Fernando Torres, once renowned as one of the most feared strikers in world football now finds himself in a disastrous situation. Almost one year since his record breaking £50 million move to Chelsea, Torres has scored mere 5 goals i.e. cost £10 million per goal. The blues have been patient but not anymore as the reports suggest the Londoners are ready to sell him for £20 million. Where will the Spaniard go from here?

Manchester:

Surely Manchester City can afford Torres’s wages but they already have three top quality strikers in Aguero, Balotelli and Dzeko all in form so why sign a flop one.  Adding to that the Spaniard wants to play and at City he will only be able to make the bench warmer than he has been doing for Chelsea.

Sir Alex already has one problem sitting in the form of Berbatov, adding Torres to that, very unlikely. Besides United are not looking to spend much this winter, in case they do then by all means the priority should be a central midfield player. From Torres’s view point, the Liverpool connections might stop him from joining the Devils. Betrayed once for joining Chelsea and turned miserable, the second time he might just be cursed for life by the Liverpool fans.

North London

Harry Redknapp likes to sign players that are unhappy or unwanted at their clubs. Van Der Vaart, Adebayor, Robbie Keane, Jermaine Defoe etc. Torres well unwanted and unhappy, still he is beyond Tottenham’s pay bracket. They just won’t pay over the odds.

The scenario is quite similar with Tottenham’s closest rival Arsenal. Gunners did not bother listening Samir Nasri’s cry of increasing his salary equal to Fabregas’s £110,000 a week, never mind talking about £150,000 for Torres. Let’s say Torres will agree to take a pay cut but to what extent? He earned £110,000 at Liverpool, Arsenal surely not interested.

Liverpool

The fans are divided on this subject. Ever heard of a saying “Form is temporary, Class is permanent” maybe that’s not applicable on Chelsea flops? Some say Liverpool is the only club to get his confident back and start firing goals that the Reds have been missing largely. Others have the word “traitor” engraved in their minds forever when they hear his name. Kenny Dalglish has done a fantastic job of changing the dressing room environment which has been negative for quite some time. Again Torres return might badly influence that.

Spain

Being loyal to Atletico, Torres hates Real Madrid. Never mind, they don’t want him. Barcelona have the best Spanish striker in their ranks, signing currently the worst one not in their plans. All others cannot afford his salary except Malaga, but then did he not want to play for a “big club” or for now he just wants to play.

Others

Torres once claimed he’d like to play for Milan but the Rossoneri do not buy players lately, they only want them on loan. Never heard any flying rumors coming from Russia, Anzhi? Lastly PSG, if they can look to sign 36 years old Beckham for not so footballing purpose then why not Torres as he is Spain’s most marketable player.

David Villa, Fernando Llorente and Roberto Soldado are all there and realistically Torres as a bench warmer for blues will not guarantee his place in the Spanish squad for Euro 2012. It is not just that Chelsea have to sell him for their good, but Torres must leave for his.

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From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Saturday’s El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid lived up to all expectations; there was passion, spell-bounding skill and goals – the only thing missing was the heavily anticipated Madrid victory. Pep Guardiola’s European champions are not ready to hand over the Primera Division crown to their bitter rivals just yet, as an Alexis Sanchez strike, a Marcelo own goal and a Cesc Fabregas header gave the Catalans a deserved 3-1 victory.

With Jose Mourinho’s men top of the Spanish top flight by three points having played a game less and winning their last 15 fixtures in all competitions in menacing fashion, the stage was set for a change in power in the country and the continent. When Victor Valdes inexplicably gave possession away within the first minute and Karim Benzema converted from close range to give Los Blancos a 1-0 lead after 22 seconds, Madrid were ready to overtake their age-old rivals. However, this Barcelona team, as so many times in the last three years, collected themselves and showed world football just why they are the best club team on the planet.

After a mesmerising run and through-ball by Lionel Messi, Alexis Sanchez displayed a clinical finish under pressure to level things up. Madrid were rocked and needed half time. The second half saw the Blaugrana emerge from the tunnel as the team we have all come to love, applaud and fear, and complete dominance in the second half resulted in a comfortable victory.

Barca’s second goal did have a touch of fortune as Xavi’s shot deflected off Marcelo and the post to give the visitors the lead. Despite this, Barcelona were simply too good for their star-studded opponents in the second period, and their familiar brand of possession football had the Madristas chasing the ball like a bunch of schoolboys. The killer blow came as a sweeping counter attack resulted in Dani Alves delivering an inch-perfect cross for Fabregas to head home, and condemn the home team to defeat.

Messi was mercurial and at the heart of everything in the Camp Nou side’s attack, linking up with his midfield confidants Xavi and Andres Iniesta to blistering effect, and looking almost unstoppable every time he received the ball to feet. Pep Guardiola made a brave decision to select Sanchez for his first Clasico ahead of established European champion David Villa, but his decision proved to be a masterclass, as the Chile international forward hounded and plagued the home defence throughout. At the back Carles Puyol displayed as good a defensive performance as has been seen in recent times, as he, at times single-handedly, snuffed out everything Madrid had to throw at Barca.

With Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo up for this year’s Ballon d’Or, the 90 minutes in the Spanish capital should put any doubters over who the winner should be to bed. The Portuguese attacker missed two glaring opportunities and proved largely ineffectual throughout, whilst the Argentine gave a masterclass in a highly-pressurised environment to once more prove his mantle as the best footballer on this planet.

With Iniesta and Messi still attacking in the dying moments of the clash, Madrid were lucky to escape with only a two-goal deficit, as Barca could and probably should have scored more than their three goals. The teams were worlds apart in the second half; and despite all the hype surrounding the likes of Angel di Maria, Mesut Ozil and Ronaldo, the trio were completely and utterly toothless. Barca’s almost telepathic understanding between their midfield players, ability to completely dominate possession and pass their opponents to submission shows that the European champions should not be questioned; they are still at their unrelenting best.

If Madrid win their game in hand they will still lead La Liga by three points, but Mourinho and his men will be demoralised by the nature of their thorough defeat. Madrid can still win the Spanish top flight this season, but one thing has been proven in their defeat on Saturday; Barcelona are still Europe’s top team and will take some beating this term.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Don’t miss Real Madrid v Barcelona, live on ESPN Deportes on Saturday, December 10 at 4PM ET.

The first El Clasico of the 2011-12 season sees Barcelona’s Spanish dominance over the last three seasons set to be thoroughly challenged by Real Madrid. The quality, passion and electric atmosphere of a contest between Spain’s top two teams will be present as always when the duo meet, but this fixture has the potential to swing the balance of power in the country and the continent.

Barcelona have been untouchable, mesmerizing and victorious at home and abroad over the last three years, but are showing signs of inconsistency and have not been at their menacing best this term, whilst Madrid are top of the standings and ready to wrestle the crown back from their bitter rivals. A mouth-watering match in the offing, football doesn’t get much better anywhere in the world than this.

The hosts are looking as dangerous and on-form as a Madrid team have over the last ten years, and sit top of La Liga with 12 wins from 14 games; Los Blancos are three points ahead of Barca and have played a game less. A 3-0 win over Ajax at the Amsterdam Arena on Wednesday night made it a club record 15 victories in a row for the Santiago Bernabeu giants, and Jose Mourinho’s men go into the game more prepared, motivated and ready than in any Clasico fixture in the recent memory. The Portuguese coach’s winning mentality and inability to accept second best has rubbed off on his team, as ‘The Special One’ looks to replicate his dominant track record with Porto, Chelsea and Inter in the Spanish capital.

Mourinho’s countryman Cristiano Ronaldo will continue his personal battle with Lionel Messi on Saturday, as the debate to whom the best footballer on the planet is rages on. Both players are in the offing for the 2011 Ballon d’Or, and the ex-Manchester United attacker will look to stake his claim by leading the hosts to victory. Midfield lynchpin Xabi Alonso will return from suspension in a massive boost for the home team, whilst Mourinho has a tough decision to make in deciding whether to go for the combative Lassana Diarra alongside the Spain international, or the more creative and attacking minded Mesut Ozil. If Madrid win they will increase their lead at the top of the Primera Division to six points with a game in hand, and receive a massive boost going into the new year.

With three consecutive La Liga titles and two Champions League triumphs in three years, Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona team will go down in history as one of the greats. However, Guardiola’s genius is set to best tested, as the game on Saturday is arguably the biggest challenge the former midfielder has faced in his coaching career to date. With a world-class opponent and a hostile reception guaranteed, Barcelona will need to be at their best to leave the Spanish capital with three points. With Madrid’s current ruthless streak, the Blaugrana will know that they can ill-afford to let their age-old rivals get too far ahead in the race for the title, as even though it is early in the season they may not be caught.

Despite drawing more games than they would like this season, Barcelona have the same personnel and winning mentality that has made them deserved champions over recent campaigns. Madrid will need to breach the tightest rearguard in the Spanish top flight; Barca have only conceded seven goals in 15 La Liga games this season, and will be boosted by the inclusion of pivotal centre back Gerard Pique. The usual midfield suspects such as Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and the third Ballon d’Or contender Xavi, will look to dominate possession and starve their amped-up opponents of the ball, whilst feeding their sprightly forward line. Guardiola has a decision to make in terms of whether to play 2010-11 mainstay David Villa or exciting summer signing Alexis Sanchez, whilst all eyes, as usual will be on Lionel Messi.

Madrid go into the game as slight favourites, but small margins will settle what should be a scintillating game of football. Barcelona will be asked to prove their mantle of champions in the most daunting environment, whilst Real Madrid have to state their case that they are ready to eclipse a team of a generation in the form of their most bitter rivals.

Don’t miss Real Madrid v Barcelona, live on ESPN Deportes on Saturday, December 10 at 4PM ET.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

There’s only one more month left in 2011, and it looks like the year will go out with a real bang from a football standpoint.

December features several must-see matches, with a few that will have title implications on top of deciding bragging rights between fierce rivals.

Watch the best of Premier League action this Christmas with Sky HD. Already have Sky? Upgrade to Sky Sports online and save £5. Get Sky HD or upgrade to Sky Sports now.

La Liga: Real Madrid v Barcelona

Few matches on the calendar from here to May will match the anticipation and importance of the two Clasicos.

The importance of the first showdown, which kicks off at 9:00 pm BST on the 10th, may have been amped up even further with Barcelona’s weekend defeat at Getafe, which, combined with Real’s 4-1 win over city rivals Atletico Madrid, sees Real Madrid with a six-point lead at the top through 13 rounds.

Due to their participation in the Club World Cup, Barcelona have two league matches before their visit to the Bernabeu, while Real have one, with their game in hand being on the 17th, a home tie against Espanyol. Provided results go as expected in those matches, a win over Barca could position Real to have a nine-point lead when La Liga play resumes in January.

And though there will be more than 20 rounds left in the season, it’s very difficult to see Barca being able to overcome such a deficit.

On the other hand, if Barca are able to continue their recent dominance of Real, they will at worst be three points back if the other results go as expected, and that’s a far less daunting deficit.

At this point, however, you’d have to favor Real to triumph if there’s a winner in next month’s clash. Not only are the Galacticos in blistering form at the moment, Barcelona have struggled away from home this season, with two wins in six away league matches to date.

Saturday, 10th December 8:30pm on Sky Sports 4 and Sky Sports HD4.

English Premier League: Chelsea v Manchester City

All eyes will be on Stamford Bridge for a massive Monday night match-up, and a lot will be at stake when these two sides face off on 12/12, with the action getting underway at 8:00 pm BST.

Chelsea are currently 10 points behind Manchester City in the English Premier League table, but a win could kick-start a push to get back in the thick of the title mix. A draw, while it would not help their own cause, could help Manchester United, who are currently five back, and in-form Tottenham, who are seven back with a game in hand.

Meanwhile, a win for City would beef up their title credentials, even if the three points doesn’t see them put more distance between themselves and their closest challengers.

Monday, 12th December 7:00pm on Sky Sports 1, Sky Sports HD1 and Sky 3D.

English Premier League: Manchester City v Arsenal

This match will be one to watch no matter what happens in the above match, but if Chelsea down the league leaders at home, City’s visit from Arsenal the following Sunday will be made all the more important.

Arsenal missed a chance to make up some ground on City and United this past weekend, as they surprisingly drew at home against Fulham. However, the Gunners had won five Premier League matches in a row prior to that stumble, including a 5-3 win at Chelsea in October, so their chances of getting a result at City can’t dismissed.

If City lose at Chelsea, or even draw, more dropped points against Arsenal could see things tighten quite a bit at the top. However, if City win at Chelsea, following it up with a home win over the Gunners could cement their status as title favorites, especially since they will have United, Spurs, Chelsea, and Liverpool all at home in the second half of the season.

Sunday, 18th December 4:00pm on Sky Sports 1, Sky Sports HD1 and Sky 3D.

English Premier League: Tottenham v Chelsea

In a rare Thursday night tie, the Premier League’s pre-Christmas slate will wrap up on the 22nd when London rivals Tottenham and Chelsea square off at White Hart Lane.

This is a vital match for both sides, as they are both trying to stay in the title conversation heading into the new year. Many still may not be taking Spurs too seriously, but continuing their current hot streak to and through this match could start convincing some of the skeptics that they are more contender than pretender.

For Chelsea, wins over City and Spurs could not only help them as far as the title race is concerned, but it will also take some pressure off of manager Andre Villas-Boas, who’s been under some heat in the first few months of his tenure at the club. At the same time, defeats in both of those matches will only turn up the pressure on AVB and leave Chelsea needing to make a big run in the second half of the season to come close to reaching Roman Abramovich’s minimum expectations.

Thursday, 22nd December 7:30pm on Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports HD1.

Scottish Premier League: Celtic v Rangers

As is the case every season, Rangers and Celtic are battling it out for the Scottish Premier League title, and the latest Old Firm derby could see momentum move definitively towards either side heading into the new year.

Only a little over a week ago, Rangers, the three-time defending champions, had a 12-point lead over Celtic. But with Rangers drawing at home against St. Johnstone and losing at Kilmarnock and Celtic scoring wins three wins in that span, at Inverness Caley Thistle and at home against Dunfermline and St. Mirren, the lead has been cut to four in a flash.

Both sides have four matches, two home and two away, before they meet on the 28th, and if the deficit remains the same going into the derby, Celtic could close the gap to one with a win, which could be quite a blow to Rangers’ confidence after having a sizable lead only a short time ago. But if Rangers can win at Hampden, it’d help restore some of the lead that they gave up, and it’d also be huge for their confidence going forward.

Wednesday, 28th December 7:00pm on Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports HD1.

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From Soccerlens.com - Football News

If you’re a football fan, there’s a lot to look forward to in the remainder of November, as we will see some of the game’s biggest names go head-to-head on multiple fronts over the next week-plus.

Watch the best of Premier League action this Christmas with Sky HD. Already have Sky? Upgrade to Sky Sports online and save £5. Get Sky HD or upgrade to Sky Sports now.

English Premier League: Liverpool v Manchester City

The big match-up of the weekend takes place at Anfield, as Liverpool host Manchester City on Sunday at 4:00 pm BST in a clash that shouldn’t be short on action.

City currently sit top of the English Premier League, whereas Liverpool are sixth, a whopping 12 points behind City. However, Liverpool are coming off of a vital 2-1 win at Chelsea, so their confidence should be very high. That’s not Liverpool first’s noteworthy win of the season, as they won at Arsenal in August, so they’re certainly capable of not only hanging with City but defeating them as well.

Sunday, 27th November 3:30pm on Sky Sports 1, Sky Sports HD 1 and Sky 3D.

Spanish La Liga: Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid

Real Madrid will host local rivals Atletico MAdrid on Saturday at the Santiago Benabeu. Real will hope to maintain the three point lead and Atletico will hope to take a step towards getting out of the middle of the table.

Despite featuring talented players like Fernando Torres, Sergio Aguero and Diego Forlan in the past, they have failed to beat their rivals as a vast gap of funds has come between them. If things are ever going to change in this rivalry, this is certainly not the time.

Real Madrid will be and should be able to maintain their three point lead ahead of the mighty Barcelona as the Catalans will lock horns with Getafe later in the same day.

Angel Di Maria is expected to return after he has been out since early November when he suffered an injury in the 7-1 stomping of Osasuna. Brazilian midfielder Diego will have to play a key role if Atletico wants to unsettle the Galacticos.

Saturday, 26th November 7:00pm on Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports HD 1.

Carling Cup: Arsenal v Manchester City

Next week marks the return of the Carling Cup, with the four quarterfinal matches set to take place on 29th and 30th November.

After their tough test at Liverpool, it doesn’t get any easier for Manchester City, as they must visit Arsenal in a Carling Cup quarterfinal, with the match kicking off at 8:00 pm BST. City haven’t won at Arsenal since a 3-2 win in October 1975, but if there’s ever a time and situation to do it, this is it.

But after a slow start, Arsenal have been one of the hottest teams in the Premier League, and they’ve been a strong team at home this season. And after falling agonizingly short of the trophy last season, you can be sure Arsenal won’t let the chance slip by this season, so the Gunners will certainly be gunning for the win at home.

Being that it’s the Carling Cup, we may not see either team put out the strongest starting XI possible, but we should still see quite a few notable names out there, so this should prove to be an exciting encounter.

Tuesday, 29th November 7:30pm on Sky Sports 2, Sky Sports HD 2 and Sky 3D.

Watch Live Football On Sky HD

Don’t miss out on any live Premier League games over the holidays – with Sky Go, you can watch live football wherever you are over the holiday season, on your iPad, iPhone or laptop. Get Sky Go.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

It seems that in almost every aspect of the game, two clubs dominate the footballing world. They are Spanish super heavyweights Real Madrid and Barcelona. Any team boasting multiple stars is said to echo Real’s Galactico era, while teams – from League Two to the K-League – are said to be a mini-Barcelona. Even the duopoly of Spain’s La Liga is now also increasingly becoming the template in other major European football leagues.

The two clubs are, in a very true and clichéd sense, storied, expecting every year to be contenders for UEFA Champions’ League title. Both teams appear stronger than last year. Only an idiot or a savant would predict against either side’s success and going by online bookmakers, these two will be contesting the Champions League final this year.

2011 Summer Transfers

Real Madrid have spent rather inconspicuously over the summer when compared to their past two sprees. The major buys were Turkey’s Nuri Sahin, of Borussia Dortmund; and Portugal whizz-kid Fabio Coentrao to reinforce the left side. Other purchases have been smaller (eg. Hamit Altintop) and aimed at providing depth at positions 15-25, rather than at supplying instant first-teamers. It seems José Mourinho is content with a power lineup; even Madridista rumour-mongers have been quiet. Impressive names (Canales, Adebayor, Garay, Dudek, Gago) were shunted through the Bernabéu’s exits, but only Adebayor and perhaps Garay had any hope of seeing significant minutes.

Barcelona have further strengthened their attacking prospects by signing Europe’s favourite Chilean, Alexis Sánchez. They also ended to the longest saga of unrequited love since Shakespeare and purchased Cesc Fabregas. These creative midfield and forward types arrive at the expense of youngsters Oriol Romeu, Jeffren, Keirrison and Bojan; while defenders Henrique and Gaby Milito have returned to South America. It’s unlikley that any of these players were to feature prominently – Keirrison and Romeu, especially – but Bojan provided a certain thickness to the squad. The defensive reserves have implied (rather than obvious) quality, meaning Barca’s backline looks oddly thinner on paper than on the field.

Squad structure

Barcelona’s squad has undergone their first summer without significant addition-by-subtraction since Pep Guardiola took over in 2008. In his first offseason in charge, he farewelled Deco and Ronaldinho, before the year after trading Samuel Eto’o and cash for Zlatan Ibrahimovic in hopes of giving Barca’s attack a different look. Ibrahimovic lasted only one year, replaced by David Villa. Their back four – which at times featured Javier Mascherano, looks especially susceptible to infirmity given their relative ages and lack of proven backups. Carles Puyol – half teddy-bear, half grizzly-bear – leads the defence alongside the best young Centre-back in the world, Gerard Piqué. In midfield, the Catalans are well-stocked; the forward corps will upon the incredible Lionel Messi, Villa and Sanchez to score goals.

Real’s defence highlights their effective central defenders, Ricardo Carvalho and Pepe. Carvalho, at 33, remains the commander of Los Merengues‘ defence and allows his counterpart to occasionally rampage further upfield. Carvalho’s ageing must be of concern to Mourinho, even given his recent retirement from international duty; should he be injured, replacements Raul Albiol and Raphael Varane (or Alvaro Arbeloa when Ramos shifts into the middle) will have more athleticism but less positional ability. Mourinho has often opted for 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 formations; this enables him to focus play through whirlwind talents Cristiano Ronaldo and Mesut Özil, who can then score or create for the likes of Gonzalo Higuain or Karim Benzema.

Champions’ League Group Stages

Both clubs perhaps breathed a little easier after the Champions’ League group stage draw. Real were dealt a trip to former bogey-team Olympique Lyonnais alongside a signficantly weakened Ajax and Dinamo Zagreb. All three clubs are adept, but imagining them defeating los blancos is an act of admirable and misguided fantasy. The travel involved in such a group is also quite reasonable.

Barcelona are faced with a lengthy away trip to BATE Borisov, as well as a matchup with Czech outfit FC Viktoria Plzen, whose stadium fits only 8,500 fans. A match against AC Milan without Guardiola’s arch-nemesis Zlatan Ibrahimovic looms as their first game; the return leg at Giuseppe Meazza on November 23 is their trickiest tie of the group stage.

How can these two clubs not succeed?

The questions for Real Madrid don’t concern their outfield, but goalkeeper and manager. Jose Mourinho has the chance to win the Champions’ League with a fourth club and appears driven almost to megalomania by the desire to defeat Barcelona. Should his personality become too much of a distraction, he could attract the attention of UEFA or even President Florentino Perez and find his club suddenly in the hands of a different, less able manager – temporarily or permanently.

Spain captain Iker Casillas has been his country’s best goalkeeper for almost the entire millennium. Defensive blunders for club and country have increased in recent seasons, indicating perhaps his powers as a goalkeeper could be on the wane. He’s still of the utmost quality, but one mishap in the second phase could be destructive.

It’s amazing that there are three linked questions for the popularly-acknowledged “Best Team in Europe’s history”; all concern Barcelona’s durability. Considering Abidal’s health and Puyol’s age, is their defence deep enough to stand up to another punishing campaign? Secondly, can they overcome the Curse of the Repeat and claim an unprecedented* second straight win? Thirdly, will Guardiola, who has made noises about the high levels of stress he is under, be the first one to burn out?

Barcelona and Madrid – alongside United and City, if you turn your head to the side and squint really hard – have the best teams in Europe, yet both appear to have their weaknesses in defence. Fortunately – or unfortunately, depending on your perception – both midfields are so strong that even weakened defences are likely to get absolutely the best protection. Both will make the semi-finals; this year’s Champions’ League victor is likely to again come from Spain.

* No team has repeated as winners of the Champions’ League since its inception in 1992-93; several teams won its predecessor, the European Cup, twice – or more – in a row.

Also See: Champions League Preview: Manchester Plots European Domination

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Spanish football is dying.

In 2007 La Liga had one of the most exciting title races in living memory as four teams had the possibility of winning the title, even with four rounds of matches still to play. Valencia fell away towards the end and Sevilla ran out of steam en route to winning the UEFA Cup (in an all-Spanish final against Espanyol) and Copa del Rey that year.

Juande Ramos’ swashbuckling Sevilla team was dismantled due to financial pressures as Dani Alves and Seydou Keita joined Barcelona. David Villa and Raul Albiol have both departed Valencia for Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively. Their subsequent replacements have not been in the same class.

Since then Spain has seen the international side and domestic sides win; one World Cup, one European Championship, European under-21 Championship, two Champions Leagues, one Europa League, three European Super Cups and one World Club Cup. Not a bad haul.

Viewed from a distance everything seems to be rosy in Spain but the silverware only masks a myriad of problems. The weekend of August 20 and 21 was scheduled to see the first day of the season after the summer break but matches were called off after the authorities failed to come to an agreement over the €50m plus that is owed to the 200 or so professionals. 

Clubs have got themselves into the predicament of not being able to pay their own players (and ex-players) because of the desperate attempt to try and compete with the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona. Both clubs claim a disproportionate share of television revenue while the rest fights for whatever cash they can get their hands on. Only clubs with big fan bases and stadiums such as Valencia, Sevilla and Atletico Madrid, or well run clubs like Villareal can realistically challenge for the remaining Champions League places.

In the past two seasons Valencia have finished third, a massive 25 and 21 points behind second placed Real Madrid and after one round of fixtures this season, that trend doesn’t look like changing. Real Madrid battered Real Zaragoza 6-0 and Barcelona thumped fellow Champions League contenders Villareal 5-0.

According to reports, 22 of the 42 teams in the top divisions started this season in administration. Some clubs debts have spiralled to be hundreds of millions of Euros and have had to sell players simply to balance their books. Valencia’s debt is reported to be over €500m.

The only exception seems to be Malaga, backed by Middle-Eastern money, ex-Real Madrid and Villareal manager Manuel Pellegrini has been able to purchase the likes of Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Julio Baptista and Joaquin

One of the biggest casualties of the ‘living the dream’ syndrome, to steal a phrase from Peter Ridsdale, is Deportivo La Coruna. After winning the league in 2000 and being semi-finalists of the Champions League in 2004, SuperDepor finally succumbed to relegation after a few flirtatious years. Deportivo have become Spain’s version of Leeds United.

Spain should follow the example of Italy and England in adopting a collective TV rights deal if they want to make their product more competitive, and, in the process, more interesting.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Just how ‘good’ is Cristiano Ronaldo? Earlier we shared news on the ‘Cristiano Ronaldo: Tested to the Limit‘ documentary which subjects CR to a series of innovate tests to measure his performances. But that’s still lab testing, off the pitch, not a true measure of a footballer’s abilities.

To measure how good Ronaldo is as a footballer, we turn to Castrol Edge to provide us with some eye-opening and jaw-dropping stats.

More than 2,500 players took part in the top five European leagues last season (Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A, Liga and Ligue 1) and Cristiano Ronaldo was the only one who registered more goals than appearances.

Cristiano Ronaldo attempted in total 250 shots last season in the Spanish Liga, including 102 shots on target, 88 off target and 60 blocked by opposition defenders.

All stats provided by Castrol Edge. For more information, visit CastrolFootball.com.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Like a love affair, Arsene Wenger had stated in a pre-season interview posted by The Guardian that he would fight until the last second to keep midfielder Cesc Fabregas by his side. Why do managers continue to reject monetary offers and wage war against a courting club when their player is dejected?

The ex-Gunner isn’t the first footballer whose importunate plea to leave a club governed headlines on the sports pages (Fabregas’s contract with Arsenal would have ended in 2015.) He signed with Arsenal in 2003 at the age of 16 and had been successful as their captain. So what was the straw that broke the Spaniard’s back?

A clue could be in Wenger’s Guardian interview, as he said, “…we will fight for everything because you do not educate a player for eight years as we have done only to want him to go once he is at an age to deliver.”

Certainly this may be the problem. Wenger is celebrated for building the careers of young players, but when they hit their peak and are about to deliver they may be curious to seek bigger and better opportunities to deliver and reap rewards from. It is akin to keeping a first love tied down by saying, “I taught you everything you know, now you are indebted to me.”

While you can teach one the dynamics of a football game, passion is something one cannot learn and when it runs in your blood, as Lionel Messi claimed in Fabregas, one cannot change.

Arguably Fabregas’s “first love” was Barcelona and his Spain teammates (namely Andres Iniesta) wanted to hook up with him again as they did in the World Cup.

His longing to return to his former boyhood club is more like a love story for his roots than it is for anything else, although trophies could be tempting, as it is no coincidence that his boyhood club is a superior club housing the “best player on the planet.”

At what length or fee would a player go or pay to simply break free?

Javier Mascherano’s dire need to cop out of Liverpool and into Barcelona was blatant after he informed ex-manager Roy Hodgson that he wanted to leave the club which resulted in failure to show up for matches and dodged Hodgson’s phone calls.

Another ex-Reds player who made a last-gasp confession of dissatisfaction at Anfield sold for a record-busting 50 million pounds and had taken a beating in the press for his scoring drought while spending a significant time at Chelsea warming the bench.

It doesn’t make sense for a manager to hold a player to contract when they are miserable and then when questioned in an interview lie that they are fine.

So, what are contracts for if there are break clauses or constant breach?

The issue may not be resolved overnight and may have to sit on a shelf, but Wenger would be wise to seek players who’ve been around the block instead of players who are looking for, well, a trip to someplace else.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Sergio Aguero has been a long-term target for both Manchester City and Real Madrid for the past few months, ever since the Argentine announced his intentions to leave Atletico Madrid back in May. Manchester City see him as an ideal replacement for Carlos Tevez, and someone who is much less of a problem off the pitch.

Real Madrid on the other hand have been on the lookout for a new striker for quite some time, and Aguero’s track record against Barcelona, not to mention his overall technical abilities, would make him the ideal choice for Madrid.

And the hype surrounding the player isn’t undeserved – he has powerful stats to back him up.

AGÜERO’S UNIQUE SCORING RUN

Between March and April 2011, Sergio Agüero scored in seven consecutive league appearances. Stats show that he was the only player across the top five European leagues to achieve such a run.

Longest scoring runs in top five European leagues 2010-11

*At the time of the scoring runs

The 23 year-old Atlético Madrid forward scored consecutively against Villarreal, Almería, Real Madrid, Real Sociedad, Espanyol, Levante and Deportivo La Coruña.

Sergio Agüero’s 2010-11 Liga season

Sergio Agüero scored 20 goals last season in the Spanish league, his most prolific campaign. The highly-coveted striker was also one of Argentina’s rare shining lights at the 2011 Copa América, netting three goals in four appearances at a rate of one every 72 minutes.

Manchester City are reportedly the closest to signing Aguero, having officially begun talks with Atletico Madrid. However, as with the case of Alexis Sanchez, if a bigger club was to show their interest (Real Madrid) and Aguero’s goal was to win, and not just line his pockets (unlike a certain Samir Nasri), City might end up empty handed. Having said that, Madrid’s supposed pursuit of Neymar could allow City to bring Aguero to Manchester and do away with their reliance on Tevez once and for all.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News