Franchising Overseas

When it comes to expanding your business overseas, franchising has become the Modus Operandi of the day. In Singapore, many businesses including restaurants, café chains and fashion chains have shown interest in and considered setting up overseas franchises. It makes sense financially for them in the sense that the franchisor (the business owner that grants the franchise) can charge an initial fee to the overseas franchisee (the person who takes the franchise). Franchising in effect provides an almost cost-free expansion since the original business receives royalties and a constant stream of income from the franchise. But there are pitfalls to avoid. Franchising may not be suitable for all businesses and an overseas operation can fail for a number of reasons.

This article sets out briefly some of the challenges a franchisor venturing overseas may face and how to overcome and resolve them.

Franchise Systems

Companies that wish to enter into a franchise agreement should familiarise themselves with the franchise system. There are three different ways to operate a franchise:

Unit franchise:

The business owner allows only one franchise outlet, and licenses all trade marks and other proprietary rights to only that one outlet.

Area franchise

The franchisee is only allowed to operate under the trade mark or brand name in one designated geographical area, such as the province of New South Wales as compared to the whole of Australia.

Master franchise

The franchisee is entitled to operate in the whole country, sometimes with a right to create sub-franchises and appoint sub-franchisees within the country.

Costing would differ for each of the above types of franchises and is also affected by the potential market size and share in the targeted country.

Regulations and Other Legal Issues

The next things to look out for when considering whether to franchise are the laws and local regulations in the targeted countries, which will impact on the franchisor. In countries such as the USA, the franchisor must comply with stringent disclosure requirements while in countries like Indonesia, the franchisor may be required to register the franchise agreement with the relevant authority before commencing operations. These requirements do not really present too much of a problem to the franchisor, but they have to be complied with nonetheless. The franchisor should also pay particular attention to laws and regulations in various other countries that directly affect the business of the franchise. One example of what we mean here is that, since February 2005, franchising has not been allowed in China for foreign retail brands which do not have a minimum of two shops and more than one year of operations in China. This amendment to the franchise regulations has made it difficult for established local brands to franchise to China.

Of course there are perfectly legal solutions to avoid the problems that may be encountered. The rules differ from country to country and, therefore, any prospective franchisor must seek legal advice when venturing into a foreign jurisdiction for the first time to ensure that all such regulations and formalities required under the laws of the targeted country are complied with.

Of course in some cases, it may still not be advisable to commit to a franchise agreement even though all the indications are positive. Some product lines may simply be unsuitable for franchising.

Common Problems Faced by Franchisors

There are a range of problems that could be encountered by franchisors and we have attempted to address the most common ones here.

Initial Investment

One of the problems when embarking on a franchise, especially for local companies or SMEs (small medium enterprises) seeking to expand overseas, is the costs involved in the early stages of a franchise. Preparation for franchising has to be done without the guarantee of payment and collection of franchise fees and royalties in the short term. The costs involved include:

o developing the franchise concept (normally done with the help of engaging external consultants)

o overseas market research

o legal matters

o providing support

o looking for suitable franchisees

o training

o product costs

o supply of products to the franchisees

For retail chains, financial problems with shipment and manufacturing (even after executing an agreement with the franchisee) have to be considered. The sizable initial costs plus the time lag (about half a year to more than one year for preparations) before the franchisor can recoup the money from the franchisee, may result in cash flow problems for the franchisor. This is especially so for smaller retail chains with a yearly turnover of say US$1m to US$5m as they may not have the financial resources to provide or compensate for any delays.

One example we experienced that illustrates this point is the case of a Singapore shoe retail chain (with about 5-6 shops) which embarked on a franchise for its shoe retail chain in Indonesia. In the contract, it was stated that the balance of payment would be paid after the goods had arrived at the Port of Jakarta. However, the payment was not made. Despite this, the franchisor had no alternative but to release the goods as they were already in the Port of Jakarta. He only received payment at a time much later than the agreed date. This delay caused him some cash flow difficulties.

Problems like this can and should be addressed legally in the franchise agreement just as they would be in a contract for international or cross-border sales of goods.

Financial concerns can also lead to the lack of adequate preparation in coming up with the franchise concept. This can, in turn, lead to inconsistency in the quality of the products and different levels of support or commitment by the franchisor in different countries. The food in a franchise outlet in say, Australia, where the franchisor is located, would taste much better than those in another outlet from the same franchise in China. Though the situation may improve after some time, this is the usual problem that local brands or small medium enterprises face at the onset.

The Trade Mark Problem

Usually, trade marks are the most important intellectual property rights in a franchise. Trade marks are territorial in nature and the franchisor will have to register its trade mark in the targeted country before it can be protected there. Registration in your own home country is not good enough and your local registration will not be recognised in another country.

The franchisor may sometimes find that his trade mark has already been registered in the targeted country by a local third party as was the case with a particular popular Indonesian fashion brand seeking to franchise in Korea and Thailand. It found out the hard way about stolen trade marks when it discovered, after entering into a franchise agreement with a local franchisee, that its own brand name had already been registered by other companies in these countries. To make matters worse, it decided to leave these issues to the local franchisee instead, thinking that the local franchisee would be more familiar with the situation. This caused him serious financial losses as he had already shipped his products to the franchisee. The franchisee subsequently defaulted on payment and did nothing to resolve the trade mark problem. From this it becomes clear that some initial market research in the targeted countries and legal advice are needed when you want to start your franchise.

Registering Your Trade Marks in Foreign Countries

The Madrid System for the International Registration of Marks («Madrid Protocol») and the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property («Paris Convention») are two very important international treaties regarding the registration of trade marks.

The Madrid Protocol provides a one-stop filing system so that the franchisor can file for trade mark protection in his own country as well as his targeted countries at the same time. It does not give you an international trade mark that is recognised by all its member states or all countries across the globe, but provides a convenience of filing in different countries at one go and also reduces the costs of filing.

The Paris Convention on the other hand, provides a very useful mechanism allowing the franchisor to file the trade mark in his home country first at an earlier date and subsequently, within a given time frame, when he decides to file his trade mark in his targeted country, he is able to claim priority or use his first and earlier filing date in his own country as the date of filing in the targeted country. The Paris Convention gives the franchisor time to source for funds before filing for trade mark protection in the targeted countries and the peace of mind that comes with knowing that he can be protected by filing first in his home country.

Take a real-life example of a Korean cosmetics company setting up its business in Singapore. It registered its trade mark first in Korea sometime in December 2005 before coming into Singapore. Upon entry into the Singapore market, it then filed for trade mark protection in Singapore under the Paris Convention sometime in March 2006. However, the directors quickly received notification from the Singapore trade marks registry that there was an identical trade mark filed by their competitor in January 2006. Taking advantage of the Paris Convention, the Korean company was able to claim the earlier filing date in Korea of December 2005 as their date of filing in Singapore and this allowed them to effectively override their competitor’s earlier application. This helped prevent a situation where the Korean company would either have had to shelve its plans in Singapore or embark on costly litigation to recover its trade mark.

In general, it is usually not advisable to leave trade mark matters such as registration to the franchisee. The trade marks should always, where possible, be filed in the name of the franchisor otherwise the brand value or recognition of the trade mark may be diminished in the long run since the public in the targeted country may come to identify the trade mark with the local franchisee and not the franchisor.

Other Intellectual Property Rights

Copyright

This is another form of intellectual property rights which may be of interest to the franchisor. Copyright can attach to many possible mediums and is not confined to brand or logos alone. Instructional manuals, business forms, software and other items may all be protected by copyright. Unlike trade marks, copyright usually does not have to be registered and can be protected in many foreign countries at one time if these countries are all signatories to the same international copyright convention.

Patents

These do not quite fit into the business model of franchises since patents are, by their nature, confined to subject matter of heavy industrial application. This may change in the future as many countries such as Singapore have made or are making changes to their laws, allowing business methods to be patented. Like a trade mark, a patent has to be registered and have its own equivalent of an international system of registration by way of the Patent Co-operation Treaty. The Paris Convention also applies to patents.

Control over Franchisees

It is always advisable to exercise some supervision and control over a franchisee. The first step towards this is to incorporate the right clauses in your franchise agreement at the onset. The franchisor should insist on some form of reporting requirements and a right to inspect accounts. There should also be some provisions to safeguard the franchise concept and sometimes the franchisor’s business methods. Generally, the franchisor should be looking to protect, by way of contractual clauses in the agreement, what may not be protectable under intellectual property laws.

This helps the franchisor to prevent a situation where the franchisee acquires knowledge, copies the franchise concept and uses this to compete with the franchisor. This can sometimes happen at the end of the franchise period. Basically, there should be restrictions imposed on the franchisee when dealing with materials or other property of the franchisor, and these should be returned and accounted for by the franchisor upon the expiry or termination of the franchise.

See You in Court – But Which Court?

It may be at times necessary to take legal action against an errant overseas franchisee that is outside the jurisdiction of the courts and also beyond the control of the laws in the franchisor’s home country.

It is advisable to make some provisions for this in your franchise agreement. The two important considerations here are the place to sue and the law to apply. It is important to seek legal advice for these matters since your choice of place and law often determines success and directly affects the prospects of recovery as rules may differ from country to country. Some countries may have bilateral reciprocal enforcement regimes allowing their respective courts to recognise and enforce each other’s judgments while others may be signatories of international conventions to the same effect. It is important to know these in order to choose your place to sue and the applicable law.

Sub-Franchising and Exchange of Goods

Another problem with franchising is the inconvenience caused to end consumers when it comes to the exchanging of defective products. This is especially so where there is sub-franchising created in different places in the same country. For instance, in Australia, when a customer buys an item of clothing from an outlet in Sydney, he would not be able to exchange it in the franchise in Melbourne. This also happens in Indonesia, especially if the shop is owned by different people. That is why some retail chains like Hammer and Nail (Indonesia) prefer to own the business themselves. This can be used either as an alternative or a stepping stone to establishing a fully fledged franchise.

Raise Public Awareness First

It may be easier for local brands who want to expand overseas by franchising to consider setting up their own flagship store in the overseas country first. This would raise public awareness of their brand and product in the targeted country and help to attract more franchisees later on. Famous local brands such as BreadTalk in Singapore may not be known to anyone in overseas countries, such as Germany. As such, potential investors in Germany would be hesitant to invest in the brand. By setting up a flagship store, the franchisor can test the local market.

However, before venturing overseas, research should also be done on consumer behaviour to make sure that the consumers in that country would appreciate the product, bearing in mind that different countries have different cultures, tastes and market trends.

Franchising –

A Great Tool for the Right Business with the Right Knowledge

Franchising is a useful tool when it comes to expanding your business overseas. However, as we have shown here, there are also potential pitfalls and risks involved. This can be avoided or at least minimised if the necessary preparatory work is carried out before you venture into a franchise agreement with a foreign partner.

Acquiring knowledge of consumer behaviour patterns, local market conditions and regulations, developing a suitable franchise concept as well as paying attention to various details in your franchise agreements are just some of the more critical matters that you, as franchisor, should take note of.

Knowing your market and your rights as a franchisor or a trade mark owner lays down the foundation for the creation of a successful franchise.

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Cómo Alex Ferguson y el Manchester United ganaron el triplete y el título de caballero, todo en la misma temporada

El núcleo del equipo, que mostró potencial para convertirse en campeones de la Copa de Europa, murió o resultó tan gravemente herido que no pudo volver a jugar. El propio Sir Matt resultó gravemente herido, pero logró recuperarse y construyó otro gran equipo, convirtiéndose en el primer club inglés en ganar la Copa de Europa en 1968. Cuando Sir Matt Busby se retiró, llegaron una serie de entrenadores. Ninguno de ellos estuvo cerca de llenar sus zapatos, y el club pasó por momentos difíciles, llegando incluso a descender a la segunda división durante una temporada.

A principios de los años ochenta, un joven escocés, entonces conocido como Alex Ferguson, comenzó a ganarse la reputación de ser alguien a quien mirar para el futuro, ya que tenía un talento evidente para el trabajo. Alex disfrutó de un éxito relativo con algunos de los más equipos provinciales, y los expertos escoceses tenían la sensación de que algún día se convertiría en el entrenador del club más grande de Escocia, el Glasgow Rangers, donde había sido jugador. Sin embargo, las diferencias personales impidieron que Alex aceptara el trabajo y, en cambio, hizo el largo viaje a Aberdeen, en el norte de Escocia. Logró tomar un equipo de perennes fracasados ​​y convertirlos en campeones, y bajo su tutela incluso ganaron la Recopa de Europa en 1983, superando nada menos que al Real Madrid en la final.

A partir de ese momento, parecía solo cuestión de tiempo antes de que Ferguson fuera contratado para dirigir uno de los mejores clubes ingleses, con muchas especulaciones sobre quién sería. Los rumores decían que el Manchester United encabezaba la lista de deseos de Alex e incluso entonces su conocida determinación y paciencia eran evidentes. Se rumorea que rechazó una serie de avances de otros clubes, y cuando el «ManU» lo persiguió en 1986, dejó Aberdeen para unirse al famoso club, conocido como los «Diablos Rojos», por su famoso equipo rojiblanco. uniformes de futbol Alex Ferguson asumió el desafío que le ofreció el Manchester United y se mostró decidido en sus esfuerzos por restaurarlos a sus antiguas glorias.

Sus primeros días no fueron fáciles para el club, y en un momento incluso se especuló que Alex Ferguson estaba a punto de unirse a la lista de entrenadores «buenos, pero no lo suficientemente buenos» que habían pasado por las puertas de Old Trafford. desde que Sir Matt se había jubilado. Durante cuatro temporadas, el Manchester United no ganó nada, pero la directiva mostró una fe tremenda en Ferguson. Su fe comenzó a dar resultados y el cambio se produjo en la final de la Copa de Inglaterra de 1990.

Todo parecía encajar para el United en aquella final, y las primeras señales de que algo muy especial estaba a punto de suceder, tanto para el equipo como para el técnico.

Los eventos de la próxima temporada demostraron que eso era correcto, y el United ganó la copa de ganadores de la Copa de Europa esa temporada.

El equipo estaba demostrando estar en el camino correcto, y la extraña habilidad de Ferguson para descubrir y desarrollar jóvenes talentos comenzó a ser cada vez más evidente. Jóvenes talentos locales, con David Beckham como la joya de la corona para muchos, combinados con jugadores experimentados para producir un equipo que dominó el fútbol inglés durante los años noventa.

Lo más destacado de esa era fue el equipo ganador del triplete de 1998-1999, que ganó la liga inglesa, la copa inglesa y la copa europea. La final de la Copa de Europa contra el Bayern de Múnich se ganó de la manera más dramática, con el United revirtiendo un déficit de un solo gol, anotando dos goles en los últimos dos minutos del partido. Su victoria demostró más que nada el valor y la determinación que Alex Ferguson había inculcado en el equipo, que pasaría a la grandeza futura.

Alex Ferguson recibió el título de caballero por su contribución al deporte. Un logro notable para un hombre que procedía de un entorno humilde para llegar a la cima del fútbol, ​​donde él y su amado Manchester United todavía se encuentran hoy.

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Historia de la EUFA Champions League: todo lo que necesita saber sobre la UEFA Championship League

La EUFA Champions League es una liga de fútbol de fama mundial que se celebra todos los años, donde los campeones de todas las ligas de países europeos del año pasado se agrupan en esta increíble Liga de Campeonato de la UEFA para jugar y ganar el trofeo que los declarará el mejor equipo de fútbol de Europa.

¡Por lo tanto, este es un torneo multimillonario! Nuevas estrellas nacidas en este evento de fútbol tan esperado y es por eso que a todos los fanáticos del fútbol les encanta ver, disfrutar y apostar en este evento.

El Inter de Milán es el actual poseedor del trofeo de la UEFA Championship League; venció 2-0 al Bayern de Múnich en la última final de la Champions League.

El Real Madrid es el equipo que más ganó la UEFA Championship League, dejó este trofeo 9 veces (1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002), seguido por el AC Milan que ganó 7 veces (1963, 1969, 1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007) y Liverpool que ganó 5 veces (1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005).

Bayern Munich y Ajax ganaron 4 veces, Bayern Munich en (1974, 1975, 1976, 2001) y Ajax en (1971, 1972, 1973, 1995).

Barcelona, ​​Inter de Milán y Manchester United ganaron 3 veces cada uno. Barcelona en (1992, 2006, 2009), Inter de Milán en (1964, 1965, 2010) y Manchester United en (1968, 1999, 2008).

Benfica, Juventus, Nottingham Forest y Porto ganaron 2 veces en torneo; Benfica en (1961, 1962), Juventus en (1985, 1996), Nottingham Forest en (1979, 1980) y Porto en (1987, 2004).

Celtic, Hamburgo, Steaua BucureYti, Marseille, Feyenoord, Aston Villa, PSV Eindhoven, Red Star Belgrade y Borussia Dortmund ganaron 1 vez cada uno.

Es decir, 4 equipos británicos: Liverpool, Manchester United, Nottingham Forest y Aston Vila han ganado esta competición. Le siguen 3 equipos italianos: Ac Milan, Inter Milan y Juventus y 3 equipos alemanes: Bayern Munich, Hamburgo y Borussia Dortmund.

La razón por la que escribo esto es porque se trata de datos cruciales que pueden ayudar a predecir qué equipo de qué país tiene mejores probabilidades de ganar la próxima UEFA Championship League.

Pesado mejor por lo general realmente en este tipo de datos (más experiencia). Se estima que cada año se realizan más de 100 millones de apuestas en la UEFA Championship League.

No puedo decir qué equipo ganará la próxima Liga de Campeones, sin embargo, en base a estos datos cruciales, puedo decir que un equipo de Gran Bretaña tiene mejores posibilidades de ganar la próxima Liga de Campeones que un equipo de Rumania; ya que el único equipo rumano (Steaua BucureYti) ganó solo 1 Liga de Campeones hasta ahora. Donde 4 equipos británicos fuertes como: Liverpool, Manchester United, Nottingham Forest y Aston Vila ganaron 11 veces en total.

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Zinedine Zidane

Zinedine Zidane, the monk-like fantasista – heir to Platini’s throne as France’s greatest ever player, is also widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the game. Maybe slightly overrated in some quarters when labelled with the ‘Greatest Ever’ tag, his achievements and trophy haul are certainly second to very few. For a time he was also the most expensive player in the world, costing Real Madrid a huge £46m. During his playing days Zidane became one of world football’s true superstars, and much loved players – his global fan base was (and still is) exceptional. From Europe, to North Africa (the origin of his roots) and the Middle East, to Japan – Zidane, was the man.

Zidane was born to Algerian immigrants who firstly moved to Paris, but eventually settled in La Castellane – a suburb with a huge North African community in France’s southern town of Marseille. It was here that Yazid Zidane was born in 1972. Yazid, his birth name, is what he was known by to his friends and family. The young Yazid looked to replicate his idol; Olympic Marseille’s very own fantasista, Uruguayan Enzo Franchescoli, by teaching himself tricks and repetitively juggling a football until he was better than most of the boys in the area. In a neighbourhood high in crime rate Zidane had to become tough, though this was mostly focused through Judo – something else he showed an early talent for. But it was football that won the youngsters heart. After school he would gather with the other boys from his tower block, in ‘Place Tartane’ – an 80 x 12 yard clearing in the middle of the housing complex, which served as a makeshift football pitch. By 13 years old his talent was such that he was spotted by a scout for Cannes who proclaimed: ‘I’ve found a boy who has hands where his feet should be’. After initial scepticism he was allowed to join the club’s ‘centre de formation’, leaving home and his family in the process to lodge with a club director’s family.

By 16 years old he was making his league debut versus Nantes. Then, playing the same opponents two years on, he scored his first senior league goal in a 2-1 win. Remembering the promise he made the young Zidane upon scoring his debut goal, the president rewarded him with a brand new Renault Clio. Unfortunately for the 20 year old Zizou, the Va Va Voom factor wore off pretty quick as Cannes were relegated the very next season. His skills didn’t go unnoticed however and with an offer coming in from Bordeaux, Zidane moved South for approximately £300k, where he would be reunited with his junior international team mate and close friend Christophe Dugarry. They formed part of an exciting new team that made waves in Europe as well as at home, winning the Intertoto Cup in 1995 and finishing runners-up in the UEFA Cup. It was during this period he also made his national team debut in 1994, coming off the bench whilst France were 2-0 down against the Czech Republic, and scoring twice. The press went wild – the new Platini had arrived. People outside of France were now beginning to take notice of Zidane’s attributes. The then Premiership Champions Blackburn Rovers coach Ray Harford expressed an interest in the midfielder, only for Blackburn’s owner Jack Walker to refuse, famously stating: ‘Why do you want to sign Zidane when we have Tim Sherwood?’

Zizou was a relative late bloomer on the world stage. He was already aged 24 when gaining his first major move – Juventus paying a modest £3.2m in 1996 to take him from the Bordeaux side that had starred (particularly against AC Milan) in the previous seasons UEFA Cup. Juve had chosen to snap him up before the summer’s Euro’96 competition in case of any value increase. But after his poor, lacklustre performances during the tournament, they probably saw their new commodity depreciate in value – leading Juventus president Gianni Agnelli to cuttingly remark: ‘is the real Zidane the one I’ve heard so much about, or the one I’ve been watching?’ To be fair to Zidane, he had just completed a mammoth 65-match season. Then on the eve of the Euros, he suffered a car crash. His arrival in Turin signalled more ‘new Platini’ comparisons. But after a difficult period of adjustment to the new league, murmurs of disappointment could be heard throughout the Juve faithful, leading Zidane to announce: ‘I’m Zinedine Zidane and it’s important that the fans understand that I can never be Platini, on or off the pitch.’ He was right. Zidane was a totally different character to the former Juventus number 10, and what’s more that shirt at Juve now belonged to Del Piero. Zidane’s squad number at La Vecchia Signora was 21 – an alien number to a fantasista, however after the frosty start in Turin his performances started to resemble a true fantasista. With winning goals against championship rivals Inter, and by helping Juve secure their second Intercontinental Cup in November versus River Plate, Zidane silenced his doubters. The win was made even sweeter for Zidane as he faced his teenage idol, Enzo Francescoli. The Uruguayan fantasista was ending his career back at the club where he had shot to fame. For Zidane, life couldn’t get any better.

Only it could.

That trophy was the first major of his senior career and sparked a remarkable winning period which would see him collect nearly every major trophy the sport had to offer during an incredible career. His stay at the Turin giants saw him win the Scudetto twice, a UEFA Supercup and another Intertoto Cup. During the same period with France he collected the 1998 World Cup and then followed it up with the European Championship in 2000. The only major trophy which evaded him was the Champions League. He had finished runner-up twice with Juve and now it seemed like his Holy Grail. It was probably a major factor in his decision to leave Juventus in the summer of 2001, when Real Madrid came calling and splashed out a whopping £47m for his services. The Real president Florentino Perez was embarking on his first galactico project, signing the best players in the world. And at this time, nobody was better than Zidane, having also picked up the greatest accolades any individual player could win – the Ballon d’Or in 1998, and World Player of the Year in that same year, whilst also collecting it in 2000. In 1996 when he arrived at Juventus he may have been labelled as an inferior model to the great Platini, but in 2001 he was leaving having certainly surpassed him.

In Spain, Zidane won the watching Bernabeau faithful over instantly. They adored his velvet touch and instant control. His mastery over the ball reminded their older followers of their glorious players from the past – not least their greatest ever player, Alfredo Di Stefano, who’s number 5 shirt Zidane now wore (the number 10 shirt was taken by Real’s first galactico, Luis Figo). The similarity would be greatly enhanced by the end of that season, when Zidane inspired Madrid to reach the European Cup final in Glasgow – scene of their infamous 7-3 victory in 1960 versus Eintracht Frankfurt from Germany. During that match the great Di Stefano was at the peak of his powers, scoring a hat-trick. Real’s modern day number 5 couldn’t quite emulate three goals, but scored what is considered the greatest goal in European Cup final history – a tremendous volley with his left foot (his wrong foot) from the edge of the penalty box, to lead Real to a 2-1 win over Bayer Laverkusen…from Germany. He had completed his Holy Grail.

Zidane won further trophy’s whilst in Spain, adding a La Liga championship, a UEFA Supercup and another Intercontinental Cup to his now bursting trophy cabinet. He also claimed a third World Player of the Year award in 2003, making him the joint highest ever recipient (alongside Ronaldo).

Zizou was more than a collection of awards though. To watch him play during his peak was like watching the top ballet star perform, albeit in football boots, such was his elegance and technique when controlling and gliding with the ball. His signature move, the roulette, looked like a graceful pirouette performed in the middle of a clumsy mob, leaving his midfield markers dumfounded and kicking fresh air. His attributes led Michel Platini to observe: ‘Technically, I think he is the king of what’s fundamental in the game – control and passing. I don’t think anyone can match him when it comes to controlling or receiving the ball.’ Brazilian coaching legend Carlos Alberto Parreira put it rather more bluntly, though non-the less complimentary, simply labelling him: ‘a monster!’

Unlike many of the other legendary fantasisti, Zidane wasn’t a great goalscorer, never reaching double figures in Italy or Spain. However, he was most definitely a scorer of great goals. More importantly he was a scorer of decisive goals in big games, especially on the international stage. He scored twice (two identical headers) in the 1998 World Cup final, when France beat Brazil 3-1 to win their first ever (and only) World Cup. During Euro 2000 he scored a sublime free-kick in the quarter-finals versus Spain, then, followed it up scoring a Golden Goal in the semi-final win versus Portugal. Euro 2004 saw a poor French performance but Zidane provided one of the highlights of the competition when scoring twice (a free-kick and a penalty) in injury time, turning a 1-0 defeat into a 2-1 victory versus England during the opening group game. Cementing his place as a legendary World Cup performer in 2006 Zidane scored the winner, another penalty versus Portugal in the semi-final. He then scored (another penalty) again in another World Cup final, giving France an early lead against Italy in what was his final match as a professional footballer (he had announced his retirement from the game before the tournament). Sadly for him, France lost that game. Even sadder was the fact that Zidane wasn’t able to stay on the pitch until the final whistle – having received a red card. Unfortunately for Zizou, red cards also form part of his legend.

As a playmaker Zidane’s expression was all in his creative flair and artistry. However, during his career he was no stranger to some unsavoury incidents on the football pitch. Zidane was sent-off a massive 12 times during his career (including five times at Juventus and twice whilst at Real Madrid) – mostly for retaliation. These violent flashpoints were in direct contrast to his perceived cool persona as he glided around the field, though his brooding, often moody stare also served as a warning; he was a player who would not be bullied. His response to provocation was first noted during his younger days at Cannes. Whilst he never started any trouble, he knew how to take care of himself. As Richard Williams deftly puts it in his excellent book ‘The Perfect 10’, he would respond: ‘in a way that might be expected from a boy formed in a tough quarter of a hard-nosed city, where an injury might be repaid with a headbutt’. Fast forward 18 years and Marco Materazzi was living testament that age had not mellowed Zidane’s own sense of personal justice – a flying headbutt to the Italian’s chest in response to alleged provocation during the 2006 World Cup final. His last act as a professional footballer.

Many forget however, that this was not Zizou’s first red card during a World Cup tournament. Indeed during France’s triumphant World Cup victory in 1998 it is very easy to forget, in all the hysteria of his two headed goals in the final, that he was briefly a French villain. During the second group game versus Saudi Arabia, the balding fantasista inexplicably lost his cool and stamped on the back of the Saudi captain whilst he was lay on the ground after a challenge. It left the watching world mystified, as this time Zidane’s brand of personal justice seemed to come without any direct provocation. The French poster-boy was given a two match suspension, putting ‘Les Bleus’ campaign in jeopardy – the then captain Didier Deschamps summing up the nervous feeling of the nation: ‘I know he’s impulsive, but he’s put us all at risk’. Indeed without Zidane, the French struggled (eventually winning) in their last-16 tie versus Paraguay – which is testament to the effect Zizou had on the national team. This would become a worrying noticeable feature of all the French teams for the next decade; such was Zidane’s stature and ability. With him, they were world beaters, without him they looked also rans. During qualification for the 2006 finals, the French (without Zidane who had announced his international retirement in 2004) almost failed to qualify. Zidane (along with Thuram and Makelele) answered the call to help out his country and was immediately reinstated as captain. In doing so he instantly rejuvenated the French who went on to reach the (ill-fated) final of the tournament – along the way knocking out previous and future champions Brazil and Spain, with Zidane in imperious form and winning the competition’s Most Valuable Player award.

So with this fantasista, we had the beauty and the beast. The grace and the violence. Taking the rough with the smooth, he was one hell of a player – maybe Parreira had described him best after all…he was a monster!

Bio

Born: 23rd June 1972 in Marseille (France)

Height: 1.85m / 6ft 1″

Career

1988-1992: Cannes – 61 apps / 6 goals

1992-1996: Bordeaux – 139 apps / 28 goals

1996-2001: Juventus – 151 apps / 24 goals

2001-2006: Real Madrid – 155 apps / 37 goals

Totals: 506 app / 95 goals

1994-2006: France – 108 caps / 31 goals

Honours

World Player of the Year: 1998, 2000, 2003

Ballon D’Or: 1998

FIFA World Cup: 1998

UEFA European Championship: 2000

UEFA Champions League: 2002

UEFA Supercup: 1996, 2002

Intercontinental Cup: 1996, 2002

Serie A Champions: 1997, 1998

La Liga Champions: 2003

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Destino de vacaciones – España

1954 vio el primer paquete de turistas en aterrizar en la Costa Brava. Es difícil imaginar cómo deben haber cambiado las cosas desde entonces. Este grupo pionero de viajeros se hospedó en un pequeño pueblo con solo un puñado de hoteles familiares. No había bancos ni otros servicios y una tienda local podía cambiar cheques de viajero.

Hoy el turismo español es un gran negocio; ningún otro país de Europa recibe tantos turistas cada año. Casi toda la costa sur se ha abierto a la industria de viajes. A principios de los 80, Torremolinos y Málaga eran los lugares de moda para visitar. Justo al final de la carretera de la costa desde Torremolinos se encuentra Benalmádena, a menudo denominada por los lugareños como Torremolinos MKII, donde se permitió que Torremolinos creciera al azar, Benalmádena tenía un poco más de planificación. El puerto deportivo, cuando terminó, ganó el premio al puerto deportivo más hermoso del mundo durante varios años consecutivos. La famosa plaza de las 24 horas o Plaza Sol y Mar, por dar su nombre real, sigue siendo la meca de la vida nocturna para los jóvenes turistas que visitan la Costa del Sol.

En la actualidad, casi toda la Costa del Sol es un paraíso turístico, muchos de los hoteles originales de rápida construcción han sido eliminados y reemplazados por nuevos, modernos y lujosos resorts. La Costa Brava también ha experimentado una importante remodelación, ya que el alojamiento original construido apresuradamente para albergar a las multitudes de turistas que acudían en masa a la zona en la década de 1970 ha sido reemplazado por algunos de los mejores complejos turísticos de Europa.

¿Quién puede mencionar unas vacaciones en España sin mencionar el Golf? Hay más de 300 campos de golf de clase mundial a lo largo de la costa, muchos de ellos formando parte de un resort. Los green fees son generalmente mucho más bajos que en el Reino Unido, aunque algunos de los mejores campos, en su mayoría diseñados por golfistas de fama mundial, reflejan su alta calidad en el precio que paga por jugar.

España no es solo sol y playa, la cosmopolita ciudad de Barcelona rebosa carácter y es un excelente destino para una breve escapada a la ciudad del Reino Unido. Los vuelos son generalmente económicos y las opciones de alojamiento son variadas. Si lo tuyo es la arquitectura, Barcelona es tu ciudad. Aquí no solo encontrarás a Gaudí, sino también muchas piezas modernistas de personas como Puig i Cadafalch y Domenech i Montaner.

Viajar a España es fácil y barato, los vuelos suelen ser menos costosos que un viaje en tren dentro del Reino Unido. Se pueden obtener ofertas increíbles, especialmente al reservar en el último minuto. Casi todos los principales operadores turísticos del Reino Unido tienen productos que se adaptan a una gran variedad de viajeros.

Como principal destino de vacaciones en Europa, España tiene una actitud de «he estado allí». Originalmente cometió muchos errores al intentar atender el florecimiento del turismo casi de la noche a la mañana, ahora ha refinado sus ofertas y una vez más se encuentra en la parte superior de la lista como destino turístico europeo. No importa qué tipo de vacaciones esté buscando, España lo tiene todo, desde la abundancia. Desde las idílicas playas de la Costa Brava, desde los pintorescos pueblos blancos de Andalucía hasta la embriagadora vida nocturna de Barcelona y Madrid, seguramente encontrará algo de su gusto en unas vacaciones en España.

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Los 10 mejores jóvenes del fútbol mundial

El tema que todo el mundo parece querer cuestionar. Quiénes son los mejores jugadores jóvenes, comparaciones de jugadores y, lo que es más importante, si estarán a la altura de su potencial. Ha habido numerosos jóvenes solo en los últimos cinco años. Se suponía que Pablo Aimar y Javier Saviola serían los nuevos Diego Maradona, Antonio Cassano el nuevo Roberto Baggio. La lista podría continuar para el potencial fallido. Aquí voy a enumerar los 10 mejores jugadores del mundo.

10) Mario Balotelli

Club actual: Inter de Milán

Nacionalidad: Ghana, Italia

Edad: 17

Posición: Delantero

Comparaciones de jugadores: George Weah

Un jugador con gran potencial. Un delantero grande, fuerte y rápido que es un especialista en tomar jugadas a balón parado. Con solo 17 años, su país de origen, Ghana, lo convocó a una convocatoria internacional absoluta, aunque esto se rechazó debido a su preferencia por jugar para Italia una vez que cumpla 18 años. Baloteli es de los que miran hacia el futuro.

9) Giovani Dos Santos

Club actual: Tottenham

Nacionalidad: México

Edad: 19

Posición: Centrocampista Ofensivo (Izquierdo, Derecho)

Comparaciones de jugadores: Ronaldinho

Giovani Dos Santos llega al Tottenham con una gran reputación. En el Barcelona tuvo a Messi, Ronaldinho, Henry, Bojan e Iniesta compitiendo con él por un puesto en el primer equipo. Un extremo habilidoso que puede ser tan fuerte jugando por la derecha como por la izquierda. Los 4,7 millones de libras esterlinas que el Tottenham pagó al Barcelona podrían ser una gran ganga mientras juega su oficio en la Premiership la próxima temporada.

8) Karim Benzema

Club actual: Lyon

Nacionalidad: Francia, Argelia

Edad: 20

Posición: Delantero

Comparaciones de jugadores: Nickolas Anelka

El joven delantero francés acaba de tener una temporada fantástica en Francia y terminó como máximo goleador con 24 goles, asegurando que el Lyon ganara la Liga por séptimo año consecutivo. Su calidad ha interesado a jugadores como Man Utd y Real Madrid, aunque ha subrayado su determinación de quedarse con los campeones franceses por el momento. Su reputación en Europa ha aumentado hasta el punto de que algunos fanáticos ya predijeron que se convertiría en el máximo goleador de la Eurocopa 2008, aunque esto no sucedió.

7) Theo Walcott

Club actual: Arsenal

Nacionalidad: Inglaterra

Edad: 19

Posición: Centrocampista derecho, Delantero

Comparaciones de jugadores: Ryan Giggs

Parece que el joven delantero inglés ha existido desde siempre. Fue cuando tenía solo 16 años y jugaba para Southampton cuando convenció al técnico del Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, para que lo fichara venciendo a una dura competencia. Luego fue incluido en el equipo de Inglaterra para la Copa del Mundo de 2006 sin jugar un solo partido con el Arsenal, aunque no participó en el torneo. Desde entonces, ha progresado lentamente y este año espera ingresar a la alineación inicial del Arsenal.

6) Carlos Vela

Club actual: Arsenal

Nacionalidad: México

Edad: 19

Posición: Delantero

Comparaciones de jugadores: David Villa

Comprado por Arsenal tras recibir al jugador del torneo en el Mundial Sub-17 para México. Desde entonces ha pasado su tiempo cedido en España a la espera de un permiso de trabajo. Un jugador muy parecido al Valencia de inicio David Villa por su ritmo y capacidad de remate. Al igual que Tottenham fichando a Dos Santos, buscará causar un impacto en su primera temporada en el fútbol inglés.

5) Lulina

Club Actual: Cortinthians

Nacionalidad: Brasil

Edad: 18

Posición: Medio ofensivo

Comparaciones de jugadores: Kaká

El único jugador en la lista que juega fuera de Europa mostrará qué tan alto es este jugador. Un jugador de enorme talento que podría convertirse en uno de los próximos grandes brasileños. Se sabe que clubes como el Chelsea han hecho una consulta, aunque el club brasileño no lo dejará ir a menos que llegue una oferta de £ 24 millones.

4) Alejandro Pato

Club actual: Ac Milán

Nacionalidad: Brasil

Edad: 18

Posición: Delantero

Comparaciones de jugadores: Samuel Eto’o

Cuando las personas discuten las líneas delanteras más letales que hacen con el AC Milan, entonces para un joven de 18 años que se considera que está en esa línea delantera es una fiesta. No fue hasta enero donde pudo hacer su primera aparición en el AC Milan. Fue cuando la gente comenzó a darse cuenta de por qué se hablaba tanto de él antes de su debut. A pesar de estar lesionado y perderse algunas semanas por lesión, Pato logró marcar 9 goles para el club. El club mostró tanta confianza en él que lo puso de titular en el partido de Champions contra el Arsenal por delante de jugadores como Flippo Inzahgi. Actualmente se encuentra en los Juegos Olímpicos de Pekín donde ya ha manifestado su deseo de acabar como máximo goleador.

3) Anderson

Club actual: Manchester United

Nacionalidad: Brasil

Edad: 20

Posición: mediocampista central

Comparaciones de jugadores: Diego Simeone, Paul Scholes

Comprado por una tarifa que se cree que ronda los 18 millones de libras esterlinas. Utd tiene grandes esperanzas en Anderson y será uno de los únicos jóvenes en el mundo considerado lo suficientemente digno como para ocupar el lugar de Paul Schole. Un mediocampista muy completo que pasó mejor que cualquier jugador en esta lista. También puede taclear y driblar, lo que es raro hoy en día para un jugador de su talento. Un problema con Anderson es que ha sido bastante propenso a las lesiones, por lo que deberá hacer todo lo posible para asegurarse de que esto no perjudique su carrera.

2) Bojan

Club actual: Barcelona

Nacionalidad: España

Edad: 17

Posición: Delantero

Comparaciones de jugadores: Raúl

800 goles juveniles para el Barcelona deberían ser suficiente para hablar de Bojan. Ya le dieron la camiseta número 11 del Barcelona, ​​lo que podría sugerir que estará en el once inicial para la próxima temporada. Marcó 12 goles en su primera temporada absoluta con el Barcelona. Parece que quiere quedarse en el club durante toda su carrera para poder romper todos los récords de goles que tiene el club, como lo hizo Bojan en los niveles juveniles.

1) Sergio Agüero

Club actual: Atlético de Madrid

Nacionalidad: Argentina

Edad: 20

Posición: Delantero

Comparaciones de jugadores: Romario

Visto junto a Lionel Messi, el futuro del fútbol argentino. Mudarse al Atlético de Madrid fue visto como un gran golpe para el club debido a que los equipos europeos también estaban interesados. Llegó al club con una gran reputación y tardó un año en instalarse en el Madrid donde pudo mostrar destellos de su verdadero talento. Fue en su segundo año donde desató todo su talento aterrorizando a las defensas de toda España convirtiéndose en el jugador de La Liga del año. Unirse a Lionel Messi para convertirse en el ganador más joven del premio en la historia. Se esperan cosas más grandes de él la próxima temporada, ya que el club está en la Liga de Campeones, donde puede tener el escenario perfecto para demostrar su talento al mundo.

Sin embargo, la pregunta sigue siendo cuántos de estos jugadores estarán a la altura de su potencial. Es imposible responder.

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Un perfil de Carles Puyol

Como defensa, Carles Puyol permanece algo a la sombra de jugadores como Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto’o o Lionel Messi, pero con su energía, resistencia y concentración, sigue siendo favorito en el Camp Nou y es un miembro esencial de la línea actual. -arriba. Considerado como uno de los mejores defensas del mundo, Carles Puyol es también el primer capitán catalán que ha sostenido en alto la Copa de la Champions League después de que el equipo derrotara al Arsenal en mayo de 2006, competición en la que fue galardonado con el Defensor del Año.

Como capitán del equipo desde la temporada 2003-2004 después de que Phillip Cocu dejara el Barcelona por el PSV Eindhoven, la complexión robusta de Puyol con piernas construidas como troncos de árboles y una cabeza característica de rizos contradicen su velocidad y agilidad en el campo y una vez que se quita la camiseta, revela un torso desgarrado que es el producto de muchas horas de duro entrenamiento, impresionantemente libre de cualquier signo de grasa corporal.

De hecho la dedicación de Puyol es tal que se opone a quedarse fuera de una selección a partido único, aunque sea por un descanso cuando el equipo está jugando varios partidos es un espacio de tiempo corto y se le ha notado que acude a los entrenamientos. sesiones en las que se le dio específicamente un día de descanso.

Nacido en La Pobla de Segur, que se encuentra en el interior de Cataluña, el 13 de abril de 1978, Carles Puyol jugaba de niño en el conjunto local. Fichó por el FC Barcelona B en 1996 con 17 años y debutó con el primer equipo en 1999 a las órdenes de Louis Van Gaal, cuando el Barcelona visitante venció al Valladolid por 2-0.

Actualmente jugando en la posición de central, Puyol jugó por primera vez en el Barcelona en la posición de lateral derecho cuando fue ascendido del equipo B. Su posición original de niño era en la portería, pero cuando las lesiones en el hombro le impidieron continuar, comenzó a jugar como delantero, lo que tal vez contribuyó a su mentalidad de ataque hoy en día. determinación de parar el balón como defensa, pero lo que sí es seguro es que habría jugado duro, quizás contribuyendo a sus lesiones.

Aunque milita en la selección española, de la que también ha sido capitán en alguna ocasión, Carles Puyol es un barcelonista de pies a cabeza y es difícil imaginarlo jugando en otro club cuando acabe contrato en 2010, sea cual sea la oferta que haya sobre la mesa. . Si bien Messi se crió en el Barcelona -y no hay duda sobre su dedicación actual al club- queda por ver si puede ser atraído, pero jugadores como Ronaldinho y Eto’o, cualquiera que sea su brillantez, solo pueden ser considerados jornaleros.

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The Art of Defence

Defence is an art that the best coaches in the world consider more important than any other aspect of the game. Covering positions, making timely tackles and even springing the offside trap well is key to stopping teams from scoring. After all, what good is a team that can’t defend a 2 or 3 goal lead even.

It was the Italians who decided to take it upon themselves to make defence an art-form, moving away from the physical aspect of defending and bringing in technical prowess. Until the Italians brought finesse into the picture, defending was all about out-muscling the opposition and crunching tackles.

It was the capability to constrict space and restrict movement that led to the rise of the Catenaccio style of play.

HELENIO HERRERA

Not many may remember his name but Helenio Herrera was a French-Argentine player and, later, manager who was one of the biggest names in football coaching during the mid-20th century. Having played for teams like RC Casablanca and Stade Francais, Herrera retired from club football in 1945.

Herrera took up coaching and moved to Spain, where he became the team manager for Real Valladolid, Atletico Madrid, CD Malaga and even the likes of FC Barcelona. It was after his stint for Barcelona, in 1960, that Herrera moved to Inter Milan.

THE RISE OF THE CATENACCIO

It was during his stay at Inter Milan that Herrera decided to modify the way his team defended. He shifted to a 5-3-2 formation to improve his counter attacking style of play. A firm believer in hard work and strong work ethics, Herrera was known as the pioneer of psychological motivational techniques including team pep-talks.

Herrera also introduced the no-smoking & -drinking policy as well as controlling the diet of his players to make them true professionals. Herrera was also known to suspend a player for telling the media, during a press conference, «We came to play in Rome» instead of «We came to win in Rome».

A hard man, Herrera was slightly defensive in his playing style although his form of the Catenaccio was not as defensive as some the future mutations of the formation, when applied by Italian architects.

One of Herrera’s full-backs, the great Giacinto Facchetti, was testimony to the attacking style of Herrera’s Catenaccio that prevailed in that Inter Milan team. The team was built around the defence, with its main role being to absorb the pressure from the opposition before launching lightning-quick counter attacks.

Using his wing backs to overlap the midfield, Herrera completely transformed the way the world looked at attacking football. Not giving away too much at the back, the team became famous for squeezing out 1-0 wins, leading to the nickname Verrou, meaning «Door Bolt».

HERRERA’S LEGACY

Known as «Herrera’s Inter», the team would go on to win the 1963, 65 & 66 league titles, the 1964 & 65 European Champions Cup as well as the Intercontinental cup in both those seasons. Herrera also became the first coach to go on and coach three separate national teams, ending his career with a 48.57% winning record.

In his 908 games as a manager, which included teams like Inter Milan, AS Roma, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and CF Os Belenenses, Herrera lost just 241 games while drawing 226. In his 12-club coaching career, Herrera ended with a negative goal difference only three times – with Real Valladolid (-21), AS Roma (-1) and Rimini (-22). Each team was too weak at the time although Herrera did transform Roma into a championship winning team, getting the 1969 Italian Cup with a sub-standard line-up and his famous Catenaccio style of football.

THE «DOOR BOLT»

Unlike popular conception, the Catenaccio was not built to shut out opposition. The entire concept of play was to allow the opposition to attack, relentlessly even, before suddenly attacking on the counter. The team would play with five at the back, in a «V-shaped» formation, with the Libero or sweeper at the centre. As the opponents entered the «V», their attack would be narrowed down, restricting movement and space.

Once the ball changed possession, the defending team had a wingback on either side, already ahead of the advancing opposition’s midfield. That meant that the team could now push out, rapidly, by playing the ball out to these wingbacks, who would have loads of space to exploit.

EARLY MUTATIONS

While the Catenaccio was, itself, a mutation of the 5-4-1 system invented by Karl Rappan for the Swiss national team, the formation underwent a lot of transformation itself. Teams reverted to the original «Rappan-style» by playing the sweeper just in front of the goalkeeper and stationing a flat back-four in front.

Nereo Rocco, coach of Calcio Padova in the 1950s, was another who exploited the system. With three-flat defenders who man-marked the opposition, Rocco would play a playmaker in the middle, just ahead of the defence, alongside two wingers. While these three weren’t the actual midfield, Rocco’s style would use the sweeper behind the central defence as well, to double-team the stronger players.

The midfield would be in front of these three, with a solitary striker up front, leading to a 1-3-3-3 formation.

While Herrera also focussed on man-marking with four of his defenders, his defence was flexible in that it swung from right or left to make it a flat line on most times. This meant that four defenders, aid by the midfield, would effectively man-mark the opposition, which had already been herded through the middle. That left the remaining fifth defender – always a wingback, free to make runs on the counter.

ENFORCED DOWNFALL

Catenaccio had become the flavour of the month, in the 60s and 70s, catching the fancy of every coach on the world scene. However, it was one man who’s style of play brought Catenaccio to its knees – Rinus Michels.

When faced with the tight man-marking of the Catenaccio, Michels decided to remove the whole concept of playing footballers in fixed positions. He removed the boundaries that separated attackers, midfielders and defenders, teaching all his players to play in all positions. As attackers fell back to the midfield, or even defence, their man-markers were unable to leave their posts and follow in pursuit.

The fact that Michels had the crop of players that he did, to implement such a technique, was the only reason Total Football became a reality.

Catenaccio was no longer the primary choice anywhere as Total Football, or replicas of it, began dismantling defences with their speed and movement. Mediocre coaches, who followed rather than researched, were left with no choice but to fall to the wayside.

CATENACCIO MODIFICATIONS

Coaches who preached the Herrera principle looked to counter Total Football with a modification to the Catenaccio’s man-marking formula. The answer was quite simple, in theory – Zona Mista.

The Zona Mista was a concept that incorporated man-marking and zone-marking into one strong defensive strategy. While the concept still used the four man defence with the roaming sweeper, the difference was in the way the midfield and the fullbacks supported the defence.

The two central defenders, in the heart of the defence, would play zone-marking. The midfield would have a defensive midfielder, who was required to help out the defence by falling back. A central midfielder would play in front of the defensive midfielder while a winger (usually on the right flank), would support in attack.

Two strikers would play up front, one on the wide left, with one in the centre. The position of the wide striker was determined by the position of the winger – both being on opposite flanks. The winger would act as an additional striker while the wide striker would float in to make it a two-pronged attack.

When defending, the wide striker would come in to cover for the central midfielder as the latter would drop into a defensive position.

ZONA MISTA IN REAL LIFE

Italy – 1982

The most famous application of this formation was in the 1982 FIFA World Cup when Italy went into the tournament with this brand new style of football. Gaetano Scirea played the role of the sweeper to perfection while the attacking left back was a young 18-year old, who would later go on to become one of the greatest defenders of all time – Giuseppe Bergomi.

Gabriele Oriali played as the defensive midfielder, just in front of Fulvio Collovati and the man who stopped a young Diego Maradona – Claudio Gentile. Marco Tardelli played as the central midfielder while Bruno Conti was the creative genius behind Italy’s Zona Mista success.

While Antonio Cabrini played at the front wide position, it was Paolo Rossi who came into the main striker’s position.

Italy’s success led to an increased use of the Zona Mista although the application remained mostly in the Italian leagues. Teams, in Europe, found it hard to beat this fantastic combination of man- and zone-marking, keeping the Italians ahead of the rest. However, there was always the need of a great striker to take care of the few chances that this format would create – something that most teams lacked.

Italy – 1998, 2000, 2002 and 2004

More recently, Cesare Maldini employed the Catenaccio form of play in Italy’s 1998 FIFA World Cup campaign. Needless to say, Italy played defensively, without creating too many waves, eventually getting kicked out in the Round of 16, through penalties. His successor, Giovanni Trapattoni, also employed the same tactics in the 2002 FIFA World Cup as well as in the 2004 European Championships.

In both cases, Italy failed to make any significant progress although Trapattoni would go on to prove his critics wrong by leading Portuguese side, Benfica to the league title.

Dino Zoff, whose team successfully used the Zona Mista in 1982, was the Italian coach in Euro 2000 when Italy went in with the same tactics. This time, Zoff managed to take the team to the finals of the tournament, losing to France through a Golden Goal.

Greece – 2004

Greece used the same format under Otto Rehhagel, at the 2004 European Championships, and successfully so. Greece won the title with numerous 1-0 wins through the knockout stages, all thanks to a heavily defensive style of play.

BAD PUBLICITY

The Catenaccio was often on the receiving end of criticism from the rest of Europe primarily due to the boring style of football that it promoted. The Italians were said to have made the game «unattractive» however practitioners of this form of football always had results to further their faith in the system.

In most cases, the reason behind the criticism was said to be the inability of most teams to break down such defences, especially in crucial European ties, leading to a loss or a draw that they could ill-afford.

THE MODERN DAY SCENARIO

Catenaccio is a dormant formation today. With both man-marking and the sweeper position going out of style, what with the faster pace and television coming into the picture, teams are rarely known to implement such a format today.

You may see the odd variation of this formation when weaker teams go up against stronger opposition however the success of the Catenaccio or the Zona Mista is largely dependent on the quality of the defenders and the wingbacks.

The more physical format of the Catenaccio finds few followers even in the technical format of the Italian league while other formations, such as the 4-1-2-1-2 (midfield diamond) and even the 4-3-2-1 (Christmas tree) formations can be attributed, albeit loosely, to the Catenaccio.

Teams that go down a man or more, are also known to exhibit similar playing patterns although the true form of Catenaccio remains buried under a pile of demands for attacking play.

MISUSE OF THE TERM

In today’s scenario, you often find commentators, even some pundits, refer to the Italian game as the Catenaccio style of football. The latest example was the game between Barcelona and Inter Milan, at Camp Nou, during the second leg of the 2009-10 UEFA Champions League semi-finals.

Unfortunately, Jose Mourinho’s tactics were nothing like the Catenaccio style, albeit defensive. Down to ten men, Inter simply held a lower midfield to aid their defence, nothing more. They did was what needed and even Barcelona, with all their firepower, couldn’t break through. It has to be said that while Mourinho knew exactly what he was doing, there was absolutely no connection with the Catenaccio style of defence.

Commentators, especially Englishman, are known to refer to the Italian defensive style of football as Catenaccio, irrespective of whether the team follows the format or not. Catenaccio has become synonymous with defensive play although few understand the true meaning of the term, sadly, even the pundits make mistakes.

At the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Italy were down to 10-men while playing Australia in the Round of 16. They defended heavily until a winner came in the form of a Francesco Totti penalty, late in the game. An English newspaper, «The Guardian», famously wrote, «The timidity of Italy’s approach had made it seem that Helenio Herrera, the high priest of Catenaccio, had taken possession of the soul of Marcello Lippi.»

What the reporter failed to notice was that 10-men Italy were playing in a 4-3-2 formation which was just a man short of the regular 4-4-2 that they had started with – Daniele De Rossi, the midfielder who was dismissed.

THE FINAL WORD

Like all good things, Catenaccio also had to come to an end. With its end, like with everything else, rose many new formats that are, till date, being practiced by coaches around the world. While the Catenaccio may have been laid to rest with the modern day television’s demand for exciting football, coaches will always fall back to their learning of this system when struggling with their backs against the wall.

Until the next time a British commentator mentions «Catenaccio» in the wrong place, Happy Defending!!!

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El Mundial de Clubes ha perdido su propósito

La Copa Mundial de Clubes de la FIFA ya no es una medida adecuada para decidir el mejor equipo de clubes del mundo.

Debido a las enormes inversiones en el fútbol europeo en la última década, los clubes europeos (UEFA) tienen una gran ventaja económica sobre el resto del mundo y pueden comprar a los mejores jugadores, lo que les da una gran ventaja sobre las demás confederaciones. Además, el formato del torneo favorece a la UEFA y Sudamérica (Conmebol), lo que es injusto para los otros equipos.

El problema es que la competencia no ha podido mantenerse al día con los cambios en el juego y, por lo tanto, ha perdido su relevancia y propósito.

OBJETIVO DEL TORNEO

La competencia se inició en 2000 (cuando absorbió a su predecesora, la Copa Intercontinental) y se formó como una competencia anual para mostrar el mejor talento local de las distintas confederaciones. La idea era que los ganadores de cada torneo continental compitieran entre sí y el ganador se coronara como el mejor equipo de clubes del mundo. Esta era la teoría pero en la práctica ha resultado diferente.

Anteriormente, los mejores jugadores no europeos seguían sus carreras en sus países de origen y eran desconocidos para el público extranjero. La Copa Mundial de Clubes les dio a estos jugadores la oportunidad de mostrar sus habilidades en el escenario mundial y en ese momento había paridad entre los clubes de Europa y América del Sur.

Los equipos de Conmebol ganaron el trofeo en los primeros tres años de la competencia, pero después de eso, los equipos europeos dominaron y el equilibrio de poder se desplazó hacia Europa.

DAVID contra GOLIAT

El comienzo de la dominación europea coincidió a principios del siglo actual con una afluencia masiva de inversiones en el fútbol de la UEFA a nivel de clubes. La consecuencia de esto es que hoy en día existe una gran disparidad de ingresos entre los clubes europeos y las demás confederaciones.

El ganador de la Liga de Campeones de Europa gana mucho más dinero que los demás torneos continentales combinados. El Real Madrid ganó 70,1 millones de dólares la temporada pasada por ganar la UEFA Champions League. En contraste, San Lorenzo ganó $ 6,1 millones por ganar la Copa Libertadores (Conmebol), ES Setie ganó $ 1,8 millones por ganar la Liga de Campeones Africana (CAF) y en Asia, Western Sydney Wanderers ganó casi lo mismo por derrotar al Al Hilal de Arabia Saudita en dos partidos (YAHOO DEPORTES – ¿Por qué el Mundial de Clubes aún lucha por ser relevante?; por Peter Staunton, 12 de diciembre de 2014).

Con tanto dinero disponible, el mejor talento que el dinero puede comprar está en las grandes ligas de Europa, atraídos por los lucrativos contratos que estas ligas tienen para ofrecer. Esto significa que Europa tiene a su disposición su propio talento y el que tiene el resto del mundo.

Los mayores perdedores en el éxodo de talento futbolístico hacia Europa son Brasil y Argentina, que son los principales exportadores de jugadores, por lo que lo que gana Europa es lo que pierde Sudamérica.

En consecuencia, todos los demás equipos en la Copa Mundial de Clubes están en desventaja en comparación con el campeón de la Liga de Campeones de Europa. El torneo ha pasado de ser una rivalidad a una batalla de David contra Goliat, entre clubes europeos representados por lo que equivale a un World once compuesto principalmente por los mejores jugadores internacionales y los pececillos, que comprende lo que queda después de lo mejor de sus el talento ha sido desviado por los grandes clubes de la UEFA.

El actual campeón, el Real Madrid, es una combinación de algunos de los mejores y más caros jugadores internacionales provenientes de España (Casillas y Sergio Ramos), Francia (Benzema y Varane), Portugal (Ronaldo y Pepe), Alemania (Kroos), Brasil (Marcelo), Colombia (Rodríquez), Gales (Bale) y México (Chicharito). Esta asamblea de jugadores es poco representativa del juego local en España. Por tres jugadores, a saber, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale y James Rodríguez, el club pagó 367,8 millones de dólares. Solo doce clubes en el mundo poseen una plantilla de jugadores cuyo valor de mercado es superior al coste total de estos tres.

Compare eso con el Auckland City FC, uno de sus competidores en la Copa Mundial de Clubes de este año, que es un equipo de simples aficionados que tienen ocupaciones de tiempo completo fuera del fútbol.

Una mirada a algunos de los campeones anteriores revela el fuerte componente extranjero de sus escuadrones. En 2010, cuando el Inter de Milán (Italia) ganó la copa, solo 5 jugadores de su plantel de 23 eran italianos, mientras que el resto eran en su mayoría sudamericanos. Incluso los comentaristas de televisión no se mantuvieron al tanto de los cambios, ya que todavía se referían al equipo del Inter como ‘los italianos’.

En 2011, el Barcelona ganó la copa y 10 de su plantel de 23 hombres eran extranjeros.

FORMATO BIZARRO

Otro gran problema del torneo es que los equipos de la UEFA y de América del Sur tienen acceso directo a las semifinales y comienzan a jugar incluso después de que algunos de los equipos hayan sido eliminados. Esto se hace intencionalmente para que solo los clubes más grandes se enfrenten en la final. Hasta ahora, solo han ganado equipos de esos dos continentes y solo un equipo de fuera ha llegado a la final, a saber, el sorpresivo finalista del año pasado, el TP Mazembe, un equipo congoleño.

Dada la ventaja económica de la que disfruta la UEFA y el extraño formato que está actualmente en vigor, la Copa Mundial de Clubes difícilmente puede llamarse la más justa de las competiciones y el ganador no puede llamarse legítimamente «el mejor del mundo» más que los ganadores de la primera. Copa Intercontinental que se limitó a la UEFA y la Conmebol. El torneo ha perdido su importancia y apenas es digno de alardear. Hace algunos años gané un concurso de baile, pero los otros participantes no sabían bailar, entonces, ¿era mi victoria algo de lo que jactarme?

Cierta paridad necesita ser restaurada a la competencia. Brasil y Argentina han comenzado a aumentar los salarios en sus ligas locales para atraer a sus jugadores a quedarse en casa. Eso es un comienzo, pero además de eso, la FIFA debe limitar la cantidad de jugadores extranjeros disponibles para cada equipo a, digamos, dos y cambiar el formato para que todos los equipos que compiten jueguen la misma cantidad de partidos de clasificación. De lo contrario, no tiene sentido continuar la competencia en su forma actual.

Víctor A. Dixon

23 de diciembre de 2014

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Escándalo de manipulación de partidos en Italia: cómo hacer trampa no pagó por la Juventus

Uno de los equipos de fútbol más conocidos de Italia es la Juventus, que tiene su sede en Turín, pero a pesar de su impresionante desempeño en el campo, la temporada 2006-2007 los vio relegados a la Serie B por primera vez en su historia.

De hecho, la Juventus terminó la temporada anterior en la cima de la liga de la Serie A, su descenso, y un déficit inicial de 9 puntos, se debió a un escándalo que sacudió el fútbol italiano y vio aplicadas sanciones a un total de 4 clubes de primera división, aunque la Juventus fue la más afectada y la única que finalmente descendió.

La Juventus y los otros tres equipos (AC Milan, Fiorentina y Lazio) fueron declarados culpables de influir en el juego a su favor al designar árbitros favorables para partidos importantes.

La sentencia impuesta a los cuatro clubes fue draconiana por decir lo menos: la Juventus, que fue la más afectada, fue despojada de sus 2 títulos de liga anteriores, se le prohibió participar en la Liga de Campeones, descendió a la Serie C1 y anotó 30 puntos, mientras que los otros equipos fueron relegado a la Serie B con menos puntos descontados.

En la apelación se redujo la pena de todos los equipos, de manera que solo descendió la Juventus, pero a la Serie B, y la sanción de 30 puntos se redujo inicialmente a 17 y luego solo a 9, el equivalente a ganar 3 partidos sin otorgar puntos.

El descenso vio a varios jugadores dejar la Juventus; Emerson y Fabio Cannavaro se marcharon ambos al Real Madrid, adonde ya había partido el técnico de la Juventus, Fabio Capello, mientras que el FC Barcelona fichó a Gianluca Zambrotta y Lilian Thuram.

Sin embargo, algunos jugadores se mantuvieron leales y el desempeño del equipo en la Serie B ha sido impresionante. Aunque empataron en el primer partido, la Juventus ganó cada uno de los siguientes ocho juegos con solo un gol en contra y permaneció invicto hasta enero.

Al momento de escribir este artículo a mediados de abril, la Juventus solo ha perdido 2 partidos, empatado 8 y ganado 22. Con 10 partidos más por jugar, no es imbatible debido a su déficit de 9 puntos, pero si continúa rindiendo a este nivel, seguro que volverá a entrar en la primera división en la temporada 2007-2008.

Esperemos que la Juventus recupere su gloria anterior, pero quizás lo más importante, evite un comportamiento que infrinja claramente la buena conducta deportiva.

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