That the EPL is the best championship in the world is plain for everyone to see. The teams are far and away the strongest, most physical, and quickest. With exceptions to super teams like Barcelona, the four Premier League teams involved in the Champions League can (and do) knock off foreign opposition rather easily. Yet […]

Cast your mind back to May 2009, Manchester United were comprehensively and soundly trounced in Rome by a magical Barcelona side, inspired by Xavi and Iniesta. For many, the lack of quality in the centre of the park was plain to see, Carrick looked lethargic and unsure of himself, Fletcher was missed, this, a surprise […]

With the Spanish football season only two and a half weeks away, teams are finishing their last preseason friendlies and making their final changes in preparation for the La Liga season. There are many questions concerning each of the twenty teams in La Liga, and this preview will explore the most important question for each […]

Part one of the 2009-2010 La Liga season preview will be out in the next couple of days, but today is devoted to Daniel Jarque González, who tragically passed away at the age of twenty-six while his RCD Espanyol team and he were on their preseason tour of Italy. According to the RCD Espanyol website, […]

Álvaro Arbeloa recently completed a return move to his childhood club Real Madrid for €4 million. While deserved attention went to the second-generation galácticos Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká, and Karim Benzema, Real Madrid also made transactions that do not rate high on sex appeal yet realign the glaring weakness behind its disappointing last season. For the […]

It's with a heavy heart that I start this posting, as the sad news that Sir Bobby Robson has finally lost his fight with cancer after a 13 year battle with the disease. Sir Bobby's last public appearance was at the charity match for his foundation on Sunday, and it was heartbreaking yet wonderful to […]

After a season bordering on perfection, a refreshing thirst for change is in the air around the Camp Nou. It is good to see that Txiki Begiristain and the clubs board have learned from the mistakes made in the latter parts of the Rijkaard era. Instead of holding on to some of the more fragile […]

Everyday in High School, I would come in early to discuss football with my friend Ron. On a particularly slow day in the footballing world, Ron declared "There is no loyalty in soccer!" A statement that was quickly becoming fact rather than opinion. However, I was in an argumentative mood, and back in 2003 there […]

RheinEnergieStadion I used the stats feature at ESPN Soccernet to calcluate the clubs with the best attendances. Out of the top 20 attendances in Europe, Germany had 9 clubs. This post is to equip you with a tool to help promote our great league. Because, while we are in a slump in the Champions League […]

So its official, Manchester United's board have accepted a world record shattering bid of £80 million this morning from Real Madrid for Cristiano Ronaldo. I don't know about you, but I couldn't face another summer of every news outlet boring us to tears speculating on Ronaldo's future as we had last season. Day after day, […]

Ladies & Gentlemen as you well know FC Barcelona completed their greatest season ever by defeating Manchester United 2-0 in the 2008-09 UEFA Champions League Final. The win gave them their 1st ever treble as Barcelona became the 1st Spanish team to win a treble. Barca captured La Liga, Copa Del Rey, and the Champions […]

Football is often at its best when it revels in simplicity. And Barcelona used a simple principle to win yesterday's final: if you never give your opponent the ball, he cannot beat you. Sounds like something out of the Art of War. Maybe it was. United did have some time on the ball, but it […]

And now it's time for all good little football writers to predict the winner of today's final. No dodging the question. No avoiding the responsibilities of punditry. Well, Clyde, I think it's too close to call. I mean, if we don't pick a side, we're being wishy-washy, right? Readers want deliberate statements. They want to […]

Some years, it seems like the UEFA Champions League is one part football, four parts money and twelve parts hype. This year, however, the hype surrounding the Champions League Final certainly seems justified. Manchester United v. Barcelona. Champions of England v. Champions of Spain. Both clubs are goliaths. Both clubs have already won two domestic […]

If you would believe various pundits, the annoying debate that many football fans have been subject to this year and last – Ronaldo vs. Messi – will come to its conclusion in the UCL final in Rome. On the biggest stage in club competitions, the two most complete players in attacking football will meet head […]