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ISSUE 3/2015, 23 JANUARY 2015
ENGLISH EDITION
Fédération Internationale de Football Association – Since 1904
THE NAINGGOLANS AT AS ROMA
A TALE OF TWINS
BRAZIL
WORLD CUP LEGACY
FOR SCHOOLS
SEPP BLATTER
EBOLA IS EVERYONE’S
BUSINESS
AFRICA CUP
FIVE TEAMS AMONG
THE FAVOURITES
W W W.FIFA.COM/ THEWEEKLY
THIS WEEK IN THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL
6
16
Leaving a legacy
Although the World Cup lasts for more than 30
days, the positive effects of the tournament can
reverberate for years.
19
Sepp Blatter
The “11 against Ebola” campaign has already
proved effective, “but I can promise that FIFA
will under no circumstances scale back its
efforts,” says Sepp Blatter in his weekly column.
35
North and
Central America
35 members
www.concacaf.com
The promise
While the bond between siblings can be a big
motivator, particularly in sport, it can also
enable them to overcome life’s most challenging
situations. Franco Nicolussi went to AS Roma
to meet the Nainggolan twins from Belgium
and discover their story of solidarity and
chance in football.
South America
10 members
www.conmebol.com
14
Spain
Martin Odegaard’s move
to Real Madrid is the talk
of the sports pages.
Gunter Netzer
“Many stars miss the perfect moment to retire,”
says our columnist. “That’s why getting the
honest opinion of someone you know and trust
is vital.”
15
Honduras
Olimpia Deportivo have
ambitious aims this season.
A tale of twins
Our cover picture was taken on
16 December 2014 and shows Radja
and Riana Nainggolan at Trigoria
training centre in Rome.
The FIFA Weekly Magazine App
The FIFA Weekly Magazine is available
in four languages and also on your
tablet every Friday.
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2
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
Getty Images (2), imago (2)
Luciano Rossi / AS Roma
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
“Willing to risk
everything”
Why German Daniel
Engelbrecht plays with
a defibrillator.
24
Africa Cup
of Nations
Can Ghana play their
way back into their fans’
hearts?
AFC Asian Cup · 9 - 31 January 2015
Standings after the group stage
Knockout stage
Group
1.
2.
3.
4.
A
Korea Republic
Australia
Oman
Kuwait
9
6
3
0
pts.
pts.
pts.
pts.
Group
1.
2.
3.
4.
C
Iran
UAE
Bahrain
Qatar
9
6
3
0
pts.
pts.
pts.
pts.
Group
1.
2.
3.
4.
B
China PR
Uzbekistan
Saudi Arabia
DPR Korea
9
6
3
0
pts.
pts.
pts.
pts.
Group
1.
2.
3.
4.
D
Japan
Iraq
Jordan
Palestine
9
6
3
0
pts.
pts.
pts.
pts.
The two highest-placed teams from each group qualify for the
­k nockout stages.
Quarter-finals
Match 25
Match 26
Match 27
Match 28
· 22-23 January
Korea Republic
China PR
Iran
Japan
Uzbekistan
Australia
Iraq
UAE
2-0aet
0 -2
Semi-finals · 26-27 January
Korea Republic
Match 29
Match 30
Australia
Winner of Match 27
Winner of Match 28
3rd/4th Place Play-off · 30 January
Match 31
Loser of Match 29 Loser of Match 30
Final · 31 January
Match 32
Winner of Match 29
Winner of Match 30
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
3
UNCOVERED
The De Boer twins Members of a golden Dutch generation.
Better together
L
iverpool, Manchester City and Juventus have all been linked with Radja Nainggolan, but as it stands the 26-year-old Belgian is staying with AS Roma.
One special and unusual factor may well have played a role in his deliberations: his twin sister Riana has turned out for the same club for the last six
months. Our writer Franco Nicolussi visited the siblings in Rome and reports
Radja’s moving words: “Before our mother died, she charged me with looking
after my sister.” Our feature from page 6 examines the power of the closest-possible family ties in football.
T
he Africa Cup of Nations kicked off just under a week ago in Equatorial
Guinea. It is the 30th edition of the tournament but it remains as significant
as when it first came into being. The favourites this time round include Côte
d’Ivoire, Senegal, Ghana, Cameroon and Algeria, one of the true surprise packages of the 2014 World Cup. “The big teams will have to work hard for their
victories. African football is unpredictable,” said Equatorial Guinea captain Juvenal Edjogo-Owono. Our report begins on page 24.
T
imago
he diminutive nation stepped in as hosts after original choice Morocco declined to stage the tournament at this time due to fears regarding the Ebola
epidemic. FIFA President Blatter addresses this topic in his column on page 19.
“I can promise we will under no circumstances scale back our efforts in the fight
against Ebola,” he declares. Å
Alan Schweingruber
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
5
THE NAINGGOLAN TWINS
THE PROMISE
Their lives were once bleak
and devoid of prospects
but the Nainggolan twins
Radja and Riana drew
strength from mutual love
and solidarity.
Alfredo Falcone
Franco Nicolussi, Rome
6
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
Luciano Rossi / AS Roma
THE NAINGGOLAN TWINS
Riana and Radja
Born in Antwerp in 1988,
the twins both now play
for AS Roma.
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
7
W
e have only just said farewell to 2014, the year in
which Radja and Riana Nainggolan achieved a globally unique feat: they are the only male and female
twins who play in their respective top flights. What’s
more, they do so in the same city in a foreign country. Naturally, there can only be one truly appropriate setting for a story like this, and the background
is indeed provided by Rome, the Eternal City founded in 753 BC by twins Romulus and Remus, whose
wolverine mother features on the emblem of both
Nainggolan twins’ clubs. After a long period apart,
Radja and Riana are together again in the Italian
capital, where the former has featured in the AS Roma midfield for the
last year and where his twin sister signed for Res Roma in the Women’s
Serie A last summer.
They are still relatively young, but the twins can already look back
on emotionally-charged and highly complex lives. After a marriage to an
Ecuadorian that produced three children, the twins’ mother Lizy
Bogaerts, a Catholic from Antwerp in Belgium, took up with Marianus
Nainggolan, an Indonesian of Batak descent and a member of the Protestant Church. Riana and Radja were born in the Flemish city in
May 1988. Their early childhood was nothing out of the ordinary. “I can
still remember how papa got me interested in football in our local park,”
Radja recalled. But one day, without warning and for no obvious or
logical reason, Marianus suddenly decided to return to Indonesia,
abandoning Lizy and the twins to their fate. Listening to Radja describing an episode from June 2013, it is obvious that the wounds have not
completely healed.
“I travelled to Indonesia for the first time in my life two years ago.
Due to my name they wanted to lay on a special reception for me in Jakarta, because Radja means King or Monarch in Indonesian. Suddenly,
and after years of fruitless attempts to make contact, my father was right
there in front of me. The excuses he came up with for leaving us 20 years
earlier made no sense to me at all. He talked and talked, but all I could
think of was my mother, who was all on her own but put so much effort
into looking after her family with two small children. I’m not ashamed
to say that since that time I know what being poor really means.”
The boy who was a man
In the sudden absence of their father, the Nainggolan twins were forced
to grow up fast. Their mother held down two jobs, working evenings as
a senior citizens’ carer. Radja was the only male in the household and
soon became a father figure to his lively and energetic sister, who was
always trying to imitate her brother. Meanwhile, Radja’s footballing skill
developed at a rapid pace. He was in his second year with Tubantia
Bergerhout, where his uncle Bogaerts was on the club committee, when
It’s a long, long road
Chance played a part in taking Radja and Riana
from Belgium to Italy.
Together again A fatherless childhood cemented the bond between the Nainggolan twins.
They now live together in the south of Rome.
8
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
Alfredo Falcone, Twitter (2), radio 3i, Partenopress
THE NAINGGOLAN TWINS
THE NAINGGOLAN TWINS
Riana arrived at the club: there was no women’s team in Antwerp at the
so far away from his mother and Riana. But he was utterly determined
to make his way in football and knew Piacenza could be the springboard
time. “She was a left-back with a volatile temperament,” laughs the
for his ascent into Serie A. That would compensate for all the sacrifices
AS Roma number four. Radja joined his first club of note when he moved
he had made in his difficult life up to that point. However, fate was to
at the age of 12 to Germinal Beerschot, founded by a merger in 1999 but
deal the aspiring player another heavy blow. Just as his long-held dream
no longer in existence today. The turning point came in 2003 when
moved to the cusp of coming true with a confirmed move to top flight
Radja struck up an acquaintance that was to change his life and allow
Cagliari, his mother Lizy died in October 2010 after a long battle with
him to realise his biggest childhood dream. The person he met was
Alessandro Beltrami, a Swiss FIFA players’ agent from Lugano blessed
cancer, a condition she concealed from Riana until the very end. The
distressed and shaken twins were now well and truwith the ultimate gift in scouting: the ability to
ly on their own. The midfielder is still visibly moved
recognise at once whether a young player has what
when he recalls the loss of his mother.
it takes to make the grade. Beltrami surpassed even
himself in the case of the Belgian-Indonesian
Determination and courage
15-year-old. He took one look at the lad in the warm“I can remember every word she said. After all the
up prior to a match and instantly spotted his potenproblems we had to overcome in the past, I especialtial. He introduced himself after the final whistle,
ly regret her not living to witness me actually playand has followed and supported Radja’s career ever
ing in the Champions League and for Belgium. Besince.
fore she died she charged me with looking after my
Alessandro became something like an elder
sister and the family, and I don’t want to disappoint
brother to Radja. In 2005 he arranged a move to the
her. Whenever I play I do it with determination and
youth section at Italian second division outfit
Piacenza. It was tough for the youngster, who strugcourage, the things she taught us when we were
gled to remain upbeat through the long and dank
small and were trapped in deeply troubled circumstances. She gave me the determination to fight for
winter evenings, but suffered even more from being
Radja Nainggolan
“Before my
mother died,
she charged me
with looking
after my sister.”
Snapshot Radja and his family take a selfie in the car.
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
9
THE NAINGGOLAN TWINS
The Nainggolans
“I kept my promise,”
Radja says.
10
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
THE NAINGGOLAN TWINS
my goals, which is why my game is aggressive and fearless. I have no idea
head Francesco Totti beat off competition from Inter, Juventus and
how many tattoos I have, but the most important ones are the wings on
AC Milan to secure the player’s signature. The man nicknamed 'Ninja' by
my back bearing my mother’s year of birth and death.”
the Cagliari faithful due to his oriental features and fighting spirit soon
In the meantime Riana had also taken up football in earnest with
settled in the Eternal City and became a key member of the Roma team.
But the story does not end there: in February 2014 Riana impressed in a
Beerschot and eventually made a switch to Antwerp. However, she
became a more and more frequent visitor to her
trial for Res Roma, AS Roma’s Women’s Serie A
brother in Cagliari, deepening the already close
team, and she has turned out in attacking midfield
relationship between the twins which had helped
for I Giallorosse since the summer of 2014. It all
means Radja has faithfully kept the promise he
them cope with the vicissitudes of life. In the wake
of their mother’s death, Sardinia became Radja’s
made to his mother on her deathbed. His sister now
home. He got to know Claudia in Serramanna near
lives with his family in the southern suburbs of
Cagliari and the couple went on to marry. One of
Rome, midway between the pair’s training grounds.
Despite struggling a little with her beginner’s Italthe player’s most cherished dreams came true in
January 2012 with the birth of Aysha as he finally
ian, Riana more than adequately managed to convey
had a real family of his own. Personal happiness had
her delight at the latest developments.
a positive effect on his career as he became increas“I can’t put into words how happy I am to be
ingly influential in midfield for the Sardinian Serie
back together with Radja and his beautiful family,
and in this wonderful city of Rome too. And everyA outfit, and Belgium coach Marc Wilmots duly
called the talented youngster into his squad. When
one at Res Roma has been totally welcoming. My
the winter transfer window opened last year Cagliari
team-mates, the coaching staff and the fans are
offered Nainggolan to a number of Italian and top
making it feel like home already. Radja occasionally
European clubs, with the player ultimately deciding
picks me up from training, which is great fun for my
to stay in Italy. AS Roma and their legendary figureRiana Nainggolan
team-mates and for all the kids who are desperate
“Sometimes
Radja picks me
up from training,
which is great
fun for my
team-mates and
for all the kids.”
Family matters
F
Luciano Rossi / AS Roma, Bob Thomas / Getty Images
ootball is a family business, with passion and
talent often passed down from one generation
to the next. While most brothers and sisters
kick a ball about together on the playground
during childhood, some even go on to make a
living from it as adults.
Without a doubt the best English example of this
phenomenon is the Charlton brothers, Bobby and
Jack, who helped their country to win its only major international trophy at the 1966 World Cup.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands can cite the example
of Frank and Ronald de Boer, while Denmark benefited from the skills of Michael and Brian Laudrup.
Team-mates and opponents alike
Matters can become particularly emotional when
two siblings square up as opponents. Yaya and
Kolo Toure are currently battling for points in the
Premier League for Manchester City and Liverpool
respectively, while the Boateng brothers famously
faced each other at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil,
with Jerome pulling on the shirt of eventual world
champions Germany while Kevin-Prince laced his
boots for Ghana.
Sometimes even twins can cause a sensation
out on the pitch. Hamit and Halil Altintop began
their career together at DJK Schwarz-Weiss Gelsenkirchen-Sud before moving to TuS Rotthausen,
eventually breaking into the first team at SG Wattenscheid at the age of 18. Halil then headed for
Eintracht Frankfurt via Kaiserslautern and Schalke,
and currently plays for FC Augsburg, while his
brother spent time with Schalke and Bayern Munich before arriving at present club Galatasaray.
Both also represent Turkey at international level.
Twins Erwin and Helmut Kremers only ever
came as a pair, playing together throughout their
careers at Offenbach, Borussia Monchengladbach
and Schalke. They made a similarly effective double act in the hit parade, storming the German
charts with a song entitled ‘Das Mädchen meiner
Träume’ (‘The Girl of My Dreams’).
The burden of expectation
Nevertheless, a brother or sister’s talent does not
automatically guarantee a player’s success; in
fact, provenance often creates an immense burden of expectation. Many siblings of major stars
have tried their own luck only to end up disappointed. For example, Malte Metzelder has surely
dreamed of enjoying a career similar to that of
brother Christoph, but while the latter has celebrated title glory with Borussia Dortmund, Real
Madrid and Schalke, his little brother never made
the same breakthrough. Å
Just like old times Jack and Bobby Charlton at a
charity match in 1985.
Sarah Steiner
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
11
Name
Radja Nainggolan
Date and place of birth
4 May 1988, Antwerp (Belgium)
Position
Midfield
Clubs
Ninja
Radja’s nickname is due
to his oriental features
and fighting spirit.
Res Roma
Riana has played in Serie A
since the summer of 2014.
2006-2010 Piacenza
2010-2014 Cagliari Calcio
2014- AS Roma
National team Belgium
8 appearances (2 goals)
Name
Riana Nainggolan
Date and place of birth
4 May 1988, Antwerp (Belgium)
Position
Midfield
Clubs
2012-2013 Beerschot AC
2013-2014 Royal Antwerp
2014- Res Romana
12
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
THE NAINGGOLAN TWINS
for a photo of him. I think he finds it even funnier than the kids do.
As a player, I look to my brother for inspiration, and I always follow his
advice to play for the team.”
Back in the Belgium team
The Nainggolan household now comprises Claudia, Aysha, Riana and
Radja, who has become the only man at a hen party, as it were. His home
life certainly cannot be boring, but the new arrangement seems to have
provided another boost to his career, as the 'Ninja' has reclaimed his
place in the Belgium squad. He missed out on the World Cup in Brazil,
but returned to Wilmots’ radar thanks to excellent early-season form
with Roma and a string of impressive displays in the Champions League
and Serie A, where he is on three goals for the season so far. He duly
scored the equaliser in a 1-1 Euro 2016 qualifying draw away to Bosnia
and Herzegovina three months ago.
Our chat with the Nainggolan twins ended with an analysis of their
current footballing situation and a look at their dreams and desires
for 2015. Radja, who is fluent in Dutch, French, English and Italian, has
clearly formulated his goals and objectives.
“AS Roma are second in the table and our target is to win the league
at last. And if Juventus prove too strong and we don’t manage it this
season, we’ll give it another go next season. We’re already out of the
Champions League so we’ve turned our focus to the Europa League,
because we’re a good team capable of doing well in Europe. We’re still
only at the start of Belgium getting back on track for success and I hope
it goes on as long as possible. I missed out on playing at the World Cup
because I’m a very direct kind of person who gives it to you straight, and
the coach wasn’t prepared to forgive me. But that’s all behind me now
and I’m just looking forward to the European Championship in France
and the next World Cup in Russia.”
Tedeschi, Luciano Rossi/ASRoma,
Year of the Nainggolans
Riana’s footballing ambitions are considerably more modest, but they
too will demand effort and application. “At the moment Res Roma are
fifth in the table and that would mean we hit our target for the season,
a place in the play-offs. Compared to Belgium the Italian league is much
more demanding both in terms of skill and fighting spirit, but that’s also
what makes it so intriguing. I’m hoping the year 2015 will be even better
for us Nainggolans than the fantastic year that’s just ended.” And after
hearing the story of the twins’ difficult childhood and upbringing, who
would not wish them exactly that? Å
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
13
TALK ING POIN T S
O N
T H E
I N S I D E
Spain: Primera División
T h e Ja nu a r y s a l e s
Jordi Punti is a novelist and a
prolific football features writer in
the Spanish media.
April might be the cruellest
month as far as TS Eliot is
concerned – and for the teams knocked out in
the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions
League – but January can be too. With winter
in full swing and New Year’s resolutions still
fresh in the memory, it is a time when clubs
are forced to reassess their dreams and
expectations for the season, dipping into the
transfer-market in a bid to turn things
around or keep their campaigns on course.
This January, however, Spanish clubs have
been largely reluctant to bring in new personnel, with the exceptions of Valencia and
Atletico Madrid. Los Chés have bolstered their
new-look line-up with the purchase of Argentinian midfielder Enzo Perez from Benfica,
while Atleti swapped Alessio Cerci for club
idol Fernando Torres in an exchange deal with
AC Milan, hopeful that they can revive the
returning striker’s flagging career.
Real Madrid’s cup exit dampened the euphoria of Cristiano Ronaldo’s latest Ballon d’Or
win three days earlier. Sticking to a settled
starting line-up and content to make very few
changes, Ancelotti responded to the criticism
that followed his side’s elimination by saying:
“I don’t need to rotate players. Now that we’re
out of the Copa del Rey, we’ll have more time
to rest.” While the exciting Jese has just made
his return from injury and Luka Modric will
soon be restored to full fitness, the fact is
that Ancelotti’s men have been showing signs
of fatigue lately, though the Italian continues
to have complete faith in them. Nevertheless,
with Florentino Perez at the helm, rumours of
14
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
Off to a great start Fernando Torres's two goals against Real Madrid fire Atletico into the next round of the
Copa del Rey.
star signings are always in the air at the
Bernabeu, with big-money moves for Paul
Pogba of Juventus and Marco Reus (Borussia
Dortmund) said to be in the offing.
Though transfer rumours invariably have
little substance to them, they do help to fill
the pages of sports dailies all year round.
With Barcelona now sitting out a one-year
FIFA transfer ban, the latest example of just
how overblown the transfer market can be is
the case of Norwegian starlet Martin Odegaard. After spending several weeks visiting
clubs across Europe – Bayern Munich and
Arsenal among them – the 16-year-old Odegaard has decided that his future lies with
Real Madrid. Time will tell if that proves to
be a wise decision or if he would have been
better served by moving to a smaller club to
learn his trade. Å
Denis Doyle / Getty Images
The switch has worked out so far, with Torres
showing what he can bring to Diego Simeone’s
side by scoring twice on the counter as they
drew 2-2 with Real Madrid in the second leg
of their Copa de Rey round-of-16 tie last week,
a result that gave Atletico a 4-2 aggregate win.
Despite seeing three key players in Thibaut
Courtois, Filipe Luis and Diego Costa leave for
Chelsea last summer, Simeone’s men are as
combative as ever, with the additions of
Torres and Cani from Villarreal bolstering a
front line that already features Antoine
Griezmann and Mario Mandzukic.
Honduras: Liga Nacional
A b l e n d o f ve r ve
a nd noncha la nce
Sven Goldmann is a leading
football correspondent at Tages­
spiegel newspaper in Berlin.
Last year did not end well for
Club Olimpia Deportivo, the
traditional powerhouse in Honduran football, after they lost in the Apertura 2014
play-off semi-finals to local rivals Club
Deportivo Motagua. The clubs may share the
Estadio Nacional in the nation’s capital,
Tegucigalpa, but similarities between the
two end there. The fact that Motagua went
on to beat Real Sociedad de Tocoa in the
final only rubbed more salt into Olimpia’s
wounds.
Orlando Sierra / AFP
It was Motagua’s 13th league title, whereas
Olimpia have won the championship 28 times
and the CONCACAF Champions League twice.
Both the blue shirts of Motagua and the
white jerseys of Olimpia regularly dominate
the Liga Nacional de Futbol Profesional de
Honduras, and out of the last ten champion-
ships the domestic crown has only been won
by a team outside of Tegucigalpa on two
occasions.
Olimpia’s last title triumph was the Clausura
championship early last year, and 2015 has
begun brightly for them too. On Matchday 1
Motagua raced to an early 2-0 lead away to
Platense Futbol Club in Puerto Cortes, but
let it slip and had to settle for a 2-2 draw.
Meanwhile, victory was never in doubt for
record titleholders Olimpia, who eased to a
3-1 win over Club Deportivo Parrillas One
to go top of the ten-team league.
Estupinan, a Colombian forward recruited
from Malaysian side Terengganu FA, had a
couple more good chances after the break in
what was a promising debut, with Colombia
national team coach Jorge Luis Pinto watching from the stands. Olimpia have ambitious
aims this season, both domestically and on
the international scene. In the Champions
League group stages they surprisingly finished ahead of the more fancied Portland
Timbers from the USA to reach the compe­
tition’s knockout rounds, where they will
face Costa Rican side CS Herediano in the
quarter-finals. Å
Strikers Anthony Lozano and Javier Estupinan enjoyed a fruitful afternoon, virtually
firing Olimpia to all three points by themselves in a one-sided first half. To begin with,
Estupinan took advantage of a calamitous
defensive error to dribble through an overwhelmed backline and tee up Lozano to tap
the ball into an empty net. The Honduras
international also grabbed his side’s second
with what was the goal of the week, hammering an effort into the top left corner from
30 metres. Estupinan made it 3-0 in first-half
stoppage time by nonchalantly converting a
penalty after Victor Zuniga had handled
inside the box.
Worth shouting about
Olimpia Deportivo’s
two-goal hero Anthony
Lozano celebrates scoring a
long-range screamer
against Parrillas One.
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
15
SUS TAIN ABILI T Y
Building a better future A comprehensive sustainability strategy was implemented in the lead up to and during the 2014 World Cup.
More than 32 days
Lefteris Coroyannakis
T
he World Cup is the biggest single-sport
competition in the world. Staging the
tournament is a collective effort that entails transporting millions of people to
the matches and fan fests, catering to
their health and safety, dealing with
waste in the stadiums, recruiting and training
thousands of volunteers, providing an event
that is accessible for everyone and broadcasting the matches in over 200 countries. This
scale inevitably has an impact on society and
the environment in the host country. As the
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T H E F I FA W E E K LY
organisers of this mega-event, FIFA has a responsibility to limit the associated negative
impacts of the World Cup, while at the same
time maximising the huge positive impact it
can have.
Growing responsibility
At the 2006 World Cup in Germany, FIFA, the
local organising committee (LOC) and authorities were dedicated to delivering a more
sustainable event, marking a turning point in
the approach taken to the sustainability of
FIFA competitions. South Africa took up this
lead and considerable resources were dedicat-
ed to ensuring that the long-term benefits of
the 2010 World Cup were as strong as possible
in the country and resonated throughout the
continent.
This close collaboration with LOCs and the
ensuing lessons learnt were very important for
FIFA in improving its approach to sustainable
event management in 2014, and, for the first
time in the history of its flagship event, in presenting a comprehensive sustainability strategy. This strategy, developed in 2011 and early
2012, was built on the ISO 26000 standard for
social responsibility as well as the GRI 3.1 Event
Organisers Sector Supplement reporting
Alex Livesey / FIFA via Getty Images
The World Cup is a mega-event of great impact on society and
the environment. As such, running it in an increasingly sustainable way
is a key priority for FIFA. The tournament itself lasts a little more
than a month, but its positive effects must last longer.
SUS TAIN ABILI T Y
Football as a main driver Football for Hope supported programmes provide children and young people with valuable tools that make a difference to their lives.
Buda Mendes / FIFA via Getty Images
­ uidelines. In the estimation of the carbon
g
footprint of the competition, FIFA applied the
Greenhouse Gas Protocol. These internationally agreed standards are central to FIFA’s longterm strategy for sustainability as they ensure
that the latest developments in sustainable
event management, and sustainable development in general, are taken into account.
Focus on Brazil
From 2011 to 2014, FIFA’s existing social and
environmental programmes continued to be
implemented with a special focus on Brazil.
This was done in close collaboration with the
LOC as well as commercial affiliates and local
authorities, without which it would have not
been possible to implement the strategy.
While the name of its environmental programme was changed from Green Goal to Football for the Planet, the key priorities of waste
management, transport, carbon offsetting and
procurement remained unchanged. FIFA offset
all of the emissions under its operational control, including transport and accommodation
for all staff, officials, teams, volunteers and
guests, and the emissions resulting from its TV
productions. This was achieved through a carbon offsetting programme which supported
various projects in Brazil. Furthermore, FIFA
invited over 400,000 World Cup ticket holders
to consider the environmental impact of their
trips, informing them on how to mitigate it
through a dedicated campaign raising awareness on carbon emissions in the months leading up to the competition.
Through its social programme Football for
Hope, FIFA identified further organisations
that use football to deliver high-quality social
development programmes in underprivileged
communities in Brazil, expanding the number
that are supported from five to 37. In addition,
FIFA staged the Football for Hope Forum and
Football for Hope Festival for the second time
after initiating these events during the 2010
World Cup.
Step in the right direction
Reflecting on FIFA’s sustainability efforts, Secretary General Jérôme Valcke expressed satisfaction while stressing that more work still lies
ahead: “We are convinced that the initiatives
we executed in Brazil were a big step in the
right direction and deem them to be a remarkable success. At the same time, we are aware
that organising a mega-event in a sustainable
manner is a big challenge and there are also
several areas for improvement. For future editions of the World Cup, we should embrace
sustainability to an even greater extent. Each
functional area needs to be aware of their role
in delivering a sustainable event. Equally important is the need to have a sophisticated
knowledge transfer process in place in order to
ensure that real progress is made from one
tournament to the next. In line with this, we
decided to produce a sustainability report and
have it assured according to internationally
recognised standards, and in early 2012
launched a process to thoroughly restructure
the entire way we manage the World Cup, including the creation of handbooks on sustainable event management”.
FIFA is also in the process of reviewing its
requirements for host countries as of 2026, in
order to attribute more weight to running the
event sustainably, among other factors. This
will help it to reduce associated risks and make
a more significant contribution to the positive
legacy of its flagship competition. Å
If you want to find out more about FIFA’s
sustainability effor ts at the 2014 World Cup,
take a look at its first sustainability repor t:
http://tinyurl.com/llpwjhv
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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SUS TAIN ABILI T Y
Delighted recipients The first consignment of computers arrives at a school in Manaus.
The World Cup’s IT legacy
When they sat, enthralled, watching the World Cup on TV,
Brazilian students never imagined the biggest footballing show on Earth
would continue to bring them enjoyment after it was over.
Bruno Sassi
Generous donation
“I don’t know what to say. It means so much for
a public-sector school to receive 12 TV sets,”
commented Renata Becker, the head of the Escola Municipal de Ensino Fundamental Presidente Vargas, a grammar school located in Porto Alegre. “This donation is so generous that I
even think we’ll be able to split it and offer
some of the equipment to other schools in the
network,” she added.
18
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
The aim of the project, which was also carried out in South Africa in 2010, is to create a
legacy for the host nation, contributing to the
resources of schools and other entities that
use football as a tool for social development.
These include the eight Brazilian organisations that took part in the Football for Hope
Festival, held during the World Cup in Caju,
Rio de Janeiro.
Helping those in need
One of these organisations is the Brazilian Institute for Advanced Specialised Studies
(IBEEA), based in Caju, in which more than
3 700 young people are enrolled. “We lack the
resources to do as much as we’d like for the
members of our 147 classes,” explained IBEEA
representative Marcelo Teixeira. “These donations will really improve the quality of our
work, and allow us to make more of a difference to people’s lives.”
The same goes for Instituição Casa Acolhedora, an organisation from the suburbs of
Londrina, in the southern state of Parana,
who received TV sets, video games, DVD players and their first-ever video projector. “Using
this equipment as a pedagogical resource is
extremely important, since the act of viewing
is such a strong ally in the process of memorising knowledge,” explains project coordinator Maria Andrea dos Anjos. “This enhances
the potential of our proposal, which is to make
sure the students are screenwriters of their
own lives.”
Leaving a positive impression
FIFA’s Head of Corporate Social Responsibility,
Frederico Addiechi, said he was pleased with
how the Electronic Equipment Donation Project had become another way in which the
World Cup could leave a positive impression on
Brazil: “Our mission is to make sure the World
Cup has the maximum positive impact on Brazil. The equipment we’re donating won’t solve
every problem, but it will make the work of all
these schools and organisations easier.” Å
Podium Logistic
T
hanks to the Electronic Equipment Donation Project created by FIFA and the Local Organising Committee, a large
amount of the electronic equipment
needed to organise the tournament has
resulted in a considerable technological
legacy for disadvantaged communities in Brazil.
Sixty-six public schools and another 27 NGOs
spread throughout the 12 host cities have now
received state-of-the-art equipment used during the tournament. In total, over 2,000 items
will be donated, including TVs, laptops, mobile
phones, projectors, and DVD players.
T HE DEBAT E
PRESIDENTIAL NOTE
FIFA.com users share
their thoughts on the
Africa Cup of Nations:
I’m glad that Congo have won their first match at the Africa Cup
of Nations since 1974, the year ABBA won the Eurovision Song
Contest.
cnwachuku, USA
What a disappointing display from Zambia against Congo DR.
I expected them to play better than they did. Although a draw isn’t
a bad result, their performance left much to be desired.
Mulengalenga, Zambia
Senegal dominated the second half of their match against Ghana
and were rewarded with a goal in the closing seconds. Ghana
should reconsider the appointment of Avram Grant. I’m not
convinced that his technical contribution has been entirely positive.
addoesq, USA
Make us proud Dean Furman! We believe in you, in the lads and
in your technical staff.
bongbonja, South Africa
Dean Furman will take this team to a higher level!
wendylau, Russia
Although I support Ghana, I think losing to Senegal was a good
lesson for them. They should be ashamed of themselves for the
way they played. It was simply ridiculous.
GioGyan, Laos
I can’t believe Equatorial Guinea haven’t lost even though they
didn’t give 100 per cent in their first two matches, just like last
time when they were co-hosts. I’ll be shocked if they can beat
Gabon.
cnwachuku, USA
My favourites are Algeria – ‘the wind of North Africa’.
wendylau, Russia
“I’ll be shocked if
Equatorial Guinea can
beat Gabon.”
Helping Isha beat Ebola
E
bola. In recent months, almost 22,000 people around the world
have contracted the virus, and some 9,000 have succumbed to the
disease. Sierra Leone, the nation of 5.6 million in West ­A frica, has
been especially hard hit. According to the World Health Organisation
(WHO) the country has suffered more than 10,000 cases of Ebola,
with 3,000 deaths.
The emergency situation has had a massive impact on public life,
with bans on foreign travel, schools closed, and the prohibition of
gatherings of more than ten people. Football is of course affected too:
the domestic championship had been suspended since the state of
emergency was declared seven months ago.
Despite this, the power of football has contributed to a slight
easing of the crisis. The “11 against Ebola” campaign launched by
FIFA chief medical officer Jiri Dvorak – and backed by the World
Bank, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and international health experts – is helping to inform and educate people about how
to deal with the insidious illness. The crucial elements are seemingly banal things like correctly washing and disinfecting one’s hands,
avoiding bodily contact with affected persons, not handling the bodies of the deceased, safer sex, recognising the symptoms and seeing
a doctor at once in the event of fever with Ebola symptoms.
The messages are delivered by football stars including Ronaldo,
Neymar, Philipp Lahm, Xavi, Didier Drogba, John Obi Mikel and
­Gareth Bale via radio and TV spots and billboards in public places.
However, in the first instance it required the initiative of a
­courageous woman to draw attention of any sort to the devastating
situation: Isha Johansen, president of the Sierra Leone FA and one
of only two women in the world at the head of a national association,
turned to FIFA last year with a cry for help, conscious that football
reaches people from all social classes and ethnic groups: “Football is
like a religion to us. People would rather not eat than do without their
football,” she said.
“11 against Ebola” has already has a positive impact. But in Sierra
Leone, Guinea and Liberia the battle against the epidemic is not yet
won. For this reason I can promise we will under no circumstances
scale back our efforts. Africa’s fate is our fate too!
Best wishes, Sepp Blatter
11 players, 11 messages, 1 goal – Together, we can beat Ebola (video):
http://tinyurl.com/qxb6y9h
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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Reuters
20
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
First Love
Place: Kolkata, India
Date: 5 December 2014
Time: 08.05 a.m.
Photog rapher: Rupak De Chowdhuri
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
21
Football is a
brotherhood. It’s peace.
© 2014 Visa. All rights reserved.
Oscar Arias
Nobel Peace Laureate
IN BRIEF
I
van Lendl was an exceptional tennis player who dominated the men’s game for over half a decade. However, despite winning eight Grand Slams between
1984 and 1990, the Wimbledon title always eluded him. “Grass is for cows,” the Ostrava native once said. Lendl obviously doesn’t read German newspapers. If he did, he’d know that some athletes do actually eat grass nowadays. Bundesliga 2 side TSV 1860 Munich swear by wheatgrass, which they
store in plastic containers inside the changing rooms. A quick whizz through the juice extractor and the players can enjoy the grass as a refreshing
beverage. Intriguingly, findings have shown that wheatgrass contains 60 times more vitamin C than oranges, 50 times more vitamin E than spinach, five
times more iron than spinach, 30 times more vitamin B1 than milk, 11 times more calcium than milk and five times more magnesium than bananas! This
super drink hasn’t helped 1860’s cause on the pitch, though, with the club currently languishing fourth from bottom in the table. Perhaps it takes a while
for the full benefits to take effect. After all, it took Lendl a while to warm to grass. Since retiring from tennis, he has developed a passion for golf. Å
Alan Schweingruber
Getty Images
A
fter being left out of Senegal’s 2015 Africa Cup of Nations squad
by national team coach Alain Giresse, Demba Ba could not contain his disappointment and frustration. “I can’t wait to hear
his excuses and destroy them one by one,” the Besiktas striker
wrote on Twitter upon hearing of his exclusion for the tournament
in Equatorial Guinea. Yet after the Lions of Teranga beat title favourites Ghana 2-1 in their opening Group C game, the 29-year-old’s
anger appeared to have given way to patriotism. “And Senegal
wins! I love you man,” the former Chelsea forward wrote after the
final whistle in a Tweet directed at goalscorer Moussa Sow, who hit
a stoppage­-time winner for the 2002 World Cup quarter-finalists.
Ba used a different social media platform to highlight just how
much he is supporting the team by posting a video on Instagram
in which he and a group of friends loudly celebrate the victory and
dance with joy in front of a television set. Å
Tim Pfeifer
S
pectators at the Premier League match between Everton and West
Bromwich Albion this week were briefly transformed from football fans to film stars as a cast member of the upcoming Rocky
movie, professional boxer and dedicated Toffees supporter Tony
Bellew ensured that the Goodison Park faithful had their own moment in the spotlight. Before the game began he informed the crowd:
“I would like you to stay in your seats at half-time to welcome a very
special guest. Be sure to make as much noise as possible – go absolutely nuts!” Forty-five minutes later, the moment arrived and Sylvester Stallone appeared on the big screen. The actor renowned for playing
Rocky Balboa introduced his latest project and offered spectators a
chance to be part of it by capturing footage that will later be used in
celebratory scenes. In the latest instalment of this famous film franchise, Rocky trains promising young fighter Adonis Creed, grandson
of his former rival and friend Apollo Creed, and prepares him for a
bout with Pretty Ricky Porter, played by Bellew. All in all, it was an
entertaining evening for the Evertonians – despite the 0-0 draw. Å
Sarah Steiner
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
23
AFRIC A CUP OF N AT IONS
Preparing to party Ghana supporters are hoping for a celebration with their heroes.
Black Stars out to shine again
Elio Stamm, Accra
24
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
Murad Sezer / Reuters
Ghana’s 2014 World Cup campaign was more notable for the headlines made off the
pitch rather than what the side actually did with the ball. New coach Avram Grant
has been charged with making the Black Stars successful again, and the Israeli’s first
opportunity to do just that is already upon him, at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
AFRIC A CUP OF N AT IONS
G
hanaians are football-crazy. If a European Champions League or an English Premier League game is being shown, scores
of people will often congregate on the
streets to watch, even holding up the
traffic. The most important matches in
this West African country involve the national
team, but in the past 12 months the Black Stars,
so-called in reference to the country’s flag, have
severely tested the affection they normally receive from their countrymen.
Despite an encouraging 2-2 draw with eventual champions Germany, Ghana departed the
World Cup in Brazil at the group stage after
finishing bottom of their pool with two points.
It was the team’s actions off the field that
prompted such dissatisfaction among the supporters, however. Sulley Muntari and KevinPrince Boateng, two of the side’s star names,
were suspended from the squad and sent home
after two games for quarrelling with the staff,
and the remaining players were reluctant to
even play the final match without immediate
payment of their bonuses.
The new boss Avram Grant (standing) took the Black Stars helm at the end of last year.
“I’m only
happy if we
win matches.”
Carl de Souza / AFP (2), imago
Avram Grant
A team for 2017
After the tournament, the Ghanaian Football
Association meted out the consequences.
Coach Kwesi Appiah had to resign and under
his temporary replacement Maxwell Konadu, a
young squad, without Muntari and Boateng,
embarked on qualification for the 2015 Africa
Cup of Nations. Despite one or two poor results, Ghana managed to qualify as group winners for the tournament in Equatorial Guinea.
It was then that the federation began searching
for suitable candidates to stabilise the team
over a sustained period of time, and the decision was taken to hire Grant, formerly coach of
Chelsea and West Ham United. What had partly worked in the Israeli’s favour was that he had
“shown in England he could handle players’
egos,” explained association president Kwesi
Nyantakyi. The 59-year-old was presented in
his new role before a hundred Ghanaian journalists, where both he and his colleagues
sought to dampen expectations of immediate
Pre-match training Grant’s rejuvenated team at Mongomo Stadium last Sunday.
No longer on board Essien, Boateng and Muntari.
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
25
AFRIC A CUP OF N AT IONS
success. According to Nyantakyi, the goal was
not to become champions of Africa in 2015 but
rather to give Grant time to build a team capable of competing at the event in 2017 and finally winning a fifth continental title, their first
since 1982. Grant’s contract in charge of the
senior side runs until the completion of the
2017 tournament, and during that time he will
also, as technical director, be improving youth
football by training the coaches of the junior
national teams.
Bonus issue cleared up
After taking over, Grant had six weeks to prepare his players for what awaits them in Equatorial Guinea. They have been drawn in what is
on paper the toughest group of the tournament
alongside Algeria, South Africa and Senegal,
but Grant is nevertheless keen to taste some
success in his first tournament at the Black
Stars’ helm. “Like the Ghanaian fans, I’m only
happy when we win matches,” said the man
who took Chelsea to the 2008 Champions
League final.
Grant has placed his faith in young talent
and opted against picking players in their thirties – as many as 12 internationals who competed at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South
Africa are not among the current crop. Neither
Muntari nor Boateng have been recalled, while
Michael Essien of AC Milan has been overlooked and Kwadwo Asamoah of Juventus
misses out with injury. In their absence, experienced captain Asamoah Gyan and brothers
André and Jordan Ayew will provide the inspiration.
The issue of bonuses was also dealt with in
a precautionary manner before the tournament began, with skipper Gyan declaring that
the players’ only focus was on football to banish the memories of Brazil as quickly as possible. The best way to do that is by winning
games, although a 2-1 defeat to Senegal in their
opening match was not the ideal start. The
path to being accepted once again in the hearts
and minds of the Ghanaian people remains a
long one. Å
Libreville, Gabon, 1972 Captains Boujemaa Benkhrif (Morocco) and Jacques Ndolou (People’s Republic of
the Congo) prepare for kick-off.
“A festival
of football”
AFP
The 30th Africa Cup of Nations began a week ago, and
Equatorial Guinea captain Juvenal Edjogo-Owono is reluctant
to pick his favourites for the title. “It’s difficult to say;
African football is unpredictable.”
26
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
AFRIC A CUP OF N AT IONS
What does it mean to Equatorial Guinea to host the Africa
Cup of Nations?
Juvenal Edjogo-Owono:
Organising this competition
has been a very important
challenge for my country,
particularly given the circumstances leading
up to our being awarded the tournament.
Everyone involved has been working very
hard to ensure that everything runs as
smoothly as when we hosted the tournament
together with Gabon in 2012. We’re well
prepared. The interiors of our stadiums have
been modernised so that spectators can
follow matches in the best possible conditions
and enjoy this festival of football.
Getting underway The 30th Africa Cup of Nations began in Bata on 17 January.
“There are
some big-name
teams here, but
these favourites
will have to
work hard.”
Committed Fans at the opening match, a 1-1 draw between Equatorial Guinea and Congo.
And how are things going for your team?
Carl de Souza / AFP, Khaled Desouki / AFP
We haven’t had an opportunity to see our
best players playing together for quite some
time: the last time that happened was against
Spain in November 2013. Our team has a
healthy mix of young talented footballers and
more experienced figures like me who have
already taken part in several international
competitions. If we take it one match at a
time, I think we’ll find the right balance to
help us go far at this tournament. Of course,
the fact that we’re playing in front of home
crowds will also stand us in good stead.
What kind of football do you play?
We play in a style typical of African
teams: very direct and physical football
played by quick, robust players. One special
feature of our team is the fact that the majority of us play in Spain, so we’re also very
experienced when it comes to technique and
ball control. These skills could definitely
prove to be our secret weapon.
Hosts Equatorial Guinea draw on experience
Equatorial Guinea were only appointed hosts
of the 30th Africa Cup of Nations in mid­November after Morocco insisted on a year’s
delay to the tournament due to the Ebola
­epidemic. Equatorial Guinea in West Africa
jointly hosted the Cup of Nations in 2012 but
were only required to provide two stadiums.
At this year’s event from 17 January to 8 February matches will be played in Bata, Malabo,
Mongomo and Ebebiyin.
Maiden tournament in 1957
The finals have taken place every two years
since 1968. In 2010 the CAF resolved to hold
the tournament in odd-numbered years to
avoid years including a World Cup or Euro­
pean Championship. The inaugural Africa
Cup of Nations was a three-nation affair back
in 1957: Egypt won it from Ethiopia and hosts
Sudan. Egypt are the tournament record holders with 22 appearances.
How good are Algeria?
Alongside Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Cameroon
and Ghana, Algeria are among the favourites
this year. Despite a change of coach with
Christian Gourcuff replacing Vahid Halilhodzic, the north Africans are looking to build on
their excellent showing at the World Cup. The
Cup of Nations has been won by teams
coached by Europeans or South Americans on
14 occasions. Å
tfw
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
27
© 2014 adidas AG. adidas, the 3-Bars logo and the 3-Stripes mark are registered trademarks of the adidas Group.
instinct
takes over
#predatorinstinct
adidas.com/predator
AFRIC A CUP OF N AT IONS
What targets have you set for yourselves?
My team-mates and I are aiming to
improve on our result in 2012, when we
reached the quarter-finals and were eliminated by eventual finalists Cote d’Ivoire.
What does captaining Equatorial Guinea
mean to you?
It’s an honour for me, as is being my
nation’s most-capped player. It’s the second
time I’ve played at an Africa Cup of Nations.
I feel incredibly proud and privileged to be
able to pull on my country’s shirt.
Which teams do you see as favourites for
the title?
It isn’t easy to pick a favourite because
African football is highly unpredictable.
Naturally there are some big-name teams
such as Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Algeria or
Burkina Faso, but football isn’t always about
the big names. It’s also a matter of quality and
class and the strengths of individual players –
not to mention a degree of unpredictability.
Although the four teams I’ve named could be
considered favourites, they’ll have to work
hard if they want to win the competition.
it. I’m proud that Equatorial Guinea was
chosen to host the Cup in this situation; it
shows the whole world that we can work
together to combat this disease. We can look
forward to the tournament without worrying;
there won’t be any problems. Our president
and government have done a good job. Å
Juvenal Edjogo-Owono was speaking
to Emanuele Giulianelli
The Ebola epidemic has already affected this
edition of the tournament and led to a change
in the host nation. What do you make of all
this?
First of all, Ebola is affecting just one part
of Africa, not all of it. It’s a dreadful disease
that has already killed a huge number of
people, and we’ve all got to join forces to fight
MATCH SCHEDULE
CAF Africa Cup of Nations
Equatorial Guinea 2015
22 January 2015 · Group B
Zambia
17:00Tunisia
Cape Verde
20:00
DR Congo
28 January 2015 · Group D
Cameroon
19:00
Cote d’Ivoire
Guinea
19:00
Mali
17 January 2015 · Group A
Equatorial Guinea
1-1Congo
Burkina Faso
0-2Gabon
23 January 2015 · Group C
Ghana
17:00Algeria
South Africa
20:00
Senegal
31 January 2015 · Quarter-finals 1+2
Group A winner
17:00
Group B runner-up
Group B winner
20:00
Group A runner-up
18 January 2015 · Group B
Zambia
1-1
Tunisia
1-1
24 January 2015 · Group D
Cote d’Ivoire
17:00Mali
Cameroon
20:00
Guinea
1 February 2015 · Quarter-finals 3+4
Group C winner
17:00
Group D runner-up
Group D winner
20:00
Group C runner-up
19 January 2015 · Group C
Ghana
1-2Senegal
Algeria
3-1
South Africa
25 January 2015 · Group A
Congo
19:00
Gabon
19:00
4 February 2015 · Semi-final 1
QF1 winner
20:00
QF4 winner
20 January 2015 · Group D
Cote d’Ivoire
1-1Guinea
Mali
1-1Cameroon
26 January 2015 · Group B
DR Congo
19:00Tunisia
Cape Verde
19:00Zambia
21 January 2015 · Group A
Equatorial Guinea
0-0
Burkina Faso
Gabon
0-1Congo
27 January 2015 · Group C
South Africa
19:00Ghana
Senegal
19:00Algeria
DR Congo
Cape Verde
Burkina Faso
Equatorial Guinea
5 February 2015 · Semi-final 2
QF3 winner
20:00
QF2 winner
7 February 2015 · Play-off for Third Place
SF1 loser
17:00
SF2 loser
8 February 2015 · Final
SF1 winner
20:00
SF2 winner
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
29
THIS IS THE ONE
Introducing
Official Mascot for the
FIFA U-20 World Cup New Zealand 2015
@FIFAcom #Wooliam
/fifau20worldcup
FREE KICK
F I F A ’ S 11
AFC Asian Cup
games played
Animal magic
1
Iran
Games: 61
Wins: 37
Goals scored/conceded: 114:40
2
Korea Republic
Games: 60
Wins: 31
Goals scored/conceded: 96:59
3
China PR
Games: 51
Wins: 20
Goals scored/conceded: 81:56
4
Saudi Arabia
Games: 44
Wins: 19
Goals scored/conceded: 62:44
5
K
uwait
Games: 42
Wins: 15
Goals scored/conceded: 46:50
6
J
apan
Games: 40
Wins: 24
Goals scored/conceded: 79:37
7
United Arab Emirates
Games: 35
Wins: 11
Goals scored/conceded: 29:46
8
Iraq
Games: 32
Wins: 13
Goals scored/conceded: 33:34
Q
atar
Games: 32
Wins: 6
Goals scored/conceded: 33:46
10
U
zbekistan
Games: 24
Wins: 11
Goals scored/conceded: 35:44
11
Thailand
Games: 20
Wins: 1
Goals scored/conceded: 12:42
Sarah Steiner
W
hether Willie, Goleo or Fuleco, every
World Cup now has its own mascot. Love
them or hate them, one thing is clear: it
would be difficult to imagine football without
them. In fact, major tournaments are not the
only place to find these lucky charms; plenty of
clubs have a talisman of their own, often some
kind of animal.
Cologne, for example, have been looking
after billy goats for more than 60 years. The
tradition began on 13 February 1950, when the
club was presented with a young goat at a Carnival party and named it Hennes in honour of
then-coach Hennes Weisweiler. The animal
became something of an icon, giving the club
its nickname and eventually being incorporated into its crest. After the first Hennes died,
Hennes the Second arrived; the current incumbent is the eighth goat to take on the role of
mascot.
Colombian top-flight side Atletico Junior
have also drawn support from the animal kingdom. An owl became the club’s lucky charm
after nesting under the roof of the stadium. It
was frequently spotted flying around during
matches until one fateful excursion in February 2011. Hit by the ball near the corner flag in
the 36th minute, La Lechuza lay dazed on the
pitch until an opposing player unceremoniously kicked it towards the sideline. The owl
passed away a few days later, with the death
ultimately attributed to a build-up of lactic acid
in the bird’s body rather than the rough treatment it had recently received.
As well as being the target of aggressive
behaviour, mascots can also cause trouble
among themselves. This was the case in Bristol
in 1998, when Wolverhampton Wanderers
­ ascot Wolfie the wolf – or rather, the person
m
inside the wolf costume – got into a scuffle with
the Three Little Pigs, who were representing a
local window glazing company. Bristol City’s
own mascot City Cat even waded into the melee, and eventually all five were ejected from
the stadium.
Southampton’s dog mascot Sammy Saint
was at the centre of a far more romantic tale at
the start of this year. A fan contacted the club
in a desperate bid to discover the identity of
the beautiful stranger who sits a few seats away
from him at St Mary’s every other week. Although they could not reveal her name due to
data protection laws, Sammy Saint was duly
dispatched to leave a bunch of roses, a drinks
voucher and a good luck note on his seat just
before the next home game. Duly encouraged,
a short time later the fan tweeted a photo of
himself with the mystery girl along with the
comment: “She loved the flowers!” Å
The weekly column by our staff
writers
Source:
FIFA and worldfootball.net, 22/01/2015
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
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MIRROR IMAGE
T
H
E
N
Ipswich, England
1939
Getty Images
Ipswich Town players recover after losing 1-2 to Aston Villa in the third round of the FA Cup.
32
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
MIRROR IMAGE
N
O
W
Teresopolis, Brazil
2014
Rafael Ribeiro / CFB
Brazilian players during a training session at Granja Comary.
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
33
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 benefit of all. Our mission is to:
Develop the game
FIFA’s 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
FIFA’s 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.
NET ZER KNOWS!
Do you think ageing
football stars should
retire sooner?
Question from Toni Perez, Puebla, Mexico
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
“At this time, he is the best player
in English football.”
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini
on Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez
“James has the quality and the skill
to push towards being the very best
in the world. He’s been showing
that in abundance, both for
the national team and now
for Real Madrid.”
Racing driver Juan Pablo Montoya on fellow
Colombian James Rodriguez
“It is often more difficult to win
against our [opposing team in]
training than against a team
in the Bundesliga.”
Bayern Munich’s Thomas Muller
Breakfast meeting Gunter Netzer and Franz Beckenbauer in 1972.
imago
A
s a spectator, this issue often seems to be
more straightforward than it really is. As
soon as veteran footballers stop delivering their usual performances, it is assumed
it is time for them to move on. What is often
forgotten is that these athletes are still
young when they bring their playing careers
to an end. Many players are afraid of beginning the next phase of their lives, either because they have had no time to properly prepare for it or because they simply cannot
imagine the alternatives.
Although most of the sport’s stars have
enough money in the bank when they retire,
their fame and recognition can quickly fade
away. The thought of no longer being in the
spotlight acts as a deterrent for some footballers and increases the temptation to keep
playing for as long as the body allows, particularly if the professional in question still
enjoys the game itself.
For me personally it was always important that what I was doing was good enough.
As a player, I was 32 when I realised that this
was no longer the case. My decision to hang
up my boots was also swayed by the fact that
I did not want to become a burden to a club.
I stepped away from my later role as a television commentator once it became clear that
I had said everything there was to say about
football. I didn’t feel that my job as an expert
was to spend years repeating myself.
Proverbially speaking, there are some
football stars that have to be dragged off the
stage, a situation that is often no different for
musicians or actors. Unfortunately many individuals miss the perfect moment to make
this decision for themselves. That's why being
able to get the honest opinion of someone
they know and trust is so vital in moments
like these. Å
What have you always wanted to know
about football? Ask Gunter Netzer:
[email protected]
“Can Ronaldo win more Ballons d’Or
than Messi? It’s a very interesting
battle. Messi is a bigger genius
than Ronaldo, but he is having some
problems at his club and
that could cause some problems.
Cristiano is solid and
mentally strong. He wants to
become the best ever.”
Fabio Capello
“I thought about it during the week.
There is this fashion for selfies now
and I like to keep my private life
to myself. But this was a
unique opportunity that would
never be repeated.”
Francesco Totti on his celebratory
selfie in the Rome derby
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
35
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TURNING POINT
“I was willing
to risk
everything.”
Name
Daniel Engelbrecht
Date and place of birth
5 November 1990, Cologne
Position
Striker
Clubs
2009-2012 Alemannia Aachen
2012-2013 VfL Bochum
Since 2013 Stuttgarter Kickers
After twice collapsing while playing football, Daniel Engelbrecht
underwent four heart operations.
Now he is back on the pitch with a defibrillator.
Thomas Schweigert / 13 Photo
I
t all began on 20 July 2013 in a third division game for Stuttgarter Kickers, whom I
had joined two days earlier from Bochum.
We were playing Erfurt at home and it was
a hot day, almost 40 degrees. In the second
half I suddenly became dizzy. My legs started to shake, I couldn’t breathe and I couldn’t
see or hear anything anymore. We assumed it
was heat stroke. I was examined after the
match but the doctors didn’t find anything
wrong. As I’d hurt my ankle I wasn’t able to
train for a while after the Erfurt game, and
that’s probably what saved my life.
Three weeks later we faced Kiel and after
20 minutes something similar to what had
happened against Erfurt happened again. My
pulse dropped to 20 beats per minute and I
was in a life-threatening condition. I was taken to the intensive care unit in hospital,
where I had an MRI scan to check my heart. I
was diagnosed with myocarditis - it was the
worst news I’d ever been given in my life. I
would only find out in a follow-up examination three months later whether or not I’d be
able to play football again. The uncertainty of
it all was a huge strain. Nevertheless, all I
could think about was returning to professional football at all costs. I was willing to risk
everything to do so.
The outcome of the follow-up examination
in November 2013 brought the next blow. The
myocarditis hadn’t completely disappeared and
it had formed scars that can cause fatal cardiac
arrhythmias. The doctors told me I should look
for another job. Tearfully, I begged them to find
a solution that would allow me to continue to
be a professional footballer. They eventually
suggested inserting a defibrillator, which could
give me a shock and save my life if severe cardiac arrhythmias occurred. On 18 December
2013 I had a defibrillator implanted inside me.
I had to have another operation on 29 January 2014, and in order for the surgery to be
successful I needed to have cardiac arrhythmias, but I didn’t have any. So at the hospital I ran
from the first floor up to the tenth floor and
back down again. After that I collapsed and
thought I was dying. My life flashed before my
eyes in a matter of seconds before the defibrillator kicked in with a jolt of 830 volts to save
my life. Despite suffering ventricular fibrillation and my heart racing at 300 beats per minute I was still conscious. I thought my insides
were burning. The pain was unbearable.
After the surgery I started hallucinating
because of my medication, and I also had panic attacks. On 20 May 2014 eight of Europe’s
best heart specialists operated on me for almost nine hours. After that the cardiac arrhythmias were gone and my fear subsided. It
was a second birth. In June 2014 I started light
training and slowly began trusting my body
more and more.
On 1 November 2014 I returned to full
team training. That was another emotional
moment because I had been given the all-clear
to do so. Two weeks later I made my first appearance in Ravensburg and during the game
I didn’t even notice the defibrillator or the
chest protector I wore to shield it. On 6 December 2014 we played Wehen Wiesbaden at
home and in the 91st minute, eight minutes
after I’d been brought on as a substitute, I
scored the winner to make it 2-1. It was the
best moment and the best feeling I’ve ever had
in my life. Everyone in the stadium was happy
for me and a lot of people cried. Å
Daniel Engelbrecht was speaking to
Peter Eggenberger
In Turning Point, personalities reflect
on a decisive moment in their lives.
T H E F I FA W E E K LY
37
MEN’S WORLD R ANKING
Germany (unchanged)
none
none
16 (11 of which were in 2014)
Iraq (4 matches)
Bahrain (up 43 points)
Bahrain (up 12 ranks)
Iraq (down 51 points)
Jordan (down 12 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
+/- Points
Rank Team
+/- Points
1 Germany
0 1725
55 Panama
2
551
109 Ethiopia
2
294
163 Suriname
0
115
2 Argentina
0 1538
55 Trinidad and Tobago
0
551
110 Bahrain
12
292
164 Swaziland
0
113
3 Colombia
0 1450
57 Congo DR
-1
548
111 Namibia
-2
291
165 Bangladesh
0
103
4 Belgium
0 1417
58 Albania
0
543
112 Canada
0
287
166 Tahiti
0
100
5 Netherlands
0 1374
59 Montenegro
0
537
113 Cuba
0
271
167 Guyana
0
92
6 Brazil
0 1316
60 Egypt
0
531
114 Iraq
-11
269
168 Gambia
0
90
7 Portugal
0 1160
61 Congo
0
529
115 Palestine
-2
268
169 Montserrat
0
86
7 France
0 1160
62 Gabon
3
527
115 Liberia
0
268
170 São Tomé e Príncipe
0
84
0 1142
62 Togo
0
527
117 Kenya
-1
262
171 India
0
79
10 Uruguay
9 Spain
0 1135
64 Burkina Faso
-1
523
118 Equatorial Guinea
2
260
172 Sri Lanka
0
78
11 Italy
0 1103
65 Republic of Ireland
-1
519
119 Niger
-3
259
173 Comoros
0
75
12 Switzerland
0 1091
66 Bulgaria
0
506
120 St Kitts and Nevis
-2
258
173 Nicaragua
0
75
13 England
0 1032
67 Norway
0
500
121 St Vincent and the Grenadines
-2
256
175 Belize
0
74
14 Chile
0 1016
68 Rwanda
0
494
122 Lebanon
4
251
176 Yemen
0
67
66
15 Romania
0 1014
69 Korea Republic
0
487
123 Moldova
-2
250
177 Turks and Caicos Islands
0
16 Costa Rica
0
995
70 Finland
0
468
124 Lesotho
-1
245
178 Seychelles
0
61
17 Czech Republic
0
987
71 Uzbekistan
3
464
125 Kuwait
-1
241
179 Bermuda
0
55
18 Algeria
0
948
72 Honduras
-1
460
126 Georgia
-1
239
179 San Marino
0
55
19 Croatia
0
946
73 Guatemala
-1
458
127 Luxembourg
1
230
179 Cambodia
0
55
20 Mexico
0
913
73 Haiti
-1
458
128 Burundi
-1
227
182 Chinese Taipei
0
54
21 Slovakia
0
891
75 Jamaica
0
449
129 Aruba
0
221
183 Solomon Islands
0
53
22 Tunisia
0
873
76 Paraguay
0
442
129 Philippines
1
221
184 Dominica
0
52
23 Austria
0
863
77 Uganda
-1
441
131 Maldives
-1
220
185 Timor-Leste
0
51
24 Greece
0
856
78 Libya
0
437
132 Liechtenstein
0
219
186 Nepal
0
49
25 Ukraine
0
854
79 Armenia
0
436
133 Vietnam
4
218
186 Macau
0
49
26 Ecuador
0
852
80 United Arab Emirates
1
408
133 Guinea-Bissau
0
218
188 Pakistan
0
45
43
27 USA
0
836
81 Angola
-1
404
135 New Zealand
-1
216
189 South Sudan
0
28 Côte d’Ivoire
0
833
82 Morocco
-1
393
136 Azerbaijan
-1
215
190 Mauritius
0
36
29 Bosnia and Herzegovina
0
817
83 Estonia
1
382
136 Tajikistan
-1
215
191 Vanuatu
0
33
30 Denmark
0
804
84 Bolivia
1
375
138 Mauritania
-1
213
192 Fiji
0
30
31 Russia
0
789
85 Sierra Leone
1
374
139 Kazakhstan
0
205
192 Samoa
0
30
32 Israel
0
788
86 Cyprus
1
372
140 St Lucia
0
202
194 Mongolia
0
29
33 Iceland
0
761
87 Venezuela
1
371
141 Myanmar
0
200
195 Bahamas
0
26
34 Wales
0
748
88 Malawi
2
361
142 Afghanistan
1
190
196 Tonga
0
17
35 Senegal
0
734
89 Benin
0
359
143 Barbados
1
183
197 US Virgin Islands
0
16
36 Scotland
0
729
90 El Salvador
0
358
144 Thailand
-2
182
198 Brunei Darussalam
0
15
37 Ghana
0
714
91 Lithuania
1
355
145 Central African Republic
0
178
199 Papua New Guinea
0
13
38 Serbia
0
713
92 Qatar
3
347
146 Chad
0
172
200 American Samoa
0
12
39 Guinea
0
706
93 Oman
0
346
147 Malta
0
166
201 Andorra
0
9
40 Cape Verde Islands
0
693
93 Jordan
-12
346
147 Turkmenistan
0
166
202 British Virgin Islands
0
8
41 Poland
0
680
95 Antigua and Barbuda
-1
344
147 Madagascar
0
166
202 Eritrea
0
8
42 Cameroon
0
665
96 Latvia
0
339
150 Korea DPR
0
157
204 Somalia
0
6
43 Nigeria
0
654
96 China PR
1
339
151 Syria
0
156
205 Cayman Islands
0
5
44 Sweden
0
646
98 Mozambique
0
332
152 Kyrgyzstan
0
146
206 Djibouti
0
4
45 Hungary
0
632
99 Belarus
0
331
153 New Caledonia
0
142
206 Cook Islands
0
4
46 Slovenia
1
622
100 Australia
0
329
154 Malaysia
0
139
208 Anguilla
0
2
47 Northern Ireland
1
615
101 FYR Macedonia
-1
327
155 Grenada
0
137
209 Bhutan
0
0
48 Turkey
1
604
102 Saudi Arabia
0
318
156 Hong Kong
0
134
133
49 Mali
1
603
103 Faroe Islands
1
317
157 Singapore
0
50 Zambia
-4
594
104 Tanzania
1
315
158 Curaçao
0
125
51 Iran
0
588
105 Dominican Republic
1
310
159 Indonesia
0
122
52 South Africa
0
587
106 Botswana
1
308
160 Laos
0
121
53 Peru
0
565
107 Zimbabwe
1
301
161 Guam
0
119
54 Japan
0
563
108 Sudan
2
296
161 Puerto Rico
0
119
http://www.fifa.com/worldranking/index.html
PUZZLE
Published weekly by the
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39
L A S T W E E K’S P O L L R E S U LT S
31+21+19139421
Which of these strikers will end up top
scorer at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations?
2%
1%
9%
T HIS WEEK’S POLL
Which of these players will end up top scorer
at the 2015 AFC Asian Cup?
4%
31%
13%
Source: Fifa.com
19%
21%
· Ali Mabkhout (UAE)
· Hamza Al Dardour (JOR)
· Sun Ke (CHN)
· Sardor Rashidov (UZB)
· Keisuke Honda (JPN)
≠ Islam Slimani (ALG)
≠ Papiss Cissé (SEN)
≠ Asamoah Gyan (GHA)
≠ Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (GAB)
≠ Gervinho (CIV)
≠ Amine Chermiti (TUN)
≠ Ibrahima Traore (GUI)
≠ Jonathan Pitroipa (BFA)
Cast your votes at:
Fifa.com/newscentre
“The scream? The players know I always do that
when I score a goal or when we win.”
Cristiano Ronaldo explains his unusual celebration at the FIFA Ballon d’Or Gala
team in Spain’s top flight
35
per cent possession and three
corners – compared to their
remained unbeaten as the
opponents’ 16 – was all Arsenal
season reached its
needed to defeat Manchester
years after Napoli last defeated Lazio
halfway point – and it
City 2-0 away from home.
twice in a row, the southern Italian side
was neither Barcelona
The result means Manuel
finally repeated the feat and have now
nor Real Madrid. Sevilla’s 2-0
Pellegrini’s side have failed
overcome their league rivals on four
defeat of Malaga took their home
to win any of the four
successive occasions. In their latest
record for this campaign to seven
matches they have played
victory, Gonzalo Higuain struck to seal a
wins and two draws, and means
this season without Ivorian
1-0 win and lift 'I Ciucciarelli' above the
‘Los Rojiblancos’ are now unbeaten
Yaya Toure, who is currently
two-time Italian champions to third
on home soil in 24 games across
on international duty at the
place in Serie A.
all competitions.
Africa Cup of Nations.
Getty Images (2), AFP, NurPhoto
81
1
WEEK IN NUMBERS