FIFA House in Zurich

Merci, this is Ken.

Merci is "Thank you" in French. French or German is spoken in Switzerland.

Today we visited FIFA headquarters office in Zurich without appointment.

FIFA statnds for Federation International de Football Association.

FIFA now includes over 200 member countries and regions.

We have visited many football associations world-widely such as Uzbekistan, South African, South Korean. But this is the first for European.

So, this time FIFA will be a big issue, I think.

ＦIFA headquarters also know as "FIFA House" is located beside a zoo, which is 10 minutes away from the center of Zurich by tram.

The sign leads you to FIFA.

On the way to the FIFA House, I saw this one.

FIFA street !

Walking about 100m on this street, you'll see the entrance of FIFA House.

FIFA House !

It is verdant.

An fantasy art work in the beautifully kempt garden.

On the way to the entrance of FIFA house, the pathway was made up from stones, some of which has a name of the membership of FIFA on it.

Alphabetical order, not FIFA ranked.

Surprisingly, there was a regular size soccer field by the building !

Turf ground.

Additionally, there was beach soccer place behind the soccer field!

The small goal in the distance is futsal field.

By the way, did you know the goal is so big.

I guess it is as same size as ones for kids.

At last, we came to the entrance.

Definitely, we are the first to stand in front of the FIFA logo,

wearing Japanese national team's jersey.

One of my friends, who visited here 10 years ago, said, "There was a museum inside and I got some souvenirs for free."

Then, we got into the building and talked to a receptionist.

She said, "There was a museum in the past FIFA House. But we've moved to a new building and we don't have it now."

Shocked.

But, her next line saved my ass.

She goes, "There is a shop and you can get some items there. Also some trophies are displayed. Feel free to go around every facilities. Of course, taking photos is permitted."

How exciting !

We've got it before our national team do this.

They gave us FIFA monthly.

I remember the design on the balls.

Turning the pages, I saw this one.

It's an article about 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding.

I think the people in the middle of the picture are the representatives of JFA (Japan Football Association). I hope the comp is in our country again. Good luck.

All of the scenes are edited as movie below.

Have a look at it !

I am very happy to get these items, though I couldn't see the museum.

Normally, they never distribute them except to children. I appreciate that.

Finally, have a look at Atushi wearing T shirt, on which the official character ZAKUMI is printed.

Somehow it's not cool.

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Football galore in Paris!

Je m'appelle, Ken. 
※ Je m'appelle means “I am called…” in French.

Today‘s entry is “Football Galore” in Paris series.

In the last entry, we showed you the photo of us two in front of the Eiffel Tower,

Actually, we took some video clips as well.

The first shot of “Football Galore” series is [lifting in front of the world famous Tower], The Eiffel Tower. 

By the way, we used the software called "VAIO Movie Story" from Sony for editing for your information.

And the second shot of “Football Galore” series is a live experience of watching the French A league, "Nancy vs. Paris Saint-Germain". 

We arrived at “Parc de France”, the home ground of the Paris SG around 6pm just one hour before kickoff.

the stadium was not even half full

"Unlike Germany and Spain, maybe soccer is not so popular here... It wasn’t crazy on the way to the stadium at all.” 

Is it? Wrong! 

Just before kickoff, the stadium has become packed with mostly Paris SG fans, except for some standing area which was closed.

I wasn’t sure what it was for, maybe a message for peace and hope or something? Lots of balloons were being handed out around the stadium.

What about Flu epidemic? The Balloons full of people’s spit were floating and bursting around like crazy.

I wonder if “ Mesdames et Messieurs” don’t care about it.

Then kick off. Just minutes ago we were wishing for peace and cheering up for both teams with balloons, now came the fire and smoke (like a warning flare) from the distant second floor.

Peace and hope has been burned to the ground without mercy w

Well, for the game, Nancy opened with the first goal shortly after kick-off. 


Paris SG however was pushing harder and they equalized in about 10 minutes after Nancy got the goal.

Unfortunately, Paris SG slowly started to lose the winning atmosphere. In the second half, the situation got even worse, the game finished with 1-1 draw after all. It was a frustrated game for Paris SG as a home team.

Somehow, despite this is the top A-leagues in Europe, I don’t think those teams much different to J-league team (Japanese league) in terms of their level of play as they are not real top teams in the league.

The individual skills and physical strength of French-African players are superb and very impressive, but for me it is far more interesting to watch the top J-league teams from perspective of their qualities and goal orientation as a team.

※Personally, I like watching St.Florence Hiroshima’s play. I just watched it on the TV before left Japan, it was excellent.

And to conclude our series of”Football Galore” we tried to move in the opposite direction from the stadium to the City after the match.

“Apparently it’s a cultural day today and there are lots of events in different spots across the city overnight. Why don’t you go to STALINGRAD station you can see the football event.”

A friend of us living in Paris recommended us, so we went there immediately.

Hey, some kind of grass football or what?

We couldn’t believe our eyes as it was a shocking ground!

Uneven surface ground, but with natural grass.

It was a 5-sided mini game, with soft rubber kind ball.
Of course, we jumped in and played the game!!

Instant, mixed team of 5, two French girls, PITO and us two.

Up against the local powerful kids team. 

lack of decisiveness, as a national team, was the problem and we lost the game, so this time we needed to recover our honor. 


 Here, Yomoken’s repeated hat-trick goals from the behind led the team to the victory of 3-2!

Some winning points were that flying high GK Assissi prevented about 5 points, and I, Yomoken was heading off the ball from 2.5m high by jumped up from the top of the hump, which was perfectly offensive-like attack against kids.

Throw-in if ball gone over the sideline

No French cuisine, no arts, we just enjoyed too much football here in Paris.

Now we are off to "Arch of Triumph prize" horse racing, in order to do something about our hardship as our financial situation is suffering in result of inflation and higher living cost in Europe

With a Trifecta, I sincerely wish to change our travel plan to the luxury five-star hotel style. 

We came back to Thomas’s home again after three years.

Guten Tag, this is Ken.

After re-charging in Japan for one week, came back to the land of Europe again!
To the land of Germany, here we are.

Speaking of Germany, this is our memorable country in 2006 World Cup when Atsushi and I were trotting around all over Germany in Love Wagon.

Oh yean, it’s been more than three years since then… 



※ Please refer to the Atsushi’s Blog about stories of Germany World Cup, before Libero reminiscences were formed. 

Well, I was immediately joined by Atsushi at first arrived in Germany, it was neither in Berlin nor in Frankfurt but…

in Magdeburg!


Here, this is a small town where Tomas lives 

Tomas and I met in the previous World Cup in Germany.

Not even listed in Lonely Planet, the city of Magdeburg is located 150km west of Berlin.

View Larger Map

For the first time in three years and three months, we visited Thomas again in his house.

We were picked up by his car from the station. .

Looking back, it was such a dramatic first meet with Thomas.

When we went to watch [Spain vs. Ukraine @ Leipzig] in Germany, we noticed a soccer-loving family sitting in front of us. 

Before kickoff, I gave a wristband of Japanese team to the child as he was so cute, and the father was so pleased that he said “Come, come and stay with us,” he invited us to stay at his place.

Thomas is second from the right and his son, Till. (then seven years old)

Unfortunately, we had already secured a place to stay in Leipzig that night, (it was a camp ground though) we promised to visit his house after watching another game the very next day in Berlin.

It was two-hour driving from Berlin to Magdeburg. I remember that Atsushi and I drove all the way to his place though down pouring heavy rain, then finally we managed to get there.

I give you an example If we were to describe this rather strange incident. 

As if Japan were Germany, there was a rather little suspicious Arab duo, down came to the Kashima Stadium, and met a Japanese person who is a complete stranger and they had an instant rapport. Then down came from the National Stadium the next day, with no maps, all they had was a hand written note in English which was unable to read. They anyhow hit the Tomei highway, in the bucketing rain right in the rainy season, managed to get off at Numazu Interchange, kept driving the road or the fire trail or whatever, and somehow they finally reached the house…

Something like that.

This is the picture, expressing the joy of meeting together at the time in three years ago.

Team Chon mage in German branch

At the time of World Cup, German run a huge campaign called "A Time to Make Friends”. 


 Apparently, it was for breaking the common international images against Germans which is unkind and serious looking, and all the German people seemed to be so kind to us foreigners. 


You can say Thomas was a prime example.

And today, I went to watch the game of Wolfsburg team whom Hasebe is playing for, with Thomas. Wolfsburg is also Thomas’s hometown where he grew up.

It’s been three years since then. 
Do we look much older compare to before?

We will report about the game later in another entry in this blog!

Returning to home after the game, his wife, Andrea, was waiting for us with plates full of German version of SUSHI she made.

Simple Salmon and Avocado Sushi

The taste of vinegar rice was very good, there even Kikkoman soy sauce was on the table. It was so delicious that the taste was as good as an authentic Japanese sushi!

Who could imagine being able to meet Sushi Bomber here in Germany?

Now, I am going to watch the highlight of the match then go to bed.

Tomorrow, I'm going to watch Till’s soccer game, who has turned 10 this year!

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Do you know Keisuke Honda?

Good morning everybody! This is Ken.

One day before a friendly match Japan against Netherland, the Japanese players trained in the same stadium.

A lot of mass media people also has been staying in same hotel I stay.

Also, there is a bulletin board announcing the schedule of Netherlands team.

Those mass media people told me that the official training is confidential.

Oh man! That’s too bad. (But I got a great news.) Oh well, maybe I should relax today then.

Just after I had a daydream , suddenly my friend, who went to the stadium, called me and said “ Hey Ken! EveryoneI could enter the stadium. Oh my goodness! A tons of Dutch fans are already here. The Dutch players gonna start official practice at 11 am.You also should come and see it! Hurry!”

So, I got ready so quickly and hurry out toward the stadium.

This is the home stadium of FC Twente.

Look at that!The Roof stuck out.

That’s why protect fans from getting wet with rain.

By the way, It has been raining today. Tomorrow gonna be rain,too.

How amazed that the stadium was packed with excited spectators even today is “JUST”one day before a friendly match Japan against Netherlands.

I didn’t see any Japanese supporter anywhere except me.

Since I came to Holland, a lot of Dutch have called me “HONDA! HONDA!” It’s NOT the CAR company that they are talking about :)

They are talking about Keisuke Honda who is Japanese soccer player. How well Keisuke Honda is known in Holland! It is a honor to me to be called “ HONDA” . I am so proud of him.

Keisuke Honda is a Japanese player who currently plays for Russian soccer team side CSKA Moskow. He is a midfielder and can also play as a left full back. He is known for his goalscoring abilities and free-kick taking.

By the way, People calls me “Ono!” too. Ono was also playing in this country.

They started their practice at little over 11 am. First they were warming up by running and pass and dribble. After that, they practice shooting.

Finally, they showed us a small game by ten-to-ten in half court. It was wonderful! When the match reached a pitch of excitement, we yelled and shouted encouragement in spite of ourselves.

With composure, I could feel a tense everywhere from the small-side game.

On the other hand, it's about our Japanese national team.

Japanese national team will practice at 2pm. It is just after Holland team. So, we decided to eat lunch and left out side of stadium.

Just before 2pm, we came back to the stadium and then…. I was shocked. Because there was tons of Dutch fan before. But now, nobody there…

The worst thing was….stadium gate was closed! I couldn’t believe it.

So, I asked security guy why stadium gate was closed and then security guy told me that “the Japanese official practice is “NOT” open to the public.”

Oh man! What is this? That is not fair. Please somebody explain to me…

I shouldn’t complaint about it. Why don’t I pull myself together. Anyway, I should go back to hotel.

I made “gate flag” which means a flag to encourage the team when fan is holding in the seat. You can get idea from my photos. I make pun on a word from oppose team’s country name. (makes cute & poor joke)

So this time I have to make fun of Holand. ….

Oh my goodness! I had never spent this much to think for gate flag.

It’s so dumb joke I made….

We pronounce Holland is like as “ORANDA”

“ORANDA” means country farmer’s saying “That’s mine”

I added “NODEBANDA” between “ORANDA”

“NODEBANDA” means “That’s my turn to play”

So, I put a Japanese soccer player Keisuke Honda on the top of flag.

Total meaning is “GO HONDA! Keisuke Honda’s turn to win".

Huh? Is this joke?? Sounds like too serious. What do you think?

Don’t dig deeply. Don’t worry about it. I’m sorry never mind.

Anyway, I got a report from TV station, if you like you are welcome to watch it!

Oh, I almost forget to talk about good episode of Keisuke Honda, which I wanna tell you guys.

We had a conversation with taxi driver when we went back to our hotel.

Ken: Hey! Do you know about HONDA?

Dutch Taxi Driver : Yeah! HONDA. Of Course I know!

Ken & Atsushi : Oh! How famous HONDA is!

Dutch Taxi Driver: I also know about SUZUKI !

Ken & Atsushi: Huh? SUZUKI? Is he talking about Takayuki Suzuki who is soccer player? He is old time player isn’t he?

Dutch Taxi Driver : Oh! I know I know KAWASAKI too!

Ken: Wow! Does he know about Kawasaki Frontale too!? Oh my goodness! He knows about Japanese soccer club well. He must be a BIG Soccer fan too!

Kawasaki Frontale is a Japanese professional soccer team.

The Dutch taxi driver: And also I know YAMAHA!!

Ken: YAMAHA!? Are you talking about Júbilo Iwata (known as YAMAHA) ?

(Origins : The team started out as the company team for Yamaha Motor Corporation in 1970.)

Anyway, you better to watch out Dutch people! They know about Japanese soccer very well!

Somehow they know that Japanese soccer club information well too. Tomorrow’s game gonna be hard game for Japan.