Innehållsförteckning för January 2020 från FourFourTwo UK

Well, we need a lie down. Good work, 2019: you were absolutely ridiculous. Historians will look back on the year with wild eyes as they pore over amazing winning streaks (Manchester City, 14 games), crazy comebacks (that’s you, Liverpool and Spurs) and the finest Twitter beef we ever did see. Coleen, we’re not worthy. So we’re here to celebrate all of that in this issue – kicking off with a return to this magazine of the FFT100: otherwise known as our 100 Best Footballers in the World list. We came, we saw, we argued in a room for ages – and these are the results. Elsewhere, we sat down with a host of heroes from the calendar year: queen of women’s football Megan Rapinoe discusses the USA’s World Cup victory…

01 Which club were the first to have a goal ruled out by VAR in the Premier League? 02 Which player was signed for the biggest fee in the calendar year of 2019? 03 Liverpool picked up their sixth this year, but which two clubs have lifted the European Cup or Champions League even more times? 04 In scoring after 7.69 seconds against Watford, which player posted a new record for the Premier League’s fastest-ever goal? 05 Rafa Benitez left Newcastle in the summer and became the coach of which Chinese club? 06 Which club are the reigning Copa del Rey holders after a surprise success in Seville? 07 Which former England manager turned down the opportunity to appear on this year’s edition of hit BBC show Strictly Come Dancing?…

BOOT SALE: INSIDE THE STRANGE AND SECRET WORLD OF FOOTBALL’S TRANSFER WINDOW Nige Tassell (Yellow Jersey Press, £9.99) Despite cheerleading from a hyperventilating Jim White, the transfer window has become progressively less frenzied since its introduction 17 years ago. With pre-deals being struck, deadline-day brow-mopping is largely now drama for the sake of drama. Tassell relates the transfer window’s history and politics assiduously even so, letting a rich cast of interviewees debate its value. His warm, informed portraits of players, agents, scouts, broadcasters and statisticians give a close insight into modern football. Sadly, Tassell doesn’t track down the fan who prodded a purple sex toy into the ear of Sky Sports deadline-day correspondent Alan Irwin at Everton’s training ground in 2014. But he does find Phil Jones. The IT engineer,…

What was the first football match you ever saw live? That’s a good question – it was a long time ago! I think it was Hartlepool at home to Workington in Division Four, in 1963. We won 3-1 and it was great. I thought it was always like that – then we won none of the next 20 games... Who was your childhood hero, and did you ever meet them? It was a centre-forward called Ernie Phythian, who played in the 1960s when Brian Clough was manager. We had struggled for years, but suddenly we found this bloke. He had a strike partner called Jimmy Mulvaney and they terrorised the Fourth Division. Ernie came from Bolton, and although I never got to meet him, a long time later he got…

100 NABIL FEKIR REAL BETIS France A few eyebrows were raised when the Lyon captain and World Cup winner joined Real Betis last summer for an initial €20m; the gifted playmaker had agreed a €60m move to Liverpool in 2018 before the Reds got cold feet, citing an underlying knee injury. No signs of trouble yet, however: he is already essential for Los Verdiblancos. 99 LAUTARO MARTINEZ INTER Argentina After a season spent adjusting to European football, Martinez – now Argentina’s first-choice frontman – is justifying the hype. The industrious 22-year-old scores and creates goals for Inter, and under Antonio Conte he has formed a fine partnership with Romelu Lukaku that’s already been dubbed ‘LuLa’ by the Italian press. 98 CIRO IMMOBILE LAZIO Italy Given his freakish scoring rate at…

“DON’T GET TOO CLOSE…” FourFourTwo is pitchside at Leicester City’s King Power Stadium, where moody darkness and a swirl of lifeless mist make today’s photo shoot a haunting one. But there’s nothing scary about our subject, whose early warning is supposedly for our benefit. “Rough-looking Irishman,” smiles Brendan Rodgers, while attempting to pull off a surprisingly tricky facial expression at our snapper’s behest; a peculiar side-on glance that even the pros struggle to get right. Apparently, he’s a natural. “Now let’s bring a bit of flair into these,” grins Rodgers. He’s getting into it. It’s bitterly cold, however, and we’re glad when the Leicester manager ushers us into the confines of a warm dressing room to dissect another remarkable year for man and club. There is plenty to discuss: although…

Santi Cazorla will never forget the moment he walked back into the Spain dressing room, following the hardest four years of his life. Some of the faces had changed, but some remained the same as they had always been. There to greet him again were his friends; his team-mates from happy days gone by: Sergio Ramos, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, Jesus Navas and more. Players he’d won European Championships with. Players he thought he’d never play with again. “I arrived and they said, ‘Hey, what are you doing here?!’” chuckles Cazorla as he recalls that day in June. “I just said, ‘I don’t know, my friends! It’s surprising, isn’t it?’” He’s still surprised as we chat today, inside the mini-stadium at Villarreal’s training base. It’s 20 degrees in November, but…

“In July 2017, Lewes became the world’s first football club to give its women and men’s teams the same budget. Two years on, average gates have gone up to 546 from 120, just shy of the men’s figure of 610. “The club is now 100 per cent community-owned, so we’re not looking to make a massive profit but to engage the local people instead. It’s no coincidence that attention around the place has increased dramatically. “Lewes offers its senior squads the same level of coaching and the same pitches. The female team’s coach, Fran Alonso, was the assistant to both Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman at Southampton. He’s so fired up by the way his home country, Spain, is embracing the women’s game; in March 2019, a record crowd of…

2010 THE GOOD While Inter secure a treble, Chelsea a double and Spain celebrate a first World Cup, there’s an unlikely feelgood story in the debut season of a rebranded Europa League (RIP UEFA Cup). Fulham begin their campaign in July and end it in May, playing 19 games against 10 teams from eight nations en route to the showpiece. Even a 2-1 defeat after extra time to Atletico Madrid can’t taint memories of the Cottagers’ epic journey. The highlight: a magical evening at Craven Cottage when, trailing Juventus 4-1 on aggregate, Roy Hodgson’s men recover to win 5-4 – with Clint Dempsey’s delightful chip sealing a phenomenal comeback. THE BAD The unnerving sense that football now belongs to besuited baddies becomes overwhelming. Portsmouth are the first-ever top-flight English club…

CLUBS 1997-2000 America Mineiro 2000-02 Atletico Mineiro 2002-08 Arsenal 2008-11 Panathinaikos 2011-13 Gremio 2013 Atletico Mineiro COUNTRY 2001-10 Brazil “I’m around the corner; see you soon.” Brazilians may not be known for their punctuality, but barely two minutes after hanging up the phone, Gilberto Silva walks into the St James’ Court hotel in central London to meet FFT. The 43-year-old is pretty much still the same slim figure he was in his playing days, even though it’s six years since he played his last professional game and he’s notably absent from the perennial circuit of legends matches. “My knees wouldn’t allow me now,” says Gilberto. Although his playing career wound up back in his native Brazil, the ex-Arsenal midfielder was indeed just around the corner today: he returned to London…

Tottenham 2 Chelsea 1 May 20, 1967 FA Cup final “I’d watched FA Cup matches in Ireland as a kid, when I was lucky enough to find a television. It was the glamour competition, so my first FA Cup medal meant a lot. I perhaps should have done better for Chelsea’s goal, but when I get a video out, I see I made a couple of brilliant early saves.” Tottenham 4 Leeds 2 April 28, 1975 First Division “This was a huge night: we needed to beat Leeds to stay in the First Division. It was the last match of the season, on a Monday night, at White Hart Lane, and I didn’t want to be part of a team that took the great Tottenham Hotspur into the Second Division.…

25 NOTTINGHAM FOREST 24 IPSWICH TOWN 23 GILLINGHAM 22 BRISTOL CITY 21 MILLWALL 20 NORTHAMPTON TOWN 19 BRADFORD CITY 18 SOUTHEND UNITED 17 MIDDLESBROUGH 16 PETERBOROUGH UNITED 15 OXFORD UNITED 14 EXETER CITY 13 MK DONS 12 ACCRINGTON STANLEY 11 PRESTON NORTH END 10 BURTON ALBION 9 SHREWSBURY TOWN 8 LEEDS UNITED 7 WYCOMBE WANDERERS 6 CHARLTON ATHLETIC 5 SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 4 SWINDON TOWN 3 DERBY COUNTY 2 SHEFFIELD UNITED…

RED GLUM Liverpool have to play two matches in two days across two competitions. Something has to give. The EFL Cup has been disrespected as a result, and the clash adds additional strain to an already-congested fixture list. Where does it all end? I want to see quality football, not scrapping to fill fixtures. We were informed in an article on fourfourtwo.com that Liverpool have home and away catering teams in order to function at full strength, and fulfil fixture demands. Could the first team follow suit in future and have two or three mini-squads playing in different competitions? Jurgen Klopp is right when he says a solution has to be found – I want to see my team at its very strongest wherever possible, not watered down. Leo Bergin,…

Five minutes. That’s all Megan Rapinoe needed to make her statement. She did it without saying a single word. On a summer’s evening in Paris, the USA were playing France in a World Cup quarter-final. All eyes were on Rapinoe. In the previous round, she had scored both goals against Spain. Then, a video interview was released, filmed before the tournament. Asked if she’d accept an invite to the White House if the USA won the World Cup, Rapinoe’s reply was instant: “I’m not going to the f**king White House.” She’d been part of the squad that met Barack Obama after World Cup glory four years ago, but Donald Trump is not Barack Obama. Within hours, Trump had hit back. “Megan should WIN first before she TALKS!” he said, in…

“Brendan Rodgers is making a mockery of the notion that managers need time. In nine months, he has transformed Leicester from a mid-table side into a top-four favourite; one that is stubborn at the back and ruthless in attack. Performances and results have rejuvenated the fanbase and brought a buzz to the King Power Stadium not felt since reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League in 2017. The biggest difference on the pitch has been in the speed of play. Leicester improved in possession under Claude Puel, but their style was ponderous. Rodgers has since injected an intensity into the pressing and passing, with Youri Tielemans and James Maddison zipping the ball about to help City prise open deep-lying defences that had previously proved almost impossible to break through. Jamie…

EDUARD STRELTSOV (1958-66) fellow strugglers Fulham, Described as the greatest player Russia ever produced, out of t v wasn’t likedzoy Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev and was sentenced to 12 years in a gulag after being accused of rape. The forward denied it, but accepted the charge on the basis that he’d be allowed to play at the 1958 World Cup. He wasn’t. Finally permitted to return after Khrushchev’s removal from power, Streltsov went on to be Soviet Footballer of the Year in 1967 and 1968. JAN JONGBLOED (1962-74) The Dutch goalkeeper made his international debut in the early 1960s, but didn’t feature for the Netherlands again until a month before the 1974 World Cup: called up by new coach Rinus Michels, who’d worked with him at club level for DWS.…

“Before joining Lyon, I used to watch the Champions League draw and pray that we didn’t get them. Basically, you were out if you did. In 2017, when I was still playing for Manchester City, we faced Lyon in the semi-finals of the Champions League. The first game was in Manchester and I can remember standing on the pitch, looking at their team and just thinking, ‘Wow’. They literally had all the best players in the world. We lost 3-1 at home and then went to France for the return leg. I’d played at the Emirates Stadium and Anfield, but nothing prepared me for walking out in front of 20,000 people at their ground. I think around 5,000 fans had been at the Academy Stadium to see the first leg,…

What do you recall of the 2002 World Cup? Without a doubt, that was the best experience I had as a professional footballer. Before the tournament, I had a great chat with [Brazilian legend] Falcao. He could see on my face that I wasn’t feeling confident, and he said to me, “Kleberson, you have so much talent and you need to seize this opportunity.” I was so happy. I kept improving throughout that World Cup and showed what I could do against the best players at the highest level. There were plenty of special moments, but the biggest one that springs to mind is the second goal we scored in the final. The ball came from the right side of the pitch, I passed it to Rivaldo, he dummied it…

You’re often referred to with regard to your famous footballing family – what does that mean to you? For me, it meant a way of life. My father, Les, was a footballer (for Chelsea, Tottenham and QPR), as was my younger brother Bradley and my uncles and cousins (including Martin and Paul), so I grew up in a football environment. My education was in and around pro football, and you get so used to the way of life until it’s in you – you know that’s what you’re going to do as well. I was six and would go to QPR with my grandad to watch my father. I remember kicking a ball about on the Loftus Road pitch, being in the dressing rooms and talking to the players. It…

JUVENTUS X PALACE FOURTH KIT N/A palaceskateboards.com It’s difficult not to sigh when your club unveils a fourth strip – because really: when is three not enough? But we’re more than happy to make an exception when it looks this good. Serie A kings Juventus have teamed up with London-based Palace Skateboards for this nifty collaboration, resplendent with neon trim and a natty graphic dotting the main body. The all-white tracksuit that accompanies it is similarly smart – think CR7 meets Wimbledon. CAFE ROYAL FOOTBALL FANS BOOK £6 caferoyalbooks.com FFT was already a fan of the Southport-based Cafe Royal’s documentary photography books – featuring Durham coalfields, Skelmersdale landscapes and the Notting Hill Carnival – but never more so than when we stumbled on Ian Beesley’s Football…

Boom. The sound of a 90th-minute promotion-sealing penalty hitting the crossbar, not the back of the net. Seconds later, opponents Doncaster raced down the other end, scored the winner and secured promotion to the Championship themselves. And Brentford lost in the play-offs. To most people, Marcello Trotta’s missed spot-kick in 2013 is our go-to image of the decade. To those of us who support the club, it’s just another thing that sums up ‘doing a Brentford’. Yet if our historical form has been heartbreaking failure punctuated by the most miniscule of good times, the past 10 years have seen a reversal of fortunes. The decade kicked off with supporter Matthew Benham agreeing to invest £1m a year. Shortly after that, he acquired a majority shareholding. From there, things exploded. League…

CLUB RED BULL SALZBURG POSITION STRIKER Value £60m Age 19 Foot Left Height 6ft 4in Nation Norway THE STORY SO FAR: Born in Leeds, Haaland soon moved with his family to Norway, where he set out to emulate his father, Alf-Inge, the former Leeds United and Manchester City midfielder. Haaland Jr wanted to be a Premier League forward, but in his early teens he was no bigger or stronger than his peers. So he learned how to be smarter, timing his sprints and anticipating the ball. At 15 he made his debut for Bryne in Norway’s second division, before Ole Gunnar Solskjaer signed him for Molde in 2017. Suddenly, Haaland shot up – pumping iron and wolfing down meals, he quickly packed on kilos of muscle. “This year I’ve only…

I really enjoyed your recent interview with Michael Owen [FFT 306]. With his impressive goal tally for club and country, he should be revered by English fans – so I find it quite annoying that he isn’t. Liverpool supporters blame his decision to sign for Manchester United, but Owen always gave his all, wherever he played. He wasn’t an ounce of trouble off the pitch, he had the mental resilience to return from some appalling injuries, and he scored 40 goals for England – only four players in history can top that. We should celebrate his achievements, as the last Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or, not chalk him up as just some permacrock-turned-annoying pundit. That is sadly way off the mark.…

2 ALEX MORGAN Even though she wasn’t fully fit going into the World Cup, Morgan still scored six goals – five coming against Thailand – and missed out on the Golden Boot to US team-mate Rapinoe on minutes played. 3 LUCY BRONZE The best right-back in the world, and the best footballer in Europe right now. Bronze helped Lyon secure back-to-back Champions League titles, before guiding England to the World Cup semi-finals. 4 SAM KERR A world-class striker for Australia who will join Chelsea this month. The Matildas’ captain is the all-time leading scorer in the US’ National Women’s Soccer League. 5 ADA HEGERBERG Didn’t play at the World Cup due to her ongoing dispute with Norway’s FA, but did hit a hat-trick in the Champions League final as Lyon…

Let’s start with euphoria: that moment the goal is scored. I won’t say I knew it was in as soon as I hit it, as that sort of talk is for forwards. But it did feel good. A clean strike. However, with my success record when it comes to shooting, nothing is guaranteed – I had to wait for the ball to hit the net. And then? And then everything gets blurry. Crazy emotions, pure joy, utter relief, and before I know it I’m at the bottom of a sky-blue pile of team-mates. It’s a great moment. It’s the best moment. The Premier League title is one step closer – so close now – and that’s the most important thing. But none of those players on top of me know…

The sun is so ferocious that hordes of people have decided to desert Lyon and make their way south to the French Riviera for the weekend. However, for loyal supporters of the most dominant team in world football, the insane temperature is not a deal-breaker. At 3.30pm, an hour before kick-off and half an hour before the turnstiles open, the faithful followers of Olympique Lyonnais Feminin gather near the Groupama OL Training Centre in Decines-Charpieu, just a short tram ride from the city centre. The OL Ang’Elles, official supporters’ group of Lyon women’s team, have set up shop on the dusty ground opposite the training centre’s gates. An A4 sheet of paper urges people to subscribe to OL Ang’Elles and access their team’s games at a reduced rate. Blue and…

Aston Villa’s record signing is 6ft 3in tall, weighs 15 stone and has just 6.9 per cent body fat. For once, in our life, however, FourFourTwo isn’t scared: the imposing figure ushering us into his Birmingham city flat quickly turns out to be one of the most laid-back and cheerful footballers we’ve met. As soon as Wesley Moraes opens his door, he bursts into laughter. The Brazilian has been like this since the Villans forked out £22 million to sign him from Club Brugge, amid a big summer of transfer to-ing and fro-ing. Twelve new signings arrived at Villa Park following their play-off final victory in May – but none came with expectations quite like Wesley, the sole striker. He’s only just turned 23, although the Minas Gerais native is…

ALISSON BECKER “Nigel Martyn at Leeds was certainly the best shot-stopper I played with, and Joe Hart was brilliant at Manchester City. But Alisson has got it all. Coming into a new squad and a new country isn’t easy, but he made us a better team. He’s a bit too good looking, though. We all avoid being pictured next to him!” TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD “Gary Kelly, Luke Young, Micah Richards, Glen Johnson: all great right-backs, but I see Trent becoming a great footballer and that’s why he gets the nod over the other four. That said, what he’s already achieved is so impressive.” JONATHAN WOODGATE “Woody was exceptional at Leeds and so unlucky with injuries, but before that we all thought he was a superstar. Put it this way: I’m leaving…