World Cup Football Countdown: 1 Day To Go

Each World Cup has moments immortalised through video, film and photographs: Diego Maradona’s "Hand of God" goal in 1986; Paul Gascoigne’s 1990 tears or Bebeto and teammates celebrating his goal in 1994 by pretending to cradle his newborn baby.

What price would sponsors have paid to put their logos or names in the image of those moments?

Sponsors are pouring up to $ 20 million each for a slice of the action. It’s a far cry from soccer’s lowest point in the 1980s when hooliganism had governments clamping down on the sport across Europe. Through clever marketing, the turnaround has been staggering.

Teams cash in too: Brazil landed a $ 200 million contract over 10years with Nike after winning in 1994. Nike has another $ 120 million with the US Soccer Federation.

In the past failing to get to the World Cup was cause for national disappointment, but now it also spells financial disaster.

In 1994, FIFA took almost 20 percent of the television rights revenue, ticketing and merchandising and gave $ 592,000 to each team for each game played. That figure is expected to double in 1998.

Once considered aloof and confined to hospitality suites, sponsors these days reflect the daily concerns of fans, sweating over the fate of stars, and hoping they’ll peak at the right time.

"I find myself worrying about Dennis Bergkamp’s hamstring," says Peter Moore, senior vice President of Reebok. Or why Gabriel Batistuta isn’t a certainty in the Argentine side when he’s scored such a glut of goals recently.

Reebok will sponsor 40 individuals at France ’98, including Bergkamp and Batistuta. The last thing they want is their player to be on the sidelines.Shoes these days carryhigh-tech names such as "Predator" or "Evolution DMX Technology." Many will be red, orange or white as sponsors seek to stand out. Manufacturers talk enthusiastically about thin films of air under the foot to minimize shock, and leather design maximizing shooting potential.

A new line of Reebok ads has Bergkamp in a Dutch cheese factory with a hair-net on, Peter Schemichel on a Danish pig farm shoveling muck and Eric Wynalda selling second-hand cars in Las Vegas.

The message: "This is what they’d have been doing if our shoes hadn’t made them what they are today."

Aren’t they all getting a little carried away? And does your average supporter notice logos and boards in the heat of battle?

World Cup officials say 73 percent of French people watching World Cup 1994 could recall at least one sponsor, and that 60 per cent came away with a "very favorable" view of sponsors.

When fans complained about a lack of tickets for the World Cup, many pointed fingers at the sponsors, who have received 436,000tickets, or 17 percent.Jacques Lambert, director of the World Cup organizing committee, said: "It’s payback time," he says. "Without sponsors we simply could not put on an event of this enormity."

So, soccer could hardly be in better shape. Or could it? Many fans lament soccer’s transition from its working-class origins to a global business. Ticket prices have soared to finance high-tech stadiums and huge salaries.

Many fans say they are priced out of the game. Now that many clubs have gone public on the stock exchange, defeat doesn’t mean just a loss of points, it could also mean millions being wiped off share value. And then there’s always the risk of a conflict of interest.

On the verge of a recent comeback, Diego Maradona stopped, refusing to wear Boca Juniors’ Nike-made jersey, insisting on a different one made by his Puma, with whom he has a personal contract.

Is this Owen fully baked for World Cup glory?

Until Friday, Michael Owen had never flown in a helicopter. "It’s a goodfeelin’, yeah," said the junior supernova after he had been deposited delicately in Docklands, across the Thames from the Millennium Dome, with sponsors in tow and cameras clicking and whirring all about him.

Owen, who still lives with his parents and was not old enough to vote in the last general election, had flown down from Manchester to Heathrow in a more conventional craft that morning before being transferred to the chopper and whisked across the capital to perform his particular brand of cool for the football hackery. He was hugely impressive and it was encouraging to listen to an England footballer talking about something other than his nocturnal movements and appalling behaviour.

It was an especially busy day. "Time is precious," he says and while some of his colleagues are dropping their trousers and standards, all Owen drops are his `g’s. He remains surreally unmoved by his celebrity or by the swirling events that have turned England’s World Cup campaign into a public relations nightmare.

Itis a disconcerting detachment in one so young. Owen could rent his face out for poker. Even when a copy of Friday’s Sun was placed in front of him, the Liverpool teenager stared impassively at the picture of Teddy Sheringham relaxing in an Algarve nightclub and let a weak smile play briefly on his lips before looking up unblinkingly at the scrum of expectant journalists.

He knew what we wanted. He wasn’t going to oblige. Politely, of course. While most sports personalities detest the papers, Owen hasn’t been "turned over" yet, and, with his Umbro minder sitting beside him, the star played a no-comment blinder.

Owen actually is relaxed. All of the time. He maintained he was fresh, despite the demands made on his young body during a long season. There’d been the usual little knocks, but Owen has been lucky. "Couple of days off in La Manga, and I didn’t have to play two full games. I’ve had breaks.

Obviously this is going to be an intense tournament and it might take a lot out of some people…"That was as close as he would come to mild criticism of Sheringham and Paul Gascoigne.

If it were presented as such, you could be sure Owen would find a diplomatic way of denying it. He had no bad habits that he knew of. He doesn’t smoke or drink. He goes out with a couple of mates from the Liverpool team occasionally (not the senior carousers, mind). He still sees childhood friends, "ordinary blokes, doing ordinary things like working in factories, being students".

The Umbro man adds: "With the investment we’ve made, we had looked into one of the PR courses that American athletes use. But, the way Michael handles himself, you’ve got to say that, at 18, he’s quite astonishing."

Super boots or not, does he not fear the skilled and cynical attentions of football’s best defenders? "Maybe. But I’ve made an impact in England so I’ve already been playin’ against the best players in the world. If they’ve seen me playin’, maybe they fear me."

As he came, so did Owen go, transported with almost regal aplombinto the skies to rendezvous with Hoddle and the England team in the afternoon.

"Yeah, they’re going to drop me just outside Burnham and then I’ll get a car." "Wouldn’t want to land at Burnham in a helicopter, Mike," someone said. "The boys would give you a bit of grief." Owen’s little-boy face exploded into laughter. It was good to see he wasn’t all business.

Plain Speak

Couple of days off in La Manga (Casablanca, Morocco), and I didn’t have to play two full games. I’ve had breaks. Obviously this is going to be an intense tournament and it might take a lot out of some people.
Eighteen-year-old Owen on the pressures of playing the World Cup

I am not going to ban alcohol and on occasion the players will be allowed a couple of beers or a glass of wine. But only at the right times. In England that’s what we have had all through our careers — get in the players’ bar and have a beer. But that’s detrimental and won’t happen in France.
England manager Glenn Hoddlelines out the alcohol regimen for his squad

You can say the current team is more technical, more talented, but it is not better physically nor emotionally. It is not consistent and lacks humilility.
Dunga, Brazil’s 34-year-old captain, on the current Brazilian squad

I’ll leave that to Nostradamus… When we are the underdogs we have nothing to lose. The persecution complex suits the Scots.
Scotland manager Craig Brown on his team’s chances against Brazil

We are on a very, very good direction," captain Juergen Klinsmann before the team left Frankfurt.
German captain Juergen Klinsmann on arriving with his team in Nice

Free-flying offer by Air France

With the World Cup set to begin in less than three days, striking Air France pilots proposed late yesterday to take football fans aboard special flights to see the matches. Christian Paris, the spokesman for the SNPL, the pilots’ largest trade union, said only those people who had tickets to thematches would be allowed on the special flights.
Paris said the pilots who are members of his union would fly the special flights without pay. An official of Air France greeted the proposal enthusiastically. He said the airline management would get in contact with the SNPL to discuss the plan. Special flights could be arranged within 48 hours, the official said.

Principle Korean striker injured

South Korea’s top striker Hwang Sun-Hong is a doubtful starter for his side’s first match against Mexico on Saturday. Hwang picked up a knee injury against China in a warm-up match in Seoul last Thursday. He left with the team on Friday for France, but according to reports underwent treatment during the flight to Paris.
Coach Cha Bum-Kun said at the moment, "it is more likely he will not be able to play," the reports said. Cha said that even if Hwang recovers he will not be able to play if "He has not been able to take part in practices before the game." Hwang, who played last two Cups, may takepainkilling injection so he can start training with the team.

Stewart renders apology

British Rock star Rod Stewart today issued a public apology to Glenn Hoddle and the England football squad over his drinking bout with disgraced Paul Gascoigne. Stewart said if he had known that Gascoigne would lose his place in England’s World Cup team in the wake of their time together at a London nightspot last month, he would have said: "No drinks for you tonight, Paul."
"I apologise to Glenn and the team and wish them well," he said in an open letter to the Sun tabloid daily. As Stewart had dinner with friends, Gascoigne came over and joined their table, he said. They talked about the World Cup for 90 minutes, and were together for not more than two hours.

US players allege bribery threat to rig El Salvador tie

Two US team members have claimed that they were offered bribes to fix a match in this week’s tournament in France, The Daily Express reported today. The claims follow areport in the paper’s sister publication, The Express yesterday, that the far East betting syndicates are trying to cash in illegally on matches during the tournament, which starts on Wednesday.
Former Premier League players John Harkes and Roy Wegerle, both in the United States squad, informed their coach and national football body that they had received calls at the team hotel asking them if they would help rig the US match against El Salvador, The Daily Express said. It added that organisers now fear players are being tempted to throw matches with bribes of up to 250,000 pounds (about Rs. 15 crores).

Cricket before soccer

Sri Lankan companies were reluctant to sponsor live broadcasts of the World Cup but scrambled to advertise during the country’s cricket matches, officials said. Cricket-crazy Sri Lankans will not miss a single match in the tri-nation Independence Cup between Sri Lanka, India and New Zealand from June 19 to July 7. France ’98 matches that clash with cricket willbe shown later on the Rupavahini station. "It is not that football is boring but people here are more interested in cricket because we are the world champions in cricket," the official said adding football fans were fewer in number.