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.

Devils on the loose

Red Devils had several opportunities to goal in the first half, but found Almunia in an inspired evening. Arsenal could have gone to the Old Trafford’ locker rooms losing by three or four goal at first hand of the semi-finals of the Champions League, but a really good display of the Arsenal’s goalkeeper prevent it.

Only the defender John O'Shea was succeeded beating Almunia, with a strong shot, after a corner, at 16 minutes. The Irish established the final result of the match.

The truth is that United was very strong for Arsenal. Anderson, Ronaldo,

Rooney or Tevez had stronger arguments than Touré, Silvestre, Diaby or Gibbs.

Above all is important to say that Arsenal’s defense is really its Achilles' heelpiece and without Gallas (injured) is more than fragile. The virtuous Fábregas and Adebayor were also somewhat inspired last night.

PS: Replaced in the last minutes of the match against Arsenal, the Manchester United’ defender Rio Ferdinand can be three weeks out according to Alex Ferguson.

Wall in the mid-field hobbles Barcelona's show

Barcelona-Chelsea duel promised much, but the game was nothing as we suppose it would be. Much of blame can be assigned to Chelsea, because it has showed very deference to his opponent. The display was well played, but ended without goals. The void leaves everything open for the second hand of the half-final of Champions League.
If Guardiola promised that Barcelona would be stick to its philosophy and it
Really has, the same can not be said of Guus Hiddink. The Dutch coach said that Chelsea was not team to play in pleading, but it was exactly was we saw in the game.
Before a Barcelona that has given spectacle after spectacle, the blues decided to be realistic and worry with that situation, above all, to prevent the opponent to play. With a five elements’ wall in the mid-field, and Drogba 'abandoned' in the front, Chelsea managed to avoid the situation of Barcelona create clear goal. Bosingwa was the 'police' of Messi, and fulfill the task very well. The Argentine also has tried other areas, but never managed to unbalance.

PS: The void pleases Chelsea, but leaves everything in open for the second hand. In Stamford Bridge, the 'blues' will play in a more open way, and Barcelona, as we know, play the same way in all fields. However, Pep Guardiola will have to get round Puyol’s absence (punished) and the most likely absence of Márquez (injured).