Blatter mourns Isaacs passing FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter has written to the South African Football Association to express his condolences regarding the death of Professor Sedick Isaacs. In a letter to SAFA president Kirsten Nematandani, Blatter remembered fondly a meeting with Isaacs less than three years ago and described the experience as a “privilege”. “I had the privilege of meeting him personally at the occasion of an Executive Committee meeting on Robben Island in December 2009 to honour the Makana FA,” wrote the President. “I will keep the wonderful memories of those moments we spent together forever in my heart. “On behalf of FIFA and the worldwide family of football, I wish to extend our deepest condolences to you, to the Makana Football Association, and, most importantly, to Professor Isaacs’ family, friends and loved ones.”

Blatter sends Connelly condolences FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter has written to the Football Association to express his sorrow at the death of 1966 FIFA World Cup™ winner John Connelly. Connelly, a winger during his playing career who represented Burnley, Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers and Bury, passed away on Thursday at the age of 74. A starter in their first match of the tournament against Uruguay, Connelly was a member of the Three Lions squad which lifted the FIFA World Cup on home soil in 1966. In total, he scored seven goals in 20 appearances for his country. In a letter to FA chairman David Bernstein, Blatter wrote: “I would like to express my sympathy for the sad loss of former England international John Connelly yesterday morning. “John will be remembered in particular for his part in Burnley’s championship-winning season of 1960, in which he was the club’s top scorer, and for later helping Manchester United to the 1965 league title. “He also won 20 caps for England and was a member of England’s 1966 World Cup-winning squad, in honour of which he was awarded a World Cup winner’s medal. “On behalf of the members of the international football family, I should be grateful if you could extend our deepest condolences to John’s family, friends and loved ones.”

Cameroon and Blatter mourn Abega passing African football lost one of its greatest ever players on Thursday 15 November, as former Cameroon midfielder and captain Theophile Abega passed away from a heart attack at the age of 58. A legendary performer for the Indomitable Lions, he notably propelled his nation to victory at the 1984 CAF Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire. During that tournament, the skipper scored a brace against Togo in the first round and also found the net versus Nigeria in the final at Stade Felix-Houphouet-Boigny in Abidjan, before becoming the first man in Cameroon’s history to hold aloft a continental trophy. Two years prior to this triumph, Abega had already contributed to another ground-breaking achievement, helping his country qualify for their first-ever FIFA World Cup™. Although the African side failed to advance from the group stage, they nevertheless departed Spain 1982 unbeaten, after securing three draws against Peru (0-0), Poland (0-0) and future champions Italy (1-1). Please allow me, on behalf of FIFA and the entire football family, to pass on my sincere condolences to you as well as to the Cameroon Football Federation. Joseph S. Blatter in a letter to Cameroon's FA “It was with great sadness that I learned of the death of Theophile Abega, one of African football’s most outstanding representatives, captain of Cameroon, part of the team that became African champions in 1984, and a man that I had the privilege of knowing personally,” said FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter in a letter of condolence to Cameroon Football Federation President Mohammed Iya. “Please allow me, on behalf of FIFA and the entire football family, to pass on my sincere condolences to you as well as to the Cameroon Football Federation,” he added. A highly skilful player and a creative fulcrum for every team whose shirt he donned, Abega's iconic status was also cemented by his character and leadership qualities. Nicknamed ‘The Doctor,’ a reference to an uncle who practised medicine and offered him health advice, he enjoyed his greatest domestic success at Canon Yaounde, where he won three Cameroonian league titles and two African Cup of Champions Clubs crowns, in 1978 and 1980. Veritable icon Abega’s excellent performances at the Cup of Nations did not go unnoticed by European clubs, and he would subsequently sign for Toulouse in France, a move which likely sealed his capture of the 1984 African Footballer of the Year award, before joining Swiss outfit Vevey-Sports. “His most treasured memory was without a doubt winning the 1984 Cup of Nations in Abidjan,” recalled his former team-mate, Joseph Kamga. “And his lowest moment was probably the injury he suffered against Zambia in the same competition in Egypt two years later, because it caused the end of his international career,” he continued. Abega also brought the curtain down on his club career soon after, and returned home from Switzerland to take up a management role at Canon Yaounde. Abega’s leadership attributes would prove equally useful in later life, as he went on to become club president as well as be elected mayor of a district of Yaounde in 2007. Although he stated recently that he was being kept busy by a number of projects, the man who described himself as ‘a true icon of Cameroonian football’ will unfortunately not have the chance to oversee them. He did, however, manage to guide his nation to glory and leave an unforgettable imprint on African football, and for that fans of Cameroon will forever be grateful.

Blatter expresses sadness at Sexton death FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter has expressed his sadness at the passing of Dave Sexton in a letter to the FA, after the former Chelsea, Queens Park Rangers and Manchester United manager died on Sunday. In writing to FA Chairman David Bernstein, the President noted the positive impact Sexton had on the game in England and articulated his condolences to those closest to him. “Dave will be fondly remembered by all the clubs he worked at. He had the supreme gift of being able to combine excellence as a coach with managerial success, as proven by the trophies he won with Chelsea and later with England at youth level,” Blatter said. “At this time of great optimism about the future of coaching in the English game following the opening of St. George’s Park, it is poignant to reflect on those, like Dave, who went before us, enriching the game with their knowledge and innovation.

Blatter mourns Calero's passing FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter has sent a letter of condolence following the death of the former Colombia and Pachuca goalkeeper Miguel Calero died on Tuesday as a result of cerebral thrombosis. He was 41. As well as representing his country at the 1998 FIFA World Cup France™, he was a leading member of the Pachuca side that won ten Mexican titles between 2000 and 2011. The father of two children – Miguel Angel aged 20, and Juan Jose aged 14 – Calero was admitted to a Mexico City hospital on 25 November and was diagnosed as having a blood clot on the brain. After showing signs of improvement over the next two days, his situation began to worsen and he was pronounced clinically brain dead on Monday following a second cerebral thrombosis. He was taken off life support at midday on Tuesday. In his letter, Blatter wrote: "It is with great and deep sorrow I write this after hearing the sad news of the untimely death of Miguel Calero at the age of 41. Miguel not only represented with great honour the country of his birth, Colombia, but was also an influential player in his adopted country of Mexico. Miguel not only represented with great honour the country of his birth, Colombia, but was also an influential player in his adopted country of Mexico. FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter “On behalf of FIFA, I want to convey our condolences for this painful loss. The football community joins with the Colombian people in their grief, and it is my sincere wish that these words provide some comfort in these difficult hours." Chanting songs and waving flags, more than 5,000 Pachuca fans made their way to the club’s home ground to pay tribute to him at a wake, where his mother, wife, two sons, eight siblings and other family members gathered round the player’s coffin. Capped 50 times by his country and a Copa America winner in 2001, Calero suffered a blood clot on his left arm in 2007 but recovered from it and played for Pachuca at the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2008, returning to the competition two years later in UAE. He became the club’s goalkeeping coach after retiring from the game in 2011. Nicknamed El Cóndor, Calero made his debut with Sporting Barranquilla before signing for Deportivo Cali in 1992. His fine performances there earned him a big-money move to Atletico Nacional six years later. He made the switch to Mexico in 2001, becoming Pachuca’s first-choice keeper in a golden era in which they won four domestic trophies and six international ones. Appearing in six Copa Americas with Los Cafeteros between 1991 and 2007, he was understudy to Oscar Cordoba when Colombia won the competition for the first and only time to date on home soil in 2001. He also figured in the Colombia squad at France 1998.

Lampard double downs Toffees Frank Lampard scored twice as Chelsea came from behind to secure a 2-1 victory at Everton on Sunday in Blues interim coach Rafael Benitez's first game on Merseyside since leaving Liverpool. South African Steven Pienaar gave Everton the lead in the second minute as the hosts made a flying start. But Lampard pulled one back with a header just before half-time and in the 72nd minute he added a second from close range to earn a battling victory for Benitez's side. Lampard, 34, is facing an uncertain future, with his contract set to expire at the end of the season after 12 years at Chelsea. But he now has six goals this season, with his first effort at Goodison Park meaning he has scored five league goals or more in 16 consecutive seasons. Chelsea's fourth successive Premier League win takes them up to third in the table, four points behind second-placed Manchester City with a game in hand. For Benitez, who endured jeers from the Everton fans throughout a game that extended his unbeaten run against them to eight league matches, the only downside was losing goalkeeper Petr Cech to an ankle problem at half-time. It was a frustrating day for the hosts, who dominated for long periods and hit the woodwork three times, only to slip to just a third league defeat of the season. Everton's bench showed just how stretched their squad was by the fresh absences of Phil Neville and Darron Gibson. But the hosts could not have wished for a better start, which saw David Moyes' men take the lead with just over a minute gone. Phil Jagielka was playing out of position at right-back but he charged forward onto a Pienaar pass and his cross was headed against the post by Victor Anichebe. Nikica Jelavic moved out of the way of the rebound to leave Pienaar the space to thump a shot into the bottom-left corner. Croatian striker Jelavic saw a free-kick bounce away off the post as Chelsea struggled to cope with the hosts' intensity. The visitors were grateful to Cech for keeping them in the match when another Jagielka cross was pushed to the edge of the area by Ashley Cole and the Chelsea goalkeeper turned a shot around the post from Leon Osman. Chelsea finally threatened when Ramires was allowed to burst through midfield and after his shot was blocked by John Heitinga, Juan Mata's follow-up was saved by goalkeeper Tim Howard. They went even closer when Cesar Azpilicueta's cross ran across the Everton goal-line with just too much force for Cole to tap in at the far post. After a quick break, Pienaar picked out Jelavic and the striker's low effort was pushed wide by Cech at full stretch. But three minutes before the interval, Chelsea hit back when Lampard was left unmarked and guided in a header from a Ramires cross. Goalkeeper swap at half time Chelsea suffered a blow at the break when Cech had to be replaced by Ross Turnbull. But they did not seem disrupted and after a neat move, Azpilicueta passed inside for David Luiz to drive a shot high and wide of goal from just outside the area. Fernando Torres also had his first effort on goal midway through the second period, hitting a powerful drive from just outside the area that was turned away by Howard. Just as it looked like Everton were tiring, Osman burst onto a return pass from Anichebe and was denied by a fine low save from Turnbull. Seconds later, Jelavic beat Turnbull with a header from a Baines cross but the ball rebounded back off the bar. But with 20 minutes remaining, Lampard edged Chelsea in front when he turned in after Howard saved from Mata. Sylvain Distin pulled off a fine block in added time to deny Torres a third Chelsea goal, while Jelavic shot straight at Turnbull in the dying seconds.

2012 in numbers As 2012 draws to a close, FIFA.com looks over some of the year’s most eye-catching stats in the world of football. 900 Manchester United appearances was the landmark reached by Ryan Giggs in February, 7,666 days after his debut for the club in March 1991. The evergreen Welshman marked the occasion in style too, scoring a stoppage-time winner – the first time he has done so for the Red Devils – as Sir Alex Ferguson’s side clinched a 2-1 win at Norwich City. 310 consecutive Premier League appearances was the record sequence that came to an end for Brad Friedel in October. The 41-year-old’s uninterrupted run, the longest in the division’s history, had spanned almost eight years and spells at three different clubs, dating back to the end of the 2003/04 season. 91 goals was the incredible tally with which Lionel Messi signed off for the year on 22 December. The Barcelona No10 had earlier in the month surpassed Gerd Muller’s 1971 benchmark of 85 goals in a single calendar year, and back in March – while still just 24 – he became his club’s all-time leading goalscorer by eclipsing Cesar Rodriguez’s record of 232. 82 international clean sheets is the tally with which Iker Casillas has ended the year, having broken Edwin van der Sar’s previous record of 72 back in May. Later the same month, he claimed his 95th international victory, eclipsing Lilian Thuram’s existing benchmark. 39 years of OFC Nations Cup history had, until June, included just two winners: Australia and New Zealand. This duopoly, which had seen eight titles shared equally between the two, was finally broken when Tahiti, against all the odds, became the first Pacific Islands nations to win Oceania’s most coveted prize. Eddy Etaeta’s all-conquering side were worthy champions too, finishing the tournament with 20 goals - 14 more than deposed continental kings, New Zealand - and with three-quarters of that haul having come from the Tehau family: brothers Jonathan, Lorenzo and Alvin, and cousin Teaonui. 31 unanswered goals in a Romanian Cup clash handed CS Buftea the biggest defeat in their nation’s football history in September. Making matters even worse, the second division team, who gained promotion at the end of last season, were humbled by their former third-tier rivals ACS Berceni. 29 seconds were on the clock when Oribe Peralta opened the scoring in the Men’s Olympic Tournament final with the fastest goal ever seen in the final of a FIFA tournament. The Santos Laguna striker went on to score a second with 15 minutes of Mexico’s 2-1 win over Brazil remaining, and in the process became the eighth player to find the net twice in a gold medal match. 23 wins and 15 draws were the results that enabled Juventus to become the first team to survive an entire 20-team Serie A campaign without tasting defeat. Juve also set a new record for fewest goals conceded, with their meagre record of 20 leaving them four better off than Modena in 1946/47, Juventus in 2005/06 and Milan in 2010/11. 16 years and 98 days was the age at which Malaga’s Fabrice Olinga became the youngest goalscorer in La Liga history back in August. The Cameroonian youngster, a product of the Samuel Eto’o foundation, eclipsed the record of 16 years and 289 days set by Iker Muniain in 2009. 16 goals were scored by USA en route to winning the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament, setting a new record for the female event. Canada’s Christine Sinclair also set a new goalscoring benchmark, with her six goals during London 2012 the highest tally to have been accrued by any individual player in the competition’s history. US captain Christie Rampone, meanwhile, won gold for the third time and became the first footballer of either gender to win four Olympic medals. 8 goals in as many Wembley appearances was the impressive record with which Didier Drogba left Chelsea after he became the first player to score in four different FA Cup finals. By finding the net in the 2-1 win over Liverpool, the Ivorian maintained his unblemished record of scoring for the Blues in each of his six appearances in domestic finals. The Londoners possessed another lucky mascot in Ashley Cole, who boosted his already-record tally of FA Cup winners’ medals to seven. 5 straight European wins was the sequence that came to an end in this month’s FIFA Club World Cup final. Corinthians’ 1-0 victory over Chelsea ended the Old Continent’s recent stranglehold and reclaimed the title O Timão first won 12 years ago in the tournament’s inaugural edition. It also ensured that the FIFA Club World Cup trophy returned to Brazil for the fourth time, strengthening its position as the most successful nation in the competition’s history. 4 goals: that was the seemingly insurmountable deficit Sweden recovered from in October to snatch a draw in Berlin and ensure Germany failed to win a match in which they led by four goals for the first time in their 108-year history. 4 unanswered goals against Italy in July gave Spain the biggest margin of victory ever recorded in a FIFA World Cup or EURO final. La Roja also became the first European team in history to win three major tournaments in succession, and the first to retain the continental crown. Midfield conductor Xavi was again hugely influential for Vicente del Bosque’s side, claiming three assists against the Italians - the highest number ever recorded in a EURO final.

Rijkaard: There’s no magic bullet to stop Barça Despite his considerable achievements as player and coach, Frank Rijkaard is far from complacent about the challenge he faces in the Saudi Arabia hot-seat. With Barcelona's iconic cantera as his model, the Dutchman is aiming to lay the foundations of future success by focusing on the Gulf Kingdom's finest young talent. As 2012 draws to a close, FIFA.com met with the former Netherlands and Barça boss to discuss his plans for the Saudis, his memories of Catalonia and who he thinks will win this year’s FIFA Ballon d’Or. FIFA.com: Frank, it’s been almost a year since you took over as Saudi Arabia coach. How has it been so far? Frank Rijkaard: It hasn’t been easy, but we knew that from the outset. I think that our last two matches have seen us break free of a vicious circle of bad results, with a late win over Congo and a great performance in holding Argentina to a draw. This means we can start looking forward. In a previous interview with FIFA.com you said there was plan in place for the future of Saudi football, and that it was based on youth. How is it working out? Like we wanted it to. Lots of people are putting in a lot of hard work. We’ve got Spanish coaches who are working on a daily basis and a lot of great stuff is being done with younger players, starting at around age 12. It’s all excellent, but of course one shouldn’t expect to see the benefits tomorrow. These players are only ten or 12 years old and it will be another decade before the results come through. That said, this has to be done. Look at Japan for instance. Ten years ago they started working on a similar plan and now they are enjoying success from that. Success is built on organisation, determination and experience, not to mention following the regulations, so of course it’s no easy matter. Saudi Arabia exited in the third round of Asian Zone qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™. Has the squad’s disappointment at missing out on a second successive edition of the tournament subsided at all? To be perfectly honest, I’ve no idea. We’ve recently started placing more and more responsibility on the shoulders of younger and less experienced players, like the team that faced Australia in the last match of our qualifying campaign. We are trying to create a blend of youth and experience, as I said before, and given the recent results against Congo and Argentina (3-2 and 0-0 respectively) it looks like we can create something new here. Messi is not simply a uniquely talented footballer. He’s also strong mentally, very bright and exceptionally dedicated to his job. Quite simply, he’s the best. Frank Rijkaard Let’s talk about UEFA EURO 2012. Did the Netherland’s early exit surprise you and what is your take on their lack of form? No-one expected it before the tournament, but during the competition it became clear that all was not well with Dutch team. This is football, and if you’re not in the right place at the right time and you don’t perform well then things like this are going to happen. That’s the beauty of the game. Unfortunately it happened to the Netherlands this time, but it can happen to anyone. You spent five years as coach of Barcelona. What are you memories of your time at the club? Of course, five years is a long time. We went through some tough times and some excellent ones, and it’s only natural to dwell on the positives. I’m happy because I had the chance to work with a major club like Barcelona with so many star players, so I have wonderful memories of the place. You managed to end a lengthy trophy drought at Barça, with your tenure featuring victories in the UEFA Champions League, La Liga (twice) and two Spanish Super Cups. Would you say you laid the foundations for Barcelona’s recent domination? Definitely not. I was just passing through. I had a lot of success, of course, but whatever was achieved was due to a group effort on the part of all the players. That said, I must have had a good relationship with the players because otherwise I wouldn’t have won two league titles and the Champions League. Basically, I think it comes down to the fact that Barcelona has for many years immersed its younger players coming through the cantera in the club’s footballing philosophy, helping them create their own football culture. The coach’s role is to acclimatise to this way of playing. It was easy for me because I’m Dutch and I played at Ajax, so once I felt comfortable at the club I had a wonderful time. It’s my belief that Barcelona are successful because they have a number of youth teams alongside the first team. They are where it begins. This is what should happen in Saudi Arabia for example, in terms of creating their own style of football and philosophy. This needs to start in the youth ranks and then we might expect some success in the future. Barcelona didn’t start getting results after just one year. When I arrived there they hadn’t won anything for five years. One needs patience and self-belief. Barcelona are famous for their eye-catching style of play. If you were coaching a side against them, what tactics would you use? There’s no magic bullet, but you have to adapt to their style. Most of the clubs who have had success against Barcelona have relied on a highly organised and disciplined defence. Inter Milan and Chelsea have both sent Barcelona out of the Champions League and then you have Real Madrid (who won La Liga in 2011/12). You could call it the ‘Jose Mourinho recipe for success’, which he began while he was at Chelsea. If you play Barcelona that way ten times, you might beat them once, but it certainly doesn’t guarantee success. After Barcelona you went on to coach Galatasaray in Turkey. What do think of their UEFA Champions League achievements this year? I’m delighted for them, they’re a huge club with superb fans. When I was there things were different, unfortunately. I couldn’t really achieve anything and I wasn’t able to sign major players, even though we were in dire need of a better side. We started out well enough but fell off by the end because we did not have a strong enough squad. Now Galatasaray have an excellent and united management set-up and have been able to build a strong side, I’m happy for them. It’s really great for them. You are one of a number of big names tasting coaching in Asia, with Marcello Lippi in China PR and Diego Maradona’s time in UAE, which ended in July 2012, two such examples. Are these personalities helping Asia close the talent gap on the rest of the world? They are not really helping because these are such short-term projects. You have coaches from major footballing nations who come to work for a year for massive wages, and then they turn it all over to new coaches who have to start from scratch. This doesn’t help football on the continent. What’s needed is a new philosophy, working with the younger age groups to lay the foundations for producing top-quality professional players. Local coaches must receive education and training and qualified people from South America and Europe be brought in who know how to do this. Short-termism is no good: plans must be carried through to the end. Next Monday the winner of the FIFA Ballon d’Or will be announced. Who do you think will take it? I'm going for Lionel Messi, because I think he's the best player on the three-man final shortlist and he's performed brilliantly this year. You have worked alongside Messi. What do you think of him as a man both on and off the pitch? He’s an incredible person. Messi is not simply a uniquely talented footballer. He’s also strong mentally, very bright and exceptionally dedicated to his job. Personally speaking I enjoy watching him play and I’m deeply proud of him and what he has achieved. Quite simply, he’s the best.

Valcke: A challenging but productive year Prezados amigos do futebol, As we are approaching the end of 2012 I can definitely say that it was a demanding and challenging year. But also a very productive one, with more integration with the government resulting in many important milestones achieved together on the way to 2014. The build-up to any major sporting event is a matter of extreme interest, not only in the host country, but around the world and it is extremely encouraging to see that the organisation of the events in Brazil has now grown into a huge collective undertaking. It was great to see the opening of the two first stadiums in Fortaleza and Belo Horizonte still this month and also the great strides at the four other FIFA Confederations Cup venues which are now working at full speed to meet the deadline – latest 15 April 2013 - to stage the first test events. Every hour of every day now counts. The final decisive phase has begun, not only for the FIFA Confederations Cup host cities, but for all FIFA World Cup venues. The deadline for the completion of the six non-Confederations Cup stadia is December 2013 but I have no doubt that we will play the 2014 FIFA World Cup in all 12 venues, reflecting the beautiful diversity and rich culture Brazil has to offer. During our recent stay, we could really feel the wave of anticipation for the FIFA Confederations Cup. For many, the competition is viewed merely as an hors d’oeuvre for the ‘main course’ but the record start to ticket sales has been a testimony to the calibre of teams participating, and the enthusiasm for the tournament by football fans in Brazil and beyond. In the current ticket application phase, currently more than 310,000 requests for tickets have been received, in addition to the 130,000 tickets sold in the pre-sales phase. This is unprecedented for the FIFA Confederations Cup. Until 15 January, supporters will still have the chance to apply for tickets via FIFA.com to join the champions from Brazil, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, Uruguay, Tahiti and the Africa champion live in one of the six beautiful stadiums. And I am sure the atmosphere in the stadia will be superb. While the host country prepares the stage, across the world, the race for the 31 prestigious spots in the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ are also starting enter the latter stages across all continents. The first team to join hosts Brazil will most likely come from in Asia in March. The qualification process will then culminate in the Final Draw, to be held on 6 December 2013. On that day, the football world’s spotlight will be on Costa do Sauipe, in Bahia. The draw alone is an event with a global TV audience of hundreds of millions of viewers, equivalent to a FIFA World Cup match. I will be back in Brazil on 27 January when I will personally attend the opening matches at the Castelao in Fortaleza, followed by the 500 days countdown to the FIFA World Cup on 28 January in Brasilia. This will be the moment when we will unveil the last visual icon of the FIFA World Cup – the Official Poster. Finally, I would like to wish everyone a happy and relaxing holiday season. We can look forward to some fantastic football in June 2013, with packed stadia and a wonderful atmosphere when Brazil welcomes the current champions from each continent to its shores. I hope that many of you will join me there. Boas festas e até logo Jerome Valcke

Three nominees for the FIFA Fair Play Award announced ( FIFA today announced the three nominees for the FIFA Fair Play Award 2012. In alphabetical order, the contenders are: The Guatemalan Football Federation (GFF), for giving a clear signal that unfair behaviour and match-fixing will not be tolerated in football. The GFF thoroughly investigated three national team players charged with match-fixing and banned them for life in Guatemala based on the findings of a special investigation committee. The ban was then extended worldwide by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee. The Turkish club Eskisehirspor, whose nomination was proposed by the supporters of Scottish club St Johnstone following a Europa League second qualifying round tie. During the game in Turkey, a St Johnstone player became injured as Eskisehirspor went on the attack. This attack resulted in a corner, but as it had come about when the opposition were down to ten men, Dede of Eskisehirspor gave the ball back to St Johnstone. The Uzbekistan Football Federation, for showing that fair play and competition are not mutually exclusive, but complement each another. The clubs and national teams of Uzbekistan collected the most fair play points in the Asian Football Confederation in 2012. Points are awarded or deducted on the basis of red and yellow cards received, positive play, respect towards opponents and the referee and the conduct of the officials as well as of the crowd. The three nominees have been selected from a list submitted by the bureau of the Committee for Fair Play and Social Responsibility chaired by H.R.H Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein and Senes Erzik. Each year, FIFA commends persons or institutions for their fair play, an issue that has always been of crucial significance to world football’s governing body. FIFA aims to promote the principles of fair play through projects and campaigns.

Busy year for African hopefuls With the first round of 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ qualifying matches starting back in November of 2011, the African Zone is approaching the midpoint of a campaign that will cut 52 CAF associations down to five representatives at the finals. Two rounds of the group stage were completed in June of this year and several surprise nations have asserted themselves in the quest to finish top of the 10 tables to advance to the final preliminary round. Ethiopia sit atop Group A ahead of South Africa, Benin have a slender advantage on Mali and Algeria in Group H, while Libya are surprise leaders of Group I in front of Cameroon and Congo DR. Heavyweights like Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Egypt have started well enough to lead their respective groups, while Zambia have a head-start on Ghana and Sudan in what is sure to be a intensely contested Group D. The match Morocco 2-2 Côte d'Ivoire – Stade de Marrakech, 9 June, 2012 This was the 15th qualifier without defeat for the Elephants, although they were tamed slightly by the result, which also kept the Moroccans alive in Group C after two opening draws. The Atlas Lions, four-time World Cup finalists, came from behind twice as Houssine Kharja's penalty undid Salomon Kalou's early goal, and Hamza Abourazzouk's late header evened the match following Kolo Toure's second half goal. The Ivorians still lead Group C on four points, but Tanzania, Morocco and Gambia, on three, two and one point respectively, are all within striking distance of the continental giants. The goal Guinea 2-3 Egypt – Mohamed Salah, 90+3 Guinea and Egypt had both won their opening Group G matches before meeting in Conakry on 10 June, and the hosts thought they had snatched a point through Lass Bangoura's 88th minute equaliser. But almost immediately following the celebrations and re-start, Salah sprinted from the right wing and was picked out behind the defence. With the crowd still in mid-song and the defence closing frantically, the 20-year-old showed a coolness well beyond his years, taking a touch with his right foot to draw the goalkeeper closer and then firing a left-footed shot into the net with the last kick of the match. Recently named the “most promising” youngster of 2012 by CAF, Salah and his dramatic goal gave Egypt three points from probably their toughest fixture and leaves them in the driving seat of the group. The stat 1 – Only a single nation lost both of their opening matches to start the second round of Brazil 2014 qualifying: up-and-coming Cape Verde. The Blue Sharks, who ironically just recorded the greatest achievement in their history – a first-ever qualification for the CAF Africa Cup of Nations – nonetheless suffered a pair of 2-1 defeats in Group B, to Tunisia and Sierra Leone. In contrast, three nations won six points: Tunisia, Egypt and Zambia, who were awarded a victory despite a 2-0 defeat in Sudan after it was ruled the Sudanese had fielded an ineligible player. What they said “We could have scored more goals, and I hope at the end of the group matches we won’t look back with regret at the many chances we created but did not convert,” Zambia coach Herve Renard after his side's 1-0 victory over Ghana in Ndola on 9 June. Up next 2012 was an extraordinarily busy year for African national teams, with qualifying for the 2013 AFCON squeezed in after the 2012 edition in January due to the continental event's movement to odd numbered years. The next 12 months should be just as action-packed with six rounds of Brazil 2014 matches to be played between March and November. There will be four more group contests – one in March, two in June and another at the start of September – before the ten group winners advance to the third and final round. Those sides will be drawn into five home-and-away ties with the two matches to be played in October and November. The winners of those head-to-head contests will join 27 other nations from around the world in the 20th edition of the world's biggest and most prestigious footballing showpiece. Have your say What favourites will stumble on the road to Brazil? Will Africa produce its usual shocks and send a debutant (or two) to the finals? Will one of them be current continental kings Zambia? Click on “Have your say” to share your views with other FIFA.com users.

12 moments that defined 2012 re Football has thrilled, enthralled and stirred the emotions over the course of 2012. Here, FIFA.com singles out 12 moments that have made it a year to remember in the beautiful game. Zambia’s poignant prize 12 February Zambia winning their first-ever CAF Africa Cup of Nations title in February would have been remarkable enough. That they beat heavy favourites Cote d’Ivoire to claim the trophy added shock value. But it was the fact that the game was their first in Libreville since the 1993 plane crash that killed all but one of their national team following a refuelling stop in the Gabonese capital that made this the most emotion-laden victory of the year. Muamba’s miracle 17 March Tears were shed for a very different reason later that month when a sell-out crowd and worldwide TV audience watched aghast as Fabrice Muamba fought for his life on the White Hart Lane turf. It quickly became clear that Bolton Wanderers’ Congolese-born midfielder had suffered a cardiac arrest and yet, despite the fact his heart stopped for an incredible 78 minutes, he lived to tell the tale and has since written a book about his brush with death. Stoppage-time Sergio 13 May The battle for the English Premier League title went down to the final minute of the final game of the season... and beyond. It was, after all, five minutes into stoppage time against Queens Park Rangers, with Manchester United’s match at Sunderland already over, that Sergio Aguero struck the shot that clinched Manchester City’s first championship in 44 years. Drogba’s final fling 19 May Didier Drogba’s place among Chelsea’s all-time greats was already assured by the time he headed them level in a UEFA Champions League final in which they had been second-best throughout. Yet that equaliser merely set the stage for the Ivorian’s crowning moment, a coolly dispatched penalty with his final kick for the Blues that secured the club’s first-ever European crown. Tahiti conquer continent 10 June Before this year, the OFC Nations Cup had never left the Antipodes. It was, therefore, a major shock when New Zealand, fresh from their FIFA World Cup heroics, failed to even reach the final in the Solomon Islands. Instead, the continental title was fought over by Tahiti and New Caledonia, and it was a solitary goal from Steevy Chong Hue that secured the title, and a place at the FIFA Confederations Cup, for the French Polynesians. Rangers go under 14 June Rangers’ perilous financial position had been an open secret but there was still shock when, after 140 years of history and a world record 54 league titles, the club was consigned to liquidation in mid-June. The Glasgow giants were subsequently reformed as a new company and granted entry to the Third Division, Scotland’s fourth tier, which they currently lead by nine points with a game in hand. Pirlo’s Panenka 24 June Italy were 2-1 down in their penalty shootout against England in the UEFA EURO 2012 quarter-final, and Riccardo Montolivo had missed their previous kick, when Andrea Pirlo stepped up. It was against this tense backdrop that the midfielder scored the cheekiest of chips, knocking the Three Lions off their stride and providing a memorable turning point en route to a 4-2 shootout win. Spain’s final flourish 1 July Having listened to sniping criticism throughout their run to the final, Spain provided their detractors with a stunning reminder of why this era belongs to them. Vicente Del Bosque’s side beat Italy by a record-high four-goal margin to retain their European crown and, in doing so, became the first team from the Old Continent to win three major tournaments in succession. Morgan settles thriller 6 August Old Trafford has staged plenty of memorable matches, but few have been as thrilling as the magnificent spectacle served up by USA and Canada in the semi-final of the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament. It had a fittingly dramatic climax too, with Alex Morgan sealing a 4-3 victory for the Americans in the very last minute of extra time. Ibra to the four 14 November This was the first-ever match at the Friends Arena, but it is unlikely that the sparkling new Stockholm stadium will ever witness a more devastating individual display. Zlatan Ibrahimovic became the first player in 915 matches to score four times against England, but it was the nature of his final goal – an amazing 30-yard overhead kick – that had the striker’s name on everyone’s lips the following day. Messi passes Muller 9 December 'My record stood for 40 years. Now the best player in the world has broken it, and I’m delighted for him.” These were the gracious words of Gerd Muller after Lionel Messi scored his 85th and 86th goals of 2012, surpassing Der Bomber’s 1972 benchmark for goals in a single calendar year. The Argentinian finished the year on 91 goals in all competitions. Corinthians’ Japanese joy 16 December Paulista giants Corinthians had won the first edition of the FIFA Club World Cup back in 2000, but the tournament’s recent history had been a tale of European dominance. That made it all the sweeter for the Brazilians when, backed by a 20,000-plus band of travelling supporters in Yokohama, they deservedly saw off Chelsea thanks to Paolo Guerrero’s decisive second-half header.

Women's football in focus 2012 2012 was the very much USA’s year in women’s football, with success at the FIFA Women’s U-20 World Cup Japan 2012 coming hot on the heels of Olympic gold. At club level, Lyon swept all before them, while in Sweden a thrilling title race went down to the wire. FIFA.com looks back on all the year’s action from the women’s game in 2012. International football A golden year for USA Just over a year after losing the final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011™, USA exacted a measure of revenge against Japan in a repeat of that showdown at London 2012. A brace from Carli Lloyd helped the defending champions secure a third consecutive Olympic gold with a 2-1 victory. Meanwhile, Canada raised a few eyebrows with their performances in London, taking bronze barely a year after their disappointing group stage exit at Germany 2011. Coach John Herdman’s charges got the better of France in the bronze medal match, whetting their appetite for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015 on home soil. Change of coach Approximately three weeks after USA’s Olympic triumph, coach Pia Sundhage announced she would be stepping down. In her five years at the helm, the 52-year-old led the side to back-to-back Olympic gold medals as well as three Algarve Cup titles. The Swede, who took charge of the national team in her homeland in December, will be replaced by Tom Sermanni. The 58-year-old Scot will pick up the reins on 1 January having recently guided Australia to consecutive quarter-final showings at the past two FIFA Women’s World Cups. Germany shine in the Algarve The Women’s Olympic Football Tournament took place without German representation for the first time ever this year. Nevertheless, coach Silvia Neid’s side still managed to add to their trophy collection with a 4-3 victory over Japan in the Algarve Cup final. The triumph, their second there since 2006, went some way to ease the pain of the FIFA Women’s World Cup quarter-final defeat against Japan on home turf in 2011. Next year’s Algarve Cup, which will take place between 6-13 March, already promises to be a thriller. Alongside Olympic champions USA and world champions Japan, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, China PR and Iceland will travel to Portugal looking to wrest the crown from the current title-holders. Youthful promise After USA’s success at London 2012, the U-20 team followed in the footsteps of their senior counterparts with victory at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Japan 2012, narrowly beating defending champions Germany 1-0 in the final. Meanwhile, France ended the Asian dominance at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup by taking the title in Azerbaijan. Les Bleuettes, who came through a tough group including heavyweights USA and Korea DPR, got the better of the latter in a penalty shoot-out in the final. France’s triumph means the trophy leaves Asia, after Korea DPR won the inaugural tournament in 2008, before Korea Republic reigned supreme two years later. Retirements and U-turns Two players stepped down from international duty with Germany in 2012. Both Inka Grings and Martina Muller decided to call it a day after 16 and 12 years respectively in the national set-up. Grings hit 64 goals in 96 appearances for her country and was part of the European championship winning sides in 2005 and 2009. Muller, a two-time world and European champion, earned 101 caps. Elsewhere, Solveig Gulbrandsen, who hung up her boots on the back of a successful season with Stabaek in 2010, found her way back into the Norway squad in 2012. After a two-year absence, not only did she feature in the UEFA Women’s EURO 2013 qualifying matches against Belgium and Iceland, she also helped club side Valarenga maintain their top-flight status in her homeland. Club football Thrilling finale in Sweden The Swedish Damallsvenskan could hardly have hoped for a more dramatic finale this year. Malmo had a title hat-trick firmly in their sights right up until the final minutes of the campaign, only to be overtaken by a Tyreso side inspired by Brazilian star Marta. Malmo had a three point lead going into the duo’s final day head-to-head encounter, where a draw would have been enough for them to seal a third consecutive championship. The match remained goalless until the 82nd minute, when Madelaine Edlund struck. The goal not only ended Malmo’s hopes of successfully defending their crown, but also gave Tyreso a first ever title thanks to their superior goal difference. To make matters worse, German international Anja Mittag was left ruing what might have been after missing a 14th minute penalty for Malmo. Lyon raise the bar 2012 was another hugely successful year for Lyon, who added three titles to their trophy cabinet. Coach Patrice Lair’s charges stormed to success in the domestic championship with an incredible goal difference of 119 for and just three against. Lyon also won a second successive UEFA Women’s Champions League title thanks to a 2-0 victory over FFC Frankfurt in the Munich final in May, played out in front of a 50,000-strong crowd. It capped off a fine season, with the French Cup having already been secured. New women’s league in Ghana Women’s football in Ghana took a huge step forward in mid-December with the start of the inaugural season of the National Women’s League. Its introduction represents a new chapter for both the women’s game and the Ghanaian Football Association, who were supported by FIFA and CAF in their efforts to bring the league into fruition. 12 sides are competing for the championship, with the teams divided into north-south geographical zones. Awards Old friends and new faces The FIFA Ballon d’Or Gala kicked off 2012, with the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year and FIFA Women’s Football Coach of the Year honours being presented at the Zurich Kongresshaus, along with the awards for their male counterparts. Homare Sawa, Abby Wambach and Marta were shortlisted, while Bruno Bini, Norio Sasaki and Pia Sundhage were in the running for the coach’s accolade. In the end there was a double victory for Japan, with Sawa and Sasaki receiving their awards to deafening applause. In December the nominees for 2012 were announced. Alex Morgan joined Marta and Abby Wambach in the top three, while the same coaching trio are in contention this time around too. Memorable moment Former Germany stars Birgit Prinz and Steffi Jones were given a special honour in April. In recognition of their sporting achievements and services to the game, the pair were named as FIFA ambassadors for women’s football. Development Women’s football was once again at the forefront of FIFA’s activities in 2012. Over 30 projects were started, with the objective of promoting women’s leagues around the world. More than 8,000 girls took part in FIFA’s Live Your Goals Festivals, which were held in Azerbaijan, Japan, Costa Rica and Republic of Ireland. The initiative aims to use the popularity of FIFA women’s tournaments to motivate girls and young women to get involved in the game. Furthermore, 2,030 coaches participated in at least one of 58 women’s football courses organised by world football’s governing body. The stat 180 - Number of development projects in women’s football, from which over 100 member associations are benefitting. The words “I was lucky enough to play at two European Championships. They were my tournaments, where I won everything. I thought, ‘if not now, then when is the best time to make a clean break from the national team?’” Germany striker Inka Grings on her retirement from international football. Your opinion matters What was your favourite moment from women’s football in 2012?

Herdman’s highlights of 2012 In an age in which coaches are loathe to single out players for particular praise at the risk of bruising any egos within their squad, Canada coach John Herdman’s highlight of 2012 certainly took FIFA.com by surprise. “I supposed it would have to be working with Christine Sinclair,” he said. “As a coach you look forward to those opportunities to work with people that are really unique. She’s helped me move to different levels and vice-versa. I think we’ve got the best out of each other as a coach and a player. “She picked up the Lou Marsh trophy this year (an award given to Canada’s athlete of the year), which superstars like Wayne Gretzky have won in the past - that’s how highly regarded she is in this country. “She’s the type that stays after training for 20 to 25 minutes practicing free kicks, and her enthusiasm for the game is very infectious. For someone who has accomplished so much, she asks for so little.” There has undoubtedly been a remarkable rise in Canada and Sinclair’s fortunes since the former New Zealand coach was appointed at the end of 2011. Herdman joined a Canada side that lost all three games at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany, with many writing off the team’s chances at the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament. Yet the man, nicknamed ‘the Geordie Mourinho’ by the BBC, masterminded a third-placed finish at London 2012, with Diana Matheson’s injury-time winner over France handing Canada a place on the podium. “During the Olympics, the team rose to Christine’s level,” he said. “To see Melissa Tancredi score four goals at the Olympics was phenomenal. We finished second-top in the scoring charts with two of our players in the top four goalscorers. Canada only scored one goal at the last World Cup. There was a real team effort there. They all rose up - and we enjoyed ourselves. We loved every minute of those Games. “Canada hadn't won an Olympic team medal since 1936 - men or women - and we knew that this team had never been past the quarter-finals. They were always a team that promised something, but didn't fulfil people's expectations. This time they did. It was an exciting time. Leaders led and they built their own momentum. It’s been a fantastic year.” A professional approach At the beginning of 2013, Herdman will take his side to China for a four-nation tournament and then on to the Cyprus Cup, which they narrowly missed out on winning in 2012. He is also excited about the inaugural season of the National Women’s Soccer League, which will see a large proportion of his Canadian squad signed up to professional contracts. “It’s unprecedented that we’ll have 16 Canadian players with professional contracts, all on one continent, on one calendar,” he said. “It’s a major step forward for us. That’ll be important for the development of our players. If we can get those younger players into professional leagues, that’ll help us a lot.” Canada has got a real appetite for women’s football... This country fell in love with this team over the summer. John Herdman Next year will also see Herdman renew an old rivalry after US Soccer unveiled Tom Sermanni as the new head coach of the US Women’s side. The Englishman’s time in Oceania with the Football Ferns, New Zealand’s women’s side, coincided with the Scot’s spell as head coach of Australia. Herdman admits the renewed competition with his fellow Brit will be fierce, but friendly. “I look forward to catching up with him as it’s been too long,” he smiled. “In my time in New Zealand I was never able to beat his Australia team and he enjoyed punishing me whenever we played! “Tommy’s a fantastic coach, he’s got so much experience in the women’s game and he’s got a fantastic tactical brain. Whenever he’s taken Australia to World Cups, they’ve over-performed and I think in Tom’s tenure he helped build that Australia team, took it through some tough times to achieve some great things. America have got a great coach and a great person.” Looking forward to 2015 After his team’s success at the Olympics, Herdman is optimistic about the future for the female game in Canada, which includes hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2015. “Canada has got a real appetite for women’s football,” he continued. “It’s already on the map and people are knowledgeable about the players. “This country fell in love with this team over the summer. The stats told us that one in three Canadians watched our semi-final against the USA; that’s 10 million people. The players, the coaches and the staff still get stopped in the street. People are still talking about the Olympics and the next opportunity for us, which is 2015. “The great thing about this team is that things have changed, there’s been a mind-set shift. This was a team that hadn’t won anything on the world stage in their history. Now that we’ve won a bronze medal, that fear of failure is starting to disappear. “If the expectations are there internally, then you’ve got a significant chance of repeating that sort of thing. That’s where I would like things to get to in the future.”

Milan-Barça, Real-United in last 16 Real Madrid and Manchester United, the record Spanish and English champions, will do battle for a place in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, while AC Milan face Barcelona in another heavyweight clash. “I think the fans will be very, very happy with this tie," said Real director Emilio Butragueno. "It’s a very attractive tie, it will be very thrilling. Manchester United are a great team. And they have a great coach – Sir Alex Ferguson knows how to do it. It’s going to be very tough. But we are Real Madrid. We will do our best. I’m sure we’re going to rise to the occasion.” "I am sure it will be a special game for him. I'm sure he's going to do his best to help us qualify. It's going to very, very special for him. I know the coaches have a great relationship. We are very happy with him (Mourinho) and I hope he's going to lead the team to the Champions League to make our fans feel proud of the team.'' Ferguson told Manchester United's official website: "Well, it's the tie of the round. It's a great opportunity for our fans to see Cristiano again and also for me to meet up with Jose again - I'll need to order some good wine!" I am sure it will be a special game for him. I'm sure he's going to do his best to help us qualify. It's going to very, very special for him. Emilion Butragueno on Cristiano Ronaldo's return to Old Trafford Barça drew 0-0 away to Milan in the first leg of the 2011/12 quarter-finals, before a Lionel Messi brace led them to a 3-1 win at Camp Nou and a place in the last four. Arsenal-Bayern Munich and Celtic-Juventus were also determined at the Round of 16 draw in Nyon. “It could have been kinder, but it could have been worse,” said the Glasgow giants' manager Neil Lennon. “The fans will have to play their part but I’m sure they’ll raise the roof again. "We believe over two games anything is possible. Juventus are littered with world-class stars and have been very consistent over the last 18 months and have got a great winning mentality, but so have we." Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, meanwhile, is optimistic his side can see off Arsenal. He told www.uefa.com: "I think we enter this match as the slight favourites, but we can be making the mistake of underestimating them. "Arsenal have struggled at times in the league over the last few months, which a look upon the standings in the Premier League will tell you. But by no means will this be an easy game for us. I look forward to our game in London and back home in Munich. "We want to set the foundations with a good performance in London, that would make things easier for us in our home game. I wouldn't call this a lucky draw, but one that we can overcome. I look forward to seeing my old friend Arsene Wenger and I hope that we can reach the next round." Full draw Galatasaray-Schalke Celtic-Juventus Arsenal-Bayern Munich Shakhtar Donetsk-Borussia Dortmund AC Milan-Barcelona Real Madrid-Manchester United Valencia-Paris Saint-Germain Porto-Malaga The first legs will be played on 12, 13, 19 and 20 February, with the return matches on 5, 6, 12 and 13 March. Wembley Stadium will stage the final on Saturday 25 May.

Toure, Anonman crowned Africa's best Côte d'Ivoire midfielder Yaya Toure has been named the 2012 CAF African Player of the Year for the second year in succession, the Confederation of African Football has announced. The Manchester City player beat fellow Ivorian and former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba into second with Cameroonian Alex Song, of Barcelona, in third. He joined Senegalese forward El-Hadji Diouf, formerly of Liverpool and Bolton, on two victories although he has some way to go to eclipse Cameroonian ex-Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o who has won four titles. The Côte d'Ivoire player was crowned at an awards gala in Accra, the capital of Ghana, on Thursday evening after being voted for by the head coaches or technical directors of the national associations affiliated to the CAF. The giant midfielder appeared to tear up as his name was called at the ceremony in Ghana's capital. "I have a lot of emotion," he said after climbing the stage to accept the award. "I think this night is so special for me." Being in competition against Yaya and Alex was for me very difficult. Didier Drogba, Cote d'Ivoire and Shanghai Shenhua striker When asked about the forthcoming CAF African Cup of Nations, Toure was diplomatic. He said: "I think this year is going to be tough. I think there's going to be a fight to be at the top," he said after accepting the award. Toure's second CAF honour came on a night when Drogba, the former Chelsea star now playing for Shanghai Shenhua, was in line for his third win. Drogba was seeking to take a step closer to Cameroonian Samuel Eto'o's record four trophies but described his fellow Ivorian as a deserving winner who has played with impressive "consistency over the last two years." "Being in competition against Yaya and Alex was for me very difficult," said the striker. "For me, I don't mind if Yaya wins. I'm very proud." Song, a 25-year-old up-and-coming midfielder, was nominated for the first time this year, after a good season for Arsenal before his transfer to Barcelona. African Nations Cup winners Zambia were named team of the year with their coach Herve Renard named coach of the year. Equatorial Guinea recognised The award for the top women's team went to Equatorial Guinea, which hosted and won the eighth African women's championship. It beat South Africa in the final, the side's second title in a competition often dominated by Nigeria, which has won six times. Equatorial Guinea's Genoveva Anonman was honoured as the continent's top female footballer, after scoring six goals in the tournament and finishing top scoorer in the German Bundesliga. It was a night full of awards for Egypt, with Cairo-based Al Ahly named as club of the year after securing its seventh CAF Champions League crown. The club's star Mohamed Abourtrika took home the award for the best player based in Africa. Egypt's Mohamed Salah, 23, was named the most promising emerging talent after scoring in three of four matches for his country's under-23 side at the 2012 Men's Olympic Football Tournament. Mahmoud El-Gohary provided the fourth Egyptian triumph of the night, winning a Legend award for a range of both club and national titles won during the 74-year-old's long professional of career. Rigobert Song, the defender from Cameroon, was also named an African football Legend, with the judges noting his two African championships.

Iniesta, Messi or Ronaldo? ( Yesterday, a FIFA Ballon d’Or 2012 shortlist of 23 names was whittled down to just three. And it said much for the standards set over the past year by Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo that no-one was particularly surprised by the trio that emerged. Now comes the difficult part: separating them. The job of deciding who takes the coveted trophy will fall to journalists and the coaches and captains of the various national teams around the world, but in the meantime we want you to have your say. So, who do you think should win the FIFA Ballon d’Or: Iniesta, Messi or Ronaldo? Simply click ‘Add your comment’ to share your view with fellow fans, remembering to keep your posts clean, respectful, on-topic and in English.

Corinthians halt European domination ( Back in 2008 the mighty Corinthians found themselves in the ignominious position of having to play second division football. Four years on, they have completed their return from the wilderness by winning the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2012, a dramatic turnaround that also ended a five-year run of success for European clubs in the competition and brought the world title back to Brazil and South America for the first time since 2006. Corinthians’ success recalls the early days of the competition, with Brazilian sides prevailing in the first three editions, among them O Timão, the winners of the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup. All that changed in 2007, when AC Milan initiated a spell of European domination that was continued by Manchester United, Inter Milan and Barcelona, who won it twice, a record now matched by Tite’s Alvinegros. Their triumph was founded on tactical organisation and the physical prowess and sheer commitment of an experienced group of players, though it is hard to envisage the side having enjoyed all their recent success without the breathtaking support of their loyal fans. The Timão faithful, who rightly describe themselves as a “gang of fanatics”, launched another of the invasions they have become famous for, descending on Japan in their thousands and creating an amazing spectacle. Speaking to FIFA.com, Corinthians goalkeeper Cassio, who collected the adidas Golden Ball ahead of Chelsea’s David Luiz and O Timão’s goal hero Paolo Guerrero, praised their diehard followers: “We are so grateful to these fans. They’ve been like this all year in Brazil, in every one of our games. It’s fantastic. They always turn up and you never hear them booing or criticising at all. They’re always there to back the team.” Losing finalists Chelsea FC had arrived in Japan determined to atone for their early UEFA Champions League exit, but had no answer to Corinthians’ application and workrate. As their comprehensive semi-final defeat of Monterrey showed, however, the Londoners have more than enough talent to turn their season around. The rest of the field Cesar Delgado’s one-man show for Club de Futbol Monterrey against Ulsan Hyundai entertained the crowd in Toyota City and also kept an unusual record going. For the fifth FIFA Club World Cup in a row an Argentinian player scored two goals in one game, Delgado continuing a sequence begun by Christian Gimenez of Pachuca in 2008 and extended by Leandro Benitez of Estudiantes in 2009, Dario Cvitanich of Pachuca in 2010, and Lionel Messi of Barcelona in 2011. Delgado had a big hand in the Mexicans winning two of their three games and snatching third place from Al-Ahly SC, who were making their fourth appearance since 2005. The Egyptians have now played a record nine FIFA Club World Cup matches, with the vastly experienced trio of Mohamed Aboutrika, Hossam Ashour and Wael Gomaa having played in all of those games. Cheered on by their vociferous support, surprise Japanese champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima were rewarded for their forward-thinking youth policy with two encouraging wins. After opening up with a 1-0 defeat of Auckland City FC in the quarter-final play-off, the home side were edged out by Al-Ahly in a tough quarter-final before recovering to take fifth place from Ulsan Hyundai in a five-goal Asian derby. The star of their show was captain Hisato Sato, who struck three goals to end the tournament as top scorer, while Toshihiro Aoyama scored the 200th goal in the competition’s history. The South Koreans were unable to replicate the form that took them to their first AFC Champions League title and lost both their games. Finally, Auckland City can take consolation from two notable statistics: the New Zealanders are the first side along with Al-Ahly to make four appearances in the competition, while their striker Daniel Koprivcic is out on his own as the only man to play in five FIFA Club World Cups.

Sevilla FC Seville is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Spain and is known worldwide for its Feria de Abril (April Fair) and Semana Santa (Holy Week) celebrations. No visit is complete without taking in the cathedral and its bell tower, nor the Golden Tower or the Plaza de Espana. Also, any self-respecting football fan will have another two essential attractions on their agenda: the Sanchez Pizjuan and Benito Villamarin stadiums. As part of its regular series on classic clubs, FIFA.com presents the history of Sevilla FC, from its roots in the Nervion district to becoming the seventh best team in the all-time La Liga standings. Early days Football arrived in Spain aboard British ships. It reached Seville by the same method of transportation, given that the Guadalquivir river is navigable right up to the city. Both local and foreign employees of the MacAndrews shipping company contemplated forming a team in 1890, but it was not until 14 October 1905 that it was officially finalised. However, despite winning several Andalusian championships, the red and whites of Sevilla were not among the teams in the top division when the Spanish league was founded. In fact, they did not gain promotion until 1934/35, the league’s seventh season and the same year that local rivals Betis - in the top flight for two years at that point - were crowned league champions. Nonetheless, Sevilla's victory in the Spanish Cup provided a large measure of consolation. Passionate support Sevilla enjoyed a successful spell after the Civil War, winning the league title once and triumphing twice more in the cup. Their run of form continued into the 1950s, when they qualified for the European Cup for the first time. Unfortunately, the club’s most beloved president, Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, did not live to see the achievement after passing away in 1956. Two years later, the stadium in the Nervion district took his name in his honour. That first international excursion came to an end in the quarter-finals against an Alfredo Di Stefano-inspired Real Madrid, who were later crowned champions. Domestically, things did not run so smoothly and their efforts in Europe almost led to them being relegated. The 1960s were plagued by economic problems caused by the construction of the stadium, which consequently forced the club to sell key players. Inevitably, performances on the pitch suffered too and after 31 years in the top flight, Sevilla dropped down a division. Nevertheless, they bounced back the following year and celebrated their return by deservedly finishing third in 1970. Three years later, Alhaji Momodo Njie became the club's first ever black player and went on to become a cult figure. Able to score the most spectacular goals as well as spurn seemingly simple opportunities, the Gambian was adored by the fans, who dubbed him Biri Biri, contributing to his place as one of the most famous names on the club's roll of honours. Sevilla's fans are renowned for their passion, commitment and vigour and are without doubt among the most charismatic in the country. Yet they have an afflicted history, created by the premature deaths of several of the club's most beloved players over the years. The first case was Enrique Gomez Munoz, commonly known as Spencer, who died aged 28 following complications after a routine appendicitis operation in 1926. Years later, Pedro Berruezo died after suffering a heart attack during a match against Pontevedra in 1973. More recently, the same ailment robbed the club of one of its most promising youngsters in Antonio Puerta in 2007. During a league fixture, cardio-respiratory failures caused the 23-year-old to pass out several times on the pitch at the Sanchez Pizjuan. He died days later in hospital, his passing having such a profound effect on the supporters that they pay homage to him in the 16th minute of every game, in memory of the shirt number he wore. Present day The turn of the millennium brought with it a new golden era for the club. Under the guidance of coach Juande Ramos and with figures such as Luis Fabiano and Frederic Kanoute in the line-up, success was never far away. Domestic triumphs in the Spanish Supercup and Copa del Rey were consolidated on the international scene with two UEFA Cup titles as well as victory in the European Supercup. Furthermore, economic improvements were made thanks in large part to the recruitment policy of former goalkeeper-turned sporting director Monchi. His premise was simple: buy cheaply or promote from the youth team, develop players well and then sell them on at high price. Sergio Ramos and the Brazilians Adriano, Julio Baptista and Dani Alves, among others, are the most notable examples of the success of his strategy. Yet football is a transient game and after missing out on a place in Europe for the first time in eight years, the 2011/12 season marked the start of a change, with the club affected by the economic crisis and the dominating duopoly of Barcelona and Real Madrid. In spite of this, with former Madrid striker Michel as coach and working with talented home-grown players like Jesus Navas and prodigal son Jose Antonio Reyes, the club are on the road to regaining some of their former glory. The stadium The 45,000 capacity Sanchez Pizjuan arena has more character than most. What is more, it hosted several games during the 1982 FIFA World Cup™, the most memorable of which was the semi-final between the former West Germany and France. If that dramatic exit left the French with a sour taste, Barcelona's memories of playing there are equally bitter after dramatically losing their first European Cup final to Steaua Bucharest on penalties in 1986. Yet the stadium houses plenty of happy recollections for the Spanish national side, with the dedicated, noisy and passionate Seville crowd urging La Roja to victory in crucial encounters. Chief among them was the tie against Denmark in 1993, where Spain ended a nervy qualifying campaign by reaching the 1994 FIFA World Cup USA. Of the 22 matches the Iberians have contested on Sevilla's turf, they have recorded 19 victories and no defeats.

Del Bosque: Winners of UEFA EURO 2008, the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ and EURO 2012, Spain are one of the finest national squads of all time. La Roja coach Vicente Del Bosque needs no introduction, and the Salamanca-born supremo and his Selección are determined not to rest on their laurels, with their next major priorities wrapping up qualification for Brazil 2014 and success at the FIFA Confederations Cup 2013 – a title they would love to add to their trophy cabinet. After the draw for next year’s Festival of Champions, which took place in Sao Paulo on 1 December, the former Real Madrid strategist and candidate for the FIFA Coach of the Year 2012 award spoke exclusively to FIFA.com. Today we bring you the first instalment of our two-part interview. FIFA.com: Vicente, where does next year’s FIFA Confederations Cup currently stand in your list of priorities? Vicente Del Bosque: Well, we deal with short-term objectives. That being the case, our focus is qualifying for the 2014 World Cup, which we’d like to wrap up as soon as we can. Coming up soon in March we’ve got two games [against Finland and France] that are extremely important for our future prospects and then the Confederations Cup will come in the medium term. Having finished third at South Africa [2009], we want to prepare well in order to go into the competition in the best possible shape and have a good campaign. Many coaches take advantage of this tournament to try and find a settled squad and spend an extended period of time with their players. Given Spain have had a settled core for a while now, what can the competition bring to La Roja? Yes, it’s true that we have quite a stable squad. But new players are appearing all the time, to the point where I’d say we’ve got great competition for places – enormously so in some positions. It’s going to make our decision-making process very hard, because there are a number of players who’ve been performing excellently for their clubs for a long time now. But new lads are appearing on the scene and we’ve got to bring them through, bit by bit. We’re going to find ourselves in a real situation, though I’d not go so far as saying an uncomfortable one - as us national coaches are used to it. What we will be doing is selecting those players we think give us the best chance of winning the competition. Spain were knocked out in the semi-finals by USA at South Africa 2009. Do you think that painful experience helped La Selección win the FIFA World Cup on year later? No doubt about it. Particularly in terms of getting to know the surroundings: where we were going, to which hotels and getting used to the training pitches and the climate. It was fantastic for us, an enriching experience. What are you expecting from host nation Brazil, a country with a rich footballing tradition? We’re going to the country which has the most feeling and passion for football. And we’re carrying a great deal of responsibility, as we certainly don’t see the Confederations Cup as a minor competition. On the contrary, it’s a tournament that features the champions of several different competitions and we’re going to treat it with the importance it deserves. From our own experience, we know that every international, whether it be competitive or a friendly, carries with it a lot of responsibility. In fact we don’t see any game as a friendly. They’re all international matches and that’s how we see them. New players are appearing all the time, to the point where I’d say we’ve got great competition for places – enormously so in some positions. Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque Turning to Spain’s phenomenal recent success, do you think perceptions have changed since victory at South Africa 2010? There might just be too much praise coming our way, which always happens with the team that are crowned champions. In our case, rather than just being about one specific event like the World Cup, the praise comes from having won three major tournaments in a row. That increases our players’ profile, but it also puts more pressure on you with every passing day. You can even make people get used to winning, make it look all too easy. And the Spanish fans might be really fond of us but if we fail, which can happen because this is sport and there are some other very good teams, they’ll feel a bit let down. We’ve got to fight against that. Is this national squad setting an example for others to follow? There isn’t just one way of playing if you want to be successful, but yes it’s true that our players have certain characteristics that really shape the way our side plays football. And we mustn’t try to go against that style. In this case, I think it [the style] has gained greater admiration because it’s been accompanied by results. But, at nearly every world or European tournament, it seems that we all try to look for certain trends. Watching closely how the champions play is to be expected. It’s wouldn’t be stretching the truth to say that people are trying to be like us in certain ways, which is nice. If the Netherlands’ Arjen Robben, for example, had put the Final in South Africa 2010 beyond Spain’s reach, do you think La Roja’s style would still be getting so much coverage? I’m aware that we’ve had plenty of good fortune. In the penalty shoot-out against Portugal, in the semi-finals of the EURO [2012], Bruno Alves’s shot hit the bar and went over while [Cesc] Fabregas’s effort hit the post and went in. We know what football’s like, but the important thing is not to doubt what we’re doing. When we lost our first game at the World Cup against Switzerland we could have been overcome with doubt, but we didn’t let it affect us. In fact against Honduras we played the same XI, except for Fernando Torres replacing David Silva and Andres Iniesta missing out through injury. The rest were all the same guys. I like every player to have enough freedom for his talent to shine through. Vicente Del Bosque Staying on the subject of style: do you think you’d be able to get a team playing this way without these particular players? To how great an extent do you shape your tactical planning around the players at your disposal? Let’s see. I have my own footballing taste, which has a lot in common with what we’re doing here [with the national side]. I like my teams to keep possession. Back when I was at Real Madrid, and I had very good players there too, I used to like the team to take the initiative in games, to defend high up the pitch, to pin teams back in their half, to play with depth and also find a balance between short and long passing. But at the same time I try to achieve that level of balance tactically too. Without a team becoming disorganised, I like every player to have enough freedom for his talent to shine through. Now everybody knows how crucial possession is to Spain’s playing style, is there a Plan B in place should the opposition cope with that? Over and above the coach, who happens to be me in this case, we’ve got players who, while they’re out on pitch, are able to evaluate what they need to do against the opposition at any given moment. Depending on if our opponents are sitting really deep, if they’re pressuring us higher up the field, etc. I’d say that they spend ten or 15 minutes almost studying the game. It’s not an analysis that we do from the dugout, the lads on the pitch are able to see what’s happening: if the opposing defence is playing a very high line, if they need to get behind their marker or drop deeper to play a one-two, whether we need more width or if they need to go it alone. They’re very intelligent and it’s really good they’re able to solve problems themselves. In that context, who would you say was your right-hand man out on the pitch? I wouldn’t single out just one player for that role. We’ve got a few players who have the leadership we need in every circumstance. There are more impetuous players and others who are more cool and analytical. In midfield areas we’ve got two or three players who are tactically perfect. They know how to protect the full-backs, make themselves available for the ball and whether to go short or long with their next pass. They’ve got so much footballing intelligence. We can’t say that “this guy’s unique” or “if he doesn’t play we’ll struggle”, as it’s not true.

2012: FIFA increases scope of development projects ( New initiatives, a special focus on women’s football, $67.25 million USD invested through the Financial Assistance Programme (FAP) and an additional $24.5 million USD used to fund Goal projects all over the world marked the year for FIFA’s development activities, according to figures released today, 18 December, by world football’s governing body. In 2012, member associations mainly invested FAP funds in women’s football (20 per cent of the average use), planning and administration (20 per cent), youth football (19 per cent) and men’s competitions (13 per cent), while a total of 49 Goal projects were implemented in Asia (12), Africa (11), North and Central America and the Caribbean (9), South America (4), Oceania (2) and Europe (11), the majority of which were for building or extending technical centres (19) as well as for setting up association headquarters (11) and football pitches (9). “With 209 member associations and as many different situations and contexts, one of our key challenges has been to provide tailor-made support in order to promote concrete progress in all six confederations," said FIFA’s Director of Member Associations and Development, Thierry Regenass. "The ongoing diversification of member associations’ strategic priorities means that we also need to diversify and adapt the scope of our development programmes. Institutional and human resources empowerment, as well as supporting the development of football structures and infrastructures, especially for the youth, play a key role within our long-term strategy.” The introduction of new schemes 2012 also marked the start of two special initiatives approved by the FIFA Executive Committee in 2011 to adapt FIFA’s development support to the changing landscape: the infrastructure and youth competitions programme, and the income generation scheme. While the former targets 75 less-privileged member associations and resulted in the implementation of 16 projects, the latter aims at fostering revenue creation in 50 member associations with high football development potential and underwent a pilot phase during the past 12 months. An additional milestone was reached with the introduction of the worldwide football stakeholder registration programme. The seven-year initiative aims at providing a general registration scheme for all national and international football stakeholders. Further investment in football development was made in 2012 through FIFA’s PERFORMANCE Programme, which saw 22 new member associations benefiting from a variety of projects. More than 70 countries are currently involved in PERFORMANCE, with the main focus on strengthening organisational skills (25 per cent), marketing and communication (14 per cent) and IT management (14 per cent). A total of $35 million has been allocated to PERFORMANCE programme activities for the 2011-2014 budget cycle. A year after the successful FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011™, 30 projects were launched to support women’s leagues around the world and more than 8,000 girls joined FIFA’s 'Live Your Goals' festivals. Furthermore, 2030 coaches attended at least one of the 58 women’s football courses organised by world football’s governing body throughout the year. Overall, FIFA organised more than 500 education and capacity building projects during 2012, mainly in the areas of refereeing, coaching and institutional empowerment. A special focus was placed on grassroots football with 64 initiatives implemented in 59 nations, including special programmes in Mongolia, Burundi, Thailand, Greenland and Palestine. *Comprehensive information about FIFA’s initiatives is available on the FIFA Development Globe.

Mohamed Bin Hammam resigns from football, Mr Mohamed Bin Hammam, FIFA Executive Committee member and AFC President, has resigned from all his positions in football with immediate effect and will never be active in organised football again. This results from a resignation letter of Mr Bin Hammam addressed to FIFA and AFC dated on 15 December 2012. In view of the fact that under the new FIFA Code of Ethics, the FIFA Ethics Committee remains competent to render a decision even if a person resigns, the Adjudicatory Chamber decided to ban Mohamed Bin Hammam from all football-related activity for life. This life ban is based on the final report of Michael J. Garcia, Chairman of the Investigatory Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee. That report showed repeated violations of Article 19 (Conflict of Interest) of the FIFA Code of Ethics, edition 2012, of Mohamed Bin Hammam during his terms as AFC President and as member of the FIFA Executive Committee in the years 2008 to 2011, which justified a life-long ban from all football related activity.

Singapore, Thailand vie for record fourth title Singapore and Thailand will vie for the honour of becoming south-east Asia's first four-time champions when the AFF Suzuki Cup final gets under way on Wednesday. Both teams have won the title three times, during a period in which they shared it for the first six editions, and they are reunited in the two-legged final after both failed to reach the semis at the last tournament in 2010. But two years after those disappointing campaigns, normal service has been resumed as they topped their respective groups before battling through tricky semi-finals to reach the final once again. The Thais have done it in impressive fashion, winning all of their group games against the Philippines, Myanmar and Vietnam before disposing of defending champions Malaysia 3-1 on aggregate in the last four. The "War Elephants" have not won the regional title in a decade but Winfried Schaefer's vibrant side will be favourites after netting 12 times in five games with striker Teerasil Dangda bagging a tournament-leading five goals. And in Datsakorn Thonglao, they have a talented and combative midfielder who is determined to lift the title after finishing with runners-up medals in 2007 and 2008. "I have never been on the winning side in the AFF Suzuki Cup. It is a gap in my career. I want to put that right this year," said the 28-year-old. Datsakorn will be gunning to avenge the loss to Singapore in the 2007 final when Khairul Amri's thunderbolt with nine minutes left in the second leg gave the Lions a 3-2 aggregate victory. Lions hungry for victory Amri has been hobbled by a series of injuries in the past four years but he netted the only goal over two legs in a hard-fought semi-final victory against the Philippines. That followed a group stage in which Singapore stunned neighbours Malaysia 3-0 and lost 1-0 to Indonesia, before they came from two goals down to beat unfancied Laos 4-3. Captain Shahril Ishak has led by example by scoring four goals while 42-year-old Aleksandar Duric, set to retire after the tournament, became the competition's oldest goal-scorer when he found the net against Malaysia. "Like us, Thailand have a good mixture of old and young players and I think that it will be a great final with the two best teams playing for the most prestigious trophy in south-east Asian football," said the veteran striker. "For me, playing my last game at the Jalan Besar Stadium for the national team will be a special moment for me. I have two games left and I will be enjoying every moment especially knowing that it is the final." The first leg will be played on the artificial pitch of Singapore's Jalan Besar venue on Wednesday, with the return game at Bangkok's Supachalasai Stadium on Saturday.

Benitez wants Chelsea Rafael Benitez has called on his Chelsea stars to erase the bitter memory of their FIFA Club World Cup final defeat by moving closer to their first silverware of the season with victory over Leeds in the League Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday. Benitez's team returned from Japan just over 48 hours before their trip to Elland Road having lost to Brazilian side Corinthians in the Club World Cup final on Sunday. Chelsea have already been eliminated from the UEFA Champions League and were beaten in the Charity Shield by Manchester City in August when Roberto Di Matteo was manager. And for Chelsea interim manager Benitez, whose side are currently 13 points behind leaders Manchester United in the Premier League, the League Cup appears to be their safest bet for silverware, with Swansea, Aston Villa and League Two outfit Bradford, the conquerors of Arsenal, already in the semi-final draw. "I said before we have five trophies to challenge for, now we have four," Benitez said. "We go back, play Leeds in the League Cup and then Aston Villa at the weekend, so we need to be strong mentally. We have to be ready for the next challenge." Chelsea's Spanish midfielder Juan Mata is hopeful his team can put a smile back on the supporters' faces after a traumatic few months, starting with a win over old rivals Leeds. "I hope we can enjoy good moments and lift more trophies for the club and for you very soon," he said. "We are still playing to win four trophies and we will give everything we have to success in each of them." Benitez will make changes for the Leeds game as John Obi Mikel, Ramires and Gary Cahill are suspended, the latter because of his red card in the Corinthians match. That could open the door for fringe men Paulo Ferreira, Ryan Bertand, Marko Marin and Daniel Sturridge. Piazon fires up Blues Midfielder Lucas Piazon started in both previous rounds, against Wolves and Manchester United, but may have talked himself out of this game by questioning his team-mates' desire on Sunday. The Brazilian teenager, who was an unused substitute that day, was quoted as saying: "We lacked character and a love for the shirt. Nobody wanted the ball. At least Oscar tried. "The team lacked willing. You don't go into a final without the desire to play the ball, that's unacceptable."

Unstoppable teams We now know the identity of three of the DFB Cup semi-finalists in Germany, while Olympique Lyonnais are continuing where they left off in France and Northern Football have retained their New Zealand title. Read on with FIFA.com to find out all that has been happening in the world of women's football in the past few weeks. Germany: Cup holders into the semis Holders Bayern Munich cruised into the semi-finals of this season's DFB Women's Cup with a 5-1 thrashing of second-division TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. USA star Sarah Hagen fired in no fewer than four of the goals, with Vanessa Burki notching the fifth for coach Thomas Worle's women. Swiss international Martina Moser replied for Hoffenheim. Turbine Potsdam also made it into the semis but had a much tougher time of things. They too were facing opposition from a league below them, and SC Sand battled all the way, but in the end Genoveva Anonman scored the only goal of the game to give the current Bundesliga champions a 1-0 win. SC Freiburg cruised past Hervorder SV 6-2, while the fourth quarter-final between Wolfsburg and Jena was postponed due to the weather and will be played in the New Year. New Zealand: Northern Football do the double For the second year in a row, Northern Football are New Zealand league champions after defeating local rivals Auckland 2-0 in the ASB Women's League final at Fred Taylor Park. Neither team managed to create any chances of note in the first half but after the break, goals from Tayla O'Brien in the 49th minute and Georgia Brown on the hour propelled them to the title. "We kept clean sheets in the last four games, which proves how strong our defence is. The first 45 minutes were really tough and full of nervous energy. The second half was excellent though and the team showed that they really can operate as a unit," said Northern coach Mauro Donoso after the match. Helen Collins of Waikato/BOP Football meanwhile won the Golden Boot as the league's top scorer. France: Business as usual Though Germany was already enjoying its winter break, neighbours France had one more matchday left this year, and it was a case of more of the same at the top. Lyon maintained their vice-like grip on the top of the table with a 3-0 win over Yzeure Allier. Laetitia Tonazzi, Amandine Henry and Lotta Schelin scored the goals in what was Lyon's 18th consecutive victory in all competitions since the start of the season. Paris Saint-Germain kept up their pursuit of OL, defeating AS Saint-Etienne 4-1, while third-placed Montpellier managed a 2-1 home win over Toulouse FC. Top three: Lyon (48 points), Paris Saint-Germain (41), Montpellier (38) Australia: Setback for champs Canberra After winning their last two matches, Canberra United suffered another setback in their attempt to defend their league title, slipping to a 2-1 defeat at home to Melbourne Victory. The result saw the two teams swap places in the league and enabled league-leaders Perth Glory to open up a five-point gap over Canberra after their thrilling 7-5 win over Sydney FC. Brisbane Roar also overtook Canberra, their 2-1 win over Western Sydney Wanderers hoisting them up to second in the league. Adelaide United, meanwhile, put an end to a dismal run of seven consecutive defeats with a 2-0 victory over Newcastle Jets. Top three: Perth Glory (19), Brisbane Roar (17), Melbourne Victory (16)

Giants re-emerge, The second half of 2012 has reached its climax across South America, with renewed league success for several traditional heavyweights and a rare taste of glory for some of the younger clubs. Join FIFA.com as we take a closer look. Argentina: Velez cruise to title win Velez Sarsfield strengthened their status as one of the best teams in Argentinian football by winning the Torneo Inicial with a game to spare. The title is their third under coach Ricardo Gareca and the ninth in their history, making them the fifth most successful team in Argentina. El Fortinero also have one of the league’s most lethal strikers in the shape of youngster Facundo Ferreyra, whose 13 goals came from the last 12 games of the campaign. “At one point we were five points behind the leaders, but we managed to recover. I’m now dreaming of the Copa Libertadores,” said Gareca. Brazil: Joy for Fluminense, pain for Palmeiras Fluminense underlined their dominance of the Brazilian championship by securing the title with three games remaining. It is Flu’s second league title in three years and their fourth in total, putting them one behind local rivals Flamengo in the all-time list. Key to their success was forward Fred, who topped the scoring charts with 20 goals, outgunning Sao Paulo’s Luis Fabiano (17) and Neymar of Santos (14). The season also saw giants Palmeiras relegated for the second time in their history, ten years after suffering their first relegation. Bolivia: The Strongest make history The Strongest won the Apertura to secure a third consecutive title – an unprecedented feat in Bolivian football. Paraguayan forward Pablo Escobar was their star man, scoring 21 of the team’s 52 goals. “We don’t have the best players and I’m not the most valuable player either, but we’re the best team,” said Escobar, who is also the club’s captain. The Aurinegro now have 12 league titles and share second place in the all-time table with Jorge Wilstermann. Chile: Huachipato snare surprise title Club Deportivo Huachipato pulled off a major surprise in the Chilean Clausura, beating favourites Union Espanola in the final to be crowned champions. Huachipato, which means “bird trap” in the Mapuche language, lost the first leg 3-1 but won the return fixture by the same scoreline, before winning the penalty shootout to seal the second title in their 65-year history. Colombia: Millonarios paint the league blue Millonarios de Bogota ended their 24-year wait for a 14th league title, beating Independiente Medellin on penalties in the final to become the most successful club in Colombia. It was a double celebration for El Azul, whose league success ensures they return to the Copa Libertadores in 2013 after a 15-year absence. “We toiled and sweated, but in the end we took this well-deserved success,” said forward Walter Cosme. “I dedicate it to my family, to God and to the fans who have waited for it all these years.” Ecuador: El Torero return to the top Barcelona SC, for their part, celebrated their first league title in 15 years, winning both stages of the Ecuadorian season to be crowned automatic champions. “That [trophyless] spell was what tempted me to come here, but I could never have imagined the impact of the success,” said the club’s Argentinian coach, Gustavo Costas. The title, the 14th in the club’s history, sees El Torero regain their status as the most successful team in the country. Striker Narciso Mina was the driving force this season, scoring 40 per cent of the club’s goals. Rivals Emelec, meanwhile, finished runners-up for the third year in a row. Paraguay: Libertad crowned champions again Libertad won the 2012 Clausura tournament to take their eighth title in ten years, and their fourth under Uruguayan coach Ruben Israel. El Gumarelo, with 16 titles, are now the third most successful club in Paraguay, behind Olimpia (39) and Cerro Porteno (29) – neither of whom made the top three this season. Libertad forward Jose Nunez, meanwhile, scored 13 goals to finish joint-top scorer with Guarani’s Diego Centurion. Peru: Sporting Cristal end trophy drought Heavyweights Sporting Cristal were crowned champions of Peru after winning both stages of the 2012 season. The triumph ends a seven-year wait for silverware – the joint-longest barren spell in the club’s history. The mastermind behind this 16th title was former club hero Roberto Mosquera, who took the reins at the start of the year. “When I arrived, I said we were going to win the title because we needed commitment. Now they’re going to want me to retain the title, but I can’t promise it!” said the 55-year-old head coach. Uruguay: Penarol remain on course Uruguayan giants Penarol won the Apertura tournament to edge closer to only their second national title in ten years. It represents Los Carboneros’ first Apertura success in 16 years, and earns Jorge Da Silva’s side a final championship showdown with the winners of the Clausura in mid-2013. “We should celebrate but not too much, because our goal is the championship,” said veteran striker Marcelo Zalayeta. Venezuela: Anzoategui claim historic first title After just over 10 years of existence, Deportivo Anzaotegui secured their very first league title. With Uruguayan coach Daniel Farias at the helm, Los Aurirrojos clinched the title on the penultimate matchday, edging out the mighty Caracas FC by a single point. All in all it was a historic season for Anzaotegui, who also became the first team to win both the Copa de Venezuela and the championship since the introduction of short-format tournaments.

Plzen upset champions, Lazio on top ( Vaclav Prochazka scored the only goal of the game in the 26th minute as Viktoria Plzen beat holders Atletico Madrid to qualify for the knockout stages of the UEFA Europa League as Group B winners. Both sides had already qualified for the next stage but Plzen's win helped them move above the Spaniards into pole position on 13 points. Atletico had Brazilian Diego Costa sent off in injury time. Also in Group B, Hapoel Tel Aviv claimed their first win with a 2-0 victory over Academica in Israel. Victor Merey and Hanan Maman scored in the second half, although both sides had already been eliminated. Liverpool went through as winners of a tight Group A after beating Udinese 1-0 in Italy, while Anzhi Makhachkala also scraped into the knockout stages despite falling to a 3-1 defeat at Young Boys. Jordan Henderson scored the only goal for Liverpool in the 23rd minute, but Udinese substitute Antonio Di Natale missed a late chance which could have eliminated Brendan Rodgers' men. Goals from Gonzalo Zarate, Moreno Costanzo and Alexander Gonzalez gave Young Boys victory over Anzhi, who replied through Odil Akhmedov and had Lacina Traora sent off. One more goal - or a Udinese equaliser - would have seen the Swiss side qualify. Steaua top, Copenhagen out Steaua Bucharest went through as winners of Group E despite being held to a 1-1 draw in Copenhagen. Steaua, who had Cristian Tanase sent off after 49 minutes, went ahead through Raul Rusescu before Igor Vetokele hit a late equaliser. Stuttgart joined Steaua in the knockout stages but missed the chance to go through as group winners as they were beaten 1-0 at home by Molde. Davy Angan scored the only goal in first half injury-time. Two goals from Cheick Diabate saw Bordeaux confirm their status as Group D winners with a 2-0 win over fellow qualifiers Newcastle. Also in Group D, goals from Goncalo Abreu and Heldon were enough to see Maritimo home with a 2-1 win over Club Brugge, who replied through a Lior Refaelov penalty. Having already confirmed their place at the top of Group C, Fenerbahce were hammered 3-0 at home by runners-up Borussia Monchengladbach, for whom Tolga Cigerci, Mike Hanke and Luuk de Jong got on the scoresheet. Cypriots AEL Limassol finished their Group C campaign with their first win, 3-0 over Marseille, with goals from Orlando Sa, Edmar and Dossa Junior. Two goals from Roman Zozulya and further strikes from Nikola Kalinic and Sergey Kravchenko saw Group F winners Dnipro finish with an emphatic 4-0 home win over AIK. Second-placed Napoli fell 3-1 at home to already-eliminated PSV, despite taking an 18th-minute lead through Edison Cavani. A hat-trick from PSV's Tim Matavz helped the Dutch side finish in style. Lazio cruise through Two goals from Sergio Floccari helped Lazio secure top spot in Group J with a 4-1 win in Maribor. Libor Kozak and Stefan Radu also scored for the visitors before Marcos Tavares hit a late consolation. Tottenham joined the Italians in the last 32 but only after two late goals settled their nerves and saw off visitors Panathinaikos, who needed a win to ensure they pipped the Londoners to second place. Emanuel Adebayor put Spurs ahead on 29 minutes but a 54th-minute equaliser from Zeca caused anxious moments before keeper Orestis Karnezis put through his own goal on 76 minutes and Jermain Defoe wrapped up a 3-1 win. Basle grabbed the goalless draw they needed in Genk to progress along with the Belgians from Group G. Videoton's match at Sporting Lisbon was postponed until tomorrow due to a waterlogged pitch, but Basle's point rendered the outcome irrelevant. With both sides having already qualified from Group L, Levante and Hannover played out a 2-2 draw in Spain, with the Germans blowing a 2-0 lead but still taking the point they needed to top the group. Lars Stindl and Didier Ya Konan put the visitors in front before the half-hour mark but the hosts hit back after the break with Angel pulling one back on 49 minutes and Vicente Iborra hitting an injury-time leveller. Also in Group L, Helsingborg won 3-1 at FC Twente in a match between two sides who were already eliminated. Nikola Djurdjic, Alejandro Bedoya and Thomas Sorum scored for the visitors before Dusan Tadic replied for the hosts. Group H winners Rubin Kazan settled for a 1-1 draw at Partizan Belgrade. Aleksandar Markovic put the hosts ahead on 53 minutes and Salomon Rondon equalised for the Russians five minutes later. Also in Group H, Inter Milan, already assigned the runners-up position, drew 2-2 at home to Neftci. Marko Livaja's two goals for Inter were cancelled out first by Rashad Sadygov, then by Nicolas Canales one minute from time. With Group K already settled, Deni Alar's 13th-minute goal gave Rapid Vienna their first points with a 1-0 win over Metalist Kharkiv. Runners-up Bayer Leverkusen beat Rosenborg 1-0 with a goal from Julian Riedel. Goals from Mouhamadou Sarr and Yassine Benzia gave Group I winners Lyon a 2-0 win over Hapoel Kiryat Shmona, while second-placed Sparta Prague played out a goalless draw at Athletic Bilbao. Also lining up in the last 32 draw will be the third-placed teams from the UEFA Champions League: Chelsea, Cluj, Olympiacos, Benfica, Dynamo Kiev, Zenit St Petersburg, Ajax and BATE Borisov.