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

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

Signed Robin van Persie Arsenal Shirt

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

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

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

Signed Lio Messi 2010-11 Champions League Final Shirt

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

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

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

Paul Scholes signed Man Utd Shirt

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

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

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

Signed Pele Photo: Embrace with Bobby Moore

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

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

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

Maradona And Messi Signed Number 10 Shirt

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

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

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

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.

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

All of Messi’s 202 goals scored for Barcelona (2005-2011), in a simple, no-frills video. After the constant adulation, it is still ridiculous how good is really is.

Of course, when you’re playing with the likes of Ronaldinho, Eto’o, Henry and Iniesta, it gets a bit easier. But we tend to forget how the young Messi was still phenomenally good, as his early goals for Barcelona show:

For more great football video compilations, check out this YouTube channel.

Spotter’s Credit: Ahmed Umair.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

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

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

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

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

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

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

Injury News:

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

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

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

Prediction:

Viktoria Plzen 1-3 Barcelona

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

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

Any statistical analysis of a sporting event can go down one of two main routes. Firstly, they could be raw data, usually expressed as totals or percentages. In football, examples include the number of total corners a team concedes (or forces), the number of minutes a player is on the park for over the course of a season or even how many points a team accumulates. The second format usually depends on rate – goals per possession, corners per dribble, dribbles per game or even passing completion percentage.

Both have their uses, but as football (and other sports) become more and more subject to the moneyball theory and so-called “advanced metrics”, rate has taken precedence over simple raw data. For instance in football, teams play at different tempos – one team may slowly build from the back while other teams favour quick incisive bursts. A team with a “lump it up” and lose possession philosophy is likely to create less chances by dint of not having the ball as often. It’s fortunate we have two very visible clubs with vastly different methods of operating to easily point to: Barcelona dominate possession no matter who they play, while almost any team coached by Sam Allardyce feels more content without the ball than with it.

A Scoring Stats is defined as any goal or assist a player is credited with, therefore a player’s total thereof is the number of goals and assists he accumulates over a season. So far we’ve examined trends throughout Europe, which players were individual total leaders and finally how much the dependence on a particular player varied across the four professional divisions in one country. Now it is time to evaluate which players provided the greatest lift, per game, to their individual teams.

Unfortunately, access to minutes-played data was very difficult to come by, so this is evaluated according to the number of games in which a player participated. In this analysis, only Team Leaders are evaluated (players who led their club in total Scoring Stats) – a follow-up analysis will include all of Europe.

Europe’s Top Team leaders by match

Complete table can be found at Balanced Sports Scoring Stats page.

Once again, this only goes to highlight how far clear of the pack Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo remain as footballers. While the average Team Leader contributes about what teams look for from an effective, workmanlike striker (the adage goes “a goal every second game” and remember there are probably some relatively below-average Strikers leading their teams here), they nearly triple that average. After them, the next best – the perpetually injured Van Persie – only managed to average one goal or assist per match.

These totals, however, could be swayed for total numbers. Both Real and Barca scored a boatload of goals during season 2010-11. To evaluate the top fifteen clubs by goals-per-game across Europe is telling:

This table – comprised nearly completely of the usual suspects – leads us to suggest that while Messi and Ronaldo’s influence is remarkbable, it is in part due to the increased number of goals their clubs score. This of course gives rise to the perpetual (and now, frankly, boring) Messi versus Ronaldo debate and prompts us to pose the “chicken or the egg” question once more – do they top the individual list because of their team rate, or do their teams top the goals-per-game table because of their phenomenal skill? Unfortunately the answer isn’t easily forthcoming but suffice to suggest that both generate remarkable amounts of opportunities for their teams, and benefit from their teammates doing the same.

Finally, a note about VfB Stuttgart. The Reds finished a disappointing twelfth in the Bundesliga this year, yet pounded in 1.76 goals per game without having a player in the top 45 team leaders by rate. Their most productive forward by totals as Martin Harnik with 15 total scoring stats, who contributed to a quarter of their scores (averaging less than one scoring stat every two matches).

Stats for all players, teams and leagues can be found at Balanced Sports’ Scoring Stats page.

Matthew Wood regularly contributes to Soccerlens.  Shoot across to Balanced Sports for more of his commentary and analysis.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @balanced_sports

Follow the latest news and updates on El Clasico.

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

Barcelona and Spain defender Gerard Pique was chosen to be the global lead athlete for the new Nike Tiempo Legend IV football boots.

At the launch of the Tiempo Legend, Pique was interviewed about the boot, Fabregas, Euro 2012, why did he cut the net off in the final and more. Here is the transcript:

Gerard, from next season you’ll be wearing Nike’s new Tempo Legend IV Elite boot. What are the most important qualities you look for in a boot?
 
Above all, comfort. One of the things that makes football different to many sports is how little equipment there is. Your boots are the one piece of equipment you have, the one tool, and it is vital that you feel absolutely comfortable. You need support but not rigidity, your movement has to be free. The other key thing from my point of view is that the touch on the ball feels natural – the softer the leather, the better. I like the classic look of these boots too, with that touch of color.

It must have been difficult to put up with all the pressure and the off-field distractions during this season?

Yes. But all the extra pressure, all the demands have been overcome in the end and we showed that we can compete.

I have to ask you about Cesc Fabregas and his future. Last year it looked like he would come to Barcelona, what do you think could happen this year?

I have said before and I still do that my hope is that one day he will play for Barcelona. I would love to have him alongside me because as well as a good person, he is a great player. I would love him to be here this year or if not then next year. He would give us more. Last year it looked like he would come but he didn’t. Now it looks like he could again but we have to wait. I hope the people in the offices [ie the sporting directorate at Barcelona] can work well and can bring him in this time.

Have you spoken to Cesc? How does it look from Arsenal’s point of view?

I haven’t spoken to him recently. I don’t know how Arsenal are set up economically but I do know that he is a great player and a real friend of mine and he is a Barcelona player – he has been in the youth system here and he knows what we are about. He could perform perfectly here.

What do you envisage next season?

Every year is harder. They have all been hard years and I think that next year will be hard. To keep winning and to keep living with the demands is hard – but not the pressure of the fans; I mean our own pressure, the pressure we put on ourselves. We want to win a fourth league title like the Dream Team and a second Champions League in a row, which no one has done before. We apply that pressure to ourselves and we are very ambitious. It gets harder but not because of us – it gets harder because with every passing year the opponents make more and more effort to try to defeat us.

What about the European Championships with Spain?

That’s a lovely challenge for us and I think we have more than enough talent to do it. It’s wonderful opportunity for us to make history. We really love the idea. So much has been said about a bad atmosphere in the Spain squad but we have shown that is not true this time round – we have won twice and played well in our recent trip to the US and Venezuela. We have to carry on like that. We have to be united on the inside no matter what they say on the outside.

What do you make of Porto and the Super Cup?

Porto are a great team and it will be very hard to beat them. Plus, in the Super Cup you have to go to Monaco, which is a very cold stadium; the day before they give you prizes and you disconnect a bit from the task in hand. And they are a good side, who have won the treble and have fast, strong players up front.

Will Barcelona be bringing in reinforcements? You’ve been linked with Giuseppe Rossi and Alexis Sanchez.

I had the pleasure of playing alongside Rossi at Manchester United, we arrived at the same time and we were in the same team for a few years. He has loads of talent. He knows how to go long, come short, he has a good touch, and he is very quick. As a person he is ten out of ten. He would be very welcome. Alexis: I don’t know him personally but he is a great player with a brilliant talent when one-on-one. We suffered against him for Spain. We would receive him with open arms.

Have you discussed a return to Barcelona with Cesc Fabregas? How important are trophies to him?

Players always want to win titles and in this case Cesc has not had the opportunity to do so at Arsenal. For him, it is a chance to come here and play with his team mates and at the same time to win titles. He is an Arsenal player and I have all the respect for the Arsenal fans but if you ask my opinion, I hope he can play for Barcelona in the future. He is my friend and that is my opinion.

Why did you cut off the net in the Champions League final?

I did the same in Rome, I cut some pieces for all my friends who wanted a nice present, a reminder of the final. And I always keep one for me. I put it on the wall with the Barcelona shirt and the Manchester United shirt as a reminder of all the finals that we have won.

Why is it so hard to defend the Champions League title?

Because when you win a title like this all the other teams want to sign more players and get better to beat you. It is hard to keep the same level and be the best one year, and another and another. We have the players that we need to do it – all out players are top level. I think we can but we must have a bit of luck to be champions.

Can Lionel Messi finally win something with Argentina?

I think so, Leo will be the key for Argentina in the Copa America. If they know how to play with him, they can do important things in the competition. Leo is the best player in the world and you have to know how to use him: you have to play around him. Brazil is always a great team too. They and Argentina will be the favorites.

What’s it like playing with your best mates?

It’s different; you have relationship that is not only professional. You have good friendships and when your mates are playing well you are happy for him – I think you can see that on the pitch. For example Carles Puyol is my best friend in the dressing room and you can see on the pitch. When I look at him I know what he is thinking.

Romario, Maldini and Cantona have all worn the Nike Tempo Legend IV Elite boot. How do you feel wearing the boots?

These are the best boots I have ever worn. I know the history of the boots. They are the classic boots. But they are really, really modern. They weigh very little and they adapt well to your feet. You can feel the ball well so your touch is better.

The European Championships are in Poland and the Ukraine next summer. What do you know about the two countries?

I won the U19 European Championship in Poland and I have great memories from that country. To go there next year and try to win will be great.

Also see: Nike Tiempo Legend IV Elite.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

As the dust settles on Barcelona’s fantastic 3-1 demolition of Manchester United in the Champions League Final, and the national side recently so effortlessly thumped the United States 4-0, one thing is for certain – Spain are the best footballing nation in the world at this moment in time.

Spanish football’s contemporary success is hugely desirable: the national team are the current holders of both the European Championships and the World Cup, after victories in both 2008 and 2010 respectively. Spanish club Barcelona have won the Champions League twice in the last three years, and both Sevilla and Athletico Madrid have triumphed in the Europa League in the last five years.

Spain’s Primera Liga is producing fantastic, world-class players – every single player in Spain’s starting line-up for the World Cup Final belonged to a La Liga club. Eight of Barcelona’s first eleven for the Champions League Final progressed through the Barcelona academy. And for the last two years, the Ballon D’Or has been graced exclusively by players currently playing in Spain: Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez, Cristiano Ronaldo, and current holder Lionel Messi. The standard set by the Spanish league can only be envied by their counterparts. Which begs the question – what makes Spain such a fantastic footballing nation?

Anybody who watched any of Spain’s action from the World Cup will know that their ball retention is second to none. The Spaniards made 3597 passes, more than any other team at a World Cup since 1966. In the final, their passing accuracy was 84.2%, Holland’s 69%. Xavi, Spain’s midfield maestro, was simply impeccable – the Barcelona man made 57 attacking-half passes, compared to Wesley Sneijder’s measly 21. Spain retained possession like their lives depended on it, waiting patiently for an opportunity to pierce the Dutch defence. Barcelona replicated this passing accuracy last Saturday, and Xavi again proved to be the master of his art, with 95% accuracy.

This tireless attitude to ball retention is coached in Spain from a very young age. Every Barcelona team, from the academy teams to Messi and co. incorporate a 5v1 possession game known as ‘El Rondo’ into their training sessions. The players on the outside, the Rondistas, must keep possession from the middle player, as he tries to intercept their passes. It breeds quick passing, short-distance sprinting, stamina, intelligence of movement and speed of thought. Xavi said recently that players recognise the ‘shame’ of giving the ball away, even in training games such as this.

In La Liga, 77.1% of players are Spanish, one of the highest percentages of all of the top European leagues. Of all twenty squads in the Premier League, less than 40% of players are English. Spanish teams prefer to nurture players through academies before spending money on foreign players. Teams scour the local area for talent, rather than abroad like many English teams do. These Spanish academies strive to be more than just a football team (hence Barcelona’s motto ‘Mes Que Un Club’), and instead act as a family to these young players, developing their lifestyle and attitudes into those of professional footballers. The importance of education is impressed upon young players by the club until they have completed their studies, and by the age of 17 and 18, many of these prospects are ready to progress into first teams, integrating alongside the more experienced players in the team. Daniel Pacheco, a Barcelona youth team graduate said recently ‘they look after you as a person, not just a footballer’.

Spanish clubs’ scouts search for talented, ball-playing footballers. Those who are bigger, stronger and faster than the rest may be desirable in England, but in Spain they are simply disregarded, unless they are technically able too. Young players develop their skills by playing 5-a-side with friends, where a quality first touch and faultless ball mastery lead to success. Because of the Mediterranean weather, children can play all year long in Spain, whereas their English counterparts are resigned to the indoors, losing opportunity to become better technical footballers. However, Spain share their climate with numerous other countries including Portugal and Italy, yet none of those have found success in the way Spain has done. So is there a difference in the aspirations, dreams and desire between these young Spaniards and all other potential footballers?

Maybe so. Young, talented footballers are often offered lucrative contracts by English clubs in order to be prised away from their Spanish academies, in the way Cesc Fabregas was. Yet Fabregas remains the player who can’t budge the likes of Iniesta and Xavi, the guys who refused to leave Spain, off their perch. In England’s second tier, players earn between £3,000 and £10,000 a week, nearly three times what a player in Spain’s Segunda Division would expect. But the willingness to stick it out, play in B teams in lower leagues in the hope that one day, they may just follow in the footsteps of Ramos, Xavi and Villa, is what makes Spanish players the best in the world. And that is why Spain will continue producing the world’s best players for years to come.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Barcelona rose from a very controversial semifinal against Real Madrid to a very fine performance in the final against Manchester United. A performance that has quietened the outcry of Mourinho-hopefuls against Barca’s theatrics in the Bernabeu – with a little help from FIFA again.

And this is coming from a Barcelona fan…

It’s just that I dislike diving in football more than I love Barcelona. But that’s not the point here.

This is the fourth time Barcelona have won the league and European double. That is more doubles than anyone in Europe.

AC Milan, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Ajax have all won three doubles.

Barcelona first won the double in 1992 where they won the last of the European Cup at Wembley defeating Sampdoria in the final and were six points ahead of Madrid.

Then in 2006, Samuel Eto’o lead the scoring charts around Spain and Barcelona to an eight point league win. Eto’o also scored in the final of the 2006 UEFA Champions League final against Arsenal at Stade de France in Paris.

In 2008/09, Barcelona completed the mighty sextuple as Pep Guardiola took over the Catalan side and finally in 2011, Barcelona defeated Jose Mourinho over 38 games and won the Champions League final to complete their fourth double.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News