Del Bosque

Vicente del Bosque has signed a two-year extension to his contract as Spain coach, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has confirmed. The organisation’s president, Angel Maria Villar, announced that the former midfielder will remain at the helm until UEFA EURO 2012, regardless of what happens at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™.

Del Bosque, who turned 59 today, took over the reins of La Roja after they won EURO 2008 and has a stunning record in charge, having won 21 of his 22 matches. “What is normal in this instance is that you always renew your coach’s contract when you qualify for the World Cup,” said Angel Villar.

Del Bosque knew how to take our national team to the highest level. He inherited a brilliant side and he knew how to keep them there.

RFEF president Angel Maria Villar on Vicente Del Bosque

“But the board have decided that we have to continue with him for two more years whatever happens. Del Bosque knew how to take our national team to the highest level. He inherited a brilliant side and he knew how to keep them there.

“We have qualified brilliantly for the World Cup in South Africa, we are leaders of the world rankings and we have won all the matches apart from that against the United States in the Confederations Cup in a match we didn’t give value to and in which we finished third.”

Angel Villar also revealed that the decision to keep their coach until the European Championship in Ukraine and Poland was unanimous.

Del Bosque’s new deal comes as little surprise after Spain’s stunning South Africa 2010 qualifying campaign. La Roja topped their group with a 100 per cent record.

Moreover, in a 6-0 friendly victory over Azerbaijan back in June, Del Bosque became the first national coach in history to win his first ten matches. Spain are one of the favourites for next summer’s FIFA World Cup, but Angel Villar has urged against over confidence.

“There is a lot of excitement, we have a great national team and we are all hopeful that it can be a great World Cup,” he said. “But words are one thing, facts are another. We’re going there with hope.”

Jason Culina is undaunted by the recent 2010 FIFA Word Cup™ draw, which placed Australia in Group D alongside Germany, Ghana and Serbia. The high-energy midfielder also believes that the Socceroos can build on the experience of Germany 2006 and better the achievement of reaching the last 16.

Since debuting for Australia in early 2005, Culina has been a fixture in the Socceroos line-up, starting all four matches at the 2006 FIFA World Cup and all four at the AFC Asian Cup a year later. Despite being blessed with a smooth touch and a good football brain, Culina’s invaluable contribution to the cause in the heart of the midfield is seemingly overlooked by some who fail to recognise his influence on the teams of Guus Hiddink and Pim Verbeek.

Quietly confident
Culina is optimistic about Australia’s chances against their South Africa 2010 opponents, comparing the group to that which Australia progressed from at Germany 2006. “Initially I thought difficult, but when you put them up against the teams we had last time it could prove to be pretty even,” Culina told FIFA.com. “Last time we had Brazil, which you could probably compare to Germany, we had Croatia which you could probably compare to Serbia, and then Japan perhaps with Ghana. It is not going to be easy, but then there are no easy games in World Cups.”

Culina is eagerly anticipating testing his skills in the opening group match against European heavyweights Germany, having been a member of the side which lost 4-3 at the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup in the teams’ last meeting. “We are going to find it challenging, especially the first game against Germany, and we need to get a result first-up and it is a huge game for us to commence with.

We have older legs but we also have older minds and are better for the experience. I honestly think we can improve on last time

Australia midfielder Jason Culina.

“We have been together for a long time and the majority of players have one World Cup behind us, and we have a bit more experience now. Yes we have older legs but we also have older minds and are better for the experience. I honestly think we can improve on last time,” says Culina referencing Australia’s historic progression to the Round of 16 at Germany 2006, where it took a late goal from eventual world champions Italy to end the Socceroos’ involvement.

Home calling
Although in the prime of his career at 29 years old, Culina earlier this year elected to return to Australia after four highly successful seasons with Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven. It was an unusual move in an era when well over 100 Australians ply their football trade in Europe, but it has proved a prosperous one for Culina and fledgling A-League club Gold Coast United.

Culina has taken pleasure in helping the club from Australia’s surfside capital to a ladder position among the league’s top clubs, with United claiming a number of spectacular wins along the way. “I have enjoyed my whole experience in the A-League,” says Culina whose father Branko is the coach of A-League club Newcastle Jets. “Everybody would agree that the A-League doesn’t compare to the top level in Europe. But we are getting there and I have said all along that I believe in the A-League.”

With Australia’s domestic season concluding in March, there are fitness concerns for domestic-based players heading into South Africa 2010. The timing could prove problematic for Culina and other leading squad candidates such as Mile Sterjovski, Chris Coyne and Craig Moore. Culina, though, refuses to be drawn on any plans after the conclusion of the A-League, preferring to give a typically Aussie “no problems” when asked about his condition leading into the FIFA World Cup. Australia’s opener against Germany on 13 June at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban will go a long way to indicating whether Culina and his team-mates can indeed create further history at South Africa 2010.

Germany captain Michael Ballack considers England “one of the favourites” to win next summer’s FIFA World Cup in South Africa™.

Mickael Ballack

The Chelsea midfielder believes Fabio Capello could lead England to a first major title since 1966, and admits his own nation is lagging a bit behind. “They have a great team and many players with exceptional individual class,” he told the Rheinische Post newspaper. “With Fabio Capello, they now have a manager who has brought stability. That is important and the team feels that.

“They have got to be able to win games even when they are not playing at the highest level and that is what Italian managers are good at, particularly Capello,” Ballack went on. “England are oozing self-confidence and I can sense that here. They are one of the favourites.”

England are oozing self-confidence and I can sense that here. They are one of the favourites.

Chelsea and Germany’s Michael Ballack

Other favourites, according to Ballack, are Brazil, Italy and France – but not necessarily Germany. “At a World Cup, everything has got to work, and then even more – you need luck,” he added. “There are certainly teams who are better than us at the moment.”

That may well include his club Chelsea, who he feels have a better chance of winning the UEFA Champions League this season than Germany do of triumphing in South Africa.

“Of course that (the Champions League) is the title that one wants to win, especially when you have a squad like ours,” he said. “But if you also have a chance to win the league, then that is once again a big aim. “At a certain stage of the season, you reach the point where the strain is very high and then you have to decide which competition you want to focus on in particular. We have such a good squad and class that we can compete in both competitions.”

And Ballack believes that even if it were not to work out for the Blues this season, he would still have more chances to succeed, even though his contract expires in the summer. “We will sit down together and talk soon,” he added. “But I am not under any pressure. Both parties know what they have in each other.”