Innehållsförteckning för November 2017 från Australian FourFourTwo

It’s a big month for Australian football. As we go to press, the Socceroos will have their World Cup fate decided, either by now, or in the next few weeks. We may even have a new coach by the time you read this. The A-League also gets underway, with a host of shiny new stars, as profiled in this issue. What’s more, we could have a whole new leadership group in place at the FFA before the year is out. The FFA have just weeks left to get their house in order and a new congress in place before FIFA steps in to kick Steven Lowy and David Gallop into touch and put their own men in place. Given the way stagnation, stubbornness and arrogance have become the hallmark of…

When fans turned up to watch Stevenage take on Lincoln in League Two, there was a very obvious question: why is that bloke in the away end wearing a bra? That bloke was one Simon Chanter, who is popularly known as Sid and decided to make a show of himself in a bid to show up the hosts’ stewards, on behalf of Lincoln’s rivals. Around 10 female Grimsby supporters had complained of oddly being forced to show their bras upon entry to the Lamex Stadium a couple of weeks previous, so Chanter opted to go for a rather revealing display of solidarity for the Mariners fans. “I may have looked a bit stupid but I was trying to make a very serious point to the Stevenage stewards,” he tells FFT.…

When Melbourne City’s Iacopo La Rocca cut down Sydney FC’s new import Adrian Mierzejewski during their FFA Cup quarter-final, Alex Brosque’s reaction was clear – mess with Mierzejewski and you mess with me. Brosque earned a yellow for reacting to the challenge but sticking up for his teammate was an indication of the bond already established between the pair. Just a few minutes earlier, the duo combined perfectly with Mierzejewski’s chip setting up his captain’s dink over the keeper to put Sydney 2-0 ahead and into their second successive FFA Cup semi-final. And it’s wasn’t a one-off moment of magic. His skill on the ball, neat touches and intelligent play saw him receive a standing ovation from the Sky Blue faithful at Leichhardt Oval. Already, Mierzejewski looks like he will…

Newcastle Jets Venezuelan import Ronald Vargas brings some big-time European football pedigree to the A-League. After being second top scorer in the Belgium League for Club Brugge in 2010/11, he moved to Anderlecht where he went on to win silverware and earn spots in both the UEFA Champions League and Europa League. AEK Athens fans will eternally love him for his match winning goals in derbies against Olympiakos and Panathinaikos and two assists in the 2-1 Greek Cup final win against Olympiakos in 2016. Now Jets fans will be hoping his dribbling skills and flicks can lift them off the bottom of the A-league ladder. Last season you played at AEK Athens and in the Europa League. Why did you decide to come to Australia and not stay in Europe…

With two goals in two FFA Cup games, Western Sydney Wanderers’ marquee Spanish striker Oriol Riera already looks like he certain to dodge the ignominy of being tagged the new Dino Kressinger or Federico Piovaccari. Riera, 31, has the close control you would expect of a player groomed at Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, who can score in the air or play with either foot to find his teammates with neat passes and flicks. After Western Sydney netted only 35 times last season, Wanderers fans hope the former Osasuna star will be their solution in front of goal. What was your reason for leaving the glitz of the Spanish top flight to sign with the Wanderers? When I was young, my dream was to play in La Liga and I…

Club: Leicester Fee: $45 million Position: Striker Around a year ago, the Nigerian striker appeared the most likely of Man City’s highly-regarded crop of starlets to secure a starting spot at the Etihad Stadium, yet the arrival of Gabriel Jesus in January all but ended his hopes. Having made nine starts and scored six goals in the first half of 2016-17, he did not start any games after January 2 and netted only one more goal – a last-minute strike in a 5-1 FA Cup win over second-tier Huddersfield Town. His manager could clearly see the young goal-getter’s growing frustration. “It is an honour to work with him as a manager,” Pep Guardiola said over the summer. “It was not easy for him, I didn’t give a lot of chances.…

“I’LL ALWAYS REMEMBER AGUERO’S GOAL AGAINST QPR – NEWS OF WINNING THE TITLE LIKE THAT GOES ALL AROUND THE WORLD” Imagine the state you’re in after your weekly five-a-side or Sunday League run-out. Now imagine having to sit down and talk through the minutiae of your hopes for the following week and beyond in the immediate aftermath of said exertion. Let’s face it, talking football is probably the last thing you’d want to be doing. But not Bernardo Silva. Manchester City’s new $75million man has only just ended an extended training session as he prepares for his first major interview since his off-seasobn arrival from Monaco. “It was long!” laughs the Portuguese as he greets FFT. “But good.” One thing that you quickly learn about the Blues’ latest diminutive playmaker…

Club: West Ham Fee: $27 million Position: Striker After three years away, Chicharito is back in the Premier League. “I have had three fantastic years playing in Spain and Germany – however, England was really the first big chapter in my career and I’m so happy to be back again,” the Mexican goal machine said after his move to the London Stadium was officially confirmed near the end of July. The frontman hit the back of the net at an incredible rate during his four years at Old Trafford – once every 130 minutes. But the big difference now, of course, is that the Hammers aren’t quite Manchester United. Leading the line for a club who last term struggled to create many opportunities, let alone win games, will be an…

25 DINAMO ZAGREB 1 LYON 7 Group stage, 2011-12 Hands up if you can tell us who scored the Champions League’s fastest hat-trick. Hands up if you were at a freezing cold Maksimir Stadium that December night to watch Lyon frontman Bafetimbi Gomis put hosts Dinamo Zagreb to the sword 7-1. Needing a second-placed Ajax to lose against Real Madrid and a seven-goal swing to reach the knockout stage, Lyon trailed to Mateo Kovacic’s rebound before all goalscoring hell broke loose. Gomis tapped in on half-time, Maxime Gonalons scored in the 47th minute and then the former bagged another two in the 48th and 52nd to secure his hat-trick. Lisandro Lopez, Jimmy Briand and a fourth effort from Gomis completed the massacre. Ajax lost 3-0 and so Lyon progressed. Dinamo…

PATRICE EVRA ‘Being a leftback myself, he’s someone I’ve watched closely over the last 10 years or so. Technically he’s very good and he’s got plenty of energy – he’s a great leftback who I try to emulate when I can.’ ANDREA PIRLO ‘He’s just so calm under pressure – he can speed up or slow down the game to suit the team. When I met him, he seemed really humble – just a nice, genuine person and I thought that was fantastic.’ ALESSANDRO DEL PIERO ‘He’s the perfect striker. He knows when to stay high or come low to receive the ball – he can just pick up the ball in space all the time. I had the pleasure of playing with him when he was 39 years old…

1 BANKS WOULD HAVE SAVED IT Mexico Guadalajara The Estadio Jalisco played host to one of the greatest saves in football history – Gordon Banks’ denial of Pele during the 1970 World Cup – and now it’s also seen one of the oddest postponements. Ravel Morrison was all set for his Atlas debut against Tigres UANL, only for the game to get called off as a big TV screen newly installed above the centre circle was hanging dangerously low. The Tigres goalkeeper Nahuel Guzman posed for pictures pretending to hold up the screen, though he couldn’t save the day: it needed Banks to turn up and improbably tip it over the stadium roof. 2 LION, HART England Ashford If Paul Gascoigne’s taught us anything, it’s that nothing can possibly go…

An increasing tally of teams are missing a rock at the heart of the defence these days – so an Argentinian artist has helped out by giving them some rock at the heart of their club badges instead. Juan Lopez Moses has been able to mix football crests with rock logos in a series of artworks that unite his two great passions. “I’ve always been a massive fan of football and rock,” he tells FFT. “This idea came from something small. As a fan of Black Sabbath, for a while I’d been toying with finding some way to merge the badge of Aston Villa, who Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler both support, with the band’s flying devil mascot, Henry. “I found a picture of Ozzy Osbourne online where he was…

THE LEAD UP It was about four years ago, I was playing in the NWSL for Sky Blue FC, the same team that Sammy Kerr is in and it was just a club game. I was in my bedroom before the game being indecisive about what boots I should wear. I was thinking, I don’t know if I should wear this one or that one. I had that battle with my head because I’m so superstitious. THE MATCH I was scoring a few goals at that time. It was just a game we needed to win to keep momentum for making the top four. It was just a normal league game. The game wasn’t really important for that season but it did put the team on the map after I…

 It’s not often a club CEO is the subject of One-on-One – but it’s not often that a CEO also happens to have won eight league titles and two European Cups. “AL-FAYED WAS AN ECCENTRIC MAN. HE ‘D WALK ON THE PITCH WAVING A SCARF, AND AFTER A GOOD RUN OF RESULTS THE PLAYERS WOULD GET GIVEN HARRODS HAMPERS” “The way I try to make the club more successful, in terms of raising revenue and winning trophies, is similar to how I captained teams as a keeper,” Ajax’s Edwin van der Sar says, before outlining the similarities between dominating an 18-yard box and a boardroom. Van der Sar believes that, although he may not have a strong academic background or years and years of business experience on his CV, his…

He played for Barcelona alongside Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta under Josep Guardiola. He played in La Liga for the best part of a decade and he’s only 30. But Xavi Torres says leaving Spain for Australia is to improve his career. “I chose Australia because I think the league is improving,” Torres explains. “I’m 30 years old so I think here I can improve my career. “Last season I only played 19 matches so here is the best step in my career to go and improve.” No, really. We double-checked that’s what he meant, just in case something was being lost in translation… but no, he’s clear about it. “In Spain in the last two seasons, I didn’t play too much,” Torres says. “I preferred to change and sometimes…

Central Coast Mariners’ golden era ended in 2013 when the club’s run of Premierships and Grand Finals – including one win –finally dried up. At the heart of that successful side in latter years was Dutch veteran Patrick Zwaanswijk, a dependable pro with extensive Eredivise experience. Fast forward four years and the Mariners are out to recreate those golden years after a lean spell. And again the club has turned to another Dutch veteran to help spark the change. Wout Brama has landed in the A-League with an excellent pedigree. Eredivise winner? Check. KNVB Cup winner? Check. Oranje international? Check. More than 300 first-team games in one of Europe’s top leagues? Check. At 31, Brama was ready for a new challenge when coach Paul Okon came calling. “In Holland, everything…

The idea of playing in Australia was first planted in Karim Matmour’s mind 12 months ago in the 1860 Munich dressing sheds by Socceroo Milos Degenek. “He always sat next to me in the change rooms,” Matmour recalls. “We often spoke about Australia and he only told me positive things. That’s how I only have good information about Australia.” It wasn’t the first time the new Adelaide number 10 played with an Aussie spruiking their homeland after stints with Jason Davidson at Huddersfield and Mathew Leckie at Borussia Moenchengladbach. After a decade in Germany’s top two divisions, along with spells in Kuwait and England, the Algerian attacking midfielder opted to leave the familiarity of Europe for a country he’d never visited, convinced by Marco Kurz, a coach he’d never met.…

GK ALEX CISAK SYDNEY FC Former Australia youth international goalkeeper returns to Oz after more than a decade in England’s lower leagues. Poland-born Hobart-raised Cisak has a tough job replacing Danny Vukovic at Sydney FC. RB LUKE WILKSHIRE SYDNEY FC The veteran with 80 caps left Australia for Middlesbrough as a 16-year-old in 1998. Wilkshire, who can play right-back or in midfield, brings experience as well as passing and tackling quality. CB ERSAN GULUM ADELAIDE UNITED Turkey international returns to the country of his birth to play in the A-League with Adelaide United. Gulum will be a physical and vocal leader in United’s defence, with vast experience at Turkish giants Besiktas. CB BART SCHENKEVELD MELBOURNE CITY Ex-Feyenoord and Netherlands youth international joins City in his prime at 26. The right-sided,…

Club: Bournemouth Fee: $35 million Position: Defender It’s no coincidence that the Cherries’ worst spell of last season came in the immediate aftermath of the Dutch central defender’s recall to Chelsea at the start of January. Prior to his return to SW6, Bournemouth had kept clean sheets in their wins against Stoke, Leicester and Swansea (and came back from 3-1 down to beat Liverpool 4-3) from mid-November to the New Year. The south-coast side did not win again until mid-March – a run that included a 3-1 loss against doomed Hull as well as a 6-3 hammering away at Everton – and were in relegation trouble before a revival late on in the campaign. A club-record $35m arrival earlier in the summer, Ake must now build on that initial Dean…

Davy Klaassen could never have imagined how his Everton debut would turn out. He had dreamed of moving to a Premier League club ever since the days when he’d sit in front of the television with his dad, spellbound by Dennis Bergkamp’s performances for Arsenal. Yet on the day of his first outing for the Toffees, he didn’t really want to play at all. Klaassen was in Tanzania. Around 35,000 spectators were in Dar es Salaam to see Everton face Kenyan side Gor Mahia: the first time that a Premier League club had played a game in East Africa. It should have been unforgettable for all the right reasons. However, the 24-year-old had bigger things on his mind. The midfielder had brought 13 years at Ajax to an end just…

Club: Everton Fee: Free Position: Striker Toffees fans will have needed no introduction to their striking recruit this summer, although young supporters might struggle to recall his first spell at Goodison Park, which came to an end 13 years before this second began. After a somewhat underwhelming final few campaigns at Old Trafford – hitting just the five Premier League goals in the last campaign after eight in 2015-16 – the initial signs were that Wazza’s return to Merseyside may give the tail end of his career a shot in the arm. A header 45 minutes into his second league bow for the Blues – as well as a decent display in Everton’s Europa League win over Hajduk Split five days later, and goal at Manchester City – suggests that…

 Hi Theo. How vital is extra training to staying fit and fast for a full season? “Last season, I tried to pick on Harry Maguire who is about twice my size, so I don’t mind getting stuck in” I think it’s important to always stay one step ahead of everyone else. If you can find a way to improve your game by one per cent, then you are going to have an advantage over your opponent. As you get older you need to take care of your body, as you can feel the intensity of the Premier League improving after every season. The younger players are all physically able to compete and that makes it even more competitive for a place in the team. You have to make sure you’re…

Victory vs City First three rounds, first three derbies and this one will decide who rules Melbourne – until Xmas... Sydney vs Wanderers Likewise, this clash at Allianz Stadium could help define the course of each side’s season AFC vs CONCACAF WCQ By the time you read this, we’ll know if we are even still in it – but if so, this is the big one... Liverpool vs Manchester United Jurgen Klopp is yet to secure a league win over the Reds’ rivals: will this be the German’s day? Derby vs Nottingham Forest Old pals reunite in the biannual East Midlands friendship match – not really, this will be feisty Real Madrid vs Tottenham Spurs lost 4-0 on their last visit: this time, at least Peter Crouch can’t get sent…

THEY SAID: “For those who don’t know Jadon Sancho, you need to know him – he’s that good,” said former Newcastle, Manchester City and Liverpool striker Craig Bellamy. COMPARED TO: Neymar: he usually operates from the left wing and uses his dribbling skills to cause mayhem. THE STORY SO FAR: Hailing out of Kennington, south London, Sancho joined Watford aged seven before being snapped up by Manchester City two years ago. He was named player of the tournament as England reached the finals of the U17 Euros in the summer – previous winners of that honour include Toni Kroos, Wayne Rooney, Cesc Fabregas and, er, Connor Wickham. Sancho also helped Man City to last season’s FA Youth Cup final but has now joined Dortmund and been handed Ousmane Dembele’s No.7…

I knew I’d made it as a player when I moved to Germany. I always had the goal of being a professional football player, being at the Australian Institute of Sport at age 16. Even after the AIS, it was the National Soccer League at the time, we were still semi-professional so I was also studying as well as playing football. So the first time I really knew was when I got a contract in Germany with Fortuna Dusseldorf. I was happiest when I was younger. Where I enjoyed it the most was at the Institute of Sport where I learned a lot of the technical part of the goalkeeping area. That was probably when I enjoyed it the most. Being involved with football though, I wouldn’t even call it…

Marcin Budzinski’s move to Melbourne City and Australia has been an eye-opener for the Polish player who has never played for a club outside of his home country. The 27-year-old has only played for two clubs, Arka Gdynia and KS Cracovia, in his 200-plus match career… and his arrival as City’s marquee – without a single senior international cap to his name – has also been an eye-opener for A-League fans too. Right-footed Budzinski prefers to play as a deep attacking midfielder in a No.8 role and was signed on a two-year marquee deal to strengthen City’s options after striker Bruno Fornaroli sustained a potentially lengthy injury in the FFA Cup. The Pole is impressed by what he’s seen from City Football Group in Australia, saying it’s miles ahead of…

Melbourne Victory new signing Matias Sanchez took on Lionel Messi and the world – and came within seconds of beating both. In 2009, his Argentine Primera Division side Estudiantes de La Plata battled through to the final of the Club World Cup to come up against the awe-inspiring might of Barcelona. The midfielder who was 22 at the time, came on in the 76th minute for Leandro Benitez as his side held a 1-0 lead from the first half and had one hand on the trophy in the dying moments. But in the 89th minute Pedro struck to level the score and drove the game into extra time. As penalties loomed, Messi popped up to deliver a late winner and snatch the cup from his countrymen’s clutches. “It was in…

Blink and you missed Andrija Kaluderovic’s four-month stay with Brisbane Roar in 2015. The Serbian made just 10 appearances for John Aloisi’s team, scoring a respectable five goals, before he was shipped off at the end of the season. It was a case of what might have been, with the journeyman centre forward heading for short stints at clubs in Qatar, Lithuania and Thailand. But a little over two years later and the well-travelled 30-year old is back in the A-League with Wellington Phoenix as part of Darije Kalezic’s new squad. The appeal of another new challenge and once more working with assistant Rado Vidosic was strong and Kaluderovic feels he has plenty left to show rivals. “Definitely,” he says. “I left the job unfinished and my friends that know…

Club: Southampton Fee: $31 million Position: Midfielder “Welcome to the Premier League!” It’s not impossible to imagine that was what Mark Noble muttered under his breath when the West Ham scrapper steamed shin-high into Southampton’s club-record signing from Juventus on his August debut. Lemina’s maiden appearance in the English top flight came in the Saints’ 3-2 home win over the east Londoners – a solid introduction to a couple of the league’s lesser-hailed hallmarks – namely robust challenges and questionable defending. On the same day Noble was fortunate to avoid a dismissal, Marko Arnautovic saw red for elbowing Jack Stephens. The fact Lemina led with his arm on Arnautovic 30 seconds before getting clattered by Noble suggests the former Marseille midfielder probably won’t be overawed by all the blood and…

Club: Tottenham Fee: $72 million Position: Defender Danny Rose may have to fire up his search engine of choice to get the lowdown on his new team-mate, but he’ll be pretty impressed by what he sees. It’s taken Sanchez just one season with Ajax – having turned down overtures from Barcelona B last summer – to command a $72m transfer fee and become the most expensive player in Tottenham history. True, smashing in overhead kicks against AZ Alkmaar from 12 yards out will alert Europe’s elite clubs, but the Colombian’s game is about more than the raw athleticism he displayed against Manchester United during the Europa League final in May – the 21-year-old can defend a bit as well. “He’s a great player,” says former Ajax colleague and fellow Colombian,…

If you could play with one player past or present... Dennis Bergkamp Last movie you watched? Moana Which actor would play you in a film? Will Smith – even though he is quite a bit taller than me! Favourite music artist? Usher Selfie or autograph? Autograph Favourite holiday destination? Anywhere nice with the family Best defender you have faced? Patrice Evra If you weren’t a footballer... I’d be a 100m or 200m runner Favourite meal? My wife’s lasagne the day before a big game. It’s beautiful…

The A-League is back, and each club has now released its new look kit for the upcoming season. With six different manufacturers, FTBL has seen all the new designs up close, with some ticking all the boxes. Macron, Umbro, Nike, Adidas, VIVA and PUMA make up the six different suppliers who will be represented across Australia. One of the biggest changes seen in this season’s kits, is the return of the stripes on the Mariners home kit, back after a seven-year absence. A new inclusion this season is the personalised variations of the latest Hyundai A-League logo, specific for each club. The Sydney Derby is set to light up Round 3 of the new season, when Sydney FC host Western Sydney Wanderers at Allianz Stadium. In what is sure to…