Bibhash Dash
What many may have considered an unlucky year, turned out to be one of the most memorable for world football. For one reason or another, everyone had an achievement to celebrate, whether it was a title, lives dedicated to playing and coaching, or simply the chance to play the best of the best no matter what the odds.
So here’s Inside Futbol’s look back at the year 2013 and the top 10 footballing moments it threw up.
1) Lionel Messi’s Fourth Ballon d’Or (7th January)
Breaking records has never been a problem for Lionel Messi and the Argentine began world football's 2013 by becoming the first-ever player to win four Ballon d'Or awards, picking up his accolade for 2012. He was never going to rest, though, and led Barcelona to yet another La Liga title. Only a hamstring injury this season has prevented him from adding more goals to his staggering tally. But he is expected to be back in early January and, rest assured, will be keen to make up for lost ground. Tiki Taka is just never the same without him. Watch this space at the end of 2014, to see if the diminutive forward will be boasting a World Cup crown as well!
2) Nigeria Win Third CAF Title (10th February)
Boasting a wealth of stars, who are making their name in Europe, Nigeria marched their way to a third African Cup of Nations title with coach Stephen Keshi. Chelsea man John Obi Mikel was named man of the match for the final against Burkina Faso while Fenerbahce striker Emmanuel Emenike emerged the tournament’s top scorer. Bastia midfielder Sunday Mba did the honours in the 1-0 final win as Nigeria booked their place in the 2013 Confederations Cup. Sadly, however, they were eliminated at the first round in Brazil in the summer with only a 6-1 win over Tahiti to show for their efforts.
3) David Beckham Retirement (18th May)
Arguably football’s most famous face in the modern era, David Beckham’s retirement came in a Paris Saint-Germain shirt on 18th May, when he played the club’s final home game against Brest. He was fittingly named captain by coach Carlo Ancelotti and left the field in tears when he was substituted late in the second half. He seems to be doing much better in his capacity as a football ambassador for China and as a potential MLS franchise owner in South Florida, with no less than LeBron James as a potential partner. Talk about an active retirement! His ex-AC Milan team-mate Alessandro Nesta described Beckham as having the “golden touch”, and it is clear Golden Balls still has much to contribute to football.
4) Sir Alex Ferguson Retirement (19th May)
Barely a day had passed since David Beckham bowed out of football, when the world’s most recognisable club manager took charge of his final game. Manchester United had reaped dozens of trophies under the Scot, but even the man who had seen it all in football may not have anticipated a 5-5 draw – the first in the Premier League – against West Bromwich Albion as being his swansong. 1,500 games as manager of Manchester United and it still forced Ferguson to remark after the game “bloody great send off you’re giving me!” to his players in the dressing room. Nevertheless, the retirement that almost crashed Twitter brought the end of an era, even if his subsequent autobiography continued to invite plenty of “juicy” moments for past and present players alike and probably will continue to do so!
5) Bayern Munich Treble (18th May Bundesliga; 25th May Champions League; 1st June DFB-Pokal)
Sir Alex Ferguson would have been proud to see the team he denied a treble, back in 1999, secure it in 2013. Led by the duo of Arjen Robben and 2013 Ballon d’Or nominee Franck Ribery, Bayern Munich gave outgoing coach Jupp Heynckes the perfect send-off in what is still described in some quarters as unrepeatable. The Bundesliga title was secured in the middle of May thanks to an unbeaten record stretching back to October 2012. The Champions League final saw Robben and Ribery perform their usual double act to clinch an 89th-minute winner, made even sweeter with their opponents being Borussia Dortmund. The treble was wrapped up less than a week later with victory over Stuttgart, even if there were two late scares in the 3-2 result. And given their form this season under Pep Guardiola, maybe the word ‘unrepeatable’ is a bit premature!
6) Brazil Win Confederations Cup (1st July)
If ever there was a stage for new Barcelona signing Neymar to prove his worth internationally – apart from a World Cup itself – then this was it. The youngster made his mark early on in the game against Japan with a long-range strike and went on to plunder four goals in five games, including one in the final against Spain. For a Brazil reeling under the weight of protests, their third-straight Confederations Cup is certainly a positive step towards the World Cup. Just don’t tell that to the squads that won it in 2005 and 2009!
7) Gareth Bale Transfer (1st September)
No matter how many times Tottenham Hotspur denied it towards the end of the 2012/13 season, there was almost a sense of inevitability about Gareth Bale moving to bigger and greener pastures. They certainly don’t come much greener than €100m and they certainly don’t come much bigger than Real Madrid. With the transfer confirmed at the start of September, Bale was presented to the fans the very next day as 20,000 poured into the Santiago Bernabeu to witness the Welsh winger say his first words as a Real Madrid player. Los Blancos even made sure they had a photo of a much-younger Bale in a Real Madrid strip in the background – just so you knew what dreams are made of. And despite being in the background with injuries for a bit, he has bagged seven goals in 10 league games this season to give just a glimpse of his abilities.
8) Ronaldinho Leads Atletico Mineiro to Copa Libertadores glory (24th July)
It needed an almost impossible comeback for Atletico Mineiro to overcome a 2-0 deficit, but they did just that in late July to beat Paraguayan outfit Olimpia in the second-leg of their Copa Libertadores final. A certain Ronaldinho was at the heart of Atletico’s efforts throughout though he was not required in the penalty shootout with Olimpia’s Matias Giminez missing the decisive kick. And thus Atletico clinched their first-ever continental title. Former Manchester City striker Jo emerged as the tournament’s top scorer and Atletico marched their way into the Club World Cup, though they were shocked by minnows RajaCasablanca in the semi-final.
9) Guangzhou Evergrande Become First Chinese Team to Win AFC Champions League (9th November)
Guangzhou Evergrande’s first-ever AFC Champions League triumph would have made history anyway, but it meant even bigger records for coach Marcello Lippi after the Chinese side beat FC Seoul in a two-legged final. Guangzhou were the first side from China to win the continental trophy and Lippi became the first coach to win the top club titles on two different continents, having taken Juventus to UEFA Champions League glory in 1996. 42,000 fans at the Tianhe Stadium in Guangzhou cheered the home side on in the early November game – following the 2-2 first-leg draw. In the end, a 1-1 draw proved enough for Guangzhou to take the honours on the away-goals rule, and book a place in the Club World Cup.
10) Raja Casablanca Make FIFA Club World Cup Final (18th December)
Raja Casablanca may have entered the Club World Cup competition as champions of the host country – with the other teams being winners of continental competitions – but their showing was proof enough they belonged. Beating Atletico Mineiro in the semi-final capped their unbeaten run in the tournament, which finally ended in the final against Bayern Munich. The manner of their 3-1 victory over Atletico – two goals in the final 10 minutes – again showed what home support and belief could do. The semi-final win will, no doubt, live long in the memories in Morocco. Surrounding their footballing idol and Atletico star Ronaldinho and grabbing off his shirts and boots… priceless!
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