Download pdf - The Top 100 Players In The World

FourFourTwo.com January 2014 79

THE TOP

100PLAYERS IN THE WORLD

● Goalkeeper ● Defender ● Midfielder ● Forward

Revealed: the definitive rundown of the globe’s greatest footballers right now

I t has been such a vintage year

for individual brilliance in the

beautiful game that according

to Arsene Wenger, the undisputed

top two have competition for ‘best

player on the planet’. Throw in

world-beating South Americans,

Spaniards, Germans and even

Belgians, plus a few Brits, and

keeping our list down to 100 (and

putting them in order) was tricky.

This year, you can read analysis,

insight and a profile on every

player in the Top 100 online at

FourFourTwo.com. But don’t think

we’ve slacked off in the mag.

Prepare yourself for exclusive

interviews with 10 of the world’s

finest players, including Marco

Reus, Jordi Alba, Alvaro Negredo,

Mario Gotze and our new No.1 –

a certain Real Madrid winger...

TOP 100 PLAYERS

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● Goalkeeper ● Defender ● Midfielder ● Forward New entry Places dropped Places climbed Same as last year

9099

TOP 100 PLAYERS

1

1

Casillas vs Lopez Presence

At 6ft 5in Lopez is a giant, towering over Casillas (6ft), which has had

tangible benefits, such as against Man United in the Champions

League. “I’d rather Casillas had played,” said Sir Alex Ferguson after

United’s elimination. “He wouldn’t have saved the shots Lopez did.”

Winner: Lopez

Shot-stopping Quick-witted and agile, Lopez takes this round. He made more saves

both inside and outside the box than Casillas last season and his

73.3 per cent saves-to-shots ratio dwarved Casillas’ 66 per cent.

Winner: Lopez

Crossing Casillas is fond of punching away a cross – and he dropped more

catches than Lopez in 2012-13. “I like a keeper that dominates in

the air,” said Jose Mourinho, explaining why Lopez was his first choice.

Winner: Lopez

Leadership When Casillas’ position as Spain No.1 came under scrutiny, Vicente del

Bosque leapt to his captain’s defence, citing his role during the

Barcelona vs Real Madrid wars of bygone years. “They were difficult

moments for the team during which Iker was an enormous help.”

Winner: Casillas

Personality The Mostoles-born stopper’s confrontation with Mourinho contributed

directly to the Special One’s downfall. Casillas is an immensely

popular figure and a dressing room leader; Lopez can’t compare.

Winner: Casillas

Big-game mentality It’s difficult to find fault with former Sevilla man Lopez, but with 151

caps, two Euros finals and a World Cup final under his belt it has to be

Casillas, who remains first choice in the Champions League.

Winner: Casillas

OVERALL Casillas 3-3 Lopez. Like Carlo Ancelotti, we can’t separate them.

Iker Casillas has the best save percentage

of the goalkeepers to appear in fve or more

Champions League games this season80.95%W

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DISAGREE?

Tweet us your

140-character

assassination

at #FFT100

19 6 30

93 92 91 89 88


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How have you found the start to your

Tottenham career?

I’m enjoying it. We’ve been in and around

the leaders, which is really good. Personally,

I’ve been getting a lot of minutes, and scored

a few goals, but I don’t feel like I’m 100

per cent just yet. I’m not a conformist who

settles for performances that are only

OK. I know I can do better, so I must

work hard in training to improve.

Would it be a failure not to get

Champions League football?

‘Failure’ is a word that nobody likes, and

the possibility of not finishing in the top four

is something that hasn’t even entered our

heads. That’s our main objective, but we

have to be ambitious and not give ourselves

a ceiling to what we want to achieve. We’ve

got a very dynamic squad that’s maybe

even more competitive than last season,

despite losing Gareth Bale.

How have you found adapting to the pace

and physicality of the Premier League?

Every game is tough, especially away from

home. You have to concentrate 100 per cent,

regardless of the position the opposition

occupy in the table. That’s what I’m struggling

with most– the mental rhythm of having

to be at maximum concentration. That’s not

always the case in La Liga. Referees are

different, too. Sometimes it seems to pain

them to blow for a free-kick! They’re all

challenges I’m warming to.

And how’s the English?

It’s, er, improving [laughs]. Like anything new,

it comes along little by little. I’m now seeing

what it’s like to be the new guy in a dressing

room who sits around smiling but not really

knowing what people are going on about.

The shoe’s on the other foot. You’ve got to

walk tall and be switched on with what’s

going on around you...

[As if on cue, a kung-fu-kicking Sandro

sidles over, playing air guitar, miming into

a non-existent microphone and cooing

“Hellooooo.” Soldado turns bright red, and

FFT knows exactly what this means...]

So, how was your initiation with the squad?!

Madre mia, this guy [Sandro] is f***ing killing

me! [A delighted Sandro exits stage right,

knowing his work here is done] I had to stand

on top of a chair in front of the whole squad

and sing this Spanish song. I was a disaster –

really bad. It’s a great way to

break the ice with the squad,

though. You lose any nerves

you might have around your

new team-mates and

it brings everyone

together. I’ve got

no future as a

singer, though!

You had some tough times

when you were injured

at Real Madrid aged 17,

going out too much, not

concentrating on football.

What would you say to

that Roberto Soldado

if you could today?

If I hadn’t gone through

those tough experiences

then, but at 26 or 27,

it would’ve been a lot

worse. I wasn’t aware

enough of the opportunity I had at the time.

With a 17-year-old’s mentality you don’t

think about what effect you’re having on

your life. Thankfully, my parents were on the

ball and soon came to live in Madrid. They

put me back on the path to the professional

life I needed to live to become a footballer.

You did a Spanish documentary last

year about blind football. How was it?

It’s an experience that I’ll never forget.

When I was on my way to doing it, I was

pretty nervous because I didn’t know how

people could cope without sight. They’re

incredible people – an absolute inspiration.

You soon learn how important the sense of

touch and verbal communication is for them

to live. These are essential parts of life; we

don’t realise how lucky we are sometimes.

People say you have mala leche [‘bad

milk’] on the pitch. Is getting in an

opponent’s face part of your game?

It helps me concentrate, and if things

aren’t going my way, that’s when it

really benefits me. It firms me

up. I need that fire inside me;

the batteries to start me up.

Finally, what’s the weirdest

request you’ve had from a fan?

[Thinks long and hard] Ah, of

course! There was once this girl

who came up to me after

a Valencia game and asked if

I would go to her house to

wish her father a happy

birthday. I had visions of her

wanting me to get inside

a life-size cake and spring

out, shouting: ‘Surprise!’

Soldado is wearing the new

Adidas F50 boots, part of the

Samba Collection. Visit adidas.

com or join the conversation

@adidasUK #F50

#allin or nothing

Spurs’ penalty king talks odd fan requests and getting in the opposition’s face Roberto Soldado

Soldado scored seven penalties in this period, level

with Mario Balotelli and Edinson Cavani – no player

in Europe’s top fve leagues converted more

“I thought this fan wanted me to jump out of a life-size birthday cake for her dad”

TOP 100 PLAYERS

TOP 100 PLAYERSP

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New entry Places dropped Places climbed Same as last year1

1

Negredo scored a La Liga goal every 119 minutes

between November and May, bettered only by

Leo Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Roberto Soldado119mins

As soon as City were interested in me, I didn’t even think. I just said yes. They’re a big club with a long history,

which was one of the main factors in me

coming here. At no point before this summer

did I think about leaving, but after four

seasons at Sevilla, it was time for a change

of scenery. As a footballing decision, it

wasn’t a difficult decision to come to a team

that’s always fighting for titles and recently

won the Premier League. I hope to be here

for many years to come because my new

team-mates and the fans have been great.

On a personal level, leaving Spain was a bit difcult. You’re leaving the only

country you’ve known, your friends, your city,

your people, but it’s definitely worked out for

the best. My wife and daughter have come

over with me, and my grandparents, brothers

and sisters have been to see us a couple of

times, too. All that helps. To be honest, if

you take away the winter cold, even the

weather hasn’t been too bad: I’ve

always loved training in the rain!

I’m no Zidane, but I’m not a clumsy oaf that can’t do anything but score goals.Though, I must admit I like being a giant in

a team of tiny little guys: Navas, Aguero,

Nasri and Silva are all so small! I’m strong,

with an English-type physique, so that’s

helped me adapt to the Premier League.

It definitely helps being a striker, too.

Teams here always look to attack, so the

game develops very quickly and goalscoring

chances come along quicker. I’ve always

got on well with new team-mates and I am

looking to create goals as much as score

them – they appreciate that.

If you win the Manchester derby, you win everything. Personally, to

participate in two of the goals and win 4-1

was a beautiful moment, and it gave us a huge

amount of confidence. It’s like the victory

counted double. At Sevilla it was the same

against Real Betis: the jokes, words in the

streets and sense of humour would start two

weeks before the game and wouldn’t stop

until way after the referee blew the final

whistle. There will always be intensity in

a derby, but in Manchester both teams are

fighting for the league. That adds flavour.

Manuel Pellegrini was the Real Madrid coach that let me go, but there has never been any rancour at any point. Quite the opposite, because he

didn’t give me any false hopes about getting

in the team. He was totally honest. I had

Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema, Higuain and even

Raul in front of me. He said he believed in me,

but that I needed to play and wished me all

the best. I spoke with him at length before

coming here and he told me I was going to be

very important for him at City and that he had

confidence in me. I did my best there, but Real

Madrid have the best players in the world in

every position, above all at centre-forward,

so it’s difficult. I’m left with that desire to

have played more for them, but the

decision to leave was the right one.

I love doing the difcult thing: life’s boring otherwise. If you

take the easy route, you don’t grow.

As soon as you relax in any situation,

you’re f***ed. You learn from those who are

operating at a better level than you are.

At City, the competition is fierce, but you learn

from each other and give your best so that

you play as many minutes as possible. I thrive

on the challenge; I’ve had to fight my whole

career to be a regular at Real Madrid reserves,

Almeria and Sevilla. City is no different.

I was the untouchable king of the street, but only thanks to my brothers!

They’re all older than me, so playing with them

and their friends was a great introduction to

football. My eldest brother protected me a lot

and was always stepping in to threaten other

players if he thought they were trying to hurt

me. But if we were on opposite sides, he’d be

the only one allowed to give me a kicking!

My middle brother, Ruben, had the most talent

– he was superb. I wanted to be like them

and I owe the spirit I have now to them.

I learned to fnish from Hugo Sanchez. Every Friday at

Almeria, he’d do a training session just with

us forwards. He used to show us a video of

a season when he scored 38 goals for Real

Madrid and every one of them was with his

first touch. Every one! The first time I saw it,

I couldn’t believe my eyes. He always said:

“Don’t think about what you’re going to do,

because you lose a tenth of a second and

a defender can tackle you, or you’ll over-think

and miss. With a bicycle kick [the chosen

execution of Sanchez’s famous Madrid goal],

then maybe. Otherwise, never!” Actually,

Sanchez did exercises on bicycle kicks

too. They were great fun.

I love being called the Beast. Most of my nicknames come

from my celebrations. I’m also called the Shark

because I do la cresta [puts his hand, karate

chop-style to his forehead] after some goals.

I like the idea that I can be a slightly

different ‘beast’ from game to game.

If you go to Madrid, my dad could be your taxi driver. I’ve told him a thousand

times I’ll pay for him to stop, but he

loves it. I think he’d get too fidgety

at home. When I was at Sevilla, he

once picked up the president, Jose

Maria del Nido, at the train station by

chance. My dad knew exactly who he

was, but didn’t say anything until the end of

the journey when he said there was no charge.

I think Del Nido invited my mum and dad to his

place in Sevilla the next time they were there!

Alvaro Negredo is wearing the new F50 football

boots, part of the Adidas Samba Collection

inspired by Brazil. Visit adidas.com or join the

conversation @adidasUK #F50 #allin or nothing

“I like being a different beast from game to game”

Alvaro Negredo

Below Pellegrini

has sold and

bought Negredo

TOP 100 PLAYERSH

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7


GET ONLINE!

Read a profile on

every player in

FFT’s Top 100 at

FourFourTwo.com

Between October and July, Negredo

had a hand in 19 of Sevilla’s 46 La Liga

goals – an impressive 41 per cent41%

“As soon as you relax, you’re f***ed. At City competition is ferce, but I thrive on the challenge” 75

TOP 100 PLAYERSM

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18


1

Mount Ararat casts a long shadow over

Yerevan, the capital of Armenia and

Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s birthplace.

The graceful playmaker – now inhabiting

Borussia Dortmund’s No.10 shirt – has,

though, had another shadow to escape in

his footballing career and has done so with

quiet determination and not a little steel.

“I fell in love with the game because of my

dad,” he tells FourFourTwo. “Football is in my

blood and I wanted to become a player like

him.” His father was Hamlet Mkhitaryan, the

tragic prince of Armenian football. He was

a trailblazer – a striker for FC Ararat Yerevan

in the 1980s who became one of the first

Soviet players to seize the chances afforded

by the Perestroika era and move abroad.

In 1989 he arrived in the French lower

leagues, an unknown, plying his trade at

ASOA Valence. After making an immediate

impression both on and off the field, he sent

for his young family to join him in southern

France, including his nine-month-old son,

Henrikh. They watched as Hamlet helped

Valence to promotion to the second division

and won the hearts of his team-mates and

fans. It was a happy time – and to this day,

Henrikh chats comfortably in fluent French.

The Mkhitaryans’ world was shattered,

though, when Hamlet was taken ill in training

one day. Doctors diagnosed a brain tumour.

Surgery failed to arrest its assault on the

outwardly healthy family man. Soon, he was

guiding his wife and two children (Henrikh

has a sister) back to Yerevan so that he could,

he told his closest friends, “die at home”.

When he did succumb to the tumour in 1996,

he was 33. His son was seven. Did he doubt

even for a moment he would follow in his

father’s footsteps? “No,” he says. “Not at all.”

Still, it cannot have been easy. Trading

France for a ruined, post-Soviet Armenia,

learning to play at a local club which bore his

father’s name and with a burning desire to

match him, the young Henrikh put himself

under immense pressure. Sometimes it all

became too much. “Whenever I came home

crying from a match because we had lost or

The number of chances created by Mkhitaryan from open

play so far this season (up until October 31), the most by

any current Dortmund player except Marco Reus (25)

because I had played badly, my

mum would say to me, ‘It’s OK,

you don’t have to play football if

you don’t want to. No one is going

to force you to be a footballer

and you can be whatever you

want to be in life,’” he recalls.

“But I insisted. And my mum

encouraged me to keep

working hard.” Today, he has

grown into a player his father’s

old friends from Valence

can barely believe they are

watching: the spitting image

of his much-loved dad.

He’s not one to dwell on

the past, though. Instead,

he is driven to reach new

heights (he says he is far

from satisfied with his

achievements so far) and

to embrace all that life has

to offer. As a player for

Shakhtar Donetsk between

2010 and 2013, he would

find time to go to the

theatre and cinema, and

began studying economics.

He is humble, hungry and

determined to seize

opportunities. “I’m a

straightforward person,

really,” he says. “I don’t have

any delusions about being

a star. I’m studying because

I feel like it’s important to

keep learning throughout life – the moment

you stop, you may as well be dead.” That

goes for life on the football pitch, too.

Last season, Mkhitaryan got his first taste

of Borussia Dortmund’s perpetual pressing

machine – as an opponent in the Champions

League round of 16. “For me,” he says,

“Dortmund were one of the hardest teams

we played against.” Unable to find the space

he craves between the lines, he

could do little to prevent Shakhtar

slipping to a 5-2 aggregate defeat.

Dortmund were, says Mkhitaryan,

“a perfect team, with good

players and an impressive coach”.

Although he had little inkling

then he may end up joining them,

once Mario Gotze’s Bayern Munich

departure was finalised, Dortmund

swooped for a player with all the

attributes to make it in their black

and gold set-up: an exquisite

orchestrator, handy goalscorer and a

tenacious presser. Klopp wanted him

– and Mhkitaryan was inspired by his

enthusiasm. “To work with such a great

coach is a dream come true,” he says.

“When I spoke to him for the first time,

I could sense he was a good man first

and a good coach second.”

Accordingly, Mhkitaryan

has been welcomed into a

dressing room like a family

member and given all the

support he needs to prosper,

including a translator until

he can master German,

his sixth language.

In the meantime, he

does his talking on the

pitch, communicating

a lifetime of lessons

learned the hard way.

To fans back home in Yerevan,

he is a hero, an ambassador for Armenia

and an example of how they too might

prosper. Typically, Mkhitaryan takes the

adulation in his stride: “I try and be open

and available to them, to share my experience

of heading abroad to play football,” he says.

“I think it’s very important to give something

back – even if it is just an idea, inspiration to

the next generation, that they can achieve

something similar.” In short, it is exactly the

kind of message passed down from father to

son – by a man, who despite his protestations,

would make his own dad very proud indeed.

The Dortmund schemer shares his tragic journey to the top

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

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He had a burning desire to match his father, who died when he was seven

Above His prolific dad

Hamlet; showing the

form that took him

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Even at 37, the talisman is still Roma’s most important player. Here’s why...

Francesco Totti

6613

76 15103

8912628

Points gained by

Roma directly from

Totti’s goals and

assists – some

handy help, then

Total shots on goal

– Serie A defenders

just can’t keep

this man quiet

Age hasn’t slowed

down Totti’s shot

conversion rate

Number of assists provided in Serie A (all stats

from November 1, 2012 to October 31, 2013)

– the second-highest in Europe’s top five

leagues, behind Barcelona’s Andres Iniesta

Total chances created (including assists)

– the fifth highest in Europe’s top five

leagues and highest in Italy

Passes in the final third (only two players have more in Italy). No

wonder so many Italians want Totti back in the national team...

Minutes played in

total in the league.

There’s no sticking

this veteran on

the subs’ bench...

15.79%

62

Mkhitaryan has averaged a chance created from

open play every 35.9 minutes over the last year,

the best rate of any current Dortmund player35.9mins

DISCUSSWho would you

pick? Tell us at

Facebook.com/

FourFourTwo

TOP 100 PLAYERS

Joa

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Mo

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27323 40 22

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2855

Below “Wear this

shirt at the World

Cup? Oh, go on then”


1

Lionel Messi“I knew of Leo in La Masia and

played against him plenty of times

at Valencia. He’s unique. It’s a pleasure to

train and play in the same team as him –

you soon realise that he’s the best in the

world and there’s no one else quite like him.

In every training session he does something

special, so I can’t even pick one that stands

out! He was in the Juvenil [Barça under-18s]

team when I was in Cadete [under-15s], so

I didn’t know him personally, but people were

already talking about him. The first time

I saw him play, I knew he’d be incredible.”

Xavi“He’s a leader. He’s been at

Barcelona for years and welcomes

every new player or academy graduate into

the team like he would greet a senior player.

On the pitch, he’s our go-to guy. He’s got the

same motivation at 33 as when he made his

debut in 1998 and takes great care of himself.

That’s been a pleasant surprise, how his level

never drops. He’s still the Xavi of old; all my

team-mates who have been here longer

than me say so. We’ve got a lot of players

who are good at the rondos [piggy in the

middle] we play in training, but he’s one of

the best. Above all, he’s a fantastic person.”

Sergio Busquets“Sergio’s fundamental for Barça

and the national team. He might

not get the plaudits that others do, but you

notice the balance he brings to the side in

every game. He’s super-important for us and

the best player in the world in his position.

Every day he’s looking to improve; he treats

every training session as if it were a match.

That’s reflected on the pitch. I’ve known

him for a few years now and, away from

the pitch, he’s a really down-to-earth guy.”

Cesc Fabregas“People say his role’s changed

under Tata Martino, but I don’t

No defender in La Liga had more touches than

Jordi Alba last season. Alba placed third in La

Liga overall, behind Xavi and Roberto Trashorras

really agree. He’s always been very versatile

and equally at home in central midfield as

he is further forward. Whether for Arsenal,

Barcelona or Spain, he’s had a number of

consistently excellent seasons and this year

is no different. Our style is perfectly suited to

Cesc – you can tell he was reared at La Masia

– but you can also see the years he spent in

England. He’s Catalan and is proud to have

come home, just like me and Gerard Pique.”

Andres Iniesta“Andres is exactly like you see

on television. He’s very humble,

approachable and an extremely hard worker.

Like Xavi, he’s been here for ages and knows

what it means to play for the Barça family.

When I signed at the beginning of last season,

he gave me a lot of advice and was always

looking after me and asking how things were

going. He’s the kind of person that makes

you grow and come out of your shell. He’s

nicknamed El Cerebro [‘the Brain’] for a reason

and is completely different to any other player.

It’s difficult to think of an adjective to best

describe him… [thinks] put simply, he’s a

guy who makes a difference in every game.”

Neymar“The main question for me was

how long it would take Neymar

to adapt to the unique way we play, but

his start has been fantastic. He might

be very young, but he’s understood

the Barça style brilliantly and is a

different type of player to the others

that we’ve got. He likes to dribble

and commit defenders. He’s mixed

well with the team, his Spanish is

improving and it’s a privilege to have him.”

Pedro“I get on really well with him –

he’s a funny guy and very open.

We have a lot of quick players in the

squad, but Pedro is up there. He’s very

dedicated in every training session and

game, is superb in one-on-one situations

and there’s plenty of goals in him. A lot of

teams try to close down our space and Pedro

is excellent at breaking these sides down on

the occasions when our usual style of play isn’t

quite working. He’s another great alternative

for us who surprises the opposition.”

Gerard Pique“The three words that I’d use to

describe Pique would be: elegant,

tough and quick. In one-on-ones he’s shown

many times that he’s so difficult to get past – a

real competitor. His pace is underrated, too; for

a tall guy there aren’t many forwards who run

beyond him. With me, and a couple of others,

he’s the dressing room joker, always smiling.”

Dani Alves“Our tactics vary depending on the

opposition, but when the manager

wants to open up the play, it’s great to have

Dani and me attacking from full-back. He’s

really into his fashion and is a sharp dresser,

too. He looks good in pretty much anything!

As a Brazilian, he loves listening to music in the

dressing room before games. We listen to

a bit of everything, so the guy in charge

of the stereo tends to vary.”

Victor Valdes“Barça have

had a

strong tradition

of keepers

that play the

ball out and it’s

a real benefit to

the way we play. The

keeper isn’t there only to stop shots, but

to develop the play. He has great quality

with his feet. A complete keeper.”

Jordi Alba wears the Adidas Samba Collection

adizero f50, the boot that challenges players

to ‘Fly or Die’. To join the conversation

follow @adidasfootball #allin or nothingIn

te

rv

iew

An

dre

w M

urr

ay

Barça’s flying full-back gives us the lowdown on his colleagues who have made our top 100

Jordi Alba... talks team-mates

TOP 100 PLAYERS

Ed

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Ge

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102

55

Read the reasons

for our choices and

placings by visiting

FourFourTwo.com

Alba also made 102 interceptions

– that’s more than any other

Barcelona player last season

Jordi Alba“Above all, I’m a hard worker,

whether it’s on the training pitch or

during matches. It’s not up to me to say what

my qualities are, but I try to do the best I

can each day to be the best player possible.

Any player must be honest in their work to

help the team, and that’s my principal goal.

Little by little I keep improving, listening

to my coaches and trying to iron out

any weaknesses there are in my game.”

“Dani Alves? He’s a sharp dresser. He looks good in anything!”

GET ONLINE!

TOP 100 PLAYERS

Santi, it’s about time we ended our trophy drought, isn’t it? Tell me this is the year! James Mulligan, via email

I think so, absolutely. Everybody at the club wants it and as players we want it for the fans most of all. In the second half of last season we went on a good run and became more consistent, something I think we’ve maintained so far this season. With the signings we’ve made this summer, especially Mesut Özil, the team is better this year and we want to fight to get to the level of Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City.

It will help that we’ve changed our mentality. Part of the problem had been the years Arsenal have lived without a trophy; you almost become accustomed to that feeling of not having silverware. I think that’s changed with the end we had to last season, and we’re looking forward with more hunger and desire to change the situation we find ourselves in.

The season didn’t start very well against Aston Villa. What happened and how did you recover so impressively? Dion Lansland, Facebook

It was difficult to start the season in that way. The first home game is always an important one, to provide a marker for the fans, so to lose that game was a hard moment for us. We talked in the dressing room for a long time after the game about what had happened and we were conscious that, going forward, we had to change the image of the team that we’d shown in that first game. Luckily, we’ve worked even harder since to be stronger and you’re seeing the benefits of that change in the team.

I still can’t believe we got Özil! Were the players surprised Real Madrid let him go?Justin Harris, via Twitter

Absolutely, and it’s not only me! The Real Madrid players have all said the same thing. Nobody was expecting that Mesut Özil, a young player of such immense quality,

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would leave Real Madrid. I was actually with some of the Real Madrid players [while on international duty] when the transfer went through. I think Arbeloa was the first to tell me he wanted to come to Arsenal, and what a fantastic player he is. We were all together in the hotel and I was saying: ‘Please, please, please, let it be official!’ Every time one of their phones rang, I just couldn’t believe that Madrid would let him go. It’s brilliant to have him here.

How are you finding the Premier League?Becky Lipton, via email

I’m enjoying the challenge. As I’ve said many times before, Spain is a great league, which is more technical and tactical than England. But sometimes there are teams who are set up with 11 men defending and have barely a thought about attacking. But here, that’s not enough. The fans don’t accept it. Teams must go after the opposition and that’s more exciting for players and fans alike.

What’s it like working with Arsene Wenger?Delroy Atkins, Islington

Day to day, he’s the physical representation of Arsenal. He is the club. Alex Ferguson, who’s now obviously left, and Wenger are the two managers who define the Premier League. It’s so rare to get a coach staying at the same team for nearly 20 years. He’s a fundamental part of Arsenal’s history, he’s achieved great things with this club and I hope we can return this team to the trophy-winning days of the past because the fans deserve it. He’s loved here and we want to keep his influence going.

How’s your English after a year? Charlie Rogers, via email

It’s coming along little by little. I’m taking classes, but the main problem I need to overcome is being scared to make a mistake when I speak. That’s life. It’s better than my first few weeks here. I just said ‘yes’ and

smiled at anyone who spoke to me. All the time: ‘yes, yes, yes’. Sometimes I’d said ‘yes’ to something I had no idea about. People from the club would say: “Santi, a couple of days ago you said you’d meet me for a coffee but yesterday you didn’t show up. Where were you?” It helped me learn the word ‘sorry’, at least!

Is it true that your life was turned upside down because you didn’t have any curtains? Kim Lee, via email

Absolutely – it was hell! Curtains over here are different. In Spain, we’re accustomed to sleeping in total darkness because the sun’s really bright in the morning. You can’t even see your hand in front of your face. When we first moved into our house, we were waking up at 6am. I’d go to training and people were asking if I’d gone out the night before because I looked so sleepy. Mikel Arteta explained that every house in England is like that and I’d have to find blackout curtains myself. I’m happier now!

What do you do for food in London, Santi? Have you treated any of your team-mates to a famous Asturian fabada [spicy bean stew]?Nilesh Patel, via email

While we were both injured, Arteta and his wife came over to my place to watch the Sunderland game. My wife and mother-in-law made a huge fabada and he had two platefuls so he obviously enjoyed it! When I first arrived and

we were living in a hotel, I ate Mikel out of house and home, so he said it was payback. He made tortilla, we had

jamon, it was brilliant. He was my saviour.

Is it true Pepe Reina calls you Paquirrin, which apparently means overweight? Rachel Ferry, via Twitter

[Laughs] Ah that was before. Now I’m called Enano [‘short lad’]. Paquirrin was when I was

at Villarreal – when I did something good, the crowd would shout ‘Paquirrin!’ It was fun. I’m more athletic now!

Cazorla wears PUMA evoSPEED 1.2 boots

Arsenal’s classy midfielder takes your questions on Spanish stew, Özil and blackout blinds

Santi Cazorla: the fans’ interview


1

322Cazorla made 322 passes into the

fnal third for Arsenal last term –

more than any other player at the club

Below Santi couldn’t believe it either, FourFourTwo readers!

Inte

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TOP 100 PLAYERS

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Ma

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DISAGREE?

Tweet us your 140-character assassination at #FFT100

Cazorla created 96 chances (including

assists) for Arsenal in the Prem last season,

more than any other player at the club

Hero growing up?Zinedine Zidane. No one else came close. Earliest football memory?Having a kickabout with my brother in the back garden. Team supported as a boy? Barcelona.Bundesliga or Champions League?Champions League.

Hobbies? Playing any sport really. Tennis, volleyball, swimming, table tennis – I can do them all! Favorite Food?Spätzle, which is a noodle dish stewed with apples, cinnamon and sugar. Mmm. Favourite TV Programme? I don’t watch TV, other than sports and movies.

Mario Gotze 28-second interviewA quickie Q&A with Bayern’s new boy

TOP 100 PLAYERS

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Ra

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Re

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, De

fen

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r, 2

7

Arj

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Ro

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29

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art

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236 8 16

35 34 33 32 31 30 29

32 51


Ramos has made 99 headed clearances

for Real Madrid – more than any

other player at the club in this time

“The real Sergio Ramos? You could say

I’m a bit of a rebel with an attitude. I’m

the sort of person that doesn’t need to

get on with everyone; the kind of guy that

will speak my mind whether you like it or

not. I always tell people what I think.

Growing up I was inspired by the matadors

at the local bullring in Seville, La Maestranza.

You could say there’s an element of the

bullfighter in me. In the past it’s a profession

that I would have considered, but football

makes me even happier than bullfighting.

However, in a certain way I feel a bond with

that world because my family and my town

have always been great bullfighting fans.

On the pitch this translates as confidence.

The best example of this is the penalty I

scored in the semi-final of Euro 2012 against

Portugal. That penalty came shortly after I’d

missed a penalty in the Champions League

semi-final against Bayern Munich. That miss

led to all sorts of repercussions, but then

there are lots of repercussions for practically

anything Sergio Ramos does. My family really

suffered after that miss, especially my

mother and sister, so I wanted to give them

something. Which is why I took that penalty

against Portugal – and chipped it like Panenka.

Before the game, I said to Vicente [del

Bosque]: ‘Gaffer, if I take a penalty shall

I chip it?’ He laughed and said that when the

moment arrived I’d bottle it. And I said: ‘Well,

if the chance comes around to take a penalty

and I’m the first...’ And that’s what happened.

It’s a moment that has lived with me since.

That victory, and all the success we’ve had

with Spain, owes much to the Real Madrid and

Barcelona players sitting down together and

ironing out our differences. There was talk of

a personal problem between me and

Gerard Pique but I’ve never had a

problem with him. After spending

some time with him he’s a great

lad with a good heart. These

stories emerged after Real

Madrid and Barcelona had a lot

of games in quick succession:

Champions League, La Liga, Copa

del Rey. It’s true there was a bit

of tension after this, and it got

a bit excessive at times, but we

found a solution and moved on.

I’d also say I’m an optimist,

but someone who’s not happy

with past achievements. For me you

always have to look forward; you need

to continually move forward. You can’t

live in the past. This outlook means

that I feel loved by the fans wherever

I go. This, I think, is down to

the value the fans place

on the effort you

put into your

professional

life.

This attitude can be traced back to some

of my heroes growing up: Puyol, Fernando

Hierro, Maldini. More local to me, there

was Javi Navarro, Pablo Alfaro, ‘Tiburon’

[‘Shark’] Prieto. I’m glad kids now have

Sergio Ramos as a role model.

I’d consider myself a romantic; I’m certainly

the most romantic of my brothers. But then

speaking of my brother, there’s a story that

suggests perhaps I’m a bit of a lover and a

fighter. When I was 15 and my brother was

23, we played against each other for our

respective teams in a friendly match. I was

in the junior ranks of Sevilla and he was a

forward. There was a game at their ground;

everyone from the town was there and they

always used to get stuck into us. And my

brother, well... he was the centre-forward

and I was the centre-back. There was the

typical banter between brothers during the

game and I said to him: ‘Careful, today is

serious and we’re playing a match.’ He

was looking to have a laugh but I wasn’t

interested in getting involved. Then the

keeper took the goal-kick and I went

up for the ball with my elbows out and

accidentally caught him on the lip. The

ref didn’t blow for a foul even though

I made him bleed a little. Ten minutes

later their coach saw I was getting the

better of him and took him off: ‘Aren’t

you embarrassed that your 15 year-old

brother is beating you to everything?’

My brother’s lived off that story since!”


1

The straight-talking, Panenka-scoring defender in his own words

The real Sergio Ramos:a romantic bullfghter

99

“The tension between Barçaand Madrid players got a bit excessive”

TOP 100 PLAYERS

35

Ma

nu

el

Ne

ue

r

Ba

yern

Mu

nic

h, G

oa

lke

ep

er,

27

Isc

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Re

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1

Th

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Mu

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Ba

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Mu

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h, M

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24

Da

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30

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, 28

8 62 7

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29

Inte

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Pedro’s 11 goals in the

last 12 months have come

from just 20 shots on target11

A British fan arrives in Barcelona for

the first time – what do they see either

side of watching a game?

Barcelona is one of the most visited cities in

the world; there’s so much to do. Parc Guell,

Sagrada Familia, the Olympic port, beaches

and mountains – Barcelona has everything.

Close to Barcelona, there’s the beautiful

Costa Brava to the north. To the south are

the beaches of Castelldefels and Sitges,

where I often go with my family. Many

of my team-mates live near there.

Barcelona has great shops, on the Portal de

l’Angel near Placa Catalunya or the expensive

fashion shops on the Passeig de Gracia.

In what part of Barcelona do you reside?

Molins de Rei. I don’t think any other

footballers live there. It’s close to the training

ground and my wife is from there. My life is

normal. The people see me every day, in the

bread shop or cafes with my dog Ronnie or

our baby boy, who is now seven months old.

I didn’t call Ronnie after either Ronaldo! There

are Barça, Espanyol and Madrid fans there,

but all are friendly with me. There’s a good

Argentine restaurant – we’re happy there.

Do you spend your spare time with

your family or team-mates?

Both. I’ll go for dinner or to the cinema with

team-mates. We go to a small restaurant in

The striker from Tenerife shows us around his adopted city

Pedro: My Barcelona

Sarria [a wealthy neighbourhood on the edge

of Barcelona] which serves Spanish food. Or Da

Greco, an Italian in the centre where there’s a

table for Barça players. If we go as a team or

with my family, it’s fine and nobody bothers us.

You moved from Tenerife to Barcelona at 17.

How did you find the adaptation process?

It was difficult. I went from a small village on

a small island to a metropolis. There was so

much traffic and I saw a road with six lanes

of traffic all going in the same direction.

I struggled to adapt to the new rhythm of

the city. I can now understand the Catalan

language now, but I’d like to speak it better.

The culture was different, the food, the people

– so many people from all around the world.

It was a big change. I take holidays in

Tenerife at Christmas when we have a

two-week break and also in the summer.

Almost all my family are there in my village.

How important is football to the

people of Barcelona?

It’s a way of life for a lot of people here.

They get the feeling from their fathers and

grandfathers. The values of the club are

passed to them. Barça make so many

people happy. If we win then millions

of people are happy, not just in

Barcelona but around the world.

Thankfully, we’ve won a lot.

Parc Guell, one

of many Gaudi-

inspired havens

Sagrada Familia

– as iconic as

the Nou Camp?

Barcelona’s

very own

Arc de Triomf

DISCUSSWho would you

pick? Tell us at

Facebook.com/

FourFourTwo

TOP 100 PLAYERS

Ma

rco

Re

us

Bo

russ

ia D

ort

mu

nd

, Fo

rwa

rd, 2

4

Ba

stia

n S

chw

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ste

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rB

aye

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un

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, Mid

fie

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r, 2

9

Se

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Ag

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ste

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ity,

Fo

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rd, 2

5

Lu

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Live

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Forw

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, 26

Ne

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Ba

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lon

a, F

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ard

, 21

Ya

ya

To

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Ma

nch

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Cit

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idfi

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30

Me

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Ars

en

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Mid

fie

lde

r, 2

5

12 10

22 21 20 19 18 17 16

25 4 26 10 15


80

9 ways of looking at Marco Reus

Reus “didn’t feel

any pressure” upon

rejoining Dortmund

after six years away


1

Only Franck Ribery (93) and Nuremberg’s Hiroshi

Kiyotake (81) created more chances in the Bundesliga

than Marco Reus (80) over the last year

How to become a hometown hero the hard way, by the Dortmund and Germany star

1 AS DORTMUNDNATIVE

“Having grown up here, gone to

school in the area and spent 10

years in Borussia Dortmund’s

youth teams, it was always

my dream to make it as a

professional player at the club.

Since then, of course, a lot has

changed and the club has really

developed. You can see it in the

way the club represents itself

now. And I’m very happy to have

taken the step to return here.”

2 AS YOUTH TEAM CAST-OFF

“As it was, I wasn’t getting a game

in the B youth team at the time because they

thought I was too small. As a young player,

quite apart from any dream you might have

of playing professionally, all you want to

do is play regularly and improve. I wasn’t

playing, so I had to leave if I wanted to

keep moving forward, which was certainly

a shame. It was just a step I had to take if

I wanted to keep playing. Not that I had

any doubts that I’d make it. Instead, I just

worked as hard as I could and realised I had

to make the right choices – like not going

out partying with my friends, for example –

if I wanted to make it as a pro.”

3 AS LOWER-LEAGUE APPRENTICE

“I definitely learned a lot during my spell

in the lower leagues with Rot Weiss. It did

me a lot of good. We were in the third

division when I joined and I didn’t get

much of a chance to play for the first team.

When we went up to the second division,

though, I got to play more and that year

was very important for me. It was physical;

you had to run a lot and put in a shift

defensively. And that really helped develop

my game – which resulted in my move to

Borussia Monchengladbach.”

4 AS RETURNING HERO“On rejoining Dortmund, I didn’t feel any

pressure. Pressure is just part of football and

you’ve got to deal with it. There was talk in the

press that I had a choice between Bayern and

Dortmund, but that wasn’t an issue for me.

Once I had the first discussion with the people

in charge at Dortmund, it was pretty clear to

me that I wanted to and would make the

move here. It didn’t take long for me to agree.”

5 AS ONE WHO STAYED“It’s a heavy blow to lose players as we

have in the last couple of years – people like

Mario [Gotze], someone who rescued us

in so many games. But that’s football. Every

player has their own vision of how their career

will play out, what they’d like to achieve and

you have to accept that. Fundamentally,

though, we are a team that sticks together.

That has made Dortmund incredibly strong,

as they showed with the two Bundesliga

titles. We don’t let ourselves be influenced by

what’s going on outside the club; we try and

carry on doing things our own way.”

6 AN IDOL OF THE ‘YELLOW WALL’

“It’s an unbelievable feeling playing in front of

the Sudtribune. When you look at a game like

the one we had against Arsenal at

home in the Champions League this

season, the fans really got behind us

when we were under pressure. That’s

precisely why, whether we win or lose,

we thank the Sudtribune after every

game. It’s important to us, because

as players, we want to know we can

count on their support when we

need it, especially when things aren’t

going well. That means a lot to us.”

7 AS BOYHOOD DORTMUND FAN

“No, I wasn’t really a fan like

[team-mate] Kevin Grosskreutz, who

regularly stood on the Sudtribune. That’s Kevin

through and through, though. I would just

take a normal seat and cheer the players –

and now I feel very lucky to be one of those

on the receiving end of the crowd’s support.”

8 AS ADMIRER OF TOMAS ROSICKY

“He was my absolute favourite player

when I was younger and he’s still a fantastic

player now. So it was great to face him in the

Champions League when we played Arsenal,

even though when you’re in the middle of

a match, you don’t really realise who you’re

facing. He’s a great guy and it was a pleasure

to be able to swap shirts with him after

our matches with Arsenal.”

9 AS CURRENT, NOT FUTURE STAR

“I’m not a star of the future, but someone who

should be helping his team win something

now. We’ve put ourselves in a good position

so far. We started the season well – even if

losing at home to Arsenal in the Champions

League was a bitter defeat. We’ve got what

it takes to do well this season and our

self-confidence is high. We’ll do everything

we can to keep winning games, getting the

points we need and hopefully be rewarded

for that at the end of the season.” Interview

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TOP 100 PLAYERS

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DISAGREE?Tweet us your

140-character

assassination

at #FFT100

Luis Suarez

23

1192775

2442504

Goals scored in

the league for

Brendan Rodgers’

side in the last year

Total shots at goal

in the Prem – he’s

making up for lost

time after his ban

His conversion rate

is almost 20 per

cent – impressive

Combined total of goals and assists in the

Premier League (all stats from November 1,

2012 to October 31, 2013) – only Robin

van Persie has a higher total (31) than

Liverpool’s Uruguayan striker

Chances created, including assists.

No wonder strike partner Daniel

Sturridge is smiling more these days

Dribbles attempted, with a success rate of 32.4 per cent. His dribble

count is the fourth-highest in Europe’s top five leagues (Franck

Ribery is highest with 302) and the highest in the Premier League

Minutes played in

total in the league.

When he’s not

banned, the Reds

can count on him

19.33%

19

Reus has scored 10 Bundesliga goals at home in the

last 12 months; only strikers Robert Lewandowski

(16) and Stefan Kiessling (15) have bagged more

He may be a naughty boy but few are better at the numbers game

TOP 100 PLAYERS


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9 8 7 6 5 4 3

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Ronaldo has been a bit unlucky, too: he’s hit

the woodwork 14 times in the last 12 months

in La Liga, more often than 14 entire teams14 times


1

TOP 100 PLAYERS


With Lionel Messi’s level dropping

following a series of injuries and Bayern

Munich’s dominance owing as much to

collective brilliance as Franck Ribery’s

individual contribution, the decision to

name Cristiano Ronaldo as this year’s

number one player in the world was more

straightforward than we expected it to be.

He has, let’s not forget, become the first

player to notch 50 goals in 2013, set a new

record for goals scored in the Champions

League in a calendar year (overtaking Messi’s

tally of 13 in 2012), while starting the new

season with 24 goals – and counting – in 17

appearances (10 more goals than Messi).

All this following on from Sepp Blatter’s very

public backing of the Barcelona maestro

at the Oxford Union in October. It’s little

wonder, then, that the Real Madrid and

Portugal forward struggles to contain his

delight when we catch up with him to

announce our decision.

“Firstly, I want to thank you for this

honour,” says Ronaldo just a few hours

after scoring the winner for Portugal in their

After an amazing personal season, CR7 is officially the best. FFT asked the winger if he agrees

Cristiano RonaldoOur new leading man

World Cup play-off first-leg against Sweden.

“When someone names you the number one

at something it’s a great acknowledgment of

the hard work that we as players put in each

day. I feel like I have had a good year and that

my performances in 2013 have been strong.”

As for those comments from Blatter,

he expresses the right to respectfully

disagree with the notion of being ‘like

a commander’. “I’m not sure

commander is the right word,” he says

pointedly. “We have a lot of leaders in the

team – not just on the field but off it too.”

Ronaldo has admitted the neverending

comparisons with Messi can grate: “We’re

different players” is his stock response.

But it can’t be all bad; surely this personal duel

to be the world’s best drives his insatiable

quest for self-improvement? Just another

entry in the pantheon of great sporting

rivalries: Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier;

John McEnroe vs Bjorn Borg; Ronaldo

vs Messi. “In the examples you give,

the sports are about individuals; football is

more about the team. I don’t think any player

can be great unless he has great team-mates.

I would not be the player I am today without

the team-mates I have, coaches I’ve learned

from, the fans I play for and my family.”

Ronaldo’s spectacular start to the season led

his club manager Carlo Ancelotti to claim he

would stage a sit-in protest if the Portuguese

forward is overlooked for the Ballon d’Or. In

terms of accolades, however, CR7 is looking

beyond that individual prize. “Our aims for the

season? I think we can win both the league

and the Champions League,” he says. Can he

finish top scorer in both competitions?

“Hopefully we can do all four things you

suggest. That would be amazing!”

League and Champions League winner and

double top scorer: they’re lofty aims, but then

Ronaldo will have help, chiefly from his new

£80 million Welsh sidekick. Since the arrival of

Gareth Bale from Spurs, the pair of slick-quiffed

forwards have struck up an easy rapport on

the pitch, leading Sergio Ramos to claim

the pair are impossible to defend against.

Does he agree? “That’s a great thing

to hear from a world-class player like

Ramos. I cannot comment if we are

impossible to defend against as I am

not a defender – but if Sergio says so,

then it must be true! I like playing with

Bale. He is a very good player; he gives us

an extra attacking option. In the same way I

have shown in the past with the likes of Wayne

[Rooney], it’s easy for good players to build an

understanding with other good players.”

Good? The bear facts clearly demonstrate

that at this moment, Ronaldo is better than

good. Right now, he’s simply the best.

Above Ronnie isn’t a

commander, honest

Below He’s probably

scoring a goal as you

read this page

“Ramos says Bale and I are impossible to defend against? It must be true”

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You can’t keep him down: Ronaldo has scored nine

headed goals in the league and Champions League

in this period, more than any other player9

So there you have it – after four years

of missing out to his nimble Nou Camp

nemesis in our list, Cristiano Ronaldo is

top of the pile. Doubtless he agrees

with our prognosis, but do you?

Visit FourFourTwo.com/FFT100 for our

justification of the Real Madrid man’s

selection at the summit, plus full profiles of

all 100 players and further analysis on the

list. We answer the important questions our

final selection raises, from how Luis Suarez

can break into the top 10 to what the future

holds for Neymar and Lionel Messi.

So read the full list online, comment on

Twitter and hurl abuse at us on Facebook.

It is the 21st century, after all.

Find out why Ron’s our new No.1

TOP 100 PLAYERS


1The stats

Ronaldo averaged

a goal every 86

minutes in La Liga

during this period

The Madrid forward

scored 14 goals in the

Champions League

in this time – more

than anyone else 14

86 MINUTES

3Ronaldo scored three

league hat-tricks over

the last 12 months – no

other player in Europe’s

top five leagues could

hit more than two

GOALNobody in the top five European leagues

scored more goals at home than

Cristiano Ronaldo in this time period (22)