Did Carlo Ancelotti deserve to be sacked by Real Madrid?

Real Madrid had just won the European Cup but within days, the manager had been sacked. Despite it being the fourth European Cup on the bounce – and Luis Carniglia’s second – the Argentine born manager did not keep his job. His fault; he had refused to play Ferenc Puskas in the final of the 1958-1959 European Cup.

That represents the ruthlessness of the Real Madrid managerial position. It is in effect a reality steeped in the

Jack Wilshere must be wary of becoming Wayne Rooney

There will always be that performance at the Camp Nou.

The 2010-2011 Champions League First Knockout stage. The second leg between Arsenal and Barcelona in Catalonia. Underneath the starry skies and upon the canvas of the European stage. Inside the amphitheater that forms Barcelona’s majestic football stadium. Amidst the brilliance of Lionel Messi, within the kaleidoscopic passing of Barcelona and beyond the controversy of a Robin Van Persie red card — there was Jack Wilshere.

The then 19-year old showed why many had

Why the Champions League will be open and more competitive than previous years

Not many would have disagreed with Arsene Wenger. His observation seemed spot on, his assertion quite right on the money. For the 2013-2014 Champions League season, Bayern Munich were the favourites.

In fact, as Wenger aptly put it, they were the super favourites.

And that truly showed in the opening rounds — especially against Manchester City. At the Etihad Stadium, Bayern Munich out-passed and outplayed the Citizens. It seemed then as if the Bavarian club was on course to achieve the unachievable. Maybe, they could become the first club in the Champions League era to defend the European Cup.

But laboured wins against Arsenal and Manchester United in the knock out rounds brought about a sense of

Angel Di Maria in the shadows of greatness

Among other things, Jurgen Klopp’s conclusion was clear and simple. “You can’t mark Di Maria,” was what he said after Borussia Dortmund had played Real Madrid during the 2012-2013 Champions League group stages.

Klopp would find a way as his Dortmund later on defeated Madrid in that season’s Champions League semis. But after meeting them again in the knockout rounds of the 2013-2014 Champions League, Klopp had to watch once more as Angel Di Maria ran rings around his defence.

It does help that Di Maria is at Real Madrid — the most expensively assembled team in football history. It also helps that alongside him is Cristiano Ronaldo — one of the greatest footballers of his generation and definitely among the pantheon of the greats. The other player of that calibre is Lionel Messi. He is Di Maria’s teammate at international level.

A rare prestige thus falls upon Di Maria. For club and country, he plays with two of the game’s immortals. As such though, that privilege is in itself

Arsenal and Dortmund Light Up the Champions League

Henrikh Mkhitaryan scores the opener

Rarely is a Champions League group stage game of such overall quality and of such high significance.

That could be because of a seeding system that precludes the Champions League draw. The rationale for seeding is to keep the giants away from each other so that less superior teams get eliminated early on. It thus forms the truism of Champions League football. The more it progresses, the more exciting it becomes as big teams clash in titanic battles.

For the fan however, it forms a somewhat anti-climactic opening

Changing Times : Antonio Conte

Antonio Conte is the man behind Juventus’s resurgence

Like the proverbial Phoenix, Juventus has risen from the Calciopoli ashes. Hardest hit by the Italian football scandal that revealed itself in 2006, the club has withered the storm of demotion and humiliation to become Italy’s finest football club once more.

Much of this has to do with Antonio Conte.

The former Juventus midfielder returned in the

Changing Times : Manuel Pellegrini

Manuel Pellegrini — one of football’s purists

Manuel Pellegrini is a man of quiet authority but immaculate intellectualism. The Chilean is thus one of the few football purist intelligentsia still around. His love for football to be played in a certain way – the attacking way – oozes out from all his teams.

What however contradicts him is that his teams rarely produce such tantalizing displays when required to.

Before his 4-1 demolition of Manchester United in the

Changing Times : Gerardo Martino

Gerardo Martino points the way for Barcelona

Rarely do two games in the midst of a six year successful period provide such a quantum conclusion. Indeed, with the emphatic semi-final loss to Bayern Munich last season, there was a sense that the end of an era had arrived for Barcelona.

That is a somewhat hurried conclusion. For if that had been the case, semi-final defeats in 2010 and 2012 would have indicated that long before 2013. But while that had been the short conclusion

Changing Times : Jürgen Klopp

Jürgen Klopp — The Charismatic One

A charming charisma typifies Jürgen Klopp’s managerial style. In many ways, he is the German equivalent of Brian Clough. So full of punch lines and so animated on the touchline as he leads his team. In the process, he has made his team a firm favourite among the neutrals.

That charisma however is so engulfing that much like Clough, it is sometimes difficult to assess Klopp’s tactical acumen. Indeed, while every game is somehow about him, there is a way in which he sets out his team that makes every game about them.

With quick transitions, ferocious pressing and rapid counter-attacks, Borrusia Dortmund has come to

Changing Times

Sir Alex Ferguson holds aloft the Champions League trophy in 2008

A look into four managers who may need to change in order to attain Champions League success

It was not that Manchester United played badly. It just was that Real Madrid played better.

Tactically, they proved superior. Technically, they were supreme. Every Madrid player caressed the ball with subtlety – as if it was a crown jewel and passed it around intelligently, seemingly fearful of losing a precious possession.

All this was summarised by the third Madrid goal. Fernando Redondo running down the touchline then,