IFFHS NEWS AND STATISTICS OF THE WEEK 47
Picture : Luka Modric, Ballon d'Or and IFFHS World's Playmaker 2018 : one of the greatest players in the History of Croatia !
CROATIAN FOOTBALL SUCCESS
Some interesting facts about Croatian football success:
· Croatian National Football Team won the silver medal in 2018 at the FIFA World cup in Russia. In 1998 Croatia won the bronze at the FIFA World Cup. On top of that, Croatia has 19 Champions League finalists, 11 Champions League winners and in 2020 a Croatian football player won the Champion’s league title for the eighth time in a row (Ivan Perisic, `Bayern Munich) :
1993. Alen Bokšić (Marseille)
1994. Zvonimir Boban (Milan)
1995. Zvonimir Boban (Milan)
1997. Alen Bokšić (Juventus)
1998. Davor Šuker (Real Madrid)
2002. Boris Živković (Bayer Leverkusen)
2002. Marko Babić (Bayer Leverkusen)
2002. Jurica Vranješ (Bayer Leverkusen)
2003. Dario Šimić (Milan)
2003. Igor Tudor (Juventus)
2004. Dado Pršo (Monaco)
2005. Igor Bišćan (Liverpool)
2005. Dario Šimić (Milan)
2007. Dario Šimić (Milan)
2010. Ivica Olić (Bayern)
2010. Danijel Pranjić (Bayern)
2012. Ivica Olić (Bayern)
2012. Danijel Pranjić (Bayern)
2013. Mario Mandžukić (Bayern)
2014. Luka Modrić (Real Madrid)
2015. Ivan Rakitić (Barcelona)
2016. Luka Modrić (Real Madrid)
2016. Mateo Kovačić (Real Madrid)
2017. Luka Modrić (Real Madrid)
2017. Mateo Kovačić (Real Madrid)
2017. Mario Mandžukić (Juventus)
2017. Marko Pjaca (Juventus)
2018. Luka Modrić (Real Madrid)
2018. Mateo Kovačić (Real Madrid)
2018. Dejan Lovren (Liverpool)
2019. Dejan Lovren (Liverpool)
2020. Ivan Perišić (Bayern)
· 11 Croatians have Champions League trophy, Luka Modric won four Champions league trophies with Real Madrid. In 2018 he was the best player of the FIFA World Cup and won the Ballon d’Or, the most iconic individual football award and was the first one who stopped the domination of Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi. Eight years in a row, a Croatian won the Champions League.
MOUKOKO = THE YOUNGEST
Last Saturday, Youssoufa Moukoko has played his first match with Borussia Dortmund at 16 years and 1 day ! The young Star became the Youngest Player in the History of the Bundesliga. He replaced Norvegian Star Haaland (4 goals in 32 minutes) five minutes before the end of the match against Berlin. Moukoko’s stats with Dortmund’s U17 : 56 matches, 90 goals and 16 assists. Moukoko’s stats with Dortmund’s U19 : 32 matches, 51 goals and 11 assists !
He signed in Dortmund at 11, began with the U17 at 12 ,with the U19 at 14 and with the Bundesliga A Team at 16 !
Romelu Lukaku, the striker of the Natioanl Team of Belgium , has now scored 45 goals in his 46 last international matches. He became the first European Player, since Germany’s « Bomber » Gerd Muller (1973), to score more than 57 goals with the National Team before his 28 th birthday !
GIROUD JUST BEHIND HENRY
Olivier Giroud (44 goals) is today ranked second in the All Time Ranking of the France Goal Scorers, just behind Thierry Henry (51 goals). Michel Platini (41 goals) completes the podium of this historical ranking, before David Trezeguet (34), Antoine Griezmann (33) and Zinedine Zidane (31).
Giroud ,who plays with Chelsea in the Premier League, prepares the Euro 2021 with ambition and maybe a new record in France !
FOOTBALL FOR FUTURE
When ATK took on Chennaiyin FC in the last Hero Indian Super League season’s final, the coronavirus pandemic was just starting to become a frightening reality across the country. Played behind closed doors, the final was one of the last sporting events held in the country before normal life essentially shut down.
Fast forward eight months, ISL will become the first major sporting event in the country to return in our daily life as the action unfolded in Goa yesterday.
ATKMB, the newly merged sides out of Atletico de Kolkata and Mohun Bagan (the giant historic club of Indian football) won an exiting opening battle against fan favourites Kerala blasters.
Once again, there will be no fans with all teams converging in Goa under the protection of a bio-secure bubble. But that won’t be the only thing different about this season.
For starters, the 2020-21 season will be the biggest ISL to date, with the addition of SC East Bengal taking the total number of teams to 11 and the number of matches to 115, up from 95 last season. East Bengal’s entry and defending champions ATK’s merger with Mohun Bagan mean that two of the oldest names in Indian football will go head-to-head in the ISL for the first time. The much awaited Kolkata Derby in ISL will kick off on November 27 and both players and fans are already looking forward to it.
CRAZY GAME IN ORLANDO
Orlando City SC won their first ever MLS playoff match in club history on Saturday after they defeated New York City FC 6-5 in a penalty kick shoot out. But that doesn't even begin to describe how wild the end to this match was.
Both teams scored in the opening ten minutes of the match, and then remained deadlocked through extra time despite an 87th minute red card for Orlando right back Ruan. There was also a yellow card issued to Orlando City goal keeper Pedro Gallese in extra time which turned out to be important later on.
Gallese seemed to make a game ending save on what would've been an the final penalty of the match but a review of the save with VAR overturned the call and it was determined Gallese had stepped off the line in his attempt to save. He was issued a yellow, his second of the match. Orlando had to replace him, but it remained unclear whether or not the rules allowed a substitute and backup keeper Brian Rowe was briefly substituted on before everybody figured out that a substitution was not, in fact, allowed.
Rodrigo Schlegel, a 23-year-old backup center back, instead, was forced into net for Orlando. NYCFC would convert as Orlando winger, Nani stepped up to the spot. The Portuguese international who had converted a penalty in the 5th minute of the match missed on the chance for a game winning penalty.
While it briefly seemed like Nani had thrown away Orlando's chance at victory, ultimately he simply gave Schlegel the chance to seize moment and achieve cult hero status. Schlegel stepped up and saved the penalty of Gudmundur Thórarinsson giving Orlando another opportunity to clinch. Orlando City forward Benji Michel would ultimate nail the game winning penalty kick after a chaotic affair on the pitch.
MARTA POSITIVE
Brazil’s six-times world player of the year and IFFHS first World’s Playmaker of the Year, Marta, has tested positive for COVID-19, the country’s soccer governing body (CBF) said on Saturday. Marta, 34, has been withdrawn from the national team that is set to face Ecuador in two friendly matches at home on Nov. 27 and Dec. 1.
The CBF did not give any details about the forward’s condition but they have informed her club, Orlando Pride in the National Women’s Soccer League, saying they would provide any assistance necessary. Marta was the first player, male or female, to score in five World Cups with 17 strikes in total - also a record.
GOLDEN BOY
Erling Braut Haland (right on the picture), Norway’s and Borussia Dortmund’s young Star, was elected Golden Boy of the Year 2020, a trophy for the Best young Player in Europe . He won with 302 points before Ansu Fati (Spain / FC Barcelona) 239 points and Canadian and FC Bayern’s Alfonso Davies 226 points (left on the picture). Jadon Sancho (80 points) and Eduardo Camavinga (50 points) took places 4 and 5.
STEVEN GERRARD ON THE TOP
IFFHS Award Winner Steven Gerrard , the coach since 2018 and his team Glasgow Rangers have made a fantastic debut in the League in Scotland. Unbeaten after 15 games (13 wins, 2 draws), Gerrard’s Rangers have scored 41 goals, conceeded only 3 and have 11 points advance in the Ranking before the rival Celtic !
DELEGATION
The Confederation of African Football, CAF have randomly chosen 13 Cameroonians to feature in their official delegation of 161 to the African Football Championships, CHAN Cameroon 2021.
The 13 include: Alexandre Siewe(CAF Communications Director), Samuel Eto’o(Adviser to CAF President), Evariste Mekouande, Richard Naha, Yves Léopold Kom, Fomboutou Dinga, Dieudonné Gaibai, Divine Evehe, Faustin Akafack, Charlotte Pélagie,
It would be recalled that the African Championships CHAN Cameroon 2021 to run from January 16th to February 7th will take place in the towns of Yaounde, Douala, Buea-Limbe with matches at the venues: Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium, Re-unification Stadium, Limbe Omnisports Stadium, respectively.