No. 180 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018 OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE UNION OF EUROPEAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATIONS FRANCE SHINE BRIGHT EDITORIAL DELIVERING THE WORLD’S BEST FOOTBALL ootball never stops. Matches might end The first week features France v Germany, with the referee’s whistle, but the game England v Spain and Spain v Croatia. The Fdoes not stop. On 26 June, while most of four group winners in League A will compete the football world was enjoying the 2018 in next summer’s UEFA Nations League finals. World Cup group stage, the 2018/19 UEFA In every even year there are World Cup or Champions League was already kicking off. EURO champions; now in every odd year there The World Cup in Russia again highlighted will be a UEFA Nations League champion. two things. First, the strength and depth of Football is about competition and now, just like European football. France’s fully deserved in club football, there will be a national team success means that European teams have now champion at the close of every season. won the last four World Cups. Croatia’s For middle-ranking and smaller nations, the wonderful achievement in reaching the final UEFA Nations League offers an extra way to means that three of the last four finals have qualify for EURO final tournaments, and teams been all-European affairs. Europe has now who have struggled against sides ranked provided 13 of the 16 semi-finalists at the last considerably higher than them will now get the four World Cups. Eight European teams have chance to take part in balanced matches. been World Cup semi-finalists this century, The UEFA Nations League will help UEFA to 13 have been quarter-finalists. We are not just continue to deliver for its member associations producing successful clubs in Europe, but a rich meaningful matches, intense competition, seam of talented players, visionary coaches and balance, opportunity for improvement, and competitive national teams. the world’s best football. The World Cup also showed that there is a huge appetite for national team football. UEFA has always been aware of this, and of the fact that national team football needs more than biennial summer showcases. Supporters realise that most friendlies fail to deliver competitive and meaningful football. The relationship between club and national team football needed rebalancing. That was the thinking behind the UEFA Nations Aleksander Čeferin League, which kicks off on 6 September. UEFA President UEFA DIRECT • September/October 2018 – 03 CONTENTS NOTICE From now on UEFA Direct will be published every two months. The next issue will be out at the end of October. Official publication of the Union of European Football Associations Chief editor: Emmanuel Deconche Deputy chief editor: Dominique Maurer Chief writer: Mark Chaplin External contributors: Julien Hernandez (pages 6-10 + sidebar page 11) Ekaterina Grishenkova, RFU (page 11) Gareth Mayer, FAI (pages 12-15) 12 Graham Turner (pages 18-19 + 38) FAI Ben Gladwell (pages 20-21) Simon Hart (pages 26-31) Philippe Vonnard (page 36) Paul Saffer (page 37) IN THIS ISSUE Paul Zaharia, FRF (page 39) Translations: 6 WORLD CUP 18 UNDER-19 CHAMPIONSHIPS UEFA Language Services Europe tops the charts at the 2018 Portugal and Spain take the honours in Production: World Cup. the European Under-19 and Women’s Touchline Under-19 championships. Printing: 12 SPECIAL REPORT Artgraphic Cavin, The Football Association of Ireland is 22 TOGETHER #WEPLAYSTRONG CH-1422 Grandson spearheading the efforts to promote The campaign to attract more girls into grassroots football. football is gathering pace. Editorial deadline: 9 August 2018 16 #EQUALGAME 26 THE TECHNICIAN Cover photo: In a deprived neighbourhood of Lisbon, Stanislav Cherchesov looks back at Getty Images Puma Emerson is changing lives Russia’s best World Cup ever. through football. 04 – UEFA DIRECT • September/October 2018 CONTENTS 22 UEFA Getty Images 26 AFP 32 UEFA GROW Strategic communication is crucial to the growth of every national association. 34 RESEARCH GRANT PROGRAMME 39 NEWS FROM MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS 6 FIFA via Getty Images FIFA UEFA DIRECT • September/October 2018 – 05 FIFA via Getty Images WORLD CUP FRANCE AND EUROPE ON TOP OF TH E WO R LD France won the 2018 World Cup at the climax of a tournament in which the European teams excelled once again. fter Italy in 2006, Spain in 2010 their EURO 2016 final defeat at the hands and Germany in 2014, France of Portugal, Hugo Lloris and his team-mates continued a record-breaking arrived in Russia as outsiders, with their run of success for European inexperience viewed as a particular weakness. teams, who have now lifted the Although question marks still hung over AWorld Cup trophy four times in a row. While them during a tricky group stage, they EURO 2016 demonstrated the consistently clicked into gear in a memorable 4-3 round high standards that have been reached at of 16 win over Argentina and never looked the top level of European football, the 2018 back. Epitomising the vibrancy of French World Cup proved that Europe boasts many youth, 19-year old Kylian Mbappé starred of the world’s elite football nations. Despite against Argentina, scored four goals in the the poor performances of the previous three tournament, and was named best young champions – Italy failed to qualify, Germany player. With outstanding performers such as suffered a shock first-round elimination and Raphaël Varane, Samuel Umtiti, Paul Pogba Spain went out in the round of 16 – the and N’Golo Kanté in their ranks, France saw European teams virtually achieved a clean off Uruguay (2-0) in the quarter-finals and sweep in Russia. Of the continent’s 14 Belgium (1-0) in the last four. Many even group-stage representatives, ten reached dared to label their style too defensive! the round of 16, six were quarter-finalists However, they proved the critics wrong in and four contested the semi-finals, the fifth an exhilarating 4-2 victory against Croatia in time this feat has been achieved after 1934, the final, with Antoine Griezmann producing 1966, 1982 and 2006. Overall, a remarkable another match-winning display, and became performance, despite a few hiccups along the first team to net four times in a World the way. Cup final since Brazil in 1970. France trailed their opponents for only nine minutes in the France crowned again, 20 years on whole tournament (against Argentina) and Since winning the world title on home soil were never even taken to extra time – proof in 1998, followed by victory at EURO 2000, of the dominance of the team coached by another major title for the French national Didier Deschamps, a member of the 1998 team was long overdue. Still smarting from World Cup-winning side. UEFA DIRECT • September/October 2018 WORLD CUP Croatia had to come from behind in all their defeat. The talented Belgian side lit up knockout matches and became the first team the rest of the tournament thanks to to play extra time in three consecutive final a multifaceted strike force that scored tournament matches. more goals than any other country, goals that were shared among a record ten different players. Led by an unstoppable Eden Hazard, Roberto Martínez’s men saw off Panama (3-0), Tunisia (6-1) and England (1-0) before Croatia make history Modrić, who was named player of the beating Japan in the round of 16 (3-2). While the French team matched the tournament, stood out in particular and The golden generation then produced success of their 1998 predecessors, attracted most of the plaudits. the performance that the world had the Croatians outdid the Davor Šuker However, he was aided and abetted been waiting for, a 2-1 quarter-final generation, losing semi-finalists in 1998. by the likes of Danijel Subašic, who victory over Brazil in which Thibaut Once again, it was the French who played a crucial role in penalty shoot- Courtois, later named the tournament’s shattered the dreams of World Cup out victories over Denmark in the round best goalkeeper, was exceptional. With glory for Luka Modrić and his team- of 16 and Russia in the quarter-finals, several other outstanding players in mates in a final that Croatia dominated Mario Mandžukić, scorer of three their line-up (Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu for long periods before succumbing to vital goals in the knockout stage, and Lukaku, Dries Mertens, etc.), Belgium the powerful French counter-attack. Ivan Perišić, who netted in both the will be a force to be reckoned with in The outcome was hardly surprising, semi-final and the final, not to mention forthcoming major tournaments. The given the Croatians’ energy-sapping midfield lynchpins Ivan Rakitić and same can be said of England, who run to the final. Following a flawless Marcelo Brozović. emerged from the shadows by drawing first round (three wins, including a line under a number of unwanted a magnificent 3-0 victory against Belgium and England put records. Having never previously won Argentina), Croatia had to come down a marker a World Cup penalty shoot-out, from behind in all their knockout Just like Croatia, Belgium achieved their Jordan Pickford and his team-mates matches and became the first team best ever World Cup finish, bettering defeated Colombia on spot kicks in a to play extra time in three consecutive their 1986 result by beating England thrilling round of 16 encounter. And final tournament matches. On each 2-0 to secure third place. Also like having failed to reach the semi-finals occasion, they turned things around Croatia, the Belgians were eliminated since 1990, they secured a last-four thanks to an assured style of play by France after failing to break down berth with a comfortable 2-0 win over and top performances by key players.