Long gone are the days of simply buying and selling players; due to the extortionate amounts of money that football players are worth modern day contracts are intricate, with many different beneficiaries in every deal.

However the latest craze to find its way into European football is joint or part ownership of players. Outlawed in France and England, teams on the continent are starting to share footballers’ rights as a way to profit financially and reduce the risk of buying the latest superstar.

The idea of joint ownership originates from South America, with the majority of Brazilian and Argentine players’ rights split between at least two different sources.

This has spread to Italy, with two or more clubs sharing a specific player’s ownership. It may well make sense for the involved parties, but joint ownership is blurring the boundaries, especially given FIFA’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations, which are set to be enforced in 2013/2014.

Part Ownership between club and external company

Many South American players in particular are owned by their club, who in turn sell a share of the player’s rights to an investor. The investor takes a leap in faith in the player’s ability, whilst the club get a lump sum of revenue upon the sale of the rights.

So, if for argument’s sake Santos sold 25% of Neymar’s rights to Company X for $5 million today, and in the summer the striker moved to Real Madrid for $30 million, Company X would be owed $7.5 million of the transfer fee. However, if Neymar opted to stay with the Brazilian club for the remainder of his career, Company X would not be in line for any remuneration.

The advantage for the owning club is there for all to see, as there is immediate investment and the sharing of the risk of a player’s future.

One of the most notable transfers of this nature is Carlos Tevez’s move to West Ham from Corinthians, and subsequent transfer to Manchester United a year later. The temperamental forward is owned partly by Media Sports Investments (MSI), and former company owner Kia Joorabchian is now an ‘adviser’ to Tevez.

All of Tevez’s three transfers to and around England have involved complications due to MSI wrangling with the respective clubs, and West Ham were embroiled in a court battle with the investment fund.

The major downside of this type of arrangement is that non-football involved bodies and people are having a say in the game, and impacting young players’ futures. The player himself becomes secondary to the commercial gains of the owning organisations, with the athlete being traded for profit rather than any emotive reasons tied up within the game.

Part Ownership between club and club

Alexander Merkel - co-owned by AC Milan and Genoa

As mentioned previously, this practice is banned in England and France, but is employed in the rest of Europe. Italy in particular has adopted this technique as a key way of negotiating transfers, with a number of players’ fates being intertwined and their ownership diluted.

A key example of two club’s sharing a player’s ownership is between AC Milan and fellow Serie A side Genoa. The two teams have shared rights of over 15 players in the last number of years, with the case of Alexander Merkel in particular relevant.

The German midfielder moved to the San Siro giants but after failing to break into the first team Milan sold 50% of his player rights to Genoa and sent him to the Stadio Luigi Ferraris. However after good performances in Liguria, the Scudetto holders recalled him back to Milan.

By adopting dual ownership, a club, in this case Milan, have a safety net to protect their interests regarding a player. When Merkel was deemed surplus to requirements half his rights were offloaded but Massimiliano Allegri’s men kept the other half in case the midfielder impressed elsewhere, and exacted the option to sign him back if, and when, this happened.

The Future

With the FFP regulations close to being adopted, a clear reading of joint ownership needs to be determined. Clubs hiding behind investors to minimize their assets and therefore benefit under the new compliance should not be tolerated by FIFA, and the financial side of joint ownership needs to be clarified.

Similarly, the increase in non-football based investors in players’ rights is only adding to the influx of corporate and commercial influence in the game, with the players and fans’ interests second priority to revenue.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Footballers have it all – fame, fortune and the chance to play the game that they, and we, love. Many prospective talents never make the grade, and the chosen few who play in the Premier League must be regarded as some of the luckiest people on the planet.

However, some things can’t be changed; we all have to live with what God has given us, and in that respect these ten past-and-present Premier League footballers are not so blessed.

Dirk Kuyt

A lookalike of Chunk from The Goonies, Dirk Kuyt has delighted Liverpool fans and disgusted the rest of us since joining the Anfield club from Feyenoord back in 2003.

Carlos Tevez

The temperamental Argentina forward may well be one of the world’s most prolific strikers, but a scar on his neck and some misshapen teeth make him sore on the eye.

Luke Chadwick

A face that only a mother could love, Luke Chadwick was the subject of abuse up and down the land during his time at Manchester United. The unsightly winger has played for MK Dons since 2009.

Jonjo Shelvey

Former Charlton youth product Jonjo Shelvey is 19, looks 40, and although he has an impressive passing range, is not going to win any beauty pageants.

Bacary Sagna

Arsenal right back Bacary Sagna has changed the braids and other accessories in his hair on numerous occasions; hasn’t helped. At all.

Steve Morison

Strong, powerful, good in the air, a handful for defences, can play at the back or up front, no Brad Pitt, yep, it’s Steve Morison.

David Hopkin

The token red head in our list, David Hopkin’s toothless scowl and scrunched up Scottish face instilled fear into onlookers during his time with Chelsea, Leeds and Crystal Palace.

Martin Keown

An accomplished defender, Keown played a key role in Arsenal’s famous back four alongside Winterburn, Adams and Dixon; he is the worst of a very ugly bunch.

Wayne Rooney

Mercurial forward, Manchester United legend in the making and England’s only hope – Wayne Rooney is one of the world’s best. However, even new hair won’t save his modelling career.

Joleon Lescott

Part of the Manchester City revolution, Lescott has ironed down a starting berth in Roberto Mancini’s side, but would look equally as comfortable in an episode of Star Trek.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Carlos Tevez is expected to return for Manchester City against Chelsea on Wednesday night after the striker apologised to the club for his behaviour this season.

Castrol EDGE Performance data shows that Tevez was extremely important for City before he left the club without leave.  Since the start of last season, he has scored 20 goals in 34 appearances at a chance conversion rate of 21.98%.  With this in mind, Mancini will be hoping that he can breathe new life into City’s title campaign, and it is interesting that the Argentine has a particularly impressive record against Chelsea – scoring six league goals in six appearances against the Blues.

Carlos Tevez in the Premier League from 2010/11 season

Carlos Tevez against Chelsea in the Premier League

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Manchester City get the chance to finally – definitively – emerge from the shadow of their cross-town Red rivals as this year’s UEFA Champions League commences. They’ll do so with a team which, while not having ever competed in the the Champions’ League as a unit, possesses a significant amount of top-flight continental experience. United, of course, have made it to three of the past four Champions’ League finals for one win and two losses.

2011 Summer Transfers

For City, gone are second-tier superstars like Roque Santa Cruz, Emanuel Adebayor and Jo, replaced by true World’s best candidates Sergio “Kun” Aguero and Samir Nasri. The combination of this season’s biggest buy with last season’s (Edin Dzeko) has become the Naomi Campbell of Premier League forward tandems – terrifyingly beautiful. Indeed, they have been so good so far that Tevez, the Premiership’s equal top-scorer last season, has been restricted to two appearances. Nasri has also been very impressive in his short stay at Eastlands. There have been questions as to Mancini’s willingness to attack, but City’s results this year exhibit newfound creative zest, so far putting such allegations to rest.

Ferguson’s United, version 7.2, were constructed to compete with Barcelona after their dismantling at the feet of the Catalans in last season’s Champions’ League final. An ageing one-club defence was replenished by acquiring Phil Jones of Blackburn Rovers and promoting Chris Smalling. England winger Ashley Young arrived from Villa and Edwin van der Sar begat twenty year-old Spaniard David De Gea. Red Devil fans salivated at the prospect of Paul Scholes being replaced by Luka Modric, Samir Nasri or Wesley Sneijder; but the Ginger One’s replacement came from within as Tom Cleverley (injured on Saturday) and Anderson stepped up to claim starting berths. 18 goals in four EPL matches essentially without using Fletcher, Valencia and Berbatov is awe-inspiring.

As things stand, the two Manchester sides are among the top five sides in most Champions League odds, with United 3rd favourites and City 5th. For a Champions League debutant, it’s a testament to their player recruitment strategy that they are ranked so high. Only Barcelona (1), Madrid (2) and Chelsea (4) seemingly stand in their way.

City v United

On paper – and League form so far – the two squads are amongst the strongest in the competition. Both teams have Champions’ League experience in spades with United , naturally, possessing more, boosted by the individual totals sported by Rio Ferdinand, Parice Evra and Methuselah Ryan Giggs. The City player with the most UCL experience are Arsenal expats Kolo Toure and Gael Clichy as well as Nigel de Jong.

One’s strength is the other’s weakness – Joe Hart is the best goalkeeper in England; David De Gea has provided more questions than answers in his short tenure as United’s number one. The youngster will eventually become an outstanding goalkeeper but has shown vulnerability to aerial assault and appears to occasionally regress into his shell, a characteristic unhelped by his unfamiliarity with English.

As you cross Manchester in the opposite direction, the reverse is true. With Joleon Lescott and Kolo Toure’s presence at centre-back, City’s defence has rarely looked totally cohesive against top-class opposition. If last seasons’ Blues were accused of risking a possible victory for a certain draw, they have rectified this in their acquisition of willo-the-wisp Nasri, whose exploits in the Champions League last season against Porto (amongst others) were matched by his City debut against Spurs.

Champions League Group Stages

City have earned themselves the harder group. United might be apprehensive about one match only – away at Benfica on Wednesday, perhaps the first Champions’ League test for their much-vaunted Backline of the Future. The rest of their group comprises FC Basel of Switzerland and Romania’s Otelul Galati, whose stadium isn’t up to UEFA standards, so will play their home games at Bucharest’s National Stadium.

The blue half of Manchester will look at all their away ties with unease: trips to Villarreal, Napoli and 2010 Champions’ League finalists Bayern Munich litter their upcoming schedule. With each side boasting enviable forward talent, it would be no surprise if the group stage supplies a surfeit of goals. Not only will this tough group affect the Citizens’ chances of a successful campaign, but could have a profound impact on their Premier League results. Even though the travel involved is relatively minor, City will play away from home in the Premiership after each of their Champions’ League matches, including trips to Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge and Anfield.

How Far Will City Go?

After a exciting, rollercoaster and often amusing start to life in Europe’s elite, the question that will define City’s initial Champions’ League campaign no longer concerns their talent, attitudes, defensive mindset or even Champions’ League experience. The largest question looms over the centre of their defence: will – or can – two of Lescott, Kompany and Kolo Toure form a solid central defensive partnership able to repel the best attacks in Europe?

United’s question is the same as it was six months ago: if De Gea is the anointed one, how will such a young man deal with both expectations and the aerial bombardment he’s certain to receive at the hands of burly centre forwards. No one doubts his shot-stopping ability (except when Shane Long is concerned), but his command of area. A clean sheet in Saturday’s match against Kevin Davies’ Bolton Wanderers will have helped.

It’s likely that both clubs will get through their respective groups, though City’s seeding and draw has done them no favours. It is only right, though, that both teams should progress having spent significantly on their squads over past years. Anything less than a return to the last four would be seen as a failure by Fergie and his crew at Old Trafford. At Eastlands, confidence is high that they can replicate such achievements themselves – and they just might.

Also See: Champions League Preview: Real and Barca the teams to beat

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

An apologetic … for Carlos Tevez? Just days after a scathing open letter? The same guy writing both? I guess stranger things have happened – remember Julian Faubert once played for Real Madrid.

Less than a week ago, I suggested Carlos Tevez finally “end his Manchester hell” and return once and for all to South America, the Copa Libertadores and probably a smaller pay packet. Many of the same sentiments which prompted that letter remain: the “poor little old Carlos” attitude he attempts to drum up – often using his family to do so, the fact his de facto posture when negotiating almost anything with his club is a “they don’t respect me” and the omnipresence of the positive proof of every conspiracy theory ever, Kia Joorabchian.

In the wake of an unsuccessful ₤35 million bid tabled by Brazilian club Corinthians, a few more details should be highlighted. Football is a business dependent on the consumer. Manchester City even moreso. Leaving aside ticket sales for a moment, sponsorship dollars (not real concern for City amid their Emirati sponsorships) depend on results, for which City almost exclusively rely upon him. Shirt and other apparel sales, TV revenue and global exposure are all derived from star players and there are few stars in England with either the marketability or skill of Carlos Tevez. And this doesn’t even consider the fact Manchester City face an uphill battle to match the worldwide popularity of their cross-town rivals from the Red half, Manchester United.

As City expand operations from a second-division club only eleven years ago, to a “safe” mid-table team, to the Champions’ League and finally – perhaps inevitably – to the Premiership title, much of that growth has come on the back of Carlos Tevez. Notwithstanding he was the first superstar to sign on for City, his goalscoring punch and (perhaps more crucially) global reputation as one of the best in the world make him perhaps the most required player in the English Premiership. Were City to replace him with, say, Karim Benzema or Gonzalo Higuain the results may even out – but the club would lose significant promotional monies because both potential replacements don’t have the global profile of the Citizens’ current captain.

So Tevez and Kia Joorabchian should be congratulated for their ability to play the media to their greater advantage; no-one creates the proverbial storm in a teacup like they do. Football is a game where the business side is based built around visibility – on club and personal levels. Why else would Champions’ League revenues be so high? Carlos Tevez is one of the most visible players in Europe. While the methods the pair employ may rub against the grain, they are the most obvious manager/player combination the game has recently seen. This means both are doing their jobs – Tevez on the pitch and Joorabchian off it.

It’s not Kia Joorabchian’s job to make Carlos Tevez liked, it’s to increase or maintain his player’s visibility as a star. In doing so, he improves his own financial situation. By agitating for a move every six months, he has performed admirably – It may even come as somewhat of a relief for the agent that Man City rejected yesterday’s bid. His methods may be distasteful, but they are most certainly effective. While praise for the dynamic duo would be disingenuous, grunted respect would not be.

Presence forms a large portion of celebrity. This point has been regularly proven over the past ten years by shows such as Australia’s Next Top Model, UK Idol and X-Factor. In a sport driven by television and marketing dollars, a top-line footballer’s role includes more than just banging in twenty goals a season. Kia Joorabchian seems to have recognised this earlier than most and therefore “plays the game” at a more advanced level than other powerbrokers. Like it or no – and not many actively like Carlos Tevez any more – football is a business and fans are no longer the lifeblood but just consumers.

As yet another Tevez Saga – the two words go together like “Rob Green” and “Howler” – rattles on, the outraged masses may have misjudged Tevez and Joorabchian. It’s hard to mistake greed, but often much harder to recognise business talent emerging before their time.

Matthew Wood regularly contributes to Soccerlens.  You can read more of his analysis and commentary at Balanced Sports, or follow him on Twitter @balanced_sports.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Dear Carlos Tevez,

For five years now you’ve been a shedload of trouble for the entire English Premier League. With this letter, I’d like to invite you to please stop moaning about the loneliness of Northern England and return to Argentina as you have for so long suggested you’d prefer.

The biannual farce which into which the “Carlos Tevez submits Transfer Request” headline has degenerated – which while admittedly spurring me to write this letter – has become a parody of a a parody, like a Monty Python sketch which starts funny but then feels as if it never ends. While we all understand how trying it is to be parted from friends and family (some of us have even shared your heartbreaking isolation in a country in which we do not speak the language), complaining every six months about a situation into which you walked of your own volition has turned what begun a sympathetic posture into a cynical one.

Please understand I’m not trying to minimise the pain of separation from your daughters at all. It’s just the predictability with which this storm-in-a-teacup occurs means you have exhausted any supply of public sympathy for your plight. (And “earning” 200,000+ a week should preclude us from using the world “plight” anyway). Unless it is for obviously laudable reasons a transfer request is often met with scorn from your current team’s support base. After being trotted out several times now, the recent spate of “I miss my daughters” has morphed from a tragic reality of a footballer’s life into seemingly a ploy where – though undoubtedly true you miss your girls – the aim seems to be directing public ire away from you in a situation almost entirely of your own creation.

It was said of the great basketballer Shaquille O’Neal that, with the exception of his last teams Boston and Cleveland, whenever he moved clubs, he did so amidst acrimonious circumstance. The same could be said of you – at Boca, at Corinthians, West Ham and finally Manchester United you have left more enemies than friends. Which, on the face of it, is really quite sad and perhaps – just perhaps – gives the public eye a big glimpse of your inner happiness. In a game where one often has to look out for themselves first, you and Kia Joorabchian have done so admirably; but if your latest statements are to be believed, it hasn’t contented you.

Many of us have had to move intercontinentally. It is exceedingly difficult, though ultimately rewarding – it allows us to grow, to see that life is much larger than the small corners of existence we previously inhabited. Some of us are rewarded romantically, spiritually or even fiscally for the pain of separation.

You certainly have earned signficant monies as a result of your footballing success – so why not put some of that where your cakehole is? Rather than having said sweet baked good and eating it too, take (one mother of ) a pay cut to play in South America – for none of us are able to figure out how Madrid or Milan – or, heaven forbid, Chelsea – are closer to Argentina than Millionaire’s row in Cheshire. It’s not that we don’t feel for you, but many of us think you’re trying to use this situation to your gain. It seems your position is that you are disadvantaged by playing for City; a move to Real or Inter would be “fair”.

Unfortunately, that is a posture for the misguided.

In careers, we are forced to take the good with the bad. In football, if you want the big bucks and the best competition, you are forced to move. It is a flat fact of existence at the top level of almost any profession. Sacrifices must be made for a career – or for family. And while we applaud you for your devotion to your daughters, we also implore you to put up, or shut up. For the ball is in your court.

Sincerely,

A very bored former admirer.

Matthew Wood regularly contributes to Soccerlens.  You can find more of his analysis and commentary at Balanced Sports, or follow him on Twitter @balanced_sports.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

When we first examined the most important marksmen in the Big Four leagues, we looked at which players in Europe were the most crucial to their teams. This was done according to Scoring Stats, a measure of a player’s combined Goals and Assists, measured as a percentage of their team’s total league goals for the season. Then, Serie A stars Marco Di Vaio and Edinson Cavani topped the European Scoring Stats tables, each contributing to over 63% of their club’s goals.

Clubs in Italy and Germany – as well as the big two Spanish teams, Real Madrid and Barcelona – were much more likely to focus their offense around one player, as of the top twenty players by Percentage contribution to their team’s goals, eight came from Italy and seven from Germany. In early April in Serie A, an average of 38.5% of all a team’s goals came from that one focal player; in the Bundesliga it dropped to 36.77%. The English Premier League was by far least reliant on star men, their average contribution by a team leader (32.4%) propped up by Carlos Tevez’s remarkable 50% contribution to Manchester City’s cause.

Obviously this measure is highly swung in favour of forwards. Although some midfielders – such as Hoffenheim’s Gylfi Sigurdsson – or defenders like Leighton Baines led their club, often that was the result of their free-kick taking duties (Baines recording sixteen total Scoring Stats, eleven of which were assists, either from crosses or set pieces).

English Premier League: A balanced attack triumphs

At the end of the Season, numbers didn’t change much:

Where Avg % is the average contribution to a team’s total goals by the player with the most total goals + assists. Please note the Bundesliga is an eighteen team league (34 games), not a twenty-team league.

While most clubs decreased their reliance on their star men – in general – over the last six weeks of the season, only La Liga increased. This is in part due to the number of injuries suffered – these figures are always likely to be high at the start of a season and lower towards the end as more players get on the scoresheet and others either fall out rotations or receive injuries. England’s total decreased as Carlos Tevez who, with only six weeks remaining in the season, had scored or delivered the assist for half of the Citizens’ goals. His importance to league numbers is exemplified with the English percentage dropping by half a percent – because he missed just a month.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo: A cut above

Once again, European football was dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. While Ronaldo managed to better his opponent’s total, having fifty Scoring Stats in the league to Messi’s forty-nine, his breakdown was typical of a centre-forward rather than the all-purpose forward into which he has morphed. He registered a 4:1 goals-to-assists ratio, while creative maestro Messi averaged slightly under three assists for every five goals. That he contributed 51.6% of Barca’s stats is remarkable and due to their scoring 95 goals for the BBVA season; Ronaldo’s Madrid scored 105 goals, meaning his percentage is slightly decreased (49.0%).

To remove those two (and replace them with “average” replacements) is telling:

This can only be considered while keeping several factors in mind. Firstly, should Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi be injured, while the best players in the world, they would undoubtedly be replaced by someone above replacement level. (As a matter of interest “replacement level” is approximately twelve goals and four assists. The player with Scoring Stats most closely resembling those numbers is in-demand Espanyol striker Pablo Osvaldo). That is, this probably incorrectly assumes that Messi and Ronaldo are solely responsible for those goals, which may be true in part but definitely not 100% true. Secondly, it emphasises simply how great Cristiano Ronaldo was during the run-in as he chased Hugo Sanchez’s Los Merengues scoring record.

You can, however, see how much Barcelona and Real Madrid inflate Spanish averages. Should they (heaven forbid) undergo financial meltdown, the tenor of the entire Spanish League will be changed forever.

In Part Two, we’ll examine which players are the most crucial to their individual teams.

For full details, visit Balanced Sports’ Scoring Stats page. There, you’ll find totals for each team in Europe as well as for all four English divisions.

For more analysis and opinion shoot across to Balanced Sports. You can also follow Matthew Wood on Twitter @balancedsports

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez has revealed that the club’s multi-billionaire owner Sheikh Mansour has told him he can leave the club if that is to make him happy.

The Argentine international has been very unsteady throughout the season and now well into the transfer period, and with Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, and AC Milan reportedly sighting the 27-year-old, Tevez has long been interested in a move away from Eastlands.

It is also understood that Tevez might be making his way back to Argentina, to Boca Juniors in particular, knowing that El Apache misses life back home with thousands of miles cutting him apart of his family.

Tevez has insisted that he is currently in talks with the club owners only, dismissing links with either the manager or particularly the chief executive, Gary Cook, someone he publicly dislikes.

Speaking to The News Of The World, Tevez made it clear that the owners have given him complete freedom to leave the club if that is to be the case, revealing that his future in the City of Manchester Stadium lies only in his hands.

“He [Mansour] signed me, he wants to keep me but, at the same time, he has told me to do whatever I need to do to be happy.

“He has told me, ‘If you want to leave, then you can go’. There is no deadline – it’s down to me.

“They offered me a new contract in December but I didn’t want to extend it.

“At the end of the season they offered me another new deal but at the moment I don’t know whether I will accept it.

“There are options but if I don’t play for Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter or Milan it won’t be a massive void in my life.

“There are no other issues – Manchester is my second home.”

About 6 months ago, the 27-year-old handed in a transfer request out of blue, and Tevez has linked it directly to unfulfilled promises by the CEO of the club, and insisted that he does not regret his decision.

“I have no regrets whatsoever about my transfer request”he explained. “It was a situation that some people [Cook] on the board created. They promised something for six months and didn’t deliver.

“So, after six months of promises, they don’t do something – why should I believe them now? I don’t. I will never speak to these people [Cook] again. I still feel the same way.

“I have principles and I will never speak with them – never. They have tried to speak with me but I will never talk with them. There is no way, it is not possible.

“I deal direct with Sheikh Mansour, no one else. It makes no difference to my future, as they [Cook] don’t mean anything to me. I won’t have a relationship with them. They live in a different world.

“I stayed in December because of my relationship with the supporters. They respect me. The fans always tell me to stay. I have no problem with them – they are always very respectful.”

Another reason behind the saga linking Tevez with a move outside Manchester is of course his family, his two daughters and wife, stretching across the Atlantic back home in Argentina, as well as finding it tough settling in England.

“Last December, I really thought about quitting football – I was serious. “Unless you have children you will never understand what it’s like to be away from them.

“They are growing up so fast, thousands of miles away, and I’m not there to see it.

“It’s hard to come home after a game to an empty house, when I’m upset or nervous, to be without them.

“When Katia injured her hand in February, I wasn’t around to protect them. Those are the moments when I realise how much my family means to me.

“That’s why I will be done with Europe in three years. It’s a huge effort mentally to do it but, at 31, I will be finished in Europe.

“The pressure isn’t the issue but I miss my family and my home life in Argentina too much to be away from them.”

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

2008/2009 was all-in-all Barcelona’s season. Pep Guardiola led his childhood club to glory like no other manager had done before him.

United on the other hand, weren’t too bad the whole season. They were back again in the UEFA Champions League final to defend the title that they had won last year against Chelsea.

08/09 Champions League for Manchester United

In 2008/09, Manchester United were in a rather easy group with Villarreal, Aalborg and Celtic. Four draws and two wins saw them top the group and move on to the first knockout stage.

They had Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan in the Round of 16. Julio Cesar saved the day at San Siro but United was too much to handle at the Old Trafford. United went through 2-0 on aggregate.

Porto caused some concerns for Alex Ferguson when they managed a 2-2 draw in Old Trafford in the quarterfinals. But a 1-0 away win guaranteed a place in the semifinal.

Arsenal was the semifinal opponents and United supporters were sure that United have the Gunners in their pocket for this one. United lived up to expectations and a 4-1 aggregate win awarded them a place in the final against the mighty Barcelona.

2008/2009 Champions League Semifinal: Manchester United vs Arsenal

08/09 Champions League for Barcelona

Barca, however, had a relatively easier start to the Champions League. Sporting, Shakhtar Donetsk and Basel didn’t cause them much trouble in group stages and a 6-3 aggregate win over Lyon in the Round of 16 meant it was all a walk in the park.

The quarterfinal opponents were Jurgen Klinsmann’s Bayern Munich. 4-0 at Nou Camp meant Guardiola’s men could just defend in the away leg. Aggregate score was 5-1.

The semifinal against Chelsea saw a lot of drama as Champions League was closing in on another all-English final. Actually a replay of last year’s final to be exact.

But Andres Iniesta’s late goal in the second leg meant Barca goes through to the final on away goals with the scores tied 1-1 over two legs.

2008/2009 Champions League Semifinal: Chelsea vs Barcelona

The Final

The final saw the beautiful Barca undone the moment of magic from Paul Scholes a year ago in 90 minutes.

Except the first few minutes of attack from the Red Devils, it was mostly one way traffic – the other way.

After a slow start, Barcelona had taken control of possession and Samuel Eto’o struck on the ten minute mark with a close-range near-post shot going just past Edwin van der Sar.

Then as the legs got tired, Barcelona’s young ace Lionel Messi rose between two of the best defenders, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic to meet a cross and seal the game 2-0.

Whistle was blown and the Barcelona was crowned the 2009 UEFA Champions League champion.

2009 Champions League Final: Barcelona vs Manchester United

Teams in 08/09

Back in 08/09, Barcelona had a make-shift defense with Dani Alves and Eric Abidal missing. Yaya Toure was moved back to fill out the central defensive duties as Carles Puyol covered for Alves. Youngster Sergio Busquets was given the opportunity to perform at such a huge stage, so early in his career.

Xavi and Iniesta completed the midfield with Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry as wide forwards and Eto’o up ahead.

Manchester United, to start off with, still had Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez. CR started and Tevez was brought on in the 46th minute for Anderson (because unlike in the FIFA game, Anderson can’t take on the prowess of Xavi and Iniesta).

Also van der Sar, Ryan Giggs and Scholes were young-er. Dimitar Berbatov was considered a very expensive goal-scorer. His going rate at that time was something like five or six million a goal.

Teams in 10/11

Since the match hasn’t been played yet, I will not be able to glorify Barcelona even more in a handful of paragraphs. So lets jump to the current squads:

Barcelona squad:
As we have noticed during the El Clasicos that Barcelona lack the depth in their squad. Throwing lots of high-importance fixtures their way seems to be the only way to beat them; as Real Madrid conducted the experiment.

In the final on 28th May, however, we expect that Barcelona will not have that problem.

Samuel Eto’o, Theirry Henry and Yaya Toure might be missing but Gerard Pique will be playing (hopefully) and up front, we have witnessed Pedro to have taken the step up. Also, the addition of David Villa to the ranks will somewhat fill the space Eto’o left behind.

Busquets will be available as well and now he has picked up a couple of years of experience and taken some acting classes.

Manchester United squad:
Squad depth is certainly not the issue with United.

Ronaldo and Tevez might not be here but they have been replaced with Berbatov and Javier Hernandez. Also, Wayne Rooney is coming back to form.

Nani and Antonio Valencia have both done a fine job on the wings. Two players who didn’t take the part in the 2009 final. Nani was on the bench and was left on the bench.

This year Ferguson has a fantastic team. A team full of talent and flair. But the actual question is, will Ferguson’s tactics this time be good enough to overcome Barcelona’s?

United fans will say yes and come up with a hundred theories, Barca/United haters will say yes/no and add a hate-comment to it and Barca fans will say no and come up with a hundred theories.

One thing that should be learned from the 08/09 final is that if you’re going to attack Barca early then you better as hell score. If they get the ball off you, you’ll be running around like a dog all day.

What else has changed?

In 08/09, Guardiola was new and no one had quite figured it out how to play against Barcelona. It has been three years since and we have seen Barcelona get defeated at the hands of a very few.

But one thing is for sure. Teams are building confidence in what little hope they see of beating Barcelona. They have realized that no matter how well rehearsed and efficient Barcelona are, they can be beaten.

Their terrific form over three seasons is also getting on other people’s nerves topped up with the on-field theatrics of Busquets and Pedro – mainly Busquets.

Alex Ferguson is one of the most experienced and seasoned tactician and with rumors circulating of his retirement, he will definitely want to give fans the Champions League glory to top off the 19th title and rub it in Liverpool’s face a bit more.

And Guardiola knows that very well.

Road to London

Barcelona had Copenhagen, Rubin Kazan and Panathinaikos in Group D, where they eased through to the Round of 16. The much debatable match against Arsenal ended in a close 4-3 aggregate to Barca’s favor.

The quarterfinal was a rather easy draw, Shakhtar Donetsk were no match for the Catalan giants as they won the two-legged tie 6-1.

The semifinal was a part of the four El Clasicos to be played in 18 days. With Madrid drawing the first and winning the second, it seemed like Mourinho has finally overthrown Barca.

Barcelona won 2-0 at Santiago Bernabeu and drew 1-1 at home. Theatrics from both side saw people flame the two teams and mainly Barcelona between the two legs. I know that doesn’t sound right, but that is what happened.

The away leg surely made the critics silent as Barcelona players stayed on their feet (or tried to) and Madrid players repeatedly got away without getting a second booking.

On the flip side, Manchester United had a relatively tougher group. In Group C, they were joined by Valencia, Rangers and Bursaspor. But it was like a piece of cake.

In the Round of 16, Marseille fell to United 2-1 on aggregate. United won both legs of the quarterfinal against Chelsea and won the tie 3-1.

The semifinal was won before the first whistle blew. Even though Schalke had overcome defending champions Inter Milan but so did Tottenham.

United made the win official right in the first leg away from home by winning 2-0 at Veltins Arena. The two-legged match ended 6-1.

Semifinal decides the winner?

Let me take you back to 2008 UEFA Champions League final. Manchester United vs Chelsea. I won’t talk about the 2007 final because justice was done that day to AC Milan.

United faced Barcelona in the semifinal and won with just one goal scored by Scholes from long range. Chelsea faced Liverpool in the semifinal and they managed to overcome the Reds 4-3 in extra time. United won.

In 2009, Barcelona faced Chelsea in a crunching 1-1 draw over two legs and away goals rule deciding the winner. United scored three away goals against Arsenal in their semi. Barca won.

In 2010, even though Bayern Munich had won the Round of 16 (against Fiorentina) and the quarterfinal (against United) on away goals but both the time they managed three away goals. In the semifinal, Bayern won 4-0 over two legs against Lyon. Inter Milan on the other hand had to stop Barcelona from scoring two goals at the Nou Camp. Inter won.

Non-football reference: India beat fierce arch rival Pakistan in the 2011 Cricket World Cup semifinal and went on to win the cup. Like you care, right?

The 2011 CL Final

Barcelona have played against Real Madrid in the semifinal and came away as 3-1 winners after being considered slight underdogs in a long, long time. United has had an easy road to the final comparatively. You can argue but you know Schalke starts with a Madrid-reject (so did Inter though).

Prediction: Odds point towards Barcelona taking the trophy again but all I know is that it will be a tightly contested match with Barcelona somehow winning the night.

Lets just say that it will be kind of like Spain vs England.

Disclaimer: Forgive me, I am a Barcelona fan.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Diego Maradona’s 2010 World Cup antics are still pretty fresh. Cruising through the group stages and the Round of 16 without even firing all their guns.

They were thought to be a real contender for the trophy until the Germans ran rampant all over them in the Quarterfinal.

Argentina are now preparing to play in the 2011 Copa America starting from July 1st. They are placed in Group A alongside Bolivia, Colombia and the non-American guest nation Japan.

Their form has been fine since the World Cup where they managed to beat Brazil and Portugal and managed a draw against USA.

Undoubtedly, Argentineans have some of the best football players in the world and also some of the hottest football WAGs in the world. Lets take a look at who the recent Argentina national football team call-ups are dating. The Argentina WAGs:

1. Sergio Romero (AZ) – married to Eliana Guercio


Romero and his wife Eliana Guercio

2. Oscar Ustari (Getafe) – married the daughter of 1986 World Cup winning midfielder Ricardo Giusti
3. Javier Zanetti (Inter) – was engaged to Francesca Lodo, married to Paula Zanetti


Zanetti's former fiancée Francesca Lodo

4. Walter Samuel (Inter) – married to Cecilia
5. Esteban Cambiasso (Inter) – no longer has contact with his ex-wife, Claudia
6. Diego Milito (Inter) – married to Sofia


(L-R) Claudia Cambiasso, Cecilia Samuel, Sofia Milito & Paula Zanetti

7. Fernando Belluschi (Porto) – married to Florencia


Fernando & Florencia Belluschi

8. Fernando Gago (Real Madrid) – dated Luli Fernandez, married tennis player Gisela Dulko in July 2011


Gago's ex-girlfriend - Luli Fernandez

9. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) – was linked to Macarena Lemos & Luciana Salazar, dating Antonella Roccuzzo


Messi with Antonella Roccuzzo

10. Carlos Tevez (Manchester City) – married to Vanesa, linked with Mariana Paesani, Natalia Fassi, Vanessa Carbone & Brenda Asnicar


Tevez is said to have cheated on his wife with Natalia Fassi

11. Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid) – married to Maradona’s youngest daughter Giannina Maradona


Aguero, Giannina Maradona and their little one

12. Former coach Diego Maradona – linked to Wanda Nara & Natalia Rosas Muniz, dating Veronica Ojeda


Maradona denied any relations with Wanda Nara

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

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