Innehållsförteckning för June 2016 från World Soccer

Ranieri’s brilliance at the heart of Leicester miracle “Leicester spent less on transfer fees in their entire 132-year history than Manchester United had in the previous two seasons” There has never been a day in football quite like the coronation of Leicester City as champions of the Premier League. The party started at dawn and drew in revellers from all round the world – not least the tenor Andrea Bocelli who volunteered to serenade the crowd before kick-off. The power of the occasion was illustrated by the supreme pride on the face of Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri as he guided Bocelli out to the centre of the pitch. The glory of the moment was summed up perfectly by a young Italian football fan who had travelled to the match along…

THE INSIDER From hero to zero: Platini’s dramatic fall from grace “[Platini] went off the rails and we could not put him back on” Michel Platini was a breath of fresh air when he dribbled his way through Lennart Johansson’s defence to win the UEFA presidential election in 2007. The European federation had built an image as a highly efficient, cash-generating, unloved business operation for which football was little more than a product, while Platini was an amiable campaigner with revisionist ideas and a track record of glory which tended to blind voters and media alike. Initially, Platini had wanted to take the Champions League back to the old knockout formula. That was until, some way down the campaigning trail, the facts of financial life were explained to him. How…

THE PLAYER: CHRISTIAN FUCHS You finished top of your qualifying group, eight points clear of Russia. That was some achievement… When you look at the group, both Russia and Sweden were favourites ahead of us, given both their past history and more recent form in qualifying for the major tournaments, so it was a fantastic achievement. We came into the competition with good momentum though, from our World Cup qualifying campaign, and beating Russia both home and away proved crucial in the end. The away game, in particular, was important to our overall position; a defeat and they’d have got much closer to us in the group, but a win took us one step nearer qualification. Russia is never an easy place, for any team, so to beat them 1-0…

Strengths Resilience. The tactical expertise of coach Pavel Vrba. Petr Cech in goal. Weaknesses A leaky defence, especially suspect through the middle. No out-and-out goalscorer. Wild Card Emerging Sparta Prague headliner Martin Frydek can be of use at leftback or in central midfield. Controversial Player Left-back David Limbersky crashed his Bentley while intoxicated and allegedly tried to flee the scene. Special mention Petr Cech on drums for the squad’s Euro 2016 single All for One. Media expectation There is a lot of faith in Vrba, much less in his star-shorn squad. Tournament object Having beaten Holland twice in qualifying, the Czechs have their sights set on the quarter-finals. Past Inspiration Beating Italy, Portugal and France en route to winning silver at Euro 96. Team to avoid in knockout phase Russia.…

Strengths The nose for goal of Thomas Muller. Silky creativity. Tournament knowhow. Immunity to pressure. Weaknesses Defensive carelessness and the “Bermuda triangle” that is both full-back positions. Wild Card Electrifying Schalke wideman Leroy Sane. He is ideal super-sub material. Controversial Player Held back by injury, World Cup Final goalscorer, Mario Gotze has lost much national-team credibility of late. Special mention Triumph in Paris on July 10 will net each player in the squad €300,000. Media expectation Nothing less than a fourth European title will be acceptable. Tournament objectives Bundestrainer Joachim Low and his charges know the score. Only gold matters. Past Inspiration Oliver Bierhoff’s “Golden Goal” in the Final of Euro 96 versus Czech Republic. Team to avoid in knockout phase Bogey team Italy are the only side the Germans…

Strength Tactical acumen. Track record of coming good in big tournaments. Steel of the Juventus contingent. Weaknesses Serie A’s fall from grace as a championship of reference. Sub-standard current crop of strikers. Wild Card In-form Lorenzo Insigne has taken a long time to convince Azzurri boss Antonio Conte. Controversial Player In the 4-1 friendly loss to Germany, central midfielder Thiago Motta was judged too slow and pedestrian. Special mention With Conte due to take over at Chelsea in July, the rumour mill is in overdrive about the succession. Media expectation Italy’s showing at the last World Cup has led the media to consider the unthinkable: a Nazionale in decline. Tournament objectives Conte insists he does not have a precise goal in mind, though is likely to be eyeing the last…

Strengths Cristiano Ronaldo. The surfeit of young talent in midfield. Old guard’s ruthlessness. Weaknesses Little firepower beyond Ronaldo. Lack of pace in central defence. Wild Card Dynamic box-to-box titan Renato Sanches, who has just joined Bayern Munich. Controversial Player Eder has been a flop this season at Swansea City and is rarely on the scoresheet for the national team. Special mention Ronaldo needs just three more starts this summer to become the Euro’s most featured player. Media expectation Portugal have never failed to reach the quarter-finals – should they fall short, the dogs will be let loose. Tournament objectives Selecao boss Fernando Santos insists they can go all the way Past Inspiration Their first-ever qualification for a Euro finals, sealing a spot in 1984 with a 1-0 home win over…

Strengths Zlatan’s inimitable magic. Cast-iron team ethic. The vitality of the under-21s who won the Euro title last year. Weaknesses Dependance on Zlatan. Not enough pace on the break. Wild Card Up-and-coming centre-back Victor Lindelhof has passed his international initiation test with flying colours. Controversial Player To the amazement of many, coach Erik Hamren continues to ignore in-form left-back Oscar Wendt. Special mention Hamren is due to leave his post at the end of the tournament, making way for Norrkoping boss Janne Andersson. Media expectation Pundits and writers have never taken to Hamren’s style of football, finding it short on tempo and initiative. Tournament objectives The coach has been ploughing a pessimistic furrow of late, suggesting that a quarterfinal spot was a bridge too far. Past Inspiration Ibrahimovic’s back-heeled goal…

THE PLAYER: ANDRIY YARMOLENKO What was the main reason for your success in qualifying? I am very glad that our generation was able to remove the curse of the play-offs and reach the European finals. It seems to me that the key to our success in the play-off battles against Slovenia was the fact that, in the current team, almost no players had previously had bad experience of defeats in the play-offs. So finally our dream came true. What experience did you gain from participating in Euro 2012? Looking back at four years ago, I can say that I experienced mixed emotions. We had a great game against Sweden and then lost to France. In the end, we were unlucky to lose to England. Who knows what would have happened…

MEXICO (0 Copa wins) After being forced by CONCACAF to send understrength sides to the last two Copa Americas, Mexico will arrive in the USA at full force, albeit with their share of controversies. Absent from the squad are strikers Giovani Dos Santos and Carlos Vela, whose decisions to bow out of the tournament has generated a plethora of criticism for a lack of commitment to the national team. The team will therefore be led by Javier Hernandez, who had a fine season in the Bundesliga. There is confidence in Mexico that this team can reach at least the semi-finals of the Copa and El Tri will play every game in front of a partisan crowd. However, without a true world-class talent, it seems likely that they will once again…

The 11th season of the A-League was arguably the best ever, in terms of both quality and excitement A minimal marketing budget, few big-name players, supporter boycotts and a hostile media may sound like a recipe for disaster, but the 11th season of the A-League was arguably the best ever, in terms of both quality and excitement. With America, and increasingly China, offering the sort of money A-League clubs can only dream about, the fear was that a lack of “marquee” players at the start of the season would hurt the competition irreparably. Yet crowds and TV ratings displayed only a small decline – which is remarkable considering the league gets little media traction and fans staged a mid-season revolt in protest at the response of Football Federation Australia (FFA)…

“It is a big achievement considering we’ve had five attempts. On our fifth one we were successful and that joy right now overrides trying to analyse the performance” Melbourne Victory coach Kevin Muscat on reaching the Champions League knockout stage Despite starting this year by spending around $150million on star names such as Jackson Martinez of Atletico Madrid, Chelsea’s Ramires and Alex Teixeira from Shakhtar Donetsk, Chinese sides Jiangsu Suning and Guangzhou Evergrande both crashed out of the 2016 Asian Champions League at the group stage. As the winner of every Chinese Super League title since 2011, and two of the last three continental titles, holders Guangzhou Evergrande’s exit was the most surprising. Just six months after winning the title at home to Al Ahli of the UAE, Luiz Felipe…

Euro 2016 is almost upon us and we’ve followed up last month’s special team guide with a bumper collection of interviews, featuring the coach and a key player from each of the 24 finalists (page 25). Player interviews are increasingly difficult to set up and conduct, but the common theme of this month’s interviews is the desire that remains among players to perform for their country. Players are often criticised for being one-dimensional, but that is often the fault of the clubs who place such a tight restriction on how and what they can communicate. Many of the answers from both players and coaches may appear similar, but reading between the lines they provide a fascinating insight ahead of the tournament. Because of the interest in Euro 2016, and the…

“I wasn’t the only one who didn’t know how to speak. most footballers are ignorant” Ex-italy striker toto schillaci recalls in his autobiography how juventus made him work with a teacher of italian PEOPLE ON THE MOVE Appointments, Sackings And Loans IN Double swoop For bayern Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich are already making plans for next season, agreeing a deal for Borussia Dortmund skipper Mats hUMMELs and signing REnatO sanchEs from Benfica for an initial fee of €35million. EUROPE Juventus took up their option to sign on-loan midfielder MaRiO LEMina from Marseille for an initial fee of €9.5million. Uruguayan coach GUs POyEt, who left Greek side AEK Athens in April, agreed a two-year deal to take charge of La Liga side Real Betis. RENE GIRARD replaced Michel Der Zakarian as…

Infantino is already the wrong man Sepp Blatter, thank heavens, is at last gone. The devious Jerome Valcke too. But is there anything much to hope for under the newly presidential Gianni Infantino? He arrives from UEFA hardly trailing clouds of glory and he is far too close, one feels, to Michel Platini, who has been hounded out of office in disgrace, even if his suspension keeps getting cut. Infantino’s disastrous and mindless ambition to increase the complement of future World Cup finals to 40 teams will, one hopes, be speedily abandoned. Meanwhile, his and FIFA’s contemptuous behaviour to the press at the recent FIFA conference in Mexico City was an arrogant and all too indicative suggestion of what may be to come. Needless to say, the Russian World Cup…

Strengths Unique generation of talent. Wealth of midfield ability. Weaknesses Dearth of natural full-backs. Too predictable at times in their attacking play. Loss of Vincent Kompany. Wild Card Speedy and enterprising goalgetter Michy Batshuayi has made huge progress since joining Marseille. Controversial Player Everton striker Romelu Lukaku is often accused of not translating Premier League goals to the national arena. Special mention In the event of going all the way in France, each player will bank a cool €704,000 Media expectation The press are quick to take aim when they think the team does not live up to its FIFA ranking. Tournament objectives Belgium coach, Marc Wilmots, says a semi-final berth would be “a great result”. Past Inspiration The battling goalless draw with hosts Italy which sealed qualification for the…

Strengths A new wave of young lions. Confidence flowing from a perfect qualifying campaign. Weaknesses Soft underbelly in central defence. Lack of experience. Roy Hodgson’s ultra-cautious nature. Wild Card Leicester City midfielder Danny Drinkwater. Cultured passing and tireless activity in one package. Controversial Play A widely held view is that skipper Wayne Rooney is past his best and has become a bed-blocker. Special mention With an average age of 25 years and 245 days, England boasted the thirdyoungest team in the qualifiers. Media expectation After all the hype of the so-called “Golden Generation”, fans and pundits are setting the bar much lower. Tournament objectives Anything short of a quarterfinal berth will constitute failure. Past Inspiration The 4-1 dismantling of Holland in Euro 96 was arguably England’s best game for three…

Strengths A collective far greater than the sum of its parts. Their unshakeable belief. Weaknesses Lack of major tournament experience. Limited top-flight representation. Wild Card Ex-postman turned QPR striker Conor Washington is flavour of the month. Controversial Player Despite piling up seven goals in the qualifiers, striker Kyle Lafferty has played very little at club level. Special mention They were the first “Pot Five” nation to top a Euro qualifying group. Media expectation Going to their first major competition in 30 years has the Belfast media crackling with anticipation. Tournament objectives With cynics claiming Northern Ireland had a poor qualifying group, they will look to spring a surprise. Past Inspiration At Windsor Park in 1982, a goal from Ian Stewart gave the Greens a 1-0 win over West Germany in…

Strengths The tenacity and fortitude of all Martin O’Neill teams. Utter fearlessness. Weaknesses A paucity of high-end Premier League players. Rationed creativity. Losing keeper Rob Elliot to injury. Wild Card Bournemouth midfielder Eunan O’Kane, who has come on strong since rejection by Everton as a youth. Controversial Player Skilful playmaker Wes Hoolahan: either regarded as a luxury item or treated as the prodigal son. Special mention Keeper Shay Given and frontman Robbie Keane have almost 280 caps between them. Media expectation Daunting draw, but four points out of six against Germany in qualifying has whetted appetites. Tournament objectives To defy the odds and plot a path to the last 16. Past Inspiration Ray Houghton heading home the only goal of the game in the historic victory over England at Euro…

Strengths Team spirit. The defensive partnership of Martin Skrtel and Jan Durica. The runs from deep of Marek Hamsik. Weaknesses Not enough fluidity in midfield. Insufficient quality on the bench. Wild Card Attacking midfielder Ondrej Duda, whose enthusiasm and freshness make him an ideal impact sub. Controversial Player Michal Duris is slammed for his poor goal return and for never scoring in a competitive international. Special mention Coach Jan Kozak was an unused substitute when Czechoslovakia lost 2-0 to England at the 1982 World Cup. Media expectation Confidence is high that they can repeat their World Cup 2010 exploits and reach the last 16 Tournament objectives Second round minimum. Jan Kozak hates the underdog tag and says they’ll raise their game against the big boys. Past Inspiration Slovaks formed the…

Strengths Tight-knit group on a careerdefining mission. Organisation and excellent work in possession. Gareth Bale. Weaknesses Vulnerability defending set-pieces. Lack of internationalclass strikers. Wild Card Centrally or out wide, Crystal Palace’s attacking midfielder Jonny Williams is full of spark and invention. Controversial Player First-choice front man Hal Robson-Kanu has been totally out of form for club side Reading. Special mention Wales have come a long way since just seven fans took the trouble to support them in a friendly in Norway in 1985. Media expectation Hard not to be excited at a first finals in 58 years, but no breastbeating bravado. Tempered optimism. Tournament objectives Chris Coleman insists they are not there to make up the numbers. And that means the second round at least. Past Inspiration Made the quarter-finals…

USA (0 Copa wins) The biggest tournament to be hosted by the US since the 1994 World Cup, the Copa will provide a good test for coach Jurgen Klinsmann and, one suspects, a new generation of youngsters. Five years into his tenure, Klinsmann’s current side appear to have regressed since their second-round appearance at the 2014 World Cup. While veterans such as keepers Tim Howard (37) and Brad Guzan (31), midfielder Jermaine Jones (34) and striker Clint Dempsey (33) are still involved, Klinsmann could give youth a chance. With Jozy Altidore out injured, strikers Jordan Morris and Bobby Wood, 21 and 23 respectively, are set to take centre stage, while 20-year-old defender Kellyn Acosta may get the chance to add to his World Cup qualifying appearances. ONE TO WATCH Bobby…

ARGENTINA (14 Copa wins, last one 1993 The country’s long wait for a senior title is a significant plus point for the 2016 Copa as Argentina will use the Olympics to bring on youngsters and therefore be at full strength in the USA, even though Lionel Messi is due in a Spanish court just a few days before the opening game. After an appalling start to World Cup qualification, Gerardo Martino’s side have picked up and now lie third after three straight wins. Even so, two questions arise: will the attacking stars, by far the team’s strongest suit, still be fresh at the end of the European season? And can coach Martino make his 4-3-3 system work? When the attack shines it can be exhilarating, although some quicker centre-backs would…

“There is no real club culture in Taiwan. The Royal Blues are the only league team which deserves to be called a club” German coach Robert Iwanicki Having replaced Chen Kuei-jen, who was forced to quit after the team were whitewashed in the second round of qualifying for the 2019 Asian Cup, Taiwan’s new national coach, Toshiaki Imai of Japan, faces a tough task to revitalise football in the island nation. Victory over Cambodia in June’s two-legged qualifier would keep Taiwan’s qualifying hopes alive, but there are few expectations that a side ranked 182 in the world will reach the finals. And even if they did, the impact would be marginal. In a country where baseball, basketball and martial arts dominate, football barely registers. “Football is lacking in popularity and…

W America making it a Mexican success in the CONCACAF Champions League for an 11th consecutive campaign, no confederation can boast a dominance that comes even close to that of the Liga MX in North, Central America and the Caribbean. This time round, however, history was made as four teams from Mexico met four from MLS in the quarter-finals – a draw that was interpreted in the region as a referendum on how the US league has closed the gap with its southern neighbours. Yet when the showdown was over, the answer left no room for doubt, with four Mexican sides through to the semis. Even modest Queretaro, who eventually finished 13th in the domestic league, had no problem disposing of DC United. The results prompted much soul-searching among supporters…

SOUTH AMERICA LIBERTADORES CUP Group 1 Feb 17 Sao Paulo (Bra) 0 The Strongest (Bol) 1 (Alonso 62) HT: 0-0. Ref: Diaz de Vivar (Par) Feb 25 Trujillanos (Ven) 0 River Plate (Arg) 4 (Pisculichi 55, Gonzalez 63, Alonso 78, 90+1) HT: 0-0. Ref: Zambrano (Ecu) Mar 2 The Strongest 2 (Escobar 18, Cristaldo 32) Trujillanos 1 (Cabezas 38) HT: 2-1. Ref: Murillo (Col) Mar 10 River Plate 1 (Thiago Mendes og 32) Sao Paulo 1 (Ganso 17) HT: 1-1. Ref: Bascunan (Chl) Mar 16 The Strongest 1 (Chumacero 90) River Plate 1 (Mora 18) HT: 0-1. Ref: Quintana (Par) Sent off: Ponzio (River Plate) 90+1; Ramallo (The Strongest) 90+2 Mar 16 Trujillanos 1 (Rojas 36) Sao Paulo 1 (Ganso 38) HT: 1-1. Ref: Lamouroux (Col) Apr 5 Sao Paulo…

“The day he realises he can’t look down on his team-mates, staff and coach, he will perhaps find a way to get back in” croatia boss ante cacic (left) drops liverpool defender dejan lovren from his euro 2016 plans for demanding a guaranteed start GOALS We’d like to see again To see video footage of these goals, and many more that we have selected, scan the QR code using any free QR reader that can be downloaded to your smartphone. You can also see the videos by logging on to http://po.st/NKJebL 1Marlone Corinthians v Cobresal Traps the ball on his chest then volleys spectacularly into the net in the Libertadores Cup. 2 Miguel alMiron Lanus v Banfield Put through on goal by Maximiliano Velazquez, he produces a delicate chip over…

Respect to Elleray for re-writing the rule book The revision job that David Elleray and his colleagues have done on the soccer rule book is a remarkable achievement. Not least because it marks the first time in living memory the IFAB has itself initiated a move toward modernity. The new book does conform, by and large, with the stated aims of making the rules “more easily understood by everyone in football” and “appropriate for the modern game at all levels”. That sounds straightforward enough. But it must have presented a daunting challenge for someone taking on the challenge of hacking their way through over 100 years of IFAB sloth, secrecy, sloppiness and self-satisfaction. Elleray and co have gone a long way toward bringing order to this chaos, but there is…

Strengths Steel-curtain back line, only conceded five goals in qualification. Pioneering patriotic spirit. Weaknesses Shortage of creativity and punch in the final third. Wild Card Tricky and explosive teenage right-winger Milot Rashica is making a big impact this term at Vitesse in Holland. Controversial Player Main striker Sokol Cikalleshi is willing enough but he has yet to score a competitive international goal. Special mention Coach Gianni De Biasi is rumoured to be on the shortlist to succeed Antonio Conte as Italy boss. Media expectation No media corps will cheerlead more in France. Despite a lack of firepower, giant-killings are anticipated. Tournament objectives De Biasi says qualification for the last 16 would be “extraordinary” Past Inspiration A 0-0 draw with West Germany in a Euro qualifier in 1967 – the day…

THE PLAYER: IVAN RAKITIC What is the feeling ahead of the Euros? Desire, hope. The desire I have to do something great with Croatia is gigantic; the desire we all have. I’m Croatian; we’re not so, so big, we’re not a massive country, we maybe don’t have the opportunities other countries have. But the hopes are huge from a country with just four million people. It’s hard to reach a tournament, but when we get there we are very competitive, we really live it. The Balkan personality is like that. The desire for this Euros is huge. It’s special. And when you see the squad list, there’s no reason to put us behind anyone. The midfield three is made up of Madrid and Barcelona players... Not just the three of…

THE PLAYER: HUGO LLORIS What do you expect from Euro 2016? It’s my fourth tournament; the first was the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, which was not such a good memory. Whether it is a World Cup or European Championship, it means a lot to play in these big tournaments. You play at the highest level, against the best players in the world, and you have a commitment and responsibility to play for your country. It is the best feeling you can have as a player. It is not easy to go straight from a long, hard season in the Premier League to prepare for a big tournament, but with the coach and the staff we have, we know we will be as ready as we can be. Do…

THE PLAYER: GYLFI SIGURDSSON How do you rate your group draw? It could have been a lot worse for us. Portugal have got some really good players, and they are very difficult to play against, but we’ve shown defensively that we’re hard to beat. Hopefully we will get something out of that game. Austria are a strong team with a few really good players. You beat Holland away in qualifying. Can you cope with Ronaldo and co? We played Portugal away a few years ago so we’ve been up against most of their players. Everyone know their players, so it is going to be one of the biggest games we’ve ever faced. Iceland’s national team used to be preoccupied with attacking rather than defending, but in qualifying you only shipped…

THE COACH: ADAM NAWALKA How do you feel about your squad? We have no problem in any position. Of course, we would like all of our players to be playing regularly in strong leagues, but at this moment in time that is impossible, so I have to be a bit flexible. We have a strong spine in the team. What is your view of the draw? I was satisfied after the draw. I had no special wishes and nothing against having Germany in the group again. We were perfectly prepared, tactically and mentally, when we played against them [in the qualifiers]. I believe it will be the same in Paris. Ukraine have a very solid team. A few players are from top clubs like Shakhtar and Sevilla. We watched their…

THE COACH: ANGHEL IORDANESCU You returned to the post of national coach two years ago during a tough period. Did you ever expect to make it to such a major finals while in charge? That wasn’t on my agenda. I thought I had done my job for the national team. I wasn’t thinking about coming back, but I understood the special circumstances and I agreed to take over. I took over the national team during qualification in 1993 as well and it was a success. Is it good or bad for Romania to play the first game against hosts France? To be honest, I would have preferred we didn’t start the tournament this way. And, of course, I wouldn’t have wanted to play France. All this being said, I must…

THE PLAYER: DAVID DE GEA What are your expectations in France? I’m full of enthusiasm going into the Euros. I’m in very high spirits and hoping to have a great tournament to help Spain retain our title and be crowned champions for the third time in a row. Do you think you’ll start? I hope so, just like everyone called up by the coach will hope to. I’m prepared for whatever Del Bosque decides and just want to help the team. What’s Iker Casillas like as team-mate, captain and a rival for a starting spot? Iker has been a captain for practically a lifetime, first at Real Madrid and then for the national team. I’m full of respect for everything he’s done in the game. He’s an exemplary captain: he’s…

Strengths Warrior mindset encouraged by coach Fatih Terim. Lots of discipline, even in adversity. The rare skills of Hakan Calhanoglu. Weaknesses Tend to switch off when defending set-pieces. Paucity of striking options. Not the most careful in possession. Wild Card Midfielder Yunus Malli, who played for Germany’s under-21s but has now opted for his parents’ homeland. Controversial Player Gokhan Tore would have made the squad if he had not seen red in the final qualifier. Special mention In their three previous Euro finals (1996, 2000 and 2008), they have improved each time. Media expectation No matter they missed the last three big tournaments. Bags of bravado and upbeat predictions. Tournament objectives Terim would never say so publicly, but he would be overjoyed just to reach the second round. Past Inspiration…

BRAZIL (8 Copa wins, last in 2007) Brazil have got themselves in a contradictory position in terms of the Copa, with the official line being that it is not a priority as the main focus this year will be winning the Olympic gold medal – the only title open to them that they have never won. However, a sticky start to World Cup qualification – Brazil are currently outside the play-off slot in sixth place – means coach Dunga is fighting for his job, with a crisis meeting in April apparently concluding that his fate hangs on what happens in the USA. This explains the strenuous – yet unsuccessful – efforts to include Neymar for the Copa, even though he is wanted for the Olympics. At least Dunga will have…

“He really knows how to get his message across to the players, and he’s instilled a winning mindset in us” Dani Azcona on coach Pablo Repetto The end of the Premier League season in England brought some relief for Swansea City’s Ecuadorian winger Jefferson Montero. At least now he will no longer turn up bleary eyed for midweek training sessions after staying awake into the small hours to cheer on the club who formed him as they make extraordinary progress in the Libertadores Cup. Independiente del Valle are a tiny outfit from the outskirts of Quito, Ecuador’s mountain capital. Their rickety little stadium has a capacity just over 7,000 and they have only been in their country’s top flight since 2010. Yet this is the club who knocked out the…

EUROPEAN SPORTS MEDIA HOW IT WORKS Every month, journalists from each member of the European Sports Media group select their first Xl based on the best individual performances from Europe’s top competitions. For details of how each ESM member voted, visit worldsoccer.com/esm11 APRIL ESM – EUROPEAN SPORTS MEDIA The members of ESM are: A Bola (Portugal), Elf (Holland), Fanatik (Turkey), Frankfurter Allegmeine Zeitung (Germany), Goal News (Greece), Kicker (Germany), Marca (Spain), Nemzeti Sport (Hungary), So Foot (France), Sport (Belgium), Sport Express (Russia), De Telegraaf (Holland), TIPSbladet (Denmark), World Soccer (England). More details of votes at worldsoccer.com/esm11…