WWW.FIFA.COM/MAGAZINE JUNE 2017ENGLISH EDITION

DREAMING BIG

BLUE STARS / FIFA YOUTH CUP

FIFA CONFEDERATIONS CUPTHE TOURNAMENT WITH TRADITION

EDINSON CAVANI “GOALS FULFIL ME”

MADAGASCAR COACH DUPUIS DELIVERS

AUSTRALIA HIGH HOPES FOR THE MATILDAS

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EDITORIAL

GIVING SOMETHING BACK TO FOOTBALLThe annual FIFA/Blue Stars Youth Cup in Zurich sparks interest for two reasons.

Firstly, its international aspect demonstrates the opportunities that football

can open up for young players. Secondly, it helps the youngsters find out if they

have what it takes to forge a professional career. Fans watching the action

closely at the Buchlern sports ground might be lucky enough to glimpse one

or two future stars in action (see report from page 8).

A professional career won’t be an option for everyone, but even for those who

don’t make it, football can still continue to play a big part in their lives: the

emotions it arouses, the joy of playing, the physical exercise, the team spirit and

sense of community on and off the pitch – these memories will stay with the

youngsters for their whole lives.

The best way to help those memories live on is to give something back to

football – whether that means volunteering behind the scenes or coaching a

youth team, using one’s free time to help boys and girls to play football and

thereby enrich their lives can be a hugely rewarding experience.

FIFA believes strongly in giving something back. With its development projects

which are designed to do just that, FIFA also endeavours to ensure that football

reaches as diverse a range of people as possible, and that all forms of discrimi n­

ation are avoided. Because investing in football means investing in people.

Perikles Monioudis

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CONTENTS

COVER PICTUREIndependiente Santa Fe youngsters at the Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup 2017 in Zurich.Photo: Vera Hartmann / 13 Photo

4 FIFA NEWSFIFA’s most recent investments in world football.

6 FIFA/COCA-COLA MEN’S WORLD RANKINGUnder coach Nicolas Dupuis, Madagascar have risen nine places.

8 BLUE STARS/FIFA YOUTH CUP 2017The annual tournament in Zurich shows the high standard that can be achieved by young exponents of the beautiful game. We also take a look at football as played by children and their dreams of making it to the top.

16 SNAPSHOTThe FIFA U-20 World Cup Korea Republic 2017 has kicked off in spectacular fashion.

19 SOCIAL MEDIA“Who will win the FIFA Confederations Cup and why?” Our readers reply.

20 FIFA BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP 2017 Reigning champions Portugal were unable to prevent Brazil from winning their fifth World Cup after an eight-year gap.

24 FIRST LOVEHerat, Afghanistan.

26 INTERVIEWPSG’s Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani has been one of Europe’s top attackers for some time now. We caught up with the nature lover in Paris.

30 AJAX AMSTERDAMThe Dutch club that took Europe by storm in the early seventies are on their way back to the top.

34 THEN AND NOWFrom Durham to Martigny.

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FIFA 1904 appFIFA 1904 appears monthly in four languages and is also available as an app for smartphones and tabletshttp://www.fifa.com/mobile

36 WOMEN’S FOOTBALLThe Matildas are aiming high: Australia’s women’s team are gunning to win the 2023 World Cup, no less.

40 DEBATE – PRESIDENT’S MESSAGEThe FIFA Congress 2017 in Bahrain – in his monthly column, President Gianni Infantino says: “What I saw over the course of the week in Manama makes me very confident for the future. However, I will not refrain from pointing out just how much remains to be done as we continue to move forwards.”

42 FIFA WORLD FOOTBALL MUSEUM Stories of extraordinary folk who happen to love football: eight inspirational short films await museum visitors.

46 FA CUPSMany national cup competitions produce matches that go down in football folklore.

50 PHOTO ARCHIVEThe Belgian team stretch their legs on a Montevideo beach after three weeks at sea (1930).

52 STATISTICS Facts and figures on Russian football.

54 HISTORYThe FIFA Confederations Cup has been thrilling crowds and viewers for many a year with pure football enjoyment.

58 FIFA MEMBER ASSOCIATIONSSnippets from around the world.

62 CELEBRATIONCarlos Valderrama is generally acknowledged to be the best footballer that Colombia has ever produced.

64 PUBLICATION DETAILS

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FIFA NEWS

Qatar Airways is

a new Official Partner and

the official airline of FIFA until

2022. “Qatar Airways understands the

power of sport in bringing people together

in the spirit of friendly competition. FIFA, as

the governing body of the world’s most

popular sporting tournament, understands

the power of football’s popularity, and

as such is a natural partner for Qatar

Airways,” said His Excellency Akbar

Al Baker, Qatar Airways Group

Chief Executive.

FIFA President

Gianni Infantino recently

visited Rwanda to lay a ceremonial

stone for one of the first projects under

the FIFA Forward Programme, a hotel that

will generate income for development activ­

ities for the Rwandan FA. “It is an innovative

project which, with good investment and proper

management, will yield benefit to Rwandan

football. FIFA will continue to support

Rwanda in its plans to take the game

to another level,” said the FIFA

President while in Rwanda.

FIFA has

published its Financial,

Governance and Activity Reports

for 2016. 76% of the forecast revenue

for the 2015­2018 cycle has already been

contracted, and a positive net result in the

region of USD 100 million is expected by the end

of the cycle. Continued revenue growth alongside

focused cost containment measures have allowed

direct investment in football development to

be tripled through the new FIFA Forward

Programme, with 82% of the total invest­

ments over the 2015­2018 period

going directly back into

football.

The FIFA Confederations

Cup 2017 will take centre stage in

Kazan, Moscow, Saint Petersburg and

Sochi from 17 June to 2 July. The tourna­

ment will also see the use of video assistant

referees (VARs) who will be able to support

referees with “game­changing” decisions. The

VARs will be given access to all broadcast

feeds inside a video operations room,

enabling them to provide information to

the referee on the field of play in

order to correct any clear

mistakes.

4 / FIFA 1904

5FIFA 1904 /

Illustration: Julien Pacaud

Last updated:7 May 2017

Rank Team + / – Points Rank Team + / – Points Rank Team + / – Points Rank Team + / – Points

FIFA/COCA-COLA MEN’S WORLD RANKING

1 Brazil 0 1672

2 Argentina 0 1603

3 Germany 0 1464

4 Chile 0 1411

5 Colombia 0 1348

6 France 0 1294

7 Belgium 0 1281

8 Portugal 0 1259

9 Switzerland 0 1212

10 Spain 0 1204

11 Poland 0 1183

12 Italy 0 1165

13 Wales 0 1119

14 England 0 1103

15 Uruguay 0 1097

16 Mexico 0 1076

17 Peru 0 1044

18 Croatia 0 1016

19 Egypt 0 910

20 Costa Rica 0 902

21 Iceland 0 872

22 Turkey 0 863

23 USA 0 847

24 Slovakia -1 846

25 Ecuador 0 839

26 Northern Ireland 0 823

26 Republic of Ireland 0 823

28 Iran 0 820

29 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0 815

30 Senegal 0 805

31 Hungary 0 801

32 Netherlands 0 792

33 Cameroon 0 779

34 Sweden 0 768

35 Burkina Faso 0 765

36 Austria 0 762

37 Ukraine 0 761

38 Paraguay 0 738

39 Greece 0 730

40 Nigeria 0 726

41 Congo DR 0 712

42 Tunisia 0 701

43 Korea Republic 0 700

44 Japan 0 685

45 Ghana 0 682

46 Czech Republic 0 679

47 Romania 0 676

48 Côte d'Ivoire 0 672

49 Serbia 0 671

50 Australia 0 661

51 Denmark 0 657

52 Saudi Arabia 0 646

53 Morocco 0 633

54 Algeria 0 628

55 Slovenia 0 614

55 Bulgaria 0 614

57 Panama 0 607

58 Venezuela 0 595

59 Scotland 0 589

60 Uzbekistan 0 586

61 Russia 0 561

62 Montenegro 0 560

63 Israel 0 557

64 South Africa 0 539

65 Haiti 0 537

66 Albania 0 533

67 Armenia 0 527

68 Honduras 0 524

69 Mali 0 504

70 Curaçao 0 492

71 Guinea 0 474

72 Uganda 0 463

73 Bolivia 1 460

74 Jamaica -1 458

75 United Arab Emirates -1 453

76 Trinidad and Tobago 0 439

77 Faroe Islands 0 431

78 Kenya 0 428

78 Belarus 0 428

80 Syria 0 426

81 China PR 0 425

82 Cape Verde Islands 0 418

83 Benin 0 396

84 Gabon 0 392

84 Congo 0 392

86 Norway 0 387

87 Azerbaijan 0 386

88 Swaziland 0 378

89 Qatar 0 369

90 Libya 1 361

91 Mauritania -1 359

92 Guatemala 0 352

93 Antigua and Barbuda 0 349

94 Namibia 0 346

94 Guinea-Bissau 0 346

96 Cyprus 0 343

97 Finland 0 335

98 Zambia -1 334

98 St Kitts and Nevis 1 334

100 Nicaragua 1 331

100 Lithuania 1 331

100 India 1 331

100 Estonia 1 331

104 Kazakhstan 1 325

105 Mozambique 1 323

106 Togo 1 320

107 El Salvador 1 317

108 Canada 1 312

109 Jordan 1 311

110 Zimbabwe 1 304

111 Madagascar 9 302

112 New Zealand 0 301

113 Sierra Leone 0 300

114 Malawi -14 291

115 Oman -1 290

116 Korea DPR -1 289

117 Equatorial Guinea -1 287

118 Rwanda -1 285

119 Suriname -1 284

120 Iraq -1 278

121 Botswana -1 276

122 Georgia 0 274

123 Yemen 0 268

124 Latvia 0 265

124 Ethiopia 0 265

124 Palestine 0 265

127 Philippines 0 254

128 Kyrgyzstan 0 250

129 Thailand 0 245

130 Central African Republic 0 239

131 Niger 0 235

132 Bahrain 0 232

133 FYR Macedonia 0 225

134 Puerto Rico 0 221

135 Tanzania 0 218

136 Vietnam 0 217

137 Lebanon 0 216

138 Tajikistan 0 205

139 Guyana 0 194

140 Turkmenistan 0 193

141 Liberia 0 192

141 Burundi 0 192

143 Comoros 0 190

144 Angola 0 189

145 Belize 0 188

146 South Sudan 8 186

147 Luxembourg -1 185

148 Dominican Republic -1 184

149 Lesotho -1 181

150 Hong Kong -1 179

150 Chad -1 179

152 Maldives -1 175

153 Tahiti -1 167

154 Afghanistan -1 161

155 Sudan -1 155

156 Papua New Guinea 0 154

157 Mauritius 3 147

158 Malaysia -1 145

159 Moldova -1 142

160 Singapore -1 141

161 Chinese Taipei 0 136

162 Aruba 0 127

163 Cuba 0 124

164 Bhutan 0 123

165 New Caledonia 0 121

166 Kuwait 0 120

166 Myanmar 0 120

166 Gambia 0 120

169 Grenada 7 117

170 St Vincent and the Grenadines 7 116

171 St Lucia -2 115

172 Kosovo -2 112

173 Nepal -3 110

173 Barbados -1 110

175 Cambodia -2 108

176 Laos -2 107

177 Indonesia -2 105

178 São Tomé e Príncipe 0 98

179 Vanuatu 0 94

180 Solomon Islands 0 92

181 Fiji 0 90

182 Malta 0 86

183 Guam 0 82

184 Macau 0 77

185 Bermuda 0 75

186 Dominica 0 74

187 Andorra 0 66

188 Brunei Darussalam 0 65

189 Liechtenstein 0 64

189 American Samoa 0 64

189 Cook Islands 0 64

189 Samoa 0 64

193 Bangladesh 0 60

194 Djibouti 0 53

195 Timor-Leste 0 52

196 Seychelles 0 51

197 Mongolia 0 34

197 Sri Lanka 0 34

199 US Virgin Islands 0 26

199 Montserrat 0 26

201 Pakistan 0 24

202 Turks and Caicos Islands 0 20

203 Cayman Islands 0 13

204 San Marino 0 12

205 British Virgin Islands 0 5

206 Anguilla 0 0

206 Bahamas 0 0

206 Eritrea 0 0

206 Gibraltar 0 0

206 Somalia 0 0

206 Tonga 0 0

6 / FIFA 1904

http://www.fifa.com/worldranking

LEADERBRAZIL (unchanged)

MOVES INTO TOP TENNONE

MOVES OUT OF TOP TENNONE

MATCHES PLAYED IN TOTAL7

MOST MATCHES PLAYEDMADAGASCAR, MALAWI, MAURITIUS, SEYCHELLES, SOMALIA, SOUTH SUDAN

(2 matches each)

BIGGEST MOVE BY POINTSSOUTH SUDAN (up 31 points)

BIGGEST MOVE BY RANKSMADAGASCAR (up 9 ranks)

BIGGEST DROP BY POINTSMALAWI (down 42 points)

BIGGEST DROP BY RANKSMALAWI (down 14 ranks)

MADAGASCAR ON THE MARCHPétanque may still be the sport of choice for many in in Madagascar, the second-biggest

island state in the world, but football is certainly catching up fast, even though the fans’

dreams of seeing their heroes qualify for their first Africa Cup of Nations in 2017 were quickly

dashed after they picked up only three points – from three draws – in their qualifiers, leaving

them rooted to the foot of their group.

Time moves quickly, however, and 2017 could well be remembered as the year in which it

all changed for Madagascar. A new coach, Frenchman Nicolas Dupuis, was hired in March.

The 49-year-old, most recently in charge at AS Yzeure in the French fourth division, summed

it all up perfectly when he said: “Madagascar and their football fans have been waiting for

far too long”. That won’t come as a surprise to many, but just two months on from his

appointment, the progress is clear for all to see. Madagascar recently won four games on the

spin, firstly dispatching São Tomé e Príncipe twice in the 2019 Cup of Nations preliminary

round qualifiers before handing out similar treatment to Malawi in the qualifiers for the

African Nations Championship 2018.

Those four wins have certainly had an effect on the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking too,

as Dupuis’ charges have benefitted from the recent lull in action on the international stage

to climb nine places to 111th, where they sit just ahead of New Zealand. Recent results have

certainly got fans dreaming again – this time of the Africa Cup of Nations 2019 in Cameroon.

Alan Schweingruber

Pointing the way forward Madagascar defender François Randrianomenjanahary is hoping to play at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2019.

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DREAMING OF FOOTBALLFootball certainly arouses strong, positive emotions in us when we are children, emotions that – as the years roll by – become fond memories. But how can dreams of football be kept alive for a lifetime? Images from the prestigious Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup in Zurich.By Perikles Monioudis (text) and Vera Hartmann (photos)

BLUE STARS/FIFA YOUTH CUP

8 / FIFA 1904

The joy of football Youngsters from Independiente

Santa Fe – the first Colombian side to take part in the Blue Stars tournament (24-25 May 2017) –

relax in the dressing room. They finished eighth.

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In the middle Two young girls follow the action while surrounded by West Ham United players.

BLUE STARS/FIFA YOUTH CUP

10 / FIFA 1904

A ball is certainly a magical object. Is it the perfect

shape of what is essentially a spinning, rolling, flying

sphere that fascinates young children all over the

world, drawing them in and creating a love affair that

generally lasts a lifetime? Is our sport the most beauti-

ful game in the world simply because it has the ability

to place the joy that we feel when we kick a ball into a

wider context in which fairness, personal development

and social competence all start to flourish for the first

time, all while firing our imagination and giving wings

to our dreams?

Football gives us something deeply human and perma-

nent in our lives, and it’s no wonder that we can

hardly help but surrender to its spell. But when exactly

does that spell take hold of us as youngsters? When

does football draw us in and refuse to let go? Is joining

a football club our first decision in that respect? Is it

when we pull on our very first football shirt? Or is it

the first game of whatever club we may have chosen?

And what happens when we get even more involved

in the game, heading off to training sessions or

matches maybe two, three or even five times a week?

What about when it’s time to join a football academy,

Positional play FC Zurich squeezed past Benfica 1-0 and eventually claimed third place. The Portuguese had to settle for sixth spot.

Words of consolation Young Grasshoppers players after losing to local rivals FC Zurich in the match for third place.

11FIFA 1904 /

Benfica Winners in 1996, the Portuguese club are tournament regulars.

or later on when studies and education come calling?

Does football remain the be-all and end-all in a young

life? For how long?

A distinction has to be made, of course, between life as

a professional player and a childhood with the game.

Any questions about how long the game casts its spell

over any particular person are – if truth be told – some-

what moot because a career in the game depends on

a whole host of factors, not least whether you are

actually talented enough to make a living from the

sport, whether you are fortunate enough to avoid

serious long-term injury, and whether you also make

the right decisions in terms of signing for Club A or

Club B. There are no such variables in the sport when

you are young though. Football will always play an

important role in a child’s life for as long as he or she

enjoys the game, creating memories that the child will

look back upon with a smile one day.

FIFA INVESTS IN PEOPLEDeveloping the game and helping those within it – at

all levels – is one of FIFA’s main objectives. This is

exactly where FIFA’s many development projects, which

Football gives us something deeply human and permanent in our lives, and it’s no wonder that we can hardly help but surrender to its spell.

BLUE STARS/FIFA YOUTH CUP

12 / FIFA 1904

Mike Trésor Ndayishimiye, 18, RSC Anderlecht Boris Babic, 19, FC St. Gallen

Nikola Gjorgjev, 19, Grasshopper Club ZurichToni Domgjoni, 18, FC Zurich

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Alan Dzabana, 20, Olympique Lyonnais Daniel Steven Valdelamar, 20, Independiente Santa Fe

Domingos Quina, 17, West Ham UnitedNiklas Kölle, 17, FSV Mainz 05

14 / FIFA 1904

are available to each and every member association,

come into play. The Forward Programme, for example,

offers a wide range of possibilities in all areas of devel-

opment, which in turn can lead to projects such as

“Downside Up”, which is part of the Football for Hope

movement and focuses on teaching the game to Russian

children with Down syndrome, or “Football Connects”,

a project that uses the football facilities at the Home of

FIFA to give around 250 young refugees from countries

such as Eritrea, Afghanistan and Syria a chance to find

their feet in Switzerland.

MAKING GOOD THINGS HAPPENIn May, FIFA held a course for 24 young referees in

Somalia, who will now take that knowledge back into

their local youth leagues. In the same month, FIFA

worked closely with the Moroccan FA’s women’s foot-

ball department to continue to pave the way for

Moroccan women’s teams to be able to play at all levels

of international football. In Mexico, meanwhile, FIFA’s

support has helped to set up a cup competition for

23 women’s teams ahead of the start of the inaugural

season of the women’s professional league in September.

Everyone involved in these – and other – FIFA projects,

in whatever capacity it may be, will certainly look back

fondly on them in the years to come, and take the

related emotions back into their daily lives. Or maybe,

just maybe, football will become their daily lives. So

those childhood dreams of football can indeed come

true, and last for a lifetime. For FIFA, actions truly do

speak louder than words.

Visit FIFA.com for the facts and figures on

the tournament.

Any questions about how long the game casts its spell over any particular person are somewhat moot because a career in the game depends on a whole host of factors.

Champion selfie Olympique Lyonnais players pose for a pic with local young fans.

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SNAPSHOT

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FIFA U-20 World Cup Korea Republic 2017 For striker Lee Seung-woo, the tournament is an

opportunity to shine in front of his home fans. He is shown here helping his team to a 3-0 victory in Jeonju

in the group match against Guinea (20 May 2017).

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Robert Cianflone / FIFA via Getty Images

hybrid electricplug-in

Driven by e-motion.

SOCIAL MEDIA

FIFA 1904 ASKED ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER“Who will win the FIFA Confederations Cup and why?”

“I THINK GERMANY WILL WIN AS THEY ARE THE REIGNING WORLD CHAMPIONS. IT SHOULD BE A GOOD PREPARATION FOR NEXT YEAR’S FIFA WORLD CUP.”

Alankrit Mathur (India) on Facebook

“PORTUGAL. STRONG DEPTH IN SQUAD, UNREAL YOUNG TALENTS AND THE COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCED PLAYERS WITH RONALDO

LEADING GIVES THEM A HUGE BOOST.”Kawsar Ibn Absar (United Arab Emirates) on Twitter

“I BELIEVE THAT MEXICO CAN CAUSE AN UPSET AND WIN IT. PEOPLE UNDERESTIMATE MEXICO TOO MUCH.”

Mario Rodríguez (Mexico) on Facebook

“PORTUGAL OR CHILE BECAUSE PORTUGAL HAVE AN IRON DEFENCE AND THE BEST YOUNG SQUAD IN THE WHOLE COMPETITION,

THE BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD IN RONALDO, AND THE BEST PLAYER IN LIGUE 1 IN BERNARDO SILVA. CHILE, ON THE OTHER HAND,

HAVE AN INCREDIBLE ATTACK AND THEY ARE SURVIVORS.” Hugo Canario (Portugal) on Facebook

“GERMANY WILL WIN BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE STRONGEST TEAM AND THE BIGGEST WILL TO WIN.”

Lars Walter (Germany) on Twitter

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Quarter-final showdown Brazil (pictured: Bruno Xavier, left) beat Portugal 4-3 on 4 May 2017. Leo Martins is the man swallowed

by the sand.

FIFA BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP 2017

BACK ON TOP After a gap of eight years, Brazil have won the Beach Soccer World Cup again in a stunning comeback that saw off all challengers, with only Portugal posing a threat to the South Americans.By Alan Schweingruber

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There was a time when Brazil seemed to be winning every beach

soccer tournament going. One glance at the World Cup stats

confirms their dominance, the winners’ column an almost unbroken

line of that familiar flag with its green background, blue globe and

yellow diamond. From 1995 to 2009, virtually no one could touch

the Seleção on sand, unless the opposition happened to play out of

their skins over the three periods of 12 minutes and the planetary

alignment was just right on the day. The overall figures make for

impressive reading, with 13 of the 15 tournaments played in that

golden period going to the beach soccer giants of South America.

The trophies just kept on coming, as befitted a nation of serial

World Cup winners.

FALLOW PERIOD But then came an eight-year dry spell when the Canarinhas – so-

called because the team’s yellow shirts are the colour of canaries –

were singing and dancing no more. In fact, things got so bad that

Brazil had to be content with fifth place at the 2015 World Cup

Ten days in the Bahamas The 32 World Cup games in Nassau thrilled the fans. Top: Brazil v. Italy (8-4) in the semi-finals; right: Iran v. Italy (4-5); left: Japan’s Takasuke Goto celebrates during his team’s opening victory over Poland (9-4).

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Brazil’s goalkeeper Mão, 38.

– unthinkable! The country itself was experiencing severe problems

and its more glamorous grass-based players had endured a lengthy

drought since the last World Cup triumph (2002), so for their beach

soccer counterparts, eight years must have seemed like an age.

“Brazil were resting on their laurels a bit and the smaller countries

had caught up with them,” says Angelo Schirinzi, head coach of

Switzerland (currently ranked sixth in the world). “But we all knew

that they’d come back. It’s no surprise that they won the World

Cup: Brazil have massive potential.”

Before the tournament, however, no one really knew what to

expect from the Seleção, although they could certainly not

be taken for granted. A taste of what was to come was given at

the group stage when Tahiti, Poland and Japan were routinely

dispatched in matches that evoked the glory days. These wins

represented the 30th, 31st and 32nd victories in a row in all compe-

titions for Brazil, who had been unbeaten since the World Cup

quarter-final defeat to Russia in 2015. That figure has now gone

up to 35 after they secured their fifth World Cup title since FIFA

took over the tournament in 2005. The 8-4 defeat of Italy in the

semi-final and 6-0 thrashing of Tahiti in the final were a clear

demonstration of their superiority.

A FIRST FOR THE BAHAMASThe Brazilians’ major hurdle came in the quarter-final on 4 May

against Portugal, traditionally their weaker cousins but now,

as world champions, a force to be reckoned with. It proved to be

the match of the tournament. Some 1,800 spectators crowded into

the National Beach Soccer Arena in Nassau in temperatures of over

30 degrees in the shade. Portugal opened the scoring after just

two seconds and almost immediately conceded an equaliser, but

FIFA BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP 2017

QUARTER-FINALS TO THE FINAL

QUARTER-FINALS, 4 MAY 2017

Paraguay v. Tahiti 4-6

Brazil v. Portugal 4-3

Switzerland v. Iran 3-4

Italy v. Senegal 5-1

SEMI-FINALS, 6 MAY 2017

Iran v. Tahiti 1-1, 2-3 PSO

Italy v. Brazil 4-8

MATCH FOR THIRD PLACE, 7 MAY 2017

Iran v. Italy 5-3

FINAL, 7 MAY 2017

Tahiti v. Brazil 0-6

led 2-1 at the first interval. The entertaining, end-to-end match saw

further goals for both sides, and with less than three minutes on

the clock and the fans looking forward to extra time with the sides

level at 3-3, Brazilian Rodrigo scored a stunning overhead kick –

probably the finest goal of his career – to send his team into the

semi-finals.

The Bahamas also made history. Not only did Nassau stage a

fantastic tournament, with crowds of 3,000, including many

tourists, regularly packing out the arena for the evening games

when the temperature had dropped a little, the host team became

the first Caribbean side to win a match at a Beach Soccer World

Cup (4-1 against Ecuador). “We’re stoked,” said captain Gavin

Christie. “It’s just the beginning for the Bahamas, a building block

for a new culture of beach soccer in the country.”

Up front for Italy Gabriele Gori, 29.

22 / FIFA 1904

AWARDSADIDAS GOLDEN BALL: Mohammad Ahmadzadeh (Iran)

ADIDAS SILVER BALL: Mauricinho (Brazil)

ADIDAS BRONZE BALL: Datinha (Brazil)

ADIDAS GOLDEN BOOT: Gabriele Gori (Italy)

ADIDAS SILVER BOOT: Rodrigo (Brazil)

ADIDAS BRONZE BOOT: Mohammad Ahmadzadeh (Iran)

ADIDAS GOLDEN GLOVE: Peyman Hosseini (Iran)

FAIR PLAY AWARD: Brazil

Emotions, emotions, emotions Committed Senegalese (top), patient Iranians (right) and the celebrating world champions from Brazil.

23FIFA 1904 /

24 / FIFA 1904

PLACE Herat, AfghanistanDATE 8 October 2016TIME 17:20PHOTOGRAPHER Aref Karimi

FIRST LOVE

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AFP

Edinson Cavani, 30 “Even as a kid, I was always the quiet type.”

THE INTERVIEW

26 / FIFA 1904

Training is scheduled for 11:00. Access for fans

and journalists? “Under no circumstances,” says

a security officer, sticking out his right arm. Yet,

as noon approaches, the gates are spontaneously

opened, and a set of stairs leads to a small first-

floor terrace from where visitors have a fantastic

view of the two football pitches. PSG’s pro

players have their last few touches on the ball.

While the captain, Thiago Silva, enjoys a kick-

about with a young boy, Julian Draxler relaxedly

jogs off into the bowels of the training complex.

Further back, on pitch 2, something different is

happening: an assistant coach and Edinson

Cavani are doing repeated sprints together for

15 minutes. Then, it’s all over. A little while later,

the 30-year-old appears for his interview in a

white T-shirt and black leather jacket.

“GOALS FULFIL ME”After Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s departure, Edinson Cavani’s talent really blossomed, and the Uruguayan is in the form of his life. Alan Schweingruber spoke with Ligue 1’s most reliable goalscorer at Paris Saint-Germain’s training base.

Edinson Cavani, at the end of April you extended your contract with Paris Saint-Germain until 2020. That’s interesting timing.Edinson Cavani: What do you mean?

The club had just lost its league title to Monaco and was knocked out of the Champions League early.The things you mention had no bearing on my

contract negotiations. I feel trusted here – I’m

comfortable in Paris. And, let’s not forget,

I’m fortunate to be playing at the top of one

of the best leagues in world football, here.

At Paris Saint-Germain we may have missed

our targets but, believe you me, that’s a

motivation for me. We still have plans here.

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THE INTERVIEW

NAME Edinson CavaniBORN 14 February 1987, Salto (Uruguay) POSITION StrikerCLUBS Danubio FC, US Palermo, SSC Napoli, Paris Saint-GermainINTERNATIONAL CAREER 91 matches, 38 goalsMAJOR HONOURS Three French league titles, two French cups, one Italian cup, one Uruguayan league title, fourth place at the 2010 World Cup

Do you live in the city?No, I live a little bit outside – a ten-minute drive

from Paris. I like nature and quiet surroundings.

It’s good for me.

Do you go hunting there?I’d rather do that back home in Uruguay. As it

happens, I actually prefer fishing to hunting.

There are a few lakes close to Paris, but it’s

something I leave for back home.

You come across as a calm, even-tempered individual off the pitch.Even as a kid, I was always the quiet type.

Maybe my time in the great outdoors shaped

me. We used to do a lot of things in the country-

side, with the family, with friends. Either way,

when things get tough nowadays I don’t always

find it easy to stay calm. Like if we lose, or if I

get injured. It’s something I need to learn.

How much does God mean to you?A lot. I’m very grateful for the fact that I am an

athlete, and that I get to earn money through

something I’m really passionate about. Having

this as my job is a blessing, don’t you think? It’s

a gift I will cherish until the day I retire.

You were just 20 when you left Uruguay. There were a lot of things that could have gone wrong for you in Europe.Well... if you’re constantly analysing everything,

thinking about every possibility, somewhere

along the line you will reach the conclusion that

there could be a risk involved in a particular

decision. But that’s not what it’s about. I worked

hard in Uruguay. I had a dream, right from being

a little boy. I had to grab that opportunity at

“I’m very grateful for the fact that I am an athlete, and that I get to earn money through something I’m really passionate about. Having this as my job is a blessing, don’t you think?

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When I enter a stadium nowadays, I can sense

how much I’ve internalised this position. Goals

fulfil me. They are part of me. Goals are football.

What would you have done if it hadn’t worked out in football?I don’t know. Maybe I would’ve tried working in

the countryside in Uruguay. Outdoors, with

animals. Farming is very worthwhile.

What do you miss most from back home?Of course, what you miss most is always the

people. My family, my parents, my brothers, and

my friends, too. Then there are the little things

that I miss every now and then, like the food.

Have you heard of cazuela? It’s a really nice dish

– a stew of meat and vegetables.

Can’t you find it in Paris anywhere?Every once in a while we go to an Italian restaur­

ant that has it. It’s the only place I know of in

Paris. Getting hold of all the ingredients and

cooking it at home is quite a job.

You’ll soon have the opportunity to eat cazuela at home: there’s a key game against Argentina coming up for your country.It’s a crucial game, there’s no doubt about that.

We’re close to qualifying for Russia 2018. But

what does that mean? You can quickly find

yourself playing catch­up and losing a couple of

places in the table. The four remaining games

are all important – and that includes the ones

against Paraguay, Venezuela and Bolivia.

[Pause] You know, every time I get to pull on

“I’m not one to get too close to the coach. For me, that can lead to disagreements and misunderstandings within a team. It’s important to have a healthy distance between the coach and the players.”

Palermo – anything else was out of the question.

Luckily, everything went well. I had six great

years in Italy.

You have Italian roots, don’t you?Yes, my grandfather was born in Maranello. He

emigrated to Uruguay with his parents at the

age of three. Your ancestors will always be a

part of you. I have Italian blood and my relation­

ship with the country was special from early on.

Of course, my spells at Palermo and Napoli only

strengthened that bond even more.

Salto, where you come from, is on the border with Argentina. What kind of relationship do you have with Argentina?The two border cities benefit from each other.

We often used to go shopping in Argentina, and

the Argentinians often came over to us, too.

People also holiday in the other country. But it’s

not the case that I have any special relationship

with Argentina.

Weren’t you a big fan of Gabriel Batistuta?Yes, that’s true. [laughs]

As a boy? To this day. Batistuta wasn’t a typical striker. A

powerful footballer who was incredibly effective

in front of goal. I always tried to copy him. I still

do, a little bit.

Why did you become a striker?As a boy, I was a midfielder. Even then, though,

I felt the urge to take the ball towards the goal.

the Celeste jersey, it’s a special feeling. I only

have to think back to the last World Cup in

Brazil. It was a one­off, a once­in­a­lifetime

experience.

What kind of relationship do you have with the coach of the national team, Óscar Tabárez?I’m not one to get too close to the coach. For

me, that can lead to disagreements and misun­

derstandings within a team. It’s important to

have a healthy distance between the coach and

the players. To answer your question, I get on

well with Óscar Tabárez. I value him as a coach

and as a man. He’s a winner – a winner at life.

Everyone can learn a lot from him.

He’s regarded as taciturn, isn’t he?He’s a man of few words, but when he does

speak, it’s worth listening to. His instructions are

clear. That’s what matters.

When your contract at PSG runs out, you’ll be 33. Will you be heading back to Uruguay?I can’t be thinking that far ahead. I don’t even

know what’s going to happen tomorrow

[laughs]. I want to live in the moment and enjoy

everything that happens. We missed out on the

league title at PSG, so we’ll go again next

season. I want to win titles. That’s why I’m here.

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AJAX AMSTERDAM

STAYING TRUE TO THE CRUYFF APPROACHYoung athletes with great stamina and

passing skills, welded to a strict collective

formation but with the freedom to take

over the role of any other player in the

team – such was the thinking behind the

“total football” made famous by the

Netherlands sides back in the day,

and in particular by Johan Cruyff.

Ajax made Cruyff great, and he

returned the favour for the club

with which he made his name. His was a

graceful, fast and highly accurate technique,

which he constantly endeavoured to

improve. This technique was so refined

that seemingly every touch he took was

with the outside of his foot, thus

raising the level of what could be

done with the ball to dizzying heights

– but he was also reliable, always

available for a pass and fighting for

the team.

Inspired by the young Pelé and

ginga – individual flair with

typical Brazilian movement

It’s 22 years since

revered Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam last

won a European title, when Louis van

Gaal’s team overcame the fancied AC Milan

in Vienna, scene of the 1995 Champions

League final. The Milan side contained the

likes of Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini and

Marcel Desailly but were beaten by a single

goal in the 85th minute. The average age

of this Ajax team was a youthful 23, so it is

hardly surprising that the goal in question

was scored by an 18-year-old Patrick Kluiv-

ert. All part of the Ajax philosophy.

BACK TO THEIR ROOTS

Ajax Amsterdam are back on the European stage with a vengeance – deploying the same philosophy that made the club a force to reckoned with in the Seventies.By Perikles Monioudis

Like father… Patrick Kluivert in action against AC Milan (14 August 1996). A

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“Scoring crucial goals at just 18 has always been part and parcel of the Ajax philosophy.”

and rhythm – Cruyff created a unique style

of aesthetically pleasing play that consigned

the solid, results-orientated approach of

Dutch coaches to the history books and left

its mark on an entire football era. As a

player and later as a coach, he pointed the

way forward to a better and more success-

ful way of playing the beautiful game for

generations of pros. As a testament to his

legacy, FC Barcelona recently announced

that it would name its stylish new youth

academy stadium after the Dutch legend.

NEW KLUIVERT, OLD SYSTEMCombining individuality with a team ethic,

developing players at a young age, playing

better for greater success: it all seems

to be paying off again for Ajax.

Justin Kluivert, whose father

Patrick notched the vital goal in

1995 at 18, has just turned 18

himself. He has been at Ajax since

2007 and made his first-team debut in

the Eredivisie in January this year,

incidentally at a younger age than his

dad when he played his first league

match.

Mature beyond his years, the out-and-

out attacker symbolises the new Ajax

in so many ways through his success

at a tender age and as a throwback to

the club’s meticulous and inspired

training methods. Of course, Justin

is not the only one: seven players

from the club’s youth ranks or

second team appeared alongside

the pros this season, while seven

of the team who started the first

leg of the UEFA Europa League semi-

final against Olympique Lyon, which Ajax

won 4-1, were 21 or under.

…like son! Justin Kluivert

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THE BRILLIANCE OF BOSZThe young and impressive Ajax team

has been assembled by head coach

Peter Bosz, who embodies the ideas

and approach of Johan Cruyff while

taking a leaf out of Louis van Gaal’s

book in terms of game plans and,

in former top goalkeeper and

Ajax CEO Edwin van der Sar, has

the right man in charge to take the rich

Ajax heritage forward. A meticulous and

inspirational teacher, Bosz turned out for

rival Feyenoord in his playing days, but he

has long been versed in the Ajax way of

playing football.

And should he, with his firm commitment

to attacking play, consult his assistants

Dennis Bergkamp, Richard Witschge

“Ajax made Cruyff great, and he returned the favour for the club with which he made his name.”

and Aron Winter on the training pitch or

elsewhere together with Van der Sar and

Director of Football Marc Overmars, this

dream team of legends can only have one

ambition: to make Ajax even better.

An exceptional talent and visionary Johan Cruyff in his element (6 February 1972).ul

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THEN

These Italians, taking time out of training for the World Cup, wouldn’t have had an inkling that they would slip to a 1-0 group-stage defeat by Korea DPR.

1966 DURHAM, ENGLAND

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Cows grazing (or lazing) at the side of the road is a familiar sight for FC Sion players.

2016 MARTIGNY, SWITZERLAND

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WOMEN’S FOOTBALL

WALTZING MATILDASDon’t be fooled by the title: the Australian women’s team are not celebrating the waltz,

nor are they moving rhythmically round in circles in the manner of the famous dance, but going forwards, always forwards, as befits a team with a big future.

By Annette Braun

It’s all in the name Along with the Australian flag, the Matildas scarf is a common sight at national team matches.

36 / FIFA 1904

Sweden in the semi-finals. Alas, Australia

lost 7-6 in the shoot-out in front of a

crowd of 52,000 – a disappointing end

to a campaign that they had nevertheless

a lot to be proud about. The defeat came

after another quarter-final exit a year

before at the FIFA Women’s World Cup™,

that time at the hands of subsequent

finalists Japan (1-0).

All the signs are, then, that a major

breakthrough is just around the corner:

however, the spot-kick agony endured in

Although the dream has yet to be fulfilled,

the results at least underline that Australia

are making steady progress towards

reaching the elite level. Women’s football

is popular in the country and goes back a

long way – a 1921 match in Queensland

attracted a crowd of 10,000, for example.

However, it was mainly thanks to the drive

of one Elaine Watson, who held various

positions in the FA between 1970 and

1990, that the game finally received the

promotion it deserved and established

itself in world football.

In 1895, Australian poet Andrew “Banjo”

Paterson wrote the poem Waltzing Matilda,

the words of which were later set to music

for the famous folk song that remains an

integral part of Australian culture to this

day. The story of the singing itinerant

worker (“waltzing” is Australian slang for

travelling on foot and has nothing to do

with the dance) was once a contender for

the national anthem and indeed was used

in that capacity at the 1974 FIFA World

Cup™ in West Germany and the Montreal

Olympic Games in 1976.

Even though Advance Australia Fair

prevailed in a 1977 plebiscite to choose

the country’s national anthem, the

popularity of Waltzing Matilda remains

undimmed in Oz and beyond. The song

was first recorded in 1926 by John

Collinson and has since been adapted by

a wide range of international artists,

including Tom Waits and Rod Stewart.

It has also influenced the game of football

in Australia, the national women’s team

having adopted the nickname Matildas

in 1995 in honour of the catchy ditty,

the chorus of which every self-respecting

Aussie can sing in their sleep. The team

had previously often been referred to as

the Socceroos, like their male counterparts,

but the new name stuck and gave them

their own identity while firmly connecting

them with their homeland.

There are thus now two celebrated

Matildas Down Under: one plays a starring

role in one of the nation’s favourite songs,

while the other collectively chases a ball

around the pitch to increasingly successful

effect.

PENALTY HEARTACHE CRUSHES OLYMPIC DREAMAn Olympic medal seemed in sight for the

team at Rio 2016 when their quarter-final

match against Brazil went to penalties as

the two sides vied to see who would face

Brazil still hangs over the team, as was

shown at this year’s Algarve Cup in Por-

tugal when the Matildas had to settle for

fourth place in the prestigious tournament

after losing to Denmark in the dreaded

penalty shoot-out.

CHAMPIONS IN WAITING? The Australian footballers’ trade union,

Professional Footballers Australia (PFA),

has drawn up a roadmap for the next four

years that includes the winning of trophies

among its targets, in addition to greater

A taste of success The Australia team (seen here celebrating a goal in a warm-up match against New Zealand before the 2016 Women’s Olympic Football Tournament) are now established members of the world’s elite.

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financial support and the further expan-

sion of the national W-League. The main

aim of the vision is for the Matildas,

who are huge role models for all female

players in the land, to triumph at the 2020

Olympics in Tokyo and the 2023 World

Cup. Key to this success will be creating a

larger pool of talented players, which

would give coach Alen Stajcic strategic

options at important moments of the

game and thus tilt the balance in favour

of his team.

Achieving these ambitious goals would

give women’s football further impetus in

Australia and guarantee its expansion.

It would also probably make Matilda an

even more popular name than it is now

and, in the words of the waltzing version

(“Who’ll come a-waltzing Matilda with

me?”), attract more fans to accompany

the players on their exciting journey.

The goals have been set, and captain

Clare Polkinghorne and her team, the

majority of whom play in the Australian

league, are raring to go, secure in the

knowledge that they have plenty of

support and the potential to win a

tournament – even if it comes down to

a penalty shoot-out.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

…THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S SOCCER ASSOCIATION (AWSA) WAS FORMED IN 1974?

…SANDRA BRENTNALL SCORED THE MATILDAS’

FIRST INTERNATIONAL GOAL IN THE MATCH

AGAINST NEW ZEALAND IN OCTOBER 1979?

…AUSTRALIA’S FIRST-EVER WORLD CUP GOAL WAS NOTCHED BY ANGELA IANNOTTA? SHE FOUND THE BACK OF THE NET IN THE 25TH

MINUTE AGAINST CHINA PR AT THE 1995

TOURNAMENT.

…THE MATILDAS WERE THE FIRST DOWN UNDER TEAM TO QUALIFY FOR A MAJOR TOURNAMENT AFTER AUSTRALIA MOVED CONFEDERATIONS FROM THE OFC TO THE AFC? THEIR DEFEAT OF JAPAN AT THE 2006 AFC WOMEN’S ASIAN CUP TOOK THEM THROUGH TO THE WORLD CUP THE FOLLOWING YEAR.

…THE COUNTRY’S MOST

CAPPED PLAYER IS

CHERYL SALISBURY

WITH 151 APPEARANCES

TO HER NAME?

… KATE GILL IS AUSTRALIA’S TOP SCORER IN THE WOMEN’S GAME

WITH 41 GOALS?

…THE MATILDAS’ HIGHEST POSITION TO DATE IN THE

FIFA/COCA-COLA WOMEN’S WORLD RANKING IS 5TH (2016)?

The main aim of the vision is for the Matildas to triumph at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo and the 2023 World Cup.

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DEBATE

THE 67th FIFA CONGRESS IN BAHRAIN

associations from CAF, CONCACAF,

CONMEBOL and the OFC to express their

interest in hosting the tournament. The

decision on whether to select any of the

bidders as the host(s) of the 2026 FIFA

World Cup will be taken by the 68th FIFA

Congress, which will convene in Moscow

on 13 June next year, on the eve of the

opening match of the 2018 FIFA World

Cup™.

THE APPROVED MOTION ON THE 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP“Based on specific regulations to be issued

by the Council, the FIFA general secretariat

shall establish a bidding procedure inviting

initially the member associations of

CONCACAF, CAF, CONMEBOL and the

OFC to express their interest by 11 August

2017 to submit to FIFA a bid to host the

final competition of the 2026 FIFA World

Cup. The 68th FIFA Congress will decide

on the selection of the candidate host

associations.

Should the 68th FIFA Congress not select

any candidate host associations, the FIFA

general secretariat will invite further

member associations – including the

member associations of AFC and UEFA

and excluding those member associations

that submitted a bid initially – to submit a

bid to host the final competition of the

2026 FIFA World Cup.”

FIFA’s 211 member associations assembled

on 11 May 2017 in Manama, Bahrain for

the 67th FIFA Congress. The organisation’s

supreme body made a few important

decisions to validate reports on FIFA’s

activities in 2016 and, more importantly,

to agree on key steps for the future of the

organisation.

This included the ratification of the next

stages of the bidding process to select the

host(s) of the 2026 FIFA World Cup™.

Following the approval of the bidding

requirements by the FIFA Council on 9 May,

the FIFA Congress agreed, with 93% of

the valid votes, on a three-month period

– until 11 August 2017 – for member

Presidential address Gianni Infantino at the 67th FIFA Congress in Bahrain.

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PRESIDENT´S MESSAGE

Yours in football,

OTHER KEY DECISIONS: • Election of the members of the Audit and

Compliance Committee, the Governance

Committee and the judicial bodies. The

members have been elected for a term of

office of four years, effective immediately.

• Approval of the detailed budget for 2018,

with a total investment of USD 2.899

billion – 91% of which is allocated to

football activities, chief among which is the

organisation of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

• The 67th FIFA Congress followed the

proposal of the FIFA Council with regard

to the motion submitted by the Palestinian

Football Association – “a request for

official recognition of the Palestinian

Football Association’s entitlements to all

of its rights as described in the FIFA

Statutes”. The FIFA Congress approved,

with 73% of valid votes, the following

proposal: “Considering that the matter is

not a Congress competence but a Council

competence, that a consolidated report

of the monitoring committee is not yet

ready, and that more time is needed to

evaluate the situation and to take a

decision, the Council proposes to the

Congress not to vote on the proposal of

the Palestinian Football Association and

to give time to the Council to take a

decision before the end of March 2018.”

Nevertheless, the Council has already

committed to deciding on the matter at

its next meeting, on 27 October 2017.

MORE RESPONSIBILITY, MORE DEBATE

A few weeks back, we had many concrete achievements to report to the

FIFA Congress in Bahrain – from the implementation of the reforms to the

blossoming of the FIFA Forward development programme.

But while it would have been very convenient to focus solely on the positive

changes that have been brought about in FIFA over the last year, it would

also have been somewhat irresponsible.

We should of course take pride in the work we have done to build a better

institution, but it should also be clear to each one of us that we must

remain vigilant. The work of rooting out wrongdoing in our sport is not

complete. I know that, and it is my duty as FIFA President to ensure that so

do our members.

The FIFA I saw during the week that culminated in the 67th FIFA Congress

is already very different from the one I joined. It is a more diverse, open and

democratic institution. There are many new faces. There is more debate.

There is certainly more disagreement – and that is exactly how serious

decision-making should be carried out.

Take the process to select the host(s) of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, for example.

It was not until after several rounds of discussions involving various stake-

holders that the Congress voted on a clear process and on a comprehensive

timeline. A set of high-standard bid requirements has been approved too.

This is how a more open and more democratic FIFA takes important steps:

only after careful analysis. This is our responsibility towards the world of

football.

What I saw over the course of the week in Manama makes me very

confident for the future. However, I will not refrain from pointing out just

how much remains to be done as we continue to move forwards. Even

when this may require some strong words.

Gianni Infantino

FIFA President

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Blind football A museum visitor watches the film about the moving life story of Yvan Wouandji.

FIFA WORLD FOOTBALL MUSEUM

AGAINST ALL ODDSIt’s not all about great players at the FIFA World Football Museum, where visitors can watch eight two-minute films about football enthusiasts who lead more humble lives. We present three examples below.By Alan Schweingruber

As the group of youngsters from Scotland, in high spirits after

taking in everything on show at basement level, take the glass lift

up to the first floor, they wave at some other visitors who are

paying for their tickets at the counter. The scene is reminiscent

of one earlier, when the first bunch of kids of a school group to

go through the museum mocked those following behind them, as

if to say: What, you’re still down there? We’ve nearly finished!

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Today, Wouandji is one of the best blind footballers in France.

He even says at the end of the film that his life is so fulfilled that

he hardly wants to see again. This statement alone makes the

film worth watching.

On display nearby is Wouandji’s eye mask. Such items must be

used in blind football to avoid giving partially sighted players an

unfair advantage. Watching the Frenchman slalom his way past

the opposition, switching the ball back and forth between his feet

at lightning speed, he could clearly give some sighted players a run

for their money. He makes his way purposefully forwards, leaving

opponents for dead and waits for the right moment to pull the

trigger. The shot has to be a good one, as the rules state that the

goalkeeper is the only sighted player in the side.

THE SMALLEST LEAGUE IN THE WORLDThe second example (shown on the same monitor) seems at first

to pale into insignificance after Wouandji’s story. The film starts by

indicating the location of the Scilly Isles, an archipelago off the

south-western tip of England with a population of just over 2,000,

on a map. There reside boatbuilder Andrew Hicks and his Wool-

pack Wanderers team, who play in eye-catching yellow shirts and

have genuine hopes of winning the title every year – which is

not surprising, as they have won the most Isles of Scilly Football

League titles.

The Scottish children look momentarily puzzled, before the lift

doors open on the first floor and they are greeted by an array of

machines and monitors. They were probably unaware that the

museum had been laid out in keeping with the old adage of

leaving the best until last, something that quickly becomes evident

to anyone who watches the short films about individuals who, in

their small way, have left their mark on football through their

never-say-die spirit. The eight professionally made clips, shown on

four monitors, make for fascinating viewing.

SENSES WORKING OVERTIMETake the story of Yvan Wouandji, for instance, who used to play

football incessantly like so many any other kids, with dreams – so

important to children – of becoming a star footballer. After all,

who wouldn’t want to be the next Lionel Messi? Wouandji was no

different to any other aspiring player, and he had talent – but one

day he woke up, aged just ten, and his world collapsed around him

when he realised he couldn’t see. It transpired that his retina had

become detached. “I thought my football days were over,” says

the Frenchman in the film, which can be watched in English,

Spanish, French or German. You can see how Wouandji picks

himself up: he learns Braille and studies music history – and starts

to play football again. Not the usual game, of course, but blind

football, with balls that make a sound as they roll, eye masks and

goal guides who stand behind the goal to orientate the players.

Scilly Isles The Woolpack Wanderers

(in yellow) only have one opponent: the

Garrison Gunners (in red). It’s the smallest football

league in the world.

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Mind you, the Wanderers have to contend with the red-clad

Garrison Gunners, who have ambitions of their own – and rightly

so: after all, they are the only other team in the league... Week in,

week out, year in, year out, both sides go through the same ritual:

train, play against each other, go home, tinker with tactics and

systems, accumulate points, check the transfer news, and play

each other again, until someone wins the league. “Boring it is

not,” says Hicks about the smallest league in the world. “Every

season is exciting. Some years it even comes down to goal

difference.” It may be a tiny league, but it’s a league all the same:

the two teams also contest an official cup competition, which

naturally enough consists of just the final, when everything is to

play for again.

THE FLOATING FOOTBALL PITCHOur third film relates the intriguing story of how the beautiful

game came to be played in Koh Panyee, a tiny fishing village in

southern Thailand. It all started in 1986, when Prasit Hemmin and

his friends had an idea: to construct a pitch made out of wood –

a somewhat madcap plan given that the village of 1,500 inhabit-

ants where the children grew up is built on stilts. There is water

wherever you look. “Impossible?” asks Hemmin with a twinkle

in his eye. “I wouldn’t say that.” Inspired by Diego Maradona

and his 1986 World Cup-winning side, the lads were not to be

deterred: they gathered bits of wood from the neighbourhood

and sawed, nailed down, sanded and finished them until they

had their own pitch.

South Thai idyll A short film tells the story of the floating football pitch in the fishing village of Koh Panyee.

The film ends with an impressive still, taken 30 years later, showing

a huge modern raft that gently sways on the water next to some

fishing boats. Some girls and boys, maybe Hemmin’s own kids,

chase a ball around the “pitch”. A happy ending that impresses the

group from Scotland, whose mood is now one of quiet reverence

as they discreetly take photos.

“The plan in 1986 to build a football pitch out of wood was a rather madcap one. The fishing village is built on stilts.”

45FIFA 1904 /

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The FFA Cup The Australian FA’s cup competition has a rich heritage and was won in 2014 by Adelaide United.

FA CUPS

46 / FIFA 1904

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THE MAGIC OF THE CUP

so Boskovic asked Australian FA president

Ian McAndrew to decide how to proceed.

The latter then conferred with both club

chairmen and the three men agreed

that each team would take a maximum of

15 penalties, and if that failed to produce

a result, the match would be replayed.

The replay subsequently took place under

floodlights three days later and Hakoah

secured the trophy, winning 2-1. Today,

the competition is called the FFA Cup, the

current holders of which are Melbourne

City, who beat Sydney FC 1-0 in November

2016 in a duel between the country’s top

two clubs.

MAIDEN CUP VICTORYDramatic cup finals continue to provide

a welcome diversion to many a league

season, such as the thrilling climax to the

2016 Women’s Knockout Cup in New

Zealand, when Forrest Hill Milford overcame

Glenfield Rovers 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out.

It was a battle of nerves, and the first time

that Forrest Hill had lifted the trophy.

In June 2016, the final of the Uganda Cup

pitched Vipers SC against Onduparaka FC

in a packed Nakivubo Stadium in the

capital, Kampala. Both teams put out

attacking formations with speedy players,

Could you call Australia a footballing

nation? You most certainly could, even

though after four qualifications for the

World Cup without making much of an

impression, winning football’s ultimate

global prize looks as far off as ever for the

Socceroos. However, the team won the

AFC Asian Cup for the first time in 2015,

and the country also has a cup competi-

tion with a long and colourful history.

The original Australia Cup was launched

in 1962, when former BSK Belgrade striker

Tiko Jelisavčić netted four times in the

final for Yugal against St George Budapest

(8-1). Jelisavčić also led Australia in their

first-ever World Cup qualifying campaign

in 1965 as coach.

The first final to feature a showdown

between the two metropolises of Sydney

and Melbourne occurred in 1964, when

Sydney’s APIA Leichhardt Tigers succumbed

to Melbourne’s Sunshine George Cross,

but it wasn’t until the following year that

a classic cup showdown took place, with

Sydney clubs Hakoah and APIA giving no

quarter during a nail-biting final and the

match going to penalties with the score

at 1-1 at the end of extra time. With the

score level after each side had taken ten

spot kicks, referee Tony Boskovic – who

would later become the first Australian to

officiate at a World Cup – ordered the

teams to take another series of five penal-

ties each. However, the players wanted to

leave the pitch and share the prize money,

FIFA’s member associations want their national teams to be successful, but they also stage cup competitions for clubs like the FA Cup in England or the Uganda Cup, many matches of which have gone down in football folklore.By Perikles Monioudis

First FA Cup winners Wanderers over-came Royal Engineers 1-0 in 1872 to win the first edition of the FA Cup (the photo here from 1863 is the only one of the team, when it was known as Forest FC).

47FIFA 1904 /

PD

who had to cope with a bumpy pitch. The

fans’ fervour seemed to be transmitted to

the teams on this special occasion, this

of course being the biggest cup match of

the year in Uganda. The Vipers ran out 3-1

winners, securing the trophy for the first

time in their history in the 42nd edition

of the tournament. The victory entitled

them to represent Uganda in the CAF

Confederation Cup, albeit not in the CAF

Champions League. However, although it

may only be the second most important

FA CUPS

“No other sport can match the cup competitions of FIFA’s member associations for giant-killing opportunities.”

football competition in the country,

the Uganda Cup does play an integrative

role as teams from the five divisions can

take part in the annual tournament, i.e.

all registered clubs. After the final, young

striker Muhammad Shaban – who failed

to score for up-and-coming Onduparaka

in the match but was the top scorer in

the tournament – spoke with the confi-

dence of youth when he said: “It just

wasn’t our day today. I hope we pull it off

next time.”

INCLUSION AND REPETITIONIt would seem then that in Uganda, they

are as much “up for the cup” as anywhere

else in the world. Its inclusive character not

only helps the tournament itself: it reminds

every player that regardless of the gap

between big and small, between pros and

amateurs, all are united in their love of

the game. The cup is a great leveller, and

the chance of a David and Goliath upset

never fails to whet the appetite. Underdogs

versus top dogs: no other sport can match

the cup competitions of FIFA’s member

associations for giant-killing opportunities.

And if the little guys don’t manage to turn

over their illustrious counterparts this time

around, there’s always next year. The

national cup is alive and well: as they say,

if it didn’t exist, we would have to invent it.

The Korea Republic FA (KFA) sums it up

thus: “The Korean FA Cup is Korea’s

biggest football tournament as entry is

open to all professional and amateur clubs

in the country. It gives smaller amateur

and semi-professional clubs from the lower

Pure joy Melbourne City’s Tim Cahill celebrates with the cup after his team beat Sydney FC in the final (Melbourne, 30 November 2016).

48 / FIFA 1904

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leagues a chance to show what they can

do.” Dating back 90 years, the competition

has nevertheless only been open to all

clubs since 1996, taking in works and local

amateur teams following preliminary

rounds in 2003. It has already achieved

legendary status thanks to major upsets

such as the march of Daejeon Citizen from

the wrong end of the K-League table all

the way to victory in the 2001 final and

the achievement of semi-pro club Ulsan

Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in reaching the

2005 final. In 2004, amateur club JEI

Education managed to reach the round of

16. In addition to securing the trophy,

medals and prize money, the winners of

the Korean FA Cup automatically qualify

for the AFC Champions League.

PAST AND PRESENTWhere was the first-ever cup tournament

held? Here, one can say without fear of

contradiction that England is the location

of the oldest knockout tournament in

the world. The Football Association (FA)

was founded in 1863 and published the

first Laws of the Game in the same year.

In 1871, FA Secretary C.W. Alcock

proposed “that a Challenge Cup should

be established in connection with the

Association for which all clubs belonging

to the Association should be invited to

compete”. This led to the inaugural

FA Cup kicking off in November 1871

with 15 teams (one having withdrawn)

on a knockout basis. London-based

Wanderers – who had “Prince of

Dribbling” Robert Walpole Sealy Vidal in

their ranks – prevailed in the final against

the favourites Royal Engineers at

Kennington Oval in London in front of

2,000 spectators on 16 March 1872,

thus winning the first cup competition to

be organised by a football association

anywhere in the world. The two teams

met again at the same venue 140 years

later on 7 November 2012: this time,

Wanderers lost 7-1.

Four-time winners Suwon Samsung Bluewings won the Korean FA Cup for the fourth time in 2016 by beating FC Seoul after a penalty shoot-out.

First-time winners (II) The women of Forrest Hill Milford are cock-a-hoop after their 2016 cup triumph over Glenfield Rovers (4-3 on penalties).

First-time winners (I) Vipers SC won the Uganda Cup in 2016 (3-1 v. Onduparaka FC).

49FIFA 1904 /

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50 / FIFA 1904

Finally back on terra firma! The Belgian squad stretch their legs on a Montevideo beach after three weeks at sea en route to the inaugural FIFA World Cup in Uruguay in 1930.

51FIFA 1904 /

Popperfoto / Getty Images

STATISTICS

IN 1998, LEGENDARY GOALKEEPER

LEV YASHIN WAS NAMED IN FIFA’S

WORLD TEAM OF THE 20TH CENTURY.

THE ORIGINS OF

FOOTBALL IN RUSSIA

DATE BACK TO THE EARLY

20TH CENTURY,

WHEN BRITISH FACTORY

WORKERS INTRODUCED

THE SPORT TO THE

COUNTRY.

FOOTBALL

IN RUSSIA

52 / FIFA 1904

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THE SOVIET UNION FOOTBALL TEAM WAS FORMED IN 1923, ALTHOUGH ITS FIRST SIGNIFICANT FORAY INTO

THE INTERNATIONAL ARENA DID NOT TAKE PLACE UNTIL THE 1952 OLYMPIC GAMES. AFTER WINNING

THE OLYMPIC FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT IN 1956, THE SOVIETS QUALIFIED FOR THEIR FIRST WORLD CUP

IN SWEDEN TWO YEARS LATER.

RUSSIA IS THE LARGEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD BY SURFACE

AREA AND HAS A POPULATION OF OVER 140 MILLION,

MORE THAN HALF OF WHOM ARE EITHER FOOTBALL FANS OR AT LEAST FOLLOW

THE GAME ON A CASUAL BASIS.

IN 2014, THE “LEATHER BALL” NATIONAL YOUTH TOURNAMENT,

WHICH FEATURES 40,000 TEAMS AND 600,000 PLAYERS,

CELEBRATED ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY.

THE SOVIET UNION WON THE 1960 EURO BY BEATING YUGOSLAVIA 2-1 IN THE FINAL VIKTOR PONEDELNIK SCORING THE DECISIVE GOAL.

53FIFA 1904 /

HISTORY

A CUP WITH HISTORYThe history of the FIFA Confederations Cup is one of star names and memorable matches. Here, we look back at four-time champions Brazil, the unforgettable 2003 final, and the tournament’s all-time leading goalscorer, Cuauhtémoc Blanco. By Annette Braun, Alan Schweingruber and Perikles Monioudis

A sea of yellow, green and blue Brazil celebra-ting the team’s 3-2 win in the 2009 final.

54 / FIFA 1904

BRAZIL: THE UNDISPUTED NUMBER ONESIt is probably fair to say that Brazil’s most recent

triumph at the FIFA Confederations Cup was also

their biggest yet – a surprisingly comfortable 3-0

stroll past then-world champions Spain on 30 June

2013. Nearly everything the Seleção tried that day

came off in front of a capacity Maracanã crowd that

was a sea of yellow, green and blue. Neymar, just

21 and already the new darling of Brazilian football,

bagged his third goal of the tournament, his strike

sandwiched by two more from Fred, the first while

lying on the ground. And when Spain briefly saw

a chance to draw level at 1-1, in slid David Luiz

to miraculously shin the ball off the line from right

under the bar.

There can be no doubt that the South Americans are

the undisputed number ones when it comes to win-

ning tournaments. The FIFA Confederations Cup – in

its current format – first saw the light of day in 1997,

and Brazil have since won four of the seven titles

including the last three, which means that they are

the only team to have lifted this trophy since 2005.

That said – and it may of course simply be down to

bad luck – Brazil have never gone on to win the World

Cup the year after winning the Confederations Cup.

This time round, it is Chile’s turn to represent South

America after winning the Copa América, leaving

Brazil to prepare themselves for their last four qualify-

ing matches for Russia 2018. That is something they

will no doubt relish, given that they booked their

ticket back in March 2017 under the guidance of new

coach Tite, which all augurs rather well for their

chances at world football’s biggest event next year.

2003 FINAL: JOY AND GRIEFShould they even play the FIFA Confederations Cup

final? Back in the summer of 2003, that was the

question being asked of France’s players, and par-

ticularly those from Cameroon, in the wake of the

tragic passing of Cameroon midfielder Marc-Vivien

Foé, who had suffered heart failure during his side’s

semi-final with Colombia just four days earlier. In the

end, the players decided to play the final, encour-

aged to do so by Foé’s widow, Marie-Louise.

Finals are always emotional affairs as they are all

about the thin line that separates glory and despair,

about who lifts the trophy, and about who gets the

clammy, celebratory handshakes. The final of the

FIFA Confederations Cup 2003, however, took the

emotional aspect to an entirely new level.

The two teams walked onto the pitch at Paris’

Stade de France carrying a giant picture of the late

Foé. They were still locked together at 0-0 after

90 minutes, and when Thierry Henry scored the

only goal of the game seven minutes into extra time,

it proved to be not only football’s very last golden

goal but also the strike that sealed France’s second

consecutive Confederations Cup title following their

triumph in 2001.

This time, however, captain Marcel Desailly did not

lift the trophy on his own as he asked Cameroon

skipper Rigobert Song to join him. Together, the two

men clutched the trophy in what is still an unforget-

table image of joy and grief intertwined. It was a

night in which the football community showed its

power to pull together under quite extraordinary and

trying circumstances.

55FIFA 1904 /

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Goal-getter Cuauhtémoc Blanco bagged six goals in the 1999 edition – including one against Brazil in the final (4-3 to Mexico).

CUAUHTÉMOC BLANCOALL-TIME LEADING GOALSCORER

He will always be known for his crazy dribbles,

daring shots and incredible goals. His game was

based on vision and imagination, and he could do

anything with the ball at his feet. We are talking, of

course, about none other than Cuauhtémoc! Time

and time again over the course of his career – which

included no fewer than 120 caps for El Tri – the

Mexican maestro showed the world just how gifted

his right foot was, often leaving reporters from his

homeland speechless after scoring yet another

crucial goal for Club América or the national team.

Blanco scored three goals at his first FIFA Confeder-

ations Cup in Saudi Arabia in 1997, including one

against eventual champions Brazil, before doubling

his haul two years later with six strikes on home soil.

Nine goals in total – which means that Blanco still

tops the Confederations Cup goalscoring charts

alongside a certain Ronaldinho.

The two great men came face to face in the 1999

final after Blanco fired the Mexicans past the USA

with the only goal of their semi-final. The clash

in front of 110,000 fans at the Estadio Azteca in

Mexico City turned out to be an end-to-end,

goal-laden affair. Blanco shone again by giving his

side a healthy 4-2 lead, and although Brazil clawed

another goal back, it was all in vain as Mexico

claimed their first – and to date only – Confeder-

ations Cup title.

Blanco will not feature in the Mexicans’ squad for

Russia 2017 after retiring from international duty

in 2014 with 39 goals to his name. Which simply

begs the question: who can step into his shoes?

56 / FIFA 1904

AFP

31.05.2017 © FIFA

Russ

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US)

New

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land

(NZL

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Mex

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Saturday17 June

Monday19 June

Wednesday21 June

Friday23 June

Sunday25 June

Tuesday27 June

Thursday29 June

Saturday1 July

Sunday18 June

Tuesday20 June

Thursday22 June

Monday 26 June

Wednesday28 June

Friday30 June

Sunday2 July

Saturday24 June

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Subject to Change. W = Winner, L = Loser

1218:00

CHI

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0518:00

RUS

v. POR

0821:00

GER v. CHI

1321

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WA v. RB

1515:00

L13 v. L14

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0418:00

AUS

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MEX v. NZL

1421:00

WB v. RA

1118:00

GER v.

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0218:00

POR

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CMR

v. AUS

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NZL v. POR

1621:00

W13 v.

W14

0118:00

RUS

v. NZL

0321:00

CMR

v. CHI

Russia 2017 Match schedule for the Confed­erations Cup (17 June – 2 July)

57FIFA 1904 /

FIFA

FIFA MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS

NEW CHALLENGE FOR BAUZA

The United Arab

Emirates have

appointed Argentin-

ian Edgardo Bauza (above) as

the new coach of their nation-

al side as they pursue a place

at their first FIFA World Cup

in almost 30 years. Replacing

the outgoing Mahdi Ali, who

resigned in March following a

2-0 defeat to Australia, Bauza

arrives having recently parted

company with his native

Argentina. With three games

remaining, the Gulf side hope

the South American will be

able to inspire a late revival to

keep their dreams of reaching

Russia 2018 alive, having not

appeared at the global show-

piece since Italia ‘90.

THAILAND APPOINT RAJEVAC AS COACH

VAR FOR AUSTRALIA’S A-LEAGUE

NEW LEAGUE AND PRESIDENT FOR CANADA SOCCER

WOMEN’S FOOT-BALL ON THE RISE

Serbian Milovan

Rajevac has been

named as the

new head coach

of Thailand. The 63-year-old’s

arrival comes after previous

incumbent Kiatisuk Sen-

amuang resigned in March.

Rajevac has some impressive

World Cup experience under

his belt, having led Ghana

to within a shoot-out of

the South Africa 2010 semi-

finals. Since heading up the

Black Stars, he has had a brief

spell in charge of the Qatar

national team and a stint

leading Algeria on either side

of five years as an instructor

and lecturer with the Football

Association of Serbia.

Australia’s A-League

recently made history

by becoming the first

domestic competition in the

world to trial the new video

assistant referee (VAR) system.

In a ground-breaking move,

the technology was in place

for Melbourne City’s 1-0 win

over Adelaide United at the

beginning of April, but was

not called upon. The VAR

system can be used to help

officials review incidents

relating to goals, penalties, red

cards and cases of mistaken

identity. It had previously been

trialled during March’s interna-

tional friendly between Spain

and France, as well as in

France’s 3-1 win over Italy last

September.

Canada Soccer has

achieved a major

milestone with its

members’ approval of the

Canadian Premier League.

The unanimous endorsement

encourages Canada Soccer

to further grow the game

in the country through a

professional league that

is fully aligned with the

national teams’ programme.

The 2017 annual meeting

also saw the election of

Steve Reed as Canada Soc-

cer’s 34th President. Reed will

now serve the remaining

three years of Victor Mon-

tagliani’s four-year term,

who has left the post after

being elected as President of

CONCACAF.

Mexican football

is entering a new

era. The inaugural

season of the country’s

new professional women’s

league will get underway

in September and, as an

appetiser and dress rehearsal

ahead of the big kick-off,

a total of 12 clubs recently

contested a cup competition,

the Copa de la Liga MX

Femenil, at the headquarters

of the Mexican Football

Association (FMF), with

Pachuca cruising to a

9-1 victory over Tijuana on

6 May to seal the title.

58 / FIFA 1904

AFP

DUDAMEL SIGNS NEW CONTRACT

VAN GENEUGDEN NAMED MALAWI COACH

BAFANA BAFANA RE-APPOINT BAXTER

BRAZILIAN FOOT-BALL CONFERENCE

MAALOUL NAMED TUNISIA COACH ALCARAZ

APPOINTED NEW ALGERIA COACH

Rafael Dudamel, the

coach of the Venezue-

lan national team, has

renewed his contract and will

now be responsible for La

Vinotinto and the U-20 team

until 2022. Last year, Dudamel

took the senior team to the

quarter-finals of the Copa

América, and in early 2017, the

U-20 squad qualified for the

World Cup in Korea Republic.

Ronny Van

Geneugden has

been named as

Malawi coach on a two-year

deal. Originally, the Football

Association of Malawi (FAM)

had unveiled Gerald Phiri but

the Malawian will now act as

an assistant to the 48-year

old Belgian. Van Geneugden

celebrated his biggest success

with Belgium’s Oud-Heverlee

Leuven in 2010-2011, leading

The South African

Football Associa-

tion (SAFA) have

appointed Stuart Baxter

(below) as the new coach of

their national team. The

63-year-old returns for a

second spell in charge of

Bafana Bafana, having previ-

ously led the side during

African zone qualifying for

the 2006 FIFA World Cup

Germany™. Baxter has

replaced Ephraim “Shakes”

Mashaba, who was dismissed

back in December. Baxter

will take over once he has

completed his current duties

as coach of SuperSport United

after SAFA reached an agree-

ment with the South African

club to acquire the services of

the former Finland coach.

The Brazilian FA recent-

ly hosted a series of

conferences entitled

“We Are Football: the Second

Brazilian Football Development

Week”. Brazil coach Tite,

Argentinian coach Marcelo

Bielsa, Italian coach Fabio

Capello, and Emily Shaw, Head

of Governance and Leadership,

in FIFA’s Women’s Football

Division discussed the status

of women in the game, paying

special attention to the

important role that national

associations play in the

consolidation and growth of

domestic leagues.

The Tunisian FA

have appointed

former national-team

midfielder Nabil Maaloul as

their new head coach. The

54-year-old returns after a

short six-month spell in 2013

during the 2014 FIFA World

Cup Brazil™ qualifiers. A

former coach of the Kuwait

national team, Maaloul will

Algeria have appointed

Lucas Alcaraz (above)

as their new coach

following the resignation of

Georges Leekens in February.

The Spaniard, a former coach

of Granada, is the fourth

permanent coach to have

taken charge in 13 months.

Christian Gourcuff, who had

been in the role since Vahid

Halilhodžić stepped down

following Brazil 2014, resigned

in March 2016. Milovan Raje-

vac then took control for two

games before Leekens stepped

in, but the Belgian called time

on his reign after Algeria’s

group-stage exit at the CAF

Africa Cup of Nations. Alcaraz

will take over with the Desert

Foxes languishing at the

bottom of their Russia 2018

qualifying group, having

picked up just one point from

their opening two fixtures.

be tasked with trying to guide

Tunisia to the World Cup in

Russia. Tunisia are currently

joint-top of Group A with

Congo DR after two matches

in round 3 of Africa’s Russia

2018 qualifiers. Maaloul and

the Eagles of Carthage will

host Congo DR on 28 August

in a crucial top-of-the-table

clash. Each of the five African

group winners will book a

place at next summer’s

World Cup.

them to the second-division

title and promotion to the

top flight for the 2011-2012

season.

59FIFA 1904 /

AFP

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TECHNICAL DIRECTORS COURSE IN NZ

ADVOCAAT BACK IN CHARGE OF ORANJE

SUCCESSFUL “FOR ALL” INITIATIVE

NEW SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY DEPARTMENT IN PORTUGAL

PE TEACHERS RECEIVE FOOTBALL EDUCATION

RAISING PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS

Technical directors

from across

Oceania recently gathered in

Auckland to upskill and collab-

orate at a FIFA MA Technical

Directors Course in a bid to

continue raising the standard

of football in Oceania. With

the introduction of FIFA’s

new Forward development

programme, the position of

member association technical

director has become more

important than ever for the

analysis, planning, implemen-

tation and monitoring of

football projects. The week-

long course aimed to update

participants on Forward, build

a better understanding of the

role and expectations of a

technical director, and provide

tools and processes to en-

hance their work.

Dick Advocaat

(below) has been

named as the coach

of the Netherlands

for a third time, with Oranje

legend Ruud Gullit confirmed

as his assistant. Advocaat, 70,

succeeds Danny Blind, who

was sacked in March in the

aftermath of a 2-0 defeat in

Bulgaria that left the Dutch

fourth in their FIFA World

Cup™ qualifying group.

Advocaat is a vastly experi-

enced coach who has won

titles in Russia, Scotland and

his native Netherlands and has

Football is open to

everyone – and The

Football Association

(FA) in England is determined

to raise awareness that anyone

can take part in and experi-

ence the joys of the game. As

part of this drive, The FA’s

far-reaching “For All” cam-

paign is enjoying considerable

success. The FA runs initiatives

to encourage all types of

player as well as new coaches,

referees and volunteers.

Among the series of ongoing

initiatives, the Girls’ Football

Week is just one example

to get more girls involved in

the game.

The Association

of Football

Federations of

Azerbaijan

(AFFA) is running a project

aimed at strengthening

the football knowledge of

secondary school PE teachers.

Teachers from schools in

Baku, Gusar, Shaki, Ismayilli,

Lankaran and Ganja recently

attended a seminar, which

was organised as part of the

special project supported by

the AFFA and the Azerbaijani

ministry of education. The

main aims of the project are

to promote a healthy lifestyle

among pupils, to further

physical education teachers’

professional development

by improving their football-

specific knowledge and

experience, to improve pupils’

knowledge of the sport

(e.g. of the Laws of the Game),

to promote fair play and to

identify talented children.

According to its

strategic plan for

2015-2020, one

of the objectives of the Roma-

nian Football Association (FRF)

is to bring about a lasting

improvement in the organisa-

tional performance of its

members, in particular by

enhancing the professional

skills of their staff. To that end,

the FRF has concluded a

partnership agreement with

the Bucharest Academy for

Economic Studies to organise

various educational pro-

grammes. Ad hoc and regular

courses are to be organised for

club executives, press officers,

safety and security officers,

team managers and other club

officials. In addition, a master’s

in sports management is due

to be launched in 2018. This

programme will be aimed at

club executives, sports federa-

tion managers, government

representatives, etc. and will

be expanded across Europe in

the near future.

coached several other national

teams. He has also held this

position on two previous

occasions (1992-1994 and

2002-2004). After agreeing to

take charge for a third time,

he will leave Turkish giants

Fenerbahçe at the end of the

2016-2017 season. Gullit,

meanwhile, is an all-time

Oranje great, one of the

heroes of the team’s 1988

UEFA European Championship

triumph and a player who won

the last of his 66 senior caps

under Advocaat.

The Portuguese FA

is intensifying its social

responsibility work by

creating a new public relations

and social responsibility depart-

ment. One of the first initia-

tives of this new department

was to team up with the

Portuguese professional

players’ union and the Portu-

guese referees’ association in a

campaign to promote respect

across the game under the

slogan “On the pitch we all

play the same game”.

61FIFA 1904 /

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CELEBRATION

CARLOS VALDERRAMAWhen this photograph was sent via the press

agencies on the evening of 22 June 1998, the

response from newspaper editors was instant:

print! It depicted the wild celebrations that

followed the only goal of the World Cup group

match between Colombia and Tunisia in Mont-

pellier, which was scored by Columbia’s Léider

Preciado in the 82nd minute, sending the team’s

yellow-and-blue-clad fans into a frenzy.

This unanimous acceptance by sports newspapers

of a shot that didn’t even show a face, let alone

a ball, was highly unusual: a ball depicts action

while a face conveys emotion, and as such, both

are staples of football photographs, but then

again, it could be argued that hair does both.

Or maybe not, as the case may be.

Carlos Valderrama, featured left, is generally

acknowledged to be the best footballer that

Colombia has ever produced. His darting runs

and outstanding technique inspired the national

team to qualify for three World Cups, but it is also

fair to say that he was equally known around the

world for his voluminous locks, which always

seemed to have a mind of their own come rain

or shine, flying up at all angles whenever their

owner released a perfect through-ball or found

the back of the net with a deft flick of his boot.

Thankfully, there is no manual for goal celebra-

tions. Some players have a well-rehearsed routine

that is guaranteed to catch the eye, while others

are more modest – rather like Preciado, seen here

with his shirt over his head after scoring the

winning goal, or even Valderrama, in whose mane

he buried his face. After all, there was no lack of

room in there.

Alan Schweingruber

62 / FIFA 1904

63FIFA 1904 /

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PUBLICATION DETAILS

Home of FIFA, Zurich

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Phone +41 (0)43 222 7777, fax +41 (0)43 222 7878

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CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER Fabrice Jouhaud

HEAD OF DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS Rüdiger Müller

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ART DIRECTION Catharina Clajus

PICTURE EDITOR Peggy Knotz

LAYOUT Susanne Egli

TRANSLATION AND PROOFREADING English: Timo Eugster,

Andrew Hurley, Stuart Makin, Caitlin Stephens; French: Alexandre

Adriano, Alexandre Hubert, Alexandre Károlyi, Nicolas Samier,

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Juan F. López Vera, Natalia Pita Álvarez; German: Sandra Locher,

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PRODUCTION Philipp Mahrer / Hans-Peter Frei

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Reproduction of photographs and articles of FIFA 1904 in whole or

in part is only permitted with prior editorial approval and with

reference to the source (FIFA 1904, © FIFA 2017).

The editor and staff are not obliged to publish unsolicited manu-

scripts and photographs. The views expressed in FIFA 1904 are not

necessarily those of FIFA.

FIFA and the FIFA logo are registered trademarks.

Made and printed in Switzerland.

FIFA 1904 – PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE FÉDÉRATION INTERNATIONALE DE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION (FIFA)

64 / FIFA 1904

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