satta matka

I am back in England after three weeks or so at the World Cup, a pilgrimage I vowed to make every four years for the rest of my life after I met an Irishman in Seoul in 2002 at his tenth finals (I think he was wearing the same tweed jacket back in 1966).

The first I travelled to was Italia ’90 and compared to that, Germany’s organisation was light years ahead. Germany’s rail network was excellent and Bandarqqalthough its ICE trains were not quite as fast as France’s TGVs in 1998 or Japan’s Shinkansens (bullet trains) four years ago, they were very frequent and reliable. I found the city transports almost faultless, with the exception of the near fatal crush on Gelsenkirchen’s trams, which appeared to be running a Bank Holiday service before the USA v Czech Republic match.

Accommodation was readily available although I did fall foul of one of the many establishments that took your money and allowed no cancellations once travel plans changed, as they invariably do for fans in knock-out tournaments.

The fan fests were great ideas and worked very well, except for the draconian ban on bringing water in despite the searing temperatures, and the hard sell from the sponsors at every opportunity.

This leads me to another gripe with FIFA.

Given the indefensible ticketing policy that gave England an official total allocation of 14,700 and a company satta king called Avaya 25,000, and saw dozens of people with “Suche karten” (want tickets) signs in every host city, why did we have to sit there and listen to the stadium announcer at every match triumphantly announce the game was sold out, with the same words in block capitals on the big screens? It was a sell-out all right.

Throughout I marvelled at the folly of England’s efforts to stage the 2006 World Cup. For a start England’s transport network is some years behind Germany’s, where trams, cycle lanes and double decker trains are the norm, not the rarity. One could argue that England’s stadia are better, though the modern arenas in Munich and Gelsenkirchen are streets ahead of anything the home of football has, until perhaps the new Arsenal and Wembley stadia open.

I thought the choice of three venues with running tracks, Stuttgart, Nuremburg and Berlin, also meant three venues with subdued atmospheres however renovated the buildings were, and at least England would have hosted the finals with soccer-only arenas. But the ‘smaller’ stadia such as Cologne and Hannover had top drawer atmospheres and superb sightlines. My favourite remained Leipzig, the most spectacular of the venues from the inside and so grand and imposing from outside, with a monumental approach redolent of the 1930s.

I would question the choice of small and inaccessible Kaiserslautern as a host city although Moenchengladbach might well have replaced it had their stadium renovation plan been in place by the time of the initial bid. One could argue that Derby, a venue touted for an English World Cup bid, has similar shortcomings.

But I do not wish to moan. The World Cup was at home in a great host nation and was a superb fan experience all things considered.

The best two things about the decision to give the World Cup to Germany were the amount of space in the country available for visitors and the positive reaction of the host nation’s people. Germany’s cities were so visitor friendly, boasting wide streets, many of them pedestrianised, and extensive beer gardens to make all the fans feel happy and relaxed.

The Germans were relaxed too. Even when thousands poured into the streets of Berlin or Munich after German victories the atmosphere was hugely celebratory, not aggressively tribal as it would have been in England.

There were TVs everywhere, even in the river (in Frankfurt) and the fan fests proved they had got it right in welcoming fans with or without tickets (most people saw none).

Above all it seemed the authorities were welcoming the influx, not worrying about any possible problems that could result. Unofficial merchandise was everywhere and there were no problems finding flags, scarves and shirts with the country of your choice, far cheaper and more attractive than the perenially overpriced and ugly official FIFA souvenirs.

I remember Euro ’96 as a tournament with unreliable transport connections, police and local authorities afraid of putting up big screens because of the public order risk and the centre of London oblivious to the tournament that was taking place on its doorstep. Add to the fact England is a cramped and awkward country where football fervour too often leads to ugly nationalism and you can see why Germany was so much the better choice.

I salute them for hosting a terrific party where it was hard to see what more the Germans could have done to live up their motto of ‘Die Welt Zu Gast Bei Freunden’ – the world as a guest among friends, or, as they translated it, ‘A Time to Make Friends’.

An Exemplary Bandarqq Host

I am back in England after three weeks or so at the World Cup, a pilgrimage I vowed to make every four years for the rest of my life after I met an Irishman in Seoul in 2002 at his tenth finals (I think he was wearing the same tweed jacket back in 1966). Indian satta

The first I travelled to was Italia ’90 and compared to that, Germany’s organisation was light years ahead. Germany’s rail network was excellent and Bandarqqalthough its ICE trains were not quite as fast as France’s TGVs in 1998 or Japan’s Shinkansens (bullet trains) four years ago, they were very frequent and reliable. I found the city transports almost faultless, with the exception of the near fatal crush on Gelsenkirchen’s trams, which appeared to be running a Bank Holiday service before the USA v Czech Republic match.

Accommodation was readily available although I did fall foul of one of the many establishments that took your money and allowed no cancellations once travel plans changed, as they invariably do for fans in knock-out tournaments.

The fan fests were great ideas and worked very well, except for the draconian ban on bringing water in despite the searing temperatures, and the hard sell from the sponsors at every opportunity.

This leads me to another gripe with FIFA.

Given the indefensible ticketing policy that gave England an official total allocation of 14,700 and a company called Avaya 25,000, and saw dozens of people with “Suche karten” (want tickets) signs in every host city, why did we have to sit there and listen to the stadium announcer at every match triumphantly announce the game was sold out, with the same words in block capitals on the big screens? It was a sell-out all right.

Throughout I marvelled at the folly of England’s efforts to stage the 2006 World Cup. For a start England’s transport network is some years behind Germany’s, where trams, cycle lanes and double decker trains are the norm, not the rarity. One could argue that England’s stadia are better, though the modern arenas in Munich and Gelsenkirchen are streets ahead of anything the home of football has, until perhaps the new Arsenal and Wembley stadia open.

I thought the choice of three venues with running tracks, Stuttgart, Nuremburg and Berlin, also meant three venues with subdued atmospheres however renovated the buildings were, and at least England would have hosted the finals with soccer-only arenas. But the ‘smaller’ stadia such as Cologne and Hannover had top drawer atmospheres and superb sightlines. My favourite remained Leipzig, the most spectacular of the venues from the inside and so grand and imposing from outside, with a monumental approach redolent of the 1930s.

I would question the choice of small and inaccessible Kaiserslautern as a host city although Moenchengladbach might well have replaced it had their stadium renovation plan been in place by the time of the initial bid. One could argue that Derby, a venue touted for an English World Cup bid, has similar shortcomings.

But I do not wish to moan. The World Cup was at home in a great host nation and was a superb fan experience all things considered.

The best two things about the decision to give the World Cup to Germany were the amount of space in the country available for visitors and the positive reaction of the host nation’s people. Germany’s cities were so visitor friendly, boasting wide streets, many of them pedestrianised, and extensive beer gardens to make all the fans feel happy and relaxed.

The Germans were relaxed too. Even when thousands poured into the streets of Berlin or Munich after German victories the atmosphere was hugely celebratory, not aggressively tribal as it would have been in England.

There were TVs everywhere, even in the river (in Frankfurt) and the fan fests proved they had got it right in welcoming fans with or without tickets (most people saw none).

Above all it seemed the authorities were welcoming the influx, not worrying about any possible problems that could result. Unofficial merchandise was everywhere and there were no problems finding flags, scarves and shirts with the country of your choice, far cheaper and more attractive than the perenially overpriced and ugly official FIFA souvenirs.

I remember Euro ’96 as a tournament with unreliable transport connections, police and local authorities afraid of putting up big screens because of the public order risk and the centre of London oblivious to the tournament that was taking place on its doorstep. Add to the fact England is a cramped and awkward country where football fervour too often leads to ugly nationalism and you can see why Germany was so much the better choice.

I salute them for hosting a terrific party where it was hard to see what more the Germans could have done to live up their motto of ‘Die Welt Zu Gast Bei Freunden’ – the world as a guest among friends, or, as they translated it, ‘A Time to Make Friends’.

“Football can’t solve all diplomatic problems, but I believe that football, which is world’s most loved sport, could certainly bring people together and contribute to establishing peace in the world. Korea is the last remaining vestige of the Cold War and we’re a divided nation. Also I think this touching story about football told with a comic twist makes the movie appealing to viewers from all over the world.

South Korea is in the running to host Indian Matka the 2022 World Cup and there is talk of allowing Pyongyang to host a couple of games if the bid is successful and it is something that the director agrees with. “Football is the most popular sport in Korea and it has given this nation true confidence and peace. I sincerely hope that we will be the host of the 2022 World Cup.”

‘The Moken Tribe’s World Cup’ is a rather different affair. Just on the Thailand-Myanmar border resides the Moken tribe. Used to playing with footballs made from bound papaya leaves, this documentary tells the story of how Korean Kang Sung-min, a very talented player, trains and teaches the local boys how to play the beautiful game.

It is an inspiring tale of how this motley group of boys who have never seen a real football before are molded into a tight-knit team, based, partly at least, on the training routines introduced by Guus Hiddink in 2002.

The film doesn’t end there, the cameras travel with the team as they are allowed to enter a regional under-14 tournament for the first time. There, the boys, who play bare-footed, take on teams physically bigger, stronger and better-equipped but not necessarily better.

“Football is life and dream and hope for these children,” director Shin Hyun-won told me. “Once they acquire nationality (the tribe are not yet officially citizens of Thailand) I’m certain that they can become professional players and even national team players beecause these Moken children have passion for football. And Kang created 100 football teams for children all over the region. Among the children taught by Kang are national team players, female national team players, youth national team players and many more.

Alberto Zaccheroni

The slightly-built ex-Cerezo Osaka star wasn’t the only Japanese player in good form, as Lierse SK goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima pulled off a series of impressive saves to deny the powerful Paraguay attack.

The display left Zaccheroni beaming as Japan’s fluid one-touch football thrilled the capacity crowd on hand, although the ease with which Paraguay ploughed through a porous back four will nevertheless give the much-travelled tactician some cause for concern.

Japan’s next Kirin Cup clash is against play bazaar Central American minnows Guatemala at Nagai Stadium in Osaka on Tuesday night, and with the feel-good factor having returned to Japanese football following their surprise showing in South Africa, officials can expect another big crowd to turn out for the affable Hara’s second and final match in charge.

Euro 2012 Qualifying Matches 7 Sept

In yesterday’s round of Euro 2012 qualifying games Portugal lost in Norway, while France put their qualification back on track with a win on the road in Sarajevo against Bosnia.

The Netherlands won 2-1 in Rotterdam against Finland, England won 3-1 in Switzerland and Italy hit 5 in Florence against the hapless Faroe Islands.

Scotland squeezed past Liechtenstein at Hampden in Group I, Ireland won in Dublin 3-1 against Andorra but Slovakia caused an upset with a 1-0 win in Moscow versus Russia.

He has become more aggressive, which bodes well for the side. Umm Salal has great potential and this could be their season.

Al Arabi, who won the season-opening Sheikh Jassim Cup tournament, overcame minnows Al Kharaitiyat 2-0. To their credit, Kharaitiyat put up a valiant show in the first half and denied their fancied opponents a chance to score until the 55th minute. Leonardo play bazaar Pisculichi, one of the few Argentinians playing in the Qatar Stars League, scored the opening goal in the 52nd while Waleed Hamza scored the second (86th).

Brazilian Klemerson De Araugo (13th) and Iraqi Younis Mahmoud (23th) helped defending champions Al Gharafa overcome newcomers Lakhwiya. They will however have to toil hard if they are to entertain hopes of winning the Qatar Stars League for the third time in a row.

In other games, Al Sadd defeated Al Sailiya 1-0 while Emir’s Cup winners Al Rayyan scored a 2-0 win over Al Ahli.

RESULTS

Al Arabi 2 Al Kharaitiyat 0

Qatar SC 5 Al Khor 3

Umm Salal 2 Al Wakra 1

Al Sadd 1 Al Sailiya 0

Al Gharafa 2 Lakhwiya 0

Al Rayyan 2 Al Ahli 0

Maybe it was the dawn of a new and modern Spain ready at last to jettison a painful past or perhaps it was just a passing fiesta where everyone fervently embraced each other in brotherly love as on New Year’s Eve, toasting La Roja with ample Rioja, before waking up hungover the next morning with unforgiven feuds and remembered rivalries.

summed up the conundrum quite Delhi Bazaar Satta King succinctly in its headline ‘Visca España’ – ‘visca’ being the Catalan version of ‘viva’.

And Cruyff, despite his assimilated Senyera DNA – he named his son Jordi after all, does not foresee or even desire that Catalunya should become FIFA-recognised or an independent nation any time soon. He speaks (ropey) Castillian Spanish rather than Catalan, yet remains proud to take charge of what are essentially glorified friendlies once a season in his adopted homeland.

With Spain defeating Holland in the World Cup final only a few months ago, harvesting the fruit of the seeds he had planted as a player with Barcelona in the 1970s, perhaps this is not the best time to be questioning Cruyff’s cultural leanings with any certainty anyway.

The Basque country also has a national team in action over Christmas, hosting Venezuela tomorrow night in Bilbao. Heavily dependent on the historically Basque club sides of Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad, their squad also boasts Spanish World Cup-winner Xabi Alonso of Real Madrid.

Euskadi are no slouches either, having claimed the scalps of a host of FIFA nations across the last twenty years including Uruguay, Ghana, Russia, Serbia, Venezuela, Nigeria, Bolivia and Morocco. Famous former players from the Basque country include the great goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta, still Spain’s record cap-winner, and the flying French World Cup-winning left back Bixente Lizarazu.

And the tapestry does not end there: Andalucia, Aragon, Asturias, the Canary Islands, Cantabria, Extremadura, Galicia, Murcia, Navarre and the Region of Valencia have all played friendlies against FIFA-recognised nations during the past decade.

I have worked with difficult people, worked for high powered politicians with massive egos. But all my teams progressed either to cup finals and/or promotions. That is not why I did it. I did it to earn my stripes and learn my trade of coaching, managing players, managing difficult people, learning a new language, coaching in a different language.

This experience has been invaluable and something I would not change for the world because I chose to follow my satta king career on a different path, a path where I can honestly say nobody gave me a job on the back of being his mate or ex team-mate.

My old friends in England tell me that I am crazy for coaching out here. But I ask them why? I have learnt more than I ever would have. I have experienced more, seen more, travelled more -I am a better coach than when I left. I am more experienced and wordly and more important I am a better person for it. It’s not all about chasing money!

My first day at West ham United in 1991 was Harry Redknapp’s first day as assistant manager to Billy Bonds.

It was Harry who was instrumental in giving me a chance there and I will never forget what he said to me. ‘I have waited many years for this opportunity did the hard yards in the lower divisions and now i have got my chance at a club which is in my blood. I ain’t letting it go.’ He is a great guy and I have never forgotten his words.

The late Ray Harford was the best coach that I worked with as a player. He once said to me: ‘Peter when you finish playing, get out and coach and coach and coach. You’ll make mistakes as we all do but that’s how you learn. Licenses and fancy training grounds don’t make you a better coach – they help of course – but you don’t start learning to drive until after you have received your license.’

More and more clubs now are giving positions to ex- players with no or little coaching or managerial experience, they see a great player and think ‘he’ll make a good manager’.

But there is a huge difference between being a good player and being a good coach and manager. Harry was an excellent coach in his younger years as was Ray Harford. These people did it the hard way and did the hard jobs and worked their way up the ladder. It’s all about learning your trade you learn something new every day – that’s if you have a open mind and want to.

That’s the problem with the English game I have so much respect for the academy coaches and lads working at the lower levels of the football League. They put so much time in and do many jobs out coaching on cold winter evenings, producing our future players. Every weekend is busy but many of them will never get a chance further up the ladder because they are either not in the loop or don’t know the right people.

This sentiment for a phenomenal exhibition of skill was shared by the on looking Argentina national coach, Diego Maradona.

The 3-1 win gives Barcelona their 21st victory in 26 games in all competitions for the season. The Catalan’s are 11 points clear in La Liga and bookie’s favourites to win the Champions League again.

However, coach Pep Guardiola’s was play bazaar quick to play down his role in Barcelona’s impressive start to the season.

“I was merely chosen to train these players. They are the ones who make the coaching staff look good and they are the ones who make this club great.” The 37-year-old said after the game and added, “My job is to ensure they never lower their standards and that they always have the same winning spirit. I’m just lucky to be able to lead this team.”

The coach also seems keen that the people around him should remain in this same level headed mode. When asked what he had said to Messi after such a dazzling performance he said, “I just shook his hand, just like I would with any player.”

The celestial Albiceleste himself seemed chuffed with the display and reaction of the fans when he was taken off.

“It was a very special moment for me to be given a standing ovation. It’s something unexplainable and a beautiful experience for any player.” The pint-sized marvel said.

Worst signing – Marcos Aurélio

Hard to look beyond Shimizu S-Pulse striker Marcos Aurélio, whose zero goals scored despite being the top-paid player at the club inevitably lead to his departure to Brazilian side Coritiba at the end of the season.

Most frequent flyer – Gamba Osaka

Gamba Osaka coach Akira Nishino could be forgiven for despising the sight of airport lounges after his team set off Madhur matka on a jet-setting cavalcade that would have made Marco Polo blush.

After winning the pointless Pan-Pacific Championships in Hawaii last February, Gamba’s main source of travel was the AFC Champions League, in which Gamba remarkably won every single one of their away games on trips to Australia, South Korea, Thailand and Syria, as Gamba deservedly lifted the Asian crown.

They also won the Emperor’s Cup for good measure, although an eighth place finish in the league provides an ominous warning for those wishing to achieve success both at home and abroad.

Thanks for coming – Consadole Sapporo

No team has been as unprepared for top flight football since, well, Yokohama FC the season before. Yet Consadole Sapporo were always going to face an uphill task.

Their collection of Hokkaido-born misfits and loan-signing cast-offs got off to an inauspicious start when they were belted 4-0 by Kashima Antlers on the opening day – Kashima missed two penalties in that game – and things rarely got much better as Sapporo notched up a mildly embarrasing four wins for the season.

Make the Champions League for the champions of each European league, and have the Europa Cup for the 2-3 placed teams. I would also add a European Cup Winners’ Cup for all the FA Cup winning teams as well.

In all major club and international play bazaar competitions throw all the teams in the hat and have teams come out naturally, no more seeded teams to help the bigger sides not meet each other, it’s so stacked against the so called little teams it’s not fair.

Where will the next generation of great footballers come from and why?

Africa, they are hungry and football is the only way many of them can feed their families and when you have that motivation anything is possible. The other reason is in Europe we coach the life out of the players from an early age.

How do you see the 2010 World Cup shaping up? What will be the quality of the football on show?

Africa deserves the World Cup and I am hopeful that they will do a good job, of course there will be problems but FIFA are working very closely with the powers that be so that if there is a problem they will hopefully be in a position to sort it out early.

Will African teams perform well do you think?

That’s the question I think a lot is being made of, the African teams doing well and it remains to be seen. The teams that qualified for the World Cup didn’t have such a great showing in the recent African Nations’ Cup so we will see.

What qualities are needed to be a football coach at the highest level?

An in-depth love of the game and understanding of the human mind is for me key, an awareness of everything around you. Technical knowledge, recognizing the need to have a quality back-up team from the assistant to the physiotherapist is also key to your success.

Having attained your coaching qualifications are now a must but it’s a lot more than that and your personality is also something that must be right.

What changes in tactics and formations have you seen over the course of your coaching career? Any major shifts you have noticed?

This does make me laugh sometimes as we see on TV all these wonderful permutations of a 4-4-2 suddenly someone says no it’s a 4-1-3-1-1 or what ever seems to be in fashion at the time.