THE curiosity that is the FIFA Club World Cup gets under way in Japan later today.
This is the eighth edition of the competition once known as the World Club Championships, with the winners deemed to be the finest team on the planet. It is a rather bold claim based on the assumption that every qualifying tournament is of a similar standard and carries similar weight. It may be somewhat parochial and Eurocentric to say so, but if you asked your average fan to name the best teams in the world, it is hard to imagine too many would opt for one operating out of Asia, Oceania or Africa.
Still, it is FIFA's ball and their rules and so seven teams will converge in Toyota and Yokohama over the next 10 days for the right to be crowned the world's best with a FIFA Club World Cup champions badge on their shirts to prove it. Those who would argue that this is FIFA democracy at its best, treating each continent with equal respect, may have to reconsider when they view the rather complex and staggered fixture list that is weighted heavily towards those clubs with the loftier reputations.
Any Japanese Barcelona fanatics keen to see Europe's representatives in action will need to wait until next week, December 15, to see their heroes. The Champions League holders don't enter the competition until the semi-final stage in the opposite half of the draw to Santos, the Brazilian club taking their Club World Cup bow courtesy of winning this year's Copa Libertadores.
There are three other debutants who all enter in the quarter-finals. Esperance of Tunisia, winners of this year's African Champions League, take on Qatar's Al-Sadd, who booked their place after winning Asia's continental championship. Monterrey of Mexico are the other club entering the tournament at the last eight and will find out their opponents later today once Kashiwa Reysol, the hosts granted a place as reigning Japanese champions, and Auckland City have completed their preliminary tie to kick off the tournament.
The New Zealanders are back in the competition for the third time – matching Barcelona's appearance record – although given their opponents in the Oceania Champions League included representatives from New Caledonia, Tahiti and the Solomon Islands perhaps that achievement is not all that surprising. Auckland, in fact, include a Scot in their midst, Glasgow-born, Kiwi-raised Andrew Milne who spent a few years in Rangers' youth system a couple of seasons ago without really creating a ripple. Still, any player nicknamed "Milnadona" – even if only by his mates and high school football coaches – is surely one worth keeping an eye on.
With the competition doctored to allow the bigger clubs the easiest route through to the final while also ensuring they are not away from their domestic challenges for too long, it seems all set up for a Santos versus Barcelona final on December 18. Such an outcome would pit the likes of Ganso, Neymar and Elano against Pep Guardiola's all-stars in what should make for a thrilling match.
Last year's final, when Internazionale defeated TP Mazembe of the Congo to complete an impressive 2010 quadruple, was the first in the competition's revamped guise not to be contested between a South American and a European side. Europe have come out on top in the last four competitions – Barcelona, Manchester United and AC Milan won before Inter's triumph – and the Catalans will be favourites to add a second title to their illustrious roll of honour this time around. Given many people already view them as the finest team around, perhaps of all-time, that would seem a fair outcome.
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