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The Stadium
Name: St James’ Park
Address: St James’ Park, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 4ST, England
Opened: 1880
Last renovation: August 2000
No. of seats: 52387
Covered: 100%
Record attendance: 68386 (Newcastle v. Chelsea, 3 September 1930)
Home team: Newcastle United
Internet: www.nufc.co.uk

St James’ Park like a cathedral
I don’t care what anybody says, you can go around the world twice if you like and you would not get an atmosphere like that anywhere else,” said Newcastle United manager Kevin Keegan after his side had beaten local rivals Sunderland 2-0 at St James’ Park. “I’ve played in derbies at Liverpool, I’ve played in the Maracana for England and at the Boca Juniors ground in Argentina but this is the best place in the world when you’re winning. It’s a tough place if you are not going well, but hey, those are the rules of the game.”
Of course, the former England head coach might not be the most impartial observer but it is his boyish enthusiasm and passion for football that is so typical of the supporters of a club that has been synonymous with underachievement but which is still virtually packed out at every single home game.
Like a cathedral, St James’ Park rises above the Newcastle landscape and looms over the Tyneside city centre but its central location has heavily influenced redevelopment plans due to the proximity of historic buildings right next to the ground.
It has meant that Newcasde United’s home has a slightly uneven look since it was given a makeover — completed in August 2000 when 51,327 witnessed a 3-2 win over Derby – but as far as Keegan is concerned that adds to its charm. “I think, for me, it is just about the best football stadium in this country and that is no disrespect to any other,” Keegan said. “I just think it is fantastic. It is probably because we have the three high stands and the one low side that in some way makes it very special.”
A LONG-TERM LEASE
Football was first played on the land now occupied by St James’ Park in October 1880 although the area used to have far graver connotations because the city’s main execution site was located in the area. Indeed, according to research, the hangman’s site was very close to the stadium which explains why one side of the ground is now called “The Gallowgate End”, even though the last hanging took place there 36 years before football took centre stage. Since then four clubs have called St James’ Park home — Newcastle Rangers, Newcastle West End and Newcastle East End, who moved there in 1892 shortly before Newcastle United emerged.
In those days, footballers had to cope with a steep slope that saw an 18-foot drop between the north and south sides of the pitch and a rutted surface because the ground also doubled as grazing land for local butchers. United and the upmarket residents of the architecturally impressive Leazes Terrace proved to be uneasy bedfellows as the club tried to move with the times. However, despite their differences and the tough planning laws in England which protect historic buildings, the two parties have learned to co-exist. Initially, though, they failed to hit it off and, according to Newcastle’s website, die well-to-do residents made an official complaint describing football as an “intolerable nuisance”.
Officials toyed with the idea of moving but stood firm and at the turn of the 20th century a stadium started to take shape following the erection of a corrugated iron fence. At this time, the ground was able to accommodate 30,000 spectators before the arena doubled in size as the club went from strength to strength, dominating English football and winning the Football League three times in quick succession. Until recently, United’s uncomfortable position as local council tenants – now improved by virtue of a long-term lease – had thwarted development plans and apparently some fans still feel aggrieved that they missed out on the 1966 FIFA World Cup1″ finals.
“It was no surprise when the World Cup organisers decided against St James’ Park and handed the group stage matches to Middlesbrough instead,” club historian Paul Joannou said. “Newcastle missed out on the biggest feast of football Britain has ever witnessed.”
“GEORDIE MESSIAH”
That is a shame because such is Newcastle’s extraordinary passion for football that 20,000 supporters turned up to welcome Michael Owen to the north-east of England in August 2005 following his move from Real Madrid. That was reminiscent of the day a similar number of fans welcomed Alan Shearer back to Newcastle outside the ground when the club broke the world transfer record by paying Blackburn GBP 15 million for the England star following EURO 1996. Shearer’s arrival fuelled the notion that Newcastle were outgrowing their traditional home and its 37,000-capacity and chairman Sir John Hall spearheaded plans to build a new arena on the neighbouring Leazes Park.
Plans for a 70,000-capacity arena, based on Milan’s San Siro, were drawn up by architects but the project bitterly divided the city and was effectively abandoned in November 1997 in favour of expanding St James’ Park. Nowadays, club owner Mike Ashley is considering raising the roof to fit in more fans at St James’ Park thanks to the success of Keegan, the so-called “Geordie Messiah” who has invigorated the club since he returned to take over from Sam Allardyce last January.

The Stadium
Name: Luzhniki Olympic Complex
Address: Luzhnetskaya Naberezhnaya, 24, Moscow, Russia
Opened: 1956
Last renovation: 1995
No. of seats: 84 745
Covered: 70%
Home teams: Torpedo Moscow, Spartak Moscow, CSKA Moscow, Russian national team
Internet: www.luzhniki.ru

Luzhniki – a colossal feat of engineering
The Luzhniki stadium is a typical product of the Soviet era. The authorities first came up with the idea of building a huge sports stadium in the mid-1950s. Soviet athletes of that time had already proved that they were capable of competing at an international level, and the country needed a large, multifunctional arena to allow further development and to stage the pan-Soviet Games, the Spartakiads.
They chose the perfect location, just five kilometres from the Kremlin, facing a picturesque bank of the Moskva river and surrounded by magnificent parks. The “Big Moscow Stadium”, as it was initially known, was built in a record time of 450 days, despite the huge difficulties caused by die extremely swampy soil on the site. Thousands of people from across the country took part in what was a colossal feat of engineering. The opening ceremony was held on 31 July 1956. A year later, the Luzhniki was the main venue for the World Youth Festival, welcoming 35,000 young people from more than 130 countries. The complex was constantly developed in the decades that followed, providing a magnificent showcase for the Summer Olympic Games in Moscow in 1980.
The Central Lenin Stadium, as the Luzhniki Olympic Complex was also known in the past, consisted of more than 100 buildings and embodied the majestic Stalinist architectural style. It spans close to 180 hectares, and with its swimming pool, skating rink, tennis courts and numerous multifunctional halls, it has proved to be an outstanding venue for many world and European championships in sports such as ice hockey, basketball, volleyball, and gymnastics.
As well as being a stage for national and international sporting events, the Luzhniki was also a place where ordinary people could enjoy sports. Scientists from medical and physical training research institutes worked together with stadium staff to develop methodology and special programmes that would improve the well-being of middle-aged and elderly sections of the population through sport, while thousands of kids got their first taste of sporting competition at the Luzhniki.
PELE’S GOALS
Following the collapse of communism, the arena became an outstanding stage for international pop and rock stars. The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Rammstein and many others wooed Russian crowds at the Luzhniki stadium. First and foremost, however, the venue is famous as the venue for the incredible football battles of old, when crowds of 100,000 would cheer on legendary Soviet players like Lev Yashin, Nikita Simonyan, Eduard Streltsov, Oleg Blokhin and Rinat Dasaev in their matches against the powers of world football.
On 4 July 1965, 102,000 fans saw the legendary Pele score two goals in a friendly game between the USSR and reigning world champions Brazil. Despite the painful 3-0 defeat, the Soviet crowd marvelled at the skills of the Brazilian wizards. It was a useful lesson, for just four months later the soon-to-be FIFA World Cup™ semi-finalists silenced a crowd of 132,000 at Rio’s Maracana stadium by holding the home team to a 2-2 draw.
Besides being the main arena for the Russian (and formerly Soviet) national team, the Luzhniki is also the home venue for Spartak Moscow, one of the most successful clubs in the country’s history. Following the huge political changes in Russia in the early 1990s, the privatised stadium became the home of Torpedo Moscow, a club actually owned by the complex proprietors. However, Spartak continued to use the pitch. What is more, the venue now also plays host to CSKA Moscow, as the former army club’s own arena, as well as its temporary home in Dinamo Moscow’s legendary stadium, are closed for reconstruction.
RETURN OF NATURAL GRASS
By the mid-1990s, the magnificent arena was in a poor condition following years of neglect. The stadium was outdated and no longer able to meet modern standards, so it was decided to start renovation immediately. Two years later, an encircling roof was constructed over the whole seating area. The wooden benches were replaced by plastic seats, and the initial capacity of 100,000 was reduced to just under 85,000. The whole area under the tribunes, from the dressing rooms and media centres to the cafes and offices, was redesigned and rebuilt to meet modern requirements. In 1998, the arena was good enough to earn recognition from FIFA and UEFA, who granted the Luzhniki the status of a five-star stadium. It was chosen to host the following year’s UEFA Cup final, Almost 70,000 fans saw a brilliant Parma team beat Marseille 3-0 on a chilly night in Moscow on 12 May 1999.
However, not everything about the stadium was perfect. The next item in the plan of modernisation was to cover the area above the pitch with a sliding roof, but the stadium engineers came across a problem. In the cold Russian climate it has always been extremely difficult to cultivate grass. Now, with the roof depriving the grass of sunlight, the pitch was unusable after just a few matches. The natural pitch was replaced several times, but eventually a FIFA-approved artificial turf pitch was installed.
In May 2008, natural grass returned to the stadium for the first time in eight years when the Luzhniki was once again chosen as the venue for a major European football match – the Champions League final between Manchester United and Chelsea. This was the ultimate recognition of the stadium’s quality, although as Muscovites will tell you, they will only really be satisfied when they have a ticket for the FIFA World Cup™ final in their home stadium.

Ali Daei
Name: Ali Daei
Born: 21 March 1969 in Ardabil (Iran)
Nationality: Iranian
Height: 1.92m
Position: Striker
Clubs as a player: 1983-1988: Javarana Ardabil. 1988-1989: Esthegial Ardabil. 1989-1990: Taxirani FC. 1990-1994: Tejarat Bank 1994-1996: Persepolis Tehran (all Iran). 1996-1997: Al-Sadd (Qatar). 1997-1998: Arminia Bielefeld (Germany). 1998-1999: Bayern Munich (Germany). 1999-2002: Hertha Berlin (Germany). 2002-2003: Ai-Shabab (United Arab Emirates). 2003-2004: Persepolis Tehran. 2004-2006: Saba Battery Tehran, 2006-2007: Saipa Tehran (Iran).
Honours as a player: Iranian championship (1996, 2007), German championship (1999), Iranian Super Cup (2005), world’s leading international goalscorer (1996), Asian Footballer of the Year (1999), leading goalscorer of the preliminary competition for the FIFA World Cup™ in Korea and Japan (2002), leading goalscorer of the Iran Pro League (2004), Iran’s leading international goalscorer with 109 goals in 149 full international matches.
Coaching career: 2006-2007: Saipa Tehran (player-coach). Since 2007: Saipa Tehran. Since 2008: Iran national team.
Honours as a coach: Iranian championship (2007).

“My work is not based on friendship”
Ali Daei was the best striker in the history of Asian football. He immediately set out on a coaching career following his retirement and is now in charge of two teams.
Nobody could ever have imagined that Ali Daei, a 19-year-old metallurgy student from the mountain city of Ardabil, would go on to become one of the most prolific goal-scorers in world football.
Daei was a gifted student. Born on 21 March 1969, he graduated in Metallurgy from Iran’s prestigious Sharif University of Technology but began to attract interest from professional clubs when he shot to the top of the scoring charts in the Tehran league while playing for his hometown club.
Daei’s footballing career may have started late but it took off quickly. He made his debut for the Iranian national team at 24 and went on to enjoy consistent success throughout his career. “Shahriar”, as he was known in his Turkish-speaking hometown, soon left Iran for bigger things, eventually starring for famous clubs like Bayern Munich and Hertha Berlin.
He was voted AFC Player of the Year in 1999 and holds the all-time international goal-scoring record after notching 109 goals in 149 games.
Many thought Daei’s international retirement after the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ would bring down the curtain on a glorious career, but he went on to enjoy further success a year later, scoring one of the goals in Saipa’s decisive 2-0 win in the last round of the Iran Pro League in May 2007. This victory handed the title to the team he player-coached and meant Daei grabbed the headlines of the world’s media for one last time as a player.
Daei has now entered a new chapter in his career. He was appointed national coach of Iran following the draw with Syria in the first qualifying match, with the aim of steering Team Melli to die 2010 FIFA World Cup™.
FM: Can you confound expectations and lead Iran to the latter stages of the FIFA World Cup™?
Ali Daei: No doubt. I am here to bring something new to my country’s national team and I strongly believe in what I do. Team Melli can progress beyond the group stages for the first time at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. I don’t see any reason why not. We have failed to go beyond this stage in any of our previous appearances, whether in Argentina in 1978, France in 1998, or Germany in 2006, so it’s time to break new ground. What’s more, Iran will not have reached the final of the AFC Asian Cup for 35 years, ever since winning three consecutive championships between 1968 and 1976, so I hope we can emerge victorious in Qatar in 2011. We have a strong, technically gifted team and there is no reason why we can’t reach new heights.
You have been personally involved in Iran’s FIFA World Cup™ matches ever since the qualifying round for USA 1994, when the team failed to qualify from the final round of the Asian qualifiers in Doha. What have been the most memorable moments of your career so far?
Daei: Nothing compares with the moment we drew 2-2 with Australia in the second leg of the AFC-OFC play¬off match in Melbourne in 1997, a result which saw us qualify for the World Cup again after a 20-year absence. That was a dramatic qualifying campaign. We failed to qualify from the group stage, lost to Japan in the AFC play-off match, drew with Australia in Tehran and then suddenly came back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 when the match had seemed beyond us.
Nobody could believe it — it was a miracle. No sooner had the final whistle blown than a party broke out among Iranians all over the world. Making people happy is the greatest achievement for a footballer and that was an unforgettable experience. It’s my aim to bring my country more joy, this time as the coach. On the other hand, I know how painful it is to lose. A few years later, we only needed a draw against Bahrain to qualify for the 2002 World Cup but we lost. That was a really bitter experience.
You scored for Saipa in the team’s decisive 2-0 victory in your final match and immediately announced your retirement pitch-side. Did you plan this beforehand or did you simply think it was a fitting end to your prolific career?
Daei: To be honest, I planned to retire after the 2006 World Cup in Germany, but unexpected circumstances prompted me to delay my retirement for another year. This time round, I didn’t tell anybody. I scored the winning goal as a player, while also winning the championship title as a coach. My team-mates helped me bring a happy end to my career as a footballer and accomplish my last mission. However, this is not an end but a beginning for me.
Did you have any plans to begin coaching before your last international appearance at the 2006 FIFA World Cup™? You started coaching at 37 even although you hadn’t hung up your boots for Saipa.
Daei: I always wanted to be a successful coach but I never expected my career in coaching to start so soon. Following the sudden departure of German coach Werner Lorant from Saipa in the middle of last season, the club’s board appointed me as player-coach. It could have taken me three or four years to become a coach but everything happened so quickly and ended with an immediate championship!
You have to work extremely hard and look after yourself carefully to enjoy a career as successful as yours. You are still the highest-ever goal-scorer of the FIFA World Cup™ preliminary competition, and you were named Asian Footballer of the Year in 1999. Can you maintain your success as a coach? You are still only 39 years old and many believe you need more experience. Does that concern you?
Daei: Experience is an important element but not the only one. Coaching requires all kinds of different factors, not only experience. It requires a highly individual approach and you have to draw on your own personality. For me, management and leadership are the main factors. You often find diese qualities in big-name players. What’s more, you also need lots of information at your disposal.
Many fans were expecting Iran to name a high-profile foreign coach but your appointment is part of a new trend in football towards young, reformist coaches. People compare you with Germany’s Jurgen Klinsmann and the Netherlands’ Marco van Basten…
Daei: Klinsmann brought life back into German football. He dropped some regulars and called up a host of unheralded young players. I think this gave German football a new platform to build on, one which will enable it to resume its rightful position at the top of world football soon. Van Basten’s appointment had a similar effect on the Dutch team. I’m also determined to take a different approach. I’d like to introduce fresh ideas to Team Melli. My prime motivation is to make changes and serve Iranian football, otherwise I wouldn’t have accepted the post.
Many of the players are your friends, and up until recently were team-mates or opponents. For example, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Mehdi Mahdavikia played alongside you for the national team for more than a decade, as did Hannover striker Vahid Hashemian and Livorno defender Rahman Rezaei. How difficult is it for you to make decisions about these players?
Daei: These players are still good friends of mine but my chief priority at all times is to look after the interests of Team Melli. I will pick the players who are fit and ready. My friendship or any other sentiments will not have a bearing on who takes the field or what happens during a game. I’ll do whatever is required to ensure the team’s success and ignore all non-football-related matters. My work is not based on friendship so I’ll have no problems implementing my plans.
What characteristics do you hope to stamp on Team Melli?
Daei: I draw on the ideas of all coaches but I have my own distinct style. I saw what Jurgen Klinsmann brought to the German team in terms of fitness, conditioning, training routines and coaching. He introduced some amazing ideas and I am always keen to learn from others. But at the end of the day I am Ali Daei and my work has to be based on the football circumstances in Iran. We are not a developed country so it’s important for us to practise rather than preach.
How confident are you that you’ll be able to improve the Iranian team’s chances? Your first match as Iran coach ended in a 2-2 draw against Kuwait in a FIFA World Cup™ qualifying match.
Daei: I don’t feel under any particular pressure at the moment. We picked up a decent point in Kuwait, which wasn’t a bad result. After all, we haven’t managed to come away from Kuwait with a victory for some years now. Also, you have to look at the result in context. That same day, Saudi Arabia lost 3-0 in Uzbekistan and Japan were beaten 1-0 by Bahrain. What’s more, we didn’t have enough time to train. So I’m not worried, our time will come soon.
You hold the title as the highest-ever goal-scorer in a FIFA World Cup™ qualifying round. Will your attacking philosophy leave its imprint on the Iran team? Iran hadn’t scored for six matches before netting twice against Kuwait.
Daei: Now that I’m the coach, my strategy is directed more towards winning than simply scoring lots of goals. I need to develop a winning mentality among my players and get them to focus on our long-term goal in tournaments. The term “goal” means a lot more to a coach than it does to a striker.
In addition to the national team, you are also coaching Saipa in Iran’s Pro League and in the AFC Champions League. Are you able to devote enough attention to your two roles and be successful in both?
Daei: I have no worries on that score. My duties as coach of Team Melli do not interfere in any way with my duties at club level. Our aim at Saipa is to qualify for the APC Champions League quarter-finals and then to progress as far as we can. We’re in a good position in Group B and we’re very optimistic about our chances.
Because of your vast experience and leadership qualities, coaches used to rely heavily on you as their captain. How much do you count on your captains Mehdi Mahdavikia or Ali Karimi?
Daei: I will ask for help whenever it is needed. The captain, or indeed any of the other more senior players, has a key role to play in improving the discipline of the team. In recent months, we’ve had the most disciplined team that I can ever remember. This is largely down to the contribution of the experienced players.
You are a great believer in the fact that religious faith can spur people on to greater achievements. Do you promote religious faith among your players as a means of increasing their self-confidence?
Daei: Faith is a private matter. We never advertise any beliefs or force players to follow any model. But we can show players how to take better care of themselves and boost their confidence. We should act as a good role model for them.
All national teams, especially their coaches, are the focus of regular media attention. Coaches often have to remain calm in the middle of a crisis. Are you ready to handle situations of this kind? This is another side of high-level coaching, particularly on the road to the FIFA World Cup™.
Daei: I’ve actually given a good deal of thought to the media and its reactions. It’s part of their job to comment on the national team. I think it’s important that we deal with one other in a fair and rational manner. That’s all I expect. In any case, I regard the media as being part of the football family. I appreciate what they do for football, and view them in a positive light.
How will the Asian teams perform at the 2010 FIFA World Cup™? Do you foresee any improvement?
Daei: We can’t deny there’s a gap between Asian football and the world’s developed football nations. It will take a lot of hard work and patience to close this gap. We can improve, provided we believe in ourselves and step up our efforts. The competition in world football is getting tougher and teams are more closely matched. Korea Republic’s performance in 2002 or Australia’s results in Germany in 2006 are good examples of the continents potential. I don’t think any of the Asian teams will go to South Africa simply to make up the numbers. We have enough time to build up our teams and leave our mark on world football in 2010.