CRISTIANO RONALDO TO LEAVE REAL MADRID | WELCOME NEYMAR

Cristiano Ronaldo is on his way out of Real Madrid, or at least there are signals that indicate that these times around the “smoke signals” are correct. Latest news doing the Sports & Football media rounds is that Premier League giant Manchester United may be the next Club destination for Ronaldo next season. The return of the “prodigal son” is a possibility as commented in the past by Cristiano Ronaldo himself: a “retirement objective”. There is definitely strong evidence that a move at the end of the season is a strong & very real possibility.

The main reason, at least publicly, is that Cristiano Ronaldo feels that Real Madrid has not “lived up” to there promise to lift his economic rewards (salary) to the level of Lionel Messi or Neymar. The Portuguese star believes firmly that he has won all the big titles, helping directly Real Madrid be Nº1, while individually winning the important “FIFA The Best” & “Golden Ball” back to back. This makes Ronaldo technically the “Best Football Player in World Football” now earning around 24-25M€ per year, while Neymar earns +35M€ & Messi around +50M€ (these salary figures are never accurate totally). Cristiano Ronaldo has solicited formally & is waiting from Real Madrid a contract renewal that will put his salary close to Messi, &/or at least on par with Neymar. However, the Spanish Club has not responded positively (as yet). This in itself may be a clear signal from Real Madrid to the player that things are about to change.

It is no secret that Cristiano Ronaldo has declined in his performance & efficiency. Its natural, no one, no even super muscled Ronaldo, can halt the physical effects of time. Next February the Portuguese star will be 33 years of age, his speed has notably declined this season, his goal scoring efficiency has plummeted (currently only 4 goals in Liga) & is no longer the “decisive player” of the past. With this horizon Real Madrid may be reluctant to “invest” any further, while Ronaldo feels the Club has a “moral obligation” to do so.

However, Football has never been about ethics or morality; it’s about goals, victories & titles. This season Real Madrid is currently 19 points behind leaders & rivals FC Barcelona, & is currently sitting 4^th on La Liga table (Champions participation next season under threat), which virtually signs that the Spanish Championship title is a no option. Added to this their unlucky, bad on-field performances & losses in lesser teams has alarmed fans, their participation in the UEFA Champions League is also under threat with Paris St. Germain coming up next month. The way things look right now, PSG is hot favourite to knock them out of their fetish competition. Real Madrid Directives are looking to the future & it seems Cristiano Ronaldo is not part of it.

In 2009 Real Madrid President Florentino Perez paid a then World Record 94M€ transfer fee to Manchester United for Ronaldo as an intricate & fundament piece of a long term “Global Strategic Plan” which included titles, increased Marketing income & Media brand domination; in part to win Asian & US markets & increase TV & sponsorship deals. Real Madrid has built its squad since then around Cristiano Ronaldo & it has paid back huge dividends with multiple titles (Champions League the most important), record Marketing, TV & Sponsorship income & media saturation Worldwide to brand Real Madrid. Now it´s time to find the “substitute”, to continue with “the Strategy”, & all indications point towards Brazilian, ex FC Barcelona & current Paris St. Germain player Neymar.

Everything indicates that Real Madrid & Neymar have already advanced to the stage that the Brazilian will land back in Spanish Football with them soon: the already famous PSG contract release clause. The original idea is incorporation in season 2019-2020, but unofficial sources indicate possibly as early as next season. Real Madrid seems willing to again break the transfer market for Neymar (+230M€ plus transfer +40M€ salary) because Real Madrid sees the Brazilian as strategic, the natural successor of Ronaldo on the field, in all Marketing & World branding. Plus the players “renewal process” will continue as Directives know too well that the Club needs GOAL, & will most likely sell Benzema to replace with a World-class goalscorer (Kane & Icardi are sounding). If things continue their negative results path, Zidane will most likely resign & many players (Benzema primarily…) will be without “defenders & shied”. To think that the next Coach of Real Madrid could be Mauricio Pochettino, currently at Tottenham Hotspurs, is realistic, & with him Forward Harry Kane.  

For Real Madrid to acquire Neymar, add a World class goal scorer, plus a defender has a huge Investment, money that cannot be diverted in raising the salary levels of Cristiano Ronaldo entering his “twilight years”. In fact to renew the contract of Ronaldo will only delay the arrival of stars like Neymar who does not wish to be his shadow.

The current lack of a positive gesture from the Real Madrid Directives towards Cristiano Ronaldo demands is originating frustration within the player, who is already sending signals of his displeasure. There are unofficial media leaks that Ronaldo has already asked the Club & decided to leave next season. The news of a possible Manchester United return is part of it. There is another rumour that Ronaldo will be part of the Neymar transfer buying deal to make things smoother for PSG.

All the Cristiano Ronaldo (or his representatives) public outburst are playing into the hands of Real Madrid which will public announce that it was the player who wanted to leave & that the Club has an existing contract with him. This message will smooth public-fan opinion, although many already see “the glory days” of Ronaldo being over & would welcome the arrival of Neymar, others like Kane/Icardi…next season.

So to answer the question, will Cristiano Ronaldo be leaving Real Madrid next season? This time around there is plenty of evidence & signals that indicate YES. Which will be the new Club? Right now, rumours point to Manchester United & Paris St Germain is also in the formula.

Said this & concluded with today, Football changes rapidly. If Real Madrid knocks out PSG from Champions & continues advancing to win the title again, or if no other Club is willing to pay the huge salary expectations of Ronaldo, the Portuguese may well find himself playing at Real Madrid next season AGAIN & perhaps this time with Neymar: Kane/Icardi… & new Coach Pochettino.

Stay tuned.

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NEYMAR TO PARIS ST GERMAIN | VALUE & REASONS

It looks like the long & boring “Neymar case” is coming to its end. The Brazilian & still FC Barcelona forward visited his team-mates this morning & announced that he was going to Paris St Germain. There in the Clubs dressing rooms this morning Neymar personally dismissed himself from Messi, Suarez, Iniesta & Coach Valverde, this last giving him permission to leave his scheduled training duties.

From here Neymar went to the Clubs offices & announced to Directives his intention to leave FC Barcelona, to later board a private plane to Portugal to get away from media & plan the next steps.

FC Barcelona has expressed to the player that 222 Million Euros will be needed to breaking his current contract. A massive new record in Football transfer history smashing last years 117M€ transfer for Pogba from Juventus FC to Manchester United

But is Neymar really worth 222M€? It has been written here previously that Neymar is the Worlds most over valued Football Player, definitely not worth the 222M€. The player has 25 years of age & has won some important titles with FC Barcelona (1 Champions, 2 Spanish Ligas…) but has not done anything truly outstanding, except the occasional skilful party trick, which is not exclusive to the Brazilian. So why will Paris St Germain pay 222M€? Difficult to rationally explain or understand, but value in the market place is heavily dominated by perceptions. What does PSG gain?

•  A good player & goalscorer needed in their squad to better their Champions League campaigns which fall short season after season,
• Promises made to keep current players at PSG. Italian Verratti expressed that he would continue at PSG only if the Club invested heavily in Top players,
• Prestige. PSG will have an asset to “brag” about  Internationally & this will attract World class sponsorship deals,
• Marketing: merchandising sales & International trips will double-triple in value,
• Bigger fanbase in France & through the World where TV rights can be further exploited.

But do these points justify 222M€, no. The only justification is that someone is willing to pay & another willing to accept. It is a purely market given explanation.

The other question is why has Neymar left FC Barcelona?

• The long shadow of Lionel Messi. Neymar cannot progress with the Argentine taking the spotlight. It is said that Neymar has gotten tired of repeating that Messi is the best in the World. Plus on the field, everyone plays for Messi, & the Brazilian feels limited & held back.
• A 30M€ per year salary is also a mayor reason. Neymar will be on the same level as Messi & Cristiano Ronaldo on the economic level
• The continued Court appearances over tax evasion in Spanish Courts do not help & moving to France will clear this front
• An average relationship with Spanish media & Spanish football players.
• There is a belief that FC Barcelona will begin its decline from European & Spanish Football dominance as key players get older, including Messi 

The deal has a second phase to go through as 222M€ still needs to be deposited in the Spanish Football League headquarters in coming days, plus FC Barcelona is threatening to take things to UEFA & FIFA over “fair financial” issues.

Be what may, farewell to Neymar from Spanish Football, the Worlds most overrated & now over valued Footballer.  

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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | PSG 4 - FC BARCELONA 0

UEFA Champions League Football returned tonight with Spanish Football Club FC Barcelona travelling to Paris for their 1º leg away game against Paris St Germain. The final result a crushing 4 - 0 defeat at the hands of the locals which put in a brilliant performance to put Barça on the verge of elimination.

FC Barcelona will need to defeat PSG in the 2º leg 5 - 0, with the French not scoring at all to keep themselves alive. Watching tonight's match & the performance by Barça, a difficult endeavour indeed.

Paris St Germain over ran, out played, out strengthen, out smarted & out scored the Spaniards in a disastrous night for the visitors. Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez were not seen & did not contribute at all, zero. Neymar showed glimpses of light, but was held & kept under control while Barcelona lost the midfield from the kick-off.

Without the midfield, Barça was lost & could not feed their forwards. Instead the French controlled & spent most of the night in the half of Barcelona. Names to mention as outstanding: Varatti, Rabiot, Matuidi, Drexler, Di Maria, Cavani ... basically the whole PSG team. 

Little to say about FC Barcelona as they were unrecognised and suffered the "medicine" they usually serve out to other teams. They did hit the bar in the late part of the match through Umtiti, but little more; that "life-saver" drifted pass them as well.

Harsh result for Barça that will send shock-waves Worldwide, while an impressive & well worked victory for the French. Excellent & almost perfect match from them tonight. 

Final Score: Paris St Germain 4 - FC Barcelona 0
Goalscorers:

• Di Maria (free-kick) , 19th min
• Drexler, 40th min
• Di Maria, 55th min
• Cavani 71st min

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JESE RODRIGUEZ GOING TO PARIS ST GERMAIN

Spanish Football Club Real Madrid & Paris St Germain have reached an agreement today for the transfer of Real Madrid striker Jese Rodriguez. 

French Sports paper "L'Equipe" announces that the PSG will pay 25M€ for the transfer, but the truth is that both clubs are now discussing the formulas to finsih off the signing. 

Real Madrid wants a laon agreement while the PSG wants the player traded. Real Madrid desires to keep a hold on the player in case of a FIFA sanction. If FIFA confirms the sanction & punishs Real Madrid with two seasons without the ability of signing players, Real Madrid would want to recall Jesse. However, Paris St Germain insists on a full out transfer with a 4 year contract and an optional 5th year. When both entities come to an agreement, both will make the operation official.

Stay tuned!
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FC BARCELONA SIGNS LUCAS DIGNE

French International defender Lucas Digne, currently property of French Club Paris Saint-Germain, will strengthen the left-back position of Spanish Club FC Barcelona to compete with Jordi Alba next season. The 22 year old player currently on loan at AC Roma is about to be signed by Barça. 

Negotiations are super advanced & are coming close to a good end with an official Clubs announcement expected within the next hours. The player could even be presented later week this week to media by Barça. The signing is estimated by to around 16M€.

Digne was part of the French squad from the Euro 2016 competition but did not get any playing time.The defender is considered a young talent & has enormous potential to explode in the European Football scene. FC Barcelona wants to have the future tightly under control & secured putting their faith in the young French Football talent.

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SEVILLA FC | KRYCHOWIAK OFF TO PARIS ST GERMAIN

Spanish & new Coach of Paris St Germain Unai Emery has already "fished" in his ex-Club Sevilla FC. Polish Imternational & Sevilla FC midfielder Krychowiak is virtually a Paris St Germain player for next season. The Clubs have to make it all official but its been commented by Football press as a done deal.

The deal is 26M€ a profit as Sevilla FC bought the midfielder for 5€ two seasons back. The Sevilla fan-base are not happy at all, but the Spanish Football Club is following the recommendations of their new Coach Chilean Sampaoli who prefieres another profile like Argentine Kranevitter, the latter from At. Madrid currently in negotiations. 

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SERGI BUSQUETS | RENEWAL OR NOT

Sergi Busquets escapes the limelight, plays his Football almost unnoticed to the average spectator, but is currently the "Best Nº5 in World Football. Football observers agree, without Messi Spanish Football Club FC Barcelona can continuing winning matches as proven during the Argentine´s last prolonged injury period, while without Busquets the team suffers & loses. 

Sergi Busquets is the bridge between the defence & the forward line & the first to defend & the first to initiate the attacks. He is simply the equilibrium point, the balance & the bidding force of all the parts. So much for a player who withdraws into a second plane when it comes to flash-lights, TV cameras & signature obsessed fans. The players is basically essential.

News is that "Camp Barça" is nervous, while Europe´s elite Clubs are hoovering over Busquets in an attempt to lure the midfielder away & into their squads. Ex- Barça Coach Pep Guardiola who will leave Bayern Munich next season for Manchester City is already making moves on the player. So is Manchester United & Paris St Germain which are opening up their cheque books. 

To animate the situation it is written that Busquets is upset & not happy with FC Barcelona & their handling of the ongoing contract renewal negotiations. This situation gives hopes to pretenders & makes many at FC Barcelona nervous. 

My opinion is that it will be extremely difficult to convince Sergi Busquets to move away from Barcelona. In the end both parties will find a way towards an agreement. However, Football is unpredictable & stranger things have happen in the past.

Stay tuned!

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WHAT IS HAPPENNING WITH CRISTIANO RONALDO | REAL MADRID

The loss yesterday by Real Madrid away to Sevilla FC is a Football event that is always possible in high level competition & when the opposition team simply played better. What has made the "alarm bells" sound at Real Madrid is the form of star Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo. The forward is not himself, looks unmotivated & out of place. There is not doubt that Ronaldo is trying his best to score & to help his team onto victory, but he is certainty out of groove, & some say possibly already far away.

Firstly, we have been spoiled silly for the past 6 seasons witnessing goalscoring rates of between 50 - 70 goals per season. It was until Cristiano Ronaldo arrived (with exception of Lionel Messi) not humanly possible. Thus seeing how Ronaldo does not score in his latest games seems a complete let down.

Secondly, all of us, even for the "superhuman" Cristiano Ronaldo, must succumb to the effects of age. CR7 will some reach his 31 st Birthday next February, & like it or not, pace declines & the reflexes stall even if we are only talking of fraction of seconds or more. It may well be the moment to change how one plays or "evolve" towards a more optimal manner of Football which may sacrifice the goalscoring numbers but heighten the cooperative aspects of his & team play.

Said this, there could other factors which helps explain the current "absence" of Cristiano Ronaldo both on the field & off the field:

• the absence of Karim Benzema not only lessens the effectiveness of the whole team but puts out of synchronicity Cristiano Ronaldo & his Football. The understanding between Frenchman & Portuguese is almost perfect & has given CR7 a high percentage of his goals,
• some insiders suggest that another reason for the drop in form by Cristiano Ronaldo is that he is not playing in his preferred position. Cristiano likes the left flank but Coach Benitez has preferred to place him as Centre Forward, more so with the absence of Benzema,
• this follows that the connection between Cristiano Ronaldo & his Coach Rafael Benitez is commented to be not as fluid as with ex-Coach Ancelotti. Perhaps its the tactical insistence that Benitez imposes on all his players, the differences in Football philosophy which diverges or that personally there is no "feeling",
• Perhaps it is just that Cristiano Ronaldo is physically exhausted. The player is a starter in all the matches, & few Coaches past or present have had the personality to substitute CR7. 

These factors may be playing a part, but the reason that some observers are already citing as a prime motive is that Cristiano Ronaldo is perhaps planning his exit from Real Madrid. The idea of Cristiano Ronaldo far from Real Madrid is gaining strength after the player himself has made ambiguous statements to International Press thus opening the possibility of an exit. Public gestures that consciously attract the TV cameras like whispering to the ear of Paris St Germain Coach Blanc & patting the back of Paris St Germain owner, are seen as orchestrated & strategically planned. 

Real Madrid President Florentino Perez may well see all this with good eyes the selling of his star for 100-150M€ next season to Paris St Germain & could be in "the plan" with CR7 & his team of advisors to lessen the blow & possible fan base backlash.

As you can read there are many ideas floating around at the moment many of which are just speculation & perhaps without any base. However the obvious is that Cristiano Ronaldo is not 100%, neither with his Football nor mentally & this is attracting attention from specialists & fans. 

I conclude that the Portuguese will bounce back soon to tantalize us all again with his goalscoring prowess & have us forget this current slump & out pour of rumours. Although I do also comment that we will be back here to analyse further in the future the strongest of all predictions doing the rounds at the moment, that the future of Cristiano Ronaldo may well be far from Real Madrid.

Stay tuned!

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FC BARCELONA 2 PSG 0 | BARÇA INTO SEMIS WITH 5-1 AGG Q/FINAL WIN

Spanish Football Club FC Barcelona defeated 2 - 0 Paris St Germain tonight in their 2º leg UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE return quarter-final match, thus eliminating PSG with a total aggregate score-result of 5 - 1. Its the 8th time in the last 10 years that Barça reaches the semi-final stage of the European competition & they look optimum. 

Above is a team photo of the FC Barcelona starting 11 tonight & it is their "Gala line-up" - with exception of goalie Claudio Bravo who is for La Liga. 

Paris St Germain went into this 2º leg return game with Ibrahimovic & Veratti back & with some hope that they may be able to turn around the 1 - 3 result from Paris. But after the kick-off it became clear that things would be difficult for PSG as Barça took control. Pressure Football, rapid passing & an inspired Andres Iniesta broke through in the 14th min to find Neymar who scored the opener. It was demoralising for the French. 

PSG gave Barça goalie Stegen little work & it was not long until Dani Alves hooked a pass into the goal square to find Neymar who headed the second in the 33rd min. This was the definite final nail in the PSG "coffin" & put things into the "almost impossible realm".

FC Barcelona changed & rested Iniesta in the second half to give Xavi Hernandez a run & extend his record games in Champions League. With this it was business as usual for Barça which control PSG in the 2º half & could have scored some more goals. As a spectator Paris St Germain was somewhat disappointing, however the early Barça goal must have solidly hammered their spirits.  

Tomorrow the other Champions League Q/Final is on show with Real Madrid playing Atletico de Madrid after the 1º st leg gave a 0 - 0 result. Top match which could give the next opponent that Barça could face in the semis. Stay tuned!

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PARIS ST GERMAIN WILLING to PAY 80M€ FOR ANGEL DI MARIA ?

Real Madrid Coach Ancelotti was clear when asked about Argentine midfielder Angel Di Maria... "I have no news concerning a possible transfer & expect the incorporation of Angel Di Maria to the squad for pre-season the 5th of August". The truth is that Carlo Ancelotti hopes things will change course as Di Maria looks more closer to joining Paris St Germain than reuniting with his current Real Madrid team-mates. The Argentine wants "out" & his "situation" settled before the 5th of August.

Latest news indicates that Di Maria & Paris St. Germain already have a deal settled. The French Club is willing to pay the 8M€/season salary that Real Madrid is not. Apart, Paris St Germain is also willing to pay Real Madrid between 75-80M€ in transfer fee which makes it hard for the Spanish Football Club to say no. If the deal goes through Angel Di Maria would become the highest (biggest) transfer deal in the History of Real Madrid. It is no secret that Club Directives look favourably at the possibility as the "fresh cash"will cover most of the already big signings, James Rodriguez in particular.

Football observers indicate that the official deal & announcement could be within days as PSG need before to transfer either Pastore, Lavezzi or another to stay within the "UEFA Financial Fairplay" limits. Said all of the above the operation could be totally halted if Carlo Ancelotti real puts his foot down & forces his will upon the Club. But can anyone resist the close to 80M€? Can Ancelotti guarantee a regular place to Di Maria in the midfield this coming season?

Stay tuned!

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SPANISH FOOTBALL TRANSFER NEWS | DAVID VILLA - CRISTIANO RONALDO

Some news - or speculation rumour - doing the rounds locally & overseas today in the transfer area concerning some important Spanish Football stars.

News out of Spanish radio "Cadena Ser" puts FC Barcelona & Spanish International David Villa very close to English Premier League Club Tottenham Hotspurs. It was thought that Arsenal FC was in the front running but in the last days Coach Villas-Boas has contacted the Spanish Soccer player & convinced him of the upcoming Tottenham project. 

The operation could be imminent as commented & would also deprive Spanish Football Club Atletico de Madrid from their attempts of getting over Villa. Plus indirectly it could help out Real Madrid as the Villa arrival at Spurs could help the exit of Gareth Bale over to Madrid. Stay tuned!

News out of France - via L´Equipe - writes that Paris St. Germain is preparing an 100M€ signing offer to Real Madrid for star Cristiano Ronaldo, which includes a 18M€/ year salary for CR7, second only to Samuel Eto´o in World Football. This gives weight to the suspicion at the start of the season that the now famous "I am sad" comments from Ronaldo had something to do with a PSG offer that "confusaed" the star back then.

Cristiano Ronaldo has two more years of contract left with Real Madrid & the Spanish Football Club has the intention of sitting down with the player to extend their relationship, but PSG has put the measuring bar high & Real Madrid has to counter the offer in a significant manner. Part of the negotiating battle will be with "image rights" now 50% each ( Club & CR7) with Ronaldo wishing to recover all - 100% - while Real Madrid prefers to keep things as they are for now. Stay tuned! 

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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Q / FINAL RESULT | FC BARCELONA 1 PARIS ST GERMAIN 1 | BARÇA WINS IN AGGREGATE

Spanish Soccer giant FC Barcelona has qualified themselves for the semi-finals of the Champions League competition after drawing 1 - 1 at home against Paris St Germain in tonight's 2 º leg return quarter - final clash. Barça goes through thanks to their away goal advantage after drawing in Paris 2 -2 , this gave the overall aggregate a 3 - 3 result with more weight to the goals scored by Barça in the 1º st leg. 

A relatively balanced  & close to the wire encounter for Spanish Football Club FC Barcelona who experienced around 20 minutes virtually eliminated from Champions League. As with last nights games with other Spanish Soccer Clubs, Real Madrid & Malaga FC, this part of the tournament is tough business & suffering is the natural path that all teams must follow to get to the Final.

Barcelona started without their star Messi on the bench & still carrying the injury received in Paris. The Argentine was however in place if needed & was indeed called into duty later on when things got complicated in the 2º half after the PSG goal.

Barcelona started the match strong with their usual possession Football & upfront pressuring. PSG held  their ground while waiting for a Barça slip which allowed the counter-attack. Tonight PSG also used the long ball tactic with Ibrahimovic as the reference. Both teams had their chances to score but the French defence stay firm & solid & Barça goalie Victor Valdes made some game savers.

The surprise came in the 51st min when Ibrahimovic used his body to protect the arrived ball & passed onto Pastore who beat Valdes for the opening goal. At this stage Barça was eliminated & rapidly called on Lionel Messi who came on to attempt to save the match. The Argentine did this with his participation & back heel that found Pedro in the goal area in the 71st min to score the equalizer & put Barça back in the match & Champions League. Now PSG was virtually eliminated & they attempted everything to get the second goal which never came in the end. Barça was through, just through. A close call which will leave PSG disappointed as they to deserved more for their efforts.


This Friday UEFA will celebrate the semi-finals draw with two German teams & two Spanish Football Teams: Bayern Munich, B.Dortmund, Real Madrid CF & FC Barcelona.
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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Q / FINAL RESULT | PARIS ST GERMAIN 2 FC BARCELONA 2

Spanish Soccer Club FC Barcelona travelled to Paris to play the 1º leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Paris St Germain. The final result ( score ) finished in a  2 - 2 draw which still gives Barça a handy two goal away advantage for the next week return 2º leg game back at "Camp Nou" Barcelona. Paris St Germain retain their chances of going through with a "miraculous" last second goal that  brought on the equalizer & highlighted the intensity between the tow sides the whole night.

The match had its cost for Barcelona in the injury of Lionel Messi which will need to be examined further to discover the extent & Mascherano with a yellow card which will force him to sit on the bench plus on top he was injured in a clash with team-mate Alba.

The game was contested & very competitive. The first half saw PSG ""choke" early Barça in the midfield & use the counter-attack to look for the opening goal. They nearly managed it but Barça goalkeeper Victor Valdes made 2 - 3 magnificent saves to help steady Barça & dilute the PSG enthusiasm along with the help of the post.

Barcelona regained their composure & carried on with their ball control Football & also began creating their chances. 

In one of the multiple occasions Dani Alves passed to Lionel Messi who put Barcelona ahead in the 38th min. But the night would end for the Argentine when a leg injury forced him to stay in the dressing rooms for the second half. 

The next 45 mins were to be just as intense with PSG looking to draw & Barcelona attempting to finish off the French with another goal. End to end stuff that saw heated exchanges between players of both sides as the nervous grew with the passing of the minutes. Then in the 80th min PSG Captain & defender Thiago headed, hit the post & Ibrahimovic being loose ( or offside for some ) picked the bouncing ball to tap into the back of the Barça net. The much looked for draw had arrived, but there was more still to come.

Barça lifted & in the 89th min PSG goalie Sirigu fouled Alexis in the penalty area. Xavi Hernandez took the penalty & put Barça ahead 1 - 2. But in the very last moment Ibrahimovic headed the ball down to Matuidi who poked an apparent innocent ball which Barcelona keeper Victor Valdes fumbled & allowed to sneak through for the French equalizer. Like Lazurus in the Jesus of Nazareth tale, the French team were brought back from the dead. Perhaps the absence of Messi left Barça without the final knock-out weapon. Whatever way you take it, PSG were rewarded for their perseverance which will only add more excitement for the return game at Barcelona.

Special mention to the outstanding performance from PSG defender Thiago which was World Class, along with Barcelona goalie Victor Valdes which only made one mistake but was vital for his team earlier, plus PSG Ibrahimovic which was always present & a clear reference upfront for his team.  

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POSSIBLE FC BARCELONA STARTING TEAM 11 LINE-UP AGAINST PARIS ST GERMAIN

Big Champions League Football game coming up between Paris St Germain & FC Barcelona in the 1º leg quarter-final clash of the competition. Both teams are showing maximum respect for each other & FC Barcelona comes into the match without that "unbeatable aura" of past encounters.

The 2 - 0 defeat by Barcelona at Milan in their last away game has given opponents signs, clues & hopes on how to cancel out the Barça almighty ball possession Football. The French are basically timidly positive that they can surprise Barça at Paris, at least they have the team for it.

The inevitable question arises, what will be the starting 11 team line-up for FC Barcelona ?  Difficult to categorically say as the team Coaches have nearly always a surprise up their sleeves,  but one can speculate & deduce & this is what the Spanish Sports daily based in Barcelona "Mundo Deportivo" do with their Monday front-cover.

The daily puts up the following Barça starting team line-up against Paris St Germain:

Valdes, Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Jordi Alba, Xavi Hernandez, Busquets, Iniesta, David Villa, Lionel Messi & Tello ( Alexis ).

On paper it´s a powerful 11 that has all the chances to get back to Barcelona with an advantage. However, as I always remind readers this line-up is speculative & it wont be until the last 45 min from kick-off that the Coaches will show their cards.

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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | PSG 1 VALENCIA 1

Spanish Football Club Valencia CF travelled to Paris to attempt to turn around a 1 - 2 aggregate result from the 1º st leg against Paris St Germain in the UEFA Champions League. The final result of the 2 nd leg was a 1 - 1 draw which eliminates Valencia with a 3 - 2 aggregate in PSG favour. 

Valencia CF put in a top match & leaves with their heads high as they made PSG nervous  most of the match as the French was conservative tonight without Ibrahimovic & looking to protect their goal agg. advantage. Valencia on the other hand had no choice but to attack & risk in doing so as they needed to score to force extra-time or more goals to win. The Spaniards were unlucky in their efforts but were finally rewarded in the 55 th min with a Jonas goal.

Things looked positive for Valencia & the y lifted further for the occasion but a terrible mistake in the midfield by Valencia player Parejo allowed the PSG build-up that turned into goal & equalizer in the 66 th min by Lavezzi. PSG then withheld the Valencia attacks to secure their berth into the Quarter-Finals of Champions League.

A mention to the PSG defence for their good work which kept out Valencia CF all night. A reason why Valencia were frustrated in their attempts all match.  

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PRE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MATCH PSG - VALENCIA CF POSSIBLE STARTING 11 LINE-UPS

There is more UEFA Champions League tonight. Yesterdays colossal clash of Titans between Man Utd & Real Madrid perhaps made us forget it. Top game lined up as well as Spanish Football Club Valencia CF travel over to Paris St Germain to attempt a "small miracle".

The Spaniards suffered a defeat at home 1 - 2 in the 1º leg of the home game & are behind the eight ball. Valencia have been vibing themselves up all week & they do have the players on paper to be able to pull this around. But it will be a difficult endeavour.

The starting 11 line-ups take on a special significance for observers & fans of both sides. One notable absence will be Ibrahimovic for PSG. Spanish Sports paper "Sport" has constructed the above graph to interpret what they consider possible starting line-ups for PSG & Valencia CF tonight.

Experience tells us that the actual line-ups change with last minute tactics &/or doubts, but the above will give you a more or less idea.

May the better team win, currently PSG looks the better on goal aggregate.

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CARLO ANCELOTTI GIVES HIS VERBAL OK TO REAL MADRID ?

French Paper "Le Parisen" reports that Paris St Germain Italian Coach Carlos Ancelotti has give a verbal OK to Coach REAL MADRID. The Italian has been on the Real Madrid agenda many times in the past & is an "old" desire of Real Madrid President Florentino Perez who has returned to look for the PSG Coach.

However, this is not confirmed 100% & there are other names being rumoured at this moment. Chelsea FC Coach Rafael Benitez blew a kiss this week with loving comments plus Swansea Coach Michael Laudrup is being talked about as well, along with Borussia Dortmund Jurgen Klopp.

Everything looks more clearer as weeks pass that current Real Madrid Coach Jose Mourinho will leave at the end of the season. The Portuguese Coach leaves due to dressing room problems with "heavy-weights" Ramos & Casillas, plus he feels he hasn't the backing of the President & the Club. In fact, the rumours go further saying that if Real Madrid gets knocked out of Champions League that Mourinho could exit earlier than the end of the season.

Fate could play a hand in this case as Mourinho could well end up at Paris St Germain while Ancelotti lands in Real Madrid. Sort of ironic ( in the good sense ) if this does happen in the end.

Said all this, it is all currently rumour, there is still plenty of matches & months left before the end of the season & Football changes on a daily basis. Mourinho could be throwing a "poker bluff" to get his ways at Real Madrid or cunning up some twisted motivational strategy. Who knows really, but as mentioned, the rumours get hotter as days & weeks go by & I am also thinking that Mourinho has set his mind on leaving.

Stay tuned!

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VALENCIA CF 1 PARIS ST GERMAIN 2 | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 1º LEG RESULT

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE returned with last 16 1º leg home games phase. Its the serious part of the competition were mistakes are paid from dearly.

Tonight Spanish Football Club VALENCIA FC hosted French Club PARIS ST GERMAIN to end up going down 1 - 2. Not a good result as the away goals have double weight in case of a drawn agg score after the two matches, but the home goal opens the window of hope for Valencia.

The French side caught a still cold Valencia sleeping that lost the initiative from the first whistle blow. Perhaps it was the nerves of the important occasion but in the 11 th min LAVEZZI had already put PSG ahead. 

A big reason for the PSG good play & Football was Brazilian midfielder LUCAS MOURA who put in a brilliant first half that made his team flow & created the chances that brought the goals. Best on the ground while on the field as he was substituted in the 54th min.

The second goal from the French came in the 44th min when Argentine International PASTORE tapped in his goal from a Lucas Moura play & pass.

The second half saw Valencia put in Canales & Valdez, & the later gave the Spanish midfield more ball control & much better play. The Valencia goalie Guaita also played his part stopping some PSG chances which lifted the spirits of Valencia.

Consistency, hard work & perhaps some "slacking off" by PSG allowed Valencia to be rewarded for their efforts with a very late RAMI goal in the 91st min, a goal that gives the Spaniards some hopes towards thinking about a turn around result in Paris.

Things complicated themselves for Paris St German when Ibrahimovic stupidly won himself a red card for some dangerous play in the 92 rd min that will keep him out of the return clash.

Brave second half for Valencia after a terrible first 45 mins, & a undisciplined second half to PSG which complicated itself unnecessarily & may pay dearly in the return leg. 

Advantage now for the French but still open for Valencia as difficult as it now seems. 

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VALENCIA CF - PSG POSSIBLE STARTING 11 LINE-UPS

We enter the business end of the CHAMPIONS LEAGUE competition. Last 16 phase with two leg ( home & away ) games to contest. Tonight we have a great match scheduled between Spanish Football Club VALENCIA CF & French Club PARIS ST GERMAIN, both with top level players & World Stars like Rami, Jonas & Soldado for the Spaniards & Pastore, Alex & Ibrahimovic for the French. 

As normal during the hours before the match, there is speculation on the possible starting 11 line-ups of both teams. Below are what beforehand are reasonable suggestions that of course are not subject to possible last minute changes. 

A game not to be missed!

Speculated starting 11 line-ups:
Valencia CF: Guaita, Joao Pereira, Ricardo Costa, Rami, Guardado; Albelda, Tino Costa, Banega; Feghouli, Jonas & Soldado 

Paris Saint Germain: Sirigu; Jallet, Alex, Sakho, Maxwell; Lucas or Menez, Matuidi, Verratti, Pastore; Lavezzi  & Ibrahimovic.

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CRISTIANO RONALDO - JOSE MOURINHO PARIS ST GERMAIN OBJECTIVES

Saud Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, the right-hand man of the owner of PARIS ST GERMAIN, has commented on "Canal Football Club" that CRISTIANO RONALDO & Coach JOSE MOURINHO are legitimate objectives. 

The executive at the Qatar "petrol dollar" pumped Club has said what many have already suspected. Other foreign media sources have let known that in the past Jorge Mendes , representative of Ronaldo & Mourinho, was seen in Monaco with PSG executives & even Jose Mourinho in a meeting with PSG spokesmen.

Both protagonists are giving signals that they maybe thinking of leaving REAL MADRID next season. Cristiano Ronaldo has already become famous for his "I am sad at Madrid" when he asked President Florentino Perez to find him another Club. While Jose Mourinho is having difficulties to motivate his players & is continuously searching for scapegoats to distract internal events & tensions.

Insiders say that Mourinho has one objective left, to attempt to win the Champions League & then leave on a high note. If that is the case, with CR7 at his side if possible.

This is the current story, tomorrow maybe another & so on. Still plenty of season left & hundreds of things can happen beforehand. But the paths are being set, both CR7 & Mourinho look like they are constructing their Plan B, which could turn Plan A at any moment.

Stay tuned!

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