International Football
HOW CUP-BEARER AT FINAL DRAW, KLOSE, BECAME WORLD CUP ALL-TIME TOP SCORER
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
FIFA has announced that the man to bring the World Cup trophy to the stage at the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow during next month’s final draw is Germany’s Miroslav Klose. His choice was very obvious. He is the all-time record holder in goal scoring at the World Cup.
Sports Village Square recalls that three years ago, the now retired footballer took over the limelight from home boy, Brazil’s Neymar Jr at the Brazil 2014 World Cup. His goal against Brazil in the 7-1 defeat of the hosts at the semi-finals brought his total in the World Cup to 16.
Four years earlier at the South Africa 2010, he scored four goals. At Germany 2006, he scored five goals; just had he did in the previous World Cup of 2002.
The goal against Brazil was his second at Brazil 2014 having earlier scored against Ghana at the group stage to equal the then existing record of 15 held by the retired Brazilian, Ronaldo.
The breakdown of his goals runs thus:
- World Cup 2002: June 1: three goals in the 8-0 defeat of Saudi Arabia
- World Cup 2002: June 5; one goal in the 1-1 draw with Ireland
- World Cup 2002: June 11; one goal in the 2-0 defeat of Cameroon
- World Cup 2006: June 9; two goals in the 4-2 defeat of Costa Rica
- World Cup 2006: June 20; two goals in the 3-0 defeat of Ecuador
- World Cup 2006: June 30; one goal in the 1-1 draw with Argentina and 4-2 win in the ensuing penalty shootout.
World Cup 2010: June 13: one goal in 2-0 win over Austria
- World Cup 2010: June 27; one goal in 4-1 defeat of England
- World Cup 2010: July 3; two goals in 4-0 defeat of Argentina
- World Cup 2014: June 21; one goal in 2-2 draw with Ghana
- World Cup 2014: July 8; one goal in 7-1 defeat of Brazil
TOP SCORERS BEFORE KLOSE
- 15 goals: Ronaldo (Brazil)
- 14 goals: Gerd Muller (Germany)
- 13 goals: Just Fontaine (France)
- 12 goals: Pele (Brazil)
- 11 goals; Jurgen Klinsmann (Germany), Sandor Kocsis (Hungary)
- 10 goals: Gabriel Batistuta (Argentina), Teofilo Cubilas (Peru), Grzegorz Lato (Poland), Gary Lineker (England) Thomas Mueller (Germany), Rahn Helmut (Germany FR)
Klose’s exploit is not limited to goal scoring alone. He is one of the players with the highest playing time in the World Cup. When he faced Argentina at the final match of 2014 World Cup, it was his 24th World Cup match.
That put him just a match behind the existing record held by his compatriot, Lothar Matthaeus who played 25 matches in a career that ran from Spain ’82 to France ’98.
THE TABLE OF MOST APPEARANCES IN THE WORLD CUP RUNS THUS:
- 25 matches: Lothar Matthaeus – Germany- (1982-1998): 2,047 minutes.
- 23 matches: Paulo Maldini – Italy – (1990-2002): 2,217 minutes
- 23 matches: Miroslav Klose– Germany – (2002-2014): 1,704 minutes
- 21 matches: Uwe Seeler – Germany – (1958 -1970): 1,980 minutes
- 21 matches: Diego Maradona – Argentina – (1982-1994): 1,938 minutes
- 21 matches: Wladyslaw Zmuda – Poland – (1974-1986): 1,807 minutes
- 20 matches: Grzegorz Lato – Poland – (1974-1982): 1,800 minutes
- 20 matches: Cafu – Brazil – (1994 -2006): 1,638 minutes
International Football
German Thomas Tuchel becomes 3rd foreign manager for England
Former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has been named the new head coach of the England national team, the country’s Football Association said in a statement on Wednesday.
The German, who is England’s third foreign manager, after Sweden’s Sven-Goran Eriksson and Italian Fabio Capello, will be assisted by Englishman Anthony Barry, the statement added.
“We are thrilled to have hired Thomas Tuchel, one of the best coaches in the world and Anthony Barry who is one of the best English coaches to support him,” FA CEO Mark Bullingham said.
Tuchel replaces Lee Carsley, England’s under-21 manager, who has been in temporary charge since the resignation of Gareth Southgate after England’s defeat by Spain in the Euro 2024 final in July.
-Reuters
International Football
Factbox on England head coach Thomas Tuchel
German Thomas Tuchel has been appointed head coach of the England national team on Wednesday.
Born: Aug. 29, 1973 in Krumbach, Germany.
PLAYING CAREER
* Tuchel played for his local club TSV Krumbach, before moving to FC Augsburg’s academy at the age of 15.
* He never played for Augsburg’s senior side and joined German second division team Stuttgarter Kickers in 1992.
* After eight league appearances for Kickers, Tuchel moved to fourth-tier SSV Ulm.
* Tuchel made 69 league appearances for Ulm as a central defender before he was forced to retire in 1998 at the age of 25 due to a knee injury.
COACHING CAREER
* Tuchel began his coaching career with a youth team role at VfB Stuttgart in 2000, working with future Germany internationals Mario Gomez and Holger Badstuber.
* He returned to Augsburg and took charge of their reserve team for the 2007-08 season.
* Tuchel was appointed Mainz 05 manager in 2009, replacing compatriot Juergen Klopp.
* He guided Mainz to Bundesliga stability during his five-year stint at the club, gaining plaudits for his team’s high energy, attacking style of play.
* Tuchel took over from Klopp as Borussia Dortmund coach in 2015.
* He led Dortmund to a 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2017 German Cup final. He was sacked by Dortmund three days later.
* Tuchel joined Paris St Germain in 2018 on a two-year contract, replacing Unai Emery.
* He won two Ligue 1 titles, including a domestic quadruple in his second season, and guided the club to their first Champions League final, where they lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich.
* Tuchel was sacked by PSG on Christmas Eve in 2020, despite the club finishing top of their Champions League group and sitting third in the Ligue 1 table.
* He was named Chelsea manager in January 2021 on an initial 18-month contract following the dismissal of Frank Lampard.
* Tuchel revived the team’s Premier League season and guided the London club to the Champions League final, where they beat Manchester City. Chelsea also won the Super Cup and Club World Cup.
* Chelsea sacked Tuchel in September 2022 following a shock 1-0 defeat at Dinamo Zagreb in their opening Champions League group game.
* Bayern Munich appointed Tuchel to succeed Julian Nagelsmann in March last year.
* Bayern decided to let Tuchel go at the end of the 2023-24 season despite a contract until 2025. Tuchel steered Bayern to the Bundesliga title in 2022-23, but they finished the last campaign without any silverware for the first time in more than a decade.
* Tuchel will become England’s third foreign manager after Sweden’s Sven-Goran Eriksson and Italian Fabio Capello.
* Tuchel will take over the team in January ahead of the qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup.
-Reuters
International Football
Portugal call up same player named in England Under-18 squad
Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Mateus Mane has become hot property after Portugal named the 17-year-old in their Under-18 squad on Friday, one day after England included him in their squad.
Mane was called up for a second successive England youth camp by coach Liam Bramley before the team travel to Marbella for a four-team tournament this month.
Mane is eligible for both teams having played for the Portugal Under-17 side last season. As the Under-18 team is a non-UEFA age group, both nations are entitled to call the player up.
He made his England international debut last month against the Portugal Under-18 side who have named Mane in their squad for a four-nation tournament this month.
With both tournaments running concurrently, Mane can only play for one team and Wolves and England confirmed he would feature in Bramley’s side.
Reuters has contacted Portugal’s football association for clarification.
While players with multiple nationalities have played for more than one country if they are eligible, they are not allowed to switch allegiances at senior level – unless they have played only in friendly matches for the first country.
-Reuters
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