Louis van Gaal: The Man Who Took Bayern to the Summit of World Football

Louis van Gaal

The Man Who Took Bayern to the Summit of World Football

Saturday 22nd May, will see German side Bayern Munich play Inter Milan, in their first Champions League final for nine years. In 2001, they faced and beat Spanish side Valencia 5-4 on penalties after the game ended 1-1 in normal time. It was heartbreak for the Spanish side, losing their second final in the world’s biggest club competition for the second successive year.

On that day in 2001, Bayern Munich’s team boasted the likes of Elber, Willy Sagnol, Bixente Lizarazu and German superstars Oliver Kahn, Stefan Effenberg and Mehmet Scholl. Great names, greater players, who epitomized the fundamentals of German dominance, a winning machine, comparable today with the likes of Chelsea and Inter Milan, but it was this side in particular making viewers look on in envy as they collected their fourth Champions League title subsequently banishing the painful memory and overcoming that infamous 2-1 defeat to Man United two years earlier. Nine years on, the German side go into this final as unexpected underdogs, as they were completely overlooked after the quarterfinal draw was made; a distinct lack of respect was shown from certain members of the football community who flocked to betting shops to put their money on a Manchester United v Barcelona rematch.



Now they will line up on the home ground of Real Madrid, the Santiago Bernabeu, against one of the most in demand managers in the world right now; Jose Mourinho, and his Inter Milan side. A game made even more intriguing considering how Inter have grinded their way to the final, which included playing in a freezing cold Moscow, beating world champions FC Barcelona over two legs (while keeping Lionel “4 goals” Messi anonymous for the most part!) and of course Mourinho comfortably beating his former “boys” Chelsea. Inter dominated and impressed on route to the final, where as Bayern made it in somewhat controversial circumstances. A winner against Fiorentina, that was clearly offside, a lucky win over 10 man Manchester United before finally impressing against Lyon in the Semi-final.

The man, who has taken FC Bayern to the final, is Louis van Gaal. The 59 year old is a Dutch master tactician, and has only ever manager 4 club sides (Ajax, FC Barcelona, AZ Alkmaar and now Bayern) and 1 international side (Netherlands) but has undeniable pedigree and is one of the best managers in history. The 59 year old's CV is as follows:

Ajax:
3 Eredivise Titles 92/93, 93/94, 95/96
3 Dutch Super Cups 92/93, 93/94, 94/95
1 Dutch League Cup 92/93
1 UEFA Cup 91/92
1 Champions League 94/95
1 UEFA Super Cup 95
1 Intercontinental Cup 95



FC Barcelona:
2 La Liga Titles 97/98, 98/99
1 Copa Del Rey 97/98
1 UEFA Super Cup 97

AZ Alkmaar
1 Eredivisie 08/09

FC Bayern Munich
1 Bundesliga 09/10
1 German Cup 09/10
1 Champions League??

More trophies then you can shake a stick at. He took Dutch side Ajax, to world domination in the early 90’s and turned the likes of; Kluivert, Kanu, Finidi George, Rijkaard, Overmars, Edgar Davids into familiar household names, while the likes of Rivaldo, Luis Enrique, Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery are just some of the names he has worked with. Now the great work continues as he could possibly lead Bayern to the infamous “Treble”.



Two intriguing managers, two excellent teams and an array of star players on show will undoubtedly provide the amount of entertainment that the final duly deserves. Some are already believing Inter Milan’s name to already be on the trophy, however a manager with the credentials of van Gaal cannot be taken lightly, and I fully expect an upset to be on the cards.

Viewers in the UK, can see the final live from 7pm on ITV1 or Sky Sports 1 on Saturday 22nd May.

Who Do You Think Will Come Out On Top??

Real Talk Football

Sun, Sand and Sea to Culture and Content

How Americans Will Travel
2015    
By Dr Auliana Poon 

From Sun, Sand and Sea to Culture and Content – How to Capture the Changing American Travel Market

The US is the largest and most important travel market in the world.  In terms of travel expenditure, Americans are top spenders, recording US$118 billion in 2008 onspending abroad, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation. The US market is the second largest market in terms of outbound travel.  More than 40 million Americans travel abroad, accounting for 63.5 million trips.

A new report from Tourism Intelligence International entitled "How Americans Will Travel 2015", predicts that American outbound arrivals to overseas destinations will rebound after the global economic recession. US arrivals to international long-haul destinations will reach 32.88 million bythe year 2015, up from 30.79 million in 2008. This represents an average growthrate of a mere 1% per annum or an absolute rate of 7.5% between 2008 and theyear 2015, according to Tourism Intelligence International.

The region with the most promise in termsof growth of American outbound travel is Central America.  This region grew by 145% between 1996 and 2008 or an average annual growth rate of 7.8 percent.

"How Americans Will Travel 2015" from Tourism Intelligence International, points to a radical shift in the North American travel market and claims that destinations cannot continue to compete on natural attributes of sun, sand and seaalone.  North American travellers increasingly buy holidays with sense and sensibility and look for status and self-improvement on their holidays. Americans want value for money but they also need a sanctuary for their senses.  Culture and Content willneed to be added to travel and tourism products in order to stay competitive.  This has important implications for destinations seeking to attract North American travellers, such as the Caribbean, where almost two-thirds (63.4%) of all arrivals are from the NorthAmerica, and Europe, which attracts 41% of American overseas travellers.

Dr. Auliana Poon, Managing Director of Tourism Intelligence International and author of "How Americans will Travel 2015" argues that the "Creative Class" of American Travellers do not want tomerely take photos and sit on the sidelines.  They want to experience the culture of a place they visit;they what to know about the content or "goodness" of a product before they buyit; they want to be active participants. Not surprising, over two-fifths of all Americans who travel abroad chose Europe.

For Americans, taking part in activitiesof a cultural nature while on holiday is growing in importance.  More than half (51%) of the 40 million Americans travelling abroad visit historical places; almost one-third (32%)visit cultural heritage sites; and one-quarter (25%) visit an art gallery ormuseum, according to the Office of Traveland Tourism Industries. Americans' interest in culture is definitely on the increase.  And not just for the big-ticket megaevents. North Americans are, in fact, keenly interested in small local eventssuch as the Tomato Festival in Buñol, Spain, musicals and theatre in London,England, museums and monuments in Berlin, Germany, circus and wrestling inTurkey, bistros, sidewalk cafes, street fairs, etc.  Definitely on the increase is demand for cultural events atlocal communities in which visitors participate and blend in with locals (rather than events put on just for the visitors and where they are in themajority and are onlookers rather than participants).  Destinations will need to focus more on supporting andpromoting local, indigenous events at the community level to attract the Creative Class of American travellers.

"How Americans Will Travel 2015" points to the growth in participation of the 'Creative Class' also known as the Bourgeoisie Bohemians (Bobos), for whom intrinsic values and content are important considerations in their travel decisions.  In terms of theirattitude to food, they are not simply interested in drinking orange juice.  They want to know whether the juice is freshly squeezed; is it genetically engineered; is it organically grown; what is the carbon footprint associated with getting the orange juice to them; andare the farmers who produce them fairly paid? They are not just interested inthe product and where it comes from, but in its intrinsic values and content. 
 
Similarly, with regard to holidays, thediverse and individualistic lifestyles of the Creative Class involve active participation and experiential activities that are multi dimensional.  They enjoy 'Street Level Culture', considered as a fascinating blend of cafes, bars, rum shops, sidewalk musicians, and small galleries and bistros, where it is hard to draw the line between participant and observer, or between creativity and its creators.  Members of the Creative Class enjoy unique experiences and they would prefer to be a participant rather than a spectator.  They want activities that manage to appeal to their sense of status and self-improvement at the same time.

At the same time, the US travel market has been under tremendous pressure – from war, terrorism and recession; to fear, falling house prices, falling income levels, and rising unemployment.  This has had a negative impact on US outbound travel.  Analysts predicted that Americans will spend as much as US$30 billion less on leisuretrips in spring and summer of 2009.

Dr. Auliana Poon asserts, however, that Americans are trading down but not out – they are travelling closer to home;staying away from home for shorter periods; using less expensive accommodation;but they are travelling.  In addition, with the 'Obama Effect', Americans are more hopeful, less fearful andpent up desires will cause a major boom in travel with the emerging upswing.  Indeed, many stressed out Americans, whopostponed or reduced travel because of the recession, would take advantage ofthe new growth in the economy to take a much-deserved vacation.  

By the year 2015, the US would have been out of recession.  In fact, Tourism Intelligence International predicts that the recession will end by the close of 2010. 
The region selected by most Americans travelling abroad is Europe (41% of total overseas travel).  Tourism Intelligence International predicts that US travel to Europe will increase by almost 9%in 2015 over 2008.  By the year 2015 the US economy would have been out of the recession and the dollar would have caught up with the Euro, predicts Tourism Intelligence International. This would certainly bode well for travel from the US to Europe.

The close proximity of Central America to the US, the differences in culture and language and the growing concern for the environment augurs well for travel from the US to Central America.  One of the most popular destinations in Central America is Costa Rica, which is expected to receive many Americans inthe coming years because of the ecotourism attractions there.  Tourism Intelligence International predicts that there would be over 3 million US arrivals to Central America by the year 2015.  This represents an average annual growth rate of 2.4% or anabsolute rate of 18% between 2008 and 2015.

The African region is also expected to do well, particularly South Africa with the World Cup taking place there in2010.  US arrivals to Africa is expected to be volatile but could reach as high as 5% annual growth between2008 and 2015.

The Caribbean, one of the bright spots of tourism, is not expected to perform well in the future in terms of American arrivals.  The Caribbean experienced consistent declines between the mid 1990s and the early part of the 21st century. After the terror attacks of 9/11, US arrivals to the Caribbean soared,growing by 32% between 2002 and 2006 alone.  Americans want to travel closer to home and to seemingly safer destinations.  Since 2006, however, tourism arrivals from the US to the Caribbean have been declining.  Tourism Intelligence International predicts that American arrivals to the Caribbean will continue to decline to the year 2015.  The decline is expected to be in the vicinity of almost 8% between 2008 and 2015.  This represents an average decline of 1.2 percent per annum.

To win in this changing American market and gain market share, however, tourism destinations should look beyond the numbers to the fundamental developmental and psychographic shifts taking placeamong North Americans, particularly the rise of the 'Creative Class'.  It is important for destinations to focus on the Culture and Content of their holiday offerings.

This volume will equip any travel and tourism provider with more than 30 key strategies to attract the differenttypes of American travellers, including the creative class and other generations of American travellers – the Echo Boomers and the Generation Xers.

How Americans will Travel 2015 –Everything you need to know about the American and Canadian travel Markets – is available only from Tourism Intelligence International. Find out how the Americans will travel in the next five years? What havebeen the effects of the Global Economic Recession? What are the key driversthat affect the market? What are the 30 strategies your company can adopt insuccessfully targeting the North American travel market?

If there is one report that you should read this year to enable you to win in this market, it is "How the Americans Will Travel 2015".  This 350-page report – published by Tourism IntelligenceInternational, Trinidad – highlights the latest trends, data and essential information to fully understand the American market over the next five years.  The report, priced at €1,299 is presentedin a clear and concise format supported by over 200 tables and graphs. The Executive Brief is available at €499 and individual chapters are priced at €199 each.

"How Americans Will Travel 2015" waspresented at the International Tourism Exchange (ITB) in Berlin, Germany on Wednesday 10th March 2010.
 

For further information kindly contact:

Dr. Auliana Poon (apoon@tourism-intelligence.com).

Mr. Kevon Wilson (kwilson@tourism-intelligence.com) or

Ms. Felicia Amow-Hosein (famow@tourism-intelligence.com)

Tel: +49 0521 163883 or +868676 6165.

Fax:  +868 676 6093.

Cell: +49 172 666 5823 or +868681 7109, +868 470 9996.


Sent from my BlackBerry® device from Digicel

The Wrap Up: Winners and Losers

All the top leagues in Europe are now completed, so now it’s time to look at the big winners and losers.

FA Premier League – England



Champions: Chelsea FC
Runners Up: Manchester United



FA Cup Winners: Chelsea FC
Carling Cup Winners: Manchester United FC



Champions League Qualification:
Chelsea
Manchester United
Arsenal
Tottenham Hotspur

Europa League:
Manchester City
Aston Villa
Liverpool

Relegated:
Hull City
Burnley
Portsmouth



Primera Division (La Liga) - Spain



Champions: FC Barcelona
Runners Up: Real Madrid
Copa Del Rey Winners: Sevilla vs Athletico Madrid 19/05/2010



Champions League Qualification:
FC Barcelona
Real Madrid
Valencia
Sevilla

Europa League:
Real Mallorca
Getafe
Atletico Madrid



Relegated:
Real Betis
Numanicia
Recreativo de Huelva

Serie A - Italy

Champions: Inter Milan
Runners Up: AS Roma



Coppa Italia: Inter Milan

Champions League Qualification:
Inter Milan
AS Roma
AC Milan
Sampdoria

Europa League:
Palermo
Napoli
Juventus

Relegated:
Atalanta
Siena
Livorno



Bundesliga - Germany

Champions: FC Bayern Munich
Runners Up: Schalke 04
DFB Polka: FC Bayern Munich



Champions League Qualification:
FC Bayern Munich
Schalke 04
Werder Bremen

Europa League:
Bayer Leverkusen
Borussia Dortmund
VFB Stuttgart

Relegated:
Bochum
Hertha BSC

Ligue 1 - France

Champions: Olympique de Marseille
Coupe de France: Paris Saint-Germain



Coupe de la Ligue Final: Olympique de Marseille



Champions League Qualification:
Olympique de Marseille
Lyon
Auxerre

Europa League:
Lille
Montpellier
Paris Saint-Germain

Relegated:
Caen
Nantes
Le Harve

Eredivisie – Netherlands

Champions: FC Twente
Runners Up: Ajax



KNVB Cup Winners: Ajax

Champions League Qualification:
FC Twente
Ajax

Europa League:
PSV
Feyenoord
AZ Alkmaar
FC Utrecht

Relegated:
Sparta Rotterdam
RKC Waalwijk

I’d like to take the time to thank everyone for the support, soon to come more in depth season analysis real soon, so watch this space.

Real Talk Football