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A signed shirt from Robin van Persie, Lionel Messi, Maradona or Paul Scholes?

Ahmed Umair — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 18:49:02 +0000

A signed shirt from Robin van Persie, Lionel Messi, Maradona or Paul Scholes? - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

In the past and the present, football players have enjoyed a special place in a football fan’s life. People from all over the world take time out of their busy lives to watch them play or get a glimpse of them in training.

Reasons could vary from personal to strictly football. For the vast variety of football fans, Soccerlens has hand-picked personally signed items from Icons. You can use them to satisfy your personal hunger or add to your collection of memorabilia.

Signed Robin van Persie Arsenal Shirt

Robin van Persie is as lethal a striker as you could want for your team. And he is surely proving his mettle at Arsenal as he lights up the Emirates with his extravagant displays.

This shirt is personally signed by the Holland striker in an exclusive signing session organised by Icons in November 2011. It is the official Nike shirt with the Arsenal logo on the front. It comes in presentation packaging and an image of van Persie signing the shirts.

This is a perfect Christmas 2011 gift for any Gunners fan, specially since Persie is leading Arsenal’s resurrection, order the signed Robin van Persie shirt online.

Signed Lio Messi 2010-11 Champions League Final Shirt

Lionel Messi is a nightmare for the toughest defenses around the world. He is definitely a class above the rest and he has proven it time and time again. Those who think differently are just in denial.

Commemorating Barcelona’s victory over Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League final in Wembley in May 2011, this unique printed shirt was personally signed by Messi in August 2011. The Barcelona 2010/11 shirts are specifically printed with the details of the Wembley final and are not available for retail anywhere else.

For your loved ones who are Barcelona or Lio Messi fans, this framed and signed shirt will prove a great present this Christmas. It will also make them feel better as their fierce rivals Real Madrid are three points ahead with a game in hand. Order the signed Messi 2010-11 CL final shirt online.

Paul Scholes signed Man Utd Shirt

The legendary Manchester United midfielder, Paul Scholes has won nine English Premier League titles, three FA Cup and two Champions League medals in the course of a hard-fought 16-year career with his only club.

This United shirt was signed by Scholes at a private signing session in Manchester on October 5, 2010. The shirt comes with a numbered hologram and an identical hologram is fixed to the certificate of authenticity, which features an image of the England international signing a shirt.

If your loved one is a Man United fan then I can assure you that he is still hurting from the 6-1 thrashing by local rivals Manchester City – on top of that, the penalty against Newcastle United and a shock loss to Crystal Palace only made it worse. As a heart-warming Christmas gift, remind him of the elegant passes of good ol’ Scholes by ordering a signed Paul Scholes Man Utd shirt online.

Signed Pele Photo: Embrace with Bobby Moore

Brazil defeated England 1-0 in the quarterfinal of the 1970 FIFA World Cup. Jairzinho scored the only goal of the game but it was the duel between Bobby Moore and Pele. The two embraced after the game and Pele went on to say that Bobby Moore was the best defender he played against.

Pele and Moore were exchanging shirt after the game when this photo was taken. It was signed in London on September 19, 2006 by Pele in an exclusive signing session.

The most enduring image of sportsmanship at the highest level. If you don’t know much about football but your significant other loves it, this is like the most basic of football presents. He might not love it but he won’t throw it away either. Guaranteed! Order signed and framed Pele photo with Bobby Moore online. This is a limited edition product

Maradona And Messi Signed Number 10 Shirt

Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi are two of the most iconic footballers of their times. Both originated from Argentina and both wear the coveted number 10 jersey. Icons decided to put both of their signatures down on one Argentina number 10 shirt.

This is probably the most iconic shirt. It’s an authentic 1986 Argentina shirt originally signed by Maradona in 2010. In the spring of 2011, Messi added his signature to the shirt. The two greatest Argentinean players ever are now on one shirt!

This is an unforgettable piece of signed merchandise and any football fan that gets his hands on one of these will cherish it for years to come as Messi and Maradona are two names that won’t be forgotten easily. With the holiday season just around the corner, order the Maradona and Messi signed number 10 shirt online ASAP.

Visit ICONS.com and browse their full range of signed memorabilia.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Best Football Boots of 2011

Ahmed Umair — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 07:50:57 +0000

Best Football Boots of 2011 - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Holiday season is nearby and the season is getting more and more interesting as Real Madrid finally have the upper hand on Barcelona heading into the El Clasico and in the English Premier League, Manchester United is yet again leading the chasing pack but this time behind Manchester City.

In Germany, Bayern Munich are now on top, just one point ahead of Borussia Dortmund and Borussia M’gladbach. Montpellier top French Ligue 1 as Bordeaux is struggling at 12th.

With so much going on, it’s time for everyone to up their game and only those, who will be able to do so, will emerge victorious. Time for you to up your game too… We’re reviewing the top football boots of 2011 and you can pick what boot fits you best.

Here are six of the top boots of 2011:

Nike Tiempo Legend IV Elite

This is the boots of the greats. The Romario, Ronaldo and Paolo Maldini introduced these boots in the 1994 World Cup and today players like Gerard Pique, Ronaldinho and Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez endorse them. Eric Cantona also wore the Nike Tiempos.

The latest of its kind is the Nike Tiempo Legend IV Elite. This boot is a great blend of performance features and classic craftsmanship.

Description: Flywire technology provides targeted support and ultimate comfort, durability and fit. Outsole features a combination of direct-inject blades and elliptical studs topped with premium kangaroo leather for a natural feel and a great touch.

The boot is available in Metallic Summit White/Metallic Gold/Volt colors and you can personalize the boot to your liking. The original price of the boot is £274.99 but with Christmas coming, Kitbag is offering a 20% discount. You can purchase this boot for £219.99 now.

For a more detailed insight on Tiempo Legend IV: Nike Tiempo Legend IV Elite.

Puma PowerCat 1.12

Recently, Cesc Fabregas sent ripples through the football boots community when he was seen wearing a white mystery boot in training with Barcelona. The mystery was soon solved as Puma announced the signing of Fabregas on 30th September, 2011.

This boot is available in White/Puma Royal/Team Gold colors and you can personalize the boot to your liking. It is priced at £129.99 and you can buy this boot from Kitbag.

Nike CTR360 Maestri II

Before Fabregas joined Puma, he used to wear these. Andres Iniesta still endorses the CTR360 Maestri boots. Keeping these two players in mind, you can probably figure out what this boot is about.

It is an ideal boot for the creative footballer who wants a boot that can deliver complete control of the ball. Based on insights from professional footballers, Nike have refined the boot to be more comfortable and provide enhanced touch and control.

Description: Kanga-Lite synthetic material provides water-resistant comfort and great feel of the ball. The ball control area have been expanded by the asymmetrical lacing system. Forefoot has dampening pods for providing exceptional first touch control and the instep is seamlessly composed of two sections for extra friction and quick, accurate passing.

This boot is available in Black/White/Challenge Red and Metallic Plantium/Blue Glow/Black colors and you can personalize your boot to your liking. For £99.99, this boot can be yours: Buy CTR360 Maestri II.

adidas adiPower Predator X

The Predator X is endorsed by the incredible Brazil midfielder Kaka among many others. Zinedine Zidane personally gave insight in the developement of this boot.

The boot is named Predator because the boot has been engineered to maximise ball control abilities. Hence, it features “the Predator element”. It is packed with epic power and swerve thanks to an energy returning PowerSpine underfoot.

Description: The Predator element featured on the medial side of the boot is an injected silicon-rubber component welded onto the base material. It increases spin when striking the ball to ensure perfect ball control in all weather conditions. Taking a leaf out of their f50 range, they’ve addded the revolutionary Sprint Frame outsole, reducing the weight of the boot by 25%.

This boot is available in three colors and you can personalize your boot to your liking. The original price of this boot is £154.99 but Kitbag is offering 22% off this Christmas. You can now buy the Predator X for £119.99.

Puma v1.11 Super Light

This is the premium quality boot from Puma. This super light weight boot endorsed by Samuel Eto’o, Sergio Aguero and Yaya Toure. Two of them are exceptional strikers and one of them can play anywhere in the center of the field.

This boot is perfect for daily football training and empowering your game.

Description: The synthetic microfibre makes the boot extra light. The laces are covered for max ball control.

This boot is available in Fluo Green/Midnight Navy/White and White/Black/Dresdan Blue colors and you can personalize your boot to your liking. The original price of the boot is £169.99 but you will save 20% if you buy the Puma v1.11 SL from Kitbag (for £135.99).

adidas adiZero f50 miCoach

The latest boot in the f50 range, comes with a brain. Oh yes, the miCoach has a built-in microchip and tracking software available for you smartphone as well as an online portal. The microchip will record personal speed, distance and work-rate.

The greatest footballer of our time, Lionel Messi wears these boots and they’re one of the lightest boots in the market, weighing in at just 165 grams.

Description: miCoach features SPRINTWEB upper for stability and Traxion 2.0 stud shape for maximum acceleration and speed on soft and wet surfaces. Here’s a in-store, hands-on review of the f50 miCoach.

This boot is available in three colors and your can personalize your boot to your liking. You can buy the f50 adiZero miCoach for £119.99 from Kitbag.

For a more detailed insight on miCoach: The new adidas adiZero f50 miCoach | adidas f50 – The tip of the iceberg.

Nike Mercurial Vapor Superfly CR7 III

The name of the boot is enough to say who is wearing this boot. With explosive speed and lightning instinct CR7 shows that this boot is ideal for the elite player who’s looking for a lighweight design and on the pitch style perfect for pinnacle performance.

Reflecting CR’s flexible positioning being a natural on both wings and in the center is the two side design of the boot.

Description: The CR7 III features Nike SENSE technology for providing traction for explosive acceleration in any direction and condition. A mixture of high tensile strength fibres and thin layer of TPU forms an ultralight and ab ultra-strong upper.

This boot is only available in the color CR wants but you can personalize your boot to you liking. Sadly, there are no holiday discounts available on this boot which is priced at £223.99 on Kitbag. Click here to buy Nike Superfly CR7 III.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

An Arsenal Christmas – gifts for Arsenal fans

Ahmed Umair — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 07:47:05 +0000

An Arsenal Christmas – gifts for Arsenal fans - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Holiday season is approaching and it’s time to get presents for your loved ones. To get you a head-start in the decision to buy present for a Gunners fan, lets get you through some of the Arsenal merchandise:

Personally Signed Merchandise

Our friends at ICONS.com have a huge collection of signed merchandise. The items are personally signed by the players in exclusive signing sessions. The signatures will be authentic and the package will come with an official certificate of authenticity.

Here is some of the top Arsenal stuff from ICONS:

Robin van Persie signed Arsenal home shirt:

This Arsenal 2011-12 home shirt was personally signed by by the Arsenal and Holland striker RVP.

Click here to buy RVP signed Arsenal home shirt for £199.99.

Ian Wright signed photo:

This photo captures the unforgettable moment of 1997 when Wright scored a hat-trick against Bolton Wanderers and became the highest scorer for Gunners with his 179th goal. In 2005, Thierry Henry broke his record.

Click here to buy Ian Wright signed photo for £49.99.

RVP signed adidas boot:

This adidas boot was personally signed by RVP in London on November 30th, 2011. Pre-order now to ensure your boot arrives in time for Christmas.

Click here to buy RVP signed boot for £199.99.

Marc Overmars signed photo:

This is a photo of Arsenal and Barcelona star Marc Overmars in a rather relaxed form.

Click here to buy Overmars signed photo for £9.99.

Photo signed by Arsenal legends:

This photo is signed by six Arsenal legends at an exclusive signing session. It will be a crown jewel in any Arsenal fan’s memorabilia collection.

Click here to buy the photo signed by Arsenal legends for £89.99.

General Football Merchandise

Signed merchandise can be expensive. They shoot well over a thousand quids if you have signatures of more than one legendary footballers. Like the Pele signed Brazil 1970 and Diego Maradona signed Argentina 1986 shirt costs £1,249.99 and the Maradona and Lionel Messi signed Argentina 1986 shirt also costs a nudge over £1,000.

Don’t lost your heart yet. We’ve also got cheaper merchandise at the Soccerlens Store. Check it out:

Official 2011-12 scarf:

This 2011-12 themed Arsenal scarf is made by Nike. This is the official scarf for this season.

Click here to buy 11-12 Arsenal scarf for £15.

Jersey-shaped lunch box:

The shirt-shaped lunch box includes a water bottle, sticker set to personalize the box with your name (or your favorite player’s name) and a shirt number.

Click here to buy jersey-shaped Arsenal lunch box for £12.50.

Flag:

Not much description required; this is an Arsenal FC flag.

Click here to buy the Arsenal flag for £6.

Baseball cap:

The red and white baseball cap is the official cap for the 2011-12 season. It is manufactured by Nike.

Click here to buy the 11-12 Arsenal baseball cap for £14.99.

Back-pack:

The official back-pack of the 2011-12 campaign is red and features Arsenal’s 125 anniversary crest and a Nike logo.

Click here to buy the 11-12 Arsenal back-pack for £20.00.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Top Christmas Football Deals

Ahmed Umair — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 07:46:15 +0000

Top Christmas Football Deals - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

The best part about holiday shopping is the amount of discounts you can find. It is very important to go around the market before buying something because you never know, you might find it for cheaper elsewhere.

Keeping that in mind, I looked around for quality presents with good discounts and picked, what I thought, were really good bargains.

Real Madrid 2011-12 Third kit

adidas have made a red third kit for Real Madrid’s 2011-12 UEFA Champions League campaign. The red shirt has white adidas stripes on the shoulder.

The original price of this red Galacticos shirt is £41.24 but you can buy the 11-12 Real Madrid Champions League third shirt for £35.05.

Nike Total90 Strike IV

The Strike IV by Nike is the ideal football boot for powerful shooting and accuracy. Strike IV is designed to provide you assistance in touch, control, optimal precision and uniform striking surface.

The T90 Strike IV is available for £58.66 and that’s after a 26% discount – from the actual price of £79.99.

V. Persie 9 – Holland 2010 World Cup Home Shirt

Nike manufactures the sports goods for the Holland national team and the number 9 orange home shirt of the sensational Arsenal skipper, Robin van Persie, is available on the Soccerlens Store.

The original price of this shirt was £59.99 and it is on a 5% discount. You can buy the 10-11 Holland home shirt for £56.99.

Zidane 10 – France 2010 World Cup Home Shirt

It was a disappointing trip to South Africa for the 1998 champions. Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema were already trapped in a lot of controversy and to add to the tension, there were disagreements in the dressing room. It was clearly a different France than we last saw in 2006 under the captaincy of the great Zinedine Zidane.

The original price of this adidas manufactured shirt was £54.99 but with a 45% discount, you can buy the 10-11 France home shirt for £30.

Drogba 11 – Ivory Coast 2010 World Home Shirt

Didier Drogba’s injury to the forearm kept him from performing a hundred percent. On top of that, it would have been quite a task to beat Brazil and Portugal. North Korea was the fourth team in their group. They still managed a goalless draw with Portugal and a three goal win over Korea but Brazil was just too strong for them.

That was probably Drogba’s last World Cup as a top class striker. The Chelsea ace wore the number 11 for his national team.

The original price of the shirt was £59.99 but we’re offering a 42% discount. You can now buy the 10-11 Ivory Coast home shirt for £35.

Beckham 7 – England Euro 2012 Home Shirt

David Beckham was the most influential footballer in recent times and his experience and skills were unmatched across England. His presence will be missed but there is a lot of promising young blood coming through.

The original price of the Euro 2012 home shirt was £59.99. After a massive 42% discount, you can buy the 11-12 England home shirt for £35.

Eto’o 9 – Cameroon 2010 World cup Away Shirt

Samuel Eto’o is as clinical as a striker can get. If his successful spells at Barcelona and Inter Milan don’t convince you enough, his larger than life pay-check with Russian Premier League club Anzhi Makhachkala should leave you dumbfounded.

The original price of this shirt was £59.99 but after a 42% discount, you can buy the 10-11 Cameroon away shirt for £35.

adidas adiPower Predator

The adidas Predator was formerly worn by players like Xavi, Lionel Messi and many others in top competitions around the world. It’s built for speed, power and swerve.

The original price of the boot was £154.99. Kitbag is offering a 29% discount and you can buy the adidas Predator for £109.99.

Robbie Fowler Signed Liverpool Shirt

The Liverpool born striker came through the youth ranks of the Reds and played through his prime at Liverpool. He left his childhood club and moved the Leeds United and went on to impress fans across England. He also made appearances for Manchester City and had another stint at Liverpool.

To honor the Reds legend, here’s a personally signed Liverpool numbed 9 shirt of Robbie Fowler:

The original price of this framed shirt was £366.67. Kitbag is offering a 15% discount and you can buy the Fowler signed Liverpool home shirt for £311.67.

Pele & Maradona Signed Shirts

This duo of the shirts of the South American legends, Pele and Diego Maradona, is a set of a Brazil 1970 World Cup number 10 shirt and an Argentina 1986 World Cup number 10 shirt. Pele and Maradona have signed their respective shirts and their both framed together side-by-side.

This one frame features the best of the 20th century football.

This magnificent collector’s item was originally priced at £916.67. Kitbag if offering a 15% discount and the Pele and Maradona dual framed and signed shirts for £779.17.

For more Christmas deals, visit the Specials section on SL Store or the Christmas Store 2011 on Kitbag.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Retro Football Kits

Ahmed Umair — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 07:45:07 +0000

Retro Football Kits - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Throughout history, people have been kicking a ball but the earliest scientific evidence suggest that it was an exercise from a military manual in the second and third BC in China – it was called Cuju. Modern football took years in the making after the Chinese forgot about cuju.

In 1872, the first ever international football game took place when England faced Scotland. I don’t know if that was a great match or not but since then, there have been many teams, players and matches that have redefined football history.

From 1930, when the first World Cup took place in Uruguay, to Spain lifting the trophy in 2010, a lot has happened. Many heroes emerged and took center stage as fans sat in awe of them and cheered them on.

To commemorate all that is now past, here are some of the items from the retro section of the Soccerlens Store.

Maradona 1986 World Cup Jersey

A thrilling 3-2 victory over West Germany in the extra time of the final marked the end of a tournament that was completely dominated by Diego Maradona. It was Argentina’s 2nd title.

The blue and white striped Argentina shirt comes with the name and number of Maradona printed on the back of the shirt.

Click here to buy Maradona 1986 World Cup jersey online.

Juventus 1977 UEFA Cup Jersey

The significance of this triumph for Juventus fans is the fact that this is the only triumph for an Italian side in an official European tournament without foreigner players in its first team squad.

It was a two-legged final against Athletic Bilbao and Marco Tardelli had given Juve a slender 1-0 lead in the home leg. Juve traveled to Spain and striker Roberto Bettega doubled the lead. Bilbao won the game 2-1 after Jose Churruca and Carlos Ruiz scored but Juventus won the title on away goals.

Juve wore this blue away shirt in the second leg of the final:

Click here to buy Juventus 1977 UEFA Cup jersey online.

Cruyff 1974 World Cup Jersey

A lot can be said about Johan Cruyff, he has almost single-handedly revolutionized modern football with the help of the Catalan giants Barcelona – both as a player and a coach.

The first Dutch international to receive a red card, Cruyff, was unlucky to have collected the runners up medal in 1974 and 1978. However, he was the chosen the best player in the 1974 World Cup.

His managerial expertise indirectly resulted in Spaniards winning the Euro 2008 and the World Cup 2010.

Here is Cruyff’s famous shirt with two stripes:

Click here to buy Cruyff 1974 World Cup jersey online.

Brazil 1971 Three Star Jersey

When Brazil beat Italy in the final of the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, it was their third world title. They have gone on to make it five titles now but that was their third in four attempts.

1970 also marked the end of the Pele era, and this three star away jersey from 1971 is how he left Brazil. It took Brazil 24 years to win another World Cup.

Click here to buy Brazil 1971 three star jersey online.

Man City 1969 FA Cup Winners Track-top

The 1969 FA Cup was the last major English trophy that Manchester City had won until their recent 2011 triumph. The ’69 final was played between Man City and Leicester City at the Wembley Stadium.

Neil Young scored the only goal of the game as the cup win earned them the right to compete in the 1969-70 European Cup Winners’ Cup – which City went on to win as well.

Here is the track-top that was worn by the players after they have won the FA Cup:

Click here to buy Man City 1969 FA Cup winners track-top online.

AC Milan 1963 European Cup Jersey

Wembley stadium witnessed AC Milan and Benfica go head-to-head for the 1963 European Cup final. Two goals from Jose Altafini in the second half over-turned the first half strike of the legendary Portugal midfielder Eusebio and Milan clinched the their first European Cup title.

This is the white shirt Milan wore in the final that day:

Click here to buy AC Milan 1963 European Cup jersey online.

Puskas 1954 World Cup Jersey

Hungary was in top form prior to the 1954 World Cup, winning everything that came their way. They were unbeaten in 32 games. They became the first non-UK team to beat England at Wembley – they thrashed them 6-3 and then later 7-1 in Budapest.

In the group stage, Hungary violently defeated West Germany 8-3 and now the Germans were their last hurdle. Ferenc Puskas and Zoltan Czibor gave them a two goal cushion but they failed to capitalize on that. The efficient Germans won the final 3-2 (Max Morlock and Helmut Rahn were the goal-scorers).

Here is the number 10 jersey that Puskas wore in the final:

Click here to buy Puskas 1954 World Cup jersey online.

John Charles 1950s Leeds Utd Jersey

Rated by many as the greatest all-round footballer ever to come from Wales, he was equally adept at center forward or center back. In the peak of his career, he plied his trade at Leeds United and Juventus. He made a return to Leeds at the age of 31 but was soon sent back to Italy as he joined Roma for a season.

Towards the end of his career, he could be seen at Cardiff City and as a player-manager at Hereford United and Merthyr Tydfil.

To commemorate this great all-rounder of football, here’s a shirt from one of Leeds’ dressing rooms of the 1950s (not literally):

Click here to buy John Charles 1950s Leeds Utd jersey online.

Italy 1934/1938 World Cup Winners Jersey

In 1934, Italy hosted the World Cup tournament themselves and defeated Czechoslovakia. In 1938, France hosted the World Cup but Italy managed to defend their title successfully as they defeated Hungary 4-2.

Inter Milan legend Giuseppe Meazza played both the World Cups and he played instrumental parts in their triumphs.

Click here to buy Italy 1934/1938 World Cup winners jersey online.

Uruguay 1930 World Cup Final Jersey

Uruguay hosted the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930. Uruguay faced Argentina in the final which was a repeat of the match-up in the 1928 Olympic final – which Uruguay had won 2-1. The final was won with the same ratio of goals but the scoreline was 4-2.

93,000 fans watched the final where different balls were used in each half but those are just details. This is the shirt Uruguay wore in the first-ever FIFA World Cup final:

Click here to buy Uruguay 1930 World Cup final jersey online.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Best Selling Football Shirts

Ahmed Umair — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 07:43:43 +0000

Best Selling Football Shirts - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Sales of football gear derive a large amount of the profits football clubs make. International tournaments like the World Cup and the European Championship give national teams a chance to boost their merchandise sales as well.

With the Euro 2012 fast approaching, national team shirt sales have challenged club shirt sales. It only happens once every two years; the rest of the year, fans are busy buying shirts of their favorite clubs and players.

Christmas might change the following list all-together but for now, here are the best selling football gear:

Spain’s Euro 2012 Home Shirt

Reigning European and world champions, Spain will wear the adidas manufactured red shirt with yellow details. The Spanish national team’s crest will proudly display a golden star above it.

Click here to buy Spain’s Euro 2012 home shirt.

Germany’s Euro 2012 Home Shirt

Germany was unlucky to have run into the eventual winners in the World Cup and in Euro 2008 and will be looking to turn the tide of the Spaniards in 2012. They’ll wear an elegant white shirt with black, red and yellow details; the shirt is manufactured by adidas.

Click here to buy Germany’s Euro 2012 home shirt.

2011-12 Chelsea Home Shirt

Last season, Chelsea was on top of the English Premier League around this time but they couldn’t keep it up until the end. Currently they’re struggling to regain form under Andre Villas Boas. They are wearing the dual-shaded blue adidas shirt with white details.

Click here to buy 2011-12 Chelsea home shirt.

2011-12 Manchester City Home Shirt

Sheikh Mansour’s millions have seen Roberto Mancini and his men shoot to the top of the England’s top league. Manchester City are currently sitting five points clear of their fierce local rivals. City are wearing Umbro manufactured light blue shirts with white collar.

Click here to buy 2011-12 Man City home shirt.

2011-12 Liverpool Home Shirt

Liverpool have finally found their lost touch under Kenny Dalglish’s management. Steven Gerrard and Lucas’ injuries might hamper their midfield for the remainder of the season but their confidence is high. The Reds wear adidas manufactured red shirt with white details.

Click here to buy 2011-12 Liverpool home shirt.

2011-12 Real Madrid Home Shirt

Real Madrid has made Man City look poor with their expenditures in the last couple of years. Some of the biggest names of the world of football now wear the esteemed white Galacticos shirt. The adidas manufactured shirt also features gold details.

Click here to buy 2011-12 R. Madrid home shit.

2011-12 Barcelona Home Shirt

Pep Guardiola has taken Barcelona to new heights. It is only this season where Barca actually feels like a human team. Nike has given the Catalan giants thinner stripes this season. Qatar Foundation is the new sponsor up front as UNICEF has been moved to the back of the shirt.

Click here to buy 2011-12 Barcelona home shirt.

2011-12 Manchester United Home Shirt

Manchester United is going through a tough time as Alex Ferguson is finding it hard to keep up with City without splashing the cash. United are only five points behind them but if Spurs is to win, they’ll over-take the Red Devils. Utd are wearing Nike manufactured red shirts with a black and white collar.

Click here to buy buy 2011-12 Man Utd home shirt.

2011-12 Arsenal Home Shirt

Arsenal have now gone unbeaten in the last six Premier League games, drawing only against Fulham last weekend. A defeat against Man City in the Carling Cup might deflate Arsene Wenger’s men as they will head to the Etihad Stadium in a couple of weeks’ time. Arsenal are wearing their 125 year anniversary kit; manufactured by Nike.

Click here to buy 2011-12 Arsenal home shirt.

2011-12 Tottenham Home Shirt

Tottenham are only two points behind Man United with one game in hand. If Spurs are to win that game, they will be right behind league leaders Man City, only four point apart. They’re wearing Puma manufactured plain white shirt.

Click here to buy 2011-12 Tottenham home shirt.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Euro 2012 Gear

Ahmed Umair — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 08:01:54 +0000

Euro 2012 Gear - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

The 14th European Championship for teams sanctioned by the UEFA is scheduled to be played between 8th June and 1st July 2012 in Poland and Ukraine.

Spain are the current holders of the cup – they defeated Germany in the final in Austria / Switzerland version of the tournament in 2008.

The groups and the schedule of the Euro 2012 have been announced and the groups are as follows:

Group A: Poland, Greece, Russia, Czech Republic
Group B: Holland, Denmark, Germany, Portugal
Group C: Spain, Italy, Republic of Ireland, Croatia
Group D: Ukraine, Sweden, France, England

You can see the team by team preview of Euro 2012 from a couple of weeks ago and here we’re covering the football gear to be used by the national teams in the tournament.

Before we look at what kits the players will be donning for the competition, lets look at the official Euro 2012 match ball:

adidas Tango 12

The official match ball that will be used for the duration of the tournament in Poland and Ukraine in the coming summers is the adidas Tango 12. It is a brand new ball inspired by the famous line of adidas Tango balls.

Here’s a picture of the ball. As soon as it is made available, we will have it up for grabs in the Soccerlens Store.

Official UEFA Euro 2012 Match Ball: adidas Tango 12
(Click to enlarge image)

All the football gear and kit manufacturers have lined up for the biggest tournament in Europe and they present to you the Euro 2012 shirts:

Croatia

Coming soon to the Soccerlens Store…

Czech Republic

Chelsea stopper Petr Cech, Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky and Galatasaray forward Milan Baros will probably be featuring for the last time in a major tournament and surely, they will all want to end their careers on a high.

Czech Republic will wear a Puma manufactured red shirt with white and blue details. They will be playing in Group A.

Czech Rep. Home Shirt

Click here to buy Czech Republic Euro 2012 home shirt.

Denmark

Coming soon to the Soccerlens Store…

England

England captain John Terry came under much scrutiny before the start of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa but this time around, things seems to be relatively smoother. Fabio Capello will be looking to exit the job with grace.

England are placed in Group D and will play their opening fixture against the French national team. The Three Lions will wear a plain white shirt, manufactured by Umbro.

England Home Shirt

Click here to buy England Euro 2012 home shirt.

They will wear navy blue away shirts with light blue collars.

England Away Shirt

Click here to buy England Euro 2012 away shirt.

France

France are also placed in Group D and they will play their opening fixture against England. The French squad is relatively younger blood from last time around. Karim Benzema is set to lead the attack as Franck Ribery will takeover the creative part.

Les Bleus will wear a Nike manufactured navy blue shirt. The only details on the shirt are the Nike swoosh and the team emblem.

France Home Shirt

Click here to buy France Euro 2012 home shirt.

The Frenchmen will wear a white away shirt with black horizontal stripes – kind of like the prisoners.

France Away Shirt

Click here to buy France Euro 2012 away shirt.

Germany

Euro 2008 finalists, Germany are seeded in Group B and it is the toughest group in this tournament. Mesut Ozil and Lukas Podolski will be looking to steal the show with sound backing from the rest of the squad. Joachim Low will be looking to leave previous disappointments behind.

Germans will wear a very attractive white shirt with diagonal black, red and yellow lines on the front and black adidas pin-stripes on the shoulder.

Germany Home Shirt

Click here to buy Germany Euro 2012 home shirt.

Greece

Coming soon to the Soccerlens Store…

Holland

Coming soon to the Soccerlens Store…

Italy

Participating in Group C, Italy will open the tournament with a match against the world champions. Juventus’ fantastic shot-stopper Gianluigi Buffon will look to play this tournament through as Daniele De Rossi and his midfield will have to take the pressure off of defence and supply Mario Balotelli up front.

Italy will wear the Puma manufactured blue shirt with a white collar containing details in the colours of the Italian flag.

Italy Home Shirt

Click here to buy Italy Euro 2012 home shirt.

Poland

Coming soon to the Soccerlens Store…

Portugal

Coming soon to the Soccerlens Store…

Republic of Ireland

LA Galaxy striker and national team captain Robbie Keane will look to lead Ireland to at least give a tough time to the giants of Group C. He will need all the expertise Shay Given, John O’Shea and Darron Gibson have to offer.

Ireland will wear a white away shirt with green details. The kits are manufactured by Umbro.

Rep. of Ireland Away Shirt

Click here to buy Republic of Ireland Euro 2012 away shirt.

Russia

Arsenal striker Andrie Arshavin will captain a Russia side out of which only four players ply their trade outside of the country. Tottenham forward Roman Pavlyuchenko, Vfb Stuttgart forward Pavel Pogrebnyak and Everton midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov are the three other players who play outside of Russian Premier League. Yuri Zhirkov’s services will also be available.

Russia will wear an adidas manufactured red shirt with a blue and white diagonal stripe going down the front.

Russia Home Shirt

Click here to buy Russia Euro 2012 home shirt.

Spain

Reigning world and European champions, Spain will play Euro 2012 in Group C. Since the triumph in the World Cup, the Spaniards haven’t been in top form but they should never be underestimated with the quality of the squad they possess.

Head coach Vicente del Bosque will be looking for a repeat performace from his team which features five Real Madrid players and eight Barcelona players. Another three Barca players have been called-up for the squad recently (Martin Montoya, Thiago Alcantara and Pedro).

Spain will wear a red jersey proudly featuring a single golden star above their team emblem. The kit is manufactured by adidas.

Spain Home Shirt

Click here to buy Spain Euro 2012 home shirt.

Sweden

Coming soon to the Soccerlens Store…

Ukraine

Andriy Shevchenko captains the Ukraine side and the former AC Milan and Chelsea striker will look to impress in front of his home crowd. Ukraine are in Group D and will face tough competition from Sweden, France and England.

They will wear an adidas manufactured yellow shirt with blue details.

Ukraine Home Shirt

Click here to buy Ukraine Euro 2012 home shirt.

Also see: Euro 2012 Nations – A team by team preview | Euro 2012 News | Euro 2012 Statistics | Euro 2012 Fixtures.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The strangest football gifts

Ahmed Umair — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 07:13:45 +0000

The strangest football gifts - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Football fans are geniunely interested in buying the weirdest things if they are carrying their favorite club’s logo. Even if they have never used anything like it before but they must have it!

Two years ago, we did a little research and collected the weirdest football merchandise from around the globe and a particular jester hat in Barcelona colors got a lot of attention. This time around, we’ve added the weird merchandise to the Soccerlens Store.

Here are some of the weird football merchandise from the Store:

Rubber Ducks

So, your bath time gets very boring. How about we introduce you to a colorful rubber ducky with your clubs’ crest?

Click here to browse our rubber ducky range. Only available for Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid.

Golf

If you play golf, it sure as hell gets boring. Those long walks to the ball can be made more interesting if you buy a football club-specific golf ball or tees or something that will get you to think about an actual sport.

Click here to browse our golf range.

Real Madrid Jester Hats

Last time around, I found a Barcelona jester hat but this time around, we bring for you a Real Madrid jester hat!

Frankly, it looked much better in Barca’s colors.

Click here to buy the Real Madrid jester hat.

Nodding Dogs

Even if you didn’t know what it was called but you know what a nodding dog is because if you’ve been alive and around in the last ten years, you have seen it somewhere.

Unfortunately, nodding dogs are only available for Tottenham fans and Real Madrid fans.

Click here to: buy Tottenahm nodding dog | buy Real Madrid nodding dog.

Piggy Banks

If there’s any room left in your house which is not covered by an item bearing your club’s logo, get one of these and put it there. These are piggy banks…

Click here to browse our piggy bank range. Only available for Arsenal, AC Milan, Birmingham City, Celtic, Chelsea, Everton, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Rangers, Real Madrid & Tottenham.

Messi Towel

This is just unacceptable. Or maybe only for girls who really like Lionel Messi.

I’m a Barca and Messi fan myself but rubbing a photo of Messi up and down on my body is just too far across the line for me. There’s definitely nothing wrong with towels carrying club crests but this is one of the weirdest football merchandise in my opinion.

What’s next? Cristiano Ronaldo toilet paper?

Click here to buy Messi Towel, if you must.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The Global Game: The A-Z Of How The World Watches English Premier League

Ahmed Umair — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 11:22:53 +0000

The Global Game: The A-Z Of How The World Watches English Premier League - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

The English Premier League is easily the most watched football league in the world. Although overshadowed by some of their Spanish counterparts on the pitch they still have a much bigger share of international viewership.

Millions and millions of fans around the globe from over 200 countries tune in every weekend to see 90 minutes of football, and in most cases it is the Premier League (fun fact – Manchester United attract 50% of the global Premier League audience).

EPL generates a fortune from overseas TV deals – the current three-year contract pays them £479 million a year. Compare that to their closest rivals La Liga, which earn £132 million a year, and Serie A, £74 million a year.

Since it’s re-branding in 1992, Premier League has risen way above the standards and it has done pretty well in capturing markets far away from home, like Asia and the US. Imagine the diversity of culture and people that one brand of football is covering. In 200 countries, there will be at least 200 different kinds of experiences.

Sporting Intelligence have a wonderful initiative titled ‘The Global Game’ which aims to discover and share the veiws and experiences from football viewers from around the world.

Sporting Intelligence is inviting readers who watch the Premier League overseas to send your experiences at submissions@sportingintelligence.com, answer all the following questions and preferably include an image of yourself (JPEG). If it is the first submission from your country, it is almost certain that it will be displayed for the entire world to see.

The questions are:

Name?
Age?
Occupation?
Club?
Game watched?
Where?
Who else was watching?
TV channel carrying the game?
How much does it cost?
What’s the local tipple and how much does it cost?
What’s the popularity of the English Premier League in the country where you live?
Any other observations?

For details and to view the submissions that have been made live already, visit: Premier League – the global game.

Bonus: Here’s our editor’s entry to the Global Game project: How the Premier League is seen…in Pakistan.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Viktoria Plzen v Barcelona: Catalans one step away from knockout stage

Ahmed Umair — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:16:58 +0000

Viktoria Plzen v Barcelona: Catalans one step away from knockout stage - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Group H sees Barcelona and AC Milan visit Viktoria Plzen and BATE Borisov respectively on Matchday 4 of the UEFA Champions League. Both these fixtures will decide whether the giants confirm their spots in the Round of 16 or will the smaller clubs still have a chance.

Plzen host Barca and this is their sixth visit to Czech Republic. In their previous five visits, they have an ordinary record of W2-D1-L2. But the Catalan giants are in fine form recently and they have not lost an official game in 22 matches now. Their last defeat came in April when they lost 2-1 away to Real Sociedad.

Pep Guardiola’s side have won their last three away games in Europe: Donetsk Shakhtar 0-1, Real Madrid 0-2 and BATE 0-5. Barcelona have also scored the most goals this year so far in the Champions League (9), only rivaled by their El Clasico rivals Real Madrid (8).

We must not ignore a very critical stat that Plzen are unbeaten at home this season. The debutant club has played four games and have won all of the home fixtures of the preliminary rounds and drew 1-1 with BATE.

Messi answered all his critics after he took rest from goal-scoring as he scored a hat-trick on the weekend against Mallorca in Nou Camp. In CL, Lionel Messi has had the most shots on target with eight but it’s David Villa who has scored in all three group games.

The last time Barca were held to a clean sheet in Champions League was way back in November 2009 against Rubin Kazan. Since, they have scored at least once in each of the 24 games.

Injury News:

Pedro is already out with an ankle injury but the latest concern for the Catalans is Xavi, who is having problems with his calf muscle. Ibrahim Afellay is the only long-term injury concern left for Guardiola; Afellay is out with knee ligament damage.

Center-backs Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique have already returned to first team action on the weekend against Mallorca.

The Czech team, however, is having trouble between the posts. Goalkeeper Marek Cech injured his knee playing in the 2-0 defeat in Nou Camp. His fellow shot-stopper, Roman Pavlik, returned to action after suffering knee ligament damage in July.

Prediction:

Viktoria Plzen 1-3 Barcelona

From Soccerlens.com - Football News