Which World Football League Is The Best Of The Best
Serie A, La Liga and the Premiership all voice strong claims to be the finest football league in the world today. However, which of these has the most genuine claim. The recognition of being the best is an honor that dictates not just bragging rights, but also the ability to draw the finest players and sponsorship contracts to secure the mantle yet further. There are countless factors to consider; the players the leagues have now, the trophies won by their clubs, the quality of football played and the stature of their various sides. Does that tactical catenaccio of the Italians outweigh the physical pressure of the Premiership? Would the top-heavy flair of La Liga continually overcome the strength of an English midfield? How do the Mediterranean cousins compare?
In comparing these various brands of ‘the beautiful game’ we must consider the many factors that make them great individually. The history, the present and the future are all crucial in contrasting these various brands of and eventually building a perception of whether one does stand above the others.
Players
The first and often the most favored way of fans comparing championships, who has the best players? The natural assumption following this is that Spain hold the upper hand in this argument; especially given that both World (Ronaldinho) and European (Fabio Cannavaro) Players of Year play in La Liga. Also Spain can boast many other great talents; Madrid have van Nistelrooy, Raul, Robinho and Beckham, Barca can boast Ronaldinho, Deco, Messi, Eto’o and Zambrotta. Other clubs have similarly immense performers, David Villa and Joaquin Sanchez at Valencia, Riquelme at Villarreal to name but a few.
Italy can boast a similarly impressive list of galacticos, however, possibly due to the more pedestrian nature of Serie A the players have a tendency to be of a slightly more advanced age. Internazionale (or Inter) boast the most impressive roster; Crespo, Ibrahimovic, Veron, Stankovic, Figo and Samuel all ply there trade for the Nerazzurri. Their city rivals Milan also have a cornucopia of stars; despite losing their talisman Andriy Shevchenko to chelsea in the summer, they have one world beater in Riccy Kaka’. Also players as renowned as Andrea Pirlo, Alessandro Nesta and Alberto Gilardino front a cast that contains talent enough to challenge for any trophy. Also worth mentioning is that the Milan rear-guard still contains the legendary Paulo Maldini as captain. With the shadow of Calciopoli hanging over the Italian top flight, what should be mentioned is the exodus from Serie A that occurred over the summer saw many of their finest individuals leave the division.
Zambrotta and Thuram left Juventus for Barcelona, likewise Fabio Cannavaro and Emerson joined their Bianconieri coach Fabio Capello in Madrid, and former Serie A favourites like Alessandro del Piero, Gigi Buffon, Pavel Nedved and David Trezeguet have all decided to stay loyal to the old lady and ply their trade in Serie B for a season. As mentioned, Shevchenko also left the Rossoneri for chelsea.
Whilst discussing Chelsea we must clearly outline that they are the major player in European football today. The premise that currently exists in football is that, when it comes to the transfer market, the Premiership champions are the team that all others must follow. Due to the seemingly unlimited funds stumped up by their Russian oligarch owner, Roman Abramovich, Chelsea have amassed a team of stars to match any other club in the world. With Terry and Lampard already present prior to the Russian benefactor’s input, players like Arjen Robben, Didier Drogba, Joe Cole and, as discussed, Shevchenko. The Premiership can also boast some of the world’s finest players in Thierry Henry and Cesc Fabregas at arsenal; Rooney, Rio and Ronaldo at manchester united and liverpool’s talismanic skipper Steven Gerrard.
The important thing to outline when comparing the undoubtedly huge talents on show in these various leagues is that although we are examining them from the perspective of now, the future is also a vital factor. As we discussed Serie A does tend to boast more seasoned galacticos whereas the Premiership can argue that, in Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Cesc Fabregas, they have some of the most promising talent. Spanish football could also argue that their spread is encompasses youth, with youngsters such as Sergio Aguero and Fernando ‘el Nino’ Torres at Atletico, Lionel Messi at Barca and one name to watch in Matias Fernandez, a Chilean playmaker due to join Villarreal in January.
Marketing
Football in the Twenty First Century is far more than the game it was in previous decades. It is now a business, and one of the world’s biggest at that. Transfer prices are now such that it appears any ‘Tom, Dick or Harry’ is worth £15 million. Player’s wages have also experienced astronomical rises. This is to the extent that £3 million per year is not considered to be a completely outrageous wage for a top international player. With the costs to clubs continually rising, somebody is required to fulfill these extravagant fiscal demands.
Sponsorship, television rights and marketing revenue are now utilized by top clubs that are now selling a ‘brand’ rather than a sport. From product association to shirts emblazoned with trade names, the marketing aspect of major clubs and leagues is paramount to the strength therein.
Annually an accountancy firm called Deloitte release details of top European club’s financial incomes over the previous season. Essentially a ‘rich-list’ of sides, comparing their viability and market strength in today’s football world. The most recent edition of this list is from the 2005 season and the zenith of the list is almost totally dominated by our ‘big three leagues’.
The 2005 rankings dictate that the world’s market leader in football terms is now Real Madrid. The previous years had been dominated by the manchester united marketing machine; however the Castilian club took the mantle from their English rivals. Much of this change in fortunes has been put down to the ‘David Beckham factor’.
Former England skipper David Beckham is as famous for his private life as he is for his football. Married to a ‘Spice-Girl’, the midfielder looks more like a pop star than a footballer, sporting numerous tattoos, continually outrageous hair styles and a multiplicity of product endorsement contracts. Described as being the ‘most photographed sportsman ever’, Beckham is worth his weight in Euros to his club side. The fact that Manchester United, who previously topped the rich-list, were dethroned by Beckham’s new club Real Madrid is regarded as proof of the man’s value from a marketing perspective. However, it is worth mentioning that Madrid’s on-field performances have declined while their finances improved, and a more recent list may also hint at Beckham’s own on-pitch decline as a force in world football.
The top ten teams in the list are, with the exception of Bavarian giants Bayern Munich, all from Spain, Italy or England. The majority is dominated by the Premiership as we see Manchester United (2nd), Chelsea (5th), liverpool (8th) and arsenal (10th), this is followed by three Serie A clubs in Milan (3rd), Juventus (4th) and Inter (9th) and Spain’s La Liga only has two top ten entries, despite Real topping the list being followed by rivals Barcelona in 6th. In viewing these figures, we must firstly emphasise that they are not as up to date as we would like, also should a more recent list be compiled we would surely see the effect of Calciopoli on the Italian sides.
Style
The extent to which a league entertains depends vastly upon how you like your football. The three brands all vary in their traits greatly and taste is a vital factor within this, after all, one man’s pineapple is another man’s poison. Main differences in these leagues are inherent of the style of football played in each respective country. Although on the surface this may seem obvious, but when we consider the extent to which domestic football has become incredibly multicultural, it is positive that these leagues maintain their own identity despite this.
The brand of football played in the leagues differs greatly. As mentioned earlier, the Italian game is one based around technique, control of possession and patience. The cattenaccio of today’s Italian game is not as negative as that of sides during the mid-twentieth century, wherein five defenders would be used to enforce a stringent man marking system with a ‘libero’ slotting in behind as a ball-playing sweeper. Unfortunately the system in its original state is now outdated, given that both the zonal marking system has almost uniformly become the status quo of the modern game and that sweepers are now very scarcely employed. However, the football played in Serie A today is one that echoes this system.
Calcio is often regarded by those in Northern Europe as being dull, but those closer to the Mediterranean as being a purists game that encapsulates a higher standard of football than any other. Football in Italy has been likened to a game of chess, with a more systematic approach than that of other countries. Defenders are often as gifted in possession as any other position, a trait not found elsewhere in football. The style football played uses lots of short passes designed to open pockets of space, rather than longer balls targeting taller forwards. The game requires a very high level of technical ability, with the art of controlling and passing paramount.
Detractors of the Italian game often point its lack of pace and time-consuming attacking play as its flaws. Goals are notoriously hard to come by, a fact further embellished by examining Luca Toni’s impressive thirty-one goal season last year, the first player to score over thirty goals in Serie A for forty eight years. As such many prefer the hustle and bustle of leagues like the Premiership.
The Premiership is a very fast and furious division; emphasis on strength, pace and drive. This is not withstanding the fact that a very high standard of football can be seen in England’s top flight, however by and large the game is dictated in a very physically demanding manner. English football was much maligned in the eighties and nineties for a predominance of ‘long ball’ football. The theory being that long, direct passes into forward areas would create chances for purposefully employed big, physical strikers. This style was often considered to not be graceful and was lambasted by critics. Despite the fact that the English league has developed since, similarly to the catenaccio roots of Serie A, this style still exists to some extent today; even league champions Chelsea have been criticised for employing such a style. Despite not being as higher level of technical level, the Premiership is often billed as being ‘the most exciting league in the world’ due to its non-stop action-packed intensity.
In contrast La Liga has a style of its own entirely. Borrowing much from a South American ethic of flair football, the Spanish league is famed for its fast, flowing attacking brand of play. Spain’s Primera Division has won many admirers over recent years, firstly thanks to the Zidane inspired galacticos of Madrid and more recently the exploits of Ronaldinho Gaucho for Barcelona. The emphasis in Spain, more than any other in Europe, is on attacking play. Formations are based around ball playing midfielders and skilful wingers. This does produce a very open brand of football; however this does often expose defensive frailties. With the occasional exception (Sergio Ramos, Carles Puyol) Spanish defenders are not generally as strong as their counterparts in farther reaches of the game. This combined with the ability of attackers does make La Liga very enticing from a spectator point of view.
Not withstanding the stereotypes that we have examined, there are clear exceptions to every rule, and this instance no different. Despite being usually solid and defence-orientated, Carlo Ancelotti’s Milan have been praised for their attacking football in Serie A. Also, and potentially the finest example of this, there is Arsenal. Arsene Wenger’s men continually produce some of the most free flowing football in world football today. However, for obvious reasons, the North London outfit could be reasoned to be the exception to the rule as they have a side almost totally dominated by foreign players. To the extent that, since the departures of Sol Campbell and Ashley Cole, it is unlikely that an Englishman will, should the Gunners be at full strength, feature at all.
Competitiveness
What makes a league exciting is often based around not only the vastness of the occasion or the protagonists involved, but the closeness of the competitors. In all leagues, as with walks of life, there are historically bigger sides with larger financial acumen, but where there is no competition, there is no spectacle.
The Premiership has been dominated by the wealth of Chelsea over the past two seasons, not withstanding the fact that it takes more than just money to dominate a league (although it helps) and it is a credit to both players and coaching staff that they have taken the past two successive titles with consummate ease. This season, however is painting a different picture. The wily old Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is now producing the results that his talented array of stars are capable of, and at this point in time stand a commendable eight points clear of Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea.
Beyond the top two, we see something that has been apparent for some time in the Premiership. The gap between the top teams and the chasing pack could be justifiably described as chasm-like. Previously there was a top four that added Liverpool and Arsenal to the current table-topping rivals, but unfortunately for the neutral this gap has extended to these clubs as well. However, this does create what can be seen as almost a ’second league’ in which clubs behind Manchester United and Chelsea vie for the remaining to places in Europe’s prestigious Champions League.
This chasing pack includes both Liverpool and Arsenal, followed in strength of squad by Bolton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur but effectively any other side that can put together a good run of results can infiltrate the group, as was the case with last season’s surprise package of Wigan Athletic, who almost secured a UEFA Cup berth despite being touted as relegation favorites before the season began.
Spain can also look to the domination of one club over the past two seasons as being the main debating topic. Barcelona’s back-to-back titles have not, however, received anything like the treatment that Chelsea’s similar achievements have. Whilst the ‘boo-boys’ have been out in force ‘pooh-poohing’ the wealth, attitude and style (or lack thereof) the Premiership’s title holders, Barcelona’s success has been lauded as a ‘victory for style over adversity’. From many purists’ perspectives, the brand of flowing football that Barca exhibit is very pleasing on the eye and the fact that Los Cules are considered footballing royalty, rather than the nouveau riche of Mourinho’s men, could be a factor.
The Primera Liga at present still see’s the Catalonian giants on top, a mini-renaissance from their bitter rivals Real Madrid has been temporarily halted as the surprise package of Sevilla look to ‘upset the apple cart’. Traditional bridesmaids Valencia appear to have moved back to a position more akin to an usher as Atletico Madrid and Zaragoza enjoy good form. Unlike the Premiership, La Liga does not usually purvey the gulf between the top sides and their competitors. Such is the nature of Spanish football, that although unexpected, the top teams are more often beaten by their less illustrious competitors.
In the Italian top flight, again the competitiveness is affected by the match fixing scandal. From the season’s opening, it seemed that it would be a two horse race. In previous seasons this has been the case, with Juventus battling Milan for lo scudetto. However, with Milan docked points and Juventus having to cope with life in Serie B, it has left Roma and Inter to battle for the title. Inter, the perennial underachievers of calico, have amassed one of the world’s strongest squads and as such currently stand a clear distance ahead of their rivals. Nine consecutive wins for the nerazzurri (an Italian record) sees Mancini’s men looking down the barrel of their first actual title (they were handed the 2006 title by default of being the highest placed side guilty of no wrongdoing in the Calciopoli scandal) in over ten years.
In Conclusion
Upon first attempting to tackle this question, I can honestly state that I did not conceive quite what I was undertaking. All three leagues are packed with all things that make football the worlds biggest, and in my opinion best, sport. Rather than scrutinized with a cynical eye, we should really be embracing these bastions of passion, flair and ability, rejoicing in the pleasure that millions of fans get from these three small collections of twenty teams. However, I set out on a journey, a journey that took longer than anticipated, but a journey all the same to root out which I believed to be the best.
If that assessment leaves all of the leagues attributes equal then the next separates. Money and marketing are bigger in the Premier League than in any other non-American sport and the financial credence there eclipses anything that Spain or Italy can boast. However, the argument in this instance must remain, how important (bragging rights aside) is the money? Which leads us to question, is money not potentially the ultimate undoing of these leagues? Using Italy as a prime example, the great football broadcaster James Richardson cites this as the reason for Serie A’s downturn in fortunes; he believes that money that was spent around the turn of the century was effectively ‘promised’ funds for projected future television rights that sadly never materialized. However, in the Premiership, the money just keeps rolling in.
Finally we draw to the final issue of competitiveness and with Calciopoli forcing Serie A to dismount its jockey leaving a two horse race. In this issue I am setting my stall out early and backing the Premiership. With no disrespect to Real Madrid, but I cannot see Barcelona being usurped this season. From watching football for many years now, you learn to know when a resurgence is threatening, and Madrid’s is not that. Manchester United however is the English top flight, for the first time in a while, looks as though it will draw to a truly nail-biting conclusion.
Overall, as I have mentioned throughout, it is with regret that I concede that Italy, given all of their difficulties, cannot compete. This upsets me, as it was Serie A where I gained much of my development as a football supporter, spending years enjoying the delights of the Mediterranean game, watching exotically monikered players with equally glamorous abilities. It is true that the average Italian top flight footballer is of higher fundamental ability than his English counterpart, but the stigma of scandal is too apparent in the current Serie A climate for them to be considered. It is my hope that we see a renaissance in Italian football and that over the coming decade we see a nation rejuvenated and again rivaling their Spanish and English counterparts.
So it comes to the final two, and in truth it could not be tighter. However, it is the Premiership which I believe to be the best. It is by the width of a flee’s reproductive organs, but the Premiership has the lot. It has, in my opinion, the most exciting crop of young players, the most competitive title chase and the best supporters. It has the biggest worldwide audiences and is (marginally) the strongest nation in the worldwide transfer market. This is not to detract from La Liga, a league of endless attacking improvisation, flair and adventure, a league that has history, has impossibly gifted players, has Ronaldinho, but its flaws are too clear. The hapless defending is one such example of this and too bigger issue to be ignored.
For me, the Premiership has only recently secured the mantle it has sought since its creation. For the Baggios, van Bastens, Papins, Maldinis, Batistutas and friends in Nineties Serie A to the Zizous, Figos, Rivaldos, Ronaldos, Rauls et al of Noughties La Liga, there has always been something to separate English Football from the top of the tree, however now it is clear that the FA Premier League is THE major force in world football today and given the money and following dedicated to retaining that mantle, I foresee that this will be the case for years to come.
The author is David Hardy who writes for http://www.football-rumours.com A large, frequently updated football/soccer web site dealing with all facets of the game. The above article is only half the original due to the 3500 word count of this articles site. This article can be read in it’s entirety at http://articles.football-rumours.com
Personal Life of Football Stars
Raúl González
Raúl grew up in a modest neighbourhood of Madrid, in the suburb Marconi de San Cristóbal de los Ángeles. His father, don Pedro, was a fan of Atlético Madrid, the club where he started playing after a short period in San Cristóbal’s team. Atletico Madrid coach didn’t notice anything special about him because he was very thin and weak. Raul later turned to Real Madrid’s C team and quickly made it to the first team in 1994/1995 season. Raúl possesses a distinctive celebration, with each goal acclaimed by a kiss of his wedding ring, an acknowledgement to his wife Mamen Sanz. They have four sons: Jorge (February 25, 2000), who is named after Jorge Valdano, Hugo (November 20, 2002) and twins Héctor and Mateo (November 17, 2005). He likes reading, especially the books of Arturo Pérez Reverte, and listening to all sorts of Spanish music. He also enjoys hunting and watching bullfighting.
Luís Nazário de Lima ‘Ronaldo’
Ronaldo was born in Bento Ribeiro, a neighbourhood in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Like many of his contemporaries, he began to play football in the streets of his neighbourhood.
In April 1999, Ronaldo married Milene Domingues. The marriage lasted four years and ended in divorce. The couple had a son, Ronald (born 2000). In 2005 he got engaged and married Brazilian model and MTV VJ Daniella Cicarelli, who became pregnant but suffered a miscarriage, their relationship lasted only 3 months. He is currently dating brazilian model Raica Oliveira. Besides being of interest to tabloid journalists, Ronaldo’s relationships with women apparently have a deep effect on his performances on the pitch. A soccernet.com article by Andrew Downie assessing Ronaldo’s fitness ahead of the 2006 World Cup pointed out a correlation between the striker’s form and the happiness of his love life, noting that his most prolific periods of goalscoring have coincided with the times when he was happily married In 2005 Ronaldo became co-owner of A1 Team Brazil, alongside Brazilian motorsports legend Emerson Fittipaldi. The team participates in the newly launched A1 Grand Prix series, with Nelson Piquet, Jr., Tony Kanaan and João Paulo Oliveira as drivers.
It is rumored that Ronaldo is considering leaving Real Madrid, expressing discomfort with their fans at the stadium. He has been linked with a return to former club F.C Internazionale, where he has often spoke of his desire to one day return. AC Milan could also show some interest in his name, especially after Andriy Shevchenko has left for chelsea F.C.
Major League Soccer has also expressed interest in signing him. According to reports, Ronaldo turned down a ten-year, $120 million contract from the New York Red Bulls of MLS, saying
Right now I have a contract with Real Madrid and I’m only thinking about the World Cup, but without a doubt, the American market is one of my goals for the future.
(It was reported on ESPN during the broadcast of the Brazil-Croatia match on June 13 that the Red Bulls actually denied making Ronaldo an offer.)
Michael Ballack
Ballack is 6′ 2 ½” (189 cm) tall and weighs 179 lbs (80 kg). He and his girlfriend Simone have three children – Louis, Emilio and Jordi.
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira ‘Ronaldinho Gaúcho’
Ronaldinho was born on March 21, 1980 in Vila Nova, a poor suburb of Porto Alegre, Brazil. He was the youngest of three children. Ronaldinho’s mother Miguelina is a former salesperson who later studied to become a nurse. His father João was a shipyard worker and amateur footballer for Cruzeiro. The family moved to a more affluent district of Porto Alegre when Ronaldinho’s older brother Roberto signed to play professional football for Grêmio. João died when Ronaldinho was 8, after suffering a heart attack while swimming in the family’s pool. Injuries ended Roberto’s career prematurely, and he now manages Ronaldinho. Ronaldinho’s sister Deisi works as his press coordinator. Ronaldinho’s son, named João after his father, was born on 25 February, 2005. João’s mother is Janaína Nattielle Viana Mendes, a former dancer on the Brazilian television show Domingão do Faustão.
In his childhood, Ronaldinho’s skill in football began to blossom due to his particular interest in futsal and beach football, which later developed into a fondness for more standardised football. His first brush with the media came after a 23 goal flurry against a local team, at just 13 years of age. His reputation as a footballer was built up through his childhood, particularly since he was a prolific goalscorer in the Egypt 1997 under-17 world championship. His stylish play at the tournament also caught the eye of many. He is a huge fan of Brazilian music, and occasionally plays the drums and sings with friends in Barcelona.
David Beckham
In 1997, Beckham started dating the Spice Girl Victoria Adams and their relationship attracted a great deal of media interest.
He married Adams at Luttrellstown Castle, Ireland on 4 July 1999. The wedding attracted tremendous media coverage. Beckham’s teammate Gary Neville was the best man, and the couple’s son Brooklyn was the ring bearer. The media were kept away from the ceremony as the Beckhams had an exclusive deal with OK! Magazine, but newspapers were still able to obtain photographs showing them sitting on golden thrones. 437 staff were employed for the wedding reception, which was estimated to have cost £500,000.
The Beckhams have three sons: Brooklyn Joseph Beckham (born 4 March 1999), Romeo James Beckham (1 September 2002) and Cruz David Beckham (20 February 2005).
Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite ‘Kaká’
Kaká married Caroline Celico on 23 December 2005 in São Paulo, Brazil. The wedding was attended by fellow players from his national team, as well as other well known international players. Guests included Ronaldo, Adriano, Cafu, Dida, Júlio Baptista and Brazilian national coach Carlos Alberto Parreira. Kaká first met Celico in 2002, and they started dating soon after. The relationship survived Kaká’s move from São Paulo to Italy in 2003, while she was still at school. It is likely that Celico will stay in Brazil in the short-run, but the couple plan to live together in Italy soon. Against the stereotypical trend of football stars, Kaká is proud he was a virgin when he married. Celico’s mother, Rosangela Lyra, is the director of Dior in Brazil.
Zinedine Yazid Zidane
His wife, Veronique, is a former dancer and model of French-Spanish ancestry. They married in 1993 and have four sons named Enzo, Luca, Théo and Elyaz.
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Cristiano Ronaldo Videos – How Global Football Fans Revere Their Manchester United Idol
Cristiano Ronaldo videos are currently proving very popular with football afficionados the world over. But just who is Cristiano Ronaldo?
Cristiano Ronaldo burst onto the world scene in the highly regarded English Premier League in 2003. Just a few days earlier, manchester united lost whilst playing an overseas match against Sporting Clube de Portugal. During this match, Sir Alex Ferguson’s eye was drawn to this “wonderkid” of a player.
Fergie had not previously viewed any Cristiano Ronaldo videos, nor did he know much about this player. However, on the plane home after the match, several of United’s players encouraged Fergie to quickly put in a bid for the youngster, lest any other teams find out about this unique talent and start a bidding war.
As manchester united were in the market for a new winger (David Beckham had recently left), a quick bid of around £12 million was tabled and the deal quickly wrapped up.
The “other Ronaldo” was unveiled shortly thereafter at Old Trafford and introduced within days as a substitute against Bolton Wanderers. That day is recalled with fond memories by manchester united supporters who remember how he completely baffled the other team with his perfectly timed feints and elaborate stepovers, often beating and going past up to three players at a time.
Since then, Ronaldo has shown that he is one of the world’s most feared attackers. He can play on either wing and even as a supporting striker. As a midfielder, he scores many more goals than is the average for that position which is appreciated greatly by United as they have seen lean goalscoring periods in the past few years from some of their midfielders, whose contribution to goals is considered an important supplement to the regular staple produced by the orthodox strikers.
With the advent of user uploaded video content sites such as YouTube and DailyMotion, many people the world over have created their own collages of this youngster’s career in the form of Cristiano Ronaldo videos. Typically these are edited scenes of his most famous goals and deft flicks with accompanying music.
Want to see just how good this wonderkid is? See Cristiano Ronaldo videos [http://www.mufcvideos.com/cristiano-ronaldo-videos] and more at Manchester United Videos [http://www.mufcvideos.com].
Football Popularity
Football is the most popular sport in the world; in South America, Brasilia, France, U.K people play football, visit football matches, watch football games on TV and discuss them with friends and read updated football news. The games of elite football groups attract thousands of people. For instance, the capacity of Salt Lake Stadium in India is 120,000 people, and of Beaver Stadium in U.S.A – 107,282 people. In World Championship the stadiums are often full, and many people don’t manage to get tickets in time.
FIFA includes 208 different national federations. Many countries consider football a part of their national heritage, and refer to football games as to representative of the country’s national ideas. Football fans create special magazine, which presents latest football news and events, such as transfers of the players, and of season, changing of managers and coaches et cetera. Publishers and editors of fanzines often receive no financial compensation; fanzines are often distributed free of charge or for nominal cost only.
Football popularity often leads to rivalry, which sometimes develops into hooliganism. Fights between supporters of different teams usually occur after football matches. Sometimes football rivalry brings to tragedy on stadiums. At the mass brawl in May 2007, hundred liverpool fans fought each other in Athens, hoping to get a ticket for the game. Another tragic event took place at the Hillsborough stadium on April 15, 1989, causing the death of 96 people. The unprecedented influx of fans through a narrow tunnel leading to the stadium has caused a major crush.
Football has always maintained a foothold in the fans’ enthusiasm. Most of the largest stadiums in the world are used for football, because of its enormous popularity. One of the main interest in this sport is the football transfer rumours part. Raising awareness of the violence among football fans might help to reduce the danger of tragedies and save the rightfully owned popularity of the game.
Read more about football in the leading Football blog – Caughtoffside.com
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English Premiership Football Prospects for 2007-08
Can manchester united repeat their success this year after their unexpected win last time? Many people think they can and they start favourites. They have boosted their squad by signing Owen Hargreaves from Bayern Munich plus Nani and Anderson and have now picked up Carlos Tevez as well from West Ham. They have looked good in pre-season and will be there or thereabouts.
Their biggest challenger will probably again be chelsea, though liverpool arsenal and Spurs will all have a say in that. chelsea would dearly love to recover the title they lost last season, but then again they seem more interested in the Champions league. No London club has ever won the Champions league and chelsea would dearly love to smash that unwanted record.
arsenal on paper don’t look as strong, with Henri gone to Barcelona, and continuing rumours that the manager himself Arsene Wenger could be on his way out of the club. Leagues are not won on paper. I have a feeling arsenal will confound the critics and put in a strong performance this year. Their younger players will be one year older and wiser and anyone who writes them off could be standing on dangerous ground.
liverpool have not won the league for an incredible 18 years. Before that they were regularly winning it more than all the others put together. Despite two Champions league finals in the last three seasons it is the English Premier league their fans are so desperate to win. They have spent big money this time too under their new American owners, a reported 22 million pounds on Torres alone from Athletico Madrid. Whether he really is the final piece in the jigsaw, or even an important piece, remains to be seen. Some of the manager’s Spanish signings have been moderate successes at best, like Morientes, now back in La Liga, and the pressure will be on Torres to perform. He will too, but whether it will be enough only time will tell. The tempestuous Bellamy has gone to West Ham, and Cisse to Marseilles. Last year I tipped liverpool to win the league and I was wrong. They could do it this time, but will have to get past chelsea, arsenal and manchester united to do so.
As in the past two seasons Spurs remain the most likely to break into the top four. They have spent big on Southampton’s young Welsh full back Gareth Bale, and perhaps more importantly 16.5 million pounds on relegated Charlton’s striker Darren Bent. Darren has scored goals wherever he has been and now in a better team like Spurs he will be expected to score even more, though whether he will get enough starts is another matter. Spurs have four other top strikers, and Martin Jol has shown he likes to rotate his players. Spurs insistence on signing and promoting home grown talent, a direct opposite of Arsenal’s policy across the road, is to be applauded. They could improve, and break into the top four, but for that to happen, one of the top clubs would need to suffer a poor season.
And what of the rest? Newcastle have a new owner, new chairman, and new manager in Sam Allardyce, and some tasty new players too. They have signed former Middlesbrough striker Mark Viduka, they should have the fit again Michael Owen available at last, plus the signing of the tempestuous Barton from Manchester City and Alan Smith from manchester united. The manager has been quick in attempting to sort out the leaky defence too; something that has plagued the Toon for almost as long as most of us can remember. Expectations on Tyneside are huge. A vitally important season for the manager, and many of the players who are at a crossroads. I expect them to succeed.
Manchester City is another club under new ownership and managership. Former England boss Sven Goran Eriksson has taken over and with lots of Thai money to invest he will now be looking for some top players to build a decent side. He has quickly bought scattergun style on relatively unknown players, but the manager has a proven track record at club level. He will need them too as the City squad still looks lightweight and weak. It will all depend on Sven’s buys. If he can get good people in, City will certainly stay up, and may well do better than that. If he cannot, City could struggle, and Sven may turn out to be a one-season wonder in English football. I suspect not, because Sven is a good manager.
Aston Villa have begun to spend some cash under their new American owners too. England Under 21 skipper Reo-Coker has just been signed from West Ham for £8 million though they will need more than him if they are to worry the top teams. Martin O’Neill’s side started last season on fire but drifted away alarmingly. The Villa fans will be hoping for better, but I cannot see beyond mid table for them.
Everton had a good season last time and qualified for this years Uefa cup but the last time they were in Europe it seemed to distract them, and they had a terrible year. I don’t see David Moyes allowing that to happen again. They have signed Jagielka from relegated Sheffield United though that is hardly going to set the world on fire, plus the promising Baines from Wigan. Johnson should be fit again to supply some goals but they will need more than that if they are to worry the top clubs. Top eight could be their best hope.
Reading, who enjoyed a super season last year in their first ever year in the top flight, have picked up a terrible starting pair of fixtures. Unsurprisingly they are favourites to be bottom of the premiership by the end of August, but under their quietly spoken astute manager Steve Coppell, they might surprise a few people. The loss of Sidwell to Chelsea is a big blow, though they have signed several of the club’s more promising players on long-term contracts. This will be their difficult second season, something that so nearly sank Wigan last time. Reading only just missed a European place last year, anything above the dreaded bottom three this time will be considered another success by all but the most enthusiastic of Royals’ fans.
Middlesbrough have lost talisman striker Viduka, and stories abound that Yakubu could follow him out the door. If that happened I would worry who is going to score the goals to keep them up. Fulham are another club who went into freefall last time and only stayed up through a last minute change of managers. The newly installed former Northern Ireland boss Lawrie Sanchez has already been busy in the markets signing Davis from Aston Villa and Healey from Leeds. A good start could be crucial for them as well.
The fact that West Ham stayed up at all last year was due to their new Manager Alan Curbishley, and the courts deciding not to dock them points over the decidedly odd Carlos Tevez affair. The manager has strengthened by signing Parker from Newcastle and Bellamy from liverpool and should have the talented and much missed Ashton back from injury. He missed the whole of the last campaign after injuring himself in the warm up for an England match. The Icelandic owners seem determined to take West Ham on to another level. Many fans will be watching their progress this time round, some no doubt hoping they trip up due to that protracted court case, but I cannot see West Ham struggling. Mind you no one imagined they would last time out, and they did. Mid table I suspect for the Irons and a good cup run too.
Of the three promoted clubs, perhaps the most fascinating one will be to see Roy Keane’s Sunderland back as Championship champions, especially when he confronts his old boss Sir Alex Ferguson back at Old Trafford where the legions of fans still chant his name. Sunderland have been busy building up a big squad backed by Irish money and they would seem to have the financial clout to keep out of trouble. A good start might be important for them too. One feels Mister Keane’s determination and charisma all by itself will be enough to see them safely into mid table.
Birmingham look vulnerable. They did not have a great season last year despite finishing second, and took a long time to convince their own stay at home fans to turn out. They have bought players but whether they are good enough to keep the blues up remains to be seen. Currently they are second favourites to finish last, and though that might be a tad pessimistic, it does seem likely they will flirt with relegation again. Anything else would be major achievement for their yo-yo manager Steven Bruce. By the way you can still land a free $30 bet at betfair.com by inputting the code 6CHE3VPWJ when prompted.
The third newcomers are Derby Country. Diminutive Scottish boss, known as mini-Fergie wasted no time in signing former Norwich striker Robert Earnshaw who has scored goals wherever he has been and in partnership with Steve Howard, they could trouble some defences. Whether they have sufficient class and firepower would be a worry for Rams’ fans. They are expected to be relegated, and I think so too, and anything else would be a huge achievement for the board, manager, players and most of all, for the supporters who have bought season tickets in their thousands. They will be looking to emulate Reading last year and Wigan the year before that, but it will be a tall order to do so.
The Lancashire twins of Blackburn and Bolton both had good seasons again last term and with small crowds and little money to spend, that is a huge testament to their managers. But with Allardyce gone from the Reebok, Bolton under new manager, former Liverpool player, the diminutive Sammy Lee, could be in for a hard year. A good start would be most important for the Trotters and they do have players like Anelka, if they can hold on to him, who can score goals. Bolton will rely on him, but if he doesn’t do the business, they could be in trouble. Blackburn still have their super manager in Mark Hughes and with players of the growing stature of the likes of Bentley, Derbyshire and Pederson they should be fine again.
They only just missed out on Europe last time and made the semi finals of the FA Cup. On their day they are quite capable of beating anyone, and that is a huge achievement for this likeable Lancashire town club. The third Lancashire town club Wigan stayed up last time by a single point and have since lost their talismanic manager. That is not a great start and though they have signed a handful of new players, their new manager Chris Hutchings is unproven in this league. They are many people’s pick to go down this time and they could well go close to that, but something tells me they might just survive again. It will be close.
Portsmouth only just missed a Uefa Cup place by a whisker last season and they have been busy again in the market buying Nugent, the England under 21 striker from Preston, plus signing Kanu for another year. There is a much-needed new stadium on the horizon, and they should have another good season, but they are a yo-yo club, and sometimes when expected to do well, they don’t, and vice versa. Mid table again for me.
Last year two of my four predictions came up, so what about this season? Could this really be Liverpool’s year? They will go a lot closer, I am sure of that, but I suspect that Chelsea will still have something in hand to regain the crown and they can always spend more cash if they need to. manchester united would dearly love to do better in Europe and I suspect they will put everything into trying to win the Champions league again, something that the manager and fans would dearly like to see.
As for relegation, sorry Birmingham and Derby, but I just don’t think either have the firepower or class to stay up, though I would be happy to eat my words in both cases. The third downer place is a much harder one to call with City, Fulham, Reading, Wigan, Bolton, Pompey, Boro, and Sunderland, all flirting with a bottom three place during the year. For these teams, their future will be decided on the results between these clubs, where points will take on added significance. I have to pick one though, and somewhat surprisingly I feel that Boro might the ones to go, though Fulham and Wigan could also be in for another hair-raising time.
My predictions then: Champions: Chelsea. European Champions: Manchester United. Relegated: Derby, Birmingham, and Middlesbrough. Sorry chaps! Whoever you support, I wish you and your team well. Let’s have another cracking year with all issues going down to the last week. That would be the ideal for everyone. As Stuart Pearce was fond of saying: Come On!
David Carter’s new novel “The Fish Catcher” tells the story of a group of children evacuated from London during World War II to escape the blitz bombing. It turns into a murder mystery and has been well reviewed. You can check out the first chapter on David’s website at http://www.davidcarter.eu The book is available in hard copy or by instant download, and can be ordered in any bookshop quoting ISBN 978 – 1847539304