Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2022 i World Soccer

6 ISSUES FOR ONLY £12 Don’t miss this special offer – just £2 per issue Pay just £12 for your first 6 issues of World Soccer – saving 67% Continue to Save 36% after your trial – save on newsagent prices! Never miss an issue with FREE UK delivery direct to your door DON’T MISS OUR WORLD CUP SPECIAL Subscribe now and you’ll receive our World Cup 2022 special issue as part of your 6-month trial offer!* ●Our World Cup 2022 special will go on sale in October ●You’ll get the expert guide to all 32 teams including squad pen pics, tactics, opinion & interviews ●The bumper edition will also come with a massive World Cup 2022 wallchart Subscribe online now shop.kelsey.co.uk/WSCP722 or call 01959 543 747 quote code WSCP722…

Ecuador will play at the 2022 World Cup after FIFA dismissed claims by Chile that they had fielded an ineligible player during qualifying. The Football Federation of Chile (FFC) had alleged that Byron Castillo – who played in eight qualifiers – had faked his age and was in fact Colombian, not Ecuadorian, but FIFA dismissed the allegations. The FFC are determined to appeal the decision, and insist that they will take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport if necessary.…

Alberth ELIS (Bordeaux) The Honduras forward may well feel like one of the unluckiest players around. Nine goals in 20 games on loan at Bordeaux in a season spoilt by injury was an impressive return, yet was not enough to keep the club in Ligue 1. Indeed, the French side may not even play in Ligue 2 next season, following their demotion – pending appeal – to the third tier. Bordeaux still had the funds to make Elis’ loan from Boavista permanent, but he did not sign up to be a second-tier player, never mind a third-tier one. A quick transfer is expected, with Leeds United reportedly leading the chase. Whoever wins the race, Elis will hope that his luck changes soon. Adam HLOZEK (Bayer Leverkusen) Leverkusen paid over £11m…

IN THE HEAT OF THE MIDDAY SUN By Steven Scragg (Pitch Publishing, £16.99) In the Heat of the Midday Sun is a love letter to the1986 World Cup. With a devastating Mexico City earthquake just eight months before the big kick-off, it was a miracle that the Azteca was still able to be the venue of Maradona’s greatest and most infamous hours. As well as Argentina’s most gifted son, Mexico ’86 was also blessed by the presence of Socrates, Platini, Francescoli, Butragueno, Belanov and Elkjaer to name but a few of the icons on display. FEELING BLUE By Richard Denton (Pitch Publishing, £16.99) This is a football fan’s memoir like no other. Spanning more than 35 years and set across three continents, it is a true story that encompasses love,…

IN EUROPE ● In Spain, GENNARO GATTUSO took charge of Valencia. In Germany, Borussia Monchengladbach appointed DANIEL FARKE, and SANDRO SCHWARZ took over the reins at Hertha Berlin. ● Former Liverpool and Netherlands striker DIRK KUYT took his first steps in management by taking charge of ADO Den Haag, while MIROSLAV KLOSE was appointed by Austrian side Rheindorf Altach. Basle legend ALEXANDER FREI returned to the Swiss club as manager. ● In Belgium, CARL HOEFKENS took the Club Brugge job and MARK VAN BOMMEL was installed at Antwerp, while RONNY DEILA left New York City FC for Standard Liege. Meanwhile, second-tier side Lommel SK hired ex-Arsenal centre-back STEVE BOULD. ● In Turkey, former Benfica and Flamengo boss JORGE JESUS took charge of Fenerbahce, while ANDREA PIRLO joined Fatih Karagumruk. ● In…

Brazil’s reputation as a footballing powerhouse is built on a collection of improbable success stories. Some of the game’s greatest talents – Pele, Romario, Garrincha, Socrates, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, to name just a few – honed their skills barefoot on the street or on wastelands of dirt and stone, with access to grass pitches severely limited. Many Selecao superstars grew up in abject poverty. Rivaldo, for example, spent his young years in Encruzilhada, a violent and run - down favela in the city of Recife. As a child he was so malnourished that he lost several teeth and developed bowed legs. His fellow 2002 World Cup winner, Cafu, was raised in Jardim Irene, one of the poorest parts of Sao Paulo, as was Gabriel Jesus. In a country still divided…

● OVERVIEW After1,008 days and 20 matches – of which only four were on home soil due to the pandemic – Australia qualified. Many feel it is a minor miracle, given the squad contains few stars and coach Graham Arnold isn’t universally popular. Just to reach Qatar is a big win for a game that suffers in comparison to Aussie rules, rugby league and cricket, which tend to swallow up all the money and media coverage. Therefore, the financial boost qualification gives, along with the co-hosting of the Women’s World Cup in 2023, is a real shot in the arm for the sport. However, a lot of work needs to be done in a short space of time ahead of the finals to make Australia truly competitive on the global…

● OVERVIEW It was almost a perfect qualification campaign for Saudi Arabia, as they cruised through the second-round group stage and then ended up winning the toughest group ahead of Japan and Australia in round three. Four wins out of four put the team in a great position, and they then showed their new mettle with a battling 0-0 draw in Sydney against the Socceroos. There was a single hiccup, and loss, against Japan but the Green Falcons bounced back. Under French coach Herve Renard, there is a new intensity and belief about the team. After they qualified for Russia 2018 they went through three coaches before that humiliating 5-0 curtain-raising loss to Russia. They should be better organised, on and off the pitch, this time round. There is still…

● OVERVIEW After seven games in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, Costa Rica seemed hopeless. One win, three draws and three defeats (albeit against Mexico, USA and Canada) was the poor balance of an ageing and slow team. Since then, Luis Fernando Suarez’s Los Ticos side have made an incredible transformation. An11-match unbeaten streak, which included a revenge win over the USA and a draw with Mexico at the Estadio Azteca, saw them climb from seventh to fourth in the CONCACAF standings, and then beat New Zealand in the inter-confederational play-offs to book their ticket to Qatar. There was really no miraculous reason on the part of coach Suarez. It just took a few months of his stint for his players to understand what he wanted from them, and that, plus…

● OVERVIEW Belgium’s golden generation is past its peak. The Belgians will always cherish Kazan where they defeated Brazil in a 2018 World Cup match for the ages, but ultimately Kevin De Bruyne and co. have never won a major prize. Last summer’s Euro 2020 finals was a massive disappointment. Playing in a low block to help protect the ageing defence, Belgium eliminated defending champions Portugal in the last16, but then exited against eventual winners Italy in the quarter-finals. This gut-wrenching elimination was followed by some more soul-searching after 28 catastrophic minutes against France in the 2020-21 Nations League final four. Belgium and coach Roberto Martinez’s in-game management always seem to come up short against the big teams – June’s 4-1 defeat to the Netherlands another case in point. Martinez…

● OVERVIEW The public mood around England took something of a nosedive during June’s Nations League fixtures – four games that featured no wins, no goals from open play and two defeats to Hungary, the second of which was England’s worst defeat on home soil since 1928. Reaching the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and Euro 2020 final has increased expectations for Southgate and his side, while his critics continue to insist that Southgate’s cautiousness is holding back one of the most talented generations of English players of all time. Yet Southgate will not change. Indeed, June’s poor performances – partly explained by an exhausted and heavily-rotated squad – will probably encourage him to double down on his belief that a solid, controlled approach is the best route to international success.…

● OVERVIEW After losing 4-2 away to Turkey the Oranje made a poor start in qualifying, and failing to reach consecutive World Cups was a real possibility. But, following a disappointing Euro 2020, coach Frank de Boer resigned. The Dutch FA turned to the only man they trusted to steady the ship: Louis van Gaal. The 70-year-old started with a1-1 draw in Norway, and then they controlled the group with Norway and Turkey dropping points. However, in the penultimate game against Montenegro they almost blew it by throwing away a 2-0 advantage in the last ten minutes. It all came down to the last game. Sitting in a wheelchair after breaking his hip, Van Gaal guided his team to a 2-0 win over Norway in an empty De Kuip. Question…

● OVERVIEW The Serbians qualified as group winners – against the odds – ahead of favourites Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Luxembourg and Azerbaijan. Decisive was a 2-1 victory against Portugal in Lisbon on the last day of the campaign, thanks to a 90th-minute winner by talismanic centre-forward Aleksandar Mitrovic. It is believed that Dragan Stojkovic, who took over as Serbia head coach only a couple of weeks before the start of the World Cup qualifiers, deserves much of the credit for this unqualified success. Stojkovic insists on attacking football and, indeed, the biggest strong point of this Serbian team is individual quality in attacking play, plus creating and converting chances – they scored eight goals in the games against main group rivals Portugal and Republic of Ireland. Areas of concern…

● OVERVIEW “It’s the greatest result in the history of Welsh football,” said Wales talisman and captain Gareth Bale following the 1-0 play-off final victory over Ukraine in June that confirmed that Wales will end a 64-year wait to compete on the world stage. Finishing as runners-up in Group E behind Belgium ensured a home play-off against Austria in March as Bale scored twice in the 2-1 victory, and his deflected free-kick against Ukraine in Cardiff proved decisive in making history. This is a talented generation and for manager Rob Page the strength in depth combined with the youth and experience available to him is a luxury afforded to none of his predecessors. Qualifying for the Euros in 2016 and 2020 set a new standard and raised expectations, but a…

● OVERVIEW Morocco won all six of their group qualifiers, although in a bizarre twist played them all at home, and then dispatched DR Congo in the play-offs. But another poor return at the AFCON finals in January has left the side under pressure with supporters critical of coach Vahid Halilhodzic, particularly over the absence of Hakim Ziyech. ● TACTICS Morocco have many technically gifted players and like to play on the front foot, using the pace of their wide players and plenty of midfield skill. Achraf Hakimi is among the best right-backs in the world and now Noussair Mazraoui is back too. 5-1-2-2 Will the coach still be in the job? Halilhodzic has the dubious distinction of qualifying two sides for the World Cup and then not going to…

● OVERVIEW The World Cup cannot come soon enough for Argentina. Unbeaten in the South American qualifiers, Copa America champions for the first time in 28 years and a 3-0 win over Italy in the Finalissima at Wembley – this is a side that is in form and high on confidence. The generation that bore the burden of losing three major finals (2014 World Cup and two Copas America) has largely gone. Coach Lionel Scaloni, a surprise choice in 2018 given a total lack of coaching experience at the professional level, has rejuvenated a team that is still centered around Lionel Messi but features new stars including Lautaro Martinez, who averages a goal every other game under Scaloni. In the process of putting together a 33-match unbeaten run that stretches…

● OVERVIEW Statistically Uruguay were South America’s best side in two of the last three World Cups – a remarkable recovery from a tiny nation which had seemed to resign itself to mediocrity. Much of the credit for this goes to the long reign of former coach Oscar Washington Tabarez, who was especially successful at overseeing the work at Under-20 level. Tabarez was seduced into staying on for Qatar, where the great old strikers Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez would still be around and the fine new midfielders would have reached maturity. But it went wrong along the way. Injuries and an unkind run of fixtures led to a sequence of heavy defeats and, after over15 years, a change of coach. In came Diego Alonso for the last four rounds,…

With analysis and predictions ahead of the 2022-23 campaigns in England, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain – plus loads more – you won’t miss a beat ahead of kick-off. Plus, columnists Keir Radnedge, Jim Holden and Jonathan Wilson discuss the latest talking points, while World Service will be crammed with the Women Euro 2022 squads, 2022-23 season fixture lists, a review of the European Under-19 Championship and the latest from the Copa Libertadores and Sudamericana knockout stages. Print £5.99 Digital £3.99 ORDER NOW shop.kelsey.co.uk/WSC22 Or Call: 01959 543 747 You may have missed… SAVE10% when you spend £25 or more VOUCHERCODE: WSCSHOP22 Also from the publishers of World Soccer NEW – The Prem Era (Parts1 & 2) World Soccer Presents editions 9 and 10 are nostalgic anthologies of the…

To begin with, how does a young lad from Birmingham end up playing professional football in Greece? It isn’t the first time I’ve played football away from home. I like to venture out after starting off in England, then playing in India, Scotland and now in Greece. You experience different lifestyles and different styles of football and meet new people. I am always up for a challenge. Georgios Samaras was a team-mate of mine at West Brom and he became the vice-president of Super League side OFI Crete so that is how the initial move to Greece came about. Now you’re at a club called Atromitos… I had to think about the move but as soon as I knew the manager wanted me and how big the club is from…

With 55 men’s league titles to their name, Glasgow giants Rangers are solely eclipsed by Northern Ireland’s Linfield, and that only since the latter’s latest title in May. In the women’s game, however, they are finally celebrating their first after ending a14-season run of success for Glasgow City. It was the first fruit of the Old Firm’s new interest in the women’s game, one which is likely to lead to a new era in Scottish women’s football, although City – an independent women’s club – managed to stay ahead of Celtic to take second place, and a Champions League qualifying spot. However, Celtic won both domestic cups, beating City after extra-time in the Scottish Cup final despite being reduced to ten players in the first half. That meant Glasgow City…

Central American teams lead the way in the race for places in the four-team finals of the latest CONCACAF Nations League. The winners of the four League A groups will qualify for next June’s finals and in Group D holders USA trail El Salvador. The USA would be even further behind had Seattle Sounders’ Jordan Morris’ stoppage-time goal not secured a1-1 draw in San Salvador. Honduras lead Group C after holding on to beat Canada 2-1 in San Pedro Sula. But the Canadians have a game in hand, and the Central Americans’ chances of a second successive appearance at the finals could be dented by a shock 2-1 earlier home defeat to Curacao. Panama were able to open up a four-point gap in Group B after a 2-0 win over…

The 2022 East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) Championship kicks off on July 19 with South Korea, China and Hong Kong all heading to Japan to take on the host nation in a round-robin tournament. It may not be the biggest international meet-up this year but it is important for the four national teams involved, though for different reasons. China are especially keen to play three games against regional rivals in the space of eight days. After all, this tournament was supposed to have taken place in the Middle Kingdom but due to lockdowns in major cities and strict travel restrictions in place for both getting in and out of the country as the government maintains a “zero-COVID” policy, a decision was taken in April that it would be switched to…

AFRICA Final Tables 2021-22 ALGERIA BOTSWANA CONGO *Patronage Sainte-Anne enter the relegation play-off ESWATINI MADAGASCAR North *Qualify for the Final Stages south *Qualify for the Final Stages Final Stages Quarter-Finals Apr 9: Ajesaia 0-0 Elgeco Plus; Dato FC1-1 Fosa Juniors; COSFA 0-0 CFFA; CS-Disciples 0-0 Fanalamanga Apr 22-23: Elgeco Plus1-2 Ajesaia (agg1-2); Fosa Juniors 0-0 Dato FC (agg1-1p); CFFA1-0 COSFA (agg1-0); Fanalamanga 0-1 CS-Disciples (agg 0-1) Semi-Finals May 6-7: Ajesaia 1-1 CS-Disciples; Dato FC1-1 CFFA May 20-21: CS-Disciples 1-1 Ajesaia (agg 2-2p); CFFA1-0 Dato FC (agg 2-1) Final Jun11: Ajesaia 0-3 CFFA SENEGAL SIERRA LEONE SOUTH AFRICA *Swallows enter the relegation play-off Relegation Play-Off *Swallows remain in the Premier Division TOGO Group A *Qualify for the Championship Round Group B *Qualify for the Championship Round Championship Round ASIA Final Tables…

The World Cup might still be four months away, but now that all 32 teams have been finalised it’s our chance to take a first look at every country that has qualified for Qatar. Our global network of correspondents provide mini profiles of all 32 teams, including an overview of their qualification campaigns, strongest line-ups, tactics, star players and questions to answer between now and kick-off, while John Duerden has a travellers’ guide to Qatar for anyone thinking of attending this year’s showpiece event in the Middle East. How you intend to watch the World Cup (whether that be in Qatar or from the comfort of your own living room), we’d like to know. Visit www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/WorldCup2022 to tell us your plans. Teams’ preparations for Qatar are already well underway, with…

Fans of both Liverpool and Real Madrid have described their experiences at May’s Champions League final, as the inquiry into the chaotic scenes continued. Ted Morris of Liverpool Disabled Supporters Association told the French Senate that “the authorities should be ashamed” after fans were treated “like animals” and with “contempt.” Morris’ words followed UEFA’s Martin Kallen, who said: “We know there were around, 2,600 fake tickets…but we cannot verify the figures given in France of 30,000-40,000.” A report by the French government concluded that a “chain of failures” had caused the problems at the Stade de France, which saw fans tear-gassed by police while queuing for hours outside the ground. Liverpool have been collecting their own evidence from fans – inundated with 5,000 first-hand testimonies – with a resolution to…

MAKING OF MESSI As Messi mania swept football, World Soccer was there every step of the way, and this special 100-page bookazine tracks Leo’s amazing journey with club and country. GREATEST RIVALRIES From Rome to Cairo, Glasgow to Buenos Aires, Milan to Shanghai and Budapest to Rio de Janeiro, this edition showcases some of the biggest rivalries in football. FACE TO FACE This issue features a collection of interviews with footballing icons, including Maradona, Kaka, Zidane, Xavi, Ronaldo, Cruyff, Sacchi, Pele, Klinsmann, Shearer and Wenger. HISTORY OF THE EUROS Published specifically to coincide with the European Championship’s 60th anniversary, World Soccer chronicles the history of the Euros, from 1960 through to 2020. PEP TALK The greatest manager of all time or a flawed genius? You decide after reading this special…

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING The pattern is familiar. An English player has a handful of good games. Fans and local journalists start talking about him. He keeps playing well. The national media begin to write profiles of him. His run of good form continues. The story has to move on a stage. So people start talking about him in terms of an international callup. Why hasn’t Gareth Southgate given him his chance yet? And to an extent that is reasonable. No international manager can just stick with the same group of players come what may. He has to adjust according to form. And in the dark days of a decade or so ago, when England were desperately lacking in quality, picking purely on form made sense. But the problem is that a…

It all ended in tears. A few days after winning a trophy, Martin Skrtel, the former Liverpool centre-back, suddenly announced a press conference. There, he confirmed the rumours: one of Slovakian football’s all-time greats would be ending his football career. The 37-year-old Skrtel returned to Slovakia at the start of last season after17 years abroad. Although he became a professional at Trencin, he always expressed his dream to play for Spartak Trnava, the team he supported as a boy and historically one of Slovakia’s two biggest clubs. His dream came true in the summer of 2021, after a spell in Turkey at Istanbul Basaksehir came to an end. Skrtel, with104 caps for Slovakia and participations at two major tournaments, immediately became the biggest star of the Slovak Fortuna Liga. With…

● OVERVIEW Iran’s story of reaching Qatar 2022 was indeed a tale of two halves. In the second round of qualifying, two unexpected defeats against Bahrain and Iraq left them on the brink of elimination, leading to the sacking of Belgian manager Marc Wilmots. In came the Croatian Dragan Skocic. His appointment swung the mood and ensured progress by overcoming three must-win games in the space of just eight days. In the final qualification round, eight wins out of ten matches secured Iran’s place in Qatar as comprehensive group winners. For many Iranians, playing against England and the United States in Qatar has an intriguing political aspect. As Iran prepare for their third consecutive World Cup for the first time, the nation expects them to make history by reaching the…

● OVERVIEW Clinching a place at a tenth successive World Cup – and an 11th appearance in total – with two games to spare represents both a blessing and a curse for South Korea. The Taeguk Warriors always make it but don’t often get the tests needed on their home continent, meaning they often come up short when it matters. Performances were not overly impressive but there were signs of improvement towards the end of the qualifying campaign. It was no surprise then that preparation started against Brazil in June, but it ended with the Koreans being totally outclassed and losing 5-1 in Seoul. Bridging that gap between Asia and Group H opponents Uruguay, Portugal and Ghana is the task at hand in the time remaining between now and Qatar.…

● OVERVIEW For a country whose last seven World Cups have been marked by stability (seven consecutive exits in the round of 16), Mexico never seem too far from hysteria. Every four years, fans experience a crisis of confidence with their national team in the months leading up to the tournament. Despite calmly qualifying for Qatar 2022, manager Tata Martino is highly unpopular with the press and fans, who routinely demand his departure from the team. They accuse him of having “favourites”, complain about his conservative style and second-guess his every decision on and off the pitch. The reality is that the national team has not played well in two years, and the heavy 3-0 defeat in June’s friendly against Uruguay in the United States sounded the alarm bells again,…

● OVERVIEW Since their independence, Croatia have only missed two major finals – Euro 2000 and World Cup 2010 – and after finishing third at France ’98 and second in 2018, they’ll be hoping to surprise everyone once again this winter. Qualification for Qatar started with a shock defeat in Slovenia, but a narrow win over Russia on the final matchday sealed automatic qualification. Since their triumphant run to the World Cup final in 2018, the team has experienced a change of generations, but 36-year-old Luka Modric remains key, and Qatar is likely to be his farewell. Since Mario Mandzukic’s retirement, the centre-forward role has been an acute problem, while a longer-term issue has been right-back amid Sime Vrsaljko’s persistent injury problems. There are no such problems in midfield, where…

● OVERVIEW Boasting arguably the tournament’s deepest squad, holders France will be many people’s favourites. Although this may be the last World Cup for the likes of Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Hugo Lloris and Antoine Griezmann, Ligue 1’s prolific talent production has kept the squad fresh with Christopher Nkunku, Aurelien Tchouameni and Kylian Mbappe still all 24 or younger. France went undefeated in qualifying but drew three of their first five games amid press murmurings of discontent following a disappointing Euro 2020, part of a run of five draws. Deschamps relied upon Griezmann, who scored five of France’s first eight goals in Group D before an 8-0 thrashing of Kazakhstan. A meeting with Tunisia could prove tricky in Qatar, but Denmark should be France’s only major obstacle to topping their…

● OVERVIEW Poland needed only one game in the European play-offs to seal qualification for the World Cup, but before that it was an emotional rollercoaster. They finished second in Group I behind England, but due to Portuguese head coach Paulo Sousa’s inexplicable decision to field a weakened side in the last game against Hungary, Poland were defeated 2-1, meaning they went into the play-offs unseeded and were drawn away to Russia. In December Sousa unexpectedly terminated his contract, and in January Czeslaw Michniewicz replaced him. When the war broke out in Ukraine, the Polish FA chairman Cezary Kulesza, together with the players, officially announced that they would not play the “aggressor’s team”. When FIFA and UEFA excluded Russia from all competitions Poland automatically entered the play-off final, where they…

● OVERVIEW It took longer than everybody had expected, Spain forced into a final game showdown, a straight shootout between them and Sweden for first place in the group that wasn’t settled until a solitary goal in the 86th minute from Alvaro Morata, but the Seleccion did eventually make it to their 12th consecutive World Cup. When he was asked what he felt when the decisive goal went in, Dani Olmo simply said: “relief”. Spain had struggled, especially against deep defences, drawing with Greece at home and needing a penalty to beat them by a single goal away, losing in Sweden, beating Georgia with a 92nd-minute winner, and now this. Their success at the European Championship last summer, plus UEFA Nations League performances against Italy and France last season, mean…

● OVERVIEW Cameroon extended their record as the African country with the most World Cup finals appearances to eight after a dramatic last-gasp victory over Algeria. They had lost the first leg of the March play-off at home, so their miraculous late turnaround away from home spoke to their fortitude, but this is among the weakest Cameroon sides to qualify for a World Cup since the African nation’s first appearance 40 years ago. Former captain Rigobert Song took over as coach after Cameroon finished third at the AFCON finals they hosted at the start of the year, replacing Toni Conceicao. Song owes his appointment to the fact that legend Samuel Eto’o is now Cameroon Football Federation president and will presumably have much say in team selection and tactics. Cameroon are…

● OVERVIEW The reigning African champions won their first-ever AFCON title in February with a penalty shootout win over Egypt – and then repeated the feat against the same side to win a place in Qatar. It’ll be their third appearance at the finals, where they made a huge impact on debut in 2002 by defeating holders France in the opening game and going on to become only the second African country to get to the quarter-finals. ● TACTICS Senegal have the pace and guile of Sadio Mane on the left wing as the focal point of their attack, while rampaging left-back Saliou Ciss has proven a potent force too. 4-3-2-1 Can they carry Africa’s hopes? Senegal represent Africa’s best hopes in Qatar given their recent form and the depth…

● OVERVIEW Twenty years have gone by since Brazil last won the World Cup. Every campaign since then ended when they came up against European opposition in the knockout stages, such as 2018 when coach Tite’s side fell to Belgium in the quarter-finals. It is one of just two defeats that Tite has suffered in the 42 competitive matches of his six-year reign. But both have been big ones – the other at home to Argentina in the final of last year’s Copa America. Since then, though, the team would appear to have made great strides, with the emergence, amongst others, of Vinicius Junior and Raphinha adding attacking options to a line-up which has been displaying impressive defensive solidity. Brazil were not far off in 2018, and surely earned the…

As a player of Litex Lovech you won two league titles in 1998 and1999 and one cup in 2001. How do you assess this period? It was a great period for Litex, who became the first team from the province to win two league titles in a row after Vladislav Varna back in 1925 and1926. The team entered the First Division and immediately became champions, which was a big success for our small city Lovech. I am happy to be a part of it. When we won our first title, unfortunately, I was injured and only took part in a few matches, but I was a regular the next year. Those were my best years as a player. After you finished playing in 2010 you immediately became head coach of…

Africa’s five World Cup-bound teams were handed no favours by having to compete in the opening two rounds of 2023 Africa Cup of Nations group qualifying in June and therefore forego the opportunity of some better practice before November’s tournament in Qatar. Senegal, for example, were hardly tested in beating both Benin and Rwanda, although they needed a last-gasp Sadio Mane penalty to beat the latter in Dakar. The mediocrity in quality of the opponents led to a call from Lions of Teranga coach Aliou Cisse for the next round of qualifiers in September to be postponed and for Senegal, Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco and Tunisia to all be allowed to organise friendlies against nations from other continents to better prepare for Qatar. The Europeans will be playing their Nations League…

Qualifying for this year’s World Cup finals in Qatar was a missed opportunity for Papua New Guinea but the next event remains a more realistic target. PNG were one of eight teams from the Oceania region that travelled to Qatar in March for the highly unsatisfactory 2022 qualifiers, which were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. No team in Oceania was able to host matches due to health restrictions, and the likes of Vanuatu did not even manage a competitive game before returning home due to COVID. Marcos Gusmao’s PNG team at least managed a full series of group games and an opening1-0 defeat to New Zealand showed that bridging the gap between Oceania’s dominant force is not impossible. A sole strike from Tommy Semmy, who plays for Altona Magic in…

4 Number of teams that could play in a revised version of the European Super Cup under new UEFA proposals. 10 Arrests made by Irish police as part of an investigation into alleged match-fixing in the League of Ireland. 5 Goals scored by Lionel Messi in one game as Argentina thumped Estonia 5-0 in a friendly. $1.3bn Value of Italian champions Milan, who have been purchased by investment group RedBird Capital Partners. 40% World Cup prize money share that Canada’s players are demanding from their football association after going on strike ahead of their friendly with Panama. 64 Years since Wales last qualified for a World Cup, a wait that was ended by their 1-0 play-off victory over Ukraine in Cardiff. 1 Days notice that Sao Tome e Principe were…

THE INSIDER Down on the pitch the temperature gauge stood at19.6°C; outside the stadium somewhere around 36°C. This was the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, late in the evening of the World Cup play-off showdown between Australia and Peru. Each step up towards the roof and the temperature rose with every footfall. The evening temperature will be degrees lower come November and December during the extravaganza on which the last Emir set his sights 15 years ago and on whose ambition the current Emir will feast in a few short months. The argument will run and run: should journalists report the world as they find it or the world they would prefer? Al Rayyan, on two successive evenings, enjoyed the last decisive World Cup confrontations before the…

Apollon’s supporters celebrated into the night at their headquarters in Limassol’s residential suburbs, chanting songs and firing off fireworks and flares into the gulch-dry rainwater channels decorated with graffiti. After a gap of16 years, Apollon Limassol were champions of Cyprus again for the fourth time. For their German head coach, Alexander Zorniger, the victory was his first senior league title as a manager. For supporters of one of the country’s biggest clubs, the joy was also hard to contain and is likely to have been enjoyed by superagent Pini Zahavi, who has a close relationship with Apollon. But not everyone in Limassol was celebrating. Apollon is one of three clubs in the Cypriot First Division from Limassol, and the southern port city’s other sizeable tribes were far less enthusiastic about…

● OVERVIEW The wait, finally, is almost over for the hosts. The last few years has been a quest for as much competitive international action as possible. The Maroons have played in the Copa America, CONCACAF Gold Cup and even turned up during European qualification for the World Cup that is coming to Qatar, while also playing a part in Asian qualification too. Winning the 2019 Asian Cup by some distance shows that the team certainly have talent. Efforts to have some of those stars playing in Europe have not really succeeded and the squad is now entirely based at home. This at least facilitates training camps and friendlies. Coach Felix Sanchez, who started out as Barcelona youth coach, has been in place with the senior side since 2017 and…

● OVERVIEW Samurai Blue swept through the second round of Asian qualifying with a bucketful of goals – including a14-0 victory in Mongolia and a10-0 home win over Myanmar – scoring 46 times in eight games and conceding only twice. Takumi Minamino top-scored with nine goals and Yuya Osako netted eight. Problems arose, however, when the national and Olympic teams were combined after the Olympic Games. Japan slumped to two defeats in their first three third-round qualifying ties, firstly in a massive shock at home to Oman, and then away to group pace-setters Saudi Arabia. Needing, essentially, to win every match from there, that was exactly what they did with six straight victories, including revenge wins against Saudi Arabia and Oman and, crucially, victories home and away to Australia, eventually…

● OVERVIEW Canada hadn’t previously reached the final stage of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying since France ’98 (when they finished rock bottom), but this time around they came top to reach their first World Cup finals since1986, going unbeaten in the first11 of their 14 matches. Les Rouges had to do without the talismanic Alphonso Davies for their last six qualifiers but still secured key results, including a 2-0 win over USA. The likes of Cyle Larin, Jonathan David and Tajon Buchanan ensured their attacking threat remained. Belgium are the hot favourites in Group F, but Canada will hope to compete with Croatia and Morocco for a place in the knockout stages. This World Cup will be an historic one for Canada, and there will be an extra incentive to…

● OVERVIEW Having disastrously failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, the United States are back on the global stage. A stage on which they have big ambitions. Since that 2018 disappointment, they have won a couple of CONCACAF regional tournaments – the Gold Cup and Nations League – but qualification for the 2022 World Cup was always the main aim. They finished third in the eight-team round-robin, behind Canada and Mexico, and ahead of Costa Rica on goal difference, which was enough to go straight to Qatar and avoid an inter-confederational play-off. Taking four points from Mexico was a highlight, and may signal a power shift to the north of the region. Supporters are pleased with the group-stage draw, and this squad is considered one of their most…

● OVERVIEW Denmark qualified in swift and impressive style, reaching the World Cup after just eight of their ten group matches. These were all victories, with 27 goals scored and none conceded – the latter a record-breaking statistic. No nation in European qualifying had achieved that before. It underlines the huge confidence in the Danish team that reached the semi-finals of the European Championship after the trauma of seeing talisman Christian Eriksen collapse on the pitch during the opening match of the tournament. The journey has continued to be emotional, not least with the unlikely but heart warming return to the side of Eriksen himself. Denmark will be regarded as dark horses for this World Cup, but much may depend on whether key players like Simon Kjaer, Mikkel Damsgaard and…

● OVERVIEW Germany, the first European country to punch their ticket for Qatar 2022, were victorious in nine of their ten qualifiers, though they did suffer the embarrassment of losing 2-1 at home to North Macedonia in March 2021. The unexpected loss in Duisburg was only the Nationalmannschaft’s third-ever defeat in a World Cup qualifier and the first since 2001 (when losing 5-1 in Munich to England). After the setbacks of the latter part of Joachim Low’s long reign as Bundestrainer – notably the dismal exits from World Cup 2018 and Euro 2020 – Hansi Flick has successfully righted the ship, reinstalling a winning mentality, collective togetherness and more attacking slickness. To complement the experienced players already at Flick’s disposal, a crop of talented youngsters have also broken through in…

● OVERVIEW For years Portugal have had an outrageously rich talent pool to pick from, but the wealth of superstar players at the nation’s disposal has not resulted in the frighteningly dangerous and powerful team that Selecao fans believe it should have. The lack of cohesion was plain to see at Euro 2020 and during a fraught 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign. Portugal eventually got the job done in the play-offs, beating Turkey and North Macedonia, but were fortunate to avoid having to battle it out with European champions Italy for a place in Qatar, and the football remained uninspiring. Nevertheless, Fernando Santos is the most successful (and longest-serving) Portugal coach of all time, and the sheer number and variety of elite-level players available to him makes it foolish to…

● OVERVIEW Switzerland qualified for their fifth successive World Cup after an unbeaten qualifying campaign that saw them top their group by two points ahead of Italy. With an accomplished, experienced squad that stunned world champions France at Euro 2020, Switzerland will be looking to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 1954 and maybe go even further. Head coach Vladimir Petkovic resigned after Euro 2020 but has been seamlessly replaced by Murat Yakin and Switzerland conceded only one goal in six qualifying matches under his leadership. Their final group match against Serbia is politically charged due to the number of Swiss players who are ethnic Albanians or of Kosovar heritage. Switzerland beat Serbia 2-1 at the last World Cup and goalscorers Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri both celebrated…

● OVERVIEW Following a disastrous outing at AFCON 2021 – which saw an embarrassing group-stage exit – and a chaotic World Cup qualifying campaign, Ghana finally seem on the right track and are primed to be among the surprise packages of the 2022 World Cup. An experimental technical team, led by Otto Addo as head coach and Chris Hughton as technical advisor, delivered World Cup qualification after getting the better of rivals Nigeria on away goals in March’s play-offs. Finally, the Black Stars are playing with cohesion and desire, but, after being paired with Portugal, Uruguay and South Korea in Qatar, Ghana are clearly underdogs in Group H. However, in players like Thomas Partey and Mohammed Kudus, and the potential additions of Mohammed Salisu, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Tariq Lamptey and Eddie…

● OVERVIEW Tunisia had the good fortune of some favourable draws to ensure qualification. Even then, they needed a bizarre own goal, albeit admittedly with some stout defending, to beat Mali in the play-offs. At the AFCON finals in January, they made it to the last eight but actually lost more matches than they won, leading to the sacking of coach Mondher Kebaier. ● TACTICS Tunisia look for opportunities on the counter, relying on a rock-like defence and an equally stingy midfield to provide the springboard. They are exceedingly hard to break down and rarely ever expansive in their approach. 4-3-2-1 Can the North Africans get past the first round for the first time? Tunisia were the first African country to win a match at the World Cup, when they…

● OVERVIEW After an excellent start on the road to Russia 2018, Ecuador imploded, beset by internal problems. Things then got worse. Bringing back Hernan Dario Gomez, who coached them to their 2002 World Cup debut, did not come off, and the flashy appointment of Jordi Cruyff turned into a farce when the Dutchman resigned before taking charge of a single game. With little time before the Qatar qualifiers, in came low-profile Argentine coach Gustavo Alfaro with even lower general expectations. Instead, things could hardly have gone better. Alfaro has proved a fine fit, and has been bold enough to trust recent products of Ecuador’s interesting youth development work. He has fashioned a team which is fast, physically strong and with flashes of talent. They reached Qatar with a round…

EURO U17 STARLETS Mathys TEL Rennes In a sentence Tremendously versatile frontrunner, the skipper of France’s victorious Under-17s has been scaling the football ladder at a remarkable lick in recent times. What they say “I noticed scouts representing Atalanta and Internazionale, and some from Manchester and Germany too. There was a sort of euphoria around Mathys”Thomas Berlette, Tel’s former youth coach “From the moment I came into contact with him, I felt he had that extra something. His touch on the ball, the ease with which he played”Eric Campaner, his coach at first club Villiers-le-Bel The story so far Born and brought up in Sarcelles, a northern suburb of Paris. Joined his first club, Villiers-le-Bel, at the age of seven. Later turned out for schoolboy sides at Paris FC and…

A lack of motivation in a competition many regard as a set of glorified friendlies. Fatigue at the end of a gruelling season. Call-offs galore. Excessive experimentation. For a host of reasons, the four-round June window of the UEFA Nations League turned out to be a complicated process for a number of Europe’s elite teams. In Group A3, Gareth Southgate’s England never left the starting blocks, picking up only two points from12 available and losing twice to Hungary (1-0 in Budapest, and incredibly 4-0 in Wolverhampton). The home defeat to the Magyars was a deeply embarrassing 90 minutes, the Three Lions’ heaviest backyard loss since 1928. Nations League holders France also hit the wall, winless in four encounters and deservedly slumping to rock bottom in Group A1. Beaten in Paris…

There may have been more attention on Asian teams in the World Cup play-offs in the first half of June, with Australia overcoming United Arab Emirates and then Peru to book the penultimate spot in Qatar, but there was plenty of other qualification action elsewhere on the continent. The Socceroos had, along with12 other teams, already booked their place in the 2023 Asian Cup but from June 8 to June 14, 11 others completed the line-up. Some are unfamiliar. Tajikistan defeated Myanmar and Singapore to claim their first-ever appearance with a game to spare. Led by experienced striker Manuchekhr Dzhalilov, the team actually topped the group above fellow Central Asians and hosts Kyrgyzstan, who also qualified for a second time. “I can only tell the Tajikistan people that they can…

2022 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS European Play-Off Semi-Final Jun1 – Glasgow Scotland1 (McGregor 79) Ukraine 3 (Yarmolenko 33, Yaremchuk 49, Dovbyk 90+5) Scotland: Gordon – McTominay, Hanley, Cooper (Hendry 68), Hickey, Gilmour (Armstrong 68), McGregor, McGinn, Robertson, Adams, Dykes (Christie 46). Ukraine: Bushchan – Karavaev, Zabarnyi, Matvienko, Mykolenko, Stepanenko (Sydorchuk 90+4), Yarmolenko (Zubkov 78), Malinovskyi (Shaparenko 72), Zinchenko, Tsygankov (Mudryk 72), Yaremchuk (Dovbyk 78). European Play-Off Final Jun 5 – Cardiff Wales1 (Yarmolenko 34 og) Ukraine 0 Wales: Hennessey – Ampadu, Rodon, B. Davies, C. Roberts, Allen, Ramsey, N. Williams (Norrington-Davies 90+3), Bale (Wilson 83), James (Johnson 71), Moore. Ukraine: Bushchan – Karavaev, Zabarnyi, Matvienko, Mykolenko, Stepanenko (Sydorchuk 70), Yarmolenko, Malinovskyi (Shaparenko 70), Zinchenko, Tsygankov (Mudryk 77), Yaremchuk (Dovbyk 77). Asian Play-Off Jun 7 – Al Rayyan United arab emirates1 (Caio…