Football is rotting, The Beautiful Game is nearing its demise

The UEFA has come up with the concept of the new Financial Fair Play (FFP) in order to level the playing field in European competitions, tying the hands of the club that spend big in the transfer markets thanks to the ‘sugar daddies’ who finance them. But now, it seems that it is the biggest oxymoron the game has ever seen. Newly promoted French club AS Monaco will contend for the Ligue 1 next season on the back of three big name signings, including the £51 million capture of Colombian hotshot Radamel Falcao and the £60 million signings of FC Porto pair James Rodriguez and Joao Moutinho.

Falcao had long been linked with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City, deeming Atletico Madrid, who don’t play regular Champions League football as too small a club for his precocious talents. Now, he has to wait another year before he can play in the biggest competition in club football.

Football has never seen such a crisis. The Beautiful Game is slowly slipping away from the hands of the fans who have stuck with their clubs through thick and thin, weathered every possible storm – the real fans, only to be replaced by plastic glory hunters, oil tycoons and corrupt billionaires. Almost every league in Europe has become lopsided with one or two sides capable of destroying every other club.

By January, it was quite clear which clubs would win the leagues in England, Spain, Italy and Germany. The only race that was contested till the end of the leagues was the spots for next season’s UEFA Champions League.

This is very indicative of the new society that we live in – every week, more and more plastic fans come up and ruin the spectacle that was once the poor man’s greatest entertainment.

Managers are sacked at the drop of a hat without bothering about the club’s stability, fans call out for a manager’s head at every loss or draw – even at historical institutions likes Liverpool and Real Madrid.

Football is in a huge crisis and it is quite clear nothing can be done to protect the game being ruined by these crooks.

There will come a time soon when all of us will go back to watching amateur football and marvel at the game while the corrupt murders what used to be the most Beautiful Game ever played. 


DISCLAIMER: This article has been written by a member of the FootballWorld fraternity and represents the personal views of the writer and not of footballworld.co.in.
Posted by Subham Mitra on behalf of FootballWorld.

Five players to watch out for in 2013-14

Every year, there is a new star who emerges with the eponymous statement “next big thing in football” surrounding him and is expected to take the world over with his skills and outrageous talents. Very often, the monikers such as “next Ronaldo” or “next Messi” have also been attached to their names but very rarely do these players make a name for themselves other than achieving those fifteen minutes of fame, so to say. Then again, there are some players who do become genuine world beaters, breaking of the confines of such articles, make big money moves and write their names in history.

Here is a look at five such stars, who could become a key part of their club and country’s fortunes in the new season:

Léo Baptistão: The young Brazilian on the books of Spanish club Rayo Vallecano has been extremely impressive for the la Liga club, scoring some important goals in the recently concluded season. And this has made the 20 year old a hot property in the transfer market and has seen him linked with the likes of Manchester United and Inter Milan. Regardless of where he plays next season, the youngster will indeed hope to impress even more and is expected to be a delight for the viewing audience. With the correct tutoring he may be able to propel himself quickly in to football stardom, but only time will tell.

Cristian Tello: For those who regularly follow Barcelona, Tello is a very familiar name and another la Masia prospect tipped for greatness. The Liverpool and Arsenal target has been on the peripherals for a long time and with David Villa expected to leave the club in the summer; he might just be given the chance to shine. They could even dangle with their system and it could turn out to be the blessing that the talented youngster needs to break through and become a key cog in the Barcelona machine.  

Hachim Mastour: Not many people would have heard about the AC Milan youngster except that the club paid a whopping £ 500,000 for the services of the 14 year old. The playmaker has already been a revelation in the academy side and has been promoted to the second team of the Italian giants and there are also reports suggesting Milan want the Lega Calcio committee to be lenient and allow them to field the youngster. Should be get some game time, be it in the first team or the reserves, a super star for the future could be born.

Marco Verratti: Already dubbed as the “new Andrea Pirlo”, the 20 year has been running the Paris Saint-Germain midfield with élan in Ligue 1. Moreover, with players such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ezequiel Lavezzi around him, his game has improved manifolds in just one year and he is expected to excel further come the new season. Real Madrid want to snap him up; so they already see the youngster as capable of running their midfield battle against Andres Iniesta and Xavi in the el Clasicos. PSG would want to keep all the young talent at their disposal as they prepare for next season’s UEFA Champions League. It looks like Verratti's game will improve game-by-game next season, making the possibility that he becomes a “midfield maestro”.

Wilfried Zaha: The 20 year old England winger has already displayed some of the talents that made Sir Alex Ferguson shell out £ 17 million to make him his last signing as Manchester United manager when he single handedly led Crystal Palace to a win in the Championship play-off final against Watford. England coach Roy Hodgson has tipped him for great things and with the winger coming to Old Trafford, he can expect to learn a lot which will help him become one of the best wingers of his generation. 

DISCLAIMER: This article has been written by a member of the FootballWorld fraternity and represents the personal views of the writer and not of footballworld.co.in.
Posted by Subham Mitra on behalf of FootballWorld.

Five potential signings to kick off the David Moyes era at Manchester United

Old Trafford will see a new man in charge for the first time since November 1986 when David Moyes leads Manchester United out when the Premier League kicks off in August.

The appointment of the Scotsman has been hailed by a large section of the United faithful and although he is not scheduled to take charge before the 1^st of July, a whole host of names have already been linked with the club as the former Everton boss plots new signings to add to what is already a burgeoning pool of talent at the club.

Many fans think the club will not win the Premier League in his first season, which means the UEFA Champions League is out of question too. But to be fair to Moyes, it is too early to judge him without his players having kicked a ball in anger.

Considering the big name players that have already been linked to the club, Moyes can create a stronger side than the one that won the club’s record 20^th English league title and build a dynasty to succeed the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson. It is difficult o say whether the retirement of the Sir Alex takes any star attraction from the club, but I have my doubts that could be the case.

Since his appointment as the new manager at the club, the 50 year old Scot has been linked with a whole host of players, and even if he manages to pull off a couple of them, it will mark a huge signal of intent on his part.

Let’s take a look at the five players Manchester United could sign in the summer transfer window:

Fabio Coentrao: Manchester United has long been linked with Leighton Baines as cover for Patrice Evra and almost pulled off the signing of the England international before the start of last season. Many people with David Moyes in charge, he could bring in the 28 year old with him but for many, Fabio Coentrao is the man more suited to the role than Baines.

At 25 years of age, the Portuguese international is three years younger than the Everton man and with Real Madrid seemingly not interested in his services anymore; United could also have him on the cheap. The former Benfica player has gone on record to state he never felt wanted at the Bernabeu and United could use this opportunity to swoop for a player they extensively scouted before he moved to Spain.

Robert Lewandowski: The Polish hitman was one of the stars of Borussia Dortmund’s run to the final of the UEFA Champions League and has been linked with several major European clubs, including United for the past two years. With just a year left on his current deal at the Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund might just well sell the player this season and not risk losing him for free next season.

But things are a lot complicated now with his agent claiming he has agreed a move to Bayern Munich already while manager Jurgen Klopp believes he will stay at the club this season as well. But an offer of around £ 25 million could tempt the Germans to part with their star striker, allowing Moyes to reunite him with Shinji Kagawa, a partnership that truly ripped apart defenses in their successive title winning campaigns.

Kevin Strootman: Another player who has been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford, the Dutchman is already being seen as the heir to the throne left vacant by Roy Keane all those years back. Reports in The Netherlands suggest United have already submitted a bid of £ 17 million for the player with negotiations in the final phases. The PSV Eindhoven starlet is the youngest ever player to captain the Dutch national team and is the box to box midfielder to answer United’s problems of a leader at the middle of the park. If United do pull this signing off, he has all the talent and determination to star alongside Michael Carrick in the United midfield.

Gareth Bale: One of the most in form players in the world today, the Welshman singlehandedly led the charge for Tottenham Hotspur as they contended for a UEFA Champions League spot. Real Madrid have already made him their top target for the summer and with top level European football missing from White Hart Lane, the winger might just ponder an exit.

It has been reported that he would prefer to stay in England if he does decide to leave the club, opening the door for a move to The Theatre of Dreams. His signing would be the marquee signing to kick off the new Ed Woodward – David Moyes era at the club and with the club making huge strides in the commercial sector, his transfer fee of £ 60 million is not too much either.

Cristiano Ronaldo: The one signing that would make David Moyes the most loved man in the Stretford End is that of the Portuguese wizard. It was reported that outgoing CEO David Gill had flown to Spain to thrash out a deal with Jorge Mendes, the super agent who represents Ronaldo, with growing speculation about his refusal to sign a contract extension at the Bernabeu.

Even though his “footballing father” Sir Alex Ferguson will not be in charge, Ronaldo will still be inclined to return to the club where the fans still sing his name after five years since his move. Big spending Paris Saint-Germain are also monitoring his situation but if the Portuguese captain does move, it would preferably be to the club where he won the Ballon d’Or.

If the club does miss out on Bale, they could turn their attention to their former starlet, however, it could also be the other way round. 


DISCLAIMER: This article has been written by a member of the FootballWorld fraternity and represents the personal views of the writer and not of footballworld.co.in.
Posted by Subham Mitra on behalf of FootballWorld.

Five possible candidates for the Real Madrid hot seat

Jose Mourinho is set to leave Spanish giants Real Madrid at the end of the season, in all probability, for a return to his beloved Chelsea. The Special One is set to end his three year association with los Blancos, having won two trophies in three seasons at the capital club. 

And as it always is when there is a managerial vacancy at the biggest club in the world, a whole host of names have come up as possible replacements for the Portuguese tactician. Here is a look at five possible candidates for the top job in world football:

Carlo Ancelotti: The Paris Saint-Germain manager has been one of the best managers in the world for the last decade and has won league titles in three different countries as well as the UEFA Champions League, Real’s Holy Grail. And although the French giants have asserted their stance of holding onto the Italian, the mystique of Real Madrid might just be too difficult to ignore for the former Milan chief. The biggest stumbling block in the deal is the former Chelsea boss’s contract with les Parisiens, which runs till the end of 2014 and PSG have no desire to part with their championship winning manager unless there is a substantial monetary gain.

Ancelotti took charge of PSG in December 2011 when they were on top of Ligue 1 on goal difference and led the club to the title this season with two games to spare. He also led the club to the quarter finals of the UEFA Champions League where they held Barcelona 3-3 on aggregate, only to be knocked out on away goals.

Jupp Heynckes: The Bayern Munich manager is ready to walk into the sunset at the end of the season, leaving the Bavarians in charge of Pep Guardiola. But an offer to manage Real Madrid might just persuade him to reverse that decision, ala Sir Alex Ferguson in 2003. The third highest goal scorer in Bundesliga history has managed Real in the past, leading them to European glory after almost four decades and if the deal to bring Ancelotti doesn’t materialize, it could become possible to see the former West German international in the Madrid hot seat once again.

Having recently won the UEFA Champions League for a second time with Bayern Munich, Heynckes has illuminated his CV further. His last match in charge of Bayern will be on 1^st June when they take on VfB Stuttgart in the final of the DFB Pokal, after which, he will be free to take charge of Real should they approach him.

Massimiliano Allegri: The AC Milan boss finds himself in quite a precarious situation, in spite of leading the club to third in the Serie A, with arguably one of the weakest sides Milan has assembled in years. He has been linked with the managerial post at AS Roma but should Real Madrid come calling, it will be too difficult for him to turn them down. The 45 year old is experienced enough and has shown his capability in handling huge egos in the dressing room, getting the best out of Zlatan Ibrahimovic as he led the club to the title in 2011.

And with doubts about his future his future at the San Siro, Real could see an opportunity in prizing away one of the best young coaches in the game at the moment.

Michael Laudrup: The former Danish international is one of the greatest players to have graced the Bernabeu pitch during the 1990s and given the fact that the return of a former player as a manager is always a popular choice, Laudrup is being considered as the dark horse in the race to succeed Mourinho. The 48 year old worked wonders on a limited budget at Mallorca and Getafe in la Liga. And given his success with Swansea City this season, the Danish legend is already being seen a future managerial great. Swansea City play perhaps the most entertaining football in the Premier League after Arsenal – imagine what would happen if he inherited the highly talented squad at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Andre Villas-Boas: Another wildcard entry on this list, Villas-Boas is a name that has come up once or twice as a possible candidate to replace his former mentor at los Blancos. Having worked under The Special One at Chelsea and Inter before moving to management himself, Villas Boas is seen as a highly talented coach and someone who can work under a strict budget as well. Although he hasn’t done anything special in his short managerial career, he is tipped for greatness and with Real in the hunt to sign Gareth Bale, bringing in Villas-Boas might just help them acquire the services of the Welshman and build a team for the future.

The question here is should Real go for an experienced head to take charge of the biggest pool of talent in the world or go for a complete revolution in their coaching hierarchy? Real are known for their trigger friendliness when it comes to the managerial position but they might do well looking at what stability can bring (Manchester United, anyone?). With the presidential election set for June, Real president Florentino Perez will have to move fast to hire the club’s next manager.


DISCLAIMER: This article has been written by a member of the FootballWorld fraternity and represents the personal views of the writer and not of footballworld.co.in.
Posted by Subham Mitra on behalf of FootballWorld.

2012-13: A Season in Statistics

Almost all the major leagues in Europe have come to a close or near to it after a grueling nine months of football with Manchester United running away with their 20^th English league title, Juventus securing their 29^th(although Juve fans and officials will counter that claim), Ajax Amsterdam celebrating their 32^nd triumph in the Eredivisie and Bayern Munich giving a grand send off to their departing manager Jupp Heynckes with a record points total in the Bundesliga.

In Spain, where the title showdown is always narrowed down to two contenders, the eternal rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid, it was only worth noting which of the two teams managed to outlast the other in the marathon league and in the end, the Catalans finished ahead of their rivals from the capital by a country mile. In France, too, the oil money pumped into Paris Saint-Germain paid dividends as the Parisian club secured their first Ligue 1 title in 19 years, handing David Beckham a league triumph in the fourth different country. PSG, however, are still not in the clear and could end up forfeiting the title if the club’s director Leonardo is found guilty of shoving a referee.

And although most leagues have crowned their champions, there is still couple of matches left to play and these matches will become extremely crucial in identifying the relegated teams, the top goal scorers and who gets the chance to play in Europe next season. Here’s a statistical look at the season so far:

Premier League
Manchester United(M: 37, P: 88)(UEFA Champions League)
Manchester City(M:37, P:  78)(UEFA Champions League)
Chelsea(M: 37, P: 72)(UEFA Champions League)
Arsenal(M: 37, P: 70)(UEFA Champions League qualifiers)
Tottenham Hotspur(M: 37, P: 69)(UEFA Europa League)

Top scorers
Robin van Persie(Manchester United, 25 goals)
Luis Suarez(Liverpool, 23 goals)
Gareth Bale(Tottenham Hotspur, 20 goals)

La Liga
Barcelona(M: 35, P: 91)(UEFA Champions League)
Real Madrid(M: 36, P: 81)(UEFA Champions League)
Atletico Madrid(M: 36, P: 78)(UEFA Champions League)
Real Sociedad(M: 35, P: 59)(UEFA Champions League qualifiers)
Valencia(M: 35, P: 59)(UEFA Europa League)
Malaga(M:36, P: 54)(UEFA Europa League)

Top scorers
Lionel Messi(Barcelona, 46 goals)
Cristiano Ronaldo(Real Madrid, 34 goals)
Falcao(Atletico Madrid, 28 goals)

Serie A
Juventus(M: 37, P: 87)(UEFA Champions League)
Napoli(M: 37, P: 78)(UEFA Champions League)
Milan(M: 37, P: 69)(UEFA Champions League qualifiers)
Fiorentina(M: 37, P: 67)(UEFA Europa League)
Udinese(M: 37, P: 63)(UEFA Europa League)

Top socrers
Edinson Cavani(Napoli, 28 goals)
Antonio di Natale(Udinese, 22 goals)
Daniel Osvaldo(Roma, 16 goals)

Bundesliga
Bayern Munich(M: 33, P: 88)(UEFA Champions League)
Borussia Dortmund(M: 33, P:66)(UEFA Champions League)
Bayer Leverkusen(M: 33, P: 62)(UEFA Champions League)
Schalke(M: 33, P: 52)(UEFA Champions League qualifiers)
Freiburg(M: 33, P: 51)(UEFA Europa League)
Eintracht Frankfurt(M: 33, P: 50)(UEFA Europa League)

Top scorers
Stefan Kießling(Bayer Leverkusen, 24 goals)
Robert Lewandowski(Borussia Dortmund, 23 goals)
Vedad Ibišević(VfB Stuttgart, 15 goals)

Eredivisie
Ajax Amsterdam(M: 34, P: 76)(UEFA Champions League)
PSV Eindhoven(M: 34, P: 69)(UEFA Champions League qualifiers)
Feyenoord(M: 34, P: 69)(UEFA Europa League)
Vitesse Arnhem(M: 34, P: 64)(UEFA Europa League)

Top scorers
Wilfred Bony(Vitesse Arnhem, 31 goals)
Graziano Pellè(Feyenoord, 27 goals)
Alfreð Finnbogason(Heerenveen, 24 goals)

Ligue 1
Paris Saint-Germain(M: 36, P: 77)(UEFA Champions League)
Marseille(M: 36, P: 70)(UEFA Champions League)
Lyon(M: 36, P: 63)(UEFA Champions League qualifiers)
Lille(M: 36, P: 60)(UEFA Europa League)

Top scorers
Zlatan Ibrahimovic(Paris Saint-Germain, 27 goals)
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang(St. Etienne, 19 goals)
Darío Cvitanich(Nice, 17 goals)

**All statistics given in this article are provisional and correct as of 17/05/2013



DISCLAIMER: This article has been written by a member of the FootballWorld fraternity and represents the personal views of the writer and not of footballworld.co.in.
Posted by Subham Mitra on behalf of FootballWorld.