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12 JANUARY 2015 ENGLISH EDITION

   FIFA BALLON D’OR   

Fédération Internationale de Association – Since 1904

“Yes!”WWW.FIFA.COM/THEWEEKLY FIFA BALLON D’OR For more news from the FIFA Ballon d’Or Gala, visit: http://www.fifa.com/ballon-dor

FIFA Ballon d’Or (POR)

FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year Extract from the FIFA President’s NADINE KESSLER (GER) opening speech

FIFA World Coach of the Year Dear football friends for Men’s Football iven this uncertain and turbulent world of ours, I have only one JOACHIM LÖW (GER) thing to say this evening: we have yet to see the true power G of peace, or that of football. Therefore, let us be the ambassadors of a positive vision of the world. Let us be the ones to proclaim the message of peace loud and clear. Let us do good. FIFA World Coach of the Year This evening has a very French flavour because the Ballon d’Or has for Women’s Football its origins in , as I always like to remind people. The award was founded in 1956, in collaboration with my friends at . RALF KELLERMANN (GER) It was launched by friends, in a spirit of friendship, around a round table. Tonight, in keeping with that sentiment, we are all French in some way and our thoughts go out to our neighbours, who have been shaken to the core by the violent events of the last few days, which prompt me to repeat my call for peace, calm and tolerance. FIFA Puskás Award I call on you, if you are willing, to shake the hands of your oppo- nents at every level in the world of football, a gesture that will help JAMES RODRIGUEZ (COL) make this world of ours a better place. The Handshake for Peace is a unique symbol and embodies the values of friendship, respect and forgiveness. It is for those reasons that I want to see this gesture ­become commonplace. I want people to shake hands and look each other in the eye before and after each football match, at every level, FIFA Fairplay Award starting with the youngest players. What an example it would be! What a step forward it would represent! While it goes without saying VOLUNTEERS OF THE WORLD CUP 2014 that it will not bring an end to war, it will help foster mutual under- standing between people. There is something that is moving and cannot be stopped, and that something is the desire for peace that burns within us, as does the desire to share and to support each other. We are seeing it more and FIFA Presidential Award more on an everyday level and we can see it in our fight against Ebola. We are assuming our responsibilities and showing our solidarity, and HIROSHI KAGAWA (JPN) I would like to congratulate all the players who have devoted their time to spreading the message. Tonight, though, is a celebration first and foremost, a night on FIFA FIFPro World XI which we pay tribute to the stars of football, which is always a difficult thing to do because this is a team sport. Yet here we are, celebrating Goalkeeper  (GER/Bayern ) the skills of individual players. It is a little bit of a paradox if you ask Defenders  (GER/Bayern Munich) me, though I do think that the triumphs of the talented men and women who have gathered here this evening are not just personal in (BRA/Paris Saint-Germain) nature. They are the triumphs of a whole team: the wider footballing (ESP/Real Madrid) community. (BRA/Paris Saint-Germain) So let us talk, share our views with each other and revel in the things that make us different. After all, there is always more we can ANGEL DI MARIA (ARG/Manchester United) find out about one another. As my friend Nelson Mandela liked to say, let us celebrate humanity.

ANDRES INIESTA (ESP/) AFP Content: Getty Images (GER/Real Madrid) / Forwards  (ARG/Barcelona) (NED/Bayern Munich)

CRISTIANO RONALDO (POR/Real Madrid) Best wishes, Cover: Fabrice Coffrini

2 THE FIFA WEEKLY FIFA WORLD PLAYER OF THE YEAR

CRISTIANO RONALDO

eal Madrid’s Portuguese star received the FIFA Bal- take some beating: top goalscorer in and Golden lon d’Or trophy in Zurich on Monday evening after Shoe winner (top scorer in ) last season, nobody has being voted the world’s best footballer once again. ever scored more UEFA Champions League goals in a single Having previously won the award in 2008 and 2013, campaign than Ronaldo did last term. The Portuguese me- Ronaldo has now been named best player in the gastar has practically reinvented the art of goalscoring while world on three occasions, but the great man will only attaining new heights of efficiency and cadence. Rrest when he has accumulated more Ballon d’Or trophies Five weeks ago, Ronaldo became the fastest player to than any of his competitors. The earliest he can achieve reach the 200-goal mark in ’s top flight, reaching the that objective, however, is January 2017. milestone in just 178 appearances. His hat-trick against Celta Argentine star Lionel Messi, who came away emp- Vigo was his 23rd treble in La Liga – another league high. ty-handed for the second year running, has won the award He wouldn’t be the phenomenal player he is, though, if four times to date. Assuming Ronaldo makes the final Bal- only his personal achievements were of any real signifi- lon d’Or shortlist again in December, another victory for cance. It goes without saying that Ronaldo’s individual the 29-year-old next year would draw him level with the performances have made a key contribution to his team’s Barcelona man. success. He helped Real Madrid win the Champions Just how likely is the above scenario? Very, if Ronaldo League, UEFA Super Cup and Copa del Rey last season. remains injury free over the next twelve months. The man- Barely four weeks have passed since Madrid completed ner with which he swept everything before him last season their trophy haul by winning the FIFA Club World Cup for and during the first half of the current campaign has been the very first time. breathtaking, extraordinary, almost hallucinatory at times. As ever, Cristiano Ronaldo will do everything he can to Many believe the last twelve months have been the best ensure his game continues to appear effortless and his scor- in his career. If that is true, any goals Ronaldo chooses to ing tally continues to grow. His long-term objective, name- pursue in 2015 are surely well within his capabilities. Indeed, ly a fifth Ballon d’Or award, also remains firmly in his if he didn’t keep surprising us all with his genius, one might sights. Å

Andres Kudacki/AP/Keystone say he is at the peak of his game right now. His stats certainly­ Perikles Monioudis

THE FIFA WEEKLY 3 FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD PLAYER OF THE YEAR NADINE KESSLER

ith her tackling prowess, creativ- ity and exemplary leadership, Nadine Kessler is a pillar of the VfL Wolfsburg side and the driv- ing force behind their success. In 2014 the defensive Wspearheaded the team’s successful de- fence of their Women’s and Champions League crowns and, if that were not impressive enough, also under- lined her keen eye for goal with 17 strikes in all competitions for her club last sea- son. “She’s made a crucial contribution to our titles,” said her coach Ralf Keller- mann, adding: “I’m 100 per cent certain she’ll be named FIFA Women’s World Play- er of the Year.” The coach's words were to prove prescient. Just a few month after being named Europe’s player of the year, Kessler added the world title to her collec- tion at Monday evening’s award ceremony. Nadine Kessler is in the form of her life – or rather she was. After undergoing an arthroscopic procedure on her knee in October, the international is still experiencing discomfort despite originally planning to make a comeback at the start of the year. Her coach is cur- rently unable to give an estimated date for her return. Nevertheless, the 26-year-old knows how to battle her way back from such frus- trating injury layoffs. She overcame re- peated setbacks at the start of her career, having already established her reputation as one of Germany’s brightest footballing talents. And although Kessler’s career hung by a thread after she underwent sev- en knee operations between 2008 and 2010, she worked hard to return to com- petitive action. This fighting spirit was once again evident in the 2012/13 Cham- pions League final, when she played on with a broken little toe. Nadine Kessler is also an important figure within the Ger- man national team. She made a decisive contribution to the eight-time European champions’ World Cup qualifying cam- paign, where they won all seven of their matches to ensure they travel to Canada among the favourites to lift the trophy. Kessler found the net five times in six games to make her one of Die Nationalelf’s most prolific scorers. It is hoped that she will make a speedy return to full training in time to help write another Germany summer fairytale – this time at the Wom- en’s World Cup 2015 in Canada. Å

Sarah Steiner Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

4 THE FIFA WEEKLY MEN’S WORLD COACH OF THE YEAR

JOACHIM LÖW

here are games that change lives, and games that change ­Germany looked out of sorts in and Low’s men history. The World Cup Final is perhaps the greatest of were nearly knocked out of the competition. Nearly. those, and the winning goal its most memorable moment. The positive effect of flirting with such a premature For Germany head coach Joachim Low, however, his turn- exit was huge. While 80 million fans back home asked ing point came earlier in the tournament. themselves how their boys could now beat a formidable Low led his team, one that he will soon have man- France team in the quarter-finals, the Germany squad de- Taged for nine years, to World Cup glory in . Along the veloped a new hunger. Crucially, Low, who was harshly crit- way, the tactician made a number of unpopular decisions icised after the Algeria game, had not lost his head. Without that were key to his side’s success, but the match that real- a dent to his pride, he admitted that an entire country was ly changed Joachim Low and Germany’s football history right about captain Philipp Lahm returning to his position was not the final. It was the Round of 16 tie against Algeria. in defence. At the end of June, having pocketed seven points from Low is the first Germany coach to win the World Cup a tough group that included , and the USA, never having previously played for his country. He had it things were looking good for Germany as they breezed into tough as head coach because his decisions were not always the knockout stage. Little concern was expressed about the understood. Since Brazil, not only are his decisions under- danger posed by their next opponents, Algeria. As it turned stood, they are also respected. Å

Lee Smith/pixathlon Lee out, the north Africans played the game of their lives, Alan Schweingruber

THE FIFA WEEKLY 5 Years of phenomenal growth FIFA decided to stage the first FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in 1991 (China PR) to give the best female players in world football the opportunity to play on a world stage, thus marking a milestone for the growth of women’s football all around the globe. Around half a million spectators attended the matches. Since then, the women’s game has taken huge strides forward in every aspect, whether in terms of the players’ technique, physical fitness and tactics, or the media coverage, TV viewers and sponsorship interest.

One of the pillars of FIFA’s mission is to touch the world through our tourna- ments. We take great pride in staging these entertaining and unique festivals of football across the globe. The FIFA Women’s World Cup™ is a shining example of our commitment to ensuring that women’s football goes from strength to strength in the future. WOMEN’S WORLD COACH OF THE YEAR / PUSKÁS AWARD RALF KELLERMANN t is said that while getting to the top is hard, staying there is even harder – but Ralf Kellermann appears to have I found the secret formula. In 2013 he guided a VfL Wolfs- burg side led by 2014 FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year Nadine Kessler to a historic treble consisting of the Wom- en’s Bundesliga, DFB Cup and Champions League titles. Further triumph followed in 2014 as the Duisburg native guided Wolfsburg to championship glory once more and oversaw the defence of their European crown with a spec- tacular 4-3 victory against ’s Tyreso. Kellermann made his reputation as a coach after limited success during his playing career. As a goalkeeper he was on Duisburg's books when they were promoted to Germa- ny’s second tier in 1989 and to the top flight in 1991, before switching to lower-league football after failing to break into the first team. By 2008 Kellermann was working in Wolfs- burg’s scouting department and coaching SV Brunsrode/ Flechtorf in the eighth tier of German men's football when he received the offer to manage the VfL women’s team. De- spite his limited experience of the women’s game, he took the job – a decision he is unlikely to have regretted. Ralf Kellermann is not a man who craves the limelight. Instead he prefers to be out on the training pitch, plotting his team’s next win with great care and commitment. Above all, the 46-year-old is no individualist and greeted the news of his nomination by saying: “Although I’m delighted, I’ll be representing everyone in the team that contributed to our success.” Å

Sarah Steiner JAMES RODRIGUEZ he search is over”, wrote daily newspaper El Espectador after ’s second-round win against in Rio de Janei- “T ro at the FIFA World Cup 2014. The headline was a reference to the 16-year wait that Colombians had endured until the successor to the great had been found. James Rodriguez scored both goals in the 2-0 win and deservedly won FIFA’s Man of the Match award, but it was his first effort against Uruguay, a glorious, swerving volley from 25 yards that went in via the underside of the bar that sent the millions of his compatriots back home into rap- tures. Valderrama, Colombia’s record appearance-maker, said of the then 22-year-old: “He plays the game differently to me. He’s a unique talent and he can achieve great things. He has the potential to be the best Colombian footballer of all time, and perhaps one of the finest in the history of the game.” Six goals at the tournament earned Rod- riguez the Golden Boot award for the top scorer after he found the

Getty Images back of the net in every one of his country’s matches, and he contin- / ued to make history even after the World Cup. Following his transfer to Real Madrid from AS Monaco, Madrid shirts with his name and number ten on the back became the best-selling item of clothing per hour in the entire European textile industry. The Cucuta-born mid- fielder was a wanted man after the tournament, but it was Los Blan- cos that won the race to sign him, and club President Florentino

Getty Images, Stuart Franklin Perez has delighted in the impact the new arrival has made. “He’s / surprised everyone – except us at Real Madrid. We knew how good he was. We’ve been watching him for years.” Å Puskás Award

Felipe Dana Alan Schweingruber

THE FIFA WEEKLY 7 PEOPLE

Arjen Robben THE FIFA BALLON D’OR GALA 2014

Philipp Lahm Lionel Messi

Marta and FIFA FIFPro World XI 2014 Stephanie Roche

8 THE FIFA WEEKLY PEOPLE

Linda Barras Sergio Ramos Manuel Neuer and Sepp Blatter and Pilar Rubio and Kate Abdo

Carlo and Cristiano Ronaldo Luisa Ancelotti

Jean-Etienne

Getty Images, AFP, Keystone Getty AFP, Images, Amaury Hiroshi Kagawa Ralf Kellermann

THE FIFA WEEKLY 9 PEOPLE

Thierry Diego Simeone Henry

Toni Kroos

Sepp Blatter THE FIFA BALLON D’OR GALA 2014 Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Junior and Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo and Sepp Blatter

10 THE FIFA WEEKLY PEOPLE

Daniela Ospina and James Rodriguez All the winners

Abby Wambach and Sarah Huffman and Joachim Löw Nadine Kessler

You can find more pictures from the FIFA BALLON D’OR 2014 at: http://www.fifa.com/ballon-dor/photos/

Getty Images, AFP, Keystone Getty AFP, Images, Angel Di Maria index.html

THE FIFA WEEKLY 11 WORLD CUP 2014 MAGIC MOMENTS An extraordinary year in football has ended, with Brazil 2014 its crowning glory. We bring you three impressions.

LIVE YOUR DREAMS

n that day, no-one could have anticipated everything would boil greatest adversaries Brazil, it was to remain a mere dream and they down to this one image. Not that it was entirely impossible to drove home again, heartbroken, shortly after the match. imagine beforehand that German attacker Mario Goetze would The German fans, in contrast, arrived by plane, including IT con- come on as a substitute in the World Cup Final on 13 July 2014 at sultant Thorsten Hill from Aachen. Independently of his trip he or- the Maracana in and accept an assist from fellow ganised an online prediction game for charity, with the €1,600 raised Osub Andre Schurrle before scoring the decisive extra-time goal against earmarked for a day-care facility in Brazil. He arrived in Rio with a the Argentinians. But there were so many other ways the Final might cardboard cut-out picture of the World Cup Trophy sticking out of have ended – and the associated dreams as well. his rucksack, a one-metre long omen. On the day before the Final the city was jammed with vehicles His terminally ill father also took part in the World Cup predic- bearing Argentinian licence plates; a throng of fans dressed and tion game but would not live to witness Germany’s triumph. Thor- decorated in white and light blue stretched as far as the eye could sten’s family insisted he fly to Brazil for the Final despite it all. see. They cooked up the vegetables, rice, beans and fruit they had Back home in Aachen, he wrote an email to someone he briefly brought with them to the Copacabana. The Albiceleste supporters encountered on his trip. “It was a one-off experience,” and: “I wish shared one heartfelt desire too: their team had to emerge from the you all the very best and that your dreams come true.” Å World Cup Final with one more victory. But for the hordes who

spent so many days in their cars criss-crossing the country of their Perikles Monioudis Dylan Martinez / Reuters

12 THE FIFA WEEKLY WORLD CUP 2014

by another brace against . Brazil qual- ified for the Round of 16, where they were taken to penalties by . Again, stepped up A NATION and scored to take his side another step closer to a much longed-for sixth World Cup title. Then came the match against Colombia. In the 86th minute, with A Seleção leading 2-1 and WEEPS one foot in the semi-finals, Juan Zuniga jumped into Neymar’s back. The Barcelona star col- lapsed and was carried from the pitch crying. An entire nation held its breath. Then came the diagnosis: a fracture of the lumbar vertebra. Brazil was plunged into a state of shock as the realisation hit home that Neymar would not be playing any further part in the World Cup. The team had to carry on, of course, and attempt to see their grand dream through to the end. The presence of their talented youngster could be felt everywhere at the semi-final. The squad wore white baseball caps emblazoned with “Força Neymar” on their journey to the stadium past roadsides packed with hundreds of thousands of fans, nearly all of them wearing number 10 shirts or masks bearing the likeness o country is so closely associated with foot- would lift the trophy at home – for their people. of Brazil’s four-time goalscorer. The team con- ball or epitomises the world’s love for the No single player represented this plan better tinued to pay homage to their absent star when game better than Brazil. Its people cheer, than Neymar da Silva Santos Junior, better N David Luiz held Neymar’s shirt aloft during the celebrate and live for A Seleção – and earnestly known simply as Neymar. The hopes of a nation national anthem. It seemed as though he was suffer with them too. The anticipation was im- rested on the slight shoulders of a 22-year-old everywhere and nowhere all at once as Brazil mense ahead of the 2014 World Cup as Brazil- prodigy capable of astounding and then slumped to a crushing 7-1 defeat against ians looked forward to welcoming a copa das technical skill – a player who never seems to tire eventual world champions Germany. A nation's copas, as it was dubbed before the tournament, and gives everything to help his team succeed. dream lay in tatters and all that remained was back to their shores. The euphoria was almost Neymar withstood the pressure to make a blis- the question of what might have been. Å boundless, and no matter where you went, there tering start to the tournament, with two goals was a palpable belief that the Verde-Amarela in the Opening Match against followed Sarah Steiner

n Rio de Janeiro, it takes a good half hour to drive from the Copacabana to the Ma- I racana. If the streets are congested – and they usually are – even the most experienced A YELLOW, BLUE taxi driver takes 45 minutes to complete the journey. Our driver managed it in 20. It was a blisteringly quick ride. Right on time, we AND RED PARTY took our seats in the very same stands where Pele was lauded in the Seventies. The sheer number of Colombian fans meant that the Maracana was bathed in yellow with the odd dash of light blue. Could Uruguay make an impact on this Round-of-16 match without the suspended Luis Suarez? The atmosphere in the stadium on 28 June 2014 was electric, with many Brazilians also turning out to witness proceedings. Two local boys sitting in front of us teased each other, taking it in turns to whisper things in each other’s ears. “It’s a public holiday,” the fan in the neighbouring seat told us. The first half hour of the match could best be described as average. Then, in the 28th minute, Colombian prodigy James Rodriguez see that?” We replied: “You bet. We’re sit- at a large table nearby drank wine and sang chested down the ball before hammering it ting in the stadium.” The friend answered: Colombian folk songs, while the television under the bar from 23 metres out. The stadi- “Real Madrid will sign this lad after the set in the corner played the same scene on um, Brazilians included, erupted with joy. World Cup.” We laughed. an endless loop: chest, volley – goal! Å At that moment, a text message reached Three hours later, we tucked into a juicy

Fernando Bizerra, Joe Raedle Joe Bizerra, Fernando us from Europe that simply read: “Did you steak at a nearby restaurant. Delirious fans Alan Schweingruber

THE FIFA WEEKLY 13 THE FIFA WEEKLY

14 THE FIFA WEEKLY THE FIFA WEEKLY

FIFA’s magazine is available in four languages every friday.

THE FIFA WEEKLY 15 THE EVENING’S AWARDS

FIFA Ballon d’Or FIFA World Coach of the Year for Women’s / Men’s Football

FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year

FIFA FIFA Presidential FIFPro Award World XI

FIFA Puskás Award

FIFA Fairplay Award

THE EVENING IN NUMBERS 66 1100 59 is the age Ottmar Hitzfeld turns today. During an illustrious career, the German led Switzerland to two World Cups and won the UEFA Champions league with years have passed since Bayern Munich and Borussia the first player was Dortmund. The qualified maths teacher guests have been invited to Zurich’s awarded the Ballon d’Or. is one of five coaches – along with Carlo Kongresshaus for tonight’s FIFA Ballon d’Or beat Ancelotti, , Jose Mourinho Gala. Large crowds have gathered near the Alfredo di Stefano to the inaugural trophy and – to have won Europe’s red carpet to welcome the footballing in 1956. Despite already being 41 years old most prestigious club competition with world’s most prominent figures, with space at that point, the Briton continued to play two different teams. for 250 fans outside the venue. football for another nine years. Getty Images (2), imago (1) imago Getty (2), Images THE FIFA WEEKLY is published weekly by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) INTERNET www.fifa.com/theweekly PUBLISHER FIFA, FIFA-Strasse 20, PO box, CH-8044 Zurich, Phone +41-(0)43-222 7777, Fax +41-(0)43-222 7878 PRESIDENT Joseph S. Blatter SECRETARY ­GENERAL Jérôme Valcke DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS Walter De Gregorio CHIEF EDITOR Perikles Monioudis STAFF WRITERS Alan Schweingruber (Deputy Editor), Sarah Steiner ART DIRECTION Catharina Clajus PICTURE EDITOR Peggy Knotz, Andreas Wilhelm (Deputy) LAYOUT Richie Kroenert (Lead), Tobias Benz, Susanne Egli PROOF READER Nena Morf (Lead), Martin Beran, Kristina Rotach, Alissa Rosskopf (Press-proof Assistant) CONTRIBUTORS Ronald Dueker, Luigi Garlando, Sven Goldmann, Jordi Punti, Thomas Renggli, David Winner, Roland Zorn SECRETARIAL ASSISTANCE Honey Thaljieh PRODUCTION Hans-Peter Frei PROJECT MANAGEMENT Bernd Fisa, Christian Schaub TRANSLATION sportstranslations.com Reproduction of photos or articles in whole or in part is only permitted with prior editorial approval and if attributed “The FIFA Weekly, © FIFA 2015”. The editor and staff are not obliged to publish unsolicited manuscripts and photos. FIFA and the FIFA logo are registered trademarks of FIFA. Made and printed in Switzerland. Any views expressed in The FIFA Weekly do not necessarily reflect those of FIFA.