Watched by a global TV audience of around 650 million, it’s been described as ‘the mother of all derbies’ and the second most important game in the world (after El Clasico) – but is the Manchester derby the biggest derby in Europe?

This all depends on two things: (a) how do we define a derby? (b) how do we compare all the derbies objectively?

The first question is arguably the more difficult one. Real Madrid vs. Barcelona, Inter Milan vs. Juventus, and Liverpool vs. Manchester United are all examples of intense rivalries rather than derbies. We could define a derby as the match between two clubs from the same city, but this would exclude Newcastle United vs. Sunderland, Borussia Dortmund vs. Schalke 04, Ajax vs. Feyenoord and Athletic Bilbao vs. Real Sociedad to give just a few examples.

Even within the same city, Fulham’s main local derby is with Chelsea, whereas Chelsea’s is with Spurs, whose derby is with Arsenal. So even if we were able to compare all European derbies objectively, the very idea of a derby would always be problematic.

Of course, in terms of European footballing success, all one-city derbies pale in comparison to Milan, a city whose two teams have amassed a grand total of ten European Cups/Champions League titles between them (Real Madrid alone are not far behind with nine, whilst Manchester/Liverpool have eight). In fact Milan is the only city in Europe with more than one winner of the competition, making any objective success-based comparisons of European footballing derbies difficult.

An easier and in many ways more appropriate method for comparison would be to combine the average attendances of each derby team throughout the 2010-11 season and list them accordingly. Bear in mind that this is not a list of the fiercest rivalries (which would always be subjective) and that the attendance figure is for all games throughout the season (not just the derby games themselves).

The top 20 derbies in Europe based on combined average attendance

Notes

All figures are based on Wikipedia’s top 70 clubs by average attendance. I haven’t included any clubs that are outside the top 70, e.g. 1860 Munchen (whose average attendance of 20,000 would put the Munich derby in the top ten). This is because I’d like to source all the figures from the same place. However I don’t think the list would change dramatically if this was the case. Fenerbahce (39,542) vs. Besiktas (26,249) would have made the list but the figures given are not for the 2010-11 season (and the Besiktas figures is unsourced).

The top ten teams without representation in the list are Marseilles (51,081), Eintracht Frankfurt (47,335), Napoli (47,210), FC Kaiserslautern (46,378), Hertha Berlin (45,761), Hannover 96 (43,948), Valencia (41,599), VfB Stuttgart (38,847), Porto (36,404) and Shakhtar Donetsk (33,897). I considered classifying Eintracht Frankfurt vs. FC Kaiserslautern as a derby (which with a combined total of 93,713 would’ve made the top ten) but decided not to (see below).

Any list of teams based on average attendance will always be dominated by Germany, where competetive one-city derbies are uncommon. I’ve chosen to include the four biggest regional ‘derbies’ and exclude all the others – although I think the Ruhrgebiet still has to be classed as a single agglomeration (as of course does Greater Manchester).

No team has been included twice. This means that Arsenal vs. Spurs is classed as the biggest London derby, with Chelsea vs. Fulham second. It should be stressed that there is a lot of overlap when it comes to the London derbies. These four teams have been chosen purely because they have the highest average attendances, not (at least in the case of the West London derby) because they have the fiercest rivalry.

The closest distance between two stadiums is of course Milan vs. Inter, where the two teams share the San Siro. The distance between Anfield and Goodison Park is 0.6 miles; between Estadio Da Luz and Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon it is 1.4 miles. The longest distance between two clubs in the list is between Munich and Nuremburg (the two largest cities in Bavaria), which are around 100 miles apart, raising inevitable questions about how we define a derby. The distance between Hamburg and Bremen is around 60 miles, between Bilbao and San Sebastian around 50 miles, between Amsterdam and Rotterdam around 35 miles, between Lyon and Saint-Etienne around 30 miles. The distance between the Westfalenstadion and the Veltins Arena is exactly 17 miles, whilst there are exactly ten miles between St. James’ Park and the Stadium of Light.

The smallest difference in ratio between the two average attendances are those between Milan vs. Inter, Köln vs. Borussia Mönchengladbach and Celtic vs. Rangers. The largest by a long way is Barcelona vs. Espanyol (although the difference between Bayern Munich vs. 1860 Munchen would have been bigger still).

Whilst it isn’t perfect for all the reasons mentioned, the list above arguably gives us a better insight into European football than the list of average attendances itself or the infamous Deloitte Football League, in showing where the real football powerhouses of Europe lie. It’s no surprise to see the Revierderby topping the list with Manchester, Madrid, Munich (Bavaria), Barcelona and Milan all close behind. Manchester’s success on-the-field this season is clearly a reflection of the city’s status as one of the six football capitals of European club football.

More Football Derbies

• The World’s Most Violent Football Derbies.
• Major Football Derbies (with sub-articles for each continent).

The author, Tom Riley, writes about football, music and the history of Manchester at http://ascentofmanchester.blogspot.co.uk.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The Netherlands international team go into this summer’s Euro 2012 tournament as one of the favourites and frontrunners, with quality throughout Bert van Marwijk’s side.

However, unfortunately the Eredivisie has lost its ability to keep the best homegrown players in the country and Ajax’s UEFA Champions League glory of 1995 seems like an eternity ago.

For the national team’s last game, a friendly against Germany, only seven of the 21-man squad ply their club trade in the Dutch homeland, and this was without a number of big-name exports who were rested.

Holland certainly has produced a raft of great players over the last ten years that have graced other European leagues, with the ten best as follows:

Rafael van der Vaart

Rafael VDV for Spurs

Rafael van der Vaart left Ajax in 2005 to join Real Madrid, before moving on to Hamburg; he now plays in England for Tottenham. The playmaker has amassed 93 international caps despite only being 28, and is a key player in Harry Redknapp’s revitalised Spurs team.

Jaap Stam

Stam for Ajax

Netherlands is known for its attacking players who play total football, but Jaap Stam epitomises a fantastic defensive combatant from the nation. A rock of a central defender, Stam left PSV in the late 1990′s and enjoyed playing at the highest level for Manchester United, Lazio and AC Milan. Famed for his no-nonsense approach, Stam won 67 caps for his nation before retiring in 2007.

Arjen Robben

Robben for Bayern Munich

The skilful winger left PSV in 2004 and has since been an important player for Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, as well as the national side. Robben is one of the best dribblers in recent memory, with his trickery, pace and eye for goal an asset for every team he has represented. Robben has won top flight titles in Holland, England, Spain and Germany, but is yet to win the Champions League.

Robin van Persie

RVP for the Gunners

A product of the Feyenoord academy, Van Persie left Netherlands in 2004 to join Arsenal, and he is currently their captain and talisman. The in-form striker is currently the Premier League’s top goalscorer this term, the winner of the PFA Player of the Year award and undoubtedly one of the most dangerous and prolific attackers in the European game.

Edgar Davids

Davids for the Dutch

One of the most iconic footballers of his generation, Davids’ will to win and determination set a precedent for the rest of Europe in the 2000′s. Played at the highest level for AC Milan, Juventus, Barcelona and Inter Milan, before stepping out for Tottenham and Crystal Palace in the latter days of his career.

Part of Ajax’s golden generation and the Champions League winning side of 1995. Davids won three Serie A titles but never lifted Europe’s top club trophy again after leaving Amsterdam.

Ruud van Nistelrooy

Ruud for Man Utd

Ten years playing for Manchester United and Real Madrid show Van Nistelrooy’s undoubted quality, with a goal record to envy. The Dutch marksman has also played for Hamburg and Malaga since leaving his homeland, and still continues to be a goal threat in La Liga despite being 35-years-old.

35 international goals and three top flight titles ensure that Van Nistlerooy will be remembered as one of the country’s top centre forwards.

Mark van Bommel

van Bommel for Milan

Former PSV midfielder Mark van Bommel has played at the very highest level since leaving Holland in 2005, having worn the colours of Barcelona, Bayern Munich and AC Milan. The current Holland captain has one last international tournament in him this summer, and will look to add to his medal collection of four Eredivisie titles, one La Liga title, one Serie A title, two Bundesliga titles and a Champions League victory.

Edwin van der Sar

van der Sar for Man Utd

The now-retired goalkeeper plied his trade in Italy for Juventus, before representing Fulham and Manchester United in England. Four Premier League titles and a Champions League medal are just reward for the 41-year-old, who hung up his boots last summer. Sir Alex Ferguson is yet to fully replace Van der Sar, who himself stepped into the massive shoes of Peter Schmeichel at Old Trafford, and excelled.

Wesley Sneijder

Sneijder for Inter

Arguably one of the best playmakers in the modern game, Sneijder left Ajax in 2007 after five years with the senior side to join Real Madrid. After two seasons the attacking midfielder departed the Santiago Bernabeu to join Inter, and was the subject of a protracted transfer saga over a potential move to Manchester United last summer.

League titles in Italy and Spain have been backed up by Champions League success; Sneijder is truly one of Holland’s best recent exports.

Clarence Seedorf

Seedorf for Milan

One of Holland’s greatest ever players, Clarence Seedorf is still an integral player for Italian champions AC Milan at 35-years-old. The veteran midfielder has an unbelievable trophy haul at club level, with Champions League titles with Ajax, Real Madrid and twice with AC Milan. 87 international caps and over a decade of playing at the highest level, Clarence Seedorf is Netherlands top export.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Morning all. Throughout January Soccerlens is going to be bringing you a daily round-up of the morning’s various goings-on. Be it juicy morsels of spurious transfer gossip or real, actual bona fide news, rest assured, we’ll have it covered.

Here’s this morning’s batch.

Mourinho pining for the Prem?…

A batch of interesting quotes have emanated from the Real Madrid camp, in which coach Jose Mourinho, just days after refusing to commit to Los Blancos past the summer, tells of his hankering for a return to the last bastion of the fair and the just – the English Premier League.

Of course, the quotes should be treated with a certain amount of trepidation (mis-quoting/translating), but here’s what Mou apparently told a press conference yesterday:

“I’ve decided to return to England. I have nothing prepared about my future – I just want to be happy in my work.

I have no preferences about Manchester United, Manchester City or Chelsea. I just want to rediscover the joy.

I’m not saying the Premier League is the most spectacular in the world but it is the best organised, with fair play and enormous respect for your opponent.”

Crikey.

Ajax issue deadline…

Ajax have given Liverpool until Saturday to come up with the goods vis-a-vis Luis Suarez before they pull the plug on the whole charade.

So far, Liverpool have had a maiden bid of £12.8 million turned down for the Uruguayan forward, though the Amsterdam club are refusing to budge on their £21 million valuation of the 24-year-old.

Ajax coach Frank de Boer told a press conference:

“We don’t want to lose him, Liverpool know what they have to pay and we are sticking to our guns. We want to know by January 29t. After that, nothing more will happen.”

There are now suggestions that the deal may be ‘put on ice’ until the summer.

Kon man…

Whilst we’re on the subject of Liverpool, it looks like the club are ready to jettison Paul Konchesky back from whence he came – with a loan move back to former club Fulham thought to be in the offing.

A couple of the nationals seem to reckon that Konchesky has already opened talks with the Cottagers (who, incidentally, are the only other club he’d be legible to play for having appeared for two teams already this season), with the Guardian adding that Liverpool may make an approach for Aston Villa left-back Steven Warnock as a direct replacement.

Luiz-ing the will to live…

Now, admittedly, the David Luiz-to-Chelsea saga is getting a little tedious as it runs into it’s third week, but it looks like the whole shebang may be about to reach it’s ‘thrilling’ conclusion – with the Sun reporting this morning that the entire ordeal is on the verge of fizzling out.

The red-top are carrying quotes from a fortuitously placed ‘Chelsea insider’, who reckons:

“The club made an improved offer and included Nemanja Matic in the hope they could finally clinch a deal, but Benfica said again that they weren’t interested, wanted much more, so it looks pretty bleak.”

Elsewhere, Benfica’s coach Jorge Jesus has told the waking world that several other clubs are also tailing Luiz, so make of that what you will.

The best of the rest…

• According to reports in Germany, Bundesliga side Wolfsburg have lodged a bid for Liverpool forward Milan Jovanovic, though the Serb has vowed to muscle his way back into the first-string at Anfield…

• Blackpool boss Ian Holloway has batted away rumours that he has put such a high valuation on midfielder Charlie Adam because a clause in his contract entitles him to a percentage of the final transfer fee…

• Two transfers went through yesterday. Firstly, Chelsea starlet Gael Kakuta joined Fulham on loan and, secondly, Swiss international Valon Behrami finally completed a permanent move from West Ham to Fiorentina…

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Morning all. Throughout January Soccerlens is going to be bringing you a daily round-up of the morning’s various goings-on. Be it juicy morsels of spurious transfer gossip or real, actual bona fide news, rest assured, we’ll have it covered.

Here’s this morning’s batch.

Chelsea quash ‘Atleti double swoop’ rumours…

Reports in the Spanish press yesterday were carrying quotes supposedly attributed to Miguel Angel Gil, in which Atletico Madrid’s majority shareholder claimed that Chelsea had made a €60 million double bid for striker Sergio Aguero and centre-back Diego Godin.

Sadly, as with the vast majority of articles that emanate from the Spanish press circles, it seems as though either Gil was fibbing or that the newspapers responsible were peddling their usual line in horse-cock and poppy-feathers – with a Chelsea spokesman later confirming that the club were unwilling to even acknowledge such ‘wild transfer speculation’.

So…that’s a ‘no’ then, is it?

Liverpool’s Suarez deal lurches on…

The Daily Telegraph seem fairly certain that Luis Suarez is set to hold talks with the Ajax board in an effort to persuade the Dutch club to ease up on their £30 million valuation of him – a meaty price tag that is undoubtedly impeding his vaunted move to Liverpool.

The Premier League club would apparently prefer not to breach the £20 million mark for the Uruguayan, though their opening bid of just £12.7 million was deemed laughably inadequate by the Ajax hierarchy.

In further Liverpool news, Blackpool have slapped a whacking great £12 million price tag on Charlie Adam‘s head, and with King Kenny and his associates not willing to go any higher than £5 million for the Scottish midfielder, it looks as though the staunchly recalcitrant Ian Holloway may be about to get his way after all.

Adebayor seals Bernabeu switch…

Emmanuel Adebayor‘s patchy Manchester City career was brought to a temporary end last night, when the Togolese target man finally completed his on/off loan switch to Real Madrid.

So said the Spanish giants:

“Real Madrid and Manchester City have reached a deal that will see Emmanuel Adebayor play on loan for the former club.

The player will remain at Real Madrid until the end of the current season, at which point the club hold a unilateral option to purchase the player.”

Adebayor is now due in Madrid today for a routine medical.

Babel-ing on…

Speaking of wayward forwards, Liverpool wastrel Ryan Babel has officially completed his move to Hoffenheim after signing a two-and-a-half-year contract, according to a statement posted yesterday evening on behalf of the German club.

The Reds accepted a £6 million bid for the Dutchman last week, but the deal appeared to be wavering until late on Monday when the player flew out to finalise contract details.

Just before ‘close of play’ yesterday, Hoffenheim’s posted the following update on their official website, www.achtzehn99.de:

“[Babel] signed on Tuesday a contract for two-and-a-half years until June 30th, 2013 (plus an option for another year).”

Bye bye Babs, you won’t be missed.

The best of the rest…

• Arsenal are hoping PSG centre-half Mamadou Sakho will be the man to solve their defensive woes, and are willing to go as high as £12 million to land the French international…

• Manchester United hope to open contract talks with Patrice Evra earlier than initially planned after learning that Real Madrid are keeping a keen eye on developments at Old Trafford…

• Sunderland are hoping to bring in Frederic Piquionne, Sulley Muntari and Stephane Sessegnon before the transfer window closes…

• Aston Villa are on the verge of flogging hopeless misfit Stephen Ireland to Newcastle and have sounded out Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas as his direct replacement…

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Morning all. Throughout January Soccerlens is going to be bringing you a daily round-up of the morning’s various goings-on. Be it juicy morsels of spurious transfer gossip or real, actual bona fide news, rest assured, we’ll have it covered.

Here’s this morning’s batch.

Drog days are over…

There’s a bit of a rip-snorter doing the rounds in this morning’s gossip columns, in which Chelsea’s misfiring heavyweight Didier Drogba is the latest name being linked with the vacant striker’s position over at Real Madrid.

Several sources (including the Times) are suggesting that Drogba may be one of the big-name casualties of Roman Abramovich‘s summer overhaul at Stamford Bridge anyway, with the Daily Mirror reporting that Real coach Jose Mourinho has caught wind of this and is now running the rule over a cheeky bid for his former talisman after balking at Emmanuel Adebayor‘s £15 million price tag.

Question is, would the Drog come any cheaper?

Comolli’s on the case…

The Sun seem to reckon that Liverpool’s chief football strategist Damien Comolli is flying out to Amsterdam as we speak to meet with Ajax striker Luis Suarez and his representatives and give them the ‘hard sell’ over a move to Anfield.

If everything goes to plan and Comolli justifies his contrived job title, then the red-top are prophesizing that a £20 million deal will finally be struck between the two parties before the week is out.

However, should negotiations fall through, there is also talk of a ‘plan B’ being on the cards, i.e. a £6 million bid for PSG forward Guillaume Hoarau.

Adam, but lost ‘im…

On the subject of Liverpool, it seems that the club are edging closer bit-by-bit to spiriting Charlie Adam away from Blackpool’s collective grasp, though the Seasiders have vowed to fight until the very end to keep hold of their influential midfielder.

The Mirror seem certain that Adam asked his manager Ian Holloway for permission to join King Kenny’s revolution before their game at Sunderland over the weekend, only to be talked out of handing in a written transfer request by the increasingly cantankerous Blackpool boss.

With Liverpool apparently ready to go as high as £5 million, this particular strand looks set to rumble on until the last few hours of the window.

Lass to the Lane, Roman to Real?…

Tottenham have been told that they will need to stump up £18 million if they hold any reasonable chance of landing French anchor Lassana Diarra from Real Madrid before the end of the month – with the Spanish giants reluctant to let the midfielder leave the club on loan.

However, there is talk of a short-term loan deal for Roman Pavlyuchenko potentially being thrown into the mix as ballast – which Spurs hope will knock Diarra’s asking price down by a couple of quid at the very least.

The best of the rest…

• AC Milan have completed the signing of Dutch left-back Urby Emanuelson from Ajax on a four-and-a-half-year deal…

• Arsenal have officially confirmed their interest in Southampton’s £10 million-rated wunderkind Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, though Arsene Wenger has vowed that he won’t pay over the odds for the prodigious forward…

• Chelsea are still hoping to sign David Luiz from Benfica, but are still haggling over Paulo Ferreira‘s value as they attempt to offset the Portuguese side’s weighty £26 million valuation…

• Sunderland are very close to wrapping up the £4 million signing of Stoke striker Ricardo Fuller, and may also make an audacious bid for Porto frontman Hulk as they look to restock their attacking options…

• In further Sunderland news, Inter midfielder Sulley Muntari is now all but certain to join the Black Cats on loan within the next few days…

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Morning all. Throughout January Soccerlens is going to be bringing you a daily round-up of the morning’s various goings-on. Be it juicy morsels of spurious transfer gossip or real, actual bona fide news, rest assured, we’ll have it covered.

Here’s this morning’s batch.

West Ham need Bendtner…like a hole in the head…

In a bid to steady the particularly tumultuous ship at Upton Park, it looks like the West Ham board are keen on bringing in a few level-headed, calming influences in the next few weeks, namely Arsenal’s ego-drenched, donkey-in-residence Nicklas Bendtner.

The Telegraph are reporting that the Hammers have enquired as to the stroppy Danish forward’s availability, only to find that he is indeed for sale, but only for 15 million of your English pounds.

Avoid, avoid, for God’s sake, avoid!

Samba football…

Chiefly due to Thomas Vermaelen‘s shimmering mirage of an Achilles injury, Arsenal have no defence. That is an indisputable fact, and a fact that is obviously not lost on the rumour-mongers of this fair isle.

With every new dawn comes a fresh wave of potential candidates that manager Arsene Wenger is apparently mulling over, with the express intent of plugging the gaping holes in his back-line, and this shrill winter’s morn is no different – though a little more prosaic.

According to the Daily Mirror, the ever prudent Wenger is lining up a cut-price deal for Blackburn’s towering man-mountain Chris Samba, after shirking at Bolton’s £16+ million valuation of Gary Cahill.

Samba is known to have been unsettled by Sam Allardyce‘s unceremonious dismissal at Ewood Park, and is thought to be looking to walk out on the club at the first available opportunity – though the Mirror seem to think that it may still cost Arsenal upwards of £10 million to successfully land the towering Frenchman.

Liverpool still on Suarez’s tail…

There are several conflicting reports in this morning’s press concerning Ajax forward Luis Suarez‘s prospective move to Liverpool, with suggestions of a ‘obscenely’ large offer being requested by the Dutch side sitting happily alongside talk of a cut-price deal being just around the corner.

TalkSPORT seem certain that the Reds have been put off by Ajax’s astronomical asking price and will now explore the possibility of signing Anderlecht starlet Romelu Lukaku, whilst several of the bigger papers think that Ryan Babel will duck a transfer to Bundesliga outfit Hoffenheim (Liverpool formally accepted a bid yesterday afternoon) in the hope that he will be used as a makeweight in a swap deal for Suarez.

The short answer? No-one’s got a friggin’ clue what’s going on!

Prem pair in for Camoranesi…

Both Newcastle and Birmingham are thought to be vying for the signature of former Juventus midfielder, Mauro Camoranesi, after the World Cup-winner was informed that he is now deemed as ‘surplus to requirements’ at current club Stuttgart.

Stuttgart director Fredi Bobic has vowed to ‘not put anything in Camoranesi’s way’ in the be-ponytailed veteran’s bid to secure new employers, after the 34-year-old failed to settle convincingly during his short spell in Germany.

New contract for Giggs?…

Manchester United chief exec David Gill has revealed that he is planning to open contract renewal talks with 37-year-old Ryan Giggs at some point over the next few weeks.

Giggs, who is within spitting distance of completing a 20-year run in the first-team at Old Trafford, is approaching the end of his current deal at United, but Gill is keen to keep him at the club for another season:

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he extends his contract for another season.

“That will be addressed in the next month or so. He has been playing well, keeps himself in great shape and is a wonderful advert for the modern footballer.”

The Welshman made his 600th league appearance for the United against Tottenham on Sunday, leading manager Sir Alex Ferguson to brand him an ‘incredible human being’.

The best of the rest…

• There were three transfers officially completed before the close of play yesterday. South African winger Steven Pienaar opted for Tottenham over Chelsea (£3 million), Aston Villa obliterated their transfer record to sign Darren Bent from Sunderland (£18 million, rising to £24 million), and Blackburn signed American midfielder Jermaine Jones on loan from Schalke.

• Middlesbrough defender (and supposed Liverpool and Arsenal target) David Wheater is expected to complete a £4 million switch to Bolton later today…

• From deep within their evil underground lair, Real Madrid have apparently targeted Emmanuel Adebayor, Carlos Tevez and/or Robin van Persie as the three men they want to solve their current striking deficit.

• Fulham are hoping to announce the loan capture of minuscule Man City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips later this week.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Comments made to a Dutch newspaper by Liverpool’s Ryan Babel have sparked speculation that the surplus winger may be about to seal a loan move back to former club Ajax which would, in turn, essentially provide his parent club with the necessary leverage to complete a deal for the Amsterdam side’s toothsome striker, one Luis Suarez – who also doubles as a fine shot-stopper on his day.

Fresh from Twittering his way to a £10,000 fine from the FA, Babel is quoted as telling De Telegraaf:

“The transfer of Luis Suarez to Liverpool opens the door for me to go back to Ajax.

If Liverpool and Ajax, [possibly] in combination with Luis, can reach an agreement over me then I will surely come to the club.

For the chance to play [regularly], I am willing to settle for far less pay.

I know the club, know the style and played with a couple of players [whilst I was] at Amsterdam and with the Dutch national team.

For a player of my age it is important to be playing week in week out.”

With Liverpool increasingly desperate to recruit players with any semblance of goal-scoring prowess, Suarez seems to the perfect fit – having scored a schiesse-load of goals at an arse-end-of-the-Premier League/Championship level (i.e. the Eredivisie of the past several years) for most of his career.

On the other hand, Babel (contrary to what his dwindling mass of defendants would have you believe) strikes me as a ‘busted flush’ who will never intrinsically be any better than he is now.

It’s high-time for Liverpool to chalk off that particular £11-odd million as a ‘technical miscalculation’ and just move on.

However, before we get too far ahead ourselves, it’s worth also mentioning that Tottenham are believed to have made tentative enquiries regarding the potential acquisition of Suarez, having deployed a phalanx of scouts to monitor the Uruguayan over the course of the last couple on months.

No official word has been forthcoming from the Spurs’ camp, though several well-placed sources are claiming to have the inside track on an €18 million package being put together behind the scenes at White Hart Lane, with which the club hope to land the 23-year-old forward and his considerable services.

Suarez himself is also being tagged by all and sundry as ‘desperate’ to leave the Amsterdam Arena at the first available opportunity, after being miffed by the club’s apparent unwillingness to appeal against the seven-match ban he picked up in November for biting – yes, biting – PSV defender Otman Bakkal on his fleshy bits.

Oh, the plethora of unsubstantiated joys afforded to us by the transfer window.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

There’s a particular line of thinking which suggests that ‘everybody likes a dust-up’ once in a while, no more so than this decuplet of scrappers, snarlers, biters, scratchers and degenerate ne’er-do-wells.

Soccerlens presents: The top 10 fighting footballers (in no particular order…)

1. Luis Suarez:

In late November, Ajax forward Suarez was handed a weighty seven-match ban by the KNVB for leaving an imprint of his rather equine dentistry on PSV defender Otman Bakkal‘s clavicle fleshy when the two clubs met the week previous.

The Uruguayan scoundrel had already accepted a two-match suspension from Ajax after the club reviewed video footage of the incident, but the Dutch disciplinary authorities deemed the ‘unneccesarily violent’ incident to be serious enough to warrant additional sanctioning.

Suarez then blamed ‘tiredness’ for the assault.

2. Joey Barton:

Where to start? When not lashing out petulantly at Norwegian wingers, delivering ‘frenzied’ training-ground attacks to the backs of his teammates’ heads, doing time at her Majesties’ pleasure, stubbing cigars out in youth-team players’ eyes, grabbing his balls and calling opposing strikers ‘poofs’… etc… etc, Barton can be found (using CCTV) thrashing the living daylights out of teenagers in Liverpool city centre.

Will he ever clean up his act? Will he b*ll*cks.

Gobby git: Rijkaard spits in Voller's hair

3. Frank Rijkaard:

He’s a gobber, is our Frank. After 20 minutes of the second-round Italia ’90 game between Holland and Germany, the tousled Dutchman went in rather industriously on German striker Rudi Voller and the spat – if you’ll excuse the pun – escalated from there.

Having already seen an unsuccessful phlegm missile sail wide of the mark, Rijkaard took umbrage at Voller’s lunge at Dutch ‘keeper Hans van Breukelen and, after a heated confrontation which saw both players sent-off, let fly with a sneaky second globule that arched through the ether before nestling sweetly within Voller’s dense mullet.

4. Eric Cantona:

The Manchester United pseud karate-kicked a goading spectator in the face. What more needs to be said?

Defoe sinks his teeth into Mascherano's fleshy bits

5. Jermain Defoe:

Nurse, we have another biter. Having been unscrupulously felled by West Ham midfielder Javier Mascherano in 2006, Tottenham striker Defoe vented his frustration in the only way his tiny brain could fathom – by having a piqued nibble on the Argentine’s bicep.

After Mascherano have finished his ‘shark-attack’ charade, the Spurs hotshot was booked – but only for ‘aggressive behaviour’, leaving the FA powerless to administer any post-game discipline.

6. Roy Keane:

It was Keane’s relentless commitment that got him to the top, but it was his malevolent, distant and utterly myopic anger that constantly threatened to undermine him at every turn – perhaps the best example of which being his horrific, pre-meditated ‘revenge assault’ on Man City midfielder Alfe-Inge Haaland in 2001.

Back in 1997, Haaland (then of Leeds) spent an entire match trying to incite Keane into picking up a booking or two. In his attempts to trip the Norwegian, Keane caught his studs in the Elland Road turf and severed his cruciate ligament.

In his now-infamous autobiography, Keane remembers the incident with vivid intensity:

“I actually heard my cruciate ligament snap. The pain was instant and agonising. Haaland stood over me shouting, ‘Get up, stop faking it’. Few days passed when I didn’t think about Alfie Haaland.”

Four long years later, Keane saw his chance for revenge:

“Now he had the ball on the far touchline. Alfie was taking the p*ss. I’d waited long enough. I hit him hard….Take that. And don’t ever stand over me again sneering about fake injuries.

I didn’t wait for [David] Elleray to show the card. I turned and walked to the dressing room.”

If that’s not serial killer thinking, then I don’t know what is.

Bowyer and Dyer come to blows on the pitch

7. Lee Bowyer:

The seemingly reformed/matured Birmingham midfielder’s early-career rap sheet is chock full with a myriad of offences of varying magnitude.

Bowyer has tested positive for cannabis, been fined for throwing a chair in McDonald’s, fined for a ‘breach of club discipline’ whilst at Leeds, accused (and later acquitted) of grievous bodily harm relating to a fight with an Asian student, charged with affray and banned for six matches on two separate occasions but his crowning glory was to come in 2005.

With Newcastle already down to ten men and 3-0 down to Aston Villa in front of a baying home crowd, Bowyer attacked teammate Kieron Dyer in the middle of the St James’ pitch before the sparring pair were separated by team-mates.

Bowyer received one of the aforementioned ‘six week’ fines, then both players were forced to appear at a humiliating press conference in order to apologise to the Toon support.

8. David Navarro:

During Valencia’s knock-out Champions League tie with Inter Milan in 2007, unused substitute Navarro emerged during an on-pitch brawl brought on by Nicola Burdisso‘s swipe at Los Che defender Claudio Marchena – and swiftly belted the Argentinian centre-back in the face, breaking his nose in the process.

Cue a ‘Benny Hill-style’ chase down the tunnel.

Bellamy practises his swing after attacking Riise

9. Craig Bellamy:

Since 2000, lippy Welsh forward Bellamy has moved between eight different clubs, failing to convincingly settle at any – which should come as no surprise, considering he is one of the most fractious and intrinsically unlikeable characters to grace the modern game.

In 2007, during his 12-month stint at Liverpool, Bellamy was so irked by teammates John Aarne Riise’s refusal to partake in a round of pre-season karaoke, that the incensed striker took the logical step of bursting into the left-back’s hotel room in the middle of the night and setting about him with a golf club – an assault he then replicated whilst celebrating his goal against Barcelona in the very next game.

10. Diego Maradona:

Back in May of 1984, El Diego Loco (who was playing for Barcelona at the time) took it upon himself to exact justice on the entire Athletic Bilbao squad during the Spanish Cup final for the heinous injury he had sustained nearly six months earlier, thanks to Basque defender Andoni ‘The Butcher’ Goikoetxea – who shattered the diminutive Argentinian’s ankle with a vicious, pre-meditated foul during September of the previous year.

The fight really erupted when the irate Maradona swung his knee into the neck of Miguel Sola, leaving the Bilbao midfielder unconscious, which duly precipitated all manner of hellish scenes – which left the Bernabeu pitch smeared in blood.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Danny Blind………wasn’t he that Dutch bloke with the dodgy perm who brought down Paul Ince for the penalty at Euro 96?

It seems the current AFC Ajax Director of football is remembered more for his resemblance of a Harry Enfield sketch than his playing career.

A complete travesty if you ask me.

The team of the nineties was undoubtedly Ajax Amsterdam. The six year tenure of the then coach Luis Van Gaal, brought the most complete football team I had ever seen.

The Dutch masters boasted names such as Rijkaard, Davids, Litmanen, the De Boar twins, Kluviert, Overmars and played the game in text book fashion. The success of Ajax was most notable during the 1994/1995 season where they claimed the Dutch League Championship and European Cup, going unbeaten throughout in both competitions.

The Captain and lynchpin of this team? It was that bloke with the dodgy perm who brought down Paul Ince for the penalty at Euro 96.

Danny Blind began his professional football career with Sparta Rotterdam and made 165 appearances for the club over a seven year spell.

Following the 1985/1986 season, the then Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven managed to lure the unsettled and out of contract Ajax defender Ronald Koeman to the club. Koeman, an established International at the time. left a gapping hole in the Amsterdam clubs backline with the move.

This void was to be filled by the relatively unknown Sparta Rotterdam defender Danny Blind, much to the anger of the clubs star man and striking legend, Marco Van Basten.

Van Basten was aghast at why the then coach Johan Cruyff had replaced the impressive Koeman with an untried player at the highest level instead of splashing the cash on a big name.

Van Basten didn’t stick around long enough to eat his words as the following season he was signed by Italian giants AC Milan. Blind, signed by Cruyff would become a colossal at Ajax another four managers down the line under the leadership of Van Gaal.

Van Gaal saw in Blind what Cruyff discovered 5 years previous and the new Ajax chief built a side and a legacy around the stylish centre half.

Blind’s passing of a football and calm manner on the field typified the Dutch style. Van Gaal was to install this style in his Ajax team and with the young attacking powers breaking through, Blind became a solid foundation to accommodate the likes of Kluivert. Many trophies followed and many records were broken.

Ajax have since been unable to come anywhere near the success achieved under Van Gaal. Following the European cup success in 1995, Ajax began to decline with the bosman ruling and the eventual manager’s departure.

With a large number of their stars heading to Barcelona, where Van Gaal joined them after his contract in Amsterdam expired, Ajax where left with a shell of the great team that had worn the red and white over the previous six years.

Danny Blind remained at large though, picking up a further league title and two more KNVB cups, never donning the shirt of another team other than his Ajax.

When people look back to remember that great Ajax team of the nineties it is the names of Kluivert, Litmanen and Overmars that immediately spring to mind.

Most people overlook the captain, the man who is still the only Dutchman in history to win all five International club competitions recognised by UEFA and FIFA (European Cup, European Cup Winners Cup, UEFA Cup, Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup), a feat only achieved by four other professionals in the history of the game.

Danny Blind may have been an unknown left back playing for the modest Sparta Rotterdam until the mid eighties but John Cruyff, Ajax’s most famous name, gave him an opportunity and Blind took it, becoming another club legend in the process.

Perm or not this truly was a great footballer.

David Cockcroft is a contributor to soccerlens.com and editor of the blog site Silver Fox. (www.silverfox.blog.co.uk). You can follow David Cockcroft on Twitter.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

If reports on UEFA.com are to be believed then Barcelona may just have pulled off one of the bargains of the past few seasons yesterday evening, with the announcement that the Catalan club have struck a deal with PSV that will see highly-rated young midfielder Ibrahim Affelay move to Spain in January for the princely sum of €3 million.

The following statement appeared on fcbarcelona.es at close of play yesterday:

“PSV Eindhoven and Barcelona have reached an agreement on a deal to bring Ibrahim Afellay to Barca, subject to successfully settling personal terms between the player and the Catalan club over the coming weeks.

Until the deal is finally settled, Ibrahim Afellay wishes to concentrate on the upcoming important games for PSV.”

Afellay is yet to agree personal terms with Barca, but judging by the player’s positive reaction to the mutual agreement reached between the two clubs being reported today in various Spanish newspapers, a formal announcement of the transfer should only be a matter of time in coming.

El Mundo Deportivohave quoted Afellay as saying:

“Barcelona are fantastic, a great club and a great team. No player would say no to Barcelona.”

Whilst Sport, another Catalan-based newspaper, are running with the following:

 “I’ve never been to the Nou Camp, neither as a fan or as a player and it’s a dream for me to play there, I’m very eager to make my debut at the Nou Camp.

I really enjoy watching Barca on television. Everybody does because they play very attractive football and are very nice to watch.”

And, when asked what position he sees himself playing in Pep Guardiola’s well stocked team, the 24-year-old Dutchman said:

“The truth is that I don’t mind where I play, if it’s in the centre of the pitch, in attack or on the wing. I will play where the coach needs me.”

With the likes of Lionel Messi, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Pedro Rodriguez to dispose, it’s more than likely that he will probably be getting firmly acquainted with the benches at the Camp Nou from the outset.

Afellay’s contract with PSV was due to expire at the end of the season and he publicly announced that he would not be willing to renew his deal at the Phillips Stadion last month (pricking up the ears of most of Europe’s elite in the process), after spending his entire career to date with PSV.

As such, the Dutch giants began to seek potential suitors with the express intent of recouping at least some small fraction of the market worth of a player they have succesfully nurtured from the age of 10 until the present day.

More to the point, does this mean that Barcawill finally stop publicly haranguing Arsenal into selling Cesc Fabregas? Personally, I somehow doubt it.

Also see: Ibrahim Afellay’s Other Half: Dorien Rose.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News