to win, of
course, but also to entertain the fans.”
“It’s the taking part that counts” may well be the modern-day
Olympic motto, but the Swedes have their sights set higher –
they want a medal. They went close to winning bronze in
Athens in 2004, but lost out to Germany 1-0. Now they are
aiming for the podium in Rio. As midfielder Lisa Dahlkvist says:
“Everyone in our team will have to be on top of their game.
If we do that and if we stick together, then we have a chance.”
FIVE RINGS, ONE DREAMAll 12 teams will united by another goal: to enjoy the unique
Olympic atmosphere. “You go to the Olympic Village and see
all the different nationalities and athletes,” says Amber Hearn,
New Zealand’s record goalscorer. “The Olympics are something
that you have to appreciate, you have to experience it.”
But while Rio 2016 will be Hearn’s third Olympics, Zimbabwe’s
Rudo Neshamba is at the other end of the scale as she will be
making her Olympic debut. Just 12 months ago, Neshamba
wasn’t even sure that she had a future in the game, which
explains why she enrolled on a journalism course. But now she
is about to take part in the Olympics. “I am incredibly proud to
help my country achieve this dream,” she said. “The victory
was celebrated throughout Zimbabwe, and we can feel that
the whole country is behind the team.” The Olympic motto will
certainly be apt for the Zimbabweans in Rio.
MANY FAVOURITES, BUT ONLY ONE WINNERThe Germans are another team who will be shooting for the
stars. They already have three bronze medals to their name,
but so far they have been unable to go all the way. Coach Silvia
Neid will be handing over the reins to Steffi Jones after Rio,
so can she bow out with a gold medal around her neck?
It certainly wouldn’t be the worst way to say goodbye.
Lena Goessling has already found time to analyse Germany’s
main rivals, saying: “France are definitely one of the favourites
to win. Like ourselves and the USA, they play really good
football. Brazil are the hosts but they’re a little harder to assess
right now, although they could surprise us, who knows?
They’re playing in front of their own fans and the pressure on
them might be higher than usual. We know what that’s like:
it can spur you on or it can be too much.”
The USA, however, are no strangers to pressure, having won
the tournament four times already, including on home soil in
1996. They are also the reigning world champions, so they will
be the team to beat – whether it is for a medal, and/or for the
next bunch of sunflowers...
THE GROUPS AT A GLANCE:GROUP E: Brazil
China PR
South Africa
Sweden
GROUP F: Australia
Canada
Germany
Zimbabwe
GROUP G: Colombia
France
New Zealand
USA
43FIFA 1904 /
Platform kickabout Leônidas da Silva (centre) and his Brazil team-mates after arriving at Paris’ Gare de Strasbourg on 1 June 1938. Brazil went on
PHOTO ARCHIVE
44 / FIFA 1904
to finish third at that year’s World Cup in France.
45FIFA 1904 /
Pres
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HISTORY
THE GAME OF THEIR LIVESOne goal, one win, one football fairy tale: Korea DPR stunned the world of football in 1966, and a group of men forged a very special friendship that endures to this very day. By Annette Braun
46 / FIFA 1904
Press Association
Pak Doo-ik strolls over the lush green pitch and gazes longingly
at the empty stadium in Middlesbrough, and as he does so
a little smile creeps over his face as the memories start to come
back. In his mind’s eye he is watching a film with a plot that
critics would probably have dismissed as being too far-fetched.
But these scenes are far from fiction. They actually happened.
This particular film is a 90-minute tale of passion and belief
in one’s own ability. It tells the tale of Korea DPR defeating hot
favourites Italy 1-0 in their final group game of the 1966 FIFA
World Cup™ in England to become the first-ever Asian team to
reach the quarter-finals.
The setting for this drama was Ayresome Park in Middlesbrough,
a working-class town in the north-east of England, where
19,000 fans witnessed the Koreans’ stunning victory. Thirty-six
years later, the seven surviving members of the Korean side
returned to the scene to reminisce about their moment in the
sun for a documentary called The Game of Their Lives (2002).
THE SUPPORT OF A NATIONGoing into the tournament, very little was known about the
North Koreans who had qualified on the back of two victories
over Australia (6-1 and 3-1) and had piqued the interest of
the English fans, who were curious as to what they could expect
from their Asian guests.
Their opening match against the Soviet Union confirmed what
they – and the media – had probably expected: not a lot.
The North Koreans were simply too small and unable to match
the USSR’s sheer physical strength, going down 3-0 without too
much of a fight. A 1-1 draw with Chile put them back in the
race, however, and the Koreans went into their final group
match against two-time world champions Italy knowing that a
win would be enough.
Pak Doo-ik’s smile gets bigger when he thinks back to that
fateful day and a famous match in which he would play a
starring role. Whereas the Italians seemed to think that victory
was a mere formality, for the Koreans this game meant
everything – it was what they had trained for. Goalkeeper Lee
Chang-myung says: “Behind me there was a goal, which was
small. But behind that goal was our entire nation. If I conceded
a goal, the reputation of North Korea would fall. Therefore,
I guarded the goal with my life.”
PAK THE HEROThe Korean goalkeeper played the game of his life too, pulling
off save after save to make sure that Italy finished without a goal
to their name, while at the other end of the pitch, Pak Doo-ik
seized on a loose ball to fire home from just inside the box for
the only goal of the game. “I moved so I could use my right foot
which was always more accurate,” explains the man who sent
his team-mates into raptures, went down in World Cup history
and sparked off football fever back home.
Pak Doo-ik, Korea DPR’s number 7 in 1966, had started his
professional career in 1957, but after that fateful 1966 match,
“If I conceded a goal, the reputation of North Korea would fall. Therefore, I guarded the goal with my life.”Lee Chang-myung
Ahoy there! An English sailor embarks on an impromptu lap of honour with goalscorer Pak Seung-zin after Korea DPR’s 1-1 draw with Chile.
47FIFA 1904 /
© 2016 adidas AG
the Italian media focused on his actual profession – dentist –
which proved to be rather apt as it was he who left the Italians
down in the mouth at the World Cup.
Despair and frustration in Italy, joy unconfined in Middles
brough – the North Koreans had not only played themselves
into the quarterfinals but also into English fans’ hearts. Maybe
that was because of the English love of an underdog, but maybe
it was also down to the fact that the Koreans were a hard
working team, one that had almost been forged in the image
of this industrial town. The fans flocked into the streets and
escorted the Koreans’ bus back to the team hotel. All of a
sudden, 19,000 fans had doubled in number as more and more
wanted to be in Liverpool for the quarterfinals to see the next
footballing sensation unfold. In the end, some 3,000 people
travelled from Middlesbrough to support the Koreans against
Portugal.
STOPPED BY EUSÉBIO In Liverpool, the North Korean fairy tale carried on where it had
left off in Middlesbrough as Myung Ryehyun’s team raced into
a 30 lead in the first 25 minutes. That was as good as it got,
however, as a certain Portuguese striker by the name of Eusébio
pulled them back to 32 by the break before scoring another
two goals in the second half to seal the Europeans’ 53 win.
It was the end of the road for the North Koreans, who by now
were heroes back home. Commemorative stamps were printed
and thousands of fans turned out at the airport to welcome
them. Yang Seungkook says: “In our generation everyone
recognises my face. Younger generations recognise me by my
name: Yang Seungkook – the hero of the eighth World Cup.”
The 1966 team was a unit and worked hard for each other. The
players themselves did not allow themselves to dwell on their
defeat by Portugal, and instead they focused on all that they had
achieved together. That togetherness did not end once the
tournament in England was over either, as the 1966 boys still get
together to mark birthdays, to celebrate together and to talk
about days gone by.
As for the Italians, the name Pak Dooik appears to have an
effect on them even now, 50 years later. When North Korea’s
goalscoring hero made a brief return to the UK in 2002, he
made a pitstop in Wales... and the Squadra Azzurra promptly
lost 21 to the Welsh. Pak himself would probably neither
confirm nor deny that he had a part to play in that… instead he
would probably just allow himself to smile and lose himself in his
favourite film again.
Leapfrog The North Koreans in training before their first match against the Soviet Union.
1-0! Pak Dooik’s historic strike against Italy.
Time to celebrate Korea DPR’s heroes after their 10 victory over Italy.
49FIFA 1904 /
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STATISTICS
50 / FIFA 1904
FIFA’S 2015 AT A GLANCE
51FIFA 1904 /
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FACES OF FIFA
Name: Philipp Tobler Job title: Medicine & Science Manager Age: 45 Nationality: Switzerland Date joined FIFA: 2012
Name: Flavia Lopes Sant Anna Job title: Senior Manager, Performance Programmes Age: 32 Nationa-lity: Brazil Date joined FIFA: 2010
Name: Innocent Maduagwu Job title: Logistics Coordinator Age: 39 Nationality: Nigeria Date joined FIFA: 2008
Why did you want to work for FIFA?
After working for eight years in management
consulting, I felt the time was right for a new
challenge. A job advert for FIFA caught my eye over
Christmas in 2011 and I sent off my CV the same day.
When I got a call on New Year’s Eve in Times Square,
New York City, inviting me for an interview, it was
party time in Manhattan! After three nerve-wracking
interviews, I got the job, and I’ve been a proud
member of the FIFA team since April 2012.
What exactly do you do at FIFA?
My current range of duties is like a colourful bouquet
of flowers. I’m responsible for all 49 of the FIFA
Medical Centres of Excellence worldwide, handling
everything related to them, and I am also in charge
of the “FIFA 11+” injury prevention programme in
our department. In addition, I have an organisational
and coordinating role at FIFA tournaments and am
the first point of contact for all medical matters,
from A to Z, including doping controls.
What has been the highlight of your time at FIFA
to date?
The U-20 World Cup 2015 in New Zealand.
The great atmosphere in the stadiums, seeing the
young players and stars of tomorrow, the welcoming
Kiwis and of course the friendships that I made and
strengthened in the FIFA team over there.
Why did you want to work for FIFA?
I have always been passionately involved in sport,
particularly football. FIFA was certainly a dream job
for me and a logical succession to my previous jobs,
as I went from working as a physical coach in a
football club in Brazil, to a sports marketing agency,
and back to university to take a masters degree in
sport (the FIFA Master).
What exactly do you do at FIFA?
At FIFA, I work for the PERFORMANCE Programme,
which helps member associations to improve their
organisation and become more professional and
commercial. It is wonderful to work with the member
associations on the ground and get to understand
their specific needs.
Which footballer (or person in football) would
you like to meet and why?
I really wanted to meet Marta and Pelé, the two
football legends of my country. Thanks to my work at
FIFA, I had the chance to meet Pelé at the Congress
in 2010; it was quite surreal to get to chat with him,
even if briefly. With Marta, the chance came at the
Ballon D’Or and it was amazing to tell her how much
I appreciated what she has done for women’s
football and football as a whole.
Why did you want to work at FIFA?
I wanted to work at FIFA to be part of the great work
it carries out in football. FIFA brings hope, unity, peace
and the development of football throughout the whole
world, “For the Game. For the World”. It has provided
me with a wonderful opportunity to meet people and
experience different cultures when I have had the
opportunity to work at various FIFA events.
What exactly do you do at FIFA?
I work in the Logistics Department, which is a service
provider to all FIFA divisions. On a daily basis, my
main tasks are the processing of incoming and
outgoing mail and parcels at the Home of FIFA,
Sonnenberg, Hitzigweg and the FIFA Museum as well
as the printing and distribution of agendas, circulars,
regulations, meeting documents, etc. in all FIFA
languages. We also provide on-site logistics support
at all FIFA events.
Who is your favourite football team of all time?
That’s an easy one! My home country, the Nigerian
Super Eagles, of course.
What has been the highlight of your time at FIFA
to date?
There have been many highlights at my time at FIFA.
One of my most memorable events was when I was
working at the FIFA U-17 World Cup Chile 2015,
when the Nigerian Flying Eagles won the tournament
by beating Mali 2-0 in the final.
53FIFA 1904 /
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Phot
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)
AN EVENTFUL JUNE
DOWN TO THE WIRE
Worth the wait Dimitri Payet’s
stunning late strike gave France a 2-1
victory over Romania in the opening
match of EURO 2016.
The group stage of the European Championship 2016 with its 24 teams has been characterised by tight games and late goals. By Annette Braun
It was the 89th minute of the EURO 2016
opening match between France and Romania
when Dimitri Payet had his “now or never”
moment. With the scoreline at 1-1, he received
the ball at the right-hand edge of the penalty
area, and hammered it with his left foot into
the top-left corner of the goal. The crowd at
the Stade de France in Paris went wild, and
Didier Deschamps’ team breathed a huge sigh
of relief. They seemed nervous throughout the
opening match, perhaps feeling the pressure of
the massive expectations of being the hosts.
Only one player was able to overcome that
pressure: Dimitri Payet. The midfielder had
been slogging away for 89 minutes, driving Les
Bleus’ attacking game. The first goal from
Olivier Giroud in the 57th minute had been set
up by a perfect cross from Payet, and Payet
continued to drive his team on after that. No
surprise, therefore, that it was Payet who
scored the deciding goal, ending the match 2-1.
After the final whistle, Payet, who comes
from the French overseas département of
Réunion, had to fight back tears, while in
the stands there was no holding back the
emotions. The French got their perfect start
to the tournament after all – a happy ending
at the very last minute, to secure a result that
was of vital importance for the host team.
L’équipe tricolore also started their 1998
World Cup campaign with a win (3-0 against
South Africa), as well as the European Cham-
pionship in 2000 (3-0 against Denmark) –
and went on to win both competitions.
Payet, who currently plays for West Ham,
made the difference for France and, in doing
so, secured his place in the hearts of the fans.
In the third group-stage match against
Switzerland, the coach decided to rest him,
only bringing him on in the 63rd minute with
the chant of “Payet, Payet” echoing around
the stands. Marco van Basten, Michel Platini,
Andrey Arschavin – all have left their mark on
this competition in the past. Now it is Payet’s
turn to take up the mantle, and the public are
backing him all the way.
KINGS OF ADDITIONAL TIMEPayet not only provided the first emotional
moment of this tournament, he also started a
trend – that of the very late deciding goal. In
the first week of EURO 2016, 34 goals were
scored, ten of which were scored after the 87th
minute. Thinking of leaving before the final
whistle to beat the traffic? “It’s all over
anyway,” you might think. But if you did that
in this year’s tournament, you would regret it
– hard-fought matches have ended with
goal-filled finales. It’s almost as if the teams
were trying to avoid penalty shoot-outs, even
though they are not used in the group stage
anyway. Maybe they think they are actors in a
play in which the shocking dénouement all
happens in the last act.
54 / FIFA 1904
score 2-0, while Éder took Italy through to
the round of 16 with his late goal against
Sweden shortly before the final whistle.
Germany’s World Cup coach of 1954, Sepp
Herberger, is famously quoted for saying:
“The ball is round and the game lasts
90 minutes.” This year’s EURO, however,
shows that the match is not always lost or
won in 90 minutes, but often a good few
minutes later.
What these tight matches and late goals
show is that many of the teams have been
focusing on defence, and for the attacking
teams it has been difficult to get through
the defensive formations. They launch
attacks, create chances here and there, but
don’t get the result they want... until the
final minutes, when the opponents may be
flagging, both mentally and physically.
It takes just one mistake to make the whole
game plan go wrong. Just one inattentive
moment and it is too late to react. And
that is when the Payets, the Schweinsteigers
or the Éders of the competition seize their
opportunity.
Payet started it in the match against
Romania, and continued the trend in
France’s second match against Albania.
Hot on the heels of Antoine Griezmann’s
goal for 1-0 in the 90th minute, Payet’s
96th-minute goal making the score 2-0 was
the latest goal in European Championship
history. But it has not just been France with
the late goals. In the England v. Wales match,
Daniel Sturridge scored in the 91st minute for
the Three Lions. Bastian Schweinsteiger
sealed the deal for Germany against Ukraine
with his goal in stoppage time to make the
55FIFA 1904 /
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THE END OF AN ERAAs Chile celebrated winning the Copa América Centenario, the team they beat in the final – Argentina – are now standing at a crossroads as Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international football straight after the Albiceleste’s latest defeat in a final. By Annette Braun
Dismay Lionel Messi was left to rue a third major final defeat in as many years.
MESSI’S MAGICAnd so Messi joins a list of players unable to crown impressive
careers with a major title at international level, but he has already
achieved far too much for his career to be labelled in any way as
“incomplete” or “blemished”, having fired FC Barcelona to four
UEFA Champions League titles, eight Spanish league champion
ships and four Spanish cups. He is a player like no other, a player
who can do things with the ball that defy all the laws of physics,
leaving his opponents dazed as he dribbles past them, relying
upon his incredible vision in even the tightest of spaces before
finishing with unerring accuracy. Quite simply: if Messi has the
ball, alarm bells go off in the opposition defence as they know
that he is the one man who can do the unexpected and decide a
game all on his own.
It is not just for FC Barcelona that he has shone, but also for
Argentina. It was at the FIFA U20 World Cup in the Netherlands
in 2005 that Messi first came to the world’s attention, with fans
quick to realise that they were watching a rather special player
indeed. He may have been slight in stature, but as soon as he had
The penalty shootout to decide the final of the Copa América
Centenario between Chile and Argentina in East Rutherford, New
Jersey had just finished, and Lionel Messi cut a dejected figure as
he sat slumped on the pitch. The Chileans were not holding back
in celebrating their 42 victory, and the fivetime Ballon d’Or
winner looked bewildered, almost apathetic as this golden
Albiceleste generation set about coming to terms with losing their
third final in as many years (2014 World Cup, Copa América 2015,
Copa América Centenario 2016). The shock had not yet truly hit
home and the tears were still flowing when the FC Barcelona star
announced the end of his international career. “It [a title with
Argentina] was the thing I wanted the most. It hurts not to be a
champion,” he said, head bowed.
Joy Chile successfully defended the Copa América title they won in 2015.
AN EVENTFUL JUNE
56 / FIFA 1904
AFP
(2)
Last-gasp joy Daniel Sturridge fires home in injury time to give England a 2-1 win over Wales.
This year’s EURO shows that the
match is not always lost or won
in 90 minutes, but often a good
few minutes later.
THE LEGACY OF THE GREEKSIt was Greece in the 2004 European
Championship who showed that keeping
a compact defence could lead to success.
The tactic of Otto Rehhagel’s team was
for up to three players to put pressure on
the opponent’s player in possession, and
their defence operated with strict
man-marking. The goals – seven in six
matches – were almost by-the-by, com-
ing mainly from headers off corner kicks
or long crosses. In the semi-final against
the Czech Republic, it was the sweeper
Traianos Dellas who headed in the silver
goal in the 105th minute, and in the final
against Portugal, Angelo Charisteas
bagged a 1-0 win for Greece. Suddenly,
they were the surprise European champi-
ons. England manager Roy Hodgson
claimed luck was on his team’s side after
their last-minute victory against Wales
last week. The same could have been
said for Greece back in 2004. But the
English and the Greeks both know the
saying which counsels caution at a time
of euphoria: “He who laughs last laughs
longest.” Namely – when the winners at
the Stade de France in Paris on 10 July
hold that trophy in their hands.
the ball, any doubts about his class and ability quickly
dissipated. Argentina duly won the title by beating
Nigeria 2-1 in the final, with Messi scoring both
Albiceleste goals. He then went on to lead his country
to Olympic gold in Beijing in 2008, and by the time he
had called time on his Argentina days, he had set a
new record by bagging 55 goals in 113 games.
Messi well and truly left his mark on this year’s Copa
too, entering the fray in Argentina’s group game
against Paraguay with the score at 1-0 and promptly
notching a hat-trick in a 5-0 win, and in the semi-final
against the USA, he nonchalantly whipped a free kick
into the top corner to set up a re-match of the 2015
Copa final against Chile.
A COPA OF SURPRISESCONMEBOL’s centenary tournament certainly had its
fair share of surprises. Both Uruguay and Brazil, two
teams that many people had tipped for the title, didn’t
even make it out of the group phase, with Peru and
Venezuela reaching the quarter-finals in their stead.
Brazil coach Carlos Dunga promptly paid the price for
that exit and bade farewell to the Seleção, to be re-
placed by Tite. Mexico were another team with clear
designs on the title, but their dreams were also dashed
in the quarter-finals after a crushing 7-0 defeat at the
hands of Chile. The Chileans, however, went from
strength to strength, cruising past Colombia 2-0 in the
semis before holding their nerve in the penalty shoot-
out against Argentina to lift the trophy.
“It’s not enough to just get to the final and not win,”
lamented a self-critical Messi after that defeat, once
again bearing witness to the high expectations that he
has always had of himself, and which the public have
also placed on his shoulders for good measure. After
three major final defeats in as many years, Messi’s
disappointment is clearly easy to understand. It can
only be hoped that he did not decide to retire in the
heat of the moment, but rather that it was a decision
that he had thought long and hard about. One thing is
for sure: it is not just Argentina that will miss seeing the
maestro in action in upcoming international tourna-
ments, but also every single fan of the beautiful game
in every corner of the world.
57FIFA 1904 /
Dan
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/ Get
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HEALTH
FIGHTING THE TABOO
had nothing to be depressed about, but
there had been examples before him of
pros who suffered from the illness, such as
Sebastian Deisler, one of the most talented
German players of his generation, who
called time on his career at just 27.
Awareness among professional athletes of
the condition has grown since Enke’s tragic
death, but given the public scrutiny and the
highly competitive environment in which
they operate, the pressure on sufferers to
hide it remains high. Professor Astrid Junge,
Head of Research at the FIFA Medical
Assessment and Research Centre (F-MARC),
confirms: “Football players, especially the
top players, are subject to higher levels of
stress, not only physically in training and
matches but also in terms of the high
expectations of them as well as potential
10 November 2009 was a dark day in the
annals of German football: it was the day
that Robert Enke, goalkeeper for Hannover
96 and the national team, committed
suicide. Although Enke suffered from
depression, nobody knew about it apart
from his closest friends – neither the club
and national teams nor the general public.
A professional footballer with depression?
The general view was that such athletes
Mental problems are stigmatised in football – but they certainly exist, as demonstrated by studies carried out in the course of a FIFA research project on mental health at the Hamburg Medical School.By Annette Braun
58 / FIFA 1904
Illus
trat
ion:
Mar
tin H
aake
“Mental fitness is just as important for professional footballers’ well-being and performance as physical fitness and technique.”
Project Manager Birgit Prinz
competition and conflicts within the team.”
Professional football is a fast-moving
business in which, every day, players have
to prove themselves and perform at their
very best.
How widespread is depression among
professional athletes? Are footballers more
at risk than the general public due to the
pressure they face? Few studies were
devoted to the subject in the past,
particularly any involving a broad participa-
tion that would yield a scientifically sound
analysis. FIFA therefore opened up a new
research area with the Hamburg Medical
School in 2014. The intention behind
“Mental Health and Sport” is to remove
the stigma surrounding mental health and
top athletes and develop basic foundations
for treatment and sources of information
for team doctors, coaches and players.
The head researcher in the project is Birgit
Prinz, three-time FIFA Women’s World
Player of the Year and a qualified psycholo-
gist. She says: “Mental fitness is just as
important for professional footballers’
well-being and performance as physical
fitness and technique.”
HIGH LEVELS AMONG U-21 PLAYERSMembers of all ten top-tier Swiss women’s
teams along with nine of the ten men’s
top-level teams and four U-21 teams took
part in an initial study that was designed
to ascertain how widespread depression is
among top-level footballers compared
to the general public. The anonymous
questionnaires revealed that the percentage
of male and female players in the top
league who suffer from depression is
as high as that among the general public,
with 7.6% showing indications of mild
depression and 3% having to contend
with a more severe form. The distribution
among the U-21 players was higher,
with an average of 2.8 players in each
23-man squad reporting initial signs of
depression.
The study also showed that injured players
are more prone to depression than non-
injured ones, with strikers particularly
affected. Midfielders are the least likely to
suffer from the condition.
FIGHTING THE STIGMAHow high is the risk of a professional
female player suffering from depression
during and after her career? This issue
was tackled in a second study involving
157 players from the top-tier German
women’s league. The results were
revealing: almost 40% of the participants
had wanted to seek psychological help, but
only 10% actually received it. Post-career,
the first figure reduced to 24%, 90% of
whom actually received support privately.
These figures clearly show that the stigma
still exists, leading to players hiding
their psychological problems during their
careers.
The reasons given by players for suffering
depression in their playing days were
conflict with the coach, injuries or personal
problems, while in retirement, the causes
were a lack of prospects and financial
difficulties. The player’s position on the
pitch was also a factor, with strikers and
goalkeepers most at risk, possibly because
they receive the most attention and can be
the difference between winning and losing.
In addition, fewer players who command a
regular place in the team suffer from
depression than those on the fringes.
Both studies show that coaches play an
important role in a player’s psychological
state, and it would therefore be beneficial
if mental training were included in coach
education.
FIFA’s research project is intended to raise
awareness of the issue, remove doubt from
the minds of those involved and provoke a
debate. “We need to dispel the myth that
professional footballers are invincible,” says
Prinz. Mental problems are not confined to
specific groups and can be found in all
walks of life, regardless of location or
culture. In the words of the project leader:
“Mental stress can be prevented, treated
and cured.”
59FIFA 1904 /
FIFA PARTNER
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF...
Each month, FIFA 1904 accompanies a FIFA employee in their daily work.
A FIFA SENIOR WOMEN’S FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
It’s five in the morning when
Mayi Cruz Blanco lands in Beijing, but
despite the early hour, the bubbly Cuban,
who is in charge of women’s football
development at FIFA, shows no signs of
weariness. Being a former athlete, a key
part of her strength comes from having
made sport a part of her everyday life. This
seasoned traveller has been going around
the world on behalf of women’s football for
some years now. Bursting with energy,
she makes her way from the airport to the
headquarters of the Chinese FA (CFA) and
flicks through her documents one last time.
These contain all of the key points of the
presentation that she is giving at the
meeting between FIFA and the CFA.
Members of the CFA’s executive, the General
Secretary, other decision-makers in the
association and the FIFA delegation listen
intently to Cruz Blanco as she talks about
FIFA’s programmes to promote women’s
football and points out the advantages to
the CFA and society in general from
developing the women’s game in the
country. The audience is receptive, as FIFA
has had significant success in this area.
The Live Your Goals campaign has inspired
girls and women worldwide to take up the
sport since its launch in 2011 and is now
about to be introduced in China PR, with
many festivals and events planned over the
next four years, targeting up to 10,000 girls
annually. Cruz Blanco is delighted, as she
knows the importance of such projects:
“I believe that creating opportunities for
girls and women in football will have a
direct impact in bringing our sport to the
next level.” She continues: “Football boosts
recognition for girls and women and their
potential for having a positive effect on
society and the wider world.”
Mayrilian Cruz Blanco “Football boosts recognition for girls and women and their potential.”
A meeting with Wen Lirong, Head of the
CFA’s Women’s Football Department, is a
key part of her mission in China. Legendary
former China PR international Sun Wen
joins the meeting as well and together they
talk about a strategy that embraces
grassroots football, pathways to the top for
talented players, communication
opportunities and promoting the league.
There are also plans to establish a
partnership with the Ministry of Education
and Sport that would focus on a direct
exchange and pave the way for tailored
development projects in the country.
Cruz Blanco is convinced of the potential
for growth of women’s football and,
together with her colleague from Bosnia,
Arijana Demirović, strives to develop
football for girls and women around the
world. Their work has been instrumental in
the expansion of the FIFA women’s football
development portfolio, including Live Your
Goals, which is now active in 72 countries,
the introduction of the FIFA Female
Leadership Development Programme and
other initiatives designed to create and
enhance the pathways for female players
and to upskill coaches, administrators and
leaders within the women’s game.
After two days of fruitful discussions,
Cruz Blanco heads back to Zurich.
It’s an early start for her again (6.45), but
she is secure in the knowledge that China
PR is on the right track, and she will now
manage the projects from Switzerland.
The next mission awaits – for women’s
football and its remarkable potential.
Annette Braun
61FIFA 1904 /
Frie
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IFA
via
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ty Im
ages
CELEBRATION
HUGO SÁNCHEZIt’s a topsy-turvy world – or at least it
was when legendary Mexican number
9 Hugo Sánchez used to perform his
trademark somersault goal celebration,
which inspired many others to copy his
feat of gymnastics – German World
Cup record goalscorer Miroslav Klose
is one who comes to mind – and which
he also produced in the round-of-16
match against Bulgaria at the 1986
World Cup in Mexico.
In fact, so associated with the joyous
celebration was Sánchez, the inventive
yet ruthlessly efficient hotshot from
Mexico City, that he felt obliged to
perform it even when one of his team-
mates scored. Which is exactly what
happened on 15 June 1986 at the
Estadio Azteca in the Mexican capital,
when effervescent striker Manuel
Negrete scored with a spectacular
volley on the edge of the box after
34 minutes and Raúl Servín made it
two with a header with an hour played.
The two goals were enough to secure
victory for the hosts in a match that
took place in searing heat in front of
114,500 spectators.
Sánchez, who was the top scorer
five times in La Liga for Real Madrid
(1985-88, 1990), had his chances in
the game but failed to score on that
occasion. However, his goal celebration
will linger forever in the memory.
Perikles Monioudis
62 / FIFA 1904
63FIFA 1904 /
Bob
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as / G
etty
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PUBLICATION DETAILS
PUBLISHER FIFA, FIFA-Strasse 20, P.O. Box, 8044 Zurich, Switzerland Phone +41-(0)43-222 7777, fax +41-(0)43-222 7878PRESIDENT Gianni InfantinoSECRETARY GENERAL Fatma SamouraDIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS Nicolas Maingot (ad interim)HEAD OF CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS Julia FergusonCHIEF EDITOR Perikles MonioudisSTAFF WRITERS Alan Schweingruber (Deputy Editor), Annette BraunART DIRECTION Catharina ClajusPICTURE EDITOR Peggy KnotzLAYOUT Susanne EgliTRANSLATION AND PROOFREADING English: Timo Eugster, Andrew Hurley, Stuart Makin, Caitlin Stephens; French: Alexandre Adriano, Alexandre Károlyi, Nicolas Samier, Estelle Valensuela; Spanish: Irene Antolín Pérez, José Ibarra, Juan F. López Vera, Natalia Pita Álvarez; German: Sandra Locher, Yves-Manuel Méan, Gabriela Straube-Zweifel.
CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE Prof. Astrid JungePRODUCTION Hans-Peter FreiPROJECT MANAGEMENT Christian SchaubPRINTING Zofinger Tagblatt AGCONTACT [email protected] www.FIFA.com/Magazine
Reproduction of photographs and articles of FIFA 1904 in whole or in part is only permitted with prior editorial approval and with reference to the source (FIFA 1904, © FIFA 2016). The editor and staff are not obliged to publish unsolicited manuscripts and photographs.
The views expressed in FIFA 1904 are not necessarily those of FIFA.FIFA and the FIFA logo are registered trademarks.Made and printed in Switzerland.
FIFA 1904 – PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE FÉDÉRATION INTERNATIONALE DE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION (FIFA)
Home of FIFA, Zurich.
64 / FIFA 1904
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laus
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chte
r / R
epor
tair.
ch
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