Jones: I'll give everything to reach Brazil Jermaine Jones is a renowned hardworker and always gives his all, whether it be for his club FC Schalke 04 or for the USA national team. The 30-year-old enforcer often pushes the boundaries on the pitch and has been known to overstep the mark on occasion, but it is precisely for his battling qualities that he is so valued. In January, Jones received an eight-week suspension for a foul on German international Marco Reus during Schalke's DFB-Pokal quarter-final against Borussia Monchengladbach. For USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann such incidents are unsavoury, but do not represent a major problem. The former Bayern Munich tactician made the Schalke hardman his captain just a few months ago in a friendly against Venezuela, a decision which was met with widespread scepticism in the US media. Jones is aware of the controversy surrounding his role in the US team, but is also conscious of the added responsibility that now rests on his shoulders, as he told FIFA.com in an exclusive interview. "The acts of indiscipline in the past were not acceptable and I was punished for them," said the Frankfurt native, son of a German mother and American father. "But being captain of a team is something completely different. I have to be a role model. On top of that you need a good relationship with the coach. I need to be the link between him and the players. In the national side I've shown that I can lead a young team." Klinsmann agrees and holds Jones in high esteem. Following a 1-0 defeat against France in November 2011, USA have now won their five subsequent games, including a 1-0 victory away to Italy, a 3-2 triumph over Slovenia and most recently, a 5-1 thrashing of Scotland. Such results give weight to the decision to include Jones, who has played a key role in the upturn in form. "Jermaine is captain of the team because he possesses extraordinary abilities," Klinsmann said to goal.com ahead of the Venezuela friendly. "His performances have improved the quality of the rest of the group and have helped everyone. Jermaine is an aggressive player and always goes to the limit, which is something you just have to deal with. If you go over the top with the kind of game he plays, which he has done, then you have to cope with a lot of criticism." It would make me incredibly proud to play at a World Cup with USA. I’ll give everything to make it happen. Jermaine Jones, USA midfielder Leadership sparks change Jones appears to have mellowed since leading the side back in January. In recent Bundesliga matches he proved pivotal in helping his side qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League. Moments of madness finally seem to be a thing of the past both on and off the pitch. On the international scene, Jones goes about his tasks thoughtfully and efficiently. "Of course it makes me proud to be able to take on this responsibility," the midfielder said. "I was really happy about it. It's a challenge that really appeals to me. I try to help my team in each game, especially as it's a very young side. We've won both matches I was captain in and I think we've done very well so far." If Jones has his way then that will continue. Following friendly matches against Brazil (30 May) and Canada (3 June), the third round of the CONCACAF qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ begins on 8 June against Antigua and Barbuda. Four days later, they travel to Guatemala and in September they will face Jamaica. Jones, who has just 16 international caps to his name so far, is confident USA will pick up positive results. “We respect every team, but we believe in our own ability. If we play to our best then I'm sure that we'll be among the favourites to win the group," Jones told FIFA.com in his typically confident manner. The father of twins is one of the older and more experienced members of Klinsmann's squad. He is therefore aware that qualification could provide his only chance to play at a FIFA World Cup. His only taste of an international tournament so far was at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Argentina 2001, where he represented Germany. "It's one of my biggest aims to play at a World Cup again," said Jones. "It would make me incredibly proud to play at a World Cup with USA. I’ll give everything to make it happen," he added. Anyone who knows the tough tackling midfielder also knows that he is invariably true to his word.

Saudi smiles and dreams ( Al Hilal, Al Ittihad and Al Ahli, Saudi Arabia’s three flag-bearers in the AFC Champions League, have all made it through to the quarter-finals of the continental showpiece. Moreover, the feat has provided a large measure of consolation for those Saudi fans disappointed by the national team’s failure to progress in the qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™. As the continent’s premier club competition enters the last-eight stage, optimism abounds with Saudis everywhere beginning to believe that the coveted title may be headed for their shores. FIFA.com takes a look back over the trio’s triumphant passage through the Round of 16 en route to the quarter-finals. Al Hilal After a disappointing domestic season that saw them relinquish their league title Hilal managed to prove that, in the international arena at least, their form has not deserted them. A dominant display in the first round included three straight victories, the most important being a 1-0 win in their return-leg encounter against Tehran giants Persepolis. By finishing atop Group D the Riyadh-based side earned the right to contest their Round of 16 match against UAE opponents Bani Yas in the Kingdom. Reaping the benefit of home advantage, the Saudis ran rampant to record a historic 7-1 victory that had their supporters in raptures. The result was enough to see them through to the last eight, but as Al Hilal playmaker Ahmed Al Fraidi explained after the game, their performance had a deeper significance for the team: “It’s the best we played all season,” the 24-year-old midfielder said. “It was a brilliant performance. We managed to impose our style of play on the game and translate our chances into no fewer than seven goals.” It is this type of performance that Al Fraidi believes is the key to further success. “If we keep it like that we can go on to the end,” he added. Every member of the team is keen to make it up to their supporters, and success in Asia would allow them to return to a new domestic season with renewed vigour. For captain Osama Hawsawi, who will be leaving Al Hilal for Belgian outfit Anderlecht, the occasion has a special significance. “This was my last match with the side,” said the Saudi international, “and it was the best way to say goodbye before going to Belgium. All the lads are determined to end our season in style and that massive win over Bani Yas should please everyone and ensure we come back strong for the next campaign.” Al Ittihad Like Al Hilal before them, two-time Asian champions Al Ittihad have used the Champions League to put a season of domestic disappointment behind them. Five wins in Group B put them top of the table, giving them home advantage against their Iranian Round of 16 opponents Persepolis. It was an advantage they exploited to the full, putting three unanswered goals past their shell-shocked opponents. Throughout the competition the side from Jeddah have shown themselves to be a well-drilled unit, compact in defence and fluid in attack. Egyptian Hosny Abd Rabo, who joined the side during the winter transfer window, has enjoyed an excellent run of form in midfield and hopes his team’s progress in the competition can continue. “We were very strong against Persepolis,” said the Egyptian star. “We were determined to beat them to keep the fans happy, and now we’re back at the level where we belong. Let’s hope we can turn in a better domestic performance next season.” Al Ahli Compared to their compatriots, Al Ahli’s progress through the tournament has been rather less smooth. The side’s supporters are accustomed to their team making things hard for themselves, so their qualification as runners-up spot in Group C came as little surprise. Finishing second meant that the Saudis had to travel to Abu Dhabi to take on their knockout-phase opponents Al Jazira, whose formidable attacking style had led them to the summit of Group A. It was a daunting task but Al Ahli fought valiantly, with Marcelo Camacho putting them ahead in the 22nd minute and triggering a tit-for-tat battle in which the visitors went behind twice before finally levelling the score 3-3 two minutes before the end of extra time courtesy of Brazilian striker Victor Simoes. In the ensuing penalty shoot-out, the Saudi side fell behind once again, before holding their nerve to turn things around. Midfield lynchpin Taiseer Al Jassam was delighted his team had made it across the line: “We played a good game against stubborn opposition in their back yard. We’ve got used to playing games like that this season and we fight until the final minute. We never give in. Our secret is our determination to go as far as we can in the competition.” All eyes on the draw With the Round of 16 safely negotiated, Saudi eyes are now firmly fixed on the draw for the next phase of the championship. Local fans will be hoping to avoid a Saudi derby in the quarter-finals, while the teams themselves will have only one objective in mind: reaching the final and earning a shot at the title itself.

Surprise picks add to EURO intrigue ( Every four years, the UEFA EURO tournament provides a platform for the best players in Europe to put on a masterclass in goals, skills and saves. And while the festival of football is generally reserved for established names, some surprise guests often manage to earn an invitation to the exclusive gathering. In this respect, EURO 2012 in Poland and Ukraine will be no different. One of the best examples of this phenomenon can be found in the squad belonging to the defending European champions. Spain will arrive at their Polish base with a defender who received his first and thus far only cap just 24 hours before he was informed of his inclusion in the travelling party. Juanfran made his international debut on 25 May in a friendly match against Serbia, rounding off a tremendous season which saw the right-back win the UEFA Europa League with Atletico Madrid. At the age of 27, the Real Madrid youth academy graduate has capitalised on his strong performances with Los Colchoneros, but he has also benefited from the absence of Andoni Iraola, injured while playing for Athletic Bilbao. “Juanfran has had a good season with Atletico and is well placed to fill in for Iraola,” said Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque. Alvaro Negredo, meanwhile, had no need for a similar chain of events in order to secure a slot in the squad and make up for the disappointment of being overlooked prior to the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. In the eyes of the backroom staff, it was he who emerged triumphant from a virtual battle with Roberto Soldado, leading Spanish goalscorer in La Liga this term, and to a lesser degree, with Adrian Lopez, Atletico Madrid’s flourishing front-man. In Group C, the Spaniards will cross swords with Italy, whose final 23-man list includes surprise selections such as Torino’s Angelo Ogbonna, a defender of Nigerian descent who played a key role in the Turin club’s recent promotion to Serie A, and the uncapped Emanuele Giaccherini, who is yet to establish himself as a first-team regular at Juventus. Juanfran has had a good season with Atletico and is well placed to fill in for Iraola. Spain coach Vicente del Bosque on his new addition Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has also called up Fabio Borini, who has one previous international appearance to his name, and who has reaped the benefits of a successful season with Roma. While the Italian has been recognised for his displays over an entire campaign, Czech midfielder Vladimir Darida may well have booked his berth courtesy of one solitary match. The 21-year-old Viktoria Plzen player was originally due to be brought in only in the event of Tomas Rosicky not recovering from injury, but his impressive performance in a recent friendly match with Israel was enough to convince coach Michal Bilek of his worth. “He looked like an experienced international, not like someone who was making his first-ever appearance for his country,” said the Czech Republic tactician after the 2-1 success. Experienced Dutch defender Wilfred Bouma can already boast 35 caps for the Netherlands. Given that his last appearance for the Oranje dates back to 2008, his inclusion on his country’s final list still represents something of a surprise. Four years down the line, the 33-year-old PSV Eindhoven centre-back would appear to have the ideal profile to mentor some of the younger members of the squad, such as PSV team-mate Jetro Willens who, at just 18 years of age, had only pulled on the famous orange jersey on one occasion before learning of his call-up for the continental competition. If Bouma’s reappearance is intriguing, Hugo Viana’s comeback for Portugal is remarkable. The Braga midfield man, now 29, has had no involvement with the national side since 2007, but two excellent domestic seasons in a row have seen him brought back into the fold to compensate for the loss of the injured Carlos Martins. Nelson Oliveira was just 16 when Viana last played for A Selecção das Quinas, but was already making a name for himself in Portugal’s youth teams. He showed particularly sparkling form during the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2011, right under the eyes of national coach Paolo Bento, who travelled to Colombia to see the hot prospect and his team-mates go down fighting in the final against Brazil. His potential clearly made a significant impression on Bento, as a few months later, he has included the young striker in his definitive squad, despite his having played just 12 times for Benfica and once for Portugal’s seniors. That is one fewer cap than 19-year-old Greek winger Kostas Fortounis had received when he discovered he would be spending part of his summer in Poland and Ukraine. Selected ahead of the experienced Alexandros Tziolis, the Kaiserslautern player will hope to enjoy better fortune with the EURO 2004 winners than he did with his club, who finished last in the Bundesliga this term. Denmark, like Greece, have also previously been crowned European champions against the odds. The chances of goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel being included in his nation’s final 23 were similarly low, but that was until the late withdrawal of current No1 Thomas Sorensen through injury. The Schmeichel family is used to eleventh-hour shocks on the international stage. 20 years ago, Kasper’s father Peter, a veritable legend between the sticks for Denmark, was part of the team brought in at the last minute to replace the suspended Yugoslavia at EURO 1992. On that occasion, the surprise guests went on to become surprise champions.

Surprise picks add to EURO intrigue Every four years, the UEFA EURO tournament provides a platform for the best players in Europe to put on a masterclass in goals, skills and saves. And while the festival of football is generally reserved for established names, some surprise guests often manage to earn an invitation to the exclusive gathering. In this respect, EURO 2012 in Poland and Ukraine will be no different. One of the best examples of this phenomenon can be found in the squad belonging to the defending European champions. Spain will arrive at their Polish base with a defender who received his first and thus far only cap just 24 hours before he was informed of his inclusion in the travelling party. Juanfran made his international debut on 25 May in a friendly match against Serbia, rounding off a tremendous season which saw the right-back win the UEFA Europa League with Atletico Madrid. At the age of 27, the Real Madrid youth academy graduate has capitalised on his strong performances with Los Colchoneros, but he has also benefited from the absence of Andoni Iraola, injured while playing for Athletic Bilbao. “Juanfran has had a good season with Atletico and is well placed to fill in for Iraola,” said Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque. Alvaro Negredo, meanwhile, had no need for a similar chain of events in order to secure a slot in the squad and make up for the disappointment of being overlooked prior to the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. In the eyes of the backroom staff, it was he who emerged triumphant from a virtual battle with Roberto Soldado, leading Spanish goalscorer in La Liga this term, and to a lesser degree, with Adrian Lopez, Atletico Madrid’s flourishing front-man. In Group C, the Spaniards will cross swords with Italy, whose final 23-man list includes surprise selections such as Torino’s Angelo Ogbonna, a defender of Nigerian descent who played a key role in the Turin club’s recent promotion to Serie A, and the uncapped Emanuele Giaccherini, who is yet to establish himself as a first-team regular at Juventus. Juanfran has had a good season with Atletico and is well placed to fill in for Iraola. Spain coach Vicente del Bosque on his new addition Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has also called up Fabio Borini, who has one previous international appearance to his name, and who has reaped the benefits of a successful season with Roma. While the Italian has been recognised for his displays over an entire campaign, Czech midfielder Vladimir Darida may well have booked his berth courtesy of one solitary match. The 21-year-old Viktoria Plzen player was originally due to be brought in only in the event of Tomas Rosicky not recovering from injury, but his impressive performance in a recent friendly match with Israel was enough to convince coach Michal Bilek of his worth. “He looked like an experienced international, not like someone who was making his first-ever appearance for his country,” said the Czech Republic tactician after the 2-1 success. Experienced Dutch defender Wilfred Bouma can already boast 35 caps for the Netherlands. Given that his last appearance for the Oranje dates back to 2008, his inclusion on his country’s final list still represents something of a surprise. Four years down the line, the 33-year-old PSV Eindhoven centre-back would appear to have the ideal profile to mentor some of the younger members of the squad, such as PSV team-mate Jetro Willens who, at just 18 years of age, had only pulled on the famous orange jersey on one occasion before learning of his call-up for the continental competition. If Bouma’s reappearance is intriguing, Hugo Viana’s comeback for Portugal is remarkable. The Braga midfield man, now 29, has had no involvement with the national side since 2007, but two excellent domestic seasons in a row have seen him brought back into the fold to compensate for the loss of the injured Carlos Martins. Nelson Oliveira was just 16 when Viana last played for A Selecção das Quinas, but was already making a name for himself in Portugal’s youth teams. He showed particularly sparkling form during the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2011, right under the eyes of national coach Paolo Bento, who travelled to Colombia to see the hot prospect and his team-mates go down fighting in the final against Brazil. His potential clearly made a significant impression on Bento, as a few months later, he has included the young striker in his definitive squad, despite his having played just 12 times for Benfica and once for Portugal’s seniors. That is one fewer cap than 19-year-old Greek winger Kostas Fortounis had received when he discovered he would be spending part of his summer in Poland and Ukraine. Selected ahead of the experienced Alexandros Tziolis, the Kaiserslautern player will hope to enjoy better fortune with the EURO 2004 winners than he did with his club, who finished last in the Bundesliga this term. Denmark, like Greece, have also previously been crowned European champions against the odds. The chances of goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel being included in his nation’s final 23 were similarly low, but that was until the late withdrawal of current No1 Thomas Sorensen through injury. The Schmeichel family is used to eleventh-hour shocks on the international stage. 20 years ago, Kasper’s father Peter, a veritable legend between the sticks for Denmark, was part of the team brought in at the last minute to replace the suspended Yugoslavia at EURO 1992. On that occasion, the surprise guests went on to become surprise champions.

International feats and a fitting farewell In this week’s stats review, FIFA.com highlights the impressive feats of Eren Derdiyok, Iker Casillas and France in pre-EURO action, while also paying tribute to Corinthians’ solidity and Pep Guardiola’s unprecedented achievements at Barcelona. 73 international clean sheets is the tally that has enabled Iker Casillas to set a new record and overtake Edwin van der Sar. No goalkeeper in history has ever recorded as many shutouts for their country, and Spain’s 2-0 win over Serbia has also left the Real Madrid skipper just one short of an unparalleled 95th international victory. As things stand, he and Lilian Thuram are locked together on 94. Unsurprisingly, Casillas numbers among 19 survivors from Spain’s 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ squad selected for UEFA EURO 2012, a total that would surely have risen to 21 but for injuries to Carles Puyol and David Villa. 19 matches without defeat, the longest active unbeaten streak in international football, is the run on which France go into UEFA EURO 2012. Les Bleus’ sequence, which stretches all the way back to September 2010 and finds its closest rival in Côte d'Ivoire (17), survived on Sunday thanks only to a stirring second-half comeback. The French had found themselves two goals down against Iceland before battling back to win 3-2 - the first time they had overcome a two-goal deficit in seven years. The winning goal also brought relief for Frank Ribery, ending as it did the Bayern Munich star’s run of 1,330 minutes without an international goal. 14 out of 19: that has been Barcelona’s record of success in the competitions they have entered under Pep Guardiola. The 41-year-old ended his record-breaking four-year reign on a high last Friday by extending his lead over Johan Cruyff as Barça’s most successful coach to thee trophies. Guardiola’s 14th and final piece of silverware at Camp Nou, at least for now, came in the final of the Copa del Rey, a competition Barça have now won on a record 26 occasions (Athletic Bilbao 23, Real Madrid 18). Athletic had no answer as the Catalans scored the 173rd, 174th and 175th goals of the highest-scoring season in the club’s history, with Lionel Messi leading the way with his 73rd of the campaign. The only unusual aspect to this latest Messi strike was that it came via his right foot – ending a streak of 26 consecutive left-footed goals. No-one, however, will be surprised to learn that Barcelona had the lion’s share of the ball in the match. Indeed, Guardiola departs with the statistics proving that his side have dominated possession in each and every one of his 247 matches in charge. 3 goals against Germany was the rare feat achieved by Eren Derdiyok on Saturday as Switzerland claimed a thrilling 5-3 win. Not since Michael Owen’s famous display in Munich in 2001 had anyone scored a hat-trick against the Germans, and all three of the Hoffenheim striker’s goals were laid on by another Bundesliga-based player, Tranquillo Barnetta. This latest reverse for Joachim Low’s side followed on from a 2-1 home defeat to France in February, and marked the first time in over nine years that Germany have lost two games in succession. It was also something of a personal nightmare for newcomer Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who became first German goalkeeper to concede more than three goals on his international debut in 58 years. There is encouragement, however, in the fact that his predecessor in this respect was Heinrich Kwiatkowski, who was beaten eight times by Hungary in the group stage of the 1954 FIFA World Cup™. After all, we all know how that tournament ended. 2 goals is the meagre amount conceded by Corinthians en route to the semi-finals of the Copa Libertadores. The Brazilians have racked up eight clean sheets in ten matches thus far and are only the second team, after compatriots Sao Paulo, to reach the last four of the competition in its current format with such a miserly defensive record. O Timão now face an all-Brazilian semi-final against defending champions Santos, who are aiming to become the first team to retain the continental crown since Boca Juniors in 2001. Boca are themselves in the last four, having come from behind against Fluminense to secure a 2-1 aggregate win, maintaining their record of having never surrendered a first-leg lead since 1991.

Clubs eye next season with early moves It has become a yearly occurrence: as soon as a league season draws to a close, preparations begin almost immediately for the subsequent campaign. For that reason, many clubs waste no time in strengthening their squads as quickly as possible. FIFA.com runs the rule over the transfer deals that have already been completed. The Bundesliga was the first major European league to shut down for the summer, and it has also seen the most action in the transfer market so far. Borussia Dortmund, champions for the last two years in a row, have bid farewell to their Paraguayan forward Lucas Barrios, who has moved to Chinese outfit Guangzhou Evergrande, but have in turn signed rising star Marco Reus from Borussia Monchengladbach, recently voted Player of the Year by his fellow professionals. The tricky task of replacing the young midfielder falls to Swiss international Granit Xhaka, winner of the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup, who arrives in Germany fresh from securing a league and cup double with Basel. Bayern bolstered The chances are high that while there he will cross paths with international team mate and former club colleague Xherdan Shaqiri, whose performances in Switzerland and in Europe have earned him a move to Bayern Munich. The German giants have also bolstered their defence, bringing in Brazilian centre-back Dante, a first-team regular for Monchengladbach since 2009, after having had spells with Lille and Standard Liege. “I’ll train hard over the summer break so that I’m at peak fitness when I arrive at Bayern in July. I want to be as well-prepared as possible for this new challenge,” the defender told FIFA.com. Croatian forward Ivica Olic, meanwhile, is exiting the Allianz Arena, and will aim to gain more playing time under Felix Magath at Wolfsburg. Germany international Lukas Podolski will also be hoping for a change of fortune at new club Arsenal, following a difficult season with Cologne that ended in relegation to the second division. I’ll train hard over the summer break so that I’m at peak fitness when I arrive at Bayern in July. Dante, new Bayern Munich signing Bayer Leverkusen had a much better year, but have still decided to trim their squad significantly, with the departures of striker Eren Derdiyok to Hoffenheim and goalkeeper Rene Adler to Hamburg adding to that of Michael Ballack. Keepers appear to be in high demand in the Bundesliga, as demonstrated by Werder Bremen custodian Tim Wiese’s move to Hoffenheim, and by the signing of Raphael Wolf from Austrian club Kapfenberger to replace him. Hoffenheim have also strengthened their midfield, capturing former Japan youth international Takashi Usami on loan from Gamba Osaka. Usami spent last season playing for Bayern’s reserve side. As one Asian arrives in German football, a Bundesliga star has decided to further his career in Asia: Spanish legend Raul, who spent two impressive campaigns at Schalke 04 and close to two fruitful decades at Real Madrid, will sport the colours of Al-Sadd in Qatar next season. Busy Brazil Passing the Spaniard on the way out is another player who made his mark in the German top flight, Brazilian midfielder Ze Roberto, who has left Qatari side Al-Gharafa to link up with Gremio in his homeland. At the Porto Alegre-based club he will rub shoulders with another returning countryman in the shape of defender Fabio Aurelio, who was released by Liverpool after 134 appearances in six seasons. Other transfer deals in the country that will host the next FIFA World Cup™ include former Everton striker Jo’s move from Internacional to Atletico Mineiro. Team-mate Tinga has also opted for new pastures, with Cruzeiro his chosen destination. The most surprising signing announced so far, however, was that of Dida by Portuguesa, due to the fact that the ex-Corinthians keeper had been in retirement since his departure from AC Milan in 2010. Another former Rossoneri player looking for a new challenge is Mark van Bommel, who has put pen to paper with PSV Eindhoven, seven years after leaving for Barcelona, an adventure that was followed by stints at Munich and finally Milan. The Lombardy club have also parted company with Alessandro Nesta, Gennaro Gattuso, Clarence Seedorf and Filippo Inzaghi, paving the way for younger recruits such as Italian playmaker Riccardo Montolivo from Fiorentina, and Malian midfielder Bakaye Traore from Nancy. A Serie A stalwart and a firm favourite of the fans at Bologna, where he scored 64 goals in four years, Marco Di Vaio has decided, at the age of 35, to export his considerable goalscoring talents to North America, and to Canadian team Montreal Impact in particular. In the MLS, he is likely to cross swords with Colorado Rapids’ newly signed Brazilian, Edu, who between 2000 and 2009 plied his trade in Spain with Celta Vigo and Real Betis. Los Verdiblancos’ great rivals Sevilla have also been busy, swooping for highly-rated Villarreal shot-stopper Diego Lopez.

Clubs eye next season with early moves It has become a yearly occurrence: as soon as a league season draws to a close, preparations begin almost immediately for the subsequent campaign. For that reason, many clubs waste no time in strengthening their squads as quickly as possible. FIFA.com runs the rule over the transfer deals that have already been completed. The Bundesliga was the first major European league to shut down for the summer, and it has also seen the most action in the transfer market so far. Borussia Dortmund, champions for the last two years in a row, have bid farewell to their Paraguayan forward Lucas Barrios, who has moved to Chinese outfit Guangzhou Evergrande, but have in turn signed rising star Marco Reus from Borussia Monchengladbach, recently voted Player of the Year by his fellow professionals. The tricky task of replacing the young midfielder falls to Swiss international Granit Xhaka, winner of the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup, who arrives in Germany fresh from securing a league and cup double with Basel. Bayern bolstered The chances are high that while there he will cross paths with international team mate and former club colleague Xherdan Shaqiri, whose performances in Switzerland and in Europe have earned him a move to Bayern Munich. The German giants have also bolstered their defence, bringing in Brazilian centre-back Dante, a first-team regular for Monchengladbach since 2009, after having had spells with Lille and Standard Liege. “I’ll train hard over the summer break so that I’m at peak fitness when I arrive at Bayern in July. I want to be as well-prepared as possible for this new challenge,” the defender told FIFA.com. Croatian forward Ivica Olic, meanwhile, is exiting the Allianz Arena, and will aim to gain more playing time under Felix Magath at Wolfsburg. Germany international Lukas Podolski will also be hoping for a change of fortune at new club Arsenal, following a difficult season with Cologne that ended in relegation to the second division. I’ll train hard over the summer break so that I’m at peak fitness when I arrive at Bayern in July. Dante, new Bayern Munich signing Bayer Leverkusen had a much better year, but have still decided to trim their squad significantly, with the departures of striker Eren Derdiyok to Hoffenheim and goalkeeper Rene Adler to Hamburg adding to that of Michael Ballack. Keepers appear to be in high demand in the Bundesliga, as demonstrated by Werder Bremen custodian Tim Wiese’s move to Hoffenheim, and by the signing of Raphael Wolf from Austrian club Kapfenberger to replace him. Hoffenheim have also strengthened their midfield, capturing former Japan youth international Takashi Usami on loan from Gamba Osaka. Usami spent last season playing for Bayern’s reserve side. As one Asian arrives in German football, a Bundesliga star has decided to further his career in Asia: Spanish legend Raul, who spent two impressive campaigns at Schalke 04 and close to two fruitful decades at Real Madrid, will sport the colours of Al-Sadd in Qatar next season. Busy Brazil Passing the Spaniard on the way out is another player who made his mark in the German top flight, Brazilian midfielder Ze Roberto, who has left Qatari side Al-Gharafa to link up with Gremio in his homeland. At the Porto Alegre-based club he will rub shoulders with another returning countryman in the shape of defender Fabio Aurelio, who was released by Liverpool after 134 appearances in six seasons. Other transfer deals in the country that will host the next FIFA World Cup™ include former Everton striker Jo’s move from Internacional to Atletico Mineiro. Team-mate Tinga has also opted for new pastures, with Cruzeiro his chosen destination. The most surprising signing announced so far, however, was that of Dida by Portuguesa, due to the fact that the ex-Corinthians keeper had been in retirement since his departure from AC Milan in 2010. Another former Rossoneri player looking for a new challenge is Mark van Bommel, who has put pen to paper with PSV Eindhoven, seven years after leaving for Barcelona, an adventure that was followed by stints at Munich and finally Milan. The Lombardy club have also parted company with Alessandro Nesta, Gennaro Gattuso, Clarence Seedorf and Filippo Inzaghi, paving the way for younger recruits such as Italian playmaker Riccardo Montolivo from Fiorentina, and Malian midfielder Bakaye Traore from Nancy. A Serie A stalwart and a firm favourite of the fans at Bologna, where he scored 64 goals in four years, Marco Di Vaio has decided, at the age of 35, to export his considerable goalscoring talents to North America, and to Canadian team Montreal Impact in particular. In the MLS, he is likely to cross swords with Colorado Rapids’ newly signed Brazilian, Edu, who between 2000 and 2009 plied his trade in Spain with Celta Vigo and Real Betis. Los Verdiblancos’ great rivals Sevilla have also been busy, swooping for highly-rated Villarreal shot-stopper Diego Lopez.

Mighty Mouse packs a punch ( Henry Cooper famously knocked down the great Cassius Clay during a heavyweight boxing match at Wembley Stadium in 1963. And while the man who became known as Muhammad Ali went on to win that fight, he later said that, “Cooper hit me so hard that my ancestors in Africa felt it.” In the above picture, shot in early 1980, Cooper is sparring with another man who was involved in an epic scrap at Wembley – albeit one spectators didn’t expect when they purchased their tickets. Who, after all, would have foreseen a punch-up in a charity match? But that’s exactly what happened when league champions Leeds United met FA Cup winners Liverpool in the first FA Charity Shield to be held at the iconic London venue. Reds forward Kevin Keegan was sent tumbling to the ground and, unaware that the culprit was actually Johnny Giles, assumed it was notorious hardman Billy Bremner. Within seconds, the England international and the Scotland midfielder were trading blows in front of a stunned audience, before both were sent off scowling. At least it was all smiles when Keegan engaged in his next brawl at Wembley!

Debutants eye further glory Having stormed into knockout stage on their Asian debut, Japanese duo Kashiwa Reysol and FC Tokyo, plus Chinese frontrunners Guangzhou Evergrande are aiming to continue their impressive run going into the AFC Champions League Round of 16 on Tuesday and Wednesday. Kashiwa travel to Ulsan Hyundai determined to end the Koreans' unbeaten campaign and join the already-qualified Al Ittihad, Al Hilal, Al Ahli and Sepahan in the last eight, while FC Tokyo square off with an ambitious Guangzhou under newly-appointed coach Marcello Lippi. Elsewhere, Adelaide United entertain Nagoya Grampus in a much-anticipated encounter and Uzbekistan’s Bunyodkor challenge Seongnam Ilhwa seeking to maintain their impressive form on the continental scene. Join FIFA.com as we preview in detail these match-ups. The match Guangzhou Evergrande - FC Tokyo One of the world's most accomplished coaches, Lippi will be thrown headlong into the rigours of continental competition as Guangzhou play hosts to FC Tokyo. Indeed, much is expected of the 2006 FIFA World Cup™-winning mentor, who got his Chinese spell off to a perfect start with a 1-0 home win over Qingdao Jonoon a week ago. To prepare for the continental showdown, Lippi opted to rest a series of key players in Friday's domestic fixture as they drew 1-1 with Shandong Luneng. Having been instrumental during the group campaign, their formidable foreign line-up are expected to continue their stellar performance with both top-scorer Dario Conca and Cleo fit to play, although a question mark remains over the form of Brazilian forward Muriqui following his recent return from injury. Ranko Popovic's FC Tokyo, unlike the opponents, will count on their home-grown stars who between them bagged 10 of their 12 goals as they progressed at the expense of Brisbane Roar. Leading the attack is 2009 J.League Rookie of the Year Kazuma Watanabe, who netted a treble as they overcame a two-goal deficit to edge Sagan Tosu 3-2 on the domestic front, although their winning run was ended with Saturday's 1-1 draw against Urawa Red Diamonds. Already a force to be reckoned with on both the home and continental front, the newly-promoted capital side appear more than capable of springing another surprise having impressed on their Asian debut thus far. The other attractions The only Australian side to survive the group campaign, Adelaide are aspiring to continue carrying the A-League banner with a win against visiting Nagoya. And John Kosmina's side will be aiming to maintain their unbeaten home form, having racked up two wins and one draw as they won their group. Adding to their home advantage, Kosmina watched the Japanese club’s 3-0 win over compatriots Central Coast Mariners, before further enhancing his insight with a debrief from losing coach Graham Arnold. Despite languishing 12th in the domestic competition, Japanese champions Kashiwa Reysol are targeting success at Ulsan Hyundai having progressed to the last 16 in their first Asian foray. Taking heart from their two victories over Jeonbuk Motors, Nelsinho Baptista's side arrive in Korea Republic with a 2-0 defeat over Albirex Niigata. The Korean hosts, meanwhile, must put aside their 2-1 home defeat to Gangwon FC. Having progressed at the expense of a pair of former winners in Gamba Osaka and Pohang Steelers, Bunyodkor challenge 2010 champions Seongnam Ilhwa brimming with confidence. Mirjalol Qosimov's visitors received a boost with a recent 1-0 defeat of Samarkand which saw them return to the top of the local standings. Bunyodkor will miss striker Anvarjon Soliev due to injury and captain Viktor Karpenko, who has been called into the Uzbekistan national team, while the hosts have to make do without suspended marksman Vladimir Jovancic. Player to watch Having finished J.League's top-scorer last season with 19 goals as Nagoya finished second, Josh Kennedy enters the match against Adelaide seeking to rediscover his old form as his side target a breakthrough after losing 2-0 to Suwon Bluewings at the same stage last year. The stat 5 - Bunyodkor have set a new continental record by becoming the only team to progress beyond the group stage for a fifth consecutive time. What they said "Any of the Japanese teams are beatable, they’ve got to make the trip and these are all things that can help us get on with the job. And we’ve got to get our heads in the right space before we go out there and if we do that then I think we’ve got every chance of being successful," Adelaide United coach John Kosmina AFC Champions League, Round of 16 fixtures 22 May Al Jazira 3-3 Al Ahli (2-4 penalties) Sepahan 2-0 Esteghlal 23 May Al Ittihad 3-0 Persepolis Al Hilal 7-1 Bani Yas 29 May Adelaide United - Nagoya Grampus Seongnam Ilhwa - Bunyodkor 30 May Ulsan Hyundai - Kashiwa Reysol Guangzhou Evergrande - FC Tokyo

Falcao: I don't feel like an idol There is little that has not already been said about Colombian striker Radamel Falcao. In his maiden season with Spain’s Atletico Madrid, the 26-year-old top-scored for his side in the league with 26 goals and was the leading marksman for the second season running in the UEFA Europa League, in which Falcao pocketed another winner’s medal to go the one he collected with Porto last year. Speaking exclusively to FIFA.com in the Colombian city of Cali, where Los Colchoneros are currently on tour, the former River Plate youth player looked back on another productive season, discussed speculation about his future and looked forward to the challenge of spearheading his country’s qualification bid for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™. FIFA.com: Did you imagine ending your first season with Atletico Madrid on such a high note. After all, some people said you were making a mistake when you joined the club. Radamel Falcao: I did to begin with. I was very excited about the season turning out this way, and though things didn’t go how we wanted them to initially, I always felt we could reach the Europa League final and go on and win it. In the end it all went perfectly for the team and for me too. Following the win over Athletic Bilbao in Bucharest Michel Platini had something to say to you during the awards ceremony, didn’t he? Yes, he made a joke about seeing me again there this year and asked what I was doing up there again, things like that. To tell you the truth, though, I was amazed by it all, even though it was the second time I’ve won the title. I loved watching the celebrations, to see how happy everyone was in Madrid, and to see and hear their reactions and their affection for us. It made a big impact on me, and I’ve got nothing but gratitude for them. Do you feel like you’re an Atletico idol? That’s hard to say. I don’t think so. I made a good contribution this season, but you have to leave a mark to be considered an idol and I’m going to need more time to do that. I think the fans love me but I don’t feel like I’m an idol. If what Diego Simeone said after the Europa League final is true, it looks like you won’t have enough time to make that mark. Yes, I heard what Simeone said and I’ve heard the rumours, but the fact is I don’t know anything about it. All I want to do now is enjoy the summer and everything we’ve achieved with the club. It’s time to take things easy, now more than ever. Staying on the subject of those rumours, you spent many years in Argentina, where moving from River Plate to Boca Juniors or vice-versa is seen as a betrayal. Is it the same with Atletico and Real Madrid? Obviously there’s a huge rivalry between the two teams. I know some players have moved from one club to the other, but to be honest I’m not thinking about my future right now. We set off on our tour of Colombia straight after winning the Europa League and we’ve not even had a rest yet. I just want to enjoy the here and now, and that’s it. I want to score from free-kicks! That’s what I’m lacking and I’m going to give it a go. We’ve actually spoken about it and I’ll be getting my chance some time. Radamel Falcao on his next target Let’s talk about your game now. You score goals of all shapes and sizes: with your right foot, your left, your head, overhead-kicks and scissor-kicks. Which skills do you still need to work on? I want to score from free-kicks (laughs)! That’s what I’m lacking and I’m going to give it a go. We’ve actually spoken about it and I’ll be getting my chance some time. I’ve been lucky enough in my career to play with some great set-piece specialists like Marcelo Gallardo. I was able to study him and I hope to get my opportunity soon. A lot of people think there’s not much difference between you and Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo now. How do you feel about comments like that? I’ve received some glowing praise from a few players, which makes me happy but also puts more responsibility on me for the future. It’s only going to motivate me to get even better and go for more records. The Colombian people have waited a long time to see you in action outside the national team. What’s it like to be touring your home country? It’s very special for me to be in my country after winning the Europa League. There are lots of things going through my mind right now, a lot of emotions at being here with the Colombian people and enjoying a special time in my career with them. People of all ages have been saying all these lovely things to me and they’ve been telling me how proud they are to see me representing the Colombian flag. That gives me a lift. I’m amazed by it all and very grateful. Can you see yourself playing in the Colombian league at some point or will you make your return to South America with River Plate? I said before that my immediate goal is to stay in Europe and make my mark there. You never know what the future’s going to bring, but right now I don’t think there’s much chance of me playing in Colombia. River is a possibility. I didn’t enjoy the club as much as I would have liked because things were hard when I was there. Time will tell, but God willing I’ll be back there one day. River fans will be delighted to hear that for sure, but is it true that you once dyed your hair the same colour as Martin Palermo’s when you were a boy? Yes, it is! (laughs) It was just for a bet, though. There was a clásico match one summer and if River lost, I had to dye my hair like him. I was the butt of everyone’s jokes but I don’t think there are any photos left (laughs). Simeone was your coach in Argentina back in 2008. In what ways have you both changed since then? El Cholo still has the same passion for football, but he’s been involved with a lot of leagues and clubs and picked up a lot of experience along the way. You can really see that. As for me, well I think I’ve matured a lot. I’ve grown as a player and I’ve perfected my game. I think I make better decisions in the area now. Can you see Simeone coaching Argentina one day? Yes, I think he’s a coach Argentina need to bear in mind in the future. He’s been involved with the national team virtually his whole life and knows what it takes. And it goes without saying that he’s really put in the groundwork as a coach. Talking of Argentinian coaches, Jose Pekerman has just said that Falcao is not Colombia’s ‘saviour’. Do you agree with that or is he just trying to take the pressure off you? I agree with what he says. Obviously individuals have a part to play but clubs and national teams are all about playing as a unit. Fortunately Colombia have put a very strong side together. A lot of our players are doing really well with some big teams in Europe, they’re the right age and they’re hungry for success. We’re mature enough now to take the step up. One last question: how are you finding Twitter? I wasn’t that keen on using it to begin with, but one of my friends kept pushing me to get on it and now I enjoy it. It’s a good way to interact with the fans. I’ve got about 546,000 followers now, which isn’t bad, though I’m not the only Atletico player who uses it. A lot of my team-mates are on there too. A lot of your followers come from Colombia. Do you have a message for them ahead of the upcoming qualifiers with Peru and Ecuador? Yes, of course. I want them to support and get behind us like they always do. We need them by our side so we can get as many points as possible and get on course for the World Cup.

The 2018 fifa world cup Russia In line with its new approach to accommodate all market players, FIFA has decided to launch a public tender for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ accommodation project. Interested parties will be invited to submit tenders covering comprehensive planning, implementation and management services for the accommodation operation for both the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup™. The tender registration process will be open from 18 May to 13 July 2012. Interested parties may obtain further information regarding the invitation to tender by downloading the official information using the link on the right. An announcement of the appointed 2018 FIFA World Cup™ accommodation service provider(s) is expected in December 2012. ' “The aim is to appoint a company or companies with experience in the accommodation business who will help to further enhance our efforts to achieve adequate pricing and fair allocation of accommodation for the various stakeholders. This business alliance should also foster international awareness of Russia as a tourism destination as one of the lasting legacies of the 2018 FIFA World Cup,” explains FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke. The services requested include the evaluation of the available inventory and verification of existing hotel purchase contracts, the management and non-exclusive sale of the existing accommodation inventory, rate negotiations on the Russian market, the procurement of additional or alternative accommodation inventory, the allocation and sale of accommodation inventory to FIFA and certain national and international customer groups of FIFA and the provision of related services to FIFA and its customer groups prior to and during the competitions.

Paolo MALDINI Italy has produced more than its fair share of great defenders. Yet of all the many gifted exponents of the defensive arts to have emerged from the country, there are two that stand out from the rest. One is the late Giacinto Facchetti, who went down in history as the first of the game’s flying full-backs, a player who foraged forward at every opportunity to make the entire left flank his own. The other is Paolo Maldini, the most elegant of defenders and for whom anticipation - not intimidation - was the name of the game. FIFA.com pays tribute to the elegant, one-club stalwart, who made 902 appearances for AC Milan in his 24-year-career, 647 of them in Serie A. Perhaps it should have come as no surprise that Maldini would turn out to be one of the most accomplished defenders the game has ever seen. His father Cesare, steeped in the culture of catenaccio and an Italy international, was as solid as they come in the right-back slot for AC Milan between 1954 and 1966. His sporting destiny mapped out for him at an early age, Paolo was only ten when he joined the Rossoneri youth set-up. It would not be long before his natural elegance and sense of sportsmanship would begin to shine through, and in the years that followed the youngster honed his positional skills, silencing the doubters and shaking off the tag of "daddy’s little boy." The making of a modern defender It was one of his father’s former team-mates, Swedish coach Nils Liedholm, who gave him his first outing in Serie A in a 1-1 draw with Udinese on 20 January 1985. Maldini was only 16 years and 208 days old, yet by the following season he had become an undisputed first choice. Things would remain that way for more than two decades, the young Maldini becoming a cornerstone of the Milan rearguard thanks to his prodigious technical, tactical and physical attributes, and also to a profound shift in the Italian approach to defending. The players change but the philosophy never does. Maldini on the Milan philosophy Out went the old reliance on all-out defence and in came a new mindset, one in which the full-back had a key part to play by getting down the channel, as it became known in modern football parlance. And with the global explosion in televised coverage of the game, the marauding Maldini quickly became a household name. Lining up alongside Mauro Tassoti, Franco Baresi and Alessandro Costacurta, he was also fortunate to form part of one of the greatest defensive units Milan have ever assembled. His two-footedness was also a factor in his longevity. Though naturally right-footed, he was perfectly at home on the left side of defence. Those qualities inevitably brought him international recognition. After running out for the Italy U-21s for a season and a half, he made his full debut for La Nazionale in a 1-1 draw with Yugoslavia in Split in March 1988. In the meantime the trophies would come thick and fast with Milan. In addition to five UEFA Champions League titles, the enduring Maldini would lift seven scudetti, two Intercontinental Cups and a FIFA Club World Cup crown, the full-back also enduring defeats in two Champions League finals and three Intercontinental Cups. Adapting to change That lasting success is something Maldini puts down to the club’s philosophy: “Milan has always sought to play its own game rather than set out to destroy what opposing sides are doing. The players change but the philosophy never does.” And on the rare occasions defeat reared its ugly head, he always took it in his stride: “I just learned to accept it as part and parcel of the game.” The peerless Maldini had a major hurdle to overcome at the end of the 1996/97 season when the great Baresi, the man who made the Milan defence tick, announced his retirement. The club retired his No6 shirt immediately, with Maldini taking his place in the centre of defence and pulling on the captain’s armband for both club and country. Baresi’s replacement’s form took a dip as he struggled to come to terms with the unique demands of the central-defensive role, with Milan also missing the influential libero’s calming presence. In the eyes of some, Maldini was a fading force, but the appointment of Alberto Zaccheroni as coach soon had the doubters eating their words. Implementing a three-man rearguard, the new man at the helm restored Maldini to his beloved left flank. The change worked wonders as a resurgent Milan claimed another league title. And when the vastly experienced defender reverted to centre of defence after turning 30, his innate positional sense ensured the switch was a successful one. Finals agony for the perfect gent The biggest regret of his career was his failure to win a major title with Italy. He came close twice, the first of those occasions coming in the Final of the 1994 FIFA World Cup USA™. Largely faultless during the scoreless meeting with Brazil, he took no part in the fateful penalty shootout. He had that sinking feeling again in the final at UEFA EURO 2000, when France scored in the dying seconds to force extra time before snatching the trophy with a golden goal, Maldini being blameless for Italy’s agonising defeat. He brought his exemplary international career to an end in the wake of La Squadra Azzurri’s Round-of-16 elimination at the hands of Korea Republic at the 2002 FIFA World Cup Japan/Korea, a golden goal once again defeating the Italians. By that time he had racked up 126 games for his country, 74 of them as captain, only recently relinquishing his status as Italy’s most-capped player to another defensive giant in Fabio Cannavaro, who has 136 caps to his name. Yet there is more, much more to the legend of Paolo Maldini than just trophies and caps. Immaculately behaved on and off the pitch, he has always been a role model. One of football’s true gentlemen, he has never lost his cool, picking up only a single red card in over 1000 official games, and that in a friendly. Such is his stature in the game that even the Inter tifosi paid tribute to him in the last Milan derby he played before his retirement. “It was a wonderful surprise,” he later said. “On a human level, I think it’s one of the most satisfying moments I’ve ever experienced.” The ultimate professional and the most selfless of team-mates, Maldini has always remained loyal to his principles. Discreet to the last and reluctant to bow out with a big farewell, he opted to bring the curtain down on his career with a “low-key” party, as he himself put it. “A bit like me really.”

Donovan: Klinsmann and I share a vision ( FIFA.com was fortunate enough to enjoy an in-depth chat with Landon Donovan recently. In this, the first of a two-part interview, all matters Stateside are discussed, such as Los Angeles Galaxy's start to the Major League Soccer season, the dominance of Mexican sides in the CONCACAF Champions League, the appointment of Jurgen Klinsmann as USA coach and why the FIFA World Cup™ is so special. FIFA.com: Considering the attacking players in the Galaxy’s squad, it would be the envy of many teams across the globe. Is that a sign of your attempt to capture a second MLS Cup? Landon Donovan: Well in our league, and particularly in LA, we have an owner here who is very committed to not only winning but to making sure we are putting an exciting product on the field. Most places around the world it’s just about the football, but we are still trying to build our game, so we need to have, hopefully, an exciting product that people want to pay money to come see. We’re fortunate that we’ve got an owner and a coach who are committed to that and it’s fun for me as an attacking player because I get to play alongside some of these great, talented players. Looking at the current table and the CONCACAF Champions League, it wasn’t the start you would have hoped for. What do you credit that to? It was tough. We are certainly a much better team than we showed early on. I think a big part of it was not having myself and Robbie [Keane] there from the beginning of the pre-season. We were a little bit disjointed to start and it kind of showed on the field. We weren’t playing terribly, but our league is parity-driven, so if you are a little bit off-form and a team is playing well they can beat you. So it’s not like we are Manchester United or Barcelona, where you have a bad day and you can still win 2-0 or 3-0. We have a bad day and we can lose games, and that’s what happened at the start of the season. Monterrey have qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup. It always seems to be the Mexican teams that reach the final of the competition. How close are MLS teams to narrowing the gap? We’re close, but there are realities. We’re the exception, but most Major League Soccer teams have a payroll of $3-4m USD for the entire squad. Some Mexican teams have a payroll of $20-30m USD. The reality is that the teams who are paying more for their players generally win. We’re getting better – our league is committed to continuing to spend more money, but they’re running a business so they’ve got to be smart about it. We’ve had a number of teams, even with the discrepancy in pay, doing very well and getting very close. Last year, Real Salt Lake went close against Monterrey – and were less than 45 minutes away to advancing to a Club World Cup. It’s only a matter of time, but as long as we’re progressing I think we’re still OK with that. Jurgen’s very adamant about pushing us, even to the point of getting out of your comfort zone and I think it’s done wonders for a lot of our guys so far. Landon Donovan on working with Jurgen Klinsmann Do you think the Galaxy may be the team which are in the best position to narrow that gap? Yes, if our team is healthy. We’ve got enough talented players to pull off plays and score goals. One deficit we had at the start of this year we were missing arguably our most important player in Omar Gonzalez, our centre-back, and I think we paid for it. We gave up some pretty soft goals early on and goals that you wouldn’t expect to give up if Omar was there. So I think if we were a healthy team, we’d have a realistic chance to do well. Turning to the national team, what do you think Jurgen Klinsmann wants to achieve with USA? He keeps his goals pretty broad. He wants progress and those of us who have been in the game for a long time here in America know that’s what it is about. It’s about continuing to progress. It would be a little unrealistic to expect we are going to go win the World Cup in 2014. We’ve had a number of games over the past ten years where we’ve pulled off some special results, but the best teams do that consistently. We want to get to a place where we can do that. Jurgen’s very adamant about pushing us, even to the point of getting out of your comfort zone and I think it’s done wonders for a lot of our guys so far. It was a little slow to take hold early on, but I think guys are started to adapt now and understand what his demands are and it’s getting better and better. In terms of pushing you to the limits, is that physically, mentally, or is it both? I think it’s both. I think it’s continuing to challenge guys, particularly younger guys, to not be content with, you know, if you had a good season last year, don’t be content with that, keep going. If you had a good game last week, don’t be content with that, get better. The physical part, he has been very demanding in the camps so far, but it’s all in a positive way and I think we’re starting to see the benefits of it. How have you responded to him personally? You’ve missed a couple of games through illness and injury. Well, I’ve known Jurgen a long time now and I think we have a lot of respect for each other. For me, it was great to have him appointed because of our relationship. I think we sort of see not only soccer the same way, but we kind of see the world in the same way. We both believe in really good, positive energy and he wants to fill us with confidence and give us the ability to express ourselves. And as a sort of creative, attacking player that’s all we ever want and so, it’s been great – it’s been a little frustrating for me because I haven’t been able to be in the squad for a while, but I’m looking forward to the opportunity to get in again and be with the team. How confident are you of reaching Brazil 2014? Well, it’s never easy in our part of the world. I think the assumption probably from around the world is that this is an easy place to qualify. The reality is, it’s not - it’s difficult and it always has been and always will be. But, I think particularly what we’re seeing in recent history is that the footballing world is getting smaller and smaller, and teams are getting better and better. In the past, if we played the El Salvador national team in qualifying, out of 23 guys in their squad, they had 22 guys that were playing in El Salvador. Now you might get eight which are playing in El Salvador, two in Mexico, three or four in the US, and some in Costa Rica or other parts. They’re pushing themselves more and getting better and better. So, that’s the way football is going. I’m sure people see it around Europe, with some results you wouldn’t expect from some of the smaller nations against bigger nations. I think that trend is going to continue as the world gets smaller. I think a lot of people don’t realise that I’m actually half-Canadian. At one point, I could have had the opportunity to play for Canada! Landon Donovan tells FIFA.com a secret What makes the FIFA World Cup so special for you personally? Well, I think for most Americans, particularly my age, it’s all we knew of football. Growing up I had four TV channels, and none of them in America ever showed a soccer game – literally ever. So, I never watched soccer on TV growing up and never had the opportunity to really follow world-class players. I didn’t watch the Champions League, I didn’t watch the Premier League, I didn’t watch La Liga – I had no idea. So the only chance we got to really watch football was the World Cup, so that became my dream. My dream was ‘OK, well, this is the event that matters. This is what I want to do’, and that’s always made it really special for me. I’m a big sports fan in general, and to have the opportunity three times now to do something like that, there’s no doubt it’s been the most special times in my career. Finally, tell us something about yourself which we wouldn’t find on the internet already? I think a lot of people don’t realise that I’m actually half-Canadian. At one point, I could have had the opportunity to play for Canada! I think more importantly, my dad always secretly hoped I’d be a hockey player, but growing up in sunny Southern California I think the odds were low! *A second part of this exclusive interview with Landon Donovan, in which he talks about his loan spells with Bayern Munich and Everton will appear on FIFA.com tomorrow.

Second Medical Conference convenes in Budapest On 23 and 24 May, the Hungarian capital of Budapest will play host to the second FIFA Medical Conference. Headed by the Chairman of the FIFA Medical Committee, Michel D’Hooghe, and FIFA’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Jiri Dvorak, the two-day conference will discuss a number of issues with the aim of developing medical practices associated with the beautiful game. It is taking place three years on from the first Medical Conference in Zurich, and one doctor per Member Association has been invited to participate. The first day of proceedings will be set aside for medical specialists and will not be open to the media. Day two will be reserved for discussion of major issues including sudden heart attacks, training accidents, FIFA’s 11+ warm-up programme and pre-match medicals, in addition to any other football-related issues raised by participants. In total, four workshops will be held during the conference. For the complete conference agenda, click on the PDF file on the right of the page. Directly following the conclusion of proceedings early in the afternoon of 24 May, a press conference, which will be streamed live on FIFA.com, will be held to discuss the event’s findings.

West African duo march easily to Japan Ghana and Nigeria both marched with impressive efficiency into the line-up for the upcoming FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Japan, winning by handsome margins in their final qualifying ties. The two countries, who also appeared in Germany two years ago, will again represent Africa at the competition after sending a loud message of their competency in the preliminaries. Ghana’s Black Princesses overcame Tunisia 7-2 on aggregate while Nigeria, who have reached all five previous U-20 finals, demolished the Democratic Republic of Congo 7-0 over the two legs. The pair have long been strong in the women's game, with Nigeria in particular rightly seen as the dominant continental force at all age groups. The Falconets reached the final in Germany two years ago, falling to the hosts 2-0, but not before winning the right to call themselves the first African team to reach the ultimate match of any FIFA Women's World Cup. The Nigerians completed their qualification with a 3-0 away win at Kinshasa’s imposing Stade des Martyrs on Saturday to add to their 4-0 first leg win in Abeokuta earlier in May. Coached by Edwin Okon, the Falconets wasted no time in setting about their business despite the alien, and imposing, environment. Ngozi Okobi, who played in the last two FIFA U-17 Women's World Cups, opened the score after eight minutes and star striker Desire Oparanozie doubled the lead just six minutes later, which made up for her failing to score in the first leg. It also effectively took the tie beyond the wildest dreams of the Congolese, who went further behind when Francisca Ordega contributed another goal before the break. Goals in the first leg earlier this month had come from captain Gloria Ofoegbu, who scored a brace, Ordega and Ebere Orji. We can match-up with the rest of the world … We are not going to relent in our effort. Nigeria coach Edwin Okon The performance was straightforward, but Okon was feeling both confident and resolute about his side's chances when looking ahead to the global challenge. “We can match-up with the rest of the world,” he said boldly to reporters. “I already have a prototype of how my squad will be at the World Cup. We are not going to relent in our effort, we are very determined to make Nigeria happy at the forthcoming World Cup in Japan.” A crown for the Princesses Ghana had won their first leg away 3-1 and so were confident heading into the second leg at home, and though they started slowly, they eventually coasted their way to a win at the Accra Sports Stadium, also on Saturday. Although things worked out in the end for the Black Princesses, they found themselves uncomfortably behind at half-time in the second leg after Chayma Abbassi put Tunisia, who had two French-based players in their squad, shockingly in front. Although they still led on aggregate, the hosts pushed hard for the equaliser and found it after the break through Elizabeth Addo. In the second half, the Ghanaians exerted their control on the match with Alive Eva Danso making it 2-1 and USA-based Candice Osei-Agyemang adding the third on her U-20 debut. Osei-Agyemang attends the University of Pennsylvania and played for Ghana at the first-ever FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in New Zealand four years ago. Her elder sister Myralyn also went to the 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cup™. Addo scored her second of the match and the fourth for Ghana to give a resounding scoreline to a match that had them in trouble at times. Black Princesses coach Robert Sackey credited his side's background with the easy victory. "[My team] have been at the World Cup before. They are very poised and have the experience to go about situations like this. That is what they are about," he said.

Napoli win Coppa, end Juve run Napoli brought an end to Juventus' record-breaking undefeated run on Sunday as they claimed a 2-0 victory in the Coppa Italia final. Serie A champions Juventus saw their hopes of a league and cup double shattered by two second-half goals, with defeat particularly painful for Alessandro Del Piero, who was playing the last match of his 19-year career with the club. "It's almost unthinkable to beat Juventus over 90 minutes when they hadn't lost all season. It was an achievement within an achievement," said Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri. It's almost unthinkable to beat Juventus over 90 minutes when they hadn't lost all season. Walter Mazzarri, Napoli coach Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 62nd minute when goalkeeper Marco Storari brought down Ezequiel Lavezzi. It was Cavani's 33rd goal of the season. Seven minutes from time, Napoli's first Coppa Italia triumph since Diego Maradona's team won the 1987 double was assured when Goran Pandev launched a lightning counter-attack before playing in Marek Hamsik, who slotted the ball into the corner. Juventus striker Fabio Quagliarella was sent off in the last minute for elbowing Salvatore Aronica in the face.

FIFA reaches 108th birthday ( The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) celebrates its birthday on Monday 21 May, with world football’s governing body marking the 108th anniversary of its foundation. FIFA began life as an organisation on 21 May 1904 with the aim to organise and regulate the world’s most popular sport, a vision crystallized by the signing of the foundation act by representatives from Belgium, Denmark, France, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland in Paris that day. Within two days the inaugural FIFA Congress, which will have its 62nd edition this week in Budapest, was held and Robert Guerin of France was voted to become FIFA’s first-ever President. Growing every year and maintaining state-of-the-art facilities, FIFA now has its permanent home on FIFA Strasse in Zurich, having originally been based in Paris, France and later Sonnenberg in Switzerland. The current FIFA President, Joseph S. Blatter, has earmarked 2012 as a year for reform within the organisation, with significant changes planned with regards to governance and transparency. While this week’s FIFA Executive Committee meeting and FIFA Congress in Hungary will continue along the road map for reform, progress has already been made, with each of the organisation’s 208 Member Associations now having at least one delegate on a FIFA Committee and plans to appoint a female to the Executive Committee merely waiting to be rubber-stamped. On the pitch, FIFA remains dedicated to providing support at all levels of the game and will again organise tournaments of various kinds around the world in 2012, including: Men’s and Women’s Olympic Football Tournaments, FIFA Club World Cup, FIFA Futsal World Cup, FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

Montpellier clinch maiden title, Dijon drop ( Montpellier claimed the first league title in their history after winning 2-1 at Auxerre on an extraordinary final day of the season on Sunday, after a game twice delayed due to protests by the home fans. Second-placed Paris Saint-Germain did all they could by winning 2-1 at Lorient, and the delays at Auxerre meant that Rene Girard's side had to endure a nervy wait before their title success was confirmed. Montpellier finished the season three points clear of PSG in the final standings, which gave the southern club, who were 14th in Ligue 1 last season, their first major honour since the 1990 French Cup. "I think it's deserved," said Montpellier coach Girard amid scenes of jubilation on the pitch at Auxerre following the final whistle. "It was a huge fight right until the end. Looking at the number of points, you have to say that the three teams at the top have had extraordinary seasons." There was no hint of the drama to come when Auxerre broke the deadlock in the 20th minute at Stade Abbe Deschamps, with Olivier Kapo heading home from a corner. A defeat was the only means by which Montpellier could have been denied the title, but they equalised in the 32nd minute when John Utaka converted a low right-wing cross from Souleymane Camara. The Auxerre fans' protest at their relegation, which saw them throw tennis balls and toilet rolls onto the pitch, began at the start of the second period and forced the players to return to the changing rooms. It was a huge fight right until the end. Rene Girard, Montpellier coach When play resumed, Montpellier were 19 minutes behind the Lorient-PSG game, and with PSG winning, the leaders were left living on their nerves. Goalkeeper Geoffrey Jourdren repelled a powerful drive from Delvin N'Dinga before flares thrown by Auxerre's fans obliged the players to leave the pitch again and led to a second delay lasting around 20 minutes. With PSG's players watching on television from Lorient, riot police began to clear the protesting fans from the stand behind the Montpellier goal and play was able to resume. There were still 16 minutes to play, but Utaka calmed the visiting fans' nerves in the 76th minute when he swivelled to slam home his second goal and take the title to Stade de la Mosson for the very first time. Montpellier's Olivier Giroud finished as the top scorer in Ligue 1, ending the season level with PSG's Nene on 21 goals but prevailing by virtue of having scored fewer penalties. PSG end runners-up PSG needed to win to stand any chance of winning the title, but they fell behind in the 28th minute at Lorient when Kevin Monnet-Paquet ghosted in behind Zoumana Camara to score with a back-post header. Carlo Ancelotti's men equalised in the 61st minute through record signing Javier Pastore and claimed victory through Thiago Motta with 15 minutes left, but although PSG had done their job, it was not enough to deny Montpellier their day in the sun. Elsewhere, Bordeaux won 3-2 at Saint-Etienne to pip their opponents to fifth place and a berth in the UEFA Europa League, with Rennes consigned to sixth despite a 5-0 thrashing of Dijon that sent the promoted side back down to Ligue 2. Caen were also relegated after going down 3-1 at Valenciennes. Finally, Eden Hazard bid farewell to outgoing champions Lille by netting a first-half hat-trick in a 4-1 win at home to Nancy in his final game for the club. Nice stayed up in enthralling fashion after winning 4-3 at Lyon. Goals by Lisandro Lopez and Jimmy Briand had the hosts in charge inside the opening half-hour, but the visitors hit back through Luciano Monzon and Kafoumba Coulibaly. Nice were gifted the lead early in the second half when Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris inexplicably punched into his own net as he tried to clear Didier Digard's free-kick. A stunning 30-yard effort by Briand brought Lyon level, but with 18 minutes remaining Esmael Goncalves popped up to win it for Nice.

Torres ponders Chelsea future Fernando Torres will hold showdown talks with Chelsea after attacking his treatment by the club and threatening to quit Stamford Bridge this summer. Torres delivered an astonishingly-timed swipe at the Blues hours after helping them end their agonising wait for European Cup glory on Saturday night. The £50million man was fuming after being snubbed in favour of rookie Ryan Bertrand in the final against Bayern Munich, branding it possibly the biggest disappointment of his life. And the Spain striker warned he could walk away if he did not receive assurances about his future role. Torres told Press Association Sport: "This season, I felt things I had never felt. I felt they have treated me in a way I was not expecting, not the manner for which the club brought me here. "We have had many conversations and, now the season is finished, we will have more talks to see what happens in the future because this is not the role for which I came. I have been through the worst moments of my career during the season and I am not willing to relive those moments. We will have more talks to see what happens in the future because this is not the role for which I came. Chelsea striker Fernando Torres "There have been many ups and downs and many moments where I felt lost and I didn't know what to do and where to be. The ideal for me for next season is if someone tells me what's going to happen, what role will I have in the team, what function what is expected of me and to evaluate if it is worth it." Torres did not get on the pitch at the Allianz Arena on Saturday until Chelsea fell behind seven minutes from time. The 28-year-old won the corner that saw Didier Drogba equalise and impressed in extra time but he was not among those chosen to take a penalty in the 4-3 shoot-out win, which saw Drogba once again steal the limelight. Torres added: "Before the game, I felt it was going to be one of my best moments and I came with great desire and ambition. But then I had to start on the bench. I felt huge disappointment when I saw the starting line up, maybe the biggest disappointment of my life. "In the end, I was able to play a bit and help the team. Right now, I do feel it's all worth it but the truth is I've gone through some very bad moments." Torres' fortunes have improved dramatically under caretaker Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo after he was in danger of being branded the most expensive flop in football history. He more than doubled his goal tally for the club in the last three months of the season, scoring seven times, including a hat-trick against QPR. But he has remained second fiddle to Drogba, despite the record sum Roman Abramovich spent to prise him from Liverpool a year and a half ago.

German girls give coach a soaking! German girls give coach a soaking! © AFP Splash! Members of the Germany women’s national team had just finished a rowing race, in preparation for the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in 2011. But one of their coaches hadn’t finished getting wet for the cause – as this picture illustrates. Indeed, once his back was turned, two of them proceeded to push him into the lake!

Title deciders and classic battles ( While the Campeonato Brasileiro is just getting underway in Brazil, several titles were decided over the weekend in other parts of the Americas. The familiar rivalry between Santos and Monterrey took centre stage in Mexico’s championship play-off, while classic derbies were the focus in MLS and Uruguay. Join FIFA.com as we review all this action and more from the top leagues across the Americas. Argentina: Viatri boosts Boca, Luna spurs Tigre After a seven-month absence, forward Lucas Viatri made a dream return from a serious knee injury at the weekend as he helped Boca Juniors reclaim top spot in a 2-0 victory over derby rivals Racing Club. Coming on as a second-half substitute - with both sides goalless - the Argentinian proved the vital spark as he not only opened the scoring on 69 minutes, but did so in thrilling fashion. After receiving a pass with the back of his heel, Viatri proceeded to flick the ball over his shoulder before chasing it down to fire home from 15 metres. Meanwhile, a Carlos Luna treble inspired Tigre to a 3-1 win over former leaders Newell’s Old Boys, moving the victors up to second place and, more importantly, out of the three-season averaged relegation zone - above San Lorenzo de Almagro for the first time this season. Tigre are now in the promotion/relegation play-off zone, along with San Lorenzo, while Atletico Belgrano are already assured of their safety after a 1-0 victory over Velez Sarsfield. Brazil: Rio sides take early spoils In Brazil, all eyes turned to the first round of action in the Campeonato Brasileiro. It was a weekend of success for the Rio de Janeiro-based sides, with Botafogo, Fluminense and Vasco da Gama all claiming wins. With the long-standing rivalry between the Rio and Sao Paulo states to the fore, Botafoga twice came from behind to beat Sao Paulo, while Fluminense defeated reigning champions Corinthians. Argentinian forward German Herrera hit a treble en route to a 4-2 victory for Botafogo, and Fluminense needed a Leandro Euzebio goal in the 71st-minute to see off Corinthians. The latter match was largely contested between Flu and Timao reserves as both sides looked ahead to their midweek Copa Libertadores quarter-finals. Flamengo were the only Rio de Janeiro outfit not to win, finishing level on a goal apiece with Sport. Mexico: Santos crowned champions After a crushing defeat by Monterrey in the CONCACAF Champions League final last month, Santos Laguna finally gained revenge as they defeated their title rivals to lift the Clausura title for the first time since 2008. Santos had sealed a slight advantage in the first leg of their final tie on Thursday, scoring an away goal through Oribe Peralta at Estadio Technologico in a 1-1 draw. Humberto Suazo hit Los Rayados’ reply. However, things changed in the return leg on Sunday in Torreon, as Peralta capped off a tremendous campaign with Los Guerreros by scoring the winner in a 2-1 triumph. Daniel Luduena opened the scoring before Peralta hit the decider and Aldo de Nigris netted a mere consolation for Monterrey. The win marked a first title for Santos coach Benjamin Galindo, and in contrast, a first loss for Monterrey manager Victor Manuel Vucetich in 13 finals. Major League Soccer: Woes continue for Galaxy, Toronto Defending champions Los Angeles Galaxy slipped up again in a narrow 1-0 loss to Chivas USA in the SuperClasico. The match marked Chivas first win at the Home Depot Center this season, and the first time since September 2007 in which Galaxy failed to beat their city rivals. With a handful of absentees, including David Beckham, Edson Buddle and Robbie Keane, Galaxy succumbed to the same storyline that has haunted them all season long. Despite long periods of dominance, the LA giants went behind to a second-half Jose Erik Correa spot-kick and were never able to recover. Without a win in five matches, the Galaxy are rooted to the bottom in the Western Conference, while Chivas hold sixth. In the East, Toronto FC’s woes also continued. Despite showing early signs of hope by reaching the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Champions League, the Canadian club have yet to record a win this season. A 3-1 loss to DC United handed them an MLS-record ninth loss to start the season. Elsewhere In Uruguay, Penarol and Nacional met in the famous Superclasico. In a match acclaimed as one of the greatest duels in football, Nacional grabbed the decisive edge through second-half substitute Alvaro Recoba to bag a 3-2 victory. With Rodrigo Mora giving Penarol the lead on just one minute, the derby tilted early in the hosts' favour. However, an exchange of goals between Penarol forward Marcelo Zalayeta and Nacional midfielder Facundo Piriz had things deadlocked. Rocoba came to Nacional’s rescue, though, as he scored the winner just four minutes after stepping on to the pitch. Finally, titles were decided in Guatemala and Costa Rica. Xelaju MC defeated Municipal 3-1 on penalties to hoist their fifth title in history. Although a 1-0 first-leg win had put Municipal in control, all that changed on Sunday as Rojos had Jaime Penedo sent off early on. Israel Silva then made no mistake from the spot, while goals in the second half from Manuel Leon and Wilber Caal forced the match into extra time. In Costa Rica, Herediano won the Torneo de Verano to end an 18-year trophy drought. Herediano claimed a 4-2 first-leg advantage over Santos in their play-off final, and after first falling behind in the return fixture, rallied to a 2-1 victory.

Donovan: Klinsmann and I share a vision FIFA.com was fortunate enough to enjoy an in-depth chat with Landon Donovan recently. In this, the first of a two-part interview, all matters Stateside are discussed, such as Los Angeles Galaxy's start to the Major League Soccer season, the dominance of Mexican sides in the CONCACAF Champions League, the appointment of Jurgen Klinsmann as USA coach and why the FIFA World Cup™ is so special. FIFA.com: Considering the attacking players in the Galaxy’s squad, it would be the envy of many teams across the globe. Is that a sign of your attempt to capture a second MLS Cup? Landon Donovan: Well in our league, and particularly in LA, we have an owner here who is very committed to not only winning but to making sure we are putting an exciting product on the field. Most places around the world it’s just about the football, but we are still trying to build our game, so we need to have, hopefully, an exciting product that people want to pay money to come see. We’re fortunate that we’ve got an owner and a coach who are committed to that and it’s fun for me as an attacking player because I get to play alongside some of these great, talented players. Looking at the current table and the CONCACAF Champions League, it wasn’t the start you would have hoped for. What do you credit that to? It was tough. We are certainly a much better team than we showed early on. I think a big part of it was not having myself and Robbie [Keane] there from the beginning of the pre-season. We were a little bit disjointed to start and it kind of showed on the field. We weren’t playing terribly, but our league is parity-driven, so if you are a little bit off-form and a team is playing well they can beat you. So it’s not like we are Manchester United or Barcelona, where you have a bad day and you can still win 2-0 or 3-0. We have a bad day and we can lose games, and that’s what happened at the start of the season. Monterrey have qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup. It always seems to be the Mexican teams that reach the final of the competition. How close are MLS teams to narrowing the gap? We’re close, but there are realities. We’re the exception, but most Major League Soccer teams have a payroll of $3-4m USD for the entire squad. Some Mexican teams have a payroll of $20-30m USD. The reality is that the teams who are paying more for their players generally win. We’re getting better – our league is committed to continuing to spend more money, but they’re running a business so they’ve got to be smart about it. We’ve had a number of teams, even with the discrepancy in pay, doing very well and getting very close. Last year, Real Salt Lake went close against Monterrey – and were less than 45 minutes away to advancing to a Club World Cup. It’s only a matter of time, but as long as we’re progressing I think we’re still OK with that. Jurgen’s very adamant about pushing us, even to the point of getting out of your comfort zone and I think it’s done wonders for a lot of our guys so far. Landon Donovan on working with Jurgen Klinsmann Do you think the Galaxy may be the team which are in the best position to narrow that gap? Yes, if our team is healthy. We’ve got enough talented players to pull off plays and score goals. One deficit we had at the start of this year we were missing arguably our most important player in Omar Gonzalez, our centre-back, and I think we paid for it. We gave up some pretty soft goals early on and goals that you wouldn’t expect to give up if Omar was there. So I think if we were a healthy team, we’d have a realistic chance to do well. Turning to the national team, what do you think Jurgen Klinsmann wants to achieve with USA? He keeps his goals pretty broad. He wants progress and those of us who have been in the game for a long time here in America know that’s what it is about. It’s about continuing to progress. It would be a little unrealistic to expect we are going to go win the World Cup in 2014. We’ve had a number of games over the past ten years where we’ve pulled off some special results, but the best teams do that consistently. We want to get to a place where we can do that. Jurgen’s very adamant about pushing us, even to the point of getting out of your comfort zone and I think it’s done wonders for a lot of our guys so far. It was a little slow to take hold early on, but I think guys are started to adapt now and understand what his demands are and it’s getting better and better. In terms of pushing you to the limits, is that physically, mentally, or is it both? I think it’s both. I think it’s continuing to challenge guys, particularly younger guys, to not be content with, you know, if you had a good season last year, don’t be content with that, keep going. If you had a good game last week, don’t be content with that, get better. The physical part, he has been very demanding in the camps so far, but it’s all in a positive way and I think we’re starting to see the benefits of it. How have you responded to him personally? You’ve missed a couple of games through illness and injury. Well, I’ve known Jurgen a long time now and I think we have a lot of respect for each other. For me, it was great to have him appointed because of our relationship. I think we sort of see not only soccer the same way, but we kind of see the world in the same way. We both believe in really good, positive energy and he wants to fill us with confidence and give us the ability to express ourselves. And as a sort of creative, attacking player that’s all we ever want and so, it’s been great – it’s been a little frustrating for me because I haven’t been able to be in the squad for a while, but I’m looking forward to the opportunity to get in again and be with the team. How confident are you of reaching Brazil 2014? Well, it’s never easy in our part of the world. I think the assumption probably from around the world is that this is an easy place to qualify. The reality is, it’s not - it’s difficult and it always has been and always will be. But, I think particularly what we’re seeing in recent history is that the footballing world is getting smaller and smaller, and teams are getting better and better. In the past, if we played the El Salvador national team in qualifying, out of 23 guys in their squad, they had 22 guys that were playing in El Salvador. Now you might get eight which are playing in El Salvador, two in Mexico, three or four in the US, and some in Costa Rica or other parts. They’re pushing themselves more and getting better and better. So, that’s the way football is going. I’m sure people see it around Europe, with some results you wouldn’t expect from some of the smaller nations against bigger nations. I think that trend is going to continue as the world gets smaller. I think a lot of people don’t realise that I’m actually half-Canadian. At one point, I could have had the opportunity to play for Canada! Landon Donovan tells FIFA.com a secret What makes the FIFA World Cup so special for you personally? Well, I think for most Americans, particularly my age, it’s all we knew of football. Growing up I had four TV channels, and none of them in America ever showed a soccer game – literally ever. So, I never watched soccer on TV growing up and never had the opportunity to really follow world-class players. I didn’t watch the Champions League, I didn’t watch the Premier League, I didn’t watch La Liga – I had no idea. So the only chance we got to really watch football was the World Cup, so that became my dream. My dream was ‘OK, well, this is the event that matters. This is what I want to do’, and that’s always made it really special for me. I’m a big sports fan in general, and to have the opportunity three times now to do something like that, there’s no doubt it’s been the most special times in my career. Finally, tell us something about yourself which we wouldn’t find on the internet already? I think a lot of people don’t realise that I’m actually half-Canadian. At one point, I could have had the opportunity to play for Canada! I think more importantly, my dad always secretly hoped I’d be a hockey player, but growing up in sunny Southern California I think the odds were low! *A second part of this exclusive interview with Landon Donovan, in which he talks about his loan spells with Bayern Munich and Everton will appear on FIFA.com tomorrow.

Kahlert: Form on the day will be decisive Two of the most successful clubs in European women’s football go head to head when 1. FFC Frankfurt meet Olympique Lyon in the UEFA Champions League final on Thursday. It will be the German team’s fifth final appearance in the continent’s elite club competition and they are out to claim their fourth title. “I’m really looking forward to the final and everything that comes with it,” Frankfurt coach Sven Kahlert told FIFA.com in an exclusive interview. “It’s important for a women’s Champions League final to have a worthy setting and I hope Munich will provide that.” The two teams could hardly come into the match in more differing circumstances. While the French outfit have been in top form of late and travel to the Bavarian capital on the back of a 2-1 victory in the final of the French Women’s Cup, Frankfurt are still digesting two bitter defeats. A 3-1 loss against Turbine Potsdam left them out of the running for the domestic title, before a 2-0 reverse to Bayern Munich meant they finished as runners-up in the DFB Cup. With only five days separating the two cup finals, Kahlert’s charges have not had much time to put the latest disappointment behind them. “It was only one game but there is enough time to rest and prepare for the match in Munich,” said Kahlert, who is now focusing his attention on Lyon. Form on the day will be decisive As the sides have never previously met in European competition, Kahlert has left no stone unturned in finding out about the opposition. “I know Lyon, in a manner of speaking, from the video analysis we have been doing ever since we knew we’d be up against them in the final,” said the 41-year-old. “We have the tapes and I saw them play in last year’s final against Potsdam, as well as in their semi-final second leg this time around. Their team has pretty much stayed together and they know each other inside out. We have a lot of information on them and will be 100 per cent prepared for any situations that may occur. But in the end, form on the day will be decisive.” Having scored 103 goals in the French league, Kahlert is well aware of Lyon’s attacking prowess. And as impressive a tally as that is, their defensive record is equally remarkable, with just three goals conceded all season. “Lyon are very strong up front and have shown that in all their games, both domestically and in the Champions League,” said Kahlert. When two equally potent attacking sides go head-to-head, the one with a defence that can stand firm under pressure will be successful. Sven Kahlert, 1. FFC Frankfurt coach “They score a lot of goals and as a result are even better in defence. Because the opponent is so far away from their goal, there is less for them to do. They have quality in every area of the pitch. In [Lotta] Schelin, [Camille] Abily, [Louisa] Necib, [Lara] Dickenmann and [Eugenie] Le Sommer they have superb attackers. They are excellent in defence too and have several international players in the squad.” However, Lyon are not the only ones with an eye for goal and Kahlert has great faith in his own strike force. “At the moment we’re unpredictable. Players who were injured are returning to fitness, like Sandra Smisek for example, who’s a terrific striker. Up front we have one or two options so we’ll see what works and make changes accordingly,” said the Frankfurt coach. “In my opinion we’re just as strong in attack as they are. If you just look at the front lines, it’s virtually the French national team against the German one. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens on the day.” Coping with pressure Despite Lyon’s intimidating defensive record, Kahlert believes his own side’s back line could give Frankfurt the edge on the day: “Over the course of the season, our defence has had to withstand a lot of pressure in the league, the DFB Cup and the Champions League. That might be to our advantage, as when two equally potent attacking sides go head-to-head, the one with a defence that can stand firm under pressure will be successful,” said Kahlert. The tactician may seek additional information on the opposition from two of his players who have already faced Lyon in a final, Desiree Schumann and Fatmire Bajramaj, who will miss out through injury. However, he does not believe his side will enjoy ‘home’ advantage, in spite of the final location. “I think between 500 and 1000 fans will come from Lyon and maybe 1,000 to 2,000 from Frankfurt. It’s up to us to influence who the rest will cheer for,” said Kahlert. “I hope the spectators will see a good match and support us. But I don’t know if it’s a home game. I’m happy the final is taking place in Germany and that makes getting there a bit easier. We’ll see whether that gives us an advantage during the match.” It is now up to his team to win over the crowd and make the dream of winning the Champions League a reality. Perhaps the Bayern Munich players, who line up in the men’s final two days later, will be keeping their fingers crossed for Kahlert’s side, just as he is for them. “There are never many goals,” the likeable coach said of Saturday’s showpiece. “But I hope Bayern win 2-1.”

PrintKings crowned across Eastern Europe Football in Eastern Europe is entering a new age of prosperity, with the game thriving both domestically and internationally. Poland and Ukraine will co-host the continent’s flagship national tournament, UEFA EURO 2012, during June and July, while the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ will take place in Russia. The region’s clubs have also been making their mark, with two Russian sides - CSKA Moscow and Zenit St. Petersburg - reaching the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League and Metalist Kharkiv of Ukraine qualifying for the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League. The surge can partly be credited to the growing strength of the area’s domestic leagues, which have once again captured supporters’ interest in 2011/12. FIFA.com has all the details. Croatia Dinamo Zagreb emphasised their recent dominance of Croatian football this season as they cruised to a league and cup double, the fifth time in the past six years that the club have achieved such a feat. Ante Cacic’s men were rarely troubled on their way to claiming a seventh consecutive title for the club, as they lost just once and conceded a mere 11 goals in 30 fixtures to finish 21 points clear of second-placed Hajduk Split, who were forced to settle for runners-up spot for the fourth year running. With the number of teams participating in the division to be reduced from 16 to 12 for 2012/13, five sides faced relegation. Rock-bottom Varazdin endured a miserable campaign which ended with suspension from the league and an uncertain future. They were joined in demotion by Karlovac, Sibenik, Lucko and Rijeka, who will begin next season outside the top flight for the first time in 38 years after narrowly missing safety by the tightest of margins. Czech Republic The goalscoring exploits of trio Michal Breznanik, Jiri Stajner and Michael Rabusic - who all reached double figures in the league this season - helped Slovan Liberec win the third title of their history after a close three-way battle with Sparta Prague and 2010/11 champions Viktoria Plzen. Sparta had actually been the early pace-setters, breaking a league record by winning all of their first nine fixtures before losing 3-0 at home to Slovan, who eventually triumphed by two points. A final-day draw at home to Plzen proved enough for Slovan to lift the trophy and take their spot in next year’s Champions League qualifiers, where they will attempt to match the achievements of their opponents, who progressed to the group stage during this campaign. At the other end, newly-promoted Viktoria Zizkov finished last and suffered relegation, and were accompanied by Bohemians 1905. David Lafata struck 25 goals for Jablonec to finish top scorer for the second season running. Poland Slask Wroclaw won their first Polish championship for 35 years after taking advantage of a late slip by Legia Warsaw, who won just one of their last five games to waste a lead and end in third. Legia were still in contention on the final day but Rok Elsner’s goal earned Slask a 1-0 win at Wisla Krakow and with it the league title. Ruch Chorzow finished in second while 2009/10 winners Lech Poznan completed the final four, having been boosted by the 22 goals of league top scorer Artjoms Rudnevs. In comparison, no single player scored more than six league goals for the champions. At the bottom, Cracovia ended the campaign last and nine points from safety, while LKS Lodz filled the other relegation berth and returned to the second division after just a season in the top flight. Russia Luciano Spalletti led Zenit St. Petersburg to back-to-back titles after losing just four of 44 games as the Russian Premier League aligned itself to a traditional European format. Zenit finished two points clear of CSKA Moscow in the 30-game regular season before the league divided into two sections of eight teams, and their lead was only stretched further during the remaining 14 fixtures. Spalletti’s side eventually ended the marathon campaign 13 points ahead of Spartak Moscow, with CSKA - whose striker Seydou Doumbia led the scoring charts with 28 goals - in third. Anzhi Makhachkala, coached by Guus Hiddink and led by Samuel Eto’o, and Rubin Kazan, winners in 2008 and 2009, were disappointed with their fifth- and sixth-placed finishes respectively. Spartak Nalchik finished bottom of the relegation section and dropped out of the top flight after a six-year stay, while Tom Tomsk were also demoted following seven consecutive seasons in the Premier League. Ukraine The Ukrainian Premier League finished with the exact same top three for the third successive year, as Shakhtar Donetsk were champions ahead of Dynamo Kyiv and third-placed Metalist Kharkiv. Despite remaining unbeaten for the first 25 games of their campaign, Dynamo could not topple Shakhtar, whose 2-0 victory at home to their rivals in April played a major part in deciding the destination of the 2011/12 title. Mircea Lucescu’s side also completed the double by winning the cup after extra time against neighbours Metalurh Donetsk. Just four wins apiece meant PFK Olexandria and Obolon Kyiv were relegated, the former returning to the second division immediately after securing promotion the previous season and the latter bringing to an end a three-year spell in the Premier League.