Author: Endurance Aikpokpodion

Qatar as a country established her first football national team in the year 1970. That was a year before the country gained independence, under the rule of the al-Thani dynasty, from its status as a British protectorate. They are the first country in the gulf region to host a world cup. This is largely due to FIFA’s quest to spread the fun of the beautiful game all round the world. After Sepp Blatter, the then Fifa president, announced that the 22 executive committee members had voted to award the 2022 tournament to a country of only 1.7m people, beating off rival bids from the United States, the firm favorite,Australia, South Korea and Japan, it came as a reliefing success to its World Cup bid team, chaired by Sheikh Mohammed, the son of the then emir (ruler) Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and for that reason, Qatar became the first country since 1934 to host a World Cup having never qualified for one.
Immediately the hosting right was given to the small gulf nations, $18bn has been spent on building seven new stadiums and renovating the Khalifa International stadium, another $200bn was expended on transport and general infrastructure.
The Qataris have dedicated resources to ensure a successful hosting of the mundial and in addition to this wonderful feat, they also worked on achieving a formidable team to represent the nation which was evident in their Asian cup triumph in Abhu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Qatar won the tournament by beating favorite Japan, 3-1, in the Asian Cup final against-all-odds.

Two first-half goals and a late penalty, secured them victory in a tournament coming up after overwhelming difficulties linked to political tensions in the region
The Qatari team will access their strength In June, when it competes as a guest team in South America’s continental championship, the Copa America that will be hosted by Brazil.
Qatar is in a group with Argentina, Colombia and Paraguay.

WEATHER AND TEMPERATURE CONCERNS

At the initial stage, extreme temperatures of 40 to 55 degrees were major concerns for players, organizers and visitors but that isn’t the case anymore as we expect to see the first world cup tournament to be held during the winter with a friendly temperature weather of 25 to 30 degrees.
As it stands, The world cup will be a huge success because of the favorable winter temperature which is a perfect solution to the fears of visitors who that are looking forward to seeing exciting stadiums, the wonderful cities and the perfect road networks inhabited by wonderful people.

Let us all expect a great spectacle from Qatar.

The outcome of Brexit has brought about uncertainties in many sectors of the UK economy and Europe at large, Football, a global game is no exception especially as the proposed new deal with the EU continues to dominate British politics.

The impact it will have on pounds sterling’s value against the euro and the dollar is the biggest challenge that has forced top Football clubs to hold back on transfer deals

Although, the recent publication of Deloitte’s annual money league shows that English Premier League clubs remain cash rich, yet they still seem to be cautious in their transfer dealings. The perception of the foreign players remain very uncertain. Their fears are centered mainly on what visa arrangements might be put in place, whether there will be squad limits on overseas players, and a worrying general economic outlook if the Brexit deal is not properly negotiated.

UNCERTAINTY SURROUNDING THE BROADCASTING ENVIRONMENT

Another disturbing issue is the uncertainty of the broadcasting environment that is likely going to have it’s revenue structure changed.
in the past, clubs would base current signings on future broadcasting revenue streams but currently it is unclear what will come with the brexit arrangement and it has reflected on this current transfer window. While oversees transfer activity has continued as usual, British clubs engaged either in short-term loan deals involving overseas players or permanent deals involving British talents.
Chelsea’s acquisition of USA winger Christian Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund for £58m, who was loaned back to the Bundesliga leaders until the end of the season remains the biggest deal strucked in England. They also brought in Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain on loan from Juventus for the remainder of the campaign – with the option to buy for 36m euros this summer.
Bournemouth were among the busiest clubs by completing three deals foe striker Dominic and right-back Nathaniel on loan from Liverpool while Wales defender Chris Mepham joined from Championship side Brentford for £12m.

What we don’t know is the lasting effect on future transfer dealings and how top players will be attracted to UK but what is certain is the fact that Brexit will by no means affect football and footballer across Europe.

Players who get upset with the managers or coaching staffs and decide not to train properly or give their best on match days deserves boos from the fans they represent. Players fall out with their managers for various reasons, mostly when they are not performing to the required standard in training.

Rightly so, when a player makes mistakes in training or does not put in the deserved work rate on match days, it is the duty of the manager to Wade in.

professional footballers have to cope with issues such as this because it’s part of their job.

This isn’t the case with some modern footballers who feel they are bigger than the manager and the club that pays them hefty wage on a weekly basis.

FOOTBALLERS ARE NOT BEING PROFESSIONAL ENOUGH

Obviously, every manager is not going to get along with all players and not all player will like their managers But as a professional footballer, you play for the team wholeheartedly no matter the row or disagreements u may have had with the manager.

That is why I find it difficult to understand pogba’s attitude during the time of his row with erstwhile manager, Jose. He practically dropped his form, he decided not to play for the manager and as if that wasn’t enough, he influenced other players which led to many disgraceful results for Manchester United.

Professional footballers have to emulate players like Roy Keane, David Beckham and Ruud van Nisteroy, I remembered the time they had their issues with the then manager, sir Alex Ferguson, you never see them moaning or sucking about it. They go on with their jobs, they still give their best even with the manager fallout in their minds.

These days, players take to their Twitter and Facebook accounts, taking advantage of their large followership to lash back at their managers, blow everything out of proportion. That is the height of unprofessionalism.

When you step on that pitch, you should play for the shirt, you should respect the fans and give them what they deserve, you have to play with dignity and professionalism. whatever may have happened behind the scenes with the manager or coaching staffs it shouldn’t become a reason to sulk like a baby.
What happens on the training pitch and dressing room shouldn’t be carried to match days, it should end temporarily. Giving your all on the field of play shows how professional you are as a footballer. It shows the level of respect you have for the club and your team mates.

MANAGERS ARE NO MORE GETTING SUPPORT FROM THE CLUB

Are clubs backing the managers enough? I realistically don’t think so.
During the time of Sir Alex, High profile players left the club with the support of the board and the manager went ahead to build better squads that won many trophies. That is the enormous support that managers had from the club in times past. The notion that no player is bigger than the club was perceived by every member of the team. Coaches were seen as the symbol of the team.

These days, understandably because of the business side of it, when situations like this occur, the board members are more players considerate than the manager who ends up being sacked.when a manager feels he is not getting enough support from the board especially when it comes to unprofessionalism in star players, it is an indication they are not important to the club and no one will ever enjoy working under such circumstance.

Recently, Hazard gave a provocative interview on how he frustrates managers all through his career whenever they ask him to do more. The statement came at a time his present manager(Maurizo Sarri) described him as an individual and not a leader.
Ordinarily, one would have expected a public backing from Chelsea for the manager who has highlighted an obvious problem facing the team but instead, they have chosen to keep mute. By the time the situation becomes unbearable, the manager gets the sack.
Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte have equally raised the same issues with Hazard but eventually, they got sacked when it started affecting the team. I am afraid for the future of the game if the powers of the modern footballer is not controlled.

After a 3-1 win for second-placed Juventus over leaders parma in 1997, Antonio Conte was asked by journalists if he was happy with the team and with the important win.
His response was “ we are winning, but I’m not happy because I’m not enjoying the role the coach decided to give me.’
The Italian was rebuked, fined and dropped by Juventus for questioning the manager at the time(Marcelo Lippi)
This is the the proper way to get it addressed. Clubs have to stand by their managers during times like this. Players have to be check mated. There are players who can influence the dressing room like pogba did when he had his issues with Jose Mourinho.

The loyal supporters are the ones that suffer most. fans are short-changed by the quality of matches they get to see and the club will be thrown into turmoil for the time being while it last.

The last time both teams met in August, Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva scored in each half as new Arsenal head coach unal Emery’s first game in charge ended in a 2-0 defeat at d Emirates stadium. The citizens appeared to be firm favorite to retain the title they won last season but a deep in form during the month of December led to Spurs overtaking them in second place following a 2-1 loss to Leicester City that made it back-to-back Premier League defeats for the first time in two years. They gained momentum by winning 5 games on the bounce but their last game ended in a 2-1 defeat to a spirited Newcastle United.
Arsenal on the other hand have had an inconsistent season so far. Their first two games of the season ended in defeats to City and Chelsea but they went on a 22- game unbeaten run in all competition.

Three defeats in five games, coupled with cup exits makes challenging for the top four their only realistic target this season. A much-improved second half performance helped the gunners to a 2-1 win over a well-organised Cardiff side in their last mid-week game.

PLAYER WATCH

The citizens still remain the highest scoring side in the league with a potent attack comprising Aguero and Gabriel Jesus with 30 goals between them. Raheem Sterling and Leroy sane are constant threats from the flanks with 24 goals and numerous assists from their ends. Although, the services of Kelvin De Bruyne have really been missed, Bernado Silva, David Silva and the newly acquired Riyad Mahrez have occasionally turned up with their fair share of goals too. The trio have contributed 27 goals so far this season.
Arsenal heavily rely on their attacking duo of Aubameyang and Lacazette. Both players have scored more than half of their goals this season with 24 goals between them in the league. Players like Ramsey constantly linked with an exit and Alex Iwobi have had significant impact with goals and assists this season.

Also, Mesut Ozil who has not featured regularly this season returned to captain the side in their 2-1 win over Cardiff city.

HEAD TO HEAD

Both teams have played each other 43 times. Arsenal have most wins (23),they have been victorious in city’s ground on 10 occasions, most of which were before the massive emirati investment in Eastland. Manchester city’s win total of 10 were mostly on home turf(7 wins). Both sides have played out draws 10 times between them.

INJURY RECORDS

MANCHESTER CITY
Mendy(kneel) Mangala(kneel) Danilo(knock) Silva(Hamstring) Bravo(Achilles)
ARSENAL.
Konchelny(Jaw), sokratis(ankle) mhkitaryan(foot) Bellerin(kneel) Holding(kneel) welbeck(ankle)

MANAGERS ANGLE

Both managers have had their own fair share of battle especially during their la liga era. Emery’s record against his counterpart is very poor, having never won a game in 11 meetings that have seen pep come out top seven times with 4 draws. Both managers are obsessed with attacking display which will be eye catching for the numerous neutrals watching from far and wide.

Down the years, several black players have been subjected to racial treatment of different kinds. One of such was Rudi Voller and Frank Rikaard’s confrontation in one of the world cup games in Italian 90. Another eye catching incidence was samuel Eto’s abuse from fans during a game that he had to live the pitch before the end of a high profile football game diring his time in Barcelona.
Equality groups like kick it out and BAME (black Asia and minority ethnic) amongst other have come up with sustained measure to stamp out racism but as years come and go, the act remains evergreen in the game.

MEDIA ROLE

Recently, Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly of Napoli were at the receiving end of the evil vile.

After the match against Chelsea in Stamford bridge where he was racially abused by four fans who were given stadium bans by Chelsea football club, Raheem Sterling accused the media of fueling racism in the manner they portrayed black players in contrast to their white counterparts.
• In one of his post, he cited the story about Foden being framed positively, but Adarabioyo’s article appeared negative.
He wrote “You have two young players starting out [their] careers, both play for the same team, both have done the right thing. Which is buy a new house for their mothers who have put in a lot of time and love into helping them get where they are, but look at how the newspapers get their message across for the young black player and then for the young white player.

Sterling, who himself has been a subject of negative press coverage since 2016 when England shamefully exited the euros, said it’s totally unacceptable.
This young black kid is looked at in a bad light “which helps fuel racism and aggressive behaviour”
I think he is not far from the truth because some media stories have succeeded in making their subjects labelled as hate figures in the society due to negative post frame-ups. The media should concentrate more efforts on campaign against racism, rather than fueling it with negative stories.

Football Federations are equally not helping matters.

During Napoli’s match with Inter Milan, the referee (mr Mazzoleni )was asked to suspend the game due to racist abuses from Inter fans but he refused, koulibaly was subsequently sent off during the game for clapping at the referee.

The club appealed against a two-match ban but was rejected by FIGC and the player missed the games against Lazio and Bologna.

That is a real question mark on how federations are treating the cases of racism in football.
There was no atom of support for the player even though the body responded that they understood what he went through and that he wasn’t alone in the situation and yet suspends the young lad.
There should have been better ways to handle the case in a manner that passes a good message to the public. I personally feel that the Italian federation should have used this avenue to campaign against this devilish act. The decision didn’t go well with Napoli and that’s why the club released a statement that read:

“The decision of the FIGC appeals court to turn down our appeal against Koulibaly’s ban is a sad defeat both for football and the wider issue raised by this whole affair, namely, the fight against discrimination of all sorts, which is still part of football and society.
“A battle that UEFA has been fighting for years – and which Napoli has always supported – has thus been degraded.”Rarely in Italy have we witnessed such unanimous condemnation from society as a whole.

And rightly so, by FIFA rules and standards, matches should be called off when a players are subjected to persistent racial abuses from the fans during a game. I felt the Italian federation should have put this in perspective when taking the decision to reject such appeal.

ARE THE PUNISHMENT SEVERE ENOUGH?

Merely suspending a player for some games is not enough to stamp out racism among footballers. This is another area that is poorly addressed by football federations .
During a premier league game, Patrice Evra was racially abused by Luiz Suarez who only served a 12 game suspension as punishment.
Federations must help when it comes to severity of punishments. Obvious offenders like Suarez should be banned from the game seasonally and not for few games. If footballers are aware that a racial abuse can cause them two years suspension, it will help to eradicate the act from the beautiful game.

HOW DOES IT AFFECT THE FANS?

If poor treatment of cases and negative information about racism is wrongly seen as a norm by the fans, It can eat deep into the game and it’s not as if the present situation of racism among fans is pleasant to the ear.

A global study revealed that more than half of football fans have witnessed racist abuse at matches.
kick it out(an equality organisation) through which the survey’s results were released shows the views of up to 27,000 fans from 38 footballing countries, Most of them said they personally witnessed racist abuse on match days.

How seriously will these salient issues be addressed by the media and football federations?
Only time will tell.

Football is about right and wrong decisions and trying too much to get decisions right will take away the passion from the game.

The role of VAR is to correct precise and clear errors made by referees in any of four key and “game-changing” situations which are goals, penalties, red cards and cases of mistaken identity. The system involves going over video footage of every play to check for problems relating to the 4 game- changing situations.

Disputable offsides and unseen fouls prior to a goal has been the most challenging to the system and when such errors are found, The VAR can only advise while the referee’s decision remains final.
He might choose to act on the VAR message immediately or he reviews footage by himself on a pitch-side screen and afterwards, he instantaneously revisits the original decision or move on with the game.

Is VAR worth the time

Football decisions are subjective which gives rise to the problem of what is a “clear and obvious” error?Decision-making becomes inconsistent.
For instance,football pundits on TV with the benefit of many replays occasionally still have different views about these game changing situations, it’s not going to be different with Video assistant referees watching in a booth, will it stop the problems that led to it’s invention? Fans are pessimistic because there seems no clear way of ending controversial calls in football.
Bundesliga fans in particular didn’t enjoy the use of VAR from the first matchday to the last. Fans in the stadium raised signs protesting against the system while the newspapers echoed incorrect VAR decisions on their headlines but after months of criticism, the DFB and DFL announced series of reforms to improve VAR decisions and make the whole process more transparent.

• Has it come to stay?

It has really helped. Decisions go well with players and fans compared to when it was introduced.

The pros outweigh the cons. The system has received lot of criticisms but statistics show it has helped a lot.
According to a study conducted on the trials,, VAR increased the accuracy of refereeing decisions from 93% to 98.8%.
The VAR team is expected to follow all actions, looking for replays worth bringing to the attention of the referee. They watch passively and advise if a play is worthy of review.
I understand Peoples’ fears are centered on the fact that the referee on the pitch will become passive in the game but VAR will help make them better.
They will officiate better because they don’t have that doubt in their minds that they have made an error.

VAR gives them the privilege to instantly right their wrongs with the help of another colleague reviewing the match, It helps the official to move on with the game without thinking about a controversial call.

it’s also worthy of mention that the assistant referees will benefit too.They won’t be to hasty to raise flags because if they do, they might have stopped a goal scoring chance wrongly or influence the game unfairly especially when it comes to close offside or being the last man during a foul and at that point, everyone is helpless, the fans inclusive.
VAR has already made its mark, Although it has received possible reviews, it continues to cause intense debate in other quarters.

The premier league recently voted for the use of the system in the coming season which implies that it has come to stay for real.