Alberto maps out English demise

By Pete Sanderson

It seems a little peculiar that the man who captained arguably the finest team ever to have played the game should find himself coaching the Azerbaijan national team - but Brazilian legend Carlos Alberto Torres has never been the kind of chap to shirk a challenge.

Geography lesson
He concedes the first thing he did when he was approached by the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan was reach for a world map to clarify that Azerbaijan trully did exist. Nine months later, however, both Alberto's geography and the state of the national game in Azerbaijan are in much ruder health.

'Enjoyable experience'
"The offer to coach Azerbaijan came from nowhere," Alberto told uefa.com. "I was a little sceptical at first but the more I thought about it the more the idea grew on me and I've really enjoyed my first nine months here."

Rise of Pelé
It is clear that Alberto, now 60, has retained his capacity to lead and inspire those around him. As we trawl through the special moments in his career, it feels like being taken on a wonderful football journey. This is, after all, a man who played a key part in the development of Pelé.

'Brazilian blend'
"I am lucky enough to have played in one of the greatest teams of all time," he said. "And, although we may not have a Pelé in our ranks in Azerbaijan, I like to think there is a bit of the old Brazil in the way we play.

'Attacking verve'
"When I arrived we had to go right back to basics. Some of these guys had talent but they could not even do simple things like head a ball properly. But my tactics are very clear and simple. I do not believe in all this 4-4-2 or 5-3-2 business - my philosophy is 'when we are on the attack go forward, when we defend get back'."

English challenge
As he talks candidly about his football doctrine, it is hard to erase that famous picture of him holding aloft the Jules Rimet trophy after captaining an exceptional Brazil side to glory in the 1970 FIFA World Cup. One of the toughest sides they came up against that year were England - and 34 years on his Azerbaijan side are faced with the same challenge.

'Morale boost'
"The clash with England has caught our public imagination and interest," Alberto said. "We must remember that this is a crucial period for us in our World Cup campaign. We've already taken a point from Wales and Northern Ireland at home - so why not another against England?"

'Realistic objective'
The Azerbaijan team are circumspect about their chances of beating England despite their impressive record at home, where they have recently beaten Uzbekistan and Serbia and Montenegro. "I will prepare our team for the English game as best I can, and at home in the Tofik Bakhramov stadium we feel we can get a result against anyone," said the former Brazil captain. "However, to play against all the England players will be problematic. It will be difficult to win and I believe a draw is a realistic objective for us."

Helping hand
Bakhramov, after whom the stadium is named, is already a legend in both England and Azerbaijan, allowing Geoff Hurst's crucial goal in extra time to stand when he was a linesman in the 1966 World Cup final. But this time, Alberto hopes none of his Azerbaijani side will be caught flagging against England as they seek out their first victory in Group 6.