Inhaltsverzeichnis für July 2016 in FourFourTwo UK

It was a moment that summed up the crushing expectation of international tournament football. Brazil and Chile were locked at two apiece in their penalty shootout at the 2014 World Cup, with a quarter-final place at stake. Up stepped Neymar, team talisman and tournament poster boy, to take the decisive spot-kick. Even those watching it all unfold on TV could feel the pressure radiating through the screen. What it must have been like to contend with the enormity of that moment, then, is almost unimaginable. This is when sport, and particularly football, is just plain weird. In what other walk of life do we ask teenagers and twentysomethings to bear the burden of national expectation? That’s a job for politicians, not players. And yet it happens every couple of years…

David James is a man of many talents. International goalkeeper? Check. Part-time artist? Check. Model? You betcha. But what about air bassist for Serbian disco-funk band Kiki Lesendric & Piloti? Well, yes. When the massive Balkan band needed someone to groove along to their latest video Guzva mi u stanu (‘Crowds in My House’), Serbian former goalkeeper Vojislav Dragovic – a gifted pianist who tours with the band part-time – knew who to call. He says: “I told Kiki I had the perfect actor for a funky video: David James.” The two keepers met at the Free-Kick Masters trick shot tournament in 2008 and have been friends ever since. “Drago is my Serbian brother,” James laughs. “I agreed in five minutes. Any friend of Drago is a friend of mine;…

 Hulk Hogan or Brazilian Hulk? “Taking a cold ball in the face hurts, but I wrestled a former strongman” I’m a big Hulk Hogan fan – he’s a legend. I met him at WrestleMania, and he has a wealth of knowledge you can learn from. When it comes to Brazilian strikers, I prefer Adriano or the original Ronaldo. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson or Marcel ‘The Rock’ Desailly? Two good Rocks. I’ve stood next to both of them and the wrestling Rock is bigger, but I’ve heard some naughty stories about Desailly winding everybody up. He’s a potentially great wrestler: he’s got the build and he’s a total headcase! WWE commentary colour man Jim Ross, or Gary Neville? Oh, Neville is so boring! I can’t stand him. Jim Ross is incredible…

1 Which National League North side are known as The Lambs? 2 Michael Owen never scored more than 20 league goals in a single season. True or false? 3 Which team does the title character of 2000 film There’s Only One Jimmy Grimble support? 4 Who is Norway’s record appearance holder? 5 Who was the last player to win the Ballon d’Or who wasn’t either Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi? 6 Who are the only team to have reached a Copa America final but not lift the trophy? 7 “Football management these days is more like nuclear war: no winners, just survivors.” Which former Manchester United e manager said this? 8 Which Bundesliga side play home games at the WWK Arena? 9 Whose record did Zlatan Ibrahimovic break in October…

Just like virtually every other country on Earth, France has its own noisy, never-ending debate over the identity of its greatest footballer. And with apologies to Thierry Henry and Raymond Kopa campaigners, there are only ever two names on the ballot paper. Step forward, Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane. With four Ballons d’Or between them, as well as dozens of other individual awards and enough defence-splitting passes and roulettes to fill a three-hour YouTube montage, they are France’s peerlessly brilliant personifications of the beautiful game. Platini and Zidane are marked out not only by how good they were but also by how much they had in common. Authentic No.10s that seemed to play the game in their heads before the ball even reached their feet, they had teams built around…

“I love playing in matches, but I can’t stand pre-season training. Are there any shortcuts to match fitness?”John Barry, via Twitter “It’s pretty simple: no. Last summer I played in the Copa America for Brazil, and Chelsea agreed to let me miss pre-season so I could go on holiday and rest. This may sound pretty insane, but I think my vacation was too long. I had injury problems towards the end of the following season – my whole body was in pain. The same thing could’ve happened if I’d gone straight back to playing games. Every year after I’ve done a solid pre-season, I have played a lot of football and performed well. For me, pre-season isn’t just important but essential, because it takes me a while to get 100…

“We played for 114 minutes; Liverpool played for six minutes. That’s the truth of it” FACT FILE Full name Carlo Ancelotti Date of Birth 10/06/1959 Height 5ft 10 Position Midfielder Place of birth Reggiolo, Italy Clubs played for 1976-79 Parma 55 games (14 goals); 1979-87 Roma 171 (12); 1987-92 Milan 112 (10) International 1981-91 Italy 26 (1) Clubs managed 1995-96 Reggiana; 1996-98 Parma; 1999-01 Juventus; 2001-09 Milan; 2009-11 Chelsea; 2011-13 Paris Saint-Germain; 2013-15 Real Madrid Playing honours Serie A 1983, 1988, 1992; Coppa Italia 1980, 1981, 1984, 1986; Supercoppa Italiana 1988; European Cup 1989, 1990; UEFA Super Cup 1989, 1990; Intercontinental Cup 1989, 1990 Managerial honours UEFA Intertoto Cup 1999; Coppa Italia 2003; UEFA Champions League 2003, 2007, 2014; UEFA Super Cup 2003, 2007, 2014; Supercoppa Italiana 2004; Serie A…

BUFFON’S BIGGEST BOOBS 10% Turning down a move to the Premier League 10% Betting on football during gambling ban (but not on any Italian matches) 80% The headband 157 He’s the 12th-most capped player ever, playing 21 more games than the next Italian, Fabio Cannavaro 40 Age when he plans to retire, after Russia 2018 0.77 International goals conceded per game NICKNAME SUPERMAN Vespa: his first major purchase after turning pro at the age of 17 MIDFIELDER His position before turning to goalkeeping, aged 12, after seeing Thomas N’Kono at Italia 90 CARBONARA Favourite pasta dish £33,000,O00 Still the highest fee paid for a keeper, in his 2001 move from Parma to Juve ONE-WORD TIMELINE 1978 Catholic 1984 Canaletto 1991 Gialloblu 1995 Debut 1997 Azzurri 2001 Juventus 2003 Depression 2006…

Forever Young Oliver Kay (Quercus, £20) You’ve probably never heard of Adrian Doherty, but he was Manchester United’s lost genius – not to mention a part-time poet and Bob Dylan fan. Oliver Kay details how football failed the Northern Irish winger, who died in 2000 aged just 26. It’s a wonderful book. Best quote “On one hand, his release from United left him isolated, his future uncertain. On the other, he felt free.” Iron Towns Anthony Cartwright (Serpent’s Tail, £12.99) This is a sharply written first football novel by acclaimed author Cartwright. The plot: Liam Corwen is back where it all began at unusually named outfit Iron Towns, but can he prove himself at an administration-hit club, justify a hefty wage and revisit past glories? Best quote “‘Throw Liam Corwen…

Talk of football existing in its own goldfish bowl is nothing new. The money, the media, the unfathomable ubiquity of Robbie Savage. But now, thanks to Brazilian photographer Gabriel Uchida’s stunning collection of Buenos Aires’ grounds, it looks like one, too. Taken from the centre circle of 14 different stadiums in the Argentine capital, from top-flight sides San Lorenzo and Huracan to semi-pros Chacarita and Temperley, Gabriel’s collection of 360-degree panoramas look about as cool as it’s possible for a ground to look. Floodlights, pylons and trees all sprout from hypnotically circular pitches. “I had this idea in 2013 to shoot the Brazilian arenas for the World Cup, but the distances between venues were too great,” Gabriel tells FFT. “Buenos Aires is just perfect, because there are so many different…

HOME KIT 1982 “This strip brings back memories! We wore white when we beat Spain, but this classic effort underpinned our World Cup heroics. Simple, with a great collar, it brought the best out of the lads. If we have a repeat of those performances this summer, we’ll be doing all right.” STYLE RATING HOME KIT 2016 “We’ve waited since 1986 to qualify for a major tournament, and this is what we’ll be wearing?! I’ll admit it’s grown on me slightly since it was unveiled late last year, but there’s just too much going on. The horizontal blue stripe is unnecessary and makes it look like a training top.” STYLE RATING…

 Hi Ryan. We hear you’ve set up a fintech brokerage. First question: what the hell is a fintech brokerage? I was a loan shark in school: 5p interest per day. I like a bit of business” Hi! A fintech is a company that uses technology to make financial services more efficient. It’s where my passion lies: I’m really interested in business and investment, and technology, too. It’s all around us. Any investment tips for us? We just stuff our spare coins down the sofa… There are always correlations in the market, so you need to pay attention to them. Within the retail trading market, there’s a good niche for tech, so that’s why I’m doing this now. We want to bridge the gap between retail and investing through our technology.…

I find myself in the unfamiliar situation of having cracked your Spine Line. ‘Traianos Dellas’ [FFT 264] is the only player to have scored an international ‘Silver Goal’, whereby the game would end at half-time in extra time if either side was winning. That links to your European Championship special issue and its feature on extra time. Dellas’ header against the Czech Republic in the 106th minute of the Euro 2004 quarter-final was just one of the great stories as Greece lifted the trophy. It makes you wonder if England can do it this year. They’ve never been unjustly over-confident, right?! Joe Buchan, via email Spot on, Joe. You win a fine pair of Trusox.…

he Dutch would normally be expecting to throw themselves a fantastic orange party right around now. But there’ll be no bunting on the streets of Amsterdam this year. The whole country’s pubs, shops, homes and public spaces are bereft of football-related decoration. The Dutch may have to get used to this. They not only failed to qualify for Euro 2016 – a tournament that will feature half of the professional teams in Europe – but face a struggle to reach the World Cup in Russia, too, having been drawn in a tough group alongside France and Sweden. It’s still hard to take in the suddenness of the decline undergone by the nation of Johan Cruyff, Dennis Bergkamp and Total Football. Remember, the Dutch reached the final of the 2010 World…

Why all the fuss? South America’s two most successful football nations have long been in direct competition with each other. Brazil have five World Cup wins to Argentina’s two, but Argentina have 14 Copa America titles to Brazil’s eight. Of the 102 matches they’ve contested, Brazil have won 39, Argentina 37. It’s tight. Reasons for aggro The two do share a border but the football rivalry heated up after ‘the shame game’ in the 1937 Copa final, when a Brazil side upset at racist chanting and a controversially awarded goal walked off the pitch, afraid for their safety. Two years later, Argentina players also stormed off over a refereeing decision. Maddest moments Argentina’s Jose Salomon had his leg broken in a tackle at the 1946 Copa, leading to fights involving…

Two years ago, 23 players were chosen to represent Brazil as they hosted the World Cup. At Copa America Centenario, only four of them remain. Julio Cesar, Dante, David Luiz, Marcelo, Maicon, Fernandinho, Oscar, Bernard, Fred: all gone. If Brazil are trying to forget their semi-final humiliation by Germany – one of the Selecao’s most disastrous defeats ever – then they’re really not taking any chances, culling nine of the players who started that day. Thiago Silva, Paulinho and Ramires are out as well, joined by seven other cast-offs, as manager Dunga attempts to inject new life into the team. And still, Brazil go into Copa America Centenario needing to convince their many critics. Last year’s Copa brought an early exit to Paraguay (beaten 6-1 by Argentina in the next…

MASTERCLASS Dimitri Payet West Ham’s silky playmaker The French midfielder tells you how to beat defenders, find space and put it on a plate for your strikers. FITNESS Jordan Henderson Liverpool and England’s box-to-box midfielder The Reds’ Mr Reliable reveals the training regime that helps him to make lung-busting runs all match. PSYCHOLOGY Steven Sylvester Psychologist and former cricketer Cut selfishness out of your game and become a team player, with top tips from the expert mental coach. NUTRITION Matt Lawson Notts County dietitian The food and health guru explains how to reduce your calorie intake over the summer without getting hungry.…

1 Lose the ego Embrace team ethic “For me, a good No.10 – a real no.10 – is an unselfish player. I’ve always said that I prefer to provide assists for the team than score goals. You must be selfless if you want to influence the game from this position. It’s all about helping to put your team-mates in the best possible situation to score a goal. Whether that means providing the assist for a goal or playing the penultimate pass in a move, the absolute priority is setting up the chance as best you can.” 2 Stay on the move Tire out your shadow “Most attacking moves go through the No.10, so it’s your job to provide the link between the midfield and attack. When you’ve got a defender…

DESTINATION Think of your wallet Unless a Russian billionaire bankrolls your club, leave the US well alone. “Some excellent European destinations are within an hour’s flying time from UK airports,” says former Swansea defender Matt Bound, now of TeamTours.co.uk. TRAVEL TIP Sleep expert Nick Littlehales Catch some extra Zs. “It takes your body one day to recover per hour of time difference, so factor that into your training schedule.” ACCOMMODATION Bare necessities will do Prima donnas can forget about five-star hotels – this is Sunday League. “Hostels, low-budget hotels, caravan parks and even dorms are perfect for keeping costs low,” says Bound. “Most teams go for a three-night stay.” TRAVEL TIP Andy Cole, the Premier League’s third-top scorer Bunk up. “Share a room with someone and you really get to…

1. Leicester City (La Manga, 2000) A three-day reward for reaching the League Cup final turned into a boozy session that culminated in Stan Collymore letting off a fire extinguisher in a hotel bar. The Foxes were orderered to leave, 24 hours into their stay. Moral of the story: Don’t pretend to be a fireman while under the influence. 2. England (China/Hong Kong, 1996) England ‘prepared’ for Euro 96 by hitting the booze hard in Asia. The players were hammered there and by the UK press, after Teddy Sheringham, Paul Gascoigne, Robbie Fowler and others were pictured having drink poured down their necks. Moral of the story: Leave dentists’ chairs to dentists. 3. Manchester City (Italy, 1992) City players partied in style during a five-match tour of Italy. With the…

THE BOLEYN SAYS GOODBYE There’s nothing like a proper East End knees-up. After 112 years, 2,398 games and one Second World War bomb, West Ham gave a fitting farewell to their beloved Boleyn Ground with a 3-2 win against Manchester United – even if it was marred slightly by ugly scenes that delayed kick-off by 45 minutes. Afterwards, the firework display was spectacular. Roll on the Olympic Stadium! “I HATE THE PLAY-OFFS...” Few feelings are as sweet as winning promotion in a Wembley final – so naturally the total desolation at falling short in football’s biggest end-of-season lottery is tough to bear. Just ask Brighton fans, who, having missed out on automatic promotion to the Premier League on goal difference to Middlesbrough, fell in the Championship play-off semi-finals for the…

If you want to swap your football stickers with Alex and Sian Pratchett of Panini Cheapskates, take a careful look first at who you’re getting in exchange – if you can work it out. “We read that it can cost £350-£400 to complete the sticker book,” Alex tells FFT. “Sian suggested we could draw them. It got out of hand very quickly.” This conversation came before the 2014 World Cup, whereupon the husband-and-wife team drew every single Brazil 2014 sticker – from shinies to team photos – and now they’re doing the same for Euro 2016. The one minor problem? Talent. Or a lack of it. “Neither of us can draw,” sighs Alex. “But that’s an essential part of the appeal. There’s space for silliness in this world.” That would…

THE REAL PLAYERS Mikael Forssell @MikaelForssell I wear short shorts summer FINALLY here...for about one day ps. I know...legs whiter than cooked spaghetti Neville Southall @NevilleSouthall Good luck to all junior doctors Jeremy Hunt rhyming slang obviously Robert Huth @robert_huth Going full John Terry today!! #fullkit #LCFC THE FAKES Arsene Wenger @wengerknowsbest I had little bit strange dream last night. I sang “Ain’t No Defensive Midfielder Does It Better”. Can anyone explain it? Xhaka can. Kevin Keegan @GalacticKeegan The Hammers do have a major celebrity fanbase – famously, Billy Joel’s “Upton Girl” was about the time he fell in love with a West Ham fan. YOU @FOURFOURTWO Robert Whittaker @Rob_Whittaker1 Thanks to @FourFourTwo for making another flight bearable. Euro 2016 edition was a great read. Natasha Henry @NatashaSHenry Highlight of…

German talents who were destined for greatness are now stagnating Germany have reached the semi-finals or final of the previous five major tournaments, and in Rio de Janeiro two summers ago they finally lifted the biggest prize of all for the first time since unification. You’d think this is a side unburdened by pressure with nothing to prove. And yet it was only a few weeks ago that Oliver Bierhoff, the team’s general manager, told the nation’s premier football publication: “Having success at the Euros would help incredibly.” He added: “It would be very important, and certainly what the fans crave, if we could go back to talking about football.” Bierhoff had just been asked by Kicker what needs to be done to restore faith in the country’s favourite sport,…

“I expected something good this season – not to be champions, of course, but something good. I’m so very proud of this city.” “I was thinking last summer that I might not renew my season ticket! But wow – I will never again see my team lifting that trophy.” “It’s put Leicester on the map. Normally people say: ‘Where’s Leicester?’ Now they say: ‘You’re that city with the most famous football team’.” “Wes Morgan has been outstanding. I watched him play against us for Nottingham Forest – now he’s skippering us to a Premier League title. It’s unreal.”   “Me and my mate jumped through the ceiling – I’ve supported City for 40-odd years. Ranieri was able to take the pressure off everyone. Brilliant.” “I…

Marlos Moreno Colombia Position Forward Age 19 Moreno’s Colombia debut came only in March, but his pace and directness bring to mind a young Faustino Asprilla. Currently playing in his home country, he has already been linked to Barcelona. Christian Pulisic USA Position Midfielder Age 17 US soccer’s latest would-be saviour has been starting Bundesliga games for Dortmund at just 17 years of age. He’s creative, with a silky first touch, and at home in midfield or on the wing. Matias Kranevitter Argentina Position Midfielder Age 23 Diego Simeone sees something in the defensive midfielder, luring him from River Plate to Atletico. Reminiscent of one Javier Mascherano, Kranevitter is being tipped as the Barça man’s successor. Alisson Brazil Position Goalkeeper Age 23 The battle is on to become Julio Cesar’s…

It’s no surprise Javier Hernandez has become one of Mexico’s finest ever players: it’s all in the genes. Hernandez comes from a family of Mexico internationals. His father, Javier Hernandez Sr (‘Chicharo’), was in Mexico’s squad for their hosting of the 1986 World Cup, and grandad Tomas Balcazar featured in the 1954 tournament in Switzerland. Chicharito would be the first member of his family to win Copa America, leaving him some way behind Diego Forlan, who won with Uruguay in 2011 to join his father and grandfather in being a Copa champion. But Hernandez isn’t the only player at Copa America Centenario to be in a distinguished football family... RAFINHA & THIAGO ALCANTARA The Barcelona man followed his father, Mazinho, into the Brazil team last year despite having represented Spain…

YOU ARE FIT TO WEAR THE SHIRT The fitness of football fans is being assessed by European health experts to see if supporters are getting the recommended levels of exercise at football grounds. Fans of Arsenal, Man City and Benfica are among those wearing activPAL activity trackers as part of the ongoing study. SPEED OF THOUGHT Good news for slow footballers: Russian scientists claim players lacking pace can improve their game by training their visual speed and attention ability through machines that make them react to flashing lights and memorise colour patterns. ICE COOL FOXES Premier League champions Leicester have credited a cryotherapy chamber, which exposes players to minus-135 degrees to rejuvenate blood, as being integral to their success. The club had the lowest injury figures…

“Creative players need an open mindset to unlock their peripheral vision so they can see team-mates in the final third. Players driven by ego – personal gain and self-interest – tend to have a closed mentality and this can negatively affect their performance because they can’t access their full field of vision. They will shoot when another player is in a better position to score, simply because they’ve not seen them. This can lead to wasted opportunities – and a group of angry team-mates. To serve the team effectively, a player in the No.10 role must be emotionally and tactically flexible. You can achieve this by considering how your decisions and actions on the pitch will benefit the team as a whole, rather than just yourself. This will help to…

“During a game or high-intensity training session it’s quite common to burn up to 1,000 calories, but over the summer your energy demands are a lot less,” says Lawson, who advises Notts County, England Ladies and Team GB. “A young, slim winger may need only 2,500 calories per day when they are not training or playing matches, but if you’re built more like Leicester’s Wes Morgan, you may need 3,000 calories. So your energy requirements will depend on your body type. “I encourage the Notts County squad to divide their plate into thirds: one for protein, one for carbohydrates and one for fruit and veg. If you stick to that, your weight should remain stable. “I’d avoid protein supplements during the summer. They are liquid calories, which you don’t need…

GK PETER SCHMEICHEL It always amazed me how big he looked in goal – when he stretched out his arms, it looked like there was no space left between the posts. But he was very nimble and agile, too. RB GIUSEPPE FAVALLI My Lazio mate was a quiet guy but he always looked calm, so I liked having him playing behind me. He was strong in one-on-one situations, and had great crossing and passing ability. CB ALESSANDRO NESTA He was just top class: physically strong and great in the air, but also impressive on the ball, with really good technique. Alessandro was always a very positive influence in the Lazio dressing room. CB FERNANDO COUTO An incredibly strong centre-back, he was also the best header of the ball of any…