Innehållsförteckning för December 2017 från Australian FourFourTwo

It seems like every month, Australian football manages to dig a deeper and deeper hole for itself. The last few ed’s letters read like last letters from the western front. And yet here we are... once again on the edge of an apparent abyss. By the time you read this, our World Cup dream may be over for another four years. By the end of this month, we may be without a WC campaign, a national team coach, a chairman, a chief executive and a board, and a FIFA “normalisation committee” in their place. Just to be clear, we could be about to be taught a lesson in transparency and good governance by FIFA. Let that sink in for a moment or two... While the situation could yet be salvaged,…

Rising star Arriving from Maritimo, breaks into the Porto first team and helps them win back-to-back Portuguese titles in 2006 and 2007, before earning his $45m move to Real Madrid. European champion (part one) An unused substitute when Madrid beat city rivals Atletico in the 2014 Champions League Final, he starts the rematch two years later as Los Blancos win on penalties in Milan. European champion (part two) Tastes Euro 2016 glory in France and puts in a man-of-the-match performance in the final. Named in the Team of the Tournament for a third Euros in succession.…

Q: Who scored the late winner when Lincoln beat Ipswich in last season’s FA Cup Third Round? GH: Nathan Arnold –set us on our way. LW: Nathan Arnold. 1-1 Q: Before this season, in which year did Lincoln play their most recent Football League game? GH: May 7, 2011. Pretty much one of the worst days of my entire life. LW: I’m pretty sure that was in 2011. 2-2 Q: Who is City’s record appearance-maker? GH: Easy! Grant Brown. LW: That s Grant Brown. 3-3 Q: How long had it been since a non-league side reached the last eight of the FA Cup, before the Imps did it last season? GH: I thought we were the first? 115 years? LW: I’ll go 103 years – stab in the dark! 3-4…

I knew I’d made it as a player when I retired. I don’t think you ever think you’ve made it when you’re playing. I think that every time you play you’re working towards your next contract. I think once you’re retired, you know that you made it as a footballer. I was happiest anytime I got to play on the weekend. I’ve had a few clubs in my time and I was very comfortable at most of the clubs I was at. One of the biggest clubs and one of the biggest achievements for me was Galatasaray over in Europe. My hero growing up was [Fernando] Redondo who played for Argentina. Although he was a lefty and I’m a right footer, he played in a similar position as me and…

2003: HIGH FIFA World Youth Championship winner in the UAE. Fernandinho goal sees off Spain in the final 2006: LOW Move to the Premier League with Liverpool falls through at last moment, so stays at Sevilla 2008: HIGH Becomes Pep Guardiola’s first signing at Barça, joining Camp Nou giants for $40 million 2014: LOW Dropped to bench by ‘Big Phil’ Scolari during the latter stages of World Cup in native Brazil 2015: HIGH Seals Treble with Barça thanks to Champions League final win over Juventus in Berlin 2016: LOW Dropped by Barcelona following bizarre Instagram video after loss against Atletico Madrid 2017: HIGH Wins 34th major honour – the French Super Cup – to move within one of Ryan Giggs…

I NEVER LET MYSELF ENJOY IT. I PUT A LOT OF PRESSURE ON MYSELF TO PERFORM, EVERY SINGLE DAY. I FELT LIKE MY JOB WAS ON THE LINE ASHLEIGH SYKES CLUB CANBERRA UNITED POSITION STRIKER APPEARANCES 97 GOALS 37 Still just 25, she’s a three time W-League Premiership and two time W-League Championship winner with Canberra United, Julie Dolan Medal winner for best player in the W-League two seasons ago and picked up the Golden Boot last season, as well as a Matilda who played in the 2015 Women’s World Cup. Last month, she added to the accolades with the National Women’s Soccer League title after joining the Portland Thorns midseason. “The NWSL win stacks up pretty high among those other trophies,” says Sykes. “I think the scale of the…

1 “Juventus bought the referee, of that there is no shadow of a doubt 2 “It’s true, I underwent a hair transplant. I think the results are pretty cool, don’t you?” 3“We have to show desire, hunger and a lot of times I used the word ‘horny’ to my players” 4 “[We play] a kind of orgy football. The other team know they’re going to get it. But they don’t know from who or where” 5 “Some eggs are more expensive than others and some will give you better omelettes. When the class one eggs are not available you have a problem” 6 “[Jose Mourinho] can do or say whatever he wants. In this room he is the f**king chief, the f**king boss” 7 “Even if I built a 50,000-seater…

“When Mihajlovic was Sampdoria manager he liked having free-kick competitions in training. He’s still fantastic at them” Hi Manolo. Are natural goalscorers just born or can they be developed? Certain talents, in my opinion, you just have within you. However, training can help you improve certain skills and you should always train as hard as you can. It’s important to work on every part of your game: right foot, left foot, heading the ball, protecting the ball, everything. You must always give 100 per cent to ensure you reach maximum potential. If your 100 per cent is a 6/10 in terms of quality, that’s OK. If it’s 4/10, that is OK as well. The important thing is that if you’re capable of giving 4/10 in every game, you give 4/10,…

LIMBS_AOTS Wild fan celebrations A video stream of fans celebrating deliriously will keep you amused and make you want to get amongst it all. Twitter: @Limbs_AOTS BEN DINNERY Injury data analyst He details every break, strain and torn ACL – you’ll never select an absent star as your fantasy football captain again. Twitter: @BenDinnery TOM BYER Elite youth coach The technical expert teaches you how to coach your kids from the age of two while engaging in compelling debate. Twitter: @tomsan106…

TONY ADAMS “I’ll never forget when Tony was named the captain of Arsenal, succeeding Kenny Sansom. He was only 21 at the time and we all thought, ‘Blimey, that is one hell of a call from the gaffer.’ But he’d acted like a captain from the age of about 12 and he took it on without any problems whatsoever. Plus, you only had to play against him for five minutes in training to realise what a great player Tony was.” DAVID ROCASTLE “He had the heart of a lion, the skills of a Brazilian and tackled like a rhino: he was the complete package. Rocky was never quite the same after his knee operation, but in the early days he was a wonderful player and everybody loved him. He was…

1 BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS, THEO HERNANDEZ-STYLE Spain Madrid It was no simple family shindig for Theo Hernandez when he celebrated his 20th birthday. The Real Madrid defender had even grander plans and was seen being held at gunpoint by a couple of dwarves wearing Madrid jerseys and police hats. “It has been an unforgettable day,” he posted online. He could say that again. The snap caused a stir: maybe just have a quiet one for your 21st, Theo. 2 THE ULTIMATE PITCH INVASION Japan Mito Japanese side Mito HollyHock came up with a proper deterrent in the run-up to their second-tier tie at home to Fagiano Okayama – parking a tank by the side of the pitch, ready to steam into action if their opponents as much as crossed the halfway…

Outside The Box Duncan Alexander Century, $32 Alexander’s quirky look at the Premier League’s 25 years unearths plenty of statistical gems to keep fact-collectors out of mischief for several months. Opta’s stat man also delivers some thought-provoking analysis from the data. For instance, during Manchester United’s clash with Fulham in 2013-14, David Moyes’ team fired over 81 crosses without end product – the highest in any Opta-analysed tie. Moyes also altered his line-up for each of his 51 games at the helm. Both of the stats go some way to explaining why the Scot was sent packing after less than a season. The bare facts of Leicester’s title joy are also startling – the Foxes had the second-worst pass completion rate and third-lowest average possession figure across that unusual campaign.…

EMMA CHECKER CLUB ADELAIDE UNITED POSITION DEFENDER APPEARANCES 17 GOALS 0 From a young age, Emma Checker was touted as part of the next group of young stars. From her debut as a 15 year old, the Adelaide raised defender has amassed six years of league experience across four different clubs winning Premierships and Championships with Canberra United and Melbourne Victory. Her performances led to appearances with the Young Matildas and the Matildas including a silver medal at the 2014 AFC Women’s Asian Cup. Now still just 21 years old, Checker is gearing up for her seventh season in the W-League; this time around, she is back with the club that kickstarted her career, Adelaide United. Her hometown club, the Reds were where she honed her skills for the first…

MARIANNA TABAIN CLUB PERTH GLORY POSITION STRIKER APPEARANCES 63 GOALS 17 In any league, often it is the big name superstars that garner most of the newspaper headlines and website clicks. But no league can survive on star power alone. It needs the talented players like Marianna Tabain who form the backbone of teams and the league. “I went into it when I was so young,” said Tabain. “The 10 years has just flown by.” Marianna Tabain is an original – one of the founding players of the W-League – who made her debut as a 16 year old. In her nine seasons in the W-League, the exciting and pacy winger has quietly amassed two Championships and two Premierships in a league-leading 104 appearances for Perth Glory and Melbourne City.…

Sausage and mash, fish and chips or a pint of John Smith’s. Local retirees are mulling over their options as they drift into the bar area and peruse the menu, having shrugged off the light drizzle to complete an afternoon contest of crown green bowls. On initial glance, this could be any working men’s club across the north of England, were it not for the smart ‘Huddersfield Town’ signage outside and the bloke wandering around reception bearing an uncanny resemblance to the Premier League Manager of the Month for August. This is the most unlikely location from which David Wagner has masterminded one of English football’s more remarkable success stories of recent seasons. After the German has nipped into the team’s private dining area for a spot of lunch –…

Have you ever had to take part in any press conference training? No. I have been quite lucky because when I first became a manager, Bournemouth were a club in League Two so press conferences were basically one-on-one chats with the local journalist. I think that was a good grounding for me before being exposed to bigger groups and the different types of questioning as we rose up through the leagues. How have you managed to adapt to the increase in media scrutiny? The jump from the Championship to Premier League was huge. We’d never had any attention nationally and then suddenly we were being talked about every week. The atmosphere during Premier League press conferences is different and it’s very hard to prepare. You learn every week through experience.…

Born November 26, 1991 Birthplace Calcinate, Lombardy Clubs Atalanta, Cittadella, Juventus, Bologna (loan), Sampdoria, Napoli, Southampton Serie A goals 38 in 158 matches International bow England 2-1 Italy in August 2012 Italy record Two goals in 10 Azzurri outings Sporting sibling Sister Melania was a forward for Italy Women, scoring 44 goals in 107 games Transfer fee Southampton paid $20 million to sign him from Napoli Admirers West Ham, Spurs and Stoke were all linked with him in 2016, and Everton had a bid rejected…

Cristiano Ronaldo CR7 auctioned off one of his four Ballon d’Or gongs for charity and raised $1,000,000. Sam Kerr Whether it s for club or country, she just can’t stop scoring. We’re in the era of a major phenomenon. Pietro Pellegri The Genoa teenager became the youngest player to bag a brace in Serie A after netting twice against Lazio Ravel Morrison Once a hot prospect in the English game, the 24-year-old now plays his football for Mexican outfit Atlas. ‘The big six’ Man United, Man City, Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal and Liverpool back a plan in which international Premier League TV rights cash would not get shared equally by all 20 clubs. Alex Morgan The USA Women star and World Cup winner said sorry after a bar incident at Disneyland…

Sydney FC vs Adelaide United Sydney have the treble in their sights this year but can Reds spoil the party before it begins? Matildas vs China Fresh off their hat-trick of wins against Brazil, the most exciting team in Oz takes on China twice. Sydney Derby The first derby of the season ended in deadlock. How many will fill ANZ Stadium to see part II? Arsenal vs Tottenham The Gunners haven’t lost their last seven home matches with Spurs, but has the power shifted? Wolves vs Leeds Both clubs put themselves in the promotion hunt by starting the season well – this is an acid test. Monaco vs PSG Neymar’s resurgent PSG are top of Ligue 1. Will they sweep aside last season’s kings?…

“BESIKTAS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO ACHIEVE GREAT THINGS. WE HAVE SO MANY QUALITY PLAYERS AND ENORMOUS SUPPORT, LIKE REAL” You joined Besiktas in July after a decade with Real Madrid – how are you finding life in Turkey? Everything is going well so far. I am very happy to be here. I’ve made the right choice for myself and my family by coming to Turkey. People here have welcomed me and they have all been really warm. Did your Portugal team-mate Ricardo Quaresma tell you to ‘Come to Besiktas’, like in the club’s famous video that went viral over the summer? I spoke with him during the Confederations Cup in Russia about Besiktas’ offer. He said great things about Besiktas, Turkish football and the country – he convinced me to…

“I QUITE LIKE CANALS – I WENT ON A BARGE HOLIDAY AND IT WAS FUN PASSING THROUGH THE LOCKS” You won Celebrity Come Dine with Me against Neil Ruddock, John Fashanu and Frank Worthington. Which of the three ex-players was the worst cook? It was a close call between them – they were all s**te. But Frank was definitely the worst. He did some prawn cocktail thing and put raw vinegar in it. F**king hell. In fairness, I couldn’t cook before going on the show. I got some lessons from my mate Christopher Kent, who’s a Michelin-starred chef. If I’m going to do something, I may as well do it right. You turned out a very admirable crab cake, sea bass and some cheesecake… Yeah. I’ve…

“IT MADE SENSE FOR ME TO GO TO PSG, BUT I DO NOT HIDE MY ADMIRATION FOR PEP GUARDIOLA AND MY WILL TO PLAY IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE“ CLUBS 2001-03 Bahia 2002-03 Sevilla (loan) 2003-08 Sevilla 2008-16 Barcelona 2016-17 Juventus 2017- Paris Saint-Germain COUNTRY 2006- Brazil Paris Saint-Germain’s 2-1 victory over Monaco in July’s French Super Cup may not have made a lot of headlines, but to one Brazilian in particular it proved a very significant moment. “There are thousands and thousands of football players all around the world,” Dani Alves tells FourFourTwo during our visit to his new home city, “but this little lad from Juazeiro, in the countryside of Bahia, is able to say he’s the one to have won more titles than any other – this is…

SUMMER O’BRIEN CLUB BRISBANE ROAR POSITION DEFENDER APPEARANCES 14 GOALS 0 At the highest level of football, there are many stories of success and even more of disappointment, but the best stories are the ones where players overcome the challenges they have faced to fight their way to the top. Central defender Summer O’Brien knows all about that… The 26-year-old is in her third Westfield W-League season with Brisbane Roar after making her debut in 2015. Having previously played for The Gap in Queensland’s PS4 National Premier League Women, O’Brien is proof of the importance of resilience in football. In 2006, aged 15, O’Brien collapsed at training and was sent for scans. Doctors discovered she had a bulging disc, probably caused by playing through her previous injuries. The injury sidelined…

AMY JACKSON CLUB MELBOURNE CITY POSITION MIDFIELDER APPEARANCES 26 GOALS 1 Originally it was the other kind of football, Aussie Rules, which Amy Jackson loved. But as with many since the start of AFL Women’s, 12-year-old Jackson was told she couldn’t play any more because she was a girl. “For me it didn’t sit well,” she admits. “But I became resilient and – if I wanted to do something I was going to find a way to do it – and I still wanted to be heavily involved in sport.” It was thanks to a local primary school teacher who invited her to play indoor soccer that Jackson became involved with football. “I went along [to indoor soccer] and fell in love with the sport and that was the beginning.…

HRISTO STOICHKOV The Barça icon has managed Bulgaria, Celta Vigo and Litex Lovech, amongst others, but hasn’t enjoyed much success in the dugout. The two most likely factors are Stoichkov’s hot-headedness (he’s fallen out with several of his players), and his insistence that “I don’t believe in tactics”. His Bulgaria side once lined up in a 2-4-4... MARCO VAN BASTEN The Dutch media were baffled when the inexperienced Van Basten became national team coach in 2004. His side shone brightly during the Euro 2008 group stage, before a surprise quarter-final defeat to Russia. Spells at Ajax and Heerenveen followed, before his tenure at AZ Alkmaar was cut short by a stress-related heart problem. RUUD GULLIT For a while it seemed like the master of ‘sexy football’ could be joining the…

Bayern Munich probably had good reason to rue their luck after bowing out in the semi-finals of the 2015-16 Champions League against Atletico Madrid – they had lost by the finest of margins. Pep Guardiola’s side, having been beaten 1-0 in the first leg, knew they had to win the return clash in Bavaria by two clear goals. The hosts unleashed an almighty siege on the Rojiblancos’ goal – 33 shots to Atleti’s seven, 11 of which hit the target to the visitors’ four. Yet, most tellingly, they scored two goals to their opponents’ one and were unceremoniously dumped out on the away goals rule. The above statistics alone hinted Diego Simeone’s men might have been a touch fortunate, but a more qualitative measure suggested that their progression actually bordered…

THE JOKER’S LAUGH Some managers will project this image of being super-happy all of the time – but obviously that isn’t possible. It could well be a coping mechanism to disguise any negative emotions. It’s very difficult not to reciprocate a laugh or smile so it can change atmospheres. Chimps will bare their teeth to signal a lack of fear – perhaps that is what the managers are doing as well. STANDING ROOM ONLY Standing up is often an attempt to gain control of the situation. There is a link between height and power, so when someone stands above us, it can give them a certain air of authority. In the case of a manager, he will be looking over journalists like a teacher, which will then give him a…

Can you remember your first ever press conference with Ferguson? It was at the Cliff – United’s former training ground – and it was very nerve-wracking. It was an intimidating environment, because Fergie was so unpredictable. You never knew how he was going to respond to a certain question. His mood could completely change in an instant. Do you think he would deliberately try to intimidate journalists? Definitely. If you phrased a question wrong in a press conference he would belittle you, which would dent your confidence. He could deter journalists from asking certain questions by responding in a particular way. But there were times when you were convinced you were about to get the hairdryer and then he’d be normal. He kept you on your toes. Can you remember…