The Beautifull Game Called Football
The football equivalent of the Oscars swept into London on Tuesday as the first ever FIFpro awards were announced in front of renowned stars from the worlds of sport, music, screen and even our very own Marc Duffy (but the legality of how the ticket was gain is still under suspicion!)
Over 38,000 players from 40 countries representing FIFpro were involved in voting, with 55 players short listed in the end. After a night of great entertainment, including awards for Ronaldinho (world player of year), Wayne Rooney (young player of the year) and Cristiano Ronaldo (young player of the year as voted by fans) the World XI was announced as:
GK: NELSON DIDA (Brazil/AC Milan
DF: CAFU (Brazil/AC Milan
DF: ALESSANDRO NESTA (Italy/AC Milan
DF: JOHN TERRY (England/chelsea)
DF: PAOLO MALDINI (Italy/AC Milan
MF: RONALDINHO (Brazil/Barcelona
MF: FRANK LAMPARD (England/chelsea)
MF: CLAUDE MAKELELE (France/chelsea)
MF: ZINEDINE ZIDANE (France/chelsea
FC: SAMUEL ETO’O (Cameroon/Barcelona)
FC: ANDREI SHEVCHENKO (Ukraine/AC Milan
But really do we care about the ‘official’ team? A team that has that has 5 players over 30, with a combined age of 168? A team with a certain Zinedine Zidane, who in truth, had an ordinary season for Real Madrid? Of course we don’t because there’s only one ‘official’ team that matters and that’s the Bootroom XI, voted by you, the SI public. So without further ado in association with Sports Interactive The Bootroom proudly presents YOUR World XI.
Note: The players in each position have been listed in ascending order i.e. Terry was the most voted for defender
GK- PETR CECH (Czech Republic/Chelsea): The best goalie in the Premiership, if not the world. In his first season in England not only did he pick up his first championship medal, Cech also set a run of 1024 minutes without conceding a goal, a new English top flight record. Fewest goals conceded and most clean sheets last season not only won him the Barclays Golden Gloves for ‘04/’05 but also the number one shirt in you World XI.
DF- JOHN TERRY (England/Chelsea): José Mourinho has dubbed him ‘the best centre-back in the world’ and who could argue? After lifting both the League Cup and Premiership title, world class display at the back saw Terry also Voted Player of the Year by his fellow professionals. England’s defeat to Northern Ireland just proved how much the England defense missed Terry’s leadership and organization, adding more claim that he is the best centre-back in the world.
DF- CARLES PUYOL SAFORCADA (Spain/Barcelona): On the 2nd October 1999 Puyol made his first team debut, and ever since then has made the right side of defense his own. A player that always gives his all, this season has seen Puyol linked to a move to the Premiership with both manchester united and arsenal the leading candidates. Only 27, Puyol is entering his prime which could see him, one day lead both club and country.
DF- ALESSANDRO NESTA (Italy/AC Milan): One of the five players that appears in both the FIFpro and The Bootroom World XI. Capped over 60 times for his country Nesta is a typical Italian defender, hard to get pass and comfortable on the ball. In his first season with AC Milan he won the Coppa Italia, Champions League and European Super Cup and was very unlucky to collect a runners up medal in the defeat to liverpool
DF- GABRIEL HEINZE (Argentina/manchester united): A £6.9 million signing from PSG, Heinze won over both fans and pundits with his tough tackling and 100% commitment to the task. Picking up the Fans player of the year for United a nasty injury against Villarreal, sees the left-back out for the rest of the season, a massive blow for Alex Ferguson’s team.
MF- RONALDINHO (Brazil/Barcelona): The third player to be voted in both the FIFpro and Bootroom World XI. What can you say about Ronaldo de Assis Moreira that hasn’t been said? A 27 million Euro signing from PSG, the little Brazilian has tricked his way through the best defenses in La Liga and on the International stage. Ronaldinho can sit his FIFpro world player of the year award next to his FIFA world player of the year award and his La Liga Championship medal, both won last year.
MF- STEVEN GERRARD (England/liverpool): Gerrard help lift liverpool’s fifth European Cup with an inspirational performance in Istanbul last season and that’s why he’s been picked in your World XI. With nearly 300 games under his belt for liverpool Gerrard has lifted the League cup (twice), FA Cup and UEFA Cup in his seven years in the first team. A driving force for Liverpool, when Gerrard is on top of his game he is quite unstoppable.
MF- FRANK LAMPARD (England/Chelsea): The fourth player that appears in both the FIFpro and Bootroom World XI. Winning Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers’ Association, Barclay’s player of the year and Player of the Year by fans on the PFA website just shows what kind of season Frank Lampard Jnr had. A £11 million signing from West Ham, a lot of fans and pundits were bemused as why Chelsea were fork out so much for an over-weight and over-rated player. But four years on Lampard has become an established part of the team scoring important goals from midfield.
MF- KAKA (Brazil/Ac Milan): The 23 year old really shined this season with a brilliant first half performance against Liverpool in the Champion’s League Final. Signing from São Paulo FC in 2003, Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite scored 10 goals in 30 appearances winning the Italian Serie A Championship and the European Super Cup in his first season. Kaka’s best position is just behind the striker where his killer passing and arriving late in the box has quickly become his trademark.
FC- ADRIANO (Brazil/Inter Milan): A must signing for all players of Football Manager, Adriano Leite Ribeiro showed what a class striker he is with an impressive 15 goals in 16 appearances last season. A powerful and very skillful striker who seems to have been around for ages, Adriano is still only 23 and has an incredible future in front of him
FC- ANDREI SHEVCHENKO: (Ukraine/AC Milan): The last player to be picked in both the FIFpro and Bootroom World XI. Signing for $26 million from Dynamo Kyiv, Shevchenko will go down as one of the best strikers to grace Serie A. In December 2004, Shevchenko was named European Footballer of the Year after scoring the winning penalty against Juventus in the Champions League final in 2003. Shevchenko can score goals with both feet, is graced with great close control and pace that often leaves defenders for dead.
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Watch London’s Chelsea Football Club
The chelsea Football Club is one of London’s top sports teams, gaining a loyal and passionate base of followers spanning the world. chelsea was founded in 1905, at the “Rising Sun” pub (now called the “Butcher’s Hook”), gaining a reputation for being entertainers and signing big name stars. The boroughs of Kensington, chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham are the main neighbourhoods for Chelsea fans.
Chelsea colours are royal blue and white; the team logo is a lion holding a royal staff. The team plays at the 42,055 seat capacity Stamford Bridge stadium in Fulham, West London.
Chelsea had some early success in the 1960s, frequently placing first or second in their league. Rumours of “hooliganism” and shoddy play in the 1970s and 1980s led to the club’s descent into lower divisions. English football requires a number of years of success to reach the top echelons as teams engage in the gradual process of winning the lower divisions to move up to higher divisions.
Chelsea recovered in the 2000s with new ownership and players. Chelsea has won championships in all of the United Kingdom’s top leagues and championships: Premier League, Football Association Challenge (FA) Cup, Football League Cup and as English Champions.
The Premier League is the best English football league; founded in 1992, it is world famous and with satellite television coverage claims global fans, and Chelsea has an impressive record for scoring the most points in a season.
The FA Cup was founded in 1871 as a knockout (single elimination) tournament with many levels of football talent, literally hundreds of teams compete. Chelsea has won five titles in the FA Cup.
The Football League Cup was founded in 1960. It has the best teams in a knockout (single elimination) tournament; less than 100 of the best-of-the-best are invited. Chelsea has won four titles.
Chelsea has been English Champions three times.
Expect to see passionate football fans in London. Hotels in London will be very familiar with who’s who in the football world. If you want to find a hotel London that is close to the action, check out your options.
A hotel in London might be in enemy territory, so if you are a Chelsea fan, don’t get caught in arsenal territory. Find one of the many hotels in London that are near to the Chelsea stadium and have non-stop television coverage of all of the games.
Eoin has written for many publications in his native south Wales and further afield. He currently lives in London’s trendy Docklands with his partner. Both are regular faces in West End theatre audiences.
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The Case For a Winter Break in English Football
In European football, many domestic leagues have a winter break. This is usually around the midway point of the league season. In most cases, it is a period of two to four weeks where there is a complete break from playing competitive football. German football has the longest winter break which lasts for six weeks. Some consider this to be excessive and there are plans to reduce the duration to under a month.
In recent years, there have been increasingly louder calls for a winter break in the English game. The case for a winter break in English football is often met with an indifferent reaction particularly among supporters who are reluctant to break with tradition. Fans look forward to matches on Boxing Day and New Years Day so a break during the festive period would not go down well in most quarters.
Several high profile managers have spoken out on this subject and voiced their support for the idea. Because of the introduction of European qualifying games like the Intertoto Cup some clubs are starting their season much earlier than normal. It is a long hard season if you are playing competitive football from mid July right through until the end of May. In these scenarios, there is no doubt players would benefit from a winter break.
If a winter break were to be introduced then the most obvious place in the calendar would be early to mid January. This is a time of year when people return to work after celebrating the holiday period. Money can sometimes be tight and this is reflected in lower attendances. In addition, the weather in January is not the best and many games have fallen to the elements over the years.
A winter break should not be too long as this could lead to issues regarding the fitness of players. It should be remembered that lots of work goes on behind the scenes during pre-season training to get players fit for competitive action. If the duration of a winter break lasted for more than two weeks then match fitness would be lost. It would take several weeks to return to normal levels of fitness which would put teams at a disadvantage.
The case for a winter break in English football is strengthened by the number of competitive matches. A lengthy break of several weeks may be highly unpopular with the spectators although there could be a shorter solution. A relatively short break of one weekend with no football would be welcomed by managers and players. This idea may yet be a suitable compromise that would be acceptable to all parties.
The author contributes to the English Football Blog website. This is a popular Football News Blog that provides soccer news and comment. It covers the premiership and English football in general. He also contributes to the Soccer Wealth website. This is a Soccer Betting Predictions service that offers profitable football betting predictions, tips and advice. Information is provided on domestic, European and international matches.
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English Football League Predictions
The big kick-off is upon us again and those experts in the know from the world of TV and press have been busy telling us how it all ends, even before it has begun! As usual fixed odds in focus have joined in via their e-zine service Tipped at the Post.
In the Premiership, although liverpool have spent big, they are not quite there yet and consequently are likely to fall short of Man Utd and chelsea again. The Blues will be keen to regain their crown, but United still appear to have the edge. arsenal are perhaps, one season away from being genuine challengers again; however, in Van Persie they do have a player capable giving the likes of Rooney, Ronaldo, Gerrard and Drogba a run for their money, with regards to player of the season. Spurs are getting closer to the big 4, but they are still not close enough and are more likely to be battling for the UEFA spots with Portsmouth, Villa, West Ham and Newcastle.
The likes of Reading, Everton, Sunderland and maybe surprisingly Derby can all make mid-table finishes. Most people will have the Rams as certainties to make an instant return to the Championship, but in Billy Davies they have a talented manager capable of keeping their heads above water. At the bottom Blackburn and Man City can stay out of trouble – just; with the rest in a real battle. Wigan have signed a lot of players, but too many of them have a lot to prove and Middlesbrough – with some un-inspiring signings – could join them in the bottom two. Of the remaining 3 teams, Bolton might struggle to cope post Allardyce and slip out at the death, leaving Birmingham and Fulham breathing huge sighs of relief.
Charlton, with a good manager and plenty of cash, are more than capable of jumping straight back up from the Championship and taking Wolves along with them. Last season will have been a good experience for the black country outfit. Sheff U have an impressive forward line, but defence is a worry and the play-off’s look a more likely option together with Watford, Cardiff and one from Norwich, Coventry and Southampton. West Brom may well suffer a Wembley hang over and just miss out. Mid-table is probably the best Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich and Palace; with Leicester, Hull and QPR improving on last term, but not significantly. Colchester did remarkably well in their first year up, but are likely to find it a great deal tougher second time around and Preston are likely to suffer from the loss of David Nugent. Bristol City and Blackpool are more than capable of consolidating, but the others look vulnerable. Barnsley can just about survive, likewise Plymouth; leaving Stoke Burnley and Scunthorpe fighting the drop.
In League One, Forest are everybody’s tip for promotion, but they look destined to miss out again. They have brought in Neil Lennon, but it’s a very tough division and you have to wonder about his legs. Tipped at the Post’s two for automatic promotion are Doncaster and Millwall. The Yorkshire club are very ambitious and James Hayter is a cracking signing at that level. The Lions young side finished well and Willie Donachie will have them spot on. Huddersfield, Oldham and Luton are taken to fill the play-off places with Forest; just ahead of Carlisle, Swansea, Yeovil and Southend. Bristol Rovers can have a brighter season than many are suggesting, as can Hartlepool and Walsall, all 3 coming up together. Brighton, Tranmere, Crewe and Port Vale seem set for pretty uninspiring seasons; and Gillingham and Leyton Orient look certain to be bottom half material. Leeds need some luck with their appeal against the 15 point penalty, otherwise they could slip straight through. Swindon can stay up at their expense, but Bournemouth, Northampton and Cheltenham look to have it all on to avoid the drop.
In League Two Paul Ince can get one over Fergie – Darren that is! MKD can just pip Peterborough at the top, with Shrewsbury joining them. Notts County, Darlington and Rotherham are taken to make the play-off’s along with surprise packages Bury. Chesterfield, Bradford and Rochdale should all go close; with Hereford, Wycombe and Mansfield not too far behind. Lincoln have probably missed their chances over the past 5 years and Terry Butcher will not find life easy at Brentford. The two newcomers can hold their own, but the rest might struggle with Chester and Accrington Stanley making way for the return of Torquay and Oxford, who are taken to make their League comebacks.
Mick Burrows writes for [http://www.fixed-odds-in-focus.com]
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Why England Will Never Win Another Football Trophy
England fans have now had a couple of months to let the fact that their national team will not be attending Euro 2008 football tournament sink in. Instead of climbing onto planes and trains bound for Austria and Switzerland, English football fans will spend June of 2008 sitting in front of their television sets swigging imported lager and resentfully wondering where it all went wrong.
And that’s where the problem lies. Not in the agonizing over the game England could so easily have won, but in England’s reliance on all varieties of imports. Many English football supporters make the mistake of thinking the rude good health of the English Premiership in some way proves the rude good health of English football in general. After all, England boasts the world’s richest football league, and the richest club in the world in the form of arsenal.
However the strength of the English premier league is probably the main source of the rot in English football. To prove this point all we need to do is turn back the clocks to the 1960s and investigate the state of English club football.
During the 1960s English clubs began participating regularly in an array of new European club competitions. England’s top clubs achieved excellent results in Europe, with West Ham United claiming the Cup Winners Cup whilst arsenal, Leeds United and Newcastle United lifted the Inter Cities Fairs Cup. Then in 1968 Manchester United became the first English club to lift the European Cup.
During this golden age of English club football, Bobby Moore became the first Englishman to hold football’s greatest prize aloft as England won the 1966 FIFA World Cup. What is interesting to note is that whilst English clubs have gone from strength to strength in European club competition, the England football side has since failed to achieve any sort of success on the global or European stage.
The reasons for this become apparent when one takes a look at the makeup of the teams that won the various European trophies in the golden World Cup winning era. Without exception all of these teams featured a majority of English players, with the odd import from Ireland, Wales or Scotland. Manchester United’s European Cup winning team of 1968, for instance, featured 8 Englishmen, two Irishmen and a Scotsman.
The team structures of England’s biggest clubs today paints a strikingly different picture. Once again using Manchester United as an example, one finds only four Englishmen in the side that lifted the Champions League Trophy in 1999. The remainder of the players hail from all corners of the globe.
Given this evidence it becomes difficult to dismiss the notion that the reason why England won the 1966 FIFA World Cup was because English clubs at the time actually allowed Englishmen to play at the top level. Today it seems as if English football has literally been invaded by foreign players, not to mention coaches and owners, meaning far fewer Englishmen are ever exposed to the highest levels of club football.
What this means, in turn is that the pool of players hardened by European club competition has dwindled, leaving a doomed England national coach with only a small core of talented players to choose from. In contrast coaches in Brazil, Argentina and Spain not only have domestic leagues packed with local talent to choose from, but also a host of top players enjoying exposure to top class club competition in the English Premier league.
With foreign owners taking the reins of an increasing number of England’s biggest clubs it is difficult to see how the problem will be rectified. In fact the domination of English football by foreign players, management and owners barely conceals a distressing fact – the reason why the English football team may never again win a trophy of any importance is that much of English club football, whilst taking place in England and funded by English football fans, is no longer English at all.
Whilst England may not be competing in the UEFA European Championships, up-to-date information on the event, Football Betting Odds and much more are available freely to anyone wishing to follow this monumental event.
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