When Saturday Comes | The half decent football magazine

Remote control

The Iraqi media have been critical of Zico’s managerial performance and his reluctance to live in Baghdad, writes Sam Green

Since being appointed manager of Iraq last August, Zico has repeatedly made it clear that his principal aim is to guide the troubled nation’s football team to the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil. Despite being well positioned to lead the 2007 Asian champions to the tournament in his homeland, the 58-year-old has discovered that winning over the Iraqi media is a more complicated issue.

Thursday, March 1st, 2012 - The Archive

Decline and fall

Monaco were Champions League regulars a decade ago but now they are trying to avoid consecutive relegations, writes James Eastham

Eight years ago Monaco reached the Champions League final. They are now battling against relegation to France’s semi-professional third tier. It is a familiar story of decline. Since Didier Deschamps quit as coach 16 months after that European summit against Porto, a succession of managers, directors and presidents have been turfed out or walked away. Each has taken with him a blueprint for success that either failed or was dropped before coming to fruition.

Thursday, March 1st, 2012 - The Archive

Awards in absentia

John Duerden looks ahead to the Asian Player of the Year award ceremony and the controversial selection process involved to determine the winner

The annual Asian Player of the Year award ceremony held every November should be one of the highlights of the continental football calendar. While even close followers of football in the East would struggle to name the past five recipients, all know the controversial criteria that determine who can, or rather who cannot, win.

Wednesday, February 1st, 2012 - The Archive

Popularity test

A series of fortunate events helped Al Sadd secure a highly unlikely victory in the Asian Champions League, as John Duerden reports

The celebrations didn’t rival those from December last year, when Qatar was named host of World Cup 2022, but Al Sadd’s victory in the 2011 Asian Champions League has been painted as a triumph against the odds – inside the tiny peninsula at least. Elsewhere on the continent, however, the surprise was not a welcome one. All agree that the final itself was a thrilling affair. A crowd of 42,000 packed into the Jeonju World Cup stadium in South Korea to see local team Jeonbuk Motors host the west Asians.

Sunday, January 1st, 2012 - The Archive

Going global

John Duerden on how Lebanon are raising hopes against the odds with a good showing in World Cup qualifying

Lebanon’s German manager, Theo Bücker, was tired of waiting and told the bus driver to leave the Seoul hotel, where the team were preparing for a 2014 World Cup qualifier against South Korea, without one of his players. “If I say five o’clock, I don’t mean two minutes after or two minutes before,” Bücker said. “If a shot hits the crossbar is it a goal even if it had gone in had the shot been two centimetres lower?”

Tuesday, November 1st, 2011 - The Archive

Search: 'South Korea'

Stories

Remote control

The Iraqi media have been critical of Zico’s managerial performance and his reluctance to live in Baghdad, writes Sam Green

Decline and fall

Monaco were Champions League regulars a decade ago but now they are trying to avoid consecutive relegations, writes James Eastham

Awards in absentia

John Duerden looks ahead to the Asian Player of the Year award ceremony and the controversial selection process involved to determine the winner

Popularity test

A series of fortunate events helped Al Sadd secure a highly unlikely victory in the Asian Champions League, as John Duerden reports

Going global

John Duerden on how Lebanon are raising hopes against the odds with a good showing in World Cup qualifying