ISSUE 38, 11 JULY 2014 ENGLISH EDITION

Fédération Internationale de Football Association – Since 1904

WWW.FIFA.COM/THEWEEKLY

THE FINALThe World Cup

FOOTBALL FOR HOPE UNFORGETTABLE FESTIVAL IN RIO

SEPP BL AT TER THANK-YOU

BRAZIL!

FABIO GROSSO A LIFE-CHANGING

PENALTY

6 The Final

A fantastic World Cup is drawing to a close. On Sunday, Germany and Argentina will battle it out for the title in a reprise of the 1986 and 1990 Finals. Ahead of the showdown at the Maracana, we look back at the most memorable Finals since 1930 while reporter Sven Goldmann charts the 2014 finalists’ path to success.

10 Dutch ghosts Despite performing consistently well at the World Cup for the past four decades, the Netherlands have yet to lift football’s greatest trophy.

19 Sepp Blatter The FIFA President looks back on four exceptional weeks of World Cup football: “I have been captivated by the absorbing atmosphere. Thank-you Brazil.”

35 Cold days and lots of salad Peruvian Teofilo Cubillas endured hard times in Switzerland in the early 1970s, but today says that “Basel has a special place in my heart.”

C O N T E N T S

North and Central America 35 members www.concacaf.com

South America 10 members www.conmebol.com

The FIFA Weekly Magazine AppThe FIFA Weekly, FIFA’s football magazine, is also available in five languages as an e-Magazine on your tablet every Friday.

14 Humiliation Brazil’s 7-1 defeat by Germany will take some time to digest.

24 Football for Hope For 192 young people, attending FIFA’s festival in Rio was the fulfilment of a lifelong dream.

The FinalThis week’s cover image was captured during the World Cup Final in Rome on 8 July 1990. Rudi Voller and Oscar Ruggeri leap for the ball in the foreground while Jurgen Klinsmann and Jose Serrizuela look on.

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T H I S W E E K I N T H E W O R L D O F F O O T B A L L

Europe 54 members www.uefa.com

Africa 54 members www.cafonline.com

Asia 46 members www.the-afc.com

Oceania 11 members www.oceaniafootball.com

Alfredo Di Stefano (4 July 1926 – 7 July 2014)

FIFA President Blatter: “I am extremely shocked by the news of Alfredo Di Stefano’s death. He was the most complete footballer I have ever seen. He was also my favourite player.”

37 Gunter Netzer Our columnist discusses a changing of the guard in Spain but believes “the team will come back stronger than ever.”

30 Fabio Grosso Eight years ago, Italy won the World Cup Final. “It was the best party I’ve ever had,” says Grosso in this week’s Interview.

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T H E N E W 4 K L E D T V

A view from the beach Thousands flocked to the Copacabana

to watch Brazil play Germany.

U N C O V E R E D

Germany versus Argentina. What a Final, bring-ing back vivid memories: Diego Maradona in his pomp in 1986, likewise Lothar Matthaus in

1990. Like the whole tournament, the last 90 or 120 minutes of this World Cup will go down in history. And maybe in 2030 the writer of this column will fondly recall “the most exciting World Cup Final of all time!” (Two goals from Müller, two from Messi – all in extra time.)

The best has been saved till last. But how will it end? We can make a tentative guess or two. After the 7–1 triumph against Brazil, Germany

are favourites. But then, Spain were tipped to beat the Netherlands. And weren’t Costa Rica rank out-siders? This is a thrillingly unpredictable World Cup. Reporter Sven Goldmann examines the con-trasting routes to the Final followed by Germany and Argentina. Thomas Renggli reflects on Brazil’s dramatic night in Belo Horizonte, where he wit-nessed the unbelievable defeat in person.

Rio hosted the Football for Hope Festival in par-allel with the World Cup this week. Some 192 youths from 27 countries took part in the camp

and four-day football tournament. Our four-page special report details the extraordinary passion and commitment shown by the kids, and explores the purpose behind the FIFA festival.

Sepp Blatter feels Brazil have been magnificent hosts. In his weekly column the FIFA President praises the absorbing atmosphere and says:

“Thank-you Brazil. The event we’ve been privileged to witness has exceeded all expectations.” Å

Alan Schweingruber

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THE ULTIMATE DREAMT H E F I N A L

Every footballer dreams of playing in the World Cup Final, but only a select few ever make it that far. Ahead of Sunday’s showdown between Germany and Argentina, The FIFA Weekly takes a look at the 2014 finalists’ path to glory.

Sven Goldmann, Rio de Janeiro

6 T H E F I FA W E E K LY

THE ULTIMATE DREAMGermany versus Argentina is a pairing al-ready seen twice before at a World Cup Final. At Mexico 1986, the incredible Diego Armando Maradona lifted the Trophy for the Albi­celeste. Having spent that match trying to mark Argentina’s brightest star, Lothar Mat-thaus had to wait just four more years for his own moment in the sun, when Franz Becken-bauer’s side became world champions for the third time at Italia ‘90.

The German method in 2014

Minimalism is wrongly and unfairly under-rated in football. What is the point of beautiful artistry if you end up emp-

ty-handed? Germany coach Joachim Low had his team play thrilling football at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and again two years later at Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine. And he was roundly castigated for it too, because beauty and fragility ultimately go hand in hand, and resilience was lacking when the chips were down.

No-one has levelled any such criticism at the Germans this time round. Low has kept his cool in the heat of Brazil and proved himself a quick learner. He has checked his predilection for form over function and adopted a pragmat-ic, success-oriented approach. When the occa-sion finally demanded it he even switched his beloved 4-3-3 formation to a 4-2-3-1, all in pur-suit of success. If it meant an end to the pretty stuff, so be it.

With the notable exception of the epochal 7-1 thrashing meted out to Brazil, and compared to the unpredictable thrillers served up by the Germans in South Africa, their performances here feel rational and meticulously planned. In the 4–0 victory over Portugal Low’s men were simply content to ruthlessly punish mistakes made by increasingly hot-headed opponents. The 2–2 draw with lively Ghana demonstrated a new-found ability to deal with unexpected set-backs. The 1–0 win against the US team coached by Low’s predecessor Juergen Klinsmann was certainly hard fought but was always only going to end one way. In the Round of 16 the coura-geous Algerians never looked like knocking the runaway favourites out of their stride as the Germans patiently waited for the chance they

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FINALS OF YESTERYEARThe World Cup f inal marks the end of the tournament, with the only two teams remaining in the competition playing for the most coveted trophy in the game. Having progressed so far, winning is the only thing that matters, with the runners-up forced to be content with a silver medal. As title -deciders of ten write new chapters in footballing history, here is an overview of some of the most unforgettable encounters.

Dominik Petermann

URUGUAY 1930Uruguay 4-2 Argentina: Hosts triumph at World Cup premiere

In 1930 Uruguay hosted the maiden FIFA World Cup, a tournament that was memorable for several curious mo-ments. The final between Uruguay and Argentina was one of them, as both teams arrived for the encounter with their own match ball, refusing to play

with their opponent’s ball. Belgian referee John Langenus found a way to compro-mise, deciding that the first half would be played with Argentina’s ball and the second period with Uruguay’s. The hosts eventually won, despite being 2-1 down at the break.

knew would eventually come. And come it did, albeit a lot later than anyone imagined.

The new German minimalism reached its zenith to date in the quarter-final against the highly-regarded French with their brilliant in-dividuals and soaring confidence based on a convincing preliminary stage campaign. It was a triumph of intelligent planning at the ex-pense of unencumbered exuberance, although no-one at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro was any less impressed. An early opening goal proved enough, before Manuel Neuer and Co saw it through to the finish with the cool cal-

T H E F I N A L

Champions in the making? Germany posted an impressive 7-1 win over Brazil.

culation of a chess computer. The French hur-ried, scurried and plugged away, but for all their territorial advantage never really looked like salvaging a draw.

At the end of the day the French domi-nance provided an invaluable benefit for the Germans: a newly-formed rearguard received a thorough workout in intense competitive con-ditions ready for the tasks ahead. “Their suc-cess proves them right,” acknowledged France coach Didier Deschamps.

There is a certain sense of déjà vu, recalling the days when Germany would somehow con-

jure up a goal before defending a slender lead through to the final whistle. The world consid-ered them infamous rather than famous victors back then. The 7-1 semi-final victory over Brazil made the minimalist approach in the five pre-vious games seem almost ironic. “But we still have to keep our feet on the ground,” warned Thomas Muller after the breathtaking display in Belo Horizonte. “Let’s not go over the top be-cause of this win, just as we didn’t read too much into the tight victory over Algeria.”

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BRAZIL 1950Brazil 1-2 Uruguay: The Maracanazo is born

Brazil had been in superb form at their home World Cup and gave every indication that they would go on to be champions. In the second phase of the tournament A Seleção demolished Sweden 7-1 and then brushed Spain aside with a 6-1 victory. The decisive game against

Uruguay, which was not actually a final, was supposed to be a mere formality en route to glory, but Uruguay’s Alcides Ghiggia broke Brazilian hearts with the winning goal 11 minutes from time. The entire nation entered a period of mourning.

SWITZERLAND 1954Germany FR 3-2 Hungary: The Miracle of Berne

Hungary’s ‘Magical Magyars’ were the runaway favourites to lift the title at the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland. Blessed with a squad of extraordinarily talented players, the team shone at the tourna-ment and were on an unbeaten streak that stretched back over countless games. Hungary faced Germany in the

final, having demolished the same opponent 8-3 earlier on in the group stage. The match began as expected, with Hungary racing to a 2-0 lead but Germany managed to equalise after the sudden onset of heavy rain. Helmut Rahn scored an 84th minute winner to complete the Miracle of Berne.

T H E F I N A L

On the home straight Messi and Demichelis embrace after their semi-final win over the Dutch.

Argentina’s 2014 journey

Argentina’s fans have been at their best when singing. For entire minutes or whole periods of play, whether in Rio, Belo

Horizonte or Porto Alegre, the song has al-most been always the same, ending with the line “Maradona es mas grande que Pele” – a clear enough sentiment even in its original Spanish. After the Brazilians, the Argentini-ans have been the loudest fans at this World Cup, and with each game they have grown a little louder.

It is not beautiful football that has given the travelling Albiceleste supporters such cause for joy; after all, aesthetics have played a sec-ondary role in Argentina’s campaign. Success is much more important. The team’s new-found confidence has placed them among the World Cup’s final four teams for the first time since Italia ’90, and at the home of arch-rivals Brazil of all places. Argentina can also declare itself an official footballing world power once more thanks to the countless talented players the country exports to the European leagues year after year.

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1998 Bergkamp starred but his team were knocked out in the semi-finals.

For the last 40 years the Netherlands have tended to play beauti­fully – and lose beautifully. It all goes back to 1974 when Holland’s greatest team, guided by their greatest coach, Rinus Michels and

led by their greatest player, Johan Cruyff, played bewitching, fluid ‘total football’ and swept all before them. In the final in Munich, Holland kicked off, played keep­ball, won a penalty, and scored before a West German player had even touched the ball. For the next 20 minutes, they kept possession, wove pretty patterns and, with memories of the war­time Nazi invasion too much in mind, tried to humiliate the hosts. It was a strategic error that shaped subsequent Dutch football history: the Germans fought back and won 2­1. The defeat was more a case of sui­cide than murder but in the Netherlands it has reverberated as a na­tional tragedy. Thanks mostly to the influence of Cruyff, Holland have since produced generation after generation of remarkable players but never quite re­covered from Munich. Dutch campaigns always seemed to end in bad luck, self­destruction, or penalties. In 1978 the totaalvoetballers (minus Cruyff) were unlucky to meet another host nation in the final: Argentina. They faced Argentine gamesmanship and an infernally intimidating atmosphere. They lost 3­1.In 1990, perhaps the most talented group of players Holland ever had – Gullit, Van Basten, Rijkaard, Koeman, et al – collapsed amid squabbles and rivalries and went home without winning a game. In 1998 a third

brilliant orange side featuring Bergkamp, Davids and the De Boers outplayed Brazil in the semi­final but lost on penalties. Holland’s 2010 campaign produced pain of a different sort. Obsessed with the notion of overcoming the distress of ’74, ’78, ’90 and ’98, Holland adopted a win­at­all­cost mentality and battled to another final. Ironically, their

opponents, Spain, taught by three generations of Barcelona Dutchmen, were better at Dutch football than the Dutch. After the final in Johan­nesburg, Cruyff condemned the violent tactics of Bert van Marwijk’s team as ‘anti­football’. To many fans in the Netherlands his contempt was as painful as the 1­0 defeat.

Louis van Gaal’s 2014 oranje have been focused, unified and supremely flexible. They also seemed to be on a mission to revenge every past grief

– and do it in reverse historical order. If the Dutch had made it to the final, their motto for the tournament could easily have been taken from Michael Corleone in The Godfather: “Today we settle all family business”. In their first match they thrashed Spain 5­1. Thierry Henry, watching for the BBC, recalled that the Dutch had given total football to Spain and observed: “well, tonight the Dutch got their style back. They took it from them”. Against Costa Rica in the quarter final Holland overcame their

penalty trauma with the help of four perfect kicks and Van Gaal’s stunning substitute goalkeeper ploy. The Dutch viewed the semi­final against Argentina through the prism of 1978, but their eyes were on the bigger prize: A final against Germany would have been the chance to exorcise the ghosts that have haunted

them for four decades. But it was not to be as the Netherlands were beaten on penalties in Wednesday’s last four showdown. Å

David Winner

Dutch Ghosts

Sorely missed Cruyff had already retired from the national team in 1978.

Beaten finalists The Dutch players on their return to Amsterdam in 1974.

Winless Ruud Gullit and his Golden Generation

were hugely disappointing at Italia ‘90.

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SWEDEN 1958Brazil 5-2 Sweden: A Brazilian legend in the making

In 1958 Brazil were determined to finally win the sought-after trophy, but the hosts had the same designs on the silverware. Indeed, the two countries also wore the same colour shirts but as Sweden had home advantage, Brazil had to buy blue jerseys prior to the final because they had travelled to

the World Cup without an away kit. Despite that unexpected twist to their prepara-tions, the South Americans came out on top, thanks in no small part to a burgeoning teenage talent: a 17-year-old Pele scored two brilliant goals in the 5-2 victory that allowed a tearful Seleção to celebrate their maiden title triumph.

ENGLAND 1966England 4-2 (a.e.t) Germany FR: Controversial Wembley goal

The final between England and Germany ended 2-2 after 90 minutes, forcing the tie into extra time. It was during this period, in the 101st minute, that one of the most disputed moments in World Cup history occurred: Geoff Hurst’s shot rico-cheted off the crossbar and crashed

to the ground behind German goalkeeper Hans Tilkowski. Did it cross the line or not? Swiss referee Gottfried Dienst briefly consulted his assistant Tofik Bakhramov and awarded the effort, which soon became known as the Wembley Goal. England went on to win 4-2.

FINALS OF YESTERYEAR

T H E F I N A L

Victory in 1986 Diego Maradona cradles the Trophy in Mexico.

The Sky Blue and Whites have certainly performed in a manner befitting a leading in-ternational side, playing with control and re-fusing to give away any more than is absolute-ly necessary. Nobody can dispute the fact that coach Alejandro Sabella’s tactical and strategic approach boils down to getting the most out of the abilities of each particular player. His side’s leading role has been ably filled by the most outstanding individual talent in this World Cup, a man capable of using the world’s biggest stage to his advantage. From the very first match against Bosnia-Herzegovina, Lionel

Messi has cut a very different figure to the one seen in South Africa four years ago. After a hes-itant start, the Barcelona star secured a win for

Argentina with a masterful goal. In his team’s second match, a tough encounter against a te-nacious Iranian side, a stroke of genius from

Triumph in 1990 Lothar Matthaus and his team celebrate in Italy.

Argentina’s new-found conf idence has placed them among the

Wor ld Cup’s f inal four teams for the f irst t ime since Italia ‘90.

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FINALS OF YESTERYEARUSA 1994Brazil 0-0 a.e.t (3-2 PSO) Italy: Baggio’s nightmare

The famous Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Los Angeles, was the stage for one of the longest World Cup finals in history, with specta-tors waiting in vain for a goal over 120 minutes of play. Two of Italy’s most famous footballing sons missed their efforts in the penalty

shoot-out: first Franco Baresi, an otherwise so reliable defender, and then the star of the Squadra Azzura, Roberto Baggio, who blasted his spot-kick high into the Los Angeles sky.

KOREA/JAPAN 2002Germany 0-2 Brazil: Ronaldo defeats the “Titan”

The 2002 final was the first time Germany and Brazil had ever met at a World Cup, and it was the latter who were celebrat-ing come the final whistle. Of all people it was Oliver Kahn, who had had a sensa-tional tournament up until then, who made a fatal mistake by spilling Rivaldo’s shot at the feet of Ronaldo, who opened

the scoring. Ronaldo later grabbed another to secure Brazil’s fifth title. Kahn was nonetheless crowned as the tournament’s best player - the first time a goalkeeper ever received the honour.

For 16 years, Roberto Baggio tried to under-stand how he could have missed that decisive penalty in the 1994 World Cup Final in Pasa-

dena, USA. He finally came up with an answer in

2010, when he told a Brazilian TV interviewer: “Ayrton Senna guided my shot upwards from heaven.” A Seleção dedicated their World Cup triumph that year to the legendary Formula 1 driver, who was fatally injured in a race just

weeks before the 1994 tournament began.The 47-year-old was led to this supernatural explanation by the sheer inexplicability of firing his spot-kick over the crossbar. As he explained tearfully shortly after losing the final: “I normally place my penalties rather than firing them in. I’ve

never kicked a high penalty in my entire life, but at that point I was already exhausted and drained; my head lost control over my legs.” His wayward

strike marked the moment that one of the greatest Italian players of all time fell just 11 metres short of his biggest ambition. With five goals in three matches, he had fired Italy into the final almost

single-handedly, but seemed shaken, powerless and nervy on that memorable day in Pasadena.Baggio was only able to cast aside the trauma of 1994 at the 1998 World Cup in France. Italy played a quarter-final against France in Paris on

4 July, a match that once again had to be decided by penalties after 120 goalless minutes. This time Baggio stepped up to take the first spot-kick and sent Barthez the wrong way.

Although the man they call Il Divin’ Codino (The Divine Ponytail) has long since made his peace

with the Pasadena incident, it continues to persist as a blot on an otherwise glittering

career: a gloating beer advertisement was even aired in Brazil before this summer’s World Cup

to bring back further reminders of that fateful moment 20 years earlier. Å

Luigi Garlando

T he t ra u m a o f pena l t ie s

All right now Roberto Baggio has put the trauma of Pasadena in 1994 far behind him.

the little magician in the game’s closing mo-ments provided Argentina with a second victo-ry. He found the net twice more against Nigeria and provided the deftest of passes to set up the winning goal in the Albiceleste’s Round-of-16 triumph over Switzerland, before instigating the move that led to Gonzalo Higuain’s winner in their quarter-final success over Belgium.

The rest of the team knew they would have to step up to the plate at this tournament, and they have done exactly that, starting with Angel di Maria. The flying winger arrived in Brazil fresh from an exceptional season with Champions League winners Real Madrid yet humbly submitted to Messi’s leadership from the start. Gonzalo Higuain, who moved from Madrid to Napoli last summer, has been as grateful for the captain’s brilliant inspiration as other talented individuals such as Ezequiel Lavezzi, Rodrigo Palacio and Sergio Aguero. Messi’s authority has taken precedence over everything else and even prevented lengthy soul-searching over the subsequent injuries to Di Maria and Aguero. Of course, Messi has occasionally taken his customary breaks during matches, but he has spent the rest of the time dribbling, crossing and shooting with a joy and passion never before seen from him at a World Cup. “When Lionel has the ball near an opponent’s penalty area, he can inflict consid-erable damage,” said coach Alejandro Sabella. Nobody, whether Argentinian or otherwise, can argue with that assessment. Although Messi was unable to make the decisive breakthrough in his side’s unspectacular semi-final against the Netherlands, the 27-year-old stepped up to take the first penalty after 120 minutes to help Argentina seal their even-tual victory. Å

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name of the team’s most notable absentee: “Neeymaar, Neeymaar, Neeymaar …” This plaintive cry from the 60,000 assembled supporters unmistakably urged their team to play for Neymar, fight for Neymar and win for Neymar. As night fell on Belo Horizonte, players and fans alike belted out their national anthem with deafening power, while goalkeeper Julio Cesar and captain David Luiz held Neymar’s shirt aloft defiantly as if to say “Number 10 lives!”

With that, the spark of euphoria was ignited. In the opening minutes Brazil stormed down the pitch with a burning passion. Little did they know they were stampeding headlong into disaster as Germany lay in wait ready to extinguish their hopes. First, Thomas Muller dampened the mood in the 11th min-ute by scoring Die Mannschaft’s first. Then, between the 23rd and 29th minutes, the floodgates opened. The ball nestled in the net practically once a minute until the score was Germany 5, Brazil 0. The final tally was 7-1 to the three-time world champions, a result too

B r a z i l

The dream is overThomas Renggli writes for The FIFA Weekly.

It is often said that the skies over Belo Horizonte are like the ocean; their shadows and

colours change almost as frequently as waves breaking upon the shore. As afternoon drifted towards evening on Tuesday, the clouds hung like pale grey cotton wool over the Estadio Mineirao, with occasional breaks through which the heavens above could still be seen. At first it seemed to be a sign from the football gods – a glimmer of light shining over A Seleção – but it turned out to be just an illusion.

Each Brazilian name was greeted with impas-sioned cheers as the stadium announcer read out the starting line-ups, and noise levels reached fever pitch as the crowd chanted the

high even to be a tennis score. At first it all happened so suddenly and surprisingly that the fans did not even cry. Even tears cannot flow as quickly as those goals were going in. Instead they simply looked on helplessly, shaking their heads in disbelief. As silence descended among Brazil’s fans, the German supporters' cries of “Super Deutschland”, “Oh wie ist das schön” (“Isn’t this beautiful”) and “Finale, Finale, Finale” grew ever louder. It felt as though Carnival had been cancelled and replaced with Oktoberfest instead.

Brazil and their fans had had their sights set on the “Hexa” – a historic sixth World Cup title. Now all that remains is huge consterna-tion and the prospect of winning a consola-tion prize on Saturday. In this land of foot-balling wizardry and nimble footwork, the Third-Place Play-Off feels like a punishment - bronze nothing more than scrap metal.

Anyone who has been present in Brazil to witness this World Cup over the past few weeks would find it tough to dispute FIFA

N E W S F R O M T H E T R A I N I N G C A M P S

All over Brazilian fans slump in despair during their team’s semi-final defeat by Germany.

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Third-Place Play-Off Brazil - Netherlands (12 July, Brasilia)

N E W S F R O M T H E T R A I N I N G C A M P S

President Blatter’s declaration that “Brazil is football, football is Brazil”. The entire nation holds its breath whenever A Seleção step onto the pitch, and public life comes to a complete standstill. Brazil has been hovering some-where between total ecstasy and nervous collapse for the entire tournament, as if a yellow and green veil had been drawn over the country. Men, women and children alike all proudly wear their idols’ shirts, and dogs have even been dressed up to mark the occasion. “When our national team plays, all of Brazil shares in the excitement,” said Maria Liva de Sousa. For her, football is of little consequence in everyday life, but when the national team plays, all of life’s mundanity is forgotten. Like her fellow countrymen, Maria felt faint with nerves during Brazil’s Round-of-16 penalty shootout against Chile. “At that moment, 200 million Brazilians felt the same,” she explained. “You can imagine the energy that was released when we won.”

Everyone in Brazil has been drained of energy during this tournament. Rather than a walk in the park, Brazil’s campaign has been a rollercoaster of emotions, from spot-kicks against Chile to their fateful quarter-final against Colombia. The jubilation of that victory stuck in fans’ throats as news of Neymar’s cracked vertebra broke the hearts of a nation. Before the World Cup, all-time great Pele said: “All of the pressure is on

Neymar. He is the man who must steer A Seleção to the title.” Could Neymar have prevented the debacle against Germany? Other questions are just as difficult to answer. Was this result even worse than Brazil’s infamous 1950 defeat by Uruguay? Were the events of Belo Horizonte a second Maracanazo? One thing is certain: Brazil experienced total footballing despair on Tuesday evening – 200 million times over. Å

“It felt as though Carnival had been cancelled and replaced with

Oktober fest instead.”

The dream dies Suspended captain Thiago Silva (right) consoles team-mate David Luiz after the 7-1 demolition.

N e t h e r l a n d s

From dark horses to vanquished contenders

Andrew Warshaw writes for Inside World Football.

When Louis van Gaal’s Netherlands team travelled to Brazil, many viewed them as

third favourites to progress from Group B behind Spain and Chile. Everyone knew they had matchwinners of the calibre of Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie while Daley Blind had proved in the Dutch league that he had fully emerged from the shadow of his legendary father Danny.

But did the Dutch have enough togetherness to step up to the plate? It didn’t take long for the world to find out. The 5-1 demolition of M

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Successful substitution Tim Krul (l.) replaced Jasper Cillessen just before the end of extra time against Costa Rica and kept the Netherlands in the tournament.

“Van Gaal made sure his Dutch side didn’t only play

pret ty football.”

reigning champions Spain in their opening group game (notably including van Persie’s sublime controlled volley, an early contender for goal of the tournament) had the purists purring with admiration. Overnight the Dutch, backed by the usual orange army, moved from dark horses to genuine World Cup contenders.

The danger, of course, was that they had peaked too early just as Denmark did in 1986

when, after crushing Uruguay 6-1 with argua-bly the finest team display, they tamely exited the tournament in the round of 16.

Van Gaal made sure that didn’t happen to his Dutch side but you don’t necessarily progress in the World Cup only by playing pretty football. And you rarely, if ever, succeed without a healthy dose of good fortune, luck, call it what you will. Or, for that matter, without a canny coach.

The good fortune came both against the Mexico, who were two minutes away from knocking Holland out, and in that energy -sapping quarter-final against the indefatigable Costa Ricans who were denied what looked like a clear penalty in extra time that might well have changed the course of history. It didn’t, of course, but something else did: arguably the most astonishing substitution in the history of the World Cup when van Gaal called on reserve goalkeeper Tim Krul specifically for the penalty shootout. The Newcastle keeper went the right way for all five Costa Rica kicks and, decisively, saved the second and the fifth to take his place in the annals of greatest World Cup moments and underline his coach’s reputation as a tactical mastermind. Van Gaal reverted back to first choice goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen throughout their drab semi-final against Argentina, in which Sergio Romero emerged as the hero. The Argentina No1 kept out two penalties in the shootout to end the Oranje’s dream of a final against Germany. Å

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T H E D E B A T E

The weekly debate. Anything you want to get off your chest? Which topics do you want to discuss? Send your suggestions to: feedback-theweekly@fifa.org

Third-Place Play-Off and the Final. Having enjoyed an exciting, exhilarating group stage and a knockout phase with unrivalled drama in which the final result has been decided by penalties on several occasions, the world is now eagerly anticipating Sunday’s Final.

Anyone walking through the streets of Sao Paulo during the 64th FIFA Congress at the start of June just days before the start of the World Cup had a gut feeling that public transport demonstrations about the Metro would not flare up during the World Cup, and that Brazilians were well aware that their dissatisfaction with the current conditions could not be laid at the door of an internation-al sports federation like FIFA.

These suspicions have since been confirmed. The Copa has not been used as an instrument of protest, at least not by the Brazilian people, although it remains to be

seen whether public opinion will differentiate the situation in a similar way. In any case, the 2014 World Cup in Brazil will long be remembered for the right reasons by locals and international visitors and viewers alike. Å

Perikles Monioudis, Rio de Janeiro

Public opinion and published opinion is not always the same thing. This was certainly the case ahead of this summer’s World Cup, when Brazilians vented their frustration about condi-tions in their country with a series of

demonstrations. This was widely interpreted by the media as a protest by Brazilians against their country’s decision to host the Copa.

Such rumours proved unfounded. FIFA had ceased to be regarded as a public scape-goat in Brazil long before the 2014 World Cup kicked off, and the population’s excitement about the tournament was immense. The com-petition became a colourful festival of nations with the five-time world champions oversee-ing an often breathtaking footballing specta-cle. Now just two matches remain: the

An unforgettable partyAs the World Cup draws to a close, it is clear the Brazilian people

have turned their “Copa” into an unforgettable celebration – despite previous prophecies of doom.

In the mood Fans celebrate in a yard in Manaus after A Seleção’s 3-1 victory over Croatia in the Opening Match.

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P R E S I D E N T I A L N O T ET H E D E B A T E

Best wishes, Sepp Blatter

We are just two games away from the end of the World Cup. We will experience the spectacle, passion and drama twice more.

The event we have been privileged to witness over the last four weeks in Brazil has exceeded all expectations. In fact, it has demolished all the preconceptions and doom-mongering. The media spent the build-up darkly predicting every conceivable horror scenario, from chaos to protests and unfinished stadiums. The prevailing wisdom was that Brazil would be incapable of staging this tournament in an orderly fashion and without disruption.

Yet it has been quite the opposite. I have been to every venue, watched nearly 20 match-es in person and have been captivated by first-rate football and an absorbing atmosphere. Right from the kick-off on 12 June, football took centre stage and has remained there ever since. The World Cup in Brazil was and is a gigantic festival - a festival of football from the Copacabana to the Maracana, from Manaus in the tropical north to Porto Alegre in the deep south, where the temperatures are reminiscent of late autumn in Europe.

The World Cup in Brazil was also a World Cup of big names: Messi, Robben, James, Thomas Muller and Neymar, the tragic hero. One incident has stuck in my memory, when Brazilian goalscorer David Luiz warmly embraced beaten Colombian opponent James Rodriguez after the quarter-final, and with an almost apologetic expression on his face offered to swap shirts. At that moment Luiz must surely have been thinking: what a shame James, this wonderful footballer, has to go home and can no longer compete for the trophy. The Brazilian defender laid down an important marker. Football must build bridges and promote integration and fair play. It must always be inclusive, even between opponents, and Luiz sent that message to the world in a natural and unprompted way. Thank-you David Luiz – and thank-you Brazil.

Thank-you Brazil

At the start the Spaniards stuck doggedly to Tiki-Taka and were punished for it. Then it was Brazil’s turn, and they were also punished for trying to play pretty. In the course of this World Cup we’ve seen the winning teams use aggressive attacking tactics. Germany coach Jogi Low was criti-cised for coming up with a new style of play. But now we all know he was right.

52Catania, Australia

I can’t remember a more exciting World Cup than this year’s! Lots of goals and plenty of surprises. But it’s sad the hosts haven’t made it to the Final. I really hope the Brazilian fans get over their disappoint-ment and that their team sparkles again four years from now.

Siri56, Sweden

Get well soon Neymar!Mandeey, Germany

Every team gives everything they have and they all want to win. Unfortunately it wasn’t to be Brazil’s year! Give the players a break! They weren’t knocked out in the same way as all the Asian countries or Spain. They made it to the semi-finals. They should be proud of what they already have: Brazil remain the only country to win the World Cup five times, they have a history, a soul and a persistent nature. Not many other countries can say that about themselves.

footballtree, China

Congratulations to Klose! Really, hats off to him! All the best for the Final! Go for the trophy Germany!!!

robert.ac, Lebanon

“As they say: only four years till the next World Cup.”

The World Cup in Brazil was (and is) unbelievably good. I’ll never forget Colombia and their hero-of-heroes James Rodríguez. I’m a bit worried about what happens when it’s over. It’ll be a void, a crisis. But as they say: only four years till the next World Cup.

Paulito22, Cuba

I’m still in a state of shock. I just can’t believe what happened in this historic semi -final. I can’t believe I’ll ever think back fondly to this tournament. We went into this World Cup full of hope but after the 7-1 defeat the last few days will just be full of incomprehension and frustration. The match for third place feels like rubbing salt in the wound.

crystal27, Brazil

“I’m still in a state of shock. I just can’t believe

what happened in the semi.”

FIFA.com users give their opinions on the World Cup:

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First Love

20 T H E F I FA W E E K LY

P l a c e : W i n d h o e k , N a m i b i a

Da t e : 1 5 O c t o b e r 2 0 1 0

T im e : 1 1 . 1 5 a . m .

Photograph by Levon Biss with support from Umbro 21T H E F I FA W E E K LY

Connecting every fan of the game

Make new friends and discover shared passions in the Emirates A380 Onboard Lounge.

#AllTimeGreats youtube.com/emirates

Hello Tomorrow

FIFA Weekly-PCR7-English-215x289.indd 1 7/2/14 12:04 PM

It is often claimed that football is a game of ups and downs, and nobody can attest to the truth of that statement more than Maria

Eduarda Silva. The 22-year-old philosophy stu-dent from Rio de Janeiro could easily earn a living as a model but instead she has chosen to work behind the scenes at the World Cup. Silva operates the lift in the media area at the Ma-racana Stadium, taking journalists from the press centre on the ground floor to their seats in the stands five floors higher up. She has nev-er counted how frequently she makes the jour-ney each day, but considering one trip takes approximately 30 seconds, she could theoreti-cally ascend and descend over 900 times across an eight-hour shift. Communication skills were not part of her job description because univer-sal elevator etiquette dictates that silence is the norm in her workspace. Silva does not generally get to see any of the games, although she makes a point of watching Brazil whenever they are in action, meaning anyone who chooses to use the lift at a moment of such national importance is forced to fend for themselves if it gets stuck. Å

Thomas Renggli

M Y W O R L D C U P

There are just two more opportunities to hear the sound that will linger in the ears even after this joyful, noisy, intense World

Cup comes to a close on Sunday – the roar of a Brazilian stadium. It is a sound that fills the arenas both acoustically and atmospherically in a way that no-one who was there will ever be able to forget.

From the a cappella renditions of the Bra-zilian and Chilean national anthems and the passionate cries of joy or dismay that greet every event on the pitch to the assembled Brazilian crowds singing their chorus of “Eu sou brasileiro” (“I am Brazilian”), this backdrop has inspired the main protagonists to deliver spectacular and emotional performances. In most of the tournament’s matches, the wall of sound within each stadium seems to have given teams an additional energy boost.

Football’s “twelfth man” has found his voice at this World Cup like never before, making the tournament a remarkable feast for the ears, free from negativity or other unwel-come distractions. Å

Roland Zorn

The French are renowned for two things – their cultured football and superb cooking. Without injured playmaker Franck Ribery, the 1998 world champions only managed to reach the quarter-finals at this summer’s World Cup. Nevertheless, players and fans alike continued to enjoy the almost incomparable souplesse of French cuisine even if they did not always have a master chef like Paul Bocuse on hand. La Grande Nation

and its food will always be inextricably linked, to the extent that a simple chef’s hat is almost seen as a quintessential symbol of France, with red-white-and-blue bedecked cooks a common sight at sporting fixtures. During France’s 1-0 defeat by Germany at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, a French chef was suddenly spotted among the fans on television, his national affiliation making him instantly recognisable even though the Bleus fan in question is almost certainly not a culinary master in real life. But none of this stopped a small girl from pointing at the TV to say: “Look! There’s a cook at the match!” Å

Perikles Monioudis

The text message arrived with the second beer. “You watching this? What a start by the Germans! I’m stunned.” My Italian friend

had clearly recovered from the Azzurri’s early exit at last, after days of jeering derision (there’s no escaping Schadenfreude at a World Cup).

He was now enjoying the football as a neu-tral, delighting in this finest of World Cups. The next text arrived with the score at 2–0: “This is the best I’ve ever seen!” The best? Ah yes, I for-got: the Italians love to hate Brazil. Or was he praising the Germans? The euphoric mood per-sisted. When Kroos made it 3–0 he wrote: “Semi-final of the century!” Indeed. But what if there are more goals, I thought. How will he move up a notch from the last text? Kroos again, 4-0. Incoming message: “I’m off to bed.” And in-deed, my phone remained silent for the fifth and sixth goals, for the Germans’ seventh and the Brazilians’ consolation. But there was one more text to come, at the final whistle.

No words this time but an attachment. The clip showed a German robot vacuum cleaner hoovering up a Brazilian flag. Å

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Brazilian mosquitoes are infuriating. As soon as the first beads of sweat appear on your forehead they make their silent approach, tiny and unremar­kable. They start by annoyingly cir­cling your head before finding an un­

protected spot around the knee or ankle joints to attack. At the time it is impossible to tell if you have been bitten but the intense itch – that lasts for two days – soon reveals otherwise and scratching only serves to make the already swollen area quadruple in size. In Rio de Janeiro there is simply no escaping the insects.

The mosquitoes are also out in full force in Caju, a district to the north of the Maracana Stadium in Rio. There they have found boun­tiful prey on a small sports ground next to a school, where a group of youngsters are playing a five­a­side football match. Some of

The mini World CupA dream came true for 192 youngsters from 27 different countries

when they travelled to the Football for Hope Festival in Rio de Janeiro.Alan Schweingruber (text) and Gustavo Pellizzon (pictures), Rio de Janeiro

F O O T B A L L F O R H O P E F E S T I V A L

WHAT IS FOOTBALL FOR HOPE?

Since its launch in 2005, FIFA’s Football for Hope initiative has suppor ted 426 commu-nity -based projects across 78 countries that use football as a tool to educate young people about social issues such as gender inequality and HIV/AIDS. In 2014, Football for Hope is suppor ting 108 foot-ball -based programmes around the world, of which 26 are being implemented in Brazil. The Football for Hope Festival takes place every four years in the World Cup host country and includes a four -day football tournament.This year, 32 dif ferent delegations were selected to par ticipate, bringing 192 youngsters aged 15 to 18 in groups of six (three boys, three gir ls) to Rio de Janeiro.

Let’s dance Non-verbal communication at the camp requires a lot of courage.

Hand in Hand A training exercise with a difference.

24 T H E F I FA W E E K LY

the participants are wearing green jerseys with “Football for Hope” printed on them, while one boy has the lyrics of John Lennon’s 1971 hit ‘Imagine’ covering his shirt: “You may say, I’m a dreamer – But I’m not the only one”.

FIFA invited the 192 youngsters from 27 different nations, all aged between 15 and 18, to take part in a ten-day festival in Rio that is running parallel to the World Cup.

Harmonious atmosphere The majority of the teenagers wave their hands around as they play and socialise in an effort to fend off the plague of mosquitoes that has even invaded the tarmacked area next to the pitch that houses outdoor fitness and weight machines. Yet despite this dis-comfort, the youngsters exude happiness and the atmosphere is one of harmony. A group of Indians and Africans are huddled together, unable to communicate verbally in a common

language but nevertheless enjoying each oth-er’s company, laughing and joking around.

“The children from India were especially shy at the beginning of the camp,” says a twen-ty-something year old Brazilian mediator. “I was a bit sceptical at first because I had the impression they didn’t feel comfortable here. But all of a sudden they just opened up.” She points to the football pitch. “Isn’t it fantastic? That’s why I love this festival.”

The Football for Hope project might sound like a football-centred initiative, and although the game plays an important role in the programme, it is not the main focus. In-stead, the objective is to educate children and exchange best practice about social issues. For instance, in Laos youngsters learn about the dangers of land mines; in Africa, they are taught how to protect themselves against AIDS, while the problems of homelessness are also openly discussed. Football’s pulling

F O O T B A L L F O R H O P E F E S T I V A L

The teenagers have no common

language but never theless seem

to enjoy each other ’s company.

Dusk in Caju Players warm up ahead of a training match.

25T H E F I FA W E E K LY

F O O T B A L L F O R H O P E F E S T I V A L

power and its global stars help give children from underprivileged backgrounds an outlet from their everyday lives.

Maracana tripThe degree of integration and cultural ex-change in the Caju camp is astounding. In one non-football exercise the youngsters are asked to communicate via song and dance, an activity that requires a great deal of bravery from the participants and frequent prompt-ing from the experienced mediators, who clap their hands and urge the teenagers on. One 15-year-old, sporting orange sun glasses and a Bruno Mars baseball cap, smiles shyly. The next day he is able to put his accessories to good use in the heat of the Maracana, as all of the participants attended the quarter-final between France and Germany – one of the highlights of the camp.

Inside the training centre in Caju, the cool air conditioning provides a welcome res-pite from the humidity outdoors, allowing the project organisers to work comfortably. One wall is plastered with duty rotas and match schedules, while in the corner a large, plastic whiteboard is covered with explana-tions of the basic rules of football. Fair play, rather than scoring the most goals, is what counts across the four-day tournament where players are graded according to their on-field conduct. Games are played without referees, meaning the youngsters have to mediate among themselves in any contentious match situation. In the post-match discussions, the teams discuss and agree on the allocation of up to three “fair play points”.

FIFA-backed projectSince its inception, FIFA has invested $32 million USD in its Football for Hope initiative

It requires bravery and frequent

prompting from the experienced

mediators.

Africa! A young boy shows off his dance moves.

Botswana, Brazil, USA – young adults from different backgrounds get to know each other.

Leading by example A mediator shows her group how it’s done.

26 T H E F I FA W E E K LY

and the Festival, like the World Cup itself, is a quadrennial event. After the day’s activi­ties, the children eat together and are then treated to a show: each country’s delegation puts on a short performance from their homeland. Understandably, evenings are a hugely popular part of the festival, show­casing folklore from seven different conti­nents. There are not many cultural pro­grammes that can say the same.

Barking dogs can be heard in the streets of Caju and outside the training ground a coach is parked, its engine idling. A girl from South Africa wearily climbs the three steps and takes a seat next to a European boy. As they slowly make their way out of the car park towards their hotel, both of them bid farewell with a wave. Å

F O O T B A L L F O R H O P E F E S T I V A L

FOOTBALL FOR HOPE

The basicsTo date, FIFA has invested $32 million in the Football for Hope initiative. In addition to the Festival, this initiative is based on the follow-ing pillars:Programme support Yearly funding and equipment for selected organisations. Knowledge building Training in the areas of media, football coaching and project management.Forum Br inging social development exper ts together.Africa 2010 “20 centres for 2010” was an of f icial social campaign for the World Cup in South Afr ica. A total of 20 educational, health and football centres were built across the continent.

Dressed to impress The right outfit is needed at all times, even out on the pitch.

Diverse One delegation is made up of three girls and a boy.

Time out A youngster takes a much-needed break.

27T H E F I FA W E E K LY

Football for Hope Festival 2014

Featuring 32 mixed teams of young leaders from around the worldwith musical, artistic and cultural performances

Caju, Rio de Janeiro

The Football for Hope Festival is an o� cial event of the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ Brazil which brings together 32 teams composed of young leaders from social

projects in underprivileged communities around the world, allowing them to exchange best practice, play football and enjoy the FIFA World Cup together.

7 - 10 July 2014

Entrance is free. Come and support Caju and the other teams!

Vila Olímpica Mané Garrincha Rua Carlos SeixaCaju, Rio de Janeiro.

FIFA.com/festival

The weekly column by our staff writers

F R E E K I C K F I F A 11

Terminal 2 of Rio de Janeiro’s Galeao Airport, shortly before sunrise. In an airport bar, English fans are pre-emptively drowning

the sorrows of their next defeat with a breakfast beer and cleaning their teeth with a slug of cachaca. Nearby, Spanish supporters also facing World Cup oblivion look shell-shocked after defeat by Chile. A Frenchman wanders through the halls in a Superman costume, presumably believing he is at the carnival. In a coffee shop, a German fan is using his table as a convenient place to lay his head. Four Canadians dressed as Mounties march confidently down the concourse – do they have the right tournament, or even the right sport? The scent of cleaning materials, beer and cooking oil hangs in the air. In short, it is another ‘normal’ morning in Brazil.

The 2014 World Cup is not just taking place in 12 stadiums and a country larger than Aus-tralia but throughout the departures, arrivals and waiting areas of airports from Fortaleza to Porto Alegre. Approximately 600,000 football tourists have been moving around Brazil in a constant stream of travellers. Some more adventurous souls have chosen to travel by car but most opt to fly, not least because while all roads might lead to Rome, they certainly do not lead to Manaus. Anyone wishing to make the journey to this jungle city faces a detour through Venezuela, while those planning to arrive by boat have to book an entire Amazon cruise or smuggle themselves on board a container ship. Alternatively, they can always paddle themselves up the river.

Put simply, there are no credible alterna-tives to travelling by air, and supporters soon realise that being in a foreign country means adapting to foreign customs. This process starts at security, where anyone expecting checks comparable to those in Europe faces a big surprise. Here in Brazil, neither fluids nor razor blades are considered questionable items,

and the only item that arouses any suspicion is one Flamengo fan’s pennant. Perhaps the secu-rity official is a Fluminense fan.

Despite all the hustle and bustle, the real atmosphere is only generated in flight, where some airliners become mini-stadiums in their own right. This is particularly true when flying with Azul, one of Brazil’s biggest carriers, who have the license and technology to stream television broadcasts live on board their aircraft. This innovation really came into its own during extra-time of the Round of 16 match between Belgium and the USA. With the European side leading 2-1, the Americans were dramatically throwing everything they had towards goal. Gasps and murmurs rumbled through the airlin-er’s cabin in a manner normally only encoun-tered during extreme turbulence or engine fail-ure. The coverage was still playing as the aircraft taxied to the end of the runway, but suddenly the displays went dark as the stewardess dutiful-ly made the customary security announcements. Whistles and boos filled the cabin as if a defend-er from the away team had just felled the home side’s star player with a crunching tackle.

Despite the commotion, the stewardess exhibited the steely nerve of an experienced referee in a match’s dying seconds, demon-strating the life vest and oxygen masks in record time before the screens flickered back into life with Belgium still leading 2-1. The travelling fans applauded enthusiastically and started a Mexican wave in honour of the val-iant flight attendant.

Meanwhile, other disinterested passengers looked on with amusement, perhaps wondering whether the aircraft would even have got off the ground had Brazil been playing. Å

The flying stadiumThomas Renggli

Most World Cup yellow cards

1 2006 World Cup Germany 307 yellow cards

2 2002 World Cup Korea/Japan 260 yellow cards

3 1998 World Cup France 250 yellow cards

4 2010 World Cup South Africa 245 yellow cards

5 1994 World Cup USA 221 yellow cards

6 2014 World Cup Brazil 172 yellow cards

7 1990 World Cup Italy 165 yellow cards

8 1986 World Cup Mexico 137 yellow cards

9 1982 World Cup Spain 99 yellow cards

10 1974 World Cup West Germany 87 yellow cards

11 1978 World Cup Argentina 59 yellow cards

Source: FIFA(FIFA World Cup, Milestones & Super-latives, Statistical Kit, 12/05/2014)

29T H E F I FA W E E K LY

The next few days will mark the anniversary of what was the most important goal of your playing career: the last and decisive spot-kick of the penalty shoot-out in the 2006 World Cup final against France. Were you confident of putting the ball where you wanted it to go?

Fabio Grosso: Of course: in the top-right corner, from the taker’s perspective. That’s what I aimed to do and thankfully I didn’t change my mind. That happens sometimes when you’re about to take a penalty: at the last moment you decide to shoot somewhere else.

In 2006 Fabio Grosso seemingly appeared from nowhere to fire

Italy to their fourth World Cup title. He stood as a symbol of the

Squadra Azzurra’s summer fairytale and helped instigate the

renaissance of a proud footballing nation.

“The best party I’ve ever had”

But that was not the case with you?No, I knew right away that I was going to

hit it as hard as I could towards the top-right corner. As it happened I didn’t strike the ball as hard as I wanted to and it didn’t go right into the corner but it was good enough (laughs).

“Grosso. Si, Grossssooo! Grossssooo! Grossssss-soooooooo!” That was how the Italian television commentator Marco Civoli celebrated your strike, along with the entire nation. Can you remember what happened immediately after that?

I have no idea. The only thing I remem-ber is that I started running. I wanted to hug everyone and I bolted like a horse. I wanted to get to the goal at the other end of the pitch because that’s where my wife Jessica, who was seven months pregnant at the time, was sitting with my parents, my two brothers and my friends. I just wanted to get over to them. I can still remember that my leg hurt so I couldn’t move too well but I really wanted to share the moment with my family.

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T H E I N T E R V I E W

NameFabio GrossoDate and place of birth28 November 1977, RomePositionLeft-backClubs (selected)2001–04 Perugia Calcio 2004–06 US Palermo 2006–07 Inter Milan 2007–2009 Olympique Lyon 2009–2012 Juventus International career2003–2010, 48 appearances, 4 goalsSelected honoursWorld Cup winner 2006Italian champion 2006/07, 2011/12 French champion 2007/08Clubs coached2014 - present Juventus U-21s

Was it the happiest moment of your life?In sporting terms it probably was. The

2006 World Cup was shaped by a series of extraordinary and unique moments and I could reel off a lot of them right now. But if I had to sum up the range of emotions in a single snapshot it would definitely be that penalty in Berlin.

How many times have you viewed that goal again on YouTube?

Not many. I don’t need YouTube because I

can remember that moment any time I want. I’ve got it firmly lodged in my mind. It’s omnipresent and is a part of the collective memory. It’s something nobody can ever take away from me.

Given the current age of social media, you would undoubtedly have had hundreds of thousands of Facebook friend requests and Twitter followers back then. What was it like in 2010?

Everyone sent text messages and I got absolutely loads of them. I can’t remember

how many there were but the number increased with each passing game. At the end after the final my phone just gave out completely.

At the 2006 World Cup you were more influen-tial than any of your team-mates: you won the decisive penalty against Australia in the Round of 16, you knocked Germany out in the semi-finals with a sumptuous shot on the turn in the 119th minute and then you scored that penalty against France in the final. In ancient Rome you would have had palaces or streets named after you…

There were no monuments or busts made - the whole country just partied long and hard. I mainly celebrated in my home town in Pescara. It was the best party I’ve ever had.

You were a relatively unknown player prior to that World Cup, but from 9 July 2006 onwards you were a household name in Italy. Can you still go out without people recognising you?

Turin is a football-crazy city, but at the same time it’s also a very quiet and upbeat place. I’m always happy when people stop and speak to me on the street and ask for an autograph. It’s part of my history and, to be honest, it’s a privilege.

Where will you watch this year's World Cup Final?

We’ll watch it at home. Maybe a few friends will stop by but generally I like to keep things quiet.

What did you make of Italy’s showing at the tournament?

The expectations were high after our achievements at EURO 2012 and our good displays at the 2013 Confederations Cup. We hoped for more but a World Cup is always unpredictable. Small details can make all the difference and you can’t afford to make any mistakes. Almost every game is like a final. Italy made mistakes, especially against Costa Rica, and unfortunately it was all over after we played Uruguay.

You coach the U-21 team at record Italian champions Juventus. Would you like to lift the World Cup trophy again as coach one day?

I haven’t been in coaching very long and am still learning the ropes, but I’d be in the wrong job if I didn’t aim to be successful at the highest level as a coach as well. At the moment I’m really enjoying working with the youth team though. Å

Fabio Grosso was talking to Bernd Fisa.

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1970

Pen & paper 1: Pele signs autographs after a training session at the 1970 World Cup.

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Pen & paper 2: Costa Rica star Celso Borges signs a Panini sticker album after training at the current World Cup.

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In Turning Point, personalities reflect on a decisive moment in their lives.

T U R N I N G P O I N T

NameTeofilo Juan Cubillas ArizagaDate and place of birth8 March 1949, Lima (Peru)PositionMidfielderClubsAlianza Lima, FC Basel, FC Porto, FL Strikers, South Miami SunPeruvian national team81 appearances, 26 goals

The 1970 World Cup in Mexico was defi-nitely the moment when my career as a professional footballer really took off. It was the first time Peru had qualified for the World Cup finals and I think it’s fair to say that a lot of people in Europe knew

very little about us. Two days before the tournament kicked off, a violent earthquake struck my homeland, claiming the lives of some 75,000 people. It was not particularly easy to focus on the football in the midst of such a tragedy. Nevertheless, we put in some good performances and reached the quarter-fi-nals, where we faced Brazil. And despite suffer-ing a 4-2 defeat, we were the only team that managed to put two goals past Pele & Co.

That tournament propelled me into the limelight, but I’d have forged a career for myself even if I hadn’t made it as a footballer. I grew up in a large family with seven siblings, and our

parents placed a great emphasis on the impor-tance of a good education. I always had a flair for numbers and did an apprenticeship to be-come an accountant.

In Peru I only ever played for Alianza Lima. And I might have stayed there forever if it hadn’t been for a completely unexpected event that changed the course of my entire career. In 1974 I was selected to represent a South American XI against a European XI in a charity match in Basel. I scored a brace in that game, and Swiss businessman Ruedi Reisdorf was so impressed by my performance that he made it his mission to sign me for FC Basel.

I was 24 years old at the time. People in Europe knew I was the South American Foot-baller of the Year, but I had no idea how much I was worth. So when I was asked how much it would cost to secure my services, I answered instinctively: $100,000. A short while later

Reisdorf called me – from Lima! He’d come to South America to pay the club the transfer fee I’d quoted and to take me back to Basel with him. I had no desire to leave though, so I asked the President of Alianza to help me get out of it. He swiftly trebled my price tag to $300,000.

To my surprise, though, Reisdorf paid the fee and a short while later I was on a plane to Switzerland. It was the start of a great adven-ture and you could say it was another real turning point for me. Nobody came with me. I didn’t speak the language either. I lived in Reisdorf’s house and although he made a great effort to look after me, he only ever gave me salad to eat to ensure I had a healthy diet. I weighed 74 kilograms when I arrived in Basel. A month later I was down to 64.

It was the cold that got to me the most, though. I was constantly freezing, wore jump-ers and a hat to training sessions and applied heat rub on my face. A short while later I moved to Porto for a fee of $450,000.

Despite the cold temperatures, Basel has a special place in my heart. Ruedi Reisdorf is also a true gentleman. He gave me exactly half of the $150,000 profit he made from my switch to Portugal and paid the sum to a frozen account, stating that it was to be used for my children’s upbringing and education. I received the money, plus interest, when I settled down with my family in Florida some years later. Å

Teofilo Cubillas was talking to Thomas Renggli

Teofilo Cubillas rewrote the record books by becoming the first player to score at least five goals at two World Cups, a feat since emulated by Miroslav Klose and Thomas Muller. Even the cold weather and a salad diet in Switzerland could not halt his rise to the top.

Goals record and heat rub

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F I F A W O R L D R A N K I N G

RankingRank Team Change in ranking Points

1 Spain 0 1485

2 Germany 0 1300

3 Brazil 1 1242

4 Portugal -1 1189

5 Argentina 2 1175

6 Switzerland 2 1149

7 Uruguay -1 1147

8 Colombia -3 1137

9 Italy 0 1104

10 England 1 109011 Belgium 1 1074

12 Greece -2 1064

13 USA 1 1035

14 Chile -1 1026

15 Netherlands 0 981

16 Ukraine 1 915

17 France -1 913

18 Croatia 2 903

19 Russia -1 893

20 Mexico -1 882

21 Bosnia-Herzegovina 4 873

22 Algeria 3 858

23 Denmark 0 809

23 Côte d'Ivoire -2 809

25 Slovenia 4 800

26 Ecuador 2 791

27 Scotland -5 786

28 Costa Rica 6 762

29 Romania 3 761

30 Serbia 0 745

31 Panama 4 743

32 Sweden -7 741

33 Honduras -3 731

34 Czech Republic 2 724

35 Turkey 4 722

36 Egypt -12 715

37 Ghana 1 704

38 Armenia -5 682

39 Cape Verde Islands 3 674

40 Venezuela 1 672

41 Wales 6 644

42 Austria -2 643

43 Iran -6 641

44 Nigeria 0 640

45 Peru -3 627

46 Japan 1 626

47 Hungary -2 624

48 Tunisia 1 612

49 Slovakia -3 591

50 Paraguay 5 575

51 Montenegro 3 574

52 Iceland 6 566

52 Guinea -1 566

54 Sierra Leone 17 565

55 Norway 0 562

56 Cameroon -6 558

57 Mali 2 547

57 Korea Republic -2 547

59 Uzbekistan -6 539

60 Burkina Faso 1 538

61 Finland -9 532

62 Australia -3 526

63 Jordan 1 510

64 Libya -2 498

65 South Africa 0 496

66 Albania 4 495

67 Bolivia 1 483

68 El Salvador 1 481

69 Poland 3 474

70 Republic of Ireland -4 473

71 Trinidad and Tobago 3 470

72 United Arab Emirates -5 460

73 Haiti 4 452

74 Senegal -11 451

75 Israel 3 444

76 Zambia 3 441

77 Morocco -1 439

78 Bulgaria -5 425

79 Oman 3 420

80 FYR Macedonia 0 419

81 Jamaica 0 411

82 Belarus 1 397

83 Azerbaijan 2 396

84 Congo DR 4 395

85 Congo 7 393

86 Uganda 0 390

87 Benin 10 386

88 Togo 1 383

89 Gabon -2 382

90 Northern Ireland -6 381

90 Saudi Arabia -15 381

92 Botswana -1 375

93 Angola 1 364

94 Palestine 71 358

95 Cuba -5 354

96 Georgia 7 349

97 New Zealand 14 347

98 Estonia -5 343

99 Zimbabwe -1 340

100 Qatar -5 339

101 Moldova -2 334

102 Equatorial Guinea 11 333

103 China PR -7 331

104 Iraq -4 329

105 Central African Republic 1 321

106 Lithuania -2 319

107 Ethiopia -6 317

108 Kenya -2 296

109 Latvia 0 293

110 Bahrain -5 289

110 Canada 0 289

112 Niger -10 284

113 Tanzania 9 283

114 Namibia 6 277

115 Kuwait -7 276

116 Liberia 3 271

116 Rwanda 15 271

118 Mozambique -4 269

119 Luxembourg -7 267

120 Sudan -3 254

120 Aruba 35 254

122 Malawi 0 247

123 Vietnam -7 242

124 Kazakhstan -6 241

125 Lebanon -11 233

126 Tajikistan -5 229

127 Guatemala -3 226

128 Burundi -3 221

129 Philippines 11 217

130 Afghanistan -2 215

131 Dominican Republic -5 212

132 Malta -4 204

133 St Vincent and the Grenadines -7 203

134 Guinea-Bissau 50 201

134 Chad 31 201

136 Suriname -5 197

137 Mauritania 2 196

137 St Lucia -4 196

139 Lesotho 2 194

140 New Caledonia -2 190

140 Syria -6 190

142 Cyprus -12 189

143 Turkmenistan 13 183

144 Grenada -8 182

144 Madagascar 45 182

146 Korea DPR -9 175

147 Maldives 6 171

148 Gambia -14 166

149 Kyrgyzstan -3 163

149 Thailand -6 163

151 Antigua and Barbuda -9 158

152 Belize -8 152

153 Malaysia -8 149

154 India -7 144

155 Singapore -8 141

156 Guyana -5 137

157 Indonesia -5 135

158 Puerto Rico -9 134

159 Myanmar 14 133

160 St Kitts and Nevis -7 124

161 Tahiti -4 122

162 Liechtenstein -12 118

163 Hong Kong -5 112

164 Pakistan -5 102

164 Nepal -5 102

166 Montserrat 22 99

167 Bangladesh -5 98

168 Laos 5 97

169 Dominica -6 93

170 Barbados -9 92

171 Faroe Islands -7 89

172 São Tomé e Príncipe -5 86

173 Swaziland 5 85

174 Comoros 10 84

175 Bermuda -6 83

176 Nicaragua -8 78

176 Chinese Taipei -6 78

178 Guam -7 77

179 Sri Lanka -6 73

180 Solomon Islands -8 70

181 Seychelles -5 66

182 Curaçao -5 65

183 Yemen -4 61

184 Mauritius -4 57

185 South Sudan 16 47

186 Bahamas 0 40

187 Mongolia 0 35

188 Fiji -6 34

189 Samoa -6 32

190 Cambodia 0 28

190 Vanuatu -10 28

192 Brunei Darussalam -1 26

192 Timor-Leste -1 26

192 Tonga -1 26

195 US Virgin Islands -1 23

196 Cayman Islands -1 21

196 Papua New Guinea -1 21

198 British Virgin Islands -1 18

198 American Samoa -1 18

200 Andorra -1 16

201 Eritrea -1 11

202 Somalia 0 8

202 Macau 0 8

204 Djibouti 0 6

205 Cook Islands 0 5

206 Anguilla 0 3

207 Bhutan 0 0

207 San Marino 0 0

207 Turks and Caicos Islands 0 0

Top spot Biggest climber Biggest faller

01 / 2014 02 / 2014 03 / 2014 04 / 2014 05 / 2014 06 / 2014

→ http://www.fifa.com/worldranking/index.html

36 T H E F I FA W E E K LY

T H E O B J E C TN E T Z E R K N O W S !

What have you always wanted to know about football? Ask Gunter Netzer: feedback-theweekly@fifa.org

Perikles Monioudis

It is not only during the World Cup that half the world, or perhaps more than half the world, lives and breathes football. Adjusting

the rhythm of your life to a match schedule for the period of a month every four years is a reality for many folk, who may not even be especially committed fans of the game. The reality becomes a joyful one if your favoured team fulfil expectations and are crowned wor-ld champions, survives the group stage or re-aches the quarter-finals, depending on your pre-tournament hopes.

The actual fate of a team lies in a very few pairs of hands, those belonging to the coach and the players. They can actually do so-mething to influence destiny, but at the end of the day the spectators cannot. They can hope and pray of course but those left behind at home are condemned to watch from afar via the media and ultimately accept whatever happens.

The situation is completely different when it comes to the game illustrated above, the “Master Football Game” by the Master Ven-ding Machine Co. Ltd., London, dating from the 1950s and part of the FIFA collection. It allows the spectator to take a proactive role as a player.

The huge crowd in the background may be a paint job but it is certainly impressive. The player operates the lever on the right of the cabinet to unleash a thunderbolt shot by the player decked out in red and white and cata-pult a colourful wooden ball in the direction of the target, with the shot hopefully landing in the “net” and scoring between one and three points. Naturally the game is more than suitable for two or more players, just like the real World Cup. Å

The numerous theories circulating about Spain’s early World Cup exit are inter-esting, but fairly inconclusive. It’s a dangerous business to draw premature conclusions from afar, mainly because the simple explanation most people are

looking for probably doesn’t exist. The mo-mentous defeats suffered by Spain in their first two group matches can be put down to a number of smaller mistakes, which now need to be analysed thoroughly – but only those involved are in the position to do so.

Spain’s mission has long since been to in-ject youth into an ageing squad while contin-uing to compete at the top. And as we’ve just seen, that’s not an easy thing to do. Neverthe-less, I’m convinced that the Spanish will bounce back with a new-look squad that in-cludes some of their brightest young prospects. And there are some experienced players who still have a place in the squad too. You can’t cast the entire team’s future in

How do you explain Spain’s early exit from the World Cup?

Question from Federico Martinez in Buenos Aires, Argentina

doubt, as some media outlets are doing. If they can find the right balance, they’ll come back stronger than ever and compete with the best at the European Championship in two years’ time.

I like to compare the way the Spanish national team plays to Bayern Munich. Both teams have played some fantastic football over the course of the last few years, but their biggest challenge is ultimately to make all of this wonderful combination play and move-ment count by converting it into goals. Hav-ing said that, they still have a lot to offer, even if they don’t become more ruthless in front of goal. Å

Spanish football expert Gunter Netzer in 1971, two years before his transfer to Real Madrid.

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A P T O

F I F A Q U I Z C U PThe FIFA WeeklyPublished weekly by the

Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)

Internet:www.fifa.com/theweekly

Publisher:FIFA, FIFA-Strasse 20,

PO box, CH-8044 ZurichTel. +41-(0)43-222 7777Fax +41-(0)43-222 7878

President:Joseph S. Blatter

Secretary General:Jérôme Valcke

Director of Communications and Public Affairs:Walter De Gregorio

Chief Editor:Perikles Monioudis

Staff Writers:Thomas Renggli (Author),

Alan Schweingruber, Sarah Steiner

Art Direction:Catharina Clajus

Picture Editor:Peggy Knotz

Production:Hans-Peter Frei

Layout:Richie Krönert (Lead),

Marianne Bolliger-Crittin, Susanne Egli, Mirijam Ziegler

Proof Reader:Nena Morf, Kristina Rotach

Contributors:Sérgio Xavier Filho, Luigi Garlando,

Sven Goldmann, Hanspeter Kuenzler, Jordi Punti, David Winner,

Roland Zorn

Contributors to this Issue:Lefteris Coroyannakis,

Lucie Clement, Bernd Fisa, Dominik Petermann,

Alissa Rosskopf, Andrew Warshaw

Editorial Assistant:Honey Thaljieh

Project Management:Bernd Fisa, Christian Schaub

Translation:Sportstranslations Limited

www.sportstranslations.com

Printer:Zofinger Tagblatt AG

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Contact:feedback-theweekly@fifa.org

Reproduction of photos or articles in whole or in part is only

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“The FIFA Weekly, © FIFA 2014”. The editor and staff are not obliged to publish unsolicited manuscripts and photos. FIFA and the FIFA logo are registered trademarks of FIFA. Made and printed in Switzerland.

Any views expressed in The FIFA Weekly do not

necessarily reflect those of FIFA.

Send your answer by 16 July 2014 to feedback-theweekly@fifa.org.Correct solutions to all quizzes published from 13 June 2014 onwards will go into a draw in January 2015 for a trip for two to the FIFA Ballon d’Or on 12 January 2015.Before sending in answers, all participants must read and accept the competition terms and conditions and the rules, which can be found at: http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/af-magazine/fifaweekly/02/20/51/99/en_rules_20140613_english_neutral.pdf

The answer to last week’s Quiz Cup was GAAL Detailed answers on www.fifa.com/theweekly Inspiration and implementation: cus

J P S W

“Ciao Claudio, which of these cities has hosted a World Cup Final?” James asks his club coach. He correctly answers: “Naturalmente ...

A 2014 World Cup match is shrouded in shadow, but which stadium is this?

When was the last time Sepp Blatter did not award the World Cup Trophy?

Sepp awards the Trophy, Didier celebrates, Lionel is left in the dark and James has a question. Test your knowledge!

A ... MilanE ... MonacoI ... MoscowT ... Monterrey

Which World Cup Final would have gone to a replay if the game had ended in a draw after 120 minutes?

A Rio de JaneiroL Belo HorizonteE BrasiliaP Sao Paulo

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W E E K I N N U M B E R S

I’m a referee in youth football and I’m interested in the free-kick vanishing spray. Where can I buy it?Horst Wenig, Hamburg

There’s a wide range of temporary line-marking products in North and South America, where the spray is an established part of Ma-jor League Soccer and the Brazilian and Argentinian leagues, and also in Asia. You can buy the spray and a handy belt clip online. A can of the spray providing an approxi-mately 40-metre white line costs around US$15 with the belt at US$40 or so. It’s not quite as easy in Europe. An English and a Ger-man firm are reportedly keen to make and distribute the product, but there’s no licensing agreement as yet. As a stopgap you could try shaving foam, but be kind to the turf and choose a non-perfumed variant. (thr)

Who do you think should win the “Hyundai Young Player Award”?

53% � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Someone else

20% � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Memphis Depay (NED)

19% � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Paul Pogba (FRA)

6% � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Romelu Lukaku (BEL)

2% � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Raphael Varane (FRA)

Which team will win the FIFA Fair Play Award?

Four years ago, Spain were named the World Cup's fairest team, but given that only teams who qualified for the Round of 16 are eligible, which country is in the running for the 2014 prize? Cast your vote at www.fifa.com/newscentre

Not including the semi-final, Robin van Persie had eight goals in his previous seven games for the Netherlands. Louis van Gaal’s team captain is a real Mr Consistency: he scored 14 goals in 16 matches under the current national coach.

Didier Drogba has won 100 caps for Côte d’Ivoire. The 36-year-old brought up his century in a 2-1 defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina, marking the milestone with a goal from a free-kick. It was his 64th for his country and cemented his position as the nation’s all-time leading scorer. Drogba was the third player in the Elephants’ World Cup squad on 100 or more games, alongside Kolo Toure (106) and most-capped Ivorian Didier Zokora (119).

100 8 114Lukas Podolski has played 114 times for Germany. The Arsenal striker only has two men ahead of him in the Germans’ all-time appearance chart, Miroslav Klose on 132 games and most-capped player Lothar Matthaus on 150. G

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