The eleventh Sepp Blatter Football Tournament took place in Ulrichen on 31 August. As in previous years, football served only as a backdrop for a relaxed get-together between the FIFA President and friends and dignitaries from the international football scene. Blatter welcomed guests to Ulrichen, the village with a population of 240 where his family has its roots, with white wine and the Swiss cheese speciality raclette – the perfect way to build their strength for the football tournament later in the day. In addition to UEFA President Michel Platini and Franz Eeckenbauer, who are tournament regulars, a newcomer this year was Ottmar Hitzfeld, the new coach of the Swiss national team. The former Bayern Munich coach was admitted to the illustrious group of tournament participants and on arrival Blatter himself welcomed him with a plate of raclette. “I was involved in the promotion of tourism to the Valais region for many years, so if there’s one thing I know, it’s how to serve raclette,” said the FIFA President as he filled the plate of his long-time friend, “We met back in 1972 when Ottmar was playing for West Germany at the Olympics.”
Blatter believes his German friend’s appointment as coach of the national team is a real coup for Switzerland. “He brings with him a magnificent record. He lives only a few kilometres from the border and is close to Switzerland not only in terms of geography. The fact that he understands the many different facets of our country is a tremendous advantage,” said the tournament host, who was also celebrating his tenth anniversary as head of FIFA. The celebrations were hosted at a stadium that now bears his name. “This is a world first — it is the first time a FIFA president has ever had his own stadium,” joked Blatter after the new pitch had been officially blessed by the village priest. And, of course, let us not forget that some football was played, too. The FIFA Team were victorious, comfortably beating Team 2000 8-2.

More than 800 days have passed since that magical night in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium on 9 July 2006, when, after overcoming France on penalties in an enthralling 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™ final, Italy were crowned kings of the sport for a fourth time.
Just days before the Azzurri kicked off their bid to reach the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ Final, FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter, accompanied by a FIFA delegation including Secretary General Jerome Valcke, visited the Italian football association (FIGC) technical centre in Coverciano to bestow a special accolade upon their hosts. They were there to present the first “FIFA World Champions Badge”, which Italy will now wear on their jerseys.
They did so for the first time during their opening qualifier against Cyprus in Larnaca on 6 September, a close encounter that Marcello Lippi’s charges won 2-1.
The Italian players proudly displayed the badge on their chests, just above their shirt numbers and below the FIGC emblem The traditional blue home shirt features a white badge with the FIFA World Cup Trophy embroidered in gold, while the white away jersey has a gold badge with a white trophy.
Following a brief yet rousing ceremony, Blatter handed the FIFA World Cup Trophy to Fabio Cannavaro – a gesture that had initially been the suggestion of the Italian captain himself. The centre-back received the trophy in the presence of every member of the Germany 2006-winning squad, and to a standing ovation from the audience.
Among the guests in attendance were Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) President and ambassador for Italian sport Gianni Petrucci, together with FIGC President Giancarlo Abete, who opened the ceremony with some simple yet perceptive insight. “The Technical Centre in which we are gathered today will very soon be celebrating its
50th anniversary,” he said. “This place is characterised by a competitive and sporting dimension, which this ceremony expresses on the grandest scale. The award that we are receiving today from FIFA is a point of arrival, but also a point of departure. A point of arrival because it serves to commemorate the many moments of joy that Italian football has given to its country and to its people. A point of departure because from now on our national shirt, thanks to FIFA, will further underline the message that we are the champions of the world. We have always felt at home at the FIFA World Cup™ and we will be working hard to return to that place where we feel so at ease.”
Blatter added: “More than 30 years ago I was here among the hills of Florence, in this technical centre, even before most of the footballers standing before me were born. I am here to represent the summit and the grassroots of football, a sport that is a school of life, capable of
offering so many children hope and joy in a complex world. Today is an important day for FIFA, as it is for the Italian team, because from this moment forth we will identify the champions of the world with a badge. Winning the FIFA World Cup™ is the highest achievement in football and we believe that such an achievement deserves special recognition. Italy are the first national team to enjoy this privilege, and deservedly so because they have won the title on no less than four occasions. Italy’s players will wear this badge until 2010.”
The ceremony was brought to a close by the FIFA President, who unveiled Italy’s official new jersey with the badge at its centre. The FIGC then presented him with his own honorary shirt, emblazoned with the number 9. The number 10 shirt had already been reserved for CONI President Petrucci. Finally, FIFA presented the FIGC with a pennant featuring an oversized version of the “FIFA World Champions Badge”.

Under the tutelage of French coach Didier Chambaron, New Caledonia have played ten official matches without defeat, an enviable record by any standards. Thanks to the devaluation of matches from previous years, the Caledonians rocketed to 95th place in the September FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, the first time they have made it into the top 100. This jump provided Chambaron’s team with a significant confidence boost, although it did not prevent them from losing twice to favourites New Zealand in the qualifiers for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ in September. New Caledonia were defeated 3-1 in front of their home crowd in Noumea on
6 September, and four days later they suffered a 3-0 loss in Auckland. And so New Caledonia’s dreams of participating in their first ever FIFA World Cup™ have been shattered.
Despite this disappointment, there is no doubt that New Caledonian football is on the up and that those involved have every reason to be proud of recent developments. “We didn’t get here by chance. The players have made a lot of progress in recent months. The results have exceeded our expectations,” a proud Chambaron told FIFA.com.
New Caledonia’s recent successes against their Oceanian competitors have certainly earned them respect throughout the region, but Chambaron still feels their achievement has not been given sufficient recognition: “I don’t think the results we’ve achieved have been given the acknowledgement they deserve up to now, and that’s a pity.”
Chambaron sees his role as improving the level of football not only in New Caledonia, but in Oceania as a whole. ” I’ve been in New Caledonia for two and a half years now, and I hope that I will be able to make my own small contribution to the development of football in Oceania as a whole. In any case, that’s what I’m ready to do.”
The Frenchman is also confident that the off-field initiatives currently in place will ensure a genuine change in the footballing landscape of the region. “The President of the Oceania Football Confederation, Reynald Temarii, has put in place a whole series of reforms that will improve the status of football both within and outside Oceania,” he said. “And the projects are not just about the elite players, they concern the education of the youth and the struggle against poverty.”
One of these initiatives has been the creation of a new technical centre in Paita, near Noumea, financed by FIFA’s Goal Programme and opened in May this year. New Caledonia, a FIFA member since 2004 and with only 8,552 registered players, now has a world-class training facility on its doorstep.