2020. What. A. Year.
And not in the right manner. A year in which football has taken a severe hit in its 'natural' growth and being, a year during which our game was forced to a stop, then change and make adjustments, as the world fought against the Coronavirus pandemic.
The same as in every traditional yearly 'Best of' edition of BabaGol (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019), we gathered a few of the group brains - Uri Levy, Yossi Medina, Jinseong Kim, Gilad Seroussi, Idan Segev, Shibajee Das, Eden Roitfarb, Vitor Buratini Mendes and Emanuel Okpetim Shinaza - and asked them to examine the global phenomena that shaped 2020 in football. The events, the players, the teams, the coaches, the big stories - good and bad, that made this year unprecedented for global football, in the BabaGol way.
It was a year that forced us to think outside of the box. A year of unpredictability, of sorrow, of loneliness, of protests, of rage, of obstacles, of overcoming challenges, of surprises, of breakthroughs, of letting loose. Of despair. Of hope.
Goodbye, 2020. It was hectic, and we never want to see you again.
All of us here at BabaGol wish you a happy and better new year in 2021. Keep it real.
Georgian fans waiting for their national team for the playoff match against Macedonia. (Photo: BR Football)
Coronavirus stopped the world
The month of March was the tipping point that changed our lives. The coronavirus crisis, reported back in January when it was still an internal Chinese affair, quickly morphed from a domestic health concern to a global pandemic. While the world suffered, Football was deeply affected as well as leagues were suspended and matches were cancelled. In April, maybe for the first time since World War II, we saw a day without an official football match anywhere on the globe. It wouldn’t be the last time either.
Belarus, the centre of European football
While most of the European football was brought to a halt, one league was still alive and kicking – the Belarus Premier League. With an order from the president, Alexander Lukashenko, Belarus didn't stop its life and football was played as usual. The league was eventually suspended in August when Lukashenko tried to avoid political protests after the elections. Alongside Belarus, we got to know the leagues in Nicaragua, Burundi, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan - all countries with a specific type of rulers, who tried to ride out the pandemic by simply ignoring it.
Playing in Bubbles
All around the world, many were put under quarantine in an attempt to stop the virus from spreading. The bubble system was Football’s first shot trying to get the ball rolling once more.
It began with the South Korean K League and the German Bundesliga's return, with strict rules and sterile measures. Later, the “MLS is Back” Tournament, restricting all players and staff to a closed-off compound in Florida. The later stages of the Champions League were held in the Portuguese bubble, the Europa League was played in Germany and the AFC Champions League, East and West tournaments, in Qatar. The experience was different, the atmosphere was different, and players had to change their habits to keep their jobs and keep football alive. Literally.
Playing Behind Closed Doors
With social gatherings disallowed in many countries, watching live football from the stands became a ‘mission impossible’. Each and every league eventually resumed with what seemed to be a global standard - playing in front of empty stands. While many methods were deployed to make up for the bare seats, teams had to play in their massive home stadiums without hearing any chant, cheer or song from the stands.
There were plans of bringing fans back. In some countries, including Germany and England, a limited capacity was allowed at a certain point. Without the crowd, the importance of the game was put in question. Anyone watching a football game for the first time in 2020 might not understand what the fuss is all about.
Let’s hope we all return to the stands in 2021 to witness the game we love the most.
Year of Protests: Black Lives Matter, #EndSARS, Zhive Belarus and more
Quarantines and lockdowns became an integral part of our life, but instead of setting people apart, the exact opposite happened. The Black Lives Matter movement had a huge impact on sports, mostly in North America, but in 2020 it became a global phenomenon. After a police officer in Pennsylvania killed George Floyd, more footballers made statements and gestures against racism and discrimination, while many leagues took action to raise awareness. The Premier League and UEFA decided on an official kneel before kickoff. Four years ago, when Colin Kaepernick chose to kneel, he had to pay for it with his professional career. Today, more parts of the world are joining the protest, simply saying no to racism.
But BLM wasn't the only protest involving football fans. In Belarus, where the league kept running (fans and all) during the pandemic, a historical wave of protests against President Alexander Lukashenko broke out. The "Zhive Belarus" (long live Belarus) call has taken the Eastern European country by a storm and made it to the stadiums and games as well. It won’t surprise us if the decision to eventually pause league play was associated with the involvement of football fans in the protest.
In Nigeria, police brutality against citizens sent hundreds of thousands to the streets, demanding the infamous and violent SARS unit be dismantled. Footballers also expressed their feelings and views; most notable were John Ogu and Odion Ighalo with that iconic video from Old Trafford.
Protests went hand in hand with football in Brazil, Chile, Iran just to name a few countries. As social injustice becomes a global concern and tension is building up across the world, football hasn't stayed indifferent.
WE MOVE.
Diego Maradona's Death
2020 brought much sorrow to fans around the world. NBA star and long-time football fan Kobe Bryant's shocking death was only the opener for a year of tragedies.
Above all, the moment Diego Maradona passed away brought the global football community together. We all knew it was only a matter of time, regardless - his death brought forth an ocean of emotions, a galaxy of grief and a universe of tears poured over the controversial, beautiful, ugly, genius god of football.
"Maradona was the last survivor of a type of football that no longer exists. That animalistic, intuitive, lively, ruthless game that all of us, football fans and football people, fell in love with when we were young," Uri wrote in our eulogy for number 10, that lives on somehow in everyone who loved football.
Legendary Italian Paolo Rossi, iconic Senegalese Papa Bouba Diop, ex-Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella, and French gaffer Gerard Houllier - all elite-football people have left this world in 2020, leaving behind football legacies that cannot be reproduced. The premature death of Kim Nam-chun and Anele Ngcongca has had its impact on our life in BabaGol as well. This year had many morbid moments.
May they all rest in peace, and that Diego' spirit will remain part of the culture of football forever.
Cairo derby in the CAF Champions League final
If it wasn't for the pandemic, the Cairo derby - Al-Ahly against Zamalek - in the CAF Champions League final, should have been the game that would put African, North African, Arab and Egyptian football on the world map. The biggest rivalry in the southern hemisphere in a one-legged final had everything in it to be the Afro-Arab version of Boca Juniors against River Plate in the Copa Libertadores 2018. The history, the politics, the club of the century argument, the titles, the presidents, the coaches, the players. The two sets of ultras. But, in the COVID-19 reality, the match was held in front of a handful of staff members from each side.
Nevertheless, the game itself provided a quality play, a spectacular goal by Abdelrazak Shikabala and an outstanding late winner by Magdi Afsha. It was a fantastic match of football. It truly was. If only the fans were there!
Pitso Mosimane, a barrier-breaking coach
The CAF Champions League final and Al-Ahly's ninth Champions League triumph was made so memorable was also due to their coach: South African Pitso Mosimane.
Mosimane' signing with the most prestigious club in Egypt was a barrier-breaking event in African football. It is not common to see an African coach, let alone a Sub Saharan one, get a job in one of the mega-clubs of the north. Mosimane, who came after some highly successful years in Mamelodi Sundowns (11 titles in eight years), did not think twice and grabbed the most challenging role African football has to offer. He brought his close staff with him, as well as his wife, Moira, who was the one who negotiates the deal with Al-Ahly for him. It turned out to be a successful deal, indeed. Under his lead, Al-Ahly won the Egyptian League, the Champions League and the Egyptian Cup. May this matching lead to African coaches getting an equal chance anywhere in the continent so that African football can continue its growth
A barrier breaking coach that new levels in African football. Pitso Mosimane (Photo: Al-Ahly official Twitter account)
Liverpool finally wins the title
The people of Merseyside waited 30 years to once again call themselves champions. The team that is used to playing to the sound of "You'll Never Walk Alone" has done it, well - in front of empty stands, but not alone at all.
International players have had a key role in bringing Premier League titles to their teams in recent years, but Liverpool’s squad boasted some unusual countries and names. The top two scorers were African: the Egyptian Mohamed Salah and the Senegalese Sadio Mané. Roberto Firmino accompanied them. This was the trio that led Liverpool to a title while keeping football real.
Josip Ilicic, a (Tragic) Hero in Atalanta cinderella story
Bergamo was the first city in Europe to experience a severe outbreak. Before and after this dark era, local team Atalanta tried to bring hope to the town. In their last match before the long break, Atalanta defeated Valencia 4-3 in the Champions League group stage and reached the quarter-final for the first time. This event would later become known as the "Infection match", as thousands of Spanish fans returned home carrying the virus to their country, but also crowned a new hero: Josip Ilicic, who scored all four goals.
Unfortunately, the lockdown that soon followed broke the city’s spirit. Ilicic the hero missed the Champions League matches, officially due to an injury but inside sources hint at a deep depression originating in the lockdown and family matters. The Slovene player became a symbol of the emotional rollercoaster felt by many during 2020.
The tragic hero of the early days of the lockdown. Josip Ilicic (Photo: Josip Ilicic official Instagram account)
Beitar Jerusalem deal with Sheikh Khalifa
In addition to all difficult moments, some unlikely history was made this year such as the most unimaginable ownership deal in world football history.
Beitar Jerusalem, arguably the most famous club in Israeli football, attracted an investment from a United Arab Emirates sheikh, Hamed bin Khalifa al-Nahyan. Beitar, infamous for its right-wing heritage and a racist fan group known as “La Familia”, never included an Arab player among its lines. Owner Moshe Hogeg allegedly sold 50% of his shares in the club to bin Khalifa, a distant member of the Abu Dhabi royal family, rulers of the UAE. This historic and mind-blowing deal came right after the peace agreement between Israel and the UAE was signed. At the same time, a complex and mysterious background story is yet to be entirely told and aims to change the DNA of the most right-wing club in Israel and one of the most racist fan groups in the world.
Dia Saba Signs for Al-Nasr Dubai
Before Hogeg and bin Khalifa's photos set the internet on fire, the early bird of normalization between Israel and the UAE was Dia Saba, an Israeli national team player, who signed with Al-Nasr Dubai.
Saba, an Arab citizen of Israel, became a pioneer overnight. He left Chinese side Guangzhou R&F and became the first Israeli to ever play in a professional Arab League. Saba is experiencing some of his best career moments as the starting attacking midfielder behind the strikers, helping Al-Nasr become title contenders this term. Three league goals, six assists and another goal in the Presidents Cup made him one of the most influential transfers in the Arabian Gulf League and the Middle East in general, right next to Ahmed Hegazy with Ittihad Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) and Beram Kayal at Bnei Sakhnin (Israel).
Goran Pandev Makes History with North Macedonia
Euro 2020 was just one of the tournaments that were postponed in 2020, diverting the centre of attention to the qualification playoffs rather than the tournament itself. Most notable was the match between Georgia and North Macedonia, both with a chance to qualify to the tournament for the first time.
In the 56th minute of the match, North Macedonia scored the winning goal - off the feet of none other than the 37-year-old striker, Goran Pandev. The national team's top scorer has had some remarkable achievements throughout his career, including winning a treble with Inter Milan in 2010, but could never lead the national team to new heights. Qualifying to the Euros will be one of the most memorable moments in Pandev’s legacy.
Stéphanie Frappart in the Champions League
As time goes by, the mixture of men and women is becoming more common in sport. Stéphanie Frappart became a pioneer for female referees this year as the first woman to referee a Champions League match.
Frappart is the leading authority among female referees, and 2019 was a tremendous year for her. After becoming the first women referee in the French Ligue 1, she was appointed to referee the Women's World Cup final and the UEFA Super Cup. Although 2020 wasn't a year to remember, Frappart shattered some glass ceilings, promoting female involvement in men’s football.
Ulsan Hyundai Wins The AFC Champions League
Another refreshing story this year was about traditional bottlers who finished the year as real men. In 2019, Ulsan Hyundai lost the K League title to their arch-rivals Jeonbuk, after leading the league the whole year. This scenario repeated itself in 2020, accompanied by a devastating loss in the cup final, again - to Jeonbuk. 'To make an Ulsan' became a synonym among Asian football followers for doing everything right but splendidly bottling when it matters the most. This changed in the renewed AFC Champions League, a split bubble tournament in high sterile COVID-19 conditions where Ulsan shined. Yoon Bit-garam, Junior Negrao and Lee Chung-Yong have dominated the East tournament in Qatar with style. In the final against Persepolis, they took advantage of two penalties, completed a comeback and secured their second Champions League title in eight years. More importantly - they finally haven't bottled it.
Qarabağ's Football War
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia is still ongoing, but this year it boils a bit hotter. The Azerbaijani Army gained control of a large part of the disputed region, leaving hundreds dead and thousands injured and detached from their homes.
Football had a significant role in this war when the Azerbaijani FA and the local teams displayed banners, shirts and social media posts dedicated to the Azeri nation's soldiers and those who died. Qarabağ, the club that used to play in the region, headlined this trend during their Europa League campaign, in a group that included Sivasspor and Maccabi Tel Aviv. Qarabağ's efforts received support from turkey (who also allowed Qarabağ to host in Istanbul when matches in Baku were banned), but more surprisingly even from the Azeri community in Israel. This 'Asian' Group I of the Europa League became a silent hub for a political and national manifestation. While the conflict is still running, Qarabağ finished its European journey but is fighting for another title in the Azeri Premier Liqa.
Lee Dong-gook retires
For years, Lee Dong-gook was the all-time superstar and top scorer of the K League, with 548 league matches and 228 goals to his name. He won 8 championship titles and was part of Jeonbuk’s journey to the AFC Champions League title in 2016.
At the age of 41, the Korean legend decided to retire and end a 22-year professional career. Lee's last dance ended with another title with Jeonbuk, after a close race against Ulsan. His retirement marks a generational change in world football. Saudi Hussein Abdulghani, another survivor of the 1998 World Cup that was still active, also retired. We are getting closer to a world where the tournament ending the previous millennium becomes a long distant memory.
The Palestinian national stars exodus to Israel
In late 2019, Palestinian football reached new heights. A luxurious victory in a 2022 World Cup qualifier against Uzbekistan, and a respectable draw with Saudi Arabia in their first-ever official visit to the West Bank, saw the expectations of the Fidai rising. But like many other football scenes crushed by the pandemic, the Palestinian one took a hard hit. The FA struggled to cope with the new situation, also having to deal with players not receiving their paycheck since January. These, among other reasons, brought forth a massive bail-out of players who were the stars of the show: Abdallah Jaber, the highest capped active national team player signed with Hapoel Hadera from Israeli Premier League. Rami Hamadeh, the rising star goalkeeper of the national team and Hilal Al-Quds, joined Bnei Sakhnin. Other players such as Abdullah Kholi, Hilal Mousa and other players with Israeli citizenship looked for financial stability on the other side of the fence. It seems very likely that their move will prevent them from being called to the Palestinian national team, as long as they play in Israel. Not sure if it makes any difference, but without a proper coach, without a single match in more than a year, the Fidai need to be rebuilt along with the whole football scene in the Palestinian territories.
Abdallah Jaber signing with Hapoel Hadera set the sign for the Palestine national team stars’ exodus to Israel (Photo: Hapoel Hadera)
Alianza Lima relegated after 82 years
Remember River Plate’s relegation in 2010? Alianza Lima, probably Peruvian football’s biggest and most famous icon, relegated to the 2nd tier after 82 years. They won their 23rd Peruvian title in 2019, more than any other team in Peru, especially their arch-rivals Universitario, but 2020 was a different story. The inevitable drop came after a disastrous year in which five different coaches stood on the sidelines, none of them able to save the team. After the last defeat to Sport Huancayo, angry fans clashed with police outside the National Stadium in Lima, refusing to accept this historical relegation. They now begin the journey back to their natural stomping grounds.
Qatar is becoming a proper football centre, before the World Cup
The past year saw Qatar fast-forwarding on its preparations for the up and coming 2022 World Cup. Due to the AFC decision to move and play the Champions League in West and East bubbles, the Gulf country hosted two sets of a group stage and knockout tournaments over two months. The matches took place in the renovated and newly built stadiums to be used in the World Cup, allowing for a dry-run of the facilities and great success. In the East tournament, no infections have been listed, and the final allowed 30% of Al-Bayt Stadium’s capacity to be filled with fans. While the AFC headquarters are seated in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the game's beating heart clearly shifted to Qatar.
After a series of tournaments in 2019, 2020 and a couple more in 2021, it seems that tiny Qatar will be ready and to host the World Cup, hopefully in a pandemic-free world.
Honourable mentions:
Son Heung-min became the second Asian player to win the Puskas Award
James Rodriguez revives his career in Everton
Kolkata derby in ISL: Atletico Kolkata and Mohun Bagan merge, East Bengal joins
Botafogo signs Keisuke Honda and Salomon Kalou
Canada and Alphonso Davies are a real thing now
The new rising generation of Brazilian talents
An Byong-jun becoming the first North Korean top scorer of a South Korean League
Bodo Glimt and Rentistas with debutant titles in Norway and Uruguay respectively