Bla bla bla

There is a certain amused confusion in listening to FIFAs critics, now that FIFA have proposed a new more commercial mode of managing the organization after a hugely succesful World Cup, not least commercially. 

UEFA, who came out vociferously as the defender of community football, is hardly a small, altruistic grassroots organization: It runs the most lucrative club competition in the world through the UEFA Champions League, negotiates billion-euro media rights contracts, and behaves as much like a commercial enterprise as FIFA does (and let us not forget that Gianni Infantino himself, as Secretary General of UEFA, oversaw big commercially successful expansion for UEFA as well). 

Many national associations and other FIFA critics appear to be themselves perfectly happy to benefit from the enormous revenues generated by football. "Commercialization is fine when we do it." 

Football may be a public good, but it is clear that UEFA and FIFA packages it to their benefit; they organize and sell tournaments that we all love to purchase and criticize (one of the most important things on their product). 

We buy the apple, happily eat it, and then complain about its price and quality, but we still buy the same apple day after day…

Now, I have not studied the proposal, but truth is that this NGO that manages football, huge income and commercial deals, with no public funding, probably needs to change something. Governments routinely work with private companies, sovereign wealth funds, investment funds, and corporations managing sums far larger than FIFA's revenues. The argument that "private capital is involved, therefore this is unacceptable" is not, by itself, very convincing. The more relevant question is whether the governance structure protects the interests of the sport and us supporters. 

And that is the only part where criticism is valid: FIFA is an NGO with regulatory powers over world football. It is simultaneously referee, legislator, organizer, and commercial actor. When such an organization proposes a model that brings in private investors or adopts corporate structures, we should worry that maximizing revenues could increasingly drive sporting decisions. This is a legitimate concern.

It is just a pity that FIFA reform is not part of the criticism from football associations and others who themselves lack credibility. 

The proposal from FIFA may not be good, the process may have lacked transparency, I don’t know. But I think that maybe this is the occasion to discuss what FIFA should become, and not continue like it does now. Gianni Infantino was brought in with the support of UEFA to make reforms, but now it seems UEFA does not even want to discuss reforms, if it threatens their own interests and European commercial control of global football.

Finally, let us not be fooled that anybody frankly cares about the fans. Why should they? We will still be buying the product!

Epic comeback

Last season AGF became Danish champions for the first time in 40 years, and as such, they entered the CL qualification second round. AGF does not have a very glorious trajectory in Europe over the last 30 years, so trying to qualify for the CL would be a true test for the side from Denmark´s second city. In the first match it appeared to be a quick exit when the lost 1-4 at home to the Polish champions Lech Poznan, so I guess expectations were not high as AGF went to Poland to reverse a three-goal home defeat, something that had never been done in Champions league qualification.

AGF did the impossible. They won 0-3, forcing the match into extra time (note that with the away-goal rule that existed before, AGF would in fact have been eliminated at full time). Both sides scored in extra time, forcing the match into penalties, where the Jutes emerged as victorious.

This was an epic comeback, but AGF will have to keep their heads cool if they want to make it to the Champions League. Next round they are facing the Azerbaijani champions Sabah FK, who eliminated the Finnish champions of KuPS, and are, as AGF, trying to enter their first Champions League group stage.

Good luck to both sides.

Afterthought

I did not care much about the final as I was traveling. That said, from what I have seen, it was war, just as I had predicted; a match for the times. Good Spain won, the best team, and it is always good that the best team wins. 

But the final sad reflection for me is a tournament that has lost its magic, at least for me. I never found that magic; on the contrary, I became more and more disillusioned by the bickering, hate and media. That said, I admit I am probably an old nostalgic fart, since it is clear that the tournament was perfect for the society today, and FIFA are brilliant at creating the narrative, the atmosphere and excitement that the world needs in difficult times.

So let me congratulate the World Champions of Spain, but most of all, congratulate FIFA for the best World Cup in history. 

It is just not for me.

War!

I was happy to see Argentina win against England, despite the fact that I no longer live or enjoy football as I used to, and probably never will as I enter the winter of my life.

I have seen it all, been hurt and sad, especially in this tournament, so I was expecting nothing from the semifinal, except the hope of seeing a fair and good match between great sportsmen, and no references to history of politics (where I am frankly also much more knowledgeable than the idiotic rabble).

As expected it was dramatic nevertheless, more intense than pretty, but fair enough. 

As many say that the entire tournament is fixed, they should probably look towards England, who had everything to win the match after going ahead 0-1 by the new Barcelona player, Anthony Gordon. But instead of pressing for another goal, England decided to defend deep, giving away the entire match to the Argentinean World Champions, and notably Messi, who after a poor match, suddenly had space and time to create perfect passes into the English area; the little master (whose skills I do not know how FIFA has fixed) provided the assists for both Enzo Fernandez’ and Lauraro Martinez’ goals.

Spain-Argentina in the final; the two best amid the top four in the world who made it to the semifinals in a tournament that despite 48 teams lacked real surprises (frankly, Cape Verde and DR Congo were not surprises). Two sides that have much in common, whose players in many cases know one another, and specially Messi, who is facing many players he knew as kids in Barcelona. Two different sides, two different cultures, two different nations.

It would be a beautiful story if I believed in any of the beauty. Instead what I see is two sides, two countries, that hate one another. 

This is war by other means, nothing else, and as any war, it sells, the rabble loves it. I have one prediction: it will be ugly, it will be violent, and whoever loses, will not accept it, because what characterises the world of today, is accusing the others of cheating whenever you do not win.

I have been wrong all along

I have been wrong all along. I have mistakenly blamed FIFA for the wrongs of football, but truth is that the wrongs of football are the wrongs of our societies at large, and FIFA are the best guardians of the game in an imperfect world. 

Because contrary to what I have previously and wrongfully argued for, FIFA has been instrumental in keeping the game alive at a time when new generations are increasingly looking to other pass-times and the competition for dominance among various sports is vicious. 

The main problem with football is not FIFA: it is the politicians who see football as a means to take attention away from them, and a willing rabble that through social media  

In a world where borders are being redrawn and nationalism is surging amid dangerous geo-political and economic competition, FIFA has managed to exploit these interests to carve a significant space for a sport that real fans may love, but that also gets all the attention of fans who know nothing about the game because of the way FIFA exploits their ignorance. What is frustrating for real football fans is that every four years suddenly every idiot around us is an expert, and that expertise is based on their stereotypes, rather than the interest in the game in between years. We, the real football fans own the game, yes, but we need someone like FIFA to manage the game in such a world. Because what would otherwise be the alternative? A chaotic world of different small federations with different agendas and interests; the conflicts would be eternal and even dangerous if FIFA were not there to centralize the interests of the game at global level. Surely FIFA can do some things better, but if anything, this tournament has shown that they are willing to listen to criticism, learn and to adapt along the way, ultimately to the best interest of Global Football. FIFA is not the one bitching that everything is against them, but is nothing more than a scapegoat for all the fans who frankly do not belong in a stadium and can in my view be charged millions for going to the stadium. Because let us face it: if prices were 1 dollar a ticket, then some fucking moron would buy all 1 dollar tickets before any real fan got hold of them. I have reservations on FIFA expanding the tournament to 64 teams. I am old-fashioned and believe quality would suffer. I find this already happened in this tournament, but admit that the vast majority of the world likes it and is willing to pay for it, as much as it annoys me that this vast rabble of a pitiful majority knows nothing but to cheer for their “imagined community”. This is good for football, because it brings more money in to promote the game at global scale and give us real fans more experiences and joy. All of this despite our misgiving. FIFA has problems, like any other organisation, yes, but it is the best guardian of the game we could hope for, and must continue its great work and be better to resist the attacks by politicians, media, and the rabble.

Spain u-19 champions!

 The u-19 European championship has been taking place over the last few weeks, and today an exciting final took place in Wrexham where two heavyweights of European youth football faced one another: Spain versus Germany. Spain won a well-deserved an impressive tenth title with a 2-0 victory with goals by Villarreal’s Hugo Lopez and Real Madrid’s Mario Rivas after a first half where Spain was in control. All in all Spain was the best team of the tournament and we may see more from some of these talented youngsters: Quim Junyent from Almeria was named player of the tournament and Betis’ winger José Antonio Morantes is one to watch. On the German side Francis Onyeka, newly signed by Bayer Leverkusen, is a player to watch.

Great and strong victory, with a view to the future, in a fair and balanced international tournament.

Champions League qualification 1st round

 Without much of relevance happening in the world of football these days, real football fans can celebrate the start of the best tournament in the world this week: the first qualification round for this season's UEFA Champions League started. This may not appear to the most glamorous round as it includes teams from smaller nations without much social media attention, but it still counts the champions from leagues with ambition to get as far as possible in the tournament. In the first leg we had some less surprising results like the Finnish champions KuPS defeating North Macedonia's Vardar and U. Craiova from Romania defeating Belarussian ML Vitebsk, but also saw the hope of teams like Faroese Kí, Iceland's Vikingur Reykyavik and Malta's Floriana to advance to the next round.

Although we will probably not see any of these sides in the CL, it is exciting that the tournament has started and that it engenders great excitement and fair competition between champions of the greatest football continent in the world.  

Boycott the World Cup

In a recent post I have stated how disappointed and sad I am about this World Cup. You can now add the FIFAs pandering to politicians to the list. 

Folarin Balogun was given a red card against Bosnia-Hercegovina. According to the rules, a red card means an automatic suspension in the next match, meaning that the US top-scorer would not play  Belgium when the USA faces them in the next match. The US Secretary of State called for FIFA to lift the suspension, and lo-and-behold, today they lifted the ban on Balogun, getting a big thanks from the US President along the way.

FIFAs possible favouritism had already been announced while lifting a suspension on the Portuguese player Cristiano Ronaldo when entering the tournament, but this is the first time it has been lifted during an ongoing tournament and with such obvious interference.

So much is wrong with this tournament, and I sadly see no other option than to boycott it. By just watching it I feel that am condoning all the bad things about this World Cup; we are as guilty as FIFA by following it. Criticism is not enough, but something must be done to end this systematic destruction of the game that real football fans love.

So this will be my last World Cup 2026 post, and I strongly urge everyone to stop watching the World Cup, no matter who you support or how your team is doing.

Would you not want them to compete in a fair competition anyway...? 

No Sweat

The match between Brazil and Norway was a bit of a disappointment in terms of quality, but certainly had the correct winner: Norway, with two great goals from Erling Haaland, who is surely one of the best strikers in the world, if not the very best.

The match was slow. At times it appeared as if the players did not want to sweat too much; Norway passed the ball around slowly, with little pressure from the Brazilians, while the Brazilians were indeed more dangerous in their attacks, but generally also slow to recover the ball from the Norwegians. 

That said, the match could have been entirely different were it not for the inefficiency of the Brazilian attack. Bruno Guimaraes did not shoot like a Brazilian when he missed the penalty in the first half. A young and overrated Endrick, who truly added nothing to the Brazilian team, made a huge miss in the second half. Perhaps it would have changed the match, but Brazil appears to have forgotten that to win you need a striker as efficient and unforgiving as the great Norwegian.

Why does Brazil not produce players like Erling Haaland any longer?

In the end Neymar, coming in as a failed saviour managed to score on a penalty against the excellent Norwegian goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland, who laughed off Neymar's frustration in the dying seconds.

Probably last kick of Neymar in a World Cup... 

Norway may not become World Champions; they still have weaknesses in defense and depend greatly on Haaland, but they are now surely the darlings of the tournament as they deserved a victory against another hugely disappointing Brazil side that is again eliminated in the knock-out phase against a European side (they have always been eliminated by European sides since 2006), and against a tiny but great Scandinavian nation that they have never defeated... 

Big Cheers to our Norwegian friends! 

Brazil-Norway preview

I think that today's match between Brazil and Norway has the potential of being a great match. Norway has been playing some excellent football led in particular by the two stars Martin Ødegaard and Erling Haaland, while Brazil has shown the potential to get far, even as their name is not among the biggest favourites, with Vinicius Jr. as the main star so far. Norway's attacking prowess is without question, but their defense has more than once proven shaky during the tournament, something that Ancelotti has probably eyed. Raphinha still appears to be doubtful, but may be replaced by Neymar, something that could prove either a huge risk, or a huge opportunity. 

It is notable that Norway is one of the few countries in the world that has never lost to Brazil. They have only played four times, with two victories for Norway and two draws. In 1998 they faced one another in the group stages of the World Cup that France later won against Brazil in the final. Norway won 2-1 with two heroic goals within the last ten minutes of the match by Tor-Andre Flo and Kjetil Rekdal, after Bebeto had brought Brazil ahead. Brazil still won the group, but the victory meant that Norway advanced to the round-of-16, where they were eliminated by Italy.

So no matter what happens it will be history!

Another thing: after a disgraceful match with a team that refused to play football like Paraguay, I hope to see two teams of real sportsmen for whom fighting does not mean to be violent pricks (like Paraguay), but who will compete hard, as equals and with mutual respect. 

Good luck to both and may the best team win!

Do you even know where Cape Verde is?

I saw a clip from a Latin American TV show where someone asked "Cape Verde; where is that?", to which the good looking female commentator replied sweetly with a gorgeous smile: "In our hearts".

Truth is that Cape Verde's World Cup performance has not only caused a rise in support for this small team, but most notably exposed the ignorance of people who could not find the small African nation on a map before the tournament (and I doubt they can now...). 

I have already said what I think of Cape Verde as a football team, but I have in fact been to the incredibly lovely country; enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere of Praia, walked the verdant hills of Santiago, and bathed in the clear waters of Sal. I have enjoyed a dish of cachupa and the lovely singing of Cesaria Evora. 

But I almost never met anyone who cared about Cape Verde's beauty and culture, so excuse me if I find many of you hypocrites now that you suddenly "have Cape Verde in your hearts", because they defeated a nation you dislike on a football pitch. It has just exposed your xenophobia and ignorance (basically the same thing). 

Civilized team versus Paraguay

In one of the worst matches in a this World Cup, Paraguay lost 0-1 to France on a penalty kick by Kylian Mbappe. 

Paraguay are the worst example of a football team, playing not just defensively, but played a destructive and filthy style; the type of style that does not deserve to be called football, and not a single of those Paraguayans belong on a football pitch. Neither does the referee Ilgiz Tantashev, who allowed every violent trick by the South Americans. Hope he never referees again.

What is VAR for!?

Paraguay will not be missed and hope never to see them in any tournament again.

France has been the best team in the tournament, and despite the difficulties in winning this match, this is one of the most important matches on their way to win the tournament, because they won a difficult match against an opponent that refused to play football.

How is it going?

I have really tried to enjoy the World Cup; trying to find that magical feeling of a tournament that has defined my love for football. I have been to two of the matches in person, enjoying the atmosphere and beautiful stadiums. I have had beers over matches and been to fan zones and bars in four different cities in three countries; I have read, listened, talked and written about the tournament.

How is it going as we enter the round-of-16 phase of knock-out matches?

Not good. 

While the good things generally outnumbered the bad things four years ago in Qatar, there are too many bad things about the tournament to enjoy it:

• 48 teams are too many; too many poor sides and defensive matches that will barely be remembered. A few good moments on the pitch, but it is too far between them.
• VAR: the technology continues to be used far beyond its original purpose. Instead of settling controversies, it just deepens them, as it is clear that most decisions have a level of referee discretion. It thus becomes an excuse for referees not to make decisions, as well as a waste of time, rather than the tool it could be in selected situations.
• Hydration breaks are a terrible symptom of the excessive commercialization of the World Cup; an excuse for commercial breaks that directly damages the flow of the game. 
• Prices: I lived this myself; prices of tickets, but also of everything surrounding the tournament, from increased consumer prices and cable network subscription packages that include the World Cup. I am not suffering economically, but can see that the peoples’ sport has become exclusive to a rich globalized minority.
• The fans: A video has been circulating showing a Mexican woman who, unprovoked, pours beer on two Ecuatorian fans before the Mexico-Ecuador match. Social media has poured its collective punishment on the woman, who is said not to represent Mexico. Obviously she does not, but she does represent a growing part of football culture: ignorant supporters all over the world who have been herded like sheep by social media and FIFA's commercialization of nationalism to see football less as a shared celebration than as a way to express hostility towards others.  

Football does not unite.

Perhaps that is what saddens me most. I have spent this tournament trying to rediscover the feeling that made me fall in love with the World Cup as a child. Instead, with every match, I find myself feeling more distant—not only from the tournament, but from the world that has grown up around it.

May France crush Paraguay

Former Paraguay goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert may have been a great goalkeeper, but his opinions are provocative and nasty. Before Paraguay face France in the last-16, Chilavert has said that Paraguay are facing an African side and not France. While one could ignore this comment as coming just from a bitter old man, the worst part is how many people (ironically many of the South Americans descended from immigrants themselves) agree and even applauds this nonsense. 

In fact, only three players on the French squad are born outside France. One in Italy, one in England, and one in the DR Congo (only the latter is in fact in Africa). 

In the meantime, five players in Paraguay’s squad are born outside Paraguay…

What really bothers these people is that France have players of African heritage. They are the same type of people who more than 100 years ago complained bitterly when Uruguay was the first country to use players of African heritage. People on the wrong side of history.

Because let us face the truth: the entire French team is thoroughly French. Many players are French of African heritage, and while I am not French, I am as a European proud of our diversity and inclusion whereby we accept people of any heritage as our compatriots who work, struggle, and celebrate together (I am deeply aware that not everyone agrees on this in Europe… ).

Chilavert and his people will never understand that.

Almost one hundred players in the World Cup are born and raised in France; in fact it speaks to the greatness of France and French football that they today produce footballers of a quality and skill that benefits the entire world of football. 

Players of a quality that Paraguay will never produce.

I hope that the French team crushes Paraguay today and sends them crying back to their hero, Chilavert.

VIVE LA FRANCE!

Argentina out

I am going to say something nobody likes to hear: Cape Verde are not a very good team. 

Yes, they qualified for the World Cup, they tied Spain, they tied Uruguay, and tied a very poor Saudi Arabia to luckily end second in their group. This was a surprise, yes, but was built on the luck of facing the poorest Uruguay side in history, as well as a Spain on its worse day in decades.

Facing Argentina, defending “world champions”, the Cape Verdians scored two goals by Dutch-born players Deroy Duarte and Sidney Lopes (we are unlikely ever to hear more about these players who play in the Bulgarian and Turkish leagues, respectively), with the latter perhaps the best goal of the tournament. 

In the end Argentina won 3-2 after extra time, taking away the aspiring sensation, but everyone is giving Cape Verde credit, when the result should be assigned exclusively to Argentina being a poor side that relies only on Messi and a bunch of overrated second-rate players who have no reason to call themselves “world champions” any longer. Argentina should destroy a team like Cape Verde 8-0; anything else is inacceptable. 

This predicts the end of the road for Argentina, who will be facing Egypt in the next match. 

Too many teams in the World Cup; too many teams that add nothing to football quality.

When in Spain

Today I happened to be in Madrid, Spain, and enjoyed a boring match that Spain won 3-0 over Austria. Mikel Oyarzabal scored two, Pedro Porro one, to give Spain an easy victory against an Austrian side that added nothing to the tournament.

Just another proof that 48 are too many teams.

We have not yet seen what Spain are capable of. Future champions usually pace themselves for the important matches; it would appear to be what Spain is doing.

Arrogance

There is a big difference between self-loathing and humility. Self-loathing is the result of a mixture of arrogance and inferiority complex. Humility is about being sure of your own abilities, but recognizing your limits, and especially admit when others are better. All things indicate that Joshua Kimmich lack humility: In an interview after Germany's elimination, Mr. Kimmich was full of self-loathing, saying that they had lost to teams that had no "world class".

I supported Germany against Paraguay and thought that they deserved to win until I heard Mr. Kimmich's arrogant comments. They sound particularly arrogant for a team that for two World Cups did not qualify beyond the group stages, and this world cup barely did, only to be defeated by a team that Mr. Kimmich ranks below his own "world class level". 

From Mr. Kimmichs comments I now believe that Germany lost because of arrogance and lack of humility. Again and again we see that you cannot underestimate any team, but that is a lesson that Mr. Kimmich and Germany appear to ignore again and again. That is a lesson that will take years to learn, specially because they have players like Mr. Kimmich, who thinks that you can win games by name alone, instead of by the skills that they obviously lack.

After being disappointed at Germany's defeat, I must at least thank Mr. Kimmich for opening my eyes again as to why I should not be disappointed.

Mexico in ecstasy

 Mexico is in the last-16 after eliminating Ecuador 2-0, on two great goals by Julian Quiñones and Raul Jimenez. The first half of the team was fantastic. With their incredible home crowd in the legendary Azteca stadium the Mexicans look like one of the best teams of the tournament, and surely expectations are growing as they advance. Javier Aguirre's starting lineup was very offensive and seemed to take the Ecuatorians by surprise; it looked as if they home team would crush the South Americans, but second half they stood back comfortably as Ecuador made some feeble attacks.

There was never a doubt about who would win. 

Mexico will face either England or DR Congo in what will be a huge hurdle for both sides. But it will also be Mexico's last match in the Azteca, as future games will move to the USA if Mexico advances. This will be interesting to see, but Mexico are celebrating that they are perhaps one fo the best teams in the world in their mighty home stadium. 

 

Congrats to Paraguay and to Germany

For some time, Germany appeared to be going the same way as Italy; since they won their fourth World cup they have been awful! 

In 2010 and 2014, following their famous 2006 victory, Italy failed to get past the group stages. The same has happened to Germany, who after winning in 2014, failed to get past the group stages in 2018 and 2022. So this is where Germany has improved compared to Italy. 

The Italians have failed to qualify for all World Cups since 2014, while Germany in this World Cup improved markedly from their two previous World Cups in that they moved beyond the group stage and to the last-32. However, today this was the end for Germany, who lost on penalties to a difficult Paraguay side, after a tough 1-1 (Germany's first loss in World Cup penalty contest ever). 

While some may say this is disappointing for Germany, I applaud them for getting out of the group stages and playing a good match against Paraguay; they were the better team but lacked speed and imagination against a South American side that played like they always do: organized, defensive, and counting on corners and free kicks. And with a strong goalkeeper in the San Lorenzo’s Orlando Gill, Paraguay proved too much for the German feeble attacks.... 

Germany are, like Italy, not at the level of former times; the players they produce are nowhere near the level of the players they used to produce and not only lack the skills and speed to defeat a team like Paraguay, but also lack a winning mentality that in the end might have been why they could not win on penalties. Paraguay are surely celebrating and will look forward to play another defensive and organized match in the last-16. 

Congratulations to Paraguay but I will certainly not support them as I do not like how they play.

In the meantime, I congratulate Germany for getting through the group stages and hope they continue improving after having fallen so far from their 2014 pinnacle. 

Brazil-Japan

Japan-Brazil was bound to be an exciting match, but it was more disappointing: the disappointing thing were Japanese side. The Asians have been touted as a potential new world power in football, but were tepid to say the least against the Brazilians, who were the deserved winners. 

Japan started the match defensively; they appeared nervous and were under pressure until after half an hour, when Danilo lost a ball to the Mainz´ player Kaisho Sano, who just rushed towards goal and shot flatly to the right of Alisson. 0-1 for Japan was completely against the match stats, but it was the result at halftime. 

Second half was the same: if anything, Japan pulled back even more, relying on sporadic and lukewarm counterattacks, while Brazil pressed forward. Japan was rather lucky in some situations and finally relief came for all football fans when Casemiro headed the ball into the Japanese goal. If anything, the goal gave Brazil more confidence and Japan more nerves, but despite hitting the post and numerous approaches, Brazil was unable to score until the dying second of the match, when a bad defensive mistake by the Japanese put Arsenal´s Gabriel Martinelli in a free position, and he scored Brazil´s winner via the goalpost. 

Thank football for Brazil being in the next round! They will face the winner of Norway-Cote d’Ivoire. 

In the meantime Japan will not be missed, and confirm the dreadful tournament for Asian sides: of 9 teams, only two (Japan and Australia) qualified for the last-32, and now Japan has gotten (rightfully) eliminated. Next World Cup Asia should lose some qualification spots to Africa.