Innehållsförteckning för February 2019 från World Soccer

There’s plenty to read about and discuss this month. But I fear we finally have to ask the question: are we playing too much football? Have we reached peak viewing point? The Champions League resumes with 16 teams in the knockout stage (page 38). Yet you could count the number of entertaining games in this season’s group stage on the fingers of one hand. Knockout matches traditionally feature more cautious tactics, yet there is talk of some clubs wanting to shift games to weekends in a bid to increase TV revenues. I fear we finally have to ask the question: are we playing too much football? Have we reached peak viewing point? The recent Club World Cup (page 64) was ignored by much of the footballing world. The old format…

JAKUB BLASZCZYKOWSKI Without a club since leaving Wolfsburg in December, the winger offered to play for former side Wisla Krakow for nothing. The 33-year-old, who was a league champion in his previous spell at Wisla and a Champions League finalist with Borussia Dortmund in 2013, also donated £265,000 to help the financially stricken Polish club. FABIO QUAGLIARELLA By scoring in a 2-1 loss at Juventus, Sampdoria’s striker found the net for a ninth successive Serie A game – the first player to achieve such a feat since David Trezeguet for Juve in 2005. LOIC BADIASHILE In a shoot-out consisting of 22 penalties, Monaco’s goalkeeper saved three spot-kicks before converting the winner as Thierry Henry’s side beat Rennes in the French League Cup. PEPE Having cut short his contract with Besiktas…

Asian Cup overshadowed by controversy Asia, the most complex of the six regional confederations operating under the FIFA aegis, continues to become ever more powerful, with the potential for further growth at a time when Europe is maxing out on money, structure and talent. International power politics within Asia have cast their own pall, most recently with the detention of former Bahrain international Hakeem Al Araibi in Thailand and the unnecessary theatre surrounding the presence of the 2019 Asian Cup organising president in the United Arab Emirates. Al Araibi, who fled to Australia in 2014 – and settled in Melbourne where he plays for Pascoe Vale – was detained before Christmas in Thailand pending consideration of an extradition request from Bahrain. He had flown to Thailand on a permitted holiday…

“All clubs are looking for more income, but why? All this craziness just so a player can have five Lamborghinis in his garage instead of two”Atletico Madrid CEO Gil Marin reflects on player greed “If players of colour say ‘we won’t play’ and go through with it, then many people will lose money. And when you touch someone’s wallet, I can tell you they will find solutions”Former Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o on how to tackle racism IN EUROPE Norwegian club Molde, whose season doesn’t start until March, allowed OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER to become caretaker manager of Manchester United following the sacking of Jose Mourinho. Ex-Brazil forward ROBINHO, who set a British record in 2008 on joining Manchester City from Real Madrid for £32.5m, joined Turkish league leaders Istanbul Basaksehir from…

Every year, Uruguayan newspaper El Pais organises a survey to crown the best player of the Americas. The 2018 winner of this prestigious award, with 41 per cent of the vote, was Argentinian attacking midfielder Gonzalo Martinez, who was a key figure in River Plate’s eventful Libertadores Cup triumph. But although the 25-year-old will be staying in the Americas this year, he is still moving on, taking the long trip north to join Atlanta United in MLS. Atlanta have established themselves in next to no time with a model based on the acquisition of South American players. Indeed, their Venezuelan striker Josef Martinez came fourth in the El Pais survey with seven per cent of the vote. From an MLS point of view, there is much to celebrate in the…

If Barcelona are “mes que un club” (more than a club, according to their motto), then their defender Gerard Pique is fast becoming more than a footballer. Increasingly looking to life after his playing career finishes, the 31-year-old recently bought a controlling stake in FC Andorra, who play in the regional Primera Catalana in Spain’s fifth tier. “The General Assembly of FC Andorra has unanimously approved the transmission of its assets in favour of an Andorran company jointly managed by different investors, including Kosmos,” said a statement from the company of which Pique is CEO and president. “Kosmos welcomes the decision made by the club. The company adds this project to its global portfolio linked to sports, media and entertainment ventures.” It should come as no surprise that Pique, installed…

“One more year and a fifth ESM Golden Shoe. How do you feel? Are you not tired of winning? It’s a nice prize for recognition and that’s for everyone. it is a prize for the team, just as when a goalkeeper wins the Zamora [a trophy for the keeper with the lowest goals-to-games ratio in La Liga] it is a general prize for the team. i’m happy to be able to win it again. Five Golden Boots, five Ballon d’Ors. Is a fifth Champions League all that is missing? It would be good. As we said at the beginning of the season, the Champions League is always special for what it means and we would like to win it again. At this point in your life, is football still your…

Whether the English Premier League is the world’s best always provokes debate, but there is little doubt it is the most global in terms of players, coaches, owners and television viewers. And perhaps it is because of this that it is extremely difficult for English managers to get a job in the league. At the start of 2019, only five managers in the 20-team Premier League were English – and that includes the London-born Republic of Ireland international Chris Hughton – and none of those were at one of the “top six” clubs. There is a similar situation in the women’s game, except that it applies to North America’s National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), which is arguably the best, certainly the most competitive, and probably the most global women’s league.…

Brazilian football talks of a “big 12” – the four traditional giants each from Rio and Sao Paulo, plus two each from Porto Alegre and Belo Horizonte. But the time has probably come to now talk of a “big 13”, with Atletico Paranaense from Curitiba perhaps earning the right to join the gang after beating Junior of Colombia on penalties to win the Sudamericana Cup. On the eve of the second leg of the Final the club re-branded themselves, adding an “h” and becoming Athletico in a reversion to the club’s original name. It was an attempt to help differentiate themselves from Atletico Mineiro of Belo Horizonte, but it was also a typically bold and forward-thinking move from a club that is not afraid to do things differently. Their first…

FRIENDLIES Thursday, December 13 Dec 13 - Muscat Oman 2 (Mohammed Al Ghassani 74, M Saleh 76) Tajikistan 1 (Solehov 90) HT: 0-0 Sunday, December 16 Dec 16 - Muscat Oman 1 (Al Hajri 58) Tajikistan 0 HT: 0-0 Dec 16 - Doha, Qatar Palestine 2 (Dabbagh 24, Maraaba 29) Pakistan 0 HT: 2-0 Thursday, December 20 Dec 20 - Riffa Bahrain 5 (Al Romaihi 29, Rashid pen 43, 75, Madan 61, Al Husaini 85) Tajikistan 0 HT: 2-0 Dec 20 - Doha, Qatar Jordan 0 Kyrgyzstan 1 (Rustamov 86) HT: 0-0 Sunday, December 23 Dec 23 - Doha Qatar 2 (Almoez Ali 31, Alaaeldin 90+2) Jordan 0 HT: 1-0 Monday, December 24 Dec 24 - Doha, Qatar Iraq 2 (Ibrahim 22, M Ali 69) China 1 (Wu Lei 43)…

Diego LAINEZ (Real Betis) Real Betis may have lost their opening two La Liga games of the new year, but they won the battle to secure one of the best early signings of the winter transfer window, with the teenage Mexican winger joining from Club America for a fee believed to be in the region of €14million. The 18-year-old was one of the standout stars of his side’s recent Apertura triumph in Mexico, scoring goals in each of the two semi-final legs against Pumas. “Diego is an exceptional young player and he demonstrates the potential of young Mexican players in any circumstance,” Club America wrote in a statement. He is seen as one of the country’s brightest young stars and made his senior international debut in September, in a friendly defeat…

Out of time but not out of step When Jose Mourinho left Manchester United in December it was widely believed that a major factor had been his perceived failure to move with the times. While almost every other elite team pressed ferociously, he preferred a low block, he liked his side to sit deep and play on the counter. It seemed out of sync with the times. Yet what has been noticeable in the Premier League this season is how Liverpool especially, and Manchester City to a lesser extent, have adopted a slightly more measured approach. Just as Mourinho is dismissed for not taking an ultra-attacking approach, so those who have expounded that philosophy more forcefully are taking a step back. Let’s begin with Mourinho and his supposed obsolescence. It…

London clubs are playing fast and loose with the transfer market Will West Ham United allow their star turn, Marko Arnautovic, to leave them for Chinese gold? The player wants to leave immediately, with his brother pointing out that the Hammers would make a significant profit on the deal. Arnautovic’s advisors say that their man would earn a massive £80,000 a week more by going to China. That he should insist on leaving at once seems a poor return for the admiration he has received from the West Ham fans and the club’s generosity. It would clearly be a heavy blow to the club to lose him at such a tense moment in their season, though some experts still say it would be best to let him go since his…

AKHISARSPOR A municipality club from the Aegean region. Promoted to the top tier in 2012, they won the Turkish Cup last season. ALANYASPOR From the small Mediterranean city of Alanya. Formed in 1948, they joined the Super League for the first time in 2016. ANKARAGUCU The best supported club from Turkey’s capital city Ankara, their fans are renowned for their passion. After going down to the third tier and almost out of business, they returned to the Super Lig last season but are still in financial peril. ANTALYASPOR Three local teams merged in 1966 to form a club in the coastal city of Antalya. An ageing Samuel Eto’o spearheaded the attack between 2015 and 2018. BESIKTAS Turkey’s third-best supported club, they have won 15 league titles and were last champions…

The rumour spread quickly around social media. Marcelo Bielsa had called a press conference for 5pm at Leeds United’s training ground. It could only mean one thing: Bielsa, in the light of the “Spygate” controversy, would be resigning. The brilliant coach with a history of abrupt departures – Lille, Lazio and Marseille in recent years – was at it again. It would be a typical Bielsa response to the complaint of Derby County boss Frank Lampard that a “spy” from Leeds had been spotted, armed with a pair of binoculars, observing his team’s training session ahead of their crucial Championship match. However, rather than announcing his resignation, Bielsa treated the assembled media to a presentation of his coaching ideals and the benefits of thorough prematch preparation. The former Argentina and…

At a time of non-stop snowfall in Bavaria, Bayern Munich could well end up in the Champions League deep freeze after their clash of the titans with Jurgen Klopp’s re-energised Liverpool. Usually so dominant across the board – reigning supreme in the Bundesliga for the last six years and Champions League semi-finalists in six of the past seven seasons – Bayern are currently in one of their once-in-a-blue moon slumps, trailing Borussia Dortmund in the domestic title race and beset by all manner of problems. Their morale is flaky, their air of invincibility punctured. Stories of dressing-room unrest abound. There are reports that a number of players consider coach Niko Kovac to be out of his depth at the Allianz Arena and there are gripes about excessive first-team rotation and…

Having made his debut for England in a 1-1 draw with Yugoslavia the previous October, Ipswich Town skipper Mick Mills was the cover star of an issue that featured a review of the international year in 1972. In his article, Eric Batty argues that “there is much more in football besides winning and losing” and uses Alf Ramsey’s side to prove his point. Batty writes: “The results of 1972 place England well down the list, and though I do not often find myself on common ground with die-hard England supporters, it is clear that in 1972 England were not as bad as her results suggested by comparison with other teams. “For example, to suggest that England really are to be rated only 18th in the world would be totally misleading.”…

Egypt showed much more interest and provided the necessary government financial guarantees in order to be named as the next African Nations Cup hosts, taking over this June’s tournament from Cameroon after winning the CAF executive committee vote – reportedly beating South Africa by a landslide 16-1 – at their January meeting in Dakar. Concerns over Cameroon’s ability to stage the expanded 24-team tournament led to the switch, with Egypt boasting a large sporting and tourism infrastructure that means there should be little logistical problems for them. But their decision to bid – at first saying they were not interested and then changing their mind after Morocco said they would not be putting forward their candidacy – came as a surprise given how the military rulers in Cairo have put…

Shamrock Rovers are the most successful club in the history of the League of Ireland with a record 17 championship wins and 24 FAI Cup Final victories to their credit, but most of that success happened a long time ago. The Hoops have won the League only twice this century, in 2010 and 2011 and it’s now 32 years since a Rovers captain lifted the FAI Cup. After finishing third – behind Dundalk and Cork City – for the past two seasons, Rovers manager Stephen Bradley must be hoping it could be third time lucky this year. Bradley joined Arsenal as an apprentice in 2000 but didn’t make the breakthrough to the first team. However, he had a good playing career in Scotland and Ireland, and was one of Michael…

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 SEASON RANKINGS Cumulative votes through the season GOALKEEPERS ALISSON (Liverpool) 9 Jan OBLAK (Atletico Madrid) 8 Marc-Andre TER STEGEN (Barcelona) 8 EDERSON (Manchester City) 7 Wojciech SZCZESNY (Juventus) 5 Thibaut COURTOIS (Real Madrid) 4 Roman BURKI (Borussia Dortmund) 1 Petr CECH (Arsenal) 1 David DE GEA (Manchester United) 1 Ralf FAHRMANN (Schalke) 1 Hugo LLORIS (Tottenham Hotspur) 1 Mike MAIGNAN (Lille) 1 Jordi MASIP (Real Valladolid) 1 NETO (Valencia) 1 Oier OLAZABAL (Levante) 1 Rui PATRICIO (Wolverhampton Wanderers) 1 Jordan PICKFORD (Everton) 1 DEFENDERS Virgil VAN DIJK (Liverpool) 32 Leonardo BONUCCI…

Liverpool and Egypt forward Mohamed Salah was named African Footballer of the Year for the second successive year at the Confederation of African Football’s awards ceremony in Dakar. Salah beat Liverpool team-mate Sadio Mane and Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – the same two players as last year – in a vote decided by the technical directors and head coaches of 56 CAF member associations. “This award is very big for me,” said Salah when collecting the trophy for his 2018 exploits. “I love it because I saw it when I was young and I always had a dream to win it one day. “I’m proud to win it twice. I must thank my family and my team-mates, and I dedicate this award to my country, Egypt.” “I am proud of…

Ronaldo v Messi: the debate goes on The insistent and unavoidable question of the past decade, in which we have been blessed to watch two of the all-time greats playing in the same era and often head-to-head, is: which one do you think is the best? I have always favoured Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo. Bewitching skill over blinding power has been the main reason, although a milder ego and fewer theatricals have also been a factor. But now I am not so sure. Now I am leaning the other way. A significant element has been added to the equation – the compelling way that Ronaldo has energised Serie A following his switch to Juventus in the summer after so many years at Real Madrid. It was a mighty gamble…

1 RISKI ETHICAL DECISION Finnish international Riku Riski refused to attend his national team’s training camp in Qatar for “ethical reasons” in protest at the Middle Eastern state’s human rights record. The 29-year-old HJK Helsinki forward was called up by Finland, who were one of a number of sides whose warmweather training camps were hosted by the gas-rich state. Qatar has been criticised by human rights campaigners, including Amnesty International, for their treatment of workers employed on 2022 World Cup construction projects. “After I received the invitation I discussed the matter with coach Lennart Wangel and the head coach Markku Kanerva,” says Riski. “The reasons behind my decision were ethical. I think there were values I wanted to stick to.” 2 ADAMS SWITCHES CODES Former Arsenal and England defender Tony…

One month on, the euphoria at El Monumental is far from subsiding. “River Plate won the most important Libertadores Cup of all time,” reads the club’s exuberant website, “and the trophy will be here for eternity.” Three other Libertadores trophies surround the latest piece of silverware in the club museum. But none of those titles – won in 1986, 1996 and 2015 – carry the emotional baggage of beating arch-rivals Boca Juniors in the so-called “Final of all Finals” in 2018. Not even crashing out of the Club World Cup in the semi-finals against Al Ain of the UAE on penalties could take the fizz out of the celebrations. The failure of South American champions to qualify for the Club World Cup Final, to once again play Real Madrid, is…

Don’t be fooled by the revelation that Tanzanian striker Ally Samatta sleeps for at least 14 hours a day. When leading the line for shock Belgian league leaders Genk, the 26-year-old never dozes. In and around the box, he is wide awake. The scorer of 15 league goals prior to the turn of the year – as well as nine more in the Europa League – he is a frontrunner at the peak of his powers. Far too forceful and determined to be denied, it is incredible to think that Genk paid so little to acquire his services, handing Congolese outfit TP Mazembe just €750,000 for him in January 2016. Every time the ball runs loose in the box it seems to fall to him and, with such an instinctive…

It’s four years since Real Madrid made a galactico signing, paying €75million for Monaco’s James Rodriguez. Since then they have missed out on Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, unable to compete with Paris Saint-Germain’s Qatar-enhanced financial clout, while Belgium’s Eden Hazard has so far opted to stay with Chelsea. Instead, president Florentino Perez has concentrated on signing young talent, the most high profile of which has been Brazilian teenager Vinicius Junior. The strategy stems partly from an obsession with another Brazilian, Neymar, who Madrid let slip through their fingers after he trained with them as a 14-year-old. He could have been their Lionel Messi – the South American talent who came through the youth ranks. Instead, he was whisked away to Barcelona and the rest is history. After losing Neymar to…

“Last summer, Senegal became the first side to be knocked out of the World Cup via FIFA’s fairplay points system. When you look back on it now, what is your overriding emotion? There isn’t one emotion. It is mixed. Firstly, I have to say it was the realisation of my dream to play for Senegal at a World Cup. It obviously didn’t end the way we wanted it to, or how we expected it to, but it remains one of the best moments in my career. It came so soon after playing on the biggest stage in club football, which was also something I had wanted so much since I was a very young boy. I managed to score in both the Champions League Final and at the World Cup,…

Rayan AIT-NOURI Age 17 (06.06.01), Angers In a sentence The teenage left-back only made his Ligue 1 debut in August but he is already a target for some of Europe’s top clubs. The fact that he is represented by superagent Jorge Mendes says it all. What they say David Remisse, his under-15 coach at Paris FC: “As a youngster he didn’t really want to be a full-back. He wanted to play further forward. I didn’t give him much choice and he’s now a TGV [France’s high-speed train]. Back then I couldn’t believe that pro clubs were not looking at him. He has a hand for a left foot.” France under-18s coach Jean-Luc Vannuchi: “He has a good head on his shoulders. Over-hyped young players do not tend to get on.…

Take one trophy, add six continental champions, one middle eastern host and some indifferent crowds. It could only be FIFA’s Club World Cup, held for the second successive year in the United Arab Emirates amid large indifference from most of the world. Real Madrid won a record fourth title and have now won the last three editions of the tournament. They also go ahead of Barcelona as the team to have won the tournament the most times. In the end it proved a stroll for Madrid. After Gareth Bale’s hat-trick had seen them past Asian club champions Kashima Antlers in the semi-finals, they thrashed local side Al Ain in the Final in Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Sports City Stadium, thanks to long-range strikes from Luka Modric and Marcos Llorente, a header…

Suspended in October 2015 by FIFA for the third time in eight years for government interference, football in Kuwait is finally returning to normal – but there still remains plenty of work to be done. The ban hit the game hard, with the country’s representative sides banned from all FIFA, AFC and Olympic competitions. “The gap will take some time [to get over],” admits Romeo Jozak, who will have been in charge of the national team for just over a year by the time Kuwait begin their 2022 World Cup qualifiers in September. “It will have more influence over the Olympic team as they are younger. At under-17, under-19 and the Olympic team, not to play at that age is tough.” Kuwait have reached the finals of three Olympic football…

WORLD CLUB WORLD CUP Played in United Arab Emirates 1st round Dec 12 - Al Ain al ain (uae) 3 (Shiotani 45, Doumbia 49, Berg 85) team Wellington (NZ) 3 (Barcia 11, Clapham 15, Ilich 44) Aet. Ht: 1-3. 90mins: 3-3. att: 15,279. ref: Sato (Jap) Al Ain 4-3 on pens Sent off: M Abdulrahman (Al Ain) 120+1 Al Ain qualified for the 2nd round, which Esperance Tunis, Guadalajara & Kashima Antlers entered directly 2nd round Dec 15 - Al Ain Kashima antlers (Jap) 3 (Nagaki 49, Serginho pen 69, Abe 84) Guadalajara (Mex) 2 (Zaldivar 3, Leo Silva og 90+4) Ht: 0-1. att: 3,997. ref: Tessema (Eth) Dec 15 - Al Ain esperance tunis (tun) 0 al ain 3 (M Ahmed 2, El Shahat 16, Al Ahbabi 60) Ht: 0-2.…