The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Enforced development gives Europe grip on World Cup
MOSCOW » Explaining Europe’s stranglehold on the World Cup requires delving into a thick handbook of seemingly mind-numbing regulations.
The eligibility requirements for clubs playing in Europe’s elite club competitions go far beyond guidelines for stadiums, spectators and players at Champions League and Europa League matches.
Flick past finance and governance rules and stop at the section on youth teams.
Since 2004, European football’s governing body has required all leading clubs to also operate youth teams at various age groups. Playing at the highest level of the game means also operating at least one team for under-10s, another in the 10-14 bracket and at least two in the 15-21 range.
The revolution, overseen by then-UEFA President Lennart Johansson, ensures a pipeline of technically-gifted talent is coming into the European soccer system. National teams are also beneficiaries.
Dominating this World Cup has not even relied on the heavyweights of Europe. The Netherlands and Italy didn’t qualify. Germany’s title defense ended in group stage, while 2010 winner Spain and European champion Portugal fell in the round of 16.
The last four teams feature two former champions — France with traditional eliminated, teams expectations,” “Even Croatia which and though England contenders there and have UEFA some Belgium. surpassed are — of other along President were our told “These The Aleksander results Associated validate Ceferin Press. all the across work the that continent is being to done develop football, and they also showcase the strength and quality that exists across the
Ten of Europe’s 14 participants the whole round UEFA in Russia of 16, region.” and made of those it to six progressed to the quarterfinals. North CONCACAF, and Central which America covers and the Caribbean, wasn’t represented in the last eight. Costa Rica and Panama tumbled in the group stage and Mexico lost in the second round. “Quite frankly,” CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani said, “over the last 40 years CONCACAF as a confederation has not really done much to help the federations try to compete at a world level.” CONMEBOL, the South American confederation, gloated too soon when it tweeted in March about its teams routing European nations, 6-0, on a single day of international friendlies. When it came to the World Cup, Europe exerted its power again.
Even before five-time world champion Brazil lost to Belgium in the quarterfinals, CONMEBOL held a seminar to discuss the lack of infrastructure and organization within youth football.
While Brazil won the Under-17 World Cup in three out of four editions from 1997 to 2003, no South American nation has collected the trophy since. Brazil won the Under-20 version in 2011 but European sides have triumphed since.
Lisbon club Sporting has produced more players at the World Cup than any other team, according to data provided by the CIES Football Observatory. Of the 13 Sporting graduates, Eric Dier is the only member of the England team whose football education was outside his homeland, due to his mother moving to the country for work when he was 7.
“They give you all the conditions you need to learn to play football,” Dier said after joining Tottenham in 2014. “I was completely embedded in it and I wouldn’t be here if it was not for them. You play 7-a-side with a 2-3-1, just two defenders. It was a quick learning curve.”
Tottenham is the best-represented club in the semifinals, with nine players including France captained by Hugo Lloris. It’s a sign of the north London team’s growing status in European football after three consecutive top-three finishes in the Premier League securing spots in the Champions League.
The World Cup reinforces the status of the Champions League and Europe’s top leagues. Those leagues account for 81 of the 92 players on squads of the semifinalists in Russia: England (40), Spain (12), France (12), Germany (nine) and Italy (eight). The wealth generated by the continent’s club competitions allows UEFA to raise standards throughout the region.
“We have pledged to invest even more in grassroots football to ensure our players and teams have everything they need to perform at the highest level in the future,” Ceferin said.
The Premier League’s strength has been to the detriment of the national team since its inception in 199293 as foreign imports have taken the places of homegrown players. Nearly half of Belgium’s squad — 11 of 23 — played in the English topflight last season.
But the Premier League is also the destination for the world’s top coaches, including Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham, Juergen Klopp at Liverpool and Jose Mourinho at Manchester United. They have helped to broaden the horizons of young English players and coaches.
England could be the first nation to possess the U17s, U20s and seniors World Cup if it manages in Moscow to win its first major title since 1966.
After serving as the FA’s head of elite development from 2011-13 and Under-21s coach from 2013-16, Gareth Southgate has been able to implement his vision among senior players since taking over the top job.
“We know that our academies at club level are producing really technically good player,” Southgate said. “We made a lot of changes with the national team ... that have helped us to be successful.”