SoccerNews Issue # 7, 20th November 2015 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 # 7/2015 2 We won’t let the News ted in a major tournament for the last time at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. A well-known player in Germany, who also terrorists win. played in England, proved the backbone of the Hungarian suc- cess: Gabor Király, who has played with Hertha BSC Berlin, la- All 24 European ter with 1860 Munich and with Burnley and Fulham in England, The cowardly terrorist attacks in Paris last Friday struck the ensured the victory with a series of great saves. The goalkee- heart of the free world. We mourn the deaths of more than per is only the second player with 100 caps for Hungary. He 130 innocent victims. Our thoughts are with all those af- Championship partici- will turn 40 on April 1 and could be the first player of that age fected: the dead and the many wounded; their families and to compete at a European Championship finals next summer. friends. At the same time we also feel for and mourn with pants now known our colleagues at Continental in France and wish them the Király, whose trademark has been grey jogging trousers for strength to overcome such a terrible shock. Hungary, Ireland, Sweden and Ukraine won years, can help the coaching team with his language skills. Just one day after reaching the 2016 European Championship But on this dreadful night the targets of the terrorists were their respective play-off encounters. Thus finals, Hungary’s football president Sandor Csanyi went the not the fans at a football match, the audience at a concert whole hog: The German coaching trio of boss Bernd Storck, or the patrons of bars and restaurants. The targets were all the field of 24 teams to compete at the 2016 assistant coach Andreas Moeller and goalkeeping coach Hol- of us, together with our values and our freedom. That’s why UEFA European Championship is complete. ger Gehrke will remain responsible for the Hungarian national our sense of loss at the suffering of the victims in France team until after the tournament in France. Former German transcends national borders. That’s why we stand side-by- After 268 matches the qualification for the 2016 UEFA Euro- international Moeller, who gained a World Cup title in 1990, side with them and their country in the defense of values pean Championship was completed on Tuesday, November knows from experience how to play a successful European that are stronger than the destructive force of bullets and 17. In the play-off round Hungary, Ireland, Sweden and Ukraine Championship tournament. He was in the German team that bombs can ever be. ascertained the last four places in the finals to be held, for the won the 1996 title in England. Boss of the coaching crew is first time with a total of 24 nations, between June 10 and July Bernd Storck, former defender with VfL Bochum and Borussia We will not bow to the tyranny of terrorism. We will stand 10. Dortmund. He will stay with Hungary even longer as his con- up for our values. Because these values are the foundations tract as sports director was extended until 2018. of our free societies, our democracies, and our lives. They A 2-2 draw with Denmark in Copenhagen was sufficient for nourish all our institutions and organizations – of which Sweden to win this Scandinavian encounter, after a 2-1 win in Ibrahimovic leads Sweden into the finals – Denmark coach Continental is one. And that’s why it’s so important to live the first leg. Ukraine was finally successful in a play-off round. Olsen retires these values every day and everywhere. Now more than After their 2-0 victory at home the 2012 European Champion- ever; today and in the future. ship co-hosts only needed a 1-1 draw with Slovenia in Maribor A crowd of 50,500 watched in Dublin as Ireland qualified for to put behind them the nightmare of previous failures in five a European Championship finals for the third time since 1988 The qualifiers for UEFA EURO 2016 are over and the list of relegation rounds. Prior to EURO 2000 Ukraine had lost to and 2012. The “Boys in Green” defeated Bosnia-Herzegovina the 24 finalists is complete. Following the Final Draw on Slovenia. In addition the Eastern Europeans have failed in four 2-0, after a 2-2 draw in the first leg. Ireland’s star striker Jon December 10, when the six groups of four teams are drawn, play-off rounds for World Cup finals. Walters defeated the Balkan dragon with his brace, thus initia- we will be focusing on the individual teams and their rising ting a big “green” party in the Irish capital. or shining stars. Until then, keep that sporting spirit alive. Hungary reached the finals for the European title for the first time since 1972, when just four teams played. With a 2-1 win in Superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic once again provided the sporting Alexander Bahlmann Budapest against slightly favoured Norway, plus an earlier 1-0 highlight for Sweden. His goal for 2-0 with a sensational direct Publisher, Continental SoccerNews away in Oslo, the Magyars achieved victories in both play-off free kick in the 76th minute opened the door to France for the matches. The team of the 1954 World Cup runners-up compe- Three Crowns team. Ibrahimovic had also scored the first goal, Soccer News # 7/2015 3 Zlatan Ibrahimovic (right), who contributed three goals towards Gabor Kiraly is a goalkeeping legend who always plays in grey jogging trousers. The 39-year-old was the backbone of Hungary’s play-off Sweden’s 4-3 overall score, battles in the air with Denmark’s Thomas victories against Norway. Photo: Imago Delaney. Photo: Getty Images and he had netted in the first leg. The Paris Leipzig, and Jannik Vestergaard of Werder The 66-year-old was the head coach of his Belgium (Cercle Brugge, Molenbeek, Ander- St. Germain striker will effectively have home Bremen could not prevent their overall defeat. home country’s national team for 15 years. lecht), with 1. FC Cologne, and in 102 internati- matches at the European Championship finals Previously he worked as club coach with the onal matches. in France next summer. Though the Danes Afterwards the era of one of international Danish traditional club Broendby, with 1. FC fought back from 2-0 down, goals from Yussuf football’s greats ended: Denmark’s national Cologne and Ajax Amsterdam. As a player Poulsen, of German second division club RB coach Morten Olsen retired after the match. Olsen was an outstanding libero with clubs in Soccer News # 7/2015 4 News the title. The two best teams of the six first Here are the four drawing pots for the round groups as well as the four best third- solemn ceremony with the UEFA ratings Draw for the European finals on placed teams qualify for the knock-out stage. The finals will kick-off with the opening match December 12 featuring hosts France at the Stade de France Germany (40,236) on June 10. The same venue will also host the Spain (37,962) The 12th of December is an important date final on July 10. Further venues are Bordeaux, England (35,963) prior to the 2016 UEFA European Champion- Lens, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Paris with the Portugal (35,138) ship. On that Saturday the draw for the six Parc de Prince Stadium, Saint Etienne and Belgium (34,442) groups will take place at the Palais des Con- Toulouse. France (hosts 33,599) grès in Paris. Six nations are seeded and will Despite massive security measures the internation- form the first pot in the draw. They are World Pot 1 al match between Germany and the Netherlands Cup champions Germany, host France, title News was called off in Hannover on November 17. holders Spain as well as England, Portugal Photo: Imago and Belgium. Italy (34,345) Intensified security during the belt, but was prevented by an attentive stew- Russia (31,345) It is not the FIFA world rankings, currently led European Championship finals Switzerland (31,254) ard. The terrorist then committed suicide by by Belgium followed by Germany, which is Austria (30,932) blowing himself up. Altogether three people decisive, but the system established by the The 2016 European Championship finals will Croatia (30,642) lost their lives in front of the stadium during Ukraine (30,313) European Football Association (UEFA), into take place with even stricter security measures the match. which of the four pots a team is placed. Vari- than originally planned. This was stressed by Pot 2 ous sporting performances are considered in the European Football Association (UEFA) and The play-off matches for the European Cham- its evaluation, such as the results in the qualifi- France’s Sport Minister Patrick Kanner after the pionship as well as numerous friendly matches cation and at previous tournaments. Older re- terror attacks during the international friendly were completed although being aware of the sults are less valuable than more recent ones. between France and Germany at Saint Denis Czech Republic (29,403) terrible attacks. Two encounters were called off. near Paris on November 13. “After the traumatic Sweden (29,028) The match between Belgium and Spain was Poland (28,306) As teams in one pot cannot be drawn into the events in Paris last Friday UEFA and the Euro cancelled about 20 hours before the sched- Romania (28,038) same group, many media as well as coaches Governance Board want to affirm their obliga- uled kick-off in Brussels after the terror alert Slovakia (27,171) and players are considering possible options.