LIONEL MESSI WINS GOLDEN BALL 2015

As expected FC Barcelona Argentinian star Lionel Messi was awarded this evening his 5th FIFA Golden Ball Award (2015) ahead of Real Madrid player Cristiano Ronaldo & FC Barcelona player Neymar. 

Little can be added to want is obvious, Lionel Messi enters the Olympia of World Soccer & Football History, perhaps as the "Greatest Player of all Time". Although debate will continue as everyone has their personal favourite from Pele, Di Stefano, Maradona, Zidane, Cruyff etc, but Messi has a firm & dominate place amongst them all. 

The FIFA Best XI was full of Spanish Liga players with 4 from Real Madrid & 4 from FC Barcelona. Spaniards included are Sergio Ramos & Andres Iniesta.

Full list of FIFA Best XI:
Neuer; Dani Alves, Thiago Silva, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo; Iniesta, Modric, Pogba; Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo & Neymar

The Best Coach for 2015 went to Spaniard & FC Barcelona Coach Luis Enrique who did not attend the ceremony as he prefers a much lower profile. 

FIFA Female Golden Ball 2015 winner was Carli Lloyd.

Congratulations to all the winners & Messi!

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ENGLISH PREMIER BEST 11 PFA AWARDS | 2 SPANIARDS ON LIST

The "Professional Footballers Association" (PFA) of the English Premier League announced their “Best XI Team” for season 2014 – 2015. Congratulations to the two Spanish International players who have be named & included: David De Gea (Manchester United) & Diego Costa (Chelsea FC). See the full list of players in the diagram below:

It is a great honour for them both, especially Costa in his first season in English Football, & indirectly for Spanish Football.

The rumours mount that Manchester United goalie De Gea could move to Real Madrid next season. Manchester United has reportedly offered the Spanish goalie to renew his contract with a huge 14M€ + deal that has not been taken up as yet. This is fuelling all sorts of speculation.

Stay tuned!

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UEFA BEST IDEAL XI TEAM 2014 CANDIDATES LIST

UEFA has made public the list of player candidates for the "2014 UEFA IDEAL XI TEAM". The voting is now open for UEFA website visitors, where 8 Real Madrid & 4 Atletico de Madrid players figure. There are 5 Spanish Nationals on the list.

Full list of candidates:

Goalkeepers:

Neuer (Bayern)

Courtois (Chelsea)

Buffon (Juventus)

Beto (Sevilla)

Defenders:

Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)

Godin (Atletico Madrid)

Miranda (Atletico Madrid)

Kompany (Manchester City)

Boateng (Bayern)

Benatia (Bayern)

Alaba (Bayern)

Garay (Zenit)

Hummels (Borussia Dortmund)

Lahm (Bayern)

Zabaleta (Manchester City)

Carvajal (Real Madrid)

Midfielders:

Kroos (Real Madrid)

Modric (Real Madrid)

Di Maria (Manchester United)

Robben (Bayern)

Rakitic (FC Barcelona)

James Rodriguez (Real Madrid)

Koke (Atletico de Madrid)

Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid-Bayern Munich)

Reus (Borussia Dortmund)

Pogba (Juventus)

Yaya Toure (Manchester City)

Arda Turan (Atletico de Madrid)

Forwards:

Bale (Real Madrid)

Diego Costa (Chelsea)

Thomas Müller (Bayern)

Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

Ibrahimovic (PSG)

Lewandowski (Bayern)

Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal)

Benzema (Real Madrid)

Messi (FC Barcelona)

Jonathan Soriano (Salzburgo)

Tevez (Juventus)

Neymar (FC Barcelona)

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SPANISH FOOTBALL LIGA BEST XI PLAYERS - TEAM BY THE LFP SEASON 2013-2014

The "Liga Nacional de Futbol Profesional" (LFP = National Professional Football Liga), the association responsible for administering the two professional football leagues in Spain - the "Liga" and Segunda Division, has handed in their list of 11 players that makes up the "IDEAL LIGA TEAM" season 2013-2014.

The "core" of the "Best XI" is made up of Atletico de Madrid players, reflecting their outstanding year & their Liga title season 2013-2014. Below is the full list of players that make up the "Liga Best Players" season 2013-2014 given by the LFP:

Courtois ( Atletico de Madrid)
JuanFran (Atletico de Madrid)
Laporte (Athletic Club Bilbao)
Godin ( Atletico de Madrid)
Felipe Luis ( Atletico de Madrid)
Iturraspe (Athletic Club Bilbao)
Koke (Atletico de Madrid)
Gabi ( Atletico de Madrid)
Ratikic (Sevilla FC)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid FC)
Diego Costa ( Atletico de Madrid)

Strange not to see any FC Barcelona players or Lionel Messi, but their absence reflects their relatively "bad season".

Congratulations to all the named players.
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LA GAZZETTA DELLO SPORT LEAVES OUT MESSI & SPANIARDS FROM "BEST XI 2013"

The below post highlights the "Best Ideal XI Team for 2013" by the French Sports paper "L´Equipe". This post is the "Best XI Team for 2013" by Italian Sports paper "La Gazzetta dello Sports". If the French left out Sergio Ramos, the Italians left out FC Barcelona player Lionel Messi. And while the French at least included a Spaniard in FC Barcelona defender Jordi Alba, the Italian list has no Spaniards.

Football typically never puts everyone in accorde & the French vs Italian list highlights this fact.  Where both papers do coincide is the dominance of Bayern Munich players & the presence of two of the three "FIFA Golden Ball 2013" candidates in Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo & Bayern Munich player Franck Ribery. Surprising no Spaniards with the Italians.

The full list of "The Best XI 2013"

Goalkeeper: Neuer (Bayern de Munich)

Defenders: Lahm (Bayern de Munich), Subotic (Borussia Dortmund), Thiago Silva (PSG), Alaba (Bayern de Munich)

Midfielders: Schweinsteiger (Bayern de Munich), Gündogan (Borussia Dortmund), Hazard (Chelsea FC), Ribery (Bayern de Munich).

Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund).

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L´EQUIPE IDEAL 2013 TEAM WITH JORDI ALBA AS ONLY SPANIARD

Hi guys, SFS is back after a few days off with the family. I hope you had a great Christmas & have received lots of presents.

On the bus back home got to read that the French Sports paper "L´Equipe" has published their Best XI of the Year 2013. The surprise, but deserved, is the inclusion of left back defender Jordi Alba of FC Barcelona. Alba is the only Spaniard included in the list, the others are as follows:

Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Vincent Kompany (Manchester City), Thiago Silva (PSG), Jordi Alba (FC Barcelona), Yaya Touré (Manchester City),Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Múnich), Thomas Müller (Bayern Munich), Franck Ribéry (Bayern Munich), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) & Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)

Cristiano Ronaldo & Lionel Messi represent Spanish Football with their respective Spanish Clubs Real Madrid & FC Barcelona. The "Best XI" is dominated by Bayern Munich players.

The above list changes somewhat if the "L´Equipe" readers & Internet voters ( around 72.000) are taken into account. The voted list is :

Neuer (Bayern Múnich); Lahm (Bayern Múnich), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Thiago Silva (PSG), Jordi Alba (Barcelona); Paul Pogba (Juventus), Touré (Manchester City), Ozil (Real Madrid/Arsenal), Ribéry (Bayern Múnich); Ronaldo (Real Madrid) & Messi (Barcelona).

Here Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos is included along with Jordi Alba.

This is the prelude to the soon to be announced "FIFA Golden Ball 2013 Award" the 13th of January. The winner will come from the final three candidates : Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi & Franck Ribery.

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