Senderos contemplates Celtic switch

Arsenal defender Philippe Senderos believes a loan move to Celtic could help resurrect his dream of playing for Switzerland at this year's FIFA World Cup™ in South Africa.

"I am very honoured that a big club like Celtic are interested in me and a loan deal right now would suit me perfectly," said Senderos, who has fallen down the Gunners central defensive pecking order behind William Gallas and Thomas Vermaelen.

The World Cup this summer is a really big thing for me. I know that if I'm not playing regularly my chances of playing in South Africa will be badly affected.Senderos of Arsenal and Switzerland
"My main priority is to get back playing regular football," said Senderos. "I really miss that. The World Cup this summer is a really big thing for me. I know that if I'm not playing regularly my chances of playing in South Africa will be badly affected.

SA celebrities relish 2010

In less than six months, South Africa is due to embark on what figures to be the most rewarding and spectacular journey in its short yet celebrated history as a democracy when the country will host the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

And South Africans can hardly wait. Neil Tovey, the man who led South Africa to their first ever continental triumph at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations in 1996 described this year as "probably the second most important" period the country’s era. The first one, obviously, being when South Africa held its first democratic elections in 1994, thus ending the country’s apartheid regime.

"It’s an important year for all South Africans. When I was still playing, I never dreamt that we would one day host a FIFA World Cup in this country. At this moment, I guess everyone is proud to be South African because we have an opportunity to change people’s perception of not only South Africa but also about the African continent," Tovey said.

Lampard: England can win it

Frank Lampard is adamant England will not get swept up in the hype surrounding their prospects at this year's FIFA World Cup™ in South Africa.

England may have won the FIFA World Cup just once, on home soil in 1966, but every subsequent appearance they have made at a major football tournament has sparked hopes of a similar outcome among their fans. Chelsea midfielder Lampard was a member of the England squad at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany where the team lost in the quarter-finals to Portugal after some players had suggested they could win the event.

During Fabio Capello's two years in charge of England the team has undergone a major upsurge in fortunes, from failing to qualify for UEFA EURO 2008 under former boss Steve McClaren to FIFA World Cup contenders. But the Italian is not one for getting carried away and friendly defeats by Brazil, France and Spain have served to reinforce awareness of the scale of the task facing England in South Africa.

Meanwhile Lampard is confident England have learnt their lessons from four years ago. "There's an inner confidence within the squad but I don't think we're thinking about winning the trophy. We've been here before," he said. "The experienced players who have been here before know that it doesn't really matter what you say before the tournament or what your form's like a few months before the tournament, what really matters is how you play when you get there.

With the squad we have got and the way we have played, we are doing everything right but when we go there we have to do everything right thereEngland midfielder Frank Lampard.
"You get asked the question a million times - 'Can you win it?' and the obvious answer is 'Yes we can if we are playing well,' but you have to go there and win it. With the squad we have got and the way we have played, we are doing everything right but when we go there we have to do everything right there."

Lampard - the guest of honour at a Football Writers' Association dinner in London on Sunday - knows that at the age of 31 this is likely to be his last FIFA World Cup. "This year is a big year for me," he said. "It's obviously a World Cup year so it's career defining. If we were to go there and win it then who knows what would happen after that?"

Before the World Cup gets underway in June, Lampard has the chance to win yet more club honours with Chelsea, the Premier League leaders. "I don't think I'll become distracted by the World Cup," said Lampard, who has been capped 76 times by England.

"When I play for my club you get into the zone about playing club football. I don't look too far ahead. It's nice when the draw comes around, you get excited and when it gets nearer you get more excited but there's too much going on at Chelsea, it's too important.

"We are in everything at the moment so we are focused completely on that. Hopefully when it comes to the end of the season I'll be confident after winning things with Chelsea and go to the World Cup."

Source: FIFA.com

Maradona takes SA by storm

From legendary football players in their own right to young and aspiring sportsmen and women, the arrival this morning of one of the world's greatest football players of all time, Diego Maradona, has caused a wave of excitement among South Africans.

Former South African football great Mark Fish, who helped his country to its African Cup of Nations victory in 1996 and who took part in the 1998 FIFA World Cup has certainly met some well known sportsmen in his time, but his meeting with Maradona this afternoon at the High Performance Centre (HPC) at the University of Pretoria is one he will never forget.

“When I met him now I was lost for words, I literally had goose bumps all over. This really is a dream come true – his football ability was second to none,” said the former South African national player. “My friends and I often talk about who is the greatest player of all time but I know who it is, I now know I have met the greatest football player,” to which Maradona jokingly responded, “Yes my mother also thinks so,” as the two compared their Che Guevara tattoos.

Dempsey eases USA fears

Fulham striker Clint Dempsey will not require surgery to repair his injured right knee, the English Premier League side announced on Tuesday, easing USA fears that he might be lost for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™.

Dempsey, who plays forward as well as attacking midfielder, suffered moderate ligament damage but an MRI scan indicated there was not a torn ligament and that he might play for Fulham before the end of the season. That means he should be healthy when the Americans face England on 12 June in their FIFA World Cup opener.

Toni: Roma first, Italy second

Roma striker Luca Toni is hoping that his two-goal display against Genoa yesterday caught the eye of Italy coach Marcello Lippi.

The 32-year-old, on loan from Bayern Munich until the end of the season, notched his first goals since his return to Serie A football in the 3-0 win. Toni made the move to Roma at the start of this month following a difficult spell in the Bundesliga, where a lack of playing time has damaged his chances of making Italy's FIFA World Cup™ squad.

But the striker is hopeful yesterday's performance will have gone some way to remedying that. "Lippi knows what I'm capable of in the national side and I've already had many happy moments wearing that shirt," he told reporters. "I know the better I do at Roma the more chances I will have to join the national side. Right now, what's important for me is to score many goals to put Roma ahead."

Low: We've made real progress

In football-obsessed Germany, rarely has a national coach been as popular as Joachim Low, a native of the Black Forest who celebrates his 50th birthday on 3 February. His expertise from the dugout and personal elegance are the ideal attributes for the top job in a country which has won the FIFA World Cup™ three times, where knowledge and proficiency are valued above all other qualities, but which has always demanded idols with personal charisma and a strong personality.

The former forward, fondly nicknamed Jogi, remains the all-time leading scorer for Freiburg, although his playing record for his country amounts to just four U-21 appearances. His skill as a coach is more highly regarded. As Jurgen Klinsmann’s assistant, Low was widely acknowledged as the brains of the operation. His meticulousness and tactical wisdom have earned him a reputation as a guru of the game, while his highly fashionable dress sense and natural charm make him a perfect figurehead in a media-intensive world.

Above all else, Low is hungry for success. He succeeded Klinsmann after Germany 2006, with a brief to develop the national team’s newly-acquired attacking instincts. He frequently refers to 'possession quotas', by which he means the interval between a player receiving a pass and releasing the ball. During his time in charge, this measure has decreased significantly for Germany, leading to a much higher tempo.

Dempsey concern for USA

Clint Dempsey's 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ hopes could depend on the results of scans tomorrow after the United States forward limped off in the second half of Fulham's 2-0 Barclays Premier League defeat at Blackburn Rovers. Dempsey is a key man for the Stars and Stripes, who begin their FIFA World Cup campaign in South Africa against England on 12 June.

Fulham manager Roy Hodgson, who is also without striker Bobby Zamora, said: "Clint will be scanned tomorrow, but we feel it might be a posterior cruciate knee ligament which would be very bad for us and he would be out for a while.

"It's a concern up front because Clint Dempsey is very useful for us, but now with both he and Bobby out, it makes us a bit weaker in that area than we'd like to be."

Ogasawara earns Japan recall

Kashima Antlers midfielder Mitsuo Ogasawara has been called up to Japan's national team for the first time since the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ after coach Takeshi Okada announced his squad for next month's friendly against Venezuela.

Ogasawara helped guide Antlers to a third straight league title last season and his performances were impressive enough to earn him the 2009 J. League Player of the Year accolade. The decision to bring the 30-year-old back into the international frame could open the door for Ogasawara to earn a place in the squad for the World Cup this year and Okada is keen for the player to make the most of his chance.

"We know his abilities very well," said Okada. "It was just a matter of timing with regards to his call-up. I would like to play him as attacking midfielder rather than a defensive one like he plays for his club and I hope he can show his presence in the team."

Vidic: We believe in ourselves

In some 150 days, South Africa and Mexico will take to the field for the opening match at the 19th FIFA World Cup™. Five months before the greatest show in sport kicks off on 11 June, a wave of anticipation is already sweeping planet football. "I’ve never played at the World Cup, but it has to be the greatest achievement of a career in the game," Nemanja Vidic exclusively told FIFA.com.

For the Serbia centre-back, who plays his club football for English giants Manchester United, the 2010 finals in South Africa promise to bring his first-ever appearance at a major tournament: he was in the Serbia and Montenegro squad at Germany 2006 but failed to get off the bench.

"I was banned for the first match after a sending off in the last game before the tournament," the 28-year-old recalled. Rubbing salt into the wound, he picked up an injury at a pre-finals training camp and missed his side’s two remaining group fixtures.

We have a handful of players who were at the 2006 World Cup. I think we’ll be better prepared than we were four years ago.Serbia's Nemanja Vidic
"That’s why I’m so pleased we’ve managed to qualify again. I hope nothing stops me playing this time and that I can contribute to the team doing better than in 2006," Vidic continued.

In Germany four years ago, the amalgamated Serbia and Montenegro team – both were sovereign states by the time of the tournament but qualified and competed as a single entity – sank without trace in a fiercely tough group, losing 1-0 to the Netherlands, 6-0 to Argentina and 3-2 to Côte d’Ivoire.

Positive feelings
The Serbs are determined to perform with more credit this time round, although Vidic is fully aware of the severity of the task in a section also including UEFA EURO 2008 runners-up Germany, Ghana, and Australia.

"There are no easy opponents at a World Cup. Every team has good players, and they all deserve to be there. It won’t be easy, but we have a good feeling and believe we’ll give a decent account of ourselves,” Vidic stated.

And the player feels the team can only benefit from the expertise and nous offered by coach Radomir Antic. "He’s coached some great teams and has loads of experience," said Vidic on the 61-year-old supremo, whose CV includes spells in charge at Spanish giants Barcelona, Real Madrid and city rivals Atletico.

"He’s brought in a few new ideas and places a lot of stress on discipline and organisation. He’s definitely played a large part in our development as a team." Indeed, in qualifying for South Africa, Serbia comfortably won their group and consigned 2006 runners-up France to a play-off spot.

"We have a handful of players who were at the 2006 World Cup. I think we’ll be better prepared than we were four years ago," said Vidic.

"But everything depends on the first match, that’ll be our most important game at the World Cup. A win would give us an excellent chance of reaching the next round, and it would boost our confidence for what comes after that.”

However, Vidic intends to focus on club matters with United for the second half of the season. For all the keen sense of anticipation, he is not spending too much time contemplating South Africa just yet. "I’m taking each game as it comes at the moment, and just trying to stay focused on that."

And as the interview concluded, the rugged defender confessed to a subconscious fear of missing out again with injury, but is simply trying to blot out the unwelcome thoughts. "The more you think about the World Cup and trying not to get injured, the greater the risk you’ll get hurt, in my opinion."

Source: FIFA.com

Wandering Adu eyes Greek revival

Only a few years on from being touted as the long-awaited saviour of American soccer, Freddy Adu is heading for his third loan spell in three seasons, this time with mid-table Greek outfit Aris Thessaloniki. The move is seemingly a long way from the creative attacker’s meteoric rise to prominence as a precocious prodigy destined to someday make it in a big way.

Born in Tema, Ghana, young Fredua Koranteng Adu was noticed early in the USA after arriving with his mother through an immigration lottery. At the tender age of just 14 - after representing the USA with distinction at both the FIFA U-20 and U-17 World Cups in 2003 - Adu became one of the youngest American professional athletes in history, turning down offers from some of Europe’s top sides to sign a Major League Soccer contract in 2004.

“I try to not think about what everyone is saying about me,” he told FIFA.com in late 2003, already engulfed by a soccer-inspired mainstream media whirlwind not seen in the USA since the country hosted the FIFA World Cup™ in 1994, or Pele's arrival at the New York Cosmos in 1975.

Durban Stadium raises the bar

The newly-built Durban Stadium, which sits on the shores of the Indian Ocean, has received rave reviews from both local and international media - and no wonder.

The stadium, which is now completed and ready for football, is one of ten that will stage the world’s greatest sporting event at the tip of the African continent in June. And the arena, otherwise known as the Moses Mabhida Stadium, is clearly well worthy of this honour.

Undoubtedly, one of its most iconic features stadium is its much-talked about cable car. By this means, visitors can ascend to a viewing platform at the top of the expansive 350m arch, a staggering 106m above the pitch. From this vantage point, it is possible to experience spectacular panoramic views over the ocean and the city.

Torres: Our best is yet to come

Fresh from setting a new record at club side Liverpool, having racked up 50 Premier League strikes quicker than any other player in the Anfield outfit’s history, Fernando Torres remains as fiercely ambitious as ever. Still known as El Niño (The Kid), though he is now a father himself, the 25-year-old spoke to FIFA.com about his fine current form and his goals for the future at club and international level.

FIFA.com: Fernando, last month you were included in the FIFA/FIFPro World XI 2009. How did it feel to know that over 50,000 professional players voted?
Fernando Torres: It’s a real source of joy and satisfaction as well a huge privilege. Receiving this kind of recognition from your fellow professionals is something very special, which fills you with pride. The fact they admire what you do spurs you on to keep improving, to try and continue forming part of this XI.

What’s your verdict on 2009?
Being included in the World XI without having won any silverware makes me even more motivated. What I mean is, though collectively we’ve not had the best of luck, on a personal note the balance is right and I’m doing my job well. I have to keep that going. We just need a little more luck as a team to be able to win a trophy.

The young contenders are coming

There was an anonymous member of Brazil’s celebrity squad when it touched down for the 1958 FIFA World Cup Sweden™. He was 17, with just one year’s professional experience. He was physically unspectacular. He was shy, inconspicuous. The name Pele was alien to the masses; he was a nobody.

That nobody emphatically became a somebody during the competition and by the time Brazil returned home as world champions, their darling No10 was arguably the biggest name in the sport.

Pele was not the only youngster to give himself a grand introduction to the world on the biggest stage of all. A 20-year-old Florian Albert wowed audiences at Chile 1962, before going on to become one of Hungarian and European football’s most elegant, accomplished forwards, while West Germany’s Franz Beckenbauer was the same age when he dazzled at England 1966.

Striking dilemma looms for Diego

The history of the Argentinian national team is dotted with legendary goalscorers. These include Guillermo Stabile, top scorer at the first ever FIFA World Cup™ in 1930, Mario Kempes, the hero of the host nation’s triumph in 1978, and more recent idols such as Gabriel Batistuta and Hernan Crespo.

Yet since Batigol hung up his shooting boots and Valdanito drifted out of the national team picture, La Albiceleste have struggled to find a genuine No9. Indeed, though many have tried, to date nobody has shown the kind of predatory instincts that helped Crespo and Batistuta, Argentina’s leading FIFA World Cup qualifying and finals scorers respectively, to a combined 91 goals in the famous sky blue-and-white shirt.

In the South American Zone qualifiers for South Africa 2010, Argentina struck just 23 times which, along with their France 1998 qualifying campaign, was their joint lowest tally since the current preliminary format was introduced. And though in France 1998 qualifying Argentina were the second-most prolific side, the class of 2010 were only the joint fifth highest scorers of the ten CONMEBOL teams, with La Albiceleste’s leading marksmen Sergio Aguero and Juan Roman Riquelme registering just four goals apiece.

Capello plans Austria altitude camp

Fabio Capello's England squad will travel to Austria for a training camp at altitude prior to the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, the camp's organiser said Tuesday.

"We have organised the camp in conjunction with the English Football Federation (FA)," said Nikolaus Pichler, a representative of the IFCS company which organises training camps for professional teams in the region of Styria.

"The team manager Fabio Capello will be there with the team in Irdning, which he is already familiar with. He has already visited here with other teams, such as AS Roma and Real Madrid."

Verbeek to assess fringe players

Australia's second string get a chance to impress coach Pim Verbeek in tomorrow's AFC Asian Cup qualifier in Kuwait with a place at next year's finals within touching distance.

With the game falling outside of FIFA's international calendar, Verbeek is left with only Craig Moore and Luke Wilkshire who are considered regulars.N He does welcome eight overseas-based players but the likes of Mark Schwarzer and Tim Cahill who featured in November's back-to-back wins over Oman are absent.

Australia are currently level on points with Kuwait at the top of Group B with two games remaining and Oman three points adrift in third. Oman travel to Jakarta to face Indonesia, who are a further point off the pace, with both teams needing a win to keep their hopes alive.

Fans favour dynamic Drogba

"At the World Cup, we won't only be representing the people of Côte d'Ivoire, but also millions of African people!" Speaking exclusively to FIFA.com just a few months ago, Didier Drogba underlined the immense pride and keen responsibility with which he is approaching the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ this summer.

The world class Ivorian striker, who stars at club level for London giants Chelsea, can hardly wait to hit the goal trail in his home continent this June. You, the fans from all over the world, are equally excited at the prospect of watching Drogba in full flow. In our latest FIFA.com poll, when we asked which striker you were most looking forward to seeing at the forthcoming FIFA World Cup finals, the 31-year-old carried off the honours with 29.06 per cent of the votes cast.

Low: First team football essential

Germany coach Joachim Low has warned candidates for his FIFA World Cup™ squad they will have to be playing regular first team football if they are to be considered next summer.

Speaking to the Welt am Sonntag newspaper, Low explained how he had learnt from the mistake he made at UEFA EURO 2008 in nominating Real Madrid defender Christoph Metzelder despite the fact he had spent much of the latter stages of the season injured. The central defender never managed to reach his best form during the competition and Low will not make the same mistake again.

"I won't call up anybody who has not been playing regularly for their side in the months building up to the tournament," he said. "That is something I have learned from EURO 2008. This is going to be a World Cup which will be played at a very high pace."

Beckham dreaming of world return

After starring and scoring for England at France 1998, Korea/Japan 2002 and Germany 2006, David Beckham has told FIFA.com that he is relishing the prospect of appearing in his fourth FIFA World Cup™ in South Africa in June and July.

The 34-year-old midfielder’s chances of being in the Three Lions’ 23-man squad were recently discussed by Fabio Capello, who said: "Of course he will be included, if he plays [for AC Milan] and is well physically,” he said. “I don't look at ages. I look at skill and Beckham has a lot. He's serious, a real professional and he's really dedicated to making the World Cup squad."

In FIFA.com’s first Interview of the Week of what promises to be a special year, one of world football’s highest-profile players speaks about the highs and lows he has experienced at FIFA World Cups, his thoughts on current FIFA World Player of the Year Lionel Messi and his hopes for Africa’s legacy post-2010.

Watmore: Capello here for long term

England Football Association chief executive Ian Watmore expects Fabio Capello to remain as England coach until after UEFA Euro 2012. Capello's planning for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ is now in full swing, with assistant Franco Baldini due to head to Angola later this month to see Group C opponents Algeria in action at the African Cup of Nations.

Yet there is already plenty of speculation that Capello will stand down once the Three Lions return from South Africa. Fulham manager Roy Hodgson is widely viewed as a leading contender to replace the Italian, a belief that has only been fuelled by the 62-year-old's decision to sign a new rolling contract with the Craven Cottage club, which includes a release clause.

However, Capello has hinted himself that he has no plans to stand down ahead of the next European Championships, the qualifying draw for which will be held in Warsaw on 7 February. And Watmore is certainly not planning for a succession.

O'Neill unconcerned by Heskey links

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill has played down speculation linking Emile Heskey with a move away from Villa Park this month.

The England striker has been tipped as a potential target for his former club, Liverpool. However, O'Neill takes such speculation in his stride and puts it down to the time of year now that the transfer window is open again.

He said: "It isn't of any concern to me at all. It is just the nature of the business. Things have been bubbling up because January is the only opportunity that clubs can bring in players or move players out during the season.

"It doesn't bother me one jot. I cannot go on confirming or denying stories. It just happens. We will be linked with a lot of players in January and a lot of clubs will be linked with some of our players," said O’Neill.


It isn't of any concern to me at all. It is just the nature of the business.
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill


"My own particular view is that in a general sense agents want to satisfy their players and you are going to get a lot of that in the January window."

Source: FIFA.com

Spector's long road home

(FIFA.com) Friday 1 January 2010
Injuries are unavoidable in football. As the modern game becomes even faster and tighter, with less and less time on the ball and space on the pitch, the demands on the body become greater and greater. Every player, at some point, will need to deal with an injury. And while some are luckier, only made to endure niggling muscle strains or painful knocks, others face multiple injuries, one after another, forcing long stretches out of the game, requiring massive doses of mental strength and discipline. USA and West Ham United man Jonathan Spector recently spoke with FIFA.com about his personal experience with big injuries and long, agonising stretches on the sidelines.

Spector, 23, was in fine fettle when the Americans shocked the world to reach the final of the FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa last June, but national team fans could have been forgiven for thinking the brawny, blond-haired back was a new member of Bob Bradley’s squad. Missing out on all of 2006 and most of 2008, Spector – once a shining young star for the future – was forced to deal with a seemingly endless succession of cruel injuries that kept him out of action for the majority of the last three seasons for both club and country.

Baffoe: I'm incredibly proud

(FIFA.com) Thursday 31 December 2009
To get things done, you need “doers”, and Anthony Baffoe definitely belongs in that category. The 44-year-old can look back on a storied career, and his experience combined with his engaging personality, way with words and skills in sports management make him the ideal ambassador for African football.

The son of a Ghanaian diplomat, Baffoe grew up near to the former West German capital of Bonn and made a name for himself in the 1980s in the Bundesliga, becoming a real crowd favourite for Cologne and Fortuna Dusseldorf. Baffoe won some 16 caps for the West African nation before hanging up his boots and embarking on a successful career on German television in various sport programmes.

Switzerland hit the big time

Little country – big progress. In footballing terms, this is a fair reflection of what Switzerland managed to achieve in 2009. Their various national teams have obtained some excellent results over the past 12 months, confirming many years of hard work and perhaps even ushering in a new golden era for the Central Europeans.

Qualification for the sport's greatest tournament, a youth team crowned as world champions and appearance in a beach soccer final – what a year Switzerland has had. It is difficult to rank these achievements in terms of importance since all of them were well received by their fans back home, but booking their ticket for their ninth FIFA World Cup™ and their third in a row was positive proof that Swiss football is a force to be reckoned with.

A poor showing for Switzerland in their home tournament – the UEFA EURO 2008 – marked the end of Kobi Kuhn's tenure as coach, but rather than let the team slide into decline, the powers-that-be at the national association took a bold step in handing over the reins to one of the most respected coaches in Europe, Germany's Ottmar Hitzfeld. "The General" proceeded to get off to a catastrophic start, losing to minnows Luxemburg in a South Africa 2010™ qualifier, but the former Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich coach soon righted the ship and steered his troops to the top of Group 2 in the European zone, taking the direct route to the forthcoming FIFA World Cup.