Despite the 2011-12 season just drawing to a close and Euro 2012 and the Olympics on the horizon, a raft of leading European teams are planning their warm up games for next term. With an increase in popularity in the game across in North America, it has been the trend for pre-season friendlies to be played in the United States and Canada, and this summer it will be no different. Despite the fact that Barcelona and Manchester United will not be heading stateside in the build up to 2012-13, plenty of other European giants are.

Chelsea

American chairman Bruce Buck will have had a say in deciding to take the Blues back across to North America this pre-season, and the Stamford Bridge club will play four games in USA in July. Starting on the west coast in a game against the Seattle Sounders, Chelsea will also play big-spending Ligue 1 outfit Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and the MLS All-Stars team.

• 18th July – Chelsea vs Seattle Sounders, CenturyLink Field, Seattle
• 22nd July – Chelsea vs Paris Saint-Germain, Yankee Stadium, New York
• 25th July – Chelsea vs MLS All-Stars, PPL PArk, Chester
• 28th July – Chelsea vs AC Milan, Sun Life Stadium, Miami

Aston Villa

Again with an American chairman at the helm, Villa will play three games in the United States in a whirlwind trip stateside in July. Games against Philadelphia Union, Chicago Fire and Portland Timbers should test Alex McLeish’s men.

• July 18th – Aston Villa vs Philadelphia Union, PPL Park, Chester
• July 21st – Aston Villa vs Chicago Fire, Toyota Park, Chicago
• July 24th – Aston Villa vs Portland Timbers, Jeld-Wen Field, Portland

Tottenham

Spurs are set to go face-to-face with former striker Robbie Keane, David Beckham and former Arsenal forward Thierry Henry this summer. With Brad Friedel in the travelling contingent, the north London club will hope to use the trip to stoke up some additional support from fans stateside.

• July 24th – Tottenham vs LA Galaxy, The Home Depot Center, Carson
• July 28th – Tottenham vs Liverpool, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore
• July 31st – Tottenham vs New York Red Bulls, Red Bull Arena, Harrison

Liverpool

The Fenway Sports Group take their Anfield side across for a pre-season tour of Canada and United States this summer, with a glamour friendly against fellow American-owned side Roma one of the highlights.

• July 21st – Liverpool vs Toronto, Rogers Centre, Toronto
• July 25th – Liverpool vs Roma, Fenway Park, Boston
• July 28th – Liverpool vs Tottenham, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore

Real Madrid

The newly-crowned La Liga champions will cross the Atlantic to test themselves in pre-season, and try to increase their popularity with American fans with Barcelona not travelling stateside this year.

• August 3rd – Real Madrid vs LA Galaxy, The Home Depot Center, Carson
• August 5th – Real Madrid vs Juventus, Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas
• August 8th – Real Madrid vs AC Milan, Yankee Stadium, New York

Juventus

The rejuvenated Turin giants are always a big draw for American crowds, and will once more return to the United States this summer. Their full plans are yet to be revealed, but the following friendlies have been confirmed.

• July 28th – Juventus vs DC United, RFK Stadium, Washington
• August 5th – Juventus vs Real Madrid, Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas

AC Milan

It will be a summer of rebuilding for AC Milan, as old heads Alessandro Nesta, Gennaro Gattuso, Filippo Inzagi and Clarence Seedorf will leave the club, and American fans will be keen to see any new signings. Again, Milan’s plans are still to be set in stone, but the following are confirmed.

• 28th July – AC Milan vs Chelsea, Sun Life Stadium, Miami
• Two games in Philadelphia – information yet to be released

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

When players are being taught the basics of the game as youngsters, one of the key messages is to play until the final whistle. If your team goes a couple of goals down more often than not the result will not be in your favour, but sometimes the spectacular can happen.

Following Manchester United’s recovery from three goals down to get a 3-3 draw against Chelsea recently, here are football’s ten greatest comebacks:

Liverpool vs AC Milan

Liverpool fans travelled to Istanbul for the 2005 Champions League final against AC Milan with great expectations. However after seeing their side slip to a 3-0 half time deficit, not even the most ardent Merseyside supporter could have imagined their team’s comeback. Goals from Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso brought the game back level, and The Reds claimed victory in the eventual penalty shoot out.

Tottenham vs Manchester United

Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United side found themselves 3-0 down at the hands of Tottenham in September 2001, with goals from debutant Dean Richards, Christian Ziege and Les Ferdinand giving the White Hart Lane hosts a comfortable lead. However a Spurs capitulation and strikes from Andy Cole, Laurent Blanc, Ruud van Nistlerooy, Juan Sebastian Veron and David Beckham saw United win 5-3.

Tottenham vs Manchester City

Tottenham found themselves three goals to the good once more in February 2004, this time against the Blue side of Manchester. Ledley King, Robbie Keane and Christian Ziege (again) had Spurs in a dominant position, and Joey Barton had been sent off for City. Despite this, the ten-man visitors rallied in the second period and goals from Sylvain Distin, Paul Bosvelt, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Jonathan Macken gave City an unlikely win.

Cheltenham vs Burton Albion

Cheltenham fans won’t forget March 13th 2010 any time soon, as their side came back from losing 5-3 against Burton Albion with five minutes remaining to win 6-5. A Justin Richards strike and two late goals in the dying minutes by Michael Pook saw The Robins record a memorable victory.

Bayer Uerdingen vs Dynamo Dresden

Going back to 1986, Dynamo Dresden had beaten Bayer Uerdingen 2-0 in the first leg of a German cup tie, and were again winning 3-1 at half time in the second leg to give them a seemingly unassailable 5-1 aggregate lead with 45 minutes to play. However Uerdingen hadn’t read the script and scored six unanswered goals in the second half to record a historic 7-5 aggregate win.

Deportivo La Coruna vs AC Milan

After a commanding 4-1 win at the San Siro, Carlo Ancelotti’s AC Milan side looked destined for the 2004 Champions League semi finals. However Deportivo had other ideas, as Walter Pandiani, Juan Carlos Valeron, Alberto Luque and Fran all scored at the Riazor to send the Spaniards into ecstasy in a 4-0 win.

Mancheter United vs Bayern Munich

Forever etched into Manchester United fans’ memories, the 1999 Champions League final must go down as one of the best comebacks of all time. With a 1-0 deficit to overcome and the game in injury time, substitutes Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer both found the net in stoppage time to give the Englishmen a 2-1 victory at the Camp Nou.

Fulham vs Juventus

Fulham’s first ever appearance in the Europa League in 2010 was an eventful one, and they met Italian giants Juventus in the round of 16. After a 3-1 defeat in Turin, both sides had scored at Craven Cottage to given Juve a comfortable 4-2 aggregate advantage. However a Bobby Zamora strike, a brace from Zoltan Gera and an 82nd minute winner from Clint Dempsey gave The Cottagers an unforgettable 5-4 aggregate victory.

Chelsea vs Arsenal

Tore Andre Flo and Dan Petrescu had given Chelsea a 2-0 lead against Arsenal back in 1999, and the Stamford Bridge club looked comfortable amongst their fans chants of ‘we want five’. However Arsene Wenger threw on Nigerian striker Nwankwo Kanu, who duly scored a hat-trick to give the Gunners a 3-2 win in wet and windy conditions.

Metz vs Barcelona

Back in the 1984 European Cup Winners Cup, Spanish giants Barcelona had a 5-2 aggregate lead over French opponents Metz after a 4-2 victory in the away leg and an early goal at the Camp Nou. However, the Stade Municipal outfit scored four goals to record a 5-4 victory over the Catalans, with Zvonko Kurbos grabbing a hat-trick to ensure we are talking about him over 25 years later.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

There are many, especially those who don’t have very much of an interest in sport, who think that top athletes are overpaid to do nothing more than ‘play a game’. However, there are many like Lionel Messi, Tom Brady, Derrick Rose, and others who are the best or among the best in their respective sports that look like they at least somewhat deserve the high salaries that they receive.

On the other hand, there are others who, well, don’t.

In some cases, the talent is there, but the production isn’t whether due to injury, lack of effort or confidence, or personal distractions, or other reasons, and in others, the talent may not be what it was or seemed to be at one time.

Here’s a look at ten footballers who top the list of well-paid disappointments. Not long ago, this list would have included Fernando Torres, but it’s hard to criticize the man after the week he had, and the likes of Diego, who’s been a vital part of Atletico Madrid’s run to the Europa League final, and Wesley Sneijder, whose form has picked up under new Inter manager Andrea Stramaccioni, also get a pass.

David Bentley, Tottenham

At one point, it looked like David Bentley was set for a big future with club and country. Unfortunately, his career has tailed off dramatically since his move to White Hart Lane.

Two excellent seasons at Blackburn Rovers saw Tottenham splash out £17m for the former Arsenal prospect in the summer of 2008. Has he repaid the investment? Not even close. An argument could be made that he’s never really been Harry Redknapp’s cup of tea, but he also hasn’t been fantastic, minus a few flashes.

After an unimpressive loan spell at Birmingham City in the second half of last season, he went on loan to Championship side West Ham early this season. However, that stint would last only two starts and three substitute appearances before he was ruled out for several months due to knee surgery.

At 27, there’s still some time to get his career back on the right path and maybe even get back into the England picture, but the last few years don’t offer much encouragement for the future.

Wayne Bridge, Sunderland

Bridge was one of the first new faces of the Roman Abramovich era at Chelsea and was a regular starter early on. But for much of the last several seasons, he’s rarely been a regular starter, first at Chelsea, then at Manchester City, where he moved for £10m in January 2009.

After a loan stint at West Ham in the second half of last season, it seemed a given that he’d leave City last summer. However, he remained there, making only a solitary Carling Cup appearance before a January loan move to Sunderland. The perfect move, right? Not quite. Instead of establishing himself as a regular for the Black Cats, he’s made only three starts in almost three months.

He’s still carved out a respectable career, which includes 36 caps for England, and he’s set for life if he’s managed his money well. Still, one can’t help but look at his career and wonder if it‘s been what it could or should be.

Andy Carroll, Liverpool

At some point in the future, Andy Carroll could be worth £35m and high wages.

At present, however, he is not. The promise is certainly there, as shown by his back-to-back late winners against Everton and Blackburn this month. But the investment was too much, too soon for someone who hadn’t quite matured enough as a player or a person. And a return of only eight goals from more than 40 appearances this season wouldn’t quite cut it, even if his price tag was £15-20m smaller.

He turned 23 only in January, so he has time on his side, along with great talent and potential. But right now his paycheck is 75% potential and 25% production, at best.

Stewart Downing, Liverpool

If you were to cast a vote for the worst summer 2011 Premier League transfer, Downing would almost certainly top the list.

Downing is a quality player, but it’d have taken a lot for him to justify the £20m that Liverpool paid Aston Villa for him last summer. And thus far, it’d be a stretch to say he’s paid even a tenth of that investment. With only three league games left, Downing has yet to record a single league goal or assist. Zero, zilch, nada, nil. He has delivered two goals and an assist in Liverpool’s run to the FA Cup Final, but no matter how you shake it, he has been a tremendous, tremendous disappointment.

Edin Dzeko, Manchester City

Over the last few years, City have spent quite lavishly, to say the least. Some of their investments have panned out, and some haven’t.

Thus far, their £27m investment on Dzeko hasn‘t panned out as perhaps expected. After only six goals in 21 appearances last season after joining from VfL Wolfsburg in January 2011, he had a torrid start to this season, matching that total in his first three matches. But he hasn’t been able to keep it up, scoring only three goals in his last 19 league appearances after notching 10 in his first nine. Dzeko is no doubt a fine striker, but the presence of Sergio Aguero, Mario Balotelli, and Carlos Tevez certainly don‘t give one much margin for error, and there’s a high chance he leaves the club in the summer.

Andre-Pierre Gignac, Marseille

Where, oh where, to start with Monsieur Gignac? His long-term weight issues? The disrespectfulness to his manager that earned him a few days with the reserves earlier this season? Or his lack of goals?

To be frank, Andre-Pierre Gignac has had all of one great season, the 2008/09 campaign in which he scored 24 league goals for Toulouse. So it could be said that the £13m Marseille paid for him in the summer of 2010 was a bit much, especially when you consider PSG were able to land Kevin Gameiro this past summer for just a little more than £9m.

Gignac was a Marseille supporter since childhood, so this was supposed to be a dream move. But to this point, he‘s been a colossal nightmare. Last season, he netted 12 goals in all competitions, but he never found any consistent form. This season, he’s been downright atrocious. In more than 20 appearances – most of which have been from the bench – he’s scored only once, in a Coupe de la Ligue win over Lens in October.

Along with a failed last-minute move to Fulham in the summer, Gignac reportedly turned down a January move to Everton, saying he’d only leave Marseille for a club like Manchester United. However, he needs to do far better to have a chance at such a club. If he doesn’t step it up soon, he’ll end up low on salary and high on regret.

Yoann Gourcuff, Lyon

When Lyon forked out £18m for Gourcuff in August 2010, they were likely expecting more seasons like the two impressive campaigns he had for Bordeaux. To date, he’s fallen well short.

Last season, Gourcuff scored only four goals and notched five assists in 36 appearances for Lyon. This season, injuries prevented him from debuting until October, and an adductor injury in February against APOEL sidelined him until recently. When he has been on the pitch, he hasn’t delivered, producing only one goal and one assists in all competitions.

With all of the high fees that Lyon have received for star players over the last several years, their finances won’t be hurting if they have to take a sizable hit on Gourcuff. Still, Jean-Michel Aulas will be hoping that the former AC Milan starlet can at least somewhat show why he commanded such a high fee two summers ago.

Stephen Ireland, Aston Villa

Three seasons ago, Stephen Ireland looked like one of the English Premier League’s rising stars, as he was in stellar play-making form for Manchester City.

But City’s lavish spending, a dip in form, and the arrival of Roberto Mancini the next season brought his ascension to a screeching halt. He moved to Aston Villa as part of City’s move for James Milner in the summer of 2010, but he was dropped a few months into the season, and then-manager Gerard Houllier publicly called him out for a lack of all-around effort.

Ireland moved to Newcastle United on loan in January 2011, but he didn’t debut until mid-April and made only two sub appearances before a season-ending ankle injury. He’s returned to the Villa fold this season under Alex McLeish and has shone in spots, but he’s also had his bad moments, like telling McLeish to ‘fuck off’ during a February defeat at Newcastle.

He has the talent to be a difference-maker in Villa’s push to avoid the drop and delivered a quality performance against Sunderland a week ago. But if they fail to stay up, his high wages make it highly likely that he’ll be on his way out in the summer.

Jermaine Jenas, Tottenham

You never like to kick a man when he’s down, but Jenas has not been what he could be.

Jenas used to be a fairly regular scorer and provider, but since the start of the 2009/10 season, he has all of one goal and notched only a few assists. Spurs loaned him out to Aston Villa at the end of last August, and he didn’t make his debut until November due to thigh and Achilles issues. After two substitute appearances, he made his first Villa start at home to Manchester United in early December… and lasted a little more than an hour before being stretched off with what proved to be a season-ending Achilles rupture.

Worse yet for Villa, they’ve reportedly been stuck paying his wages, which are £45k per week, for the duration of the season. That means that they’ll fork out more than £1m in wages for someone who played less than 120 minutes of football for them. Ouch.

Luca Toni, Al Nasr

For several years, Toni was known as one of Europe’s deadliest strikers, banging in more than 150 goals for Palermo, Fiorentina, and Bayern Munich in a six-season stretch. But as his career winds down, he’s been getting paid a lot to do very little.

Last season, he joined Genoa on a free transfer from Bayern, and he scored only three league goals in 16 appearances before moving to Juventus for free in January 2011. That move didn’t pan out so well, as he scored only twice in 14 league appearances in the second half of last season. This season, he didn’t feature at all for Juve in the first several months of the season, so it wasn’t a surprise to see him depart in January. But he hasn’t been as much of a hit for UAE side Al Nasr thus far as they might have hoped for, with only four goals from his first 10 appearances.

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Beyond Lionel Messi: An Alternative List of the Best 25 Footballers in the World

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

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

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

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

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

Rafael van der Vaart

Rafael VDV for Spurs

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

Jaap Stam

Stam for Ajax

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

Arjen Robben

Robben for Bayern Munich

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

Robin van Persie

RVP for the Gunners

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

Edgar Davids

Davids for the Dutch

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

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

Ruud van Nistelrooy

Ruud for Man Utd

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

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

Mark van Bommel

van Bommel for Milan

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

Edwin van der Sar

van der Sar for Man Utd

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

Wesley Sneijder

Sneijder for Inter

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

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

Clarence Seedorf

Seedorf for Milan

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

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

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

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

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

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

Maradona 1986 World Cup Jersey

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

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

Click here to buy Maradona 1986 World Cup jersey online.

Juventus 1977 UEFA Cup Jersey

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

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

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

Click here to buy Juventus 1977 UEFA Cup jersey online.

Cruyff 1974 World Cup Jersey

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

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

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

Here is Cruyff’s famous shirt with two stripes:

Click here to buy Cruyff 1974 World Cup jersey online.

Brazil 1971 Three Star Jersey

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

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

Click here to buy Brazil 1971 three star jersey online.

Man City 1969 FA Cup Winners Track-top

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

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

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

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

AC Milan 1963 European Cup Jersey

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

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

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

Puskas 1954 World Cup Jersey

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

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

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

Click here to buy Puskas 1954 World Cup jersey online.

John Charles 1950s Leeds Utd Jersey

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

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

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

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

Italy 1934/1938 World Cup Winners Jersey

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

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

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

Uruguay 1930 World Cup Final Jersey

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

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

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

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Even though our home leaked shirt for Juventus were quite off but the away shirt leak was spot on as Juventus reveal their Nike manufactured 2011/2012 kits.

After a disappointing 7th place finish last season, Antonio Conte has been given charge at the club as the manager. It will be upto Alessandro del Piero and his men to bring back the glory days of the Old Lady.

The fabric of the shirts is entirely comprised of recyclable materials, Nike Dri-FIT and an aerodynamic design.

These shirts are made with Nike’s innovative recycled polyester – each shirt is produced from the recycling of fourteen plastic bottles.

Juve’s kits are available for purchase from all major Nike shops.

Lets take a look at the new kits:

Juventus 11/12 Home

The home shirt is a futuristic-looking traditional black and white striped shirt. The shirt is designed to guarentee a 3D effect.

The word ‘Juventus’ is written on the back of the shirt whilst the words ‘Forza Juve’ are written on the back of the badge.

Players will wear white shorts and white socks with it.

Buy Juventus 11/12 Home Shirt

Juventus 2011/12 Home Shirt

Juventus 11/12 Away

The away shirt is bright pink and features a black star – signalling the return to tradition.

When the club was found in 1897, Juve wore pink shirts with black shorts for six years before switching to the famous black and white stripes.

The shirt is completely pink with a large star from neck down to the waist.

The shorts and the socks will be completely black.

Juventus 2011/12 Away Shirt

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Argentine giants River Plate are enduring the bleakest period in its 110 year existence after succumbing to what seemed nothing more than an improbable assumption, relegation to the second tier of their domestic game. The thought of one of South America’s premier entities falling from grace  would have seemed an absurd thought, yet the old cliché of ‘anything can happen in football’ has certainly echoed its purpose. Bearing that in mind, Los Millonarios are not the first, nor the last, big name club to fall below the trap door.

Soccerlens takes a look back at some of the star studded clubs that have slipped through the cracks from their top tier leagues and into the lower echelons of their domestic game.

River Plate: 2011

Where else to begin other than with South America’s wounded animal. Daniel Passarella was once idolised as a player at the Estadio Monumental Antonio, as well as across the whole of his native Argentina having lead his nation to their inaugural World Cup triumph on home soil in 1978.  Now he is being lambasted with criticism as the River club president is having the finger well and truly pointed at him for the club’s plight.

River failed to overturn a two goal deficit from their first-leg with Belgrano in Sunday’s promotion/relegation play-off, resigning them to National B. Playing at home, the team in red and white could only salvage a 1-1 draw with the game being called off a minute from time as trouble flared in the stands. The home supporters vented their anger, leading to 89 people being injured as trouble spilled onto the streets of Buenos Aires.

River have been Argentine champions a record 33 times. It remains to be seen just how long it will be before they can contemplate claiming another.

Juventus: 2006

The most successful team in calico ended up winning yet another league title in 2006 – only to end up playing in Serie B three months later. The Old Lady’s performances on the pitch did not culminate in their demise, but instead from the overtures of wrong doing by personnel off it.

Calciopoli, the Italian match fixing scandal that tainted the home nation’s World Cup celebrations in the summer of 2006, resulted in Juve being hung out to dry following claims that general manager Luciano Moggi had been in dialogue with referees to influence the outcome of matches – which ultimately proved to be accurate. The club was originally demoted to Serie C1 but following an appeal, were instead relegated to the second-tier of Serie B. They were also stripped off their 2005 and 2006 league titles

Despite a nine point deduction, the club came straight back up in its first attempt having held onto star names such as Pavel Nedved and Alessandro Del Piero – who ended up being top-scorer with 21 goals. However, despite being runners-up in the Scudetto in 2009, the club has failed to reach the dizzy heights it once gravitated, with last season’s failure to qualify for Europe a clear indication.

Leeds United: 2004

Leeds United, a proper football club. Steeped in history and tradition, the Whites were on the verge of ruling Europe in 1975 but just fell short to Franz Beckenbauer’s Bayern Munich. Fast forward 29-years and the proud Yorkshire club were consigned to relegation.

Big money transfers and high wages resulted in Leeds’ demise. Then chairman Peter Ridsdale assumed his benefactor like stance would result in a period of success as he borrowed from banks to fund big money names such as Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Keane and Robbie Fowler – to name a few. Despite getting to the semi-finals of the Champions League and presenting genuine title charges, the results began to flounder and missed out on qualification for Europe’s premier competition in 2002.

That began a real domino effect as manager David O’Leary was axed along with a mass sale of players to try and ease their crippling debts. The failure to make it into the Champions League had proved to be catastrophic and Ridsdale’s reckless spending had been nothing more but suicidal.

They were relegated in 2004, a shadow of the team that had contested on the grandest stage of European football three years prior.  The club were even forced to sell their training ground and Elland Road to pay back loans. They went into administration in 2007 resulting in a 10 point deduction and subjecting them to the third tier of English football for the first time in their history.

Atletico Madrid: 1999

After narrowly avoiding the drop in 1995, Atletico went under a renaissance to lift the La Liga title the following year under the stewardship of Radomir Antic. Not only that, they completed the double by clinching the Cop del Rey thanks to an extra-time winner by Milinko Pantic against Barcelona.

The future looked bright for Los Rojiblanocs as they hoped to dislodge themselves from the shadow of neighbours Real Madrid. However, despite huge investment in a number of players including Christian Vieri, it would prove to be their downfall. An array of changes in the dugout along with uncertainty in the boardroom resulted in one of the marquee names of Spanish football to slip through the cracks in 2000 and into the Segunda Division.

Club president Jesus Gil came under scrutiny as he was suspended for misusing club funds – ultimately leading to his departure after 13 years at the helm. Those series of events more or less hammered the nail in Atleti’s coffin.

Napoli: 1998

Much like Nottingham Forest (to come), Napoli were the equivalent from the peninsula. A small southern Italian club would rise above their northern counterparts and bath in a period of greatness in the late eighties. The acquisition of Diego Maradona in 1984 would culminate in him leading the Neapolitans from the depths of obscurity and into the promise land. The Aquile would end up clinching two Scudetto, the Coppa Italia and a UEFA Cup.

However the club gradually began to fall from grace. The departure of Maradona and host of integral names culminated into a domino effect as Napoli began to languish in mid-table throughout the nineties. Financial constraints saw a lack of investment which resulted in the club being relegated to Serie B in 1998, having only won two games all season. They did gain promotion two years later but ended up going straight back down. This heaped more misery on the club as financial turmoil threatened to diminish its existence. Upon its bankruptcy the FIGC relegated the club to Serie C1 despite achieving safety in Serie B. If that was not bad enough the club was robbed of its history. Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli was seemingly no more.

That was until Aurelio De Laurentiis arrived, a successful businessman and a Neapolitan who funded a new club in Naples under the name of Napoli Soccer. He wanted his beloved city to behold a football club and even under its new name the club still drew in 50,000 fans into the Stadio San Paolo, shattering Serie C1 records. Amazingly the club had the highest average attendance in the whole of Italian football. Just behind the two Milanese clubs in Milan and Inter.

De Laurentiis reacquired Napoli’s history in 2006 as he succeeded in getting the club’s name restored to Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli. The club was well and truly back on track under his ownership and the Azzurri got promoted to Serie B in 2006 before finally returning to the dizzy heights of Serie A in 2007 where they have gradually progressed in the last four years.

Nottingham Forest: 1993

Forest was nothing more than a mediocre club languishing in England’s second-tier prior to the arrival of manager Brian Clough in 1975. ‘Old Big Head’ went on to create what can only be described as a miracle. Within five years the club not only gained promotion to the top flight, they went on to win it at the first attempt – capturing the European Cup the following year – and then succeeded in defending it. To put into context just how big an achievement that was, it would be like Norwich City replicating the exact same feat within the next few years.

Having picked up their second European Cup in Madrid, the club had cemented a legacy. The team that consisted of John Robertson, Garry Birtles, John McGovern and Peter Shilton will go down as one of the greatest in English football – no doubt. However, as magical as Clough’s time had been he was unable to prevent their relegation during the inaugural season of the Premier League in 1993.

It would turn out to be Clough’s final campaign and although the devastation of relegation was bad enough, Reds fans were more stricken over the departure of their manager of 18 years. Had it not been for him, Nottingham Forest would never have achieved those epic feats.

Aston Villa: 1987

The Birmingham club enjoyed its defining era in the early eighties. Ron Saunders guided the club to its first domestic league championship in 71 years and entry into the European Cup. Although the defence of their title did not go according to plan – accompanied with tension between Saunders and the board that reached breaking point – they went on to win club football’s most coveted prize and a place in the history books. Saunders didn’t foresee the European Cup win as he tendered his resignation. His assistant Tony Barton subsequently filled the managerial void.

Despite their success on the field, the club were in the red financially with a debt of £1.6m (astronomical money back in those days). This was down to high wages along with money being borrowed to renovate the North Stand at Villa Park. Chairman Ron Bendall sold his 42% stake to former chairman Doug Ellis prior to the club’s UEFA Super Cup victory over Barcelona but it would end up being that generation’s last hurrah as the likes of Tony Morley and Dennis Mortimer parted company with the club.

Villa’s decline continued through the mid-eighties and subsequently succumbed to relegation in 1987 – five years after being champions of Europe.

Manchester United: 1974

Sir Matt Busby guided The Red Devils to a long overdue European Cup triumph in 1968 and becoming the first English club to win the coveted cup. The great man resigned a year later, marking the end of an era as the likes of Bobby Charlton and George Best entered their twilight years.

United would begin to diminish following Busby’s departure and despite a brief stint back in the dugout it was not enough to overturn the club’s fortunes. Tommy Docherty took over the reins from Frank O’Farrell in 1972 and saved the club from relegation, but failed to do so the following year in 1974.

They were all but mathematically down prior to their relegation as club legend Denis Law, who was then playing for the blue half of the city, sealed his old club’s fate in a 1-0 win. United were down, six years after being European champions.

Follow Ross on Twitter: @RossMackiewicz

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

New Juventus signing Andrea Pirlo believes that he can provide a major contribution to help Juventus return to being a top team in Italian football. Pirlo, who signed from Serie A rivals AC Milan on a three year contract, arrives at the Stadio Delle Alpi on a free transfer. The 72 capped Italian midfielder hopes to bring glory back to the city of Turin, with Juventus not winning a Scudetto since the 2002-03 season. Juventus did win two Scudettos in successive seasons from 2004 – 2006, but they were stripped in the infamous match fixing scandal that saw the club relegated to Serie B and the shame of a nation cast upon them.

Pirlo said: ‘There’s a desire to start winning again, since victories have been missing for a few years now. I want to win and take this team back to the top. It’s important to have a winning mentality.’

Pirlo is used to switching between big sides, having made the switch from Internazionale to arch rivals AC Milan in 2003 for 18 million Euros, and the midfielder knows what the Juventus fans expect and desire. He admitted: ‘I have received other offers  from other teams in Italy and abroad, but I picked Juve. When you go to Juve, you know what to expect. It will be a thrilling challenge‘.

Pirlo made 284 appearances for AC Milan in his seven year career with the Rossoneri and believes that the experience he holds from winning two Scudettos and two Champions League trophies will benefit the youthful squad manager Antonio Conte has at his disposal. Pirlo himself was limited to only 17 appearances at the San Siro last season, but is heavily respected in both Italian and World football and admits that he hasn’t had a proper conversation with manager Antonio Conte, but he will play in any position he is asked to by the recently appointed Juventus manager.

In other Juventus news, the Old Lady have captured Swiss international full-back Reto Ziegler on a four year deal from fellow Serie A side Sampdoria. Ziegler, who is only 25, has stated that he is ‘honoured to have joined Juventus‘ and he is looking forward to playing with ‘great champions‘ in Turin.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was Silvio Berlusconi’s marquee signing last summer in a bid to discontinue Milan’s seven year drought without a Scudetto. Not only has the big Swede taken to Italian football like a duck to water as he did with rivals Internazionale prior to a brief spell in Spain, he has forged a formidable understanding with Robinho and Co that has seen them rise to the summit of Italian football once again.

Last week’s 0-0 draw in Rome clinched the Rossoneri their 18th Scudetto with celebrations reaching a wonderful climax last night with a 4-1 victory over Cagliari, prior to the handing over of the trophy to captain Massimo Ambrosini.

Big Ibra was presented the question of whether or not he believed Milan would end up winning the league? To which he replied “from the first day”. He had every right to be confident as his latest league triumph is his eighth on the bounce.

We take a look back at the eight championships he has won, that have spanned across three countries with five different clubs. An astonishing feat by Milan’s new darling.

Ajax: 2003/2004

Ibrahimovic had won an Eredivisie two years prior when Ronald Koeman began imbedding him into the Amsterdammers setup.

In his final season at the club his 13 goals in 22 appearances played a huge part as they pipped PSV Eindhoven to the post.

Juventus: 2004/2005

His transfer to Serie A was rather abrupt. He had played three games for Ajax at the beginning of the season netting three goals in the process, before an altercation with fellow teammate Rafael van der Vaart during an international match led to his sudden move to Turin.

The Old Lady shelled out €16million on their man and got a return of 16 goals in 35 league appearances.

Juventus: 2005/2006

The following campaign would culminate into the darkest period of Juve’s history.  They clinched the Scudetto with a monumental haul of 91 points, just three ahead of closest rivals Milan. By Ibra’s standards, his goal return was poor and only netted seven goals. In his defence his role was altered by Coach Fabio Capello who made him more of a team player than a target man.

However, the Calciopoli scandal had occurred and hit Italian football like a sledgehammer. Juventus’ role resulted in them being relegated to Serie B and stripped of their last two Scudettos. That also meant all of the Juventus players who had participated in those championship winning campaigns, were stripped of theirs.

Internazionale: 2006/2007

Juve’s relegation resulted in an exodus of their star players – including Zlatan who moved to the Nerazzurri for €24.8million. Ironically Inter were awarded the Scudetto that Juve had been stripped of the season before.

Inter coasted to their first outright title in 17 years with Ibra netting 15 goals in the process – thus becoming the club’s top scorer.

Internazionale: 2007/2008

He outdone himself the following year with 17 goals as Inter clinched their third straight league title in a tightly contested battle with Roma.

His brace on the final day against Parma ensured another season of the black and blue adorning the Scudetto patch.

Internazionale: 2008/2009

Roberto Mancini departed as coach and in his place arrived Jose Mourinho who got the very best out of his star centre-forward. Zlatan consolidated his best league tally to date with 25 goals in 35 appearances and securing the Capocannoniere (Serie A top goal-scorer).

In what was his best ever season in Italy turned out to be his last, as a big money move to La Liga loomed.

2009/2010: Barcelona

He made an eye watering transfer in a deal worth €66million to Catalan giants Barcelona in the summer of 2009. In what would be his one and only season in Spain, resulted in 16 La Liga goals. The Swede was harshly criticised as many felt he failed to adapt to his new surroundings, but that did not stop him finding the goals and end up with an impressive return – along with a Spanish league title.

2010/2011: Milan

A return to Italy occurred the following year with Milan in a €24million deal. This season he has been in instrumental form, being a huge key in the club’s rise to the top of Italian football. In his inaugural campaign he has netted 14 Serie A goals, as well as incorporating himself into a valuable team player.

With Silvio Berlusconi flirting with the idea of another potential superstar arriving in the summer, the future is looking exceedingly bright for Ibra and the Milanese giants.

Follow Ross on Twitter: @RossMackiewicz

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

FC Porto have been one of European football’s revelations this season, as Andre Villas Boas’ side have swept all-comers aside domestically and in Europe. The side from the Estadio do Dragao finished third last season in the league, but have had a barnstorming and unbeaten run this campaign, winning the title back at a canter, sealing their victorious fate with a 2-1 away win at nearest rivals Benfica. At the time of writing Villas Boas’ men have won 25 of their 27 games, with a startling goal difference of +51, and the newly crowned Portuguese champions are looking for European success also, with a semi-final tie against Villarreal in the Europa League coming up next week.

The Dragoes exemplary run of form has not gone unnoticed, and Europe’s big clubs are starting to circle as transfer rumours ignite fans’ imaginations; three players have been most publicly touted as being pursued by Europe’s bigger clubs, with Italy or England the most likely destination.

Givanildo Vieria de Souza, aka Hulk, is a strong, powerful and abrasive frontman with an eye for goal, and is the Portuguese Primeira Liga top goalscorer with 22 goals and counting. Soon to be Italian champions Milan are reportedly keeping tabs on the Selecao goalgetter, as Massimiliano Allegri looks to add players to his side that can take the goalscoring burden from Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s shoulders. However, the strikers physical attributes would suggest that he has what it takes to be a success in English football, and one of the top Premier League news headlines of 2011 have been Tottenham’s desire to spend big to capture a proven goalscorer. Countryman and ex-Porto player Anderson has publicly stated that the 24 year old striker would be an excellent addition at Manchester United also, but the striker is more likely to end up at White Hart Lane.

Hulk’s partner in crime is Radamel Falcao, who has scored 12 goals in 12 Europa League games this season. The 25 year old ex-River Plate forward has proved an excellent foil for Hulk, with an explosive burst of pace and finishing ability with both feet; the pair have scored a frightening 55 goals between them this season. Tottenham again have been linked with Falcao, with even a double move for the partnership being reported, but a more likely destination for the Colombian is Inter. The Nerazzurri are looking for a replacement for ageing Diego Milito, and one of the reason’s behind the Milanese club’s poor season is their dependence on Samuel Eto’o for goals. Falcao would complement the existing personnel at the San Siro, but will not come cheap with a fee of around €20 million being asked by his current employers.

The Porto rearguard is headed up by towering centre back Rolando, who has been the main reason his side have conceded a measly 18 goals domestically this season. The Cape Verde born Portugal international has made 10 appearances for the national side and has grown under Villas Boas’ tutelage. Both Manchester United and Liverpool have been linked with a summer move for the gifted defender, but Rolando may follow Falcao to Italy, with Juventus being the side most adamant in capturing his signature. The Old Lady of Italian football has struggled to replace Fabio Cannavaro and have been guilty of leaking soft goals this season; Rolando is the type of player to get the Turin club back amongst Europe’s top clubs.

Expect an all conquering Porto side to go on and finish the season unbeaten, with European glory a real possibility also. However as with Jose Mourinho’s class of 2004, the vultures will pick off the prize assets from Villas Boas’ team, with the coach himself most likely to follow his talented players out the door.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News