THE LEGS OF CRISTIANO RONALDO VALUED AT 140M US$ - 103M € | REAL MADRID

According to "Economia & Negocios" - a Spanish Online Financial source - the value of the legs of Real Madrid player is 140M US$ ( or 103M€ ). The Spanish Football Club Real Madrid has renewed its "insurance policy" & has lifted the value of the legs of Cristiano Roanldo 3% more than the last policy.

In case of a severe & serious injury that would risk the "future" of the Portuguese star Real Madrid would receive a 103M€ compensation thanks to the Insurance policy. There are other Real Madrid players with similar Insurance like Gareth Bale & goalkeeper Iker Casillas. The Spanish International goalkeeper has his hands insured to the worth of 7M€.

Smart move by any big Club as the economic market value of the current top level World Football Players is "astronomical" in layman's terms, or any other term as a matter of fact. 

Tweet

Share

SERGIO RAMOS FOR 65M€ | REAL MADRID OPEN TO OFFERS

Spanish Sports daily "AS" has picked up & put on their cover the story that came out of another media source - a National Sports late-night radio - that Real Madrid Central Defender Sergio Ramos has a serious fall-out with President Florentino Perez. The relationship is said to be deteriorated to the extent that if another Club was to offer around 65M€ Real Madrid would let him go. 

True or false, the main issue is that the real conflict behind it all is that Sergio Ramos wants his salary to be improved: money. The recent renewal of the Cristiano Ronaldo contract has encouraged the Spanish International to "demand" that he too be "improved" because he considers himself a Club "top level" member. The problem is that Sergio Ramos has three years left of his contract & Real Madrid thinks that it is not the moment to even consider or discuss the players economic & professional situation at the Club.

This has angered Sergio Ramos who - according to another media source - thinks that President Florentino Perez is using his influence with certain Football media journalists to discredit him. Thus the fall out between player & President,  which previous was all the reverse as Ramos has always been the "favourite" & some say "the protected" of the Club President. 

The issue has transcended onto the field were the form of the Spanish International is not at its best level. The defender is slow, not concentrated & his Coach Ancelotti believes takes too many unnecessary risks detrimental for the squad. The red card against Galatasaray in Champions League last Wednesday was the 17th,  a "new Club record". The red card caused his Coach to reprimand Ramos on his way to the dressing room & later when asked in post - press interviews commented that the players seems to no listen to his "friendly" advice to not risk. 

Some Football insiders close to the Real Madrid technical team go further & indicate that just as Ancelotti has a professional preference for Diego Lopez over Iker Casillas as goalkeeper, so too does the Coach have a professional preference for Central Defenders. For the Italian Coach Pepe & Varane are his choice, but the continuing knee problems with Varane has halted "for now" his field choices. Ancelotti has even put Ramos back in the right wing to keep the player on the field & thus avoid a "dressing room incident", but the Defender has indicated that he prefers the central defence. 

Real Madrid has put a firm foot forward & has let known to the player that if he wishes to leave they will hear the offer, & better if around the 65M€ mark. The idea is to halt the continuing player demands & hope the Ramos focuses his mind away from Presidential conspiracy theories with media & concentrates on lifting his form & Football back to the levels that has put him at the top of World Football.

If the defender cannot get his mind back on course we may be in for an interesting few months ahead as Ramos could find himself on the bench - as Casillas - were he will begin to think that the Club President has ordered he be put there. This last line of thought would be dangerous for the Club, the team & the player, a tactic well worth avoiding & better concentrate on his Football to simply play better than the last couple of months which has not been of a level that justifies any salary improvement. In fact, his on field performance better justifies a salary reduction.

Stay tuned!  

Tweet

Share

SPANISH FOOTBALL CLUBS | EUROPA LEAGUE GAMES RESULTS

Europa League Group action tonight with three Spanish Football Clubs - Real Betis, Sevilla FC & Valencia CF - all in action. Here is a summary of the main events, the final score-results & all the goalscorers

French Club Lyon defeated "troubled" Real Betis 1 - 0 in their Group I game. The Spanish Football Club continues with its low form transferred on from the domestic competition but still managed to get themselves into the next stage of the competition independently of their loss. The winner came in the 66th min when Lyon player Gomis scored the eventual winner.

However, the result from the other match in the Group between Rijeka & Vitoria Guimaraes finished in a 0 - 0 draw which favoured Real Betis. The Spanish Club keeps hanging onto to Europe by "any means".

Sevilla FC lead by an inspired Reyes drew 1 - 1 against Portuguese Club Estoril in their Group H game. The Spaniards got ahead first thanks to a brilliant Reyes pass that facilitated Gameiro to score in the 7th min. However, Sevilla after many chances of goal let slip the game victory in the last moments of the match when Fernandes equalized for the visitors in the 90th min. Sevilla will be in the next stage of the Europa League.

The other news was Sevilla FC player Perotti who was substituted & was not happy at all. There is no "good vibes" between the player & his Coach & the Argentine has asked to leave due to the situation, an event aggravated further tonight.

Pressure match in Group A especially for Spanish Club Valencia CF which has Coach Djukic under the microscope. There is a general feeling that the "top brass" at the Club are waiting for any excuse to get rid of their current Coach. The end result a 0 - 1 win over Welsh Club Swansea City. The Spaniards had already secured their presence in the next stage of the Europa League but a win tonight was a "calming tonic" for what is still installed at home during the next days & their next Liga match.

The winner came from Valencia midfielder Parejo who got onto a goalie clearance from a corner in the 21st min. From here both sides had chances with Swansea disallowed a goal from Alvaro Vazquez that looked legit. Then Valencia CF defender Mathieu saved his side from an equalizer in the 87th min. 

Relief for Valencia & its Coach.

Tweet

Share

FIFA RANKINGS NOV 2013 | SPAIN Nº1

FIFA has released its monthly ranking. Here is the Top 10 Football Nations for November 2013:

1. Spain 1507 pts

2. Germany 1318

3. Argentina 1251

4. Colombia 1200

5. Portugal 1172

6. Uruguay 1132

7. Italy 1120

8. Switzerland 1113

9. Holland 1106

10. Brazil 1102

Spain continues in the Nº1 spot even though the team lost to South Africa in their last Friendly International match. There was a chance that the game could be called null due to the "goalkeeping extra substitute" issue ( > 6 changes ) , but FIFA has announced that it stands & will be official. Spain has a "healthy" points lead over second placed Germany which is second. The Nation that has made a big leap in positions is Portugal which lifts nine places into the Nº 5 position.

The next actualization of the FIFA Rankings will be next month.

Tweet

Share

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL RESULTS | REAL SOCIEDAD - REAL MADRID GAMES

UEFA Champions League Group matches continued tonight with Spanish Football Clubs Real Sociadad & Real Madrid with their respective matches. Bad news away in the Ukraine for Real Sociedad & good news for Real Madrid with their home duty. Here is a brief summary of events, the final results-scores & all the goalscorers.

Ukrainian Club Shakhtar Donetsk won 4 - 0 Real Sociedad in their Group A match. The home team managed to grab second place - for now - of the Group & get ahead by 1 point over German Club Leverkusen. Sadly the loss by Real Sociedad puts them last on the Group table which eliminates them from the next rounds of Champions League & unfortunately also does not make the Spanish Club eligible for the Europa League competition.

Too many mistakes by the Real Sociedad defence allowing Shakhtar to score relatively easy goals, plus Shakhtar player Douglas exploded mid second half to put on his magic & sink further a demoralized Real Sociedad as they saw their European dream fade out. The goals came in the following manner:

• Luiz Adriano 37th min 
• Alex Teixeira 48th min
• Douglas 68th min ( brilliant goal)
• Douglas 87th min 

The Ukrainians play their qualification into the next round of Champions gainst Bayern Leverkusen in the last Group game. Shaktar needs a draw or a win , while a win by the Germans puts them through!

Real Madrid hosted fellow Group B Club Galatasaray with the Turks needing a win to keep firm their Champions League hopes. However the final result was a 4 - 1 victory to Real Madrid who ran over Galatasaray in the 2º half with only 10 men as Sergio Ramos saw a red card mid 1ºst half. Galatasaray are third with 4 points with Juventus second with 6 points, & both will meet in the last Group game where only a victory will suffice for Galatasaray. Real Madrid guarantees the top spot of Group B with 4 victories & 1 draw & currently 13 points.

Real Madrid was without Cristiano Ronaldo & this allowed young Jese a run, but that was short lived when Ramos was sent off leaving his team with 10 men. Jese was sacrificed for another youngster defender Nacho. 

The game started with Bale missing a "sitter" in the 3rd min which he later made up with a screamer free-kick goal in the 37th min to open things up for the Spanish Club. However, Galatasaray answered immediately after Drogba superbly found Bulut who equalized in the 40th min. Things looked equal at this point with Real Madrid still finding themselves in a disadvantage but the Turks "strangely" disappeared thereafter. They nearly redeemed themselves in the 2º half  but Casillas made a huge save from a Drogba header.

The second half saw Di Maria, Isco, Bale, Illara & Xabi Alonso ( on for Casemiro ) all lift in their game with a special mention to defender Arbeloa who "starred" & was pivotal. Alvaro Arbeloa scored the second goal in the 51st min, missed a close one soon after & then set up the third for Di Maria in the 62nd min. The last goal was an Isco "gem" with some class individual dribbling ( plus some luck ) that culminated in his goal & the Real Madrid 4th in the 81st min.

It was an amazing finish from a team down 10 men & surprising to watch the ineffectiveness of Galatasaray under such circumstances. The Turks now play Juventus for the prized second place of Group B were only a victory serves Galatasaray while the Italians have margin to at least go through with a draw. 

Tweet

Share

WORLD SOCCER | MESSI THE MOST VALUABLE ( MONEY ) PLAYER IN BRAZIL 2014

Once the 32 Nations were determined which will participate in the upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup Final in Brazil, the financial firm "Pluri Consultancy" asked itself: what is the monetary value of each the 732 players that will be present & participating in Brazil 2014?

The results are no surprise, FC Barcelona player Lionel Messi is a current monetary value of 139,6€ putting the Argentine in the Nº1 position. He is followed by Real Madrid player Cristiano Ronaldo with 104,2M€ & fellow Barça team-mate Neymar with 67,4M€. 

The exercise was also done for countries & Spain takes the Nº1 spot with players worth a total of 185M€, followed by Argentina with 183M€ & third Germany with 149M€.

Here is the list of the Top 15 players in money value according to "Pluri Consulting":

 1. Leo Messi - 139,6 €
2. Cristiano Ronaldo - 104,2
3. Neymar - 67,4
4. Edinson Cavani - 63
5. Falcao - 59,1
6. Mesut Ozil - 54
7. Andrés Iniesta - 53,7
8. Mario Goetze- 48,4
9. Wayne Rooney - 48,2
10. Franck Ribéry - 46,8
11. Thomas Müller - 46,6
12. Hulk - 46,2
13. Juan Mata - 46,1
14. Luis Suárez - 44,8
15. Eden Hazard - 44,3

Tweet

Share

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP RESULTS | ATLETICO DE MADRID - FC BARCELONA

UEFA Champions League Group matches this Tuesday with Spanish Football Clubs Atletico de Madrid & FC Barcelona in action. Both Spanish Teams are secure for the next stage & have the role of deciding how the rest of the Clubs in their Groups fair especially for the important second place. Here are the final scores-results & all the goalscorers.

Russian Club Zenit St Petersburg hosted Atletico de Madrid in their Group G match. The Russians needed a win to open up their chances for the important second place of the Group. The final score was 1 - 1 & this leaves the Russians at the mercy of other results - the other Clubs in the Group - to which they have no control.

Atletico de Madrid went into this match with the top spot secured & left out 6 regular players to give the bench some playing time. This did not lower quality & intensity of the team as Zenit found out as the Spaniards played well & were very dangerous creating goal opportunities most of the match.

Zenit created their own chances but failed to convert while the Atletico defence lead by Miranda & goalie Courtois kept things relatively under control. Atletico was rewarded for their intense game in the 52nd min when in a deadly counter-attack Adrian scored to put Atletico ahead. The equalizer came for Zenit under unlucky circumstances when a ball hit Atletico defender Alderweireld (own goal) & lobbed the ball high towards the goal doing "strange things in the air" that put off goalie Courtois as the ball sneaked in the top corner of the goal.  

From here Zenit attacked more to find another goal but Atletico managed to starve off their fire & enthusiasm & secure the result which keeps the Spanish Football Club undefeated in Champions League. 

Ajax of Amsterdam managed a gutsy & well earned victory - with 10 men - over FC Barcelona in their Group H match. Barça needed a point to guarantee the top spot of the Group while Ajax needed a victory to keep alive their aspirations for the second Group place in competition with AC Milan who won their match against Celtic Glasgow.  The final result was 2 - 1 with a brilliant first half from Ajax & later withstanding the Barça onslaught in the 2º half with only 10 men. 

The match highlighted the importance of Sergi Busquets for Barça. The nearly "always" invisible midfielder was missing tonight & the Barça team was cut in half & without a bridge to balance the defensive & attacking forces. Song did his best but perhaps his lack of playing time showed, as did with Barça goalie Pinto who gave a few unnecessary scares during the game.

Ajax is a young team, with plenty enthusiasm & nerve which out possessed FC Barcelona in ball domination in the first half, something unheard off in the pass seasons when playing against the Spaniards. The Dutch side pressured & forced Barcelona to make mistakes, errors that brought about their first goal in the 19th min by Severo & their second in the 41st min by Hoesen. It was possibly the worst 45 min from Barcelona under Coach "Tata" Martino.

The second half started badly for Ajax & with relief for Barça. A terrible back pass by Ajax defender Van Rhijn gave not option to his team-mate Veltman to foul Neymar in the penalty area. The penalty was called & he received a red card leaving his side down to 10 men. The replay showed the foul was outside the area but Xavi Hernandez converted the penalty to give Barça wings in the 50th min.

From here onwards it was all one way traffic with Barça attacking in waves. The young Ajax team defended in mass & managed to keep out & halt the Barcelona efforts to take a memorable victory & important three points.

Barça was without important players Messi, Alves, Adriano, Alba, Valdes..., but this should not take away the enormous effort from the young Dutch team which played their game , their strategy & their goals. They after all were playing for their Champions League future.

Tweet

Share

AC MILAN INTERESTED IN ATLETICO DE MADRID MIDFIELDER KOKE

News out from Barcelona based Spanish Sports daily "Mundo Deportivo" announces the firm interest from Italian Club AC Milan for Spanish International & Atletico de Madrid midfielder KOKE. The 21 year old has exploded onto the Football scene under Coach Simeone to become a crucial element of the Atletico team.

According the news source AC Milan has already transmitted to the players representatives the "offer" of a 4M€/ season salary. The player has a 35M€ contract release clause that may be a bit too high for the Italian Club looking to "rejuvenate" their current ageing squad.

However AC Milan is not the only Club following closely Koke, there are rumours of Manchester United, Liverpool & FC Barcelona. The latter has been sounding for some time & the relationship between Atletico de Madrid & FC Barcelona is optimal. Barça may have a "verbal" agreement of "first approach" if Atletico de Madrid does decide to sell or the player wishes a move.

Stay tuned!
Tweet

Share

REAL MADRID TO LOAN ALVARO MORATA TO TOTTENHAM HOTSPURS ?

The tough & long negotiations between Real Madrid & English Premier Club Tottenham Hotspurs build relationships. In the end the "wheeling & dealing" makes friends between the Directives of both Clubs which later turn into benefits & deals.

News from Spanish daily "Gazeta" reports that Real Madrid & Spanish U-21 International Alvaro Morata forward will be a "Winter Transfer Market" addition for Tottenham Hotspurs. There is a "verbal" agreement & the terms will be strictly "on loan". The English Club has been following Morata for sometime & even wanted to include the player this summer as part of the "Bale Deal".

This way the young promise would get regular playing time so as to not halt his evolution & progression. While giving Tottenham some more upfront firepower something the English Club has been missing this season.

The option of moving to London for sometime may be good for Morata. Apart from broadening his cultural experience he will get more Football time, as the recent "rebirth" of Karim Benzema has put once again a "barrier" for the young promise. 

Stay tuned, as this needs confirmation & is still a "verbal agreement". There is still a month left before the "Winter Transfer Window" & anything could happen. An injury to Benzema would, for example, halt all idea of loaning Morata to Tottenham.

Tweet

Share

SPANISH FOOTBALL RESULTS | ROUND 14 LIGA SATURDAY MATCH RESULTS

Spanish Football returned with Round 14 Liga action with games packed full of goals. Here is a brief summary of the main events, all the final results - scores & the goalscorers.

Valladolid played Osasuna on Friday night & went down 0 - 1 to the late 84th min goal from Oier. The match was fairly linear without much great moments with both sides not being about to find many chances. Valladolid started well & looked promising but fizzed out as the game evolved. Three Golden points to Osasuna!

FC Barcelona defeated Granada 4 - 0 in comfortable fashion. The fact that Barça were missing Messi, Xavi & Valdes made no difference & the team maintained throughout their pressure touch ball Football. The goals came in the following fashion:

• Iniesta ( penalty ) 20th min
• Cesc Fabregas ( penalty ) 41st min
• Alexis 72nd min
• Pedro 89th min

Barça maintains the Liga table top spot with another three points. The Team still is undefeated this season!

Amazing match of Football between Real Sociedad & Celta of Vigo with plenty of goals, a remarkable comeback by Real Sociedad & 4 goals by Mexican International Carlos Vela. The order of all the goals best describes the match:

• Carlos Vela 6th min , 1 - 0
• Rafinha 23rd min, 1 - 1
• A.Lopez 28th min, 1 - 2
• Rafinha 57th min, 1 - 3
• Carlos Vela 61st min, 2 - 3
• Carlos Vela 78th min, 3 - 3
• Carlos Vela 81st min, 4 - 3 

Amazing performance from Vela who scored all his teams goals & managed the comeback. Final score 4 - 3.

Almeria hosted Real Madrid & lost 0 - 5 in a goal packed match of Football. Real Madrid went ahead first with a 3rd min Cristiano Ronaldo goal but then suffered until the end of the first half with Real Madrid goalie Diego Lopez needing to do his saving magic to stop Almeria from equalizing. However, the 2ºhalf saw Real Madrid regroup & pour on their firepower upfront with goals from Benzema in the 61st min, Bale in the 71st min after a terrible defensive mistake, Isco in the 75th min & Morata in the 80th min.

Cristiano Ronaldo was taken off the field - his call - & went straight into the changing rooms. Worried faces on the Real Madrid bench but the news is that the Portuguese star suffered a "corker" on his thigh. A scare for all Real Madrid fans but should be OK for Champions League. 

Gol festival at Atletico de Madrid in the city derby game with Getafe. The visitors lost Valera in the 41st min to a red card & this may have influenced the final result but the damage had already began earlier. The 7 - 0 win to Atletico de Madrid gave us all types of goals including a spectacular overhead goal from Diego Costa who had just come on. Raul Garcia got two as did David Villa & Adrian shut the night with his goal.

Goals:

• Raul Garcia 25th min
• Lopo ( own goal ) 36th min
• Villa 49th min
• Raul Garcia 52th min
• Diego Costa 69th min
• Villa 78th min
• Adrian 92nd min

Great match from Koke & Turan Arda both deserve a mention.

Tweet

Share

LIONEL MESSI TO LEAVE FC BARCELONA AT THE END OF THE SEASON ?

Has World Soccer star Lionel Messi decided to leave FC Barcelona next season? 

Before getting into the "nitty-gritty" lets set some things beforehand firmly in place. The news comes from a FIFA Agent who is more an eccentric TV personality who appears in a late night popular national Football TV show which at times goes beyond the orthodox. Apart from hundreds of thousand TV spectators receiving the news last night, Spanish Sports daily "AS" has also followed on with the story.

Here is the run down in a nutshell. Lionel Messi & FC Barcelona ( or its Directive Team ) are going through a severe relationship crisis. Lionel Messi is not too "happy" that newcomer Neymar is earning 17M€ / year at Barça ( remember Neymar received a 50M€ advance in terms of "who knows what" paid to the father of Neymar ) which in the sum is more than what Messi earns per season. Plus the recent salary lift by Real Madrid for their star Cristiano Ronaldo is also more than his salary & Messi wishes to be at least on the same level if not higher.

The Argentine in September asked FC Barcelona for a salary rise to which the Club - verbally - agreed in the near future. Mid -late October Barça communicated to Messi that their agreed deal was off & not possible, Barça cannot handle financially the Messi solicitation. Bear in mind that another Club "heavy-weight" Andres Iniesta is also now renegotiating his contract & he too wishes to be at the "Neymar level". The Agentine & his inner circle are not pleased with FC Barcelona & feel that they have been betrayed by the Club. Added Messi is going through one of the worst periods of his Football career due to non-stop injuries & does not feel the backing or the warmth of the Club. Said another way, misses the "finer details", whatever you may imagination does details can be.

This has apparently lead Messi to make the decision to leave next season & that he already has a "verbal agreement" with another Club. Another Club which is not Real Madrid, is outside Spain & is willing to pay a "astronomical salary" to get Lionel Messi. 

First reaction is that this is total "Bullshit". However, the news breaker - the FIFA agent - has been wrong with his "insiders advances" on very little occasions having a high % of correct predictions . Plus on the same TV show was a Barcelona based journalist which follows closely Barcelona & he too said that something "smelly" was occurring between Messi & the Club. The journalist added that he believed that if there was a current conflict that both parties would fix things before the end of the year.
The stories coming out all day from the Barcelona ( other ) press are various:

• the tax issue with Spanish Authorities mid year has affected Messi
• the non - stop run of injuries has the player in low moral status & in continual frustration mode
• the coming this season of Neymar & the Brazilians own bright lights are shadowing those of Messi & this is not to the Argentines likening.
• there are rumours of psychological issues 
• talk of family "problems" 
• murmuring of "personal issues" 
• plus conflicts with team-mates which included the younger members like Bartra, Montoya, Tello, Alexis Sanchez , just to say a few. 

Obviously the natural response is that all this is fabricated "bad press" to destabilize Messi & Barça. The local Barcelona press are not running the "Messi will leave" story - for now. This is not unusual as the local Barcelona media is very close to the Club & nearly always follows the "official FC Barcelona voice"

Lastly in reference to the "other Club", it has not been said. The clues points to "super wealthy" overseas Clubs which narrows things down to Paris St Germain or Manchester City (Bayern Munich with help of Adidas perhaps ), discarding Real Madrid which is said is not the Club.  The "other Club" rumour could be a "negotiating strategy" by Messi & his team to force FC Barcelona to pay his demands. The local fan-base & Club membership backlash would be important, overwhelming & put the Club President Sandro Rosell on the ropes.

Anyway, just an advance, a rumour or an outright lie at this moment which will be worth following in coming months as things evolve naturally & advance. I personally will be wise to not judge & not pronounce myself as yet as the news in itself is a "nuclear bomb" which would call for caution in case it does ( or does not ) explode.

Stay tuned!

Tweet

Share

SPANISH FOOTBALL FLASHBACK | HISTORIC PICTURE OF SPAIN 11 AGAINST MALTA 12 - 1 RESULT

Relatively quite on the Spanish Football News front today. All the media is either shouting for Cristiano Ronaldo to be given the FIFA Golden Ball, or updating on all the FC Barcelona injuries like Messi, Alves & Valdes, speculating on the substitute player for injured Real Madrid midfielder Khedira, commenting on the "horrific" Messi jacket at his European Golden Boot presentation or heating up the fierce City of Seville derby this weekend between Sevilla FC - Real Betis in Liga.

With all this presumably not fresh news to most World Soccer fans or regular Blog readers thought I take advantage & post up a Historic Spanish Football National Team starting 11 picture from 1983. A team that made themselves a space in the History of Spanish Football.

These 11 Spanish players

Camacho (Captain), Maceda, Goikoetxea, Gordillo, Señor, Buyo

Carrasco, Victor Muñoz, Santillana, Rincón, Sarabia

were the starting team that defeated Malta 12 - 1 the 21st of December 1983 ( Benito Villamarin Stadium, Seville SPAIN) in the last Group 7 qualifier for the 1984 European Nations Finals. Spain before this match was second to the Netherlands in the Group & needed to win by at least 11 goals to qualify. The match & result is history.

The goalscorers for Spain were:

16' Santillana
26' Santillana
29' Santillana
47' Poli Rincón
57' Poli Rincón
62' Antonio Maceda
63' Antonio Maceda
64' Poli Rincón
76' Santillana
78' Poli Rincón
80' Manu Sarabia
84' Juan Señor

The only goalscorer for Malta was Michael Digiorgio 24th min.

Tweet

Share

LIONEL MESSI "EUROPEAN GOLDEN BALL AWARD" & THAT JACKET

FC Barcelona & Argentine International Football Player Lionel Messi was handed the "European Golden Boot 2012-2013" in the city of Barcelona. The numbers are impressive: 46 goals in 32 games at an average of 1,43 in the Spanish Football League - La Liga. The Award is his third, with his previous "Boots" being given in season 2009-2010 ( 34 goals ) & 2011-2012 ( 50 goals ).

The Barça star spoke about his injury & that he will return only when he is fully fit & ready to play 100%. Ex Barça star, Golden Boot & Golden Ball winner Hristo Stoichkov handed the prize to Messi in a media packed ceremony.

However, the other news piece was the "Messi Fashion Look". His rose print jacket caught the eye of most present & was even trending topic on Twitter. If there was an Award for the "Worst Jacket" Messi would have picked it up today along with his "Golden Boot". There were team-mates present ( Pique, Xavi, Pinto, Alba, Adriano, Puyol ...) & they all gave Messi some stick over his fashion preference. He may be one of the Best Footballers on the Planet, but in setting fashion trends ... 

Tweet

Share

SOUTH AFRICA 1 SPAIN 0 | INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY MATCH RESULT

The current World Champions Spain lost 1 - 0 to South Africa in their Friendly International match played tonight. A well deserved victory for the South Africans who were more motivated, more enthusiastic & more willing to fight the 90 minutes for a prestigious victory. 

Spain possibly put forward their worst match in a long time. Perhaps its was the "sweet memories" of 2010, the nostalgic "walk down memory lane", the lovely pictures with the World Cup Trophy or the fact that their minds were elsewhere except on the "Soccer City" pitch. The World Champs started well but deteriorated progressively as the South Africans created opportunities - Manyisu hit the bar mid 1ºst half - which lifted their confidence & allowed them to believe that a win was definitely possible. 

The winner for South Africa came in the 56th min when Parker scored beating the Spanish defence & goalkeeper Victor Valdes. Spain attempted to react but South Africa was surfing their "high" while Spain was becoming more & more frustrated. South Africa continued to create chances & could have got another had they been more accurate.

Then in the 75th min FC Barcelona goalie Valdes ( on for Iker Casillas who played the 1ºst half ) suffered an injury to his right twin muscle ( a possible tear ) that forced him to leave the field. This caused confusion as Spain had used up their 6 changes & defender Arbeloa put on the goalie shirt. However, the FIFA delegate allowed a "friendly gesture" of allowing Spain to bring on Pepe Reina, this did not go down well with the South African Coach who remembered the rules & that Spain should be down to 10 men. His anger softened with the South African win later. Spain could have equalized in the last seconds but Spanish defender Albiol missed a "Golden chance". 

The Spanish loss again highlights that Friendly Games are not their forte & that the Forward line still is a "problem" that needs solving. Many would have remembered tonight that a player like Atletico de Madrid forward Diego Costa would have been an interesting option. Although he has his local detractors his intensity & vertical Football may be the alternative option upfront that Spain needs to solve their "goal-fire" deficiencies. 

In conclusion, excellent & well deserved win to South Africa. For Spain an "Africa Tour" to forget, with perhaps filled with too much good memories, perhaps with a certain "holiday atmosphere" & a obvious fact that there are some critical areas of their Football to solve if Spain are to really believe that they can seriously defend their World Champions Title next year in Brazil.
Tweet

Share

ALBANIA 0 SPAIN 2 | U-21 EURO GROUP QUALIFIER

The Spanish Football U-21 National Team travelled to Albania for their Group match qualifier for the 2015 European Championships. The final result a 0 - 2 victory for Spain which virtually assures them a place in the Euro U-21 Finals & keeps them top of their Group with 18 points, that is, 6 straight victories to date.  

The games was not easy at all for Spain. Albania put up a rough & sticky plan which consisted in maximum pressure which caused the Spaniards to lose the ball. The Spanish midfield was continually overrun by Albania & the Spanish defence under siege. It was not until the 66th min that Spain managed to win back control with the goal from Muniain. This was followed later in the 88th min by the sealer & second goal from Deulofeu.

Relief on the Spanish bench & joy in gaining another victory & three points.

Details:

Albania 0: Teqja; Husaj, Gjokak, Prençi, Kotobelli; Kruja, Kace, Shala, Gino; Batha & Shkurtaj

Spain 2: Pacheco; Carvajal, Sergi G., Amat, Bernat; Campaña, Óliver; Deulofeu, S. Roberto, Muniain; & Morata.


Goals : 0-1 (66') Muniain. 0-2 (88') Deulofeu.

Tweet

Share

XAVI HERNANDEZ | THE MOST AWARDED PLAYER IN SPANISH FOOTBALL HISTORY

Who is the current - & active - Football Player with most Titles in Spanish Football History?

Until recently it was Real Madrid legendary winger Francisco Gento with 24 Titles, but the the recent Spanish Super Cup Title to FC Barcelona ( over Atletico de Madrid ) at the start of the season made midfielder Xavi Hernandez the most awarded player in Spanish Football. The FC Barcelona player has currently 25 Titles & the man still has margin to add more to that number.

courtesy of "Sport"

Spanish Sports paper "Sport" dedicates a spot in today's news to let us all know about the amazing achievements of Xavi Hernandez so far:

• 7 Spanish Liga Titles
• 3 Champions League
• 6 Spanish Super Cups
• 2 Spanish Cups ( Copa del Rey )
• 2 European Super Cups
• 2 World Club Champions
• 2 European Nations Cup
• 1 FIFA World Cup

The only award missing,  & deserved may I add, is a FIFA Golden Ball which some say that due to his low media "profile" was not given in 2011 when he came second to team-mate Lionel Messi. 

As habitual in Life we all - Football fans - will finally realize the importance & magic of Xavi Hernandez once he leaves Football & the Football field. At that point we will all remember & miss perhaps one of World & Spanish Football Greatest midfield players.

Tweet

Share

MANCHESTER CITY EYES REAL MADRID SERGIO RAMOS FOR NEXT SUMMER ?

The news piece coming up is not new & is recurring. From England & its Press ("Sunday People") comes the news that Manchester City is interested in the services of Real Madrid & Spanish International Defender Sergio Ramos. It is also written that Manchester City will be willing to put forward a first offer of around 38M€ for next summer.

Announced this there are other Clubs doing the "grapevine" with interest, one is Paris St Germain rumoured to be willing to pay Ramos 8,5M€/season as a salary. Plus believe it or not specualtion is that Chelsea FC current Coach & ex-Madrid Jose Mourinho has a "spot" for Sergio.

All of the above coincidently comes to light - or it is not a coincidence - when Sergio Ramos wishes to renew & better his current contract with Real Madrid. The defender finishes contract with the Spanish Football Club in 2017 & currently earns around 5,5M€ per season. Real Madrid considers this figure appropriate & does not wish to tackle the "Ramos contract" at this early stage & has not urgency.

The improved economic conditions/contract of Cristiano Ronaldo & the arrival of Gareth Bale with a nice contractual package has lead the Spanish International to believe that he deserves to be "appreciated" & wishes "improvements".

The stories coming out about possible interests & offers from other Clubs are habitual instruments used by player representatives to force the negotiations with Club or find extra leverage in their bargaining positions. Sometimes the "other Clubs" are interestedly "leaked" to media or are "over- exaggerated".

Either way the stories are worth a follow & will be kept an eye on. Stay tuned!

Tweet

Share

EQUATORIAL GUINEA 1 SPAIN 2 | INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY MATCH RESULT

A festive atmosphere for the Spanish Football National Team which played Equatorial Guinea in an International Friendly tonight. It was a celebration for the locals as the World Champions visited an ex-Spanish colony & the historical ties helped with the off-field friendliness & joy while on-field the locals were "hard" at times. The final result was a 1 - 2 win for Spain which could ( & should ) have been more but perhaps the steamy conditions & lack of tension did not assist with a runaway scoreline. Equatorial Guinea also played their part as they were pushed on by enthusiasm & by the special occasion. 

The Spain starting XI was:

Reina; Juanfran, Bartra, Íñigo Martínez (sub Ramos), Alberto Moreno; Xabi Alonso (sub Busquets), Koke (sub Iniesta), Cazorla (sub Villa); Jesús Navas (sub Pedro), Mata  & Negredo (sub Fernando Llorente ).

A virtual "reserve" line-up that gradually saw some regulars substitute & get a run as the match well on.

The match took a while to excite & that moment came when Cazorla opened the scoring for Spain in the 13th min after a terrible local goalie fumble. The locals advanced with their enthusiasm & managed to equalize in the 36th min when Bermudez headed from a corner. The Spanish defence could have done much more & were not concentrating but the Equatorial Guinea player celebrated as if it was the winning goal of a World Cup Final. 

The locals then got over excited with some tough tackles, one of which caused Xabi Alonso to hop off the field. Later news was that it was just a scare which was a relief for Real Madrid fans after losing yesterday German International midfielder Khedira for the next 6 months to a serious knee injury. 

The second goal for Spain came in the 42nd min when defender Juanfran fired home after a poor clearance from the goalkeeper.

Spanish Coach Vicente Del Bosque made changes all the 2º half, which was slower & with numerous missed chances which was frustrating to watch. Equatorial Guinea created their own opportunities towards the end of the game but Spain kept them out & under control.

Next International Friendly for Spain against South Africa.

Tweet

Share

EURO U 21 GROUP 4 MATCH RESULT | BOSNIA 1 SPAIN 6

The Spanish U-21 Football National Team maintains its dominance of Group 4 with an overpowering 1 - 6 victory over. Five straight wins with 20 goals in favour & only 5 against. 

Here are all the goals & goalscorers:

• Prcic 15th min 1 - 0
• Barisic own goal 33rd min 1-1
• Oliver 44th min 1-2
• Morata 45th min penalty 1 - 3
• Muniain 61st min 1 - 4
• Oliver 64th min 1 -5
• Deulofeu penalty 1 - 6

Bosnia attempted to get a goal to lessen the scoreline "pain" in the latter part of the match & nearly pulled it off. Depending on how second placed Austria does in their match, Spain could seal their pass on the the Euro U-21 finals against Albania. 

Tweet

Share

VICTOR VALDES | CURRENT MOST EFFECTIVE GOALKEEPER IN SPANISH FOOTBALL

FC Barcelona not only loses for next season a home grown modern Club "legend" but possibly the Best inform goalkeeper currently in World Football. Victor Valdes has decided to leave FC Barcelona for new adventures as he currently moves towards a possible amazing 6th "Zamora Award" ( the least scored goalkeeper in Spanish Football).

Spanish Sports paper based in the city of Barcelona, "Sport" , has dedicated space today in their daily to Victor Valdes along with this interesting & insightful info-image. Victor Valdes is currently the most effective goalkeeper in Spanish Football with 40 saves & only 8 goals scored, that is a 83,3% effective rate. The only goalkeeper currently that can halt the 6th "Zamora" for Valdes is Atletico de Madrid goalie Courtois who has only been scored 9 goals, but has a lower effective rate due to least attempts at his goal by opponents.

The attempts figure in these two cases, highlight that the Atletico de Madrid is currently the most effective defence in Spanish Football thus shielding better Courtois, which indirectly highlights the merits of Victor Valdes which has been stopping most of the "leaks" from the Barça defence this season. 

No one really knows where Valdes will end up next season. Some speculate that French Club Monaco is the destination, other have said Bayern Munich with Guardiola or even the Premier League in England. Wherever Valdes goes & whichever Club they will be getting a "Top Class" goalie.

Tweet

Share

SPAIN FOOTBALL TEAM PRESENTS NEW UNIFORM | MARKETING | FINANCE | POLITICS

The Spanish Football Federation presented today to a packed media audience the "new" uniform that the Spanish Football National Team will wear in the upcoming FIFA World Cup to be held in Brazil 2014. It´s an all red uniform which has been "sold" as a good luck omen for the current double European ( 2008/2012) & World Champions (2010) as Spain will attempt to make Football History if they manage to win back to back World Titles.  

The uniform looks good, but the Marketing & Financial power behind it is much greater. It was more the day of the Sportwear multinational that sponsors Spain. More than a celebration of Spanish Football it was a powerful commercial exercise that will reap in millions & millions of dollars in merchandising, shirt selling & branding with the Spanish Football Federation obviously getting some "crumbs" off the global financial cake.  

The most interesting picture was the one below with FC Barcelona star Andres Iniesta. The Sportwear "war" is in full flight & it will get rough in coming months. Have a look at the Footy shoes that Iniesta takes into the presentation gala, they are the "other brand", which has paid millions to the same players to counter-act the media effects of such events & uniforms. 

An interesting observation which highlights - as you already know - that Football is a billion dollar industry which partially explains many things that occur which for the normal Football fan many seem odd: winners, losers, match decisions, hand-balls in crucial situations which are winning goals, World Cup allocations, Club titles & individual awards.

The Spanish Football National Team will officially premier "the new look" in International matches in the upcoming Friendly Internationals. One of which is against Equatorial Guinea governed by a 40 year Dictator with human rights violations. Another piece of hard evidence about the Football Business, it is speculated that the Spanish Football Federation will receive millions of euros for the "Football visit". We are sure the proud Sportswear brand of today also does not give a f*** about the human rights violations either.
Tweet

Share

FC BARCELONA | LIONEL MESSI INJURY, THEORIES & RECOVERY

Thanks to Spanish Sports paper "Marca" & "Elisa Martin" for her fantastic infograph in reference to FC Barcelona & Argentina International star Lionel Messi, we have a clearer picture of all the injuries that the players has had & is currently suffering.

The left leg muscle tear during last weekend Liga game will put Messi off the field between 6 - 8 weeks. Worrying for Barça & fans as Messi is the authentic motor & goalscorer of the team. The absence of Messi may halt the current unbeatable streak in Liga & allow rivals like Atletico de Madrid & especially Real Madrid to cut back in Liga table points. On an individual level Messi loses options for the upcoming FIFA Golden Ball & on a personal level it is a sever psychological blow.

The player has been falling to the same injury & this raise the questions if the medical team is doing well their job, if the player is returning too early back on the field due to the over zealous Messi or if psychologically the player is not 100%. Everyone admits that a balanced connection between mind & body is crucial.

The facts are 9 injuries in the same area. The theories are numerous: too much summer travelling around the world with promotions & charity matches which did not allow rest, an unbalanced diet based on animal protein ( Argentines love meat ) , lack of supervision by the Club, the "bad method" of personal trainer Juanjo Brau who has been parted ...etc. The "Messi case" is getting almost to "emergency state" or "conspiracy theory" levels.

The Club has decided to not risk any further their star & make sure that there is a complete recovery before getting back onto the field. Takes what it takes, thus the "alarm" at Barça & from fans that perhaps the team will suffer the absence of Messi. Some go further & speculate if this will be a long term problem, thus a psychological & nutritional angle is also being added to the Messi recovery schedule part in Argentina & in Spain.

The player to benefit from this will be Neymar who apart from gaining the role & responsibility of filling the Messi gap, has the chance to step out from the shadow of the Argentine & shine individually. 

Either way it will be interesting to watch how FC Barcelona perform in coming matches. For now there is a gap with International matches which will allow the Barça technical team to figure out their next moves & plans to lessen the maximum possible the absence of the star. 

Tweet

Share

SPANISH FOOTBALL TEAM | LLORENTE & BARTRA REPLACE CESC & COSTA

The past weekend of Spanish Football has caused some important injuries which has effected some National Teams with International duties coming up this week. The most talked about is FC Barcelona star Lionel Messi who could be out for up to 10 weeks from playing. Severe blow to Barça.

The other talked about injuries are Cesc Fabregas & Diego Costa which have a direct impact on the Spanish Football National Team up for their Friendly Internationals against Equatorial Guinea & South Africa. Cesc Fabregas suffered a knee "twist" that keeps him out & Diego Costa has a muscle tear that halts his much anticipated debut for the Spanish Team.

The bad luck for one person is the good luck for another & Spanish National Team Coach Vicente Del Bosque has called up Juventus forward Fernando Llorente ( back after 15 months ) to replace Costa, & FC Barcelona youngster Bartra for Cesc Fabragas. Del Bosque prizes the excellent form of the Juventus forward scoring important goals for his team & Bartra for his impressive performances with Barça.

Tweet

Share

SPANISH FOOTBALL | LIGA | ROUND 13 SUNDAY GAMES RESULTS

Four Spanish Football matches today - tonight which concludes Round 13 of Liga. Here is brief summary, with all the final scores - results & goalscorers. 

RCD Espanyol & Sevilla FC played an intense match, very rapid & with goals. The final result was a 1 - 3 victory to Sevilla FC, a much needed win for the visitors as things are torrid down at Seville. The first goal was for Sevilla with Fazio scoring after 3 minutes. That was followed by another Sevilla goal from Vitolo in the 9th min to which Espanyol answered with a 23rd min Sergio Garcia goal. Espanyol was on the verge of a possible comeback as they had Sevilla on the back foot,  but Espanyol went down to 10 men when Victor Sanchez was sent off with his 2º yellow card. This halted the Espanyol progression & Sevilla managed a third via Bacca in te 58th min to secure things. 

Valencia CF drew 2 - 2 at home with Valladolid with a missed penalty included. Things at Valencia are still very tense & the Coaching position of Djukic still under the microscope. Valencia missed a 5th min penalty when Benaga fired over the goal. Valladolid took advantage of the home teams disillusion & scored in the 9th via Javi Guerra. From here onwards an intense encounter with counter-punches as Valencia CF equalized thanks to a Pabon "power-driver" in the 29th min. The second half was the same as it see-sawed with a Valladolid goal in the 50th min by Alcatraz & the Valencia equalizer in the 76th min from Feghouli. Shared points!

Villarreal managed a 1 - 1 draw against Atletico de Madrid in a peculiar match where both goals were own goals. Perhaps it was a "just" result & the "Goddess of Luck" decided to even things, I for one think it was the correct result as both sides did their job but each was cancelled out from the other. Villarreal player Mario ( own goal ) put atletico ahead in the 2 min. From here both sides tried hard to score or pull away. The equalizer for Villarreal came in the 79th min when Atletico defender Juanfran scored an own goal. Atletico de Madrid claimed a penalty that was not called in this match & Villarreal claims that Diego Costa should have received a red card. As said, a shared match & shared points!

Real Betis lost 1 - 4 to FC Barcelona. The win for Barcelona opens up further the table points gap with second placed Atletico de Madrid which drew in their game against Villarreal.

Betis started strong & Barça needed their goalie Valdes to make super saves, but as the game evolved FC Barcelona slowly & progressively took control. The goals for Barça came from Neymar in the 35th min, a grand goal from Pedro in the 37th min & two goals from Cesc Fabregas - 63rd min & 79th min - who was superb tonight. Betis managed a consolation goal right at the end when Molina converted a penalty in the 93rd min.

The bad news for Barça was the injury - again - of star Lionel Messi in the 22nd min who was substituted by iniesta. Messi is having a "horror" spell of injuries.

Tweet

Share

SPANISH FOOTBALL | LIGA | ROUND 13 SATURDAY GAMES RESULTS

Spanish Football games played yesterday & today as part of Round 13 of Liga. Here is a brief summary of the main events, the final scores-results & all the goalscorers.

Granada won Malaga FC 3 -1 on Friday Night  & took the three points thanks to the Hat-Trick by El Arabi. Granada took advantage of numerous defensive errors that Malaga Coach Bernd Schuster cannot be happy at all about & will need to urgently find solutions. From the first minutes Granada showed they were better in all positions & gave little option to Malaga. Brahimi with two assists deserves a mention & also played an important role for Granada. Goals:
1-0
El Arabi Min 48
1-1
Juanmi Min 54
2-1
El Arabi Min 58
3-1
El Arabi Min 77

Final score: 3 - 1 to Granada

Osasuna played Friday Night & paid dearly a tremendous error from the goalie Andres Fernandez. The ball in the 18th min slipped from his hands from a corner & there was Alemeria forward Rodri to punish. Osasuna had later chances to equalize the game, but they found an unbeatable goalie Esteban for Almeria. Goals
0-1
Rodri Min 18

Final score: 0-1 to Almeria

Cristiano Ronaldo is a goal scoring machine. The Portuguese signed another Hat-Trick, his second in a row at the "Santiago Bernabeu Staduim" & the third of the season. Real Sociedad did not exist in the first half finishing with a 4 - 0 scoreline after 45mins. Benzema (Ronaldo set-up) and Khedira (Bale set-up) completed the other goals for Real Madrid, while Real Sociedad Frenchman Griezmann scored the consolation goal. The return of Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso - who started - gives the team the missed equilibrium of past games between the forwards & the defence, his interventions are noted, appreciated & almost vital for Real Madrid. Goals

1-0
Cristiano Ronaldo Min 12
2-0
Benzema Min 18
3-0
Cristiano Ronaldo(penalty) Min 26
4-0
Khedira Min 36
4-1
Griezmann Min 61
5-1
Cristiano Ronaldo Min 76

Final score: 5-1 to Real Madrid

Relatively boring encounter between Madrid Club Getafe & Elche. The main highlights were the goals scored by each, the first a "power driver"  by Pedro Leon to put ahead Getafe & the 61st min equalizer header by on-loan from Milan player Boakye. Final score 1 -1 draw.

Athletic Club Bilbao had to make a last period comeback to defeat Levante 2 - 1 & keep them undefeated at home this season. Levante went ahead first in the 33rd min thanks to a goal from Barral. Bilbao Coach Valverde then changed his team around in the second half & brought on the later goalscorers. The equalizer came from a grand volley from Mikel Rico in the 72nd min & the winner from a Aduriz header in the 84th min. Aduriz later got a red card in the 91 st min for a "supposed aggression" on Levante midfielder Simao Mate. Final result : 3-1 to Athletic Bilbao.

Celta de Vigo hosted Madrid Club Rayo Vallecano & lost 0 - 2. Missed chances by the locals & some good Football from the visitors, with goals from inform player Jonathan Viera in the 24th min & Larrivey in the 72nd min. Rayo plays good Football but has been unlucky in past weeks or have not been able to finish their created plays. Tonight things got into place for Rayo & things worked out. Three important points go back to Madrid & the Club gets out of the relegation area of the ladder. Final Result 0 - 2 to Rayo.

Tweet

Share