Del Bosque: We don’t copy anyone

Del Bosque: We don’t copy anyone


Vicente del Bosque is well versed in the ways of winning. Earlier in his coaching career, the 59-year-old collected two Spanish league titles and two UEFA Champions Leagues with Real Madrid, a glittering prelude to his crowning achievement with Spain at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™.

Now engaged in the task of defending the European title La Roja seized in 2008, Del Bosque spoke exclusively to FIFA.com about his coaching philosophy and the things that make his side tick.

FIFA.com: Vicente, what’s your take on the tactics we saw at South Africa 2010?
Vicente del Bosque: Most teams chose to play the same way though there were some sides that went out with different set-ups. I’m not a great believer in formations. It’s part of the game now but it’s not the be all and end all. The most important thing is that the team plays as a unit in defence and attack. Formations give you an initial picture of things but that’s all.

You say that, but the way Spain played is very difficult to copy.
Some of the teams we played knew exactly what they had to do to stop us from playing. Chile and Paraguay counteracted us extremely well and we found it really hard to adapt to their gameplans. You have to congratulate them on their defensive play in particular. They didn’t cause us too many problems up front but in terms of organisation they did very well against us.

What is the key to Spain’s way of playing the game?
First and foremost, the fact that we don’t copy anyone, and secondly the type of players we have. With the midfielders we’ve got it’s impossible to play anything other than a possession game and mix long balls up with short ones. We have our strong points and we can’t go against them, but no team is complete without having some defensive strengths too. In our case that’s our ability to close the opposition down and win the ball back.
I can see virtually all of the world champions making 2012 and most of them getting to 2014, but we need to be on our guard if they don’t.
Vicente del Bosque

Do you work on that in training or is it something Spanish players have in their DNA?
It’s a little bit of both if you ask me. The clubs do some great work in that respect and we have to give them full credit for that. We’re setting an example for others to follow here and it’s something we drum into players when we coach them. Technique is innate but you have to nurture it too.

How much tactical freedom can you give to players?
Even in professional football I think players have to have a certain amount of freedom. That’s where the coach comes in. It’s his job to combine organisational aspects with the talent of the players, to draw the two together. He shouldn’t set limits on inspiration, though. Coaches aren’t just there to organise but to bring on players with excellent individual skills and allow them to express themselves.

Spain have struggled in their first few games since the FIFA World Cup finals. Did you expect that?
When you consider how the game panned out, the journey we’d had and the fact we hadn’t trained, I thought everything went perfectly against Mexico. No one got injured and we acquitted ourselves well. It was one of the games I’ve been most pleased with really. Against Argentina we started badly and couldn’t get back into the game. We were up against a great side but still I think we put in a decent performance. In any case, sometimes it’s not so bad to lose. It can be helpful at times.

You brought in some new faces for those games. Are you planning some kind of generational change?
I can see virtually all of the world champions making 2012 and most of them getting to 2014, but we need to be on our guard if they don’t. There were quite a few differences between the squads we had in Vienna and in Johannesburg. We had seven or eight new players in South Africa, so it’s something that’s ongoing.

The Spain players seem to get on well with each other. What’s the secret to keeping a dressing room happy?
It’s not the most important thing but if the spirit’s good then it’s easier to win things. Every coach handles it differently, depending on their character and the training they’ve had. I have to say I’ve been lucky with the squad I’ve got. They’re good sportsmen, good people and we haven’t had any problems up to now. I don’t think there’s any single approach that works. I just feel you have to adapt to the group. Coaching this Spain team is not the same as when I was in charge at Real Madrid, for example. There’s no magic formula. In fact you could also say it depends on the player, who has to be able to adapt as well.

People say national coaches have a more relaxing job than their counterparts at club level. Would you agree with that?
You still have a lot of things to do. To start with you have to represent the national association, keep an eye on your upcoming opponents, talk to the players and look at any changes you might have to make at youth level. There’s not enough time, to be honest. In terms of pressure, the big difference is that it tends to be concentrated into very short periods of time, but I don’t think there’s any less of it than at club football. Whether they’re supporting their national team or a club, fans have just as many expectations.

One last question. Are you a football addict or do you have time for other things in your life?
We all have our lives outside football. Some coaches are more obsessed than others, but when you’re born into this world and brought up in it then you’re always thinking about it to some extent or other.

Australian Prime Minister visits FIFA

Australian Prime Minister visits FIFA


FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter and FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke received a visit from the Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard at the Home of FIFA in Zurich on Sunday.

The Australian delegation made the trip to FIFA headquarters as part of a voyage around Europe, which then took them to Brussels on Sunday evening. Among those joining Mrs Gillard on her visit was Australia's Ambassador and Permanent Representative in Switzerland, Tim Yeend.

“The World Cup in South Africa connected people together but above all it showed everyone what Africa is capable of doing,” said President Blatter during their meeting.
Football’s values such as teamwork, friendship and determination correspond perfectly with the Australian people.
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on the country's bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup

Australia is a candidate nation to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup™ and Mrs Gillard, who became the country’s first female Prime Minister when she took on the role on 24 June, said: “I confirmed to Mr Blatter my government’s total support for Australia’s candidature for the 2022 World Cup.

"Everyone in Australia is very enthusiastic about it. Football is growing in Australia and we proved by hosting the Olympic Games in 2000 that we know how to organise major sporting events. Football’s values such as teamwork, friendship and determination correspond perfectly with the Australian people.”

After thanking the Australian Prime Minister for her visit, the FIFA President noted that “Australia has already shown its ability to organise tournaments with real fervour, like the FIFA U-20 World Cups in 1981 and 1993. Australians are passionate about football, as was demonstrated by the performances of the national team at Germany 2006 and South Africa 2010.”

Suspension of the Nigeria Football Federation

Suspension of the Nigeria Football Federation


The FIFA Emergency Committee decided today, 4 October 2010, to suspend the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) with immediate effect on account of government interference.

This decision follows the latest events linked to the NFF, such as the court actions against elected members of the NFF Executive Committee preventing them from exercising their functions and duties, the stepping down of the acting NFF General Secretary on the instructions of the National Sports Commission, the decision of the Minister of Sports to have the Nigerian League start without relegation from the previous season, and the fact that the NFF Executive Committee cannot work properly due to this interference.

The suspension will be maintained until the court actions have ceased and the duly elected NFF Executive Committee is able to work without any interference.

During the period of suspension, the NFF will not be able to be represented in any regional, continental or international competitions, including at club level, and also not in friendly matches. In addition, neither the NFF nor any of its members or officials can benefit from any development programme, course, or training from FIFA or CAF while the federation remains suspended.

FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking

FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking

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Last Updated 15 Sep 2010
Next Release 20 Oct 2010
Ranking Team Pts
Sep 10 +/- Ranking
Aug 10 +/- Pts
Aug 10
1 Spain Spain 1824 0 Equal -59
2 Netherlands Netherlands 1663 0 Equal 4
3 Germany Germany 1490 1 Up 26
4 Brazil Brazil 1480 -1 Down -44
5 Argentina Argentina 1351 0 Equal 63
6 England England 1191 1 Up 66
7 Uruguay Uruguay 1182 -1 Down 30
8 Portugal Portugal 1049 0 Equal -13
9 Egypt Egypt 1034 0 Equal -19
10 Chile Chile 1004 0 Equal 16
11 Croatia Croatia 998 3 Up 30
12 Greece Greece 973 0 Equal -2
13 Italy Italy 965 -2 Down -17
14 Norway Norway 958 8 Up 80
15 Serbia Serbia 945 -2 Down -24
16 Slovakia Slovakia 919 11 Up 90
17 Paraguay Paraguay 904 -2 Down -57
18 USA USA 899 0 Equal -32
19 Slovenia Slovenia 897 0 Equal -20
20 Ghana Ghana 889 3 Up 15
21 Switzerland Switzerland 882 -4 Down -58
21 Turkey Turkey 882 7 Up 72
23 Côte d'Ivoire Côte d'Ivoire 877 3 Up 34
24 Australia Australia 874 -4 Down -37
25 Russia Russia 868 -9 Down -88
26 Ukraine Ukraine 838 -2 Down -32
27 France France 835 -6 Down -55
28 Mexico Mexico 795 -3 Down -58
29 Denmark Denmark 781 0 Equal -4
30 Japan Japan 773 2 Up 5
31 Gabon Gabon 768 3 Up 13
32 Sweden Sweden 760 3 Up 13
33 Republic of Ireland Republic of Ireland 745 3 Up 11
34 Nigeria Nigeria 733 -4 Down -40
35 Algeria Algeria 732 -2 Down -27
36 Israel Israel 721 2 Up -12
37 Cameroon Cameroon 717 3 Up 7
37 Czech Republic Czech Republic 717 -6 Down -52
39 Burkina Faso Burkina Faso 703 6 Up 57
40 Montenegro Montenegro 684 33 Up 236
40 Colombia Colombia 684 -4 Down -50
42 Lithuania Lithuania 675 10 Up 104
43 Cyprus Cyprus 643 20 Up 120
44 Korea Republic Korea Republic 640 0 Equal -11
45 Northern Ireland Northern Ireland 638 14 Up 98
46 Romania Romania 631 -4 Down -66
47 Scotland Scotland 617 -6 Down -82
48 Peru Peru 613 -9 Down -113
49 New Zealand New Zealand 605 5 Up 48
50 Bolivia Bolivia 591 0 Equal 14

Vicente: The sky is the limit

Vicente: The sky is the limit
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Barcelona or Real Madrid? The two superpowers of La Liga were the exclusive members of title race debate heading into 2010/11.

Barça seized a record 99 points from a possible 114 last term, while Los Merengues had the destination of the trophy in question until the final day, ultimately falling three points short. A staggering 25 points separated the runners-up from third-placed Valencia, whose chances of finishing any closer were severely receded by the close-season departures of FIFA World Cup™ winners Carlos Marchena, David Silva and David Villa - and by the fact the latter relocated to Camp Nou, and that Sami Khedira, Mesut Ozil and Angel di Maria made the Bernabeu their new office.

Critics confidently predicted an even more monotonous two-team marathon for gold. However, the team that shocked the masses by emerging as champions in 1971, 2002 and 2002 – they also won three league crowns in the 1940s - are threatening to cause an upset of abundantly greater proportion. Valencia, indeed, head into the international break at the summit of La Liga, having taken 16 points from a possible 18 – two more than Real Madrid and three better than Barcelona.
Right now the sky is the limit. If we continue like this we will be able to think about fighting for the league.
Vicente of Valencia

And according to Vicente, who rose from the bench to score what proved to be a stoppage-time winner at home to Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, Los Che are genuinely capable of ending the six-season monopoly of the big two.

“It’s early days but it’s important to start well,” said the 29-year-old winger, who joined Valencia from Levante in 2000. “We must take things step by step, but the team is playing well, looking convincing and winning games. Right now the sky is the limit. If we continue like this we will be able to think about fighting for the league.”

The benefit of a break
While 25-year-old winger Pablo Hernandez and uncapped striker Artiz Aduriz, 29, were surprise inclusions in Vicente Del Bosque’s party for the UEFA EURO 2012 qualifiers against Lithuania and Scotland, the majority of the Valencia players will benefit from a fortnight’s rest before they visit Barcelona, whose squad is virtually exclusive to internationals.

Vicente reckons this will work in the Mestalla side’s favour: "Now we can recharge the batteries.”

On a personal note, the 38-time capped former Spain player is eager to force his way into Unai Emery’s Valencia starting XI. “I have to keep working for the team and when the coach sees fit, I will play,” he said. “I'm here to help and do the best I can.”

Mainz's Bruchweg Boys on song

Mainz's Bruchweg Boys on song


With just seven matches of the Bundesliga played this season, the table looks as though it has been turned on its head. While reigning champions Bayern Munich (12th), UEFA Champions League contestants Werder Bremen (13th), last year's runners-up Schalke 04 (17th) and Stuttgart (18th) have all fallen well behind their own expectations, the likes of Freiburg (5th) and Hannover 96 (3rd) have been in formidable form.

But the team that has undoubtedly caused the biggest stir is Mainz 05. After winning each of their first seven fixtures, not only have coach Thomas Tuchel's side equalled a record set by Bayern in 1995 and repeated by Kaiserslautern in 2001, they have firmly established themselves at the top of one of Europe's top leagues with a refreshing brand of exciting, energetic football.

The man behind the success
Tuchel, who at 37 is the youngest coach in Germany's top tier, took over at the Bruchwegstadion in August of last year. Having previously worked exclusively as a youth coach, he proved his credentials by winning the league title as assistant coach of Stuttgart U-19s.

The former defender subsequently took over the youth development centre at second-division FC Augsburg, before joining Mainz in the summer of 2008. Tuchel led the U-19 side to the German championship title in his first year in charge, the biggest success in the club's history.

Just a few weeks after that triumph, Mainz sporting director Christian Heidel and president Harald Strutz entrusted the young tactician with his first senior managerial role. In his first season at the helm, Tuchel took the newly-promoted outfit to ninth in the table, while showing an eye for identifying new talent which led to Andre Schurrle making the jump into the first team under his tutelage.

The young and wild ones
Tuchel, Heidel and Strutz have continued to build on that success this term. The signing of U-21 international Lewis Holtby on loan from Schalke has proved a masterstroke, with the young playmaker already scoring twice and setting up a further seven in his first few weeks at the club.

Schurrle has also shone in his second season as a pro, netting four times and creating another. The 19-year-old recently announced his decision to join fellow Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen at the end of the current campaign, but before then Schurrle is planning on achieving plenty more with Mainz.

Adam Szalai, 23, and Sami Allagui, 24, complete the 05ers' attacking quartet. Hungarian frontman Szalai arrived from Spanish giants Real Madrid in January, and following a brief settling-in period has since repaid his coach's faith in him with three league goals. Tunisian international Allagui has also struck three times for his new employers having joined from second-tier Greuther Furth during the close season.

Experienced backbone
Tuchel is well aware that a successful team requires experience as well as exuberance, and accordingly he has equipped his side with two seasoned campaigners in midfield. One is Miroslav Karhan, the 34-year-old Slovakian international who has played in all seven of his club's matches this term, giving the likes of Schurrle and Holtby license to thrill by exuding calmness and simplicity from defensive midfield.

Former German youth international Eugen Polanski is another of Tuchel's stalwarts. The Polish-born 24-year-old, who previously appeared for Borussia Monchengladbach and Getafe of the Spain's La Liga, has also been an ever-present this season.

Second-best defence in the league
Although Mainz lost two staples of last season's defence when goalkeeper Heinz Muller suffered a cruciate ligament injury during the summer and Tim Hoogland departed for Schalke, Tuchel's 'boy band' have had no trouble maintaining a tight rearguard.

Keeping opposing attacks at bay to great acclaim this term have been Muller's replacement between the sticks Christian Wetklo and left-back Christian Fuchs. While Wetklo has conceded just seven goals thus far, Austrian international Fuchs has impressed with his dangerous free-kicks and regular forays into the opposition half.

Macedonian international Nikolce Noveski, Dane Bo Svensson and Slovakian international Radoslav Zabavnik complete a backline which currently rates as the second-least porous in the Bundesliga.

Work hard, play hard
Perhaps the chief reason for the recent success of one of the Bundesliga's youngest squads is Tuchel's healthy mix of hard work, freedom and fun. His anti-authoritarian style has clearly struck a chord, with the players free to talk publicly about their dreams of the title, while their coach himself often appears more of a friend than a boss.

The positive atmosphere in the dressing room has been translated on the pitch for over two months now. Indeed, plenty of highly-fancied clubs have already suffered the indignity of the 'Bruchweg Boys' (Holtby, Schurrle and Szalai posing as singer, guitarist and drummer respectively) celebrating goals in grounds across Germany.

And in this kind of form, the 05ers could well be the latest group of hungry young footballers to disprove a phrase once uttered by ex-Liverpool defender Alan Hansen: "You'll win nothing with kids."

Del Bosque: We don’t copy anyone

Del Bosque: We don’t copy anyone
(

Vicente del Bosque is well versed in the ways of winning. Earlier in his coaching career, the 59-year-old collected two Spanish league titles and two UEFA Champions Leagues with Real Madrid, a glittering prelude to his crowning achievement with Spain at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™.

Now engaged in the task of defending the European title La Roja seized in 2008, Del Bosque spoke exclusively to FIFA.com about his coaching philosophy and the things that make his side tick.

FIFA.com: Vicente, what’s your take on the tactics we saw at South Africa 2010?
Vicente del Bosque: Most teams chose to play the same way though there were some sides that went out with different set-ups. I’m not a great believer in formations. It’s part of the game now but it’s not the be all and end all. The most important thing is that the team plays as a unit in defence and attack. Formations give you an initial picture of things but that’s all.

You say that, but the way Spain played is very difficult to copy.
Some of the teams we played knew exactly what they had to do to stop us from playing. Chile and Paraguay counteracted us extremely well and we found it really hard to adapt to their gameplans. You have to congratulate them on their defensive play in particular. They didn’t cause us too many problems up front but in terms of organisation they did very well against us.

What is the key to Spain’s way of playing the game?
First and foremost, the fact that we don’t copy anyone, and secondly the type of players we have. With the midfielders we’ve got it’s impossible to play anything other than a possession game and mix long balls up with short ones. We have our strong points and we can’t go against them, but no team is complete without having some defensive strengths too. In our case that’s our ability to close the opposition down and win the ball back.
I can see virtually all of the world champions making 2012 and most of them getting to 2014, but we need to be on our guard if they don’t.
Vicente del Bosque

Do you work on that in training or is it something Spanish players have in their DNA?
It’s a little bit of both if you ask me. The clubs do some great work in that respect and we have to give them full credit for that. We’re setting an example for others to follow here and it’s something we drum into players when we coach them. Technique is innate but you have to nurture it too.

How much tactical freedom can you give to players?
Even in professional football I think players have to have a certain amount of freedom. That’s where the coach comes in. It’s his job to combine organisational aspects with the talent of the players, to draw the two together. He shouldn’t set limits on inspiration, though. Coaches aren’t just there to organise but to bring on players with excellent individual skills and allow them to express themselves.

Spain have struggled in their first few games since the FIFA World Cup finals. Did you expect that?
When you consider how the game panned out, the journey we’d had and the fact we hadn’t trained, I thought everything went perfectly against Mexico. No one got injured and we acquitted ourselves well. It was one of the games I’ve been most pleased with really. Against Argentina we started badly and couldn’t get back into the game. We were up against a great side but still I think we put in a decent performance. In any case, sometimes it’s not so bad to lose. It can be helpful at times.

You brought in some new faces for those games. Are you planning some kind of generational change?
I can see virtually all of the world champions making 2012 and most of them getting to 2014, but we need to be on our guard if they don’t. There were quite a few differences between the squads we had in Vienna and in Johannesburg. We had seven or eight new players in South Africa, so it’s something that’s ongoing.

The Spain players seem to get on well with each other. What’s the secret to keeping a dressing room happy?
It’s not the most important thing but if the spirit’s good then it’s easier to win things. Every coach handles it differently, depending on their character and the training they’ve had. I have to say I’ve been lucky with the squad I’ve got. They’re good sportsmen, good people and we haven’t had any problems up to now. I don’t think there’s any single approach that works. I just feel you have to adapt to the group. Coaching this Spain team is not the same as when I was in charge at Real Madrid, for example. There’s no magic formula. In fact you could also say it depends on the player, who has to be able to adapt as well.

People say national coaches have a more relaxing job than their counterparts at club level. Would you agree with that?
You still have a lot of things to do. To start with you have to represent the national association, keep an eye on your upcoming opponents, talk to the players and look at any changes you might have to make at youth level. There’s not enough time, to be honest. In terms of pressure, the big difference is that it tends to be concentrated into very short periods of time, but I don’t think there’s any less of it than at club football. Whether they’re supporting their national team or a club, fans have just as many expectations.

One last question. Are you a football addict or do you have time for other things in your life?
We all have our lives outside football. Some coaches are more obsessed than others, but when you’re born into this world and brought up in it then you’re always thinking about it to some extent or other.