FIFA WEEKLY Magazine Issue #06 - English

ISSUE 6/2015, 13 FEBRUARY 2015
ENGLISH EDITION
Fdration Internationale de Football Association Since 1904
SOUTH OF FRANCE
CRAZY FOR OLYMPIQUE
DE MARSEILLE
SEPP BLATTER
U-20 WORLD CUP
WILL MAKE HISTORY
LIONEL MESSI
VIDEO CLIP SPARKS
EMOTIONAL MEMORIES
Interview with Arrigo Sacchi
SACCHIS LEGACY
W W W.FIFA.COM/ THEWEEKLY
THIS WEEK IN THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL
6
14
Peru
Journeyman Carlos Grossmuller has made the
perfect start at Universitario. Now, the young
team from the capital Lima have their sights set
on a 27th championship title.
19
Messis memories
In the first in our series of five key World Cup
moments, four-time Ballon dOr winner Lionel
Messi was visibly moved when confronted with
scenes from Brazil in the FIFA studio.
23
North and
Central America
35 members
www.concacaf.com
Arrigo Sacchi
Arrigo Sacchi was a man of action and a
revolutionary in his field who managed to
combine pragmatic defensive football with a
more attractive, Dutch style of play at the
end of the 1980s. Franchi met the 68-year-old
Italian in his birthplace of Fusignano for an
exclusive interview.
Sepp Blatter
The U-20 World Cup once provided a springboard for Maradona, Messi and Figo. One of
FIFAs objectives is to make football accessible to
people from all walks of life, the FIFA President
says in his weekly column. Fiji and Myanmar
will be among the nations contesting the title
from 30 May.
South America
10 members
www.conmebol.com
24
Olympique de
Marseille
A legendary club with a
turbulent past
16
Angel Di Maria
Manchester Uniteds
Argentinian star talks to
The FIFA Weekly.
Sacchis legacy
Our cover image shows Arrigo Sacchi
on the AC Milan bench in March 1990.
Two months later, he and his team won
the European Cup for the second time.
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T H E F I FA W E E K LY
FIFA Womens World Cup

6 June 5 July 2015, Canada
Getty Images (2), imago, SHOT Magazine
imago/Buzzi
THIS WEEK IN THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL
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
37
The Philippines
Why Simone Rota returned
to his roots.
29
Cte dIvoire
Boubacar Barry put on a
one-man show in the Africa
Cup of Nations final.
Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup
FIFA U-20 World Cup
FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup
FIFA U-17 World Cup
13/14 May 2015, Zurich, Switzerland
30 May 20 June 2015, New Zealand
9 19 July 2015, Portugal
17 October 8 November 2015, Chile
UNCOVERED
4-2-4 formation Arrigo Sacchis opinion is highly regarded.
11 versus 0 with Arrigo
Guido Clerici/LUZ/fotogloria
here is an anecdote dating from 1989 that neatly encapsulates the complex and revolutionary work of Arrigo Sacchi. Ahead of that years European Cup semi-final, Real Madrid sent an observer to AC Milans training camp with the intent of spying on the Italians and learning more
about Sacchis successful tactics. The baffled delegate sparked great consternation on his return to Madrid, admitting that he had learned nothing from the coaching session and reporting that the former defender had set
his players up to train 11 versus 0.
Born in 1946, Arrigo Sacchi was an amateur footballer of average ability
who plied his trade for home team Fusignano for many years before moving to
Bellaria on the Adriatic. But after hanging up his boots, he discovered that he
had a special flair for coaching. He learned quickly, and when Silvio Berlusconi brought him to giants AC Milan in 1987, it seemed as though he had come
from nowhere. I was an unknown who knew hardly anyone in the football
business, he later said. The fact that I didnt have a past helped me to make
my way in that world.
Even today, Sacchi occasionally appears at AC Milans training ground. This
is usually a bad sign, as it means the outlook is sufficiently poor for the club to
seek the 68-year-olds advice. One thing is certain: no coach has played a greater
role in shaping the destiny of I Rossoneri than Sacchi, so our reporter Massimo
Franchi travelled to the Italian province of Ravenna to meet him. Our exclusive
interview begins on page six.
Alan Schweingruber
ARRIGO SACCHI
The creator
Arrigo Sacchi shaped an era in football and his coaching style is still
revered to this day. Here he talks about Italys outdated football,
geniuses and coaches who think too much of themselves.
Massimo Franchi, Fusignano
6
Arrigo Sacchi, 68
At my age you have to
do regular exercise.
ARRIGO SACCHI
rrigo Sacchi on 1 April you turn 69. What is an average day for you like?
Arrigo Sacchi: At my age you have to do regular

exercise in order to stay fit. I get up, have breakfast, read the paper and watch the television.
Then I do a bit of exercise, preferably riding my
mountain bike. After lunch I take care of some
personal matters, read a bit and then watch football on TV. Sometimes, although not very often, I go to the stadium too. Occasionally, Mediaset [an Italian media company] invite me to be a pundit,
especially for Champions League games. If theres no football on
TV then I go out with my wife for dinner or to the theatre. In
Fusignano theres an auditorium dedicated to one of our towns
famous sons, Arcangelo Corelli, who was one of the greatest composers and violinists in the Baroque period towards the end of the
17th century and the start of the 18th.
You have always been an admirer of art and culture...

Yes, because football is also a kind of art, a spectacle, just like
music, comedic poetry, dramaturgy and cinematics. But as the
great Bertolt Brecht once said, if there is no script there is only
improvisation and therefore only superficiality. Imagine a choir
made up of 11 people, just like a football team and ten of them sing
an aria from Aida perfectly while the 11th acts as he sees fit and
sings something completely different. You can imagine how that
would sound.
Has football changed since you were a coach?

It changes every day, just like life itself. You have to stay up-todate and keep developing so that you dont get left behind. Standing still is the same as going backwards. Football follows the development of society. Today we live in a global world and if you dont
play a global kind of football then youre quickly left on the outside
looking in. Modern football is fast a lot faster than it used to be
not long ago. And if youre not quick in todays game then theres
no room for you.
Thats indicative of the state of our football. When one of our

big stars goes overseas they quickly recognise how good they really
are and how they are valued. Theres a huge difference. Even as
little as ten years ago Italy was the best in Europe and always had
teams fighting for the Champions League title. Today were in
fourth place behind Spain, England and Germany and we need to
be careful not to fall even further behind. We can already feel the
closest pursuer hot on our heels.
What kind of a sport is football?

Football is an attacking sport, although you have to attack as a
unit. Nowadays there is a lot more emphasis on team unity. After
all, it is a team sport and not a game you play individually.
What do you mean by that?

A team with togetherness has synergy, but one without it does
not have much. In order for that to be possible, all 11 players have
to move as one, they have to keep the right distances between each
other and lose their markers at the right time. At the back they
also have to be well-positioned and mark their opponents. In short,
all 11 players have to be active at all times, both in possession of
the ball and without it. Thats the objective. Thats very difficult to
do today, and was even harder a quarter of a century ago.
The thing I personally

dislike about Italian football
is its backwardness,
its lack of innovation and
its common conservatism.
Italian football also appears to have been left behind...
That sounds like a lot of physical and mental effort is required...
That has a lot to do with our history. After the collapse of the
Roman Empire, which had spread culture to every corner of the
earth, and also after the Renaissance, Italians led lives that were
shaped by ruses and denunciation for centuries the infamous art
of coming to arrangements. In a way, that spread to our football, as
can be seen from certain peculiarities in our downright outdated
game. We needed to reorganise to get back on track but when we
once again failed to adapt to the circumstances, we fell further
behind. The thing I personally dislike about our football is its
backwardness, its lack of innovation and the common conservatism that characterises certain teams. Instead of progressing they
take huge steps backwards and get left behind.
The opposite is true in fact: at AC Milan we never invested more

energy than our opponents did. We always had greater stamina
because when youre in possession you never really need to sprint
further than about 15 metres, but when youre chasing the ball then
you could be sprinting 40 metres. Its common knowledge that my
boys could play for a long time. Paolo Maldini only retired when he
was 41, as did Filippo Galli. [Alessandro] Costacurta was 39 when he
hung up his boots, while [Franco] Baresi and [Mauro] Tassotti were
both 37. The only one who had to stop earlier was Marco van Basten, but that was because he had osteophytes.
There are not many Italian players abroad: Mario Balotelli is usually a
substitute at Liverpool, Alessio Cerci has returned to Italy with Milan
after an unsuccessful spell in Madrid, and Ciro Immobile is struggling at
Borussia Dortmund.
So you are saying the whole team shared the burden equally?
Thats exactly right. I always put a lot of emphasis on a universal kind of football. I always wanted to have a strong collective
rather just having good individual players. So I trained the team
with a view to making every single player better, instead of integrating individuals into the side.
ARRIGO SACCHI
Bob Thomas/Getty Images
Vienna 1990
Sacchi wins the European
Cup with AC Milan for the
second year in a row.
ARRIGO SACCHI
Yet great individual players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
are often decisive...
Even superstars are only able to win when theyre given the
right support from the whole team. Ask any of todays world-class
players and youll see what their answer is. Ronaldo and Messi may
play the first fiddle but theyre still only part of a larger orchestra.
Even the best and most talented players have to follow the beat of
the collective. The word orchestra is a nice term and originates
from Greek theatre: it means a group of people comprised of the
What was Diego Maradona?

He was exceptionally talented. I must admit, I would have much
preferred to have coached him than to play against him, as was
often the case in matches between AC Milan and Napoli. Diego is a
kind of sword of Damocles: you never know when itll fall.
It is said that in a way you sacrificed great individual players in favour

of tactical discipline...
Some great players enjoyed their best spells under me, such as
Team talk 1988 Arrigo Sacchi and his star-studded AC Milan side at a training camp.
chorus, instrumentalists and dancers. All of them move simultaneously in perfect harmony. That is precisely how the ideal football
team should act too. You cant confuse a player with a footballer.
[Ruud] Gullit and Van Basten at AC Milan, and [Roberto] Baggio in

the Italian national team..
imago/Buzzi
What do you make of modern coaches?

What do you mean by that exactly?
Take Mario Balotelli for example. Hes a footballer but not a
player. A player is someone who moves in harmony with the team,
not as a voice separated from the chorus.
Generally, I put coaches into one of three categories. There are

the geniuses, the innovators, but there arent many of those; then
there are the upstarts, the also-rans who have no idea but think
theyre very clever; and then there are the traditionalists, the
ARRIGO SACCHI
The Immortals
a brand of attractive, innovative, spectacular yet
efficient football that is rarely seen on Italian
shores, Sacchis team holds a special place in the
memories of the Tifosi Rossoneri and football
fans around the globe.
Dutch influence
Like any great artist, Sacchis troops succeeded in
blending tradition with innovative ideas of their
own. His Milan team combined a defensive approach typical of Italian clubs with the creativity
of the individual players at his disposal, not to mention a possession-based system which was first
adopted by a Netherlands side built around the
Naples 1988
Diego Maradona takes
on Marco van Basten.
great Johan Cruyff. The result left nothing to be

desired: a complete team with a rock-solid defence, a patient approach to bringing the ball out
from the back and midfielders who didnt give their
opponents a moments peace on the ball.
Sacchis Milan performed with a balance and
rhythm that captures fans imaginations to this
day. The goalkeeper, Galli, was unflappable and
reliable, Tassotti and Costacurta formed a formidable centre-back pairing and Baresi excelled at
bringing the ball out of defence in a calm and composed manner. Maldini not only provided extra
cover for the defence, but also possessed a good
eye for a ball into the feet of the attackers. Ancelotti was responsible for pulling the strings in midfield, while Donadoni and Colombo were just as
good at pressurising opponents as they were at
keeping possession.
Napoli showdown
However, Sacchis side is perhaps best known for
the Dutch trio in the final third of the pitch Rijkaard, Gullit and Van Basten. Rijkaard set the
rhythm in attack, Gullit wreaked havoc with a mixture of penetration, awareness and shooting ability, and Van Basten was simply the icing on the
cake. Affectionately known as the Nijinsky of the
penalty box due to his sublime first touch and unusually long strides, his goals were almost always
of the spectacular variety. They were the end product of a visionary and earned him successive Ballon dOr awards in 1988 and 1989. Incidentally, his
colleagues Baresi, Gullit and Rijkaard joined van
Basten on the podium during that time.
Over the years, Sacchis Immortals made the
rest of the world forget that Italy was the birth
place of the catenaccio system. All legends are
based on certain historic events and in the case of
Sacchis Milan, three games in particular secured
them that legendary status. The first, a home
match against Diego Maradonas Napoli side,
took place in January 1988, just after Gullit had
been awarded the Ballon dOr for the first and only
time. Milan romped to a 4-1 victory at the San Siro,
a result that won Sacchi plenty of plaudits at the
time. The second game was the 5-0 humbling of
a Real Madrid side featuring Butragueno, Hugo
Sanchez and Michel in the semi-finals of the
European Cup in 1989, while the third of those
memorable matches was the final that year, which
ended in a comfortable 4-0 win for the Italians
over Steaua Bucharest, earning them their first
European title. The football world was waxing
lyrical about the Immortals that night and they
still are to this day.
Jordi Punti
10
imago/Buzzi
everal years ago, in 2007 to be precise,

Italian mass media company Mediaset
ran a survey asking AC Milan supporters
to name the best side in the clubs history.
The result was unanimous: Arrigo
Sacchis Squadra, widely known as The
Immortals, won the vote by an overwhelming
majority, leaving the team Carlo Ancelotti set
about building in 2001 and Fabio Capellos side
from the early nineties in its wake.
Under Sacchis tutelage, Milan dominated
European football at the back end of the 1980s
and remain the most recent club to have won successive European Cups in 1989 and 1990. Playing
ARRIGO SACCHI
Pointing the way Tactics were always one of Arrigo Sacchis strong points as coach and for this photo shoot the 68-year-old got back into character.
downright old-fashioned coaches who follow classical but now

obsolete schools of thought.
Which coaches do you hold in high regard?
My pupil [Carlo] Ancelotti is doing very well, especially last year

when he won both the Champions League and the Club World Cup.
He could ring in the start of a new era at Real Madrid. But I also
rate Jose Mourinho very highly. Hes a genius, albeit in a very
different way to Pep Guardiola. I like Jrgen Klopp too, even if hes
had a lot of difficulties in the Bundesliga this season. In Italy
Antonio Conte and Zdenek Zeman are without doubt among the
very best. Both of them are conductors who know how to convey
the full score to their orchestras.
Improvising can work well once,

but meticulous planning
is the only way.
Speaking of Real Madrid: Florentino Perez appointed you sporting
director at the club ten years ago, but success remained elusive.
That team had so many champions in it: Zidane, Ronaldo, Figo,
Raul, Roberto Carlos, Beckham, Owen, Casillas, Guti, Morientes,
Solari and Samuel. But things didnt work out well on the pitch.
What is your opinion of people for whom the end justifies the means as
long as they win?
Results are more important today than ever before but it would
be a mistake to believe that three points are the only things that
matter. Success only comes with a playing style, with a unified side
and the work of the whole team, and that starts in everyday training. Otherwise, you may win but its a lifeless win. You dont get far
with that philosophy.
Which teams do you think have had the greatest influence on the
development of football in different eras?
I think there have been three: the Netherlands and Ajax under
Rinus Michels, AC Milan under me and Barcelona under Pep
Guardiola.
How do you put a team together that is able to write footballing history?
There are numerous factors that have to be considered and
brought together. First and foremost the club must be ambitious
and have revolutionary ideas. The coach is also important, as he has
to have the ability to put his ideas into practice and to motivate his
players. New signings have to fit in exactly with the tactical concept. You dont buy a player just because of his name if he cant play
in the position you need him in. Theres no point in creating unnecessary rivalries. Young players who are brought into a new team
must be reliable, unselfish, passionate and intelligent. Thats another fundamental aspect that is essential when youre planning in
meticulous detail. If you dont work in depth then youve lost from
11
ARRIGO SACCHI
the outset. Thats as true in football as it is in life. Improvising can

work well once, but that will have been the proverbial exception
that proves the rule. Meticulous planning is the only way.
Did Ronaldo deserve to win the FIFA Ballon dOr?

Absolutely! He had an outstanding season and set one new
record after the other. He may not have won the World Cup but that
tournament only lasts a month, whereas a year lasts 12 months. In
Brazil Messi was voted as the best player and [Manuel] Neuer as the
I rate Jose Mourinho very highly.

Hes a genius.
What is the greatest compliment anyone has ever paid you?
There are a few examples. For instance, one was when the
French sports newspaper LEquipe wrote that AC Milan would
best goalkeeper. Its no coincidence that both of those players were

nominated alongside Ronaldo for the Ballon dOr. Id like to single
out Neuer, the number one at Bayern Munich and in the German
national team, for special praise because hes not only good with
his hands but hes also a fantastic footballer. I watched the Round
of 16 match between Germany and surprise package Algeria in
Porto Alegre very closely. Neuer came out of his box at least three
times and cleared the ball as if he was a top-class defender. He
truly deserves the nickname Sweeper keeper.
12
never be the same again after our European Cup triumph. Another
was the celebrations at the end of the 1986/87 Serie B season with
Parma. We didnt even earn promotion but finished three points off
the pace in seventh place, while Cesena, Lecce and Cremonese
entered the promotion play-offs. But our fans cheered us as if wed
won the Serie A title. Unbelievable! A few days later I left Parma
alongside [Roberto] Mussi, [Walter] Bianchi and [Mario] Bortolazzi
to join AC Milan. And the next year we won the Rossoneris 11th
league title.
Reuters
World Cup runners-up Sacchi honed Italys game and took them to the final of the 1994 World Cup.
ARRIGO SACCHI
Name
Arrigo Sacchi
Date and place of birth
1 April 1946, Fusignano (Italy)
First team coaching debut
Aged 36, at Rimini (Serie C1)
Clubs coached
Cesena (youth team), Rimini,
Fiorentina (youth team), Parma,
AC Milan, Italy, Atletico Madrid
Major honours
Serie A champion 1987-88

European Cup winner 1988-89, 1989-90
World Cup runner-up 1994
13
TALK ING POIN T S
T H E
Peru
E a rl y s e a s on
pr om i s e for a we l lt r ave l l e d ve te r a n
Sven Goldmann is a leading
football correspondent at Tagesspiegel newspaper in Berlin.
It would be fair to say that

the people of Lima had their
reservations. Was Carlos Grossmuller still
any good? At the age of 31, was he at his peak
or were his best years behind him? The
Uruguayan had played in the Champions
League with Schalke 04, but that was seven
years ago, and his brief spell at US Lecce
ended with the clubs relegation from Serie
A. Following that ill-fated stint in Italy,
Grossmuller had returned home to play
forAtletico Cerro and Penarol in Uruguays
capital Montevideo, before taking another
crack at playing abroad. This time the
destination was Peru and his new home
ClubUniversitario de Deportes, the most
successful team in the country.
I N S I D E
In the view of his coach Oscar Ibanez, Grossmuller is a player that can play in three
positions but also, more importantly, one
that can make the difference. Typical of a
no.10, his preferred role is as an advanced
central midfielder and up until now, the plan
of using him in this position has worked very
well. In the semi-finals of the recent Copa
Bandes tournament, he was named man
of the match in a 1-0 win against famous
Argentinian outfit River Plate, before opening
his account for his new club in the final in a
2-1 loss to fellow Uruguayan side Nacional.
Shortly afterwards, in the opening match of
the Torneo del Inca the cup competition for
Uruguays top-flight teams and, more signi
ficantly, Grossmullers competitive debut he
grabbed the winning goal as Universitario
secured a narrow but deserved 1-0 victory
against Leon de Huanuco.
Ostensibly his goal seemed nothing special:
midway through the first half, Huanucos
goalkeeper Jesus Cisneros parried, but could
not clear, a shot from Juan Diego Gutierrez.
The ball landed at the feet of Grossmuller,
who was practically standing on the goalline
and only needed to make contact for a simple
tap-in. At second glance, however, the silky
midfielder had done far more than merely
help the ball over the line. In fact, it was he

that had started the attack with a clever
switch of play to Gutierrez. That he then
continued his run and was on hand to convert
once his team-mates initial effort had been
saved surprised more than a few. A goal in
your first game obviously gives you confidence, Grossmuller said subsequently. We
executed a few things really well but we can
definitely improve, and we have to.
Alongside Argentine journeyman striker
German Alemanno, four-time Uruguay
international Grossmuller is the player with
the most experience in a young and developing team and is understandably well aware
of the hopes placed on him at the Estadio
Monumental. The Torneo Inca, meanwhile, is
only the first step to bigger and more prestigious a mbitions. May sees the beginning
of the Torneo Apertura, the first stage of the
league championship (the Torneo Descentralizado), and record title-winners Universitario will be hoping it brings their 27th league
triumph. Nevertheless, an improvement of
the sort that Grossmuller described is
imperative. In2014 the Lima-based club
could only finish the season in seventh
place, with local rivals Sporting Cristal
taking the honour of c hampions.
A successful debut
Carlos Grossmuller is
delivering on his promise
having scored the deciding
goal against Leon de
Huanuco.
14
Depor
O N
Oman: Omantel Professional League
A l O r u b a o u t f r o nt
in Oman
Andreas Jaros is a Vienna-based
freelance writer.
A few weeks ago, the travel

section of the New York
Times hailed Oman as one of
the must-see places of 2015. The sultanate
offers staggering mountain ranges, a diverse
coastline and the serenity of the Wadis,
where the majority of the rivers run dry but
transform into blooming oases during the wet
season. In a word, this natural jewel one
that is in stark contrast to the artificial
worlds of neighbours United Arab Emirates
and Dubai is well worth a look.
Any visitors to Oman also interested in
football will not be disappointed. The Gulf
state and its three and a half million inhabitants boast a domestic league with 14 teams
who compete home and away for the title and
to avoid finishing the season in one of the
two relegation spots. They are delighted to
welcome any and every visiting fan.
Dramatic turns might be common in the
landscape, but the same cannot be said for the
top half of the table. Al Oruba are league
leaders and midway through February after 13
games boasted a six-point lead after continuing their winning run of form with a 1-0 win
against Al Shabab. The chasing pack are a
tight-knit bunch. Second-placed Dhofar, who
only managed a 1-1 draw against Al Seeb, and
eighth-placed Fanja SC are separated by just
three points. Last years runners up Fanja
would be be nearer the top, but were left
reeling from a 4-2 home defeat against AlNasr.
Leaving rivals in their wake Nasser Shimley clears confidently for league leaders Al Oruba.
Times of Oman
Standings: 1. Al Oruba, 29 points 2. Dhofar,

23 3. Al Nasr 4. Al Shabab, both 22 points
5. Al-Khaboora, 21 points 6. Sur 7. Saham
(one game in hand) 8. Fanja SC, all 20
points.
Defending champions Al Nahdas fall from
grace is almost beyond imagination. After
being docked six points, the 2013/14 champions are propping up the table after only
picking up four points in a dozen games.
space for just 2,000 fans at Ibri, but the

Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in the capital
Muscat, a stadium which acts as home for a
number of top-flight clubs, offers a 39,000
capacity.
Similarly extreme are the attendance figures

in the sparsely populated monarchy. There is
Even without the recommendation of the

New York Times, Omans football chiefs
recently made an occupational visit to Australia for the Asian Cup. Sadly, their country
had the misfortune of being drawn in the
same group as the two finalists: A 4-0 defeat
to hosts and eventual winners Australia was
accompanied by a 1-0 loss to South Korea.
Oman did finish strongly though, beating
local rivals Kuwait 1-0.
15
THE INTERVIEW
I try not to watch the World

Cup matches
Angel Di Maria missed out on the chance to take to the pitch at last summers
World Cup Final, but although I couldnt play, it was still
the most beautiful moment of my career, says the Argentinian.
In 2014 you helped Real Madrid become
European champions for the tenth time but
then had to leave the club. With Argentina you
reached the Final of the World Cup in Brazil
but missed their last two games because of
injury. On balance, would you say it was a
bittersweet 12 months?
ngel Di Mara: No, no Im very happy
about what happened. Aside from injuries,
which can afflict anyone, I achieved big
things, like winning la dcima with Madrid
and helping Argentina reach the World Cup
Final after many years. Then there was how
we got there showing immense desire and
bravery with a spectacular group of players.
Itwas well deserved and I was more than
satisfied with what we accomplished.
If you had to single out one moment from

2014, what would it be and why?
It might sound strange but itd be reaching the World Cup Final. Its something I
never thought Id be part of, even as a boy.
And although I couldnt play, it was still the
most beautiful moment of my career.
When you picked up that injury against Belgium, did you realise immediately how serious
it was?
Yes, I knew it might be a bad one from the
pain. It was just as I accelerated past the
defender and was about to break clear. Thats
when I felt the pain. However, I have great
faith and believed Id be able to play again,
and I did everything in my power to be fit for
the Final. But footballs like that. It can put
you out of the World Cup, but it can also give
you a chance to make amends. Hopefully Ill
get that opportunity.
Have you watched those World Cup games

since?
No, I try not to watch them. (laughs)
part of a World Cup, you dont see any of

whats going on outside, where many wonderful things happen. I heard bits from my family
about the sheer numbers who were travelling
and how committed they were. You dont see
all that, which is why its nice to watch it now
and remember it in a different way. Wed have
loved to have given all our compatriots the
ultimate celebration and taken the final step,
and hopefully one day we will.
2014 was also the year you said goodbye to

Real Madrid. Whats your assessment of that
chapter now?
My English
is very bad,
but Im trying
to learn it
bit by bit.
Have you ever wondered what might have
happened if youd played in that Final?
No, because I firmly believe things happen
for a reason. If it was Gods will that I didnt
play in that final, then its because I wasnt
meant to be there. The players that started
gave absolutely everything. We had every
chance of winning that game and many
scoring opportunities, but the ball just
wouldnt go in. They had two chances: one hit
the post and the other went in. Thats football
for you.
Not even your goal against Switzerland?

That one, yes. From time to time I watch
some clips on Youtube, though its mostly
ones featuring the fans. When youre actually
16
Yes, you could think that way after

seeing how the game panned out. Both El
Pocho [Ezequiel Lavezzi] and Leo [Messi]
went at them at pace and got the better of
them. I think it would have been a different
game with someone in my role. I had a good
understanding with Leo throughout the
World Cup, but thats football and God didnt
intend it to be.
But tactically, against a side with such a high

defensive line as Germany, a player with your
skills might have found the gaps?
Well, I did everything asked of me: I won

the Super Cup, the Copa del Rey, the Champions League and the Spanish league. I won
every title except the Club World Cup, as Id
already left the club by then. Id been there
four years and the time had come for a
change. I really wanted to play in the Premier
League, which Id been watching since I was a
youngster every Saturday or Sunday before Id
go and play for Rosario Central. It was always
a dream and goal of mine to experience
English football.
Football aside, how are you getting on in

England?
Very well. The weather is the only thing
it doesnt help a lot. (laughs). But Im very
content here. The people have a lot of affection for me, which is the most important
thing. Its what I value most, and I have that
here.
How are you progressing with the language?

More like regressing! (laughs). Its very
bad. [Ive learned] very little and only understand a small bit. That said, Im trying to
learn it bit by bit and Im taking classes.
Hopefully Ill pick it up quickly.
Youre one of the few to have been long-time

team-mates of both Cristiano Ronaldo and
Lionel Messi. Do you tire of people asking you
to compare them?
No, because I always say the same thing:
that theyre two completely different players.
Name
Angel Fabian Di Maria Hernandez
14 February 1988
Rosario, Argentina
Position
Midfielder, winger
Ben Duffy/Adidas
Clubs played for

20052007 Rosario Central
20072010 Benfica
20102014 Real Madrid
since 2014 Manchester United
Argentina national team
57 caps, 11 goals
17
Football is a
brotherhood. Its peace.
2014 Visa. All rights reserved.
Oscar Arias
Nobel Peace Laureate
THE INTERVIEW
Leo features in every game, making short

bursts and nonchalantly dribbling past one,
two or three players with great ball control
in tight spaces. Cristiano is more about
power, long range shots theyre different.
IfI were FIFA, Id have two Ballon dOr
prizes, one for that pair to fight over, and
another for everyone else.
Theres been a lot of talk about Messi of late,

even rumours that hed consider a move to
Chelsea. As someone who spent time working
with Jose Mourinho, could you see them
together?
Emotional memories
for Messi
In principle, I dont think Leo wants to

leave Barcelona. Its hard to walk away from a
club thats given you everything, where you
effectively grew up. But to answer your
question, no I dont think hed have any
problem working with Mourinho. (laughs)
What do you miss most about Argentina?

My friends and now more than ever, as
English football doesnt stop over Christmas
and I couldnt travel home. Then theres your
family, who are always far from you, including my parents and those of my wife. Theyre
all in Argentina, which can be also be a bit
hard to take.
Finally, is winning the 2015 Copa America your

top goal this year?
Hopefully we can manage it as Id love to
win something with the full national team.
Ive won an Olympic title and an U-20 World
Cup, but itd be really special to round things
off with a Copa title with the seniors. Its
hard, though, as there are many strong teams
at present, including Brazil, Colombia and
Uruguay, who fight every step of the way.
Itsa tall order but hopefully things go well
for us and we can finally give Argentina
reason to celebrate.
Bao Tailiang/Chengdu Economic Daily
Angel Di Maria was speaking

to Alejandro Varsky
A difficult moment Lionel Messi, pictured in Rio de Janeiro on 13 July

(World Press Sports Photo of the Year 2014)
rgentina won their second and most recent World Cup title in Mexico back in
1986, when La Albiceleste defeated Germany 3-2 in a thrilling Final. The tournament is remembered for the performances
of one Diego Maradona, who led his team to
victory several times along the way.
The great Maradona continues to cast a
long shadow. Although Lionel Messi is now
repeatedly compared with his exceptional
predecessor, with some believing that the
man from Rosario possesses even greater
skill, the argument always ends the same
way: Maradona must be better because Messi has never made Argentina world champions. The four-time Ballon dOr winner contested what was already his third World Cup
in Brazil last summer at just 27 years old.
Five key moments
Every fan can bring to mind the scenes after the final whistle on 13 July 2014, with
German players celebrating exuberantly as
the Argentinians consoled one another. At
the centre of it all, the losing sides captain,
Messi, tried to hold back the tears, while
the Golden Ball award he collected as the
player of the tournament after the match

at the Maracana served as little more than
a consolation prize.
Although time cannot heal all wounds,
it seems to make past events seem more
bearable. With that in mind, FIFA.com recently had the idea of sitting down with the
2014 World Cups most important protagonists to review some key moments from the
tournament. The first player to make himself available for this special meeting in
front of the cameras was Lionel Messi.
The FIFA clip that resulted from this encounter, entitled Lionel Messi watches Brazil 2014, caused a sensation when it was
launched online last week. I dont know
what to say, said the Argentinian, visibly
moved as he watched his teams missed
chances in the Final once again. Well regret
it for the rest of our lives.
(tfw)
Messi watches Brazil 2014 (video):

http://tinyurl.com/q45cl4e
19
laif
20
First Love
Place: Bel Ombre, Mauritius
Date: 9 July 2014
Time: 4.38 p.m.
Photog rapher: John Fr umm
21
THIS IS THE ONE

Introducing
Official Mascot for the

FIFA U-20 World Cup New Zealand 2015
@FIFAcom #Wooliam
/fau20worldcup
U - 20 W O R L D C U P 2015
PRESIDENTIAL NOTE
Draw sets stage for

New Zealand 2015
Finals debut for

Fiji and Myanmar
F
Unveiled at last The six groups for the U-20 World Cup have now been drawn.
he draw for the U-20 World Cup New Zealand 2015 has taken place in Auckland,
mapping out the group-stage challenge for each of the 24 teams involved.
A rguably the pick of the sections drawn at the impressive SKYCITY Convention
Centre was Group D, which pits Mexico against 2013 runners-up Uruguay,
Serbia and an as-yet undecided African opponent. Hosts New Zealand, meanwhile, will take on Ukraine in the opening match on 30 May in a section that
also includes USA and debutants Myanmar. As for the tournaments other firsttimers, Fiji, they face a demanding debut in the U-20 showpiece, with their first match
a baptism of fire against European champions Germany.
The stars of tomorrow
Proceedings were conducted by FIFAs Events Director, Colin Smith and Senior Competitions Manager, Rhiannon Martin, with help from draw assistants Danny Hay,
Wynton Rufer, Steve Sumner and Ivan Vicelich.
There were also speeches from New Zealands Minister for Sport and Recreation,
Jonathan Coleman, and from FIFA Vice-President Jeffrey Webb, who spoke of the
tournaments legendary potential for unearthing stars. Several of the players who
have starred in previous U-20 World Cups played at last years World Cup in Brazil,
such as James Rodriguez and Paul Pogba, said Webb, who is also Chairman of the
tournaments Organising Committee. No doubt we will see more World Cup stars
discovered here in a New Zealand in a few months time. This is a wonderful competition that inspires many youngsters, both boys and girls alike, to play the game and
to follow football clubs.
New Zealand 2015 will be the 20th edition of the U-20 World Cup, a tournament
already famous for helping launch the careers of Diego Maradona, Ronaldinho, Lionel
Messi and many more of the games all-time greats. It will be held between 30 May
and 20 June in seven cities across the countrys north and south islands.
ootballs foundations are becoming broader than ever, with major tournaments
hardly ever featuring outsiders given no
chance of progressing. When the U-20 World
Cup gets underway in New Zealand on 30 May,
it will be contested by two nations who have
never previously qualified for a FIFA finals
tournament Fiji and Myanmar. The fact that
this is happening in the highest youth category makes it even more significant. After all,
since it was first held in Tunisia in 1977, this
competition has provided a springboard for
the world-class careers of such great players
as Maradona, Messi, Figo and Ronaldinho.
One of FIFAs key objectives is to make
football accessible to people from all walks of
life, under optimal conditions and supported
by the best possible expertise. Since 1999, we
have invested more than US$ 2 billion in football development, implemented 700 Goal projects worldwide and laid important social foundations with our Football for Hope and Football
for Health programmes.
But the next challenges already await us.
As a leading international sports federation, we
must continue to assume responsibility for social issues in future. The examples of Fiji and
Myanmar prove that this work can also lead to
results on the pitch, because wherever footballs full integrating power is harnessed, new
sporting opportunities can also emerge. I am
already looking forward to the U-20 World Cup
in New Zealand, as it will give us a first-hand
opportunity to see a new chapter of footballing
history being written.
Brendon OHagan
Stephen Sullivan
Best wishes, Sepp Blatter

23
O LY M P I Q U E D E M A R S E I L L E
At the heart of the city The golden Madonna looks down from the Notre-Dame de la Garde church towards the 65,000m2 roof of the Stade Vlodrome.
Olympique de Marseille is Frances most popular

club, despite or perhaps even because of the
many scandals that litter its history.
Sarah Steiner
24
Boris Horvat/AFP (2)
Where OM W
means love
ith its narrow alleys and vast squares

where vocal traders and bustling
housewives mingle amid stalls selling
everything from olives and salami to
mobile phones and kitchen utensils,
Marseille offers a potpourri of influences. Each new corner brings another aroma,
each street a fresh experience. Amid all this,
the colours blue and white seem to be everywhere, always accompanied by the same two
letters OM. They represent Olympique de
Marseille, an organisation that is more than
just a football club in these parts. It is a myth,
a legend, a second religion, and the love of
every single Marseillais.
Most importantly of all, Les Olympiens are
the glue that holds the city together. It is difficult to imagine a corner of France more multicultural than this one. Founded by the Ancient
Greeks, captured by the Visigoths, Ostrogoths
and Franks and destroyed by the Saracens, by
the 19th century it was the most important
trading post in the French empire. Goods
a rrived into this Mediterranean port still one
of the citys busiest districts on board ships
In with the fans The renovated stands offer space for 67,000 spectators in 13 kilometres of seating and have turned the Velodrome into a true cauldron of excitement.
that also contained migrants. Many of the

citys more than 850,000 residents can boast
foreign roots. Whether Algeria, Morocco, Italy,
Senegal, China or many others, countless cultural influences have shaped modern Marseille
and its inhabitants.
A melting pot of cultures
Nevertheless, people do not always coexist
peacefully in this southern French metropolis,
with crime proving to be a particular problem.
The Marseillais have always been known as
independent citizens willing to rail against
authority whenever necessary. When the Sun
King of Paris, Louis XIV, decided to secure the
harbour walls, he did not point its newly installed cannons out to sea but instead towards
the city, which had long been a pocket of resistance. The attitude of the locals towards the
French capital has changed little ever since.
Idont care one little bit what they think of us
in Paris or anywhere else, celebrated Marseille-born author Jean-Claude Izzo once wrote. As
far as Europe is concerned, we are still the first
city of the Third World.
OM would not be
OM were ecstatic
highs not followed by
devastating lows.
Pride brings the locals together, and nowhere is this sense of solidarity more palpable
than at OMs stadium, the Stade Velodrome.
Together, they are no longer Frenchmen, Algerians or Senegalese they are blue-and-white
Marseillais.
Success pursued by failure
This city and its club are inseparable, and no
football team in France has created nor con
tinues to create waves as big as those of
Marseille. Great players such as Josip Skoblar,
Didier Deschamps, Eric Cantona, Alain Giresse,
Jean-Pierre Papin, Fabrizio Ravanelli and

Didier Drogba have all played here. As a child,
Zinedine Zidanes greatest wish was to play for
Les Phocens, but it was a dream he never fulfilled. This son of Algerian migrants learned
football on the streets of Marseille while following the exploits of his idol, OMs Uruguayan
striker Enzo Francescoli even naming his
first-born son after his childhood hero many
years later. But this eventual superstars career
took an altogether different path. Discovered
at Cannes, he moved to Bordeaux and then to
Juventus before finally signing for Real M
adrid.
Established in 1899, Olympique de Marseille
were among the founding members of Ligue 1.
Success and failure are two common threads
that have run through the clubs history. The
golden era of the 1920s and 1930s and championship glory in 1948 was followed by relegation
and then promotion. Between 1969 and 1972,
OM won the league twice and lifted a further
two French Cups. The legendary Josip Skoblars
44 goals played a fundamental part in their 1971
championship success, but before long the club
sank back into insignificance.
25
1942-1958
Roger Scotti
Scotti was born and died in
Marseille, and the only club he
ever played for was Olympique de
Marseille. He remains the clubs
record appearance holder with
406 matches.
1966-1967, 1970-1973
Josip Skoblar
When Skoblar returned to the
port city in 1970, it didnt take
him long to recapture fans
hearts. The Croatian scored
44times in a single season
a club record.
1986-1992
Jean-Pierre Papin
The centre-forward, who won
four championships and one
European Cup with OM,
finished top scorer in the
French top flight on five
successive occasions.
1989-2012
(intermittently)
Didier Deschamps
After winning the championship
and European Cup as a player
with the club, Deschamps
guided OM to their first league
title in 18years in 2010.
1992-1994
Rudi Voller
According to his former
team-mates, Voller is the only
OM player who was not
involved in the alleged drug
scandal before the 1993
Champions League final.
1997-2008
Samir Nasri
Nasri joined OMs youth
academy at the age of 10
and made his first-team
debut as a 17-year-old.
Henow plies his trade
atManchester City.
2006-2014
Mathieu Valbuena
Nicknamed Le Petit Velo
(the small bike) by his
team-mates, Marseille
retired the 28 shirt following
the crowd favourites move
to Dynamo Moscow.
26
The harbour turns blue and white OMs fans gathered at the Vieux Port on 16 May 2010 to honour their
championship-winning heroes.
In 1985 Bernard Tapie took the reins at Marseille and invested money plenty of it. Karlheinz Forster, Klaus Allofs, Rudi Voller, Jean
Tigana and Jean-Pierre Papin are just some of
the illustrious names to have graced the Stade
Vlodrome pitch during this era. Olympique de
Marseille not only won Ligue 1 four times in
succession but also made waves on the international stage. In 1990, the reigning French champions only exited the European Cup at the
hands of Benfica in the semi-final, before going
one better to lose out to Red Star Belgrade in
the final a year later. In 1993 came the greatest
success in the clubs history victory in the
Champions League final against AC Milan.
But OM would not be OM if ecstatic highs
were not almost immediately followed by devastating lows. A match-fixing scandal meant Marseille were stripped of their 1993 French title,
while enforced relegation to the second division
and a mountain of debt almost drove the club
out of business. Even their 1993 European triumph acquired an unpleasant aftertaste.
Despite this turmoil, the club recovered once
again, and its fans continue to support it uncon-
ditionally. Even the furore concerning illegal

transfer dealings during the last decade that
ultimately led to criminal convictions and the
more recent arrest of Vincent Labrune in late
2014 did little to deter the Olympique de Marseille faithful, with the club remaining Frances
most popular domestic football team. Five years
ago, a league title and successes in both domestic
cup competitions provided balm for the souls of
OMs dedicated fan base and brought an end to
a 17-year silverware drought. Tens of thousands
of local supporters celebrated at the Vieux Port
as the city erupted in blue-and-white elation.
North versus south
High above the city on the tower of the Notre-
Dame de la Garde church sits the patron saint
of Marseille. Standing 11 metres high, the golden figure of the Bonne Mre shimmers in the
sunlight as she looks down upon a modern metropolis. Near the tourist attractions in the
central Quartier du Panier lies the upmarket
southern part of the city, whose beachfront
villas contrast sharply with the grey concrete
tower blocks of northern Marseille.
HO(3), Getty Images (2), imago (2), Presse Sports, Patrick Valasseris/AFP
1988-1991
Eric Cantona
Cantona wasnt always able
to keep a lid on his temper at
his boyhood club, having
spats with referees, coaches
and the clubs board as a
young player.
Olympique de Marseille
Facts and figures
Founded:
31 August 1899
Stadium:
Stade Velodrome, capacity 67,000
Coach:
Marcelo Bielsa
Chairman:
Vincent Labrune
Club honours: French champions:

1937, 1948, 1971, 1972, 1989, 1990, 1991,
1992, 1993 (later stripped of title), 2010
French Cup winners:
1924, 1926, 1927, 1935, 1938, 1943, 1969,
1972, 1976, 1989
International honours:
Champions League winners 1993,
Intertoto Cup winners 2005
Just four kilometres from the old port, a

futuristic roof makes for a particularly eyecatching sight. This is the heart of the footballing city of Marseille the Stade Vlodrome.
Reopened in October 2014, the arena offers
seating for 67,000 spectators vital when you
consider that Les Olympiens sell more than
30,000 season tickets each year. Even here, the
north-south divide is a familiar concept in more
ways than one. For starters, there is the clubs
rivalry with Paris Saint-Germain, their adver-
OM sell more
than 30,000 season
tickets each year.
saries from the French capital and the only

other team in the country that can boast a higher number of season ticket holders. But there is
also an internal duel within the stadium. OM
fans do not stand united behind their club in
one block but instead divide themselves between the north and south stands. The prospect
of playing here is not made any easier for visiting sides when the Marseille battle cry Aux
Armes (To Arms) rings out across the pitch.
Magical moments at the Vlodrome
Built in 1937 in preparation for the World Cup
the following year, the Vlodrome has provided
the setting for many legendary matches and
not just in club football. One example is
Giuseppe Meazzas memorable appearance
during the 1938 World Cup. The Italians were

awarded a penalty during their semi-final
against Brazil, and as Meazza set the ball down
on the spot in front of a 30,000-strong crowd,
the drawstring of his shorts broke, causing
them to slip down. Unfazed, he held his shorts
in place with his left hand, set the ball down
with his right, took a couple of steps of run-up
and buried his shot in the back of the net.

Dennis Bergkamp is another player with good
memories of the Vlodrome. With the stadium
renovated for the 1998 World Cup and its capacity expanded to 60,000 seats, the Dutchman
brought the ball down from the sky, cut inside
and planted a half-volley into the far corner of
the goal in the last minute of his sides quarter-final against Argentina to send his nation
into raptures.
Since then the Vlodrome has undergone
another phase of beautification, with tonnes of
concrete and steel being processed as OM continued to play their home matches there. This
newly renovated footballing temple is Frances
second largest after the Stade de France in Paris and is now ready to host games at EURO
2016. But after going into the winter break at
the top of the table and currently lying in second place, Olympique de Marseille may have
something to celebrate well before Europes
premier international tournament gets underway next year. Marseille will be more than
ready to write a new chapter in its history this
time a successful one.
27
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IN BRIEF
t the Africa Cup of Nations final in Equatorial Guinea, a hotly contested yet ultimately goalless 120 minutes were followed by a dramatic
penalty shootout from which Cte dIvoire emerged victorious after beating Ghana 9-8. But only one name was on everyones lips after the
final whistle Boubacar Barry. Long after the nerves of players, staff, spectators and half the continent had been shredded, the Ivorian
goalkeeper delivered a spectacular solo performance. After the eighth spot-kick, Barry lay stricken on the floor with leg cramp and required
treatment, but just a few minutes later he parried clear a shot from Ghana custodian Razak Brimah before stepping up to convert the decisive
penalty himself. Herve Renard and his team were assured of a hearty welcome home after securing their first triumph in 23 years, with one
million fans gathering to greet the newly crowned African champions in Abidjan.
Alan Schweingruber
Cte dIvoire images from the victor y parade http://tinyurl.com/k7stkug
Carl de Souza/AFP
ootballers are role models, and so it comes as no surprise that

more and more kids want to imitate their idols. Yet it is not just
by wearing their names on their shirts that todays youngsters
are celebrating their heroes. These days their affections increasingly extend to copying the players haircuts. To see a fellow professional do the same thing is altogether rather more uncommon,
though, and the supporters of Peruvian club Universitario de Deportes could be forgiven for doing a double-take when they first
saw the new hairstyle sported by midfielder Antonio Gonzales. The
28-year-old has adopted an identical Mohawk haircut to that worn
so famously by Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal, and he is now
often mistaken as the Chilean internationals doppelganger. I admire Vidal, he is quoted as saying, but this hair-do is for my son.
He wanted me to have the same haircut as Vidal and Im going to
keep it until my son tells me something different. Im taking it all
as a bit of fun. After the Mohawk choice caused such a stir, Universitario fans can quite rightly look forward with anticipation to
the next idea that pops into the young boys head.
Tim Pfeifer
he accident happened on 3 April 1961. Two days after playing

a cup match in Osorno, several members of the Club de Deportes Green Cross squad took a flight home to Santiago. Suddenly, their aircraft disappeared from radar screens somewhere
over the Andes. It was never recovered. Now, almost 54 years
later, the almost impossible has happened: mountain climbers
have stumbled upon what is highly likely to be the wreckage of
the plane. Quite a lot of the fuselage is still there, expedition
member Leonard Albornoz reported. Eight players, two members
of the coaching staff and three match officials lost their lives in
the crash, including Argentinian international Eliseo Mourino,
while the rest of the squad decided to take a second flight. The
mountaineers do not want to reveal the exact location of the
Douglas DC3. We dont want the site to be desecrated, Albornoz
explained. Its important to realise that people died here and the
families of the victims deserve our respect.
Sarah Steiner
29
Developing football
everywhere and for all
Organising inspiring
tournaments
Caring about society

and the environment
For the Game. For the World.

FIFA is committed to developing football for the benet of all. Our mission is to:
Develop the game
FIFAs primary objective is to develop the game of football
in our 209 member associations. The FIFA World Cup gives
us the resources we need to invest USD 550,000 per day in
football development across the globe.
Touch the world
FIFAs aim is to touch the world through its international
football competitions and events, uniting and inspiring
people everywhere.
FIFA.com
Build a better future

Football is much more than just a game. Its universal appeal
gives it a unique power and reach which must be managed
carefully. FIFA believes it has a duty to society that goes
beyond football.
FREE KICK
SPOTLIGHT ON
GENER AL
INFORMATION
FIFA Trigramme:
MAD
Country:
As the snow
gently falls
Madagascar
Official name:
Republic of Madagascar
Repoblikani Madagasikara
Continent:
Africa
Capital:
Antananarivo
Sarah Steiner
inter has bared its teeth in Europe recently, with freezing temperatures and snow
sweeping across the continent. In Scandinavia, the professional leagues have settled
down for their annual weather-enforced winter
slumber ahead of their next block of domestic
matches, which lasts from spring all the way
through to autumn. In many European countries, though, professional football only grinds
to a halt for a short period of time, while in
England there is no break whatsoever.
It is hardly surprising, therefore, that
matches during the winter months are often
affected by the adverse weather. Last Saturday, the Serie A contest between Parma and
Chievo had to be postponed due to heavy
snow, while the Scottish second-division
game between Rangers and Heart of Midlothian was abandoned after 25 minutes for the
exact same reason.
The big freeze has also caused more than
a few problems in the German Bundesliga.
Snow and ice have made training conditions
difficult and left ground staff with their work
cut out. At SC Paderborn, a club that is perched
just two points above the bottom of the league
and could probably do with a gruelling training session or two, fans took matters into their
own hands ahead of the crucial game with
Hamburger SV. Armed with gloves and snow
shovels, they descended on the training
ground and managed to clear the playing area
of snow. Unfortunately they werent rewarded
for their efforts as Paderborn slumped to a 3-0
home defeat to HSV.
Switzerland has not gone unscathed either. While the alpine nations tourist and ski
resorts rejoice at the arrival of the white blanket, football fans are far less enthused by
heavy snowfall. Last weekend, FC Sion supporters made the trip to Liechtenstein to
watch their sides match with Vaduz, but the
game they had come to see never kicked off
because of the snow on the pitch. In Zurich,
meanwhile, it was almost impossible to kick a
ball at all. For financial reasons, the city of
Zurich had scrapped its snow-clearing budget
worth around 50,000 Swiss francs. Thankfully FIFA lent them a helping hand, allowing
ten pitches to be cleared of snow.
GEOGR APHIC
INFORMATION
Surface area:
587,040 km
Highest point:
Maromokotro 2,876 m
Neighbouring seas and oceans:
Indian Ocean
MENS FOOTBALL
FIFA Ranking:
148th
World Cup:
WOMENS FOOTBALL
FIFA Ranking:
FOOTBALL S TATS
All players:
826,420
Registered players:
30,420
Unregistered players:
796,000
Clubs:
220
The weekly column by our staff
writers
Officials:
4,788
31
MIRROR IMAGE
Munich, Germany
1968
imago
Struggling to stay on track: Franz Beckenbauer
32
MIRROR IMAGE
Madrid, Spain
2011
imago
Eyes on the road: Cristiano Ronaldo
33
2014 FIFA TM
6 June - 5 July
THE ART OF FOOTBALL
Gentle smiles
Ronald Duker
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
"I am disappointed by the boos.

We played well, we won. We dont
understand what these guys want.
Whether we win or we lose, they boo us.
Maybe they are in the habit of eating
caviar before they come to see us.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic commenting on
the Paris Saint-Germain fans following
their win over Rennes
or many years now,

we have accepted
that World Cups
throw the participating teams into the
harsh glare of international attention for
several months at a
time. As soon as a nation no matter how
small or remote
qualifies for the tournament, we suddenly become fascinated
by its people, how they live and what their
culture is like. Everybody wants to know
the names of their teams biggest stars or
whether there are any unknown quantities
who could spring a surprise out on the
pitch. At the 1966 World Cup in England,
all eyes were fixed on one completely enigmatic side Korea DPR.
The team hailed from the other side of
the Iron Curtain and were as obviously
far-removed from the other nations as the
world in Lewis Carrolls book Through the
Looking-Glass is from reality. To add to
this sense of mystery, nobody knew anything about any of the North Korean players, and once this collection of anonymous
footballers travelled home from England,
nobody heard anything more about any of
them for the next 36 years. In 2002, British
documentary filmmaker Daniel Gordon
managed something none of his contemporaries had done before, securing permission to film in the notoriously secretive
state after years of negotiations. With his
authorisation in hand, he set off to track
down the countrys heroes of 1966.
Although it may seem strange to dub
them heroes, the series of interviews given
by members of that team for Gordons film
The Game of Their Lives recalls their incredible passage to the 1966 quarter-finals,
as defeat against the Soviet Union and a
draw with Chile were

followed by a sensational victory over Italy that enabled Korea
DPR to qualify for the
knockout stages at
their European opponents expense. Their
quarter-final against
Portugal who had
eliminated Brazil in
the previous round
was no less compelling. Despite taking a
3-0 lead in the opening twenty minutes,
the Koreans could do little but look on in
amazement as the legendary Eusebio
scored four goals in succession to hand the
Portuguese players a 5-3 win.
When players such as Pak Do Ik, Pak
Sun Jin, Rim Jung Son, Ri Chan Myong
arrived in England, it seemed to the rest of
the world as if they had travelled from the
dark side of the moon. Later, rumours
swirled that the entire team had been
thrown into prison for years upon their
return to North Korea as the Great Leader
was unhappy with their exit from the competition. Daniel Gordons film dispels such
myths by introducing us to a succession of
cheery elderly gentlemen who, although
they never made money from their sport,
can still draw on their memories of those
wonderful moments.
Im speechless. I dont remember the

last time I lost three games in a row.
I must have been only ten. Losing like
this hurts. We were fools.
Roberto Mancini, Coach Inter Milan
Since Luis Suarez joined us at

Barcelona, Liverpool have not had that
one player they can look to for that
special moment. Couto can be that
player for them, Im sure. When he has
the ball at his feet, he can make things
happen for himself and he can make
things happen for other players.
He is a very special player.
Neymar on Philippe Coutinho
Its the same story every time.

Umpteen times this season weve been
our own worst enemy and its not good
enough. Last year we were better away
because we faced teams who didnt
have the quality of the Premier League.
You make a mistake at this level
and its in the back of your net.
Its the Premier League.
Joey Barton, QPR
35
2014 adidas AG. adidas, the 3-Bars logo and the 3-Stripes mark are registered trademarks of the adidas Group.
THERE
WILL BE
ATERS
TURNING POINT
A fire
flared up
inside me
After growing up in Italy,
one day Simone Rota
sensed the desire to return
to his roots.
SHOT Magazine
ne day I found my adoption papers in a

drawer. That was the day a fire flared up
inside of me. My entire history was
summarised in those documents and I
saw my birthday, 6 November 1984,
printed in faded type writer ink. My
place of birth was listed as Paranaque in the
region of Manila in the Philippines a long
way from the small town near Milan where I
lived with my parents. They had once travelled to the Philippines to collect me from the
Per laltro Onlus mission, where I had been
cared for by Sisters May and Marilena. Ive
never met my biological mother.
There wasnt anything particularly special
about my adoption papers, certainly nothing
that would have interested anyone apart from
me or my family. But they turned my life upside
down. I felt it course through my body like a
flash. I now knew where I was from and that
awakened the desire to go back.
Id started out playing for Pro Sesto in the
Serie C2 [the Italian fourth division] and we
even managed to gain promotion. After that I
joined Manfredonia and played for several
other clubs in the Piedmont region, as well as
in Switzerland. However, that day I decided to
give it all up and emigrate to the Philippines.
I signed for FC Stallion in the Philippine first
division in 2014 and earned a call-up into the
national team. I made my international debut
aged 29 against Laos in the AFC Challenge
Cup 2014, the biggest continental tournament
for emerging Asian football nations, and we
went all the way to the final.
I returned to my roots and now I live once
again in the same mission as before, together
with 21 orphaned children and Sisters May
and Marilena. Ive decided to live here because I see myself in the children, although
they havent been as lucky as I was. I spend
my days with them, accompany them to
school and join them three times a week in
giving rice and bread to the poor in the rundown areas of Manila.
I have the feeling that my parents in Italy
always knew that one day I would return to
live in the Philippines. I know that the Philippine children view me as some sort of hero.
The fact that I play for the national team
shows them that it is possible to make your
dreams come true and to leave difficult living
conditions behind you.
Simone Rota was speaking to
Emanuele Giulianelli
Name
Simone Mondiali Rota
6 November 1984,
Paranaque City, Philippines
Position
Defender, Midfielder
Clubs
2002-2010 Pro Sesto
2006 Manfredonia (loan)
2008-2009 Lugano (loan)
2010-2012 Borgomanero
2012-2014 Asti
since 2014 Stallion FC
Philippines national team
8 caps, 2 goals
In Turning Point, personalities reflect

on a decisive moment in their lives.
37
MENS WORLD R ANKING
Germany (unchanged)
none
none
76
Cte dIvoire, Congo DR (7 matches each)
Equatorial Guinea (up 370 points)
Equatorial Guinea (up 69 ranks)
Libya (down 156 points)
Libya (down 35 ranks)
Leader
Moves into top ten
Moves out of top ten
Matches played in total
Most matches played
Biggest move by points
Biggest move by ranks
Biggest drop by points
Biggest drop by ranks
Rank Team
+/- Points
Rank Team
+/- Points
Rank Team
Last updated:
12 February 2015
+/- Points
Rank Team
+/- Points
1 Germany
0 1729
55 Japan
-1
605
109 Qatar
-17
305
162 Puerto Rico
-1
2 Argentina
0 1534
56 South Africa
-4
592
110 St Vincent and the Grenadines
11
300
164 Suriname
-1
115
3 Colombia
0 1456
57 Egypt
590
111 Namibia
293
165 Swaziland
-1
103
4 Belgium
0 1430
58 Gabon
585
112 Sudan
-4
288
166 Guyana
101
5 Netherlands
0 1385
59 Peru
-6
566
113 Libya
-35
281
167 Belize
100
6 Brazil
0 1333
60 Zambia
-10
556
114 Cuba
-1
271
167 Tahiti
-1
100
7 Portugal
0 1189
61 Panama
-6
555
115 Liberia
268
169 Gambia
-1
95
8 France
-1 1168
62 Trinidad and Tobago
-7
551
116 Kenya
266
170 Montserrat
-1
86
9 Uruguay
119
1 1146
63 Australia
37
548
117 Canada
-5
264
171 India
85
10 Spain
-1 1144
63 Albania
-5
548
118 Niger
263
171 Pakistan
17
85
11 Switzerland
1 1117
65 Montenegro
-6
537
119 St Kitts and Nevis
258
173 Sri Lanka
-1
78
12 Italy
-1 1112
66 United Arab Emirates
14
529
119 Zimbabwe
-12
258
174 Comoros
-1
75
13 Costa Rica
3 1074
67 Republic of Ireland
-2
521
121 Lebanon
254
174 So Tom e Prncipe
-4
75
14 Chile
0 1037
68 Burkina Faso
-4
513
121 Moldova
254
176 Turks and Caicos Islands
66
61
15 England
-2 1028
69 Norway
-2
512
123 Mauritania
15
251
177 Seychelles
16 Romania
-1 1022
70 Bulgaria
-4
506
124 Burundi
249
177 Nicaragua
-4
61
17 Czech Republic
71 Uzbekistan
493
125 Lesotho
-1
243
179 Yemen
-3
60
990
18 Algeria
981
72 Rwanda
-4
492
126 Georgia
234
180 Bermuda
-1
55
19 Croatia
945
73 Finland
-3
475
126 Palestine
-11
234
180 San Marino
-1
55
20 Cte dIvoire
932
74 Armenia
470
128 Kuwait
-3
231
180 Dominica
55
21 Mexico
-1
912
75 Togo
-13
465
129 Luxembourg
-2
225
180 Nepal
55
22 Slovakia
-1
903
76 Uganda
464
130 Liechtenstein
223
184 Solomon Islands
-1
53
23 Austria
881
77 Honduras
-5
459
131 Azerbaijan
222
184 Cambodia
-5
53
24 Greece
871
78 Haiti
-5
454
132 Aruba
-3
221
184 Chinese Taipei
-2
53
25 Ghana
12
864
79 Venezuela
440
132 Vietnam
221
187 Timor-Leste
-2
51
26 Tunisia
-4
860
79 Jamaica
-4
440
132 Philippines
-3
221
188 Macau
-2
50
43
27 Ukraine
-2
859
79 Paraguay
-3
440
135 Maldives
-4
220
189 South Sudan
28 Denmark
846
82 China PR
14
429
136 New Zealand
-1
216
190 Mauritius
36
29 Ecuador
-3
840
82 Guatemala
-9
429
137 Tajikistan
-1
215
191 Vanuatu
34
30 Bosnia and Herzegovina
-1
832
84 Angola
-3
391
138 Guinea-Bissau
-5
212
192 Fiji
30
31 USA
-4
824
85 Estonia
-2
385
139 Kazakhstan
203
192 Samoa
30
32 Israel
805
86 Sierra Leone
-1
382
140 St Lucia
202
194 Mongolia
29
33 Russia
-2
792
87 El Salvador
381
141 Myanmar
198
195 Bahamas
26
34 Wales
764
88 Morocco
-6
378
142 Barbados
191
196 Tonga
17
35 Cape Verde Islands
756
89 Cyprus
-3
376
143 Thailand
184
197 US Virgin Islands
16
36 Senegal
-1
744
90 Mozambique
371
144 Afghanistan
-2
181
198 Brunei Darussalam
15
37 Iceland
-4
743
91 Oman
368
145 Central African Republic
178
199 Papua New Guinea
13
38 Scotland
-2
738
92 Bolivia
-8
362
146 Chad
177
200 American Samoa
12
39 Serbia
-1
723
93 Malawi
-5
361
147 Turkmenistan
170
201 Andorra
40 Poland
709
94 Iraq
20
360
148 Madagascar
-1
166
202 British Virgin Islands
10
701
95 Benin
-6
359
149 Malta
-2
164
202 Eritrea
42 Nigeria
664
96 Lithuania
-5
355
150 Syria
147
204 Somalia
43 Guinea
-4
662
97 Jordan
-4
353
151 Kyrgyzstan
146
205 Cayman Islands
41 Iran
44 Sweden
654
98 Saudi Arabia
351
152 Korea DPR
-2
144
206 Djibouti
45 Cameroon
-3
646
99 Antigua and Barbuda
-4
344
153 New Caledonia
143
206 Cook Islands
46 Congo DR
11
641
100 Latvia
-4
342
154 Malaysia
142
208 Anguilla
47 Slovenia
-1
640
101 Belarus
-2
331
155 Grenada
137
209 Bhutan
48 Hungary
-3
634
102 Ethiopia
323
156 Singapore
136
49 Congo
12
630
103 Bahrain
322
157 Bangladesh
129
49 Equatorial Guinea
69
630
104 FYR Macedonia
-3
320
158 Indonesia
128
51 Northern Ireland
-4
626
105 Faroe Islands
-2
317
159 Hong Kong
-3
127
52 Turkey
-4
619
105 Botswana
317
160 Curaao
-2
125
53 Mali
-4
613
107 Tanzania
-3
315
161 Laos
-1
123
54 Korea Republic
15
608
108 Dominican Republic
-3
310
162 Guam
-1
119
http://www.fifa.com/worldranking/index.html
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39
L A S T W E E KS P O L L R E S U LT S
Who was the subject of the best winter
transfer in Europe?
36+28+151164
6%
4%
11%
T HIS WEEKS POLL
Which of these former finalists will go

furthest in this years FIFA U-20 World Cup?
36%
15%
Fernando Torres (AC Milan - Atletico Madrid)

Juan Cuadrado (Fiorentina - Chelsea)
Andre Schuerrle (Chelsea - Wolfsburg)
Wilfried Bony (Swansea - Manchester City)
Other
Lukas Podolski (Arsenal - Inter Milan)
Argentina
Brazil
Qatar
Portugal
Mexico
Germany
Uruguay
Cast your votes at:
Fifa.com/newscentre
WEEK IN NUMBERS
14 20 9
goals in as many
games at the South
games was how long Western
years into his coaching
American U-20
Sydney Wanderers, the AFC
career, Carlo Ancelotti
Championship was
Champions League winners, had to
lost a league game by a
the tally recorded by
wait for their first victory of the
four-goal margin for
Giovanni Simeone, son
season in the domestic A-League championship. In
the first time ever. Real Madrids 4-0 reverse to
of Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone, to go
their first 13 assignments the Wanderers chalked
Atletico Madrid surpassed the 5-2 defeat the
second in the tournaments all-time scorers chart.
up nine defeats and four draws, but managed to
former Italian international midfielder suffered
He equalled the total scored by Luciano Galletti in
end their barren spell against a Wellington
with Parma against Sampdoria in the 1997/98 Serie
1999 and Brazils Neymar in 2011 to help Argentina
Phoenix side that had been in fine form prior to
A season. Up until May 2013 Real Madrid went 25
win the title for the first time since 2003. The
their meeting. A powerful Nikita Rukavytsya
matches unbeaten against their city rivals, but
competitions top scorer is Hugo Rodallega, who
effort and a late strike from Brendon Santalab
have failed to win any of the six games against
found the target 11 times for Colombia at the 2005
were enough to earn them a 2-0 win.
them this season.
edition.
Getty Images (3), imago (1)
Source: Fifa.com
28%

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ISSUE 6/2015, 13 FEBRUARY 2015

Fdration Internationale de Football Association Since 1904

Interview with Arrigo Sacchi

THIS WEEK IN THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL

The FIFA Weekly Magazine App

FIFA Womens World Cup

Getty Images (2), imago, SHOT Magazine

THIS WEEK IN THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL

Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup

FIFA U-20 World Cup

FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup

FIFA U-17 World Cup

13/14 May 2015, Zurich, Switzerland

30 May 20 June 2015, New Zealand

9 19 July 2015, Portugal

17 October 8 November 2015, Chile

4-2-4 formation Arrigo Sacchis opinion is highly regarded.

11 versus 0 with Arrigo

Arrigo Sacchi: At my age you have to do regular

You have always been an admirer of art and culture...

Has football changed since you were a coach?

Thats indicative of the state of our football. When one of our

What kind of a sport is football?

What do you mean by that?

The thing I personally

Italian football also appears to have been left behind...

That sounds like a lot of physical and mental effort is required...

The opposite is true in fact: at AC Milan we never invested more

Bob Thomas/Getty Images

What was Diego Maradona?

It is said that in a way you sacrificed great individual players in favour

[Ruud] Gullit and Van Basten at AC Milan, and [Roberto] Baggio in

What do you make of modern coaches?

Generally, I put coaches into one of three categories. There are

great Johan Cruyff. The result left nothing to be

everal years ago, in 2007 to be precise,

downright old-fashioned coaches who follow classical but now

Which coaches do you hold in high regard?

My pupil [Carlo] Ancelotti is doing very well, especially last year

Improvising can work well once,

the outset. Thats as true in football as it is in life. Improvising can

Did Ronaldo deserve to win the FIFA Ballon dOr?

I rate Jose Mourinho very highly.

best goalkeeper. Its no coincidence that both of those players were

Serie A champion 1987-88

TALK ING POIN T S

It would be fair to say that

help the ball over the line. In fact, it was he

Oman: Omantel Professional League

A few weeks ago, the travel

Standings: 1. Al Oruba, 29 points 2. Dhofar,

space for just 2,000 fans at Ibri, but the

Similarly extreme are the attendance figures

Even without the recommendation of the

I try not to watch the World

If you had to single out one moment from

Have you watched those World Cup games

part of a World Cup, you dont see any of

2014 was also the year you said goodbye to

Not even your goal against Switzerland?

Yes, you could think that way after

But tactically, against a side with such a high

Well, I did everything asked of me: I won

Club honours: French champions: