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ISSUE 47/2015, 27 NOVEMBER 2015 ENGLISH EDITION
Fédération Internationale de Football Association – Since 1904
Football development in Africa
Malawi’s chance
BRAZIL ENGLAND CHINA PR
CORINTHIANS AND FORMER STARS UNITE GUANGZHOU EVERGRANDE
THE ‘HEXACAMPEÃO’ AT SALFORD CITY FC REACH THE TOP IN ASIA
W W W.FIFA.COM/ THEWEEKLY
THIS WEEK IN THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL
6
Malawi’s wind of change North and South America
With Ernest Mtawali appointed national team Central America 10 members
coach in the summer, our reporter Peter Kanjere 35 members www.conmebol.com
paid the Malawian legend a visit. Regional U-15 www.concacaf.com
leagues also got underway across the country at
the end of October in a FIFA pilot project aiming
to forge a link between grassroots football and
the national team and promote talent in the
long term.
16 Brazil
Having secured their sixth championship title
last week, Corinthians delivered an outstanding
performance to record a 6-1 win over local rivals
Sao Paulo.
18 Adama Traore
In an interview, the Mali and Monaco midfielder
discusses the FIFA U-20 World Cup in New
Zealand, being named player of the tournament
and his passion for music.
35 A rt of Football
Alex de la Iglesia reflects on Lionel Messi’s
remarkable career in the documentary “Messi”.
22 Aiming high
Salford City are causing
one sensation after another
with the support of their
famous owners. (Pictured:
Ryan Giggs)
Malawi’s chance
15 Applying the
emergency brake
Stuttgart have dismissed their
Our cover shows U-15 youth coach in a bid to halt their
league players celebrating in
inexorable slide towards the
Blantyre.
foot of the Bundesliga table.
Simon Bruty (Pictured: Christian Gentner)
The FIFA Weekly app
FIFA’s magazine The FIFA Weekly is published
in four languages every Friday and is also
available free of charge on smartphone and FIFA Club World Cup FIFA Futsal World Cup
tablet. http://www.fifa.com/mobile 10 – 20 December 2015, Japan 10 September – 1 October 2016, Colombia
2 T H E F I FA W E E K LY
THIS WEEK IN THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL
Europe Africa Asia Oceania
54 members 54 members 46 members 11 members
www.uefa.com www.cafonline.com www.the-afc.com www.oceaniafootball.com
17 Ticket booked
Luiz Felipe Scolari and
Guangzhou Evergrande are
on their way to the FIFA Club
World Cup in Japan after
winning the AFC Champions
League.
28 Out of luck
Heinrich Kwiatkowski’s FIFA
World Cup appearances
for Germany proved to be
unsuccessful.
imago (4)
T H E F I FA W E E K LY 3
Everywhere You Want To Be Where do you want to be? With 3 world titles, 3 goals in the final of the FIFA Women’s World CupTM and a ticket to Brazil, she’s just getting started. Visa is proud to support Carli Lloyd and her dreams. To be at the top of the world. ©2015 Visa. All rights reserved.
UNCOVERED
Playing culture
A
fter the humiliation of conceding 14 goals in two matches, Heinrich
Kwiatkowski had had enough. “Please don’t pick me again,” the unnerved
goalkeeper told his coach.
The inglorious tale of Germany’s reserve shotstopper in the 1954 and 1958
FIFA World Cups includes real-life moments stranger than fiction. First
Kwiatkowski could have drowned while taking a cigarette break before even
winning his first international cap. This was closely followed by an 8-3 defeat
to Hungary and then, four years later in his second and final FIFA World Cup
appearance, a 6-3 thrashing at the hands of France. Annette Braun recalls his
story on pages 28 and 29.
Starting on page six, we present the similarly entertaining story of Ernest
Mtawali, who has played football on every continent except one and is now
seeking to push Malawi’s national team forward. “Over the years, we lost our
real style of play,” says Walter Nyamilandu, head of the country’s national
football association. “We want Ernest to restore that.” Malawi's sights are
firmly set on the 2017 CAF Africa Cup of Nations. Å
Alan Schweingruber
Mario Wagner / 2Agenten
T H E F I FA W E E K LY 5
M AL AW I
THE TIME IS RIGHT FOR
MALAWI’S MTAWALI
Recently-appointed Malawi coach Ernest Mtawali’s story is
stranger than fiction, writes Peter Kanjere from Blantyre.
New foundations Young footballers
train on artificial turf in Blantyre.
6
Simon Bruty (1)
7
M AL AW I
M AL AW I
E
rnest Mtawali, the new coach of the
land-locked nation Malawi in south-
east Africa, boasts a life story that
should fascinate football fans every-
where. Mtawali played on all but one
continent – Africa, Asia, Europe and
South America – and shared the field
with Diego Maradona. He was also
coached by Kevin Keegan in a distin-
guished career that can only be quali-
fied as extraordinary.
The legendary Ernest Mtawali Wearing the shirt of French Ligue 1
Speaking from the small two-storey club Toulouse in 1998 (right) and as the national team’s newly-appointed
mansion he built from his earnings in the game in coach.
Blantyre, Malawi’s commercial capital, Mtawali ran
through a list of some other great coaches of the
game he came across over the course of his career.
“I played and trained under highly-qualified coach-
es, namely Screamer Tshabalala from Mamelodi
Sundowns in South Africa, the late Brian Clough at
Nottingham Forest, Kevin Keegan at Newcastle
United, Osvaldo Ardiles at Tottenham Hotspur and
AFP, HO (3)
Alain Giresse at Toulouse in France, to name a few,”
said the former midfielder, whose strength was
8 T H E F I FA W E E K LY
M AL AW I
Red versus blue
U-15 players from
Blantyre’s youth
development project. passing and creating goals for team-mates all over “I did not play in the actual Africa Cup of
the world. ations in Côte d’Ivoire because I had left for South
N
Mtawali earned 62 caps for Malawi and played Africa, not only to play soccer but to meet my
at the highest level for clubs in his homeland, mother whom I had not seen for 10 years. It was a
South Africa, Argentina, Italy, France and United great opportunity for me to get an offer to play for
Arab Emirates in a career which spanned 23 years a club in apartheid South Africa,” he recalls.
and saw him score 218 goals in 866 club games. “Due to the situation in South Africa, it took
me a long time to trace the whereabouts of my
A South African mother mother and it was difficult for people coming from
The youngest of five children, Mtawali was born in other African countries to live and work there. I
Malawi in 1966, five years after his father, the late was forced to acquire an ID in a different name –
Bishop Mtawali had returned from South Africa Ernest Chirwali – just to survive.”
where he had married a local woman. As a young- Over the course of the next 18 months, Mtawali
ster, his world was turned upside-down by his turned out for Welkom Real Hearts, Bloemfontein
mother’s return to her homeland, due to ill-health. Celtic and Sundowns before becoming the first for-
Mtawali had just broken into Malawi top club eigner to win South Africa’s Footballer of the Year
side Hardware Stars and earned his debut for award in 1985.
Malawi’s senior team, helping them to a maiden Unsurprisingly, scouts soon came knocking on
Africa Cup of Nations qualification in 1984, when his door and before long he was sent to Italy for
he decided to follow his mother to South Africa. He trials at fourth tier side Bassano Virtus.
Simon Bruty (1)
was smuggled by a scout through neighbouring “I did well and was offered a contract for a
Zambia to Botswana where they found a car wait- year,” said Mtawali. “I did so well with Bassano
ing to take them to the land of apartheid. that the following year, a club playing in Serie A,
T H E F I FA W E E K LY 9
M AL AW I
BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE
Regional U15 competition made its debut in Malawi at the end of October.
The new league is a pilot project for a global FIFA initiative supporting the long-term
development of youth football.
I
t is a dream for many young Malawian football fans to emulate Essau There was great enthusiasm among the players in the opening match-
Boxer Kanyenda by turning their hobby into their job and playing for the es involving Zomba Urban, Chiradzulu, Lilongwe Urban and Dedza. These
national team. It is a dream that the striker has personified in his life. are the potential future stars of Malawian football, the next Kanyenda or
Kanyenda’s career began in 1998 at FC Welfare in Dwangwa, Malawi. Kondowe. The games signalled the start of an initial two-year test phase,
Following brief spells at clubs including FC Rostov and Lokomotiv Moscow for which Malawi was deliberately chosen. “Malawi already has successful
in Russia, he has been playing for South African side Polokwane City since grassroots programmes in place and has drawn up a clear development
2012. The 33 year-old has also played 53 times for his country and scored strategy for the coming years,” said Jurg Nepfer, head of FIFA’s education
12 goals, making him a role model for the young generation of Malawian and technical development department. Similar initiatives are set to be
footballers. The same can be said for his international teammate Fisher launched in the future in other countries with grassroots structures in
Kondowe, who plays his club football for Malawian Super League champi- place.
ons and current leaders Big Bullets. No talent should be lost on the journey to adulthood. National teams
benefit from good youth development, too. FIFA is spending $15 million
Tapping potential over the next three years to implement the programme globally, which will
Along with talent and a lot of hard work, players need a good support p rimarily involve creating new leagues as well as training young coaches
network in order to make the jump from grassroots and youth football to and referees.
professional, first-team football. From 2015 to 2018, the establishment of Who knows, perhaps some of those players who played in the opening
domestic youth tournaments will be a priority for FIFA member states. The games of the Malawi U15 league at the end of October will soon be part
world governing body is supporting the ambitions of national associations of the senior national team, following in the footsteps of their heroes
with a project to set up regional U15 leagues in various countries, and at E ssau Boxer Kanyenda and Fisher Kondowe.
the end of October it was Malawi’s turn. Annette Braun
Beaming smiles U15 coach Tioney Mhone with his protégés Kumbukani (l.) and Humprey Minandi.
10 T H E F I FA W E E K LYM AL AW I
Just like the pros The youngsters make
their entrance, look on anxiously from the
bench and prepare for kick-off. The team
in blue ultimately emerge victorious.
Empoli wanted to sign me, but I was stopped
by FIFA because I had left Malawi without a
clearance.”
Efforts to sign for Empoli under the name
Ernest Molemela (the surname of his former Celtic
boss) came to nothing, as did attempts to join
Besiktas in Turkey and Nottingham Forest in
England, due to the FIFA ban of South Africa.
“I returned to South Africa and went back to
Bloemfontein Celtic. I could not play for any FIFA-
affiliated country until the ban was lifted,” he said.
When that finally came about in 1992, the Football
Association of Malawi welcomed Mtawali back
to the national team for the next chapter of his
career, which lasted until he retired in 2005.
Mtawali became the first
f oreigner to win South Africa’s
Footballer of the Year in 1985.
After rejoining the Malawi national team, Mta-
wali moved to Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina
where he was lucky enough to play indoor football
with Maradona. Then came a transfer to Toulouse
in France’s Ligue 1, followed by stint at Al Wahd in
United Arab Emirates.
“I regret nothing”
Despite missing out on playing at the 1984 Africa
Cup of Nations and losing out on the chance to
represent top clubs in Europe earlier in his career,
in Mtawali’s world there is no room for regrets. He
went on to become a coach for Malawi U-20 nation-
al team, where he led the Junior Flames to success,
just missing out on qualification for the 2014 Afri-
ca Youth Championship.
That impressive record paved the way for his
promotion to the senior team to replace Young Chi-
modzi, who was dismissed on June 13 2015 after
Malawi lost 2-1 at home to Zimbabwe in the first
match of 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying.
“Look, I was influenced by the late Roy Bailey
who is father to Gary Bailey, the ex-Manchester
United goalkeeper,” said the 49-year-old Mtawali.
“He used to take me for coaching clinics as far back
Simon Bruty (5)
in 1989 just after I joined Sundowns from Bloem-
fontein Celtic. I was the captain of Sundowns from
1989 to 1994 during which time the management
T H E F I FA W E E K LY 11M AL AW I
Not just players Malawi’s children
and young people practice serving as
assistant referees.
used to ask me to train youngsters who were ear-
marked to play for them.”
Breathing new life
into the national team
Fluent in French and English, born to a Malawian
father and South African mother, Mtawali has
embarked on what seems a one-man football revo-
lution in Malawi. Within two months, he has hand-
ed debuts to seven players and dropped a number
of veterans, prompting criticism from, among oth-
ers, South Africa-based midfielder Robert Ng’ambi,
who accused the coach of showing disrespect by
discarding senior players for inexperienced ones.
“I would say it has been a big challenge,” said
Mtawali. “I have been the number one supporter of
the Malawian national team and an ex-player of the
team and I know how passionate Malawians are
about their team. I would like to see Malawi moving
up the FIFA Ranking (ed: Malawi are in 97th position
as of November 2015). I know change is not easy but
I believe we have the potential to do better.”
“I know change is not easy.”
Malawi coach Ernest Mtawali
Mtawali has overseen three international match-
es so far, registering a win, a draw and a loss. The
Flames lost 2-0 to Tanzania in the first leg of the
preliminary round of 2018 FIFA World Cup qualify-
ing and bowed out of the race despite winning 1-0
in the return leg played in Malawi. Tanzania went on
to lose 9-2 on aggregate to Africa’s number one
ranked team, Algeria, in the second round of quali-
fying.
“Everybody will see the fruits of the current
progress in the next five years, even if we can’t deny
that it was a big disappointment not to reach the
next round of qualifying for the World Cup,” said
Mtawali.
Walter Nyamilandu the president of the Football
Association of Malawi said that Mtawali, who holds
a UEFA B Licence, has been tasked with reviving
his country’s 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying
campaign. Malawi are currently third in group L on
one point, the same number as fourth-placed Guinea
and three behind Zimbabwe and Swaziland on four
points.
12 T H E F I FA W E E K LYM AL AW I
Rehearsing every ritual Just like
anywhere else in the world, the two
sides gather before kick-off, contest an
exciting match and then reflect on the
experience ready for the next game.
“We have trust and confidence in the pair (Mta-
wali and his deputy Nsanzurwimo Ramadhan),” said
Nyamilandu. “What we have seen is that they have
not been tried and tested. They offer something
d ifferent. Over the years, we lost our real style of
Malawi play and we want them to restore that,” said
Nyamilandu, who played alongside Mtawali for
Malawi in the late 1990s.
“We saw tremendous potential in Ernest. We
have also tracked his progress from the time he was
coaching Malawi’s Under-20s. We have been groom-
ing Ernest over four years. He is ready for the chal-
lenge. Everybody has their time, and this is Ernest’s
time.” Å
FIFA IN MALAWI
Within the scope of its Goal Programmes,
FIFA has supported the Malawi Football
Association with USD 1.7 million since 2001. The
financial aid has been used in part to build a regi
onal technical centre in Mzuzu. This centre helps
strengthen the country’s infrastructure, which in
Simon Bruty (5)
turn benefits the long-term development of young
players. Between 2011 and 2015 the FAP contribu
tion amounted to a total of USD 2.6 million.
T H E F I FA W E E K LY 13© 2015 adidas AG. adidas, the 3-Bars logo and the 3-Stripes mark are registered trademarks of the adidas Group.
# B E T H E D I F F E R E N C ETALK ING POIN T S
O N T H E I N S I D E
Germany: Bundesliga Germany those fans are still searching for an interim basis. When Stuttgart face
an answer to that question. Despite auspi- Dortmund on 29 November it will be in-
St u t t g a r t cious predictions at the start of the season, triguing to observe how the team react and,
partly made based on the strength of the given the criticism Zorniger faced for the
on the sl ide opposition, the reality now is rather sober- system he employed, how Kramny will set
ing: Stuttgart are third from bottom in the the team up.
Alan Schweingruber is a staff table, having reached their lowest ebb with
writer on The FIFA Weekly. a 4-0 defeat at home to FC Augsburg. Elsewhere, reigning champions Bayern
Munich are dealing with tactics in their
It is the feeling of impo- Nevertheless, the club’s supporters have not own way. In the build-up to their second
tence, in the broadest sense lost their sense of humour. After Stuttgart goal in a 3-1 victory over Schalke, the Bay-
of the term, that fans strug- conceded the fourth goal, the fans refrained ern attackers hung back, allowing central
gle with when their team goes through a from any form of involvement in the match. defender Javi Martinez to sneak unnoticed
bad patch. After a match they might meet No chanting and no whistling could be into the penalty area and wait for a cross
up for a beer to help digest a defeat suffered heard. Once the players had grown accus- from Arjen Robben. It worked out very well:
by their beloved club. That is something tomed to the peculiar silence towards the the unmarked Spaniard even calmly sig-
supporters of VfB Stuttgart have been doing end of the game, the fans suddenly sang nalled where to put the ball before heading
for a while now. The club's relegation fight out: “Oh, how great this is!” home. It was like watching football being
last spring left nerves frayed among the played on a console.
Stuttgart faithful. How is it, asked the fans, Stuttgart lacked the basics against Augs-
given our relatively strong squad, we find burg: the ability to win tackles and cover Bayern could ensure they remain top of the
ourselves fighting against relegation rather the ground. The team’s performance sealed table over the winter break with victory
than for a European place? There was no the fate of head coach Alexander Zorniger, over Hertha Berlin. However, they would
plausible explanation, but at least they who was subsequently dismissed. “We were also need a spirited Stuttgart side to take
managed to avoid the drop. no longer convinced we could successfully points off Dortmund, and right now that is
continue working together,” said sporting not a likely proposition. Å
Fast-forward a few months and after director Robin Dutt. The U-23 coach Jurgen
13 rounds of matches in the new season in Kramny has taken over first team duties on
Getty Images
Stuttgart at a loss
The VfB players after
their dispiriting 4-0 defeat
against Augsburg.
T H E F I FA W E E K LY 15Brazil: Serie A
C o r i nt h i a n s
f ly ing h igh
Sven Goldmann is a leading
football correspondent at Tages
spiegel newspaper in Berlin.
Winning a league title in
Rio de Janeiro is quite some-
thing for a team from Sao Paulo; after all,
the rivalry between Brazil’s two biggest
cities is legendary. In truth, Corinthians’
triumph had long been on the cards. By the
time they sealed their sixth league title
with a 1-1 draw away at Vasco da Gama, the
dream they had been chasing for a full four
years was a mere formality.
However, the real party for the club’s Hexa
campeao did not get started until two days
later. And as tradition demands, it was held
at the Itaquerao, Corinthians’ stadium in
the eastern suburbs of Sao Paulo. The day
could not have been choreographed any
better: the visiting team for the newly
crowned champions’ first home fixture
came from their own city. Not Palmeiras,
Corinthians’ arch-rivals for the past 100
years or so, but the great Sao Paulo Futebol
Clube, home to Brazil legends Kaka and
Cafu.
Sao Paulo were not just there to make up
the numbers. They needed every point they
could get to qualify for the Copa Libertado-
res, but Corinthians proved far too strong
for them, running out 6-1 winners. Indeed,
on matchday 36 of the Campeonato Brasilei-
ro, the game was so one-sided that some of
the visiting fans were seen heading for the A masterly performance Corinthians celebrate their fifth goal in the derby against Sao Paulo.
exits at half time. By then, goals from
Bruno Henrique, Angel Romero and Edu
Dracena had propelled Corinthians into a
3-0 lead. a consolation, but by then he was in no the Seleção failed. After the wayward
mood for to celebrate. By the time substi- showing of the national side, Tite was seen
The champions were flying high, despite tute Cristian slotted home his penalty to as the natural successor to departing coach
head coach Tite having rested regulars make it 6-1, the terraces were bouncing. Luiz Felipe Scolari, the former having
such as Gil, Elia, Jadson, Renato Augusto, already won both the FIFA Club World Cup
Malcolm and Vagner Love. Not that you The fans sang and danced to cries of “ole!” and the Copa Libertadores with Corinthi-
would have noticed: Lucca’s second-half and “campeao!”. The Itaquerao had not ans. Surprisingly, however, the Brazilian
goal to make it 4-0 and the combination enjoyed itself so much since June last year, Football Federation plumped for Carlos
play that preceded it were a testament to when Brazil beat Croatia 3-1 at the 2014 Dunga. “I don’t know what criteria formed
the sheer quality of the champions’ football. FIFA World Cup Brazil™ opener. Brazil still the basis for that decision. I was ready for
Getty Images
Not until Hudson had put the ball in his harboured dreams of winning the competi- the Seleção,” said Tite at the time, before
own net to make it 5-0 did Sao Paulo enjoy tion for a sixth time at that time, of course, taking a six-month sabbatical and returning
some success of their own. Carlinhos netted but in the end Corinthians succeeded where to Corinthians at the start of the year. Å
16 T H E F I FA W E E K LYAFC Champions League off, particularly in the case of Brazilian Elkeson’s compatriot Scolari bagged his
striker Elkeson. The 26-year-old joined the second piece of silverware with Guangzhou,
Scola r i bu sy club just under three years ago and showed in having led the club to the Chinese league title
the second leg just what a signing he has been earlier this year. Scolari's reputation had
rebu i ld ing a by deciding the game on his own. In the 54th been damaged by a disastrous 2014 FIFA
minute, he received the ball with his back to World Cup™ campaign in charge of Brazil, in
r e p u t at io n goal, nutmegged defender Salmeen Khamis which the host nation were embarrassed 7-1
and confidently fired in the winning goal. in the semi-final against Germany. Scolari
Sarah Steiner is a staff writer on will be haunted by that defeat for years to
The FIFA Weekly. come, but the former Chelsea and Portugal
coach is tasting success once again, and a
After a gruelling campaign, tone of defiance could be detected in his
Chinese side Guangzhou
Evergrande are the new
“Winners are those post-match comments: “Winners are those
that don’t give up!”
winners of the 2015 AFC Champions League.
In front of a partisan crowd of 50,000 at the
that never give up.” The 67-year-old lives by the mantra that
club’s Tianhe Stadium, Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Luiz Felipe Scolari failure is not an option and that is an idea
charges overcame UAE outfit Al Ahli to edge a his players have evidently bought into: since
narrow 1-0 aggregate victory following a he took charge at the club back in June,
goalless first leg. The Southern China Tigers Guangzhou have not lost a single game.
have now won Asia’s most prestigious club “I’d like to congratulate all our fans and all Scolari will now hope his side's winning
competition for a second time following their Chinese people that we’re now back on top,” streak continues beyond the meeting with
triumph in 2013, and will thus represent the said a beaming Elkeson after a tie in which Club America in Osaka on 13 December. “Our
continent at the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup. Guangzhou were deserving winners having next target is [to win] the Club World Cup,
The tournament takes place in Japan between played the better football over the two games. and why not? I have a great team, a great
10 and 20 December, with Guangzhou’s first “Despite all the setbacks, we’ve stayed fo- club and great players. I can make this
game against Mexican side Club America. cused,” added Elkeson. "The players have a dream a reality.” Å
really good understanding with each other
The investment made in Guangzhou’s playing and our coach Luiz Felipe Scolari is massively
staff over the past few years is now paying ambitious. It was like we were meant to win.”
Celebration time
AFC Champions League
winners Guangzhou
imago
Evergrande and their
coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.
T H E F I FA W E E K LY 17Name
Adama “Noss” Traore
Date and place of birth
28 June 1995, Bamako, Mali
Position
Midfielder
Getty Images / Hannah Peters
Clubs played for
2013–2014 AS Bakaridjan
2014–2015 Lille
since 2015 Monaco
Mali national team
2 caps
18 T H E F I FA W E E K LYTHE INTERVIEW
“Mali have a good chance of qualifying”
The winner of the adidas Golden Ball at the FIFA U-20 World Cup New Zealand 2015,
a feat he followed up by signing a five-year contract with AS Monaco,
Mali midfielder Adama Traore is now aiming to help Mali reach Russia 2018.
Adama Traore, tell us where your nickname, The great France midfielder Jean-Amadou The most important thing is to do as well
Noss, comes from. Tigana was born 40 years before you, in the as I can for the club. It goes without saying
Adama Traore: It’s from Mali. If your first Malian capital of Bamako, on 23 June 1955. that I want to work, improve my game here
name’s ‘Adama’, you get called ‘Noss’ or He had a similar style to you but chose to take and win trophies. I want to develop as a
‘Nostra’, after Nostradamus. out French nationality and ended up winning player here.
the 1984 European Championships with a
What stands out for you from the FIFA U-20 Bleus side that also contained Michel Platini What have you learned from your new
World Cup? and the current Mali coach Alain Giresse. Portuguese coach Leonardo Jardim?
I remember the “African derby” against What do you think of Tigana? He’s already given me a lot. When I first
Senegal in the match for third place. I scored Yes, I’ve heard of him. I’ve never met him, came here I struggled to find my place on the
a very nice goal from distance with my right but I know he was a great player and that he pitch, but I’ve learned quite a lot since then.
foot. was also a very successful coach here with He calls me, gives me advice and shows me
Monaco. how to do things. I feel I’ve come on quite a
Did you honestly expect to be named the lot already.
player of the tournament or did you think that Let’s turn to Mali’s World Cup qualification
accolade would go to a player from Serbia or hopes. Would you agree that they face a tall Is it true that when you took up football back
Brazil, the two finalists? order in trying to reach the world finals for the home in Bamako you used to play barefoot?
I never imagined winning the award. I did first time in their history? Yes, I played barefoot at the Jean-Marc
honestly think it would be a Serbia or Brazil No, I think they have a chance. This is a Guillou Football Academy, but that’s what
player, and it came as a big surprise to me. good generation of players and I hope it they ask for there. We all started playing
happens. barefoot, from an early age, and we had
Which player impressed you the most in New objectives that we had to reach. Once you
Zealand and why? What’s the nicest compliment you’ve ever been achieve them, then you start to play in boots.
There were quite a few players who paid?
impressed me. There was one in particular I receive a lot of compliments and it’s hard Where do you live in Monaco?
but I can’t remember his name. He was a to pick out just the one. People are starting to In the Jardin Exotique district. It’s got
Swiss defensive midfielder. A great player. talk about me, in fact, and now is the time some great views of the principality and the
that I need to be mentally strong. Some sea.
In winning the Golden Ball at an U-20 World players start to get a little carried away when
Cup you’ve joined a select band of great people talk about them, but that’s no good at What’s an average day for you?
players featuring Diego Maradona, Lionel all. I just tell myself: ‘Stay the way you are. I get up pretty early and my days are fairly
Messi and the likes of Adriano, your compa Keep slogging away. Keep working.’ Compli- normal. When I’m not training or getting
triot Seydou Keita, Javier Saviola, Sergio ments are nice but you can’t get big-headed. treatment, I stay at home. I go out for a run
Aguero and Paul Pogba. How does it feel to be now and then, of course, but I lead a pretty
compared to players of that calibre? You’re just recovering from an operation on calm life.
It’s like a dream come true for me to have your right ankle. Have you had a visit, a call or
won the Golden Ball. Hearing all those great a message or anything that’s made you feel What do you do in your spare time? Is there
players who’ve won it before me just makes especially happy? anything you’re passionate about?
me think about everything I still need to do Yes, I’ve had a lot of messages – and I’m Yes, I do have a passion outside football,
to win more trophies in the future, about all still getting them – from people I don’t know. and that’s music. My stereo is always on. I
the work in front of me and the path I still In fact, I don’t even know how they got my listen to a lot of African music. Å
have to take. number. They call me every day to wish me a
speedy recovery and I thank them. It’s very Interview by Massimo Franchi
Did you ever picture yourself playing for heart-warming and it lifts my spirits.
France? Did the French Football Association
(FFF) ever approach you, your father or your You’ve signed a five-year contract with AS
agent about it? Monaco. What are your goals with Les Rouges
No, that never happened. et Blancs and what is your personal objective?
T H E F I FA W E E K LY 19First Love
Place: Porto Alegre, Brazil
Date: 8 October 2012
Time: 2.10 p.m.
Photog rapher: Caio Vilela
fotogloriaT H E F I FA W E E K LY 21
SALFORD CIT Y Big Five Phil Neville, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes (from left) are the owners of Salford City FC. 22 T H E F I FA W E E K LY
SALFORD CIT Y
England’s
most famous
local club
In summer 2014, five former stars took over
a small football club on the outskirts of
Manchester. Now Salford City are causing
quite a stir, writes Hanspeter Kuenzler
in London.
T
he BBC cameras will again be present at Moor Lane stadium on the
evening of 4 December 2015. After all, success breeds success.
When the part-time and hobby footballers from Salford City, who
are also known as The Ammies, played against Notts County three
weeks ago, 3.5 million people watched the game on television. That
is a record so far this season: even the heavyweight clash between
Manchester United and Liverpool only attracted 2.6 million viewers in
Britain.
Those 3.5 million spectators witnessed more than a David-versus-Go-
liath clash; the cameras frequently focused on the former Manchester
United stars Gary Neville, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes. Wrapped up in
windproof jackets and hoodies, they stood in the middle of the crowd
and held their heads in their hands, or hugged each other, at the same
time as everyone else. Alongside David Beckham, Phil Neville and Ryan
Giggs, who is currently assistant coach at Man United, Gary Neville, Butt
and Scholes are part of the ‘Class of 1992’, the crop of players that rose
through the ranks at United and repaid the club by winning an unpar-
alleled haul of trophies.
Last summer five of them bought Salford City FC together; only
Beckham was not involved as he opted to invest his money in Miami.
“We experienced some fantastic times as footballers, “ said Gary Neville.
“But when that was over there was a void. A void we want to fill with new,
fantastic experiences.”
New toilets or a new striker?
Rachel Joseph / BBC
Shortly before the match against Notts County, the BBC broadcasted an
excellent documentary tracing Salford City’s first year under the stew-
ardship of the glamorous former players. It showed Gary Neville on his
first visit to inspect the stadium, where the lettering ‘Salford City’ on one
T H E F I FA W E E K LY 23SALFORD CIT Y
Spirit of the FA Cup
Salford City fans during
their team’s 2-0 win over
Notts County.
of the stands was missing the letter ‘C’. Upon seeing the horrendous state However, none of those stars were ever as closely involved in the
of the toilets, Neville said: “The question is, a new centre forward or new day-to-day running of the club as Scholes, Butt, Giggs and the Nevilles
toilets?” are. They have all had a strong bond with Salford City since childhood,
The film also highlights how sceptical fans were initially, especially aim to build a 25,000 capacity all-seater stadium and earn promotion
when the quintet introduced Singaporean businessman Peter Lim as a into the professional league.
super-rich backer. One fan aggressively exclaimed: “Premier League ar-
rogance! They think they can buy everything!” It was not until months Dirty Old Town
later that tempers began to cool off. Babs Gaskill, who has volunteered Salford lies four kilometres from Manchester city centre and is an indus-
in the snack kiosk for 26 years, will now work out of a brand new booth, trial town typical of many in northern England, although certainly live-
while the terraces have been freshly painted. For the first time ever, the lier than it used to be thanks to Salford University. The Barton Swing
players are also given a nutritious meal before each game. Aqueduct, the only navigable aqueduct of its kind in the world, is a pop-
ular tourist attraction here. The pre-match atmosphere is created by a
cover version of the legendary Pogues song ‘Dirty Old Town’, and the
lyrics resonate not only with the older fans but also with the new owners.
3.5 million viewers watched “It’s an unbelievable experience being owner of a football club,” said Gary
Neville. “It’s a privilege we cannot misuse.”
the game against Notts County, In the first round of the FA Cup, when those 3.5 million viewers tuned
in on their television sets, Salford City played Notts County, the oldest
a record figure this season. football club in English football. County are currently floundering in
mid-table in the fourth tier, a long way below where they expect to be.
Naturally, Moor Lane was sold out with 1,400 fans who had never seen
their heroes play in such exalted company and they created a rousing
The five former players are not the first celebrities to pour their pas- atmosphere. Babs Gaskill has never grilled so many burgers or made so
sion and money into a football club. Pop stars have done so in the past: many cups of tea in her life.
Elton John did exemplary work with fans thanks to his enthusiasm at The first half ended goalless but just 20 seconds into the second
Watford; Fatboy Slim has a 12 per cent stake in Brighton & Hove Albion period the fairytale began when striker Danny Webber, who has previ-
and regularly hosts charity events, while One Direction’s Louis Tomlin- ously played for Watford, Sheffield United and Leeds, steered a perfectly
son has not given up on taking over Doncaster Rovers, despite failing delivered cross into the net to put Salford 1-0 up. Then, in the 73rd min-
once already. ute, substitute Richie Allen skipped past three defenders to score his
24 T H E F I FA W E E K LYSALFORD CIT Y
Legendary evening
Substitute Richie Allen scored
Tea lady Babs has worked at the second goal in the 2-0 win
Salford City FC for 26 years. over Notts County.
team’s second to make the final score 2-0. “Goal of the season!” screamed
the BBC commentator. Overjoyed fans and club owners hugged each oth-
er with tears in their eyes.
Hartlepool test on 4 December
A total of 736 clubs registered to take part in the FA Cup and Salford
knocked out City Whitby, Curzon Ashton, Bradford Park Avenue and
Southport in the qualifying rounds. Those triumphs alone were a minor
sensation. Salford play in the Northern Premier League in the seventh
tier of English football, and of those four sides they defeated, three play
in higher divisions.
On 4 December, The Ammies face another opponent from the fourth
division, Hartlepool United, in the next round of the FA Cup. On that
Friday evening Salford City will undoubtedly be the most popular foot-
ball club in Manchester. Å
S A L F O R D C I T Y F O O T B A L L C L UB
Nickname The Ammies
Founded 1940 as Salford Central
Salford is an industrial town Home ground Moor Lane
Capacity 1,400
typical of many in northern England, Owners Peter Lim (50%), Phil Neville (10%), Gary Neville
(10%), Nicky Butt (10%), Paul Scholes (10%) and
located close to Manchester. Ryan Giggs (10%)
Chairman Karen Baird
Managers Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley
imgao (3)
League Northern Premier League
T H E F I FA W E E K LY 25FOOTBALL FOR HOPE Football for Hope is our global commitment to building a better future through football. To date, we have supported over 550 socially-responsible community projects that use football as a tool for social development, improving the lives and prospects of young people and their surrounding communities To find out more, visit the Sustainability section on FIFA.com.
F IFA F IF PRO WORLD X I 2015 PRESIDENTIAL NOTE
55 players announced
The future
F
IFPro, the worldwide players’ union, and FIFA announced the final
of football
55-player shortlist for the FIFA FIFPro World XI 2015. The FIFA
FIFPro World XI is decided by the players, for the players. It in-
volves votes from nearly 25,000 professional footballers from about
70 different countries. They select one goalkeeper, four defenders,
three midfielders and three forwards. FIFPro and its national affili-
ates are responsible for gathering votes from professional footballers
worldwide. It is the only global award that truly represents the views
of those who play the beautiful game.
The 55-player shortlist: (home country/club)
Goalkeepers (5)
O
Gianluigi Buffon (Italy/Juventus), Iker Casillas (Spain/FC Porto), ne of our biggest responsibilities is to involve and support more
David De Gea (Spain/Manchester United), Keylor Navas (Costa Rica/ young footballers around the world so that they have a better
Real Madrid) and Manuel Neuer (Germany/FC Bayern Munich). chance of reaching their potential.
The FIFA U-17 and U-20 World Cups offer the best young women and
Defenders (20) men the opportunity to compete at international level. At national
David Alaba (Austria/FC Bayern Munich), Jordi Alba (Spain/FC Bar- level, however, many young players lack the challenge that well-
celona), Jérôme Boateng (Germany/FC Bayern Munich), Daniel organised domestic competitions can provide. Investing in sustain-
Carvajal (Spain/Real Madrid), Giorgio Chiellini (Italy/Juventus), Dani able youth football development is a vital part of the process: proper
Alves (Brazil/FC Barcelona), David Luiz (Brazil/Paris Saint-Germain), competitions give girls and boys the conditions they need to grow.
Diego Godín (Uruguay/Atletico Madrid), Mats Hummels (Germany/ In countries that do not have this structure, there is often no
Borussia Dortmund), Branislav Ivanović (Serbia/Chelsea), Vincent clear “pathway” between grassroots football and the senior game,
Kompany (Belgium/Manchester City), Philipp Lahm (Germany/FC which means that it is harder for senior players to fulfil their early
Bayern Munich), Marcelo (Brazil/Real Madrid), Javier Mascherano promise, the standard of club football lags behind that of other
(Argentina/FC Barcelona), Pepe (Portugal/Real Madrid), Gerard national leagues, and national teams will struggle to qualify for
Piqué (Spain/FC Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Spain/Real Madrid), John tournaments.
Terry (England/Chelsea), Thiago Silva (Brazil/Paris Saint-Germain) This lack of progress can impact on the investment potential of
and Raphaël Varane (France/Real Madrid). football, creating a cycle of slow development and low funding that
can be tough to break.
Midfielders (15) This year, FIFA has launched an exciting pilot project in Malawi
Thiago Alcântara (Spain/FC Bayern Munich), Xabi Alonso (Spain/FC to develop and promote youth football in a sustainable way. Working
Bayern Munich), Sergio Busquets (Spain/FC Barcelona), Eden Hazard with the Football Association of Malawi, we are establishing region-
(Belgium/Chelsea), Andrés Iniesta (Spain/FC Barcelona), Toni Kroos al youth leagues, where talented young players from all over the
(Germany/Real Madrid), Luka Modrić (Croatia/Real Madrid), Andrea country can play together in teams of similar quality, guided by
Pirlo (Italy/New York City FC), Paul Pogba (France/Juventus), Ivan trained coaches over full, demanding seasons.
Rakitić (Croatia/FC Barcelona), James Rodríguez (Colombia/Real With equipment, technical support and funding, these leagues
Madrid), David Silva (Spain/Manchester City), Yaya Touré (Ivory can also improve sponsorship and promotional opportunities, and
Coast/Manchester City), Marco Verratti (Italy/Paris Saint-Germain) inspire more young Malawians of all abilities to play.
and Arturo Vidal (Chile/FC Bayern Munich). We aim to roll this model out to other member associations in
the future, so that more young players, referees and coaches can
Strikers (15) work together to raise national football standards and provide the
Sergio Agüero (Argentina/Manchester City), Gareth Bale (Wales/Real foundations for greater participation in football.
Madrid), Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid), Douglas Costa Young people are the future of football. FIFA and its member
(Brazil/FC Bayern Munich), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Real
associations have a duty to help them live out their dreams.
Madrid), Zlatan Ibrahimović (Sweden/Paris Saint-Germain), Robert
Lewandowski (Poland/FC Bayern Munich), Lionel Messi (Argentina/
FC Barcelona), Thomas Müller (Germany/FC Bayern Munich), Neymar
(Brazil/FC Barcelona), Arjen Robben (Netherlands/FC Bayern
Munich), Wayne Rooney (England/Manchester United), Alexis
Sánchez (Chile/Arsenal), Luis Suárez (Uruguay/FC Barcelona) and
Carlos Tevez (Argentina/Boca Juniors).
Best wishes, Issa Hayatou
The final FIFA FIFPro World XI will be announced at the FIFA
Ballon d’Or award ceremony at the Kongresshaus in Zurich on
11 January 2016.
Find more information on http://www.fifa.com/ballondor/world11
T H E F I FA W E E K LY 27HISTORY
Germany’s luckless A
fter the final whistle sounded in Gothen-
burg to mark the end of Germany’s
match for third place against France at
the 1958 FIFA World Cup, reserve goal-
keeper Heinrich Kwiatkowski turned to
goalkeeper head coach Sepp Herberger and pleaded:
“Please don’t pick me anymore.” Unsurprising-
ly, the request marked the end of Kwiatkowski’s
international career. So what had happened to
make the talented keeper throw the towel in?
Born on 16 July 1926, Kwiatkowski deliv-
Germany reserve goalkeeper Heinrich Kwiatkowski was on ered a string of exceptional league performanc-
the receiving end during his FIFA World Cup appearances es throughout his career, featuring for Schalke
04, Rot-Weiss Essen and Borussia Dortmund in
in Switzerland in 1954 and in Sweden in 1958, conceding the Oberliga West, then one of Germany’s top
14 goals in just two matches. divisions, from his debut on 14 September 1947
until hanging up his gloves on 11 May 1963. He
also won two German championship titles with
BVB and made a total of 300 appearances for
Die Schwarzgelben.
“Kwiat” and his famous fists
To many, Kwiatkowski was simply known as
“Kwiat” or “Heini Fausten” (“Heini Fists”) in
reference to his legendary punched clearances.
Receiving a call-up to the national team is a
special moment for any footballer, and repre-
senting one’s country at a FIFA World Cup an
even greater privilege. Heinrich Kwiatkowski
was thus full of pride when Herberger first se-
lected him for the 1954 FIFA World Cup in Swit-
zerland. Although Toni Turek was Germany’s
first-choice goalkeeper, the man from Gelsen-
kirchen joined the squad as reserve keeper,
ready to shoulder responsibility and replace
Turek if called upon. Kwiatkowski travelled to
Lake Thun for Germany’s preparatory camp,
where the most memorable part of the visit was
not the gruelling training sessions but an im-
promptu dip in the lake.
Kwiatkowski boarded a boat with the
squad’s third-choice goalkeeper Heinz Kubsch
and when the pair went on deck for a cigarette,
non-swimmer “Kwiat” fell overboard, but for-
tunately managed to reach the shore none the
worse for his unexpected adventure. The news
came as a relief to coach Sepp Herberger, who
picked his second-choice keeper for Germany’s
second group match against Hungary after
their comfortable 4-1 opening victory over Tur-
key. With the Germans able to qualify for the
knockout stages even if they lost to the Hun-
garians, provided they emerged victorious
from a play-off match against a Turkish team
they had already soundly defeated, Herberger
fielded his B team in an attempt to obscure
G ermany’s true strengths from the Mighty
Magyars.
Two days before the game, Herberger
approached “Kwiat” and asked him: “Are you
confident enough to play against Hungary?”
At home in goal After answering in the affirmative, Kwiat-
Heinrich Kwiatkowski during his time kowski took to the field for the second group
with Borussia Dortmund.
match full of anticipation, but his excitement
28 T H E F I FA W E E K LYHISTORY
quickly gave way to disillusionment. Germany the squad’s least-utilised players. Heinrich certainly frayed his nerves almost to breaking
had planned for Hungary shooting from range, Kwiatkowski led out the side after replacing point, but they also made him a world champi-
but instead they persistently weaved their way first-choice keeper Fritz Herkenrath. on. World Cup record aside, he is still celebrat-
deep inside the area before materialising Appearing in another FIFA World Cup ed as a hero in Dortmund long after his death
u nmarked in front of Kwiatkowski. Powerless match as part of a second-string eleven unac- on 23 May 2008. BVB’s current generation of
to stop them, helpless Heini found himself on customed to playing alongside each other led heroes cross Heinrich Kwiatkowski Strasse to
the receiving end of the Hungarians’ striking to another heavy defeat as Germany went down reach the Brackel training complex – a tribute
prowess. 6-3 to France. Conceding eight goals on his to a man who, despite conceding an unusually
World Cup debut and another six in his next high number of goals at international level,
Eight goals on World Cup debut appearance four years later proved too much helped shape an entire era for Die Schwarz
Four goals from Sandor Kocsis, a brace from for poor Kwiatkowski. The shattered custodian gelben in the 1950s and 1960s. Å
Nandor Hidegkuti and a strike apiece for told Herberger he had had enough and with
Ferenc Puskas and Jozsef Toth meant “Kwiat” that, his international career was over. Annette Braun
spent much of his FIFA World Cup debut pick- The shotstopper’s experiences of pulling on
ing the ball out of the back of the net. The a Germany shirt were not all bad though. They
match ended 8-3 and Kwiatkowski later re-
called: “I prayed they wouldn’t reach double
digits.” Almost any team in the world would
have struggled to contain the Mighty Magyars
that day, but the defeat gnawed at the German
goalkeeper nonetheless. Realising that his
second-choice shotstopper had suffered a
knock to his confidence, Herberger told him:
“Your nerves are a little frayed now; I can leave
you out for the next few games.”
“I prayed they wouldn’t
reach double digits.”
Heinrich Kwiatkowski
An unhappy World Cup debut
Kwiatkowski could only watch as the ball flew past
in Germany’s 1954 group match against Hungary.
So it was that “Heini Fausten” returned to
his place on the bench as Germany beat Turkey
7-2 in their play-off match. Toni Turek then
stood firm to deny Yugoslavia in a 2-0 win be-
fore helping Die Mannschaft to a 6-1 triumph
against Austria in the semi-final. Kwiatkowski
was watching from the sidelines once more as
the Germans faced Hungary again in the ’Mir-
acle of Bern’, then they miraculously around
their fortunes from the group stages to win the
game 3-2. Germany were world champions and
so was Heinrich Kwiatkowski. The reserve
goalkeeper even managed to take something
positive from his solitary appearance, observ-
ing: “Perhaps those eight goals were good for
the Final, as they meant Hungary underesti-
mated us. They probably thought they could
pick up where they left off in the second game.”
Kwiatkowski could not have known then
that history would repeat itself four years later
at the 1958 FIFA World Cup. Germany lost 3-1
to hosts Sweden in the semi-final that year, so
Keystone (3)
Battling it out for the championship
coach Sepp Herberger decided to use the match Kwiatkowski came away empty-handed from the
1961 final against Nuremberg as BVB lost 3-0.
for third place as a chance to give a run-out to
T H E F I FA W E E K LY 29FREE KICK SPOTLIGHT ON
GENER AL
INFORMATION
Country:
Jordan
FIFA Trigramme:
JOR
Confederation:
AFC
Continent:
Asia
Capital:
Amman
Christmas capers GEOGR APHIC
INFORMATION
Surface area:
89,342 km²
Sarah Steiner Highest point:
Jabal Ramm 1,754 m
Neighbouring seas and oceans:
W
inter has arrived in Europe, with bitterly The scaffolding company responsible for Red Sea, Dead Sea and
cold temperatures and the first snowfalls putting up the Christmas tree has done so for Gulf of Aqaba
heralding the start of advent. Christmas is many years, yet among its employees are both
only four weeks away and preparations are Dortmund and Schalke fans. It was the latter
a lready in full swing. Chocolate Santas are on who placed their club’s flag at the top. Although
MEN’S FOOTBALL
sale in supermarkets, Yuletide tree decorations the prank was short-lived – the firm’s Dort-
FIFA Ranking:
gleam in assorted colours on shelves and toy mund supporters quickly replaced it with a
82nd
departments are bulging with teddy bears, black and yellow flag – the perpetrators will
building blocks and video games. Christmas have to dig deep in their pockets. Company World Cup:
has arrived in the world of football too. manager Hans-Peter Arens was merciless in No appearances
In Dortmund, the biggest Christmas tree in imposing a 500 Euro fine, which will be do
the world has been erected in the middle of the nated to charity.
festive market at Hansaplatz every year since The Dortmund fans, however, escaped WOMEN’S FOOTBALL
1966. Made up of 1,700 Norwegian spruces, it reprimand. “I can’t fine anyone for putting a FIFA Ranking:
stands at a huge 45 metres, uses 48,000 lights, Borussia Dortmund flag on the tree,” said 58th
20 candles that reach up to 2.5 metres, as well Arens. Indeed, the only punishable offence in World Cup:
as other illuminations. At the very top there is Dortmund is being a Schalke fan. Å No appearances
a four-metre angel weighing 200 kilograms.
The whole process of setting it up takes four
weeks. L ATES T RESULTS
One bright morning, however, the city’s
Men’s:
inhabitants were stunned and could only look
Jordan - Kyrgyzstan 0:1
at their tree in disbelief. What was that flag
17 November 2015
sitting at the top? A blue and white one with
Women’s:
one letter and two digits: S04. Right in the
Vietnam - Jordan 2:1
m iddle of enemy territory. There is surely no
20 September 2015
Mario Wagner / 2Agenten
fixture in Germany as explosive as the Revier-
derby between Borussia Dortmund and
Schalke. It is a long-standing rivalry that has
become part of each city’s self-image. So how FIFA INVES TMENTS
did the Schalke flag arrive at the top of Since 2004:
Dortmund’s tree? The weekly column by our staff writers $ 6,480,000
T H E F I FA W E E K LY 31MIRROR IMAGE
T H E N
Liverpool, England
1983
Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar shows off his best wild dive.
Bob Thomas / Getty Images
32 T H E F I FA W E E K LYMIRROR IMAGE
N O W
Berlin, Germany
2015
Barça fans depict Lionel Messi as a “SuperMessi” at the UEFA Champions League final.
imago
T H E F I FA W E E K LY 33#shareacocacola
Share a
sharecocacola.com
with
Coca-Cola and the contour bottle are registered trademarks of the Coca-Cola Company.THE ART OF FOOTBALL QUOTES OF THE WEEK
The problem solver “Emotionally, it was a very, very strong
moment. We were all united in this
moment of communion, which obviously
lifts the spirits because you feel it in your
heart. It’s beautiful, it’s moving, it’s
grandiose. It’s very strong. This will be
shown round the world and will show
unity. Football is a global game. It is not
about religion or race. We need to stand
tall together in these tough times.”
France coach Didier Deschamps paid tribute to
England’s supporters for the respect they showed
during the friendly match at Wembley
“They said they were going to send
me to retirement. I sent their whole
nation into retirement.”
Zlatan Ibrahimovic after defeating Denmark in
the play-offs to send Sweden to UEFA EURO 2016
“Paddy only had a seven week contract,
we weren’t expecting it, but Paddy came
Ronald Düker
to see us and said that he loves the club,
T he loves the fact we gave him an opportu-
here is something touching, but some- Johan Cruyff, Cesar Luis Menotti,
times also unsettling about watching a Andres Iniesta, Gerard Pique, Javier
young child, fresh out of kindergarten, Mascherano and Jorge Valdano, among nity, but he doesn’t feel like he is going to
play football. Especially when it is a prodi- others, are involved in a lively discussion. earn his money now he is injured. Quite
gy, a little maestro, a player so talented it is How should Messi be described? “The best
clear at first glance that they could have a player in the world”? “The best player of all
incredibly he has decided he wants to
great career ahead of them. The propor- time”? Or, and this is meant respectfully, cancel the contract. Incredibly he had
tions are not yet quite right: the ball seems as “a monster”? Even his colleagues are
huge next to their tiny body and frail-look- unsure. Indeed, perhaps the words used
guaranteed money there, but he has said
ing legs, which run and kick with all their to express the inexpressible do not even he can’t take money off the football club,
might and barely appear capable of with- matter; it is much more revealing to see the
standing the physical obstacles they meet way the eyes of those who know him so
which is quite a unique circumstance.”
on the pitch. well light up, and how great and honest is Bury manager David Flitcroft on former Republic
of Ireland goalkeeper Paddy Kenny voluntarily
Looking at footage today of Lionel their admiration for such an exceptional
cancelling his short-term contract 13 days into his
Messi playing as a child, this discrepancy player. new role after he tore his calf in training because
is especially noticeable; after all, Messi dif- Just as it is possible to talk about the he wanted to save the club money
fered from his contemporaries not only in beautiful game in simple terms, there is no
that he was a small child, but that he was need to complicate matters when describ-
very small. It is precisely these archive im- ing Messi. A boy who played alongside him “I believe having Iran here, in a World Cup
ages that make the new documentary by as a 13-year-old summed him up thus:
Alex de la Iglesia so compelling. Simply ti- “Whenever there’s a problem you just have
qualification game, is the single most
tled ’Messi’, the film depicts the career of to give him the ball. He’ll solve it.” Å important milestone in Guam football
the superstar, starting at the very begin-
ning when his grandmother took him to a
history. To have a world-class team, a
football pitch for the very first time back world-class coach, here on our shores is
in Argentina, and goes right through to his going to do so much for football and our
triumphs with FC Barcelona. De la Iglesia
not only portrays the protagonist’s life development … We want the local fans
with archive footage of Messi talking and to see world-class football here, live,
playing, he manages to bring former class-
because we just don’t watch it enough.”
Mediapro
mates, siblings, coaches and team-mates
together to talk about him. Guam head coach Gary White
T H E F I FA W E E K LY 35You can also read
