MONDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2015 SPORTS The soccer man everyone wants in Europe MADRID: He’s known as Monchi. And his In the last decade, the club based in regular on Brazil’s national team, is seen as ing on places where he knows his club will in a decisive game. We want to avoid method for evaluating soccer talent has the southern Spanish region of Andalucia one of his most successful signings - being have a competitive edge in the transfer being surprised later on,” Monchi said. Europe’s attention. Ramon Rodriguez has won eight titles: two Copa del Reys, bought for 1 million euros ($1.1 million) market. “We go looking for unknown play- “There is really no secret. We watch a lot of Verdejo, who still goes by the nickname one Spanish Supercup, one European from a small Brazilian club and sold to ers in places where we know the richer football, we travel a lot, we work hard.” from his goalkeeping days, has become Supercup, two UEFA Cups and the last two Barcelona for 30 million euros ($33.8 mil- teams won’t go because they don’t think By March or so, Monchi’s staff comes one of the most sought-after football Europa Leagues. Many label him one of lion). they will find anyone talented enough for up with a final report, with players graded directors in European soccer after revolu- the best soccer directors in the world, and “We are trying to work with a method them,” Monchi said. “We know we can’t on a scale from A to E, with A indicating tionizing Spanish club Sevilla with a scout- there is widespread talk that Europe’s top that helps us find new talent that could compete with Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, the best options. Monchi meets with ing system that helped rescue the team teams are trying to sign him. In the most benefit us on the field and also generate City, Juventus, Milan ... But we know that coaches and other officials to determine from the brink of financial collapse and recent presidential election at Barcelona, income,” the 47-year-old Monchi said. “The we can find these good players. We know the club’s strategy before starting to turned it into a perennial contender in the one of the candidates tried to draw voters biggest thing is to show our fans that this our market and we try to take advantage negotiate, and then he’s off to try to continent’s second-tiered competitions. by promising to hire Monchi if elected. is something good for the team, that it’s of it.” snatch the next player who could hopeful- Monchi is soccer’s version of Billy Tottenham and Real Madrid are among not only about making money. Nobody The first phase of the method begins in ly boost the team’s winning chances and Beane, the baseball general manager the teams that reportedly showed interest would defend this model anywhere in the August, when Monchi’s staff of about 15 finances. whose innovative methods to evaluate in talking to the gritty general manager. world if the team wasn’t winning titles.” comes up with “11 ideal players” in the top “We may not have the same economic players helped revitalize the Oakland A’s What everybody is after is the so-called There are no novel ideas in the Monchi European leagues and the lesser-known power as some other teams similar to us and whose story later became a book and “Monchi Method,” the scouting system Method, and its goal is quite simple: Find ones in Asia, South America, Africa and in Europe, like Fiorentina, Napoli, the movie, “Moneyball,” starring Brad Pitt. that helped Sevilla discover and profit cheap players with potential and re-sell other places across the world. Hamburg, Lyon, but we have built some- No Hollywood blockbuster is in the from players such as Dani Alves, Ivan them to bigger teams at a higher price. It’s By December, Monchi has a list of thing very special in the last few years, works about the bald-headed Monchi, but Rakitic, Julio Baptista, Sergio Ramos, an obvious formula for success, but not about 150 players selected for each posi- and that is our brand,” Monchi said. “When like Beane, he has his own way of doing Seydou Keita, Jesus Navas and Carlos easy to achieve with the same efficiency tion. He and his analysts start examining we approach players to come to Sevilla, things and has achieved significant suc- Bacca. as the always-upbeat Monchi. players by traveling to specific matches they know that they will be able to com- cess despite a limited budget compared Monchi is believed to have helped So what is his method? and watching videos. pete for titles, and they also immediately to the powerhouses of European soccer, Sevilla earn more than 200 million euros Monchi has put together a network of “It’s important to see how each player think about Rakitic, Alves, Keita, Ramos ... including local rivals Real Madrid and ($225 million) in transfers in the 15 years scouts and soccer specialists to watch will react when his team is winning, when They know that here they may have a Barcelona. he has been with the club. Alves, now a games in leagues around the world, focus- it’s losing, when it’s playing at home, away, future.”—AP Cyprus keep playoff chances alive JERUSALEM: Cyprus stunned Israel when through a Dosa Junior header from a free kick defender Jason Demetriou’s 85th minute in the 58th minute. strike secured a 2-1 victory in Group B on It silenced the already passive Israeli Saturday to leave them with a slim chance of crowd of 25,300 at Jerusalem’s Teddy Kollek qualifying for Euro 2016 via the playoffs by Stadium, but they were awoken by Nir Biton’s finishing third. equaliser, a thunderbolt from 30 metres that The Cypriot victory was achieved with crashed into the back of Antonios dogged defending, coupled by a lack of any Giorialledes’s net in the 76th. inspired play by their Israeli hosts. It was a But in their haste to find a winner and first win for the islanders in Israel in 12 meet- boost their own chances of finishing third in ings between the Mediterranean neighbors the group, the Israelis abandoned all defen- over 55 years. sive efforts and allowed Demetriou to blast After a first half in which the Israelis had home the winner from close range in the most of the possession but failed to make any 80th. Third spot is still up for grabs, with clear chances, Cyprus broke the deadlock Bosnia, who beat Wales 2-0 in occupying that position with 14 points, Israel in fourth on 13 and Cyprus fifth with 12 and all three can still secure the spot in the final round of matches Matches on TV on Tuesday. (Local Timings) Belgium, who beat Andorra 4-1 and Wales, have automatically qualified for next year’s finals in France. Cyprus coach Charalampos Euro Qualifiers 2016 Christodolou was delighted with their per- formance and the players wildly celebrated a Russia v Montenegro 19:00 famous victory as the final whistle sounded. Abu Dhabi Sport “It was an open game and both teams Sweden v Moldova 19:00 played to win. It could have gone either way Abu Dhabi Sport but we are happy to be the ones who suc- Austria v Liechtenstein 19:00 ceeded and now all three teams still have a Abu Dhabi Sport chance to clinch third spot,” Christodolou told Ukraine v Spain 21:45 a post-match news conference. His downcast Israeli counterpart Eli Abu Dhabi Sport Guttman declined to discuss his future but San Marino v Slovenia 21:45 ominously said he would “make an Abu Dhabi Sport announcement when there will be something Lithuania v England 21:45 to announce. Abu Dhabi Sport “This is one of the most disappointing Estonia v Switzerland 21:45 moments in my career. When you have a Abu Dhabi Sport chance like this and you don’t take it, you ZAGREB: Bulgaria’s Ivelin Popov (left) fights for the ball with Croatia’s Luka Modric during the Group H Euro 2016 qualifying soccer match. —AP Belarus v Macedonia 21:45 don’t deserve to even dream about finishing Abu Dhabi Sport third.. “There was no implementation of any Luxembourg v Slovakia 21:45 plan today and I take full responsibility... I have not been able to leave my mark on the Abu Dhabi Sport Croatia outclass Bulgaria team,” Guttman said.—Reuters ZAGREB: Croatia thrashed hapless Bulgaria 3-0 ence in 1991, visit Malta in their final qualifier Ivan Perisic, the group’s top scorer, put in a Euro 2016 qualifier played behind closed while Norway travel to Italy on Tuesday. Croatia ahead inside an eerily silent stadium nor- Wales lose match, win berth doors at the Maksimir stadium on Saturday to The third-placed finishers will still have a mally known for its deafening atmosphere with remain in the hunt for an automatic Group H chance to make it through to the finals via a his fifth goal in the campaign following a fine ZENICA: Soccer history is riddled with final hurdle in 2003 in a two-legged playoff qualifying spot. two-legged playoff. “This was just one step. We through ball by Luka Modric after 88 seconds. world class players who missed out on to reach the Euros, cruelly beaten at home Fans were not allowed into the ground in have to win in Malta to make these points valu- Nikola Kalinic, replacing the injured Mario major tournaments because their national by Vadim Evseev’s strike after holding Zagreb to witness Ante Cacic’s debut as coach able,” said Cacic, who was concerned about the Mandzukic, almost doubled their lead a few min- teams were not strong enough-not so Russia in Moscow.