With the FIFA Club World Cup due to kick off in less than a week, get set for an avalanche of headlines from Europe about how the tournament is a waste of time.
Manchester United are this season’s European representative having lifted the UEFA Champions League crown in May, beating fellow English club Chelsea in a penalty shoot-out in Moscow.
Like Barcelona and Milan before them, United have mouthed diplomatic overtones in the build-up to the tournament, with Sir Alex Ferguson claiming that he is keen to add another world title to the Intercontinental Cup he lifted in 1999.
That is despite the fact that United have been forced to postpone an English Premier League clash with Wigan to accommodate their trip to Yokohama, although United’s American owners are no doubt keen to boost merchandise sales in Japan, with the English giants heavily in debt following the Glazer family’s controversial takeover in 2005.
Yet influential magazine World Soccer hinted at the prevailing attitude towards the Club World Cup when columnist Keir Radnedge wrote in the December issue, “the prospect is that whatever the other continental champions can offer… it will be Manchester United against LDU Quito in the Final.”
No disrespect to Mr Radnedge – who has been an authoritative voice on world football for years – but his sweeping dismissal of the five other participants is a smack in the face from a magazine that should know better.
His claim that three of the Club World Cup finalists were unknown at the time of press is incorrect – Adelaide United were guaranteed a place in the tournament regardless of the outcome of their AFC Champions League with Gamba Osaka.
Even Radnedge’s confidence in Ecuador’s LDU Quito is startling given their dreadful form in this season’s Copa Sudamericana, the South American equivalent of the UEFA Cup.
But perhaps the most telling indicator of World Soccer’s casual disregard for some of football’s lesser lights is a photo depicting two Japanese “fans” celebrating Urawa’s win in the 2007 AFC Champions League final, with the respected magazine failing to recognise that one of the fans captioned is actually ex-Urawa striker Washington.
All this despite the strides made by non-traditional powers in recent years, including South Korea’s run to the World Cup semi-finals in 2002, and a 2004 UEFA Champions League final that pitted Portugese outfit Porto against French club Monaco.
Naturally FIFA doesn’t consider the Club World Cup a waste of time, with millions generated through the sale of broadcasting rights and other commercial ventures.
The ten-day tournament also represents a pleasant end of season holiday for FIFA executives keen to escape the daily grind of Zürich, and no doubt Sepp Blatter and co. will be keen to sample some sushi and sake down by the famous Yokohama harbourside.
Yet to view the tournament as a waste of time – as many in the European press do – is to overlook the importance of the Club World Cup to the five non-European and South American teams involved.
Adelaide United have already reaped a financial windfall by taking part in the event, and that’s before they’ve even kicked a ball in anger. Whatever prize money they earn fails to take into account the added exposure they also generate by competing on the world stage.
Then there is the fact the tournament also represents a chance for the participants to test their mettle against supposedly superior sides.
For New Zealand’s semi-professional Waitakere United, a clash with A-League outfit Adelaide United is eagerly anticipated.
Similarly Adelaide United are desperate to book a rematch with Gamba Osaka, after the J. League side thrashed United in the recent Asian Champions League final.
In a world in which the English Premier League’s ‘39th game‘ has returned to the table as a serious proposal for discussion, it’s perhaps not surprising to see English protests about the Club World Cup less vehement than in previous years.
Yet as long as the tournament continues, we’ll have to put up with suggestions from the European press that the whole thing is a waste of time.
Logic dictates that Manchester United will ultimately be crowned world champions, but I for one hope there are some upsets along the way, if for no other reason than to remind sections of the world media that football is a game played by more than just Europeans and South Americans.
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December 8th 2008 @ 9:02am
Kazama said | December 8th 2008 @ 9:02am | Report comment
As disappointing as the view of the Europeans is, it is perhaps easy to understand given that the European representatives have played against their South American counterparts in the past three tournaments. There has been little in the history of international football tournaments to shake the commonly accepted belief that all of the world’s best players ply their trade in the leagues of UEFA and CONMEBOL, and the majority play for the national teams of those two regions. In fact until joining Asia and being embarrassed at the 2007 Asian Cup, I’d say the belief in European / South American superiority was firmly entrenched in the mindset of even the Australian football community. Maybe it still is to an extent.
Therefore the goal for Adelaide United and the four other “also-rans” is to do their utmost to stick it to the footballing elite and shatter the myopic view of world football Europeans and South Americans have. Regardless of this image of the Club World Cup as being a waste of time or a glorified holiday for FIFA suits, Man United and LDU Quito are certainly there to win the thing and IMO the failure of either – or both – to make the final would be a much needed reality check for that side’s respective confederation. It would also give confidence to the rest of the world that we are not just here to make up the numbers or to help maintain an illusion of being the one truly global sport. Valiant defeats aren’t enough – there have already been a few of these from the lesser clubs in this tournament and predictably the memories have already faded – we need a win. It would be a dream come true to see Adelaide follow in the footsteps of the Socceroos in 2003 and dent the ego of English (and European) football. Stranger things have happened.
December 8th 2008 @ 9:05am
Pippinu said | December 8th 2008 @ 9:05am | Report comment
We have to be honest, for clubs like Man U, the World Club Cup is a massive distraction – it has a long way to go before it wins any respect.
It’s not that long ago when it was ditched last minute – I think the Wolves missed out on going (which was unfortunate because their name was generating a fair bit of interest overseas).
To this point, only the Europeans and South Americans have played in the final – until that changes, how can it possible demand any respect?
Playing Adelaide might be a big deal for Waitekere, but it’s hardly going to get European fans in a state of excitement.
If Gamba can push Man Utd all the way – perhaps things might start to change. I hope so, because I think its a worthwhile idea.
December 8th 2008 @ 9:14am
Millster said | December 8th 2008 @ 9:14am | Report comment
Mike
Firstly thanks for joining the Roar crew and I’ve enjoyed reading your first few things.
Half of me agrees with the above but the other half thinks that we have to earn the respect prior to receiving it. Man U and Quito are surely favourites, rightly so, and it is the others that hasve to step up and ‘rattle the cage’ with some results that upset this foregone conclusion.
Now, I take a rather sanguine view of all this, somewhat like for our attendances at the World Cup proper. We would not be having this conversation if Adelaide had not had its super-normal run to be ACL finalist. So just to be there should be celebrated as a great achievement, and certainly not seen as a given. At the moment, now that we’re part of Asia, surely we only expect the A-League to be represented at the CWC once every 4 or 5 years after all… (different for the Kiwi team due to the OFC and thats a bias than needs fixing as has been discussed at length on other threads).
So in closing I’m just very very happy that the A-League is represented in this comp. Even as a Sydney guy, my heart is with Adelaide, and I hope they do raise the level of respect for teams outside of Europe and Sth America through their performances this coming week. And equally lets be fair – I also give my 100% support to Gamba Osaka (except against Adelaide of course!). They are our confederation’s representative as well and I hope they carry the banner of Asian football well and do it proud, so between Adelaide and Gamba people know that there is some decent football played in these parts!
December 8th 2008 @ 9:59am
Koala Bear said | December 8th 2008 @ 9:59am | Report comment
Lads,
I’m looking forward to this tournament and I shall follow it closely on SBS .. I think we will see a new revitalized Adelaide United on Thursday night (SBS); when they face Osaka (providing Man U can overcome them). You can be sure that, the big boys are swapping the DVD’s around the traps as little is known about our representatives from Asia.. I am sure they will know after the first encounters that they have been in a scrap .. I think the stage is now set for an almighty tussle with our lads; rejuvenated and ready to fire .. For those who witnessed the demolishment of the Nix last Friday saw a determined AU outfit to make a statement in this tournament.. Our lads (AU) will go into this tournament to prove a point to Australia that, what Australia saw on the nights of the ACL playoffs was not the true level of the HAL.. Good luck lads and do us proud …
~~~~~~~~~
KB
December 8th 2008 @ 10:29am
Millster said | December 8th 2008 @ 10:29am | Report comment
KB – just a small correction – you have the sequence of matches wrong. Osaka and Man U do not play that early. The way it goes is:
Thurs 11th – QUALIFIER – Waitakere V Adelaide
Sun 14th – QUARTER FINAL – Qualifier winner V Gamba Osaka
Thurs 18th – SEMI FINAL – QF winner V Man U
Sun 21st – FINAL
On the other side:
Sat 13th – QUARTER FINAL – Al Ahly V Pachuca
Wed 17th – SEM FINAL – QF winner V Liga de Quito
Sun 21st – FINAL
So as European and Sth American Champions, Man U and Quito get to enter the competition at semi-finals stage. They do not play QFs.
I’m leaving out the games for places of losing teams of course.
FIFA’s website has the structure nicely at this link : http://www.fifa.com/clubworldcup/matches/index.html
December 8th 2008 @ 10:55am
Koala Bear said | December 8th 2008 @ 10:55am | Report comment
Millster,
As you know we have it all over the Grooky lads when it comes to facts … 
I know; I was just using the “poetic licence act No (?) ” to make my post a good read as per usual; as they invariably are all the time in any event..
~~~~~~~
KB
December 8th 2008 @ 11:01am
Millster said | December 8th 2008 @ 11:01am | Report comment
KB – your posts are always a good real young man….
December 8th 2008 @ 11:10am
Millster said | December 8th 2008 @ 11:10am | Report comment
Oh yeah! Just as an aside – PSG 3 Le Mans 1 on the weekend. After last year being a game away from relegation, we are now one spot in the league away from Europe! With Sydney having won yesterday, now all I need is for Spurs to beat the Hammers and I’ll have had a perfect footballing weekend!
December 8th 2008 @ 1:28pm
Jesse Fink said | December 8th 2008 @ 1:28pm | Report comment
Mike, I used to love World Soccer but its propensity for serious editorial bloopers prompted me to stop reading some time ago (such as a story about Gary van Egmond which stated he’d never played in Europe). Besides, the internet’s where it’s at, ain’t it?
December 8th 2008 @ 1:37pm
dasilva said | December 8th 2008 @ 1:37pm | Report comment
I would have thought that South Americans would have taken this tournament seriously as well. It’s not they are being treated seriously by the europeans either and I believe they are just as determine to beat the european sides and prove a point. Judging by Tim Vickery article they are taking the tournament very seriously and treating their opposition with respect. Even if they win the tournament the european teams will still say they are the best team in the world for winning the UEFA champions league.
The fact is the european will never treat this tournament seriously. Even if they don’t win this tournament for 10 years straight. They’ll still claim they are the best team in the world for winning the UEFA Champion Leagues and that they lost because they couldn’t care less and it’s just an exhibition game anyway. THe whole structure of the tournament means the european just need to win 2 matches to win the tournament. The fact the tournament is structured like this doesn’t give the tournament much credibility for the Europeans.
The only way to solve this is to somehow merge all the continental champion leagues into one global club world cup and have an extensive tournament with extensive qualifications campaign (that is longer as the UEFA qualification campaign) with serious cash rewards. If a club from outside europe wins it then they will have no excuses in who is the best team in the world.
In any case who cares what the europeans think anyway. The club world championship is like the FA cup and other cup competitions is that they are always more meaningful to the underdogs then they are to the big team. THe fact that every continent except for europes take this seriously is enough for this competition to be credible. If 90% of the world takes this seriously they why care about europe’s attitude to it.