Football and the Falklands never far apart

With 2012 marking the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War, tensions are rising on both the political and sporting fronts. As history shows, this is not a new development...

Monday 2^nd April marks the 30^th anniversary of the beginning of the Falklands War between Britain and Argentina in 1982. The past few months have seen diplomatic tensions rise between the respective governments over the sovereignty of the islands in the South Atlantic, oil exploration rights, the dispatch of HMS Dauntless and even the posting of Prince William to the Falklands as a search-and-rescue pilot.

Yet one of the more inflammatory gestures was perceived to be the naming of the 2012 edition of the Argentine First Division as the Crucero General Belgrano Primera Division, invoking the famous name of the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano, sunk by British torpedoes during the war with the loss of 323 Argentine crew (almost half of Argentine losses during the conflict).

Whilst it is true that each season sees the Argentina Football Association (AFA) go though the formality of bestowing official names on competitions (recent examples include figures such as Rene Favaloro or Nestor Kirchner), this was widely viewed as a controversial move ahead of such a significant anniversary of the Falklands War. Argentine top-flight club Lanus also entered the debate by weaving an image of the disputed islands into their first-team strip.

Such headlines are unsurprising. As history shows, football is never far away from the issues surrounding the Falkland Islands.

1982

Indeed the first action of the Falklands War in 1982 was the eviction of Argentine scrap metal workers from South Georgia by Royal Marines of HMS Endurance stationed on the Falklands. The last act of these troops before leaving was in fact to win the annual football ‘Shield’ of the Islands, a tournament that often featured sides comprised of Argentine workers.

 As the fighting intensified in the Falklands, tensions rose around football. Source: neonbubble

As the war took its course in 1982, it was impossible for football and politics not to collide, with a real possibility of the Home Nations (England, Scotland and Northern Ireland had all qualified) withdrawing from the World Cup in Spain. While Argentine fans unfurled banners stating, “England must leave the Malvinas” during a friendly against the Soviet Union, Tottenham Hotspur’s Argentine midfielder Ossie Ardiles (whose pilot cousin Lt. Jose Ardiles was killed during the campaign) was booed by English fans and subsequently moved on loan to Paris St-Germain. Stockport County even abandoned their blue-and-white Argentina-inspired strip on the grounds that it “hardly seems appropriate, given the current circumstances”.

There was serious debate about the Home Nations’ participation in the World Cup, particularly following World Cup hosts Spain abstaining in the United Nations vote on the war. BBC Panorama ran a poll asking the public whether Britain’s football teams should compete, while questions were asked within Cabinet as to whether a potential second round meeting between Scotland and Argentina might be allowed to go ahead. Yet Prime Minister Thatcher was adamant that the nations compete, regardless of whether a meeting with Argentina in the latter stages would be politically difficult. In a speech to the Commons she stated her “belief that a good showing by the England team in Spain will prove an excellent fillip for the servicemen in the Falklands”.

Beyond the War

"It was as if we had beaten a country, not just a football team...Although we had said before the game that football had nothing to do with the Malvinas war, we knew they had killed a lot of Argentine boys there, killed them like little birds. And this was revenge."

Diego Maradona

Between the end of the war in 1982 and the recent heightened tensions, there were other occasions when football and the Falklands have become entwined, the 1986 World Cup quarter-final being the most famous, as referenced by Maradona. As former international Roberto Perfumo declared, “In 1986, winning that game against England was enough. Winning the World Cup was secondary for us. Beating England was our real aim”. 

Maradona has frequently waded into the debate. Source jmrobledo

In 1999 it was the turn of a little-known footballer named Martyn Clarke to stoke the tensions. Clarke became the first Falkland Islander to play football for an Argentine club, when he was brought over from Port Stanley to train with Boca Juniors. He was quickly the focus of mass media attention and spent his first evening eating pizza with Maradona, who famously let him use his mobile phone to call home. Clarke was the son of a Royal Marine who had served in the Falklands War, and his move provoked much consternation back home, while he was arguably used as a political pawn by Boca (in particular by Esteban Cichello, a friend of Maradona, who first spotted him), being sent on loan to two lower-league Argentine clubs. 

A lack of direct competition on the football field in 2012 (Argentina have failed to qualify for the London Olympics) means the 30^th anniversary may not be marked by a similar story. However, this is not to say the London Olympics might not throw up a story to re-ignite old fires. Whenever the Falklands is debated in popular discourse or tensions rise of the political front, football and sport is sure to follow.

Capello takes a leaf out of Mourinho’s book

The anti-football of Mourinho and Capello can reap rewards, but more is needed for England to be contenders for EURO 2012

On the face of it, it was not overly surprising. The 7^th best team in the world, England, beat the best team in the world, Spain, 1-0 at home in a friendly international. Bearing in mind that Spain also lost friendlies to Italy, Portugal and Argentina since they won the World Cup last summer, it certainly is not a result that will cause too many ripples in world football.

It was the manner of victory that was far more interesting. Some commentators have suggested the victory paid homage to Capello’s ultra-defensive catenaccio ways so successfully employed in the 1990s with Milan, with a solid back four and protection from deep lying and combative midfielders frustrating Spain. Along with much of the Spanish team, Cesc Fabregas labelled England’s gameplan as “negative tactics”, lambasting them for “lacking in talent” and setting up to defend for nearly the entire 90 minutes.

However, the whole scenario has parallels with far more recent events. Given the core of players who make both Spain and Barcelona tick and the similarities in style, to all intents and purposes it is the Barcelona influence (supplemented by the best of Real Madrid) that has made Spain both European and World champions. And the only man who has been able to find the methods to challenge the Barcelona way in the past few seasons has been a long time friend of the English, Jose Mourinho. Two series of fixtures in particular spring to mind.

Mourinho's anti-football has regularly riled Barcelona. Source: prismatico

April 2010 witnessed a Champions League semi-final between Mourinho’s Internazionale and Barcelona. The first leg demonstrated a Mourinho masterclass of defensive pressing and swift counter attack as Inter won 3-1. The 2^nd leg, despite Inter losing 1-0, was in truth even more impressive. Down to 10 men for over an hour, Inter soaked up everything Barcelona could throw at them. The statistics were bewildering. Inter managed just 67 passes as opposed to Barca’s 548 and over 80% possession. There were even charges (though denied by Mourinho) that Inter were happy to give the ball to Barcelona so as to not disrupt their own defensive shape.

Fast-forward a year to the latter end of last season. Mourinho’s Real Madrid held Barcelona to a 1-1 draw in La Liga followed swiftly by a 1-0 victory in extra time over their archrivals in the Copa del Rey. In both these matches, Mourinho operated with a ‘trivote’ system, sacrificing an attacking player in favour of a defensive midfielder.

Mourinho used Pepe, a natural central defender, as a midfield enforcer alongside Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira, all focusing on defensive tasks and keeping Barcelona largely at bay. The use of Phil Jones in a side also containing James Milner, Frank Lampard and the imperious Scott Parker on Saturday bore considerable resemblance to this strategy.

Parker clashes with the Spanish midfield. Source: nrssmith

Over these two fixtures, Real Madrid registered a mere 22% possession and 65% pass success as opposed to Barca’s 78% possession and 90% pass success. Yet it reaped dividends for Mourinho – and almost continued to work in the Champions League semi-final between the clubs until Madrid were reduced to 10 men and Messi ran riot.

To anyone who watched England soak up the Spanish possession (71%) and pressure continuously on Saturday evening, this may make familiar reading. This is not to suggest this is the way football should be played all the time. It is definitely not what England should look to repeat too often. And it certainly will not work every time it is tried. But under the right circumstances the methods employed by Capello on Saturday can be very effective.

Ultimately the most important question is whether England can be contenders at EURO 2012. Much has been made of England’s ongoing attempts to emulate the Spanish style, assurance on the ball and technique with the next generation of players. Nevertheless to be contenders in the short term, England must not necessarily look to Spain. The gulf in class is too great at present. In fact we should look to Germany for inspiration.

Germany in South Africa - showing England the way forward. Source: liznn7

England should build on the defensive prowess and determination that they have long been renowned for and personified by Scott Parker against Spain. The challenge for England is to add the power, pace and counter-attacking devastation of the type displayed by Germany at the last World Cup to a steely defence. If Bent and Walcott are not the answer, then the likes of Sturridge, Welbeck, Adam Johnson, Ashley Young and Aaron Lennon could well have parts to play in the absence of Wayne Rooney and the increasingly injury plagued Steven Gerrard and Jack Wilshere. If Capello manages to blend the right personnel before EURO 2012, England might be able to compete with the top nations next summer.

Corinthians bid for Tevez a watershed moment for world football

The signal that a Brazilian football team could compete with European giants is reflective of a wider movement in world sport

On the 20^th July 2011 Brazilian football side Corinthians withdrew their bid of £40m for Manchester City and Argentina star Carlos Tevez, citing the imminent closure of the Brazilian transfer window.  But the fact that the transfer did not go through is immaterial. The statement it has sent out to the footballing world is enough. It could be looked back on as a defining moment in world football.

The Tevez transfer saga is not an ordinary one, and there are numerous factors that might suggest a unique case. On the Tevez side, frequent claims of homesickness are hard to ignore, as is his mercenary past (from his astonishing arrival at West Ham to his claims to dislike Manchester before turning up at Manchester City).

On the Brazilian side, Corinthians were attempting to bankroll the transfer by funds from a new Brazilian TV deal and Tevez is a former popular player for the club. This is before we even mention Kia Joorabchian, his agent and a man with historic business links to Corinthians through Media Sports Investments, who took over the club in 2004.

Tevez in action for Manchester City. Source: Alfonso Jimenez

However, the fact that Corinthians even appear able to compete is a gesture impossible to ignore.  It marks the first time a Brazilian team has bid a huge figure for a global superstar and come seriously close to landing him (and still may do in January).

There is already a noticeable movement in Brazil of former stars (Carlos Alberto, Mancini) returning home early after struggling to adapt in Europe, established players (Fred, Luis Fabiano) electing to come back in their prime or veterans (Deco, Ronaldo, Gilberto Silva, Belletti) choosing to see out careers in native lands rather than chasing riches in Europe’s lesser leagues, the Middle East or North America.

But the Tevez transfer bid raises many more questions about the future of world football. In 15 years time will we have a situation where the Brazilian top league (Brasileirão) is competing with the best European leagues? Will the Tevez saga be viewed as the watershed moment?

Increased Brazilian economic stability and strength and the infrastructure created by the 2014 FIFA World Cup will undoubtedly create conditions ripe for growth for the Brasileirão. When this is coupled with Brazilian clubs gradually becoming wise to their huge economic potential in negotiating larger TV deals, improving their structures and public relations, and attracting sponsors who will pay superstar wages, it will undoubtedly lead to Brazilian clubs retaining their best players for longer before they leave for Europe.

Estadio do Pacaembu. Will Tevez ultimately return? Source: Rodrigo Soldon

Although Brazil will undoubtedly remain the biggest exporter of players around the world, what is already happening is that the Brazilian league is becoming the hub for the best South American players and an established stepping-stone to Europe, overtaking the struggling Argentinean league in the process. Indeed some of the best Argentineans have found their way to Brazil in the last few years - Tevez himself of course, as well as Alejandro Martinuccio and Dario Conca (more to follow on that name).

Perhaps in an extended version of this, the Brasileirão improves to the extent that far less players need to go to Europe and some Europeans begin to be attracted to South America?

This argument is not just confined to Brazil, nor it is it limited to football.

Another country making similar leaps forward is Russia, to the extent that it could now claim to be Europe’s 6^th best league ahead of Netherlands, Portugal and Turkey. Russia is awash with money and making big signings (Bruno Alves arrived at Zenit St Petersburg for 22m Euros last summer), making the Russian league second only to the English Premier League in financial losses.

Zenit v Bayern Munich in 2008, the year they won the Europa League. Source: Probek

How long before a prized European asset is whisked away to Zenit or Rubin Kazan as a marquee signing? Zenit and CSKA Moscow have both won the Europa League in recent seasons. How long until a Russian side is challenging for the Champions League? And let us not forget the new player on the scene, Anzhi Makhachkala, one the clubs linked with bidding for Tevez last month and who have recently embarked on a dramatic spending spree, earning them the nickname 'The Manchester City of Russia'.

Which brings us to China. Dario Conca is perhaps not a name familiar to too many European football fans. The Argentine had three impressive seasons with Fluminese in Brazil before jetting off to Chinese Super League club Guangzhou Evergrande this summer to earn an annual salary of $10.4m. This puts him comfortably in the top ten best-paid footballers in world football. Conca is just one standout example of a wider trend.

Brazil, Russia and China, the new powerhouses of world football and possibly beyond? Brazil and Russia have booming and increasingly stable economies, rich sporting history (particularly in football) and they both will host World Cups (2014, 2018) and Olympics (Rio, Sochi) by the end of the decade. With these tournaments comes wholesale investment in sports clubs, infrastructure, TV deals and in the industry as a whole. China has already demonstrated they are ready to compete with the West in the sporting sphere.

Although the Carlos Tevez deal has many different contributing factors, it hints at the coming of this new world footballing order, the huge potential for the Brazilian league and the emergence of Brazil as a major player on to the world sporting scene. Russia and China are on the same path and there are sure to be other developing nations who follow their lead.

With thanks to Sean Williams, roving reporter in Brazil, for his insights

To see The Economist’s take on things read http://www.economist.com/node/18989277