Fifa Club World Cup

CWC trophy

Background

Another year, another format change for a tournament with a chequered history and that has gone by several names – Club World Championship, World Club Cup, the Intercontinental Cup and, thanks to long-standing sponsors, the Toyota Cup.

The early stages of last year’s six-team tournament were played in front of half-empty stadiums. Only the Final, won by Internacional over Barcelona, had a capacity crowd at the 67,000-seater Yokohama International stadium. So this year, in a bid to boost attendances, FIFA had intended to introduce the Japanese league champions as a seventh team – except that Urawa Red Diamonds, who were on the brink of clinching the domestic title as we went to press, will already be competing as Asian champions.

So, instead, the local team place will now be taken by Iran’s Sepahan, who lost to Urawa Reds in the Asian Champions League Final.

In addition, it was decided to drop the fifth-place play-off match, which last year was watched by only 23,000 at Tokyo’s 57,000-capacity National stadium, and to play the third-place play-off immediately before the Final to ensure a
decent crowd.

FIFA has increased the prize money by £500,000, with a total of £8million now up for grabs. The champions will take home £2.5m, the runners-up £2m, the third-placed side £1.25m, the fourth-placed £1m, the two fifth-placed teams £500,000 and the seventh-placed team £250,000.

The world body has also confirmed that it will use the tournament to continue the experiment with goal-line technology first trialled at the 2005 Under-17 World Cup in Peru. A new version of the “chip-in-ball” developed by Adidas will be “tested” in Japan, a FIFA spokesman said. However, plans to employ an extra set of assistant referees as goal-line officials have been scrapped because the International Board has not yet given its approval.

Teams

Boca Juniors - team profile

South American champions and three-times winners of the world title.
Coach: Miguel Angel Russo. Former Estudiantes player who succeeded Ricardo Lavolpe at the start of this year.
Key man: Ever Banega. Teenage midfielder who was one of the stars of Argentina’s Under-20 World Cup success this summer.

Milan

Last season’s UEFA Champions League winners have been struggling in Serie A this term but have performed efficiently in the Champions League group stage, notching up wins over Benfica and Shakhtar Donetsk.
Coach: Carlo Ancelotti. The former Italy midfielder has overseen two Champions League wins at the Milan helm, to add to his two European Cup successes as a player.
Key man: Kaka. The Brazilian is favourite to be named world player of the year next month.

Etoile Sahel

The Tunisians surprisingly beat holders Al Ahly of Egypt in the African Champions League Final in early November.
Coach: Bertrand Marchand. The Frenchman joined the club in May this year from league rivals Club Africain.
Key man: Amine Chermiti. The teenage striker’s goals were crucial in Etoile’s Champions League success.

Urawa Red Diamonds

Japan’s richest and best-supported club secured their first continental title when beating Iran’s Sepahan in the Asian Champions League Final.
Coach: Holger Osieck. Veteran German who is in his second spell at the club.
Key man: Washington. Brazilian striker who has been a prolific scorer in the J.League.

Pachuca

Mexico’s oldest club and most successful of recent times. Won this year’s CONCACAF Champions Cup and last year became the first club from Central or North America to win a South American confederation title, the Sudamericana Cup (the continent’s equivalent of the UEFA Cup). Nicknamed Los Tuzos (the gophers).
Coach: Enrique Meza. Experienced former national team boss who has overseen unprecedented success since taking over in 2006.
Key man: Gabriel Caballero. Argentina-born veteran attacking midfielder in his third spell at the club.

WaitakEre United

The New Zealanders were the inaugural winners of the O-League, the successor to the Oceania Club Championship, narrowly beating Fijian champions Ba in the Final.
Coach: Chris Milicich. Local man who won the New Zealand title with Mount Wellington as a player.
Key man: Neil Emblen. Former Wolverhampton, Crystal Palace and Walsall midfielder who now plays in defence.

Sepahan

The first Iranian side to reach the Asian Champions League Final, in which they were beaten by Urawa Reds. The Esfahan-based club are traditionally the third power in Iranian football behind Tehran clubs Pirouzi (also known as Persepolis) and Esteghlal, but have grown in stature in recent years.
Coach: Luka Bonacic. Croatian with a reputation as a tough disciplinarian.
Key man: Moharram Navidkia. Team captain who has experience of European football from a spell in Germany with Bochum.