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In this week's Sport: David Beckham - the England legend talks World Cups, lifelong friendships and why he’s still an east London boy at heart | The World Cup draw – what could happen, what we want to happen and what we definitely don’t want to happen when the balls are drawn in Brazil | Rio Ferdinand – he’s called time on his England career, but still has plenty to say on the Three Lions | The future of Formula 1 – we examine the momentous changes that are set to rock the F1 world next season | Plus our preview of every Premier League game this weekend
Citation preview
Issue 334 | December 6 2013
On England. On United. On life after football.
B e c k h a m
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Issue 334, December 6 2013
Radar
06 Messi versus the world Spanish football expert Guillem
Balague reveals the importance of
Lionel Messi’s World Cup mission
08 Deathly draws We recall the toughest groups of
death in World Cup history
10 Hamburgers United Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville launch
their own cafe – with Karren Brady’s
matchday dish of choice
o this coming weekFeatures
18 David Beckham The England legend talks World
Cups, lifelong friendships and why
he’s still an east London boy at heart
25 World Cup draw What could happen, what we want
to happen and what we definitely
don’t want to happen when the
balls are drawn in Brazil today
31 Rio Ferdinand He’s called time on his England
career, but Ferdinand still has
plenty to say on the Three Lions
35 The future of Formula 1 We examine the momentous
changes that are set to rock
the F1 world next season
Extra Time
52 Gift guide for girls Your Uncle Sport gives you a helping
hand with your last-minute shopping
54 Entertainment A darkly comic Israeli thriller and
American Psycho the musical
56 Gadgets A sexy television – with the
least sexy name you can imagine
60 Kit The cross trainers that allow you to
change your exercise without
needing to change your footwear
18 Contents
| December 6 2013 | 05
06 | December 6 2013 |
Radar p10 – Enjoy a prawn sarnie at Ryan Giggs’ and Gary Neville’s footie cafe
p08 – The World Cup’s deadliest groups
Messi’s MoMent?
he world’s best player struggled for
acceptance in Argentina, but has 20 goals
in 22 games under their latest manager.
We ask Spanish football expert Guillem Balague about
Lionel Messi, Argentina and the importance of 2014...
Past struggles with Argentina
“The fans, previous managers, media and Messi
himself have to share the blame. The atmosphere of
the fans: he was whistled sometimes; they said you
only get the best out of him when you pay him in
Europe; he was treated as a foreigner in his
homeland. That didn’t help.”
Close to quitting
“He was very close [to leaving international football].
He would go home to Argentina, be treated badly and
when he came back to Barcelona, it would take a week
for him to recover. It really affected him. His family
would see that and they just didn’t want him to go
through it. It was discussed: shall we not go back?”
New manager
“When you have a player like Messi in your side,
you have to get all of the conditions right to take
advantage of that talent. You’re really going to only
have three or four World Cups to take advantage –
and two of those have passed already for Argentina.
So, after trying different things, including Diego
Maradona, it’s ended up being a humble, quiet coach
[Alejandro Sabella] who has got it right.”
Sabella success
“Alejandro Sabella has created a more balanced side.
Defensively they’re still a bit weak, but he’s managed
to put all of the talent at his disposal at the disposal
of Messi. Now for Argentina, he’s closer to the box
– he doesn’t have to be involved from the beginning
of a move, he can just be in the right place at the
right time. Argentina are almost like a Real Madrid
team: quite a fast, counter-attacking team.”
Balancing act
“He fights all his life to be accepted in Argentina and
– finally – when he is accepted, Barcelona stop being
so dependent on him, then Neymar arrives, and now
the injuries. So he has never had a complete season
or year of happiness.”
World Cup required?
“If you look at the top players in history – Pele,
Maradona, Zinedine Zidane, Alfredo Di Stefano –
only one of them hasn’t won the World Cup [Di
Stefano]. But Pep Guardiola says Messi doesn’t
need to win the World Cup. We can see that he is
the greatest, because he’s done it with such a
consistency at such a high level and won so many
trophies now considered as big as the World Cup,
like the Champions League.”
2014 and beyond
“What happens in this World Cup is going to define so
much of what happens to him, to Barcelona, to
Neymar. Because, if Messi wins it, he’ll go back and
give a sigh of relief: ‘I’ve done this now.’ And he can
concentrate on, perhaps, becoming a different
player. A deeper player, more a midfielder or a
number 10. But if he doesn’t win it, he’s going to still
try to keep pressing everybody, still wanting to score
90 goals per season – and how does that affect the
balance of Barcelona? So it’s a
fascinating World Cup. It’s a turning
point in his career and in his life.”
Messi by Guillem Balagué –
published with the authorisation of
the Messi family – is out now (Orion),
hardback £20/eBook £10.99
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Radar
England’s opening World Cup games will be settled in Salvador this
afternoon, but every team will hope to avoid the dreaded Group
of Death. We preview the draw in full from page 25. But first, whet
your appetite with some of the deadliest groups in World Cup history...
Death draws
Group 3, mexico 1970
Featuring Brazil in their pomp,
defending champions England,
1962 runners-up Czechoslovakia
and Romania, this group was the
origin of the term ‘Group of
Death’ – although it was first
coined in Spanish as the grupo de
la muerte by Mexican journalists.
It didn’t really live up to its
awesome moniker, however, as
the eastern European sides failed
to impress. England (with two
1-0 wins) and eventual champions
Brazil (three out of three) both
enjoyed safe passage through,
not to mention a matey match-up
between Pele and Bobby Moore.
Group c, spain 1982
This grupo de la muerte spawned
one of the great World Cup games,
the awkward 24-team set-up leading
to a second three-team group stage
– including one with Brazil, Italy and
holders Argentina. A side featuring
a youthful Diego Maradona lost both
its games, setting up a head-to-head
between the attacking verve of
Brazil, who had won four from four,
scoring 13 goals, and a defensive
Italian side (three draws, one win).
The Europeans won 3-2 thanks to a
hat-trick from Paolo Rossi (above),
and went on to lift the trophy.
The great Brazil playmaker Zico
called it “the day football died”.
Group F, south korea and japan 2002
Another match-up with Argentina
promised much, given the way that
England had crashed out four years
earlier. Add a Sweden side featuring
Freddie Ljunberg and Henrik Larsson
alongside a talented Nigeria team
– with many of the players who had
won Olympic gold in 1996 and gone
on to top their group in 1998 – and
we had a party. Or so we thought.
Group F flattered to deceive, as is
often the case with England. The
Three Lions nailed a sweet 1-0 win
over Argentina (pictured), who failed
to get out of the group for the first
time in 40 years – but Sweden went
through top on goals scored.
Group c, Germany 2006
Only four Argentina players
survived from 2002, with Carlos
Tevez and Lionel Messi among the
new faces, and the group was
even tougher. The Netherlands had
brought in new talents like Arjen
Robben and Robin van Persie, the
Ivory Coast had a golden group of
players coming through, and
Serbia and Montenegro had gone
through qualifying unbeaten. The
favourites won out, though, with
the most memorable moment
coming in Argentina’s 6-0
drubbing of the latter – a 25-pass
move culminating in a goal from
Esteban Cambiasso (above).
speed readone-of-a-kind book, the ‘Bernie Edition’ of the Formula 1 Opus
is signed by Mr Ecclestone and all 22 living world champions.
It comes in a carbon fibre presentation box that’s almost as big
as the man himself, as well as tickets to every race next season, access
to the exclusive Paddock Club and the chance to meet Ecclestone over
a cup of tea. Although, for the guide price, we’d probably demand some
posh biscuits. Granted, if the last few months of this season are anything
to go by, you could enjoy the same action for a lot less by putting your
feet up with a cuppa and watching a repeat of any given race on Sky+.
The book, which covers F1 present and past, will however be auctioned
off, with bidding closing on December 24, if you’re interested. That guide
price we mentioned is a cool $1m. But it’s probably tax deductible...
Find out more at thisisopus.com/thebernie
A
10 | December 6 2013 |
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Radar
ronnieshalvisparkour pioneer
merican Ronnie Shalvis is one of
the pioneers of parkour, or free
running. He’s probably best
known for a series of YouTube clips
based on the Assassin’s Creed series,
and he’s recently been working on ‘ice
parkour’, which sounds pretty slippery.
Ice must make everything a lot trickier?
“It’s more difficult, but pretty much
anything I can do on hard ground I can do
on ice. The only difference is on ice you
can incorporate spinning or slides that
I wouldn’t normally be able to do.”
What’s your best trick?
“One of the stunts I’m known for is a
move called the Dash Bomb – it’s a vault
over something, where you start jumping
backwards over an obstacle with your
hands behind you, then immediately flip
the other way doing a full front flip
forward. I did it out of a 10-foot tall
parking garage.”
What are you working on?
“Right now I’m working on a trick called
a ‘Kong Gainer’, which is similar to the
Dash Bomb that I landed, but opposite.
So you go forward with your hands,
pushing up from an obstacle, and then go
into a back flip forward over the obstacle.
It’s a fairly dangerous one – I’ve seen a
lot of people land on their head or hit
their head on the obstacle. I can do it in
the gym, and I’m training to be able to do
it safely outside on hard ground.”
Do you have to plan your moves out in
advance, or can you just start running off
over rooftops like an action hero?
“I’ve reached the point where I can just
look at a drop and know whether I can do
it or not, but it’s all the training I’ve done
up to that point that has allowed me to
be able to do that. I’ve practised it so
many times at different heights that I
can just look at it and know exactly how
I need to do the flip or jump.”
Is the sport becoming more competitive?
“When parkour first started, the
community was kind of against
competitions. But lately, with free running
being slightly different from parkour,
people are making more out of it.”
Any tips for people that want to try it?
“Start very simply. Start with movements
that you already know how to do – like
the shoulder roll. It’s a simple move to
start learning and, if you trip and fall,
you can go into the roll, which will
prevent you from getting hurt.”
Ronnie Shalvis is an ambassador for Alfa
Romeo UK and stars in the campaign for
the ALFA D.N.A System. alfaromeo.co.uk
Eat mygoal
Football and food have an unhealthier
relationship than Jose Mourinho
and Michael Essien, but a new
restaurant founded by Gary Neville and
Ryan Giggs (who admit they can cook
little more than a bacon sandwich and a
bolognese between them) is looking to
change that. With a menu inspired by
terrace favourites, Cafe Football – opening
in Westfield Stratford this month – brings a
touch of class to the sausage roll. On offer
are burgers, pizza and steak plus ‘The Treble
Pies’ (get it?). There are also some celebrity
fans’ favourites, including Karren Brady’s
pie and mash. Not a prawn sandwich in sight.
cafe-football.com
A
©2013 Bose Corporation
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is up to me.
12 | December 6 2013 |
Radar Editor’s Letter
Editor
Tony Hodson
@tonyhodson1
As a Liverpool fan, and particularly after the dismal
defeat at Hull last week, I am as worried as the
next Red about the current absence through injury
of Daniel Sturridge. But, as an England fan too, I am totally
behind Roy Hodgson in his refusal to apologise for playing
the striker for 90 minutes against Germany last month.
Word is that Liverpool were furious at the physical
condition in which Sturridge – a player whose career has
been blighted by injury problems – returned to Anfield after
that game. But Hodgson has been quick (and correct) to
point out that the ankle injury set to keep Sturridge out for
up to two months is nothing to do with the troublesome
thigh that had bothered the forward in the run-up to the
latest international break.
“I suppose you could argue we did put his resolve to the
test,” said Hodgson this week. “But I don’t apologise for it.
I am delighted he did get out there, because that means
in the future I will know I can trust him in an England team
and he is not going to be playing when he feels like it – he is
going to be playing when he’s fit.”
Strong words, but well timed in a week when the fans’
attentions are turned towards the all-important World Cup
draw in Brazil. Hodgson is paid a handsome salary to coach
the national team, but for the most part has to suffer in
silence as clubs seemingly endeavour to pull their prized
assets out of England fixtures for the flimsiest of reasons.
It is Hodgson’s head on the block when his squad flies to
South America, however, and he is showing a welcome
determination to ensure he takes with him a carefully
selected group of players exhibiting the kind of attitude
that will be required to achieve anything beyond the bare
minimum in Brazil. If that means occasionally putting the
clubs back in their (lavishly decorated) box, then so be it.
Rory McIlroy has ended his annus horribilis with a tied
sixth at the HSBC Champions, a tie for fifth at the World
Tour Championship, and victory at the Australian Open
– where he saw off the challenge of Adam Scott, Masters
champion and form golfer in the world this year, on home
soil. He could be a young man to keep an eye on next year.
Things about Tom Daley that matter to me: 1. He is a
world-class diver who might just win Olympic gold for
Team GB in Rio; 2. His legs are hairier than mine. That’s it.
Roy plays hard ballOn the eve of the World Cup draw, the England manager asserts his authority over the clubs
Gly
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Reader comments of the week
@Sportmaguk run a cover
story on Gareth Bale and he
gets a hat-trick the next day.
Article on Fernando Torres
this week please?
@Matty_Wheels
@Sportmaguk timely article
about @GarethBale11,
given his hat-trick heroics
the other day. Spurs could
do with a player like him
@Johnchallen
@tonyhodson1 finally
someone in the press
says what we all know
about Trott. There is no
shame in a disease that
affects so many. Well said.
@vinniesarah
Thank you @sportmaguk
for bringing me
@sonnybwilliams this
morning! #dreamy
@MeeraJade
Interesting #sponsorship
piece in @sportmaguk on
long-running partnerships.
Will have to leave this page
open on my CEOs desk...
@NickMott
Fab interview with
adventurer/explorer/
runner Sir Ranulph
Fiennes in @Sportmaguk.
A true British sporting
hero
@xempouk
Get in touch @sportmaguk [email protected]
Focused on the job in hand:
Hodgson has shown a quiet
determination with England
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14 | December 6 2013 |
Radar Opinion
Flats on Friday
Everyone knows that the margins in elite sport are incredibly fine. While not
always the case, opportunities at the top tend
to arrive and vanish in what seems like an instant.
I remember being told I needed to play well in a
Heineken Cup game by the England coaches, as Trevor
Woodman was putting serious pressure on my place in
the squad. We travelled to Ulster and, as so few teams
manage to do, beat them in reasonable style. I wasn’t
smiling in the showers, though, partly because I was
conducting my ablutions next to the unarguably more
physically impressive Richard Hill – but primarily
because I knew I had blown it.
During the first half, we lost a scrappy lineout and
their openside flanker scooped up the ball and began
running at a natural hole in our defensive line. I tackled
him – but only after hesitating and, assuming the man
next to me would hit him, missing the opportunity to
smash a bloke backwards before he achieved total
balance. Two seconds – moment gone. And in the
second half I received an impromptu pass from Kyran
Bracken from a turnover, and froze a bit. I wasn’t sure
whether I should charge the ball up or spin it wide, so I
stood still – for roughly a second. “F***ing run, man!”
shouted skipper Francois Pienaar, and I did, but that
split second of doubt did the damage.
They were my two shots at making an impact away
from the tight phases, and I ballsed them up. I still
don’t know why. The only thing that makes this memory
bearable is that no third party was involved; I made the
mistakes, so I can live with them.
I wonder how George Groves feels this week as he
reflects on what was, bizarrely, his finest yet most
disastrous moment in boxing. In terms of preparation,
he looked in a different league to Carl Froch, the
defending world champion and certified tough hombre.
Round after round, Groves took Froch apart, and it was
mesmerising to watch.
Then, in the ninth round – after being floored and,
frankly, battered by the challenger, Froch saw an
opportunity. How, after such a hammering, he managed
to take that opportunity, I do not know. The mental
toughness he holds in reserve is, I feel comfortable
enough to profess, what sees him sat atop the tree.
Groves, now, will reveal what reserves he has. He
saw his dream taken away not by his opponent or his
own errors, but by a referee who stopped the fight
way, way too early. Groves was in trouble, no doubt –
but nothing like the trouble into which he had thumped
Froch in the preceding rounds – yet he was not given
anywhere near the same chance to dig in as his more
decorated opponent. So he finds himself praying for a
rematch, relying on Froch to do the right thing and not
dodge it. And he has to get over the referee’s premature
annihilation of his dreams. It’s all out of his hands.
Tell you what, though. I’ll fight anyone for a ticket
when the time comes. No referees allowed.
@davidflatman
Da
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Ignore fair-weather bores
It’s like this…Bill Borrows
And so the fixtures for the 2015 Rugby World Cup have been announced, with the astounding
revelation that 37 of the 48 matches are to be
played below the Watford Gap. So that leaves five
in the Midlands, and six to be shared by the major
conurbations of Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle.
“We have taken the game to the whole country,”
boasted Debbie Jevans, chief executive of England
Rugby 2015 – a touch disingenuously – when the
host stadiums were announced back in May.
“It’s disgraceful,” thundered Roger Bowen,
chairman of Sale Sharks Supporters Club in
The Daily Telegraph, before adding enigmatically.
“They’re talking with a forked tongue.”
Unusually, you might suppose, I have some
sympathy for Ms Jevans. An even geographical
spread would be financial suicide, and I’m glad
there are only a few games in the north. Events
like these, suddenly shoving a sport into the
national consciousness, produce a certain kind of
pop-up fan. And, to paraphrase Morrissey, it’s
worse if they’re northern.
This has nothing to do with rugby union. I toured
South Africa with the Lions as a journalist in 1997
and loved every minute, interviewed Martin
Johnson on the eve of the 2003 World Cup and
even tried to persuade my ex-wife to “hang on
for a bit” as she went into labour before the start
of the 2007 final. She refused. We lost.
It’s any sport that leaps from the back pages to
a lead item on the evening news, and it almost
made London 2012 unbearable. Ben Ainslie? “Yep,
that’s four consecutive Olympic golds,” the pop-ups
would announce like they had been following his
career since he first pulled on a lifejacket.
Don’t even get me started on what they thought
they knew about Sir Bradley Wiggins or the
Paralympians, and have since forgotten.
It’s all talk. They drop these learned-by-rote
facts at dinner parties or in the boozer in an effort
to sound au courant. Rarely will you find them at an
actual event – unless it’s a hot corporate ticket
and they’re depriving a real fan of a place.
And so that’s why Ms Jevans has got it about
right. First of all, the core support in the south
should get the tickets, but they’re also welcome to
the battalions of bar-room bores who will suddenly
know the second line to Swing Low Sweet Chariot.
Generally speaking, we don’t dig fake in the north.
@billborrows
Plank of the weekDave Whelan, Wigan
You sacked Owen Coyle because Wigan fans weren’t
happy about losing three games at home in a week?
Had they beaten Derby, they would be in contention
for a playoff place. Be careful what you wish for.
16 | December 6 2013 |
Frozen in time
| 17
We are quite amusedCommon lore has it that, when a train on which
she was travelling neared Birmingham, Queen
Victoria ordered the blinds in her carriage to be
pulled down, so she need not look out upon the
filth of 19th-century industry. No such contempt
from great-great-great-great-grandson Prince
William, however – Aston Villa’s most famous fan
who isn’t a violinist dressed as a tramp stopped
the train, got off and made his bespectacled way
to Villa Park last weekend, where he seemed to
enjoy a tedious 0-0 draw with Sunderland. Locals
didn’t seem quite as taken with the show, mind.La
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18 | December 6 2013 |
David Beckham
The England legend talks exclusively to Sport about life after football and today’s World Cup draw k
W h o
i s
D a v i D
B e c k h a m ?
David Beckham
20 | December 6 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
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It’s hard to picture
David Beckham as a
living, breathing man. It is now a generation and more
since a young footballer burst on to
the scene at Manchester United, fresh-
faced and full of the swagger and
desire that would grace the beautiful
game for the best part of two decades.
Today, we see a grizzled hunk adorning
countless television adverts, billboards
and magazine covers. The boy became
a man, and the man became a brand.
Waiting in a London hotel on a grey
Thursday morning, we hear his voice
before we finally see him – the
moderated east London tone, largely
unchanged by moves to Manchester,
Spain, America, Italy and France.
And then he’s through the door, looking
model-perfect in a dark T-shirt framed
by ink, storied hair swept straight back
above a wolfish beard. The room has
been set up for TV interviews, so it
is illuminated only by a couple of
lighting rigs. Combined with Beckham’s
insouciant style, it all feels a bit unreal,
as if we’re conducting the interview
inside a fragrance advert.
The 38-year-old has always had to
be pretty good at blocking out the
glare of the spotlight to concentrate
on the task at hand, though. And, as he
sits down opposite us with a smile and
a handshake, he’s polite and focused.
It’s all as inevitably effortless as one
of his trademark free kicks, but with
today’s World Cup draw in mind, our
first question takes him back to a
strike he put everything behind –
probably the hardest anyone has ever
struck a football. Beckham’s penalty
against Argentina in the 2002 World
Cup group stages was powerful, low
and unerring. It closed a painful
chapter in his international career that
began, as we all know, with a dismissal
in the 1998 World Cup second round
for a petulant flick out at Diego
Simeone. He pauses to collect his
thoughts before telling us how he felt
when Argentina’s ball was pulled out of
the pot and placed in England’s group.
“As soon as their name came out,
I knew it was something I was looking
forward to,” he tells us. “I was excited,
because I knew that there was a time
I could put things right, to an extent.”
We suggest England’s current crop
of players will be anticipating this
afternoon’s draw with a similar sense
of excitement. “It’s something that you
always watched out for,” says
Beckham. “It’s something I think every
Englishman watches out for. Once you
reach the World Cup finals, you’re
always waiting to see who you’re going
to play in the group stages.”
N a t i o N a l p r i d eEngland safely navigated the group
stages in four of the five major
tournaments at which Beckham played,
but greater success sadly eluded him.
“I look back at my career and, if
there’s one thing I could change, it
would be winning something with
England,” says Beckham, who remains
fiercely proud of playing for his country
despite the abuse he received from
fans after that sending-off in 1998. k
“ i l o o k b a c k a t m y c a r e e r
a N d , i f t h e r e ’ s o N e t h i N g
i c o u l d c h a N g e , i t w o u l d
b e w i N N i N g s o m e t h i N g
w i t h e N g l a N d ”
50836F232X300.pdf Page 1 25/09/13, 00:15
David Beckham
22 | December 6 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
“I’m proud of the amount of times
I’ve played for England [115] and I’m
proud that I’ve captained my country.
Would I have liked a trophy at the end
of it? Yeah. I’d give up a lot to have a
trophy for my country.”
With redemption on the line and
the ball on the penalty spot, the pitch
can feel like a very lonely place.
But Beckham was fortunate to be
among friends for his showdown
with Simeone in Sapporo, Japan.
“I can remember him coming up
to me during that match against
Argentina,” he said. “I turned around
and I saw Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes and
Gary Neville. I knew I had their support,
and you can’t replace that.”
Beckham is promoting The Class
of ’92, a documentary that brings
together the six Manchester United
youth team players who developed into
treble-winners: Beckham, Scholes,
Butt, Ryan Giggs and Gary and Phil
Neville. We ask whether the players
– Giggs aside – were able to carry
the understanding they had at club
level with them when they were on
England duty.
“I felt that we could,” says Beckham.
“When we first got into the England
team, there were literally more than
six United players – there was Andy
Cole and a couple of others as well.
We were kind of dominating at the
time, and the five of us always got on
when we were away with England.
We always stuck together. People
talked about the Manchester United
and Liverpool divide, but there was no
divide – it was just the fact that we’d
sit together at dinner or talk.”
“I always look back on my time with
those lads as the best time in my
career,” he continues when we ask
whether the fun of playing football
evaporated as his career took him
away from his friends at Old Trafford.
“To have grown up like we did as mates
and to have the success we had with
club and country – that’s any kid’s
dream. Obviously I moved on to Real
Madrid, then to the Galaxy, and played
for Milan. I was able to carry that
feeling over with me to other clubs,
but it was nothing compared to what
we had.”
M a n c h e s t e r M e M o r i e sThere’s a moment in the film when
Giggs laughs as he recalls the
nickname he used to have for Beckham
when they were apprentices at United:
“Alright treacle?” The others chip in:
“Flash Cockney” and “Pretty boy” are
the suggestions from Gary Neville,
one of Beckham’s closest friends in
football. In The Class of ’92, the group
remembers the attention Beckham
paid to having the best car in the group.
“I think it’s because I’m from east
London!” he laughs. “That was
something I always wanted as a kid:
leather seats and nice wheels and
a good music system, and that’s not
changed. Times change – but I still
like a nice car.”
Beckham has plenty of those now,
along with property and business
ventures that make him one of the
highest-earning athletes in the world
– and one of the world’s most
recognisable faces.
“I never wanted to be a star,” he
insists, however. “I never wanted to be
famous. I just wanted to be a footballer.
I wanted to be a professional footballer
and I wanted to play for Manchester
United and play for England. Obviously,
though, I have been very privileged –
and I am very proud of everything that
has come with that.”
In his recent autobiography, Sir Alex
Ferguson says of Beckham that he
“felt uncomfortable with the celebrity
aspect of his life”. It has been
suggested that this contributed to
Beckham’s departure from Old
Trafford after 12 years, six league
titles, two FA Cups and a Champions
League trophy. He has admitted to
being devastated when he left United;
there were private tears when he
signed for Real Madrid. But if Beckham
could go back, would he trade what he
There were tears in Paris as
Beckham left the pitch for the final
time as a professional in May. A few
months on, how is he coping?
How are you adjusting to life
without football?
“There were a few weeks where I
really missed the game, but I had
everything set up. Literally the day
after I finished playing at PSG, I was
flying across to the US about my
MLS franchise. So I kind of jumped
into something straight away, which
helped me get over the fact that I
wasn’t playing – and I’ve been so
busy since then I’ve kind of not had
the time to sit down and be sad
about the fact that I’m not playing.”
How are things progressing with
the franchise? Will it be Miami?
“The announcement is not out yet
– we haven’t announced Miami.
We have looked at other places.
People are talking about Miami
because they’ve seen me there, and
definitely that is an option, but we’ve
not put the announcement out.”
Do you think your move to LA
Galaxy did help grow the sport?
“If you look at statistics, then yes.
I don’t like to talk about my impact in
America; I think it’s down to other
people to talk about that, and it’s
better coming from them because
they’re not biased. I’ve seen the
impact of the new stadiums that
have been built around the country
solely for football, I’ve seen the
league and the interest grow, and
I’m proud to have been part of that.”
What do you miss about playing?
“That regimented schedule of
getting up in the morning, training,
coming home, seeing the kids. I miss
that, I miss training every day, being
around the lads. And game days.
Nothing can replace that.”
What don’t you miss?
“Training in the cold most days,
apart from when I lived in the US.
That’s something I don’t think
anyone enjoys – but if I had the
choice, I’d love to do it all again.”
Do you have any guilty pleasures
now you don’t have to train?
“I’ve been lucky enough that I’ve
always been able to kind of eat
what I want over my career and not
put on too much weight. I’ve hardly
put on any since I finished playing.”
has now – the money, the fame, the
imminent MLS franchise – for a few
more years with the number 7 on
his back?
“I’d never trade anything that I’ve
done in my career for that,” comes
the firm reply. “I feel special about
Manchester United because they gave
me my chance to live my dream with
a club I’d supported my whole life and
will continue to support. But I’m very
proud of my achievements outside of
Manchester United. And the fact that
I was – which is very difficult, by the
way – able to go on from Manchester
United and be successful with Real
Madrid, PSG, the Galaxy. I’m very proud
that I played for some of the other
biggest clubs in the world, and I would
never change that.”
With that, our time is up, and
Beckham is whisked away. We’re left
with a clearer picture of him – and it’s
a sharper version of the image we
already had: the east London boy
turned style icon; the sporting diplomat
on a par with princes; a business, and
a businessman. Six months after his
retirement, Beckham is all these things
and more. You suspect that’s exactly
what he wants.
Amit Katwala @amitkatwala
The Class of ‘92 is available now
on DVD (Universal)
L i f e a f t e r f o o t b a L L
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w e d i d a s M a t e s a n d t o
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World Cup Draw
| December 6 2013 | 25
It started with 203 teams attempting to qualify. Gradually
the likes of Montserrat, Eritrea, Turkmenistan and Scotland
were whittled away, and 31 nations went through. Add in
hosts Brazil and you have the golden 32 that will play at
World Cup 2014. The draw starts at 5pm on Friday
December 6, which is when all of the ball-delving fun begins.
First of all, the eagle-eyed among you will have noticed that
Pot 4 currently contains nine teams, while Pot 2 has seven.
That’s because early on in the draw, one European team will be
taken from Pot 4 and put into Pot 2 to even out the numbers.
That European team will be kept away from the UEFA seeds
(to ensure that no group has three European teams in it), but
it’s probably not a fate Roy Hodgson will want for England.
It leaves open the possibility of England getting a tough South
American Pot 1 seed such as Argentina or Brazil – as well as
a European Pot 4 team such as Italy or the Netherlands.
To ensure that no group has two South American teams
in it, Chile and Ecuador will be kept separate from the four
South American seeds. Clear as mud? Good, let’s press on.
That riveting Pot 2 complexity aside, it’s a draw of eight
groups made up of one team from each pot. What's really
intriguing is that there is the possibility of wild variety in the
quality of team in each group. For example, it's possible for the
draw to bring up a group of death (say, Spain, the Netherlands,
Chile and the USA), while also delivering a group of dross
(Switzerland, Greece, Algeria and Honduras, for example).
Donning both our English hat (a bowler) and our
international hat (probably some kind of flag-festooned
sombrero), Sport has examined each pot to assess the
strength of the teams involved on a sliding scale. Thus England
fans can get a quick gauge on the nations they ideally want to
draw and avoid, with a particular eye on any dark horses that
stand, snorting their nostrils in wait. k
Pot 1 (SeedS)ArgentinaBrazilColombiaUruguayBelgiumGermanySpainSwitzerland
Pot 2 (CaF, ConMeBoL + one UeFa*)AlgeriaCameroonGhanaIvory CoastNigeriaChileEcuador
Pot 3 (aFC + ConCaCaF)AustraliaIranJapanSouth KoreaCosta RicaHondurasMexicoUSA
Pot 4 (UeFa)Bosnia-HerzegovinaCroatiaEngland FranceGreeceItalyNetherlandsPortugalRussia
Asian Football
Confederation (AFC)
Confederation of African
Football (CAF)
Confederation of North,
Central American and
Caribbean Association
Football (CONCACAF)
South American Football
Confederation
(CONMEBOL)
Union of European
Football Associations
(UEFA)
ahead oF the worLd CUP draw, we teLL yoU aLL yoU need to know
Friday FIFA World Cup drAW
BAhIA, BrAzIl
BBC tWo 4.30pm
4pm
*To be taken from Pot 4
and moved in to Pot 2 at
the start of the draw
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World Cup Draw
26 | December 6 2013 |
Pot 1
“The giant is back,” crowed Brazil’s raucous fans as the
Selecao spanked world champions Spain 3-0 in the final of the
Confederations Cup. They still look less than rock solid at the
back, with David Luiz often doing more clean-up work than
a school janitor, but this is a team packed with physically
dynamic yet technically adept players. Throw in the burgeoning
brilliance of Neymar and Oscar, plus home advantage, and you
have the most challenging opponents in the competition.
Also on the list of teams England would really rather avoid is
Argentina. Lionel Messi (below) – finally producing his best
form for his country – heads up a squad rich in goal-scoring
prowess (35 in 16 qualifying games). Argentina’s previous World
Cup triumphs, in 1978 and 1986, came on South American soil.
We suggest 2014 offers an excellent opportunity for a third.
Europe’s two best sides make up the quartet of pre-
tournament favourites, with the depth of talent at manager
Jogi Low’s disposal making Germany a serious threat. Mario
Gotze, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Mesut Ozil, Toni Kroos, Thomas
Muller, Marco Reus and (if fit) Sami Khedira are all competing
for their place – and that’s just the midfield. However, the
pressure is on Low: the feeling in Germany is that it’s time
this team won a trophy as reward for all its pretty football.
Spain know all about coping with pressure. Their own
midfield is also gorged with talent, yet there’s a feeling this is
a side on the wane. The ageing limbs of Carles Puyol in defence
and David Villa up front haven’t been convincingly replaced.
That said, voices whispered the same thing before Euro 2012
and they ended up wrecking Italy 4-0 in the final. Still a threat.
The next four seeds are less established, but of those
Colombia could be the coming force (so long as Pele hasn’t
tipped them by the time you read this). Finishing second only to
Argentina in South American qualifying, the team boasts one
of the world’s elite strikers in Radamel Falcao, prolific Porto
marksman Jackson Martínez, and a ‘golden generation’
including Monaco starlet James Rodriguez backing them up.
The other football hipster’s fancies are Belgium. We’re only
too aware of how strong the spine of this team is (Simon
Mignolet, Vincent Kompany, Marouane Fellaini, Eden Hazard,
Christian Benteke and/or Romelu Lukaku) because we see it in
the Premier League each week. But this is a team that’s only
begun making the most of its talent recently, and a lack of big-
tournament experience could cost them. Belgium are a dark
horse that could go all the way – or plough into the first fence.
Uruguay are another team that are tricky to gauge. They
boast the goal-grabbing prowess of Luis Suarez and Edinson
Cavani and are reigning Copa America champions, yet finished
behind both Chile and Ecuador in South American qualifying
and required a playoff win against Jordan to reach the World
Cup. That said, results improved as qualification went on, so
it’s very possible that cunning coach Oscar Tabarez has found
a formula for La Celeste success at the right time.
The weakest of the seeds is Switzerland. They have a
savvy manager in Ottmar Hitzfeld and boast midfield talent
with the likes of Bayern Munich’s fleet-footed Xherdan Shaqiri
and Napoli lynchpin Gökhan Inler. However, their forward line is
short of goals (central defender Fabian Schar was their top
scorer in qualifying – with a grand total of three) and they tend
to stink the joint out at major tournaments.
Pot 1
Pot 2
Pot 2
With a mixture of African, South American and one European
side (identity to be confirmed), Pot 2 is the biggest lottery of
them all, with Chile the bogey team most European sides will
want to avoid. The Chileans initially struggled after Marcelo
Bielsa departed in 2011, but new coach Jorge Sampaoli –
who arrived midway through their qualifying campaign –
has reintroduced a high-pressing, ultra-attacking game.
La Roja have lost only two of the 15 games since his arrival,
have a genuinely world-class talent in Alexis Sanchez (above)
and should enjoy playing on home soil (continentally speaking).
The random European side adds an element of chaos to this
group, because nobody knows if it’ll be one to avoid (please
not the Dutch!) or a relative soft touch (no offence, Croatia).
However, we do know that the African threat will come strongly
from Ghana, who fired in an impressive 25 goals in eight
qualifying matches, with Asamoah Gyan still the main man.
Ivory Coast beat Senegal 4-2 in the African playoffs, and
while they were not quite as convincing as the scoreline
suggests, the Elephants do boast a fearsome array of
world-class superstars. That’s something Nigeria cannot
claim, but the reigning Africa Cup of Nations champions went
unbeaten in qualifying and look a united team under
inspirational manager and former captain Stephen Keshi.
Cameroon, meanwhile, aren’t the force they once were,
with 32-year-old Samuel Eto’o still very much their stand-out
threat going forward. German Volker Finke is the man tasked
with leading the Indomitable Lions at the World Cup, but reports
of rifts with Eto’o already don’t fill you with confidence.
The weakest prey in this pot is Ecuador and Algeria.
For Ecuador, goals are the issue, with a lot of pressure on
Lokomotiv Moscow man Felipe Caicedo to lead the line. As for
Algeria: anyone who remembers their 0-0 draw against
England four years ago will be praying to avoid a rerun of one
of the dullest World Cup matches ever played. Away goals
helped the Algerians past Burkina Faso in qualification, but
while defensive solidity is their gameplan, they tend to offer
little threat going forward. k
Pot 4
There’s a one-in-nine chance that England could be ripped
from Pot 4 and chucked into Pot 2 before the draw even
starts (see page 25 for an explanation). In an ideal world,
England would like to stay safely in Pot 4 – preferably with the
likes of the Netherlands and Italy – to ensure they can’t
possibly be drawn together. That danger duo both came
through their UEFA qualifying groups unbeaten and are
perhaps unlucky not to be seeded. Louis van Gaal’s Dutch side
scored 34 goals in 10 qualifiers and are the biggest threat.
Elsewhere, Portugal might have come through a playoff,
but Cristiano Ronaldo proved he’s ready for the big stage
– who knew? – and he alone means they’ll be more feared than
a Russia side that beat them to the top of their qualifying
group, thanks to a team built on solidity at the back. The CSKA
Moscow trio of Igor Akinfeev, Sergei Ignashevich and Aleksei
Berezutski will make them a tough team to break down.
France tend to either implode hilariously or surpass
expectations in major tournaments, and Didier Deschamps’
men are already showing the required inconsistency.
A dreadful first-leg performance in their playoff against
Ukraine was blown away by a brilliant 3-0 win in the home leg.
With Franck Ribery, Karim Benzema, Yohan Cabaye and a
seemingly rejuvinated Samir Nasri just a handful of the
world-class players they can call upon, the French are a
dangerous but unpredictable animal.
Debutants Bosnia-Herzegovina won their qualifying
group with strikers Edin Dzeko and Vedad Ibisevic scoring a
whopping 18 goals between them. They can look dodgy at the
back, however, and Asmir Begovic could be a busy man in Brazil.
Croatia and Greece are not the forces they once were.
The former have more talent, although the fact that forward
Mario Mandzukic will start the World Cup suspended is a blow.
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World Cup Draw
28 | December 6 2013 |
Pot 3
The team to avoid in pot four are JAPAN. They cruised
through their qualifying group, with Mainz forward Shinji
Okazaki carrying their largest threat. He is a potential star of
2014, while Manchester United’s Shinji Kagawa (above) is
hardly goal-shy at international level either (16 in 52 games).
USA come next, where Tim Howard, Landon Donovan and
Clint Dempsey remain the major names on Jurgen Klinsmann’s
teamsheet. They’re a team that play as more than the sum of
their parts, and are capable of pulling off an upset.
Iran come into the World Cup with a predictability about
them, in that they’re just hard to play against. On their road to
qualification, Carlos Queiroz’s men kept 10 clean sheets in 16
games, and conceded just seven times altogether. Nil-nil
draws are the priority.
A change of manager after securing qualification make
South Korea, on the other hand, a bit of an unexpected outfit.
Son Heung-Min, Koo Ja-Cheol and veteran Lee Dong-Gook have
the talent, but unpredictability might be South Korea’s weapon.
Australia are a team you wouldn’t mind drawing, on
current form. The Socceroos managed only three wins from a
group containing Iraq, Oman, Jordan and Japan, lost a friendly
against France 6-0 in October and sacked their manager.
Not to be outdone, Mexico won only two of 10 games in
CONCACAF qualifying, scoring just seven goals. New boss
Miguel Herrera led them through a playoff win against New
Zealand by dropping all of the Europe-based Mexican stars.
At least Mexico have stars to call on, however, and could pull
themselves out of the mierda in time for next summer. Costa
Rica and Honduras have no such luck. The former won every
home match in qualifying but – ominously – struggled badly on
their travels, failing to win at all. HONDURAS recently tested
the waters in Brazil and lost 5-0 to the hosts, offering up a
couple of defensive errors along the way. It does not augur well.
Pot 3
Pot 4
Rio Ferdinand
| December 6 2013 | 31
Once a skipper…Former England captain Rio Ferdinand talks World Cup draws, groups of death and the questions Roy Hodgson needs to answer before boarding the plane to Brazil k
Rio Ferdinand
| December 6 2013 | 33
The words flow fast and furious from
the mouth of former England captain
Rio Ferdinand. Clearly, wearing the
shirt – a total of 81 times at senior
level, in Ferdinand’s case – does not
render you immune from suffering
the same frustrations as those of us
who have not (overpriced replicas
don’t count). The Manchester United
defender announced his retirement
from international duty earlier this
year, and has since been appointed to
the FA’s commission into the future of
English football, set up by Greg Dyke to
“find a way of delivering long-term
success for the England team”. It’s a
topic that, in both its immediate sense
and as an ongoing concern, is at the
forefront of Ferdinand’s mind.
The World Cup draw takes place on
Friday. Is it something you got excited
about as an England player?
“I’ve always been relaxed about it,
whether that’s for England or for
United in [the draw for] the Champions
League. I can’t influence it, so I didn’t
get excited by it. But once I know who
we’ve got, especially if it’s a team we
haven’t played much, then I’ll go away
and look at it. I think we had Ecuador
one year [in the second round, in
2006], and we’ve had Nigeria [in the
group stage, in 2002]. It’s a lot easier
to go away and look at stuff on your
own time now, with YouTube – but we
had the TV and video guy at England
who would give you DVDs if you
wanted them, so that you could look
at individuals and some of their
team play.”
Was that something you liked to do?
“Yeah, I always wanted to know who
I was playing against, especially the
centre forwards. I wanted to know the
four centre forwards they would
probably take and watch them to find
out their best traits. Not everyone
is like that, though. Some just like to
play their own game – especially the
attacking players. They’re confident in
their own ability and it’s up to them to
break the defenders down. With me,
I’m having to react to a forward’s
movements, so by watching footage of
him play I can look at his body position
and see whether he favours his right
foot or likes to drop a shoulder –
things like that.”
Would you prefer to see England
draw a straightforward group, or is
it better to be in a tougher group and
measure people’s expectations?
“It’s better to go into a solid group,
rather than an easy group where
people expect you to just turn teams
over because, as we know, it’s never
as easy as it looks on paper. A solid
group means there’s no chance for
complacency to creep in. But you don’t
want a group of death either, because
that could take too much out of you in
a tournament. If you have three tough
games in your group, then by the
time you get to the quarters or the
semi finals, you could be gassed out.
So you want a group that will keep
you focused, but one that won’t take
too much out of you if you approach it
right, mentally.”
England lost back-to-back games
at Wembley recently. But is it better
for the team to play tough friendlies
against the likes of Chile and Germany
than smash a hatful past a side such
as San Marino?
“I think even playing against a Norway
or a Denmark isn’t going to throw up
any new equations for us to work out
[England’s next friendly is against
Denmark, on March 5]. We need to play
against the South American teams, and
maybe an African team, too. They’re
the kind of teams we don’t play against
often. We play against the Nordic
countries and people like that quite
often, so we know how to play against
them and what to expect. Whereas we
don’t play against the African, South
American and Asian countries often
and, once we get to a tournament,
we don’t want to be surprised.”
What questions did the Germany and
Chile games throw up for Roy Hodgson?
“You’d have to ask Roy that. But it’s
going to be hot out there, and
possession is going to be key. When we
played against Germany and Chile, they
kept the ball very well – something
we need to work on. It’s not just this
generation of players, though. Even
when I was playing for England, we
didn’t keep the ball as well as other
teams. In a tournament, if you’re
chasing the ball for 60 or 70 minutes
out of 90, then come the later stages
you’re gonna be out on your feet.”
Are there any teams you think could
spring a surprise in Brazil?
“Chile. I was impressed by the way they
played at Wembley – they played risky
football and, at the top level, sometimes
you have to take risks to be successful.
They have players like Alexis Sanchez
and Arturo Vidal, who can cause
problems. Colombia as well – they
won’t be much of a surprise in South
America, but in Europe they will be.
Radamel Falcao, James Rodriguez –
they have a really good team and a
good record. Both those teams are
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accustomed to the conditions in Brazil,
so it’s a real opportunity for them.”
We’ll be expecting big things from
Cristiano Ronaldo in Brazil. What were
your first impressions of him?
“I just remember thinking: ‘Let’s sign
him.’ We played Sporting Lisbon in
2003, and I was just thinking: ‘Wow.’
We’d just lost out on Ronaldinho, and I
thought: ‘I hope we get this kid.’ He was
still finding himself – he had funny hair
with two little bits hanging down and
he was a really skinny little lad, then.”
How does he compare now to the
player who first arrived at United?
“He’s more decisive. He’s got it into
his head that it’s not just about skills
and showboating. He’s all about end
product now. He’s looking to get on
the ball to really hurt the other team –
get shots on target, score, set people
up. And he’s scoring all types of
goals – headers, left foot, right foot.
It’s just ridiculous.”
Did anyone get particularly annoyed
by Ronaldo’s flicks and tricks?
“Ruud van Nistelrooy. He’d say: ‘I don’t
know when he’s gonna cross the ball.
How can I make my runs? I look like a
fool.’ Ruud was reliant on other people
to put chances his way, so when
Ronnie came along and he was about
skills and showboating, he used to go
mad. There were tantrums.”
Sarah Shephard @sarahsportmag
Rio Ferdinand appears in EA
SPORTS FIFA 14 on Xbox,
out now. Order your special
edition Xbox One and FIFA 14
at www.amazon.co.uk
“At the top level, sometimes you have to take risks to be successful”
“When you look at our teams in the Premier League, there’s loads of movement. So why is that not transferring to the England team? It’s rigid.”
| December 6 2013 | 35
Formula 1: A Study
You can trace the state of modern
Formula 1 back to a drivers’ meeting at
the Dorchester Hotel in June 1970.
After a memorial service at St Paul’s for
Bruce McLaren, the New Zealander who gave his
name to the British team but died in a crash at
Goodwood, the drivers gathered in a hotel suite to
talk about safety. It was almost non-existent back
then: McLaren was the first of three drivers on the
grid to die in 1970; Piers Courage lost his life in a
crash at Zandvoort in the Netherlands; and Jochen
Rindt died at Monza while leading the world
championship – he was never caught, and is the
only driver to be awarded the title posthumously.
It was the Nurburgring that topped the agenda
that day, though. Led by Jackie Stewart (pictured,
right), the drivers voted to refuse to race at the
famous-but-dangerous German circuit after
being denied their request that improved safety
measures be put in place.
Forty-three years later, and the exclusive hotel
still has the same old grandeur it had in 1970, but
Formula 1 has evolved beyond recognition. Sitting
once more in a suite at the Dorchester, Sir Jackie
Stewart reflects on the safety improvements that
stemmed from that drivers’ pact.
“It’s been 19 years, six months and 14 days
since a driver lost his life in a Formula 1 car,”
A n e w f o r m u l An e x t y e A r m A r k s t h e b i g g e s t t r A n s f o r m At i o n to f o r m u l A 1 i n d e c A d e s . s p o r t e x A m i n e s t h e c h A n g e s , A n d A n A ly s e s w h o i s b e s t p l A c e d to b e n e f i t f r o m t h e m
he tells us, hesitating only briefly to work out the
exact numbers since Ayrton Senna’s death at Imola
in 1994. “If we had allowed the Nurburgring to stay
on the calendar, the other race tracks wouldn’t
have changed either – that was maybe the most
significant turning point in the history of motor-
racing safety.”
Modern circuits are built with plenty of room for
manoeuvre: big run-off areas and escape routes,
though Stewart explains not everyone agrees with
the way the tracks have developed. “Stirling Moss
would say it’s wrong that we have so much safety,
because drivers are not caring enough,” he says.
“He would say: ‘If we went off the track, we died.
If we collided with someone, we died.’ So the
liberties that are allowed to be taken today have
made it less disciplined than it was in his day.”
They are undeniably safer, but some of the newer
circuits have been criticised for creating dull
races. They are mostly designed by the same man
– German architect Hermann Tilke – who Stewart
says is probably better at “knowing where to put
the cabling” than designing interesting circuits.
Still, he insists that the sport is “still as exciting,
still as glamorous, still as colourful” as it was when
he was racing. “People still like to see mistakes
made and accidents happen, but nobody likes to
see death – it’s not a pretty sight,” he says. k
“ i f w e h A d A l lo w e d t h e n u r b u r g r i n g to s tAy o n t h e c A l e n d A r , t h e ot h e r r A c e t r A c k s wo u l d n ’ t h Av e c h A n g e d e i t h e r – t h At wA s m Ay b e t h e m o s t s i g n i f i c A n t t u r n i n g p o i n t i n t h e h i s to r y o f m oto r - r A c i n g s A f e t y ”
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Formula 1: A Study
36 | December 6 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
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“My wife Helen and I counted 57 people who had
died to whom we were close enough to go travelling
with; holidaying with. Motor racing wouldn’t be alive
if we hadn’t changed the safety. The insurance
company never would have carried the risk.”
a s t r at e g i c s e a s o nNow, Formula 1 stands at an equally momentous
turning point. Next year sees the introduction of
brand new engine rules, and a move from V8
engines to smaller, turbo-charged V6 engines
to save fuel and promote efficiency.
“It’s almost like a whole new series,” says Sky
Sports F1 analyst Ted Kravitz. “It’s a massive
change. You have 100 kilos of fuel to do the whole
race – more than a third less than they’d normally
have now.” To compensate for this, teams will
harvest and reuse heat energy from the car
with an expanded version of the KERS system that
has been in place for a few years.
With Red Bull’s continued dominance – four
championships and nine race wins in a row for
Sebastian Vettel – the series is in dire need of
some excitement. Fans will be hoping the new
regulations will shake the order of things up a bit.
“I think it will make for exciting racing,” says
Kravitz. “Just on the basis that we don’t know how
it’s going to work, and we don’t know who’s going
to do a better job. It’s possible that you could get to
the middle of the race and suddenly the engineers
are going to see that they’re not going to make it
on the fuel they’ve got. It might well be that you’ll
see a driver drastically having to back off or take
it easy in the middle of a race – but then he’s saved
enough by the end to be able to come forward and
charge through the field.”
“There’s going to be a lot of fuel-saving,” says
Max Chilton (below, left), the 22-year-old British
driver who has just completed his first season in
Formula 1 with Marussia. “You’ll be completely
controlled by the engineers back in the garage
telling you what settings to go to, and that will
influence how quick the lap times are going to be.”
It will be a more strategic season, then, with
drivers managing both their fuel load and their
tyres, as well as factoring in what their opponents
are doing. “Strategy is still part of racing – it always
has been,” insists Chilton when we ask whether
this represents a move away from ‘real’ racing.
The rookie has done well in his first season,
finishing every race – which is pretty much the
best you can hope for competing for one of the
minnows on the moneyed Formula 1 grid.
“At the moment, there is a four to five-second
deficit in race pace between us and the front cars,”
he continues. “If it was within two seconds and you
get your strategy right and you drive a good race,
then everyone would be battling all race.”
We ask Chilton what he thinks the gap between
him and four-time world champion Vettel would be
if they were in the same car. “It’s an unanswerable
question, but it would be a hell of a lot less than it
is now,” he replies. “It would be much more like the
gap between the top 10 in GP2. In GP2, the cars
are all exactly the same – they’re set up differently,
but they’re the same. If you’re the best driver in
GP2, you’ll still be in the top 10 – even if you’re in
the worst [set-up] car. The gap between the drivers
in F1 is a huge amount less than what it looks like.
You look at qualifying and you regularly see
teammates all next to each other on the grid, which
shows they’re at the limit of the car and that’s the
best they’re going to do.”
i t i s a b o u t t h e c a rIn terms of the driver/car balance, things might
not be changing for the better as far as Clifton is
concerned, according to Kravitz. “At the moment,
it’s 60 per cent about the car and 40 per cent
about the driver,” he says. “I think next year it’s
going to be much more like 80 per cent about the
car and 20 per cent about the driver.”
With three engine manufacturers confirmed for
next year’s grid – Ferrari, Renault and Mercedes
– success could come down to which one of those
companies gets the hybrid technology right.
“It’s accepted in the paddock that Mercedes
have spent longer developing these engines,” says
Kravitz. “They realised how big a change this was
and kind of got the jump on everyone. Whether that
will make them better, who knows? But if Ferrari
have done a brilliant job, the Ferrari-powered
teams [Ferrari, Marussia and Sauber] could fill the
points. You could see Marussia scoring consistent
points if Ferrari have done the best job.” k
“ Y o u ’ l l b e c o m p l e t e lY c o n t r o l l e d b Y t h e e n g i n e e r s b a c k i n t h e g a r a g e t e l l i n g Y o u w h at s e t t i n g s to g o to , a n d t h at w i l l i n f lu e n c e h o w q u i c k t h e l a p t i m e s a r e g o i n g to b e ”
m a x c h i lto n
Tire, change: Vettel races in India (left); Bruce McLaren sits
on the wheel of his car at Brands Hatch in 1970 (below) – he
would lose his life at Goodwood later that year; Jochen Rindt’s
Lotus-Ford is removed from the Monza circuit (bottom)
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Formula 1: A Study
38 | December 6 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
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Stewart also tips Mercedes and Ferrari to be
competitive. “It’ll be a year of more mechanical
failures, so whoever has top reliability will have a
considerable advantage in the first year,” he adds.
In terms of the drivers, Kravitz tells us that the
general consensus is that the experienced ones
will have an advantage; he agrees that “ultimately,
you’ll see the best drivers at the top again”.
“Someone like Kevin Magnussen, the new McLaren
driver who has never driven an F1 race in his life,
could have a better ability to save fuel and manage
all the buttons, because he’s so used to doing it on
the simulator,” he adds, however. “For him, it’s like
a video game exercise.”
Chilton disagrees – he thinks that new drivers
have a hard enough time adapting to Formula 1
as it is: “It’s definitely gonna be harder for the
rookies. It’s not easy coming into Formula 1 now,
with the tyres and the way the car handles. And, for
next year, the changes are so big that it’s gonna be
really hard if you’re coming straight into it fresh.”
T h e n e e d f o r c h a n g eWhile there’s debate over whether the changes will
improve the sport as a spectacle, the people we
Although a lot of fuel will be saved next year,
some of that will be undone by the extra travel in
the sport’s continually expanding calendar – next
year’s features Mexico and Russia. But it doesn’t
always work out. Take the Indian Grand Prix, hosted
at the specially constructed $400m Buddh
International Circuit. After selling out in its first
year, crowd numbers fell by 30,000 last year and
it again attracted considerably fewer this year
(above, right). Now it’s off the calendar. Stewart
insists this will change as the sport develops in
India, but Formula 1 can perhaps be accused of
resembling a horde of locusts: swooping in and
taking much while offering little in return.
It can be damaging for the sport, too. There are
currently 22 races on next year’s provisional
calendar – three more than this year – and a good
number many feel is too high.
“I’m not sure the calendar is going to be as big
as they say,” says Chilton, who went from doing
12 races in GP2 in 2012 to 19 F1 races in 2013.
“It’s a big strain on human resources, with
mechanics on the road all the time travelling
long haul,” says Stewart. “But there’s so many
countries wanting to have a Grand Prix because
it’s such a huge magnet for business – on the
commercial side as well as tourists.”
Chilton says: “If you asked most people in the
paddock – take the business side out of it – then 15
or 16 would be the perfect race-calendar length.”
The expansion has been overseen by diminutive
F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone. “He’s done an
amazing job,” says Stewart of a man nine years his
senior. “He’s a dictator, but he’s made it work. And
he’s made a lot of people rich. I’m one of them.”
At 83, Ecclestone shows no sign of stopping –
although he recently named Red Bull team principal
Christian Horner as his preferred successor.
Whoever’s in charge, Formula 1 is set for a
turbulent few years as it once again remodels
itself to fit the needs of the market. In the 1970s it
was safety; now it’s green technology, all in the
name of attracting new manufacturers keen to
create a marketable product and enter new
territories with money to spend.
As we leave Stewart at the Dorchester, there’s a
gold-plated Bugatti Veyron parked outside. People
stop to take photos. It’s a fitting metaphor for
Formula 1: it doesn’t really matter whether the
engines are V6 or V8 – money will still be the motor
that really drives the sport. And people will keep
turning their heads to watch.
Amit Katwala @amitkatwala
Weekend of a Champion, a 1971 documentary about
Jackie Stewart directed by Roman Polanski, has been
re-released on DVD, out now. Sky Sports F1 HD is the only
place to watch the entire 2014 Formula 1 season live
“ h e ’ s a d i c TaTo r , b u T h e ’ s m a d e i T wo r k – a n d h e ’ s m a d e a loT o f p e o p l e r i c h . i ’ m o n e o f T h e m ”
s i r J a c k i e s T e wa r T
speak to are generally agreed that it’s the right
move. “I personally would have held it back until the
economy came right, but it’s too late to change it
now,” says Stewart. “But, ecology-wise, we have to
change – with the new formula we’ll be using half
the fuel we’re using now, so there’s less pollution.”
The change has seen more car manufacturers
show an interest in the sport again, thanks to the
overlap between the technology needed to make
a Formula 1 car run efficiently and the hybrid
engines being developed for road cars. Honda will
re-enter the sport in 2015 in partnership with
McLaren, and Kravitz thinks that Volkswagen, Audi
and Toyota could follow in the coming years.
“Now it’s relevant to their road cars, they’re
thinking about getting back in,” he explains.
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7 DaysDEC 6-DEC 12
HIGHLIGHTS
» Football: Premier League » p42
» Football: Champions League » p44
» Rugby Union: Heineken Cup – Exeter v Toulon » p46
» Horse Racing: Tingle Creek Chase » p48
» European Short Course Swimming Championships » p48OUR PICK OF THE ACTION FROM THE SPORTING WEEK AHEAD
40 | December 6 2013 |
Saturday Boxing | DaRREn BaRkER v FELix STURm | PoRSCHE aREna, STUTTgaRT | Sky SPoRTS 1 8Pm
No easy way out
Tradition dictates that after a boxer
wins a world title – particularly the way
Darren Barker did, dragging himself up
from a hard sixth-round knockdown
to outwork Australia's Daniel Geale in
Atlantic City last August – he deserves
an easy first defence. A part-time
roadsweeper on home soil, perhaps.
What 31-year-old Barnet middleweight
Barker actually has is a pick ’em fight
against classy former champion Felix
Sturm. In Germany.
The 34-year-old Sturm saw off title
challenges from Brits Matthew Macklin
(via split decision) and Martin Murray
(a spirited draw) back in 2011. He was
outworked at times in both of those
fights, but he remains a precision
puncher with a hard, accurate jab
and a solid left hook.
Sturm may only have 17 stoppages in
his 43 fights (38 wins, three losses, two
draws), but he had enough mustard on
his punches to buzz both Macklin and
Murray late on in their respective bouts.
To come out of Germany a winner,
Barker (26 wins, 16 via knockout, with
just one loss) will have to show all of
the guts he displayed in winning his
world title. On the plus side, his new
aggression allied to his fine boxing skills
proved too much for Geale, who himself
edged out Sturm on points in 2012.
Barker was, however, caught too often
for comfort by Geale, and put down by
a vicious body shot. Sturm, a useful
body puncher, will have noted this.
Sturm remains a top-class
middleweight, though his workrate
has slowed in recent years. And while
Barker is coming off one 12-round war,
Sturm has numerous on his CV. Barker
is, however, the fresher of the two.
If 'Dazzling Darren' can maintain
a high tempo, slip Sturm’s jab and
establish his own, he has it in him to
gain an impressive win. However he’ll
know he's facing a bit of a tightrope
act – and that the vast majority of the
crowd will be baying for him to take
a fall throughout.
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42 | December 6 2013 |
7 Days
It’s tough at the top, so the saying goes. And, this
month, Arsenal will discover whether they are tough
enough to handle it. Starting with Sunday’s game against
Everton, the Gunners face a testing three-week period
that sees them travel to Naples for a crucial Champions
League tie, to the Etihad to face Manchester City, and
then head back to the Emirates for the visit of Chelsea.
Everton’s route into the New Year isn’t quite as
fearsome, with games against Fulham, Swansea and
Sunderland following their trip to north London. But the
Toffees haven’t beaten Arsenal since 2007, when Andrew
Johnson scored a 90th-minute winner at Goodison.
And you have to go back another 11 years to find the last
time Everton beat Arsenal away from home, courtesy
of an Andre Kanchelskis winner). In simple terms, David
Moyes’ tenure did not yield a single win at Highbury or
the Emirates.
With Roberto Martinez’s side learning to relish the
attacking freedom he encourages, Everton will present a
different proposition this time around, however. Not least
because in Romelu Lukaku they have a player with the
best minutes-per-goal rate in Premier League history
(with a minimum of 20 goals). But in Wojciech Szczesny
(above) he faces a keeper with the best saves-to-shots
ratio in the league this season (at time of writing). Expect
frantic goalmouth action, then. And probably a draw.
Saturday manchester united v newcastle
old trafford | bt sport 12.45pm
This tie provided thrilling Boxing
Day entertainment last year, with
Newcastle coming agonisingly close
to beating Manchester United at Old
Trafford for the first time since 1972.
Alan Pardew’s side couldn’t quite
pull it off, though, going down 4-3
thanks to a late winner by Javier
Hernandez. Wayne Rooney was an
injured absentee from that game
but, unfortunately for the Magpies,
he’s currently playing like a man at
the peak of his powers – scoring or
assisting 59 per cent of United’s
league goals this season (not taking
into account Wednesday’s game
against Everton).
Yet Newcastle’s win against West
Bromwich Albion last weekend
(thanks partly to Yoan Gouffran,
pictured) saw them start the week
as the second most in-form team in
the league, with four wins from four.
It’s their best run for 19 months and,
with Pardew getting the best out
of his French contingent (18 of
Newcastle’s 19 league goals have
been scored by Frenchmen) the
Magpies will believe they can ask
some big questions in Manchester.
The league leaders embark on a testing three weeks in their tilt at the title, while the current champions get stuck into a tie that rarely fails to entertain
Premier League
Sunday arsenal v everton | emirates stadium | sky sports 1 4pm
Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
Saturday southampton v manchester city
st mary’s | 3pm
| 43
West Ham have failed to score a
single goal on their past five visits
to Anfield. They came close to
ending that fruitless run last season
– when Lucas Leiva (pictured)
cleared a late Jack Collison header
off the line – but the game finished
0-0, meaning it has been 50 years
since the Hammers won at Anfield.
Their away form isn’t indicating they
won’t clock 51 years either, with Big
Sam’s side winning just once away
from home in the league this term.
Cardiff have had the edge in the
Premier League battle between
these two promoted sides so far,
taking some big scalps along the
way. But it’s these matches against
the fellow ‘smaller scalps’ that often
prove crucial come the end of the
season. Cardiff’s best results have
come on home turf so far, and they
lost 3-2 at Selhurst Park last term
(albeit thanks to two penalties),
so their own scalp is by no means
safe this weekend.
Saturday stoke v chelsea | britannia stadium | 3pm
Norwich have a decent record at
The Hawthorns, taking away three
points on two of their last four visits.
But before this week, the Canaries
had won only once on the road in
the league this season – a 1-0 win at
Stoke coming courtesy of Jonny
Howson (pictured). West Brom,
meanwhile, have arrested the poor
run of form that saw them lose their
first two home games of the season.
They beat Crystal Palace and drew
with Aston Villa last month.
Saturday west brom v norwich
the hawthorns | 3pm
The week before Manchester City
come to town is the worst time to
lose your goalkeeper to injury. Bad
luck, Southampton. Artur Boruc was
part of a side that had conceded
seven goals in 12 matches before
playing Chelsea last weekend. It
leaves Saints with Paulo Gazzaniga
(pictured) in goal. The Argentine
had a brief run in the team last
season, but could hardly have
picked a tougher team to start
against this time.
It has been 11 months since his
nightmare 90 minutes against
Chelsea, but Stoke’s Jon Walters
(pictured) will remember every
second of it when the Blues return.
Then, his two own goals and missed
penalty helped Chelsea to a 4-0
win, ending the Potters’ 17-game
unbeaten run at home in the league.
Walters made his 102nd consecutive
appearance against Everton last
weekend. He will hope consistency
is the key to success.
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Saturday liverpool v west ham | anfield | 3pmSaturday crystal palace v cardiff
selhurst park | 3pm
The Liberty Stadium hadn’t been a
happy hunting ground for Swansea
going into this week – domestically
speaking, at least. The Swans have
lost just one of their five home
games in the Europa League, but
managed just one win from their
first six games at home in the
Premier League. Boss Michael
Laudrup will hope to have Michu
back from injury in time for Hull’s
visit, adding some much-needed
firepower to the Swans’ attack.
monday swansea v hull | liberty stadium
sky sports 1 8pm
December is a hectic month for
Tottenham, with Europa League
and League Cup ties squeezed in
among a packed league schedule.
For Andre Villas-Boas’ side, who
started the week without a league
win since October, a trip to the
Stadium of Light – where Spurs
have lost only one of their last four
matches – offers hope. But as
Sunderland showed against
Manchester City, they are capable of
throwing a spanner in the works.
Saturday sunderland v tottenham | stadium of light
sky sports 1 5.30pm
His second game in charge sees
Fulham boss Rene Meulensteen
face a team that have not won a
game at Craven Cottage for the past
three seasons. But the last time
Aston Villa visited, the clubs’
fortunes were almost reversed, with
Villa enduring their worst start to a
season in the top flight since 1986
and Fulham racking up their third
home win from four. Paul Lambert’s
side are a different prospect this
term. As, indeed, are Fulham.
Sunday fulham v aston villa | craven cottage
sky sports 1 1.30pm
44 | December 6 2013 |
7 Days Champions League
It sounds simple: Arsenal merely need to avoid a
three-goal defeat in Napoli on Wednesday to be sure
of advancing to the Champions League knockout
stages for the 14th year in a row. And they face a team
they dealt with in straightforward fashion at the
Emirates in October, two goals in the first 15 minutes
settling the tie. True, Rafael Benitez’s side was missing
star striker Gonzalo Higuain that night – but even the
former Liverpool manager would admit that the man
who topped Arsenal’s hit list for much of last summer
is unlikely to have made much of a difference to the
end result, such was the home side’s dominance.
This time, Higuain is likely to get his chance – not
only to show the Gunners exactly what they missed
out on, but also to secure Napoli’s place in the last 16.
To do so, Benitez’s side need to better Dortmund’s
result from their final match against Marseille – a tricky
prospect, considering the French team’s lacklustre
display against Arsenal last time out, which suggests
their enthusiasm for this Champions League
campaign can be summed up with little more than
a Gallic shrug of the shoulders.
Group F was labelled the Group of Death when the
draw was made, and it hasn’t disappointed. With four
wins, the Gunners should be home and hosed, but the
possibility remains that the three top teams could still
end up tied on 12 points. “It’s the first time I’ve seen
that in more than 150 Champions League games” said
Arsene Wenger. “But it’s a reality, and we have to
finish the job.”
In that scenario, a mini-league involving only the
results of those teams is created. If that happens,
Dortmund would be guaranteed to qualify because
their ‘mini-league’ goal difference is +1 (thanks to
beating Napoli 3-1 in Dortmund) and cannot change;
Arsenal have +2 and Napoli -3. Napoli can therefore
only qualify from the mini-league if they beat Arsenal
by three goals, which would send the Gunners into the
Europa League and also give the Serie A side top spot.
Got it? Good.
Lucky no.14?
WEDNESDAY GROUP F: NAPOLI v ARSENAL | STADIO SAN PAOLO, NAPLES | SKY SPORTS 2 7.45PM
P W D L Pts
group f
Arsenal 5 4 0 1 12
Borussia Dortmund 5 3 0 2 9
Napoli 5 3 0 2 9
Olympique de Marseille 5 0 0 5 0
1
2
3
4
Chelsea’s qualification for the knockout stages
came via an unsatisfactory defeat to Basel.
A goalless draw between Steaua and Schalke on the
same night means the Blues get a step further than
they managed last year, when they became the first
reigning champions to be eliminated at the first
hurdle. Wednesday’s game is something of a dead
rubber, then, with Steaua already out of the running,
but Jose Mourinho’s side can ensure they top the
group with a win – and they will be confident of
doing just that after smashing four goals past Steau
in Bucharest. Basel need a point from their match
away at Schalke to join the Blues in the last 16.
They were beaten when the teams met at St
Jakob-Park and, with qualification still within the
German side’s grasp, the best action of Group E
will likely take place away from west London.
Winning losers
Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
TUESDAY GROUP D: BAYERN MUNICH v MANCHESTER CITY | ALLIANZ ARENA, MUNICH
SKY SPORTS 2 7.45PM
| 45
Manuel Pellegrini’s side kept themselves in the
hunt for top spot with a 4-2 win over Group D
whipping boys Viktoria Plzen last time out, but only
after two late goals saved them from the ignominy
of giving the Czechs their first point of the group
phase. To top the group, City will have to end Bayern
Munich’s record-breaking 10-game winning streak in
the Champions League – a run that includes the 3-1
defeat the Germans inflicted upon City at the Etihad
in October. City’s domestic struggles away from
home this term haven’t ben replicated in Europe,
with two convincing wins over Plzen and CSKA
Moscow. But with Arjen Robben starring in Bayern’s
win in Moscow last time out, and Mario Gotze
scoring a fine individual effort, City might have to
be content with second – and that all-important
first ever place in the knockout rounds.
TUESDAY GROUP A: MANCHESTER UNITED v SHAKHTAR DONETSK
OLD TRAFFORD | ITV 7.45PM
Manchester United secured their passage through
to the knockout stages with a 5-0 thumping of
Leverkusen, but aren’t yet guaranteed top spot.
Lose to Shakhtar on Tuesday and they will finish the
group as runner’s-up – although after winning the
prize of a meeting with Real Madrid for topping their
group last year, that might not be such a terrible
thing. United are unbeaten in the competition so far,
with even the absence of an injured Robin van Persie
not derailing their campaign. With Leverkusen
facing the already-eliminated Real Sociedad,
Shakhtar have to win to guarantee their own
progress. Should the Ukrainian champions – with a
distinctly Brazilian flavour in striker Luiz Adriano and
midfielder Douglas Costa – lose and Leverkusen
draw or win in Spain, they’ll be knocked out, with the
German side holding the head-to-head advantage.
BEST of ThE rEST | ALL ON SKY SPORTS 4 MATCH CHOICE UNLESS SPECIFIED
WEDNESDAY GROUP E: CHELSEA v STEAUA BUCHAREST | STAMFORD BRIDGE
SKY SPORTS 3 7.45PM
In Group B, Real Madrid’s place in the last 16 is secure,
leaving Juventus and Galatasaray to battle it out for
the second spot in Istanbul (Tuesday 7.45pm). A point
will see The Old Lady through. Paris Saint-Germain
are confirmed winners of Group C, with Benfica
needing a better result against PSG than Olympiakos
manage in their game against Anderlecht to qualify
(both Tuesday 7.45pm). In Group G, a win for Zenit
over already-eliminated Austria Vienna (Wednesday
7.45pm) will ensure they join Atletico Madrid in the
knockouts, while Group H sees a straight shootout at
the San Siro between Milan and Ajax (Wednesday
7.45pm). The Dutch side need a win; Milan require just
a point to take second spot. Barcelona will top the
group with a win over Celtic (Wednesday 7.45pm).
Toptrumps
Bring it, Bayern
All
pic
ture
s G
ett
y I
ma
ge
s
P W D L Pts
groUp E
Chelsea 5 3 0 2 9
Basel 1893 5 2 2 1 8
Schalke 04 5 2 1 2 7
Steaua Bucharest 5 0 3 2 3
1
2
3
4
P W D L Pts P W D L Pts
groUp DgroUp A
Bayern Munich 5 5 0 0 15
Manchester City 5 4 0 1 12
CSKA Moscow 5 1 0 4 3
Viktoria Plzen 5 0 0 5 0
Manchester United 5 3 2 0 11
Shakhtar Donetsk 5 2 2 1 8
Bayer Leverkusen 5 2 1 2 7
Real Sociedad 5 0 1 4 1
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
46 | December 6 2013 |
To
m S
ha
w/G
ett
y Im
ag
es
, Jo
na
tha
n M
oo
re/G
ett
y Im
ag
es
Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
Pool partyWith two games done, and four to go, the
Heineken Cup gets seriously interesting this
weekend: it’s the start of the double-headers
that make or break so many teams’ hopes.
If nothing else, it’s worth tuning in to make
the most of the tournament before it
becomes dominated by talk of breakaways
and the almost inevitable in-fighting.
Pool 2 is where the most interest lies this
weekend, because a mixed bag of results in
the opening two rounds sees its four teams
separated by one point. Exeter and Toulon
both have six points, while Cardiff and
Glasgow are both on five.
The star-studded Toulon – complete with
Jonny Wilkinson, Michael Claassens, Matt
Giteau and captain Joe van Niekerk – arrive
at Exeter, then, knowing two wins in the
next two weeks is vital for a team with lofty
ambitions. Five away defeats on the bounce
have left Bernard Laporte’s men struggling
domestically, but they are joint top of the
pool and will target two big wins.
The Chiefs, for their part, are hardly on
flying form either. Last week’s 21-16 defeat to
Bath was a third loss in a row for Rob Baxter’s
men, but a return to European rugby is a
welcome break as they look to build on the
44-29 victory over Cardiff that kicked off
their campaign in style. The forward power of
Dean Mumm, Ben White and co is key to the
high-tempo game the Chiefs will hope to use
here to upset the visitors, while Gareth
Steenson (pictured) will need to bring his
kicking boots.
Friday night, meanwhile, sees Sam
Warburton and his Cardiff Blues host
Glasgow. The chance is there for either side
to wrestle control of the pool, with Toulon
facing two tough weeks against the Chiefs.
Still in Kansas
Saturday Rugby union | Heineken Cup: exeteR v toulon | Sandy paRk | Sky SpoRtS 2 1.35pm Saturday Football | mlS Cup: SpoRting kanSaS City v Real Salt lake | SpoRting paRk,
kanSaS City | bt SpoRt 2 9pm
Real v Sporting – two giants of European football meeting in
a… wait. Stop. This is actually a preview of Sunday’s MLS Cup
final – the closing game of the American season – between Real
Salt Lake and Sporting Kansas City. Both teams finished second
in their respective conferences, but navigated their way
successfully through the playoffs for their shot at the biggest
prize in American football. Or soccer, if you will.
They’ve won one each before – Kansas City (then the Kansas
City Wizards) won it in 2000, while Real Salt Lake last lifted
the Philip F Anschutz trophy (typically, it’s named after a US
billionaire) in 2009, beating David Beckham’s LA Galaxy in a
penalty shootout. Kansas City’s 2-1 away win over Real Salt
Lake in July at the Rio Tinto Stadium was one of the most
controversial and card-laden games of the season, with six
yellows, a red for Salt Lake defender Chris Wingert, and a
97th-minute winner for Kansas City.
This time, they have home advantage thanks to their superior
regular-season record – and they’ve won 17 home games in the
regular season, more than anyone else. They are defensive
stalwarts, conceding just one postseason goal in their run to
the final, and are many people’s favourites, but Real Salt Lake
have just as much attacking verve as their Spanish namesakes,
with the likes of Alvaro Saborio and Javier Morales (pictured)
likely to be particularly dangerous.
7 Days
48 | December 6 2013 |
Fra
nc
ois
Xa
vie
r M
ari
t/A
FP
/Ge
tty
Ima
ge
s, A
lan
Cro
wh
urs
t/G
ett
y Im
ag
es
Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
THURSDAY > SWIMMING | EUROPEAN SHORT COURSE SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS | HERNING, DENMARK | BRITISH EUROSPORT 2.45PM
7 Days
This summer’s World Championships in
Barcelona yielded just a single medal for
Team GB’s swimmers. It went to Fran Halsall
(pictured), who at least ensured Britain made
it on to the medal table, winning bronze in
the 50m freestyle. Now, four months on, she
leads a British squad of 12 swimmers to
Denmark for the European Short Course
Championships, with a haul of five medals
from last year’s competition to live up to.
It was Hannah Miley who starred then,
winning a gold medal in the 400m individual
medley (IM), and silvers in the 200m IM and
800m freestyle. The 24-year-old Scot, who
could manage only fifth place in the 400m IM
final at London 2012 – an event in which she
was expected to medal – has been in good
form of late, winning silver in the 400m IM at
the final FINA World Cup of 2013 meet in
Beijing last month.
Olympic silver-medallist Michael Jamieson
is also scheduled to compete, despite
needing his heart restarting following a
training session. “I went into an irregular beat
after reaching 203 heart rate in a session
[max is 193],” said Jamieson. “The specialist
said he's only seen this three times, all
Olympic medallists – pretty cool!”
Brits down but not out
There is a very real chance that the biggest race
of the jumps season at Sandown will go off
without its brightest star on Saturday, with
Sprinter Sacre a serious doubt to make the start
of the prestigious Tingle Creek Chase.
The most exciting horse in training (pictured)
was set to defend the crown he won at a canter a
year ago, but an unsatisfactory tracheal wash on
Monday threw a spanner in the works of trainer
Nicky Henderson. “Unfortunately it’s something
you can’t treat,” said Henderson. “It’s an absolute
nightmare and I wanted to let everyone know as
soon as possible. You can’t take chances, especially
with a horse like him, but don’t rule him out yet.”
A secondary test was due on Thursday, before
the final declarations and after we went to press,
but if the unbeaten chaser does miss the race it
would deal a huge blow to fans wanting to see one
of the sport’s few genuine superstars. Henderson
has a potential substitute in Captain Conan, while
both Sire De Grugy and the rejuvenated Somersby
are talented horses in their own right, but Sprinter
Sacre is the gold dust in the race – without him,
this would be a Tingle Creek without the tingle.
Sprinter stuck in the blocks
SATURDAY HORSE RACING | BETVICTOR TINGlE CREEK CHASE | SANDOWN | CHANNEl 4 3PM
Refinery Skincare Essentials For MenA perfect hat-trick from The Refinery, albeit
one that eschews the left and right foot and
concentrates on the face. It includes their
Revitalising Moisturiser (50ml), Eye Gel
(15ml) and Face Scrub (100ml), formulated
with carefully selected botanical extracts and
essential oils with rejuvenating properties
for skin that is clear, smooth and revitalised.
It’s exactly what you need in your stocking,
given the December you have planned.
£65 | aromatherapyassociates.com
Aesop The Athlete Grooming KitA trio of essentials for the active gentleman,
put together exclusively for Mr Porter.
The Athlete contains the Geranium Leaf
Body Cleanser (200ml) the minty Classic
Shampoo (200ml) and Parsley Seed
Anti-Oxidant Hydrator (60ml) – all in a
durable case. It also comes with some advice,
courtesy of American theologian and author
James Freeman Clarke: “Never hurry; take
plenty of exercise; always be cheerful.”
£80 | mrporter.com
Dove Men+Care Premium Wash BagThe ‘authority on man maintenance’ bring
you their Clean Comfort Anti-Perspirant
Deodorant (150ml) for 48-hour protection,
though we suggest using the Clean Comfort
Body and Face Wash (250ml) after 24 hours
at most. The non-greasy Hydrate+ Post
Shave Balm (100ml) is in there, too – to be
used at a time of your choosing. Though
Sport recommends applying after shaving.
Honestly, what would you do without us?
£12 | boots.com
50 | December 6 2013 |
It’s in the bag
ExTRA TIMEMaking the most of your time and money
Bulldog Skincare Kit For Men What better than a big ol’
slobbery kiss from man’s
best friend at Christmas?
We speak, of course, of the
Bulldog and his Original
Moisturiser (100ml), with
eight essential oils, green
tea, green algae and
vitamin E. Together with his
Original Face Wash (175ml)
– with those same oils, plus
green tea – and Original
Face Scrub (100ml), with
pumice, coconut shell,
rosehip oil and shea butter,
it’s worth hanging around
under the mistletoe for.
£15 | boots.com
P54
Gur Bentwich plays
bad cop/bad cop in
Big Bad Wolves
Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
Grooming
The last-minute gift guide for women
52 | December 6 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
1. The Bliss Chocolate Hamper Includes milk, dark and white chocolate selections, feisty peppermint truffles, silky champagne truffles and more £150 | hotelchocolat.com;
2. Mulberry Bayswater Goat Leather Handbag Featuring the signature Postman’s Lock fastening £1,100 | selfridges.com; 3. My Little Pony Mug 1980s nostalgia at its
cutest £7.99 | selfridges.com; 4. Ruark R1 MKII DAB Digital Radio Gorgeous compact design with a pastel blue finish £179.95 | johnlewis.com; 5. Good Night Luxurious
Bedtime Bath Elixir The perfect way to relax tired minds and bodies £25 | roullierwhite.com; 6. Joseph Joseph Baking Gift Set Includes adjustable rolling pin, pie timer,
pastry brush and small spatula £40 | josephjoseph.com; 7. Denon AH-W150 Bluetooth Fitness Sports In-Ear Headphones Sweat-proof, with a battery life of seven hours
£107.45 | amazon.co.uk; 8. The Mini B SS Includes applied stud indices on a concave dial ring £110 | nixon.com; 9. Nike Air Max The cult classic trainer in sand and neon
yellow £150 | net-a-porter.com; 10. Bodum Chambord Cappuccino Set Ideal for becoming a barista in your own home £15 | johnlewis.com; 11. Marc Jacobs Tri-fold
Wallet Understated, will slot into any handbag collection £175 | selfridges.com; 12. ESPA Sleep Couture Gift Set Contains Soothing Bath Oil (50ml), Soothing Body Oil
(50ml), Soothing Aromatic Mist (100ml) and Soothing Candle (200g) £55 | harveynichols.com; 13. Charbonnel et Walker Champagne Truffles Sheer indulgence in a
chocolate-covered truffle £19 | johnlewis.com; 14. Acqua Di Parma Iris Nobile Gift Set Presented in a luxurious hatbox £70 | harveynichols.com; 15. Barbour International
Polarquilt Jacket The famous biker jacket gets set for winter £143.20 | johnlewis.com; 16. Stephenson Satchel by Proporta Featuring a removable compartment for iPad,
plus space for a Bluetooth keyboard £89.95 | proporta.com; 17. The Chocoholic Pinotage A delightfully decadent way to round off a meal £11 | harveynichols.com
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54 | December 6 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
American Psycho
Almeida Theatre, London
Former Dr Who Matt Smith
regenerates as Patrick Bateman
for this musical version of Bret
Easton Ellis’ pitch-black comedy.
It began this week and the run is
already sold out until the end of
January. However, more tickets
go on sale on December 6. So
be quick and have your business
card – sorry, credit card – ready.
On now
Live at The Cellar Door
Neil Young
At the peak of his powers in
1970, Neil Young performed six
intimate solo shows. This album
cherry-picks the best of each,
delivering pared-back versions of
13 of Young’s finest songs, from
Only Love Will Break Your Heart
to Old Man (debuting two years
before it would be released).
Spine-tingling, ear-pleasing stuff.
Out Monday
Big Bad WolvesIt’s trumpeted as Quentin Tarantino’s
favourite film of 2013 – and you can see
why Big Bad Wolves would appeal to the
motormouthed director. There’s a hint
of Tarantino’s early work to this violent,
riveting, darkly comic Israeli thriller.
It starts like a fairytale, with an
ominous children’s game of hide and
seek near a deserted house. A girl is
taken – one of a series of abductions.
Both her fearsome father and a vigilante
cop are sure they know who did it: a
timid schoolteacher. When he’s released
because of a police blunder, the pair take
the law into their own hands, with brutal
results. Not an original concept, but Big
Bad Wolves offers some excellent twists.
In particular, the flashes of humour –
such as a tough, skinhead police chief
bringing his boy along on a father-son
work day – work a treat. This stomach-
churning whodunnit keeps you guessing,
and on the edge of your seat, until it
reveals its hand in the very last scene.
Out today
Homefront
Jason Statham
as an undercover
DEA, sporting a
fake mullet and
riding a Harley.
Any film that
starts this way is
probably not being deliberately
released in December as Oscar
bait, but is likely to put a cheesy
grin on your mush. Sylvester
Stallone is the screenwriter
for Homefront, providing the
dialogue for The Stath to growl
through as former agent Phil
Broker, trying to start a new
life in smalltown USA with his
daughter. However, when local
meth kingpin Gator (James
Franco, chewing the scenery
with relish) discovers Broker’s
secret past, the newcomer finds
himself a marked man. Cue the
fists, bullets and one-liners flying.
Out today
Nebraska
Sideways director Alexander
Payne serves up another rye
look at US life with this deadpan
comedy-drama about stubborn
old coot Woody, who receives
a scam letter and sets off on a
road trip with his son to collect
his million dollars. Of course, once
word gets out that Woody is
‘rich’, local chancers do their best
to claim a piece of the pie.
Out today
Join the Dots Toy
More swirling psych rock from
the London band on their second
album. While they take a few
risks – the opener is a hypnotic,
seven-minute long instrumental –
it’s their slick pop song structure
that stands out. The title track
is a perfect example of their
whirling melodies, backed by
a throbbing bass and languid
vocals. We say: give Toy a play.
Out Monday
Film Film
Theatre Music Film Music
WoLF AT THe Door
eT entertainment Tense crime drama mixes brutality with black humour, while
The Stath bares his teeth when you threaten his daughter
IN THE SHADOW OF THE WALL, NOTHING IS CLEAR
As Shadow Marshal Lucas Kellan, you know fi rst-hand that keeping the peace on both sides of the vast wall dividing your home world comes at a cost. But when a stando� between humans and their
Helghast cousins spills out into open confl ict and the lines between right and wrong begin to crumble, you’ll have to decide the type of hero you really are.
OUT NOW
#4ThePlayers“2”a
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#4ThePlayers
56 | December 6 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
curves in all the right places
et gadgets Don’t fight over the prime telly-watching spot this Christmas – this TV’s
curved screen means a better picture from a wider range of viewing angles
ONLY
LG SMART TV
BRINGS YOU SKY
SPORTS AND
SKY MOVIES ON
NOW TVAwards 2013
lg 55” OleD 3D smart tv With a curved screen
designed to create a more
immersive viewing angle,
the 55EA980W is certainly
a striking piece of kit.
It also has a unique
four-colour pixel OLED
display, with self-lighting
pictures for perfect
contrast. In short, it looks
amazing. The Smart TV
features mean you can
stream content directly
from services such as
NOW TV, and there’s even
motion control with LG’s
smart remote control.
£7,999 | johnlewis.com
106902 Panasonic GM1 UK Ad Sport 300x232.indd 1 26/11/2013 12:45
58 | December 6 2013 |
Extra time Annie Kilner
It’s b
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| 59
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60 | December 6 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
CROSS TRAINERSRunning, jumping, skipping, lifting – do the lot with a pair of these
Kit
Nike Free Trainer 5.0 NRG
Nike Free technology gives this
shoe a barefoot feel, adjusting
to your foot’s natural motion.
A Phylon midsole provides
lightweight cushioning, while
DiamondFLX traction supports
multidirectional movement.
The upper’s intertwined bands
provide a supportive fit.
£85 | nike.com
Reebok CrossFit Nano 3.0
Designed for CrossFitters
(although you don’t have to be
churning out multiple muscle-
ups to buy them), the Nano 3.0
combines forefoot cushioning
with heel stabilisation. So you
can lift heavy and jump high
with no mid-session costume
change required.
£95 | reebok.co.uk
Inov-8 F-Lite 230
Made by a brand renowned for
making functional, lightweight
and minimal footwear, the
F-Lite 230 has a 6mm heel-to-
toe drop that makes it ideal for
Olympic lifting and transitioning
into a natural running style.
Try lifting in these and stick
another 20kg on the bar.
£100 | inov-8.com
adidas Adipure Trainer 360
A dynamic, flexible midsole
delivers a natural feel when you
train, while a breathable air
mesh upper for maximum
ventilation and an OrthoLite®
antimicrobial moisture-wicking
sockliner should see you
through the toughest,
sweatiest of workouts.
£65 | adidas.co.uk
Under Armour Cam Highlight Training Shoes
Built for Carolina quarterback Cam Newton, a beast of an athlete, these
provide extra support via the CompFit sleeve that supports your ankle.
With ultra-light and responsive Micro-G cushioning, they’re designed
for comfort, speed and no little style. £150 | underarmour.com
ECSTASYTHE
SCORING A LAST MINUTE PENALTY
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Sport CoverWrap_FM14_232x300_V14_SPREADS.indd 5 28/11/2013 15:47
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Sport CoverWrap_FM14_232x300_V14_SPREADS.indd 2 28/11/2013 15:44