Innehållsförteckning för May 2018 från FourFourTwo UK

My first World Cup was Italia 90 and my abiding memories of it are a hotchpotch of randomness: Cameroon’s Benjamin Massing trying to kill Claudio Caniggia in the opening match (and losing a boot in the process); Ciao – the rubbish tricolour stick-figure mascot; Pavarotti bellowing beautifully over a montage of some truly awful matches. And of course there was England, with Gazza’s tears, David Platt’s volley and Chris Waddle’s mullet and miss. It was around this time that I bought my first Panini World Cup sticker book, inspired by England’s run to the semi-finals. And that’s why we kick off the first of three World Cup issues with a load of iconic footballers and stickers. As you will have noticed, this issue is bagged with the official Russia 2018…

“I’M A BIT LIKE A FORMULA ONE CAR - IF THERE’S ONE LITTLE SCREW THAT’S NOT SO GOOD, MY MOTOR WILL BLOW UP” CLUBS 2000-02 Groningen 2002-04 PSV 2004-07 Chelsea 2007-09 Real Madrid 2009- Bayern Munich COUNTRY 2003-17 Netherlands WHY DIDN’T HE MOVE TO MANCHESTER UNITED? WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PEP AND JOSE? IS HIS RIGHT LEG REALLY ‘MADE OF CHOCOLATE’? It’s the day after Arjen Robben’s 34th birthday, but there’s no sign of the Dutchman taking it easy as he walks briskly towards FourFourTwo like he’s bearing down on a terrified Bundesliga full-back. Fortunately for us, Robben resists the temptation to drop a shoulder and cut inside using his trademark move, opting instead to shake our hand before posing for the camera. During his 18…

“THE 2005 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL WAS A LESSON OF FAITH, COURAGE AND NEVER GIVING UP - IT MADE US ALL IMMORTAL” Feyenoord 2 Juventus 0 November 26, 1997 Champions League “I’d just started my Feyenoord career so didn’t have much experience, and we’d lost 5-1 away against a great Juventus team including Zinedine Zidane. No one gave us a chance but I redeemed myself in Rotterdam, making a few saves, and we won. It was a sign of great things to come for me in the Champions League.” France 1 Poland 0 February 23, 2000 Friendly “One of my first games for Poland. We played the world champions, but only lost unluckily at the end from Zidane’s free-kick and a ricochet. I had a good game and Arsene Wenger came…

Hull City midfielder Jackson Irvine is expected to make his World Cup finals debut for Australia on June 16 – and a relative is making an epic journey to see him in action. Russia is a pretty long way from Oz, so Irvine’s cousin, Frazer McKinlay, is setting off already: flying to Tokyo with pals Bill Francis and Rory Pogson before cycling almost the entire 4,250 miles to Kazan for the Socceroos’ opener against France. It’s due to take two and a half months. “We are all a bit nervous as we’ve never done a trip of this scale before, but we’re going to play football matches with locals along the way,” says Francis. After a ferry from Osaka to Shanghai, they will cycle for 10 weeks. The journey will…

We’ve all probably said something to a referee we regret – but for Sanchez Watt, just giving his name was enough to earn a red card. The ex-Arsenal frontman was in action for Hemel Hempstead when referee Dean Hulme attempted to book him for kicking the ball away. “It was just mad,” Watt laughs as he talks to FFT. “The ball went out of play for a corner, but the ref gave a goal-kick. As the ball came to me, I just touched it a bit. “He came sprinting over towards me and asked for my name, so I replied, ‘Watt’. I started to jog back into position and he asked me again, so I told him. He then shouted, ‘I’ll ask you one more time’, and that’s when he…

FOCUS ON BOSSES There must be more investment in young coaches, as we have few coming through after Eddie Howe. Alan McKeown IT’S ALL POLITICAL Your Beitar Jerusalem vs Bnei Sakhnin article [FFT 286] highlighed how, in reality, football is more than just a simple game. Katherine Batista THE NEW SAINT How will Stoke feel if Mark Hughes keeps Southampton up at their expense? They should have kept him. Graham McGinn A GERMAN GREAT Can I just say how I’m enjoying the column by legend Lothar Matthaus. I like the Action Replay articles in FFT as well. Colin Wickham HUGHTON HEROICS The job Chris Hughton has done at Brighton’s been amazing, as they were bound for League One when he arrived. Emma Sandman…

vividly remember waking up in my hotel room and realising I was surrounded by lots of players and our team doctor, Lidio Toledo. They wouldn’t tell me what was happening or why they were there. I asked them to go and have their discussions somewhere else. I just wanted to go back to sleep. Instead, I was taken for a walk through the gardens of the hotel. I was told I had been unconscious for two minutes, and for that reason wouldn’t play in the World Cup final against France that night. I wouldn’t accept it. I had a duty to my nation and didn’t want to let anybody down. I thought I could still help the team, so didn’t give the coach any option. I had to play in…

HOW DID WE DO IT? Here at FFT we have always championed you, the fans. That’s why we give you a voice when it comes to picking the best players in the Football League. We’ve polled supporters of every Football League club, from League Two relegation-scrappers to Championship title-challengers, to scientifically (ish) identify the 50 men most deserving of a place in our annual list. You selected your top five players in your club’s division based on their performances during 2017-18. Points were then allocated according to each supporter’s vote – five points for 1st, down to one point for 5th – which gave us the completed list. Enjoy the Top 50, and tell us why you agree or, more likely, disagree with it on Twitter...…

EEL-Y DOES IT Heiner Stuhlfauth, who played 606 games for Nuremberg from 1916 to 1933, first enjoyed the benefit of gloves, made out of wool, in wet conditions. “I knew you can’t hold an eel with bare hands,” he later said. “You grip him using a piece of cloth.” FASHION VICTIM When not puffing on one of his 65 cigarettes a day, legendary Catalan keeper Ricardo Zamora (above right) wore mitts along with a V-neck jumper and black turtleneck. The stopper sported them in 1931 against England. Spain lost 7-1... MAN IN BLACK The only goalkeeper to win the Ballon d’Or, Lev Yashin matched black leather gloves to his shirt for a stylish look. Legend has it the Black Panther handed a pair to Yugoslavia’s Peta Radenkovic after the Soviet…

“A lot of people think Pep must ask extraordinary things of players, but he doesn’t – he wants to see the game played simply and fast” Which central midfielders did you admire when you were growing up? As a kid I played for a side called PSTC (Parana Soccer Technical Center) from Londrina, and in those days we didn’t have a professional team, just a youth team. So the primary objective of that club was to develop talented players. One of the main players who left and became successful was Kleberson. He won the 2002 World Cup and played for Manchester United, so he became an example for every young player at the club to follow. Back then, he was the guy that inspired me, and he was a big…

Ulisses Neto: FFT’s videographer found Ronaldo in the mood to bare his soul. “Hearing O Fenomeno’s story of redemption – from 1998 World Cup heartbreak and knee injury heartache to scoring the goals that won Brazil the 2002 World Cup – was inspirational.” Fernando Munoz: The Panini sticker aficionado let us loose on his World Cup archive. “I started in 1986, somehow getting Diego Maradona in a pack, but Italia 90 and our Colombian superstar Carlos Valderrama was the big one. I can’t wait to start on the 2018 edition!” Will Cornelius: The lensman snapped Arsenal’s Armenian ace in north London. “Four of us were trying to figure out how to spell Mkhitaryan. He walks in and says, ‘Most people just call me Micki’. He was an absolute gent…

1 ARMANI: FASHION KING Argentina Mendoza Goalkeeper Franco Armani got a special treat after a man-of-the-match display in River Plate’s Supercopa victory over bitter rivals Boca Juniors, a showdown played on neutral territory. Not only was Armani given a Burger King crown as part of the award’s new sponsorship deal, he even got to wear it live on television during a post-game interview. Next time he’s in danger of winning the honour, it might be worth letting in a last-minute goal, to save a bit of embarrassment.... 2 “THIS IS YOUR FAULT, PEP!” England London So exciting has been Manchester City’s football this season that they’re peeling fans off the ceiling – literally. One of their supporters got a little carried away when he boarded a Tube train ahead of…

Old Too Soon, Smart Too Late Kieron Dyer (Headline, £20) ooooo Throughout much of this unflinchingly honest account, Dyer appears bewildered by much of what life threw at him. The former Ipswich, Newcastle and West Ham midfielder was rarely in control of events: excesses off the pitch as well as underachievement on it epitomised the extravagant ‘baby Bentley’ generation of the Noughties. There was the raft of injury issues that ended his England career at just 28, the fight with Newcastle colleague Lee Bowyer, a £120k Ferrari crash and alcohol-fuelled nights out in London and Ayia Napa. Dyer admits that he was often surly as a player, but the attitude which irked a host of bosses was shaped – at least in part – by the sexual abuse he’d suffered…

“RUNNING FOR US SOCCER PRESIDENT? WHO KNOWS? I’VE DEDICATED MY LIFE TO HELPING AMERICAN SOCCER” You surprised everyone by resuming your career. Why did you decide to join Mexican outfit Leon? Because they reached out and expressed interest. I didn’t really have any desire to go back to it, but sometimes there’s an opportunity that is once in a lifetime, so I had to consider it. I’d followed the Mexican league for so many years and wanted to play there at some point. I took a few days, spoke to my wife and people at the club, and went for it. You’d retired in 2016. Had you ever considered returning before Leon’s interest? No, not at all. I was very happy at home with my family, but I always live…

@Paul_Gascoigne8 I’m so pleased with myself! I’ve just done a 23-piece jigsaw in three hours, as it says 3-5yrs on the box. @LuisSuarez9 The gable of The Stadthuys in Melaka is believed to be the oldest surviving Dutch structure in the East. Next to it stands the Christ Church, built in 1753, making it the oldest Protestant church in Malaysia. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. @PogbesqueV3 Son scored on Mother’s Day. Heung-Min Mom would be so proud. @thehuwdavies My one-year-old keeps shouting, “Baba!” at the television, no matter how many times I tell her that he’s on loan at Schalke. @benmendy23 I’m sorry but we are so good!…

JACK TAYLOR BARNET MIDFIELDER AGE 19 The teen playmaker made his Bees debut only last season, but he has already established himself as a vital figure at The Hive. LIAM LINDSAY BARNSLEY DEFENDER AGE 22 The 6ft 3in defender has stood out at Oakwell since moving south from Partick Thistle, after turning down an offer from Oxford. SAM GALLAGHER BIRMINGHAM FORWARD AGE 22 The striker has been the pick of the bunch in a tough season for the Blues, scoring half a dozen goals while on loan from Southampton. CURTIS TILT BLACKPOOL DEFENDER AGE 26 Curtis has risen from National League North to the third tier in no time – and manager Gary Bowyer says he will keep getting better. SAMMY AMEOBI BOLTON FORWARD AGE 25 Recruited over the summer…

Who? Top-class midfielder who cost Manchester United £1.5 million in 1989 after four years working under Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest. He returned to the City Ground in 1992 after lifting four trophies with the Red Devils. Webb played 26 times for England and scored four goals. Then what? He was forced to seek work despite earning £5,000 a week in his United days. “I knew there would have to be something else,” Webb once revealed. “There was no way I could afford not to work after 35.” Neil became a postman, reportedly earning as little as £220 a week. Is he ready to hang up his satchel now? Webb isn’t delivering parcels these days, maybe because he didn’t fancy the early wake-up calls. “You never get used to the…

At 8pm on a warm June evening in Mexico City, Brian Glanville of The Sunday Times and Gianni Melidoni, the football writer for Rome newspaper Il Messaggero, leave the Azteca Stadium. The year is 1970, and they’ve just filed their copy from what would soon be described as the “Game of the Century”. ALF RAMSEY WAS ASKED WHO WERE ITALY’S BEST FOUR PLAYERS. “RIVERA, RIVERA, RIVERA, RIVERA,” HE REPLIED Melidoni turns to Glanville, a look of exhausted disbelief still etched on his brow, and simply says: “Pallacanestro.” Basketball. The Italian scribe is alluding to the end-to-end madness of Italy vs West Germany, and more specifically extra time of a game that had swung both ways like no other at a World Cup. The Azzurri had eventually come out on top,…

Diamond Lights Hoddle and Waddle’s infamous 1987 ditty stormed Top of the Pops and delivered an epic sleeve photo shoot for the ages. Synth-pop heaven. All together now: “Darling, I love you!” East Germany kit – 1974 Living in a notorious Stasi state may have had its downsides, but the DDR’s shirt for their sole World Cup is pure kit porn. Rosettes Decades-old shots of crucial FA Cup ties are nothing without a humble, homemade rose in club colours. Someone please bring them back.…

Worst habit Using my smartphone too much Favourite film Gladiator Childhood hero Ayrton Senna (top) Dream dinner guest Denzel Washington Favourite sports F1, volleyball, basketball and American football Favourite band Revelacao Phone wallpaper A photo of me with my wife and kids If you could have a secret power… I’d end all of the hunger in the world Favourite TV show The news Signature dish Lasagne…

Carlos Carvalhal The Portuguese boss has worked wonders at Swansea and also delivered a series of delightful anecdotes. Woking Fans of the National League outfit raised £5,000 in three days for Damon Lathrope. Their midfielder was forced to retire at 28 following a leg break. Marcus McGuane The teenager became the first Englishman to play for Barcelona since Gary Lineker in 1989 with his cameo in the Catalan Super Cup against Espanyol. VAR Video technology has resulted in confusion rather than clarity in a host of FA Cup ties. Arsene Wenger Calls for the Gunners’ gaffer to go are louder than ever before. The 2-1 defeat at Brighton was Arsenal’s fourth consecutive loss in all competitions for the first time since 2002. Sunderland Chris Coleman hasn’t revived the Black Cats…

MIKE PHELAN Former Man United assistant Brilliant coaching insight and colourful anecdotes from Fergie’s former No.2 will take your game to the next level. Twitter: @Mike_Phelan_1 MIKE STAROPOLI Doctor of physical therapy If you’re looking to get fitter and sleep better, Dr Mike provides tips that aid performance and prevent injuries. Twitter: @MikeStaropoli RUBEN TABARES Elite trainer The former athlete trains sportsmen and actors all over the world – if he can’t get you in shape, no one can. Twitter: @rubentabares…

LEDLEY KING “I only got to play one full season with him at Spurs, as he had awful problems with his knee that cut his career short. He was a phenomenon. He’d hardly do any training during the week, spending most of the time in the fitness room or riding a bike. But on the Saturday he’d play like he’d trained for months. Ledley was a pretty quiet guy yet his on-field demeanour was massive. He had a big impact on the team. It’s such a shame he couldn’t stay fit – he was one of the finest defenders England has ever had.” GHEORGHE HAGI “We were team-mates at Galatasaray in 1996. I was on the bench when the US played Romania at the 1994 World Cup and Hagi caused…

Arsenal vs CSKA Moscow April 5 Europa League quarter-final first leg: can Wenger salvage his season and reputation? Man City vs Man United April 7 A game that’s been hyped for weeks. City fans see it as the chance to rub United’s noses in it Lincoln vs Shrewsbury April 8 Lincoln saved the Checkatrade Trophy final from controversy, beating Chelsea U21s in the semis Man City vs Liverpool April 10 Champions League quarter-final second leg: who’ll be the only English team in the semis? Aston Villa vs Cardiff April 10 Cardiff sit second in the Championship table – Villa must secure victory to chase them down Juventus vs Napoli April 22 The race for the Scudetto has been between these two heavyweights, and now they go head-to-head…

COMPARED TO: His predecessor at Roma, Mo Salah – he has also been labelled ‘the Turkish Dybala’. Will he be the next skilful left-footer to tear up Serie A? LINKED WITH: Spurs, Manchester United and Manchester City were all interested last summer. Under’s agent said City wanted to sign him and send him on loan to Freiburg, so he picked Roma instead. He is the latest project of Roma’s former Sevilla director Monchi, who played a crucial role in the careers of Dani Alves, Sergio Ramos and Ivan Rakitic. THE STORY SO FAR: Started out in Turkey’s second tier with Altinordu before a move to top-flight Istanbul Basaksehir, becoming a sensation as they won domestic title. Roma recruited him for €13.4m and, after early language problems, Under scored six goals…

Star earns his stripes Stars at the 2002 World Cup aged 20, scoring in USA’s last-16 win over Mexico. His performances earn him the tournament’s Best Young Player award. LA Galactico Bags the fourth of an incredible six career MLS Cups in 2011, as he nets the only goal for LA Galaxy in a 1-0 victory over Houston Dynamo. Great day for USA Grabs 91st-minute winner against Algeria to save the US from exiting 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Instead they bag top spot in the group for the time since 1930.…

YOUR WORLD CUP STARTS HERE IN THE FIRST MUNDIAL TO BE SHOWN LIVE, HIS GENIUS WAS BEAMED AROUND THE WORLD 1958 PELE “Pele is obviously infantile. He lacks the necessary fighting spirit.” That was Brazil team psychologist Joao Carvalhaes’ stark verdict on the 17-year-old striker who, averaging a goal a game in his first full season at Santos, had forced his way onto the fringe of the Selecao’s 1958 World Cup squad. The verdict must have shaken Pele who was, in his own words, just a “skinny little black boy”, rigorously applying boiling hot towels to his injured right knee as he struggled to get fit. All his hopes now rested on coach Vicente Feola. Would he dare defy the psychologist? Losing the 1950 World Cup on home soil to…

Bill Shankly probably didn’t know the effect he was going to have on Denis Law when he put Huddersfield Town’s teenage talent on a ‘steak and milk’ diet, hoping to beef up the Scot after giving him his first-team debut aged just 16. So began a lifetime’s love of the white stuff, in which Law – and Albert Quixall (left) – was drenched by the Manchester United squad ahead of the 1963 FA Cup Final. It worked: Denis scored in a 3-1 victory over Leicester. Bottoms up!…

New York World October 7, 1894 “Philadelphia, Oct 6 – The championship season of American League Professional Football opened here this afternoon on the Philadelphia baseball grounds, with a game between Philadelphia and New York’s clubs. The visitors won by a score of 5 to 0. Two halves of 45 minutes were played. After 40 minutes of play in the first half, Connolly of New York kicked the first goal. In the second half, the home players did not back each other up properly, and New York had little trouble in making four more. Gavin scored two and Lupton scored two. There was a good crowd present, and the liveliest interest was manifested. The New York XI showed excellent teamwork, and the coaching of their captain Trainor had a…

1 Darren Bent @jamie_velocity “Battle ropes are used by players as part of metabolic conditioning sessions, to increase caloric burn and maintain lean muscle,” says Hornby. 2 Jermain Defoe @iamjermaindefoe “Pilates boosts muscle elasticity and range of motion. Improving flexibility also aids injury prevention.” 3 Eden Hazard @chelseafc “He’s doing suspension training – it’s great for developing balance, strength and coordination using body weight and gravity as the resistance.” 4 Mesut Özil @shkodranmustafi “A half-kneeling single-arm press with a kettlebell is a superb move for unilateral upper body strength. It engages the core at the same time.” 5 Adrien Rabiot @psg “Single-leg deadlifts are ideal for hamstring and glute activation – add two dumbbells for deeper range.” 6 Renato Sanches @swansofficial “Side planks help to enhance core stability, which is…

1 Leg lower We’ve seen enough players crippled by chocolate hamstrings and don’t want you to be next. “This exercise mimics the running and striking motions that you produce over and over in games,” says Perryman. “One hip is flexed and the other is loose. You should also feel a nice abdominal contraction if you do it slowly.” 2 Romanian deadlift If you’ve got hips stiffer than a rusty car door, you won’t be able to change direction. “This is an excellent hip-hinge movement and will loosen the posterior chain – the muscles on the rear of your lower body. It’s great for improving balance and preparing you for single-leg moves in a match.” 3 Glute band squat Prepare leap ground and dominate the skies with this glute-burning routine. “Keep…