Presidents Meet: AIFF's Praful Patel & FIFA's Sepp Blatter regarding 2017 FIFA Under-17

The president of the All India Football Federation Praful Patel has travelled to Zurich and today met with FIFA President Joseph Blatter, FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke and Thierry Regenass, FIFA Director Member Associations and Development Vision, at FIFA Headquarters to dicsuss the issues relating to the guarantees from the Government of India required by FIFA regarding the hosting of the 2017 FIFA Under-17 World Cup.

Praful Patel explained to Sepp Blatter and Mr. Valcke that all the requirements mentioned in the guarantees are fulfilled by the existing legislations of the country and the Government of India had already sent a letter to FIFA explaining the same and giving its unequivocal support for hosting the 2017 FIFA Under-17 World Cup.

The Government of India letter was also supported by a legal opinion endorsing the declaration by the Government of India though in recent interactions FIFA was critical of the guarantees given by the Government of India.

As per the AIFF the meeting was very positive and FIFA agreed to review the letter of the Government of India and the legal opinion with their legal department and requested the AIFF to send their legal advisors for a meeting with FIFA so that the matter can be explained to them in greater detail.

It seems not all is lost in India's quest to host the 2017 FIFA Under-17 World Cup.

(Photo courtesy AIFF Media)

Ballon d'Or: Final Three announced

The list of the final three candidates in the different categories of the second edition of the FIFA Ballon d'Or awards were released yesterday. For the award FIFA had joined hands with France Football last year after the Ballon d'Or award was earlier handed our by the French magazine, while FIFA had their own World Player of the Year award. Now these two have been merged into one and the FIFA Ballon d'Or awards will be handed out on January 9, 2012 in Zurich.

Argentinian Lionel Messi, the winner in the last couple of editions, along with Barcelona team mate Xavi Hernandez and Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid have made the final three.

Amongst the coaches who made the final three are Barca coach Pep Guardiola, his Real Madrid rival José Mourinho and seasoned Scotsman Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United.

National coaches and captains from around the world plus selected journalists can vote for their top candidates.


The following three men (in alphabetical order) are in contention for the FIFA Ballon d'Or 2011

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Real Madrid), Lionel Messi (Argentina/FC Barcelona), Xavi Hernandez (Spain/FC Barcelona)


The following three coaches (in alphabetical order) are in contention for the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men's Football 2011

Alex Ferguson (Scotland/Manchester United), Pep Guardiola (Spain/FC Barcelona), José Mourinho (Portugal/Real Madrid)


The following three women (in alphabetical order) are in contention for the title of FIFA Women's World Player 2011

Marta (Brazil), Homare Sawa (Japan), Abby Wambach (USA)


The following three coaches (in alphabetical order) are in contention for the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Women's Football 2011

Bruno Bini (France), Norio Sasaki (Japan), Pia Sundhage (Sweden/Team USA)

Ferenc Puskas Goal of the Year

Lionel Messi (Argentina/FC Barcelona), Neymar (Brazil/FC Santos), Wayne Rooney (England/Manchester United)

FIFA Ballon d'Or: Nominees for the awards released

The the list of candidates of the second edition of the FIFA Ballon d'Or awards were released earlier today. For the award FIFA had joined hands with France Football last year after the Ballon d'Or award was earlier handed our by the French magazine, while FIFA had their own World Player of the Year award. Now these two have been merged into one and the FIFA Ballon d'Or awards will be handed out on January 9, 2012 in Zurich.

Argentinian Lionel Messi, the winner in the last couple of editions, leads the list of 23 players named as candidates which also contains seven of his Barcelona team mates with rivals Real Madrid having five players amongst the contenders from around the globe.

National coaches and captains from around the world plus selected journalists can vote for their top candidates. The top three in each category would be announced at a press conference in Paris on December 5 ahead of the awards a month later in Zurich.


The following 23 men (in alphabetical order) are in contention for the FIFA Ballon d'Or 2011

Éric Abidal (France/FC Barcelona), Sergio Agüero (Argentina/Atletico Madrid-Manchester City), Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid), Iker Casillas (Spain/Real Madrid), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Real Madrid), Daniel Alves (Brazil/FC Barcelona), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon/Internationale Milan-Anzhi Makhachkala), Cesc Fabregas (Spain/FC Arsenal-FC Barcelina), Diego Forlan (Uruguay/Atletico Madrid-Internationale Milan), Andres Iniesta (Spain/FC Barcelona), Lionel Messi (Argentina/FC Barcelona), Thomas Muller (Germany/FC Bayern Munich), Nani (Portugal/Manchester United), Neymar (Brazil/FC Santos), Mesut Özil (Germany/Real Madrid), Gerard Piqué (Spain/FC Barcelona), Wayne Rooney (England/Manchester United), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany/FC Bayern Munich), Wesley Sneijder (Holland/Internationale Milan), Luis Suárez (Uruguay/FC Liverpool), David Villa (Spain/FC Barcelona), Xabi Alonso (Spain/Real Madrid), Xavi Hernandez (Spain/FC Barcelona)


The following ten coaches (in alphabetical order) are in contention for the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men's Football 2011

Vicente Del Bosque (Spain), Alex Ferguson (Scotland/Manchester United), Rudi Garcia (France/Lille OSC), Pep Guardiola (Spain/FC Barcelona), Jürgen Klopp (Germany/Borussia Dortmund), Joachim Löw (Germany), José Mourinho (Portugal/Real Madrid), Óscar Tabárez (Uruguay), André Villas-Boas (Portugal/FC Porto-Chelsea FC), Arsène Wenger (France/Arsenal FC)


The following ten women (in alphabetical order) are in contention for the title of FIFA Women's World Player 2011

Sonia Bompastor (France), Kerstin Garefrekes (Germany), Marta (Brazil), Aya Miyama (Japan), Alex Morgan (USA), Louisa Necib (France), Homare Sawa (Japan), Lotta Schelin (Sweden), Hope Solo (USA), Abby Wambach (USA)


The following ten coaches (in alphabetical order) are in contention for the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Women's Football 2011

Bruno Bini (France), Leonardo Cuellar (Mexico), Thomas Dennerby (Sweden), Patrice Lair (France/Olympique Lyonnais), Maren Meinert (Germany Under-19), Hope Powell (England), Norio Sasaki (Japan), Tom Sermanni (Scotland/Australia), Pia Sundhage (Sweden/Team USA), Jorge Vilda (Spain/Spain Under-17)

Indicast Podcast: FIFA is Dead. Long Live Football

I join Nani from Zurich, the venue for the FIFA presidential election. Football lovers from around the world are shocked and concerned after news reports which announced that some FIFA officials received bribes for handing out World Cup bids. In this short podcast, we give a ground zero update from the media centre.



Listen Online (64 kbps) : ~ 11 mins





Here the direct link to the Indicast Podcast page: Sportsbench Podcast



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Grasshopper Club leave Zurich after 125 years

The Swiss financial capital Zurich also happens to be the home of world football governing body FIFA, but from next season one of the cities traditional football clubs in Grasshopper Club Zurich could shift its home matches outside of town due to high stadium rent.

Grasshopper Club currently share the Letzigrund Stadium with their traditional rivals FC Zurich, which had been rebuild and expanded for the 2008 European Championships. And the club has to shell out a yearly rent of 870,000 Swiss francs (US$ 900,000; € 660,000) and another 500,000 Swiss francs (US$ 515,000; € 380,000) for matchday policing.

For the 27 time former Swiss champions these fees are too high and they had been negotiating with the city council about a possible reduction, but that has not happened; so they now want to move on. They are looking at options of sharing the grounds with clubs in Aarau and Emmen.

Also there are plans in the cupboard about an own GCZ stadium at its former Hardturm home, but the project stalled over legal and planning disputes.

FIFA World Cup: 2018 in Russia, 2022 in Qatar

Switzerland's Zurich was the place that the whole football world looked towards on this December 2, 2010 as world football governing body FIFA announced the hosts for the 2018 & 2022 FIFA World Cup's. And for many the decisions came as a big surprise. Russia were named hosts for 2018 and an even bigger upset came in the form of the tiny emirate of Qatar being chosen as the hosts of the 2022 edition.

Football insiders have been saying for the last couple of days that Russia and Qatar are the likeliest candidates to win the bidding process, but global public opinion thought that England or Spain/Portugal in 2018 and USA in 2022 where the countries set to win. But the decision wasn't about football only, it was about power, money and the global expansion of football to new markets.

In lauding the victorious nations, the FIFA president Sepp Blatter also made a point of praising those who missed out. He said: “I have to say thanks to to the Executive Committee of FIFA because for 2018 and 2022 we go to new lands, because the FIFA World Cup has never been in eastern Europe or the Middle East. So, I'm a happy president when we speak of the development of football.

"But I have to give big compliments to all the bidders for the big job they have done and the messages they have delivered. All have delivered the message that football is more than just a game. Football is not only about winning; it is also a school of life where you must learn to lose, and that is not easy.”

So the decisions for 2018 and 2022 World Cup's have been made and this will have influences on the World Cup's thereafter. 2026 most likely will now go to the United States and if FIFA's global expansion plans continue then Europe could be bypassed in 2030 and the World Cup could return to Asia. And who could be the hosts? The fight would be on between China and India, the final frontiers of world football.


Here an older blog entry from me (June 8, 2010) just before the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup about India's chances to host a football World Cup in the future. Here is the article link: India hosting a football World Cup?


The voting process involved only 22 of the 24 FIFA Executive Committee members as two had been suspended after a sting operation exposed them as willing to accept bribes for their vote. And the following happened in the voting:

2018 FIFA World Cup
Round 1: England 2 votes, Netherlands/Belgium 4 votes, Spain/Portugal 7 votes, Russia 9 votes (as no absolute majority was reached, the candidate with least amount of votes, England, was eliminated).
Round 2: Netherlands/Belgium 2 votes, Spain/Portugal 7 votes, Russia 13 votes (Russia obtained an absolute majority).

2022 FIFA World Cup
Round 1: Australia 1 vote, USA 3 votes, Japan 3 votes, Korea Republic 4 votes, Qatar 11 votes (Australia eliminated).
Round 2: Japan 2 votes, USA 5 votes, Korea Republic 5 votes, Qatar 10 votes (Japan eliminated).
Round 3: Korea Republic 5 votes, USA 6 votes, Qatar 11 votes (Korea Republic eliminated).
Round 4: USA 8 votes, Qatar 14 votes (Qatar obtained an absolute majority).

3rd International Goalkeeper Congress video (in English)

The English version video of the 3rd International Goalkeeper Congress held Zurich, Switzerland is finally ready. Here it is for you to view!





Here is the German version:

VIDEO: 3rd International Goalkeeper Congress

The video of the 3rd International Goalkeeper Congress held in Zurich is now ready and can be viewed below, only it is in German.






More infos on the 3rd International Goalkeeper Congress under www.goalkeepercongress.com .

3rd International Goalkeeper Congress - A personal review

The 3rd International Goalkeeper Congress was held in Zurich over the weekend of July 31/August 1. I had the task and honour to moderate the theoretical sessions on day one, while day two was filled with practice sessions from goalkeeping experts and former keepers like Jean-Marie Pfaff and Lutz Pfannenstiel showing their training methods.

Day One was held at the Sonnenberg Convention Center in Zurich, the former home of world football governing body FIFA. And surely this was an impressive location for the Congress with the old building's terrace overviewing the Zurich Lake and you have the Alps in the backdrop. This is Switzerland as you have it on picture post cards. Maybe this was why the organisers picked this location after Nuremberg and Munich hosted the first two editions.

Moderating an event like this is a lot of work as you have to prepare yourself with as much input as possible about the people making presentations or being interviewed by you. And also you have to be prepared for all eventualities plus I was given the chance to moderate in place of former FIFA Media Director Markus Siegler, so some added pressure on me but none with which I can't live with. To give you an example, the Global Ambassador of the International Goalkeeper Congress is German national goalkeeping coach Andreas Koepke, but due to a serious illness in the family, he couldn't attend. So it meant short notice changes to the program and the overall plans. And then there was Jean-Marie Pfaff, who was being followed by a camera team, as he has a long running reality show in Belgium like the Osborne's used to have on MTV. Impressive how he handled the situation with the camera always around.

The grand opening had former Belgian Bayern Munich goalkeeper of the 1980s Jean-Marie Pfaff; former Swiss captain and Borussia Moenchengladbach keeper Joerg Stiel; German goalkeeper Lutz Pfannenstiel, who is the only player to have played on all continents; and Michael Fuchs, the goalkeeping coach of the German Women's national team, to start the day. The main discussion in the opening session revolved around the Jabulani ball and the goalkeeping blunders at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. While the younger generation put some blame on the ball and the different conditions across South Africa, Pfaff said that quality proves itself in the end and questioned if goalkeeping was at its highest standards as keepers these days are integrated into their sides and aren't crazy individuals as keepers have been in the past.

Over the day you had numerous sessions on goalkeeping and also about artificial turf, a help or hindrance; in stadia seating; plus latest technology which helps keepers to develop their game and find out their weaknesses.

I personally found the sessions with my friend Lutz Pfannenstiel the most interesting as Lutz has not only travelled the world as a player, but has also learned a lot about cultures and follows football around the world. He not only understands the game in theory but the next day showed his vast knowledge in the practical sessions as well. Lutz personally told me, he would be very interested to come to India to coach and manage a club or maybe even get involved with Team India.

An interesting aspect was also the conference call sessions. Something which I hadn't seen at a congress before. This was done as a number of persons couldn't be physically present in Zurich, still we had them as part of the Congress by calling them and getting their views, talking about goalkeeping and football in their countries.

The day ended with a joint dinner, while day two was held at the Sportanlage Chrummen in Freienbach, just outside of Zurich. This happens to be the national training centre of the Swiss national teams with two natural turf grounds plus an artificial turf. And with artificial turf producer Polytan as Congress sponsor and the artificial turf being theirs the practical sessions where held on that ground. Jean-Marie Pfaff and Lutz Pfannenstiel showed their training methodology with other coaches chipping in with their ideas or even discussing if the methods are right or wrong. As a non-goalkeeper it was interesting to follow how such training sessions and methods are structured.

World Radio Switzerland interview - with Lutz Pfannenstiel and myself

3rd International GOALKEEPER CONGRESS in Zurich

The ongoing football World Cup has already seen a number of mistakes by goalkeepers. The 3rd International GOALKEEPER CONGRESS being staged in Zurich on July 31/August 1
has remedies for this. It is showcasing to an audience of goalkeeping coaches, coaches, goalkeepers and the interested pubic just how these slip-ups can be avoided, what the perfect training of goalkeepers should involve and how modern goalkeeping is developing internationally. The ambassadors are the “World’s Best Goalkeeper” and goalkeeping coach of the German national team Andreas Koepke, Joerg Stiel (former goalkeeper of Switzerland) and Grant Johnson (former South African goalkeeper).

Schindellegi, July 1, 2010: Algeria, England, Ghana and Slovenia. They all suffered the same fate at the current football World Cup in South Africa: Hair-raising blackouts by their top goalkeepers, which in some cases resulted in early tickets home for their teams. The International GOALKEEPER CONGRESS is being staged in the former FIFA headquarters, the Sonnenberg Convention Center, on July 31/August 1 to prepare and coach goalkeepers for their challenging task. This is the third time that goalkeepers, goalkeeper coaches, coaches, technical advisors, players’ consultants and interested parties are meeting to share their know-how and ideas, both in theory and in practise. The event’s organiser, SSC SPORTS & SALES Consulting,
is expecting more than 200 participants from more than 50 countries. Polytan GmbH, one of the leading European producers of artificial turf and running tracks, is the main sponsor.

FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter has been asked to assume the event’s patronage. The congress’ ambassadors Andreas Koepke, Joerg Stiel (former goalkeeper of Switzerland) and Grant Johnson (former South African goalkeeper) have invited Oliver Kahn, Gianluigi Buffon, Peter Schmeichel and Fabien Barthez, among others. Goalie legends Sepp Maier, Bernd Trautmann, Jean-Marie Pfaff, Gordon Banks and Rinat Dassajew are also expected to be present. The Zurich event addresses the international football community and the continental associations FIFA, UEFA, AFC, etc. as well as 1,000 football clubs around the globe. Previous events in Munich and Nuremberg attracted more than 200 delegates from associations and clubs in more than 30 countries and from five continents.

Delegates have the opportunity to discuss the future of goalie coaching, modern goalkeeping and technical innovations with 20 speakers and experts from around the world. Other points being covered include goalie coaching and licensing, concepts for coaching female, child and youth goalkeepers, modern training accessories and technology, fitness, psychology, nutrition as well as ideas for post goalie career choices. The activity day will see a number of workshops for coaches, demo training sessions as well as a charity match followed by penalty shootout with goalie legends. In addition to gaining specialist insights, delegates will also have the opportunity for meeting casually at a get-together at the end of day one or at the VIP dinner above Lake Zurich which closes the event with a fireworks display.

The event would be a great chance for our Indian keepers to learn the latest in modern day football plus also meet some of the greatest goalkeepers of all times. If you are interested to take part, do contact me. I can put you through to the organisers.

To find out more please visit: www.goalkeepercongress.com/uk/