Football Tactics and Opinion
Neymar’s world record transfer is sure to have a ripple effect on football for years to come.
However, if one were to speculate and build a fantasy world, what domino effect would this transfer really have on Europe’s top leagues?
For a select number of clubs, we can only imagine….
Real Madrid have noticed that Barcelona has just been weakened and push to sign Continue reading “The Neymar Effect : A fantasy future based on the world’s record transfer fee”
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 theContinue reading “Did Carlo Ancelotti deserve to be sacked by Real Madrid?”
The Camp Nou. The Gamper Trophy. The 25th of August 2010. A night of flowing narratives. Ronaldinho returns to Barcelona with Milan in what was a sense of what used to be. Zlatan Ibrahimovich plays against his future club, Milan — a sense of what would be.
But hidden on that night was a sense of what might have been.
That was the night Pep Guardiola almost signed Andrea Pirlo. As explained in Continue reading “Xabi Alonso: Pep Guardiola’s important ideological signing for Bayern Munich”
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 Continue reading “Angel Di Maria in the shadows of greatness”
Down the Paseo do Prado stands two monuments that have been adopted as symbols by Madrid’s two fondest football clubs. To the north is the Cibeles fountain, where the goddess Cybele sits upon a chariot, majestically pulled by two lions. Further south is the fuente de Neptuno, the god of the sea watching over the springing waters while holding onto his trident.
On Saturday after the Champions League final, one of these fountains will see Continue reading “Champions League Final: Real Madrid face Atletico in a Derby for the Ages”
Robert Lewandowski finds himself in very illustrious company.
In the Champions League era, he became the first player ever to score four goals in a semi-final. He also became the first player to score four against Real Madrid in this competition that so defines los merengues.
It means that he puts his side in a wonderful position to go through to the final. Certainly, in as far as history is concerned, this is not a huge feat for Borussia Dortmund. In context however, it means that a young team, experiencing only its second ever Champions League is potentially continuing a dream run.
It will certainly raise eyebrows. Those in Manchester will wonder Continue reading “Real Madrid decima-ted”
[A Champions League semi-final preview of Borussia Dortmund vs Real Madrid. For Bayern vs Barcelona, click here]
When Santiago Bernabeu became President of Real Madrid, this was exactly what he envisioned. As Madrid went on to win the first five European Cups from 1956 to 1960, it was done with a galaxy of stars who invoked fear as they went about conquering Europe.
As such, it defined what a club from Madrid would eventually come to be associated with. So, nothing at the moment is bigger at Real Madrid than the fact that finally, the 10 year wait for a European Cup seems likely to be over.
It is so big it papers over the cracks of the civil war that has existedContinue reading “Battle royal as Dortmund battle Real”
[ This is continuation of the article – No Surprises in the Champions League ]
With the second legs of the quarter finals to come, here is a look at how each of the eight teams’ prospects of winning the Champions League fair. Plus an analysis of what to expect from each club in the years to come.
With the team most likely to win the Champions League first,
1. FC BARCELONA
Despite everything, they remain the class act. That they did not manage to lose a game in which they were significantly outplayed is testament to that. In the end, it felt as if PSG had snatched victory from their jaws.
As the second leg returns to the Camp Nou, there is no doubt that this isContinue reading “Who will win the Champions League?”
Great spectacles are defined by compilations of individual isolated moments.
That was the case as Manchester United welcomed Real Madrid for the second leg of a Round of 16 Champions League tie. Ultimately, a night of stars will be remembered for the various moments of bright lights and sporadic darkness.
As is the norm, the game had started long before the game had started. Not lost on anyone was the fact that the first leg had ended 1-1 at the Bernabeu, Danny Welbeck’s opener handing the Red Devils a valuable away goal. Also,Continue reading “Manchester United see red in the Champions League”
“Nessun dorma! Nessun dorma! . . . guardi la stelle che tremano . . .” *
Giacomo Puccini
*(None shall sleep! None shall sleep! . . . watch the stars that tremble. . .)
No one could save them now.
Not even Messi.
Not even Guardiola.
Not even the memories of past successes in the clasico.
‘Som I Serem’. The mosaic as the players walk onto the Camp Nou turf.
‘We are, and we will be.’
On this night, they tried to be. In the end, just like the Prince of Denmark, they couldn’t.
Ping, ping, ping.
Pass after pass after pass.Continue reading “Classic Clasico”
Futball Triangle 