Footynions

Another Cinderella-esque Story

Wed, 30 May 2012 20:10:15 +0400

2011 – 2012 was spectacular when it came to football all across Europe. We saw Manchester City clinch the league title after 44 years, Real Madrid seal their 32^ndLa Liga title and finally, Montpellier HSC, introduced as the new and the first time champions of France’s Ligue 1.

The surprise keeps on coming though.

This time it is the first time winners of Israel’s top-flight football - Ligat Ha’Al – Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona FC. A club with the longest name I have ever come across.

With similar pre-season banter to that of Montpellier, the very thought of Ironi Kiryat Shmona winning the title at a tear would have drawn hilarity and mockery.

The team based in city of Kiryat Shmona, close to the Lebanese border, was only created in 2000 as a result of a merger between two clubs. This season the recently resigned manager of Ironi Kiryat – Ran Ben Shimon’s frugal side managed to annihilate the opposition on their way to 73 points leaving the rest to battle for the next few spots. And a thought-provoking point fact is that the highest scorer in the team; Shimon Abuhatzira had only 13 goals to show for throughout the league.

And now the team from the northerly part of Israel is representing the nation and inviting their European opposition to their home stadium, which can accommodate close to 2,200 people at a time, as they aim to qualify for UEFA Champions League.

This truly is a Cinderella-esque story.

A 5 year old scores in a pro am match

Tue, 29 May 2012 05:20:00 +0400

The notion of testimonial matches always suggests that the spotlight be put on that one specific individual in whose name the game is being played.

That was not the case in a recent match held at the Lokomotiv Stadium (Home of FC Lokomotiv Moscow) to honor former Russian international Vadim Valentinovich Evseev who retired from Belarusian club - Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino.

His playing career spanned, a worth mentioning, 19 years representing Russian clubs like Spartak, Torpedo and Lokomotiv Moscow.

In the 67^thminute, a 5 year-old boy named Hrisan Dzheus whose father is the Director of a Russian children’s charity that Evseev represents replaced him. Sort of a thank-you for all his hard work he has done with the charity, I guess.

It was indeed another feel-good moment as the players fooled around on the pitch in order to let Hrisan score. And what a goal it was! You can fast forward to about 60 seconds in order to watch the goal.

Actions like this will always justify our pride and love for this beautiful sport that we have.

The cycle of a confused leadership

Sun, 27 May 2012 05:52:59 +0400

With Pep Guardiola and Roberto Martinez in the frame for the coaching role at Liverpool, a fan can only sit back and watch as it unfolds.

At first it was George Gillet and Tom Hicks. Now John Henry is failing us, or at least that’s the dominant chronicle of a Liverpool fan. Confidence in the clubs American owners is at a record low, and it seems like owner John Henry has been struggling with halfhearted ratings since he sacked club legend – Kenny Dalglish as manager. Based on the immediate social media rant carried out on the Liverpool media platforms, one cannot count the number of people that trust Henry, even discreetly.

Having recently named a new Chief Commercial Officer (Billy Hogan) and director of corporate relations and communications (Jen Chang), one will except nothing less than top four finish for the club next season! But what do they have to do with football? They are the operational staff. The club will not be able to achieve it’s true potential if it does not have a manager; one that the club can trust and have confidence in. Kenny Dalglish was that person who not only had the poise of the club but the millions of supporters all over the world. Why wouldn’t he? He was and is Liverpool.

Till they manage to fill in the role that Dalglish was not “able” to hold on to, each individual supporters’ vengeance will always remain. Somewhat similar to what the Manchester United fans went through a few years ago and to some point today with their American owner – Malcolm Irving Glazer. Additionally, the statement from the clubs Managing Director (Ian Ayre) does not help the cause either.

…”The Carling Cup and The FA Cup don’t generate the revenue and the success that is needed to keep investing. If you want to be successful, you have got to keep investing. People don’t want to hear that football is a business. They want to see us put lots of money into the football team and win lots of trophies and games.

“But you have got to have both. You have got to have continued progress in the league. If you don’t do well in the league and you don’t get into the Champions League, you are writing cheques from your own pocket, aren’t you? That is not a sustainable way going forward…

Ayre is talking from a business perspective, and hence would make sense to someone who understands the principle of how a business works.

But Mr. Ayre, you can’t just shout these words out loud.

A Liverpool fan could give a rat’s behind to what you have in mind. I am quite sure due diligence was done prior to the new owners taking over the club. And this would not have been based on a 2-year plan.

We need to see results on the pitch and so do you, but we also grasp the history that exists with Liverpool FC. It was not created in a few years time. It took time, consisted of a lot of faith and conviction, and definitely involved a love for football.

But I do respect the work that is done by John Henry and team philanthropically. Has given a lot back to the community; both locally and internationally.

At the end of the day, I am with me and the rest of the Liverpool faithful. The only answer to bad leadership is better leadership. And, yes, maybe we will get that LFC fan crusade through associations like ThisisAnfield that will help throw the incompetent out. But coming to think about it, then again to turn their heap of passions into constructive transformation, leaders will have to arise. And hence, this cycle will continue.

A Great First Impression

Fri, 25 May 2012 06:22:23 +0400

Last night, I attended my first New York Red Bull game; in fact, it was my first ever Major League Soccer (MLS) game. I guess you could say it was a monumental step taken towards American football/soccer for this footy addict. My wonderful wife, centered on my happiness, managed to get tickets to the NYRB versus Chivas USA game at the Red Bull Arena.

According to the hype created by MLS and people involved in media, US soccer is extensively broadening its presence when it comes to football in the global stage. We all know how the US national team had fared in the past few World Cups. But how does the national league perform?

Will have to admit, I was convinced. And if it swayed me away after watching a single game of mediocre importance, then my imagination could only run wild when the likes of LA Galaxy or DC United play against NYRB or Seattle Sounders.

The crowd, the performance on the pitch, the atmosphere and the overall feeling were just breathtaking. The crowd had its own composition to it. The passion demonstrated broke all the misconceptions I had in regards to the sport in the US.

It had a different feel compared to that of which one would observe at the games in the UAE.

The crowd back home will always stand out though - the acoustic of one person on the drums while another constantly singing the clubs songs all throughout the game in Arabic on a loud speaker. Nothing beats that. Would even get a non-Arabic speaker going.

What was astonishing was the fact that a magnificent stadium like Red Bull Arena was only built in a few years time. When you compare this to the stadiums in the financially strong country of UAE, except for the one, which is the home to Al Jazira in Abu Dhabi, nothing really stands out.

It was good to see Thierry Henry and Rafael Marquez in action again. Though, it seemed like they were more off in a relaxed state of mentality on the field. The zealousness that was visible in their earlier days was not there anymore. It could either be due to the age or simply because they did not feel the need to showcase it.

The game was also a homecoming to Juan Pablo Angel (former Aston Villa striker) – the Chivas captain, who had scored 50 + goals while he represented NYRB from 2007 – 2010. The fan’s appreciation of his service to the club was quite evident as a banner thanking him went around the stadium prior to and after the game. He repaid his respect to the fans by scoring a wonderful goal. Fast-forward to 4:00 to watch the goal below.

After scoring, Angel did not pull out “the Adebayor”, but raised his hands as a gesture in which it seemed like he was saying sorry and thank you at the same time.

I do understand the fact that it’s not reasonable to take in one game and have a solid understanding of what I had just witnessed and base my conclusions on that.

And to me, that is wonderful. This was truly a great first impression.

PS: Here are links to few images that were taken and worth showing during the game. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3.

Here are the final few images taken during the NYRB - Chivas USA...

Fri, 25 May 2012 06:13:35 +0400

In motion

In motion

In motion

In motion

In motion

The Venezuelan legend

The goal by Juan Pablo Angel

Quiet celebration

The NYRB equivalent of Mertesacker

In motion

Here are the final few images taken during the NYRB - Chivas USA game.

Here is Part 2 of the images taken during the NYRB - Chivas USA...

Fri, 25 May 2012 06:13:30 +0400

The teams arrive

The two captains

Was almost there

In motion

A chance for the beast Kenny Cooper

About to let one go

In motion

50 - 50

Another missed chance

All eyes on the ball

Here is Part 2 of the images taken during the NYRB - Chivas USA game.

Here is Part 1 of the images taken during the NYRB - Chivas USA...

Fri, 25 May 2012 06:13:21 +0400

New York Red Bull - The Classic

The Red Bull Arena

GK Training - NYRB

The French legend

Rafael Marquez and Juan Pablo Angel

Thierry Henry and Juan Pablo Angel

Groundskeeper working the pitch

The Colombian legend

NYRB thanking Juan Pablo Angel

The Passionate crowd

Here is Part 1 of the images taken during the NYRB - Chivas USA game at the Red Bull Arena.

How to waste time - 101

Wed, 23 May 2012 04:09:19 +0400

There was always something about Middle Eastern football and wasting time that used to fascinate me. It was the way in which a goalkeeper would make a big deal out of an ordinary dead ball situation. He would make sure that he holds on to the ball and then immediately dive to the ground, making it seem like he had done the spectacular.

So did it seem, as we witnessed that action in one form or the other, time and time again.

But as the concept of time wasting hit the conscious, it all made sense.

It was nothing but to take off a few seconds from the clock.

UAE footballers have always had a knack for doing the unthinkable. It was quite evident when the late UAE international Theyab Awana scored a back-heel penalty in a friendly international rout of Lebanon, a year ago.

One would expect the in-field players to come up with such schemes, but Ali Kasheif, a goal keeper from Al Jazira Club based in Abu Dhabi, topped it all. Described potentially as one of the best keepers in the country, he came up with something that is quite novel, quite ingenious.

In an Asian Champions League game against Iranian side – Esteghlal, he basically managed to untie the laces from his right shoe as he pretended to place the ball in order to take a goal kick. All this went unnoticed by the media during the time.

While watching the game, I could never have imagined such an incident to occur during the period of time, in which he takes the ball, places it on the ground and gets ready for the goal kick.

He then signals the referee motioning with his right leg, telling him that his laces are untied. He jogs over to the defender Abdullah Mousa and gets his laces tied up. All the while, displeasing the opposition and the crowd in the Azadi stadium.

And the game carried on. Close to a minute was wasted during this time.

However, someone in Iran studied the incident and was not happy, hence decided to post this video on YouTube. It clearly demonstrates where Ali Kasheif had intentionally untied his laces in an attempt to waste some time.

Al Jazira managed to beat Esteghlal by a score of 2 – 1. The importance of the game stands at the fact that this win was the first time ever by any UAE based team against Iran in Iranian soil.

For a staunch Iranian supporter this would not be acceptable considering the political tension that exists between the two countries. Any sort of dominance from either of the country is a matter of significance here.

Ali Kasheif’s brief act during the game would be considered as unfair and would not entitle him to winning the FIFA fair play award, but it definitely was entertaining from a purely sneering creative perspective.

A toast to Ali Kasheif and his cynical brilliance.

A long time coming

Mon, 21 May 2012 01:30:00 +0400

“Everything you want is out there waiting for you to ask. Everything you want also wants you. But you have to take action to get it.”

- Jules Renard, a notable French author of the late eighteenth, early nineteenth century.

This is the quote of the year that has made sense for majority of the French people this year.

It was just a week ago that a Socialist – Francois Hollande was inaugurated as the President of France replacing incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy. The first Socialist to win the title since Francois Mitterrand did in the 1980’s.

And tonight the medieval and historic city of Montpellier located in the South of France has added one more moment of significance to an already impressive list of accomplishments. This time it was Ligue 1 club from the city - Montpellier HSC.

A remarkable story considering the fact that they have become the Champions of France’s top-flight football for the first time in their history.

The La Paillade as the club is known, was finally crowned tonight as they defeated their counterparts Auxerre who were guaranteed relegation before the matchup.

After twice braving a fan induced turmoil along with witnessing the march of riot police to evacuate the guilty stand at Stade de l’Abbé Deschamps, the team finally achieved what it was destined to achieve.

At the beginning of the season, not a single soul in French football ever imagined this scenario bearing in mind that they had finished 14^th in the table last season and the subsequent amount which was spent in the transfer market.

And with surprising performance’s every weekend, there came anxiety. Anxiety of knowing that they are ever so close to the title.

The club that once featured notable stars such Laurent Blanc, (most interestingly, club’s all-time leading goal scorer and he played as a defender), Eric Cantona, Roger Milla, and Carlos Valderrama, managed to scrape by the finish line as money rich Paris Saint-Germain hovered in the fold with a difference of 3 points but equal on goal difference. The latter waiting for them to slip through in the final day of the fixture. And boy did they wait? The players ended up watching the late restart of the Auxerre-Montpellier game in the tunnel of the stadium at Lorient.

But coach René Girard (not related to the famous French historian – René Girard) stuck to the job in hand. He demonstrated his faith and believed in the potential that survived in the players throughout the season. On the other hand the players went some way to recompensing Girard for his faith with an exquisite trophy that the club could never have contemplated winning.

It remains to be seen if Girard will return to the club next season as he has had his share of involvement in rumors that has taken him from the EPL to Serie A to the Bundesliga. And the same goes with top assets like the in form striker and top scorer, Olivier Giroud who is currently linked with Arsenal and Liverpool. And then there is the charismatic Moroccan and a player who is compared to the likes of Edin Hazard – Younés Belhanda being chased by Manchester City, Arsenal and season rivals – Paris Saint-Germain.

The below goal which is in the list of one of the best goals scored in the season against Olympique de Marseille demonstrates his versatility in front of the goal.

There’s little doubt the club will be able to hang on to these players as the rich come knocking, but for the moment, it is a time for the club to revel in. A long track record of an obscure existence has ended. Montpellier is finally visible; firstly to the city of Montpellier, then to French football and finally, to European football as they anxiously anticipate next season’s European Champions League.

Truly this has been an unexpected but a long time coming for Montpellier.

To err is the Referee.

Thu, 17 May 2012 06:39:46 +0400

We will never know what the outcomes would have been if the decisions made were correct. But there is no denying things could have been totally different. If small changes ripple into massive consequences in our chaotic world, then the standing of football, as we know it today would be different.

Referees of the modern game have to go through a lot. From pressurizing press statements from cunning managers, to complete chastising to even death threats.

So where do referees go on from here? The biggest problem is the principle of Omerta applied to them by footballing bodies. Referees are no jesters of the public court. They are like anybody on the pitch-side or television side, someone with a personality, and someone with a passion for what they do. So do they have to be protected and chastised, get hidden from microphones and deflected from conspiracy theories by gaffer taping their mouths.

No. Give them back their personality. Give them back their humanity. So when Drogba shouts it’s a fu*&ing disgrace on T.V. they at least have the right to respond, ‘Yeah, look the house of cards talks now!’ Or when Mourinho is on about the UEFA/UNICEF mafioso links they can reply, ‘I think Mourinho is trying to advertise a mental institution’.

If to err is human, and all the governing bodies talk of the human element as an attraction, then humanize them and let them speak. Do not slide them into the shadows, so that people can slur and throw their wild imaginations at them. Let them explain their decisions to the world, because if football is a global game, then the least they can let the world know is why they blew air through the whistle. If they have erred let them accept their mistakes with dignity, and move on, rather than being subject to the dubious glance. And if they have made a correct decision, let them be applauded, and let there be a positive feedback so that they can do the same, over and over again, so that we stay in love with the game that has us waiting for the weekend like it was a prom night with the prettiest girl.

If the campaign is to respect the referees, give them the voice as a tool for that, or if they can’t defend themselves, well it’s time they took their day jobs full time with no footballing interruptions.

Compassion of a Child

Wed, 16 May 2012 04:25:46 +0400

We had seen time and time again how footballers display their joy when scoring a goal or celebrating winning titles. As we often revel in a winning atmosphere, we tend to forget the dejection that footballers go through as they find themselves at the other end of any league table.

An occasion of such sprung up this past weekend as Dutch Eredivisie side De Graafschap was relegated after losing its relegation playoff against FC Den Bosch.

As the match ended, a young girl of 7 – 8 year old named Saar walks towards her father – midfielder Rogier Meijer as he rests on the pitch dejected. The little girls then put her hand on his shoulder, seemingly asking him if he was OK.

The above written segment does not justify the feeling that would come across; hence here is the video for you guys to watch.

Her action that day could lift the faintest of hearts.

Remember the Citizens.

Sun, 13 May 2012 23:13:27 +0400

Congratulations, Manchester City!! You have managed to prove the world and the multitude of critics wrong by winning the Barclays English Premier League title in a year that you weren’t, well you were expected to win at least some sort of a title.

However, we did not expect the to see the below.

You had brought superstar Mario Balotelli to a verge of burning down his own house, you have made him donate £200 to his local church and then go to a bar and splash £1,000 worth on rounds to celebrate his earlier donation. You had paid for the services of a few superstars that could not even speak in the language of the country you were born in. One of them eventually saving you from eternal embarrassment and you had also accepted Carlos Tevez’s three month leave to figure out what he wants to do and many more.

And most importantly of all, you have managed to shut out all the critics who had been hating on the millions of pounds you had spent to restructure the team. They said money couldn’t buy happiness (titles in this case); you replied are you sure? Because you just did and not just of a title, but for the millions of City fans that were longing for one. Longing for one for a period of 44 years.

Consider your mission accomplished!

While you and half of the city of Manchester drench yourselves with the win, what about the rest of us followers who are left out with nothing to fill the void that the end of the season leaves behind?

What are we theoretically supposed to be excited about now?

Euro 2012? Yes, it is a matter of only a few months but those months are crucial. Our wives would expect us to do the chores that otherwise was not possible during game day weekends. Girl friends would find this opportunity to force their guys to “pop” the question.

Dr. Phil, the guy from TV, labeled this “period” as Post Football Depression Syndrome while referring to the same agony the supporters go through when the Football (American) season ends. To be truthful, I was more miserable that I had lost four valuable minutes of my life analyzing the article than I was about the end of the season.

Though it’s just been less than 24 hours since it was over, it’s feeling like I have gone into a withdrawal. The emotions involved in terms of looking forward to the next round of games on the weekend will be missed.

The goal here is to distract myself with topics of “less relevant matters” such as the 2012 US Elections, Iran and N. Korea trying to annihilate most of the neighboring countries and the importance of stem cell research. All this should keep me occupied for a while.

Nonetheless, a hearty congratulation goes out to the latest EPL champions – Manchester City. Looking forward to the excitement to begin all over again come August 2012.

The Last Straw

Thu, 10 May 2012 08:05:56 +0400

It all comes down to this.

As the current English Premier League season is awaiting it’s final fixture to be played out this weekend, there will be a total of seventy-seven players representing seven clubs that will compete as if their lives are at stake.

Firstly and most importantly, the two clubs from Manchester – City and United. City currently leading the table hoping to win it’s third title while United aiming to win it’s 20th.

They would be followed by Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspurs and Newcastle United, all three of them having already qualified for a spot in Europe thanks to the dismal performance of Chelsea against Liverpool this week. Nerves will be high for the coveted third and fourth (qualifying) place of the Champions League.

And finally, a fight for survival in the top league between QPR and Bolton Wanderers.

So what would be the main elements for these teams this weekend?

Surely, working under pressure. When we speak of this, it would be normal to think in terms of targets to achieve under time constraints. Well, the context we would be looking at is a bit different. One would only expect that these teams would come into this weekend highly absorbed, paying meticulous attention to planning and communication. We would anticipate the respective managers to provide a sentimental speech like those given in movies like Remember the Titans, Coach Carter, or from a personal favorite that I would listen to quite often – from “Any Given Sunday”:

As the pressure shapes up, athletes and managers alike tend to become more risk reluctant. Teams thinking of the consequence of a “failure” would opt for a more defensive attitude. How many times have we seen that in any given game? No matter, how big or small the team is, or how important or guileless the game is, teams tend to play defensive at this point of the season. Of course, all changes once the result is unfavorable during the game.

Secondly or in a more converse note, the word of the coming fixture would have to be “focus”.

To establish my point, I would like to take an excerpt from the late Apple prodigy – Steve Jobs autobiography centering on how he once advised Larry Page (founder of Google):

….“The main thing I stressed was focus,” he (Steve Jobs) recalled. Figure out what Google wants to be when it grows up, he told Page. “It’s now all over the map. What are the five products you want to focus on? Get rid of the rest, because they’re dragging you down. They’re turning you into Microsoft. They’re causing you to turn out products that are adequate but not great.”

This advice basically led Page to turn his head towards the development of Google +. One can notice how well this product is working today.

Coming back to my point, this concept of focus is as important to this fixture in football as it would in a corporate setting. It is the act of directing all the happenings into accomplishing a desired objective.

For these seventy-seven footballers the very thought of how the other eleven or thirty-three are performing concurrently will keep them from chasing their ultimate goal. The goal being the EPL title, the Champions League spot or basically surviving to play another season in England’s top flight. The idea here is not to lose focus at this stage. We had seen how John Terry performed against Liverpool recently. For a person who is usually a strong backbone of the team, his mistakes throughout the game basically cost Chelsea their shot at the Champions League. Have I chosen him as a scapegoat for Chelsea’s loss? You figure.

Nonetheless, I can confirm one thing for sure. This coming weekend will be one heck of a weekend not just for me but also for quite a lot of fans.

This is how Dagestan does.

Wed, 09 May 2012 16:55:00 +0400

Dagestan is the home to Russia’s richest club - Anzhi Makhachkala.

I am not Russian and I am not exactly or remotely close to figuring out what this guy called Timaro is rapping about.

But if you ever thought Russian football is not interesting or exciting enough, you are WRONG. Well, at least off the pitch. When would ever see the likes of Samuel Eto’o, Christopher Samba, Yuri Zhirkov, Roberto Carlos and, of all people, Guus Hiddink featuring in a rap video wearing their club (Anzhi Makhachkala) jerseys?

Has got a good tune to it though. Anzhi Rap.

The La Vecchia Signora (The Old Lady) is singing again

Tue, 08 May 2012 07:33:41 +0400

Moments before the Bianconeri faithful poured on to the pitch in Stadio Nereo Rocco and prior to manager Antonio Conte and assistant coach Angelo Alessio embracing each other on the sideline after the final whistle, the title-hungry visitors were treated with the news that 420 kms away, Maicon had completed a 4 – 2 rout against city rivals AC Milan, with his 87th minute goal.

There was a humble but ever-so-fulfilling chant that fittingly summed up the night for Juventus.

The scudetto drought – longer for some members of the team than others — was over.

Being the third oldest club in the country with 27 titles (28th on its way), it had not always been easy going for them considering their recent history.

The club endured the famous Calciopoli scandal in 2006 – wherein few teams from Serie A and B including Juventus were accused of arranging the games using favorable referees. The result of this saw them being relegated to Serie B along with surrendering the “hard fought” domestic title’s of 2004 and 2005, which were won under Fabio Capello.

Additionally, the club also saw the departures of high profile players such as Cannavaro, Thuram and Ibrahimovic.

However, a few remained. A few strived. Loyalty was displayed and it finally paid off. The names of the few are the enigmatic Gigi Buffon, the midfield maestros in the form of Pavel Nedved and Mauro Camoranesi and the all time Bianconeri striker and legend Alessandro Del Piero. Buffon’s statement at end of game against Cagliari said it all –

……”I thought of many people in these moments and there are many dedications to make, first of all to Alessandro Del Piero, as finally we were able to celebrate together again. I also thought back to Camoranesi, Trezeguet and Nedved, who also deserved to be involved on this night.”…….

One has to be happy for Del Piero, with this season being his last as he adorns the colors of the famous white and black. He has represented Juventus since his move from Padova in 1993 and never once contemplated the huge riches that were being offered for his services unswervingly every year. A true icon in his purest form.

Credit should also be given to young coach and former Juventus midfielder Antonio Conte for striving with the team towards this achievement. This was surely not expected when he was appointed at the beginning of the season. Yes, a fight for the top five was expected but not winning the Scudetto. Neither was this expected as the club lavishly inaugurated the new Juventus Stadium, a year ago.

But it was different this time around. The fans were exposed to an unusual showing throughout the entire season. The reason why it was unusual was mainly because of the style of play and the confidence displayed, something that was thought to be missing since 2004. It started with the 4 – 1 home win against Parma and has been notable throughout. Their unbeaten run of 37 games remains with the final Serie A fixture, that of against Atalanta, in the pipeline. Only Atalanta has the capability of ruining their perfect season. Check out the top 5 goals scored by Juventus this season. Some brilliant touches.

So what is next?

One could expect the city of Turin to be a little cautious as the festivities continue; keeping in mind the issues that resonated around previous similar celebration. It’s just that this time, they have finally redeemed themselves by playing exciting and governing football from the get-go.

Scudetto has been achieved and the respect that was owed to the Bianconeri faithful had been repaid. This is the time for top management to warrant that it does not end here.

No, it does not. Focus on domestic domination should continue, and then the thought of an eventual European glory needs to be entertained. While many laugh off the thought of such magnitude, Turin realizes that they are quite capable of doing so.

And so it starts.

The End of a Beautiful Relationship

Sun, 06 May 2012 09:11:00 +0400

The dust has begun to settle at Nou Camp as Guardiola stepped off the pitch for one last time as the famed manager of Barcelona.

It was a sight to take in last night as his most popular attraction – the Argentinian playmaker – Lionel Messi managed to score four goals against city rivals Espanyol. A feat that saw him reach 50 goals in domestic football and 72 in all competitions, eventually breaking the record for most goals scored in a single season.

His appreciation for Pep was quite evident, as he ran up to his manager to embrace him after scoring his fourth goal. Almost like he had something to say. Something to express. That surely was his appreciation for what Pep has achieved within and for the club.

Josep “Pep” Guardiola i Sala and Barcelona have ended four seasons of close ties. The damage followed an unsuccessful run of Barcelona to conquer either the coveted La Liga title or the Champions League crown; to both of which, they were the defending champions.

To a certain extent, one could say that it was not a decision that was taken lightly either by himself nor us, the fans. Coming to think of it, we are both a bit heartbroken. However, ultimately for someone believing in the concept of achieving more it was the right decision, but that does not make it a single ounce easier.

Having won 178 games out of 245 played throughout his coaching career as Barcelona’s number one, his contribution to the club will not be undermined. With a solid resume of 3 La Liga, 2 Champions League, 1 Copa Del Rey, 2 FIFA Club World Cup, 2 European Super Cup and 3 Spanish Super Cup titles, he surely won’t have to struggle when it comes to searching for his next employer. That is a total of 13 trophies and the list could grow to 14 by the end of the season that is if Barcelona manages to beat Athletico Bilbao in the Copa Del Rey final.

A man who has shown his passion like no other coach on the pitch, match and match again. The video of him celebrating in the 2009 Champions League Final after Andres Iniesta had scored in the last minute against Chelsea says it all. And FYI, it was the same year that Barcelona had managed to bag all the trophies (6 of them) that was available.

For sure Guardiola’s way with words will be missed, but most of his entire attempt to simplify football which is visible when Barcelona play will be missed. The unsophisticated, beautiful and absolute notion of “take the ball, pass the ball” as he says it.

I would rather like to conclude with a statement made by Guardiola in his own words:

“You don’t know how lucky I am. I will miss you a lot. I lose more than you, you’re in good hands.”

Gracias, Pep por todo. Thank you Pep for everything.

Barça, Barça, Baaarça!

Another black eye for Israeli football

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 08:44:38 +0400

Occasional violence in any sport is a common spectacle to us – the observer.

Taking our beautiful sport into account, we have come across game day hooliganism, free-for-all pitch brawls and have heard of the lives of numerous innocent victims being taken away.

The most recent being the unfortunate disaster that took place in Port Said, during an Egyptian league game between Al Ahly and Al Masry. Seventy-five individuals ended up losing their lives. The significance of that day would only make us think that Football Associations all across the world would learn from such an incident. And that they would formulate strategies to prevent such on-pitch situations.

But that was not the case in Israel this past weekend. All games in the first and second divisions were postponed on the word given by Association Chairman Avi Luzon.

The Ligat ha’ Al, the top flight of Israeli football, had always been scrutinized due to its on and off the pitch violence, be it between athletes or spectators. This time it was the second division Liga Leumit (also known as the National League) that was under the spotlight.

Hapoel Ramat Gan and Bnei Lod recently together executed the latest sad chapter in Israeli football.

A few seconds after the end of the game between league leader Bnei Lod and it’s closest adversary Hapoel Ramat Gan, a brawl broke out that was pretty much worse than simply some verbal abuses and pushing. Players and staff threw in punches and kicks at each other as if at the end of the game, they turned into MMA fighters in a cage, ready to be unleashed, except that there was no cage here and the shock absorbing floor foam was green in color. It’s mindboggling that no serious injuries were recorded. The video below says it all.

PS: Keep an eye on the guy with the blue shirt and jeans (in the above picture). Looks like the mandatory service in the IDF helped his prospects of being the top suspect in the fight. He was even talking to a media journalist as the violence was taking place. Amazing.

And all this, just a few weeks after members of Maccabi Petah Tikva and Hapoel Haifa (both top division teams) were involved in an on-pitch brawl.

The result? Avi Luzon has promised strict action against the perpetrators. Seven players from Ramat Gan and three from Bnei Lod have been identified along with the head and assistant coaches of the latter.

Unless and until this distasteful conduct on the pitch is controlled, this will only get worse leading to a disaster we wouldn’t want to contemplate. Spectators condemn the leagues for “taking fun out of the game” by disciplining such behavior, but one need only see a brawl such as this to recognize that a line should be drawn eventually.

Bottom-line, as a group we must stop justifying inappropriate behavior simply because it takes place in a sporting venue. Athletes’ and responsibility go hand in hand and the fact that they involuntarily act as role models to the youth today should make it a stronger resolve for themselves to be held to a higher standard.

Newcastle United: Focus, people

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 08:07:00 +0400

The English Premier League is off to a promising finish.

We are in the process of moving away from the insignificant.

The players and the media have been providing us with few-off-the-field moments, which excited us for a while, all throughout the season.

For instance, Carlos Tevez’s three-month long absence, Balotelli and his consistent meltdowns and the London clubs (Chelsea and Arsenal) constant media scrutiny, due to their poor run, which somehow seems to be waning away as of late. And many more…

And while we were preoccupied with these, we have ignored the strong performances by the club from Newcastle upon Tyne.

To a point where it makes me want to grab every Manchester United, Manchester City including myself, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool supporter by the shoulder and say, “Focus!”, anyone notice Newcastle United?

Currently, 4th in the table and with four more league games remaining, their place in Europe appears to be secure.

All good for a club with very strong history, and that as of recently, was promoted back to the Premier League a few seasons ago.

The club had gone through some rough times in the past decade apart from being relegated in 08-09.

Since the time the great Sir Bobby Robson was sacked as manager in 2004, Newcastle United has gone through eight different coaches in 7 or so years.

Moreover, the situation with the owner was not bright either. Mike Ashley was lambasted in basically every home game during the 08-09 season. The NUFC faithful were against him operating the club they love. Most recently, he had fallen out of grace after renaming St. James Park to Sports Direct Arena but had eventually redeemed himself with shrewd decisions on bringing in players that have contributed to the club’s recent fortunes.

Selling Andy Carroll for £35 million to Liverpool and adding players like Cabaye, Ben Arfa, Santon and Tiote for £5 million and under. Along with that, the impactful Senegalese strike force of Demba Ba (who was bought in for free) and Papiss Cisse for £9 million has made all the difference. The two have managed to rack up 27 goals among themselves.

Surely, credit goes to Mike Ashley (as money hungry as he is) and manager Alan Pardew on bringing on this positive vibe to the club.

Neither of them had been perfect on every point, but they are not equal. Mike Ashley and Alan Pardew, have differing views on taking the club forward. One is progressive; the other is well, where the money lies. I say this as talks for Demba Ba moving to PSG emerges with Ashley supporting it.

I have no personal grievance with him. I don’t believe he is an evil man as many might assume. I just think he is dangerous. Unprincipled desire always is.

Nonetheless, despite of all the ups and downs, as it emerges currently, Newcastle United is on its way back to its glory days. And if this progress is nurtured positively, we could see them competing toe-to-toe with the likes of the big 5 in the coming seasons.

An exciting prelude to the weekend

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:33:51 +0400

Weekdays, grinding, whining ahead, with nothing much better to do. No reason for excitement unless of course you are a football fan. It’s like a night out on your own roller coaster running around, up, down, up, down.

After the Premier League was all but buried, Man City wins & Man Utd loses to bring down the points gap to 5. It’s still safe with Man Utd, but then who would have expected Wigan to do what it did yesterday.

The scrap at the bottom seems to be more of a James Bondesque thriller than the top. Unexpected results. Teams at the bottom are like a deck of cards being shuffled. Except for Wolves.

The mini battle for the Champions League seems to be another sub-plot. Four teams in the mix but Arsenal opening more of a distance between the rest with a run of consistent performances.

Bundesliga, which mid-way was the most exciting, is finally finding teams find their position. The potential six pointer between Dortmund and Bayern, and probably decider was won by Dortmund. Robben – missing a penalty and therefore, spurning a chance to equalize. Six points in six matches is what Dortmund has to protect. Easier said than done.

In Italy, the legend, Piero himself, comes off the bench to score and put Juventus on the top.

Real Madrid seemed to have everything wrapped up, and they seem to be under pressure now with the massive margin reduced to five points. Mourinho is the best man for such situations. He reminds me of Alain Prost and his cool calculating methods. Whatever it took to win. I potentially see him stacking up the defense in the Classico, knowing that a draw meant the Liga. It’s all building to a grand climax. This season has been much better than the last. Amen.

The Spanish Armada Is Rumbling On.

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 18:30:21 +0400

There are a lot of arguments among football associations to lay claim upon the title of the most exciting league. While people have their own preferences, there are many components that make an exciting league. The level of competition is one of the most important ingredients, and hence the English Premier League & even the Bundesliga can squabble over it, but there is no doubt which league right now plays the best football. The Spanish Primera Liga.

Europe is a testament to this. Five teams have taken eight semifinal spots. Spanish Liga currently boasts not only the best players on the planet, but also the best football. Watching the way Athletico Bilbao (currently eleventh in the Liga) dismantle Manchester United, currently on their way to a 20th title, with panache and treat for an eye is validity of the statement. The general level of football has gone up, and all of the matches seem to be exciting. The best new talent seems to be springing up in the region, and many a surprise package lie waiting, be it the La Masia products, or the Basque country warriors. The only argument against The Liga being the best would be the fact that Real Madrid lay a whopping 30 points ahead of third placed Valencia. But the quality of Real Madrid and Barcelona is so high, if they played in any other league anywhere in the world, it would be the same. I see the league winning team rack up a lot of points. And if Real Madrid were to win it, they could even break the 100-point mark. The Liga is on the up, and if the rest of the clubs in Europe don’t keep up, and good football is not in focus, the Liga might end up being more competitive and then there would be no reasonable grounds for anybody to argue as to which football league is the best on the planet.