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FINAL WHISTLE
CAPTAIN FANTASTIC NEMANJA VIDIC
Champions League preview Club Spotlight - Valencia Editorial: Money triumphs?
PLUS
• Talent Scout - Christian Eriksen • Humor: Football’s funny side • Pivotal upcoming fixtures • Gossip Column • Bonus Feature: Quiz!
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Player Power
Gossip Column
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CONTENTS
Champions League First Knockout Round First Leg Preview
Club Spotlight - Valencia CF An in depth look at the Spanish giants
EDITORIAL FEATURE
Player Profile - Nemanja Vidic Everything you ever wanted to know about the towering Serbian center-back
Money talks? This edition’s editorial focuses on how money is killing the game we love
TALENT SCOUT
Tickle your funny bone with our Humor Column
BONUS FEATURE
Mark your calendars! A list of all the upcoming fixtures with timings
Ajax youngster Christian Eriksen is on our radar
The quiz is back! Got what it takes? Check out our brain teasers!
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PREVIEW Following the return of the Champions League knockout stages last week, we preview the remaining first leg clashes. CSKA Moscow face the unenviable task of hosting the mighty Real Madrid, Napoli clash with Chelsea in the battle of the underachievers, Basel play the role of underdogs against dark horses Bayern Munich and Marseille host the erratic Internazionale.
CSKA Moscow v Real Madrid 21st February, 2012 22.30 IST 17.00GMT
Arena Khimki
Real Madrid travel to Russia knowing they face a potential banana skin as they square off against CSKA Moscow. Madrid have been in scintillating form in La Liga this season, having taken 58 points from a possible Real Madrid travel to Russia 10-point knowing lead they at face potential banana skin as square off against 66 and hold an unassailable theatop. Cristiano Ronaldo hasthey been breaking recordsCSKA galore Moscow. Madrid have been in scintillating form in La Liga this season, having taken 58 points from a possible and Karim Benzema has found a new lease of life under Jose Mourinho. They are definitely one of the 66 and hold anthe unassailable 10-point favorites to lift trophy come May. lead at the top. Cristiano Ronaldo has been breaking records galore and Karim Benzema has found a new lease of life under Jose Mourinho. They are definitely one of the favorites liftother the trophy come May. CSKA ontothe hand are well behind league leaders Zenit St. Petersburg in the Russian Premier League. They will be looking to get their season back on track against the Spanish giants. CSKA have a tendency of CSKA theand other hand wellfans behind leaders Zenit St. Petersburg the Russian Premier blowingonhot cold and are CSKA will league be hoping it's the former when Jose in Mourinho's team come League. visiting. They will be looking to get their season back on track against the Spanish giants. CSKA have a tendency of blowing and cold and CSKA fans will be hoping it's the former when Jose Mourinho's team come visiting. Player tohot Watch - Seydou Doumbia. Doumbia found the net five times during the group stage for CSKA and will be looking to carry that rich vein of Player to the Watch - Seydou Doumbia. form into knockout stages. However, Real Madrid conceded just twice during the group stage so this Doumbia found the net five times during the group stage for CSKA and will be looking to carry that rich vein of presents a challenge for Doumbia. form into the knockout stages. However, Real Madrid conceded just twice during the group stage so this presents for Doumbia. Predictiona -challenge Real Madrid should ease through and take a two goal lead back to the Bernabeu for the second leg. Prediction - Real Madrid should ease through and take a two goal lead back to the Bernabeu for the second leg.
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CSKA Moscow v Real Madrid Napoli v Chelsea 21st February, 2012 01.15 IST 19.45 GMT
Stadio San Paolo
It has been dubbed as the clash of the underachievers. Napoli have been performing well below par this season in Serie A and lie in 7th place. Italy have been given only three spots in the Champions League next season so European football looks highly unlikely for the Partenopei. Herein lies their best chance to progress to the quarter finals and prolong their stay among Europe's elite as they come up against crisis-hit Chelsea. Andre Villas Boas has endured a nightmare maiden season in England as his side have slipped out of the last Champions League spot in recent weeks. Chelsea have looked increasingly poor and no one has characterized Boas's tenure better than Fernando Torres. The striker has now gone four months without finding the back of the net and his drought shows no sign of ending. With Drogba back from the African Napoli v Chelsea Nations Cup, this could well be the end of the road for Torres's Chelsea career.
February, 2012 Stadio San Paolo Player to Watch21st - Edinson Cavani. He is one of Europe's most coveted strikers and will be looking to move in the summer with Chelsea a 01.15 IST possible destination. 19.45 GMT - Napoli should winofbut remains to be seen whether Chelsea can nickwell a precious away It isPrediction already being dubbed as get the the clash theitunderachievers. Napoli have been performing below par this goal. in Serie A and lie in 7th place. Italy have been given only three spots in the Champions League next season season so European football looks highly unlikely for the Partenopei. Herein lies their best chance to progress to the quarter finals and prolong their stay among Europe's elite as they come up against crisis-hit Chelsea.
FC Basel v Bayern Munich
Andre Villas Boas has endured a nightmare maiden season in England as his side have slipped out of the last Champions League spot in recent weeks. Chelsea have looked increasingly poor and no one has characterized 22nd February, 2012 St. Jakob Park Boas's tenure better than Fernando Torres. The striker has now gone four months without finding the back of 01.15 IST the net and his drought shows no sign of ending. With Drogba back from the African Nations Cup, this could 19.45 well be the end of the road GMT for Torres's Chelsea career. When Basel hosted Manchester United in a do-or-die encounter at St. Jakob Park, no one gave them a Player to Watch: Edinson Cavani. chance of qualifying for the knockout stages. Two months on, they prepare for a two legged tie with Bayern He is one of Europe's most coveted strikers and will be looking to move in the summer with Chelsea a possible Munich while United play in the Europa League. One of the stars of that evening, Xherdan Shaqiri, has destination. already signed a pre-contract with Bayern Munich and will move to the Allianz Arena in the summer. Prediction: Napoli should get the win but it remains to be seen whether Chelsea can nick a precious away goal. Bayern Munich have been touted as dark horses for this year’s competition and they boast a very impressive attacking line-up with the likes of Mueller, Schweinsteiger, Gomez, Robben and Ribery all firing this season. They finished top in the ‘Group of death’ and will definitely fancy their chances against Basel. Player to Watch - Xherdan Shaqiri. The Swiss international has been attracting a lot of headlines and Bayern Munich have agreed a deal with Basel which will see him move to the Bavarian outfit in the summer. But he will still be looking to hurt his future employers as he lines up against them. Prediction - Basel have had a dream run so far but Bayern Munich should prove to be too strong for them. The visitors should take a solid lead back to the Allianz Arena for the second leg.
Marseille v Internazionale 22nd February, 2012 01.15 IST 19.45 GMT
Stadio Velodrome
Internazionale have endured a stop-start season but their domestic form has improved considerably in the last couple of months. Claudio Ranieri has steadied the ship but has not won the Inter fans over. Doubts over Wesley Sneijder’s future continue to persist while the pairing of Diego Milito and Diego Forlan up front has not delivered. The one shining light has been the emergence of Ricardo Alvarez as he has demonstrated that there is a future for Inter without Sneijder. Marseille have had a disappointing season in Ligue 1 this term and they were found wanting by an under strength Arsenal side in the Champions League group stage. Stadio Velodrome is still a daunting venue for opposition teams and Marseille will be looking to turn up the heat on an under-fire Claudio Ranieri. Player to Watch - Ricardo Alvarez. Alvarez has been in outstanding form for Inter in the absence of Wesley Sneijder. His emergence has taken the burden off Sneijder who has struggled with injuries so far. Watch out for a fascinating midfield battle between him and Andre Ayew. Prediction - Inter have been unpredictable this season and Marseille should take advantage and record a narrow first leg victory.
2nd Leg Fixtures 6th March, 2012 01.15 Arsenal v AC Milan 01.15 Benfica v Zenit St. Petersburg
Teams predicted to qualify:
7th March 2012 01.15 Apoel Nicosia v Olympique Lyonnais 01.15 Barcelona v Bayer Leverkusen
AC Milan Benfica Olympique Lyonnais Barcelona
13th March, 2012 01.15 Bayern Munich v Basel 01.15 Internazionale v Marseille 14th March, 2012 01.15 Chelsea v Napoli 01.15 Real Madrid v CSKA Moscow
*Kick-off times are in IST.
Bayern Munich Marseille Napoli Real Madrid
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DEATH OF THE “BEAUTIFUL” GAME Player Power On The Rise
Football is increasingly becoming a sport ruled by money. Players are becoming disillusioned with life at a club where they aren’t earning as much as fellow professionals. What happened to playing for the love of the game? Indeed, one-club players are a dying breed. Our editor-in-chief Pranav Dar laments the rise of player power and the decline of the “beautiful” game. Watching Alessandro Del Piero score a scorcher against AS Roma in the Coppa Italia brought back a flood of memories. The Champions League clashes between the Turin giants and the Galaticos of Madrid in the early part of the 21st century were a thing of beauty.
UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rule is another attempt at saving football
It’s all about the money
There used to be a time when football was embraced around the world as “the beautiful game”. The Brazilians led the way with their Samba style and everybody around the world wanted to play like them. Money, while playing a major role in footballing matters, was never (not usually, anyway) the deciding factor in a player’s career/ambition. Career growth and a willingness to play the game at any cost was always given preference over monetary gains. But now, “player power” is on the rise. Players have a strangle hold on the game and are taking clubs for a ride. Take Gary Cahill’s move to Chelsea for example. Chelsea made an offer of £80k per week and Cahill rejected it outright, demanding £100k per week instead. A figure like that will leave an average human perplexed and incredulous. But as someone who’s been following the game for over a decade, I can assure you this is nothing new. The Wayne Rooney transfer saga in the 2010-11 season was another example of a player taking his club to the cleaners. Rooney lost all form and went on a prolonged goal-scoring drought which stretched over four months, during which he revealed that he did not want to play for the club again citing “lack of ambition” as the reason for his unhappiness. Sir Alex Ferguson might have staged a PR masterclass in the way he handled the whole affair, but it was Rooney who came out of the drama holding a new contract, which made him the top earner at the club. He currently earns over £200k a week Rooney and Ferguson suffered a breakdown in communication (yes, you read that right).
The root of the issue What has prompted this rise of the player cult? Why are players suddenly becoming bigger than the clubs they represent? Isn’t playing for a big club supposed to be the creme de la creme in a player’s career? So why is money suddenly the topmost deciding factor in a player’s decision? Where is the passion, the love, the need to play the beautiful game? To really understand the issue, we have to get to the root of the problem – agents. It is no real surprise that the rise of player power has coincided with the rise of the “men behind the players” – the agents. In a world of cutthroat competition, agents have the unenviable task of thrashing out the best possible deal for their clients while making sure that they don’t disrespect the club. Sounds harmless enough? It’s anything but. The line of disrespect has long been crossed and it shows no sign of stopping. Agents are holding clubs hostage while they scour the land for better deals for their clients. They use the interest shown by other clubs to demand a better deal (which basically means a huge pay hike with added bonuses). If the club rejects the notion saying they can’t afford to draw up a new contract in the foreseeable future, the player revolts more often than not on the advice of his agent, who obviously has a new destination in mind. This is no more evident than in the case of Carlos Tevez. His agent and advisor, Kia Joorabchian, has been attracting negative headlines ever since Tevez’s alleged contract snub at Manchester United. Joorabchian has been blamed for misleading clubs in the Tevez transfer saga(s) ever since the Argentine has moved to England.
“Super” agent Kia Joorabchian
It is indeed a very sad time in football to see the likes of Manchester City, Anzhi Makhachkala and Paris St. Germain sitting top of their respective leagues after spending an incredible amount of money in the transfer market. Their rise has been more along the lines of capitalism rather than hard work and passion.
Paul Scholes has never had an agent
So it comes as no surprise that Paul Scholes has never even had an agent. He’s never argued with Manchester United over “something as silly as a contract”. The deal in put on the table and he signs it without even looking at the terms. “I love football, why should I worry about the money?”, said Paul Scholes when asked why he doesn’t have an agent. This is the kind of attitude which has sadly gone missing from today’s game. There was once a thing known as loyalty, when players went hammer and tongs at each other (recall the infamous Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira incident and their rivalry in general) and not an inch was given.
One club players are almost non existent now-a-days. When players like Del Piero and Giggs finally decide to hang up their boots (and that time isn’t far away), it will be the day football will cease to entertain and enthrall me as a sport. The game is dying a slow and corrupt death at the hands of money and it looks like a terminal disease rather than a temporary one.
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SPOTLIGHT - VALENCIA
Valencia have played third fiddle to Spain’s top two teams in recent years. But has that always been the case? Read on to find out everything about a club that has consistently kept themselves in the top echelons of Spanish football and produced some world-class names.
The third most supported team in Spain behind only Barcelona and Real Madrid, Valencia are one of the biggest and most successful clubs in Europe. They have contested seven major European finals and emerged winners in four of them. Valencia are third in the all time La Liga table and also third in terms of continental titles. They are behind the same duo, Real Madrid and Barcelona in both competitions (hence the term, ‘Spain’s third team’). They currently play their home matches at the Estadio Mestalla which boasts a capacity of 55,000. But such is the incredible support that Valencia have got around the globe (more than 20,000 odd people are currently on the season ticket waiting list), that the Valencia hierarchy have decided on moving to a new stadium, a 75,000-seater capacity called Nou Mestalla, by 2013.
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OVERVIEW
Name: Valencia Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. Founded: 1919 Nickname: Los Che Stadium: Estadio Mestalla Capacity: 55,000 Division: Liga BBVA STAFF
Owner: Manuel Llorente Manager: Unai Emery ACHIEVEMENTS
La Liga: 1941-42, 1943-44, 1946-47, 1970-71, 2001-02, 2003-04 UEFA Cup: 2003-04 Record Goal-Scorer: Edmundo Suárez (260) Most Appearances: Fernando Gómez (542)
FOUNDATION & EARLY YEARS Valencia C.F. was established in 1919 and had Octavio Augusto Milego Diaz as it’s first president (the presidency was decided by a coin toss). The club lost their first ever game to 1-0 to Valencia Gimnastico. Valencia’s home ground in those formative years was known as the Algirós. They shifted base to the Mestalla in 1923 and immediately won the Regional Championship in that year. This triumph ensured their entry into the Copa Del Ray for the first time in their history.
Valencia in 1927 (from Wikipedia)
Valencia’s progress was halted by the Spanish Civil War and it wasn’t until 1941 that they lifted the Copa Del Ray, when they beat Espanyol 1-0 in the final. The following season, the club lifted their first Spanish La Liga championship (and did so again in the 1943-44 and 1946-47 seasons).
EUROPEAN GLORY Los Che got their first taste of European success in the form of the Inter-Cities Fair Cup in 1962 (they beat Barcelona in the final). They defended their trophy successfully the following season but their winning run was halted in 1964 by Real Zaragoza (Valencia lost the final 2-1). Alfredo Di Stefano was appointed as the coach in 1970 and brought immediate success to the club as they lifted their fourth La Liga title. This meant qualification for the European Cup for the first time in Valencia’s history. They were knocked out in the third round but this era in the club’s reign included Argentine striker Mario Kempes, a truly brilliant goal scorer. The club went on to win the Copa Del Ray again in the 1978-79 season and also captured the European Cup Winners’ Cup after beating Arsenal in the final, with Kempes in magnificent form.
The Inter-Cities Fair Cup
TEMPORARY DECLINE RELEGATION & RISE Valencia had a tumultuous 1980s as they flirted with relegation in 1982 but managed to stay in the top flight. But they were finally relegated in the 1985-86 season under the presidency of Vicente Tormo. There were internal issues with unpaid wages, poor morale and huge debt eventually sinking the club into the Spanish second division. Alfredo Di Stefano returned as coach in 1986 and steered the club back into La Liga and managed a respectable fourteenth place in their first season back. Guus Hiddink was appointed head coach in 1991 and stayed on till 1993, during which Valencia officially became a Sporting Limited Company.
VALENCIA’S RETURN TO EUROPE’S ELITE Valencia started to taste success again during the 1999-00 season when they beat Barcelona to lift the Spanish Super Cup. However, there was heartbreak to follow that season as they were emphatically beaten by Real Madrid 3-0 in the Champions League final. The following season, the club reached the Champions League final again beating Leeds United and Arsenal along the way. Valencia were to face Bayern Munich in Milan. Gaizka Mendieta gave Los Che the lead early on but they were pegged back by a Stefan Effenberg equalizer in the second half. Valencia suffered another blow as they fluffed their lines in the penalty shoot-out and lost out on the European Cup for the second season running. That loss in Milan was hard to take for Valencia as they finished fifth in La Liga and as a result, lost out on a Champions League spot. All they needed was to avoid defeat on the final defeat of the season when they travelled to Barcelona, but Rivaldo’s last minute goal snatched fourth spot from Valencia’s grasp. But the 2001-02 season saw Valencia bounce back to the top of Spanish football with a monumental effort throughout the season to clinch their fifth La Liga title, their first for thirty-one years. They won the league again in the 2003-04 season and also added the UEFA Cup to their long list of trophies. However, mediocrity set in, in the following seasons as various managerial changes yielded no change in results. They yet again had a close brush with relegation but were steered clear by caretaker manager Voro. Robert Koeman, the man Voro replaced as manager, did win the club’s seventh Copa Del Ray title before being sacked.
UNAI EMERY, DEBT & CURRENT STATE Highly-rated Unai Emery was appointed manager in 2008 and got off to a flying start before the club slumped again. Amid this erratic form, news emerged of the club being laden with massive internal debt (exceeding 400 million Euros). Despite qualifying for the Champions League in 2011, Valencia remained under massive debt. Speculation had been rife since 2009 that star names like David Villa, David Silva and Juan Mata would be sold to balance the books and that eventually proved to be the case.
Emery: Brilliant & shrewd manager
The club are currently sitting comfortably in third place in La Liga despite selling their prized assets. Unai Emery has shown excellent shrewdness in the transfer market as he has brought in players like Roberto Soldado, Ever Banega and Pablo Piatti who have taken to Valencia like duck to water. It remains to be seen how long Emery can keep Valencia among Europe’s elite in such precarious financial circumstances.
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Player Profile - Nemanja Vidić Nemanja Vidić is the rock solid, no-nonsense center-back who loves a crunching tackle. We take you on a journey through the life of Vidić - right from his childhood to the time when he became captain of one of the biggest clubs in the world, Manchester United. A pivotal fixture in the Manchester United back four in the last five years, Nemanja Vidić has established himself as one of the best defenders in world football. He has been awarded the Barclays Player of the Season award twice since arriving in England and was part of the “Famous Four” Serbian team defence that conceded just one goal in their entire 2006 FIFA World Cup Qualification campaign. "I think Vidic is better than Stam, I've got to say. He's cleverer than Jaap, who was lightning quick, really quick, but Vida has got a bit more about him and knows what's going on around him. He dovetails very well with Rio. I think he's got more awareness than Jaap, even though they're two fantastic players. When you get a raft of 1-0 wins, the centre-half gets the spotlight for a change."!- Denis Irwin. Vidić’s partnership with Rio Ferdinand at the center of Manchester United’s defence has been the backbone for so many of the club’s recent trophy winning campaigns. While Ferdinand is regarded as the better footballer, Vidić is the no-nonsense tackler, a player who doesn’t pull out of challenges and shows no fear, one of the primary reasons Sir Alex Ferguson saw fit to name him United’s captain.
PROFILE
Name: Nemanja Vidić Age: 30 Born: October 21, 1981 Club: Manchester United Nationality: Serbia ROLE
Position: Defender Role: Center-Back Jersey Number: 15 FAVORITES
Nickname: El Raro Idols: Stevan Stojanovic
EARLY CAREER Vidić took up football at the age of six with his home town side Jedinstvo Putevi. He moved on to Sloboda Uzice but his early football career was temporarily halted during the Balkan conflict. Red Star Belgrade snapped up Vidić from Sloboda Uzice just before his fifteenth birthday. He was loaned out to Spartak Subotica in 2000 where he began his senior career. He returned to Red Star the following season and became a key member of the squad and helped the club to the Yugoslav Cup in the 2001-02 season.
Vidić captaining Red Star
He was crowned skipper of the side and led them to a stunning double in 2004. It was an emotional time for Vidić, who was playing for his best friend Vladimir Dimitrijevic, who had died of a heart attack on the football field at the tender age of 20.
Vidić moved on from Red Star to Spartak Moscow in the summer of 2004 and even though the transfer fee remains undisclosed, it was later revealed that Vidić had become the most expensive defender in the entire history of the Russian Premier League.
MANCHESTER UNITED After playing for two seasons in Russia, Vidić signed for English giants Manchester United for £7 million in December 2005. Fiorentina had already agreed a deal with Spartak Moscow for him but Viola did not have any free non-EU spots at that time and United came in to swoop for him. His ability to knuckle down and get on with the game helped him in his early days at United. “The start was hard for me,” he said. “I arrived having not trained for 40 days because in Russia the season was finished. Also, injuries caused problems for me - these were difficult days and months. But I learnt so much.”
One of Ferguson’s best transfer bargains
Vidić’s United career got off to a slow start and he says that without Sir Alex Ferguson, he would never have been able to settle down in Manchester. “He was patient to wait for me to improve while I was a bit unstable in the first team. He was saying to me, "Don't be upset, take it easy, everything will be OK." He was like a father to me and I want to repay him.” But Vidić had more woeful news ahead as his World Cup dreams lay in tatters after a training ground collision with Serbian team-mate Mateja Kezman ended his tournament before it had even begun. 'At the moment of injury, when I fell on the grass and screamed, lots of things came through my mind,' said Vidić. 'Sincerely, I had a feeling that my leg had been cut off. Nevertheless, I am sure I will have more chances to be part of a World Cup. This is the thing that gave me strength and made me not despair.'
CAPTAIN MARVEL Vidić’s partnership with Rio Ferdinand began to blossom during the 2006-07 season and has since become one of the most revered and solid center back partnerships in European football. He ended his first full season at the club with a Premier League medal. He signed a five-year contract extension in 2007, keeping him at the club till 2012. He earned his second league medal in 2008 and more importantly was a key member of the Manchester United squad that lifted the Champions League crown. Vidić was absolutely outstanding in the 2008-09 season, which saw him feature in every single game of the British Football League record run of 14 consecutive clean sheets in Premier League matches. He was duly rewarded with a PFA nomination for player of the season (which eventually went to Ryan Giggs). Vidić did, however, pick up the Manchester United fans’ player of the year and players’ player of the year awards. He took over the captain’s armband in 2011 when Gary Neville retired prematurely. Known for his no-nonsense approach towards the game, Vidić is loved among the United faithful for his commitment and dedication to the cause. He is often compared to United great Steve Bruce for his style of play.
INDIVIDUAL HONOURS 2005 - Serbia’s Overseas Player of the Year, Serbian Footballer of the Year 2007 - Serbia’s Overseas Player of the Year, ESM Team of the Year, PFA Premier League Team of the Year 2008 - Serbia’s Overseas Player of the Year, Serbian Footballer of the Year, PFA Premier League Team of the Year 2009 - Barclays Player of the Year, Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year, Players’ layer of the Year, ESM Team of the Year, FIFA FIFPro World XI, PFA Team of the Year 2010 - Serbia’s Overseas Player of the Year 2011 - Barclays Player of the Year, ESM Team of the Year, FIFA FIFPro World XI, Serbia’s “May Award”, PFA Premier League Team of the Year
CLUB HONOURS Red Star Belgrade First League of Serbia & Montenegro - 2003-04 Yugoslav Cup - 2001-02 Serbia & Montenegro Cup- 2003-04
Manchester United UEFA Champions League - 2007-08 Premier League - 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2010-11 FIFA Club World Cup - 2008 Football League Cup - 2005-06, 2008-09, 2009-10 FA Community Shield - 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011
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TALENT SCOUT Christian Eriksen leaves us stunned with his breathtaking skills in this edition’s Talent Scout Christian Eriksen is a sublime talent hailing from Denmark who currently plies his trade as an attacking midfielder for Ajax. Eriksen’s career kicked off at the age of 13 when he represented Odense in the Danish youth championship. The team lost in the semi-finals but Eriksen was awarded the “Best Technical Player” in the tournament. Odense won the tournament the following year with Eriksen scoring the solitary goal in the final. After impressing for the Odense Under-16 team and the Danish Under-17 team, big clubs around Europe started to take notice of this supreme talent. He was given trials at Chelsea, Barcelona and AC Milan among other clubs but decided to move to Ajax citing the reason that he wanted to develop his career further before moving to a big club.
Eriksen: One of the hottest talents in Europe
Eriksen signed his first professional contract in October 2008 and worked his way to the first-team in January 2010. Then Ajax manager Martin Jol compared him to Wesley Sneijder describing him as a fantastic “reader” of the game. Amid intense speculation regarding his future, Eriksen extended his contract with Ajax till 2014 saying that he still had a lot to learn about the game and he was loving life with the Dutch giants. He also made his international bow for Denmark during this period. Eriksen was deservedly recognized as the Danish “Talent of the Year” in December 2010. He followed this up with a string of impressive performances for Ajax capped by a stunning solo goal against Willem II in the Eredivisie. He duly won the the “Ajax Talent of the Year” in the following season as he established himself as a key member of the first team. In May 2011, he won the “Dutch Football Talent of the Year” and was praised highly by Ajax legend Johan Cryuff. Eriksen added another trophy to his collection as he was named “Danish Footballer of the Year” in November 2011. Christian Eriksen possesses many weapons in his skillful armory, one of them being his ability to run deep with the ball and be able to use both feet equally effectively. He is a very confident footballer and isn’t afraid to dribble past players and take on defenders. He uses his pace to devastating effect and can turn an opponent inside out with the ball at his feet. One of the biggest talents Danish football has produced in many a year, Eriksen is destined for bigger things. He has his head on his shoulders and is a very down to earth person. Sir Alex Ferguson recently admitted that he was in awe of him and it won’t be long before Eriksen leaves the Amsterdam ArenA for pastures new.
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February 25, 2012 8.30pm Chelsea v Bolton Wanderers 11.00pm Manchester City v Blackburn Rovers
February 21, 2012 10.30pm CSKA Moscow v Real Madrid 1.15am Napoli v Chelsea
February 26, 2012 7.00pm Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur 7.00pm Norwich City v Manchester United
February 22, 2012 1.15am FC Basel v Bayern Munich 1.15am Marseille v Internazionale
March 3, 2012 6.15pm Liverpool v Arsenal 8.30pm West Bromwich Albion v Chelsea
March 6, 2012 1.15am Arsenal v AC Milan 1.15am Benfica v Zenit St. Petersburg
March 4, 2012 5.30pm Newcastle United v Sunderland 9.30pm Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United
March 7, 2012 1.15am Apoel Nicosia v Olympique Lyonnais 1.15am Barcelona v Bayer Leverkusen
March 10, 2012 8.30pm Manchester United v West Bromwich Albion 8.30pm Sunderland v Liverpool 11.00pm Everton v Tottenham Hotspur
March 13, 2012 1.15am Bayern Munich v FC Basel 1.15am Internazionale v Marseille
March 12, 2012 1.30am Arsenal v Newcastle United
March 14, 2012 1.15am Chelsea v Napoli 1.15am Real Madrid v CSKA Moscow
March 19, 2012 1.30am Manchester City v Chelsea
March 16, 2012 Quarter-finals & Semi-finals Draw
*Timings are in IST and are subject to change.
February 25, 2012 1.15am AC Milan v Juventus February 26, 2012 1.15am Lazio v Fiorentina 1.15am Napoli v Internazionale March 3, 2012 10.30pm Palermo v AC Milan 1.15am Juventus v Chievo Verona March 4, 2012 5.00pm Parma v Napoli 7.30pm AS Roma v Lazio 1.15am Internazionale v Catania March 11, 2012 7.30pm AC Milan v Lecce 7.30pm Genoa v Juventus March 18, 2012 7.30pm Fiorentina v Juventus 7.30pm Internazionale v Atalanta 7.30pm Parma v AC Milan 7.30pm Udinese v Napoli
February 22, 2012 10.30pm Manchester City v Porto
February 26, 2012 4.30pm Villarreal v Athletic Bilbao 8.30pm Rayo Vallecano v Real Madrid 10.30pm Valencia v Sevilla 2.00am Atletico Madrid v Barcelona March 3, 2012 12.30am Barcelona v Sporting Gijon March 4, 2012 2.00am Real Madrid v Espanyol March 10, 2012 2.30am Real Betis v Real Madrid March 11, 2012 10.30pm Racing Santander v Barcelona March 18, 2012 9.30pm Real Madrid v Malaga 9.30pm Sevilla v Barcelona March 21, 2012 12.30am Barcelona v Granada 1.30am Villarreal v Real Madrid
FINAL February 26, 2012 9.30pm Cardiff City v Liverpool
February 23, 2012 11.30pm Valencia v Stoke City 1.35am Atletico Madrid v Lazio 1.35am Manchester United v Ajax
February 29, 2012 12.30am Germany v France 1.30am England v Netherlands *Timings are in IST and are subject to change.
Cover #1
Cover #2
Player Profile
Contents
Talent Scout
CL Preview
Fixtures
Player Power
Humor Section
Spotlight
Gossip Column
Quiz
HUMOR SECTION Had a long day at work? Struggling to find a reason to smile? Don’t worry, we’ve got the perfect dose for you. Take a look at these gems and laugh your worries away! Some pictures speak a thousand words, don’t they..
☞ Arsenal are bringing out a new wine called ‘Trophy Hunt’. They’ve been bottling it for over seven years! ☞ Fernando Torres and David De Gea would make awful fishermen. Torres can’t get anything in the net and De Gea struggles to catch stuff. ☞ My girlfriend told me she wanted to talk to me about my obsession with Football Manager. However, I did not want to attend the meeting so I sent my assistant instead. ☞ Torres handed in a transfer request at Chelsea..and missed. ☞ Apparently it was Tim Cahill who handcuffed himself to the post at Goodison Park on Transfer Deadline day. He heard Liverpool had made a late bid for him. ☞ A guy went to Subway and asked for their most expensive sub. The cashier offered Fernando Torres for 50 million. ☞ Nemanja Vidic once roundhouse kicked Bruce Lee, breaking him in half. The result was Jet Li and Jackie Chan. Because that’s how he rolls.
....yep, that’s what we all wonder.
GOSSIP COLUMN
THE ULTIMATE MISS-HIT? RAMSEY THE GRIM REAPER?
SUAREZ PLANS UNITED RETURN
DROGBA DOES A MOURINHO
This has been hitting the back pages around the world whenever Aaron Ramsey finds the back of the net for Arsenal, a public figure dies in the following days. How celebrities must sweat when the ball arrives at Ramsey’s feet!
It is being rumored that Luis Luis Suarez plans to make a trip to Old Trafford to watch his former club take on Manchester United in the Europa League. Wonder if Suarez plans to bring along his team-mates for protection given that Patrice Evra will be playing a stone’s throw away (see what I did there?).
Didier Drogba allegedly took a leaf put of Jose Mourinho’s handbook and delivered the halftime team talk in Chelsea’s FA Cup tie against Birmingham. Such was the rebellion against Villas-Boas that players turned to Drogba to give them lift-off.
PIQUE’S FERGIE REUNION?
ARSENAL, MONEY. WHAT?
Gerard Pique could be on his way back to Manchester United after falling out with Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola, according to reports in Spain. Chelsea have also been linked with the Spanish center back as they try to find a solution to the Terry/Luiz/Cahill conundrum.
The fall-out from Arsenal’s capitulation in Milan has ironically enough made the Gunner’s fans dreams come true - the club have revealed that they are finally willing to banish their wage cap and spend big to keep their star names (see van Persie) and to attract stellar players to the club.
IT’S QUIZ TIME! 1.Who was the Coach of The Netherlands National team in Euro 2004? A. Guus Hiddink B. Dick Advocaat C. Marco Van Basten D. Louis van Gaal 2. Fabio Capello, Bernd Schuster, ?, Manuel Pellegrini, José Mourinho, Who is the missing Coach? 3. Which club did Milan legend Alessandro Nesta play for before joining them? A. Parma B. Napoli C. Lazio D. Roma 4. Which Dutch club did Brazilian legend Ronaldo represent? A. PSV Eindhoven B. Ajax C. Feyenoord D. FC Twente 5. Complete the sequence: Peter Schmeichel, Raymond van der Gouw, Mark Bosnich, Fabian Barthez, Tim Howard, ?, Edwin Van Der Sar, David De Gea/ Anders Lindegaard. 6. Which Spanish club has Mark Van Bommel represented? A. Barca B. Madrid C. Valencia D. Deportivo
9. Which striker is nicknamed the ‘Emperor’? A. Adriano B. Ronaldo C. Rivaldo D. Luis Fabiano 10. Name the only Spanish club that AC Milan legend Clarence Seedorf has represented? A. Barcelona B. Real Madrid C. Valencia D. Deportivo La Coruna 11. Juventus’s current stadium is called the Juventus stadium, but what was their famous previous stadium called? A. Stadio Delle Alpi B. Olympic Stadium C. Stadio Ennio Tardini D. San Siro 12. Which German club did Real Madrid overcome in the Champions’ League final of 2002? A. Bayern Munich B. Bayer Leverkusen C. Borussia Dortmund D. Kaiserslautern 13. Valencia reached two consecutive Champions’ League finals, once they were undone by Real Madrid, who was the other team? A. AC Milan B. Manchester United C. Bayern Munich D. Ajax Amsterdam
7. Which Argentine defender is also nick named 'the wall'? A. Walter Samuel B. Fabio Coloccini C. Gabriel Milito D. Roberto Ayala
14. Who was the coach of the Italian National team they was knocked out in the first round at Euro 2004? A. Roberto Donadoni B. Marcello Lippi C. Giovanni Trapattoni D. Dino Zoff
8. Who scored the Golden Goal in the final of Euro 2000? A. Zinedine Zidane B. Thierry Henry C. David Trezeguet D. Emmanuel Petit
15. What is the name of the stadium for the English club Leeds United FC? A. St. Mary’s Stadium B. Ewood Park C. Madejski Stadium D. Elland Road
Answers to quiz #1: 1. Boca Juniors; 2. C; 3. D; 4. A; 5. B; 6. C; 7. A; 8. B; 9. C; 10. C; 11. ; 12. B; 13. B; 14. D; 15: Guus Hiddink.
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