It’s an often repeated sentiment that the World Cup and the Champions League only really come alive after the group stages. Once the initial excitement subsides, it’s best to wait until the phoney wars are over and the true drama of the knockout stages commences. This year’s Champions League may be a rare exception though. […]
Barcelona
Recent performances highlight folly of extending Mourinho’s contract
Even at the time it raised a few eyebrows. Jose Mourinho was only 19 months into a three-year contract at Manchester United when they offered him a new deal. During his first season and a half, Mourinho had won the EFL Cup and the Europa League, but few United fans celebrated the agreement that would […]
Messi shines to leave the Premier League in the shade
Broadcasters regularly tell viewers the Premier League is the greatest league on Earth. However, as Lionel Messi’s hat-trick against Manchester City in the Champions League demonstrated this week, for all its riches, British clubs fail to attract the very best players. While Messi, Neymar, Luis Suarez, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale have been praised for […]
Milan in a muddle
Arriving in Milan this week, it quickly became clear that the the names on the back of replica Inter and AC Milan shirts are not players belonging to the the upper echelons of the beautiful game. In years gone by, fans would wear the names of Ronaldo, Vieri, Shevchenko and Kaka with pride. Today though, […]
A Catalonian conspiracy?
It’s bizarre that La Liga, which showcases some of the world’s greatest footballers, only introduced the Player of the Month award at the start of the 2013/2014 season – 19 years after it was introduced in the Premier League. Perhaps considering the dominance of Spanish sides in European competition, the provision of individual awards seemed […]
Football transfer market continues to bemuse
As Barcelona maintain their 11-point lead over Real Madrid in La Liga, it has been revealed that at the start of the season, the Catalans strongly considered adding to their record-breaking strike force. Not with Neymar, the prodigiously talented Brazilian forward, but with Birmingham’s Nikola Zigic, the lumbering forward with two goals to his name […]