After Barcelona beat Atletico Madrid 3-1 last weekend—with their best showing of the season— Luis Enrique said, “Victories are the only thing that can calm this wave [of noise]…as soon as we make mistakes, the crisis will be back. That’s very clear. I will concentrate on what I can control.” A few days later Barcelona’s President, Bartomeu, is quoted in the Wall Street Journal as saying, “There is a lot of tension around the club. I don’t like it. With this announcement that there will be an {Presidential} election hopefully we will reduce the tension.” … [Read more...]
Archives for January 2015
Nahuel Leiva: Will the Messi Story be rewritten?
Our story begins with an exciting young Argentine talent, whisked from the footballing hotbed of Rosario to arrive in (an equally) sunny Spain, barely entered into his formative teen years. It doesn’t take too long before the young prodigy begins to showcase his considerable talent, and the interest and attention of scouts and media invariably begin to peak. … [Read more...]
Man United Transfer News: Otamendi on radar
Manchester United and Arsenal are reportedly scouting Valencia defender Nicolas Otamendi, and could start a bidding war to get their hands on the expensive Argentinian. The 26-year-old is highly rated and Valencia have a massive buyout clause in the defender's contract, but that hasn't stopped the two English clubs. Arsenal are after Villarreal's Gabriel Paulista, but have been monitoring Otamendi for some time, as have United. Scouts from Old Trafford were rumoured to have stepped up their pursuit of Otamentdi by attending Valencia's game against Almeria on Saturday, but the defender picked … [Read more...]
Arsenal Transfer News: Villarreal defender in talks
Villarreal defender Gabriel Paulista has revealed that his agent is in talks with Arsenal over a potential move to the Premier League. The 24-year-old centre-back has been a mainstay in Villarreal's defence this season as they continue to impress and fight for Europe. Arsene Wenger was tight-lipped on Paulista after Arsenal's 2-0 win over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium yesterday, but the Brazilian revealed all after the Yellow Submarine's victory on Saturday. "Whether I go to Arsenal or stay at Villarreal, I won't lose my head," Paulista said. "I'm very calm. My head is at Villarreal … [Read more...]
Ronaldo – redefining what it is to be a winger
There is something called the ‘Commentator’s Curse.” This is where a fan or pundit begins talking about how good a player is, and then oddly enough, the player flops at that particular moment. Trust me, I’m going somewhere with this. It’s 2005, Manchester United are playing away from home in blue and red kits. In this case, my brother was going to play the role of the commentator doing the a-fore-mentioned cursing. He began telling to me about a player on United who had a certain spark to his game; he was talking about a certain Mr. Cristiano Ronaldo. At the time though, he was a youngster … [Read more...]
Marco Reus to Real Madrid not happening says agent
Germany international Marco Reus has not agreed to join Real Madrid this January after rumours of a deal spread earlier this month. Reus' agent, Dirk Hebel, and Borussia Dortmund's CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke have denied the speculation claiming that a deal was nearing completion. Spanish media outlet El Confidencial had stated that Reus was set to sign a five-year contract with Real Madrid, and that both parties were satisfied with the agreements. Reus is available to leave Dortmund if a club triggers his release clause - €25m - and reports emerged suggesting Madrid were also happy to pay Reus' … [Read more...]
Messi, Neymar and Suarez all make this week’s La Liga team of the week
Barcelona played out of their skins in a 3-1 victory over Atletico Madrid to keep in touch with leaders Real Madrid at the summit of the La liga table, and their unstoppable forward trio highlight this round’s best XI. In goal, Diego Marino’s saves were key for Levante in their goalless draw against Deportivo Ciutat de València. The 24-year-old made six saves to secure a point for Les Granotes, and keep them just outside the relegation zone (at least based on goals difference). How important will the point be, come May? … [Read more...]
Villa Hoping To Complete Move For Valencia’s Carles Gil
Aston Villa will look to complete a deal for Valencia midfielder Carles Gil this week as negotiations continue. The Spanish Under 21 international had spent two years on loan at Elche before returning to the Mestalla in the summer, where he has made infrequent cameos from the bench. A deal worth initially around £3.2m, but could obviously rise to close to £5m, had looked to have hit a snag concerning agents fees, but Villa are confident that the situation can be resolved. Gil is a left-sided midfielder who could bring some much needed flair to Villa Park. Whilst he's on the fringes of … [Read more...]
Have Atletico Madrid replaced Diego Costa?
Some may argue that the 17 May 2014 was the finest day in Atletico Madrid’s history. Los Rojiblancos secured the draw away at Barcelona which gave them their first La Liga title for 20 years. A week later they had the chance to create more history when they faced city rivals Real Madrid in the Champions League final. … [Read more...]
It just gets better for Eibar
A few years ago, barely anyone could even contemplate a La Liga fixture between Espanyol and Eibar. Espanyol have been a team sitting comfortably in the top flight, whilst until recently Eibar, were scrapping around the lower divisions. It has been an incredible journey for the club who play their home games at the 'Iperua' stadium, infront of just over 5000 fans. A team once squashed out of the picture by locals; Bilbao and Real Sociedad, they now sit above their city dwellers in a comfortable eighth position in the league standings. … [Read more...]