Favorites
2010 FIFA World Cup
• Sponsors
Economics of the world cup 2010 – This series of graphics and charts provides a simple but informative explanation of some of the economic factors related to the World Cup.
WSJ: Coca Cola – This is an interesting description of the marketing commitment and business expectations of one of FIFA’s official sponsors, Coca-Cola.
• Business Opportunities
Vuvuzelas – Vuvuzelas! Everyone watching or attending the World Cup now knows about the horns that the fans in the World Cup stadiums have enjoyed blowing. This article explains how one small company guessed before the World Cup started that vuvuzelas would become well known.
• Marketing
Marketing lessons from the world cup – The World Cup is such a significant international sporting event that companies invest in being associated with soccer and the World Cup either directly or indirectly to enhance their business. This article offers one perspective evaluating how some companies have done with their World Cup related marketing campaigns.
• Social Causes
AIDS World Cup Charity Paintings – World Cup soccer has provided an opportunity for organizations both large and small to make a contribution toward social causes in South Africa. This article describes how a couple of artists are raising funds to support an initiative of the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
• Social Media
Facebook World Cup – This is a fun tracking system for daily Facebook impressions of players during the World Cup.
Measuring The World Cup Social Buzz – This article tracks how top players are being recognized by fans using social media. Not surprisingly, it helps players’ endorsement opportunities if they are followed through social media.
Social Media Makes World Cup Biggest Event – This is the first World Cup significantly impacted by social media. In fact, as this article reports, the World Cup is the largest social media ever. Multiple social media platforms are being used by fans as well as companies wanting to associate with the World Cup.
WEBSITES/BLOGS
• Tactical
Zonal Marking – A fantastic website dedicated to football tactics. The site uses diagrams, chalkboards and graphs to highlight systems and tactics which provoke some fascinating responses from fans who clearly take their tactics seriously. A most enjoyable read.
Football-Lineups.com – A fantastic database for information about line-ups, systems of play (formations), individual player statistics, etc.
Match Analysis – Once again, this is a company that Jürgen has worked with and endorses. Match analysis is playing an increasingly important role in preparation for upcoming games and opponents as well as analyzing one’s own players. The ‘trick’, however, is finding a solution that delivers pertinent information in a way that players can relate to.
• Journalists
Martin Samuel (The Daily Mail) – This award-winning journalist speaks with great authority on all matters related to football. He challenges readers with views that can be instructive, insightful and controversial. Samuel is not afraid to address what he perceives to be short-comings in the halls of football’s authorities.
• Sports Coaching
Wayne Goldsmith ‘Sports Coaching Brain’ – An alternative view of sports from an Australian specialist’s perspective. When most views on football come from Europe it’s easy to forget there’s a whole world of sport out there. This website does a great job in terms of speaking to elite athlete development, coaching and performance. Since many of the examples come from other sports it’s instructive to find out what coaches in other sports are thinking.
• All Things Football
Football Filter – For those of us who struggle to organize our visits to websites, blogs, podcasts and video sites this ‘dashboard’ helps organize favorites in a efficient way.
Marca – This website provides quick access to match information throughout the World Cup. It’s wonderfully simple, easy-to-use and shows how technology can enhance the way the World Cup is consumed across different platforms.
Total Football 2010 – This application is an example of a major trend in the way that fans and viewers “consume” football when they are not at a match or watching on television.
• Statistics
Zero Zero Football – This website is another source of statistics, not only for the World Cup but for regular season competitions, too.
• Football Maps
Bill’s Sports Maps – A visual representation of clubs and competitions around the world of football.
Footie Maps – Similar to the above site but focused on football (soccer). The site is user friendly with separate sections for the men’s and women’s games and confederations.
• Fitness
Athlete’s Performance – This is the company that Jürgen has worked with during his coaching roles with the LA Galaxy, Germany and FC Bayern Munich. Again, their multi-sport experience is invaluable when developing programs for football (soccer).
• Leadership
Harvard Business Review – A look at leadership traits in business.
• Lifeskills
UNICEF – An outline of the personal life skills necessary in leading a fulfilling and successful life.
• Quotations about Sport and Competition
World of Inspiration – A good source of quotations for speeches, presentations and inspiration.
• Football Performance
The Science of Sport – Can the analysis of sporting performance aid in the detection of banned substances?
Peak Performance – A factor often overlooked by football players and coaches. What can players and coaches do to improve their vision and perception on the field of play?
ARTICLES
UK Sports Network – “Connecting Brands and Clubs” – UK Sports Network – Since sponsorship is extremely important to the financial health of most clubs, this article is instructive in terms of where leading sponsors are investing their money.
“The 20 best known European Football Brands” – UK Sports Network – An assessment of leading European football brands and an attempt to spot trends in this arena.
“Roster Stability Rules the Soccer Pitch” – The Wall Street Journal – A statistics based article confirming what coaches have known for some time: stability on your team-sheet leads to more consistent performances. Of course, it can also lead to consistently poor performances. It’s not always possible to make the changes you want when you have a limited roster.
‘A Survey of Youth Sports Finds Winning Isn’t the Only Thing’ – The New York Times – A reminder that kids play sports for fun.
Player Development Program (Tennis) – The New York Times – A fascinating approach to player development by adidas in tennis.
‘Keeping Count in Football’ (Statistics and Finances) – Wall Street Journal – The demand for statistical data is growing rapidly as clubs, investors and owners seek to maximize their investments in football and find patterns to success.
‘Football Clubs Get Serious About Their Goals’ – IESE Business School – Examination of how to build appropriate business organizations at elite clubs.
‘Michael Phelps’ Top 5 Fundamentals for Pulling off the Impossible’ – The Positivity Blog – Understanding what makes Michael Phelps a champion.
The Environment and Sustainability – Green Goal – An intriguing report on the first FIFA World Cup with an environmental concept and objectives.
False 10 – Another stimulating article on ‘Football Further’. This time the author discusses the role of the ‘False 10’. An enjoyable read.
WSJ: How Conformity Kidnapped Soccer – Is the world’s game becoming homogenized?
