SoccerNews Issue # 11, November 17th 2014

Continental/Division Tires Alexander Bahlmann Phone: +49 511 938 2615 Head of Media & Public Relations PLT E-Mail: [email protected] Buettnerstraße 25 | 30165 Hannover www.contisoccerworld.de Soccer News # 11/2014 2

News Revolt among the midget nations – three coaches leave

Joachim Loew was not alone with his irrita- tion. Other coaches were hit much harder after the fourth round of the qualification for the 2016 UEFA European Championship. The defeats cost three colleagues their job, they had to leave. “The revolt among the midget nations”, involving teams considered without any chance of qualifying for the Europeans, marked the events.

After all the previous honours and awards, Gibraltar, the foot- balling minnow representing Great Britain’s crown colony with just 29,000 inhabitants, had thwarted the German World Cup champions’ scheduled goal feast. The just marginally larger Poland remain top in Group D, ahead of Ireland and Germany. With Robert Lewandowski, who stops the ball artistically, Poland won 4-0 in Georgia. San Marino achieved their first point after 61 defeats in a row Photo: Firo/Augenklick when they drew 0-0 with Estonia. Liechtenstein, the third- smallest UEFA member with 37,000 inhabitants, defeated After just a few months at the helm the end of coach Claudio sor, but he would have to achieve miracles to reach a fourth Moldova 1-0 and celebrated their first away victory in a com- Ranieri’s term was sealed. Greece, haplessly ousted by Costa successive participation in the European Championship. petitive match since October 2004 Rica in the knock-out round at the World Cup last summer, Romania (10 points) and Northern Ireland (9), who changed are bottom of the table in Group F with just one point from places after the Carpathians’ 2-0 win in their head-to-head But the Faeroe Islands landed the biggest coup. The team four matches. match, are far ahead. from the sheep islands beat 2004 European champions Greece 1-0 away, and brought about the biggest sporting day The Greek Association’s chairman Giorgos Sarris admitted Ranieri was not the only coach to lose his job. The former for the 50,000 islanders in the North Atlantic since the leg- that it was a very unfortunate decision to have signed this Moenchengladbach coach retired as Serbian endary 1-0 against Austria 24 years ago. A victory, however, coach. , 75, is tipped as a possible succes- national coach after the 3-1 loss to Denmark. The Dutch- that brought consequences for the humiliated opponents. Soccer News # 11/2014 3

man doesn’t see any chance in Group I for The chit-chat about a crisis has fallen silent qualifying for the Europeans with just one for now after defending European champions point from three matches and the cancelled Spain celebrated a convincing 3-0 victory scandal-ridden match against Albania. But over Belarus. The team coached by Vicente Portugal (6) now hold the best cards behind del Bosque hold second place in Group C Denmark (7) – thanks, needless to say, to before the winter break, behind Slovakia . The World’s Footballer of who achieved their fourth win in their fourth the Year scored the winning goal for the 1-0 match by defeating Macedonia 2-0. England, against Armenia and set another record. With the re-strengthened motherland of football, 23, he has now scored the most goals in the also have not dropped a point, beating Slove- European Championship competition. nia 3-1 in Group E. It proved a special evening for striker Wayne Rooney, who earned his The third coach to be sacked was Georgia’s 100th cap and celebrated by scoring the 1-1 Temur Ketsbaia, who led the team for the last equaliser from the penalty spot. The “Three time during the 4-0 defeat by Poland. His suc- Lions” have a six-point advantage over a trio, cessor will have to face Germany in the next headed by Switzerland thanks to a 4-0 defeat competitive match on March 29, 2015, when of Lithuania. the thrilling battle for championship places continues in Group D. For with their 1-0 win England may start to plan for the EURO in of the Scots against Ireland, the Bravehearts’ , as can Austria. The team coached first home win over their rivals for more than by Marcel Koller consolidated their top spot 53 years, the best four teams have drawn in Group G with a 1-0 win over Russia. With Max Kruse attacks the Gibraltar defensive wall: The Moenchengladbach player also disappointed during the even closer. a four-point advantage over Sweden, their 4-0 win by the German team against the football minnows. Photo: GES/Augenklick second ticket to the European Championship could have joined the trio after 2008, when the Austrians automatically of Ranieri, Advocaat and Ketsbaia, but a qualified as co-hosts, seems to be ensured. World Cup champions”, said Loew. He collec- News convincing Dutch 6-0 win over Latvia gave But the job of highly-paid coach Fabio Capel- tively criticised his players, nobody received the veteran coach some respite, following lo appears endangered in Russia, the hosts of any praise. the “total chaos” beforehand, as the news- the next World Cup finals. Bad-tempered Loew has new paper De Volkskrant wrote. In a poll by the plans After the main attraction, with its many high- Telegraaf 80 percent of the readers wanted In the top match of the weekend, Italy and lights and celebrations, there was simply a new Bondscoach after four defeats in five Croatia drew 1-1. The incidents in the stands a low-budget movie on show in the fourth matches. Among others, Hiddink owes it to will possibly have consequences, however. After the mini victory over minnows Gibraltar European qualifier in Nuremberg. Afterwards the outstanding Bayern star Arjen Robben, The match had to be interrupted several times there was a lot of hot air in the dressing room Loew wished only for a “decent conclusion who scored twice, as did Schalke’s Klaas-Jan because pyrotechnic articles were thrown. of the German national team. Joachim Loew to the year” with the international friendly Huntelaar. Nevertheless the situation for Hol- Both teams lead the table in Group H. But has seldom been so bad-tempered. The na- against Spain, the 2008 and 2012 European land (6 points) in Group A remains dodgy. Group B shows a surprising picture, with Isra- tional coach had demanded a fully convinc- champions. But with many important regulars The Czech Republic (12) are clearly on track el top with nine points after a 3-0 win against ing performance after the previous bumpy dropping out it could be a case of damage for the Europeans after their 2-1 win against World Cup participants Bosnia-Herzegovina. games, but what he saw during the 4-0 (3-0) limitation in the new versus old World Cup Iceland (9). Outsiders Wales (8) are second, remaining win over Gibraltar was mostly a caricature of champions in Vigo. Loew was so brassed off undefeated once again with a goalless draw a football match. “The team did not meet the he wished to end operations immediately. with Belgium. demands. We actually wanted to perform like “I will be happy when this year is over and all Soccer News # 11/2014 4

events are out of their heads. It was clear that the tension would backfire after the World Conti-News Cup. The players now need a winter break”, said the national coach. He wants to start Continental sponsors Asian preparations for the 2016 European Champi- onship, with the friendly against Australia in Cup and collaborates with Kaiserslautern followed by the fifth European Team China qualifier against Georgia in Tbilisi in March. Another friendly, against the USA, will follow Continental is one of the official sponsors of (location in Germany not yet decided) and the the forthcoming AFC Asian Cup 2015 that second match against Gibraltar in Portuguese will be hosted for the first time by Australia, Faro in June. early next year. In the run-up to this presti- gious and very popular competition, Con- Loew naturally remains optimistic that they tinental and Team China have also agreed will qualify for the Europeans in France. But a multi-year collaboration. Football is really he also knows that the away matches in the taking off in China right now – and the autumn of 2015 against the battle-tried teams country is one of the fastest growing auto- of Scotland and Ireland won’t be a walk in mobile markets in the world. That is one the park. He announced adjustments and reason why, with the Trophy Tour, Conti- changes of his game philosophy for next year. nental brought the Asian Cup trophy to “Our style of play has impressed the whole show the fans in the Chinese metropolises world, but football has developed further and of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and so must we”, added the 54-year-old. Chengdu. For Continental this tour ahead of the tournament in Australia marks the The approach should once again be on of- launch of the company’s official sponsor- fence and thus more confident. Loew, often ship of the biggest event on the football recognised as a trendsetter in international Official launch of the AFC Asian Cup 2015 Trophy Tour in Beijing, China – the Tour will also land in Shanghai, calendar in the Asian region. At the launch football, is contemplating switching from a Guangzhou and Chengdu event in Beijing on September 26, the defensively orientated four-man defence, as globally active tire manufacturer also an- at the World Cup finals, to a three-man prefer- As a prelude to the tournament, the Trophy For Continental, the AFC Asian Cup and the nounced a four-year collaboration with the ence. “We could play a 3-5-2 system, perhaps Tour also delighted the secretary general of collaboration with Team China open a new Chinese Football Association (CFA). again with two forwards”, reflected Loew. He the AFC, Dato’ Alex Soosa: “I firmly believe chapter in a long history of successful foot- continues to search for suitable outside de- that this activity will further stimulate Chinese ball sponsorship. In recent years this covered “The trophy tour is one important pillar of fenders. But most of all he wants to see better fans’ enthusiasm for football,” he said. The events including the FIFA World Cups in Ger- our sponsorship activation for the Asian performances than in the four European quali- Asian Cup has been staged every four years many (2006), South Africa (2010) and Brazil Cup,” said António Lopes de Seabra, Ex- fiers, and the friendly 4-2 loss to Argentina, since 1956 and will take place in Australia from (2014). In addition, Continental is also an offi- ecutive Vice President of Continental`s after the World Cup triumph. January 9-31, 2015 – the first time it has not cial sponsor of the forthcoming UEFA EURO Replacement Asia Pacific, Passenger and been held on Asian soil. Japan are the defend- 2016 tournament in France. The AFC Asian Light Truck Tires Business Unit. “We are ing champions, having defeated Australia 1:0 Cup 2015 marks the onset of Continental’s looking forward to further increasing both in the final four years ago in Qatar. commitment to football sponsorship in the brand awareness and brand consideration APAC region. in China and in Asia as a whole.” Soccer News # 11/2014 5

ALLEZ BOOM!

Hup hup hooray?

What does a defeat feel like? And a victory? Our author knows, and he’ll shortly be open- ing a surgery for footballing hypochondriacs. Herr Löw, the doctor will see you now …

By Freddy Boom

Is the webcam on your computer switched on? That’s great, because we’re filming you right now. But don’t worry, the footage won’t be posted on YouTube. No, no, we’re going one better and putting it straight onto the silver screen. With quadraphonic sound, popcorn, the whole works. In our infinite wisdom we, the distinguished circle of SoccerNews editors, have decided to follow the universal trend and become docu- mentary makers; we will be presenting gripping, fly-on-the- wall accounts of life in the corridors of editorial power and, of course, the reception of our journalistic efforts on the home front i.e. shots of your stunned expression at the revelations in store. Who knows, we might even turn out winners of the PDF Football News Corporate Publications World Cup, and in prep- Question for this edition’s star prize: how did Germany get on against Gibraltar? A: lose 4:0 or B: win 4:0? Photo: dpa aration for that auspicious day, we see it is as our duty to com- pile a fitting cinematic documentary record of events for the cut their consumption to less than 75 cups a day. Mind you, ler, Master of Disaster Löw – is highly displeased, there’s talk countless fans out there – that’s you. We have already devised I’m beginning to have doubts about whether the footballing of a crisis, enough is enough, it’s the end of an era, a display a working title for the upcoming blockbuster: “The Editors”. powers-that-be really are suitable lifestyle guides for us Aver- unworthy of the defending World Champions, life has lost its Yes, you’ve guessed it, we’ve been to the cinema again to age Joes and Janes. For days now there’s been a relentless meaning, let’s all become monks (or nuns) and take up a life of watch “The Team”, the wittily-titled story of the German team hammering in my brain, a frantic dot-dot-dot, dash-dash-dash, contemplation or – even better – emigrate to Gibraltar and eat in Brazil and their glorious progress from an ordinary bunch dot-dot-dot: S.O.S., Save Our SoccerNews! So let’s all take a bananas with the famous apes on their officially UEFA-licensed of all-inclusive seaside package holidaymakers to FIFA World step back and review recent events – and if you happen to be rock … And then: Greece Lose At Home To The Faroe Islands Cup winners. And to watch Jogi is to learn from Jogi – to this sitting at your computer, glance in your rear-view mirror and Shock Horror, trainer resigns on the spot to day, some of the editorial team are still trying to kick the Löw- roll your chair back a yard. Right: Germany thrash Gibraltar become a shepherd somewhere in the North Atlantic. On the induced espresso habit they picked up this summer, or at least four-nil, and everyone, without exception – media men, Mül- other hand, the Dutch are over the moon, 6:0 against Latvia, Soccer News # 11/2014 6

Quotes of the day The question is whether we We have shut up a few need to pad out our profes- people who said we didn’t sional schedule with official deserve the chance to fixtures like this. play here.

Thomas Müller, scorer of two goals in Germany’s 4:0 “defeat” at the hands of Gibraltar. Gibraltar’s trainer Allen Bula after his team’s 0:4 “victory” over Germany.

Guus Hiddink doesn’t resign, the “problems about a team that’s been thrown together playing decent football at the moment, but is as R.E. and P.E. teachers instead? No they did in the system” criticised so vociferously in the fairly recently – “A Team”, not “The Team” – tak- not exactly blessed with good results – put it not! They rolled up their sleeves, sat down in wake of two previous defeats are resolved ing its eye off the ball for a second when the very nicely recently: “Giving your all and want- front of their laptops and conjured up a cou- and forgotten, the familiar battle-cry “Hup Hol- immediate pressure is off. When the patently ing one hundred percent success doesn’t nec- ple of new algorithms for the next cyber-clog. land hup” rings out once more. inferior opposition plays an 11-0-0 formation essarily mean you’ll get everything you want, Yes sir, that’s how to handle defeats, be they with the last line of defence standing between but it increases the odds in your favour.” real or imaginary. My lords, ladies and gentlemen of the press, the goalposts, you can’t expect a goal a min- World Champions, DFB officials and other dig- ute. So to be honest, I neither know nor care In other, somewhat less philosophical terms: And incidentally, on the subject of documen- nitaries: 4:0 is not a defeat. Far from it. 4:0 can why the Deutscher Fußball-Bund flies the flag That’s the way the cookie crumbles. Even if taries: the male editors of “The Editors” are still definitely be classed as a win. In my capacity at half-mast when their team wins 4:0, and the players were assembled entirely from engaged in a heated debate as to which of us as editorial psychology expert and part-time the orange-clad and -bewigged officials from hard drives, microchips and titanium screws, should follow Thomas Müller’s example and brain surgeon, my diagnosis is “defeat delu- the Koninklijke Nederlandse Voetbalbond then programmed by football-savvy super- squeeze his chunky form into a dirndl dress. sion” or hypochondriac result mania. Google perform a merry clog-dance when their lads nerds, victory would still not be a certainty. Or maybe we can come up with an even it, you’ll be surprised. If I ever set myself up beat similarly weak opposition 6:0. And yet This was the painful experience, or would droller variation on the theme of How To Be as a private practitioner, I’ll never be short one is sorely tempted to bawl into the ears have been if they had been sentient beings, of The Life And Soul Of The Party. Your sugges- of work. However, until I do, here’s our self- of Löw, Hiddink and all the Greeks wallowing the football robots from Bogazici University in tions, gentle reader, are more than welcome. deprecatory SoccerNews super-mini analysis in the trough of depression centred on the , who were on the wrong end of a 7:0 Remember to speak loudly and clearly, look- of the Germany v. Gibraltar game: a 3:0 half- Faroes: That! Is! Football! You win some, you defeat against the booted automatons from ing squarely into the camera in front of you. time lead in a European Championship quali- lose some – and sometimes they’re not the Bremen University in Germany. Well? What Thank you. fier isn’t something to get hot and bothered ones you expect. Jürgen Klopp, the trainer of happened next? Did the Turkish programmers about. There’s nothing dramatic or worrying Borussia Dortmund – a team that is actually hand in their resignations and begin to train Soccer News # 11/2014 7

The A3 motorway in Belgium at night – almost as bright as day. Image: ChrGermany

Did you know ... back in the 1950s. The growth in road traffic had led to an in- of the prohibitive costs. According to the Belgian Institute for creasing number of accidents, especially at night. More than Road Safety, although street lamps improve visibility for drivers, … that Belgian motorways can be seen from half of all road fatalities occurred during the hours of darkness, they also lull them into a false sense of security. The further outer space? so it was time to brighten things up. Ultimately, some 335,000 drivers can see, the faster they go. Besides, modern headlights lamps turned night into day for travellers on Belgian motorways, have reached a state of such technical perfection that street with 90 percent of the network in the Walloon region and all lamps are becoming less and less important. On top of that, the The Welsh national team recently travelled to Belgium for their motorways in Flanders fully illuminated. This gave rise to the electricity required to power the motorway lamps costs Bel- Euro 2016 qualifier against the home side – and the players apocryphal story that Belgian motorways were so brightly lit gium about €25 million per year. In view of all this, a few years were already in the spotlight before a ball was kicked. The spot- that astronauts lost in space used them as a navigation aid. ago the authorities started to phase out all-night lighting. With light was actually the countless street lamps that line Belgian There’s a grain of truth behind the joke, though, because as the the exception of hazardous areas such as exits and bridges, motorways every few metres and bathed the Welsh team’s European Space Agency ESA confirms, the brightly-lit Belgian darkness is gradually returning to Belgian motorways. The only coach (the vehicle, not Chris Coleman) in glaring yellow light. As highways really are visible from space. question is: how will the astronauts find their way around with- soon as dusk falls, the street lamps on the Belgian motorway out Belgium’s guiding lights? network are switched on automatically – and they stay on all Now, though, the street lamps are gradually being switched off night for safety reasons – at least, that was the reason given amid rising doubts about the benefits they bring – and in view Soccer News # 11/2014 8

all that changed, at least temporarily, with the introduction of more horsepower. Fast mail coaches were pulled by a team of four or six horses, with the driver perched on the rearmost horse on the left, so that he could reach all the horses with the whip in his right hand. Traffic also kept right in order to allow the driver a better view of the road ahead. However, nothing lasts forever and things changed again with the invention of the coach-box – the driving bench mounted at the front of the carriage. Now the driver had to sit on the right to avoid the risk of injuring a passenger with his whip – and horse-drawn traffic moved back to the left.

In France, meanwhile, the majority of drivers continued to sit on the hindmost horse on the left, so Robespierre’s govern- ment passed a law making driving on the right compulsory. Emperor and military commander Napoleon adopted the law and introduced it to the countries conquered by his armies. As Napoleon never quite made it across the English Channel, however, things stayed as they were.

If only for purely economic reasons, the British government would do well to stick to driving on the left, as a changeover would be very expensive. In Sweden, which changed to driv- ing on the right in 1967 – the last country to do so to date – 324,000 signs reminding drivers of the forthcoming change were erected. A small army of 6,000 police officers, 2,000 soldiers and thousands of civilian helpers actually changed all road signs overnight prior to “H-Day” (H for “Högertrafik”, Obviously, traffic keeps to the left when crossing Tower Bridge in London – as can be seen from the red rear lights on the left-hand side of the road. which is Swedish for right-hand traffic). The changeover cost Image: VisitBritain the state roughly €700 million at today’s prices. And by way of collateral damage, some 500 guide dogs for the blind also Did you know ... the left. They’re not alone, either: 59 of the world’s 221 inde- had to be retrained. pendent states do the same. The reason for this is a lot older ... why the British drive on the left? than the car: in the Middle Ages, knights wore their swords However, it also works the other way: five years ago, Samoa on the left, which made it easier to mount their steeds from went back to driving on the left, and for an incredibly simple the left-hand side, too. They presumably also rode on the left reason: second-hand cars with right-hand drive are cheaper to “These Britons are crazy!” Obelix is wrong there, you say? No, because it was too much trouble to move across to the other buy from Australia than, say, from the USA, where the steering actually he’s right – be it wild boar with mint sauce, joining the side of the road. As a result, horse-drawn traffic also kept left. wheel is on the left. Two days’ national holiday were declared euro zone, or breakfasting on bacon, eggs and fried bread, If the horse was harnessed to a cart, the driver would control in an attempt to maximise the chances of a smooth, accident- the Brits have their own way of doing things. Driving is a case it with his right hand on the reins and stay on the left-hand free transition. And the sale of alcohol was forbidden. in point, because the inhabitants of the British Isles drive on side of the road to avoid colliding with oncoming traffic. But