It was a year of drama in both Indian and International football; unfortunately, far too much of it took place off the pitch rather than on it.
The affairs of the sport’s governing body drew more attention than should be necessary, with charges of wrongdoing, corruption and politicking carrying into the new year, after the controversial selections of Russia and Qatar as World Cup hosts for 2018 and 2022 respectively opened a can of worms.
Four officials, including presidential candidate Mohamed bin Hammam and vice-president Jack Warner, were suspended following bribery allegations, and were latter banned from the sport for life after an investigation by the FIFA ethics committee. President Sepp Blatter, though, was cleared of any charges, even as bin Hammam was forced to withdraw from the presidential elections.
So in June, Blatter was re-elected unopposed as FIFA head for a fourth successive term, despite the best efforts of the English Football Association. And though Blatter refused to acknowledge it – “Crisis? What is a crisis?” was his infamous response to questions over corruption – the lack of transparency and accountability in FIFA was widely criticized, leading Blatter to finally announce the formation of a new Independent Governance Committee to initiate much-needed reforms.
Meanwhile, the 75-year-old added to his already embarrassingly-long list of gaffes, causing outrage among the football community in November for suggesting that racial incidents between players on the field could be settled by a handshake. With racism returning as a matter of concern for the sport following cases involving Liverpool’s Luis Suarez and Chelsea’s John Terry, Blatter was forced to apologize amid calls for his resignation, but not before a photo of him with South African minister Tokyo Sexwale was put out in a crude attempt to prove a point.
In such a climate, there was much joy to be taken from the performances of some unheralded teams at the international stage. Japan prevailed in the Women’s World Cup for the first time in their history but won many more hearts, with their success coming just months after a devastating tsunami and earthquake had ravaged their country. The unfancied Japanese women were not expected to go far, yet they beat hosts Germany, Sweden and the United States to earn a second international win for Japan after the men’s team won the Asia Cup in Doha in January.
Elsewhere, Uruguay also upstaged traditional powerhouses Brazil and Argentina to win a record 15th Copa America title. Led by player of the tournament Luis Suarez and veteran Diego Forlan, the strong, unified team built on their fourth-placed finish in the 2010 World Cup to claim continental supremacy for the first time since 1995, this after beating Argentina on penalties in the quarter-finals. Brazil had already failed to impress, before going on to miss four penalty kicks in a 2-0 shoot-out loss to Paraguay in the last-eight stage.
The early exit led to the sacking of Sergio Batista, who was replaced by Alejandro Sabella in the Argentina dug-out. It continued to be a mixed year for the South Americans though, and their World Cup qualifying campaign received a setback when they fell to a first-ever defeat to a revived Venezuela.
There were no such troubles for the European giants though, as all big guns secured qualification for Euro 2012 with relative ease, though Portugal and Czech Republic needed play-offs to come through. The Republic of Ireland also made it to the finals for the first time since 1988, while Croatia beat Turkey in the play-offs.
Spain and Germany remain the favourites going into next year’s tournament, finishing their campaigns with a hundred-percent win record. However, the draw has been rather unkind to the Germans, placing them in the proverbial ‘Group of Death’ with Holland, Portugal and Denmark. Italy, France and England – rebuilding after their respective World Cup failures – have been handed an easier draw. However, for their opening games England will be without star striker Wayne Rooney, whose recklessness earned him a red card in the final qualifier against Montenegro and a reduced two-match ban from UEFA.
The year ended on a sad note as football mourned the loss of Brazilian legend Socrates and the untimely death of Wales manager Gary Speed. The bearded Socrates captained Brazil in the 1982 World Cup, a team widely regarded as one of the finest never to have won the title, and played with a sophistication that earned him many fans. He also led a flamboyant lifestyle, and the drinking finally cost him his life at the age of 57.
Speed, a much-loved Premier League player, had overseen the improvement of Wales that saw them win the most points of any nation in the FIFA world rankings in 2011 and break into the top 50 for the first time since April 2003. His suicide at the age of 42 caused widespread shock, and led to an introspection of the mental pressures faced by professional footballers.
Back home, Indian football was marked by a period of change and transition. The year began with India participating in the Asia Cup after a long gap of 27 years. Expectedly, they did not make it past an extremely tough group consisting of South Korea, Australia and Bahrain, though their spirited performances in Doha were not reflected in the scorelines.
Soon after however, coach Bob Houghton’s five-year stint came to a controversial end, after he was accused of making a racist remark about Indian referees. It was an unfortunate exit for a coach who had overseen one of the most successful periods in India’s recent history, winning two Nehru Cups and the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup, besides instilling belief and confidence among the players.
Finding his successor also proved to be a difficult job. Armando Colaco was temporarily put in charge, but the AIFF failed to retain the Dempo manager, and were also unable to lure current Salgaocar boss Karim Bencherifa for the top job. Finally Savio Medeira – who had served as an assistant to Houghton during his tenure – was given a short-term contract, an underwhelming appointment that did not please too many.
The new manager’s task was not made any easier as he came in at a time when a number of senior players were nearing the end of their careers. The biggest blow though, came with the retirement of Bhaichung Bhutia. Undoubtedly India’s biggest football star, the striker finally called time on his illustrious 16-year career after an injury-troubled season. However, he will get the fitting farewell he deserves when he leads India out for a final time in an exhibition match against German giants Bayern Munich in January next year.
Bhutia scored a record 47 goals in 107 international appearances since his debut in 1995, and there were natural concerns over who would replace the Sikkimese in the national side. India, however, found their answer in Sunil Chhetri. Chhetri, who began the year by ending his frustrating stint at Kansas City Wizards, shone on the international stage, and his man-of-the-tournament haul of seven goals in India's victorious SAFF Cup campaign saw him win the AIFF Player of the Year award for 2011. India won a record sixth SAFF Cup – defeating surprise finalists Afghanistan – but the emergence of youngsters like Jeje Lalpekhula and Syed Rahim Nabi means Medeira can look forward to next year’s AFC Challenge Cup – a tournament India won in 2008 – with plenty of hope.
The best moment on India's footballing landscape this year, however, had nothing to do with an Indian. Instead, it was the arrival of the world's best player, Lionel Messi, which caused wild frenzy among fans in the country, as they relished the chance to see the 24-year-old in his prime. The Barcelona star came to Kolkata for a friendly against Venezuela, his first as captain of the national side. The match itself may have little real impact on the enduring dismal state of Indian football, but for a few magical days, football and Messi overtook the national consciousness. And while he did not score, Messi left his euphoric fans mesmerized on a memorable night in August.
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