Barcelona got the crown

So, while I was predicting a one-sided final for Man.Utd, Barcelona trashed the red devils hopes of a back-to-back CL title. Funny thing football, the same aspects we’d thought were going to favor Manchester ended to help the team from Catalonia. The spirit of a young and highly collective team paid off, even with them playing with a complete new defensive line-up.
In the end, the score of 2-0 to the blaugranas is pretty good to the English team. The scheme of Pep Guardiola made him lift the trophy in incredible fashion, becoming the six man to do it as a player and coach (Munoz, Ancelotti, Trapatonni, Cruijff and Rijkaard have done it before) and the first to conquer the triplete (Spanish word for the championship, cup and CL).
In the field and beside being the first team to shoot at goal, Man.Utd never really seemed on the game, the amount of loosed balls on the midfield and the lack of attitude when trying to recover the ball on the defense have destroyed the English side. On the other hand, Barcelona keep an aggressive football, with lots of possession and with Puyol, Toure, Sylvinho and Busquets proving themselves to the fans and shouting ‘we are not second choices’.
Bottom line, any team that suffers a header from Messi can’t win really anything. Poor fair-play from the reds in the end, with the referee letting Scholes and Ronaldo to stay on the field the entire match.

Tip: Beside Guardiola’s achievement, two new factors, Spain is now single top club in the CL with 12 wins and Gerard Piqué became the second player in football history to win back-to-back titles in different clubs, equalizing Paulo Sousa in the mid 90’s with Juventus and Dortmund.

CL Prediction – Man.Utd 3 – 1 Barcelona

So the time is here. The entire season points to Rome and the Olimpico, Man.Utd and Barcelona will give us a traditional battle for the most important trophy in clubs world. Almost 24 hours before the showdown, I start making predictions and looking to the CL final to make an evaluation of what we can expect. I’m sorry, but I think the 90 minutes will be pretty one sided with the red devils taking the honors.
It’s never easy to assume such a radical prediction. But first the background, even if I’m not a real fan of Man.Utd or Barcelona, I’ve always feel more related to the blaugrana rather than the devils. The Spanish side as always had a philosophy of offensive and beautiful game, while United is – probably – the first team to leave definitively the English style of play and to use a more pragmatic, Continental away with the ball.
So, why predict a United win? Looking back, Barcelona’s offensive game as always find trouble against world class defenses, they got trashed by Milan in the mid 90’s, got a fortunate win against Sampdoria – with a free-kick from Koeman in E/T and record the only victory against a ten man Arsenal and with a late goal. But, obviously, past games with different coaches and players are not the best away to predict a match (well that’s just one aspect of it).
Maybe the cruelest aspect in modern football is that ‘offenses win fans, defenses titles’. And if the forward line of each team is very similar (Henry, Etoo and Messi vs Berbatov, Rooney and Ronaldo) and the midfields are also equivalent, with Barcelona in a shorter pass style and Man.Utd in a direct pass way, there is no comparison between the defensive lines. To talk about the goalkeepers is to compare one of the world’s top five – Edwin van der Saar – against an opponent that for a lot of year as been his side weakest point and that doesn’t even get the honor to be called for the national team – Victor Valdés is always a risk, we never know what he is going to do next.
Then, the four man’s in front of them. Man.Utd has three of the world’s top defenders, the CB Ferdinand/Vidic seems like twins and play in perfect harmony, Evra is without a doubt the best Left Back of the world – giving his team defensive security and offensive capability. On the right side Ferguson has to chose for a couple of solutions, but that shouldn’t be a major prob.
When we talk about Barcelona we put our hands in our head, with the two side backs suspended (Alves and Abidal) and Rafa Marquez still injured, there are few things to say about a defense that – I’m afraid – will be under constant fire throughout the final. Puyol with all he’s goodwill will have a bad time in speed and air balls, and Pique is to slow to keep up with the devils forwards.

Tip: We tend to say all finals are unpredictable, but this year’s CL as a clear favorite. Man.Utd as the obligation to conquer the CL. Without three of their regulars on the defense, the Spanish side will find it impossible to stop the devils offensive speed. In the end I think will see a one-sided match with honors going to the English side. Final score prediction: Man.Utd 3 – 1 Barcelona.

Magath a miracle maker

Maybe the biggest surprises in European football of the year as come from Germany. Wolfsburgo clinched the Bundesliga on the last game of the season and assuring the first title on the clubs history. Throughout the championship – but less on the UEFA Cup – ‘The Wolves’ produced a high quality football, with a strong defense and an offensive trio that will probably say goodbye – Grafite and Dzecko as strikers and Misimovic as playmaker – and guaranteed an excellent goal scoring. (They are by far the best goal scoring team in Germany with 80 goals only in the championship, Bayern is second with 71). Not the biggest contender in the beginning of the season, Wolfsburgo is a proud work Felix Magath, the German coach as once again put a mid table team on the top of the Bundesliga. He’s done it with Stuttgart, not winning the championship but recovering the team to the mains spots. The recipe is quite simple and that’s why he’s a true genius. Magath’s picks for the team are crucial, he’s chosen players that fit he’s hard-working, winning-driven mentality and that – by no means – are star-players. With a bunch of middle-class players he made a strong team, strong enough to win the league.
But let’s go a little bit deeper, known for his physical and highly tight tactical schemes, Magath need’s players that are in a urge to prove themselves to the world and that need titles. Tactically speaking, he play’s in a 4x4x2 – classic in Germany. With a line of four defenses, a defensive midfielder, to centre with the ability to go to the lines, in the front with a good nr.10 and two strikers – both with impressive physical presence which allows them to give a constant battle to opponent’s defense.

Tip: The tactic seems pretty simple on paper, but to find the right players for each spot his Magath’s biggest achievement. From a strong defensive line, that includes the young talent Diego Benaglio has a goalkeeper, and experienced defenses like Italians Zaccardo and Barzagli or Portuguese Ricardo Costa – three veterans used to play in very important matches either in the National Teams either in their former clubs, to the offense with the Bosnian international Misimovic, Dzeko and the Brazilian Grafite. In this group of players we have former World Champions and CL winners, but none has ever been a first figure, which gives them the urges to prove themselves. This year they’ve done it. Next year, Magath’s will be heading Schalke 04.

Pepe’s Dream became a Team

The ‘Dream Team II’ as been on the entire season at Nou Camp. In his first season as a coach, Josep ‘Pepe’ Guardiola recovered the spirit of Johan’s Cruijff style of play. A lot of us still remember Stoichkov, Bakero, Romário, Koeman, M.Laudrup or… Guardiola giving the planet some of the most offensive displays football can offer. This year – while this kind of comparison is not perfect – the mix between perfect tactics and offensive mentality is back. The only team in a major European championship to score more than one hundred goals, so close to a three goal average per match, secured the title in undisputed fashion and marveled the entire world with an unbelievable short-pass style of play lays in Barcelona.
But comparison’s stop here, while Guardiola has worked with the master in his playing times, he gained a special taste for offensive football but graduated has a real manager by bringing a different tactic. In the paper, Barcelona uses a very typical 4x3x3. But simplicity ends at this point. When in possession - in the defense, the right back (Dani Alves) usually plays more as a winger than back, providing the defensive midfielder (Yaya Toure) to cover the right side, while the left back (Abidal) comes to the centre to make a stronger barrier alongside the two CB (Rafael Marquez, Puyol or Pique). Strangely, this is the place to start building the offense – especially when Marquez is fit, the Mexican his the best CB with the ball and tries to pass it to the two centre midfielders (Iniesta and Xavi) that together make, probably, the best creative midfield in Europe. In the end, the attack line, responsible for more than 90 goals this season Henry stays in the left and goes to the box, Etoo is the striker but usually changes position with Messi that charges from the right to the middle.

Tip: Guardiola’s side has been in incredible offensive form all year long, in line with Barcelona’s fans hopes and desires. To win the league and the Spanish cup in such a young age (his only 38 years old) is a remarkable achievement. But now that he’s in the CL final everything depends on him winning or not the important trophy. If he does it, then his name echoes’ throughout eternity, if he fails no one will remember the amazing shape the blaugrana have displayed. Well its football…

Mourinho’s typical start: win, win, win

In the champion’s class of 09, we see Mourinho coming back to the honours, the Portuguese coach as made what he always make in his first full season ahead of a club – win the title. He has done it with Porto, Chelsea and now Inter. But looking back and besides his own words, this has been the most simple (if this is a word we can use to describe a national title) victory on his career, Inter fourth title in a row smells like a continuation of Roberto’s Mancini work rather than Mourinho’s ability.
After all, Inter’s lack of football continuous, with a poor campaign in the Champions League (beaten by Man.Utd in the last 16), an early elimination from the Italian cup and a vey unattractive football across all the pitches of the Serie A – they don’t even get the most scoring team in the league, beaten at the time by AC Milan, theres still one game to correct that. So, why point out Mourinho in the team’s success, when we could talk about the only established talent of the nerazurri Ibrahimovic or the image of an experienced and pre-retired team like the all-positions captain Zanetti?
Because, the challenge for ‘le speciallisimo’ his not to win in the first year, but to renew Inter’s squad and make them a force to fear across European football. But, to do so, he needs to gains stability and confidence from the fans and that means to keep the championship winning pace shown by Mancini (in different conditions, with some of the mains rivals relegated to Serie B and others starting with negative points). The first phase of a three years plan is complete, the next one is to start building a new and powerful team, capable of coping against the titans of Serie A but also teams like Man.Utd, Liverpool, Barcelona or Bayern Munich.
And this is the place where we can see Mourinho’s magic fingers doing his thing, although being defeated in the last 16 of the CL, few of us where seeing Inter with the ability to do such a strong performance at Old Trafford and the Portuguese has already begun a new team.

Tip: Balotelli and Santon are the biggest examples of a renewed team, with strong foundations on team proud – it’s always like this in Mourinho’s teams in all the sectors of the field we can find strongly related players to the club. But now comes the tricky part, he still needs to find one or two star players to play alongside the Swedish Ibrahimovic, Lampard said no, Deco his probably not fit to be a regular member of the starting eleven, so where will Mourinho find the next world star?

Ferguson still reigns over England

It’s not easy to find the correct words to refer what Sir Alex Ferguson has done to make Man.Utd the biggest brand in modern football. This weekend we saw the club win – probably –one of the most emblematic titles Sir Alex’s ever won: Man.Utd 18th championship means they catch Liverpool on the top of most successful clubs. Most important, the scotch’s ability to renew the squad opens a good perspective to keep on winning on the next four/five years – this without needing to spend millions over millions to buy new stars.
While having probably the most impressive offensive line on European soccer, the main reason and future problem, of the devils success is the strong defense – Evra his without a doubt the best left back in the world, Ferdinand and Vidic make an almost perfect pair in the centre and the continuous problems on the right seem to disappear game after game (does anyone really know how many right backs Man.Utd uses over a season?) – and last but not least, the awesome goalkeeper Edwin Van der Saar is displaying some of his most perfect performances, while quickly going to the end of his career, the Dutch is a cornerstone on Ferguson’s recent wins and will be very difficult to find a fit replacement – they’ve probably still remember the hiatus between Schmeichel and Van der Saar.
Besides this, they got an excellent mixture of young and older players – Ronaldo, Rooney, Anderson, Rafael, Evans, Macheda – assure the future and present of a team that seems comfortable with winning in a consecutive way. And that seems to be Ferguson’s biggest magic trick – we all know tactics doesn’t have any secret to him, he’s simply a master in that way – but how can he keep on maintaining all this multi-title players still pretty focus on conquering more and more titles (we can observe how he seems truly happy every team his team scores, other coaches appear to don’t even see their goals, while the scotch still acts like a little child/or simply full of ambitious)? Whatever he do, that’s the big reason for him to be such a successful manager and a name that will last a many, many decades on football history.

Tip: The change between a 4x2x4 at home and more weak opponents and the 4x3x3 on less easygoing games gives Man.Utd two perfect solutions. You can look a lot of places – in the majority of European championships – and you won’t find any other team that feels so confident with two different forms of play.

Rodrigo Palacio coming to Europe?

Probably the next in line to gain a one way ticket to Europe, Rodrigo Palacio’s ability to play in the offensive box should gain him a harm place in the heart of his next fans. Year after year, his pointed to a big European club (Man.Utd, Liverpool, Barcelona and AC Milan are some examples) but he always seems to fail on leaving Boca Juniores. Now 27 years old, the high profile striker is getting in a turning point: or he leaves now the South America competitions or he’ll be there forever.
He’s not a typical, which gives him the ability to play on other positions of Boca’s offensive start-up. Usually he plays as a second striker alongside Martin Palermo in a 4-4-2 formation. But not being keen of a physical style of play, Palacio’s technique and speed allows him to come outside the box and be a set-up player – usually from the sides. But, while in the box his know to find space where nobody else can see it. He doesn’t have the heart of most his countryman’s, we won’t see him trying to recover a lost ball all the way back to the defense, but he’s still a team player, besides being a goal scorer his know for an impressive number of assists to his teammates.
As a professional player, his played for Argentineans’ sides Hurácan, Arroyos, Banfield and is in Boca since 2005 – here he as own all the major titles in South America competitions, such as the Copa Libertadores – the local CL. And has became an irregular called player to the national squad (well, is not easy when you need to compete with Messi, Aguero, Tevez, Crespo, Lisandro…).

Tip: With 1.76m/68kg is a lightweight striker with greater technique which allows him to pair up in a very effective way with a more physical striker. Last year Boca refused a 25 million euro offer from Barcelona. The real question is: will any major European club dispose more than this for a 27 year old? By the way things are going; I’m starting to think he’ll be number 14 in Boca the rest of his professional career – but I’d love to see him in Europe.

CL final Cool Stats 2 – England and Spain 50/50 in CL's finals

Although being two of the three most successful countries in the CL, clubs from Spain and England have only faced each other in the final on two occasions, with which country retaining one title. This opens doors to a new duel at the Olimpico at Rome; the most powerful championships in the world will want to get the upper-hand and to end this 1-1 draw.
Besides all this, Barcelona and Man.Utd have played the Cup Winners Cup final in 1991, with the red devils winning the trophy 2-1, at de Kuip in Rotterdam, two from Mark Hughes against one from Ronald Koeman.
But let’s get back to the CL and do a rewind to the first clash between England and Spain in the final.

Year: 1981
Venue: Paris – Parc des Princes (48.360)
Referee: Károly Palotai (Hungary)
Teams:
Liverpool – Clemence; Neal, Thompson, Hansen, A.Kennedy; Lee, McDermott, Souness, R.Kennedy; Dalglish (Case), Johnson
Coach: Paisley
Real Madrid – Agustin; Cortes (Pineda), Navajas, Sabido; Del Bosque, Angel, Camacho, Stielike; Juanito, Santillana, Cunningham
Coach: Boskov
Score: Liverpool 1-0 Real Madrid: A.Kennedy (82’)

Short summary: For the fifth year in a row an English side got their hands on the European Champions Clubs Cup. A battle between giants, two of the most successful sides on European football went on to a classic tactical game, while everybody was aiming for extra-time Alan Kennedy (left back) went ahead and break the deadlock, becoming one of history’s most unlikely heroes. Still today the Merseysider’s pay respect to his name.

Year: 2006
Venue: Paris – Stade de France (80.000)
Referee: Terje Hauge (Norway)
Teams:
Barcelona – Víctor Valdés; Oleguer Presas (Juliano Belletti 71), Carles Puyol, Rafael Márquez, Giovanni van Bronckhorst; José Gomes de Moraes “Edmílson” (Andrés Iniesta 46), Anderson Luis de Souza “Deco”, Mark van Bommel (Henrik Larsson 61); Ludovic Giuly, Ronaldo de Assis Moreira “Ronaldinho”, Samuel Eto'o;
Coach: Frank Rijkaard
Arsenal – Jens Lehmann; Emmanuel Eboué, Kolo Abib Touré, Sol Campbell, Ashley Cole; Gilberto Aparecido da Silva, Cesc Fábregas (Mathieu Flamini 74); Robert Pirès (Manuel Almunia 19), Aleksandr Hleb (José Antonio Reyes 85), Fredrik Ljungberg, Thierry Henry;
Coach: Arséne Wenger
Score: Barcelona 2 – 1 Arsenal (Eto’o 76’, Belletti 81’; Campbell 37’)

Short summary: Seen as underdogs from London, the gunners produced an impressive final, playing with only ten mans (Lehman sent off 18’) for most of the time they scored first and created a couple of chances to end the game. In the second half they got too tired and where force to defend with all they’ve got, it almost last, but a late goal from Belletti gave the blaugranas the cup.

CL Final Cool Stats 1 – England and Spain fighting over Italy’s tears

We start today a series of cool stats about the Champions League final, we hope you like us much as we’d love to find it. First, this final is the ultimate extra-time for England and Spain. Since the first Champions League – in 1955/56 – England, Spain and Italy are tied with 11 wins each.
Looking at the board of past winners we see great differences within the most winning countries, only two Spanish Clubs have won it (Real Madrid and Barcelona), three Italian sides (Inter, AC Milan and Juventus), while there have been four English squads to do it (Man.Utd, Liverpool, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa).
Since the beginning, Spain has been on the top of the winning countries – benefiting from Real’s five titles in a row in the first editions, which means 2009 can mark a new leader in European football. With Italy looking from the sideline the Man.Utd-Barcelona clash, the two nations in contest aim to become European leaders.
On another perspective, if we count only the change of competition to UEFA Champions League (occurred in the season 1992/93), Spain his leading with four titles, against three from England and Italy. If we look at the 21 first century, the three countries are tied with two wins.
Bottom-line, at the Olimpico in Rome Europe will crown a new king – will it be England or Spain. And how ironic is that the new hierarchy will be find at Italy?

English titles:
1968 – Manchester United (4-1 Benfica a/ET)
1977 – Liverpool (3-1 Borussia Mönchengladbach)
1978 – Liverpool (1-0 Club Brugge)
1979 – Nottingham Forest (1-0 Malmö)
1980 – Nottingham Forest (1-0 Hamburger)
1981 – Liverpool (1-0 Real Madrid)
1982 – Aston Villa (1-0 Bayern Munich)
1984 – Liverpool (1-1 Roma a/P 4-2)
1999 – Manchester United (2-1 Bayern Munich)
2005 – Liverpool (3-3 AC Milan a/P 3-2)
2008 – Manchester United (1-1 Chelsea a/P 6-5)

Spanish titles:
1956 – Real Madrid (4-3 Stade de Reims)
1957 – Real Madrid (2-0 Fiorentina)
1958 – Real Madrid (3-2 AC Milan a/ET)
1959 – Real Madrid (2-0 Stade de Reims)
1960 – Real Madrid (7-3 Eintracht Frankfurt)
1966 – Real Madrid (2-1 Partizan Belgrade)
1992 – Barcelona (1-0 Sampdoria a/ET)
1998 – Real Madrid (1-0 Juventus)
2000 – Real Madrid (3-0 Valencia)
2002 – Real Madrid (2-1 Bayer Leverkusen)
2006 – Barcelona (2-1 Arsenal)

Jesualdo’s hat-trick at Dragão

As the season come to an end, all the European leagues come to closure, this weekend was the Portuguese League that’s got a new champion. Once again FC Porto as did it. For the fourth time in a row, in the last three years with Jesualdo Ferreira at the helm, ‘Dragões’ have conquered the first spot. The soon to be 63 years old, is living his best professional period in a long, hardworking but always very competent career. With only three championships under his belt, he’s seen as the keystone of this year’s title.
Personally I’m not fond of Jesualdo’s counter attack style of play – but becoming the only Portuguese coach to win three in a row most mean something. But let’s talk about the team he command, last summer Porto lost two of the three most influential players, the man that carries the team from the right went to Chelsea (Jose Bosingwa), the most creative one – usually used has a left winger parted to Inter (Ricardo Quaresma) and Lucho Gonzales stayed for another season. The cerebral Argentinean had to cope with the fans expectations in the first couple of months.
These changes meant Jesualdo had to build a more collective team, without the brilliance of Quaresma or Bosingwa continuous runs, Porto became a new team. The basic scheme remains the same, Portos’s favorite figurine his the 4x3x3, with a typical defensive line, one defensive midfielder, two in the center, with the one on the right side with orders to attack trough the line – usually Lucho’s mission – and three players on attack – all of the them used to start offensive moves on the middle line. The one in the center (Hulk or Lisandro) tends to get outside the box to open space for quick entries (usually Hulk or Lisandro, once again) from any flank, the other forward is usually a pure winger (Cristian Rodriguez) – the three make constant changes confusing their opponent positions.
The team prefers to play in constant counter attack, they don’t fell comfortable with the ball and have a lot of difficulties to crack tide defenses – which is shown by their impressive away records, but fragile home performances. They are a purely collective team, a squad that don’t depend on any star players and besides Hulk or Rodriguez run’s doesn’t have any man capable of individually solve a game – they have more than six players with five or more goals, and base the success on a high pressure system, direct style of play and frantic pace on the offensive.

Tip: The only team to make Man Utd go to the limit to overcome a leg in the Champions League deserves a mention. I point out the coach Jesualdo Ferreira because he has build an extraordinary team without star players – they’ve won four titles in a row and went out of the CL for just a goal against the actual champions. I don’t like the style they use, but I can’t argue with the results.

Champagne is still in the freezer

Barcelona has not yet celebrated his 19th victory as champion in the Spanish League. Unexpectedly, Villarreal postponed the Catalans’ climax, forcing them to save during a week (at least) the champagne’s bottles in the freezer.
In the time out, 98 thousand spectators in Nou Camp threw the rockets and take the pole. The victory was enough to secure the championship and with a quiet edge of 3-1. Who could imagine that the outcome could be different? Only the players of Villarreal, which, with huge enthusiasm and even greater shot of luck managed to reach the same draw.
The highlight of the game was at 77 ', when Abidal committed penalty and was thrown out by the referee. Matías Fernandez did not forgive and reduced to 3-2. In the discounts, Paco Llorente silent the Catalan’s cathedral.
Still missing three games, Barça has eight points of advantage over Real Madrid. Only a miracle can take the title to blaugrana, who have new opportunity to celebrate next weekend in Mallorca.

Gourcuff coming back to AC Milan

Know in France by the name of ‘petit Zidane’ – yes, I now there are a lot of players seen as the next Zizou – and at age 22, Yoann Gourcuff is on his way to became one of France’s finest. Early spotted by the rossoneri scouts, he's a product of the well reputed Rennes academy and was bought by the Milanese side in 2006. After a couple of seasons in the main squad, with a low average games – less than 20 per season – but with a lot of potential show, especially on the champions league – that he won in 2007, where he’d performed good games and managed to score a couple of goals, Ancelotti has decided to loan him to French side Girondins Bordeaux and Gourcuff has seize the opportunity to became even a better and more influential player – witch lead him to became a ‘bleu’ regular and assured a return to San Siro.
He’s the playmaker in Bordeaux’s football, the ‘number 10’ – although he’s playing with the 8 – and has a major role in he’s side title bid (Marseille and Bordeaux are fighting to end Lyon’s run) and took part in 45 games (43 in the starting eleven), scoring 13 goals – at the moment. Technically gifted, he’s still very powerful in the physical aspects, with 1.85m/79kg uses his stature to win a lot of balls in the midfield and to become his team’s primary defense line. He’s not a runner and to stretch the game he prefers to use short or long passes and to appear alongside the strikes in the shooting range. Capable also scoring headers, he’s trademarks move’s include powerful kicks with his right foot and movements from the center to the right or directly to the net.

Tip: Coming back to the rossoneri is a big challenge, but Gourcuff seems apt to the extremely aged Ancelotti’s side. Altought he’s a number ten – witch in the 4-3-2-1 of Milan means to play in Kaka’s or Seedorf’s place, he’s physical and combative attributes will let him be competitive on one of the defensive midfield side’s. Knowing how Milan works, we’d expect him to be a regular used replacement in the next couple of season (besides Pirlo's unusual nr.6, he’s capable of stepping up into any man shoes in Ancelotti’s eleven), being forced to replace Kaka or Seedorf in a regular basis in 2011/12.

The wind of change

Sami Hyypia will replace Liverpool for Bayer Leverkusen at the end of the season. The 35 year old Finn did medical examinations yesterday and will join the new companions in the summer, to carry out the pre-season with the German team.

After ten years in Liverpool, the defender has agreed to represent Bayer for two seasons. However, 'reds' responsible don’t forget everything that he made for the team. The Finnish has earned a legendary status in Anfield.

PS: Hyypia came to England in May 1999, reached from William II. With Liverpool’ shirt, the defender managed to win the UEFA Cup, Champions League, European Super, Cup of England, Cup and Super League in England.

Ribéry worth 70 million

Manchester United offered 70 million euros for Franck Ribéry, a value that would shatter the world transfer record.
The arrival of the French will overcome the alleged drop-off of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid, according to the same source. Bayern Munich admitted last week-end, the possibility of departure of the former Marseille player of 26 years, who joined the Bavarian club in the summer of 2007.
However, teams like Barcelona and Real Madrid could enter the race for Ribéry.

PS: Ribery would be a fantastic addition to Manchester United squad, especially given his attacking nature and also considering United don’t really have a central mid that can put real attacking pressure on defenders.

Yaya for Touré

Sometimes the evidence is there, but takes a while before we realize the truth. Barcelona’s fine display and complete annihilation of Real Madrid at Bernabéu gave me the correct dimension of Touré Yaya in the blaugrana eleven. The physical, but still elegant and ball carrier man from the Ivory Coast gives Iniesta, Xavi and Dani Alves the green light to attack. Playing as a defensive midfielder, the new ‘Patrick Vieira’ – baptized like this by his brother Kolo Touré – fits in perfectly in the most efficient midfield of 2009. He rarely attacks, but his capable of defining moves in Xavi’s or Iniesta’s bad days. Usually staying in the middle line when the teams attack, he tends to came a little more to the right side, in order to compensate Dani Alves’s offensive style. On the left Abidal his more defensive and helps covering that part of the midfield.
The most powerful force in Barça’s midfield helps Xavi and Iniesta to support the constant punishment from other teams. Built in schools of Ivory’s Coast ASEC, he played a season in Mimosas and then came to Europe, Beveren (Belgium), Metalurg Donetsk (Ukraine), Monaco (France) and Barcelona since 2007 are all in the CV of Yaya. With 1.91m/90kg is also a fundamental stone in Yvory Coast national team.

Tip: the thumbs up to Yaya Touré came because of his humble character inside the field. He accepts the mission of shadow-man in the most impressive offensive team of the year and seems pretty happy with that. He’s a very talented player that balances up Barça’s football, sometimes seen like the weak point of the midfield. At 26, he’s building up a reputation and his, by now, one of the best defensive midfielder of European football.

Diego a smiling man in Germany

Talking to same friends after the last post, they’ve questioned ‘do you see Ribéry as the indisputable best player in Germany?’ No. Although always being difficult to point out only one name, if I’d had to do it, I will call Diego. The friendly Brazilian from Werder Bremen, has a constant capability to open spaces in the opponent defenses and can make the last pass or score a goal himself. Werder’s poor championship – currently in 10th – doesn’t affect the amazing offensive football Diego can produce.
With 1.75m/76kg, Diego Ribas da Cunha, 24 years old, is the typical number ‘10’. Being the playmaker in the great majority of Werder’s offensive moves, he plays most of the time in the last third of the field, receiving the ball from Thorsten Frings – the responsible for the first phase on the offensive of the German side. Using only his right foot, Diego possesses a rare ability to enter in the opponent’s area and shoots at goal always with space. He’s a master on finding a way to pass and his trademarks moves include a quick rotation over the ball, making the ball pass above the defenses and shooting in a karate way.
Formed in the well reputed Santos school, he has own the Brazilian championship in his last year with Santos (from 2001 to 04), has being pointed out in as the new Pelé, was the star in a team that had players like Man City’s Robinho and caught the attention of FC Porto – at the time European Champion. Playing for the Portuguese side in the next couple of years proved to be a mistake, while he was one of the fans favorites, his style of short pass and continuous play was a problem for coach Co Adriaanse (that came from Dutch side Az Alkmaar) that let Diego out in 2006 for the German team, with this reason ‘he’s an awesome player, but doesn’t now out to play in large spaces’. After almost one year without playing, he’d regained his confidence, was being called regularly to the National squad, and in the end was considered ‘Fussballspieler des Jahrer’ – Football player of the year.

Tip: This season, although Werder’s poor performances in the Bundesliga, Diego’s football his helping the team to a very good campaign in the Uefa Cup – they’ve dropped from the Champions League. For all this, I reckon the Brazilian has the best player in German championship. With the end of the season, the rumors point Diego to Real Madrid.

'Ferraribéry' on his way to Italy or Germany back on top?

Probably the highest profile player outside one of the three major leagues that isn’t in pre-retirement, Franck Ribéry (know has Ferraribéry since his Galatasary times) seems to be heading to Serie A next season. The last rumors are partnering him up with Zlatan Ibrahimovic in José Mourinho’s Inter Milan. With an undisputable talent this 26 years old right winger needs a new boost in his career. In France and Germany (where he currently plays for Bayern Munich) all the expert’s compare Ribéry to Ronaldo, Messi or Kaka, but the rest of the world freckles their eyes and need a proof so he needs to get him the Serie A, Liga Espanõla or Premier League to cope with the biggest names of current football.
There’s no question his a top player, but can he make the difference when it matters the most? After his early seasons, that we can see like a formation to became a real pro – in Bologne, Olympique Alés, Stade Brestois (all from France) and the first adventure abroad in Galatasary, the returning to France to play for Marseille – the couple of years he spent at Bayern are an hiatus on his evolution. While he managed to make a big hit with the fans, the extremely attended Bundesliga – the highest percentage of stadium occupation in Europe – his too far away from the mainstream Champions League football, even the almighty Bayern Munich struggles when it came to the CL – yes, they’ve trashed Sporting Lisbon in the eights, but have taken the same poison in the quarters – so he must get to a top club.
Or, in another away, the wealthy clubs from Germany may see this as an opportunity to build momentum and bring more world class players to their country. This will also help the Mannschaft to return to the top of FIFA football. If they don’t bring more players like Ribéry, then the French should go away and, if Bayern fail to qualify to the CL – he will need a quick exit.
Back in the pitch, Franck Ribéry went to Germany has a promising right winger, but has evolved in to a more complex player in the midfield, Zé Roberto advanced age and Mark van Bommel lake of ability to keep the ball and make the other’s play, forced Ribéry to play more in the centre. Now the typical move of running to back line and crossing, has been replaced by an extremely quick playmaker, that can control the pace of the game and find the right moment to make a pass. With 1.71m/62kg you shouldn’t expect him to score headers or to bring an impressive physical force to the game, but his becoming quick useful in the centre.
He can advance with the ball in his feet but also with short passes, and also prompt to give Luca Toni or Miroslav Klose a chance to score. If that fails he’ll try to score himself, adding to this a good technique in free kick’s conversion.

Tip: Once seen has the new Zidane – like Samir Nasri – Ribéry is the most creative force in France and that’s more than enough to try and bring him to any club. Inter Milan seems to be the strongest candidate, it his believed that Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus are also on the run.