The Berlusconisation of the Caucasus: Football and Nation Building in Dagestan and Chechnya

I will have to run like a black man, in order to live like a white man.

-Samuel Eto’o

Samuel Eto’o is the face of African football. He scored 108 goals in 145 games for Barcelona and added another 33 in 67 games for Inter Milan. Throughout his career he scored 250 goals in 469 appearances. Eto’o was Africa’s player of the year in 2003, 2004, 2005, as well as 2010. For Inter he was perhaps the most valuable player of the last season. His football style is often compared to the grace of a gazelle. On his best days he is nearly unstoppable, even in Italy, the most defence oriented league in Europe, and he was able to produce magic. Many still consider him to be the best striker in the world. Now, thanks to Suleiman Kerimov, who is ranked 118 on the Forbes rich list with a personal wealth of about $8 billion, Eto’o is moving to Anzhi Makhachkala where he will be the highest paid player in the world. Samuel Eto’o’s move from F.C. Inter Milan to Anzhi Makhachkala can be considered one of the blockbuster transfers of the year. According to press reports Anzhi will pay Inter 30 million Euros, for the rights of the Cameroonian striker, and Eto’o will receive 60 million Euros over the next three years. But Eto’o is not the first star who has moved to Makhachkala, the capital of the Republic of Dagestan. In February 2011, Brazilian Left Back Roberto Carlos announced his move from Corinthians Sao Paulo to Anzhi. Roberto Carlos was followed by Mbark Boussoufa who moved from Anderlecht to Anzhi, as well as the Brazilians Jucilei from Corinthians and Diego Tardelli from Atletico Mineiro. On August 6, 2011 Anzhi also secured the rights for Russian international Yuri Zhirkov, from Chelsea London for 15 million Euros. Football players in Russia are officially considered to be artists and therefore only have to pay 13% income tax, which sweetens the already very generous contracts offered to world class players. As a result, Russia has become an attractive place for footballers, and it is not surprising that Anzhi is not the only club from the Caucasus that has made headlines on the transfer market. On January 18, 2011 Terek Grozny from Chechnya announced that Ruud Gullit would be new head coach of the club. The president of Terek is no one less then Ramzan Kadyrov who is also the President of the Republic of Grozny. Kadyrov also announced that he would talk the Brazilian Ronaldo out of retirement and bring him to Grozny. Ronaldo never signed with Grozny and Gullit has since been fired by the club. Nonetheless Terek plays a decent role in this year’s Russian Premier League, and has also moved into a new Arena, which is named after Kadyrov’s late father Akhmad.

Football as a Message: the Caucasus is quiet

Both Dagestan and Chechnya have a history of war, terrorism and violence. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Chechnya has experienced two devastating wars. Dagestan, which borders to Chechnya, has been directly affected by the conflict in Chechnya. Acts of terrorism have been committed in Makhachkala, most recently when a bomb exploded in a police station in Makhachkala in January 2010 killing several policemen. Since the end of the open conflict in Chechnya, however, the Russian Federation has invested heavily in the infrastructure of the South Caucasus. Ski resorts, hotels, new homes and football stadiums have been built or are being planned. In 2014 Russia will host the Winter Olympics in Sochi which is also located in the Caucasus. Sochi will also be one of the host cities for the 2018 World Championships that will also take place in Russia. Moscow wants to prove that the Caucasus is safe. The successful examples of Terek and Anzhi are a message to the rest of the world that the Caucasus is a stable region in which it is safe to invest. Dagestan is especially rich in natural resources. Its location at the oil-rich Caspian Sea makes Makhachkala a logical choice for heavy industry. Anzhi and Terek have become important international symbols for the region; the Caucasus surely must be quiet if stars like Ruud Gullit, Roberto Carlos, and Samuel Eto’o choose to move there. Roberto Carlos even has stated security concerns for his family were the main reason as to why he moved from Sao Paulo to Makhachkala. In truth, neither Anzhi nor Terek are based in Makhachkala or Grozny respectively. Both clubs train elsewhere, and travel to their home games in Dagestan and Chechnya. Anzhi's home base is actually located at the training area of the now bankrupt club Saturn Ramenskoye outside of Moscow. All of Anzhi’s players live in the Russian capital, and fly the 1,600 kilometres from Moscow to Makhachkala to play their home games. Kerimov, however, has announced that a brand new training facility as well as a stadium for 50,000 spectators will be built in Makhachkala. Terek trains at the Russian spa town Kislovodsk which is about 250 kilometres west of Grozny.

Berlusconisation

Terek and Anzhi are two examples of how football in Russia has become a political tool. The Russian media has already reported last year that the oligarchs of the country were “kindly” asked to invest their money not only in foreign clubs but to also financially support local football clubs. Kadyrov and Kerimov, by establishing strong football clubs in the South Caucasus, have been able to strengthen their political and financial significance in the region. Terek, who is currently situated in the middle of the Russian Premier League table, is financially supported by the Russian central government. It is to Moscow's advantage to have Terek play in the first division because, like a Potemkin village, the club gives the illusion of peace and prosperity in Grozny. Furthermore Terek also helps to strengthen, improve, and legitimize Ramsan Kadyrov’s profile, as he has been accused of several human rights violations, as well as being involved with local criminals. 25 years ago Berlusconi bought A.C. Milan and the successes of his football club were a keystone in the success of his political career that led him all the way to top of the Italian government. It is an open secret that Kerimov has political motivations as well. Kerimov, who hails from Dagestan, is believed to use the success of Anzhi to replace Magomedsalam Magomedov as the next President of Dagestan. Novaya Gazeta from Russia believes that Kerimov is indeed more interested in political positions than creating a strong European club. So far Anzhi has been quiet successful this season, currently the team is in fourth place which would allow them to qualify for next year’s Europa League.

The Next Generation!

Germany just finished 3rd at the World Cup with one of the youngest squads in the history of German football. The refreshing football that the team played was the result of a restructuring of the youth system after the Nationalmannschaft performed terrible at the 2000 EURO. Since then a lot has changed in German football. Now the Bundesliga is home to perhaps the best football in the World. Unlike the Premier League or the Premiera Division (the exception being Barca) the Bundesliga primerily focuses on developing young players into stars. This is due to the fact that in Germany every team has to have a youth school attached to the club.

Furthermore the financial crash of the .com sector in 2001 meant that Bundesliga clubs were forced to cut their budgets. So instead of buying expansive players the focus shifted to youth development. This hurt the Bundesliga, between 2001 and 2008 the Bundesliga clubs performed poorly in the Champions League and the Uefa Cup (now Europa League).

Since 2008 there has been a change though. Young players that benefited from the changes in 2000 finally came onto the stage. Bundesliga teams also began to perform better in international competitions. The Nationalmannschaft as well has done very well. In 2008 Germany finished second in the EURO. They finished third in the 2010 World Cup with a very young squad. Players like Badstuber, Özil, Müller, Khedira, Boateng, Kroos, Tasci, and Aogo are between 20 and 22 years old. Others like Schweinsteiger, Lahm or Podolski are only 25 to 26 years old. This team is the future. On top of this there is another generation of players already putting the pressure on the current squad.

Between 2008 and 2009 Germany won the European Championship at the U-17, U-19, and U-21 level. They were the first country to accomplish this feat. Players from those teams will also soon enter the world stage. Players like the Bender twins (Sven plays at Dortmund, Lars for Leverkusen), Timo Gebhart from Stuttgart, Marco Reus from Gladbach, Kevin Großkreutz and Mats Hummels from Dortmund. As a Spiegel reporter said the Bundesliga is currently full of young exciting German players who have the potential to become world stars. The next generation is already beckoning. The future is bright, it is those words that make it easier for Germany fans to overcome the disappointment of not winning the World Cup this year.

The New Germany

Germany has played the best football at this years World Cup! This is a fact no other team has inspired as much as the Germans. No other team had a stronger structure in their game then the Germans. Yet they missed out on the final, perhaps because they were missing Müller. Perhaps because the pressure finally overcame the youngest side that had played for Germany since the 1934 World Cup. What is left is tonights game against Uruguay. This team did however impress, and left many (me included) wondering what could have been. The future however is bright, this is the most talented team in World Football today, there is doubt about it. There is also something else to this team, it is not typical German.

During this World Cup I had many discussions with my Dutch friends about the nature of this squad. Many of the players have a multi-ethnic background. The playmaker Özil has a Turkish father, Boateng is half Ghanese, Khedira is Tunesian, Cacau from Brazil, Podolski and Klose have their roots in Poland. This suprised many, and often I heard the question is this team really Germany? I think this is a funny question, when you walk through cities of Germany, you will soon realize that Germany has changed. Germany is an immigration country, and the Nationalmannschaft is a reflection of German society. Furthermore players like Tasci, Boateng, Khedira, and Özil are not first generation immigrants. It was their parents or even their grandparents that came to Germany. Those players are from the mids of German society.

Another thing I hear a lot is the fact that Klose and Podolski are really Polish. Yes both players were born in Poland. Klose however was born into a German family in Poland. Podolski immigrated to Collogne when he was very young. Podolski also is seemingly attached to the city of Collogne, he left Bayern (and the possibility of playing Champions League) to return to the 1.FC Köln to play in his hometown. Plus Polish people have immigrated to the Rhein area for almost 250 years now. They are part of Germany's society just like any other immigrant group.

This is the new Germany and I am proud of what our boys have done in the World Cup. Furthermore the group represents more then just attractive football. The Nationalmannschaft has probably done more for integration in the last 4 weeks, then Germany's politicians in the last 60 years.

The J-League a Model for Future Football?

Hi everybody,
first a long sorry that I have not written anything in almost a year. This is mainly due to the fact that I haved moved countries and have been busy with University.

But now to my newest post. In the recent months I have began to follow the J-League. The J-League is Japans premium football league. It was founded in 1992 and the first season began in 1993. The league was at first centred around old-stars from Europe and South America. Players like Guido Buchwald, Dunga, or Jorginho played in Japan in the early 90s. The model however was abandoned in the late 1990s due to the recession that hit Japan.

The J-League realized that it could no longer be just sustained by large companies. It therefore abandoned the franchise system, and remodeled the league after European standards. This included the introduction of promotion and relegation. The J-League 2 was created in 1999, along with a 100 year plan to create sustainable football in Japan. The idea was to give smaller clubs in smaller communities a chance to compete in the J-League 2. Those clubs could either grow and move up to the J-League 1 or provide high caliber football to small prices in the J-League 2. The J-League 2 is to be filled up to 22 clubs, once that is achieved the goal is the professionalization of the Japanese Football League (JFL). The JFL is to be envisioned to be the cornerstone of football in Japan.

The J-League has also heavily invested in infrastructure, such as football fields for smaller communities. Clubs playing in the J-League and J-League 2 are also required to invest into youth systems, similar to what is the case in the Bundesliga. Today the J-League is the best league in Asia. This is evident as 4 Japanese teams play in the AFC.

The J-League should also be considered an interesting model for leagues such as the Major League Soccer (MLS) in the USA, and Canada. The MLS has persued the idea of creating a franchise system league. This however has caused problems since none of the clubs own their players. Rather the players are contracted to the league. The current MLS also has the problem that is not sustainable. The backbone of football in Europe has always been small community football and the idea that you could rise through the leagues. This is what Japan is trying to emulate succesfully. The J-League is the only league that has been created and is not a playing tool of rich buisnessmen who want a sports club on their CV.

Ukraine wins UEFA Country Ranking in 2009.

Who would have thought the Ukraine and not England are first in the UEFA Country ranking for the season 2008/09. Ukraine wins the ranking, thanks to the good results by its clubs in the UEFA Cup. For the first time since Ukraine's independence will there be a Ukrainian club in a final of a European competition.

Shaktar Donetzk and Dinamo Kiev are playing the semi-final, with the winner meeting either Werder Bremen or Hamburger SV. The UEFA Cup is often belittled for being the losers cup, for teams that are not good enough to qualify for the Champions League. The competition, however is often viewed as a the real measurement of football power in Europe. The lack of strong English competition in the UEFA Cup, is evidence that the Premier League is loosing its dominance over European football. The top four clubs, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool are so in England that they have dwarfed any competition within their own league. The result is that any other team, but the top four has problems competing with average clubs from the rest of Europe.

In the past the UEFA Cup, has been a window into the future showing the emergence of new football powers. Russia has been dominant in this competition over the last few years, with Zenith St. Petersburg and CSKA Moscow, going all the way winning the competition in 2008, and 2005 respectively. The UEFA Cup therefore reflected the growing wealth of Russian football, and showed the world that Russia is a reestablished power in World Football. Turkey's football progress was also reflected by strong play in the UEFA Cup, Galatasaray Istanbul became an international institution after the club won the 2000 version of the competition. Before England became dominant in the Champions League, there clubs showed strong displays in the UEFA Cup.

This years result could be the indicator for a shift in European football. The strong result of Ukrainian clubs show that despite the recession in Eastern Europe its clubs are still strong enough to compete. It also shows that the Bundesliga is once again emerging as a football power. The Bundesliga is now on the way to replace Italy in the top three in the UEFA 5 year ranking and therefore regaining their fourth Champions League spot starting with the 2010/11 season.

The UEFA Cup itself is also entering new waters the competition is going to be renamed the UEFA Europa League. With a simpler format and with the cup winners of every nation the UEFA Europa League promises to be an interesting supplement to the Champions League.

Peter Cech no longer a great?

Peter Cech, once considered one of the brightest goalie prospects in Europe can no longer considered being a great. Chelsea truly a top ten European Club, have to ask themselves if Cech is still a viable number one goalie. Yes, Cech was fantastic two years ago, but since his injury he has not been able to reproduce his stellar play. Some of you might say I am cruel, an injury like the one Cech received needs time. Yes, a fractured skull is a terrible injury, and that Cech is playing again is a miracle in itself. Since the goalies return from injury, he has not been the same.

Today's game against Liverpool was just another example. How often can a goalie be scored at 4 times in a viable Champions League match, and the team still walk away as victors? The only reason Chelsea advanced on Tuesday is that their goalie was even worse. Cech was the only reason Liverpool had a chance to advance, the fact that Liverpool failed can be pinpointed down at their own goalie Jose Manuel Reina, whose play was truly catastrophic.

The question for Chelsea now is what to do with a goalie who lacks the convidence of a number one starter? Do you sell a player who fractured its skull came back? Do you bench him? The fact is that Chelsea want to win trophies, and that trophies are won by fantastic goaltenders. When was the last time a team won the Champions League without a great goalie. The goalie is the cornerstone of every teams defence, the rock that can make the difference between win and defeat. Chech is no longer that goalie!

The thing that Chelsea needs to do now is to wait until Chech's contract runs out, thank him for his services for the club, tell the fans that they could not meet the goalies financial demands, and bring in a goalie who can win games. The other option is to sell him to Barcelona who have been interested in his services for a while.

A possible replacement would be the German Robert Enke, who is dissatisfied with his club Hannover 96, which have no chance for any major titles. Another possibility would by Gianluigi Buffon, however he has been in injury troubles. Without a doubt Chelsea will be looking for a new goaltender very soon.

Bayern destroyed by Barcelona, or destroyed by themselves?

Barcelona against Bayern, this used to be a matchup that promised football at the highest niveau. Two team on the same level battling each other. Not this year, after 45 minutes at the Nou Camp Stadium at last Wednesday's game between the two clubs it seemed that the world had ended for Klinsmann, for Hoeneß and for Bayern. The team was just absolutely humiliated by Messi, Henry, and Eto´o. 4-0 seemed like a light result and hide the fact that Bayern should have been down much more at that point. That the final result was 4-0 seemed to be the most fortunate aspect of a truly forgetable evening for the Munich squad.

Now many will say that this result shows the difference between Bayern a Bundesliga club, and Barca a Premiera Division club. Many will point at the financial differences, and state that Bayerns squad is not strong enough for Europe. Others will say that with all the injuries Bayern had no chance at the first place. All of the above is not true, however, Bayern ranks above Barca at the richest clubs at the world list, Bayerns squad is strong enough to compete in Europe and even with the injuries should have been strong enough to at least hold Barca at bay. Yes a Philip Lahm is probably the best Left Back in the world, van Buyten playing is always a force and Lucio is not without reason the number one defender of the Brazilian national team, not to forget the absence of Miroslav Klose who could have truly helped a Bayern that seemed to be without offense that night.

But the reasons for this defeat are much deeper. Klinsmann has failed to install a winning mentality into the Bayern squad. The Bayern players on the field seemed like eleven bunnies facing, eleven tigers. Gone was that typical Bayern winning mentality that we are so used to, and that many football fans in Germany so much hate. During the game it seemed that the Bayern defense was without organization, to far away from the strikers. Lionel Messi was unchallenged, true the boy is amazing, but even he must have been amazed by the room he was given that night. Klinsmann has vowed to make every player better every day, but why is it then that Breno, who had been considered the worlds best defense talent 2 years ago, has shown no improvement since he signed for Bayern. Why is it that Podolski who plays so well for the national team, has failed so miserably under Klinsmann.

The same goes to Rensing a promising young goalie, who had been taken out of the squad by Klinsmann on the day of the Barca game. Perhaps staying with the goalie when most of the defense is already absent would have given the team more stability. It was perhaps the Rensing decision that killed Bayern in Barcelona last Wednesday. Now don't get me wrong I believe that Barcelona played a great game, fantastic even, but are they four goals better then Bayern? No definitely not, this result is not the result of a fantastic Barcelona display, but the result of poor decisions on the part of the coach. Keep in mind that only a few days before that faithful night in Barcelona, Bayern was even more mistreated by VfL Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga, who managed to score 5 goals against a Bayern squad that looked even worse in that game. In comparison the Barca game was perhaps an improvement.

So what now, Bayern actually won this weekend 4-0 against Frankfurt. Well might some of you say perhaps Klinsmann is not doing everything wrong. Frankfurt, however, is not Wolfsburg, and is most certainly not Barca. Yet players should always believe in miracles, and hope for the best, but no words from any of the Bayern personal of trying the unthinkable and winning against Barca 5-0, 6-1 or whatever it will take to advance. No the word is that Bayern is going to try to pull out of the Champions League with dignity. I say, even as an 1860 fan, what a shame, and hopefully next year Germany will be represented by three teams that have managers who actually care.