The 14th European Championship for teams sanctioned by the UEFA is scheduled to be played between 8th June and 1st July 2012 in Poland and Ukraine.

Spain are the current holders of the cup – they defeated Germany in the final in Austria / Switzerland version of the tournament in 2008.

The groups and the schedule of the Euro 2012 have been announced and the groups are as follows:

Group A: Poland, Greece, Russia, Czech Republic
Group B: Holland, Denmark, Germany, Portugal
Group C: Spain, Italy, Republic of Ireland, Croatia
Group D: Ukraine, Sweden, France, England

You can see the team by team preview of Euro 2012 from a couple of weeks ago and here we’re covering the football gear to be used by the national teams in the tournament.

Before we look at what kits the players will be donning for the competition, lets look at the official Euro 2012 match ball:

adidas Tango 12

The official match ball that will be used for the duration of the tournament in Poland and Ukraine in the coming summers is the adidas Tango 12. It is a brand new ball inspired by the famous line of adidas Tango balls.

Here’s a picture of the ball. As soon as it is made available, we will have it up for grabs in the Soccerlens Store.

Official UEFA Euro 2012 Match Ball: adidas Tango 12
(Click to enlarge image)

All the football gear and kit manufacturers have lined up for the biggest tournament in Europe and they present to you the Euro 2012 shirts:

Croatia

Coming soon to the Soccerlens Store…

Czech Republic

Chelsea stopper Petr Cech, Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky and Galatasaray forward Milan Baros will probably be featuring for the last time in a major tournament and surely, they will all want to end their careers on a high.

Czech Republic will wear a Puma manufactured red shirt with white and blue details. They will be playing in Group A.

Czech Rep. Home Shirt

Click here to buy Czech Republic Euro 2012 home shirt.

Denmark

Coming soon to the Soccerlens Store…

England

England captain John Terry came under much scrutiny before the start of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa but this time around, things seems to be relatively smoother. Fabio Capello will be looking to exit the job with grace.

England are placed in Group D and will play their opening fixture against the French national team. The Three Lions will wear a plain white shirt, manufactured by Umbro.

England Home Shirt

Click here to buy England Euro 2012 home shirt.

They will wear navy blue away shirts with light blue collars.

England Away Shirt

Click here to buy England Euro 2012 away shirt.

France

France are also placed in Group D and they will play their opening fixture against England. The French squad is relatively younger blood from last time around. Karim Benzema is set to lead the attack as Franck Ribery will takeover the creative part.

Les Bleus will wear a Nike manufactured navy blue shirt. The only details on the shirt are the Nike swoosh and the team emblem.

France Home Shirt

Click here to buy France Euro 2012 home shirt.

The Frenchmen will wear a white away shirt with black horizontal stripes – kind of like the prisoners.

France Away Shirt

Click here to buy France Euro 2012 away shirt.

Germany

Euro 2008 finalists, Germany are seeded in Group B and it is the toughest group in this tournament. Mesut Ozil and Lukas Podolski will be looking to steal the show with sound backing from the rest of the squad. Joachim Low will be looking to leave previous disappointments behind.

Germans will wear a very attractive white shirt with diagonal black, red and yellow lines on the front and black adidas pin-stripes on the shoulder.

Germany Home Shirt

Click here to buy Germany Euro 2012 home shirt.

Greece

Coming soon to the Soccerlens Store…

Holland

Coming soon to the Soccerlens Store…

Italy

Participating in Group C, Italy will open the tournament with a match against the world champions. Juventus’ fantastic shot-stopper Gianluigi Buffon will look to play this tournament through as Daniele De Rossi and his midfield will have to take the pressure off of defence and supply Mario Balotelli up front.

Italy will wear the Puma manufactured blue shirt with a white collar containing details in the colours of the Italian flag.

Italy Home Shirt

Click here to buy Italy Euro 2012 home shirt.

Poland

Coming soon to the Soccerlens Store…

Portugal

Coming soon to the Soccerlens Store…

Republic of Ireland

LA Galaxy striker and national team captain Robbie Keane will look to lead Ireland to at least give a tough time to the giants of Group C. He will need all the expertise Shay Given, John O’Shea and Darron Gibson have to offer.

Ireland will wear a white away shirt with green details. The kits are manufactured by Umbro.

Rep. of Ireland Away Shirt

Click here to buy Republic of Ireland Euro 2012 away shirt.

Russia

Arsenal striker Andrie Arshavin will captain a Russia side out of which only four players ply their trade outside of the country. Tottenham forward Roman Pavlyuchenko, Vfb Stuttgart forward Pavel Pogrebnyak and Everton midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov are the three other players who play outside of Russian Premier League. Yuri Zhirkov’s services will also be available.

Russia will wear an adidas manufactured red shirt with a blue and white diagonal stripe going down the front.

Russia Home Shirt

Click here to buy Russia Euro 2012 home shirt.

Spain

Reigning world and European champions, Spain will play Euro 2012 in Group C. Since the triumph in the World Cup, the Spaniards haven’t been in top form but they should never be underestimated with the quality of the squad they possess.

Head coach Vicente del Bosque will be looking for a repeat performace from his team which features five Real Madrid players and eight Barcelona players. Another three Barca players have been called-up for the squad recently (Martin Montoya, Thiago Alcantara and Pedro).

Spain will wear a red jersey proudly featuring a single golden star above their team emblem. The kit is manufactured by adidas.

Spain Home Shirt

Click here to buy Spain Euro 2012 home shirt.

Sweden

Coming soon to the Soccerlens Store…

Ukraine

Andriy Shevchenko captains the Ukraine side and the former AC Milan and Chelsea striker will look to impress in front of his home crowd. Ukraine are in Group D and will face tough competition from Sweden, France and England.

They will wear an adidas manufactured yellow shirt with blue details.

Ukraine Home Shirt

Click here to buy Ukraine Euro 2012 home shirt.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Update: Groups Draw details and the official match ball of Euro 2012 added. Scroll down to view.

With the 16 teams competing in Euro 2012 now selected and the qualifying process complete, all eyes look to Poland and Ukraine as time ticks down. The seeding for the selection of the group stages has been completed also, with the draw for the pool stages happening in Kiev on December 3rd. English and Irish fans will look for a favourable draw, but both nations will know that the competition is packed with top teams.

Pot 1 consists of co-host Poland and Ukraine, world champions Spain and a technically gifted Netherlands side; most participants will be keen to draw the hosts rather than the other two powerhouses.

SPAIN

Spain’s mantle as the top team in the world has been slightly diminished of late, as poor results in friendlies against Spain and Costa Rica have tarnished the end of 2011 for La Roja. Vicente Del Bosque has a plethora of players to choose from however, with a strong base from Barcelona and Real Madrid making up the majority of the team.

The Spaniards midfield is still as menacing as ever, with Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas and Xabi Alonso world class players that opponents will struggle to compete against; however Xavi is still Spain’s main man and will orchestrate long periods of possession for the world champions.

NETHERLANDS

Holland impressed during the qualifying rounds, and again must go into the tournament as one of the favourites. Bert van Marwijk’s men, similar to Spain, have had an under-par end to the year however, as the Oranje lost their last qualifying game to Sweden and were put to the sword by Germany in a recent friendly, losing 3-0.

Despite this the squad is full of talent and a number of young players are battling the established names for a place in the starting XI. Although their defence at times can be questioned, their attack cannot.

Rafael van der Vaart and Wesley Sneijder will look to provide chances for red hot striker Robin van Persie. The Arsenal man is proving himself to be one of the top hitmen in Europe, and will look to fire his nation to glory.

POLAND

On of the downfalls of hosting a major tournament is the fact that you do not get to take part in qualification, and Polish fans will hope that Franciszek Smuda’s men do not suffer due to a lack of competitive fixtures. Solid performances in friendlies over the last 12 months have seen the host draw with Germany and beat the likes of Belarus and Hungary; the home crowd will also play a key part in their chances.

Borussia Dortmund attacker Robert Lewandowski was a key figure in the German club’s Bundesliga success last season, and will be counted on to get goals for the Eastern European side.

Poland are co-hosts.

UKRAINE

Ukraine have had inconsistent form over the last year, and with the glory days of Sergei Rebrov and Andriy Shevchenko over, Oleg Blokhin has had to look to the youth in his side.

Dynamo Kiev forward Andriy Yarmolenko holds the weight of expectation on his shoulders, as the 22-year-old has shown the necessary promise to fill the boots of the generation before him.

Ukraine are co-hosts.

England find themselves in the second tier of the seeding, alongside old enemy and highly-fancied Germany; 2006 World Cup winners Italy and an unpredictable Russia team make up this quartet.

ENGLAND

England have been inconsistent over the qualifying rounds, and despite showing their quality at times can also lack creativity and the ability to break teams down. Fabio Capello will be buoyed on by an unbeaten qualifying campaign and friendly victories over Spain and Sweden, but will look for more from his team if they are to pose as realistic challengers.

Wayne Rooney’s absence in the pool stages will be a real blow for The Three Lions, and the Italian coach will be under pressure to find a replacement that can fire the side into the knockout rounds. Scott Parker has really matured over the last 12-18 months, and the Tottenham man could showcase the determination and will to win to inspire his team-mates; a North London central midfield partnership alongside Jack Wilshere could just prove the balance England needs.

GERMANY

Germany, as always when a major tournament rolls round, must be considered as serious contenders.

Joachim Low has comprised a squad with an enviable mix of experience and youth, and a flawless qualifying campaign proves testament to the side’s motivation to succeed.

The German side is packed full of quality, but playmakers Mesut Ozil and Mario Gotze in particular have vital attributes in creating chances for sharpshooter Mario Gomez.

ITALY

Italy traditionally have blown hot and cold when it comes to international tournaments, and the Azzurri this time round have shown inconsistency and a lack of a real killer instinct in the qualifying rounds.

Cesare Prandelli has a football mad nation keen to recapture the glory days, and a wide ranging player base to choose from – however the side in blue will most likely adopt cautious tactics and look to win fixtures by the odd goal.

Mario Balotelli looks to have been given a real chance to start up front in the absence of Giuseppe Rossi and Antonio Cassano, and may lead the line alongside Juventus’ Alessandro Matri.

However the key man for Italy will be at the back, where Giorgio Chiellini will look to emulate great Italian central defenders of the past, and organise a stubborn rearguard upon which the midfield and attack can build upon.

RUSSIA

Dick Advocaat’s Russian side will fancy their chances of upsetting some of the bigger names, as the proximity of the tournament favours the Eastern European side. A solitary defeat in qualification has shown that Russia are an emerging superpower in the game, and they undoubtedly harbour a number of excellent players.

Andrei Arshavin and Roman Pavlyuchenko are struggling currently at their North London clubs; the experienced duo will need to find their form to inspire a talented but not yet proven team.

The third pot is made up of four seasoned and competitive nations, as Portugal, Sweden, Croatia and Greece lie in wait. The likes of Zlatan Ibrahmovic and Cristiano Ronaldo are first rate players in supposed third rate teams, but none of the participants in this pot will be pushovers.

PORTUGAL

Portugal were beaten to the top of Group H by Denmark, but the Iberian nation powered past Bosnia and Herzegovina in the playoffs to book their place at Europe’s top table. Coach Paulo Bento has ruffled some feathers since taking charge of the team, with veteran duo Ricardo Carvalho and Jose Bosingwa retiring from international football after falling out with the former midfielder.

Despite the absence of the experienced pair, Portugal still have an abundance of quality, with the likes of Nani and Joao Moutinho sure to terrorise opposition defences. Their key man is obviously Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, and if the 26-year-old  can replicate the form and goalscoring ability he shows for his club on the international stage, Portugal will take some beating.

SWEDEN

The Swedes have a technically gifted and balanced side, made from a mix of players playing in their homeland and the top European leagues. Erik Hamren’s side qualified as a top runner up in qualification, and had they not had Netherlands in their group may well have topped a pool.

Temperamental but clearly gifted Zlatan Ibrahimovic hold the nation’s destiny in his hands.

Although Ibra was ineffective in the recent game against England at Wembley, his club record tells a completely different story. It will be a long-shot, still, to believe that he can single-handedly take his nation all the way through the competition.

GREECE

The Euro 2004 champions look to have recovered form and showcased some excellent football in an unbeaten qualification process.

Fernando Santos’ squad still has some remnants from the triumphant side from seven years ago, which is complemented by exuberant youngsters breaking into the international fray.

PAOK striker Dimitris Salpingidis has learnt from some of the senior goal-getters in recent Greek history, and has the ability to cause opposition defences a headache.

CROATIA

Slaven Bilic’s men made the finals by comprehensively beating Turkey 3-0 in the playoffs, and should not be written off. The Croats follow Luka Modric’s direction, and the Tottenham playmaker has the ability to hurt any side in the world, whilst Bayern Munich attacker Ivica Olic will be keen to add to his tally of 15 international goals.

Modric’s club teammate Niko Kranjcar and Bolton Wanderers’ Ivan Klasnic will also be available for selection. Both of them last played for the national team in October against Latvia.

Finally, Republic of Ireland find themselves in the lowest tier of seeding for the tournament, but will have expected this. Giovanni Trapattoni’s men are bunched alongside an under-performing France, dark horses Czech Republic and Denmark.

FRANCE

France have not shown enough quality to make it into the top pots, and the French public will not be happy as being deemed as a fourth-tier side. A late goal against Bosnia and Herzegovina ensured Les Bleus automatic progression to the tournament, but their form in qualification was nothing to write home about.

Laurent Blanc is widely seen as the man to spark a renaissance, and the coach undoubtedly has talented players to call upon. Experienced international heads such as Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema will harbour most of the responsibility for leading their nation’s dreams – but look out for Sochaux playmaker Marvin Martin.

The starlet has rose to fame over the last 12 months, and his craft and guile has prompted many in the game to compare him to Zinedine Zidane; it could be Martin’s time to announce himself to the world game.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

The Emerald Isle will be competing in the European championships for the first time since 1988, and a wave of expectancy has washed over the country since a 5-1 aggregate victory over Estonia ensured Ireland’s place at the finals.

Giovanni Trapattoni still relies on old heads Richard Dunne, Shay Given and Robbie Keane, but faith should be put in some of the younger players such as Aidan McGeady to compete at the highest level.

DENMARK

The Danes qualified for the tournament by topping Group H ahead of Portugal, and Morten Olsen’s men will go into the competition full of confidence.

If the Scandinavians can get off to a good start they will be a match for most, and in Christian Eriksen they have one of the brightest prospects in the world game. The Ajax midfielder will look to impress to force a transfer to one of Europe’s biggest clubs, and has the energy and guile to win a game for Denmark.

CZECH REPUBLIC

It is fair to say that the Czech Republic are not the force that once saw them challenge for international tournaments in the 2000′s, but Michael Bilek’s men will still provide a tricky test to their opponents next year.

Arsenal’s Tomas Rosicky captains the side and is a talisman for the nation, but the Czechs are going through a transitional period as a number of the under-21 players make the step up to the seniors.

However, still the elders of the team, like Milan Baros, carry the hopes of their nation.

So there you have it; although there is a lot of football to be played before Euro 2012 starts in earnest, most of the major players in the continent will have one eye on the finals. With the groups being drawn in the forthcoming weeks excitement over the tournament should build, as there are many nations that could realistically experience glory next year.

Groups

Group A: Poland, Greece, Russia, Czech Republic.
Group B: Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Portugal.
Group C: Spain, Italy, Ireland, Croatia.
Group D: Ukraine, Sweden, France, England.

Euro 2012 Schedule

Match schedule
All kick-offs CET, Ukrainian time is one hour ahead

Friday 8 June 2012
#1: POL v GRE, 18.00CET, Warsaw
#2: RUS v CZE, 20.45CET, Wroclaw

Saturday 9 June 2012
#3: NED v DEN, 18.00CET, Kharkiv
#4: GER v POR, 20.45CET, Lviv

Sunday 10 June 2012
#5: ESP v ITA, 18.00CET, Gdansk
#6: IRL v CRO, 20.45CET, Poznan

Monday 11 June 2012
#7: FRA v ENG, 18.00CET, Donetsk
#8: UKR v SWE, 20.45CET, Kyiv

Tuesday 12 June 2012
#9: GRE v CZE, 18.00CET, Wroclaw
#10: POL v RUS, 20.45CET, Warsaw

Wednesday 13 June 2012
#11: DEN v POR, 18.00CET, Lviv
#12: NED v GER, 20.45CET, Kharkiv

Thursday 14 June 2012
#13: ITA v CRO, 18.00CET, Poznan
#14: ESP v IRL, 20.45CET, Gdansk

Friday 15 June 2012
#15: SWE v ENG, 20.45CET, Kyiv
#16: UKR v FRA, 18.00CET, Donetsk

Saturday 16 June 2012
#17: CZE v POL, 20.45CET, Wroclaw
#18: GRE v RUS, 20.45CET, Warsaw

Sunday 17 June 2012
#19: POR v NED, 20.45CET, Kharkiv
#20: DEN v GER, 20.45CET, Lviv

Monday 18 June 2012
#21: CRO v ESP, 20.45CET, Gdansk
#22: ITA v IRL, 20.45CET, Poznan

Tuesday 19 June 2012
#23: ENG v UKR, 20.45CET, Donetsk
#24: SWE v FRA, 20.45CET, Kyiv

Wednesday 20 June 2012
No matches

Thursday 21 June 2012
#25: 1A v 2B, 20.45CET, Warsaw

Friday 22 June 2012
#26: 1B v 2A, 20.45CET, Gdansk

Saturday 23 June 2012
#27: 1C v 2D, 20.45CET, Donetsk

Sunday 24 June 2012
#28: 1D v 2C, 20.45CET, Kyiv

Monday 25 June 2012
No matches

Tuesday 26 June 2012
No matches

Wednesday 27 June 2012
#29: W#25 v W#27, 20.45CET, Donetsk

Thursday 28 June 2012
#30: W#26 v W#28, 20.45CET, Warsaw

Friday 29 June 2012
No matches

Saturday 30 June 2012
No matches

Sunday 1 July 2012
#31: W#29 v W#30, 20.45CET, Kyiv

Official Match Ball

In 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the adidas Jabulani caused a few problems for goalkeepers and out-field players because of its unique flight and all the new technical advancements. Adidas have now revealed the official Euro 2012 match ball and called it the adidas Tango 12.

Hoping that it will be more human than it’s predecessor, Tango 12 has been inspired by the famous line of adidas Tango balls. Here’s what the ball will look like:

Also see: Euro 2012 News | Euro 2012 Statistics | Euro 2012 Fixtures | Euro 2012 Football Gear.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

With Remembrance Sunday having just occurred a few days ago, we reflect on the men who gave their lives to their countries as well as giving their all on the football pitch. Their bravery on the field of play has been superseded by their courage and character on the field of battle even though some of them had little to no military education.

Here we commemorate and honour football’s top 20 war heroes in this list:

1. Bert Trautmann

The list starts with a goalkeeper as this shot-stopper enjoyed a very interesting career in England, particularly since he was WW II German soldier and he played there immediately after the Second World War. He joined the Luftwaffe in 1941 and he quickly gained promotion, firstly as corporal and then as sergeant of his unit. He earned 5 army badges for his superb work to the Germanic cause. However he was imprisoned by the British for his role against them in the war and he most of his sentence in Cheshire.

On his release, he farmed and played football part-time before eventually turning professional with St. Helens for a season. He then transferred to Manchester City in 1949, where he got a very mixed welcome  due to his role in the war. However 15 years later after leaving the Citizens, he etched his name into their history books as one of their finest ‘keepers ever.

He won both the FA Cup and FWA for Player of the year in 1956 on his way to making more than 500 appearances for the Manchester club. He also enjoyed spells in charge of Stockport County, Liberia and Pakistan before retiring from all footballing activities in 1983.

2. Alexander “Sandy” Turnbull

This Scottish striker etched his name into the hearts of the fans of both Manchester clubs in the early 20th century with his goalscoring skill. Having netted 143 goals in 230 Football League appearances, he had a sensational goal to game ratio.

Having won the FA Cup with Manchester City, he crossed the metropolis to join arch-rivals Manchester United where he enjoyed a golden period of success winning two First Division titles, but notably scoring the winner in the 1909 FA Cup final. However his career was cut short by the First World War as his last game came against Sheffield Wednesday in 1915.

He was also later found guilty of match-fixing and received a life-long football ban before joining the armed forces. Having risen to the ranks of Lance Sergeant in the Eight Battalion of the East Surrey regiment in the British Amry, he was killed on 3rd May 1917 in a battle in Arras, France. He was 32 but as a result of his heroic effort overseas, his ban was rescinded in 1919 after the war ended.

3. Eddie Latheron

Affectionately nicknamed ”Pinkie” on the terraces due his red hair and pale complexion, Latheron is remembered as a legend to Blackburn Rovers and a martyr for his country. The inside forward scored 94 goals in 258 appearances for his hometown club and it was this, coupled with his unselfish play that made him a firm fan favourite among the Lancashire faithful. The one-club man helped the Rovers conquer England twice during the 1911-12 and 1913-14 seasons as those First Division titles are his only silverware.

However the outbreak of the war in 1914 compelled him to enlist and within a week after his final game for Blackburn, he was a gunner on the front for the Royal Field Artillery. At 29 years of age, he was killed on 14th October 1917 at the Battle of Passenchendaele. Such is his legendary status, a group of Belgian Blackburn Rovers fans commemorated the striker on the 90th anniversary of his death at his grave located nears Ypres.

4. Vivian Woodward

Woodward was the Lionel Messi of his day when organised soccer began to gain prominence in Britain. Spells with Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea proved fruitful as he yielded 93 goals in 238 appearances. Having also appeared for the English nation side, it was his participation with the Great Britain team in the 1908 and 1912 which garnered him great fame. He captained the team to the gold medal on each occasion.

Woodward enlisted in the army and missed a huge portion of Chelsea’s 1914-15 season. However he was given special leave to attend his team’s FA Cup final but unfortunately Sheffield United beat the Pensioners 3-0 on the day. Having returned to the front for a second spell, his leg was badly injured by a stray grenade in 1916 and thus had to return home for the final time, with his footballing careers also in tatters. Despite being maimed, Vivian lived on until he was 74 years of age in 1954 and he will always be remembered as one of the pioneers of the beautiful game.

5. Walter Tull

Tull was the inaugural man who broke so much new ground up until his premature death in 1918 at the age of 29. The second ever mixed-heritage football player to ply his trade professionally in the English First Division, after signing with Tottenham Hotspur. However he has a short and unhappy time there as racial abuse seriously affected him and thus he moved to Northampton Town for a ”substantial fee.” In 3 years, he accumulated 110 games with the Cobblers, scoring 9 goals in that time-span.

When war broke out in 1914, he was the first Northampton player to enlist in the armed forces. Despite even more racial problems in the British army, he was promoted to Second Lieutenant, the first mixed-race men to do so. Having heroically fought through the Battle of the Somme, he met his end on 25th March 1918. He was gunned down in the Pas-de-Calais but his body was never recovered from that gruesome scene. Tull was recognised for his outstanding efforts to his country as he was posthumously awarded the military cross for his bravery on the front.

6. Fritz Walter

For anyone who thinks football’s a waste of time, tell them it saved this man’s life. Walter was enjoying a brilliant career with Kaiserslautern in the Bundesliga before having been conscripted to join the Nazi forces in 1942, where the forward was to fight for Germany.

However near the end of the war, he ended up being a POW after being captured by Hungarian soldiers. He wowed the guards with his exceptional skill but the time then came for him to be moved to another camp in the Soviet Union, where life expectancy was just 5 years and the guards would be more brutal.

However a football-loving Hungarian guard intervened at the last second and saved his life by aiding him in getting him out of the transfer to the Union and thus being fortuitously released from prison.

On his return to football, he restarted his career with Kaiserslautern and he retired from them in 1959 having scored a mind-boggling 380 goals in 411 appearances. Walter also won the German championship twice with his hometown club.  He also captained West Germany to their first World Cup victory in 1954, ironically over Hungary, the same nation where the guards came from who let him free.

7. Harry Goslin

A folklore legend for Bolton Wanderers, Goslin was also a sensational patriot to his country when he gave his life to the Allies during the Second World War. On turning professional in 1930, he joined the northern club for just £25 and he enjoyed nine years with the club scoring 23 goals in 306 appearances despite playing as a defender all his life. Before war broke out in 1939, he announced Bolton’s entire team would be joining the army.

When it did, Goslin led his team-mates in the fight against the Germans and their allies.  Within three years, his leadership qualities on the pitch transferred onto the battle field as he became sergeant in 1942. He also played a pivotal role in the withdrawal of troops from Dunkirk in that same year. However while traversing through Italy, he was seriously wounded by a mortar explosion under a tree. He bravely battled to live on four days after suffering the injury but lost his life on 18th December 1943.

8. Fred Griffiths

This Welsh goalkeeper enjoyed a long and varied career having been on the books of 12 clubs as well as earning 2 caps for his country. Having the honour of playing for big London clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United, he was renowned for being a reliable man to have between the sticks but unfortunately this never translated into any major trophies.

After his retirement, he spent his time training local teams near his home in Presteigne, Wales. And despite being one year above the conscription age, (41 was the conscription age at the time) he felt compelled to fight for his country’s future when he enlisted with the British army in 1915.

He became sergeant within his rank, the 15th Battalion of Sherwood Foresters, before dying at the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917 at the age of 44.

9. Lev Yashin

Widely regarded as the best goalkeeper all-time, Yashin made his name Dynamo Moscow and the old Soviet Union during a trophy-laden 20 year career with each team. At just 12 years of age, in 1941, he began helping the Soviet Union in the only way he could in the war effort. Too young to fight on the front, the teenager went to work in the factories manufacturing arms, vehicle parts and more.

Yashin was finally able to begin his professional footballing career as a 21-year-old with Dynamo Msocow in 1950. With them he won the Soviet Top League 5 times and the Soviet Cup 3 times. He also helped him national team to continental glory by winning the 1964 European Championship with them as well capturing gold at the Olympics.

He made 324 appearances at club level, 78 at international level and was known as the ”Black Spider” around the world due to his amazing ability to save virtually goal-bound shots. His death came prematurely in 1990 when during relatively simple surgery on his knee went wrong and he passed away due to complications.

10. Ferenc Puskas

The Real Madrid and Hungary legend was remembered as a goalscoring phenomenon during his footballing career. However due to Hungarian law, he was conscripted to join their army and although never participating in infantry work, he rose through the ranks to become major. It was a combination of his rank and his footballing prowess while playing in the armed forces that earned him his lifelong nickname ”The Galloping Major.”

Puskas is revered around the world for scoring an incredible 157 goals in just 182 appearances for Los Blancos, where he additionally won 4 Pichichi awards during his Spanish stay. And he also netted 84 strikes in 85 games for the Hungarian national team in a truly remarkable playing career.

Having taken various coaching positions ranging from North America, Asia, Europe and even Australia, he briefly coached his nation during a four game spell. Puskas died on 17th November 2006 at the age of 79.

11. Ted Drake

The diminutive English striker’s playing career began with Southampton but blossomed with Arsenal during his 14 years in football. Scoring a handsome sum of 47 goals in 71 games for the Saints, he captured the eye of the Londoners, who signed the forward in 1934. He scored 124 goals in 167 games while at Highbury, with his finest game coming against Aston Villa. Drake netted 7 times in that single match, which is a record that still stands today in England’s top flight.

As well as winning two First Division titles with the north London side, he added a FA Cup medal to his collection. After periods in management at the helm of Hendon and Reading, he took charge of Chelsea Football club and guided them to their first ever championship in 1956. The end of his time at Arsenal was severely disrupted due to his participation with the Royal Air Force which restricted him to a handful of games during the war years. His playing career was prematurely ended in 1945 due to a spinal injury.

12. Stan Mortenson

Although this particular striker managed to only garner one trophy in his 21 year career, he was the man who led his country during a very difficult post-war era as well as being ridiculously lucky to have been able to play the game once you learn his story. Before he became the prolific striker that he is famous for, he began his wartime efforts in 1939 as a wireless operator.

Mortenson was involved in a disastrous air crash that same year when every single passenger onboard was killed except Stan. However even despite the injuries he sustained, he managed to carve himself a career out of professional football in the post-war era. Stints at Southport, Bath City and Lancaster City followed a golden spell that he enjoyed with Blackpool.

He scored 197 goals in 317 games for the side in a 14 year period (the first four of those being slightly disrupted by war commitments.) He also netted a remarkable 23 goals in 25 appearance for England as he helped put a smile back on his nation’s face after a long, depressing war.

13. Willie Thornton

Considered to be one of the greatest Scottish players of all time, Thornton was a prolific striker for Rangers during his 18 year career at the club, which book-ended his involvement in World War II. Debuting for the Glaswegian giants in 1936 at just 16 years of age, the striker enjoyed adulation from fans for his lethal touch in front of goal.  However his fledgling career was brought to a temporary end in 1939 due to outbreak of the war.

He joined the Scottish Horse regiment and as a result of his “acts of gallantry and devotion to duty under fire,” he was awarded a Military Medal for helping to defeat Germany on the battlefield. By the time of his retirement in 1954, he was well-known throughout Britain and he finished his career with 138 goals in a mere 219 appearances. He then became a manager of Dundee United and Partick Thistle for 5 and 9 years respectively where he had modest success.

14. Wilf Mannion

”The Golden Boy” as he was known as in his native Middlesbrough due to his streak of blond hair, endured a mixed time on Teeside but nothing negative can be said about his commitment to the British cause during the Second World War.  The inside forward played more than 350 times for Boro, scoring 99 times in his long career there but went on strike and retired in a bid to finally leave the club.

Although the reasons for his discontent are unknown, his dedication while playing was second to none, as he was with England, netting 11 times in his 26 appearances for his nation. He joined the war effort in 1940 and he was a key solider in the Siege of Sicily that occurred in 1943. Shortly after that he was allowed to return home and continue his footballing career. After the war, he joined Hull City and Cambridge United and perhaps his finest moment was being a member of the English squad for the 1950 World Cup in a career particularly special due to it’s amazing 24 year longevity.

15. Frank Buckley

Buckley took a more unusual route as he created a unique career in the game. Having joined the army as a teenager, he left by the time he was 20 in order to forge a football life for himself. He played for Manchester United, Manchester City and Aston Villa before the outbreak of World War I. He was commander of the Football Battalion for a large of the war and thanks to his previous stint in the armed forces, he rose through the ranks rapidly and eventually became a major.

However he was badly injured in the Battle of the Somme and returned to restart his football career. With the war finished, he managed many football clubs including Leeds United where he introduced the legendary Jack Charlton to his first taste of professional action. Overall, he spent nearly 50 years in his long and distinguished life in football.

16. William Angus

The word hero was conjured up exactly for this incredible man. With his footballing career cut short due to the declaration of war in Europe in 1914, Angus wasted no time in signing up and he was immediately mobilised out to the action. Before his war efforts, he played once for Celtic but left them for lack of first team opportunities. He was the captain Wilshaw Thistle when war was announced and within weeks, he had joined the 8th Royal Scots regiment.

His finest hour came a year after joining when he saw a comrade lying in a trench within the range of their enemies. Angus fearlessly went to save his fellow soldier and received 40 wounds for his courageous act, losing his left eye and part of his foot being his most serious injuries. Two months later as he was recovering, he was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest award possible for a British solider.

17. Bernard Vann

Another man who was equally brave in the face of danger, Vann was also a recipient of the prestigious Victoria Cross for his valiant accomplishments while defending his nation. His football career was all over by 1907 at the tender age of 20 but he made appearances for Burton United and Derby County in his brief time on the football field. He then ordained to become a minister from the famous-named Jesus College but his chaplaincy was cut short due to be called upon for the war effort.

Having become a Lieutenant General, he earned his Victoria Cross by leading his subordinate troops into the face of death as his leadership qualities shone through impeccably. Rushing up to the line of fire, he surprised several German soldiers and disarmed three of them as he led his regiment on a crucial advance on enemy territory. However Vann missed the end of the war by a mere 4 weeks as he was shot by a sniper rifle in France on 3rd October 1918.

18. Billy Gerrish

William ”Billy” Gerrish was yet another tragic story which began on the football field and ended when he was fighting the front. An extremely promising young striker for Aston Villa, he scored on his debut against Arsenal and added to that with an even more impressive achievement by claiming a hat-trick against Chelsea. In his first season with the club, he helped them to win the First Division.

However he failed to live up to his full potential when World War I broke out and he was to join the British army. Having enlisted in the Footballers Battaltion Middlesex regiment, he lasted less than two years abroad. He was killed on 8th August 1916. In all, there were 40 other Aston Villa players who died as a result of their participation in that war, one of the highest of all the clubs in Britain.

19. Charlie Buchan

This beanpole striker was another goalscoring phenomenon who had his magnificent career due to his country’s involvement in keeping the peace abroad. Despite missing a fair chunk of his 14 years on the books at Sunderland, he racked up an impressive 209 goals in 370 appearances with the Black Cats.

He enlisted in the war effort as soon as it began in 1914 and by the time of Britain’s victory in 1918, he had been promoted to second lieutenant in the Sherwood Foresters regiment. He was also a recipient of the Military Medal. On his return to football, he rejoined Sunderland until 1925 when he transferred to Arsenal.

With them, he was equally prolific, scoring 49 times during the 102 games that he donned the famous red shirt. He wrote one of the first football manual’s, was a distinguished journalist and commentated on matches for the BBC for the remainder of his life up until his peaceful death in 1960.

20. Nikita Simonyan

This legendary Russian football man was too young to actively take part in World War II. However when the soldiers rolled into his town, he helped ease the pressure and stress of war life by organising football matches. The military personnel thoroughly enjoyed these breaks from the endless killings and Simonyan then realised football would become a focal point for the remainder of his life.

He has become one of the most successful Russian footballers of all-time by winning the golden boot in the Soviet Top League on three occasions.  He won the Soviet Top League seven times in total as a player and manager of clubs as well as on the victorious side of the Soviet Cup six times. His career reached its pinnacle when he was part of the Soviet Union team which won the 1956 Olympic gold medal in football. And just earlier this year, his efforts of nullifying tension between Russians and Armenians were rewarded by the President of Armenia during a ceremony.

You can contribute to this list in the comments below or by emailing us. If you like this list, you will find more football lists here.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The 1960s just might be football’s golden decade. George Best, Garrincha, Pele in his prime and much much more. Recently on the Total Soccer Show podcast, we picked our starting XI from the 1960s. None of of us were alive back then, but thanks to television, YouTube and brilliant books like Jonathan Wilson’s Inverting the Pyramid, we were able to weigh the various options at each position and argue out the perfect starting XI to represent 10 of the most glorious years in the history of the beautiful game.

Play/Download the show

Listen to the show to hear how we arrived at our unbeatable lineup, or read about the starting XI below:

Goalkeeper: Lev Yashin
Dynamo Moscow and Russia
Who else? Gordon Banks might have won the World Cup, but Yashin is still talked about as probably the greatest goalkeeper of all time. “The Black Spider” wore leather gloves and a cloth cap, but he invented modern goalkeeping by yelling at his defenders to get them organized and coming out of his box to use his feet as the first sweeper-keeper. Still need convincing? Yashin apparently made over 150 penalty saves in his career.

Right back: Djalma Santos
Palmeiras and Brazil
The right back spot was a choice between two Brazilans. Though Carlos Alberto Torres would captain the 1970 World Cup-winning team, Santos was chosen for both the ’62 and ’66 tournaments, and provided the assist for Vava in the 1962 World Cup final by crossing a high ball into the glare of the sun. Not as adventurous as later Brazilian right backs (including Carlos Alberto) but gets the nod for defensive solidity. And a scary photo.

Left back: Giacinto Facchetti
Inter and Italy
The 6′ 3″ Facchetti played left back in the catenaccio-loving La Grande Inter team of the ’60s, which won multiple Italian titles and back-to-back European Cups. But though he could definitely defend, Facchetti was actually the key to Inter’s killer defence to attack transitions. Inter played a sweeper, two marking centre back, and a right back, but Facchetti had the entire left flank to himself and would bomb forward, cut inside and shoot with his right foot, basically inventing the European attacking fullback.

Centre back: Bobby Moore
West Ham and England
As the Total Soccer Show‘s sole Englishman, I thought I’d be the only one selecting England’s 1966 World Cup-winning captain. Turns out I wasn’t. Moore’s composed defending is famous worldwide, because very few have made relieving opponents of the ball look so simple and then strolling up field with it look so easy. Moore had a great run in the mid-’60s, winning the FA Cup in ’64, the European Cup Winners Cup (bring it back!) in ’65 and then the World Cup in ’66. That, plus England have not had a defender who can successfully pass the ball out of the back since.

Centre back: Bill McNeill
Celtic and Scotland
The Lisbon Lions had to be represented here, so Celtics’s 1967 European Cup-winning captain would be the stopper in our lineup. Billy McNeill, or “Cesar” to Celtic fans, was a hard man, a leader and a never let you down defender, meeting every high ball with his head, intercepting every pass and stopping every attacker in his tracks by getting a well timed foot-in. McNeill and Bobby Moore will have to argue over the captain’s armband in this team, but either man will do a fine job.

Box-to-box midfielder: Josef Masopust
Dukla Prague and Czechoslovakia
There isn’t a lot of footage of Masopust, so his selection is based on what we’ve read and the very little YouTube we’ve seen. But from everything we’ve heard and read, Masopust could defend and attack, would happily cover the length of the field several times over, and was instrumental in leading Czechoslovakia all the way the 1962 World Cup final. We also felt that any Team of the ’60s should represent the incredible talent of the Soviet nations in that decade.

Attacking midfielder: Bobby Charlton
Manchester United and England
Imagine Frank Lampard in his prime. Now imagine him about five times better at absolutely everything. Now give him a silly haircut. That’s Bobby Charlton, who could pick up the ball from anywhere, carry it forward at pace by dribbling with either foot, and then unleash an powerful, laser-guided strike into the top corner, again with either foot. And that’s how Bobby Charlton is England’s all-time top scorer despite not actually being a striker.

Right wing: Garrincha
Botafogo and Brazil
“The Joy of the People” was a terrible, terrible professional footballer. Fond of a drink and unable to absorb any tactical information—legend has it he was allowed to play table tennis while the rest of the team talked tactics. But it didn’t matter. Because the bendy-legged winger (bendy-legged due to childhood polio) literally went past fullbacks for fun. So much so, he’d sometimes wait and let them recover, just so he could beat them again. Brazil never lost a game when fielding Pele and Garrincha, so any respectable Team of the ’60s should do the same.

Left wing: George Best
Manchester United and Northern Ireland
We know, Best was mostly a right winger and shouldn’t be pushed out to the left. But we couldn’t have a team of the ’60s without Garrincha and we couldn’t have a team of the ’60s without the magician that was George Best. So we compromised. Best’s career tailed off in the ’70s, but the ’60s were Best’s decade: the fame, the female company and—most importantly for this list—the football. Possibly the best way to describe Best going forward with the ball is “justified arrogance”, which is what gave him license to do things no one else thought of doing, like playing one-twos off opposition defender’s shins.

Support striker: Pele
Santos and Brazil
You may have heard of him. Pele introduced himself to the world as a teenage sensation in 1958 and reached apotheosis at the 1970 World Cup, but “O Rei” actually did all his best work inbetween, in the 1960s. Pele won the Copa Libertadores and Intercontintental Cup with the legendary 1962 Santos team, won the ’62 World Cup with Brazil and was considered so dangerous in the ’66 World Cup that the only solution for Portugal was to kick him, hard, until he left the field injured. Want to hear about Pele the player? They key is not to think of him as just a striker, because he could also drop deep and create. But it’s impossible to pick one attribute because Pele could do it all, and he did it best in the 1960s.

Striker: Eusebio
Benfica and Portugal
Only a little fella’, but 5′ 9″ Eusebio was built like a bulldozer. You could not muscle him off the ball. Add to that a fine touch, a nose for goal and the only shot in the world that could rival Bobby Charlton’s for power and accuracy (would love to see a long distance shootout between those two!) and it’s crystal clear why Eusebio was a European Cup-winner with Benfica in 1962 and the top scorer at the 1966 World Cup with nine goals. His partnership with Pele—supplied by Garrincha and George Best—wouldn’t just be the greatest attacking lineup of the ’60s, it might be the greatest, and most entertaining, of all time.

Find out more about these players, and the players that just missed out: Play/Download MP3.
Like what you hear? Subscribe to the Total Soccer Show podcast via iTunes or subscribe via RSS.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

After more than a year of matches, the group stage of UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying is down to its final two matchdays. Co-hosts Poland and Ukraine, reigning European and world champions Spain, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands are all set for next summer’s tournament, but by Tuesday evening, we’ll know who the other six automatic qualifiers are, along with the eight sides who’ll duke it out in two-legged playoffs in November for the final four spots.

There’s certainly a lot to look forward to at Euro 2012, but before we look ahead too far, there are several key matches on Friday and Tuesday that stand to play a role in how everything shakes out.

Here, we take a look at the three most important matches of that bunch.

Group B: Ireland v. Armenia

Irish fans might not be surprised that their Euro 2012 hopes could come down to Tuesday’s match in Dublin, but what’s surprising is that Armenia could go into the match still mathematically in the equation to finish second, or even first.

Group B is the most wide-open group there is, as Russia, Ireland, Armenia, and Slovakia all still have a chance to win the group. Russia top the group with 17 points, with Ireland in second on 15. Those two are the favorites for first and second, but Armenia are in with a shout after last month’s shock 4-0 win in Slovakia. That win has them third on 14 points, ahead of Slovakia due to two head-to-head wins.

The picture should become a lot clearer on Friday, as Ireland are away to super-minnows Andorra, Slovakia host Russia, and Armenia host fifth-placed Macedonia. At the same time, it could remain every bit as muddled, especially if Slovakia beat Russia. Slovakia need that result, but Ireland and Armenia need it also. Ireland need it to put themselves in the driver’s seat for top spot because they’d lose out on the all-important head-to-head against Russia. Meanwhile, Armenia need it because with two wins and two wins by Slovakia, Armenia would, quite stunningly, win Group B and reach their first-ever European Championship.

It’s a long shot, but it’s still a fantastic story nonetheless, given Armenia’s previous minnow status. While Armenia need help plus the performance of their lives, Ireland have some control over their destiny, as two wins will ensure them of no worse than a playoff spot. You’d have to back them to do it, but if Armenia come to Dublin still in the race, they’ll hit the pitch with belief, and crazy things can happen when you believe. At the very least, Ireland wouldn’t be able to underestimate Armenia and could have to really fight for three pivotal points. Who’d have expected that when the draw was revealed?

Group B: Slovakia v. Russia

As mentioned above, Friday’s meeting in Zilina is not only important for Slovakia and Russia, but it‘s also every bit as important for Ireland and Armenia.

For Russia, it’s fairly straightforward. A win or a draw plus a win over Andorra on Tuesday, and they win Group B. But if Slovakia win, they will be in position to at least finish second if they win away to Macedonia on Tuesday, and with the right results, they could still automatically qualify for Euro 2012.

If Slovakia hadn’t capitulated in the second half against Armenia, their path to first or second would be at least somewhat clearer, but Friday’s match is now a must-win for their Euro 2012 hopes.

Group F: Greece v. Croatia

Greece are unbeaten, but Croatia head into their crunch clash in Piraeus on top of Group F. Croatia sit on 19 points, with six wins, one draw, and a lone defeat to Georgia, and they’re one point ahead of Greece, who have won five and drawn three.

Greece are already assured of a playoff spot, but anything less than a win on Friday dampens their hopes for automatic qualification. An away win for Slaven Bilic’s side will render Tuesday’s matches completely meaningless, but even a draw for Croatia will all but book their place in Euro 2012, as their final group match is on home soil against Latvia, who are fifth in the six-team group.

However, Croatia will still fancy their chances to win the group even if Greece nab all three points. Greece finish up with a tricky away tie against Georgia, and considering that Croatia should dispose of Latvia in Rijeka, Greece will need to beat Georgia to finish first. That might not be easy, seeing as how Georgia drew 1-1 in Greece and notched a 1-0 home win over Croatia.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Alas, ’tis that time of year again when thoughts invariably turn to the ‘new’ and stock is taken of the twelve months that played out hence – and we forthright bods at Soccerlens are no different.

As we yet again slide effortlessly over the cusp of a footballing decade and into 2011, we thought it high time to bestow the deserving (and, conversely, shame the contemptible – the ‘Biggest Losers’ list is imminent!) who have curried our favour during the last 8,765.81277 hours.

Anyway, enough of this idle chatter. Lets get down to brass tacks shall we? Here we go peeps, the Soccerlens ‘Biggest Winners’ of 2010 (in no particular order)…

1. Gareth Bale:

Rightly or wrongly, Tottenham winger Bale has seen his global stock rise astronomically after coming of age during the latter half of this calendar year – chiefly due to his double-decimation of reigning European champions Inter Milan earlier on in this season’s Champions League proceedings.

In a direct parallel with Spurs’ oft-wavering form, the 21-year-old Welsh flyer has fluctuated from ‘nigh-on unplayable’ to ‘there to make up the numbers’ and back again at domestic level this term. However, it is an indisputable fact that, when the Lilywhites are on song, it’s usually Bale that’s providing the lion’s share of the Londoners’ dynamism.

By association, Tottenham themselves also get a special mention for their efforts in bringing Champions League football to ‘The Lane’ for the first time, then making it though to the knock-out stages without a hitch in their maiden campaign.

2. Inter Milan:

The Nerazzurri‘s trophy haul for 2010 reads thusly: One Scudetto, one Coppa Italia, one Super Coppa Italia, one Champions League and there’s still a potential fifth title on it’s way (they face Congolese upstarts in the FIFA World Club Cup final tomorrow) – which, all-in-all, makes it pretty difficult to dispute their inclusion on a list of ‘winners’ really.

To save a bit of room later in the list, I’m also going to lump the individual performances of Dutch schemer Wesley Sneijder, goal hero Diego Milito and the coach responsible for germinating Inter’s all-conquering siege mentality, Jose Mourinho, in for good measure.

La Furia Roja celebrate their World Cup success

3. Spain:

Using the same principles applied to the previous pick, Spain tiki-taka’ed their way to World Cup glory in July, despite one of their number being kung-fu kicked in the heart by a swarthy Dutchman along the way.

‘La Roja’ are now both reigning World and European champions – which isn’t half bad for a team almost exclusively populated by dwarves.

4. Das Kraken Orakle:

‘Paul the Octopus’ enraptured us all at this summer’s World Cup after repeatedly displaying his uncanny line in clairvoyance.

The mystic mollusk successfully predicted the outcome of all eight (each of Germany’s seven games, plus the final) of the ties he was quizzed over by the staff at Oberhausen’s Sealife Centre – before duly retiring, becoming a ‘symbol of western decay’ (© Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) and then, sadly, dying.

R.I.P Paul, the psychic plate of calamari.

Owen Coyle has pointed Bolton in the right direction

5. Bolton Wanderers:

Perhaps a surprise inclusion, but Owen Coyle‘s complete re-rendering of the Trotters as an actual ‘footballing’ entity this season is worthy of a mention in my book.

Over the past few years, Bolton became synonymous with the kind of agricultural ‘survival’ fodder still peddled by the likes of…well, you know who, but Coyle’s pervading mantra of trying to ‘play the game the way it should be played’ has seen his side  rivalling erstwhile bastions Arsenal in the ‘attractive football’ stakes on several occasions this term – all without the need for any wholesale changes to his squad.

6. John O’Shea:

Manchester United’s utility man was rewarded for his long years of diligent service with a colossal £16.5 million (four years at £80,000-a-week) contract in October.

What did United get in return. Well, this…

…’tis madness gone stark-raving mad i tell thee, but I bet you O’Shea isn’t complaining!

7. FIFA/Russia/Qatar:

Whereas football’s governing body are certainly not winners on any ‘moral’ standpoint, Sepp Blatter and his flock of ageing associates look set to have secured themselves the mother of all pensions with their decision to ‘open the game up to new territories’ – especially as those new territories (Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022) just so happen to be awash with gaz- and petro-dollars.

8. Bayern Munich:

Die Roten may be wallowing slightly in this season’s domestic campaign, but Louis Van Gaal‘s side came within a whisker of securing a domestic and European treble last time out, eventually succumbing to Inter in the Champions League final after blasting their way to both Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal success earlier in May.

I’d wager that a double-winning season is still nothing to sniff at.

Barca's holy trinity: Xavi, Messi and Iniesta embrace

9. Barcelona:

Aside from all the stockpiled trophies and titles, Pep’s peerless side produced the…most…flawless display of technical team football I’ve ever witnessed in my woefully unfulfilled lifetime when they absolutely tore Mourinho’s quivering Real Madrid side asunder at the Camp Nou at the tail end of November.

90 minutes’ worth of Barca’s utterly, utterly beguiling approach play left me feeling totally spoilt, subconsciously aroused and just a little damp around the edges.

10. Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andre Iniesta:

For the first time since 1989, one single club can boast the honour of employing all of the three players named on FIFA’s 2010 Ballon d’Or shortlist.

After AC Milan last accomplished the feat over two decades ago, Barcelona are now guaranteed to see one of their stellar trio of trequartistas handed FIFA’s newly streamlined bauble when it’s doled out in January – and it’s hard to argue with the logic behind the shortlist, though many are still questioning the decision to snub the aforementioned Sneijder.

As an aside, wouldn’t it be nice to see Xavi‘s midfield artistry finally recognised by football’s top brass?

Why not compare and contrast with last years lists? Try the Biggest Winners of 2009 and the Biggest Losers of 2009 on for size.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

FIFA’s erstwhile despot president Sepp Blatter has branded the English as ‘bad losers’ in the wake of the recent World Cup auction which saw Russia and Qatar purchase the rights to host the 2018 and 2022 tournaments respectively.

Upon crashing out of the ‘ballot’ in the first round with a paltry total of two votes (one from themselves, and one from the main butt of BBC Panorama‘s ‘potentially devastating’ exposé into the institutionalised corruption within football’s governing body – Cameroonian ExCo member Issa Hayatou), the England 2018 team reacted with a flurry of frothing self-entitlement and a brief swathe of measly protests, which were all about as half-cocked as the bid attempt itself.

In a collective fit of pique, depressingly predictable public accusations of venal corruption and two-faced glad-handing were also levelled directly at FIFA by both the English bid team and their associates and by the national press at large – thus serving to further widen the gaping schism between the FA and their international overlords.

Speaking in an interview with Swiss magazine Weltewoche, Blatter described the English backlash :

“To be honest, I was surprised by all the English complaining after the defeat. England, of all people, the motherland of fairplay ideas.

Now some of them are showing themselves to be bad losers. You can’t come afterwards and say so and so promised to vote for England. The results are known. The outcome came out clearly.”

Blatter also claimed that the decision of the English, Australian and American bid teams (who were all snubbed) to openly criticise the guarded voting process exposed the ‘arrogance of the Christian western world’:

“I really sense in some reactions a bit of the arrogance of the western world of Christian background. Some simply can’t bear it if others get a chance for a change.

What can be wrong if we start football in regions where this sport demonstrates a potential which goes far beyond sport?”

Blatter continued by explaining his life-long dedication to breaching new corporate frontiers:

“It’s my philosophy to drive forward the expansion of football. The next regions that we need to conquer would be China and India.

Football has become a political matter. Heads of state court me. Football has become a monster, but it’s a positive monster.”

Why stop at Indo-China? To the best of my knowledge, Narnia haven’t hosted a World Cup yet.

You could feasibly argue that, if it was FIFA’s pre-determined manifesto to take their showpiece tournament to new, untapped territories, they should probably have disclosed that fact before the bidding commenced two years ago – as they could have saved a lot of ‘arrogant Christian westerners’ an awful lot of money.

Be thankful though that, thanks to Sepp and his band of morally astute cohorts, we can sleep sound in the knowledge that FIFA is not, will not be, nor has ever been a corrupt institution:

“Nobody can come along and simply hold out their hand. There are no rotten eggs.

There is no systematic corruption in Fifa. That is nonsense. We are financially clean and clear.

“We need to improve our image. We also need to clarify some things within Fifa.”

Presumably ‘things’ like how they’re going to divvy up that near-bottomless vat of petro-dollars they all stand to get their slavering, grubby mits on in about 12-years time.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The fall-out from FIFA’s utterly predictable decision to chase the World Cup Gaz-ruble/Petro-dollar has begun in earnest this morning, with the English media’s reaction swathed in varying hues of frothing umbrage; be it with a flurry of archetypal thinly-veiled racism, über-obnoxious pontification and/or weapon’s grade blame dispersal.

The nation’s front pages are awash with monosyllabic denunciations of FIFA’s apparent malpractice this morning, with the Daily Mirror opting to emblazon their copy with ‘SOLD’, whereas the Sun, Daily Mail, Daily Star and Daily Express are have also chosen to run with ‘FIXED’, ‘THEY LIED’, ‘WHAT A FIX!’ and ‘HUMILIATED’ respectively.

I think you get the jist. Russia is a heartless mafia state and only beat good old jam-scones-and-village-greens England because FIFA are definitely in cahoots with the KGB.

That said, amidst all the frothing and fuming comes perhaps the most surprising element of the initial recriminations.

It would seem that England 2018′s bid leaders are genuinely surprised that the geriatric glad-hands that make up FIFA’s ExCo (a committee famed for it’s ‘flexibility’) chose to renege on their sh*t-grinned promises to back the English cause.

Just for the record, hours after being told that their bid was ‘remarkable’ by FIFA president Sepp Blatter himself, England were eliminated after the first round of the ballot, securing just two votes (one of which was their own) whilst Holland/Belgium’s naff pitch accrued four, Spain/Portugal seven and eventual winners Russia nine.

The Russian 2018 bid team celebrate their victory

England’s bid team have been quick to capitalise on the empathy being afforded to their efforts, with chief exec Andy Anson fueling the ire by openly claiming that the FIFA members lied about their votes, whilst mourning the £3 million that England spent on producing their glowing technical report (as well as the further £12 million used to fund the bid itself) as money ‘down the drain’:

“David Dein, myself, David Cameron, David Beckham and Prince William were looking people in the eye and asking them for their vote and being told ‘yeah’. I am not sure what else you could do.

“I am not going to name names because that is not fair on individuals but clearly some people have. We thought we had more than six votes, perhaps seven or eight.

“The technical report is £3million down the drain by the looks of it. We spent £3million on it and it was the best one. The two bids with the worst technical reports won.”

Anson also admitted that, as long as the current fallible World Cup voting process is in place, it would be pointless for England to bid for hosting duties again:

“I would say right now don’t bother [bidding again] until you know that the process is going to change to allow bids like ours a chance to win.

When you have the best technical bid, fantastic inspection visits, the best economic report, and, from what people told us, the best presentation, it’s quite hard to stomach that all that seemed to count for absolutely nothing.”

Stopping short of pleading for a procedural overhaul, Anson also bemoaned the influence that the FIFA ExCo are currently allowed to wield:

“Having only 22 guys only voting gives them too much influence. Running two bids together was clearly a huge mistake. Everyone who had a vote and a bid clearly wanted to trade that vote for something that helped them get over the line in that campaign.

Australia had a very good bid and got one vote, we had a very good bid and we got two, the USA had an unbelievably strong technical bid and got three. There’s something not quite right.

You have to open it up to all member associations and have transparency and open voting so everyone knows who voted for whom. With 22 guys having so much power it becomes very, very difficult.”

How depressingly true.

Those of you who are still feeling sore over FIFA’s jilt may choose to blame the intrusive habits of the nation’s media, BBC Panorama‘s lack of tact, FIFA’s readiness to plunder the resources of untainted footballing frontiers, Lord Triesman‘s loose tongue, Birmingham City fans or all of the above but – for me, an indivdual with no particular interest in seeing ‘football come home’ – yesterday’s debacle raised but one sobering issue.

Never has an enforced FIFA reform seemed both so pressing and so very, very distant.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

It’s tempting to claim that bribes, favours, politics and financial opportunity determined the fates of World Cups 2018 and 2022 long before the staged drama of bid presentations yesterday and today.

It’s easy to say that Blatter is taking the World Cup to Russia to make money, or that Qatar got the World Cup to build Blatter’s legacy.

The truth is that on paper, based on the evaluation reports and on existing state of affairs, Russia was the weakest candidate for 2018 with more promise and risk than the guarantee of a quality World Cup that would delight fans, teams, viewers and sponsors. Qatar had little risk (their Middle East location does not automatically make it a potential war zone) but with little or no footballing pedigree and a small country sitting on the equator, it’s not the ideal spot to spend your summer kicking about a ball.

No, there are many practical reasons why Spain / Portugal, Netherlands / Belgium or England should be hosting 2018. There are strong reasons to suggest that the World Cup should have gone to Australia in 2022. But we have the two weakest candidates winning the votes, so there is bound to be suspicion.

Unless you consider something very basic about how FIFA operates – it values independence and privacy over everything else, and no other bidding nations would provide them with a carte blanche as Russia and Qatar – the two countries with the most to gain in political capital (and therefore the most to give out to FIFA as well) from hosting the World Cup.

In hindsight we should have seen it coming. Vote selling is not as simple as envelopes passed under a table or money transfered into an offshore numbered account. Just like in the aftermath of a war, there will be political favours, development contracts and much other financial jinking to ensure that everyone associated with FIFA (as well as those responsible for delivering the World Cup in Russia and Qatar) will profit.

And then there is the very legitimate argument that bringing the World Cup to new frontiers is a good thing for both the game and the development of the host country. That definitely applies in the case of Russia, provided they truly can deliver what they have promised. It doesn’t apply to Qatar, unless you consider bringing the World Cup to the Middle East as a political achievement for FIFA, and that is where all roads lead to – politics and FIFA.

Image courtesy of Soccerlens contributor Lawrence Dushenski.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Sitting through the four respective last-ditch World Cup 2018 pitches this morning was nigh-on insufferable at times, as if trapped in a hellish junior management sales exposition that was doomed to cycle on for the rest of human existence.

First up, Holland and Belgium, who’s bid president Ruud Gullit opened up by informing the room that their option would be ‘safe’ and very little else, with luminaries such as Johan Cruyff (to warn the ancient FIFA delegates about the adverse effects that PlayStations can have on a child’s life prospects) and Guus Hiddink (who flatly regaled us with memories of Euro 2000 – not the best strategy considering that, if I recall correctly, it wasn’t all that long ago) following closely behind.

In short, if the Dutch/Belgians manage to pull this one out of the bag, you better start battening down the hatches, as some kind of Faustian evil will surely be unleashed upon the world as part of the bargain.

Next came the Spain/Portugal bid, in which Spain’s FIFA ExCo member Angel Villar Llona blatantly tried to exacerbate any anti-English swell within the FIFA ranks by issuing a timely reminder that their rival’s national media had called the organisation a lot of nasty names over the past few months:

“I love Fifa dearly but those I love the most are my colleagues in the ExCo. Recently we have been criticised by many media outlets. Unfortunately for them Fifa is a clean institution.

Fifa values honesty, Fifa works for football and for the world and all my colleagues here present are all honest, hard-working football people and the people not here are also honest and hard-working.

You have already heard enough slander in the media, the bidding process is clean regardless of what they say.”

What’s the Spanish for ‘kiss-arse’?

Portuguese prime minister Jose Socrates and Spanish president Jose Luis Zapatero then rounded out the fairly uneventful showcase by reminding the world that their respective countries currently enjoy more sunshine than Russia and England combined, fairly punctual trains and a swathe of middling, moderately priced hotels.

With Cristiano Ronaldo pulling out at the last minute and their dual footballing heritage large left untouched, it’s little wonder that the Iberian effort has slipped so readily into third place in the betting – and that’s despite all that Qatari ‘help’ they may or may not have received along the way.

England's 'Three Lions': Prince William, Cameron and Beckham

Third onto the podium was jolly old England who, thanks largely to a sob story from David Beckham, five minutes of dead-pan stand-up comedy from Prince William and some politely conniving sales patter from prime minister David Cameron, produced a hideously pandering, yet undoubtedly effective pitch to the gathered FIFA representatives.

For all the plaudits shovelled upon England’s ‘three lions’, the hub of the entire pitch was arguably Manchester City’s community bod Eddie Afekafe, who seemingly came from nowhere only to convincingly hammer home the important role that football continues to play in the lower strata of English society:

“Football changed my life. I grew up in one of the roughest parts of Manchester, most of the guys I grew up with were in gangs – some still are, some are in prison. What they didn’t get, but I got, was an opportunity – and that was through football.

“I’m just one story, choose England today and England will deliver many more stories like mine. It’s a new idea, it’s a big idea and it’s one everyone supports – from the prime minister to the Football Association, from the Premier League to the players.”

FIFA president Sepp Blatter immediately praised the English presentation, calling it both ‘excellent’ and ‘remarkable’ – thus resulting in a flurry of betting on England, as they quickly became installed as bookmaker’s favourites to be bestowed with the 2018 hosting duties later this afternoon.

And if gambling surges don’t constitute clear harbingers of impending doom these days, then I really don’t know what do.

Russia rounded up the morning’s entertainment with a bizarre, Putin-less display of diabetes-inducing B-movies set to terrible Euro-house, screaming female pole vaulters, Winston Churchill mis-quotations, hearts, minds and a series of strange allegories between winning the right to host a World Cup and the fall of the Berlin Wall 21-years ago.

As always, answers on a postcard please.

UPDATE: FIFA have just confirmed that Russia will be hosting the 2018 World Cup and that Qatar will be hosting the out-of-the-box 2022 tournament. What a wonderful advertisement for the power of the petro/gaz/oil dollar.

Roll on 2026!

From Soccerlens.com - Football News