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Home , Axel Witsel, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Gareth Bale, Klaus Allofs, List of Belgians, Marc Wilmots

SoccerNews Issue # 4, 22th June 2015

Continental/Division Tires Alexander Bahlmann Phone: +49 511 938 2615 Head of Media & Public Relations PLT E-Mail: [email protected] Belgian (left) heads the ball out of the box away Buettnerstraße 25 | 30165 Hannover www.contisoccerworld.de from Welshman (centre). Photo: Getty Images Soccer News # 4/2015 2

Aktuell Could Britain have four teams at EURO 2016?

The second weekend in June is traditionally a festive event in Great Britain, as Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday is belatedly celebrated with the Trooping the Colour parade. And by coinci- dence this year – for a change – the United Kingdom is also in a celebratory football mood.

“Rule Britannia” is the new chant on Europe’s football pitches. The chances at present show hope that Great Britain travel to the 2016 Scotland (white shirts) have a good chance to qualify for EURO 2016. After Jon Walters (centre) gave Ireland the lead, the “Bravehearts” equalised for a 1-1 result. European Championship in France with four Photo: Imago teams for the first time. After the disappoint- ments in the Champions League, it’s the national teams of England, , Northern next year”, said Hodgson, after , a first qualification for a major tour- 2016: “Everybody knows how much I want to Ireland and Scotland who are delighting their crowned a perfect with his winning nament since 1958 is within their grasp. “This play at a major tournament with Wales. That fans. goal shortly before the final whistle. One year was our greatest victory, but I think even certainly heads my personal list.” after the disappointing first-round elimination greater will follow. And that’s when we may After the 3-2 win in Slovenia England may at the World Cup finals in Brazil the “Three Li- say: ‘We are going to France’”, said coach The last finals with a Northern Ireland partici- confidently book their accommodation for ons” concluded the season without a defeat, a Chris Coleman, when his team took over top pation also dates back almost 30 years. The the finals. For with six wins in six matches in success last recorded 14 years ago. position in Group B with a five-point advan- Northern Irish competed for the last time at Group E, the team coached by tage over third-placed Israel. Their 100-million the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. The wait might looks certain to cross the English Channel. A historic feat is looming for small neighbours euro player Gareth Bale, who scored the win- soon be over, however. After the goalless “Our task is to make the team even better Wales. After a 1-0 triumph over favourites ner, is also dreaming of participating at EURO draw with top team Romania, team manager Soccer News # 4/2015 3

ers from the sheep islands achieved their sec- ond victory over Greece in the current round. Consequently the 2004 European champions are facing their exit after this 2-1 humiliating defeat. A fate which also threatens the upcom- ing World Cup hosts Russia after losing 1-0 to Austria. Placed third it is getting tough for the Russians, while Austria have almost achieved qualification.

And how did the alleged footballing greats fare? Title holders Spain got through with a lacklustre 1-0 in Belarus thus consolidating their second position behind supreme Slova- kia in Group C. World Cup bronze medallists Netherlands achieved a 2-0 in Latvia and remain at least in third place in Group A. It looks brighter for Portugal, who defeated Ar- menia 3-2 thanks to ’s three goals and top Group I. Italy also concluded the post-World Cup season quite acceptably in sec- ond place with a 1-1 draw in Croatia. However, the result was just a side issue at that “ghost match” in Split. A Swastika on the pitch, created with chemical products, caused a scandal and could well cause Croatia great trouble. All that after the team from the Balkans had to play behind closed doors in an empty stadium due to the consistent misconduct of their fans.

Wayne Rooney (right), scorer of England’s winning goal during the 3-2 win over Slovenia, is challenged by Ales Mertelj. Photo: Getty Images And World Cup champions Germany thrashed Gibraltar 7-0 in Faro, Portugal, thus consolidat- Michael O’Neill considers the chances for the be sufficient to reach the play-offs. With a 1-1 Faeroes rock the Greek boat ing second place in Group B after a bumpy runners-up spot for the European Champion- draw in Ireland the rivals were kept at bay, and season. At the re-start in September the DFB ship “heightened”. Their home match against they are just three points behind top team Po- But there were football celebrations not only team have the opportunity to topple Poland third-placed Hungary in September could be land. The Poles took their leave into the sum- in Great Britain but also farther north in the from first place with a win in the top match in the key match in Group F. mer break with a 4-0 win over Georgia and Atlantic. Iceland catapulted themselves to the . the fastest hattrick in the history of the Euro- top of Group A with a 2-1 against the Czech The Scots have not yet got that far. In the pean Championship qualification achieved by Republic and made a big step towards their “German” Group D the “Bravehearts” hold Bayern striker first ever EURO participation. The Faeroes third place with eleven points, which might (three goals in four minutes). have not yet got that far, but the crass outsid- Soccer News # 4/2015 4

In order to prevent this part of history repeat- ing itself, the World Cup bus that carried the title-winning German national team and its trainer Joachim Löw around Brazil in 2014 was shipped back to Germany after the tour- nament and parked in a high-security garage belonging to the DFB. When the new German Museum of Football opens in this October, the World Cup Winners’ bus will be one of the exhibits. It therefore follows that the team now has to travel to its games on another bus. Two days before last Wednes- day’s international trial match against the USA, The World Cup bus that carried the German team to Mercedes-Benz handed over the new team the title in 1974 is still missing. The vehicle on show bus, a Trevago M – the “flagship of the Mer- in the museum in is only a replica. Image: cedes-Benz omnibus range”, as they phrase Mercedes-Benz Museum it in Stuttgart. “Maximum traveling comfort, the most innovative safety features, best eco- friendliness, dynamic handling characteristics and sleek lines distinguish our current top-of- On the road with ContiCoach HA3 tires the-range model. Just the ticket for football’s from Continental: the team bus of the DFB World Champions”, says Hartmut Schick, Head of Daimler Buses. For example, the vehicle is Above all, the current national team would like to ride this new team bus all the way to the European Champi- fitted with the new “Active Brake Assist 3” sys- onship final in in 2016. Image: GES for Mercedes-Benz tem, which initiates an automatic emergency stop even in the event of stationary obstacles. Did you know … And – naturally – it runs on Conti Coach HA3 tires from Continental. Continental tires also … that the DFB team bus has disappeared? carried the team to victory in the tournament in Brazil. Inside the bus, the players can relax in leather seats and enjoy the convenience of Even so, Bastian Schweinsteiger and his teammates don’t have to worry about how to get to club tables and WLAN. Germany’s Team Man- their next European Championship qualifying games and, if they succeed in qualifying, to the ager is delighted with the new venues in the host country, France. The bus that has disappeared is the luxury vehicle used model: “Team buses always have emotional by the World Cup winners of 1974. Back then, trainer Helmut Schön and his World Cup heroes value for players and fans, too. Mercedes- Gerd Müller, and traveled around their home country, which Benz has a lot of experience with team buses, was host nation that year, in a “Mercedes Benz Omnibus 302-13 R Üh” coach – which “has not they are safe and superbly equipped.” It was resurfaced to this day”, according to Friederike Valet from the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stutt- no different back in 1974, either. Among its gart. The vehicle on display in the Stuttgart motor manufacturer’s museum is only a replica. special extras, the missing World Cup bus Despite years of fruitless searching with the support of the German Football Association DFB, boasted “two fans above the driver’s seat” and the whereabouts of the original World Cup bus, which was painted ochre yellow with black, red a “rear restroom fitted and decorated in the and gold stripes, remains a mystery. color Cognac”. Soccer News # 4/2015 5

ALLEZ BOOM!

First-aid hairdryer

Our author plans to get in touch with espio- nage expert Edward Snowden to find out what secrets German national team doctor “Dr. Mull” keeps hidden in his little black bag.

By Freddy Boom

Before we turn our attention to the weekend’s events, I’d like to tell you about how I spent yesterday evening on the sofa. I can already hear one or two of you asking if we really want to know. The answer is yes, you do. For me, the SoccerNews edi- torial team’s Senior Television Coverage Monitoring Officer, the sofa is the world’s most important – and therefore semi-public – interface between events in the world of global football and the computer monitors or smart phone displays on which you, dear readers, have decided to consume my outpourings on the latest EURO qualifying round. Anyway, there I was on the sofa yesterday evening, hopping from channel to channel shortly before turning in for the night, when I chanced upon Has DFB trainer Joachim Löw secretly been taking manicure tutorials on the internet? Image: RTL live coverage of the German Web Video Awards ceremony. It was a real eye-opener. For those of you who missed it or haven’t the slightest idea of what goes on there: people who big mouth shut and swallow any holier-than-thou comments But much more importantly: there appear to be fingernail ex- post nail-polish application tips on the internet receive prizes I might have been about to make. But if I might be permitted perts on the web who give you the lowdown on how to handle from other people who post films on the internet in which you to share just one little thought with you, in these progressive a nail file. Which is a brilliantly contrived link to this week’s top can watch them playing computer games. Now don’t get me times where conventional television is compared unfavorably EURO action. During the second half of the Germany v. Gibral- wrong, I don’t want to launch an all-round attack on people with internet streaming services and the all-pervading media tar match, with the score at 4:0, the German trainer Joachim who spend their lives online; after all, it takes all sorts to make might of YouTube, and condemned as being unimaginative, Löw calmly took out a nail file and gave himself a quick mani- a www.orld. doomed to extinction like the dinosaurs, and so terribly yester- cure right there on the bench. Had he perhaps seen 16-year- day. The thought is this: which medium was chosen to broad- old internet stars on YouTube giving advice on keeping your And when I see a 16-year-old fingernail expert walk onstage cast the European Web Video Academy’s glittering award cer- hands looking perfect and thought to himself, right, I’ll give in a million-euro evening gown that she bought from the ad- emony to its audience of sensation-hungry, gawping internet that a try, too? The best time’ll be during the Gibraltar game, vertising proceeds of five billion “Likes”, well, I’ll just keep my worshippers? Television, of course. I’ll be bored stiff anyway. I’m sure that we’ve all sat on a sub- Soccer News # 4/2015 6

Zitate des Tages

No, no, no. Get off Anything but that. to Mykonos!

German international Bastian Schweinsteiger, who missed a penalty in the game against Gibraltar, when Headline in the Greek sports paper GoalNews, to wish the national team a good vacation following their a TV reporter reminded him of the missed penalty in the 2012 Champions League final. second defeat by the Faroe Islands in the same competition.

way train watching teenage girls or ladies of by team doctor Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt, “Dr. in Athens led to the sacking of , It was an absolute scream (even though it a more advanced age obliviously filing their Mull”? Perhaps it also contains a hairdryer the then trainer. New ideas are required, and was not available on the internet). I can recall nails and polluting the surrounding air with for coiffure damage limitation after the next you can bet your nail file that they can be any number of great sporting moments I’d particulate matter of human origin, neither beer shower? We’ll stay on the ball, consult- found on some 14-year-old football expert’s love to see re-enacted in comically exagger- knowing nor caring that it would be more ing American Secret Service expert Edward social media channel. ated slow motion. Muhammad Ali’s blow to advisable to perform such intimate acts in the Snowden if need be, and hope we will be able George Foreman’s right temple in Round 8 of privacy of their own bathroom. But what of to reveal all in the next edition of SoccerNews. Now it’s time to invite you to take a seat on their “Rumble in the Jungle” fight in Kinshasa Joachim Löw, a man of the world? In the press One thing is certain: the German trainer has old Boom’s sofa again. Come on, I insist. After in 1974. Mario Götze’s goal in the 113th minute conference after the match, having given an definitely broken with Germany’s tradition of watching the German Web Video Awards, I of the World Cup final in Rio. Jogi Löw’s Little in-depth analysis of his team’s seven goals, he playing efficient, physically robust but stodgy continued with my channel-hopping until, Nail-File Music … Maybe I’ll simply start my explained that he had caught his finger in his football and, even after a rather uninspiring in the wee small hours, I stumbled across a own web video channel. “Boom’s SuperSloMo”, trainer’s chair and sustained “a split nail”. OK, first half against the mighty Gibraltar, still re- stand-up comedian lampooning the world featuring live footage of me wriiiiting my that’s an acceptable excuse, even though the fused to resort to strong-arm tactics. So we of sport. His act included Wimbledon magic textssss reeeaaalllyyy slllooowwwlllyyy. With impression it creates is rather awkward. If you must not be surprised to see other trainers moments of yesteryear, one of them being a a bit of luck you, esteemed readers, will be want to see what I mean, just google “Löw” reaching for their nail files in the near future. highly amusing impression of Boris Becker on able to see me in the spotlight, center-stage, and “nail file”. Sergio Markarian, for example, the national court, with all attendant facial contortions. The some time next year, receiving the Web Video coach of Greece. The Greeks lost their second best part was that it was all in slow motion: Award in the category “Most Soporific Internet But what I still want to know is where the file match against the Faroe Islands in the current Boris Becker serving and returning, complain- Honk” from an online beauty queen. comes from. Is a manicure set one of the qualifying round, 2:1 away in the middle of the ing to the umpire, wildly celebrating another surgical instruments in the first aid kit carried North Atlantic. The previous 1:0 home defeat victory – all performed in super-slow motion. Soccer News # 4/2015 7

Did you know … service, Swedish style. Incidentally, not only elks painted on metal road signs are popular; besides soft toys, key rings and … that the most frequently stolen road sign elk-shaped car air-fresheners, Swedish souvenir shops also of- fer another exclusive elk product: paper made from elk drop- comes from ? pings. Sune Häggmark, owner of the elk farm “Moose Garden” in the Jämtland Region in northern Sweden, is the inventor of elk paper. He feeds his elks on brushwood and forestry waste Sweden’s footballers want to qualify for the UEFA European so that their droppings contain cellulose and wood fibers. The Championship finals in France, but the Swedes are already droppings are then processed further to produce light-brown world champions - in replacing stolen road signs. In recent paper smelling faintly of tree bark, which is sold as writing years, more than one hundred elk signs have been disappear- paper, postcards and calling cards. There are even souvenir ing from Swedish roadsides every year. The distinctive sign is a banknotes in various currencies, but these are not accepted as hugely popular collector’s item with the “elk tourist” fraternity. payment for an elk road sign. “Most of the signs are taken from remote areas where there is little risk of being caught red-handed”, says Christian Eriksson from the Swedish Tourist Board, explaining that it costs about 530 euros to replace a stolen road sign. “What the thieves also forget is that they are putting other road users at risk”, Eriksson adds. An adult elk is about two meters tall measured from hoof to shoulder, and can weigh up to 550 kilograms. A collision with an elk can have serious consequences not only for the animal, but also for car drivers. The Swedish authorities register almost 5,000 accidents involving elks every year. The animals only become active at dusk, and the color of their pelt makes them hard to see. The Tourist Board advises motorists to stop if an elk is crossing the road and to proceed slowly and carefully when it has gone, as other elks may follow. In an attempt to make the road signs harder to steal, they are now welded to their poles instead of being bolted – a measure that is only partly successful, because many tourists appear to take the right tools with them when they go “sign-hunting”.

However, someone came up with a good idea that seems to work: for a while now, the Swedish Tourist Board has been selling the signs to elk enthusiasts. “Since we started selling them, there has been a significant drop in the number of signs stolen”, says traffic expert Eriksson. About 65 euros buys a brand-new sign for the proud owner’s front porch or living- The Swedish traffic authorities register around 5,000 accidents a year An important road sign in Sweden – and also a popular target for room wall. And there are some optional extras, too: a matching involving elks – the animals frequently cross the road at dusk. Image: thieves. That’s why elk signs are now on sale, too. Image: Visit Småland pole and ready-poured concrete base. That’s real customer Sven Olof Svensson / Smålands Turism Soccer News # 4/2015 8

enraged the former Schalke player, still revered as “Eurofighter” national team the great commitment he showed during Schal- in . Because he never had any intention to ke’s UEFA Cup triumph in 1997. Internally he sets clear rules, give up his position as national coach. So it was nonsense for externally he always defends his team. For that he likes to take Schalke to claim they had rejected him. The 46-year-old criti- on the media. cised the Ruhr-Region club for their approach. “That’s crazy and very bad style”. There was great agitation before the top Wilmots on his European title chance: “Nobody laughs at match in Group B, decided by a Gareth Bale (Real ) goal us anymore” for Wales. The main stands in seemed to be a hotspot for intermediaries, agents and scouts on Friday. Not just IHas Belgian football reached the stage where even the Euro- Wilmots but also the highly talented young stars of the “Rode pean title could be possible next year, as predicted by the for- Duivels” (Red Devils) are again at the top of shopping lists of mer goalkeeping star Jean-Marie Pfaff? Several factors would Europe’s major clubs. have to be conquered, says Wilmots, then emphasising: “A few years ago everybody laughed at us, now nobody laughs Top among them is Wolfsburg’s , hunted by anymore.” The revival is no accident. After the first-round elimi- Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Paris St. Germain, and nation at the 2000 European Championship at home, Belgium not to be had for less than 50 million Euros. ManCity have renewed its youth and junior system step by step. The then begun “informal talks”, reported the obviously not averse technical director Michel Sablon looked around in the neigh- The Belgian national team prior to the 1-0 defeat in Wales: Despite this De Bruyne. But Wolfsburg have to decide. And the DFB Cup bouring countries and developed a plan. Accordingly many loss the world ranking runners-up are considered capable of winning champions are not thinking of letting the young midfield star performance centres and sports school were built, the junior the European title. Photo: Imago go, although there are sums of money which might twist the teams adjusted to a flexible 4-3-3 system, and the players’ de- arm of VfL sports director Klaus Allofs. velopment replaced the quest for success.

News Exceptional Belgian players are worth millions And the juniors developed in style. was the best player this season, helping Chelsea FC to Renaissance interrupted: Belgium dreams of In the past years astronomical sums of money have already the title. In Germany De Bruyne advanced to top scorer and the European title been paid for the exceptional players of the Koninklijke Bel- helped Wolfsburg win the DFB Cup and reach the Champions gische Voetbalbond, such as Eden Hazard (42 mio. Euros/ League for the first time since winning the national title in Chelsea FC), (40 mio./Zenit St. Petersburg) and 2009. And further very promising talents are already knocking The disruptive actions from Gelsenkirchen were not to blame. (32 mio./Manchester United). All players rep- on the door. RSC Anderlecht for instance reached the semi- did not even search for excuses for the quite resent the new revival of Belgian football. In the meantime the finals in the UEFA Youth League. As the major stars are playing surprising setback for the Belgian national team after the 1-0 national team hold second position behind Germany in the abroad, it’s not too difficult for the young players to get into loss to Wales in the European Championship qualification last world ranking, the best ever rank in the association’s history. the Belgian first division. , for instance, played Saturday. But somehow the defeat fitted the picture, for on the in Anderlecht’s professional team at the age of 16. Wherever days preceding the top match at a sold-out The coach is the father of the success. As a stopgap promoted his stars sign up in the world, it’s not too far for Wilmots to in- everything but the game had been discussed. from assistant to head coach three years ago, he has long spect them. Only one thing is important for the national coach: since earned total recognition in an often divided country. “It doesn’t matter where they play but that they play.” Wilmots learned just a few hours before the match that FC The , once famous for his irrepressible fighting spirit, Schalke 04 had rejected him as a possible coach – and that prefers respectable offensive football. He brings to the Belgian