Persatuan Sepak Bola Seluruh Indonesia, disingkat PSSI, adalah organisasi induk yang bertugas mengatur kegiatan olahraga sepak bola di Indonesia. PSSI berdiri pada tanggal 19 April 1930 dengan nama awal Persatuan Sepak Raga Seluruh Indonesia. Ketua umum pertamanya adalah Ir. Soeratin Sosrosoegondo.
PSSI bergabung dengan FIFA pada tahun 1952, kemudian dengan AFC pada tahun 1954. PSSI menggelar kompetisi Liga Indonesia setiap tahunnya, dan sejak tahun 2005, diadakan pula Piala Indonesia. Ketua Umum PSSI sejak 9 Juli 2011 adalah Djohar Arifin Husin.
SEJARAH
Sejarah perkumpulan sepak bola di Indonesia
Di akhir tahun 1920, pertandingan voetbal atau sepak bola sering kali digelar untuk meramaikan pasar malam. Pertandingan dilaksanakan sore hari. Sebenarnya selain sepak bola, bangsa Eropa termasuk Belanda juga memperkenalkan olahraga lain, seperti kasti, bola tangan, renang, tenis, dan hoki. Hanya, semua jenis olahraga itu hanya terbatas untuk kalangan Eropa, Belanda, dan Indo. Alhasil sepak bola paling disukai karena tidak memerlukan tempat khusus dan pribumi boleh memainkannya.
Lapangan Singa (Lapangan Banteng) menjadi saksi di mana orang Belanda sering menggelar pertandingan panca lomba (vijfkam) dan tienkam (dasa lomba). Khusus untuk sepak bola, serdadu di tangsi-tangsi militer paling sering bertanding. Mereka kemudian membentuk bond sepak bola atau perkumpulan sepak bola. Dari bond-bond itulah kemudian terbentuk satu klub besar. Tak hanya serdadu militer, tapi juga warga Belanda, Eropa, dan Indo membuat bond-bond serupa.
Dari bond-bond itu kemudian terbentuklah Nederlandsch Indische Voetbal Bond (NIVB) yang pada tahun 1927 berubah menjadi Nederlandsch Indische Voetbal Unie (NIVU). Sampai tahun 1929, NIVU sering mengadakan pertandingan termasuk dalam rangka memeriahkan pasar malam dan tak ketinggalan sebagai ajang judi. Bond China menggunakan nama antara lain Tiong un Tong, Donar, dan UMS. Adapun bond pribumi biasanya mengambil nama wilayahnya, seperti Cahaya Kwitang, Sinar Kernolong, atau Si Sawo Mateng.
Pada 1928 dibentuk Voetbalbond Indonesia Jacatra (VIJ) sebagai akibat dari diskriminasi yang dilakukan NIVB. Sebelumnya bahkan sudah dibentuk Persatuan Sepak Bola Djakarta (Persidja) pada 1925. Pada 19 April 1930, Persidja ikut membentuk Persatuan Sepak Bola Seluruh Indonesia (PSSI) di gedung Soceiteit Hande Projo, Yogyakarta. Pada saat itu Persidja menggunakan lapangan di Jalan Biak, Roxy, Jakpus.
Pada tahun 1930-an, di Indonesia berdiri tiga organisasi sepakbola berdasarkan suku bangsa, yaitu Nederlandsch Indische Voetbal Bond (NIVB) yang berganti nama menjadi Nederlandsch Indische Voetbal Unie (NIVU) pada tahun 1936 yang merupakan milik bangsa Belanda, Hwa Nan Voetbal Bond (HNVB) milik bangsa Tionghoa, dan Persatoean Sepakraga Seloeroeh Indonesia (PSSI) milik orang Indonesia.
Memasuki tahun 1930-an, pamor bintang lapangan Bond NIVB, G Rehatta dan de Wolf, mulai menemui senja berganti bintang lapangan bond China dan pribumi, seperti Maladi, Sumadi, dan Ernst Mangindaan. Pada 1933, VIJ keluar sebagai juara pada kejuaraan PSSI ke-3.
Pada 1938 Indonesia lolos ke Piala Dunia. Pengiriman kesebelasan Indonesia (Hindia Belanda) sempat mengalami hambatan. NIVU (Nederlandsche Indische Voetbal Unie) atau organisasi sepak bola Belanda di Jakarta bersitegang dengan PSSI (Persatuan Sepak Bola Seluruh Indonesia) yang telah berdiri pada bulan April 1930. PSSI yang diketuai Soeratin Sosrosoegondo, insinyur lulusan Jerman yang lama tinggal di Eropa, ingin pemain PSSI yang dikirimkan. Namun, akhirnya kesebelasan dikirimkan tanpa mengikutsertakan pemain PSSI dan menggunakan bendera NIVU yang diakui FIFA.
Pada masa Jepang, semua bond sepak bola dipaksa masuk Tai Iku Koi bentukan pemerintahan militer Jepang. Di masa ini, Taiso, sejenis senam, menggantikan olahraga permainan. Baru setelah kemerdekaan, olahraga permainan kembali semarak.
Tahun 1948, pesta olahraga bernama PON (Pekan Olahraga Nasional) diadakan pertama kali di Solo. Di kala itu saja, sudah 12 cabang olahraga yang dipertandingkan. Sejalan dengan olahraga permainan, khususnya sepak bola, yang makin populer di masyarakat, maka kebutuhan akan berbagai kelengkapan olahraga pun meningkat. Pada tahun 1960-1970-an, pemuda Jakarta mengenal toko olahraga Siong Fu yang khusus menjual sepatu bola. Produk dari toko sepatu di Pasar Senen ini jadi andalan sebelum sepatu impor menyerbu Indonesia. Selain Pasar Senen, toko olahraga di Pasar Baru juga menyediakan peralatan sepakbola.
Pengaruh Belanda dalam dunia sepak bola di Indonesia adalah adanya istilah henbal, trekbal (bola kembali), kopbal (sundul bola), losbal (lepas bola), dan tendangan 12 pas. Istilah beken itu kemudian memudar manakala demam bola Inggris dimulai sehingga istilah-istilah tersebut berganti dengan istilah persepakbolaan Inggris. Sementara itu, hingga 1950 masih terdapat pemain indo di beberapa klub Jakarta. Sebut saja Vander Vin di klub UMS; Van den Berg, Hercules, Niezen, dan Pesch dari klub BBSA. Pemain indo mulai luntur pada tahun 1960-an.
Sejarah PSSI
PSSI dibentuk pada tanggal 19 April 1930 di Yogyakarta dengan nama Persatuan Sepak Raga Seluruh Indonesia. Sebagai organisasi olahraga yang lahir pada masa penjajahan Belanda, kelahiran PSSI ada kaitannya dengan upaya politik untuk menentang penjajahan. Apabila mau meneliti dan menganalisa lebih lanjut saat-saat sebelum, selama, dan sesudah kelahirannya hingga 5 tahun pasca proklamasi kemerdekaan tanggal 17 Agustus 1945, terlihat jelas bahwa PSSI lahir dibidani oleh muatan politis, baik secara langsung maupun tidak, untuk menentang penjajahan dengan strategi menyemai benih-benih nasionalisme di dada pemuda-pemuda Indonesia yang ikut bergabung.
PSSI didirikan oleh seorang insinyur sipil bernama Soeratin Sosrosoegondo. Ia menyelesaikan pendidikannya di Sekolah Teknik Tinggi di Heckelenburg, Jerman, pada tahun 1927 dan kembali ke tanah air pada tahun 1928. Ketika kembali, Soeratin bekerja pada sebuah perusahaan bangunan Belanda, Sizten en Lausada, yang berkantor pusat di Yogyakarta. Di sana beliau merupakan satu-satunya orang Indonesia yang duduk sejajar dengan komisaris perusahaan konstruksi besar itu. Akan tetapi, didorong oleh semangat nasionalisme yang tinggi, beliau kemudian memutuskan untuk mundur dari perusahaan tersebut.
Setelah berhenti dari Sizten en Lausada, Soeratin lebih banyak aktif di bidang pergerakan. Sebagai seorang pemuda yang gemar bermain sepak bola, beliau menyadari kepentingan pelaksanaan butir-butir keputusan yang telah disepakati bersama dalam pertemuan para pemuda Indonesia pada tanggal 28 Oktober 1928 (Sumpah Pemuda). Soeratin melihat sepak bola sebagai wadah terbaik untuk menyemai nasionalisme di kalangan pemuda sebagai sarana untuk menentang Belanda.
Untuk mewujudkan cita-citanya itu, Soeratin rajin mengadakan pertemuan dengan tokoh-tokoh sepak bola di Solo, Yogyakarta, dan Bandung. Pertemuan dilakukan dengan kontak pribadi secara diam-diam untuk menghindari sergapan Polisi Belanda (PID). Kemudian, ketika mengadakan pertemuan di hotel kecil Binnenhof di Jalan Kramat 17, Jakarta, Soeri, ketua VIJ (Voetbalbond Indonesische Jakarta), dan juga pengurus lainnya, dimatangkanlah gagasan perlunya dibentuk sebuah organisasi sepak bola nasional. Selanjutnya, pematangan gagasan tersebut dilakukan kembali di Bandung, Yogyakarta, dan Solo yang dilakukan dengan beberapa tokoh pergerakan nasional, seperti Daslam Hadiwasito, Amir Notopratomo, A. Hamid, dan Soekarno (bukan Bung Karno). Sementara itu, untuk kota-kota lainnya, pematangan dilakukan dengan cara kontak pribadi atau melalui kurir, seperti dengan Soediro yang menjadi Ketua Asosiasi Muda Magelang.
Kemudian pada tanggal 19 April 1930, berkumpullah wakil dari VIJ (Sjamsoedin, mahasiswa RHS), BIVB - Bandoengsche Indonesische Voetbal Bond (Gatot), PSM - Persatuan sepak bola Mataram Yogyakarta (Daslam Hadiwasito, A. Hamid, dan M. Amir Notopratomo), VVB - Vortenlandsche Voetbal Bond Solo (Soekarno), MVB - Madioensche Voetbal Bond (Kartodarmoedjo), IVBM - Indonesische Voetbal Bond Magelang (E.A. Mangindaan), dan SIVB - Soerabajasche Indonesische Voetbal Bond (Pamoedji). Dari pertemuan tersebut, diambillah keputusan untuk mendirikan PSSI, singkatan dari Persatoean Sepak Raga Seloeroeh Indonesia. Nama PSSI lalu diubah dalam kongres PSSI di Solo pada tahun 1930 menjadi Persatuan sepak bola Seluruh Indonesia sekaligus menetapkan Ir. Soeratin sebagai ketua umumnya.
Kontroversi
PSSI pada masa kepemimpinan Nurdin Halid memiliki beberapa hal yang dianggap kontroversi, antara lain mudahnya Nurdin Halid memberikan ampunan atas pelanggaran, kukuhnya Nurdin Halid sebagai Ketua Umum meski dia dipenjara, isu tidak sedap yang beredar pada masa pemilihan Ketua Umum tahun 2010, dan reaksi penolakan atas diselenggarakannya Liga Primer Indonesia.
Kasus korupsi Nurdin Halid
Pada 13 Agustus 2007, Ketua Umum Nurdin Halid divonis dua tahun penjara akibat tindak pidana korupsi dalam pengadaan minyak goreng. Berdasarkan standar statuta FIFA, seorang pelaku kriminal tidak boleh menjabat sebagai ketua umum sebuah asosiasi sepakbola nasional. Karena alasan tersebut, Nurdin didesak untuk mundur dari berbagai pihak; Jusuf Kalla (Wakil Presiden RI saat itu), Ketua KONI, dan bahkan FIFA menekan Nurdin untuk mundur. FIFA bahkan mengancam untuk menjatuhkan sanksi kepada PSSI jika tidak diselenggarakan pemilihan ulang ketua umum. Akan tetapi Nurdin bersikeras untuk tidak mundur dari jabatannya sebagai ketua PSSI, dan tetap menjalankan kepemimpinan PSSI dari balik jeruji penjara. Agar tidak melanggar statuta PSSI, statuta mengenai ketua umum yang sebelumnya berbunyi "harus tidak pernah terlibat dalam kasus kriminal" (bahasa Inggris: “They..., must not have been previously found guilty of a criminal offense....") diubah dengan menghapuskan kata "pernah" (bahasa Inggris: "have been previously") sehingga artinya menjadi "harus tidak sedang dinyatakan bersalah atas suatu tindakan kriminal" (bahasa Inggris: "... must not found guilty of a criminal offense..."). Setelah masa tahanannya selesai, Nurdin kembali menjabat sebagai ketua PSSI.
Reaksi atas Liga Primer Indonesia
Pada Oktober 2010, Liga Primer Indonesia yang bertujuan untuk meningkatkan kualitas sepak bola Indonesia dideklarasikan di Semarang oleh Konsorsium dan 17 perwakilan klub.[18] Kompetisi ini tidak direstui oleh PSSI dan dianggap ilegal. Meski PSSI memaparkan secara panjang lebar alasan mengapa LPI melawan hukum, organisasi ini tidak pernah menjelaskan alasan mengapa mereka tidak merestui LPI, kecuali menyebut LPI sebagai "kompetisi ecek-ecek", "tarkam", dan "banci." LPI akhirnya mendapatkan izin dari pemerintah melalui Menteri Pemuda dan Olahraga Andi Mallarangeng.
Klub anggota yang keluar dari kompetisi PSSI dan mengikuti Liga Primer Indonesia dikenakan sanksi degradasi dan tidak diundang dalam Munas PSSI. Padahal klub-klub tersebut hanya mengundurkan diri dari Liga Super Indonesia dan bukan dari keanggotaan PSSI, sehingga masih memiliki hak suara dalam kongres. Selain itu, menurut Statuta PSSI, penghapusan keanggotaan klub dari PSSI tidak dapat ditentukan hanya oleh petinggi PSSI, harus melalui kongres dan disetujui minimal 3/4 anggota yang hadir.
Kisruh dan pembentukan komite normalisasi
Kisruh di PSSI semakin menjadi-jadi semenjak munculnya LPI. Ketua Umum Nurdin Halid melarang segala aktivitas yang dilakukan oleh LPI. Pada Kongres PSSI tanggal 26 Maret 2011 di Pekanbaru, Riau, masalah kekisruhan di tubuh PSSI seperti disengaja disembunyikan dari publik dengan cara mengadakan kongres secara tertutup. Kongres tersebut pada akhirnya tidak berhasil diselenggarakan karena terjadi kekisruhan mengenai hak suara.
Pada 1 April 2011, Komite Darurat FIFA memutuskan untuk membentuk Komite Normalisasi yang akan mengambil alih kepemimpinan PSSI dari komite eksekutif di bawah pimpinan Nurdin Halid. Komite Darurat FIFA menganggap bahwa kepemimpinan PSSI saat ini tidak dapat mengendalikan sepak bola di Indonesia, terbukti dengan kegagalannya mengendalikan LPI dan menyelenggarakan kongres. FIFA juga menyatakan bahwa 4 orang calon Ketua Umum PSSI yaitu Nurdin Halid, Nirwan Bakrie, Arifin Panigoro, dan George Toisutta tidak dapat mencalonkan diri sebagai ketua umum sesuai dengan keputusan Komite Banding PSSI tanggal 28 Februari 2011. Selanjutnya, FIFA mengangkat Agum Gumelar sebagai Ketua Komite Normalisasi PSSI.
Setelah melalui serangkaian kegagalan, termasuk kembali gagalnya penyelengaraan Kongres tanggal 20 Mei 2011 di Jakarta, akhirnya dalam Kongres Luar Biasa tanggal 9 Juli 2011 di Solo, Djohar Arifin Husin terpilih sebagai Ketua Umum PSSI periode 2011-2015.
Pemecatan Alfred Riedl
Pemecatan dan penunggakan gaji Alfred Riedl menimbulkan hal yang kontroversial karena pihak PSSI mengaku bahwa Alfred Riedl dikontrak oleh Nirwan Bakrie dan bukan oleh PSSI akan tetapi Alfred Riedl membantah hal tersebut dan membawa persoalan ini ke FIFA dan kasus ini belum terselesaikan.
Kisruh Indonesian Premier League
Setelah berganti kepengurusan Ketua umum PSSI dari Nurdin Halid ke Djohar Arifin Husin dimulai era kompetisi baru.Dalam pembentukan IPL banyak masalah yang terjadi karena aturan-aturan yang ditetapkan oleh PSSI.Pembentukan IPL mendapat tekanan dari 12 klub sepak bola atau kelompok 14 karena kompetisi berjumlah 24 klub dan 6 klub diantaranya langsung menjadi klub IPL. Namun, PSSI meyakinkan bahwa untuk memenuhi standard kompetisi profesional AFC, klasemen musim sebelumnya (musim 2010/2011) dihapuskan. Sebagai gantinya, yang dilihat adalah poin tertinggi dalam verifikasi tentang profesionalisme klub Indonesia. Akan tetapi dengan adanya IPL indonesia terhindar dari sangsi AFC.
Senin, 16 September 2013
Persija Jakarta
Persija (singkatan dari Persatuan Sepak Bola Indonesia Jakarta) adalah sebuah klub sepak bola Indonesia yang berbasis di Jakarta. Persija saat ini berlaga di Liga Super Indonesia.
Persija didirikan pada 28 November 1928, dengan cikal bakal bernama Voetbalbond Indonesische Jacatra (VIJ). VIJ merupakan salah satu klub yang ikut mendirikan Persatuan sepak bola Seluruh Indonesia (PSSI) dengan keikutsertaan wakil VIJ, Mr. Soekardi dalam pembentukan PSSI di Societeit Hadiprojo Yogyakarta, Sabtu 19 April 1930.
Klub ini mendapatkan perhatian yang besar dari Mantan Gubernur Jakarta, Sutiyoso, yang merupakan Pembina Persija. Kelompok pendukungnya bernama The Jakmania.
Persija didirikan pada 28 November 1928, dengan cikal bakal bernama Voetbalbond Indonesische Jacatra (VIJ). VIJ merupakan salah satu klub yang ikut mendirikan Persatuan sepak bola Seluruh Indonesia (PSSI) dengan keikutsertaan wakil VIJ, Mr. Soekardi dalam pembentukan PSSI di Societeit Hadiprojo Yogyakarta, Sabtu 19 April 1930.
Klub ini mendapatkan perhatian yang besar dari Mantan Gubernur Jakarta, Sutiyoso, yang merupakan Pembina Persija. Kelompok pendukungnya bernama The Jakmania.
SEJARAH
Pada zaman Hindia Belanda, nama awal Persija adalah VIJ (Voetbalbond Indonesische Jacatra). Pasca-Republik Indonesia kembali ke bentuk negara kesatuan, VIJ berganti nama menjadi Persija (Persatuan sepak bola Indonesia Jakarta). Pada saat itu, NIVU (Nederlandsch Indisch Voetbal Unie) sebagai organisasi tandingan PSSI masih ada. Di sisi lain, VBO (Voetbalbond Batavia en Omstreken) sebagai bond (perserikatan) tandingan Persija juga masih ada.
Terlepas dari takdir atau bukan, seiring dengan berdaulatnya negara Indonesia, NIVU mau tidak mau harus bubar. Mungkin juga karena secara sosial politik sudah tidak kondusif (mendukung). Suasana tersebut akhirnya merembet ke anggotanya, antara lain VBO. Pada pertengahan tahun 1951, VBO mengadakan pertemuan untuk membubarkan diri (likuidasi) dan menganjurkan dirinya untuk bergabung dengan Persija. Dalam perkembangannya, VBO bergabung ke Persija. Dalam turnamen segitiga persahabatan, gabungan pemain bangsa Indonesia yang tergabung dalam Persija "baru" itu berhadapan dengan Belanda dan Tionghoa. Inilah hasilnya: Persija (Indonesia) vs Belanda 3-3 (29 Juni 1951), Belanda vs Tionghoa 4-3 (30 Juni 1951), dan Persija (Indonesia) vs Tionghoa 3-2 (1 Juli 1951). Semua pertandingan berlangsung di lapangan BVC Merdeka Selatan, Jakarta.
Pada zaman Hindia Belanda, nama awal Persija adalah VIJ (Voetbalbond Indonesische Jacatra). Pasca-Republik Indonesia kembali ke bentuk negara kesatuan, VIJ berganti nama menjadi Persija (Persatuan sepak bola Indonesia Jakarta). Pada saat itu, NIVU (Nederlandsch Indisch Voetbal Unie) sebagai organisasi tandingan PSSI masih ada. Di sisi lain, VBO (Voetbalbond Batavia en Omstreken) sebagai bond (perserikatan) tandingan Persija juga masih ada.
Terlepas dari takdir atau bukan, seiring dengan berdaulatnya negara Indonesia, NIVU mau tidak mau harus bubar. Mungkin juga karena secara sosial politik sudah tidak kondusif (mendukung). Suasana tersebut akhirnya merembet ke anggotanya, antara lain VBO. Pada pertengahan tahun 1951, VBO mengadakan pertemuan untuk membubarkan diri (likuidasi) dan menganjurkan dirinya untuk bergabung dengan Persija. Dalam perkembangannya, VBO bergabung ke Persija. Dalam turnamen segitiga persahabatan, gabungan pemain bangsa Indonesia yang tergabung dalam Persija "baru" itu berhadapan dengan Belanda dan Tionghoa. Inilah hasilnya: Persija (Indonesia) vs Belanda 3-3 (29 Juni 1951), Belanda vs Tionghoa 4-3 (30 Juni 1951), dan Persija (Indonesia) vs Tionghoa 3-2 (1 Juli 1951). Semua pertandingan berlangsung di lapangan BVC Merdeka Selatan, Jakarta.
PRESTASI
Nasional
Perserikatan
Nasional
Perserikatan
- Tahun 1931, Juara Perserikatan, sebagai VIJ Jakarta
- Tahun 1933, Juara Perserikatan, sebagai VIJ Jakarta
- Tahun 1934, Juara Perserikatan, sebagai VIJ Jakarta
- Tahun 1938, Juara Perserikatan, sebagai VIJ Jakarta
- Tahun 1964, Juara Perserikatan
- Tahun 1973, Juara Perserikatan
- Tahun 1975, Juara Perserikatan, bersama dengan PSMS Medan
- Tahun 1977, Juara Perserikatan
- Tahun 1979, Juara Perserikatan
- Tahun 1990, Peringkat Ke-10 Perserikatan
Liga Indonesia
- Tahun 1995, Peringkat Ke-18 Divisi Utama Wilayah Barat
- Tahun 1996, Peringkat Ke-14 Divisi Utama Wilayah Barat
- Tahun 1997, Peringkat 11 Divisi Barat
- Tahun 1998, Kompetisi Tidak Selesai
- Tahun 1999, Semifinalis
- Tahun 2001, Juara Liga Indonesia
- Tahun 2002, 8 Besar Liga Bank Mandiri
- Tahun 2003, Peringkat 8 Liga Bank Mandiri
- Tahun 2004, Peringkat 3 Liga Bank Mandiri
- Tahun 2005, Runner-Up Liga Indonesia
- Tahun 2006, 8 Besar Liga Indonesia
- Tahun 2007, 8 Besar Liga Indonesia
Liga Super Indonesia
- Musim 2008 - 2009, Peringkat 7 Liga Super Indonesia
- Musim 2009 - 2010, Peringkat 5 Liga Super Indonesia
- Musim 2010 - 2011, Peringkat 3 Liga Super Indonesia
- Musim 2011 - 2012, Peringkat 5 Liga Super Indonesia
Piala Indonesia
- Tahun 2005, Runner-Up Copa Indonesia
- Tahun 2006, Copa Indonesia Juara 3
- Tahun 2007, Copa Indonesia Juara 3
Internasional
- Tahun 2000, Juara Piala Sultan Brunei Darussalam
PELATIH
- Endang Witarsa
- Herry Kiswanto
- Ivan Venkov Kolev
- Carlos Garcia Cambon
- Ronny Pattinasarani
- Rahmad Darmawan
- Arcan Iurie
- Serghei Dubrovin
- Sofyan Hadi (membawa Persija juara Indonesia 2001)
- Benny Dollo
- Rahmad Darmawan
- Iwan Setiawan
- Benny Dollo
SPONSOR
- Bank DKI
- Jaya Ancol
- League
- Pasar Jaya
- Garuda Indonesia
- Forum Bersama Jakarta
- Kuku Bima Ener-G
- Indomilk
- Honda
PENDUKUNG
The Jakmania adalah suporter kesebelasan sepak bola Persija Jakarta yang berdiri sejak Ligina IV, tepatnya 19 Desember 1997. Markas dan sekretariat The Jakmania berada di Stadion Lebak Bulus. Setiap Selasa dan Jumat merupakan rutinitas The Jakmania baik itu pengurus maupun anggota untuk melakukan kegiatan berkumpul bersama membahas perkembangan The Jakmania serta laporan-laporan dari setiap bidang kepengurusan. Tidak lupa juga melakukan pendaftaran bagi anggota baru dalam rutinitas tersebut.
The Jakmania adalah suporter kesebelasan sepak bola Persija Jakarta yang berdiri sejak Ligina IV, tepatnya 19 Desember 1997. Markas dan sekretariat The Jakmania berada di Stadion Lebak Bulus. Setiap Selasa dan Jumat merupakan rutinitas The Jakmania baik itu pengurus maupun anggota untuk melakukan kegiatan berkumpul bersama membahas perkembangan The Jakmania serta laporan-laporan dari setiap bidang kepengurusan. Tidak lupa juga melakukan pendaftaran bagi anggota baru dalam rutinitas tersebut.
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA, English: International Federation of Association Football) is the international governing body of association football, futsal and beach soccer. Its membership comprises 209 national associations. Its headquarters are in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter. FIFA is responsible for the organisation of football's major international tournaments, notably the World Cup.
HISTORY
The need for a single body to oversee association football became apparent at the beginning of the 20th century with the increasing popularity of international fixtures. FIFA was founded in Paris on 21 May 1904; the French name and acronym persist even outside French-speaking countries. The founding members were the national associations of Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Spain (represented by Madrid Football Club; the Spanish federation was not created until 1913), Sweden and Switzerland. Also, that same day, the German Association declared its intention of affiliating through a telegram.
The first president of FIFA was Robert Guérin. Guérin was replaced in 1906 by Daniel Burley Woolfall from England, by then a member of the association. The first tournament FIFA staged, the association football competition for the 1908 Olympics in London was more successful than its Olympic predecessors, despite the presence of professional footballers, contrary to the founding principles of FIFA.
Membership of FIFA expanded beyond Europe with the application of South Africa in 1908, Argentina and Chile in 1912, and Canada and the United States in 1913.
During World War I, with many players sent off to war and the possibility of travel for international fixtures severely limited, the organisation's survival was in doubt. Post-war, following the death of Woolfall, the organisation was run by Dutchman Carl Hirschmann. It was saved from extinction, but at the cost of the withdrawal of the Home Nations (of the United Kingdom), who cited an unwillingness to participate in international competitions with their recent World War enemies. The Home Nations later resumed their membership.
The FIFA collection is held by the National Football Museum in England.
The first president of FIFA was Robert Guérin. Guérin was replaced in 1906 by Daniel Burley Woolfall from England, by then a member of the association. The first tournament FIFA staged, the association football competition for the 1908 Olympics in London was more successful than its Olympic predecessors, despite the presence of professional footballers, contrary to the founding principles of FIFA.
Membership of FIFA expanded beyond Europe with the application of South Africa in 1908, Argentina and Chile in 1912, and Canada and the United States in 1913.
During World War I, with many players sent off to war and the possibility of travel for international fixtures severely limited, the organisation's survival was in doubt. Post-war, following the death of Woolfall, the organisation was run by Dutchman Carl Hirschmann. It was saved from extinction, but at the cost of the withdrawal of the Home Nations (of the United Kingdom), who cited an unwillingness to participate in international competitions with their recent World War enemies. The Home Nations later resumed their membership.
The FIFA collection is held by the National Football Museum in England.
STRUCTURE
FIFA is an association established under the Laws of Switzerland. Its headquarters are in Zurich.
FIFA's supreme body is the FIFA Congress, an assembly made up of representatives from each affiliated member association. The Congress has met 66 times since 1904; it now assembles in ordinary session once every year and, additionally, extraordinary sessions have been held once a year since 1998. At the congress decisions are made relating to FIFA's governing statutes and their method of implication and application. Only the Congress can pass changes to FIFA's statutes. The congress approves the annual report, and decides on the acceptance of new national associations and holds elections. Congress elects the President of FIFA, its General Secretary, and the other members of FIFA's Executive Committee on the year following the FIFA World Cup. Each national football association has one vote, regardless of its size or footballing strength.
The President and General Secretary are the main officeholders of FIFA, and are in charge of its daily administration, carried out by the General Secretariat, with its staff of approximately 280 members. FIFA's Executive Committee, chaired by the President, is the main decision-making body of the organisation in the intervals of Congress. FIFA's worldwide organisational structure also consists of several other bodies, under authority of the Executive Committee or created by Congress as standing committees. Among those bodies are the Finance Committee, the Disciplinary Committee, the Referees Committee, etc.
Besides its worldwide institutions (presidency, Executive Committee, Congress, etc.) there are six confederations recognised by FIFA which oversee the game in the different continents and regions of the world. National associations, and not the continental confederations, are members of FIFA. The continental confederations are provided for in FIFA's statutes, and membership of a confederation is a prerequisite to FIFA membership.
FIFA's supreme body is the FIFA Congress, an assembly made up of representatives from each affiliated member association. The Congress has met 66 times since 1904; it now assembles in ordinary session once every year and, additionally, extraordinary sessions have been held once a year since 1998. At the congress decisions are made relating to FIFA's governing statutes and their method of implication and application. Only the Congress can pass changes to FIFA's statutes. The congress approves the annual report, and decides on the acceptance of new national associations and holds elections. Congress elects the President of FIFA, its General Secretary, and the other members of FIFA's Executive Committee on the year following the FIFA World Cup. Each national football association has one vote, regardless of its size or footballing strength.
The President and General Secretary are the main officeholders of FIFA, and are in charge of its daily administration, carried out by the General Secretariat, with its staff of approximately 280 members. FIFA's Executive Committee, chaired by the President, is the main decision-making body of the organisation in the intervals of Congress. FIFA's worldwide organisational structure also consists of several other bodies, under authority of the Executive Committee or created by Congress as standing committees. Among those bodies are the Finance Committee, the Disciplinary Committee, the Referees Committee, etc.
Besides its worldwide institutions (presidency, Executive Committee, Congress, etc.) there are six confederations recognised by FIFA which oversee the game in the different continents and regions of the world. National associations, and not the continental confederations, are members of FIFA. The continental confederations are provided for in FIFA's statutes, and membership of a confederation is a prerequisite to FIFA membership.
- AFC – Asian Football Confederation
- CAF - Confederation of African Football
- CONCACAF – Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football
Guyana and Suriname are CONCACAF members although they are in South America, as is French Guiana despite not being members of FIFA. - CONMEBOL – Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol
- OFC – Oceania Football Confederation
- UEFA – Union of European Football Associations
Teams representing transcontinental nations of Russia, Turkey and Kazakhstan are UEFA members, although the majority of their territory is outside of continental Europe. Cyprus and Israel are also members for political reasons. Monaco, Vatican City, Kosovo and Northern Cyprus are not members of UEFA or FIFA, while Gibraltar is only a member of UEFA.
In total, FIFA recognises 209 national associations and their associated men's national teams as well as 129 women's national teams; see the list of national football teams and their respective country codes. FIFA has more member states than the UN, as FIFA recognises 23 non-sovereign entities as distinct nations, such as the four Home Nations within the United Kingdom or politically disputed territories such as Palestine. Only nine sovereign entities are not members of FIFA: Monaco, Vatican City, United Kingdom, Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Palau and Nauru.
The FIFA World Rankings are updated monthly and rank each team based on their performance in international competitions, qualifiers, and friendly matches. There is also a world ranking for women's football, updated four times a year.
In total, FIFA recognises 209 national associations and their associated men's national teams as well as 129 women's national teams; see the list of national football teams and their respective country codes. FIFA has more member states than the UN, as FIFA recognises 23 non-sovereign entities as distinct nations, such as the four Home Nations within the United Kingdom or politically disputed territories such as Palestine. Only nine sovereign entities are not members of FIFA: Monaco, Vatican City, United Kingdom, Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Palau and Nauru.
The FIFA World Rankings are updated monthly and rank each team based on their performance in international competitions, qualifiers, and friendly matches. There is also a world ranking for women's football, updated four times a year.
RECOGNITIONS AND AWARDS
FIFA awards, each year, the title of FIFA Ballon d'Or to the top men's and women's players of the year, as part of its annual awards ceremony which also recognises team and international association football achievements. Until 2009, they awarded the FIFA Player of the Year to the best player, until it and the Ballon d'Or ceased to be awarded. At the Ballon d'Or banquet, the FIFA Puskás Award, the FIFA/FIFPro Best XI, FIFA Fair Play Award, and the FIFA Presidential Award are also awarded.
In 1994 FIFA published the FIFA World Cup All-Time Team. In 2000 FIFA published the results of an Internet poll, declaring Real Madrid to be the FIFA Club of the Century. In 2002 FIFA announced the FIFA Dream Team, an all-time all-star team chosen by fans in a poll.
As part of its centennial celebrations in 2004, FIFA organised a "Match of the Century" between France and Brazil.
FIFA awards, each year, the title of FIFA Ballon d'Or to the top men's and women's players of the year, as part of its annual awards ceremony which also recognises team and international association football achievements. Until 2009, they awarded the FIFA Player of the Year to the best player, until it and the Ballon d'Or ceased to be awarded. At the Ballon d'Or banquet, the FIFA Puskás Award, the FIFA/FIFPro Best XI, FIFA Fair Play Award, and the FIFA Presidential Award are also awarded.
In 1994 FIFA published the FIFA World Cup All-Time Team. In 2000 FIFA published the results of an Internet poll, declaring Real Madrid to be the FIFA Club of the Century. In 2002 FIFA announced the FIFA Dream Team, an all-time all-star team chosen by fans in a poll.
As part of its centennial celebrations in 2004, FIFA organised a "Match of the Century" between France and Brazil.
GOVERNANCE AND GAME DEVELOPMENT
The laws that govern football, known officially as the Laws of the Game, are not solely the responsibility of FIFA; they are maintained by a body called the International Football Association Board (IFAB). FIFA has members on its board (four representatives); the other four are provided by the football associations of the United Kingdom: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, who jointly established IFAB in 1882 and are recognised for the creation and history of the game. Changes to the Laws of the Game must be agreed by at least six of the eight delegates.
The laws that govern football, known officially as the Laws of the Game, are not solely the responsibility of FIFA; they are maintained by a body called the International Football Association Board (IFAB). FIFA has members on its board (four representatives); the other four are provided by the football associations of the United Kingdom: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, who jointly established IFAB in 1882 and are recognised for the creation and history of the game. Changes to the Laws of the Game must be agreed by at least six of the eight delegates.
DISCIPLINE OF NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
FIFA frequently takes active roles in the running of the sport and developing the game around the world. One of its sanctions is to suspend teams and associated members from international competition when a government interferes in the running of FIFA's associate member organisations or if the associate is not functioning properly.
A 2007 FIFA ruling that a player can be registered with a maximum of three clubs, and appear in official matches for a maximum of two, in a year measured from 1 July to 30 June has led to controversy, especially in those countries whose seasons cross that date barrier, as in the case of two former Ireland internationals. As a direct result of this controversy, FIFA modified this ruling the following year to accommodate transfers between leagues with out-of-phase seasons.
FIFA frequently takes active roles in the running of the sport and developing the game around the world. One of its sanctions is to suspend teams and associated members from international competition when a government interferes in the running of FIFA's associate member organisations or if the associate is not functioning properly.
A 2007 FIFA ruling that a player can be registered with a maximum of three clubs, and appear in official matches for a maximum of two, in a year measured from 1 July to 30 June has led to controversy, especially in those countries whose seasons cross that date barrier, as in the case of two former Ireland internationals. As a direct result of this controversy, FIFA modified this ruling the following year to accommodate transfers between leagues with out-of-phase seasons.
FIFA ANTHEM
Since the 1994 FIFA World Cup, like the UEFA Champions League, FIFA has adopted an anthem composed by the German composer Franz Lambert. It has been recently re-arranged and produced by Rob May and Simon Hill. The FIFA Anthem is played at the beginning of official FIFA sanctioned matches and tournaments such as international friendlies, the FIFA World Cup, FIFA Women's World Cup, FIFA U-20 World Cup, FIFA U-17 World Cup, Football at the Summer Olympics, FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, FIFA Women's U-17 World Cup, FIFA Futsal World Cup, FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.
Since 2007, FIFA has also required most of its broadcast partners to use short sequences including the anthem at the beginning and end of FIFA event coverage, as well as for break bumpers, to help promote FIFA's sponsors. This emulates practices long used by some other international football events such as the UEFA Champions League. Exceptions may be made for specific events; for example, an original piece of African music was used for bumpers during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Since the 1994 FIFA World Cup, like the UEFA Champions League, FIFA has adopted an anthem composed by the German composer Franz Lambert. It has been recently re-arranged and produced by Rob May and Simon Hill. The FIFA Anthem is played at the beginning of official FIFA sanctioned matches and tournaments such as international friendlies, the FIFA World Cup, FIFA Women's World Cup, FIFA U-20 World Cup, FIFA U-17 World Cup, Football at the Summer Olympics, FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, FIFA Women's U-17 World Cup, FIFA Futsal World Cup, FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.
Since 2007, FIFA has also required most of its broadcast partners to use short sequences including the anthem at the beginning and end of FIFA event coverage, as well as for break bumpers, to help promote FIFA's sponsors. This emulates practices long used by some other international football events such as the UEFA Champions League. Exceptions may be made for specific events; for example, an original piece of African music was used for bumpers during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
ALLEGATIONS OF CORRUPTION AND LEGISLATIVE INTERFERENCE
In May 2006 British investigative reporter Andrew Jennings' book Foul! The Secret World of FIFA: Bribes, Vote-Rigging and Ticket Scandals (Harper Collins) caused controversy within the football world by detailing an alleged international cash-for-contracts scandal following the collapse of FIFA's marketing partner ISL, and revealed how some football officials have been urged to secretly repay the sweeteners they received. The book also alleged that vote-rigging had occurred in the fight for Sepp Blatter's continued control of FIFA.
Shortly after the release of Foul! a BBC television exposé by Jennings and BBC producer Roger Corke for the BBC news programme Panorama was broadcast. In this hour-long programme, screened on 11 June 2006, Jennings and the Panorama team agree that Sepp Blatter was being investigated by Swiss police over his role in a secret deal to repay more than £1m worth of bribes pocketed by football officials.
All testimonies offered in the Panorama exposé were provided through a disguised voice, appearance, or both, save one; Mel Brennan, formerly a lecturer at Towson University in the United States (and from 2001–2003 Head of Special Projects for CONCACAF, a liaison to the e-FIFA project and a 2002 FIFA World Cup delegate), became the first high-level football insider to go public with substantial allegations of greed, corruption, nonfeasance and malfeasance by CONCACAF and FIFA leadership. During the Panorama exposé, Brennan—the highest-level African-American in the history of world football governance—joined Jennings, Trinidadian journalist Lisana Liburd and many others in exposing allegedly inappropriate allocations of money at CONCACAF, and drew connections between ostensible CONCACAF criminality and similar behaviours at FIFA. Since then, and in the light of fresh allegations of bribery and corruption and opaque action by FIFA in late 2010,[5] both Jennings and Brennan remain highly critical of FIFA, with Brennan calling directly for an alternative to FIFA to be considered by the stakeholders of the sport throughout the world.
In a further Panorama documentary broadcast on BBC One on 29 November 2010, Jennings alleged that three senior FIFA officials, Nicolas Leoz, Issa Hayatou and Ricardo Teixeira, had been paid huge bribes by FIFA's marketing partner International Sports Leisure (ISL) between 1989 and 1999, which FIFA had failed to investigate. He claimed they appeared on a list of 175 bribes paid by ISL, totalling about $100 million. A former ISL executive said that there were suspicions within ISL that the company was only awarded the marketing contract for successive World Cups by paying bribes to FIFA officials. The programme also alleged that another current official, Jack Warner, has been repeatedly involved in reselling World Cup tickets to touts; Sepp Blatter said that FIFA had not investigated the allegation because it had not been told about it via 'official channels'.
The programme also criticized FIFA for allegedly requiring World Cup host bidding nations to agree to implement special laws for the World Cup, including blanket tax exemption for FIFA and sponsors, and limitation of workers' rights. It alleged that governments of bidding nations are required to keep the details of the required laws confidential during the bidding process; but that they were revealed by the Dutch government, which refused to agree to them, as a result of which it was told by FIFA that its bid could be adversely affected. According to the programme, following Jennings' earlier investigations he was banned from all FIFA press conferences, for reasons he says have not been made clear; and the accused officials failed to answer questions about his latest allegations, either verbally or by letter.
British Prime Minister David Cameron and Andy Anson, head of England's World Cup bid, criticized the timing of the broadcast, three days before FIFA's decision on the host for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, on the grounds that it might damage England's bid; the voters included officials accused by the programme.
In June 2011, it came to light that the IOC had started inquiry proceedings against FIFA honorary president João Havelange into claims of bribery. The BBC Panorama programme alleged that the Brazilian accepted a $1 million 'bung' in 1997 from International Sports Leisure (ISL). The Olympic governing body said "the IOC takes all allegations of corruption very seriously and we would always ask for any evidence of wrongdoing involving any IOC members to be passed to our ethics commission".
In May 2006 British investigative reporter Andrew Jennings' book Foul! The Secret World of FIFA: Bribes, Vote-Rigging and Ticket Scandals (Harper Collins) caused controversy within the football world by detailing an alleged international cash-for-contracts scandal following the collapse of FIFA's marketing partner ISL, and revealed how some football officials have been urged to secretly repay the sweeteners they received. The book also alleged that vote-rigging had occurred in the fight for Sepp Blatter's continued control of FIFA.
Shortly after the release of Foul! a BBC television exposé by Jennings and BBC producer Roger Corke for the BBC news programme Panorama was broadcast. In this hour-long programme, screened on 11 June 2006, Jennings and the Panorama team agree that Sepp Blatter was being investigated by Swiss police over his role in a secret deal to repay more than £1m worth of bribes pocketed by football officials.
All testimonies offered in the Panorama exposé were provided through a disguised voice, appearance, or both, save one; Mel Brennan, formerly a lecturer at Towson University in the United States (and from 2001–2003 Head of Special Projects for CONCACAF, a liaison to the e-FIFA project and a 2002 FIFA World Cup delegate), became the first high-level football insider to go public with substantial allegations of greed, corruption, nonfeasance and malfeasance by CONCACAF and FIFA leadership. During the Panorama exposé, Brennan—the highest-level African-American in the history of world football governance—joined Jennings, Trinidadian journalist Lisana Liburd and many others in exposing allegedly inappropriate allocations of money at CONCACAF, and drew connections between ostensible CONCACAF criminality and similar behaviours at FIFA. Since then, and in the light of fresh allegations of bribery and corruption and opaque action by FIFA in late 2010,[5] both Jennings and Brennan remain highly critical of FIFA, with Brennan calling directly for an alternative to FIFA to be considered by the stakeholders of the sport throughout the world.
In a further Panorama documentary broadcast on BBC One on 29 November 2010, Jennings alleged that three senior FIFA officials, Nicolas Leoz, Issa Hayatou and Ricardo Teixeira, had been paid huge bribes by FIFA's marketing partner International Sports Leisure (ISL) between 1989 and 1999, which FIFA had failed to investigate. He claimed they appeared on a list of 175 bribes paid by ISL, totalling about $100 million. A former ISL executive said that there were suspicions within ISL that the company was only awarded the marketing contract for successive World Cups by paying bribes to FIFA officials. The programme also alleged that another current official, Jack Warner, has been repeatedly involved in reselling World Cup tickets to touts; Sepp Blatter said that FIFA had not investigated the allegation because it had not been told about it via 'official channels'.
The programme also criticized FIFA for allegedly requiring World Cup host bidding nations to agree to implement special laws for the World Cup, including blanket tax exemption for FIFA and sponsors, and limitation of workers' rights. It alleged that governments of bidding nations are required to keep the details of the required laws confidential during the bidding process; but that they were revealed by the Dutch government, which refused to agree to them, as a result of which it was told by FIFA that its bid could be adversely affected. According to the programme, following Jennings' earlier investigations he was banned from all FIFA press conferences, for reasons he says have not been made clear; and the accused officials failed to answer questions about his latest allegations, either verbally or by letter.
British Prime Minister David Cameron and Andy Anson, head of England's World Cup bid, criticized the timing of the broadcast, three days before FIFA's decision on the host for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, on the grounds that it might damage England's bid; the voters included officials accused by the programme.
In June 2011, it came to light that the IOC had started inquiry proceedings against FIFA honorary president João Havelange into claims of bribery. The BBC Panorama programme alleged that the Brazilian accepted a $1 million 'bung' in 1997 from International Sports Leisure (ISL). The Olympic governing body said "the IOC takes all allegations of corruption very seriously and we would always ask for any evidence of wrongdoing involving any IOC members to be passed to our ethics commission".
2018 AND 2022 WORLD CUP BIDS
FIFA's choice to award the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, has been widely criticised by media. It has been alleged that some FIFA inside sources insist that the Russian kickbacks of cash and gifts given to FIFA executive members were enough to secure the Russian 2018 bid weeks before the result was announced. Sepp Blatter was widely criticised in the media for giving a warning about the "evils of the media" in a speech to FIFA executive committee members shortly before they voted on the hosting of the 2018 World Cup, a reference to The Sunday Times exposés and the Panorama investigation.
Two members of FIFA's executive committee were banned from all football-related activity in November 2010 for allegedly offering to sell their votes to undercover newspaper reporters. In early May 2011, a British parliamentary inquiry into why England failed to secure the 2018 finals was told by member of parliament, Damian Collins, that there was evidence from the Sunday Times newspaper that Issa Hayatou of Cameroon and Jacques Anouma of Côte d'Ivoire were paid by Qatar. Qatar have categorically denied the allegations, as have Hayatou and Anouma.
FIFA President Blatter said, as of 23 May 2011, that British newspaper The Sunday Times has agreed to bring its whistle-blowing source to meet senior FIFA officials, who will decide whether to order a new investigation into alleged World Cup bidding corruption. "[The Sunday Times] are happy, they agreed that they will bring this whistleblower here to Zurich and then we will have a discussion, an investigation of this," Blatter said.
Specifically, the whistleblower claims that FIFA executive committee members Issa Hayatou and Jacques Anouma were paid $1.5 million to vote for Qatar. The emirate's bid beat the United States in a final round of voting last December. Blatter did not rule out reopening the 2022 vote if corruption could be proved, but urged taking the matter "step by step." The FIFA president said his organization is "anxiously awaiting" more evidence before asking its ethics committee to examine allegations made in Britain's parliament in early May 2011. Qatar's success has been called into question since The Sunday Times submitted claims to a British lawmakers' inquiry into soccer governance, which included England's failed bid to win 2018 hosting rights. Lawmakers released claims by a former bid employee that Qatar agreed to pay members of FIFA's 24-man executive committee for their votes.
Hayatou, who is from Cameroon, leads the Confederation of African Football and is a FIFA vice president. Anouma is president of Ivorian Football Federation. The whistleblower said Qatar agreed to pay a third African voter, Amos Adamu, for his support. The Nigerian was later suspended from voting after a FIFA ethics court ruled he solicited bribes from undercover Sunday Times reporters posing as lobbyists. Blatter said the newspaper and its whistleblower would meet with FIFA secretary general, Jerome Valcke, and legal director, Marco Villiger.
Allegations against FIFA officials have also been made to the UK Parliament by David Triesman, the former head of England's bid and the English Football Association. Triesman told the lawmakers that four long-standing FIFA executive committee members—Jack Warner, Nicolas Leoz, Ricardo Teixeira and Worawi Makudi—engaged in "improper and unethical" conduct in the 2018 bidding, which was won by Russia. All six FIFA voters have denied wrongdoing.
FIFA's choice to award the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, has been widely criticised by media. It has been alleged that some FIFA inside sources insist that the Russian kickbacks of cash and gifts given to FIFA executive members were enough to secure the Russian 2018 bid weeks before the result was announced. Sepp Blatter was widely criticised in the media for giving a warning about the "evils of the media" in a speech to FIFA executive committee members shortly before they voted on the hosting of the 2018 World Cup, a reference to The Sunday Times exposés and the Panorama investigation.
Two members of FIFA's executive committee were banned from all football-related activity in November 2010 for allegedly offering to sell their votes to undercover newspaper reporters. In early May 2011, a British parliamentary inquiry into why England failed to secure the 2018 finals was told by member of parliament, Damian Collins, that there was evidence from the Sunday Times newspaper that Issa Hayatou of Cameroon and Jacques Anouma of Côte d'Ivoire were paid by Qatar. Qatar have categorically denied the allegations, as have Hayatou and Anouma.
FIFA President Blatter said, as of 23 May 2011, that British newspaper The Sunday Times has agreed to bring its whistle-blowing source to meet senior FIFA officials, who will decide whether to order a new investigation into alleged World Cup bidding corruption. "[The Sunday Times] are happy, they agreed that they will bring this whistleblower here to Zurich and then we will have a discussion, an investigation of this," Blatter said.
Specifically, the whistleblower claims that FIFA executive committee members Issa Hayatou and Jacques Anouma were paid $1.5 million to vote for Qatar. The emirate's bid beat the United States in a final round of voting last December. Blatter did not rule out reopening the 2022 vote if corruption could be proved, but urged taking the matter "step by step." The FIFA president said his organization is "anxiously awaiting" more evidence before asking its ethics committee to examine allegations made in Britain's parliament in early May 2011. Qatar's success has been called into question since The Sunday Times submitted claims to a British lawmakers' inquiry into soccer governance, which included England's failed bid to win 2018 hosting rights. Lawmakers released claims by a former bid employee that Qatar agreed to pay members of FIFA's 24-man executive committee for their votes.
Hayatou, who is from Cameroon, leads the Confederation of African Football and is a FIFA vice president. Anouma is president of Ivorian Football Federation. The whistleblower said Qatar agreed to pay a third African voter, Amos Adamu, for his support. The Nigerian was later suspended from voting after a FIFA ethics court ruled he solicited bribes from undercover Sunday Times reporters posing as lobbyists. Blatter said the newspaper and its whistleblower would meet with FIFA secretary general, Jerome Valcke, and legal director, Marco Villiger.
Allegations against FIFA officials have also been made to the UK Parliament by David Triesman, the former head of England's bid and the English Football Association. Triesman told the lawmakers that four long-standing FIFA executive committee members—Jack Warner, Nicolas Leoz, Ricardo Teixeira and Worawi Makudi—engaged in "improper and unethical" conduct in the 2018 bidding, which was won by Russia. All six FIFA voters have denied wrongdoing.
2011 FIFA PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
FIFA announced on 25 May 2011 that it had opened the investigation to examine the conduct of four officials—Mohamed Bin Hammam and Jack Warner, along with Caribbean Football Union (CFU) officials Debbie Minguell and Jason Sylvester—in relation to claims made by executive committee member, Chuck Blazer. Blazer, who is the general secretary of the CONCACAF federation, has alleged that violations were committed under the FIFA code of ethics during a meeting organized by Bin Hammam and Warner on 10 and 11 May—the same time Lord Triesman had accused Warner of demanding money for a World Cup 2018 vote—in relation to the 2011 FIFA presidential election,[26] in which Bin Hammam, who also played a key role in the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup bid, allegedly offered financial incentives for votes cast in his favour during the presidential election. As a result of the investigation both Bin Hammam and Warner were suspended. Warner reacted to his suspension by questioning Blatter's conduct and adding that FIFA secretary general, Jerome Valcke, had told him via e-mail that Qatar had bought the 2022 World Cup. Valcke subsequently issued a statement denying he had suggested it was bribery, saying instead that the country had "used its financial muscle to lobby for support." Qatar officials denied any impropriety. Bin Hammam also responded by writing to FIFA, protesting unfair treatment in suspension by the FIFA Ethics Committee and FIFA administration.
Further evidence emerged of alleged corruption. On 30 May 2011, Fred Lunn, vice-president of the Bahamas Football Association, said that he was given $40,000 in cash as an incitement to vote for FIFA presidential candidate, Mohamed bin Hammam. In addition, on 11 June 2011 Louis Giskus, president of the Surinamese Football Association, alleged that he was given $40,000 in cash for "development projects" as an incentive to vote for Bin Hammam.
FIFA announced on 25 May 2011 that it had opened the investigation to examine the conduct of four officials—Mohamed Bin Hammam and Jack Warner, along with Caribbean Football Union (CFU) officials Debbie Minguell and Jason Sylvester—in relation to claims made by executive committee member, Chuck Blazer. Blazer, who is the general secretary of the CONCACAF federation, has alleged that violations were committed under the FIFA code of ethics during a meeting organized by Bin Hammam and Warner on 10 and 11 May—the same time Lord Triesman had accused Warner of demanding money for a World Cup 2018 vote—in relation to the 2011 FIFA presidential election,[26] in which Bin Hammam, who also played a key role in the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup bid, allegedly offered financial incentives for votes cast in his favour during the presidential election. As a result of the investigation both Bin Hammam and Warner were suspended. Warner reacted to his suspension by questioning Blatter's conduct and adding that FIFA secretary general, Jerome Valcke, had told him via e-mail that Qatar had bought the 2022 World Cup. Valcke subsequently issued a statement denying he had suggested it was bribery, saying instead that the country had "used its financial muscle to lobby for support." Qatar officials denied any impropriety. Bin Hammam also responded by writing to FIFA, protesting unfair treatment in suspension by the FIFA Ethics Committee and FIFA administration.
Further evidence emerged of alleged corruption. On 30 May 2011, Fred Lunn, vice-president of the Bahamas Football Association, said that he was given $40,000 in cash as an incitement to vote for FIFA presidential candidate, Mohamed bin Hammam. In addition, on 11 June 2011 Louis Giskus, president of the Surinamese Football Association, alleged that he was given $40,000 in cash for "development projects" as an incentive to vote for Bin Hammam.
RESPONSE TO ALLEGATIONS
After being re-elected as President of FIFA Sepp Blatter responded to the allegations by promising to reform FIFA in wake of the bribery scandal, with Danny Jordaan, CEO of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, saying there is great expectation for reform. Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger is being tipped for a role on the newly proposed 'Solutions Committee', and former Netherlands national football team player Johan Cruyff is also being linked with a role.
UEFA secretary general Gianni Infantino said he hopes for "concrete" measures to be taken by the world game's authority. Saying that "the UEFA executive committee has taken note of the will of FIFA to take concrete and effective measures for good governance ... [and is] following the situation closely.
After being re-elected as President of FIFA Sepp Blatter responded to the allegations by promising to reform FIFA in wake of the bribery scandal, with Danny Jordaan, CEO of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, saying there is great expectation for reform. Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger is being tipped for a role on the newly proposed 'Solutions Committee', and former Netherlands national football team player Johan Cruyff is also being linked with a role.
UEFA secretary general Gianni Infantino said he hopes for "concrete" measures to be taken by the world game's authority. Saying that "the UEFA executive committee has taken note of the will of FIFA to take concrete and effective measures for good governance ... [and is] following the situation closely.
IOC president Jacques Rogge commented on the situation by saying that he believes FIFA "can emerge stronger" from its worst ever crisis, stating that "I will not point a finger and lecture ... I am sure FIFA can emerge stronger and from within.
Several of FIFA's partners and sponsors have raised concerns about the allegations of corruption, including Coca-Cola, Adidas, Emirates and Visa. Coca-Cola raised concerns by saying "the current allegations being raised are distressing and bad for the sport"; with Adidas saying "the negative tenor of the public debate around Fifa at the moment is neither good for football nor for Fifa and its partners"; moreover Emirates raised its concerns by saying "we hope that these issues will be resolved as soon as possible"; and Visa adding "the current situation is clearly not good for the game and we ask that Fifa take all necessary steps to resolve the concerns that have been raised.
Australian Sports Minister Mark Arbib said it was clear FIFA needed to change, saying "there is no doubt there needs to be reform of FIFA. This is something that we're hearing worldwide", with Australian Senator Nick Xenophon accusing FIFA of "scamming" the country out of the A$46 million (US$49 million) it spent on the Australia 2022 FIFA World Cup bid, saying that "until the investigation into FIFA has been completed, Australia must hold off spending any more taxpayers' money on any future World Cup bids.
Theo Zwanziger, President of the German Football Association, also called on FIFA to re-examine the awarding of the 2022 FIFA World Cup to Qatar.
Transparency International, which had called on FIFA to postpone the election pending a full independent investigation, renewed its call on FIFA to change its governance structure.
Moreover, former Argentine football player Diego Maradona was critical of FIFA in light of the corruption scandal, comparing members of the board to dinosaurs. He said "Fifa is a big museum. They are dinosaurs who do not want to relinquish power. It's always going to be the same." In October 2011, Dick Pound criticized the organization, saying, "FIFA has fallen far short of a credible demonstration that it recognizes the many problems it faces, that it has the will to solve them, that it is willing to be transparent about what it is doing and what it finds, and that its conduct in the future will be such that the public can be confident in the governance of the sport.
VIDEO REPLAY CONTROVERSY
FIFA does not permit video evidence during matches, although it is permitted for subsequent sanctions. The 1970 meeting of the International Football Association Board "agreed to request the television authorities to refrain from any slow-motion play-back which reflected, or might reflect, adversely on any decision of the referee". In 2008, FIFA President Sepp Blatter said: "Let it be as it is and let's leave [football] with errors. The television companies will have the right to say [the referee] was right or wrong, but still the referee makes the decision – a man, not a machine."
It has been said that instant replay is needed given the difficulty of tracking the activities of 22 players on such a large field, and it has been proposed that instant replay be used in penalty incidents, fouls which lead to bookings or red cards and whether the ball has crossed the goal line, since those events are more likely than others to be game changing.
Critics point out that instant replay is already in use in other sports, including rugby union, cricket, American football, Canadian football, basketball, baseball, tennis, and ice hockey. As one notable proponent of video replay, Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz has been quoted as saying that the "credibility of the game" is at stake.
An incident during a second-round game in the 2010 FIFA World Cup between England and Germany, where a shot by Frank Lampard, which would have leveled the scores at 2–2, crossed the line but was not seen to do so by the match officials, led FIFA officials to declare that they will re-examine the use of goal-line technology.
FIFA does not permit video evidence during matches, although it is permitted for subsequent sanctions. The 1970 meeting of the International Football Association Board "agreed to request the television authorities to refrain from any slow-motion play-back which reflected, or might reflect, adversely on any decision of the referee". In 2008, FIFA President Sepp Blatter said: "Let it be as it is and let's leave [football] with errors. The television companies will have the right to say [the referee] was right or wrong, but still the referee makes the decision – a man, not a machine."
It has been said that instant replay is needed given the difficulty of tracking the activities of 22 players on such a large field, and it has been proposed that instant replay be used in penalty incidents, fouls which lead to bookings or red cards and whether the ball has crossed the goal line, since those events are more likely than others to be game changing.
Critics point out that instant replay is already in use in other sports, including rugby union, cricket, American football, Canadian football, basketball, baseball, tennis, and ice hockey. As one notable proponent of video replay, Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz has been quoted as saying that the "credibility of the game" is at stake.
An incident during a second-round game in the 2010 FIFA World Cup between England and Germany, where a shot by Frank Lampard, which would have leveled the scores at 2–2, crossed the line but was not seen to do so by the match officials, led FIFA officials to declare that they will re-examine the use of goal-line technology.
FIFA STRUCTURED TOURNAMENTS
Men's tournaments
Men's tournaments
- FIFA World Cup
- FIFA Confederations Cup
- FIFA U-20 World Cup
- FIFA U-17 World Cup
- FIFA Club World Cup
- FIFA Futsal World Cup
- FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup
- Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup
Women's tournaments
- FIFA Women's World Cup
- FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup
- FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup
Minggu, 15 September 2013
Association football
Association football, commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball. It is played by 250 million players in over 200 countries, making it the world's most popular sport. The game is played on a rectangular field with a goal at each end. The object of the game is to score by using any part of the body besides the arms and hands to get the football into the opposing goal.
The goalkeepers are the only players allowed to touch the ball with their hands or arms while it is in play and then only in their penalty area. Outfield players mostly use their feet to strike or pass the ball, but may use their head or torso to strike the ball instead. The team that scores the most goals by the end of the match wins. If the score is tied at the end of the game, either a draw is declared or the game goes into extra time and/or a penalty shootout depending on the format of the competition. The Laws of the Game were originally codified in England by The Football Association in 1863. Association football is governed internationally by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA; French: Fédération Internationale de Football Association) which organises a World Cup every four years.
HISTORY
The goalkeepers are the only players allowed to touch the ball with their hands or arms while it is in play and then only in their penalty area. Outfield players mostly use their feet to strike or pass the ball, but may use their head or torso to strike the ball instead. The team that scores the most goals by the end of the match wins. If the score is tied at the end of the game, either a draw is declared or the game goes into extra time and/or a penalty shootout depending on the format of the competition. The Laws of the Game were originally codified in England by The Football Association in 1863. Association football is governed internationally by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA; French: Fédération Internationale de Football Association) which organises a World Cup every four years.
HISTORY
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| England playing Scotland in a representative match in 1872 at The Oval |
Two of the earliest recorded football type games from Europe include Episkyros from Ancient Greece and the Roman version Harpastum, which similar to pre-codified "Mob Football" involved more handling the ball than kicking. Many earlier competitive games revolving around the kicking of a ball have been played in a few countries throughout history, such as cuju in China. Non-competitive games included kemari in Japan and woggabaliri in Australia. The modern rules of association football are based on the mid-19th century efforts to standardise the widely varying forms of football played in the public schools of England. The history of football in England dates back to at least the eighth century.
The Cambridge Rules, first drawn up at Cambridge University in 1848, were particularly influential in the development of subsequent codes, including association football. The Cambridge Rules were written at Trinity College, Cambridge, at a meeting attended by representatives from Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Winchester and Shrewsbury schools. They were not universally adopted. During the 1850s, many clubs unconnected to schools or universities were formed throughout the English-speaking world, to play various forms of football. Some came up with their own distinct codes of rules, most notably the Sheffield Football Club, formed by former public school pupils in 1857, which led to formation of a Sheffield FA in 1867. In 1862, John Charles Thring of Uppingham School also devised an influential set of rules.
These ongoing efforts contributed to the formation of The Football Association (The FA) in 1863, which first met on the morning of 26 October 1863 at the Freemasons' Tavern in Great Queen Street, London. The only school to be represented on this occasion was Charterhouse. The Freemason's Tavern was the setting for five more meetings between October and December, which eventually produced the first comprehensive set of rules. At the final meeting, the first FA treasurer, the representative from Blackheath, withdrew his club from the FA over the removal of two draft rules at the previous meeting: the first allowed for running with the ball in hand; the second for obstructing such a run by hacking (kicking an opponent in the shins), tripping and holding. Other English rugby clubs followed this lead and did not join the FA and instead in 1871 formed the Rugby Football Union. The eleven remaining clubs, under the charge of Ebenezer Cobb Morley, went on to ratify the original thirteen laws of the game.[13] These rules included handling of the ball by "marks" and the lack of a crossbar, rules which made it remarkably similar to Victorian rules football being developed at that time in Australia. The Sheffield FA played by its own rules until the 1870s with the FA absorbing some of its rules until there was little difference between the games.
The Cambridge Rules, first drawn up at Cambridge University in 1848, were particularly influential in the development of subsequent codes, including association football. The Cambridge Rules were written at Trinity College, Cambridge, at a meeting attended by representatives from Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Winchester and Shrewsbury schools. They were not universally adopted. During the 1850s, many clubs unconnected to schools or universities were formed throughout the English-speaking world, to play various forms of football. Some came up with their own distinct codes of rules, most notably the Sheffield Football Club, formed by former public school pupils in 1857, which led to formation of a Sheffield FA in 1867. In 1862, John Charles Thring of Uppingham School also devised an influential set of rules.
These ongoing efforts contributed to the formation of The Football Association (The FA) in 1863, which first met on the morning of 26 October 1863 at the Freemasons' Tavern in Great Queen Street, London. The only school to be represented on this occasion was Charterhouse. The Freemason's Tavern was the setting for five more meetings between October and December, which eventually produced the first comprehensive set of rules. At the final meeting, the first FA treasurer, the representative from Blackheath, withdrew his club from the FA over the removal of two draft rules at the previous meeting: the first allowed for running with the ball in hand; the second for obstructing such a run by hacking (kicking an opponent in the shins), tripping and holding. Other English rugby clubs followed this lead and did not join the FA and instead in 1871 formed the Rugby Football Union. The eleven remaining clubs, under the charge of Ebenezer Cobb Morley, went on to ratify the original thirteen laws of the game.[13] These rules included handling of the ball by "marks" and the lack of a crossbar, rules which made it remarkably similar to Victorian rules football being developed at that time in Australia. The Sheffield FA played by its own rules until the 1870s with the FA absorbing some of its rules until there was little difference between the games.
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| The Royal Engineers team who reached the first FA Cup final in 1872 |
The laws of the game are currently determined by the International Football Association Board (IFAB). The Board was formed in 1886 after a meeting in Manchester of The Football Association, the Scottish Football Association, the Football Association of Wales, and the Irish Football Association. The world's oldest football competition is the FA Cup, which was founded by C. W. Alcock and has been contested by English teams since 1872. The first official international football match took place in 1872 between Scotland and England in Glasgow, again at the instigation of C. W. Alcock. England is home to the world's first football league, which was founded in Birmingham in 1888 by Aston Villa director William McGregor. The original format contained 12 clubs from the Midlands and Northern England. FIFA, the international football body, was formed in Paris in 1904 and declared that they would adhere to Laws of the Game of the Football Association. The growing popularity of the international game led to the admittance of FIFA representatives to the International Football Association Board in 1913. The board currently consists of four representatives from FIFA and one representative from each of the four British associations.
Today, football is played at a professional level all over the world. Millions of people regularly go to football stadiums to follow their favourite teams, while billions more watch the game on television or on the internet. A very large number of people also play football at an amateur level. According to a survey conducted by FIFA published in 2001, over 240 million people from more than 200 countries regularly play football. Football has the highest global television audience in sport.
In many parts of the world football evokes great passions and plays an important role in the life of individual fans, local communities, and even nations. R. Kapuscinski says that people who are polite, modest or even humble in Europe fall easily into rage with playing or watching soccer games. The Côte d'Ivoire national football team helped secure a truce to the nation's civil war in 2006 and it helped further reduce tensions between government and rebel forces in 2007 by playing a match in the rebel capital of Bouaké, an occasion that brought both armies together peacefully for the first time. By contrast, football is widely considered to have been the final proximate cause for the Football War in June 1969 between El Salvador and Honduras. The sport also exacerbated tensions at the beginning of the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s, when a match between Dinamo Zagreb and Red Star Belgrade degenerated into rioting in May 1990.
ETYMOLOGY AND NAME
The rules of association football were codified in England by the Football Association in 1863 and the name association football was coined to distinguish the game from the other forms of football played at the time, specifically rugby football. The term soccer originated in England, first appearing in the 1880s as an Oxford "-er" abbreviation of the word "association".
Within the English-speaking world, association football is now usually called football in the United Kingdom, and mainly soccer in Canada and the United States. Other countries, such as Australia and New Zealand, may use either or both terms.
Today, football is played at a professional level all over the world. Millions of people regularly go to football stadiums to follow their favourite teams, while billions more watch the game on television or on the internet. A very large number of people also play football at an amateur level. According to a survey conducted by FIFA published in 2001, over 240 million people from more than 200 countries regularly play football. Football has the highest global television audience in sport.
In many parts of the world football evokes great passions and plays an important role in the life of individual fans, local communities, and even nations. R. Kapuscinski says that people who are polite, modest or even humble in Europe fall easily into rage with playing or watching soccer games. The Côte d'Ivoire national football team helped secure a truce to the nation's civil war in 2006 and it helped further reduce tensions between government and rebel forces in 2007 by playing a match in the rebel capital of Bouaké, an occasion that brought both armies together peacefully for the first time. By contrast, football is widely considered to have been the final proximate cause for the Football War in June 1969 between El Salvador and Honduras. The sport also exacerbated tensions at the beginning of the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s, when a match between Dinamo Zagreb and Red Star Belgrade degenerated into rioting in May 1990.
ETYMOLOGY AND NAME
The rules of association football were codified in England by the Football Association in 1863 and the name association football was coined to distinguish the game from the other forms of football played at the time, specifically rugby football. The term soccer originated in England, first appearing in the 1880s as an Oxford "-er" abbreviation of the word "association".
Within the English-speaking world, association football is now usually called football in the United Kingdom, and mainly soccer in Canada and the United States. Other countries, such as Australia and New Zealand, may use either or both terms.
GAMEPLAY
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| A goalkeeper saving a close-range shot from inside the penalty area |
Association football is played in accordance with a set of rules known as the Laws of the Game. The game is played using a spherical ball (of 71 cm (28 in) circumference in FIFA play), known as the football (or soccer ball). Two teams of eleven players each compete to get the ball into the other team's goal (between the posts and under the bar), thereby scoring a goal. The team that has scored more goals at the end of the game is the winner; if both teams have scored an equal number of goals then the game is a draw. Each team is led by a captain who has only one official responsibility as mandated by the Laws of the Game: to be involved in the coin toss prior to kick-off or penalty kicks.
The primary law is that players other than goalkeepers may not deliberately handle the ball with their hands or arms during play, though they do use their hands during a throw-in restart. Although players usually use their feet to move the ball around, they may use any part of their body (notably, "heading" with the forehead) other than their hands or arms. Within normal play, all players are free to play the ball in any direction and move throughout the pitch, though the ball cannot be received in an offside position.
In typical game play, players attempt to create goal-scoring opportunities through individual control of the ball, such as by dribbling, passing the ball to a team-mate, and by taking shots at the goal, which is guarded by the opposing goalkeeper. Opposing players may try to regain control of the ball by intercepting a pass or through tackling the opponent in possession of the ball; however, physical contact between opponents is restricted. Football is generally a free-flowing game, with play stopping only when the ball has left the field of play or when play is stopped by the referee for an infringement of the rules. After a stoppage, play recommences with a specified restart.
At a professional level, most matches produce only a few goals. For example, the 2005–06 season of the English Premier League produced an average of 2.48 goals per match. The Laws of the Game do not specify any player positions other than goalkeeper, but a number of specialised roles have evolved. Broadly, these include three main categories: strikers, or forwards, whose main task is to score goals; defenders, who specialise in preventing their opponents from scoring; and midfielders, who dispossess the opposition and keep possession of the ball in order to pass it to the forwards on their team. Players in these positions are referred to as outfield players, in order to distinguish them from the goalkeeper. These positions are further subdivided according to the area of the field in which the player spends most time. For example, there are central defenders, and left and right midfielders. The ten outfield players may be arranged in any combination. The number of players in each position determines the style of the team's play; more forwards and fewer defenders creates a more aggressive and offensive-minded game, while the reverse creates a slower, more defensive style of play. While players typically spend most of the game in a specific position, there are few restrictions on player movement, and players can switch positions at any time. The layout of a team's players is known as a formation. Defining the team's formation and tactics is usually the prerogative of the team's manager.
The primary law is that players other than goalkeepers may not deliberately handle the ball with their hands or arms during play, though they do use their hands during a throw-in restart. Although players usually use their feet to move the ball around, they may use any part of their body (notably, "heading" with the forehead) other than their hands or arms. Within normal play, all players are free to play the ball in any direction and move throughout the pitch, though the ball cannot be received in an offside position.
In typical game play, players attempt to create goal-scoring opportunities through individual control of the ball, such as by dribbling, passing the ball to a team-mate, and by taking shots at the goal, which is guarded by the opposing goalkeeper. Opposing players may try to regain control of the ball by intercepting a pass or through tackling the opponent in possession of the ball; however, physical contact between opponents is restricted. Football is generally a free-flowing game, with play stopping only when the ball has left the field of play or when play is stopped by the referee for an infringement of the rules. After a stoppage, play recommences with a specified restart.
At a professional level, most matches produce only a few goals. For example, the 2005–06 season of the English Premier League produced an average of 2.48 goals per match. The Laws of the Game do not specify any player positions other than goalkeeper, but a number of specialised roles have evolved. Broadly, these include three main categories: strikers, or forwards, whose main task is to score goals; defenders, who specialise in preventing their opponents from scoring; and midfielders, who dispossess the opposition and keep possession of the ball in order to pass it to the forwards on their team. Players in these positions are referred to as outfield players, in order to distinguish them from the goalkeeper. These positions are further subdivided according to the area of the field in which the player spends most time. For example, there are central defenders, and left and right midfielders. The ten outfield players may be arranged in any combination. The number of players in each position determines the style of the team's play; more forwards and fewer defenders creates a more aggressive and offensive-minded game, while the reverse creates a slower, more defensive style of play. While players typically spend most of the game in a specific position, there are few restrictions on player movement, and players can switch positions at any time. The layout of a team's players is known as a formation. Defining the team's formation and tactics is usually the prerogative of the team's manager.
LAWS
There are 17 laws in the official Laws of the Game, each containing a collection of stipulation and guidelines. The same laws are designed to apply to all levels of football, although certain modifications for groups such as juniors, seniors, women and people with physical disabilities are permitted. The laws are often framed in broad terms, which allow flexibility in their application depending on the nature of the game. The Laws of the Game are published by FIFA, but are maintained by the International Football Association Board (IFAB). In addition to the seventeen laws, numerous IFAB decisions and other directives contribute to the regulation of football.
There are 17 laws in the official Laws of the Game, each containing a collection of stipulation and guidelines. The same laws are designed to apply to all levels of football, although certain modifications for groups such as juniors, seniors, women and people with physical disabilities are permitted. The laws are often framed in broad terms, which allow flexibility in their application depending on the nature of the game. The Laws of the Game are published by FIFA, but are maintained by the International Football Association Board (IFAB). In addition to the seventeen laws, numerous IFAB decisions and other directives contribute to the regulation of football.
PLAYERS, EQUIPMENT, AND OFFICIALS
Each team consists of a maximum of eleven players (excluding substitutes), one of whom must be the goalkeeper. Competition rules may state a minimum number of players required to constitute a team, which is usually seven. Goalkeepers are the only players allowed to play the ball with their hands or arms, provided they do so within the penalty area in front of their own goal. Though there are a variety of positions in which the outfield (non-goalkeeper) players are strategically placed by a coach, these positions are not defined or required by the Laws.
The basic equipment or kit players are required to wear includes a shirt, shorts, socks, footwear and adequate shin guards. Headgear is not a required piece of basic equipment, but players today may choose to wear it to protect themselves from head injury. Players are forbidden to wear or use anything that is dangerous to themselves or another player, such as jewellery or watches. The goalkeeper must wear clothing that is easily distinguishable from that worn by the other players and the match officials.
A number of players may be replaced by substitutes during the course of the game. The maximum number of substitutions permitted in most competitive international and domestic league games is three, though the permitted number may vary in other competitions or in friendly matches. Common reasons for a substitution include injury, tiredness, ineffectiveness, a tactical switch, or timewasting at the end of a finely poised game. In standard adult matches, a player who has been substituted may not take further part in a match. IFAB recommends that "that a match should not continue if there are fewer than seven players in either team." Any decision regarding points awarded for abandoned games is left to the individual football associations.
A game is officiated by a referee, who has "full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed" (Law 5), and whose decisions are final. The referee is assisted by two assistant referees. In many high-level games there is also a fourth official who assists the referee and may replace another official should the need arise.
Each team consists of a maximum of eleven players (excluding substitutes), one of whom must be the goalkeeper. Competition rules may state a minimum number of players required to constitute a team, which is usually seven. Goalkeepers are the only players allowed to play the ball with their hands or arms, provided they do so within the penalty area in front of their own goal. Though there are a variety of positions in which the outfield (non-goalkeeper) players are strategically placed by a coach, these positions are not defined or required by the Laws.
The basic equipment or kit players are required to wear includes a shirt, shorts, socks, footwear and adequate shin guards. Headgear is not a required piece of basic equipment, but players today may choose to wear it to protect themselves from head injury. Players are forbidden to wear or use anything that is dangerous to themselves or another player, such as jewellery or watches. The goalkeeper must wear clothing that is easily distinguishable from that worn by the other players and the match officials.
A number of players may be replaced by substitutes during the course of the game. The maximum number of substitutions permitted in most competitive international and domestic league games is three, though the permitted number may vary in other competitions or in friendly matches. Common reasons for a substitution include injury, tiredness, ineffectiveness, a tactical switch, or timewasting at the end of a finely poised game. In standard adult matches, a player who has been substituted may not take further part in a match. IFAB recommends that "that a match should not continue if there are fewer than seven players in either team." Any decision regarding points awarded for abandoned games is left to the individual football associations.
A game is officiated by a referee, who has "full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed" (Law 5), and whose decisions are final. The referee is assisted by two assistant referees. In many high-level games there is also a fourth official who assists the referee and may replace another official should the need arise.
PITCH
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| Standard pitch measurements (See Imperial version) |
As the Laws were formulated in England, and were initially administered solely by the four British football associations within IFAB, the standard dimensions of a football pitch were originally expressed in imperial units. The Laws now express dimensions with approximate metric equivalents (followed by traditional units in brackets), though popular use tends to continue to use traditional units in English-speaking countries with a relatively recent history of metrication (or only partial metrication), such as Britain.
The length of the pitch for international adult matches is in the range of 100–110 m (110–120 yd) and the width is in the range of 64–75 m (70–80 yd). Fields for non-international matches may be 90–120 m (100–130 yd) length and 45–90 m (50–100 yd) in width, provided that the pitch does not become square. Although in 2008, the IFAB initially approved a fixed size of 105 m (344 ft) long and 68 m (223 ft) wide as a standard pitch dimension for A international matches, this decision was later put on hold and was never actually implemented.
The longer boundary lines are touchlines, while the shorter boundaries (on which the goals are placed) are goal lines. A rectangular goal is positioned at the middle of each goal line. The inner edges of the vertical goal posts must be 7.32 m (8 yd) apart, and the lower edge of the horizontal crossbar supported by the goal posts must be 2.44 m (8 ft) above the ground. Nets are usually placed behind the goal, but are not required by the Laws.
In front of each goal is an area known as the penalty area. This area is marked by the goal line, two lines starting on the goal line 16.5 m (18 yd) from the goalposts and extending 16.5 m (18 yd) into the pitch perpendicular to the goal line, and a line joining them. This area has a number of functions, the most prominent being to mark where the goalkeeper may handle the ball and where a penalty foul by a member of the defending team becomes punishable by a penalty kick. Other markings define the position of the ball or players at kick-offs, goal kicks, penalty kicks and corner kicks.
The length of the pitch for international adult matches is in the range of 100–110 m (110–120 yd) and the width is in the range of 64–75 m (70–80 yd). Fields for non-international matches may be 90–120 m (100–130 yd) length and 45–90 m (50–100 yd) in width, provided that the pitch does not become square. Although in 2008, the IFAB initially approved a fixed size of 105 m (344 ft) long and 68 m (223 ft) wide as a standard pitch dimension for A international matches, this decision was later put on hold and was never actually implemented.
The longer boundary lines are touchlines, while the shorter boundaries (on which the goals are placed) are goal lines. A rectangular goal is positioned at the middle of each goal line. The inner edges of the vertical goal posts must be 7.32 m (8 yd) apart, and the lower edge of the horizontal crossbar supported by the goal posts must be 2.44 m (8 ft) above the ground. Nets are usually placed behind the goal, but are not required by the Laws.
In front of each goal is an area known as the penalty area. This area is marked by the goal line, two lines starting on the goal line 16.5 m (18 yd) from the goalposts and extending 16.5 m (18 yd) into the pitch perpendicular to the goal line, and a line joining them. This area has a number of functions, the most prominent being to mark where the goalkeeper may handle the ball and where a penalty foul by a member of the defending team becomes punishable by a penalty kick. Other markings define the position of the ball or players at kick-offs, goal kicks, penalty kicks and corner kicks.
DURATION AND TIE-BREAKING METHODS
A standard adult football match consists of two periods of 45 minutes each, known as halves. Each half runs continuously, meaning that the clock is not stopped when the ball is out of play. There is usually a 15-minute half-time break between halves. The end of the match is known as full-time. The referee is the official timekeeper for the match, and may make an allowance for time lost through substitutions, injured players requiring attention, or other stoppages. This added time is most commonly referred to as stoppage time or injury time, while loss time can also be used as a synonym. The duration of stoppage time is at the sole discretion of the referee. The referee alone signals the end of the match. In matches where a fourth official is appointed, toward the end of the half the referee signals how many minutes of stoppage time he intends to add. The fourth official then informs the players and spectators by holding up a board showing this number. The signalled stoppage time may be further extended by the referee. Added time was introduced because of an incident which happened in 1891 during a match between Stoke and Aston Villa. Trailing 1–0 and with just two minutes remaining, Stoke were awarded a penalty. Villa's goalkeeper kicked the ball out of the ground, and by the time the ball had been recovered, the 90 minutes had elapsed and the game was over. The same law also stands that the duration of either half is extended until the penalty kick to be taken or retaken is completed, thus no game shall end with a penalty to be taken.
In league competitions, games may end in a draw. In knockout competitions where a winner is required various methods may be employed to break such a deadlock, some competitions may invoke replays. A game tied at the end of regulation time may go into extra time, which consists of two further 15-minute periods. If the score is still tied after extra time, some competitions allow the use of penalty shootouts (known officially in the Laws of the Game as "kicks from the penalty mark") to determine which team will progress to the next stage of the tournament. Goals scored during extra time periods count toward the final score of the game, but kicks from the penalty mark are only used to decide the team that progresses to the next part of the tournament (with goals scored in a penalty shootout not making up part of the final score).
In competitions using two-legged matches, each team competes at home once, with an aggregate score from the two matches deciding which team progresses. Where aggregates are equal, the away goals rule may be used to determine the winners, in which case the winner is the team that scored the most goals in the leg they played away from home. If the result is still equal, extra time and potentially a penalty shootout are required.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the IFAB experimented with ways of creating a winner without requiring a penalty shootout, which was often seen as an undesirable way to end a match. These involved rules ending a game in extra time early, either when the first goal in extra time was scored (golden goal), or if one team held a lead at the end of the first period of extra time (silver goal). Golden goal was used at the World Cup in 1998 and 2002. The first World Cup game decided by a golden goal was France's victory over Paraguay in 1998. Germany was the first nation to score a golden goal in a major competition, beating Czech Republic in the final of Euro 1996. Silver goal was used in Euro 2004. Both these experiments have been discontinued by IFAB.
A standard adult football match consists of two periods of 45 minutes each, known as halves. Each half runs continuously, meaning that the clock is not stopped when the ball is out of play. There is usually a 15-minute half-time break between halves. The end of the match is known as full-time. The referee is the official timekeeper for the match, and may make an allowance for time lost through substitutions, injured players requiring attention, or other stoppages. This added time is most commonly referred to as stoppage time or injury time, while loss time can also be used as a synonym. The duration of stoppage time is at the sole discretion of the referee. The referee alone signals the end of the match. In matches where a fourth official is appointed, toward the end of the half the referee signals how many minutes of stoppage time he intends to add. The fourth official then informs the players and spectators by holding up a board showing this number. The signalled stoppage time may be further extended by the referee. Added time was introduced because of an incident which happened in 1891 during a match between Stoke and Aston Villa. Trailing 1–0 and with just two minutes remaining, Stoke were awarded a penalty. Villa's goalkeeper kicked the ball out of the ground, and by the time the ball had been recovered, the 90 minutes had elapsed and the game was over. The same law also stands that the duration of either half is extended until the penalty kick to be taken or retaken is completed, thus no game shall end with a penalty to be taken.
In league competitions, games may end in a draw. In knockout competitions where a winner is required various methods may be employed to break such a deadlock, some competitions may invoke replays. A game tied at the end of regulation time may go into extra time, which consists of two further 15-minute periods. If the score is still tied after extra time, some competitions allow the use of penalty shootouts (known officially in the Laws of the Game as "kicks from the penalty mark") to determine which team will progress to the next stage of the tournament. Goals scored during extra time periods count toward the final score of the game, but kicks from the penalty mark are only used to decide the team that progresses to the next part of the tournament (with goals scored in a penalty shootout not making up part of the final score).
In competitions using two-legged matches, each team competes at home once, with an aggregate score from the two matches deciding which team progresses. Where aggregates are equal, the away goals rule may be used to determine the winners, in which case the winner is the team that scored the most goals in the leg they played away from home. If the result is still equal, extra time and potentially a penalty shootout are required.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the IFAB experimented with ways of creating a winner without requiring a penalty shootout, which was often seen as an undesirable way to end a match. These involved rules ending a game in extra time early, either when the first goal in extra time was scored (golden goal), or if one team held a lead at the end of the first period of extra time (silver goal). Golden goal was used at the World Cup in 1998 and 2002. The first World Cup game decided by a golden goal was France's victory over Paraguay in 1998. Germany was the first nation to score a golden goal in a major competition, beating Czech Republic in the final of Euro 1996. Silver goal was used in Euro 2004. Both these experiments have been discontinued by IFAB.
BALL IN AND OUT OF PLAY
Under the Laws, the two basic states of play during a game are ball in play and ball out of play. From the beginning of each playing period with a kick-off until the end of the playing period, the ball is in play at all times, except when either the ball leaves the field of play, or play is stopped by the referee. When the ball becomes out of play, play is restarted by one of eight restart methods depending on how it went out of play:
Under the Laws, the two basic states of play during a game are ball in play and ball out of play. From the beginning of each playing period with a kick-off until the end of the playing period, the ball is in play at all times, except when either the ball leaves the field of play, or play is stopped by the referee. When the ball becomes out of play, play is restarted by one of eight restart methods depending on how it went out of play:
- Kick-off : following a goal by the opposing team, or to begin each period of play.
- Throw-in : when the ball has crossed the touchline; awarded to opposing team to that which last touched the ball.
- Goal kick : when the ball has wholly crossed the goal line without a goal having been scored and having last been touched by a player of the attacking team; awarded to defending team.
- Corner kick : when the ball has wholly crossed the goal line without a goal having been scored and having last been touched by a player of the defending team; awarded to attacking team.
- Indirect free kick : awarded to the opposing team following "non-penal" fouls, certain technical infringements, or when play is stopped to caution or dismiss an opponent without a specific foul having occurred. A goal may not be scored directly (without the ball first touching another player) from an indirect free kick.
- Direct free kick : awarded to fouled team following certain listed "penal" fouls. A goal may be scored directly from a direct free kick.
- Penalty kick : awarded to the fouled team following a foul usually punishable by a direct free kick but that has occurred within their opponent's penalty area.
- Dropped-ball : occurs when the referee has stopped play for any other reason, such as a serious injury to a player, interference by an external party, or a ball becoming defective.
ON-FIELD
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A player scores a penalty kick given after an offence is committed inside the penalty area |
A foul occurs when a player commits an offence listed in the Laws of the Game while the ball is in play. The offences that constitute a foul are listed in Law 12. Handling the ball deliberately, tripping an opponent, or pushing an opponent, are examples of "penal fouls", punishable by a direct free kick or penalty kick depending on where the offence occurred. Other fouls are punishable by an indirect free kick.
The referee may punish a player's or substitute's misconduct by a caution (yellow card) or dismissal (red card). A second yellow card at the same game leads to a red card, and therefore to a dismissal. A player given a yellow card is said to have been "booked", the referee writing the player's name in his official notebook. If a player has been dismissed, no substitute can be brought on in their place. Misconduct may occur at any time, and while the offences that constitute misconduct are listed, the definitions are broad. In particular, the offence of "unsporting behaviour" may be used to deal with most events that violate the spirit of the game, even if they are not listed as specific offences. A referee can show a yellow or red card to a player, substitute or substituted player. Non-players such as managers and support staff cannot be shown the yellow or red card, but may be expelled from the technical area if they fail to conduct themselves in a responsible manner.
The referee may punish a player's or substitute's misconduct by a caution (yellow card) or dismissal (red card). A second yellow card at the same game leads to a red card, and therefore to a dismissal. A player given a yellow card is said to have been "booked", the referee writing the player's name in his official notebook. If a player has been dismissed, no substitute can be brought on in their place. Misconduct may occur at any time, and while the offences that constitute misconduct are listed, the definitions are broad. In particular, the offence of "unsporting behaviour" may be used to deal with most events that violate the spirit of the game, even if they are not listed as specific offences. A referee can show a yellow or red card to a player, substitute or substituted player. Non-players such as managers and support staff cannot be shown the yellow or red card, but may be expelled from the technical area if they fail to conduct themselves in a responsible manner.
Rather than stopping play, the referee may allow play to continue if doing so will benefit the team against which an offence has been committed. This is known as "playing an advantage". The referee may "call back" play and penalise the original offence if the anticipated advantage does not ensue within "a few seconds". Even if an offence is not penalised due to advantage being played, the offender may still be sanctioned for misconduct at the next stoppage of play.
The referee's decision in all on-pitch matters is considered final. The score of a match cannot be altered after the game, even if later evidence shows that decisions (including awards/non-awards of goals) were incorrect.
The referee's decision in all on-pitch matters is considered final. The score of a match cannot be altered after the game, even if later evidence shows that decisions (including awards/non-awards of goals) were incorrect.
OFF-FIELD
Along with the general administration of the sport, football associations and competition organisers also enforce good conduct in wider aspects of the game, dealing with issues such as comments to the press, clubs' financial management, doping, age fraud and match fixing. Some on-field incidents, if considered very serious (such as allegations of racial abuse), may result in further action than that which is in power of an on-field referee. Some associations allow for appeals against player suspensions incurred on-field if clubs feel a referee was incorrect or unduly harsh.
Sanctions for such infractions may be levied on individuals or on to clubs as a whole. Penalties may include fines, points deductions (in league competitions) or even expulsion from competitions. For example, the English and Scottish leagues will often deduct 10 points from a team that enters financial administration. Among other administrative sanctions are penalties against game forfeiture. Teams that had forfeited a game or had been forfeited against would be awarded a technical loss or win.
Along with the general administration of the sport, football associations and competition organisers also enforce good conduct in wider aspects of the game, dealing with issues such as comments to the press, clubs' financial management, doping, age fraud and match fixing. Some on-field incidents, if considered very serious (such as allegations of racial abuse), may result in further action than that which is in power of an on-field referee. Some associations allow for appeals against player suspensions incurred on-field if clubs feel a referee was incorrect or unduly harsh.
Sanctions for such infractions may be levied on individuals or on to clubs as a whole. Penalties may include fines, points deductions (in league competitions) or even expulsion from competitions. For example, the English and Scottish leagues will often deduct 10 points from a team that enters financial administration. Among other administrative sanctions are penalties against game forfeiture. Teams that had forfeited a game or had been forfeited against would be awarded a technical loss or win.
GOVERNING BODIES
The recognised international governing body of football (and associated games, such as futsal and beach soccer) is FIFA. The FIFA headquarters are located in Zurich. Six regional confederations are associated with FIFA; these are:
The recognised international governing body of football (and associated games, such as futsal and beach soccer) is FIFA. The FIFA headquarters are located in Zurich. Six regional confederations are associated with FIFA; these are:
- Asia: Asian Football Confederation (AFC)
- Africa: Confederation of African Football (CAF)
- Europe: Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)
- North/Central America & Caribbean: Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF)
- Oceania: Oceania Football Confederation (OFC)
- South America: Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol/Confederação Sul-americana de Futebol (South American Football Confederation; CONMEBOL)
National associations oversee football within individual countries. These are generally synonymous with sovereign states, (for example: the Fédération Camerounaise de Football in Cameroon) but also include a smaller number of associations responsible for sub-national entities or autonomous regions (for example the Scottish Football Association in Scotland). 208 national associations are affiliated both with FIFA and with their respective continental confederations.
While FIFA is responsible for arranging competitions and most rules related to international competition, the actual Laws of the Game are set by the International Football Association Board, where each of the UK Associations has one vote, while FIFA collectively has four votes.
While FIFA is responsible for arranging competitions and most rules related to international competition, the actual Laws of the Game are set by the International Football Association Board, where each of the UK Associations has one vote, while FIFA collectively has four votes.
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS
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| A minute's silence before an international match |
The major international competition in football is the World Cup, organised by FIFA. This competition takes place over every four years. Approximately 190–200 national teams compete in qualifying tournaments within the scope of continental confederations for a place in the finals. The finals tournament, which is held every four years, involves 32 national teams competing over a four-week period. The most recent tournament, the 2010 FIFA World Cup, was held in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July, the first to be held on the African continent.
There has been a football tournament at every Summer Olympic Games since 1900, except at the 1932 games in Los Angeles. Before the inception of the World Cup, the Olympics (especially during the 1920s) had the same status as the World Cup. Originally, the event was for amateurs only, however, since the 1984 Summer Olympics professional players have been permitted, albeit with certain restrictions which prevent countries from fielding their strongest sides. Currently, the Olympic men's tournament is played at Under-23 level. In the past the Olympics have allowed a restricted number of over-age players per team;. A women's tournament was added in 1996; in contrast to the men's event, full international sides without age restrictions play the women's Olympic tournament.
After the World Cup, the most important international football competitions are the continental championships, which are organised by each continental confederation and contested between national teams. These are the European Championship (UEFA), the Copa América (CONMEBOL), African Cup of Nations (CAF), the Asian Cup (AFC), the CONCACAF Gold Cup (CONCACAF) and the OFC Nations Cup (OFC). The FIFA Confederations Cup is contested by the winners of all 6 continental championships, the current FIFA World Cup champions and the country which is hosting the Confederations Cup. This is generally regarded as a warm-up tournament for the upcoming FIFA World Cup and does not carry the same prestige as the World Cup itself. The most prestigious competitions in club football are the respective continental championships, which are generally contested between national champions, for example the UEFA Champions League in Europe and the Copa Libertadores de América in South America. The winners of each continental competition contest the FIFA Club World Cup.
There has been a football tournament at every Summer Olympic Games since 1900, except at the 1932 games in Los Angeles. Before the inception of the World Cup, the Olympics (especially during the 1920s) had the same status as the World Cup. Originally, the event was for amateurs only, however, since the 1984 Summer Olympics professional players have been permitted, albeit with certain restrictions which prevent countries from fielding their strongest sides. Currently, the Olympic men's tournament is played at Under-23 level. In the past the Olympics have allowed a restricted number of over-age players per team;. A women's tournament was added in 1996; in contrast to the men's event, full international sides without age restrictions play the women's Olympic tournament.
After the World Cup, the most important international football competitions are the continental championships, which are organised by each continental confederation and contested between national teams. These are the European Championship (UEFA), the Copa América (CONMEBOL), African Cup of Nations (CAF), the Asian Cup (AFC), the CONCACAF Gold Cup (CONCACAF) and the OFC Nations Cup (OFC). The FIFA Confederations Cup is contested by the winners of all 6 continental championships, the current FIFA World Cup champions and the country which is hosting the Confederations Cup. This is generally regarded as a warm-up tournament for the upcoming FIFA World Cup and does not carry the same prestige as the World Cup itself. The most prestigious competitions in club football are the respective continental championships, which are generally contested between national champions, for example the UEFA Champions League in Europe and the Copa Libertadores de América in South America. The winners of each continental competition contest the FIFA Club World Cup.
DOMESTIC COMPETITIONS
The governing bodies in each country operate league systems in a domestic season, normally comprising several divisions, in which the teams gain points throughout the season depending on results. Teams are placed into tables, placing them in order according to points accrued. Most commonly, each team plays every other team in its league at home and away in each season, in a round-robin tournament. At the end of a season, the top team is declared the champion. The top few teams may be promoted to a higher division, and one or more of the teams finishing at the bottom are relegated to a lower division.
The teams finishing at the top of a country's league may be eligible also to play in international club competitions in the following season. The main exceptions to this system occur in some Latin American leagues, which divide football championships into two sections named Apertura and Clausura (Spanish for Opening and Closing), awarding a champion for each. The majority of countries supplement the league system with one or more "cup" competitions organised on a knock-out basis.
Some countries' top divisions feature highly paid star players; in smaller countries and lower divisions, players may be part-timers with a second job, or amateurs. The five top European leagues – the Bundesliga (Germany), Premier League (England), La Liga (Spain), Serie A (Italy), and Ligue 1 (France) – attract most of the world's best players and each of the leagues has a total wage cost in excess of £600 million/€763 million/US$1.185 billion.
The teams finishing at the top of a country's league may be eligible also to play in international club competitions in the following season. The main exceptions to this system occur in some Latin American leagues, which divide football championships into two sections named Apertura and Clausura (Spanish for Opening and Closing), awarding a champion for each. The majority of countries supplement the league system with one or more "cup" competitions organised on a knock-out basis.
Some countries' top divisions feature highly paid star players; in smaller countries and lower divisions, players may be part-timers with a second job, or amateurs. The five top European leagues – the Bundesliga (Germany), Premier League (England), La Liga (Spain), Serie A (Italy), and Ligue 1 (France) – attract most of the world's best players and each of the leagues has a total wage cost in excess of £600 million/€763 million/US$1.185 billion.
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