Del Piero ready for Sydney pressure Former Juventus star Alessandro Del Piero said on Monday he was ready for the pressure of being the biggest signing in Australian football history, vowing to rise to the challenge. The Italian, 37, opted for Sydney FC ahead of clubs including Premier League giants Liverpool on a two-year contract reportedly worth US$2 million a season. His arrival has been hailed as a significant moment for Australia's domestic A-League, which is entering its eighth season but has struggled over the years with patchy crowds and financial troubles. I played 19 years with Juventus, and in Juventus you have to win every game, every year. New Sydney FC signing Alessandro Del Piero "I know there's a lot of expectation, and I love that," Del Piero said in his first press conference since arriving on Sunday. "I played 19 years with Juventus, and in Juventus you have to win every game, every year. "Fortunately a lot of the time that happened, but all my life I play for winning. I'm here for winning ... I'm here because I trust in the win." Despite his age, Del Piero said he was in good shape and keen to settle in as soon as possible. "I am coming from two months working with my personal trainer and a young team in Italy," said the Italian, who scored 208 goals in 513 appearances for Juventus. "I do everything I can to stay in better condition.

Di Matteo holds no doubts over Torres form Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo insisted he had no fear whatsoever of Fernando Torres suffering another nightmare run at the Blues after the striker went missing in their goalless draw at Queens Park Rangers. But the Italian also promised Daniel Sturridge more opportunities up front after Torres' understudy came off the bench and almost helped snatch victory in Saturday's Premier League clash. Torres declared just over two weeks ago that he had finally exorcised his demons at Stamford Bridge following an impressive start to the season. He has since produced two miserable performances, something which it would be unfair to read too much into under normal circumstances. But by storming down the tunnel upon being substituted for Sturridge after a display of ever-diminishing returns, Torres himself suggested he could easily regress to the dark place he found himself in for 18 months following his £50million move from Liverpool. We can't put too much pressure on one player. We are a team and everybody has responsibility. We're looking for other players to score goals as well. Roberto Di Matteo, Chelsea manager Di Matteo dimissed that out of hand, saying: "No, no, absolutely not. We can't put too much pressure on one player. We are a team and everybody has responsibility. We're looking for other players to score goals as well." Di Matteo repeatedly refused to be drawn on QPR manager Mark Hughes' claim that Ryan Nelsen "dominated" Torres, whose display of petulance at least showed he cares. At the third time of asking, the Chelsea manager replied: "I think it's a team sport. I wouldn't individually go player by player. I thought, as a team, we played well, our centre-forward worked very hard, he had a chance in the first half to score as well, a half-decent chance in the second half." It was Torres' lack of effort as the game progressed that was truly worrying and Di Matteo finally took decisive action nine minutes from time. Support for Sturridge The difference in his two strikers' work-rates was staggering and begged the question what might have happened had Sturridge come on sooner. It also begged the question about whether the England forward deserved a recall ahead of Torres, who has started every match this season. "We've only played four in the league now," said Di Matteo, whose attention now shifts to Wednesday's UEFA Champions League clash with Juventus. "We're going to have seven games - including this - in 21 days. So there is time for everybody to play." He added of Sturridge: "He can maybe play more minutes, for sure. As long as he keeps training well and, when he has the opportunities, shows his qualities, that's the way forward, and he will get chances to play as well." Di Matteo promised that meant more opportunities "in the middle" for the England forward, who has become increasingly frustrated with being played out wide and reportedly came close to being allowed to leave on loan before the transfer window closed. Chelsea can ill-afford a lack of goals if they are to stand any chance of defending their European crown. They kick off their bid to do so this week and Di Matteo was acutely aware of the task at hand. We are very pleased that, again, we are involved and we're going to face a very, very difficult game on Wednesday against Juventus. Di Matteo on the UEFA Champions League The man whose three months as caretaker manager included one of the most astonishing Champions League triumphs ever, said: "To win it twice in a row, it's proven so far impossible, because it's so competitive." Pointing out the number of top sides who were not even among the highest seeds this season, Di Matteo also admitted Chelsea now had a target on their back. "Every opposition is going to play with extra motivation playing against the title-holder of the Champions League," he said. "So it makes our lives more difficult." Chelsea already had a taste of that in the UEFA Super Cup against Atletico Madrid and Di Matteo added: "Even in the league, I'm sure that Mark Hughes would've told his players, 'You're playing against so and so, the European champions'." Revealing he had not once watched last season's final on tape, the Italian was simply relieved to be in the competition at all after Chelsea finished only sixth in the Premier League. He said: "We are very pleased that, again, we are involved and we're going to face a very, very difficult game on Wednesday against Juventus."

Ahly smiling as Esperance falter © AFP Despite only managing a 1-1 draw with arch-rivals Zamalek, record CAF Champions League winners Al Ahly fulfilled their aim of finishing top of Group B to avoid a tricky semi-final clash against holders Esperance of Tunisia. The Egyptian giants, who finish the group stage with 11 points, were handed a gift by TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo, who slumped to a 1-0 defeat at Ghana’s Berekum Chelsea to end with 10 points. Ahly will face Nigeria’s Sunshine Stars, while Esperance will take on Mazembe in the competition’s two-legged semis. Game of the week Al Ahly 1-1 Zamalek In stark contrast to their dull meeting in July, Ahly and Zamalek played out an exciting 1-1 draw in a Cairo derby that was played behind closed doors at the Egyptian Army Stadium in Alexandria. Zamalek, who have not beaten Ahly in 13 attempts since a league win in 2007, took the lead on the stroke of half-time thanks to a goal from lively playmaker Mohamed Ibrahim. The White Knights were unlucky not to double their lead in the second half as they squandered the chance to put the result beyond doubt after wasting some gilt-edged opportunities. Ahly, who played without several key figures as coach Hossam El Badry feared they might miss the last four with suspension, took advantage of Zamalek’s wastefulness to level the score two minutes past the hour mark behind a goal from second-half substitute Mohamed Barakat. The veteran attacking midfielder had his initial shot blocked by a defender following a corner, but his follow-up effort from inside the area went in off the bar. It was the second point for five-time champions Zamalek in a hugely disappointing group-stage campaign, while Ahly will be favourites to defeat Nigeria’s Sunshine Stars in the semis as they bid to win their seventh trophy but first since 2008. The surprise ASO Chlef 1-0 Esperance Defending champions Esperance, who had already ensured their progress to the semis as Group A winners, suffered their first Champions League defeat in more than 17 months after losing 1-0 to bottom side ASO Chlef of Algeria. Cameroon-born striker Anicet Eyenga notched the winner after 25 minutes with a simple tap-in after Esperance keeper Wassim Naouara could only parry a tame free-kick into his path. A depleted Esperance side still had several chances in the second half to secure a share of spoils, but they could not make use of them as Chlef won their first group match. Tunisian coach Nabil Maaloul also opted to leave out several key players to avoid suspensions and injuries, including goalkeeper Moez Ben Cherifia, highly-rated midfielder Youssef Msakni and Cameroonian striker Yannick N'Djeng. It was their first Champions League defeat since they lost 2-0 to Benin’s ASPAC FC in the second leg of a preliminary-round game in March 2011. Esperance, who will face four-time winners Mazembe in the semis, are aiming to win a third continental title and second in a row. Other matches Needing a win to make sure they finish on top of Group A, Mazembe lost 1-0 at already-eliminated Berekum Chelsea of Ghana to finish second behind Ahly and set up a mouth-watering semi-final clash against Esperance, a rematch of the final from two years ago. Despite missing inspirational striker and Champions League top scorer Emmanuel Clottey, who finalized an agreement to join Esperance later this year, Chelsea managed to snatch all three points with a late strike. Ghanaian midfielder Jordan Opuku scored the winner with six minutes remaining when he was found unmarked by a deft chipped pass, controlling on his chest and scoring with aplomb for the debutants. Player of the week Mohamed Ibrahim, Zamalek’s best performer in the group stage, kept Ahly defenders on their toes with some catchy feints during Sunday’s game. The diminutive playmaker, who was one of the three attacking midfielders supporting lone striker Ahmed Gaafar, opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time after a fine individual effort. The 20-year-old, who surprisingly missed out on Egypt’s squad for the Olympic Games this year, cut inside two challengers on the left to place a low shot past Ahly goalkeeper Sherif Ekrami. The stat 19 – The number of Champions League matches Esperance had gone unbeaten before losing on Friday. Had they avoided a defeat, the Blood and Gold would have surpassed a record held by Ahly, although the Tunisians had already eclipsed the record once after beating compatriots Etoile Sahel last month, but the result was annulled after the latter were kicked out of the competition following crowd trouble. What they said “I didn’t care about the identity of the team we would face in the semis, but the joy Ahly players and technical staff members showed because they will not play against us underscored our strength.” Esperance coach Nabil Maaloul. Have your say Who is your favourite to win the Champions League title?

Forlan: I don’t need objectives to perform (FIFA.com) Monday 17 September 2012 Forlan: I don’t need objectives to perform © Getty Images There is not much that has not already been said about Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan. Now 33, and a veteran of 17 seasons of top-flight football in Argentina, England, Spain, Italy and now Brazil, Forlan knows all about life in the spotlight, especially after his exploits at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, where he capped his side’s run to fourth place by pocketing the adidas Golden Ball, awarded to the tournament’s most outstanding player. The stalwart sharpshooter gave FIFA.com an exclusive interview at his new base in Porto Alegre, where he spoke about his return to South American football with Internacional, Uruguay’s bid to qualify for Brazil 2014 and what lies in store in his already successful career. FIFA.com: Diego, what does your return to South America mean career-wise? Diego Forlan: It’s a different situation in a different country. That’s what it means. After ten years in Europe it seemed to me to be the right time to change, and after my experience in Italy and having played in Spain and England, I felt that phase of my career had come to an end. Were there no challenges left for you in Europe? I don’t see it like that. I had ten amazing years there, even if there was the odd downside, like not playing that much at Inter Milan. I had offers to carry on there but then I got this chance to come to a big side in a very competitive league on a three-year contract. As if that weren’t enough, it also meant I’d be close to home, family and friends again. Everything conspired for me to make this return. Do you see yourself going back to Europe? To be honest, right now I’m not thinking about Europe or anywhere else. I’m 33 and I want to play for as long as possible, but I don’t know what shape I’ll be in when I’m 36 (laughs). Did you think about playing in Uruguay? No. The fact is, nobody knew I was going back to South America because the Inter offer was pretty much kept secret until the deal was done, which meant there was no time for any Uruguayan team even to think about me. Do you feel like you have unfinished business there? Not at all. And in any case, it wouldn’t be easy and I don’t want to give anyone false hopes. I’m happy with the decision I made. Inter are a big club. What attracted you to the Brazilian league? The fact that it’s always been a tough league, with six or seven teams fighting for the top four places, and which in the last few years has gone right down to the wire. The quality of football’s good, and you’ve got big teams and great derbies. It’s a fantastic challenge. The quality of football’s good [in Brazil], and you’ve got big teams and great derbies. It’s a fantastic challenge. New Internacional striker Diego Forlan How different is it to European football? The thing that stands out most is the size of the pitches. They’re bigger here and the space is harder to fill, but generally speaking the football is pretty dynamic here. The other differences are all relative and depend on the teams, the coaches and the players you have. Let’s face it, little teams sit back everywhere. Let’s turn to the national team now. What’s your view on Uruguay’s performance at the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament London 2012? Well, it’s an obvious thing to say but that’s football. I’m not kidding when I say that standards have levelled off a lot and we had a real struggle in all three games. Look at United Arab Emirates. We ended up beating them but they controlled the ball and created several chances. And don’t forget Senegal, who were a fast, strong and technically gifted team and who scored their second against us despite being down to ten men. You don’t get any predictable results these days. Would you have liked to have been there? Just as much as the rest of the overage players who didn’t go. But we knew the rules and in my case I didn’t get carried away. I just accepted it and I’m sure my colleagues did too. Oscar Tabarez said that was just one example of how mature the current squad is, a factor he believes is key to the success Uruguay has enjoyed lately. Yes, relations are very good on and off the pitch, which helps when times are good and especially when they’re bad. Do you think recent results are a sign that the team’s status as favourites is beginning to weigh heavily? Not at all! People might believe all that stuff about being favourites but we don’t. We’re the same everywhere we go. We believe in what we’re capable of doing and in how far we can go, but nothing more than that. World Cup qualifiers have never been easy for Uruguay. National teams here are getting better all the time and that’s there for all to see. My goal was always to do things to the best of my ability without losing sight of who I was. I think I’ve managed that. Diego Forlan Even so, it can’t be easy having to deal with the euphoria of fans as passionate as Uruguay’s ... (Interrupting the question) The fans are going through a very special time. We’ve had quite a few successes after a lot of barren years and it’s understandable that they’re happy and let it show, especially the younger fans. Even when I was a kid the only thing I saw them win was the 1987 Copa America, which was also played in Argentina. They see a different Uruguay these days and people are happy. We should let them enjoy it. Do you think you and they could take going through a fourth consecutive play-off? No, it would be very hard (laughs). The fact is, though, all that matters is making it to the World Cup. I don’t care how we get there. It’s never been easy for us and the aim is to qualify as soon as possible. But if we have to go through the play-off to make it, I’d settle for that right now. Is that the biggest objective of your career now, after winning the adidas Golden Ball at South Africa 2010, lifting the 2011 Copa America and becoming your country’s highest goalscorer of all time? Without a doubt, but I’m not someone who needs to set objectives all the time to be motivated. I like to train, play and make a living from this job. As long as I’m as enthusiastic as I am now, the challenges will keep on coming. You might end up being the player of the tournament again in Brazil. First we have to qualify. Then I have to be selected, play and win games (laughs). The important thing about that award is that you shouldn’t go looking for it. It’s part of history now. Let’s talk about your life outside the game. What’s the best and worst thing about being a footballer? (Pauses) I chose to make a living from football and it’s fantastic. It gives you the chance to travel, to visit different countries, discover other cultures and have colleagues all over the world. You also sacrifice other things that you’ll never get back, like the time you’ve spent away from your family. There are sacrifices in every profession, though. The key is to be relaxed about who you are and not go around thinking, ‘How would my life have turned out if …?’. You’ve experienced the good and the bad side of fame. It affects you, of course it does, but it was my choice and I have to live with it. My goal was always to do things to the best of my ability without losing sight of who I was. I think I’ve managed that. One last question. You’ve said that you intend to carry on playing for a long time yet. Are you scared of retiring? Absolutely not. I know it’s going to happen sooner or later, but right now I’m just trying to enjoy all this. My idea is to stay in football later on and there are lots of ways of doing that, though I still don’t know in what capacity. One thing I am sure of is that now is not the time to stop and think about it.

Armadillo alert: Official Mascot introduced to the world FIFA and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) are excited to introduce one of the most high-profile ambassadors of the 2014 FIFA World Cup™: a unique Brazilian three-banded armadillo (the Tolypeutes tricinctus), a creature that is indigenous to Brazil. The mascot was officially launched as part of Brazilian broadcaster TV Globo’s weekly Fantástico entertainment show, where he was welcomed by Brazilian football legend and member of the LOC Management Board, Ronaldo. “I’m delighted to welcome such an important member to the 2014 team,” said Ronaldo. “The mascot will play a key ambassadorial role in the next two years. I’m sure he will inspire many young football fans in Brazil and all over the world with the great passion which he has for the sport and for his country.” The introduction followed a week of activities in which the mascot made a series of unofficial visits all over Brazil. This included the distribution of two thousand and fourteen blue balls, representing his unique blue shell, on the Boa Viagem beach in Recife, a meeting with his new friend Ronaldo in São Paulo, as well as high-profile introductions to Brazilian football fans through digital appearances during several live football broadcasts. The Official Mascot also has his own official song, “Tatu Bom de Bola”, sung by Brazilian music star Arlindo Cruz. The fact that the three-banded armadillo is a vulnerable species is very fitting. FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke The final mascot design was chosen after FIFA and the LOC had analysed 47 different proposals created by six different Brazilian agencies. The designs were further analysed through extensive research carried out amongst its primary target audience, Brazilian children between the ages of five and twelve, with the favourite being the armadillo, created by 100%Design. “The fact that the three-banded armadillo is a vulnerable species is very fitting,” said FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke. “One of the key objectives through the 2014 FIFA World Cup is to use the event as a platform to communicate the importance of the environment and ecology. We are glad to be able to do so with the help of a mascot who I’m sure will be much-loved, not only in Brazil, but all over the world.” The Brazilian population will now have the chance to give the Official Mascot a name by taking part in a public voting campaign which will run up until the middle of November. The three options, which were decided upon after a vote by a high-profile judging committee including Bebeto, Arlindo Cruz, Thalita Rebouças, Roberto Duailibi and Fernanda Santos, are Amijubi – a representation of friendliness and joy – and two names which link to the ecological message, Fuleco and Zuzeco. The Official Mascot is the latest in a line of iconic characters who have gone down in World Cup history. Following in the footsteps of the likes of Zakumi in South Africa in 2010, Germany’s Goleo in 2006 and all the way back to the days of World Cup Willie in 1966, the mascot is one of the key visuals of a FIFA World Cup, providing FIFA, the LOC and other stakeholders with a strong and exciting brand asset through which promotional campaigns can be activated and target audiences can be engaged. Content To visit the mascot’s home, please go to: www.FIFA.com/mascot. The mascot’s visit to Recife as well as a selection of animations can be found on: www.youtube.com/FIFATV The footage of the Official Mascot is also available for editorial coverage via www.thenewsmarket.com/FIFA. Follow the mascot on Twitter: @mascot2014 (EN) and @mascote2014 (POR)

FIFA sets the development of football in India as priority objective A FIFA delegation headed by FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke and FIFA’s Director of Member Associations and Development Thierry Regenass concluded today a four-day mission in India which saw football’s world governing body commit to increase its support, beyond all projects already conducted through the “Win in India with India” programme, to strengthen the development of football in the world’s second most populous country, with 1.2 billion people. A Memorandum of Understanding setting concrete objectives, mainly in terms of strategy and management, technical development, league and club management, was signed by Jérôme Valcke and All India Football Association (AIFF) President Praful Patel on the occasion of a press conference in New Delhi. A lack of infrastructures, a national team currently ranked 169th in the world, a national league struggling to compete with other leagues, especially European ones, to attract fans and TV viewership: these are some of the challenges faced by Indian football today. “With India, we’re engaging on a 10-year development plan, which would include, if confirmed by the FIFA Executive Committee, the hosting of the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2017 in India. There is no football without a strong base, without grassroots football. There is also a lack of infrastructures here which hinders the growth of the game too; in this area also, we will be active. With a population of 1.2 billion, it can’t be that you cannot have another sport than cricket. There is definitely space for football and, by the way, football is very much spread at school level. After this visit, we are even more convinced about India’s football potential,” commented FIFA’s Secretary General. Jérôme Valcke went on explaining why India was chosen as a priority for the development of the game: “After the 2010 FIFA World Cup, we consulted the Asian Football Confederation and agreed together to concentrate our development efforts on one country where we believe the potential is huge, rather than on the entire continent which is so large. And that country is India. However, we firmly believe that the boost of the development of football in India will have a positive ‘domino effect’ on the neighboring countries as well.” The FIFA Secretary General actually met some of the Chairmen, Secretary Generals and Technical Directors of the SAFF (South Asia Football Federation) in India’s capital city. Furthermore, the FIFA delegation was given the opportunity to hold individual meetings with major Indian business leaders from the private sector, including Mukesh Ambani and Pawan Munjal, who showed a real interest in investing in the game with a clear development objective and long-term vision in mind, rather than short-term “return on investment” expectations. A meeting with Atul Singh, President and CEO of Coca-Cola – long-time FIFA partner - India and South West Asia was also held. Another important milestone was the meeting with India’s Sports Minister Ajay Maken who sent a clear message of support towards FIFA and AIFF’s plans, in particular when it comes to the government guarantees needed to host any FIFA competition. “We have been fortunate enough to have President Blatter and now Mr. Valcke visiting India in the same year. It depicts FIFA’s interest in developing football in the country. Indian football is poised for a big leap after days of hibernation. FIFA is supporting us in our cause. They are going out of their way to see India emerge as a strong footballing nation. We have to start early if we want to grow as a footballing nation and develop the grassroots. We need to work on the pyramid and that stays the main objective of the Federation. Unless we have players being nurtured from the age of 12-13 we won’t grow. We have a 10-year Master Plan called Lakshya and our aim is to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup”, stated AIFF President Praful Patel. Moved from Colombo (Sri Lanka) to New Delhi earlier this year, the FIFA Development Office in the region, headed by FIFA Development Officer Shaji Prabhakaran, was officially inaugurated by FIFA’s Secretary General. The FIFA delegation completed its mission by taking part in the International Football Arena Roundtable New Delhi 2012, an event organized in cooperation with FIFA, which gathered main stakeholders of Indian football as well as top representatives from international football (see: www.international-football-arena.com). Follow our special India coverage on FIFA.com.

Who will be the surprise qualifiers? ( Who will be the surprise qualifiers? FIFA.com wants to know which teams you think will be the surprise qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™. Simply click ‘Add your comment’ to share your views with the world, remembering to keep your comments clean, respectful, on-topic and in English.