<div id="attachment_1892" style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div>Pictures of famous Athletic Bilbao players at San Mamés. Photo courtesy of Nicholas McGowan.</div>
Athletic Bilbao would have no problems with the proposed UEFA plan of mandating eight homegrown players in the squad of eighteen for every match or the theoretical 6 + 5 rule, where six players of the starting eleven would have to be eligible for the national team of their club’s country.&nbsp; Athletic Bilbao refuses to sign anyone not of Basque heritage.&nbsp; This policy seems out of touch with modern times, as top European teams and minnows of UEFA try to sign the best players within their means, regardless of country or province of origin.&nbsp; As their record of accomplishment indicates of always staying in the top flight of Spanish football, Bilbao is doing something right.&nbsp; In the past four years, however, Bilbao finished in the bottom half of the table, including a last gasp win in the final round of the 2006-2007 season to stave off relegation.
Forsaking the cantera plan never entered the minds of the Bilbao boardroom.&nbsp; These local players from the Basque gelled together in the past few years, taking the best shots from La Liga and many times plummeting onto the canvas.&nbsp; Under the leadership of manager Joaquín Caparrós, Athletic Bilbao is now in a position to finish in the top half of the table and compete for European places.
Because of their amazing Copa del Rey cup run to the finals, Bilbao earned a spot in the Europa League.&nbsp; After narrow escapes against Swiss team Young Boys in the third qualifying round and Norwegian outfit Tromsø in the playoff round, they commenced their voyage in the Europa League group stage with a 3-0 thrashing of Austria Wien.&nbsp; In La Liga, Athletic won their first two matches, narrowly defeating Espanyol at San Mamés 1-0 and dispatching newcomers Xerez 0-1 at Chapín.&nbsp; Bilbao’s first real test came Sunday against a Villarreal team who was searching for their first win in La Liga after two 1-1 draws with Osasuna and Mallorca.
Both Athletic Bilbao and Villarreal played in the Europa League on Thursday, so they were on equal footing when it came to a quick turnaround.&nbsp; Villarreal was used to coping with midweek European matches along with their Spanish league responsibilities since they played in European competitions for the past six seasons.&nbsp; It was Athletic, though, who looked like the fresher of the two teams from the outset.&nbsp; Villarreal’s intricate passing and possession football were overmatched by Bilbao’s more physical and direct style of play.&nbsp; Being that Bilbao’s roots derived from immigrant English steel and shipyard workers, Bilbao’s physical style and use of whipping deep crosses and a strong, tough target man should be of no surprise.
Bilbao created most of the first half chances, and they converted on two of these opportunities, giving them a 2-0 lead at halftime.&nbsp; Villarreal did not have an attempted shot until the 36th minute, and by the end of the half, the Yellow Submarine had two shots total with none of them on goal.&nbsp; Central defenders Diego Godín and Iván Marcano could not handle the brute strength and the technical skill of Bilbao talisman Fernando Llorente; Gaizka Toquero and David López ran rampant on the wings in support of Llorente; and Igor Gabilondo’s wicked crosses and free kicks created opportunities for his teammates and kept the Villarreal fullbacks in defense rather than making overlapping runs in the attack.
Villarreal manager Ernesto Valverde made a conscious decision to become more direct in the second half to counter Bilbao’s dominance.&nbsp; This strategy paid off in the 49th minute when Cani scored to cut the deficit in half.&nbsp; Joan Capdevila’s cross traveled deep into the penalty area, where Joseba Llorente headed the ball into Cani’s path, and Cani smashed it home from twelve yards out.&nbsp; Despite this development, Bilbao was unfazed and eventually regained their two-goal advantage when Javi Martínez headed in the third goal from a Gabilondo corner in the 59th minute.&nbsp; Athletic eventually won the match 3-2 and kept their 100% record.
Only La Liga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid share a perfect three for three record with Bilbao, and while no one claims that Bilbao will keep pace with them for the remainder of the season, the swagger is back with this Bilbao team.&nbsp; Iker Muniain and Isaac Aketxe, both 16 years old, made substitute appearances, 21 year old Javi Martínez scored a goal, 24 year old central defender Fernando Amorebieta effectively phased out Giuseppe Rossi and Joseba Llorente for the most part, and 24 year old Fernando Llorente showed the form that made him a strong candidate for inclusion into the Spanish national team for the 2010 World Cup.
Joaquín Caparrós constructed a team that stayed true to their origins with their direct play while incorporating the highly technical football necessary to compete successfully in La Liga.&nbsp; Even if Athletic were relegated for the first time in their history, their supporters would not want Athletic to renounce its cantera policy and sell out for some extra wins.&nbsp; The Basques want their club to be represented by their own, and the young talent that Caparrós brought into the fold promises a budding future for Los Leones.&nbsp; While the economic inequities between Real Madrid and Barcelona and the rest of La Liga may prevent Athletic Bilbao from consistently challenging for titles as they did in the 1980’s, the Euskaldunak have a team of which they can be proud not just for their heritage but also for their football.

Athletic Bilbao Maintains Perfect Start and Basque Heritage - World Soccer Talk

Athletic Bilbao Maintains Perfect Start and Basque Heritage

Ladies &amp; 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 League. We at La Liga Talk breakdown the Top 5 Reasons why Blaugrana earned their place in footballing history.
#5 = Improved Team Atmosphere
Let’s be real, last year’s team was good enough to win a treble but what prevented it was a poor team atmosphere. Frank Rijkaard could not handle the divisive figures in his locker room such as Ronaldinho &amp; Deco. Don’t forget how Eto’o looked like he was headed to AC Milan and Henry was talking about how playing on the left side was stifling his goal scoring instincts for France and he needed to be in the middle. The following season Dinho &amp; Deco were out while Eto’o &amp; Henry fell in line without a locker room wrecking word all season. Guardiola deserves massive credit for improving the team’s atmosphere cause talent wasn’t the reason The Blaugrana went trophy-less last season.
#4 = Playing Style
Over the last 5 – 10 years we’ve seen managers cower in the face of opposition by playing a more conservative, boring style of football. A recent trend of 5 midfielders with 1 striker or more withdrawn “forwards” has seen a reduction in the entertainment value of football. However, Barça, said DAMN THAT and played with 3 strikers and they got the 3 most explosive and skilled forwards on the planet to fill their formation. No wonder fans take a liking to Barça, the Blaugrana scored as many goals this season as Brad Pitt has women sweating him. Yo, that’s a lot of damn goals. People who love the Beautiful Game want to see speed, skill, and goals. Barça gives football fans all of those things and Barça wins.
#3 = Josep Guardiola i Sala
Some people might say that the coach of the best team on the planet is only #3. By no means is this a knock on Guardiola’s acumen because his brilliance can never be understated. However, so many other factors had to line up perfectly for a coach in his 1st season as a head coach of a big club to make history like this. Mourinho has much more experience than Guardiola and he only got a Scudetto in his 1st season with Inter. Guardiola did a perfect job no doubt, but he had to go #3 because he inherited a supremely talented team that was close to history. His leadership was the spark Barça needed to get Treble and he is the 6th person to win the European Cup as a player &amp; coach.
#2 = Joan Laporta i Estruch
Joan Laporta i Estruch is the best club president on the planet. Since his reign began in 2003, Barcelona has won 2 Champions Leagues, 3 La Liga titles, 2 Spanish Supercups, and a Copa Del Rey. He managed to maintain the integrity of the Barça shirt by keeping sponsors off the shirt but his humanitarian act of giving money to UNICEF and having the UNICEF logo on the sacred shirt was a brilliant business, PR, and charitable move. He hired Frank Rijkaard &amp; Guardiola and he has overseen the most balanced transfer policy of any club in Europe. Everyone who gave Laporta a vote of “No Confidence” are looking stupid right now. Not to mention he’s a true Catalan patriot.
#1 = La Masia – Barca’s Youth Academy 
<a class="image" title="La Masia." href="http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:La_Mas%C3%ADa_de_FC_Barcelona.JPG"></a><div><figure class="image"><a class="image" title="La Masia." href="http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:La_Mas%C3%ADa_de_FC_Barcelona.JPG"></a></figure></div> 
On a recent podcast of Mad About Fútbol, GOL TV’s Andres Cordero made a great point about how this treble was years in the making and how Barca’s youth academy was a huge part of this historic feat. If you look at the roster of the Eqiupo Triplete its key components are products of Barca’s youth academy. Victor Valdes, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Bojan, Pique, Puyol, Sergi Busquets all came up to the 1st team through La Masia. Amazing, even Pep Guardiola himself is a product of the famous youth academy. The success of La Masia is a testament to the proper investing of monetary gains to maintain and build a high-level football club.
Congratulations to FC Barcelona for showing the world how football should be played and proving that winning, attacking football is not a dream but a dream come true.

5 Reasons Why Barça Made History - World Soccer Talk

5 Reasons Why Barça Made History

<a href="http:\/\/www.bundesligatalk.com/schalke-draw-atletico-madrid-in-cl-3rd-qualifying-round/42/champions-league-logo/" rel="attachment wp-att-48" title="Champions League Logo"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/www.bundesligatalk.com/schalke-draw-atletico-madrid-in-cl-3rd-qualifying-round/42/champions-league-logo/" rel="attachment wp-att-48" title="Champions League Logo"></a></figure></div>Yesterday was the draw for the 3rd qualifying round of the Champions League, the last hurdle before the group stages commence. There are plenty of interesting ties (Steve McClaren’s FC Twente vs. Arsenal topping the list), but in pure footballing terms the best fixture pits Schalke 04 against Atletico Madrid. Neither is the most accomplished or talented team in the competition, but together they form the strongest pairing. We have already previewed Schalke on the site, so in keeping with our (inconsistent) commitment to equal air time let us take a look at Atletico Madrid.
Shared History: While everything but the teams’ names may have changed this is not the first meeting between the two in Champions League action (when it was still the European Cup). One must look back to the 1958-59 season, a year after Schalke’s 7th and most recent championship. Atletico defeated Schalke 4-1 on aggregate in the quarterfinals of the competition. Furthermore the two share a common foe in Bayern Munich. Atletico were unfortunate not to win the 1973/74 European Cup final, Georg Schwarzenbeck’s late (119′) equalizer leading to a replay and the first of Bayern’s three consecutive European Cup triumphs. Schalke’s own run-ins with Bayern have been well-documented and need not be rehashed here.
Domestic Pedigree: 9-time La Liga champions, and runners-up a further 8 more. 17-time Copa del Rey finalists (emerging victorious 9 times). They are La Liga’s third most successful club, although Real Madrid and Barcelona are in no fear of being overtaken anytime soon. 
 
European Glory: Winners of the 1961-62 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and losing finalists the following season. European success has been fleeting ever since. A slight deviation saw Atletico reach the Cup Winners’ Cup final once again in 1985-1986, but lose decisively to a Oleg Blokhin-led Dynamo Kiev 3-0.
 Prediction: Schalke’s a good team, at least domestically. Unfortunately Bundesliga squads in general have performed poorly in Europe over the past several years. If the talent alone were equal the psychological weight of European mediocrity would be enough to choose Atletico Madrid. There is a definite talent disparity between the two squads, decisively favoring Los Rojiblancos. Talent alone won’t win games, but it’s often the best indicator of success.
Atletico beat Schalke 04 4-2 on aggregate.

Schalke Draw Atletico Madrid in CL 3rd Qualifying Round - World Soccer Talk

Schalke Draw Atletico Madrid in CL 3rd Qualifying Round

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Athletic Bilbao Maintains Perfect Start and Basque Heritage

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5 Reasons Why Barça Made History

European Competition

Schalke Draw Atletico Madrid in CL 3rd Qualifying Round