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 items 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

Player transfer fees and their larger than life wage bills are a common topic of discussion for a football fan of today. From Wayne Rooney threatening to quit to oil-rich owners going on shopping sprees, the footballers have now become spoilt and they now know that their high demands will be met at their current club or the next.

It is especially easy to get a huge wage offer for those who possess skill and/or experience. Yaya Toure moved from Spain to England with a wage demand that even England’s best Rooney was not getting at the time.

For the smaller clubs, it has become far more difficult to move into the top-flight and pose a threat to the top teams in their own country, let alone go on a Euro trip.

We have taken the liberty to skim out the football clubs out of the ESPN’s 200 best-paying teams in the world and present a list to you of 66 best-paying football teams in the world.

If you’re gifted with football, this is who will show you the money:

The Leagues and Countries: Bundesliga (Germany), EPL (English Premier League, England), La Liga (Spain), Serie A (Italy) & SPL (Scottish Premier League, Scotland).

Also see: Best Paid Footballers By Country

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

There are just eight rounds remaining in Italy’s Serie A this season, and as Milan, Inter and Napoli battle it out for the Scudetto, here we have a look at which club will join them in Europe’s premier football competition, the UEFA Champions League, next season.

Here are the contenders:

Udinese (4^th, 56pts)

Remaining fixtures:
v Lecce (away)
v Roma (home)
v Napoli (away)
v Parma (home)
v Fiorentina (away)
v Lazio (home)
v Chievo (away)
v Milan (home)

Chances of finishing in fourth: Udinese have a very tough run home, and simply must kick it off with a win away to a struggling Lecce side next weekend. Fortunately for their sake, they are in control of their own destiny, and know that if they avoid any form of major disaster, fourth place is well within their reach.

Key match: v Roma (home) – Should the Bianconeri overcome the Romans, they will all but assure themselves of fourth place, as their lead over the Giallorossi could be extended to a hefty margin with just six rounds to play.

Predictions: A lot depends on the result against Roma, however a tough run home will take its toll on the team that will narrowly be edged out for the final CL place.

5^th, 67pts

Lazio (5^th, 54pts)

Remaining fixtures:
v Napoli (away)
v Parma (home)
v Catania (away)
v Inter (away)
v Juventus (home)
v Udinese (away)
v Genoa (home)
v Lecce (away)

Chances of finishing in fourth: Lazio certainly have the toughest run home of all their rivals, as three of their four road trips are against the top four sides. In order to keep themselves in the race for fourth, they will need to obtain at least a result from a couple of those matches, however their chances aren’t great.

Key match: v Udinese (away) – This may be the game that makes or breaks the Aquile’s season. Whether it be to assure themselves of Europa League qualification, or maintain the pace with their opponents for fourth, this match is destined to be a pivotal one.

Predictions: Lazio have had a brilliant season and should be proud of their efforts. Unfortunately though, they will not feature in next season’s Champions League.

6^th, 66pts

Roma (6^th, 50pts)

Remaining fixtures:
v Juventus (home)
v Udinese (away)
v Palermo (home)
v Chievo (home)
v Bari (away)
v Milan (home)
v Catania (away)
v Sampdoria (home)

Chances of finishing fourth: Roma will desperately want to reclaim a place in next season’s Champions League, and will throw everything at it in the final eight rounds of the season. Not having many players involved in international fixtures over the next fortnight will work in their favour, as they simply must remain unbeaten in the final eight fixtures, if they wish to achieve their goal.

Key match: v Juventus (home) – Anything but a win in this match could effectively end any hope they have of finishing fourth. If their deficit to Udinese were to extend any further, then it would cap off one of the most disappointing seasons in the club’s recent history.

Predictions: Plenty at stake for the Giallorossi against Juve, and even more the following week against Udinese. If they can obtain at least four points from these two matches, pencil them in to finish off the season on a high.

4^th, 68pts

Juventus (7^th, 45pts)

Remaining fixtures:
v Roma (away)
v Genoa (home)
v Fiorentina (away)
v Catania (home)
v Lazio (away)
v Chievo (home)
v Parma (away)
v Napoli (home)

Chances of finishing fourth: Whilst there is belief amongst the Juventus squad that fourth is a realistic possibility, in reality, they have no chance whatsoever. Not even winning all eight matches would guarantee them progression to the Champions League next season, however similar to Roma; they are a very proud club that will continue to fight until the end.

Key match: v Roma (away) – Similar to the Romans, if they want to have any chance of claiming fourth, this is a match that they can ill afford to lose. They must look to continue the resilience they showed against Brescia last weekend, and maintain that for the remainder of the campaign.

Predictions: Juve will struggle to finish in the top six, let alone the top four, and so the club should direct all of its attention to qualifying for the Europa League once again next season.

7^th, 60pts

Be sure to follow me on twitter: twitter.com/adriandelmonte

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Juventus hosted the game against Inter Milan at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino and Inter’s new boss Leonardo failed to make an instant impact. The only goal of the game was scored by Alessandro Matri off a Frederik Sorenson cross.

Juventus 1-0 Inter Milan

Matri, 30′

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

When Deloitte release their annual list of ‘Richest Football Clubs’, there’s plenty of debate on English football’s earning power, the individual TV deals negotiated by Real Madrid and Barcelona, Manchester United’s position at the top of the Premier League food chain, insane amounts of debt in the game, and so on.

I thought it would interesting to take a closer look at where exactly football clubs are earning their revenues from – and thanks to Deloitte’s data on % of revenues earned through matchday, broadcasting and commercial activities, we can draw the following conclusions (all data pulled from the Guardian):

Commercial Revenues

Bayern Munich are miles ahead of the competition when it comes to commercial revenues, with a whopping 171.19m Euros earned in 2009/2010. Real Madrid are 2nd with 149.12m, with Barcelona 3rd at 123.41m Euros in 09/10. United are, predictably, the best performing English club with a ‘paltry’ 97.94m Euros. This tells us three things:

One, you can’t ‘blame’ TV deals as the only factor in Madrid’s and Barcelona’s financial strength.

Two, English clubs have, theoretically speaking, a lot of margin to improve when it comes to commercial activities, and this in part is behind their bullishness in being able to manage their debts / meet UEFA’s FFP policy.

Three, Italian clubs lag behind their English, Spanish and German counterparts when it comes to commercial revenues, something the likes of Internazionale, Milan and Juventus must work on if they want to compete with their European rivals economically in the long run.

Full List:

Bayern Munich 171.19
Real Madrid 149.12
FC Barcelona 123.41
Manchester United 97.94
Schalke 04 79.69
Liverpool 76.6
Chelsea 69.09
AC Milan 63.67
Hamburger SV 62.87
Manchester City 56.54
Juventus 55.35
Arsenal 54.82
Internazionale 47.21
Olympique de Marseille 45.15
Olympique Lyonnais 42.37
Tottenham Hotspur 38.04
AS Roma 38.04
VfB Stuttgart 36.74
Atlético de Madrid 26.15
Aston Villa 16.41

Matchday Revenues

Barcelona lag behind arch-rivals Real Madrid in the matchday revenues stakes, while Manchester United and Arsenal are comfortably 2nd and 3rd thanks to their high-capacity stadiums. It remains to be seen if United fans boycotting matches in protest of the debt will have a significant impact in 10/11, and we might have Arsenal overtaking United if that is the case.

Both Tottenham and Liverpool earn roughly the same amount from their Matchday activities – but still less than half of Arsenal or United. How important is a new stadium to these clubs? Roughly to the tune of 50m-60m per year.

Chelsea are at an impressive 5th in overall matchday revenues with 81.89m Euros in 09/10 – although they would seem to have maxed out their earning potential in this category.

The Italian clubs are again the biggest losers here, with Juventus earning a miserable 16.4m Euros in 09/10, comfortably bottom of the Matchday revenues list.

Full List

Real Madrid 131.58
Manchester United 122.43
Arsenal 115.12
FC Barcelona 99.53
Chelsea 81.89
Bayern Munich 67.83
Liverpool 51.82
Hamburger SV 49.71
Tottenham Hotspur 45.35
Internazionale 38.22
Atlético de Madrid 36.11
AC Milan 30.65
Manchester City 30.56
VfB Stuttgart 29.85
Aston Villa 29.54
Olympique de Marseille 25.4
Schalke 04 25.16
Olympique Lyonnais 24.84
AS Roma 19.63
Juventus 16.4

Broadcasting Revenues

Barcelona and Real Madrid predictably top the list, generating an impressive 175.16m and 157.9m in revenues respectively. Next are the three big Italian clubs, beating out their English rivals in the broadcasting stakes thanks to lucrative deals of their own.

The collective TV deal for the Premier League is a boon for all Premier League clubs but also a hindrance – how much more could Manchester United earn if they were to sell their own TV
rights? If they could match Madrid or Barcelona, that’s an extra 30m to 50m to be had, which would put them at a par overall with Barcelona and within touching distance of Madrid.

How much would Manchester City stand to gain if, along with a boost in their commercial activities, they could also experience a massive increase in broadcasting income?

Full List:

FC Barcelona 175.16
Real Madrid 157.9
AC Milan 141.48
Internazionale 139.38
Juventus 133.25
Manchester United 129.43
Chelsea 104.92
Arsenal 104.16
Liverpool 96.88
Bayern Munich 83.98
Olympique Lyonnais 78.89
Olympique de Marseille 70.55
Manchester City 65.7
AS Roma 65.03
Aston Villa 63.45
Tottenham Hotspur 62.91
Atlético de Madrid 62.25
VfB Stuttgart 48.22
Schalke 04 34.95
Hamburger SV 33.63

More Fun Facts

Shamelessly copied from the Guardian, these refer to the overall rankings:

• Real Madrid has the highest revenue – €438.6m, an increase of 9.3% on the previous year
• The biggest riser is Manchester City – up by 49.5% and nine places to number 11. Tottenham Hotspur did well too – up three places to number 12
• AS Roma is the biggest dropper – down six places to number 18 with a 16% drop in revenue
• Manchester United is up 7% in revenue to €349.8m
• Juventus gets the highest proportion of its revenue from broadcast deals – 65%; Hamburger SV has the smallest – 23%

Full List (Team, 09/10 revenues, 08/09 revenues)

Real Madrid 438.6 401.4
FC Barcelona 398.1 365.9
Manchester United 349.8 327
Bayern Munich 323 289.5
Arsenal 274.1 263
Chelsea 255.9 242.3
AC Milan 235.8 196.5
Liverpool 225.3 217
Internazionale 224.8 196.5
Juventus 205 203.2
Manchester City 152.8 102.2
Tottenham Hotspur 146.3 132.7
Hamburger SV 146.2 146.7
Olympique Lyonnais 146.1 139.2
Olympique de Marseille 141.1 133.2
Schalke 04 139.8 124.5
Atlético de Madrid 124.5 105
AS Roma 122.7 146.4
VfB Stuttgart 114.8 100
Aston Villa 109.4 99

Debt

In itself, borrowing money puts your club at a disadvantage – not only do you have to pay that money back, you also need to pay interest, creating a bigger strain on your revenues. If that money has been borrowed to increase overall revenues (like Arsenal, who have seen strong growth in their matchday revenues as a result), it’s a worthwhile risk. If we’re talking about leveraged buyouts, then we are all agreed that those are bad for the club. The loans Real Madrid and Barcelona pull in to help pay their astronomical wages / transfer fees aren’t much better.

However, once the debt is there, crying over it serves little purpose. The key factor then is to understand whether, in the short run, your club can manage the interest payments and in the long run, whether your club can successfully pay off that debt (while still remaining competitive on the pitch).

When it comes to Barcelona and Real Madrid, a debt of 430m (Barcelona) may seem excessive (and coupled with their Qatar Foundation shirt sponsorship, an clear indication that they are just another football club), but these clubs have the revenue generating capability to service such debts and crucially, the socio-political leverage in their respective regions to thrive even if they cannot.

However where the English clubs are concerned, all of them (even Arsenal) need to look at significantly increasing their revenue generating capabilities. TV money is not enough. United and Arsenal are near the top end of maximising matchday revenues but both clubs, especially Arsenal, have plenty of room to grow in the commercial sponsorships / merchandising sector. Both Tottenham and Liverpool, as previously discussed, desperately need to increase their matchday revenues to financially compete with the top English clubs.

Football & Money

Fans look at stats such as 14 out of 20 Premier League clubs being in debt, or 56% of European clubs operating at a loss, and wonder what all the fuss about buying football clubs is if everyone’s losing money. They might benefit from taking the long-term view – football clubs are powerful revenue generators, and as the stats above show, there’s still plenty of room for them to grow.

The reason investors are flocking towards football clubs isn’t because they want to make money (although in some cases that’s definitely the case) – it’s because they see an opportunity to leverage that profitability later down the line and sell the club for a hefty profit (although there will always be investors like Abramovich / ADG who will buy a football club as a personal symbol of power).

If football were a property market, this one has been in a boom for decades (consider the profit the former chairmen / owners / shareholders of Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool made in the last 10 years) and shows no sign of stopping.

You can follow Ahmed Bilal on Twitter (@Soccerlens).

From Soccerlens.com - Football News