Soccer 360 Magazine: Jan/Feb 2016 Edition

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ONE ON ONE INIESTA

GOING FOR GOLD

MULLER

NEYMAR PULL-OUT POSTER

MAKING HISTORY

BUFFON

READY TO CHALLENGE

S N A T ZLA STAND

MLS WINNERS

LALEASDINGTTHE LINE FORN PSG AND SWEDE

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MOURINHO DO S D A E L R E T S E IC E L MESSI RETURNS REBORN JUVE

f f o k c i k 2016

PORTLAND TAKES THE PRIZE GIOVINCO TOPS THE LEAGUE TFC’S BILL MANNING READY FOR THE CHALLENGE

s r e f s n a r t top ten n e e t x i s t s e B UCL CUS O F L A N O I T A N R E INT EZ ALEXIS SANCH E GARETH BAL Y WAYNE ROONE

ISSUE #61 $9.95 Display until March 05, 2016

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CONTENTS: JAN / FEB 2016 ISSUE 61 EPL 61

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10 CRISIS MANAGEMENT 14 SURPRISE PACKAGES 16 AROUND THE EPL

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ONE ON ONE

SERIE A

INIESTA

GOING FOR GOLD

MULLER

NEYMAR PULL-OUT POSTER

MAKING HISTORY

BUFFON

READY TO CHALLENGE

ZLATTSATANNSD

MLS WINNERS

LALEADSING THE LINE FOR

PSG AND SWEDEN

ES BIG SURPWNR&IS OUT MOURINHO DO LEICESTER LEADS MESSI RETURNS REBORN JUVE

2016 kick- off

PORTLAND TAKES THE PRIZE GIOVINCO TOPS THE LEAGUE TFC’S BILL MANNING READY FOR THE CHALLENGE

sfers top ten tran een UCL Best sixt FOCUS INTERNATIONAL ALEXIS SANCHEZ GARETH BALE WAYNE ROONEY

ISSUE #61 $9.95 Display until March 05, 2016

20 CRISIS MANAGEMENT 24 SURPRISE PACKAGES 26 SCUDETTO SPOTLIGHT 28 AROUND SERIE A

LA LIGA 34 CRISIS MANAGEMENT 38 SURPRISE PACKAGES 40 AROUND LA LIGA

BUNDESLIGA 44 CRISIS MANAGEMENT 50 AROUND THE BUNDESLIGA

MLS 72 YEAR IN REVIEW 73 MLS AWARDS 76 AROUND MLS

PAGE 27 WE GO ONE ON ONE WITH BUFFON AS HE STARTS PREPARATIONS FOR WHAT COULD BE HIS FINAL BIG INTL EVENT, EURO 2016

AROUND THE GLOBE

COVER STORY

PAGE 6 ZLATAN WILL BE TAKING PART IN HIS FINAL INTERNATIONAL EVENT. WE RECAP HIS INCREDIBLE CAREER

54 NECESSARY TRANSFERS 56 UEFA EUROPA & CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 58 WONDER BOYS 78 THE RUNNING MAN 80 RONALDO: THE MOVIE 82 BALLON D’OR

ONE ON ONE 27 BUFFON 37 INIESTA 48 MULLER 74 MANNING

EURO 2016 60 SURPRISES 62 STATS 64 BALE 68 ROONEY

IN STORE 84 PRODUCTS

GAME ON 86 FOOTGOLF

LAST WORD 88 MLS FOCUS

PAGE 82 THE THREE FINALISTS FOR BALLON D’OR HAVE BEEN SELECTED. NO SURPRISES HERE.

PAGE 73 GIOVINCO SCORED 22 GOALS FOR TORONTO FC AND TAKES THE PRIZE FOR MLS MVP AND THE GOLDEN BOOT.

KICKOFF A LANDMARK YEAR THERE’S AN AWFUL LOT TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN 2016, BUT AS ALASDAIR MACKENZIE SUGGESTS, THERE IS ONE EVENT IN PARTICULAR WORTHY OF ATTENTION

“Sepp Blatter’s shadow has loomed large over the sport since 1998, when he was first elected as President.

Having been constantly accused of corruption and financial mishandling in his role, the 79-yearold’s time is finally up.”

r Sepp Blatte wn as stepped do ent.

FIFA Presid Will Gianni the Infantino be new boss?

T

he start of a new year brings with it fresh anticipation for what the next 12 months holds in store. In the world of football, 2016 promises to be a landmark year on and off the pitch.

Of course, there’s the matter of some of the tightest title races in years reaching their culmination across Europe and the battles for continental dominance that the Champions League and Europa League provide.

It’s also a big year for the international game, with the first ever 24-team European Championships kicking off across France in June.

Defending champions Spain will have their work cut out retaining the title with world champions Germany, hosts France and Belgium’s golden generation among the teams hungry for success.

While those nations plot victory, one in particular is conspicuous by its absence – perennial contenders the Netherlands having failed to qualify.

However, a more pressing event may have the biggest impact on the game this year – the FIFA Extraordinary Congress. On February 26, legions of officials will congregate in Zurich for the presidential elections.

Sepp Blatter’s shadow has loomed large over the sport since 1998, when he was first elected as President. Having been constantly accused of corruption and financial mismanagement in his role, the 79-year-old’s time is finally up and a new dawn is arriving for the beautiful game.

The FIFA corruption scandal of 2015 rocked football’s core and confirmed long-held suspicions that the powers that be had dirty hands. In May, seven officials were arrested just before the 65th FIFA Congress, in which Blatter defeated Prince Ali bin Hussein two days later to

retain his presidency.

However, the Swiss bent to public demand and resigned from his post four days later, albeit deciding to continue in the role until February’s election. In September, fresh allegations rocked the sport when the Swiss Attorney General announced criminal proceedings against Blatter regarding a ‘disloyal payment’ to UEFA President Michel Platini.

The Frenchman has been suspended pending an ethics investigation and his candidacy for the presidency along with it. Things could get worse for the former Juventus star, with a seven year ban possible.

With public opinion of the organisation at an alltime low, a gargantuan task awaits the new FIFA chief. With Platini out of the equation for now, there are five candidates to achieve something that had hitherto seemed impossible – replacing Blatter.

Perhaps the most prominent is Prince Ali bin Hussein, who lost last year’s election heavily to Blatter. The 40-year-old is President of the Jordan Football Association and called for the full publication of Michael Garcia’s report into the allegations of corruption that surrounded the bidding process for Russian and Qatari World Cup bids.

Salman Bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa has been President of the Asian Football Federation since May 2013, but his campaign has been shrouded by criticism from several human rights organisations. He has denied allegations of involvement in a committee that identified 150 pro-democracy athletes, many of whom were later imprisoned and tortured.

Frenchman Jerome Champagne is a former diplomat who served as a FIFA executive from 1999 to 2010. He had declared he would run a clean campaign for last year’s election and consider removing the 2022 World Cup from Qatar, but later withdrew after failing to gather support.

South African Tokyo Sexwale has had a varied career as a politician, businessman and antiapartheid activist and was even a political prisoner on Robben Island alongside Nelson Mandela for 13 years. He was a key member of the bidding team for World Cup 2010, has campaigned to end racism in football and even stars in the South African version of The Apprentice.

Italo-Swiss administrator Gianni Infantino will be familiar to those of us who have endured the UEFA draw ceremonies that seem to drag on for hours. He has been general secretary of the European body since 2009 and received the unanimous backing of the federation’s executive committee to stand in the election. He has said he wants to expand the World Cup to 40 teams if elected.

Somebody from this mixed bag of candidates will hold the rudder as the good ship FIFA steers through the stormiest seas it has ever encountered. A time of reform awaits, but after the corruption-laden reign of Blatter, the hope is that this can only be for the better. So while 2016 kicks off and the drama continues to unfold on pitches across the globe, this congregation of suited men in a Swiss city in February could be the sport’s most significant moment of the year.

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Gianni Infantino could be the next FIFA president.

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Sepp Blatter enjoying the perks of being the head of FIFA in 2014

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COVER STORY: ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC

“it was probably my last attempt to reach the World Cup with the national team”

ZL

LA

BY: LAUREN MAHARAJ

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ZLATAN’S

LAST STAND “The next step? I don’t know.

Maybe replacing the E with an Ibrahimovicifsfel Tower tatue”

lthough the mercurial figure would never admit it, the portrait of a disappointed country read thoroughly upon his glistening face. As the unique frontman of the himovic has always Ibra ple, peo Swedish his beloved country of ght owned the wei the international upon his shoulders within ion of leadership inat dom this is It t. tligh spo r-old to Swedish yea 34the ied carr that has 12 league titles g ppin who a captaincy and . But on ope Eur in 14 years throughout Friends Arena, November 19th 2013 at the h cobblestone the man built from the roug bed of his rob self him d of Malmö foun his presence chance to grace football with his place, the at the 2014 World Cup. In aldo executed a magnificent Cristiano Ron rds – one that swo two th wor performance dish home injected its pain into the Swe open a path for crowd and one which tore mates to walk his fellow Portuguese team mer: the World sum g win follo towards that himovic was Ibra ated Cup in Brazil. The defl rtaining words left with only empty, yet ente to caress his wounds. mpt to reach “It was probably my last atte l team” ona nati the the World Cup with in forward. “One said the Paris Saint-Germa without me is thing is for sure, a World Cup thwhile to wor not is it so ch, nothing to wat ”.

Cup wait for the World lied his The charming forward app who were al, tug Por to ions ulat congrat aldo on Ron of g win the unified under r the brilliant that faithful night, but afte 4 World display of football at the 201 e against argu to y eas y ainl cert its Cup,

A

Ibrahimovic’s self-righteous comments.

Yet, his perspective is always forgivable, no matter how arrogant the tone. And it is partially due to the 34-year-old’s genius on the pitch. It is this genius, an unprecedented talent, that the world of football only sees on occasion, perhaps only within a generation, that Ibrahimovic possesses that aided in carrying Sweden to the 2016 European Championships in France this past November, two years after their fall to Portugal. In the dwindling moments of the play-off match against Denmark, the captain stood affront a human wall awaiting the final whistle to cue their aerial attack against Ibrahimovic’s threatening free kick.

He takes a few steps back and streamlines his laser focus upon his target – only he knows where the ball will land. As the referee’s whistle reverberates into the ears of the players, Ibrahimovic collides forward with the ball, scoops the inanimate object to its flight with the powerful stroke of his right leg and its curls outside of the wall and past the fingertips of the keeper. As the ball whips and lands into the goals netting, the man Sweden has always entrusted suddenly seems to rectify the country’s shattered dreams from two years prior. The small group of Swedish faithful inside the Nya Ullevi Stadion join Ibrahimovic as he roars with open arms and slides towards his teammates. The Paris Saint-Germain frontman has reserved his rightful place in an international tournament – perhaps for the last time in his career – with a 4-3 aggregate victory.

Where the romanticism of Ibrahimovic’s final international dance comes into play is in its hub, France. The country where, it

is fair to say that the giant Swede has not only created history, but perhaps become one of Ligue 1’s greatest ever players.

Since his induction into the Parisian outfit in 2012, the former A.C. Milan man has led the club to three successive Ligue 1 titles, including the club’s greatest triumph in the 2014/2015 season with the swoop of all domestic French titles. His polarizing aura has attracted immense attention to Paris in the last four seasons and it is this that has also helped the French outfit build itself into a European powerhouse. As Ibrahimovic’s career begins to unwind and lay to rest the silverware that has made him glimmer with experience over the course of his illustrious s career, he leaves a legacy that many player of his virtue also left.

One in particular is Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, the Brazilian idol of Ibrahimovic. The phenomenal forward’s powerful couple of speed and strength inserts him into history as one of football’s most dangerous ever frontmen. Yet, despite his double Ballon d’Or triumphs and World Cup victories, the Champions League has eluded him, such as it has Ibrahimovic. And although European silverware and individual gold is often the subject of footballing legitimization, for Ibrahimovic it would be a shame to leave him out of the question for greatness based on not winning the Champions League. A national hero, a cult hero in several countries such as Italy and France and certainly one of football’s most unique and creative men, Ibrahimovic should be undisputed in the greatness column – regardless of what silverware may evade him.

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COVER STORY: ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC

DID YOU KNOW? creativity stems from?

1. Ever wonder where Zlatan’s mobility and which he received at ondo, Taekw in belt Most likely from his black g for Italian giants, 17 years of age. Later in his career when playin black belt from Italian A.C. Milan, Ibrahimovic received an honourary team. ondo national Taekw

he had a school 2.. When the Swede was a mere 16 years old years?” assignment asking, “Where will you be in five g playin be he’d that was nse respo ’s Ibrahimovic professional football in Italy and making big money. Incredibly, his prediction was only off by one year as it took the forward six years to move to Italy.

3. After his first year at Ajax in 2001, he failed to impress the Dutch outfit, prompting the club to try and enforce a transfer to Southampton. Instead, Ibrahimovic resisted the move, proved his worth and later earned his eventual transfer to Juventus

TOP 10

R A C N A T ZLA MOMENTS ZLATAN BECAME A JUVENTUS FAVOURITE AT ONLY 21 YEARS OF AGE

1

THE LEGACY HE LEFT BEHIND IN SERIE A: Ibrahimovic spent a total of seven years in the Italian region playing for Juventus, Inter Milan and rivals A.C. Milan.

When he left for PSG, the Swede racked up 122 goals in 219 matches and earned 6 Scudetti. Two at Juventus, three at Inter Milan and one at A.C. Milan.

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BREAKING PSG LEGEND, PAULETA’S ALL-TIME GOALS RECORD: After netting a double against rivals Marseille, Ibrahimovic also celebrated becoming PSG’s all-time goal scorer with 110 goals for the French outfit within the span of only three years this past October.

in 2004.

4.. Zlatan’s legacy extends farther than just football in Sweden. In his homeland the word “Zlatanera” is widely recognized in the dictionary and means “to dominate” or to “clear with force”

1999. the country of Sweden 7. The beauty of Ibrahimovic representing round. Rosengard is backg al cultur multia from s come is that he ing his father who is includ rants immig many a city peppered with Croatian descent. of is who r originally from Bosnia and his mothe are trademarked. This 8. Both the names Zlatan and Ibrahimovic to any products, rights ive exclus has rd means that the forwa clothing or shoes that use his name. played in several 9. Thanks to the fact that Ibrahimovic has ish, Bosnian, Italian and Swed in fluent is he e countries across Europ Spanish. n with Juventus news 10. By the close of Ibrahimovic’s 2004 seaso move to Real Madrid to linked was e Swed ing broke that the tower ed that agent Mino reveal was it for a whopping €70 million. Later inflating his client’s Raiola created the rumour with the hope of market value.

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THE NUMBERS

6. The Paris Saint-Germain forward began his footballing career at Malmö FF in the late 1990’s under Roland Andersson. He shuffled through the Swedish youth league at the same club, then to FBK Balkan and in back to Malmö FF before his senior debut

“ZLATAN should be undisputed in the greatness column – regardless of what silverware may evade him.

ZLATAN BY

5. Ibrahimovic is deeply connected to his hometown of Rosengard. Outside of his childhood home, his dream of becoming a footballer flourished on a gravel pitch within the neighbourhood. In 2007, with the help of Nike, the Swede transformed the pitch into a state of the art ground called “Zlatan’s Court”.

HISTORICAL CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RECORD: Ibrahimovic is the only player in the history of the prestigious Champions League to score goals for six different clubs. This includes Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, A.C. Milan and of course, PSG.

353 634 GOALS

APPEARENCES

3

7 111 TEAMS PLAYED FOR

INT’L CAPS

AGE: 35 • HEIGHT: 6’1’’ • WEIGHT: 225 LBS DATE OF BIRTH: 00/00/00 • MAN-BUNS: 1

5 QUOTES: ZLATAN BEING ZLATAN THE UNDENIABLE CHEEKINESS OF FOOT BALL’S FAVOURITE SWEDE COMES IN ALL FORMS, INCLUDING HIS SUGGESTION AFTER THE REVEAL OF HIS WAX FIGUR E AT THE MUSEE GREVIN IN PARIS, FRANCE -

AREER

PS

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“The next step? I don’t know. Maybe replacing the Eiffel Tower with an Ibrahimovic statue” IBRAHIMOVIC’S RESPONSE TO HIS BODY RIDDLED WITH TATTOOS FOR A WORLD HUNGER CAMP AIGN -

LEAGUE TRIUMPHS ACROSS EUROPE: Ibrahimovic has won 12 league titles in a 14-year period, including helping PSG to their first Ligue 1 title in 19 years in 2012/2013.Overall in his career he has picked up 26 domestic trophies.

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INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS: Ibrahimovic became Sweden’s all-time top scorer in September 2014 when he overtook Scen Rydell’s 49 goals held since 1932 with his 50th goal netted against Estonia. The talisman has made over 100 appearances for the Swedes.

7 INFLUENCE IN FRANCE: The last player to manage 30 goals in one season in Ligue 1 was Jean-Pierre Papin of Marseille. In Ibrahimovic’s debut season he equalized that record and became “Footballer of the year” in France, as well in 2013/2014.

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ONE OF THE GREATEST GOALS EVER: On November 14th 2012 Ibrahimovic scored one of the most remarkable goals in the history of the sport. In Sweden’s 4-1 victory over England, he scored an overhead kick from 35 yards out earning him “Goal of the Year” and the 2013 “FIFA Puskas Award”.

LE CLASSIQUE: Upon the same night that Ibrahimovic overtook Pauleta as PSG’s top goal-scorer, he also became Ligue 1’s top scorer in “Le Classique” match ups between the capital club and Marseille with 8 goals.

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“Wherever I go people recognise me, call my name, cheer for me. But there are names no one cares to remember. That no one cheers for .

From now on I want this support to go to the people who really need it.

So whenever you hear my name, you will think of their names. Whenever you see me, you will see them.”

NATIONAL PRAISE: The Swedish international has won the ‘Guldbollen’ for best male Swedish footballer of the year a record ten times since 2005, excluding in 2006.

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RETURN HOME: Although to many Ibrahimovic’s return to boyhood club Malmö FF would not seem significant, for the giant Swede it was “one of the great moments” of his career.

In November 2015, the 34-year-old returned home with PSG in the Champions League and defeated Malmö FF 5-0. Ibrahimovic refused to celebrate when he netted a 49th minute goal.

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TROPHIES 26 DOMESTIC 12 LEAGUE TITLES (SINGLE) 1 ALBUM 60+ TATTOOS KIDS

MAXAMILLION

THE SWEDE’S PREDICTION OF THE WORL D CUP PLAY-OFFS AGAINST PORTUGAL IN 2013 -

“Only God knows ... You’re talking to him now.”

“the romanticism of zlatan’s final international dance comes into play is in its hub, France. The country where, it is fair to say that the giant Swede has not only created history, but perhaps become one of Ligue 1’s greatest ever players. ”

IBRAHIMOVIC’S PHILOSOPHY ON HIS TALEN T-

“I can play in all 11 positions becaus e a good player can play anywhere ” THE 34-YEAR-OLD’S REFLECTION OF HARD EARNED SUCCESS BEFORE HE VISITED HIS BOYHOOD CLUB , MALMÖ FF IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE –

“Everything that’s happened so far, I knew would happen because I envisioned it. Many people said I was too cocky; that I was a diva. The answers came, even if they took 14 years to get here, but the fact I’m the one sitting here proves I was right. You should have listened. And you should be happy to experience it, because I don’t know if it’ll happen again.”

VINCENT

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NO LONGER THE HAPPY ONE epl: CRISIS MANAGEMENT

AFTER LAUNCHING A TITLE DEFENCE THAT WAS SCARCELY BELIEVABLE, OLI COATES EXAMINES HOW THINGS STARTED TO GO WRONG FOR JOSE MOURINHO, AND HOW THE CHELSEA MANAGER DEALT WITH THE CRISIS AT STAMFORD BRIDGE

The season began awfu lly for Mourin ho and Chelsea as the defending Premier League ch ampions won just fo ur of their open ing 14 fixtures

“I WAS UNHAPPY WITH MY MEDICAL STAFF. THEY WERE IMPULSIVE AND NAIVE.”

“THE WORST PERIOD OF MY CAREER” On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated in Sarajevo along with his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg. The incident sparked a series of events that would lead to the outbreak of World War I. Just over a century later, a less bloody yet undeniably brutal attack was made by Jose Mourinho on his medical team, as the Chelsea manager branded club doctor Eva Carneiro and head physio Jon Fearn ‘impulsive and naïve’ after they entered the field of play to treat Eden Hazard during the champions’ opening fixture of the season against Swansea.

As Mourinho proceeded to lurch between poor results and disciplinary problems, and with Chelsea languishing near the foot of the Premier League table as the early months of the season went by, it appeared that the outburst would be the moment we could point to as the beginning 10 S360

“His impressive squad had won last season’s Premier League EASILY, playing some excellent football along the way.”

of the end for the 53-year-old [****TURNS 53 END OF JANUARY****] in his second spell at Stamford Bridge.

It had all looked so promising for the Portuguese as the new campaign was approaching. His impressive squad had won last season’s Premier League comfortably, playing some excellent football along the way. Chelsea’s line-up was packed with talent, from a solid defensive base and central midfield to Spain international marksman Diego Costa and last year’s PFA and Football Writers’ Player of the Year Eden Hazard.

Then the season began. A disappointing draw against Swansea that was to be overshadowed by the fallout from the row with Carnerio and Fearn. The medical team had been summoned on to the pitch by referee Michael Oliver, yet Mourinho flew into a fit of rage when he saw them do so, recognising that with Thibaut

DID YOU

KNOW? CONTROVERSIAL PARIS SAINTGERMAIN STRIKER ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC, WHO PLAYED UNDER MOURINHO AT INTER, DESCRIBED THE PORTUGUESE COACH POSITIVELY IN HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY ‘I AM ZLATAN’.

“JOSE MOURINHO IS A BIG STAR… HE’S COOL. THE FIRST TIME HE MET [MY WIFE] HE WHISPERED TO HER: ‘HELENA, YOU HAVE ONLY ONE MISSION. FEED ZLATAN, LET HIM SLEEP, KEEP HIM HAPPY!’ THE GUY SAYS WHAT HE WANTS. I LIKE HIM.” MOURINHO SPEAKS PORTUGUESE, SPANISH, ITALIAN, FRENCH, ENGLISH AND CATALAN. MOURINHO SPEAKS PORTUGUESE, SPANISH, ITALIAN, FRENCH, ENGLISH AND CATALAN. HIS FAVOURITE ACTOR IS ANTHONY HOPKINS, THE STAR OF THE HANNIBAL LECTER TRILOGY.

Courtois sent off his side would temporarily be reduced to nine men as they defended a freekick.

The unpleasant incident led to the demotion of the two medics, with Carneiro eventually leaving the club and suing for constructive dismissal, in addition to filing an individual claim against Mourinho that was reported to accuse the manager of victimisation and discrimination.

This is not the kind of coverage in the Press that owner Roman Abramovich will have taken kindly to.

Chelsea went to Manchester City in their second game and were summarily dispatched 3-0. John Terry was hooked at half-time with his team just a single goal down, perhaps as a message to the owner during the club’s fruitless pursuit of Everton defender John Stones, a failure in the transfer market that seemed to greatly rankle Mourinho.

Nevertheless, although few were expecting Terry could match his feats from last season, there weren’t many predicting such an alarming fall from grace for a player who was magnificent as he played every minute of the previous campaign.

Meanwhile, the midfield pairing of Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas that provided Mourinho with a commanding central axis as his team won the title last year have looked shadows of themselves this time round, and players such as Hazard, Costa and Branislav Ivanovic have also fallen a long way short of how they can perform.

It was a clinical drop in form that drew Mourinho’s first public criticism of his players in August, and later, clear singling out. The likes of Costa, Fabregas and Hazard were all dropped from the first team for periods, and not all could hide their frustration, whilst Terry was notably substituted at half-time against Manchester City, and Matic was even substituted off in the second half of the home defeat to Southampton, having only just come off the bench himself at half-time.

Reports began to emerge that Mourinho had lost the dressing room. Despite claims that one senior player had said he would ‘rather lose than win’ for Mourinho, a number of players rallied around the former Porto, Inter and Real Madrid boss, including Terry, Oscar and Ramires.

Mourinho himself described the situation as ‘the worst period of my career’ in early October, whilst credit must go to Abramovich for not wielding the axe during this testing time. His

Diego Costa endured a frustrating start to the campaign, which included a retrospective ban after facing Arsenal at Stamford Bridge

CHELSEA’S OPENING 19 GAMES FA COMMUNITY SHIELD ARSENAL 1-0 CHELSEA PREMIER LEAGUE CHELSEA 2-2 SWANSEA CITY PREMIER LEAGUE MANCHESTER CITY 3-0 CHELSEA PREMIER LEAGUE WEST BROM. ALBION 2-3 CHELSEA PREMIER LEAGUE CHELSEA 1-2 CRYSTAL PALACE PREMIER LEAGUE EVERTON 3-1 CHELSEA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE CHELSEA 4-0 MACCABI TEL AVIV PREMIER LEAGUE CHELSEA 2-0 ARSENAL LEAGUE CUP WALSALL 1-4 CHELSEA PREMIER LEAGUE NEWCASTLE UNITED 2-2 CHELSEA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FC PORTO 2-1 CHELSEA PREMIER LEAGUE CHELSEA 1-3 SOUTHAMPTON PREMIER LEAGUE CHELSEA 2-0 ASTON VILLA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DYNAMO KIEV 0-0 CHELSEA PREMIER LEAGUE WEST HAM UNITED 2-1 CHELSEA LEAGUE CUP STOKE CITY 1-1 CHELSEA (STOKE WIN 5-4 ON PENALTIES) PREMIER LEAGUE CHELSEA 1-3 LIVERPOOL CHAMPIONS LEAGUE CHELSEA 2-1 DYNAMO KIEV PREMIER LEAGUE STOKE CITY 1-0 CHELSEA PREMIER LEAGUE – CHELSEA 1-0 NORWICH CITY CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – MACCABI TEL AVIV 0-4 CHELSEA PREMIER LEAGUE – TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 0-0 CHELSEA PREMIER LEAGUE – CHELSEA 0-1 BOURNEMOUTH CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – CHELSEA 2-0 PORTO PREMIER LEAGUE – LEICESTER 2-1 CHELSEA

Jose Mourinho remonstrates wi th Dr Eva Carneiro after the forme r Chelsea medic attended to Ed en Hazard

Chelsea’s loss to Leicester in early December paved the way for Mourinho’s departure.

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“if he wants to hurt me it is not with a bib” 360 FUNNIES

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manager has a proven track record as being one of the very best in the business and did not suddenly lose his talent overnight.

Nonetheless, things can quickly sour for the selfstyled Special One, as they did in Madrid where he was reported to have fallen out with stellar figures such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos, not to mention his first spell in West London.

His own reputation then came under attack in November after a wildly misjudged taunt aimed at former Chelsea stalwart Graeme Le Saux. After the retired left-back quite reasonably criticised Mourinho’s behaviour towards his medical team, the Blues boss retaliated by attempting to sully Le Saux’s reputation by name-checking him as one of the six Chelsea players that decided not to travel to Tel Aviv in 2001 in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. The jibe was as callous as it was unnecessary, and the whole unsavoury episode goes down as another black mark against Mourinho.

It was one example of many where Mourinho attempted to pull in focus where he could. Hitting out at referees became almost habit again, even accusing them of being ‘scared’ to give Chelsea decisions, drawing first significant fines, then pitchside bans and then even a stadium ban, for what proved an away defeat at Stoke.

Yet the reaction Mourinho was after did not materialise. Wins over Norwich in the League and Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Champions League suggested a corner was turned by late November, whilst a goalless draw at Tottenham also brought hope, but these ultimately proved false dawns. Successive Premier League defeats at home to Bournemouth and away to surprise package Leicester City ultimately brought about the second break between club and Coach.

Mourinho hit out in the Press that his tactics had been ‘betrayed’ by the players, Stamford Bridge hierarchy decided the relationship between manager and players had reached breakdown. In the end, a 10-minute meeting with Mourinho was enough to ‘mutually end’ his second tenure at the London side.

Chelsea won just four of their 16 League fixtures and nine of their first 24 in all competitions, which included a loss against Arsenal in the Community Shield, that defeat at the Etihad, going out of the League Cup at the hands of Stoke, and humbling reversals at home to Crystal Palace, Southampton, Liverpool and Bournemouth. There were 11 defeats in total during that period, whereas the previous campaign saw Chelsea lose just four games in 54 outings.

When he returned to the Premier League, Mourinho labelled himself the ‘Happy One’. This was certainly true as his team were at times playing some excellent football last season.

This time around the football has been poor by those standards, the results even worse and the behaviour often appalling.

Mourinho remains by far the most successful manager in Chelsea’s history, and through his achievements at Stamford Bridge along with at Porto, Inter and Real Madrid, he will go down as one of the game’s greatest. But those accomplishments were not enough to turn things around for the reigning champions, or ensure he would see out the final three-and-a-half years of his contract. As it has gone, the episode from the opening day of the season may eventually be looked upon as Mourinho’s Franz Ferdinand moment. Though, it would be seen more as suicide than assassination.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF COSTA

At the beginning of the season plenty of voices waxed lyrical about the quality that pervaded the entire Chelsea team, but it was the signing of one player during the previous summer that proved to be the missing link.

Diego Costa had been brought in for £32m from Spanish champions Atletico Madrid, and could not have got off to a better start in the Premier League. Seven goals in his first four games included a hat-trick against Swansea and a strike after just 35 seconds against Everton.

The problem of £50m Fernando Torres had evaporated and Chelsea found themselves with a lethal marksman who would go on to fire 20 goals in 26 appearances as the Blues regained the Premier League title.

Fast forward to December 2015 and Costa’s form couldn’t be more different. Having admitted to reporting for pre-season overweight, the striker entered the fifth month of the campaign with as many bookings in the League as he did goals three to be precise, plus a retrospective ban for his antics against Arsenal. The 27-yearold’s aggressive style looks desperate and petulant without the goals to back it up.

Following a fallout with Mourinho during November’s Champions League game against Maccabi Tel Aviv, Costa was dropped for the next fixture at Tottenham, despite Radamel Falcao being injured and Loic Remy unavailable due to the birth of his child. Eden Hazard played out of position up front and Costa didn’t even make it off the bench, a decision that compelled the Spain international to fling his training bib up into the air in his manager’s direction.

“If he wants to hurt me, it is not with a bib,” said the manager. It is opposition defences that Costa must start hurting again if he is to revive his Chelsea career.

905.851.2851 3790 HIGHWAY 7 AT WESTON RD PINEVIEWHYUNDAI.CA

EPL: SURPRISE PACKAGES

s e s i r p r u s “But Leicester didn’t WASTE ANY TIME IN PROVING THEIR CRITICS WRONG” Jamie Vardy’s ring sensational sco the form has been son story of the sea

NOTHIN LEICE THAN REMARKABLE NOBODY EXPECTED LEICESTER CITY TO BE FIGHTING AT THE TOP OF THE ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, SO STEPHEN DONOVAN EXAMINES HOW THEY HAVE MANAGED TO SURPRISE JUST ABOUT EVERYONE

a

s recently as April 2015 Leicester City were rock-bottom of the Premier League and staring straight at an immediate return to the second tier of English football. There seemed to be no hope as goals and points were proving scarce, but then as everyone chose to write them off, they embarked on an incredible run of seven wins in their final nine matches to survive with a degree of comfort.

It was one of the greatest escapes the Premier League has ever seen, but just when everything seemed to be rosy, problems behind the scenes led to manager Nigel Pearson being sacked, news which came just as out of the blue as their miraculous late season turnaround. Then came the announcement that his replacement would be much-travelled Italian Claudio Ranieri.

Dubbed the Tinkerman for his habit of constantly changing his starting XI and tactics, Ranieri’s appointment was met with a mixture of surprise and scepticism. He’d been out of work since losing his job as Coach of the Greek national team, and many felt that he was an unusual choice by Leicester’s Thai owners in their attempts to take the club forward. As a result, they were soon installed as relegation candidates before the 2015-16 season began.

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DID YOU KNOW LEICESTER CITY HOLD THE JOINT RECORD FOR MOST SECOND-TIER TITLE TRIUMPHS. THE FOXES HAVE WON THE FIRST DIVISION SIX TIMES AND THE CHAMPIONSHIP ONCE, MEANING THEY ARE LEVEL WITH MANCHESTER CITY ON SEVEN. THE FOXES HOLD THE RECORD FOR THE MOST FA CUP FINAL APPEARANCES WITHOUT WINNING THE COMPETITION, HAVING REACHED THE FINAL FOUR TIMES IN THEIR HISTORY. AFTER WORLD WAR I, LEICESTER FOSSE, AS THEY WERE ORIGINALLY NAMED, CEASED TRADING DUE TO FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES. THE CLUB WAS REFORMED AS ‘LEICESTER CITY FOOTBALL CLUB’ FOLLOWING THE BOROUGH’S RECENT CITY STATUS.

Despite signing the likes of Austrian defender Christian Fuchs, combative midfielder N’Golo Kante, noted Japanese striker Shinji Okazaki and experienced former Napoli man Gokhan Inler, those thoughts did not waver, particularly as they had lost the services of Esteban Cambiasso. The 2010 Champions League winner had been a key presence in midfield and was voted the club’s Player of the Year for 2014-15.

But they didn’t waste any time in proving their critics wrong, going three goals ahead within 25 minutes of their opening Premier League match of 2015-16 against Sunderland, going on to win 4-2. And that result began a phenomenal run which has taken them to the upmost reaches of the Premier League, helped by a never-say-die attitude which has consistently seen them pick up points from losing positions.

The match which really summed up their powers of recovery was against Aston Villa in September, where they were totally outplayed for long periods and found themselves two goals down in the second half before somehow hitting back to win 3-2. It soon became their trademark as in the next month Ranieri’s men clawed back two-goal deficits to draw at Stoke City and Southampton.

That they have managed to do this on so many occasions has been no fluke. There’s a

“The key to Vardy’s success had been his seemingly neverending energy and work rate which makes him a real nuisance for opposing defenders”

remarkable team spirit across the whole squad which is evident every time they take to the field, unbroken by the change of manager. The supporters who turn out in their droves for each game at the King Power Stadium create a cracking atmosphere, highlighting the buzz that is currently around the club.

Algerian winger Riyad Mahrez came flying out of the blocks and netted a hat-trick against Sunderland, also going on to score in each of his following two outings. Mahrez showed glimpses of his potential during 2014-15, but this term he has really announced himself and become highly sought after. His trickery has so often been too difficult to live with for opposition defenders, who have struggled against his all-round ability and are finding him increasingly difficult to stop.

Mahrez continues to shine, but most of the attention has been diverted towards striker Jamie Vardy, whose astonishing achievements have seen his reputation soar into the stratosphere. The 29-year-old had never played in league football before he joined Leicester in 2012, but has undergone a rise which has seen him become an England international and score in 11 consecutive Premier League outings, sensationally trumping the record set by Ruud van Nistelrooy for Manchester United in 2003.

Dynamic winger Riyad Mahrez has stepped up another gear in 2015-16

The key to Vardy’s success had been his seemingly never-ending energy and work rate which makes him a real nuisance for opposing defenders. Under the tutelage of Ranieri his level has risen by several notches. Whereas under Pearson he was one of a number of strikers who were rotated from game to game, Vardy is now the main man. His confidence is sky-high, and he always seems to be in the right position to tuck away an inviting cross or make the most of a defensive error.

Two players have clearly stood out for Leicester, but they are where they are because of a phenomenal team effort. Ranieri has a largely settled starting line-up, consistent and committed from back to front, with Kasper

“Over a decade on from his last job in England at Chelsea, Ranieri is showing great enthusiasm’” Schmeichel, who is beginning to establish himself as one of the Premier League’s leading goalkeepers, playing behind an experienced back four which includes two powerful centrebacks in Wes Morgan and Robert Huth.

Meanwhile, Kante has been a revelation in midfield alongside the reliable Daniel Drinkwater, a considerable achievement for two players with very little top-flight experience coming into 2015-16.

Ranieri is not widely known for playing expansive football, but it seems he is giving his players the freedom to come forward and express themselves. Ghana international Jeffrey Schlupp, who came through the club’s youth system, is thriving in his role as an attacking left-back and has developed a successful partnership with Marc Albrighton, who’s been rejuvenated since moving to Leicester in the summer of 2014.

They may not manage to sustain their form for the whole campaign, but what the East Midlands side have done is built an immensely strong platform. In what is a wide open Premier League season where no team seems capable of taking the initiative in terms of the title race, Leicester now have a wonderful opportunity to at least qualify for Europe, which would be a fitting outcome to their sensational rise.

Over a decade on from his last job in England at Chelsea, Ranieri is showing great enthusiasm, which is rubbing off on a squad that has been playing with little or no fear right from the beginning of 2015-16. He can be exceptionally pleased with the work he’s done so far.

Dane Kasper Schmeichel is to well on his way becoming a top goalkeeper

on fire:

james vardy

1. Vardy became the first player in Premier League history to score a goal in 11 consecutive matches, beating Ruud van Nistelrooy's previous record of 10 with a run that spanned from August to November 2015.

2. The Leicester City frontman is famed for his steady rise from a nonleague footballer to a Premier League star. As recent as 2010 Vardy was playing for Stocksbridge Park Steels F.C. in the seventh tier of the English football league.

3. Vardy has launched his own week-long soccer training camp, V9 Academy, which offers non-league players the chance to display their skills in front of scouts from clubs higher up the league system.

4. Up until a few years ago soccer was just a side-job for Vardy. Earning just £30-a-week from his club, his main job saw him producing medical splints in order to earn a living.

5. Vardy is the only player in history to have scored against both Manchester United and FC United of Manchester, a lower-league team formed by a group of Manchester United fans following the club's Glazers takeover.

6. Vardy has a bit of a dubious past. The Leicester City striker was convinced of assault in 2007 following a fight outside a bar. He was also accused of racism earlier this year – an incident he later apologised for.

7. The goalscorer is considered a late bloomer. He didn't sign his first professional contract until the age of 25 and his first England call-up came at the age of 28.

8. Vardy is best known for his goalscoring abilities, but he also does his bit in other areas of the field. He is fast, hard-working, restless, adept in the air and competent with both feet.

9. The Foxes striker almost retired from soccer in 2013 soon after joining Leicester City, as he struggled to find form after joining the club in a £1 million deal, until former manager Nigel Pearson convinced him to stick it out.

10. Vardy has recently found his father, who walked out on his mother when she was pregnant with him. The 52-year-old labourer was shocked by the news that his son is a professional Premier League footballer.

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by the numbers

500 400 2k

Gareth Barry made his 550th Premier League start in Everton’s defeat at home to Manchester United.

James Milner made his 400th Premier League appearance in Liverpool’s win at Chelsea, becoming the 24th Englishman to reach this milestone.

Olivier Giroud scored the 2000th goal of manager Arsene Wenger’s tenures at the club in the side’s Week 11 victory at Swansea.

WHERE ARE WE, AGAIN? “It’s football, so you never know.

You go into every job knowing the impatience of football, and you need results.” - Newcastle boss Steve

Anthony Martial has made a strong start to life as a Manchester United player but it seems his wife needs to brush up on her knowledge of the Red Devils. Wife Samantha posted a picture of Arsenal’s Emirates stadium on a social media site mistaking it for United’s Old Trafford!

McClaren is unsure whether he will be sacked after a poor start to the season.

ROO WANTSUM

“We can call it controlled football, we can call it patient football, but it is so far very effective because they are sitting good in the table.” - West Ham

BANNED!

Manchester United’s Marouane Fellaini isn’t known for his speed on the pitch but it looks like he more than makes up for it off the grass. The Belgian was caught speeding in his Audi sports car twice in six minutes and now faces a ninemonth driving ban!

England and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney raised eyebrows when he took part in a WWE event in Manchester. Rooney slapped wrestler Wade Barrett in an organised stunt in front of a packed audience.

manager defends Manchester United’s Louis van Gaal after his side were labelled as ‘boring’.

“Like every player, Jack made a mistake and he has to pay the consequences. If another player dœs something wrong he will have the same treatment.” - Aston

Villa manager Remi Garde speaks on punishment for Jack Grealish following an unauthorised night on the town.

“You want to find a striker that scores a lot of goals, has good physical condition, good characteristics, who can work hard and is a nice guy, too.”

- Tottenham’s Mauricio Pochettino describes his ideal winter signing.

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GOLDEN MARTIAL

Manchester United striker Anthony Martial has been named as Europe’s best young player winning the 2015 Golden Boy award. The French international was selected following a vote by journalists from 30 newspapers across Europe to name the best player under the age of 21.

Impressing for Monaco with 12 goals in 41 appearances last season before a £57.6m move to Old Trafford. After a terrific start at Manchester United the striker made his international debut in September joining Didier Deschamps France strike force for Euro 2016. Martial is the third United player to win the award after Wayne Rooney (2004) and Anderson (2008). Other award winners including Lionel Messi, Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling.

DID YOU KNOW?

Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling became the 11th different player to score a Premier League hat-trick while under the age of 21 in his side’s Week 9 5-1 win over AFC Bournemouth.

Newcastle United’s Week 11 draw at home to Stoke City was the Magpies’ 100th Premier League draw at St James Park.

I’M NOT LOOKING, IT’S NOT REAL

Chelsea beat Ukrainian side Dynamo Kiev at Stamford Bridge in their champions league group game in November but it seemed that someone at the Bridge had other ideas about how the tie would go. Five hours before kick off the big screen at the ground showed a 2-1 win for the Ukrainians.

BAYERN TROLL SPURS

Bayern Munich’s run of 10 straight wins came to an end in October, an 11th would have seen them match Tottenham’s record. Spurs official Twitter account trolled the German giants with ‘looks like our record still stands’. The Germans responded by reminding the London club how Bayern’s defeat in the 2012 Champions League Final cost them a place in the following year’s tournament.

HEIL SUE YOU

Manchester United’s Bastian Schweinsteiger is considering taking legal action after a Hong Kong toy company made Nazi dolls bearing an almost identical resemblance to him.

XAVI PRAISES ENGLISH FANS

Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez has praised English football supporters: “I met an English boy wearing a Barca shirt and he told me he supported Sheffield United. I know them and they get 20,000 fans in the third division. That’s incredible. You get that in England. If it was in Catalonia, Olot v Reus for example, there would be just a few people there,” he said.

DEENEY’S DELIGHT

Watford’s Troy Deeney revealed that he has a tattoo of the Birmingham City club crest on his calf in the build up to the Hornets fixture at Birmingham’s big city rivals Aston Villa. Deeney will have particularly enjoyed scoring the winning goal at Villa’s Holte End then!

PLANE STUPID?

Arsenal like to travel in style but they took this to the extreme in their Week 14 match at Norwich City.

The Gunners chartered a jet from Luton airport to make a 14-minute flight to Norwich!

KLOPP SOME OF THAT!

YOU CAN’T BLAME THE SATELITE NAVIGATION SYSTEM FOR THAT ONE!

Brechin City were nearly without a goalkeeper for their clash with Stenhousemuir in the Scottish League One. Graeme Smith travelled the 80 miles to Stenhousemuir’s Ochilview Park ground when in fact it was a home game at Brechin’s Glebe Park.

Thankfully he made it back just in time for kick-off!

DID YOU KNOW? Sunderland’s Week 14 clash with Stoke was the seventh different club match up between Sam Allardyce and Mark Hughes in the Premier League.

Goalkeeper Richard Wright made the Manchester City bench in the side’s Week 14 fixture with Southampton for the first time since December 2012. 1,071 days ago.

PICK ME

Former Aston Villa striker Dwight Yorke bizarrely threw his hat into the ring to become the Midlands side’s new manager after the sacking of Tim Sherwood. Yorke told a sports radio station “ I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t put my name in the hat.”

Unfortunately for Yorke, Remi Garde was the chosen man.

Jose Mourinho would have been content with his side’s point from Tottenham in the all London clash at White Hart Lane in Week 14. Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino didn’t want to let the Blues leave the Lane with out a final dig though and said that his Spurs side felt like they played a “small team.”

captain Paul Ince believes that Chelsea’s John Terry is the last of a dying breed.

“I know that journalists like it when it’s not going well – they are looking for problems – but I never heard there was a problem between Mourinho and Eden.” -

Thorgan Hazard, plays down rumours of a rift between his brother, Eden Hazard, and Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho.

Crystal Palace’s Week 14 5-1 crushing of Newcastle United was the first time the Eagles have ever scored five goals in a Premier League match

Ahead of Liverpool’s Week 14 win at home to Swansea, manager Jurgen Klopp told injury prone striker Daniel Sturridge that he needs to toughen up. He said that Sturridge needed to “learn what is serious pain and what is only pain.”

SALT IN THE WOUNDS

“When you look at people such as myself, Adams, Vieira, Petit, Robson, Shearer, we were brought up in tough upbringings and had to fight to be a footballer. I think that John Terry is probably the last of these leaders and it’s an era we won’t ever see again.” - Former-England

NO HOLIDAY!

League Two side Leyton Orient suffered an embarrassing defeat on television in their Week 17 clash at lowly placed Hartlepool United.

Orient’s Italian owner Francesco Becchetti was so incensed with his side that he forced them to stay in a hotel for the whole of the following week!

by the numbers

300

Arouna Koné scored the 300th goal of the 2015-16 Premier League season with his first strike in Everton’s Week 11 6-2 demolition of Sunderland.

24k

Kieran Gibbs’ strike versus Tottenham in Week 12 was the 24,000th goal scored in Premier League history.

“I generally watch what I think will be entertaining games with two attack-minded passing teams. Obviously United used to come under that. There were always goals and chances. I now find myself flicking the telly over and doing something else for 10 minutes.” - Former-Manchester United man Lee Sharpe admits he finds their new style of play dull.

“He’s a very smart and positive guy. Liverpool couldn’t have hired a better manager. They have already won by appointing him.” - Borussia Dortmund star Jakub

Blaszczykowski praises Liverpool’s decision to hire Jurgen Klopp as manager.

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RECORD BREAKER “It’s a real shame because he is a great guy. He is a real champion, a very hard worker. He is incredible and I wish him all the best.” - Leicester City boss Claudio

Ranieri feels sorry for struggling Chelsea loanee Radamel Falcao.

Leicester City have been in inspired form, but Jamie Vardy has been a notch above the rest. The lethal striker became the first player in Premier League history to score in 11 consecutive appearances, beating the record of 10 previously held by former-Manchester United star Ruud van Nistelrooy. Although, Vardy was unable to make it 12 in a row.

GOAL FRENZY

Goals from Daniel Sturridge, Divock Origi and Jordan Ibe secured Liverpool the victory in a 6-1 demolition of Southampton. The game marked the 90th time in the club’s history that they have scored six or more goals in a single match.

by the numbers

85

Sergio Aguero’s strike in Manchester City’s Week 13 defeat to Liverpool was his 85th Premier League strike making him the highest scoring South American in the competition.

BAD START

Newcastle United have suffered a tough start to the 2015/16 campaign, and have picked up just 10 points in their first 14 matches. The disappointing tally was the worst that the Northern club had ever had at this stage of the season in all the seasons they have featured in the Premier League.

“When you have been at the top for so long, it’s horrible. You don’t want to go out after games, you don’t want to show your face in public. It’s that level.” - Club

BRENDAN BACK

Brendan Rodgers could be set to make a speedy return to football after he was axed from his job at Liverpool in October, after reports emerged suggesting that he was being lined up to take over at Swansea City – the club he departed for Anfield back in 2012.

captain John Terry speaks out on Chelsea’s terrible start to the 2015/16 season.

BIG MONEY

Southampton’s Sadio Mane has attracted the attention of some big clubs with his impressive performances this season. Although, despite interest from Manchester United and Bayern Munich, Saints boss Ronald Koeman has insisted that he wouldn’t even consider selling the 23-year-old for a world record £100 million transfer fee.

WINNING NUMBERS

“We don’t treat them by age, we treat them by what they do and they have always been at the front of our thoughts as it is a way you can reach a level that probably you cannot achieve with money.” -

Everton boss Roberto Martinez reveals how he has overseen the development of the club’s youth stars.

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Jurgen Klopp is proving to be the right man for the Liverpool job, despite only joining the club in October.

The German boss has won 64% of the games he had led Liverpool in during the 2015/16 campaign – considerably higher than former-boss Brendar Rodgers’ measly 27% win ratio.

BAD MOVE

Javier Hernandez is showing Louis van Gaal what he is missing after scoring 12 goals in 20 appearances since leaving Manchester United.

United’s two registered strikers, Anthony Martial and Wayne Rooney, have scored just 13 between them in 43 appearances.

by the numbers

11

Jamie Vardy set a new record of 11 goals in 11 consecutive matches. His record breaking strike in Leicester’s Week 14 draw with Manchester United also made him Leicester’s top scorer in a single season with 13 goals.

50

Everton’s Romelu Lukaku scored his 50th Premier League goal in Everton’s Week 13 win at home to Aston Villa.

SPANISH EYES

The pressure is on for newlyannounced Valencia manager Gary Neville. Reports have emerged suggesting that he is being watched by his former club, Manchester United, who are considering him as Louis van Gaal’s successor when he eventually retires.

SOMETHING STUNK

DID YOU KNOW?

The self-declared ‘Special One’ went unbeaten in 150 home league matches between 2002 and 2011, claiming 38 victories with Porto, 60 with Chelsea, 38 with Inter Milan and 14 with Real Madrid.

But all good things must come to an end, and after losing four of his last eight home games he was fired.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Manchester derby saw City goalkeeper Joe Hart secure his 100th Premier League clean sheet at the club.

Chelsea’s Week 12 defeat at Stoke City meant that they are the first defending champions in English top-flight history to lose seven out of their opening 12 games in their title defence.

Manchester City’s 4-1 defeat at home to Liverpool in Week 13 was the first time they had conceded four at home in a Premier League match since February 2013.

“First of all, it’s dangerous to have a camera there. Secondly, he didn’t need to push him like he did. He could have killed him.” -

Arsenal manager overreacts to a push from Norwich defender Ryan Bennett, which saw Alexis Sanchez fall over an advertising board.

Leicester’s Week 10 win at home to Crystal Palace was the club’s 100th win in their Premier League history.

Manchester United failed to register a single shot in the first half of their derby game with Manchester City in Week 10. The first time since the 2003-04 season.

OVER SPENDING

It has come to light that Chelsea’s state of the art youth academy costs a staggering £9 million a year to operate. Despite the huge costs, the club have failed to produce any first-team regulars since club captain John Terry stepped up 15 years ago.

“I hope people did something better on Sunday than watching this game.” - Jurgen Klopp slams his

Liverpool side following shock defeat to strugglers Newcastle.

BAD HISTROY

Aston Villa’s 1-1 draw with Southampton means that they have now gone 14 games without recording a win, having claimed just 6 points in 15 matches. The poor run is the longest winless streak in the club’s history 141 year history.

COMMISSION PLEASE

Southampton manager Ronald Koeman has hit out at his St Mary’s bosses for failing to spend the money that the club have received from player sales in recent years. The club have earned close to £150 million in the past two years, with only a portion of the profit spent on replacements.

I.Q. WHAT’S THAT?

Premier League newboys Norwich City’s 2-0 defeat to Watford was made worse as their team coach was attacked by vandals following the game. The offenders are said to have smashed a window with a rock, although it remains unclear which team the fans were supporting.

“It is not about age, it is about performance, desire and hunger.

It is a long way to go until March and then next summer but you have to build your game and your performance to try to show the national manager that you deserve to go.” - Tottenham manager

Mauricio Pochettino urges Dele Alli to prove himself ahead of the Euro 2016 tournament.

BAD ODDS

The odds of Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil being crowned PFA Player of the Year have were slashed after a string of brilliant performances. The odds on the German have fallen from 20/1 at the start to the season to just 9/1, thanks to his 12 assists in just 14 league matches.

BENCH WARMER

Manchester United’s forgotten man Guillermo Valera was finally given the chance to make an appearance for the Premier League club. Valera joined the club some 30 months ago back in June 2013, and after waiting patiently for his chance, it finally came against West Ham. Valera will undoubtedly be hoping that his next appearance comes sooner.

DREAM JOB

Famed manager Pep Guardiola could be set for another 12 month sabbatical from the game if it means he will land the Manchester United job when he returns. With Louis van Gaal’s contract at the club expiring in 2017, Guardiola is reportedly happy to wait for his ‘dream job’ to become available.

TATTOO INSPIRATION

One brave fan has promised to get new club boss Remi Garde’s face tattooed on his backside if he keeps Aston Villa in the Premier League this season. As things stand, it seems an impossible feat, as Villa sit at the bottom end of the table.

“The question is would Luis Suarez or Sergio Aguero score if they were here? That is a question mark. You never know. I think they would, though.” - Louis van

Gaal believes he needs a top striker to end Manchester United’s barren spell.

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serie a: CRISIS MANAGEMENT

RE-EARNING THE STRIPES A SUMMER OF CHANGE IN TURIN SAW JUVENTUS MAKE THEIR WORST START TO A SERIE A SEASON SINCE 1969. GABY MCKAY LOOKS AT HOW THE OLD LADY GOT HER GROOVE BACK Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon helped Juventus through an early crisis.

AGE OLD RELIANCE Juventus endured a nightmare start to the season, but things would have been even worse were it not for veteran goalkeeper Gigi Buffon.

A home draw with Chievo was disappointing, but it would have been a disastrous defeat, had Buffon not pulled off an incredible reflex save to tip Bostjan Cesar’s shot onto the post.

A Champions League win at Manchester City was only possible thanks to a series of fine stops - including a ridiculous double-save in the second half - and his contribution has gone beyond the playing side. When whistles rained down from the Turin stands at half-time in the Chievo game, Buffon saw it as his duty to help his younger teammates. “Abbiamo bisogno di voi,” the ‘keeper told angry fans - “we need you.” The Old Lady could have fallen behind in the derby with Torino, were it not for Buffon clawing a Kamil Glik header out from under his bar. A stoppage time save preserved a lead over Milan. Two crucial wins which wouldn’t have been possible without his towering presence.

Despite early season struggles, the club captain has not looked to deflect blame away from the squad. “Talking about the referee all the time is what losers do and we do not stoop to that level. We wear the Juventus shirt and must do it justice.”

There are some in the Juventus team who could be accused of failing to honour the shirt, but the goalkeeper they call Superman is not one of them.

“Talking about the referee all the time is what losers do and we do not stoop to that level.”

REJUVENATION TAKES TIME

M

arcello Lippi believes that a team should be broken up at its most successful moment. Once a side has reached the top, the World Cupwinner reasons, players become satisfied and the only way is down.

His great Juventus side of the 1990s was in constant flux. Roberto Baggio was sold in 1995, at the peak of his powers, with a youngster named Alessandro Del Piero stepping into his shoes. On Lippi’s return to the club in 2001 the world’s best player Zinedine Zidane was sold to make way for Pavel Nedved and Lilian Thuram.

It’s perhaps this philosophy that inspired a raft of changes in Turin this summer. Coach Massimiliano Allegri guided his team to a Serie A and Coppa Italia double last season, as well as the Champions League Final, finally adding European success to domestic dominance.

However, the starting XI which secured a 1-1 draw at Real Madrid to reach the showpiece had an average age of over 30. Affectionately known as the Old Lady, Juve were relying on - in football terms - old men.

The 3-1 defeat to Barcelona in the final proved to be the last stand for many key players. Veteran Andrea Pirlo swapped Serie A for MLS. Carlos Tevez returned to boyhood club Boca Juniors at the age of 31. Squad players Marco Storari [38], Fernando Llorente [30] and Angelo Ogbonna [27] were all moved on.

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In their stead came a number of fresh faces.

Palermo star and 21-year-old Paulo Dybala arrived for a €32m fee, while Daniele Rugani, 20, returned from Empoli. Norberto Neto, Simone Zaza, Alex Sandro and Mario Lemina were also recruited, all of them under the age of 25.

The policy of director general Giuseppe Marotta and his team was to lower the average age of the squad, but the transfer campaign may not have been as well-planned as it first appeared.

Arturo Vidal, arguably the heart of the team, was sold to Bayern Munich. Kingsley Coman, one of the hottest prospects in Europe, followed him to Bavaria.

Allegri had made it clear he wanted a trequartista for his favoured 4-3-1-2 system, and much of the summer was spent pursuing Schalke’s Julian Draxler, aged 22. A loan move for Chelsea winger Juan Cuadrado was one of Marotta’s famous ‘market opportunities’, but transfer deadline day arrived without a player to fill the hole in Allegri’s squad.

When 30-year-old Inter flop Hernanes arrived on the last day of the window, fans were outraged.

Even Marotta didn’t seem enamoured with the new man. “Hernanes arrived in extremis,” he admitted to shareholders. “He wasn’t first choice, and we never thought we were bringing in a phenomenon.” The Brazilian didn’t impress, failing to provide a goal or an assist in his first 11 games for the club.

“The transfer campaign may not have been as wellplanned as it first appeared”

The Champions League final was Andrea Pirlo’s last game for the Bianconeri.

“Nervous glances were cast as Juventus started to find their groove”

JUVENTUS’ CRISIS SERIE A - JUVENTUS 0S’1 UDINESE SERIE A - ROMA 2-1 JUVENTUS SERIE A - JUVENTUS 1-1 CHIEVO CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - MANCHESTER CITY 1-2 JUVENTUS SERIE A - GENOA 0-2 JUVENTUS SERIE A - JUVENTUS 1-1 FROSINONE SERIE A - NAPOLI 2-1 JUVENTUS

Massimiliano Allegri has been forced to oversee another rebuilding job.

Allegri had previously guided Milan to the Scudetto, building his team around Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva, with veterans Filippo Inzaghi, Gennaro Gattuso and Alessandro Nesta providing experience.

The Rossoneri came a close second to unbeaten Juventus in Allegri’s second season, but Ibrahimovic and Silva were sold in the summer of 2012, with most of the veterans leaving or retiring. The January 2013 arrival of Mario Balotelli helped the Diavolo to third-place after a disastrous start, but Allegri was dismissed the following season after a series of poor results.

With the departure of key players, was history in danger of repeating itself in Turin? Early indications were not good, with the Old Lady winning just one of the opening six Serie A games, and drawing with debutantes Frosinone.

Fans let their frustrations be known, but it would be unfair to blame the crisis entirely on Allegri or Marotta. Wins over Manchester City and Sevilla in the Champions League proved that the squad had talent, and injuries to Stephan Lichtsteiner, Claudio Marchisio and Sami Khedira offered some mitigation for the poor results.

“We’ll get back to being the team we were a few months ago,” captain Gigi Buffon assured in September. “There are 25 or 26 players in the squad, and we’ve trained together two or three times, we need to get to know each other. The season lasts 10 months, it’s very long. The next month will give us a lot of answers.”

Allegri responded to the crisis by deviating from his favoured tactic. The Bianconeri developed a 3-5-2/4-3-3 hybrid, with Andrea Barzagli shifting to right-back for attacks, and Cuadrado at right wing-back for the defensive phase.

Slowly but surely, the tide began to turn. Dybala

serie a: CRISIS MANAGEMENT

“Allegri answered to the crisis by deviating from his favoured tactic”

began to repay the club’s investment in him, with six goals and two assists in his first 12 Serie A games. Pogba’s wonderstrike against Torino confirmed his status as one of the best young midfielders in the world. Having lost three of their opening six League games, Allegri’s side won six of their next eight.

Where previously Napoli, Inter, Roma and Fiorentina had been locked in their own private title fight, nervous glances were cast as Juventus started to find their groove. “In the end they’ll still be competing for the title,” says Nerazzurri Coach Roberto Mancini. “When they can count on all of their players, Juventus are still the best team in Italy.”

Napoli’s Maurizio Sarri has warned: “talking about the League being over at this stage is absurd.

Juve have shown that they can win 10 games in a row.” Meanwhile Roma boss Rudi Garcia insists: “the favourite is still Juve.”

A troubled start to the season means Juventus have a fight on their hands in the quest for a fifth-consecutive Scudetto, but the Turin giants can never be written off. “Juve are like a dragon with seven heads,” Giovanni Trapattoni told Tuttosport. “You cut off two but another five remain. You can’t kill them off.”

There’s no question the Bianconeri were hurt by the early season crisis, but there’s nothing more dangerous than a wounded animal, and it appears Juventus are ready to roar again.

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DID YOU KNOW? THE TALLEST PLAYER ON THE SQUAD RIGHT NOW IS GIANLUIGI BUFFON, NETO (1.91 M / 6 FT 3 IN) THE SMALLEST PLAYER IS PATRICE EVRA (1.75 M / 5 FT 9 IN). THE HEAVIEST PLAYER ON JUVENTUS IS: RUBINHO, SAMI KHEDIRA (85 KG / 187 LBS) THE LIGHTEST PLAYER IS JUAN CUADRADO (66 KG / 146 LBS) THE OLDEST AND PROBABLY MOST WISEST ON THE TEAM HAS TO BE GIANLUIGI BUFFON (37 YEARS) THE YOUNGEST IS EMILIO AUDERO (18 YEARS). THE MOST EXPENSIVE PLAYER CURRENTLY PLAYING FOR JUVENTUS IS PAUL POGBA (€ 60 MN.) PAUL POGBA ALSO TAKES THE HIGHEST SALARY OF THE TEAM.(€ 8,200,000 PER YEAR / £ 110,510 A WEEK)THE PLAYER THAT HAS BEEN WITH THE CLUB THE LONGEST IS CLAUDIO MARCHISIO (SINCE 1993)

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SERIE A: SURPRISE PACKAGES

s e s i r p r u s “THeir preformances have been resolute seeing off matches with relative ease against tough opposition”

TACTICAL ENGINEERS SASSUOLO HAVE GONE FROM SERIE A NOVICES TO TACTICAL ENGINEERS DARING TO DREAM OF MORE THAN JUST AVOIDING RELEGATION. GEORGE RINALDI EXPLAINS THEIR IMPROVEMENT

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assuolo have been Italy’s answer to the dark horse. It’s true. For just two seasons ago they were a side who hadn’t even stepped foot in Serie A before. Everyone expected them to be the whipping boys, conceding seven in both the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons’ opening weeks to Inter. Nowadays the Neroverdi are the ones inflicting pain on the unfortunate others, exceeding all expectations to virtually kill off all relegation talk to possible whispers of European football.

It’s been hard fought, but Coach Eusebio Di Francesco has done everything in his power to make this change. The tactician has been daring in his approach this campaign, changing a 3-4-3 style with two wing-backs into a much more solid 4-3-3. Di Francesco had given this formation a trial during the tail end of the past campaign in which they won all four matches.

The decision to solidify this tactic has paid dividends in their progress thus far. Sassuolo have been far more inventive in their play during matches in 2015-16, altering the rather monotonous style of the last campaign. Goals are being scored and very few are being let in at the other end.

Their performances have been resolute, seeing off matches with relative ease against tough opposition. One example of this came against Juventus in late October, a 1-0 win the prize for their brilliance in defence. Only a solitary shot on target came from the Scudetto holders in 90 24 S360

“Sassuolo are no longer vulnerable on the counterattack down the byline, but are the team now utilising what they themselves succumbed to prior to this season’”

Domenico Berardi may have an issue with discipline, but has flourished in having the shackles of tactics removed.

minutes of football.

The improvement in the defence has been valuable and yet it hasn’t taken a new face to spark the change. The interchange of defenders between and even during matches has been incredibly smooth. Mixtures of inexperienced and experienced players have come together to form a side that may not be earning clean sheets every single game, but that works as a team. Experienced heads such as Federico Peluso and Paolo Cannavaro have aided the less knowledgeable Sime Vrsaljko and Francesco Acerbi. It is not in regards to the latter’s ability compared to the two aforementioned elders, but it has been the combination of the two to create this symphony at the back.

Although Di Francesco likes to chop and change where he sees fit, he does have the sturdy back-line he has craved since his 3-4-3 days of laying out Sassuolo.

They are no longer vulnerable on the counter-attack down the by-line, but are the team now utilising what they themselves succumbed to prior to this season.

Vrsaljko has Peluso to learn from, and Acerbi has Cannavaro. Although Acerbi’s age may differ from the younger Vrsaljko, having Cannavaro alongside him means his ability has been refined. It is because of these four that Sassuolo have improved. These four have

formed such a strong bond and, by Di Francesco keeping the same players starting week in week out and only changing during the match when he sees fit, it means they’ve learnt how each other play. All four have played the majority of their matches this campaign.

With defence, of course, comes the attack.

Unless a mistake is made between the opposition defenders, pretty much every move has to originate from the defence. They are the ones who set the pace, the style and the move that goes into every attack. The forward area for Sassuolo has been one purely focused on youth.

There is just one standout experienced player who plays upfront for the Neroverdi on a regular basis and that is Antonio Floro Flores.

The 32-year-old has never been truly prolific in his career even during his main stint at Udinese.

Having joined Sassuolo back in 2013, it looks as though he has finally settled in at a new club for good. Little focus has been pinned on the Italian this season unfortunately, as he has been the saviour of Sassuolo due to a certain young man’s hot head. Of course this, alongside his immense attacking talent at just 21-years-old, means Dominico Berardi is the centre of attention at the club.

Berardi was the answer to Sassuolo’s prayers in regards to a goalscorer, securing their man last summer when Simone Zaza headed back to Juventus. It wasn’t a loss according to Di Francesco, who ended up being quite surprised that the Bianconeri didn’t opt for the other talismanic forward. Berardi has brought a lot of attention to Sassuolo over the past couple of the seasons, and this campaign has been heavily focused upon the Italian.

In Di Francesco’s 4-3-3 formation, Berardi has been given a very James Bond-esque title - a licence to roam. He has no main position to play in, divulging into the striking role if needs be, escaping the imaginary shackles of the wing.

He’s dropped deeper to collect the ball too, becoming the creative visionary of the side.

Alongside two 24-year-olds in Nicola Sansone and new boy Gregoire Defrel, Berardi has the option to switch positions with either. Being a left-footed player, it may come as a surprise that Berardi is deployed as the winger on the right hand side, but this is done to allow the Italian to cut-in with the ball before releasing a trademark curling effort.

It’s something he enjoys in great numbers, and it doesn’t even have to be from open play either. A wonderful free-kick displays this affection with the curled effort and best showcased during the 2-1 defeat at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza to Milan back in October. His ease of finishing and changing of roles, even sometimes as a second striker, opens many avenues for his fellow striking companions to delve into new areas as well.

Despite his advancement as an all-round player this season, Berardi still remains a hot-head, completing the rather disappointing bingo of earning a red card in each of his past three

FINE FOODS

seasons.

Di Francesco knows it is a problem and is ready to sort it out, and once he does so he’ll be left with a truly wonderful striker at his disposal. The fact that Sassuolo have continued their good runs of form, especially at home this season even without Berardi for a number of matches illustrates their strength.

Relegation? What relegation? Sassuolo’s new found tactics, rock hard defence and talented attackers have dispelled such talk. On to Europe?

You never know…

DID YOU KNOW? SASSUOLO REACHED SERIE C1 IN 2006 AFTER WINNING THE SERIE C2 PROMOTION PLAY-OFFS

BY BEATING SANSOVINO IN THE FINAL. IN THE FOLLOWING YEARS, SASSUOLO PROVED TO BE A SERIOUS CONTENDER FOR PROMOTION TO SERIE B, BARELY MISSING IT IN 2007, WITH GIAN MARCO REMONDINA AS HEAD COACH, AS THEY LOST IMMEDIATE PROMOTION TO GROSSETO IN THE FINAL SEASON DAYS, AND WERE DEFEATED BY FIFTHPLACED MONZA IN THE PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINALS. REMONDINA THEN LEFT SASSUOLO TO JOIN SERIE B’S PIACENZA, AND FORMER SERIE A PLAYER MASSIMILIANO ALLEGRI WAS THEN CHOSEN AS NEW HEAD COACH. UNDER ALLEGRI, SASSUOLO QUICKLY REVIVED THEIR HOPES TO OBTAIN PROMOTION TO SERIE B; THIS ULTIMATELY CAME ON 27 APRIL 2008, WHEN THEY WON THE SERIE C1/A TITLE, THUS ENSURING A HISTORICAL PROMOTION TO SERIE B, THE FIRST IN THE CLUB’S HISTORY.

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SERIE A: SCUDETTO SPOTLIGHT

SCUDETTO ALCHEMY SO MANY ELEMENTS MUST COME TOGETHER TO CREATE A SERIE A TITLE WINNER. SUSY CAMPANALE LOOKS AT THE EXPERIMENTS BUBBLING AWAY THIS SEASON

I

t is so often said that a winning mentality makes the real difference in football. It’s not something you can buy, nor produce on order, and some clubs appear to have a pathological inability to muster it up in key points of the season. Juventus had lost it after four years of utter dominance, but that was only a blip due to big changes, injuries and a pinch of complacency. Roma, it seems, will never be able to fully embrace it, no matter how much money they throw at the problem. Napoli had always lacked it, though Maurizio Sarri has created a spectacular alchemy at the Stadio San Paolo. Can Roberto Mancini revive it at Inter after years in the wilderness and will Paulo Sousa bring it to Fiorentina?

Whatever happens, this is already set to be the most exciting Serie A tournament for decades. There’s huge uncertainty at the top with several different viable candidates for the Scudetto and the poor Juve start has left a very open playing field. The entertainment has been on the pitch too, with only six 0-0 draws in the first 140 games and a new breed of Coach focusing on attacking football ahead of negative tactics.

Sarri’s Napoli are at the forefront and put them top of the Serie A table after 25 years.

They hadn’t been sole leaders this far into the campaign since last winning the Scudetto

ill Neutrals w be ultimately ed not to hard-press oli for ap N on r chee to after 25 the Scudet s year

with Diego Armando Maradona in 1990. Now the Argentina international striker stoking the passion of the Partenopei is Gonzalo Higuain, a man who was on the verge of leaving last summer. It’s remarkable how many of the Napoli players, above all Marek Hamsik, Jorginho, Lorenzo Insigne and Higuain, have credited Sarri with transforming the mentality of the side. This is a Coach who only made his Serie A debut last season at little Empoli and had no real playing career to speak of, yet understands his players better than any tactician, with the exception of Carlo Ancelotti.

While Napoli have had a spectacular start to the campaign, marrying goals and excitement with genuine defensive organisation, the biggest test is yet to come for Sarri. There is no more passionate set of fans in the world than the Neapolitans and controlling their enthusiasm has proved tricky in the past. Once they genuinely believe in themselves, complacency and extreme pressure combine to send everything crashing down.

It has always been the smaller fixtures that really decided title races in Italy and that’s because teams must be able to grind out results against sides with little quality, but a lot of organisation and determination. Juve are masters of breaking down this type of opposition, but Roma and Napoli always struggled. It’s to do with mentality, for these two clubs traditionally get swept along by the enthusiasm of the fans when it’s all going well and plummet into the depths of despair the moment there’s a hiccup.

Last season Roma got ahead of themselves and it all came crashing down after a 7-1 Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich saw the overall mood darken. This term they had to be Scudetto favourites after investing heavily with Mohamed Salah, Edin Dzeko and on-loan Wojciech Szczesny, especially with Juventus dropping points early on. The Giallorossi are utterly incapable of handling the pressure of being favourites and duly crumbled. They lost 6-1 to Barcelona and Rudi Garcia insisted nothing more could’ve been done. That was

really not what the fans and club owners wanted to hear. Roma regularly get delusions of grandeur followed by disastrous depression when catching a glimpse of reality.

Napoli have often fallen into this trap too, which is why Sarri must be wary. Inter are lying in wait and Mancini’s often dull pragmatism can pounce on any sign of weakness. Fiorentina are too flighty to be genuine title contenders and Juve seem more focused on the Champions League, so ultimately we could well see a Napoli vs. Inter fight to the end.

When these sides faced off in Week 14, it was billed as style against substance.

We saw Napoli emerge 2-1 winners with a Higuain brace, but despite seeing Yuto Nagatomo sent off, Inter hit the woodwork twice in the final 40 seconds and finally put in a strong performance. Not having European commitments is a huge advantage for Mancio and he’s getting results so far with minimal effort, so in the long run could emerge on top. The Partenopei can’t keep this rhythm, up, can they?

For the neutral, though, it’s hard not to hope for a Napoli triumph. After 25 years, including bankruptcy and Serie C, to reach the Scudetto with a plain-speaking Coach many compared to Arrigo Sacchi, playing spectacular football and reward long-suffering fans with an epic celebration. Hollywood will call wanting to make a movie of this.

‘Inter are lying in wait and Mancini’s often dull pragmatism can pounce on any sign of weakness’

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one on one: GIANLUIGI BUFFON

ONE on ONE

I G I U L N GIA

BUFFON

ATEST ERED BY MANY TO BE THE GRE GIANLUIGI BUFFON IS CONSID PPER STO T SHO US ENT JUV TION. THE GOALKEEPER OF HIS GENERA , AND THAT RITY LEAGUE IS STILL A PRIO EXPLAINS WHY THE CHAMPIONS S. BY: DIEGO JOKAS 6 WITH NO REGRET ITALY MUST LEAVE FRANCE 201 FOR A PLAYER WHO HAS WON MOST THINGS IN THEIR CAREER, THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE CONTINUES TO EVADE YOU. HOW DESPERATE ARE YOU TO WIN IT It is the biggest trophy in club football; I would love to win it. If it is my destiny to win it or not I don’t know. I certainly wouldn’t consider my career incomplete if I was not to win it, I have had too much success to think that way.

WAS LAST YEAR YOUR BEST CHANCE We were in the final so of course it was a great chance, but we lost to the better team and the best team in Europe, there is no shame in that.

YOU HAVE PLAYED IN SO MANY HIGH PROFILE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GAMES, WHO IS THE BEST PLAYER YOU HAVE EVER FACED The Brazilian Ronaldo at his peak had no equal.

What he was capable of was unbelievable, one of the best players that has ever lived.

MANY THOUGHT BRAZIL 2014 WOULD BE YOUR LAST MAJOR TOURNAMENT FOR ITALY, BUT YOU SEEM PUMPED FOR FRANCE 2016 I have always said I will carry on playing until I either lose my appetite or until the coach says I am no longer at the level to play anymore. Until that day comes all I want to do is represent my country.

WHAT IS ITALY’S AIM FOR FRANCE 2016 To leave the tournament with no regrets. I am not saying we will win, I am not saying we are favourites, but we want to grow as a team and make sure we don’t have any regrets.

ITALY QUALIFIED FAIRLY COMFORTABLY IN QUALIFYING, DOES THAT GIVE YOU CONFIDENCE It was good to win the group, and getting good

results does inspire confidence. We know the finals will be very different though. When you start meeting the likes of Germany, Spain, France, and others, what you have achieved in qualifying doesn’t count for anything.

AS A GOALKEEPER WHAT STRIKERS DO YOU THINK WILL CAUSE YOU THE MOST TROUBLE AT FRANCE 2016 There will be so much quality there, but over the last year Cristiano Ronaldo has been the best player in the world for me, and you know he will cause any team problems. The goal rate of Lewandowski has been exceptional for Bayern and Poland, and if he takes that form and confidence into the tournament he will be a real handful.

YOUR JUVENTUS TEAM MATE PAUL POGBA IS ARGUABLY FRANCE’S BIG TALENT, HOW IMPORTANT WILL HE BE FOR THE HOSTS I have always said Paul can achieve whatever he wants to achieve. The talent is there, and he is getting better and better all the time.

HOW OPEN DO YOU EXPECT FRANCE 2016 TO BE There will be the favourite 3 or 4 nations as usual, but I always think back to Greece winning it.

Anything can happen.

JUVENTUS HAVE PAID THE PRICE FOR NOT WINING THE GROUP BY FACING BAYERN MUNICH, IT COULDN’T GET MUCH TOUGHER COULD IT No it couldn’t, but if you want to win the Champions League you need to beat the best teams at some point. Of course Bayern are one of the best teams in Europe, and if we want to have a chance of progressing - we are going to need to be at our very best.

“WE LOST TO THE BETTER TEAM AND THE BEST TEAM IN EUROPE, THERE IS NO SHAME IN THAT.”

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one on one: gianluigi buffon

I G I U L GIAN

BUFFON

FACTFILE NAME: GIANLUIGI BUFFON BORN: JANUARY 28, 1978 (TUSCANY, ITALY) HEIGHT: 1.91 M (6 FT 3 IN) POSITION: GOALKEEPER CLUB: JUVENTUS CLUB STATS SEASON CLUB 1995-96 PARMA 1996-97 PARMA 1997-98 PARMA 1998-99 PARMA 1999-00 PARMA 2000-01 PARMA 2001-02 JUVENTUS 2002-03 JUVENTUS 2003-04 JUVENTUS 2004-05 JUVENTUS 2005-06 JUVENTUS 2006-07 JUVENTUS 2007-08 JUVENTUS 2008-09 JUVENTUS 2009-10 JUVENTUS 2010-11 JUVENTUS 2011-12 JUVENTUS 2012-13 JUVENTUS 2013-14 JUVENTUS 2014-15 JUVENTUS 2015-16 JUVENTUS

APPS 9 27 32 34 33 34 34 32 32 37 18 37 34 23 27 16 35 32 33 33 16

GOALS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

INTERNATIONAL STATS YEAR 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

APPS 1 3 8 4 7 12 7 12 3 15 8 9 11 2 10 12 16 8 8

GOALS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT GIANLUIGI BUFFON 1 Buffon is one of just three players picked to play in five consecutive World Cup tournaments. The keeper was in the Italy squad for the 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014 editions.

2 The Italian comes from a family of sports stars.

His mother was a discus thrower, his father was a weightlifter, his two sisters are professional volleyball players and his uncle was a basketball player.

3 Buffon is a keen gambler and his preferred card game is poker. Although, while betting is often a risky game, the veteran keeper has made money from his hobby, as he was paid to endorse betting website PokerStars back in 2009.

4 Buffon is the majority shareholder at Carrarese Calcio, a club based in his hometown, Carrara. He first

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purchased a 50% stake in the club in 2010, before buying it outright in 2010.

5 The Italian is one of just a few players to have spoken out about depression and mental health in the game.

Buffin admitted that he had suffered with depression following Juventus’ defeat in the 2003 Champions League final.

6 Buffon is known to do what he can to help those in need. The Juventus captain often auctions off a number of his captain’s armbands throughout the season, with all proceedings going to various different charities.

7 Buffon’s transfer from Parma to Juventus back in 2001 remains the highest fee ever paid for a goalkeeper, and the 26th biggesst transfer in history. Juventus paid a fee of €45 million to land the shot-stopper.

8 2012 saw the Juventus stalwart named the best goalkeeper of the 21st century. The data, collected by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics, saw Buffon beat Casillas, Cech, Van Der Sar and Oliver Kahn to the top spot.

9 Buffon has played more games for the Italian national team than any other player. The 37-year-old’s tally currently stands at 154 caps, and he is likely to add many plenty before he hangs up his boots.

10 Buffon was arrested during the 2006 Caiciopoli scandal for betting on Serie A matches. He admitted to placing the bets, but insisted that he had never bet on Italian football and was eventually released without charge.

serie a: AROUND THE LEAGUE

“Higuain in Italy is like Messi to the rest of the world. He’s giving something to Napoli that the other teams don’t have.” - Inter Milan boss

Roberto Mancini likens Napoli striker Higuain to Lionel Messi.

“Cagliari deserved the win.

They showed more desire than us throughout the match. I do not accept such a showing from my team. I hope this serves as a lesson to my players.” - Sassuolo

coach Eusebio Di Francesco berates his players following defeat to Serie B side Cagliari.

“We hope to remain unbeaten all the way until Christmas, and being in front of everyone else by then would be a fantastic present.” - Napoli midfielder Omar El

Kaddouri reveals that all he wants for Christmas is for Napoli to remain at the top of the Serie A table.

“We have done well in the past eight matches and we have lost just one match, but I do not see the same enthusiasm around Milan that there is for Juve’s recent run of results.” - AC Milan manager Sinisa Mihajlovic doesn’t believe that his club are receiving the praise that they deserve.

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DEBUTANT DONNARUMMA

Aged 16 years, eight months, Milan’s Gianluigi Donnarumma became the youngest goalkeeper to make his full debut in Serie A, during a 2-1 win over Sassuolo on October 25, 2015. Gianluca Pacchiarotti came off the bench in Perugia 1-0 Pescara on March 9, 1980 at 16 years, six months and 16 days. The all-time Serie A record holder is Amedeo Amadei of Roma, who was 15-years-old, nine months and 14 days when he featured in a 2-2 draw with Fiorentina on May 2, 1937. Milan’s youngest ever player was Paolo Maldini on January 20, 1985 in a 1-1 with Udinese, aged 16 years, six months and 25 days.

AEROPLANINO LANDS AT SAMP

LICHTSTUNNER

Stephan Lichtsteiner really knows how to make a comeback, scoring in a 1-1 Champions League draw with Borussia Mönchengladbach on his first appearance since heart surgery.

Vincenzo Montella played for Sampdoria in two different spells of his career and seven years later he’s back as their Coach after Walter Zenga was axed in November.

CASTORI COMEBACK

SCARY NAINGGOLAN

Just over a month after he was dismissed to make way for Giuseppe Sannino, Carpi recalled Coach Fabrizio Castori.

President Claudio Caliumi confessed “sometimes you make the wrong choices” and dismissed director Sean Sogliano too.

Guests at the Raddison Hotel in Antwerp mistook Radja Nainggolan for a terrorist. When police arrived, they posed with the Roma and Belgium star for a selfie.

PALERMO AXE FALLS

Maurizio Zamparini fired Beppe Iachini after a 1-0 victory over Chievo, then confessed his first choice was Francesco Guidolin – during the presentation of new Coach Davide Ballardini.

UNLUCKY LULIC

Lazio midfielder Senad Lulic has suffered a horror injury during a training session, which saw him rushed to hospital with part of his finger missing. The incident, which was said to have happened during a weight training session, resulted in the top half of one of his fingers being chopped off.

DELIO OUT, DONADONI IN

Bologna sacked Delio Rossi and Roberto Donadoni made an immediate impact, winning his first two games with five goals, having netted six in the previous 10 rounds.

DESOLATE ROME DERBY

Roma and Lazio ultras abandoned the Curve–ends of the Stadio Olimpico during November’s derby in protest at new barriers.

by the numbers

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Gigi Buffon’s Serie A debut was in Parma 0-0 Milan on November 19, 1995.

PLAY BETTER

Milan shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma wasn’t born until almost four years later, February 25, 1999.

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Carlo Ancelotti “would very much love to be Roma Coach one day, as it’s a team I love in a city that I love.”

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SACCHI SLATING

“Inter are showcasing an ancient style of football with no aesthetic beauty,” slammed legendary Coach Arrigo Sacchi. They were top of the table at the time.

INSIGNE INKED

Lorenzo Insigne’s father got a tattoo of the Napoli player celebrating a brace in the 4-0 win over Milan.

DID YOU KNOW?

STEADY DYBALA

Mattia Destro has scored in each of his last two meetings with parent club Roma, while on loan at Milan and Bologna.

Summer signing Paulo Dybala has proved to be a fantastic piece of business for Juventus.

The 22-year-old has played a part in 45% of the goals the club have scored this season, scoring six himself and providing three assists for his team-mates.

Bologna sacked Delio Rossi after losing nine of their 11 games between Serie A and the Coppa Italia this season.

Milan failed to keep a clean sheet in the first nine rounds, their worst Serie A defensive start since 1983-84.

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IN THE BLACK

Juventus were the only Serie A club to record a profit during the 2014/15 campaign, thanks to their progression in the Champions League. All other Serie A clubs recorded losses, with Inter Milan among the worst spenders with a net loss of €140 million.

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ON AGAIN, OFF AGAIN

Atalanta’s Giulio Migliaccio has set the bar for the quickest red card of the season. The veteran midfielder come on as a substitute in the 76th minute, only to be sent back down the tunnel 32 seconds later after a high boot caught Palermo man Ivaylo Chochev on the back of the head.

by the numbers

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In his first 20 Serie A years, Buffon played 566 games, conceded 475 goals and kept 252 clean sheets.

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RELEVANT TOTTI

Roma legend Francesco Totti is on the verge of agreeing to a one-year contract extension with the club. Having turned out for Roma for the past 26 years, the new contract would ensure that Totti continues to play at the highest level entering his forties – a feat only achieved by a handful of players.

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serie a: AROUND THE LEAGUE

by the numbers

388

At club and international level, SuperGigi conceded 779 goals in 924 matches, and posted 388 shut-outs.

“We are on the same level with Real Madrid and Barcelona, the only difference is that they’re run by Arab sheikhs or Russian oligarchs and can count on millions to invest.” - Napoli president

MEMORY WIN

Inter Milan midfielder Felipe Melo was forced to spend the night in hospital following the club’s 1-0 victory over Genoa. The Brazilian was taken off at half-time following a clash of heads with midfield partner Gary Medel – an incident which Melo claimed not to remember.

Aurelio De Laurentiis insists the club are among Europe’s heavyweights.

REBUILDING FLORENCE

Fiorentina’s hopes of building a new 40,000-seater stadium in the heart of Florence have been given a massive boost, as the company occupying the proposed site have agreed to relocate. While the club hope to finish the project in time for the 2018/19 season, they still need to find a staggering €320 million if plans are to commence.

DID YOU KNOW? There were only two 0-0 results in the opening 10 rounds, 259 goals in 100 games, yet three goalless stalemates in Week 11 alone.

“Mauro will never be a problem.

Sometimes strikers lose form, the club understands that. But he has the confidence of everyone at the club and he should feel comfortable here.” - Former-

Nerazzurri captain Javier Zanetti insists Mauro Icardi will come good at Inter Milan.

“What is really important to me is that everybody realises we have to work hard and remain humble in order to achieve things. We can still still improve. We have to keep moving and playing well.”

- Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri urges his players to continue fighting for the Serie A title.

“I like Higuain, though I’ll kill him if he dœsn’t help us win the Scudetto.” - Napoli legend Careca

jokingly reveals what the consequences of failing to win the title will be for lethal striker Gonzalo Higuain.

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SHAKEN ICARDI

Argentine youngster Mauro Icardi was the victim of a street robbery soon after Inter Milan claimed all three points against Genoa. The striker had gone out to eat to celebrate the victory, only to be approached by a wrongdoer who demanded his €30,000 watch. While shaken, Icardi was thankfully unharmed.

The last two Serie A matches with three penalties were both officiated by Gianluca Rocchi. He was in charge for Juventus 3-2 Roma in October 2014 and Bologna-Roma in November 2015.

FLYING LOW

Napoli were stunned by 15th placed Bologna, who claimed a 3-2 victory over Maurizio Sarri’s high-flying side. Prior to the defeat, Napoli had embarked on a 18 game unbeaten run in all competitions.

The last time they had tasted defeat was on the opening day of the season, a 2-1 loss to Sassuolo.

HAPPY PAPA On and off Roma left-back Ashley Cole is to become a father for the first time after it was revealed that his girlfriend was pregnant. Cole is famed for his former-marriage to singer Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, but he is now set to settle down with Italian model Sharon Canu, who is due to give birth in March.

BOUN NATALE

Serie A side Atalanta have continued their tradition of releasing a new kit for the Christmas period. This year’s edition features he outline of the Bergamo skyline along the bottom. Just 100 of the shirts have been produced, while those worn by the club’s players will also be auctioned off for charity.

by the numbers

552

The 1-0 victory over Milan on November 21 was Buffon’s 552nd competitive match for Juventus, matching Gaetano Scirea’s tally.

PROUDLY SERVING SINCE 1969 CARROT LOVERS

Roma fans are becoming increasingly unhappy with their side’s faltering performances. After three games without a victory, approximately 50 fans turned up at the club’s training ground to present the players with boxes of carrots, with a banner that read ‘Bon Appetit Rabbits’ – rabbits, in Italian, is also the word for coward.

IN FORM

Fiorentina have been in excellent form so far this season, picking up 32 points, leaving them just one point off of table leaders Inter Milan – largely thanks to the high number of goals that they have scored. In fact, their goal different of +18 is the highest in their history after 15 games since the 1958/59 season.

DID YOU KNOW? Only once in the opening 12 rounds did Inter score more than one goal, in a 2-1 victory at Carpi in August.

Palermo defender Edoardo Goldaniga scored on his full Serie A debut with his first shot on goal in a 1-1 at Lazio on November 22.

TASTE THE TRADITION PEPE – MR. CLEAN

Despite conceding three times in his last two appearances, Pepe Reina has set the bar for the longest clean sheet run in Europe this season. Prior to the 2-1 victory over Inter Milan, Reina had gone a phenomenal 534 minutes without conceding, trumping the previous record set by Man United’s David de Gea.

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Only Del Piero has more games in a Bianconeri jersey than Buffon.

Milan lost six consecutive meetings with Juventus, their worst Serie A streak against any club.

CAUTIOUS MANCINI

Despite currently finding themselves at the top of the table, Inter Milan manager Roberto Mancini has played down his club’s chances of winning the Scudetto. According to the manager, they are the fifth most likely, behind Roma, Fiorentina, Juventus and Napoli.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS After 22 years playing football at the highest level, Roma legend Francesco Totti has admitted that he ‘never expected to be a centre forward’. The 39-yearold started out as a winger, before moving inwards and eventually becoming the main goalscorer at the club.

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STRIKE HAPPY

serie a: AROUND THE LEAGUE

Napoli star Gonzalo Higuain is beginning to draw comparisons with Argentine icon Diego Maradona due to his goalscoring prowess. The in-form striker has found the back of the net 16 times in just 18 games this season, with more to come from the inform scoring machine

NO WORRIES

“The coach has always given me confidence. He speaks to me and has taught me a lot, and I listen because I want to get better and better.” - Paulo Dybala believes head

coach Massimiliano Allegri has been vital to his brilliant start to the season.

Agent Andrea D’Amico says Toronto’s Sebastian Giovinco, and New York City FC’s Andrea Pirlo will stay put. The duo have been linked with moves away in January, most notably Pirlo who has been connected with a short-term move to Inter. However, D’Amico dismissed the suggestion that a move was on the cards and looked ahead to the January market of a ‘very strange’ Serie A season.

“I was sure that Sebastian would do well in MLS, he believes in the project and I don’t think he’ll return to Europe in January,” D’Amico told Tuttosport. “Pirlo? I don’t think he’ll be back. “This Serie A season is very strange and during the next market everyone will try to take advantage of the opportunity. “Juventus have already returned, it was inevitable that they struggled to replace players like Tevez, Pirlo and Vidal.

by the numbers

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Juve have won their last 11 Serie A games with Atalanta, the best ever run with a single team.

Fiorentina 2-2 Empoli in Week 13 was the Viola’s first Serie A draw since March 22 at Udinese, interrupting 15 wins and seven losses.

“It’s inevitable considering these results that we are losing confidence. Just as victories fire you up, negative results bring you down.” - Lazio manager Stefano

Pioli admits that the negative results are damaging his side psychologically.

“We must rediscover our enthusiasm and be convinced that we can do it. Our mentality has to be one where everyone understands that it will be a fight from here until the end of the season in order to save ourselves.” - Verona coach Luigi

Delneri vows that the struggling club will keep fighting to avoid relegation from Serie A.

TONI GOES LONG

Former World Cup winner Luca Toni has vowed to keep bottom of the table side Verona in Serie A before he hangs up his boots at the end of the season. It will be no easy task for the 38-year-old Italian, as Verona are currently nine points off of 17th placed Palermo.

The Verona striker has reportedly signed a contract to become a club director after his retirement in the summer. Tuttosport writes that the former Italy international has already signed a two-year deal worth €500,000 to stay on at the Bentegodi in a backroom role.

The nature of his role has not yet been clarified, but suggests he could spend the first year gaining experience before possibly taking on the position of sporting director.

WANTED CAPELLO

“We won a very difficult encounter that keeps us moving forward on the right path, but let’s not forget, even if all the results go our way tomorrow we’ll still only be in fourth place. Juventus just don’t finish fourth, we’re better than that.” - Legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi

Buffon reveals that the club are still chasing the title, despite a poor start to the season.

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Fabio Capello claims he has “already turned down 10 offers” and is open to running for FIFA Presidency. The former Juventus, Roma, England and Russia manager is a free agent and has been repeatedly linked to benches including a return to the Giallorossi. “It has to be a project that stimulates me. “For now, in Italy, I don’t see a project that interests me. Could I run for FIFA President? I’ve never thought about that, but it would certainly be interesting.”The veteran Coach commented about the current Serie A status of his old clubs.

“Max Allegri’s Juventus proved themselves to be solid and professional.

They are on the right track, the old guard have the situation back in hand.

“As for Roma, a Coach mustn’t let himself be conquered by what is around the club. I don’t like to talk badly of colleagues, but a Coach must know the environment he’s working in.”

RUMOURED POGBA

Paul Pogba’s trip to Manchester reignited rumours of a move to Manchester City or United, but he claims he was visiting his brother. The France international was spotted in the English city, home of the two Premier League giants, and his agent Mino Raiola has refused to rule out a summer departure.

The story has hit the Corriere dello Sport front page with the headline ‘Hands off Pogba’. The newspaper writes that when asked why he was in the city, Pogba simply replied: “I love Manchester.” However, it appears that the midfielder was given an extra day off by the club and took the opportunity to travel to the city to meet his brother Matias, who currently plays in Scotland for Partick Thistle, and other friends.

by the numbers

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Fiorentina had 28 points after 13 rounds – the exact same tally at this stage when they won the Scudetto in 1968-69.

Verona are the first side without a win in the opening 12 Serie A rounds since Ascoli and Chievo in 2006-07. Both were relegated.

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THE PRINCE IS BACK

Kevin-Prince Boateng ended his contract with Schalke in anticipation of re-signing for Milan in January. The 28-year-old has been training with the Rossoneri throughout this season after falling out of favour with the Bundesliga outfit. The midfielder had a contract running until June 2016 with Schalke, but managed to get an early release to officially join his buddies in Milan.

DID YOU KNOW? In November Torino’s Cesare Bovo scored in two consecutive Serie A matches, something he hadn’t achieved since May 2011.

Domenico Berardi has been sent off on three occasions and booked 27 times in 71 Serie A games, receiving more red cards than anyone else over the last three seasons.

Carpi and Chievo crossed paths for the first time since the 1993-94 Serie C1 campaign.

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The former Real Madrid Coach Carlo Ancelotti has been out of a job since leaving the Bernabeu in the summer, but is being continuously linked with European giants like Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Chelsea. The former Milan boss has underlined that the country is not an issue for him, but that he wants to taste European glory again.

“I suffered a lot from leaving Real even though I understood the situation and prepared myself,” Ancelotti told France Football.. “But I don’t miss the pressure, it’s enough to see what is happening to Benitez this year. “I want to win another Champions League and so I’m looking for a great club that can allow me to, regardless of the country.

Fiorentina Coach Paulo Sousa says he aims ‘to have already won the Champions League’ in five years’ time. The former Basel boss arrived in Florence in the summer and has taken them to second place in Serie A after 15 rounds of action. The Portuguese spoke of his ambition as a Coach but admits that it has been a surprise that his side are competing for the Scudetto. “My perspective in life is always to think about how to improve. “It wasn’t a problem to work for the clubs that weren’t at the top level.

Above all, I’m grateful to life because I do the work I love and I get paid to do it. And I continue to give thanks for the opportunities that life gives me. “Five years’ time? I hope to have already won the Champions League! I work so that my path to success is as short as possible. My ambition is to win as a Coach what I have won as a player, even if the perspective of a Coach is different from that of a player. Being a Coach also helps you grow as a person. “What’s special about Fiorentina? It’s the only club in the city, which has a lot of passion and energy. The economic balance and the prestige of the Della Valle family give peace of mind to those who work here.”

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LA LIGA: CRISIS MANAGEMENT

COPING WITHOUT

MESSI

LIONEL MESSI’S TWO-MONTH INJURY LAY-OFF COULD HAVE BROUGHT BARCELONA’S SEASON TO A HALT BUT, ANDREW TUFT WRITES, COACH LUIS ENRIQUE FOUND A WAY TO KEEP THE CAMPAIGN GOING

Pedro Bigas’ challenge left Lionel Messi with a torn MCL and two months out

“THIS TIME MESSI HAD TORN LIGAMENTS IN HIS LEFT KNEE AND THE PROGNOSIS WASN’T GOOD”

MISSING MESSI

Luis Suarez also accounted for Messi’s absence with his share of goals

S

omething unthinkable happened way back in September, 10 minutes into Barcelona’s eventual 2-1 win over Las Palmas. Lionel Messi, tthe he little Argentine with the big heart, the world’s greatest player - possibly the greatest player ever - who spends most of an average 90 minutes of playing either being kicked by opposition defenders or embarrassing them with his quick feet and even quicker mind, went down. And he didn’t get back up.

At least, not right away. And when Messi did return to his feet, it was clear there was a problem. The 28-year-old doesn’t stay down without a reason and the reason in this case was a tackle by defender Pedro Bigas. Whether it’s a sheer love of playing football - not wanting to waste time feigning injury when there are goals to be scored - or a refusal to be bullied by the defenders who tower over him, Messi rarely shows he’s hurt. But this was different.

06/07 07/08 07/08

10/11

12/13

12/13

13/14

THIGH PROBLEMS MISSED: 28 DAYS

STRETCHED LIGAMENT MISSED: 7 DAYS

HAMSTRING INJURY MISSED: 0 DAYS

HAMSTRING INJURY MISSED: 14 DAYS

ADDUCTOR COMPLAINTS MISSED: 0 DAYS

LIONEL METATARSAL MESSI FRACTURE INJURY MISSED: TIMELINE 87 DAYS

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This time Messi had torn ligaments in his left knee and the prognosis wasn’t good. A minimum of six weeks, possibly as many as eight, was the timeline given for Messi’s absence. Thoughts immediately turned to Real Madrid, as they so often do at Camp Nou. The season’s first Clasico was on November 21 - would Messi make it?

We know now that he did, a cameo in a famous 4-0 rout at Santiago Bernabeu, a game which Barca effectively won with Messi still sitting on the bench. The 56 days between Messi going down injured against the islanders and his return in the capital saw even more speculation, rumour and conjecture than usual. Everyone was suddenly a medical expert.

Even the actual medical experts couldn’t agree.

Argentina team doctor, Donato Villani, predicted Messi would return ‘ahead of schedule’, whatever that meant. Another of La Albiceleste’s medical men, Homero De Agostino, said 10 days before El Clasico that Messi shouldn’t be involved. The

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situation quickly became a farce, but not one Barca Coach Luis Enrique found particularly funny.

“It seems like a joke,” Enrique complained after Andres Iniesta followed Messi on to the disabled list a few days later. “It’s a handicap and we have to show how competitive we are. I ask for more confidence in the players. It’s not a simple situation.” Enrique’s assessment looked accurate at the time. Missing Messi was bad enough but the team captain and most experienced player following suit was a disaster. And yet the solution was there all along. Enrique kept faith in the other two world-class forwards at his disposal.

Luis Suarez scored both of Barca’s goals against Las Palmas and it was a sign of things to come.

In the 10 games between Messi went off injured and his return, Barca scored 23 times, rising to 26 if the three put past Madrid before Messi entered the match are considered. Suarez scored 11 of them. Neymar also got 11, including four in one game against Rayo Vallecano. The trident had become a two-pronged fork, but somehow was as dangerous as ever.

“The injury [to Messi] has shown that Neymar and [Luis] Suarez are able to carry the team on their backs,” former Barca and Madrid striker Alfonso Perez said prior to the Clasico. “Neymar’s

It was the form of Brazil captain Neymar that helped make sure Messi wasn’t missed

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13/14

13/14

14/15

15/16

HAMSTRING INJURY MISSED: 14 DAYS

TORN MUSCLE MISSED: 59 DAYS

MUSCLE STRAIN MISSED: 10 DAYS

TORN KNEE LIGAMENT MISSED: 44 DAYS

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LA LIGA: CRISIS MANAGEMENT making even more of a difference. It seemed that the absence of Messi could undermine Barca, but Neymar, at the level he’s shown, has made people forget about Messi.”

It wasn’t just outsiders who commented. “We know Suarez’s importance,” Enrique said after the Uruguay international claimed a hat-trick against Eibar. “He may or may not be successful [in front of goal], but he’s priceless and non-negotiable for all that he gives us. He’s an irreplaceable player.”

Neymar and Suarez were at least able to replace Messi’s goals. Literally replacing Messi - finding someone to take his right-wing berth - was more difficult, an endeavour complicated by Barca’s transfer embargo. Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal, signed in the summer from Atletico Madrid and Sevilla, would have been perfect, but neither was available.

Youngsters Munir El Hadaddi and Sandro Ramirez shared the job between them, but neither looked ready for a regular role on the big stage. It wasn’t until the Clasico that anyone made the position their own.

Sergi Roberto, turning 24 in February, was already the season’s revelation in the depleted Barca squad.

He went from a midfielder on the fringes of the first team to Enrique’s secondchoice right-back. Eusebio Sacristan, the Real Sociedad Coach who worked with Sergi at Barca B, went so far as to say he would one day supplant Dani Alves in the position.

“He’s found the position where he can exploit all his qualities,” Sacristan noted. “Central midfielders at Barca have little

Sergi Roberto took Messi’s position in the Clasico and greatly enhanced his reputation

space to roam around in. Sergi has great fighting spirit and is excellent at driving the ball forward.

He’ll be Barca’s future right-back. Alves is getting older and needs a respite, and that’s where Sergi comes in. After several years in which he didn’t realise his potential, he’s been a fantastic discovery for Barca this season.”

Barca’s trip to the Bernabeu allowed Sergi to excel in another position - the right of the three-man attack and it proved an inspired call by Enrique. Sergi had a dual role, there not only to support La Blaugrana’s forward surges, but to check those of Marcelo, Madrid’s rampaging left-back. It was a job Messi couldn’t have done, at least not in the same way. We’ll never know how the Clasico would have gone had Messi started - Madrid were so poor it may have been 8-0 rather than 4-0 - but Sergi was integral to Barca’s success, creating the first goal for Suarez.

Messi’s injury could have brought an early end to Barca’s ambitions for the season.

Instead they were revitalised.

Neymar and Suarez came to the fore and proved they are every bit leaders of the team. Sergi came of age, his versatility and hard work a shining example. Messi was missed, but Barca emerged stronger.

Luis Enrique found the solution to his Messi quandary already in the Barca squad

NO MESSI, NO PROBLEM

“Luis Suarez scored both of Barca’s goals against Las Palmas and it was a sign of things to come. In the 10 games between Messi went off injured and his return, Barca scored 23 times”

Gulp! The front-page of Catalan daily Mundo Deportivo after Lionel Messi was injured against Las Palmas said it all. There were no other words to describe the reaction, just a big gulp of fear. But when Messi went down, Neymar and Luis Suarez stepped up.

Messi, Suarez and Neymar may form the unit dubbed the trident but there’s little doubt who the main man is. “I hope to grow next to Messi, the best in the world, and one day become the best,” Neymar says. “Leo is above the rest. He can change anything at any time,” Suarez agrees, the S and N in the MSN waxing lyrical.

Both were controversial signings, Neymar because of the way in which the deal was structured, an arrangement that led to Sandro Rosell’s resignation as Barca President and more than one lawsuit, Suarez because he was serving a suspension for a third biting offence.

On the pitch the moves have been an unqualified success, thanks to a January 15 tactical tweak by Luis Enrique.

The goals came without the Argentine and so did the victories. And the burden was shared too. Neymar would score four one week, Suarez would get three the next. They each scored against Getafe, BATE Borisov, Valencia and Real Madrid, the game in which Messi returned. Barca lost only once in that period, one always likely to be a defining time. It could have done terminal damage to their Primera and Champions League defences but Barca barely missed a breath.

RESULTS WITHOUT MESSI La Liga - Barcelona 2-1 Las Palmas Champions League - Barcelona 2-1 Bayer Leverkusen La Liga - Sevilla 2-1 Barcelona La Liga - Barcelona 5-2 Rayo Vallecano Champions League - BATE Borisov 0-2 Barcelona La Liga - Barcelona 3-1 Eibar Copa del Rey - Villanovense 0-0 Barcelona La Liga - Getafe 0-2 Barcelona Champions League - Barcelona 3-0 BATE Borisov La Liga - Barcelona 3-0 Villarreal La Liga - Real Madrid 0-4 Barcelona

“I’M BACK!” 36 S360

O

O

one on one: ANDRES INIESTA

ONE on ONE

S E R D AN

A T S E I IN

H BARCELONA WON EVERYTHING WITH BOT ANDRES INIESTA MIGHT HAVE HOW HE INTENDS UT ABO KS SATISFIED. HE TAL AND SPAIN, BUT HE STILL ISN’T LEAGUE, AND

BY RETAINING THE CHAMPIONS TO MAKE HISTORY THIS SEASON O BY: DIEG JOKAS ONSHIPS IN A ROW. MAKING IT 3 EUROPEAN CHAMPI BARCELONA COPED INCREDIBLY WELL WHILE MESSI WAS OUT INJURED, INCLUDING THAT 4-0 BEATING OF REAL MADRID, DID YOU EXPECT TO COPE WITHOUT HIM SO COMFORTABLY We are confident, and even though Leo is essential to us, we have an excellent squad.

Neymar and Suarez have stepped up in his absence, their form has been unbelievable.

BUT IT MUST FEEL GOOD TO HAVE MESSI BACK FOR THE BUSINESS END OF THE SEASON Of course, he is the best in the world, and as the season goes on the games become bigger and bigger. Leo has proved time and time again that he is able to change the big games, and to know he is back is a real confidence boost for the whole team.

NO TEAM HAS EVER SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDED THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TITLE. WHY IS THAT, AND CAN BARCELONA CHANGE THAT THIS SEASON I am not sure why it is; I mean it’s a very difficult trophy to win anyway, so to win two seasons in a row is always going to be a big ask. There is full belief that we can be the first team to defend The Champions League successfully, I always say records are there to be broken.

YOU WON THE TREBLE LAST SEASON, HOW DOES BARCELONA FIND THE MOTIVATION AFTER ALREADY HITTING SUCH HIGHS Good teams win trophies; great teams keep on winning them. That is our motivation, to keep on winning trophies season after season, and for this Barcelona team to go down in footballing history.

CAN SPAIN MAKE IT 3 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS IN A ROW IN FRANCE NEXT YEAR Again we have to believe this is possible. We have an excellent squad, and yes the competition is going to be tough, but the only aim we have is winning it.

THE CRITICS ARE ALL CALLING GERMANY THE TEAM TO BEAT I get that, they are World Champions, Spain has been in that position. They are an excellent side, but what you have achieved before means nothing at major tournaments – we know that.

WOULD WINNING FRANCE 2016, PUT THE DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE WORLD CUP IN BRAZIL BEHIND YOU That disappointment is already behind us. It was terrible for us not to make it out of the group stages, but it just shows at major tournaments you need to be at your best no matter who you are. France is just about writing a new chapter for Spain, and we hope that it is a successful one.

WHEN THERE IS AN INTERNATIONAL SUMMER TOURNAMENT, THE BREAK IS VERY SHORT BEFORE YOU HAVE TO BE BACK IN TRAINING FOR YOUR CLUB. HOW HARD CAN THAT BE Yes it’s a shorter summer, but it’s a dream to be representing your country, it’s where every top player wants to be. Barcelona will give the players who are representing their nation in France a little longer off, so I really don’t see it being a problem WHAT WILL YOUR PLANS BE AFTER FRANCE 2016 I will be taking a vacation with my family, but with so much football to be played, that seems so far into the future at the moment.

“NEYMAR AND SUAREZ HAVE STEPPED UP IN HIS ABSENSE WITH UNBELIEVABLE FORM.”

one on one: andres iniesta

S E R D N A

A T S E I IN

10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT ANDRES INIESTA 1 Iniesta is among a rare group of players to have only turned out for one club throughout the entirety of their professional career, having played for Barcelona since joining the club in 1996, aged just 12.

2 The midfield maestro invested a large sum of money into his boyhood club Albacete Balompié in 2011 in order to rescue the club from a financial crisis. The investment made him the Segunda Division side’s third largest shareholder.

3 Prior to the 2010 World Cup, Iniesta, a devout Catholic, promised to partake in the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela if Spain emerged as champions, which they did.

4 Iniesta has never trumped Lionel Messi or Cristiano

Ronaldo to the annual Ballon d’Or award, but he did clinch the UEFA Best Player in Europe award for his brilliance throughout the 2011/12 season.

5 Iniesta struck up a brilliant partnership with fellow Barcelona and Spain midfielder Xavi Hernandez over the years, but it was only because of an injury to his fellow countryman that he was given a chance in the first-team.

6 Outside of football, the Spaniard owns and operates a successful vineyard in Catalonia alongside his father, which has produced a number of famed wines such as Finca el Carril, Corazon Loco and Hechicero Crianza.

7 Iniesta’s Barcelona career nearly came to an early end, aged just 12. The superstar was known to be shy as a boy and struggled to live away from his parents

during his time at Barcleona’s La Masia academy.

8 The midfielder has been winning trophies from an early age. Aged just 15, Iniesta captained the Barcelona Under-15 side to the Nike Premier Cup in 1999 and led Spain to the Under-17 European Championship in 2001.

9 Iniesta has proved himself as a big game player over the years. He is the only player in history to have won the Man of the Match award in a Champions League final, European Championship final and World Cup final.

10 Iniesta is among a small group of players to have won more than 25 major trophies during his career. The haul includes seven La Liga titles, four Champions Leagues, a World Cup and two European Championships.

FACTFILE NAME: ANDRÉS INIESTA LUJÁN BORN: MAY 11, 1984 (FUENTEALBILLA, SPAIN) HEIGHT: 1.71 M (5 FT 7 IN) POSITION: MIDFILEDER CLUB: BARCELONA CLUB STATS SEASON CLUB 2002-03 BARCELONA 2003-04 BARCELONA 2004-05 BARCELONA 2005-06 BARCELONA 2006-07 BARCELONA 2007-08 BARCELONA 2008-09 BARCELONA 2009-10 BARCELONA 2010-11 BARCELONA 2011-12 BARCELONA 2012-13 BARCELONA 2013-14 BARCELONA 2014-15 BARCELONA 2015-16 BARCELONA

APPS 6 11 37 33 37 31 26 29 34 27 31 35 24 11

GOALS 0 1 2 0 6 3 4 1 8 2 3 3 0 1

INTERNATIONAL STATS YEAR 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

APPS 8 12 14 5 15 9 14 17 8

GOALS 5 5 0 6 10 5 6 10 5

LA LIGA: surprise packages

s e s i r p r u s “Celta aren’t the most glamorous club in spain NEVER HAVE WON THE LEAGUE nor the copa del rey hailing from the working class city of vigo, the industrial of galicia”

GALICIAN GRIT CELTA VIGO HAVE DEFIED CRITICS IN THE EARLY PART OF THE SEASON AND CONTINUE TO PUNCH WELL ABOVE THEIR WEIGHT. COLIN MILLAR REFLECTS ON THEIR RISE TO PROMINENCE

l stint Now in a second o with Celta Vigo, Iag a Aspas helps lead highly productive front-line.

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eague tables rarely have less significance than after the opening round of fixtures, yet when Eduardo Berizzo’s men triumphed away at Levante on the opening day of the 2015-16 season, Celta Vigo went top of La Liga for the first time in their history, on the exact day that the Galician club celebrated their 92nd birthday.

Celta aren’t the most glamorous club in Spain – never having won the League nor the Copa Del Rey – hailing from the working-class city of Vigo, the industrial heart of Galicia, the Northwesterly area of Spain, just 18 miles north of the Portuguese border. The region could barely feel further removed from the rest of the country – dominated by a harsh coastline, mountainous landscape and often bleak weather, facing out to the chilly and blustery Atlantic Ocean, aspects which shape its inhabitants and their mentality.

Football in Galicia is lived through Celta’s rivalry with Deportivo La Coruna (regional neighbours SD Compostela and Racing de Ferrol have never established themselves in the top flight), which focuses on fierce regional pride. Fans of Depor mock Celta’s fans as ‘Portugueses’ - reflecting a dark and unfortunate Spanish mentality of belittling their Iberian neighbours, who they view as culturally and economically inferior. In return, Celta fans retort ‘mientras Vigo trabeja, Coruna relaja’ – while Vigo works, Coruna relaxes. Vigo prides itself on its industry, the city is home to Europe’s largest port and the city’s leading employer, Citroen, has adorned Celta’s shirts

“Back in September, this side of players largely cast-off by other clubs, from the most obscure and distant corner of Spain, had defeated both the winners of the Champions League and Europa League in the space of four days’”

DID YOU KNOW? CELTA VIGO HAS GONE THROUGH 4 KIT MANUFACTURERS IN THEIR LIFETIME, GOING BACK TO ONE OF ONE FROM THE APST FOR THEIR PRESENT DAY. FROM 1980-82 THEY SIGNED WITH MEYABA. FROM 1982-86 THEY SIGNED WITH ADIDAS. FROM 1986-2010, THEIR JERSEYS WERE MADE BY UMBRO. FROM 2010-2013 THEY WERE MADE BY LI-NING. FROM 2013 UNTIL TODAY THEY WENT BACK TO ADIDAS.

since 1985 – Spain’s longest-running sponsorship deal.

Os Celestes (the Sky Blues) first caught the eye of the wider football public in 1999 when they reached the last eight of the UEFA Cup, dispensing of Aston Villa and Liverpool along the way. Even in their heyday, they remained regional understudies to Deportivo and their Champions League adventures. Their best-ever League finish of fourth came in 2002-03; two places above Barcelona, but trailing Depor by 11 points.

This period proved a precarious peak at the Balaidos, Celta’s atmospheric if rather dilapidated home on the periphery of the city. The following season, the club were relegated and six of the 11 seasons since have been spent languishing in Spain’s Segunda, with the club having to be saved from administration at one point followed by a total restructuring from top to bottom.

Under the guidance of the hugely respected Paco Herrera, Celta returned to the top tier in 2012, but only narrowly survived falling straight back down on the final day of their first season back in the big time, having replaced Herrera with Abel Resino in February. The close-season saw the appointment of Luis Enrique, the former manager of Roma who was then-Barcelona B boss.

It was Enrique who stamped his blueprint on a side that had previously lacked any real identity with regards to their playing style. Previously, Celta were a team that took a more pragmatic approach to their football, trying whatever worked with the meagre resources available to them.

Under Enrique, a fluid 4-3-3 formation was imposed, with emphasis on trying to control the game through passing the ball and undoing opponents with clever movement in the opposition half. Under the man who would go on to lead Barcelona to a historic second treble win last year, Celta finished in the top half of the table before the Catalans swooped to bring their former player and Coach back to the Camp Nou, this time to manage the first-team.

But his legacy remains and Os Celestes continue to flourish under the guidance of Berizzo, who is a devoted disciple of fellow Argentine, and one of world football’s most radical and influential mavericks, Marcelo Bielsa. His demands for a daring and dedicated, high-pressing game has augmented the possession-based focus left by Enrique, and the tempo of Celta’s play, as well as their attacking moves, have only grown more ferocious, as their former manager found to his detriment on his latest return to the Estadio de Balaidos, a 4-1 humbling in September.

Regardless of this desire for his team to seize the initiative, even in matches against the likes of Barcelona, Berizzo hasn’t exactly been reckless in his scheming from the touchline. Defensive solidity and a robust team structure have also been prioritised to make Celta more difficult to break down, and a genuine menace on the

Eduardo Berizzo’s influence on Celta continues to be felt.

Berizzo and Luis predecessor ve ha ue riq En Celta transformed am Vigo into a te tity. with an iden

counter-attack.

Last season they conceded fewer goals than Sevilla, only six more than Real Madrid, and their previous victory against Barcelona – a 1-0 victory at the Camp Nou – was one that not only defined their progress since Enrique’s departure, but also their potential for further refinement.

The link between Celta and Catalonia’s leading club side hasn’t just been limited to the identity of their former Coach either. Four of their current squad graduated through La Masia’s academy, most notably Nolito – the hugely talented forward who Barcelona have earmarked as a long-term replacement for Pedro, whom he replaced on his debut for the Catalans back in 2010.

SHERWAY NISSAN

“It’s to Berizzo’s immense credit that he’s dealt with the summer departures of Santi Mina, Joaquin Larrivey and Michael KrohnDehli’” He primarily plays on the left-side of a threepronged Celta attack, accompanied up top by Chilean Fabian Orellana, who plays on the right, and has been a late bloomer in Spain following mixed spells at lowly Xerez and Granada, and Iago Aspas, who is in his second spell at the club after returning from a muted stint in the Premier League.

A graduate of their own youth system, Aspas first featured for Celta during the lean Segunda years, spending five seasons in the first-team squad before his 12 La Liga goals save them from relegation in 2013.

That persuaded Liverpool to part with £9m for the striker, who never looked at home in England, and who has now returned to Vigo following a spell with Sevilla. He’s been easily integrated into the system, with his clever hold-up play and timing of crucial passes adding composure to the more frantic elements of the attack.

It’s to Berizzo’s immense credit that he’s dealt with the summer departures of Santi Mina (a hugely promising forward sold to Valencia), Joaquin Larrivey (the mercurial Argentine attacker is now playing in Abu Dhabi) and Michael Krohn-Dehli (the highly-rated Danish midfield orchestrator left for Sevilla). These sales have allowed Celta to evolve into a side with even greater tactical flexibility.

The Scandinavian duo of Daniel Wass and John Guidetti arrrived at a combined cost of £2.5m and have both excelled, while the two full-backs – Hugo Mallo and Jonny – are local Galicians who have ensured that width is ever-present on the overlap.

Back in September, this side of players largely cast-off by other clubs, from the most obscure and distant corner of Spain, had defeated both the winners of the Champions League and Europa League in the space of four days. They may not be the most fashionable outfit in La Liga, or a side whose home many could locate on a map, but the feel-good factor around the club shows no signs of abating as they continue to thrive at Spain’s highest level.

THE STARTING 11

2016

MICRA MAXIMA ALTIMA SENTRA VERSA NOTE JUKE ROGUE MURANO PATHFINDER FRONTIER TITAN

SHERWAY NISSAN 1350 The Queensway, Toronto, ON M8Z 1S5 “YOUR WAY IS THE SHERWAY” www.sherwaynissan.com | 1 888 485-0823

DID YOU KNOW?

LA LIGA: AROUND THE LEAGUE

Spain entered the history books this season after becoming the first ever football nation to have as many as five domestic clubs qualify for the group stages of the UEFA Champions League.

When Iker Casillas kept a clean sheet in Spain’s 2-0 victory over England in Alicante last November he became the first goalkeeper in history to do so 100 times in international football.

“Sitting on television talking about coaches for the last few years, the time has come for me to stand up. This is a wonderful club. If I had turned down this job I could have said goodbye to my credibility.” - New Valencia boss Gary Neville speaks out on switching punditry for management.

“I wouldn’t leave Barca for triple the money. It’s impossible. I suffered a lot to get to this club, where I’ve always dreamed of playing.” - Luis Suarez reveals that

no amount of money could tempt him to ditch Barcelona.

CESC ALMOST JOINED MADRID

Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas has revealed he held talks with Real Madrid over a possible move while with Arsenal before re-joining Barcelona in summer 2011. “There was contact but no deal was ever struck. We discussed terms but nothing final was agreed and the decisive step never taken,” he disclosed.

KICK-OFFS TO CHANGE

The controversy over La Liga kick-off times will end next season when the revised television rights deal takes effect.

Gone is the late 10pm start loathed by many fans and in comes a new one of 1pm on Saturday afternoon, while the freeto-air game will now be shown on Friday nights.

LA ROJA OPT FOR PRIVACY

Vicente del Bosque and his Spain squad have chosen isolation for Euro 2016. La Roja will be based on the luxury island of Ile de Re – some 200km from the nearest host city of Bordeaux and connected to mainland France by a bridge – while their training pitch will be the tiny 600-capacity Saint-Martin de Re stadium.

DI MARIA TIMING ‘RIGHT’

Angel di Maria says leaving Real Madrid for Manchester United before switching to Paris Saint-Germain last summer was the correct decision.

“After winning ‘La Decima’ my mind was set on staying at Madrid.

However, although I haven’t won anything since then I think that I left at the right time,” maintained the Argentine.

by the numbers

121

Real Madrid didn’t lose in 121 home League games (February 17, 1957 – March 7, 1965).

NEYMAR SNR ISSUES WARNING

The father of Barcelona forward Neymar says he and his son will leave Spain if they continue to be investigated by the tax authorities, with the player’s 2013 transfer from Santos to Barca under particular scrutiny: “I don’t want to talk of persecution but if we can’t work in peace here then we’ll have to leave,” he warned.

TEBAS A LOS BLANCOS FAN “We are responsible for our players, no one else’s. I’m not going to judge Florentino. We have outstanding people who control our sanctions, I don’t know what other clubs have.” -

Villarreal president Fernando Roig hits out at Real Madrid’s Florentino Perez after claims that they failed to notify the of Denis Cheryshev’s Copa del Rey suspension.

“I don’t know why I was taken into custody, tarnished, made to sleep in custody, like a scumbag.

It was me who asked to be questioned.” - Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema speaks out on his arrest over the Mathieu Valbuena blackmail case.

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Despite often being labelled an ‘anti-Madridista’, La Liga President Javier Tebas says he is in fact a Real Madrid supporter. “I’d be a hypocrite not to admit it,” he confessed.

“Imagine if I said I loved every team then it came out I supported Madrid when I was a lad, went to 27 Clasicos, and celebrated wins with friends in bars.”

ATLETI BOAST 80,000 MEMBERS

Atletico Madrid go from strength to strength after announcing memberships had hit 80,000, a club record, which includes both season ticket and non-season ticket holders. In total 22 per cent come from outside the Spanish capital, whilst hearteningly 45 per cent are aged under 30 and 23 per cent are boys and girls under 12.

MOYES: ‘I DIDN’T FAIL’

David Moyes believes he was not a failure at Real Sociedad and says he had several other offers before his November sacking: “I made a firm promise to honour my contract and it was disappointing not to fulfil it, especially when I turned down a number of other job opportunities,” maintained the Scot.

‘RONALDO WILL STAY AT MADRID’

Cristiano Ronaldo’s agent is adamant that his client will remain at Real Madrid until he hangs up his boots, despite reports linking him with a move away from the Santiago Bernabeu.

“Cristiano will end his career at Madrid,” Jorge Mendes told Canal Plus.

by the numbers

466

The most La Liga appearances made by a player born outside of Spain is held by former Atletico Madrid and Deportivo la Coruna player Donato.

by the numbers

0 11

The number of goals Malaga scored in their opening six fixtures of the 2015-16 campaign – a La Liga record.

ALVES-GUTI IN SPAT

Dani Alves was involved in a Twitter row with Guti after the former Real Madrid man said the Barcelona right-back’s career was in freefall and he is past his best. “I didn’t believe him when he told me I was a phenomenon when we met once in Ibiza. He lies a lot,” tweeted the Brazilian.

The most consecutive League games without scoring away in a single top-flight season was achieved by Hercules between November 17, 2010 and April 3, 2011.

“Gary Neville has many attributes that suggest he will be successful in management. His leadership skills are strong, he’s honest and he’s hard working.

He is also not afraid of making big decisions.” - Manchester United

JEMEZ: ‘SUZUKI? WHO?’

Rayo Vallecano boss Paco Jemez was baffled at reports linking him with a January bid for Kashiwa Reysol defender Daisuke Suzuki, who told Japanese media he had received an offer from the Madrid club.

“I don’t know him or his position and have never even seen him play. I’m not saying it is lies but I would have been told,” insisted Jemez.

legend Sir Alex Ferguson believes Neville will succeed at Valencia.

N’ZONZI: ‘TORTILLA TO BLAME’

DID YOU KNOW?

Midfielder Steven N’Zonzi says the inauspicious start to his career with Sevilla since a summer move from Stoke City may be down to a dodgy tortilla: “I suffered food poisoning from it and lost five or six kilos in a few days. I had to wait three weeks, a month, before returning well,” the Frenchman told L’Equipe.

Lionel Messi’s goal celebration where he has his two arms raised up pointed at the sky is a tribute to his grandmother, whom he lost at the age of 10 and credits as the inspiration for him playing football. He believes she is watching over him during the entire game.

BALE DITCHES LAMBORGHINIS

Gareth Bale says he has given up driving top-ofthe-range Lamborghinis as the low-slung sports cars ‘play havoc with my hamstrings’. The Real Madrid star joined an exclusive club last July giving him access to the vehicles when he was in the UK, but has now decided they are a hindrance to his fitness.

DID YOU KNOW?

When Luis Suarez scored a penalty in Barcelona’s 3-0 win over Villarreal in November it was his first goal from the spot at club level since September 2010, when he was on the mark for Ajax against Willem II. Athletic Bilbao were declared winners of the 1904 Copa del Rey because their opponents in the final, Club Espanol de Madrid, showed up for the game on the wrong day.

NBA STAR A MESSI ADMIRER

NBA basketball star Stephen Curry has regularly been likened to Lionel Messi and admits he is a fan of the Barcelona player: “We are both creative and I love watching him play. I’m a big fan. You don’t know what he is going to do at any moment and I’m grateful to be compared to him,” said Curry.

SANDOVAL THE INNOVATOR

Granada boss Jose Ramon Sandoval likes to look at things from a different angle and this season has been filming his squad during training using a drone fitted with a highdefinition camera. The 47-year-old is the first Coach in Spain to employ such a device.

by the numbers

23 38

Barcelona were unbeaten away from the Camp Nou 23 times between February 14, 2010 and April 30, 2011.

“Take Cristiano Ronaldo for example. I’m sure flying off to Morocco three to four times a week to see a friend and cuddle with him might have an impact on his performances eventually.”

- Pundit Daniel Riolo claims Ronaldo’s personal life may negatively impact his performances.

“He has absolutely everything.

He can play anywhere in the midfield, he can score, he can pass well. We will be very demanding, because we believe that being demanding is the only way to make players like him grow.” - Atletico Madrid boss Diego

Simeone talks up Saul Niguez’s abilities.

Between April 29, 1979 and May 11, 1981 Real Sociedad were unbeaten at home for 38 games.

REAL MADRID DISQUALIFIED

Real Madrid have been thrown out of the Copa del Rey tournament, despite the fact they haven’t suffered defeat.

The prestigious club have been disqualified after it came to light that an ineligible player, Denis Cheryshev, had been used during a round of 32 clash against Spanish minnows Cádiz CF.

MESSI NOT MISSI

While star man Lionel Messi has been out injured, Barcelona duo Neymar and Luis Suarez have proved to be fully capable of stepping up in his absence. In the nine games that Messi missed, Neymar scored nine and assisted seven, while Suarez scored 13 and assisted six.

“On the bench, you cannot stop the video, touch the screen and make movements happen. It’s a different story.” - Jose Mourinho

warns Gary Neville that managing Valencia will be a harder job than punditry.

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3 TOP 5 TIMES

LA LIGA: AROUND THE LEAGUE

Three of La Liga’s biggest stars, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar, have been named on the three-man shortlist for the Ballon d’Or award.

This marks the fifth consecutive year that Messi and Ronaldo have both made the top three.

“I think at this moment, Neymar is second best in the world.

Cristiano Ronaldo dœsn’t deserve to be among the Ballon d’Or finalists. It’s not only about scoring goals.” - Barcelona defender

FINING MASCHERANO

Barcelona midfielder Javier Mascherano has been hit with a 12 month prison sentence after being found guilty of tax evasion by Spain’s tax authorities relating to €1.5 million in unpaid tax. Although, it is unlikely the Argentine will be locked up, as he has opted to pay a €800,000 fine, on top of the money he owes, instead.

Dani Alves slams Cristiano Ronaldo in the run-up to the Ballon d’Or awards.

NO CONNECTION

Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola has quashed rumours linking him with the hot-seat at Real Madrid. The talented manager insisted that him and the club ‘don’t suit each other’, which we can only assume has something to do with his connections to their arch-rivals, Barcelona.

“I don’t know why I’m not the same player I was at Tottenham.

La Liga is a different league to the Premier League. It’s a different style of football and perhaps that’s the reason.” - Gareth Bale

- Atletico Madrid’s Diego Simeone plays down talk of a second La Liga title in three seasons.

All three members of Real Madrid’s feared attacking trio all found the back of the net in the 4-1 victory over Getafe CF. Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema all scored in the same game for the first time in almost eight months.

NEGATIVE LUIS

admits he has yet to reach his best at Real Madrid.

“We understand the championship in a special way.

We think the best look to the future is regarding the present. That’s our aim. We will not change our mind-set as it is essential for us.”

THE 3 AMIGOS

Luis Suarez was met with a negative backlash after he appeared to stamp on Valencia’s Aymen Abdennour during Barcelona’s 1-1 draw with the club. He was forced to deny claims that it was intentional after Abdennour posted images of his injuries on social media.

LEAKY KIT

Images of Real Madrid’s proposed away kit for the 2016/17 season have been leaked, despite the fact there is still six months to go in the current campaign. The club have decided to go with a similar purple design to the one they sported in 2010/11, after experimenting with a number of colours, from grey to pink, in recent seasons.

DID YOU KNOW? “Social media enables a lot of people to express their opinions without knowing what’s happening on the inside. I’m optimistic; I see a team with the ability to keep on progressing and I’m calm, because I can see that everybody is giving it their all.” - Rafa Benitez denies rumours of a rift in the Real Madrid dressing room.

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Paraguayan striker Eulogio Martinez will forever be part of Barcelona’s history after scoring the first ever goal at the Camp Nou in September 1957. Martinez struck in the 11th minute of a friendly against a Warsaw XI to celebrate the inauguration of the stadium, which Barca won 4-2.

At the start of the 2015-16 Primera season, Abelardo Fernandez of Sporting Gijon was the only Coach to take his place on a bench in the Division for the first time.

Cristiano Ronaldo is unique in having scored in UEFA Champions League Finals for two different winning sides – Manchester United in 2008 and Real Madrid in 2014 – but would need to move if he is to match Clarence Seedorf’s record of winning the competition with three separate teams: Ajax (1995), Real Madrid (1998) and Milan (2003, 2007).

FAN FRENZY

Barcelona’s star-studded squad were overwhelmed by excited fans as they arrived at Barcelona’s El Prat airport as they prepared to travel for Valencia for their La Liga clash. The players were rushed by a horde of female fans who prompted to take selfies and ask for autographs.

LIVING LARGE

Former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has spilled the beans on Cristiano Ronaldo’s $7.2 million home. According to Ferguson, the house boasts a gym, two swimming pools and an ice room, which is ‘tailormade for the best football player on the planet’.

DID YOU KNOW?

Sporting Gijon’s El Molinon home is the oldest stadium in Spain – the first documented reference dates back to 1908.

Getafe are this year experiencing their 12th campaign in a row in La Primera and are one of four clubs who have never been relegated from the division alongside Athletic Bilbao, Barcelona and Real Madrid.

NEW BOY

Real Madrid have confirmed a shock signing in the form of Northern Irish youngster Mark Norris. The 11-yearold has been handed a trial contract with the La Liga giants after videos emerged on YouTube of his pulling off some spectacular tackles for his local club, Linfield FC.

Only four foreign Coaches started the 201516 season in the Spanish top flight: Diego Simeone (Atletico Madrid), Eduardo Berizzo (Celta Vigo) David Moyes (Real Sociedad) and Nuno Espirito Santo (Valencia).

by the numbers PAY BACK PLEASE

A group of Real Madrid fans have contacted the Spanish trade union with plans to sue the La Liga club for negligence after an admin error saw the club thrown out of the Copa del Rey. As the mistake has affected the use of their season tickets, the fans are hoping to receive compensation for their loss.

550 622

Legendary Real Madrid striker Raul holds the record for most La Liga appearances at one club.

Andoni Zubizarreta has the most career appearances in La Liga having represented Athletic Bilbao, Barcelona and Valencia.

FINALLY NEYMAR

RAUL COUP

Real Madrid legend Raul is ready to complete a coup of the presidency hot-seat at the Spanish club. Current president Florentino Perez has come under criticism for his failure to take Madrid back to their best, and Raul, alongside other former-greats Fernnando Hierro and Manuel Sanchis, believe that they can do just that.

Neymar has become the first ever Barcelona player to win the La Liga Player of the Month award since it was created back in September 2013. The revelation that a Barcelona player had yet to win it, despite the club’s dominant performances last season, was met with conclusion, but Neymar’s five goals in three games throughout November finally clinched it.

GOOD SANTA

Video footage has emerged of Keylor Navas dressed up as Santa Claus to surprise a fan. The Real Madrid goalkeeper was reportedly on of the young fan’s favourite players, which made the moment even more special when Navas pulled off his hat and beard.

RUMOUR TIMES

FRIENDLY MESSI

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has sent a signed shirt to the man he replaced, Ronaldinho.

The pair have shared a strong friendship since meeting at Barcelona a decade ago, and Messi’s gift was a way of saying thank you for the guidance and support that the Brazilian icon offered him during his early years.

BAD RECORD

Malaga’s woeful run continued with a 0-0 draw against Athletic Bilbao in the league.

The lack of goals means that the club have still yet to score a goal away from home in their first 15 La Liga matches – the only side in Europe’s top five leagues to record such a undesirable statistic.

PRIVATE PARTY

Real Madrid are growing worried by superstar Cristiano Ronaldo’s frequent trips to Morocco.

The 30-year-old makes several flights a week via private jet to visit a close friend, which the club believe could have detrimental effects on his on-field displays.

Rumours continue to circulate surrounding the future of Bayern Munich goalscorer Robert Lewandowski.

The player’s agent hasn’t done much to put the rumours to rest, as he was spotted in the Bernabeu stands as Real Madrid played out a 4-1 win over Getafe, prompting more speculation of a move to the La Liga club.

BARCA RETURN

An old face could be set to return to the Nou Camp, as reports emerge suggesting that Barcelona could make a move for 30-year-old Red Bull Salzburg forward Jonathan Soriano in order to provide cover for the attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez, six years after he departed the club.

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BUNDESLIGA: CRISIS MANAGEMENT

MANAGING CHANGE

THERE IS GENUINE EXCITEMENT OVER WHERE ANDRE SCHUBERT CAN TAKE BORUSSIA MONCHENGLADBACH THIS SEASON AFTER HE HAS HELPED THEM FORGET LUCIEN FAVRE, WRITES JEREMY LIM Five opening losses mired Borussia Monchengladbach last in the League, but their fortunes have since changed.

SCHUBERT SHOOTS FOR THE TOP

B

orussia Monchengladbach hastily called a Press conference one Monday afternoon in September, the contents of which was a poorly guarded secret by that point. Five games of the new Bundesliga campaign had prompted Lucien Favre to end his stint of five seasons in charge of the club, sporting director Max Eberl basically appearing in front of cameras to confirm what many already knew.

They had heard the news, but had heard even less about the Andre Schubert Gladbach would be employing in the interim - first-team striker Raffael admitting that the new bloke on the bench having coached the club’s Under23s ‘really was everything’ the players knew about him. Few recognised who he was then.

Now everyone knows him for his unparalleled achievements in a stint that has developed into so much more than a rescue mission.

In his first eight Bundesliga matches at Monchengladbach Schubert won seven and drew once, with the 44-year-old matching the late Udo Lattek’s 40-year club record of matches unbeaten at the start, pulling level with Willi Entenmann’s 1986 League-wide achievement as well. It is all happening quickly for a man who has perhaps craved simpler days since his reputation 44 S360

bloomed out of total obscurity; someone who initially stated ‘I don’t need to be a Coach in the Bundesliga to be happy with my life’. Except that, thanks to him, the top flight is exactly where the outfit will be playing next term. In all likelihood, they will make it to Europe, too.

And for a while, Monchengladbach may have wondered. It was September when Schubert started and the Foals lay last in the table, taking zero points after five opening defeats. Leading a side unrecognisable to the one that secured maiden qualification to the Champions League the previous season, Favre grew resigned, and eventually did resign. Survival was apparently the target then, continental competition appearing like a vague idea. The idea had been for Schubert to serve as placeholder until a more permanent figure was appointed.

Yet it later turned out Schubert - the man with no plan to move into first-team coaching - was also the man with the plan to salvage their season. By the start of December, he had taken them out of the Bundesliga basement and into a lofty fourth position. “Andre has done a really convincing job and has achieved fantastic results with the team,” Eberl praised. They liked his impact in the dugout so much, they handed him a contract to be their permanent Coach until 2017.

An unknown quantity at the start, Andre Schubert has quickly surfaced as a rising star.

CRISIS FORM BUNDESLIGA – BORUSSIA DORTMUND 4-0 BORUSSIA MONCHENGLADBACH BUNDESLIGA – BORUSSIA DORTMUND 1-2 MAINZ 05 BUNDESLIGA – WERDER BREMEN 2-1 BORUSSIA MONCHENGLADBACH BUNDESLIGA – BORUSSIA MONCHENGLADBACH 0-3 HAMBURG CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – SEVILLA 3-0 BORUSSIA MONCHENGLADBACH BUNDESLIGA – KOLN 1-0 BORUSSIA MONCHENGLADBACH

Borussia Monchengladbach have been urged under Andre Schubert never to release pressure on their opponents.

Certainly, when things threatened to go very, very wrong at the club, their instincts about their man instead proved to be very, very right.

What was remarkable is not just that Schubert managed to turn the team around. It is also how quickly and comprehensively he has done so. How good Gladbach have looked under his charge has been greeted with such surprise from the outside that it has taken some of the players by surprise. “It’s not like we had forgotten how to play football,” quipped Granit Xhaka.

The personnel for the turnaround were, after all, already in place. Schubert inherited a core of players who had gained access to the Champions League, boasting a defensive record and Ruckrunde-points total second only to Bayern Munich’s last term. If they are here today then it is also because of Favre, who moulded a team always talented enough to be this consistent.

Instead, they went on a calamitous kind of postsuccess climb down at the start of this season, plummeting down after recently reaching the top.

Inexplicably unable to score or stop opponents from scoring, results were not forthcoming and neither were solutions. Monchengladbach’s wretched start would wreck one of the German football’s long-standing marriages. “If I’d known what the problem was, there’s no way we’d have lost the first five games,” went left-back Oscar Wendt after Favre departed, though the results since the Swiss’ departure indicate the relationship had run its course. Like even the best of things at times, it had stopped working. No matter the messenger, messages repeated still get stale.

In his place the club sought someone with firm convictions, but no-one expected those to show up in the form of one so young in Schubert.

Personality is not everything, but the former Germany Under-15 trainer is proving it is the first thing. Arriving more than just a mere repeater of messages, he came with his own methods, convincing his men to accept them. More Jurgen Klopp than Pep Guardiola, gesticulating on the touchline garbed in a green hoodie, he urges his troops to go straight for the throats of opponents.

His emphasis on all-out attack is imprinted all over this side. “The main thing was for us to be aggressive again and put the opposition under pressure starting on the edge of their own box, getting at them as quickly as possible,” Raffael reveals. “We wanted to show the fans a fullthrottle style,” Schubert adds. “We were playing a possession-based game that worked very well in previous years, but unfortunately it wasn’t working anymore.”

Under the new trainer, Gladbach have regained their attacking edge. By the time he led them to their sixth victory on the trot, they had netted 21 times, outscoring even mighty Bayern in that timeframe. There are many more goals than

“More Jurgen Klopp than Pep Guardiola, gesticulating on the touchline garbed in a green hoodie, Schubert urges his troops to go straight for the throats of ENEMIES”

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KNOW? BORUSSIA-PARK HAS A MAXIMUM CAPACITY OF 59,724.

THE ESCAPE ROUTES, TOILET FACILITIES, KIOSKS AND CAR PARKING SPACES ARE DESIGNED TO CATER FOR THIS NUMBER OF SPECTATORS. HOWEVER, THERE IS A LIMIT FOR BUNDESLIGA GAMES OF “JUST” 54,010 SPECTATORS. THE CAPACITY IS REDUCED BY NEARLY 6,000 DUE TO THE REDESIGN OF THE SOUTH STAND (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE AWAY SECTION IN BLOCK 6), WHICH IS NOW AN ALLSEATER STAND. BUT THE WAY BORUSSIA-PARK IS BUILT MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO USE THE SOUTH STAND FOR STANDING SUPPORTERS IN THE SAME WAY AS THE NORTH STAND. BORUSSIA-PARK HAS A CAPACITY OF 46,279 (ALL SEATED) FOR EUROPEAN GAMES. THE BLOCKS IN THE LOWER TIER OF THE NORTH STAND ARE FITTED WITH SEATS FOR THESE GAMES.

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BUNDESLIGA: CRISIS MANAGEMENT

RAFFAEL RIGHTING PAST WRONGS In a team that has undergone an inordinate number of changes this season, Brazilian Raffael has stood as a precious constant for Andre Schubert to count on. Yet even Borussia Monchengladbach’s top scorer last term was not spared from the malaise which engulfed the club in Lucien Favre’s ill-fated final games in charge. The 30-yearold striker appeared to suffer the most under the Swiss trainer who had been a mentor almost wherever he had played in Europe, going barren in the side’s first five outings of the season.

“Nothing surprises me in football any more. One day you’re rock-bottom and the next you’re on the up again,” he recalled.

“Obviously I was really disappointed but I never got to the point where I doubted my own ability. I only ever look forward and think positively.”

The absence of former strike partner Max Kruse, who had moved on to Wolfsburg, particularly took its toll until Schubert took charge and established Lars Stindl beside him. Striking it off with the former Hannover 96 playmaker instantly, Raffael roared up the League’s goals and assists charts, becoming directly involved in 11 of his team’s total tally of 21 in Schubert’s winning run of six opening games.

“Lars is a different player to Max, but also has fantastic quality. He runs a lot, he’s prepared to slow the ball down when need be or quickly shift it in a decisive moment.

Intelligent footballers like Lars don’t come along very often,” Raffael acknowledged, crediting the partnership that allowed him to become key again. Given the long-term absences of regular attackers in Patrick Hermann and Andre Hahn, the newly-formed duo look set to become cornerstones of the Coach’s new project.

Still young at 23, Granit Xhaka has developed into the team’s leader, and has been bequeathed the captain’s armband

by Andre Schubert as reward.

there had been at the beginning; points and good performances, too. There is also renewed optimism, after the spectacular way the crisis has been contained. Aware of how low - and also how high - a season can go, the team just keep securing results.

“You can tell we’re playing with a lot of confidence at the moment,” Xhaka said. Elevated to captain by his Coach, he has in turn elevated the outfit’s play, supplying function and flair in the centre while Raffael acts as the fulcrum in attack further forward. Favre’s former lieutenants have rightly been recognised as the team’s outstanding contributors but responsibility has been evenly shared out.

Summer signing Lars Stindl has found his niche playing upfront, German-Syrian sensation Mahmoud Dahoud has been drafted to the middle, and eventually the entire side have found their place. It seems simple because Schubert makes it seem simple but the emotional management of the squad has been clever on his

part, each player made to feel part of a journey.

Josip Drmic was brought back in from the cold when they fought back to draw 3-3 against Hoffenheim at the end of November. Costing €18m together with fellow underperforming big buy Thorgan Hazard and benched by Schubert when the latter took over, the big striker nodded in his first Gladbach goal to make it 3-2 and spark a fightback that stretched his boss’ unbeaten run to nine games.

“There was nothing Harry Potter about it,” Schubert shrugged in classic understatement.

“We don’t have a magic wand or any magic spells. The only magic is out on the pitch.”

Although he underplays his part, his role in keeping audiences mesmerised has been vital.

Only months into the job, news of his feats echo far and wide. Quite what to expect of them yet, no-one does. But every step Monchengladbach take forward is an added guarantee Schubert will need no introduction ever again.

Fabian Johnson also a big help in turning the team around.

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“In his first eight Bundesliga matches Schubert won seven and drew once, with the 44-yearold matching the late Udo Lattek’s 40-year club record of matches unbeaten at the start”

“Talking about the referee all the time is what losers do and we do not stoop to that level.”

ICR-Corp-Soccer360-0315.pdf

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2015-03-27

10:56 AM

one on one: thomas muller

ONE on ONE

S A M O H T MULLER OPE, WITH HOTTEST PROPERTIES IN EUR THOMAS MULLER IS ONE OF THE ING THE DUR FOR SALE AT “ANY PRICE” BAYERN CLAIMING HE WAS NOT GLORY, GUE LEA ONS QUEST FOR CHAMPI SUMMER. HE TALKS ABOUT HIS ACY. LEG MAN GER A OF T A CRUCIAL PAR AND HOW HE INTENDS TO BE WORTH BY: THOMAS UNS

NOTHING BUT WINNING THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WILL BE GOOD ENOUGH FOR BAYERN WILL IT Yes of course that is the ambition; it is what is expected by us and by the fans. The aim is to always win it.

YOU HAVE SAILED THROUGH THE GROUP STAGES; DOES THAT GIVE YOU CONFIDENCE FOR THE KNOCK OUT STAGES It is a long road ahead, but we do feel like we are on the right track. Yes we have played well in the group stages, but when you start getting to the quarter finals and the semi finals it is a different level of opposition. You start to face the teams who also believe they can win it as well.

WHO ARE THOSE TEAMS I think it is the normal 3 or 4 teams. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus. It doesn’t mean they are the only teams that can win it, but they will certainly have a real belief that they can.

ARE PSG NOT IN THAT GROUP OF ELITE TEAMS NOW They are getting stronger every year, they sign the best players, and they have players who have had success in Europe before. I am sure they believe they have a big chance, and they won’t give anybody an easy game.

THE GOAL SCORING FORM OF ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE HASN’T IT When you play for Bayern you know that you are going to get good service, but you still have to finish the chances. Lewy has been on a great run this season, his qualities are there for everybody to see, he is very important for us.

WE HEAR YOU HAVE BEEN TEASING YOUR BAYERN TEAM-MATE ARJEN ROBBEN, ABOUT HOLLAND’S FAILURE TO QUALIFY FOR

FRANCE 2016 (Laughs) Yes maybe a little, but it is all good fun. You expect with their quality for Holland to qualify for all major tournaments, but in football it just shows nothing is guaranteed THERE WILL BE A LOT OF EXPECTATION ON GERMANY FOR FRANCE 2016 WITH YOU ALREADY BEING WORLD CHAMPIONS WON’T THERE Yes, but there is always expectation on Germany.

The fact we are world champions makes no difference. Every major tournament Germany are expected to do well in, and France will be no different at all.

WITH THE PLAYERS GERMANY HAVE THOUGH, THERE MUST BE A REAL BELIEF THIS GROUP OF PLAYERS CAN GO ON AND CREATE A LEGACY That is the idea. Spain were able to win 3 major tournaments in a row, and if we could achieve something like that it would be very special. To achieve something like that is never easy, and I think you also need a little bit of luck along the way, but there is a lot of confidence in the squad, and we will be doing all we can.

YOU ARE ONE OF THE FAVORITES TO BE THE TOP GOAL SCORER AT FRANCE 2016, HOW SPECIAL WOULD THAT BE It would be an honor of course, but anything like that is always secondary to the success of the team.

JUVENTUS WERE LAST SEASON’S BEATEN FINALISTS, WHAT’S THE REACTION TO THE DRAW AT BAYERN They were in the final last season, so I think that does say a lot about their quality. The first game is in Italy, so if we can come back from there with a positive result, it will put us in a great position.

“SPAIN WERE ABLE TO WIN 3 MAJOR TOURNAMENTS IN A ROW, AND IF WE CAN ACHIEVE something like THat it would be very special

one on one: thomas muller

S A M THO MULLER

10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THOMAS MULLER 1 Muller was a naturally talented goalscorer from an early age. According to youth team-mate Wolfgang Tuffentsamer, Muller once scored 120 goals in a single season while playing for TSV Pahl as a child.

2 Muller has spent his entire professional career at Bayern Munich, and has also spent the majority of his life playing for the club, having moved 50 kilometres across Germany to join the Bundesliga giants aged just 10.

3 Muller likes to do his bit outside of football. He currently serves as an Ambassador for German charity Young Wings, who help young children who have suffered the loss of a parent.

4 Muller is one of only two players in history to score five or more goals in two consecutive World Cups. The

only other player to achieve such a feat is his Germany teammate, Miroslav Klose.

5 The Bayern Munich star became the youngest ever player to reach 50 goals in the Champions League earlier this year aged just 26 and 2 months. The record was previously held by Raul, aged 26 and 8 months.

6 Muller is known as a bit of a joker. Bayern Munich defender Dante admitted that he had to have a word with his team-mate as he kept bringing up Germany's 7-1 demolition of Brazil at the 2014 World Cup. 7 The 26-year-old has only ever missed one game due to injury since breaking into the Bayern Munich first-team in 2010. He believes that this is due to his 'lack of fat and muscle'.

8 The German, who is the face of Muller Lite yoghurt, earns more in endorsement deals than any of his Germany team-mates. He earned a figure in the region of â‚Ź22 million from advertising deals alone in a single calendar year.

9 Muller has named his style of play 'raumdeuter', which is German for 'space investigator'. The Bayern Munich man isn't known for his fantastic passing or speedy runs, but for finding space in and around the box.

10 Muller doesn't spend his spare time in the ways you would expect of a young, professional footballer. When he isn't training, he is often at the stables tending to his horses with his wife, Lisa Muller, an aspiring horse rider.

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FACTFILE NAME: THOMAS MULLER BORN: SEPT 13, 1989 (WEILHEIM, GERMANY) HEIGHT: 1.86M (6FT 1IN) POSITION: FORWARD CLUB: BAYERN MUNICH CLUB STATS SEASON CLUB 2008-09 BAYERN MUNICH 2009-10 BAYERN MUNICH 2010-11 BAYERN MUNICH 2011-12 BAYERN MUNICH 2012-13 BAYERN MUNICH 2013-14 BAYERN MUNICH 2014-15 BAYERN MUNICH 2015-16 BAYERN MUNICH

APPS 4 34 34 34 28 31 32 17

GOALS 0 13 12 7 13 13 13 14

INTERNATIONAL STATS YEAR 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

APPS 12 13 13 9 15 6

GOALS 5 5 0 6 10 5

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BUNDESLIGA: AROUND THE LEAGUE

“There is a lot of indication for it and not a lot against it.” - Bayern

Munich star Thomas Muller hints he is ready to turn down big-money offers from Premier League clubs to stay with the German giants.

“Everyday that I can spend with Pep Guardiola is educational for me. When I’m at his side, I try and learn something new everyday. Pep Guardiola is the best coach in the world.” - Douglas Costa reveals he is mesmerised by the Bayern Munich coach’s abilities.

BAYERN’S 11

When the 55-player short list for the 2015 FIFPro World XI was announced, one would have seen one team with more representatives than anyone else – Bayern Munich. Even more impressive is one could make a starting line-up just out of these players nominated!

A YOUNG FACE ON THE BENCH Like many clubs, TSG Hoffenheim have already announced the name of their new Coach for the next season. However, unlike many clubs, Julian Nagelsmann will be taking over at the ripe old age of 28 – making him the youngest ever Coach in Bundesliga history.

ONE TEAM’S UNWANTED STRIKER…IS ANOTHER’S RECORD-BREAKER

Since arriving at Bayer Leverkusen, Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez has been a man on a mission. The ex-Manchester United attacker already is the highest-scoring Mexican in Bundesliga history after just a few months in Germany.

OLD FOES FACE OFF YET AGAIN

Werder Bremen’s match vs. Hamburg on Matchday 14 was not just any old match. The game, which finished as a 3-1 win in favour of Hamburg, was the 103rd meeting between the two – the most out of any two sides featuring in German football.

“To have any chance, we need to stick to our game play. We need to be at our absolute best, technically and tactically, and we need to give everything in order to get anything from the game.”

- Borussia Monchengladbach coach André Schubert questions the club’s chances of beating Bayern Munich.

DID YOU KNOW? AN INTERESTING MILESTONE

Yunus Malli’s goal for Mainz in the 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt was the 49,000th goal scored since the Bundesliga’s inception in 1963.

Who will score the 50,000th?

NOT A BAD DEBUT SO FAR…

“Of course it’s important for me to be the top scorer, because I want to be Africa’s Footballer of the Year. I try to score in every game.” - Borussia Dortmund’s

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang believes his goalscoring feats could clinch him Africa’s top prize.

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Not surprisingly, Bayern Munich have the strongest defence in the Bundesliga. But the team with the secondbest? Not fellow title aspirants Dortmund or Wolfsburg… but Bundesliga debutants Ingolstadt.

Only Tottenham (11 wins, 1960) have bettered Bayern’s impressive winning streak this season.

Pep Guardiola is not the only Coach to have managed both Barcelona and Bayern – the three other Coaches are Louis van Gaal, Udo Lattek, and Jack Domby.

by the numbers

10 1000

The number of games Bayern won consecutively prior to their 0-0 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt in October.

Coincidentally, their 10th straight win on October 24 also happened to be their 1,000th League win – a record for any Bundesliga club.

4

The number of awards Bayern star Robert Lewandowski received from the Guinness Book of World Records (fastest hat-trick, poker, five goals and most off the bench) following that historic match vs.

Wolfsburg.

by the numbers

7

The number of consecutive games Chicharito Hernandez had scored in by November, breaking a long-standing record of six set by Hugo Sanchez for a Mexican in European football.

9

The number of goalless draws recorded between old-time foes Werder Bremen and Hamburg – the most of any fixture in the Bundesliga.

ALL IN A HARD DAY’S WORK…OR NOT

During their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign, it was revealed that each German NT player received €20,000 for each time he was nominated for one of the team’s 10 matches. One player, Hannover’s Ron-Robert Zieler received €160,000 for eight callups…all without setting a foot on the pitch.

ON SALE

Bundesliga clubs will be given the green light to sell sleeve sponsorship on their kits. The league currently has a deal with logistics company Hermes, which sees their logo branded on every team’s kits.

However, from 2016/17, clubs will be allowed to find their own sleeve sponsors, as a way of boosting finances and enhancing the league’s dominance in Europe.

“Chelsea wanted me too. They had a strong interest in me and went to great lengths for me – I wanted to play for Pep Guardiola at Bayern.” - New signing Douglas

Costa admits he snubbed a Premier League move to join the Bundesliga champions.

“I’m concentrating completely on my game and want to carry on.

As for scoring 40 goals, I’m still pretty far off that sort of aim.

It dœsn’t interest me hugely at the moment.” - Borussia Dortmund’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang admits he is taking it one game at a time after scoring 17 goals in 14 matches.

BRANDING BAYERN

Thomas Muller, Thiago Alcantara and Xabi Alonsa have been gifted brand new smartphones with their names and numbers engraved on the back by technology giants Gigaset. The stunt comes after the electronics company agreed to a deal with Bayern Munich, which made them the club’s smartphone, tablets and wearables partner, earlier this year.

IS IT A BIRD, IS IT A PLANE.... NO, IT’S SUPERPEP

Ex-Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has insisted that Pep Guardiola should stand down as Bayern Munich when his contract expires next summer. Although, only because he believes Pep is too good, which stops other teams from competing with his Bayern Munich side.

“Andre Schubert has taken the burden off us after those five games, with different team-talks to the ones Favre was giving us.

He’s a motivator and can get a bit loud before matches, but then he quietens down again and this is what the team needed after a difficult start to the season.”

- Granit Xhaka hails new manager Andre Schubert for turning Borussia Monchengladbach’s season around.

DORTMUND SELLING

Borussia Dortmund fans could be in for a rough summer, as the club’s CEO, Hans-Joachim Watzke, admitted that he would be willing to discuss any offers that they might receive. Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing a number of their stars after formerDortmund boss Jurgen Klopp took over as manager at the Premier League club.

“He is doing well and his style of football works for teams like Bayern Munich and Barca, but I’d like to see him work at a mid-table side.” - Roberto Mancini

challenges Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola to prove himself at a ‘small’ club.

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BUNDESLIGA: AROUND THE LEAGUE

DID YOU KNOW? Borussia Dortmund were the first German club to be publicly traded on the German Stock Market (Frankfurt Stock Exchange, October 2000).

And the first goal-scorer in the Bundesliga (created in 1963)? Friedhelm ‘Timo’ Konietzka, who netted for Dortmund vs.

Werder Bremen on August 24, 1963.

“You can’t look into his head. The coach and the club have to decide.

It’s difficult to give a prognosis.” -

HURTING WOLFSBURG

Borussia Dortmund have piled misery on Wolfsburg with a 2-1 victory which saw them fall further off the pace at the top of the table. However, what would have hurt most is the fact that the defeat ended a run of 29 home games without a loss at the Volkswagen Arena.

Bayern Munich midfielder Mario Gotze is unsure whether Pep Guardiola will stay on as manager.

BAD BEHAVIOUR

“We never said that we would overrun every team in the league and suffer no defeats. We knew this day would come eventually.”

- Bayern Munich shot-stopper Manuel Neuer admits that a perfect season was never likely following a 3-1 defeat to Borussia Monchengladbach.

TINKER PEP

Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola once again named a different squad for the 100th consecutive match. The last time Guardiola put one the same team twice in a row was back in January 2014. The constant changing seemingly works, as Bayern are already five points clear at the top of the table.

HITZ HIT

Monchengladbach winger Fabian Johnson believes underdog status spurred them on to victory over Bayern Munich.

RECORD BREAKER

Robert Lewandowski’s record-breaking season has caught the attention of the Guinness Book of Records. The Bayern Munich goalscorer received five certificates for his feats, which included a five goal haul in just eight minutes and the fastest ever Bundesliga hat-trick, making them official world records.

by the numbers

André Schurrle isn’t surprised by his recent form, having provided two assists in two games.

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GOOD CAUSE

A selection of Borussia Dortmund players made their annual visit to Klinikum Dortmund, a treatment facility for children with blood disorders, leukaemia, tumours and diabetes, earlier this week. The club have organised a visit every Christmas since 1997, with players signing autographs and posing for pictures with the young fans.

“Even though we were up against possibly the best team in the world, we went out there determined to win. The fact it went so well – perhaps we didn’t even expect that.” - Borussia

“It’s nothing I haven’t experienced before. I know that I am capable of deciding games, and that I can score goals.” - VfL Wolfsburg winger

Fortuna Dusseldorf midfielder Kerem Demirbay has been forced to referee a women’s soccer match as punishment for sexist comments he made during their last game. The remarks were reportedly made following a red card shown by female ref Bibi Steinhaus.

2

Only two players have scored in 10 straight Bundesliga games (including last season): Klaus Allofs (1984, Köln) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Dortmund, 2015).

9

The minutes it took for Lewandowski to send Wolfsburg packing with his five-goal haul against Wolfsburg. Not surprisingly, he now holds the record for the fastest hat-trick and poker, too.

Augsburg goalkeeper Marwin Hitz has been hit with a fine of €122.92 for the damage he caused to the pitch during their Bundesliga clash with Cologne. The 28-year-old was seen deliberately trying to scuff up the spot shortly after FC Koln were awarded a penalty. The Swiss keeper has laughed off the fine, insisting he will pay it and follow it up with an annual donation to a local children’s charity. Anthony Modeste slipped when he took the penalty, which was saved by Hitz, and the game ended in a 1-0 win for Augsburg. Worth the fine? Let us know your thoughts on twitter @soccer360mag

LOSING STREAK

VfB Stuttgart have suffered a woeful start to the season, losing ten of the 15 games so far. Five of those games have seen the club concede four goals, which has bumped up their goals conceded tally to 36 – more than any other side in Europe’s top five leagues.

WERDER DEFENCE GO?

Despite finishing in tenth place last season Werder Bremen have started this season poorly, going 4 and 9 in their first 13 matches. The problem is due to their defensive frailties – they have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 18 games.

by the numbers

2000

The number of Euros per minute received by Valencia’s Shkodran Mustafi, who played just 90 minutes but received €180,000 for nine nominations to the German NT during Euro 2016 qualifiers.

VW WOWS

Wolfsburg face an uncertain future following the revelation of the Volkswagen emissions scandal, which could cost the company upwards of £6.5 billion, as the club are owned by the under-fire company. Reports have emerged suggesting that club’s funding will be one of the first cuts made in order to minimise the company’s losses.

DAMAGE CONTROL

German police are hunting a group of Hannover 96 fans who run riot on a Regional Express train following the club’s 3-1 defeat to Schalke.

The fans urinated inside the carriages, sprayed graffiti, put out cigarettes on seating and empties fire extinguishers, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage.

MAKING HISTORY

Borussia Dortmund made history by becoming the first Bundesliga team in history to both lose their lead and regain it again within stoppage time in the 2-1 victory over Wolfsburg. Ricardo Rodriguez levelled the score in the 91st minute, before Shinji Kagawi put Borussia back in front with 93 minutes gone.

DID YOU KNOW? Prior to playing France, the German NT had only played one other game on Friday the 13th – on June 13, 1986, when they lost 2-0 to Denmark during the 1986 World Cup. Oddly enough, they ended up losing to Les Bleus by the exact same score-line, 2-0 during the two sides’ friendly on November 13, which was unfortunately overshadowed by the Paris attacks.

Despite their dominance, there is yet another record that Bayern have to set as they chase their fourth straight Bundesliga title – to complete a season sans defeat. Better luck next year.

DUBAI STUNT

Borussia Dortmund’s decision to schedule a winter training camp in Dubai has been met with backlash by the club’s fans, as they feel that it is a money-making publicity stunt, which goes against the club’s beliefs, rather than a way of genuinely benefiting the squad.

DERBY RELIEF

Aytac Sulu’s headed goal gave SV Darmstadt 98 a narrow 1-0 victory over fierce rivals Eintracht Frankfurt, which was the club’s first derby win in 36 years. The last time Darmstadt emerged victorious against Eintracht was way back in 1979, when they secured a 2-0 win.

FRANKS BACK

Franck Ribéry’s goal against Borussia Monchengladbach means that he has now scored in his last two appearances for the club.

Although, his last goal also came 269 days ago in a Champions League clash against Shakhtar Donetsk last season. The Bayern Munich star had been out with an ankle injury ever since.

TRICKY JAIRO

Mainz 05 attacker Jairo Samperio has been hailed for his unconventional goal in the 3-1 win over Hamburger SV. The 22-year-old Spaniard was lying flat on his back when the ball bobbled towards his feet, which he proceeded to lob over the keeper into the net.

WINNING ADVICE

Borussia Monchengladbach coach Andre Schubert has revealed how he brought an end to Bayern Munich’s unbeaten run – by asking former-Borussia Dortmund coach Jugen Klopp for advice. Klopp’s side famously toppled Munich from the Bundesliga throne between 2010-2012, and his wisdom seemingly did the trick for Schubert.

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NECESSARY T AROUND THE GLOBE: transfers

WHETHER OR NOT THEY GO THROUGH, SAM BRIDGES BELIEVES THAT THERE ARE 10 TRANSFERS THAT NEED TO TAKE PLACE DURING THE JANUARY TRANSFER WINDOW. DO YOU AGREE? TAKE UP THE DISCUSSION ONLINE WITH @SOCCER360MAG

10 – MEHDI BENATIA (FC BAYERN TO AS ROMA)

8 – JOAO MOUTINHO (AS MONACO TO JUVENTUS)

6 – LUCAS BIGLIA (SS LAZIO TO REAL MADRID)

One of Rudi Garcia’s first signings at Roma, Mehdi Benatia went on to become one of the world’s best centrE-backs and the Giallorossi’s defensive rock. A rumored fall-out with the club over wage demands prompted a £28m move to Bayern Munich, where he has since struggled with injuries.

In what started as a fairytale rumour, the story has since gained pace and it seems the Moroccan is willing to take a pay-cut to re-join the club with whom he built his reputation.

With Roma’s constant defensive issues and Benatia’s need for more regular starts, it is a match made in heaven. Only potential stumbling block could be Bayern’s refusal to make a loss on the big money fee they paid only 18 months ago.

Now firmly back in the title race. Juve’s poor start to the 2015-16 season is seeming like a simple case of beginners’ nerves for the numerous new signings that came in to replace Carlos Tevez, Arturo Vidal and Andrea Pirlo.

Although the Old Lady are finding success by playing 3-5-2 and 4-3-3, Coach Massimiliano Allegri is known to prefer a wide 4-1-2-1-2, something that simply cannot work without a bonafide trequartista. For a panic signing, Hernanes has done admirably, especially in the Champions League, but the Brazilian is more of a deep-lying playmaker and has still to truly win over the Bianconeri. With Monaco’s wellpublicised financial troubles it is time to cut the big stars, and Portugal international Joao Moutinho is as big as they come at the principality club. Although when a player of the former Porto man’s quality is made available, there is a lot of competition, Juventus could prove too hard to resist…

Less than six months into the job and Rafael Benitez’s job is already on the line. Los Blancos have often looked sluggish, there have been numerous complaints from star players about the Spaniard’s coaching style and of course the 4-0 humiliation to Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu in November. But the decline since La Decima is not all down to Rafa’s tactics. The squad is thin in every department and Cristiano Ronaldo cannot be relied upon solely. In the Clasico drubbing the battle was lost in midfield as Andres Iniesta and Ivan Rakitic stole the show. Although Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and James Rodriguez are more than capable and backups Isco and Mateo Kovacic are supremely talented, it is a different type of player the Meringues are crying out for. Lucas Biglia of Lazio would be the ideal recruit with his strength, balance and huge passing range and, with the club in a tough position, a bid in excess of £35m would be enough to push the deal through.

9 – EMMANUEL ADEBAYOR (FREE AGENT TO CHELSEA)

7 – WISSAM BEN YEDDER (TOULOUSE TO SEVILLA)

5 – KAMIL GLIK (TORINO TO FC BAYERN)

“I will show you the real Falcao,” boasted Jose Mourinho, flaunting the Manchester United flop in front of the media in July. Now the Blues are desperate to offload the struggling Colombian after only featuring nine times for the English champions, scoring one goal in the process. In what would be a surprising move, the man tipped to be bought in at Stamford Bridge to breathe life into Chelsea’s misfiring attack is Tottenham Hotspur reject Adebayor. Despite the Togo international’s tarnished reputation, he has a wealth of Premier League experience with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City, and turning 32 in February still has plenty to offer. However, a player unwanted by their less glamorous neighbours seems a little low-rent for Chelsea’s taste, and with rumoured interest from Napoli, Valencia and Everton they face plenty of competition. Even so, a transfer to Chelsea is just crazy enough to be a January deadline day deal.

Now at 25, the ‘new Karim Benzema’ has hit a now-or-never moment in his career. The Frenchman is quick and smart, and has always seemed destined for bigger things than Toulouse, but his frustrating form has held back his career to an extent. However, this has not been enough to put off Europe’s emerging clubs, like Spanish side Sevilla. Los Rojiblancos have proven to be somewhat of a goldmine for talent in recent years, but the recent loss of Carlos Bacca seems to be one sale too many, as the Europa League champions were eliminated at the group stages of the Champions League and already look too far off the pace to snatch fourth spot in La Liga. Ben Yedder could be the perfect man for Unai Emery’s side and will offer competition to Ciro Immobile and Kevin Gameiro. With his pace and dynamism he may be enough to fire Sevilla to Europa League retention and snatch a place in the Champions League once again next season.

It was beginning to look like a fairytale return to the top, but the resurgence of Torino has stalled somewhat since the heights of last season. Matteo Darmian completed a move to Manchester United in the summer and has been sorely missed by the Granata. But the Turin based outfit still have a few stars up their sleeve, the biggest being Poland international centre-back Kamil Glik. The former Real Madrid man has fulfilled his potential under Giampiero Ventura and has become one of the Italian Serie A’s finest defenders.

With his strong leadership qualities and defensive instincts he is just what Bayern need to bulk up their defensive options, with Mehdi Benatia and Holger Badstuber often on the treatment table. The Pole lacks experience in the Champions League but has enough talent to make a difference at any club in the world. Under Pep Guardiola’s stewardship, Glik can become what Bayern have been missing and help close the gap with European champions Barcelona.

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Y TRANSFERS THEY SAID WHAT?

4 – ANDRIY YARMOLENKO (DYNAMO KYIV TO FC BARCELONA)

2 – LEROY SANE (SCHALKE 04 TO LIVERPOOL FC)

Even the best need a tune-up sometimes, and it is believed that Barcelona have made Andriy Yarmolenko their top priority in the winter transfer window. Blessed with pace, skill and a venomous right foot, Yarmolenko could move to one of Europe’s big five leagues to a similar effect of Ukraine legend Andriy Shevchenko.

With Luis Enrique tinkering with the Barca system, the signing of a pacey wideman can open up many doors, while he could also offer a more direct route to goal. The Ukraine international is a club legend and has spent most of his professional career at the capital club, meaning a transfer could be hard to negotiate, along with his £30m asking price. But he may see it as time to try something new, and should the Catalans pull it off, it will just have become that much easier for the Blaugrana to defend their Champions League crown.

Jurgen Klopp has bought everything he promised to Liverpool since joining the club in early October. Performances are on the up, the Reds have matched the intensity shown by his lovable Borussia Dortmund side and a Champions League place looks like a realistic target once again. However, the German Coach relies on wing play and with Lazar Markovic out on loan, Divock Origi has been played out of position to accommodate his counter-attacking 4-2-3-1. Leroy Sane is one of the Bundesliga’s most exciting prospects and announced himself to the world with a spectacular goal in the Champions League against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu last season. Klopp will know all about the Schalke man and could make a move for the Germany international. With big promise comes a big price tag, but with large fees squandered on the likes of Andy Carroll and Joe Allen in recent years, Liverpool are more than likely to take the risk.

3 – ANDREA PIRLO (NEW YORK CITY FC TO MILAN)

1 – KEISUKE HONDA (MILAN TO BORUSSIA DORTMUND)

It may seem more of a dream than a possibility for Milan fans, but the chance of reuniting the Rossoneri faithful with one of the club’s greatest ever players could prove too good to turn down to Adriano Galliani. Although the midfielder was released and seen as surplus to requirements by Milan in 2011 before leading Juventus to four straight Serie A titles, the struggling Diavolo are in desperate need of a new regista to bring control back to the midfield. Although it seems only a loan would be possible and Pirlo’s performances for the Italy national team have come under much criticism, he could offer experience and lift morale, while he would also remain the best midfield option Sinisa Mihajlovic would have at his disposal.

Despite being signed from CSKA Moscow to much fanfare, Keisuke Honda has become sidelined at Milan. Since the Japan international’s Serie A debut he has struggled with the way of the Italian top flight and has become categorically listed as a flop. But that has not put off teams around Europe, with plenty of suitors rumoured to be interested in the free-kick specialist, the biggest of them all being German giants Borussia Dortmund.

In recent times the Bundesliga has become a place for Asian players to flourish, and with Honda being the biggest name Japan has to offer, he will feel right at home. Thomas Tuchel’s side face competition from Everton and Tottenham Hotspur for the winger, but a realistic push for Champions League should prvove too hard to resist.

‘WITH ROMA'S CONSTANT DEFENSIVE ISSUES AND BENATIA'S NEED FOR MORE REGULAR STARTS, IT IS A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN’

‘LUCAS BIGLIA OF LAZIO WOULD BE THE IDEAL RECRUIT WITH HIS STRENGTH, BALANCE AND HUGE PASSING RANGE’

360 FUNNIES

S360 55

AROUND THE GLOBE: UEFA

EUROPE’S ELITE REMAINING FIXTURES

REMAINING FIXTURES

ROUND OF 16

ROUND OF 32

TEAM 1 Gent Roma Paris Saint-Germain Arsenal Juventus PSV Eindhoven Benfica Dynamo Kyiv

TEAM 2 Wolfsburg Real Madrid Chelsea Barcelona Bayern Munich Atlético Madrid Zenit Saint Petersburg Manchester City

1ST LEG 17 Feb 17 Feb 16 Feb 23 Feb 23 Feb 24 Feb 16 Feb 24 Feb

2ND LEG 8 Mar 8 Mar 9 Mar 16 Mar 16 Mar 15 Mar 9 Mar 15 Mar

QUARTER FINALS THE DRAW FOR THE QUARTER-FINALS WILL BE HELD ON 18 MARCH 2016. THE FIRST LEGS WILL BE PLAYED ON 5 AND 6 APRIL, AND THE SECOND LEGS WILL BE PLAYED ON 12 AND 13 APRIL 2016.

SEMI FINALS THE DRAW FOR THE SEMI-FINALS WILL BE HELD ON 15 APRIL 2016.

THE FIRST LEGS WILL BE PLAYED ON 26 AND 27 APRIL, AND THE SECOND LEGS WILL BE PLAYED ON 3 AND 4 MAY 2016.

THE FINALS THE FINAL WILL BE PLAYED ON 28 MAY 2016 AT THE SAN SIRO IN MILAN, ITALY. THE “HOME” TEAM WILL BE DETERMINED BY AN ADDITIONAL DRAW HELD AFTER THE SEMI-FINAL DRAW.

TEAM 1 VALENCIA FIORENTINA BORUSSIA DORTMUND FENERBAHÇE ANDERLECHT MIDTJYLLAND AUGSBURG SPARTA PRAGUE GALATASARAY SION SHAKHTAR DONETSK MARSEILLE SEVILLA SPORTING CP VILLARREAL SAINT-ÉTIENNE

TEAM 2 RAPID WIEN TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR PORTO LOKOMOTIV MOSCOW OLYMPIACOS MANCHESTER UNITED LIVERPOOL KRASNODAR LAZIO BRAGA SCHALKE 04 ATHLETIC BILBAO MOLDE BAYER LEVERKUSEN NAPOLI BASEL

1ST LEG 18 FEB 18 FEB 18 FEB 16 FEB 18 FEB 18 FEB 18 FEB 18 FEB 18 FEB 18 FEB 18 FEB 18 FEB 18 FEB 18 FEB 18 FEB 18 FEB

2ND LEG 25 FEB 25 FEB 25 FEB 25 FEB 25 FEB 25 FEB 25 FEB 25 FEB 25 FEB 24 FEB 25 FEB 25 FEB 25 FEB 25 FEB 25 FEB 25 FEB

ROUND OF 16 THE DRAW FOR THE ROUND OF 16 WILL BE HELD ON 26 FEBRUARY 2016.

THE FIRST LEGS WILL BE PLAYED ON 10 MARCH, AND THE SECOND LEGS WILL BE PLAYED ON 17 MARCH 2016.

QUARTER FINALS THE DRAW FOR THE QUARTER-FINALS WILL BE HELD ON 18 MARCH 2016. THE FIRST LEGS WILL BE PLAYED ON 7 APRIL, AND THE SECOND LEGS WILL BE PLAYED ON 14 APRIL 2016.

SEMI FINALS THE DRAW FOR THE SEMI-FINALS WILL BE HELD ON 15 APRIL 2016. THE FIRST LEGS WILL BE PLAYED ON 28 APRIL, AND THE SECOND LEGS WILL BE PLAYED ON 5 MAY 2016.

SEMI FINALS THE FINAL WILL BE PLAYED ON 18 MAY 2016 AT THE ST. JAKOB-PARK IN BASEL, SWITZERLAND .THE “HOME” TEAM WILL BE DETERMINED BY AN ADDITIONAL DRAW HELD AFTER THE SEMI-FINAL DRAW.

GOAL LEADERS PLAYER Cristiano Ronaldo Robert Lewandowski Artem Dzyuba Olivier Giroud Thomas Müller Luis Suárez Willian Javier Hernández Karim Benzema Admir Mehmedi Antoine Griezmann Lionel Messi Ángel Di María Seydou Doumbia Nicolás Gaitán Felipe Pardo Raheem Sterling Alexis Sánchez Hulk Vincent Aboubakar

GP 6 6 6 5 6 5 6 6 4 5 6 3 6 6 5 6 6 5 5 6

MP 540 456 469 295 437 450 462 487 266 371 467 270 415 420 431 433 435 442 450 484

G 11 7 6 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

A 3 0 2 0 2 2 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 4 4 1

TEAM Real Madrid Bayern Zenit Arsenal Bayern Barcelona Chelsea Leverkusen Real Madrid Leverkusen Atlético Barcelona Paris CSKA Moskva Benfica Olympiacos Man. City Arsenal Zenit Porto

GOAL LEADERS PLAYER Raúl Bobadilla Aritz Aduriz Dries Mertens Abubakar Oumaru José Callejón Erik Lamela David Lafata Franco Di Santo P.E. Aubameyang Manolo Gabbiadini

GP 5 5 3 5 6 5 6 6 4 4

MP 371 387 237 331 375 397 404 408 254 288

G 6 6 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 4

A 0 2 2 1 3 0 1 1 0 0

TEAM Augsburg Athletic Napoli Partizan Napoli Tottenham Sparta Praha Schalke Dortmund Napoli

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE BY: LAUREN MAHARAJ

TOP 10 MOMENTS OF THE GROUP STAGE

and agony. This year’s group stage al tournament is never shy of thrill d football’s most illustrious annu worl also allowed the face of lesserand has us it But upon is and. ue Engl Leag s and any The prestigious Champion se clubs from Spain, France, Germ rhou powe ding past just a domestic prize, but inclu hs ects lengt its susp l ds it exten has set the grounds for Europe’s usua the continents tournament is that of ty beau The t. upse an won the trophy five times, won at ce have club who tion a chan by year. Considering Barcelona, a known clubs fighting for legitimiza their competitive counterparts as test collective in world football year But grea the year. this being eye y into heav club a a nts one, which ceme success will be measured with are the best 5 season, it is fair to say that their the tools to usurp the Catalans. Here European silverware in the 2014/201 d, it seems that many top clubs have ahea enge chall the for erly prop s from other countries build themselve s League group stage. moments thus far from the Champion

1.

ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC’S HOMECOMING - The crowd was

simply ecstatic when Ibrahimovic set foot upon the Swedbank Stadion turf for the first time in 14 years. His boyhood club Malmo welcomed him home yet suffered a devastating 5-0 loss at the hands of his current club, Paris Saint-Germain, which included a goal from the frontman himself.

The classy Swede avoided celebrating his goal.

2.

BARCELONA’S BATTER OF AS ROMA - In

November the Spanish outfit welcomed their talisman Lionel Messi back from a two month layoff and the Argentine inspired the side to a staggering 6-1 victory over Roma. Barcelona’s collective effort saw goals come from all angles and the Serie A side were virtually torn open at the Camp Nou.

3.

CRISTIANO RONALDO RECORD -

Yet another personal accolade was added to Ronaldo’s legacy as he achieved a group stage record of 11 goals. The Portuguese did not find the back of the net against powerhouse PSG, but did on both occasions against Malmo and Shakhtar Donetsk, including four goals in 20 minutes against the Swedes in Real Madrid’s 8-0 drubbing of the club.

4.

6.

7.

OLIVIER GIROUD’S HAT TRICK AGAINST OLYMPIAKOS - Last year, Arsenal had shockingly lost 3-1 to French outfit Monaco and it was none other than Giroud who became the club’s leading scapegoat. Yet, it was that Frenchman’s sensational hat trick that led the North Londoners to a 3-0 victory in Greece in December that helped to secure their previously uncertain place in the Round of 16.

5.

MANCHESTER UNITED SACKED - Louis van Gaal’s European tenure with the Red Devil’s was cut drastically short after the club lost 3-2 to an outstanding Wolfsburg in Group B. The German outfit were unbeaten in 29 home appearances before meeting Bourissa Dortmund the weekend prior to their clash with United. The downfall of United came when they conceded two goals within three minutes of securing a lead.

8.

THREE EPL CLUB’S ADVANCE TO ROUND OF 16 - In recent years, English Premier League clubs have cast major doubt when trying to sustain successful stints in the European scene. Yet, this year the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea have all pushed forth, with City winning their respective group, Arsenal trumping Olympiakos and Chelsea luckily emerging victorious in their final match against Porto.

UNDERDOG’S GENT - The

Belgian outfit is the first from its country in the current Champions League format to persevere past the group stage into the knockout stages.

Hein Vanhaezebrouck’s men did so by outwitting the likes of formidable opponents Lyon and Valencia who can both boast much more European tournament experience.

LIONEL MESSI’S 80TH UCL GOAL - The incredible Argentine

reached a goal scoring milestone against Bayer Leverkusen in Barcelona’s 1-1 group finale, where he scored his 80th Champions League goal. Interestingly, five goals in that tally have also come against Leverkusen in their previous clash in 2012.

9.

RAHEEM STERLING COMING OF AGE - One of Sterling’s most

dazzling performances as a Sky Blue thus far was against Borussia Monchengladbach when he netted two wonder goals and helped the club win the group for the first time. On that same night the former Liverpool starlet also turned 21 crediting his performance as his “greatest night in football”.

10.

BOTTOM OF THE BARREL - Israeli outfit,

Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C. and FC Astana of Kazakhstan were the two participants in this year’s Champions League group stage who failed to win a single match.

European competition proved to be overwhelming for both clubs as Astana only managed three goals in six appearances while Tel Aviv only managed one goal in the same amount of appearances.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE BY: LAUREN MAHARAJ

GROUP STAGE ALL- STARS

one outstanding player in most as a whole, there always lies at least work rate, creativity and strength their gh set on an enormous scale with throu stage a ured It’s meas rent. is appa team ys alwa Although the dynamic of a enticing annual tournament, this is most all’s score the match-winning footb or world pass aps rtant perh that define matches, seek out an impo big clubs. In the Champions League, cters chara these is It . cters chara compelling influential coach. some of the sports most vibrant and ts group stage, alongside its most the top 11 all stars of the tournamen goal. Here at Soccer 360 we scouted

FORWARDS

CRISTIANO RONALDO (REAL MADRID) -

Ronaldo’s goal scoring prowess extended to another level against Malmo in Real Madrid’s prolific 8-0 demolition of the Swedes, where the Portuguese man scored four goals. He became the first player to score double digit goals in the group stage with his fruitful 11.

ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI (BAYERN MUNICH) - Once fed properly by a creative midfield, Lewandowski is merciless in front of goal. The Pole is only four goals shy of Ronaldo’s 11 with seven in the group stages and his presence has been clinical for the Bavarians.

NEYMAR (BARCELONA - In the absence of

Lionel Messi, Neymar has simply excelled across all domestic and European competitions. In the group stages the Brazilian secured only two goals, but aided in Barcelona’s goal tally with four assists in five appearances.

MID FIELDERS

LUIS SUAREZ (BARCELONA) The beauty of the Uruguayan is not just his creative ability alongside Neymar and Lionel Messi, but also his rise to any occasion. Thus far he stands as the club’s top goal scorer in Europe with five goals and two assists in five appearances..

MESUT OZIL (ARSENAL) - The German is in

fine form for the North Londoners and it has translated brilliantly domestically and in Europe. He has created 11 key chances for Arsene Wenger’s side, tallied two goals and can boast an 89% shot accuracy.

WILLIAN (CHELSEA) The Brazilian’s impressive

form and free-kick clinic throughout the group stage tallied five goals and aided in Chelsea avoiding European woes like the ones they are currently suffering domestically. He received three “Man of the Match” awards during the group stage.

DEFENDERS

DAVID ALABA (BAYERN MUNICH - Perhaps

world football’s most dynamic defender, Alaba has been nothing short of brilliant for Bayern Munich. His form has seen his passing completion at a staggering 94% and he has tallied one goal and one assist in four appearances.

JUANFRAN (ATLETICO MADRID) - IJuanfran

THIAGO SILVA (PSG) - The ever-reliable Silva

is not only a mainstay in the Atletico defensive unit, but also a huge asset to his Spanish national team. The Spaniard’s pace and resilience are a result of his two added assists in the group stage.

is the heartbeat of the capital club’s defense. His leadership skills, physicality and mental will all play an enormous part in the Parisian’s defensive success.

DID YOU KNOW?

DIEGO GODIN (ATLETICO MADRID) - Godin is one of the most important pieces of Atletico Madrid’s tough defensive unit. His physical attributes and relentless work rate have aided in the Uruguayan emerging victorious out of 70% of his aerial duels.

GOALKEEPER

KEVIN TRAPP (PSG) - The German has been

indispensable in Europe for the French outfit playing all six of the club’s group stage matches. In 540 minutes he has only conceded one goal against the formidable Real Madrid.

Diego Godin, a professional footballer from Uruguay was born on February 16, 1986 in Rosario, Uruguay. A very talented player, Diego has a height of 1.86 m and a weight of 73 kg. In regard to his current team, the Nation he plays for is Uruguay national football team and his club is Atletico Madrid as a Defender from the squad No.2.

He receives a good Salary as he is a renowned football player.

In 2003, he initiated playing skillfully at the age of 17.

At that time he prepared his initial arrival for the club Cerro. In the club, he expended 3 slightly fruitful periods with 63 matches and 6 goals. Prior to the initiation of the season 2006, Godin retained a qualified agreement with the team Nacional, where he used to give good playing performance for a year beforehand stirring to Spain. In August 2007, Diego contracted for Villarreal.

He disbursed 3 prolific years for the “yellow submarine” grossing captainship and made 91 advents with 4 goals.

Still Godin took a decision to alter the possessions around him linking with Atletico Madrid in 2010. As for his transnational occupation Godin showed his talents in the U-20 domestic squadron. He took part in the South American Cup. Diego was permissible to achieve in each of the 9 games in the competition. That race

got end in an abundant achievement for his group and Godin was named up to the older worldwide group. His entrance took domicile in an open match against Mexico in Guadalajara which was held on October 26, 2005.

As a whole Diego Godin disbursed 53 competitions for Uruguay and notched 3 goals.

On 4 August 2010, afterward facing his finest period at Villarreal, 36 games with 3 goals – Godin linked to associated first-division club Atletico Madrid on a 5 year agreement, after the two clubs settled a starting payment supposed to be around €8 million. He made his authorized entrance for the Colchoneros on the 27th, frolicking the total 2–0 win against Inter Milan for the season’s UEFA Super Cup. Godin was designated for the group at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, position in the starter against France (0–0) in Cape Town and frolicking in an additional 4 competitions for the ultimate semifinalists. Amongst the accomplishments of Diego Godin there is getting the semifinals in the FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa.

MANAGER

LUIS ENRIQUE (BARCELONA) COACH - Thus far in the campaign, Enrique has

ensured that Barcelona can continue their European dominance and perhaps retain their Champions League title. They finished Group E with 14 points, leaving an eight-point gap between themselves and second place Roma.dable Real Madrid.

“Barcelona have been lucky with the injury to Lionel Messi.

Neymar and Suarez have grown a lot without him. Before it was all Messi.”

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

UEFA EUROPA

There were surprises aplenty, as Molde FK qualified for the knockout stage of a European competition for the first time in their history. The Norwegian side finished top of Group A, which should have caused them trouble, after pulling off surprise wins against Fenerbahce and Celtic, while also claiming draws against Dutch heavyweights Ajax.

It seemed as if nobody in Group B wanted to progress, as seven of the 12 games played resulted in draws. English side Liverpool and Swiss club FC Sion go through, having won just two of their six games each.

Borussia Dortmund should have found it an easy task to navigate through Group C, but a late slump saw the club lose their top spot in the final game, after succumbing to a 1-0 defeat against PAOK FC. Their second place finish means that they are likely to face a top side in the next round – great for the viewers, but not so great for their chances of progression.

Group D was one of the only groups that finished as many would have predicted.

Serie A title chasers Napoli finished top,

“Their second place finish means that they are likely to face a top side in the next round – great for the viewers, but not so great for their chances of advance”

having won all six of their matches, while just a few points separated the other three sides, Legia Warsaw, Club Brugge and FC Midtjylland, the latter of which secured a place in the Round of 32.

Rapid Wien and Villarreal were clear winners of Group E, claiming 15 and 13 points respectively, while group losers Viktoria Plzen and Dinamo Minsk managed just four and three points respectively, with their only victories coming against each other. Group F was much the same, as Braga and Marseille emerged as clear victors.

Group G was made easy for Lazio, as they finished five points above second placed SaintEtienne. The French side were lucky to progress, after struggling for victories over Norwegian minnows Rosenborg BK, but two wins over Dnipro proved decisive.

Lokomotiv Moscow, Sporting Lisbon and Besiktas provided a mouth watering finale in their final Group H games, as all three were still capable of qualifying. Lokomotiv claimed the top spot, while Sporting’s 3-1 victory over Besiktas gave them enough point to progress ahead of the Turkish side.

Basel and Fiorentina flew through Group I, as did Schalke 04 and Sparta Prague in Group K. Surprisingly, Tottenham Hotspur and Anderlecht progressed with ease from Group J, despite

coming up against French heavyweights Monaco.

The Ligue 1 side were still in with a small chance going into the final game, but a 4-1 mauling

by Tottenham proved to be the final nail in the coffin.

The final group, Group L, provided an entertaining last round, as the result of the clash between Partizan and Augsburg would decide who progressed alongside La Liga side Athletic Bilbao. It was Augsburg who eventually prevailed, as a 3-1 victory was just enough for the German club to qualify on goal difference alone.

The next round provides the perfect blend of big names and unexpected additions. While there are undeniably some standout favourites, if previous years have taught us anything, it’s that anything can happen between now and the May 18th final.

Will Sevilla make it three in a row? Will Louis van Gaal save his skin with a Europa League win, or will minnows Molde, Sion or Midtjylland pull off a shock victory? No matter who wins it, there’s bound to be plenty of entertainment along the way.

LEAGUE

A mass of top teams have made it through to the knockout phase, including the likes of big league heavyweights Liverpool, Tottenham.

Serie A frontrunners Napoli and Fiorentina. Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund and the tournament’s winner for the last two consecutive seasons, Sevilla.Looking ahead to an exciting next round of 32, here’s a breakdown of the group stage and how it played out. By Luke Brook

Dortmund ter celebrate af al scoring a go oup during a gr in stage match ropa this years Eu League.

Liverpool’s Adam Lallana (L) celebrates with his teammate Danny Ings (R) after scoring the 1-0 lead during a the UEFA Europ League group B soccer match.

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AROUND THE GLOBE: WONDER BOYS

1

Kingsley Coman

TOP10 WONDER

BY: DARYL HAMMOND

2016 IS HERE, AND WITH IT COMES A WHOLE NEW BATCH OF SUPPOSED WUNDERKINDS, READY TO BREAK OUT AND MIX IT WITH THE BIG BOYS. SOME WE MAY NEVER HEAR OF AGAIN, SOME COULD GO FOR £100M, BUT THIS YEAR COULD BE THE YEAR THE WHOLE WORLD KNOWS THESE PLAYERS. DARYL HAMMOND RUNS THROUGH THE STARS OF THE NEXT 12 MONTHS.

AGE: 19 TEAM: BAYERN MUNICH (ON LOAN FROM JUVENTUS)

BOYS

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Jason Denayer

DID YOU KNOW? KINGSLEY COMAN IS ONLY 19 YEARS YOUNG AND HAS ALREADY PLAYED FOR THREE (3) DIFFERENT PROFESSIONAL CLUBS IN THREE (3) DIFFERENT PROFESSIONAL LEAGUES.

Only 19-years-old, Coman has played for Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Bayern. That’s some footballing CV. What was abundantly clear about the young Frenchman at his first few clubs was that he had the ability to go all the way – he just couldn’t get the playing time to show it.

In that case, going to Bayern seems odd, given the squad they have. But Pep Guardiola has given him an early chance and he has taken it, impressing with his pace, dribbling, creativity and goal scoring ability from a variety of positions.

Bayern have signed him on a two-year loan deal from Juventus with an option to buy, which seems a no brainer given his early performances.

Didier Deschamps has taken note and welcomed him into the France set-up. With Euro 2016 on home soil, Coman will be desperate to make the squad, and has every chance of doing so.

AGE: 20 TEAM: BORUSSIA MONCHENGLADBACH

AGE: 20 TEAM: GALATASARAY (ON LOAN FROM MANCHESTER CITY), A Manchester City player, Denayer won’t be a name too familiar with fans in England. However, those in Scotland, Belgium and Turkey will rave of the performances of the young centre-back.

Sent on loan to Celtic last season, he returned with a clamour of silverware. A well as winning the Scottish League and domestic Cup, he was named the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year. He continues to impress, this time on loan at Galatasaray, although he is mainly being used at right-back.

Most impressively, he is already a Belgium international, with four caps. As a strong, quick player with an eye for goal, there is every chance he can emulate teammate Vincent Kompany and become a star for club and country.

Given his Champions League and international experience, it surely won’t be too long before he’s knocking down Manuel Pellegrini’s door for a first-team chance.

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Even if you had never seen him play, one might assume that Mahmoud Dahoud is quite the player, having taken the No 8 shirt at Borussia Monchengladbach at just 19. You wouldn’t be wrong, as the midfielder has become one of the first names on the team sheet. He made his debut last season, and had shown enough in his sporadic appearances to warrant a start on the opening day of this season. And he didn’t leave the team after, playing in every one of their first 21 matches.

A forward-thinking player with the ball at his feet, he is often looking to get his team on the attack.

Though a Syrian refugee, he is rising through the youth ranks of the German national team. Just turned 20, Euro 2016 may come too early for him, But already a key part of the Monchengladbach side, and he may hold the rank in the German national team in the future.

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Marco Asensio

AGE: 20 TEAM: ESPANYOL (ON LOAN FROM REAL MADRID)

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Mahmoud Dahoud

2015 has been a dream year for Marco Asensio.

Having been granted his dream move to Real Madrid, he also won the European U-19 Championships with Spain. As La Roja romped to the title, he picked up the prestigious Golden Player award. Real Madrid knew they were getting a player who could one day be a Spain international. But until such a time, he is gaining credible La Liga experience with Espanyol, where he has proved a creative force. A typical Spanish midfielder, he is great with the ball at his feet and even better at passing, feeding the likes of Felipe Caicedo and Hernan Perez for goals.

He put in a man-of-the-match performance against Real Betis, notching three assists which really saw the League take note. Continuing such performances could see him squeeze his way into what is a talented Real Madrid side next season.

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Alen Halilovic

Gianluigi Donnarumma

AGE: 16 TEAM: AC MILAN

“Pep Guardiola has given Kingsley Coman an early chance and he has taken it”

AGE: 19 TEAM: SPORTING GIJON (ON LOAN FROM BARCELONA)

A Milan youth player his whole life, Donnarumma was able to pull on the famous jersey for the first time in pre-season – against Real Madrid of all teams. He missed the decisive kick in a penalty shootout, but as it would transpire, he is a lot better at preventing goals than scoring them.

After a poor run of games, Milan boss Sinisa Mihajlovic gave the teenager his Serie A debut ahead of senior ‘keeper Diego Lopez. The Rossoneri beat Sassuolo 2-1 and he hasn’t looked back, becoming the first choice.

Given his first name, Donnarumma, who turns 17 in February, has predictably drawn comparisons with legendary Italy No 1 Gianluigi Buffon. The towering height, shot stopping ability and the fact that he’s Italian might help too.

Mega-agent Mino Raiola, who manages superstars such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba and Mario Balotelli already claims Donnarumma is worth €170m. As a football agent, exaggeration comes easy, but there’s every chance he could cost someone a pretty penny in a few years.

Seemingly every season a new young footballer is billed as the ‘New Messi’. Alen Halilovic is seemingly just another name on that list, as it seldom works out as such. However, Barcelona certainly believe he has something, having signed the player from Dinamo Zagreb last year.

During his time at Zagreb he made his Champions League debut aged 16 and became the youngest player to feature for the Croatia national team. Now in Spain, he can learn from the man himself. But for now he is on loan at Sporting Gijon, who may feel they have a Messi of their own such has been the early season form of the highly creative now 19-year-old.

Diminutive in stature, left footed and a silky dribbler, it is easy to see why such comparisons are made. Whether he has what it takes to succeed his idol is another question. No pressure, eh?

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AGE: 21 TEAM: NAPOLI One would find it difficult to believe Elseid Hysaj was only 21-years-old given the way he plays football. The full-back possesses the traits and the temperament of a player well beyond his years, so it’s no wonder Napoli did everything they could to snap him up as soon as they caught a glimpse of the Albanian in action. Last season was the young right-back’s first in Serie A after he enjoyed promotion with Empoli. He rose through the youth ranks with the club and started life with them in Serie B quickly become a mainstay in the team and a key component in promotion.

Perhaps his greatest achievement has come with the Albanian national team. Albania have qualified for Euro 2016, the first major tournament in their history. So come the summer, his talents will be known to all across Europe.

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While Dortmund’s all-action, swashbuckling brand of football has seen them score goals aplenty, Julian Weigl is the man who keeps things ticking over in the middle of the park. A new signing from Munich 1860, he has been unfazed by the step up to the Bundesliga, and slotted straight into Thomas Tuchel’s plans. He was seen as the next big thing back in Bavaria, he became the club’s youngest ever captain at just 18 years of age. However, he was unceremoniously stripped of the armband.

Perhaps we can chalk that one up to youth.

Whatever one makes of his attitude, his ability is undisputed. He has one of the highest pass rates in the Bundesliga.

AGE: 21 TEAM: DORTMUND

AGE: 18 TEAM: LIVERPOOL

AGE: 20 TEAM: SCHALKE Schalke have made their best start to a season in 44 years, and it is no surprise when you look at the early season form of starlet Leroy Sané.

Both their top scorer and top creator a third of the way into the season, it is fair to say that the attacking midfielder who turned 20 in January has been influential. He truly announced his talent to the world in his first Champions League game against Real Madrid last season. Coming off the bench, he scored and assisted in a 4-3 win for Schalke. Comfortable on either wing and even more so with the ball at his feet, he is a naturally gifted talent. 2015 has already been a great year for the midfielder, but having made his Germany debut in October, he may yet play his way into Jochim Low’s Euro 2016 squad.

Elseid Hysaj

Julian Weigl

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Leroy Sané

When Liverpool splashed out £6m to pry Joe Gomez from Charlton Athletic, many saw the player as one for the future. He’d go to the academy, maybe on loan and hope to break into the first team in the next few years. It came as a surprise to many then that former manager Brendan Rodgers slotted him right in the starting XI for the opening match of the season against Stoke City. And he thrived – at an unfavoured left-back position. He kept seasoned full-back Alberto Moreno out of the team and was a shining light in what was a struggling Liverpool side under Rodgers. His Anfield dream was cut short by an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury which has ruled him out for most of the season.

As unfortunate as the injury is, it makes 2016 that much more important. When he returns from injury, provided he makes the same start as this term, he could be a regular for both club and country.

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Joe Gomez S360 59

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS 2016

EURO QUALIFYING SU THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THE 2016 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS WOULD BE CONTESTED BETWEEN 24 TEAMS, RATHER THAN THE 16-TEAM FORMAT THAT HAS BEEN USED SINCE THE 1996 TOURNAMENT, SEEMED TO GIVE EVERY SIDE SOME HOPE THAT THEY COULD MAKE THE CUT. 53 COMPETING TEAMS, 266 MATCHES AND 694 GOALS LATER, AND THE 24 TEAMS THAT WILL BE MAKING THEIR WAY TO FRANCE NEXT SUMMER HAVE BEEN DECIDED. FOR MOST FANS, THE LIST OF THOSE THAT MADE IT THROUGH, WON’T MATCH THEIR PRE-QUALIFIER PREDICTIONS. GIANT KILLINGS, SHOCK RESULTS, UNEXPECTED HEROES, EMERGING TALENTS, UNLIKELY EXITS AND EVEN A FEW SCUFFLES, ALL OF WHICH HAVE COME TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS ONE OF THE BEST EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFYING CAMPAIGNS IN THE TOURNAMENT’S HISTORY. WHILE WE WAIT PATIENTLY FOR THE TOURNAMENT FINALS TO KICK OFF THIS SUMMER HERE’S A LOOK BACK AT OUR TOP TEN SHOCKS AND SURPRISES WHICH MADE THE QUALIFIERS SO ENTERTAINING: THE NETHERLANDS

For a team that finished in third place at the World Cup just over a year ago, most would have expected the Oranje to fly through the qualifying stage. Shock defeats to Czech Republic, Iceland and Turkey ultimately saw their Euro 2016 hopes crash and burn, making the Netherlands the biggest team to fall at the first hurdle.

GREECE

It’s difficult to believe that Greece won the tournament 11 years ago, considering how dire their qualifying campaign was throughout. Of the ten games played, they secured just one victory, which came in their final match when they were already out of the competition. In a group consisting of minnows such as Faroe Islands and Northern Ireland, it comes as a real shock not to see Greece top it.

ing The dissapoint Netherlands now campaign will rs have the playe d watching behin is a tv screen th summer.

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SURPRISES BY: LUKE BEDAY

KYLE LAFFERTY

Few would have expected a player struggling to break into the squad of Premier League minnows Norwich City to be Northern Ireland’s unexpected hero at the Euro 2016 qualifiers. Prior to the tournament, Lafferty hadn’t found the net for his country since 2012, but seven goals later, and he is likely to be the focal point of their attack when the finals come around.

ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI

Bayern Munich goalscorer Lewandowski took his game to the next level with some recordbreaking performances over the last 12 months.

Although, with players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Eden Hazard and Thomas Muller making appearances, few expected Lewandowski to be the standout player of the qualifying campaign.

The 13 goals he scored was the highest tally in the competition, and his goals effectively fired Poland through to the finals.

Nobody was expecting the Irish to defeat the German giants during the qualifiers.

PACO ALCÁCER

ENGLAND

Valencia striker Paco Alcácer was gifted the chance to make his competitive debut for Spain thanks to an injury suffered by Diego Costa in the days building up to the qualifier against Macedonia. After scoring in his first match, Alcácer became a key part of the squad, scoring five goals throughout the qualifying campaign – more than any other Spanish player.

England were always expected to progress through the qualifying campaign, but after a woeful 2014 World Cup, few expected them to do it so flawlessly. Roy Hodgson’s side emerged from the qualifiers as the only team to boast a 100% record, having won all ten of their matches – a feat that even the likes of Spain and Germany couldn’t match.

LEE CASCIARO

NORTHERN IRELAND, ICELAND, WALES, ALBANIA, SLOVAKIA

Gibraltarian striker Lee Casciaro was given his 15 minutes of fame when he scored Gibraltar’s first ever competitive goal in a 6-1 defeat to Scotland. It would prove to be his only goal of the tournament, with Gibraltar scoring just once more in stark contrast to the 56 that they conceded, but Casciaro certainly cemented his name in the country’s history books.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND VS GERMANY

Martin O’Neill’s Republic of Ireland side pulled off the undisputed shock scoreline out of all the 266 games that were played. With the qualifiers entering their final few matches, the lowly side pulled off a surprise 1-0 win over reigning world champions Germany, thanks to a second-half goal from Shane Long, which proved vital in securing their progression.

“Although, with players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Eden Hazard and Thomas Muller playing in this summer’s event, few expected the polish striker to be the standout player of the qualifying campaign.”

A pleasant surprise came in the amount of underdogs that performed particularly well throughout the qualifiers. As a result, the 2016 finals will see five teams make their debuts in the tournament, having qualified for the first time in their history. This sets the bar for the highest number of debut teams to play in the finals since the tournament’s inception.

ALBANIA VS SERBIA

This match provided one of the most unbelievable scenes in recent soccer history, due to political tension dating back to the 1940s.

Rival fans clashed, flares were let off and bottles were thrown, but the worst came after a drone was flown into the stadium carrying an Albanian flag, which caused the violence to spill out on to the pitch, before the match was eventually abandoned.

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EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS 2016

EURO QUALIFYING ST FINAL QUALIFYING STANDINGS

1 2 3 4 5 6

Spain Slovakia Ukraine Belarus Luxembourg Macedonia

Pld 10 10 10 10 10 10

W 9 7 6 3 1 1

D L 0 1 1 2 1 3 2 5 1 8 1 8

1 2 3 4 5 6

Germany Poland Rep. of Ireland Scotland Georgia Gibraltar

Pld 10 10 10 10 10 10

W 7 6 5 4 3 0

D 1 3 3 3 0 0

Pld 10 10 10 10 10 10

W 10 7 5 3 3 0

D L 0 0 0 3 1 4 1 6 1 6 1 9

1 England 2 Switzerland 3 Slovenia 4 Estonia 5 Lithuania 6 San Marino

L 2 1 2 3 7 10

Austria Russia Sweden Montenegro Liechtenstein Moldova

W 9 6 5 3 1 0

D L 1 0 2 2 3 2 2 5 2 7 2 8

Pts 22 20 18 11 5 2

group g

D 2 3 2 1 0 0

1 2 3 4 5 6

Pld 10 10 10 10 10 10

1 2 3 4 5 6

Italy Croatia Norway Bulgaria Azerbaijan Malta

Pld 10 10 10 10 10 10

W 7 6 6 3 1 0

D L 3 0 3 1 1 3 2 5 3 6 2 8

GF 24 20 19 11 6 2

group h

W 7 6 5 4 4 0

0 3

Pts 27 22 19 11 4 4

group c

1 2 3 4 5 6

Pld 10 Belgium 10 Wales Bosnia and Herz. 10 10 Israel 10 Cyprus 10 Andorra

2 1

Pts 22 21 18 15 9 0

1 2 3

4 5

Portugal Albania Denmark Serbia Armenia

Pld 8 8 8 8 8

W 7 4 3 2 0

D L 0 1 2 2 3 2 1 2

5 6

Pts 21 14 12 4 2

group d

Pld 10 10 10 10 10 10

6 6

10

Pts 30 21 16 10 10 1

MOST GOALS SCORED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

R. Lewandowski Z. Ibrahimovic T. Muller E. Dzeko M. Janko W. Rooney I. Perisic D. Wellbeck K. De Bruyne E. Hazard

TEAM POL SWE GER BIH AUS ENG CRO ENG BEL BEL

GOALS 13 11 9 8 7 7 6 6 5 5

group i

Pts 23 21 17 13 12 0

Czech Republic Iceland Turkey Netherlands Kazakhstan Latvia

8 6

Pts 21 20 16 12

group a

L 1 1 3 5 6 10

1 2 3 4 5 6

D L 3 1 5 0 4 2 3 4

group b

Pts 22 20 18 13 5 5

W 6 5 4 3

MOST ASSISTS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

group e

L 2 2 2 5 7 5

Pld 10 10 10 10 10

Greece

6

D 1 2 3 1 2 5

W 7 6 5 4 1 0

Northern Ireland Romania Hungary Finland Faroe Islands

1 2 3 4 5

group f

NOW THAT THE QUALIFICATIONS ARE OVER, WE LOOK BACK AT THE STATS THAT MADE THEM SO INTERESTING. THE GROUPS FOR THE FINALS HAVE ALSO BEEN SELECTED, PAVING THE PATH TO A GREAT SUMMER AHEAD!

M. Ozil A. Chamberlain R. Sterling W. Sneijder J. Alba Juanfran Koke D. Silva M. Kruse T. Muller

TEAM GER ENG ENG NED ESP ESP ESP ESP GER GER

ASSISTS 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2

UEFA EURO 2016 GROUPS group a

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group B

group C

group D

FRANCE

ENGLAND

GERMANY

CROATIA

ALBANIA

SLOVAKIA

N. IRELAND

CZECH REP.

ROMANIA

RUSSIA

POLAND

SPAIN

SWITZERLAND

WALES

UKRAINE

TURKEY

STATS best goalkeepers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

R. Almer J. Hart G. Buffon R. Patricio p. Cech A. Pyatov M. Kozacik D. Subasic M. Neuer I. Casillas

TEAM AUT ENG ITA POR CZE UKR SVK CRO GER ESP

W 9 9 7 7 7 7 7 6 6 6

CS 6 7 4 4 0 7 4 6 2 5

TEAM goalie LEADERS LARGEST ATTENDANCE LOWEST ATTENDANCE ANDORRA VS CYPRUS 1,000 PEOPLE JUNE 12TH, 2015

POLAND VS. GIBRALTAR 8 GOALS SCORED BY POLAND SEPT 7TH, 2015

MOST AWAY GOALS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

A. Isaksson O. Nyland A. Pyatov A. Begovic S. Handanovic R. Almer D. Subasic K. Schmeichel G. Kiraly W. Hennessey

TEAM SWE NOR UKR BIH SLV AUT CRO DEN HUN WAL

Spain Germany Italy Netherlands England

SAVES 33 27 21 12 9

ENGLAND VS LITHUANIA 83,671 PEOPLE MARCH 27TH, 2015

MOST HOME GOALS

MOST MINUTES

1 2 3 4 5

GERMANY VS. GIBRALTAR 7 GOALS SCORED BY GERMANY JUNE 13TH, 2015

MINUTES 1080 1080 1080 1080 990 900 900 900 900 900

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Spain England Romania Ukraine Wales Croatia Austria Hungary Norway Iceland

CLEAN SHEETS 8 8 8 7 7 6 6 6 6 6

TEAM LEADERS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Poland England Switzerland Germany Bellgium Spain Rep. of Ireland Scotland Austria Russia

“Shock defeats to Czech Republic, Iceland and Turkey ultimately saw their Euro 2016 hopes crash and burn, making the Netherlands the biggest team to fall at the first hurdle.”

GOALS 33 31 24 24 24 23 22 22 22 21

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Croatia Italy Bosnia Malta Faroe Islands Turkey Estonia Slovenia Latvia Netherlands

RED CARDS 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1

360 FUNNIES

EURO 2016 TICKETS NOW ON SALE! ex.html TO APPLY FOR YOUR TICKETS

APPLY NOW BY GOING TO www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/ticketing/ind

BY CHOSING YOUR TEAM, AND YOUR GAMES! YOU WILL BE NOTIFIED BY FEBRUARY REGARDING THE PURCHASE AND AVAILABILITY OF YOUR TICKETS!

group E

group F

BELGIUM

AUSTRIA

ITALY

HUNGARY

REP. OF IRELAND

ICELAND

SWEDEN

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bale Breathes fire into dragons EURO 2016: THE INTERNATIONALS

THIS SUMMER WILL SEE WALES TAKE PART IN ONLY THEIR SECOND INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT EVER, THANKS IN LARGE PART TO GARETH BALE. DAVE STACEY REFLECTS ON THE WINGER’S RISE

T

‘EVERYONE KNOWS HOW IMPORTANT WALES ARE TO ME AND HOW PROUD WE ALL ARE TO PLAY FOR OUR COUNTRY,’ – GARETH BALE.

goals eeds 10 sh Bale n ake Ian Ru r. rt to ove s’ top score le as Wa

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he career of Gareth Bale has been one of continuous and rapid improvement. From a skinny teenage left-back in the second tier of English football at Southampton to attacking superstar for the biggest club side in world football Real Madrid, via a stuttering youngster who couldn’t buy a win at Tottenham, Bale is now transferring his prodigious talents to the international scene. Installed as skipper by Wales manager Chris Coleman, the Cardiffborn superstar played a vital role as Wales qualified for their first major international tournament since the 1958 World Cup, the country’s first ever European Championships.

Wales finished second in qualifying Group B, behind Belgium, having led the way for much of the campaign.

Victories over Andorra, Cyprus (both twice) and Israel ensured their only defeat to Bosnia in the penultimate game was a mere blip. It was, though, victory over Belgium in Cardiff which really made the Welsh believe. Bale marked his 50th appearance in his city of birth by scoring the only goal of the game, latching on to a wayward header from Radja Nainggolan to coolly control and slot under Simon Mignolet.

Wales’ history has been littered with false dawns and squandered opportunities. On six occasions - in 1977, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1993 and 2003 Wales failed when one win away from reaching the World Cup or European Championship finals.

The only previous tournament appearance came at the 1958 World Cup, but they failed to qualify from their group and benefited from political unrest in the Middle East to earn a play-off match against Israel.

Ever the professional, Bale made sure the world knew the Welsh were not going to France just to make the numbers up. “We know the

man, the Chris Cole ho made w er manag . in ta p Bale ca

Gareth Bale celebrates his goal against Belg ium.

history of Wales and we are the first team to actually qualify properly,” Bale says. “It has been our aim all the time and we have managed to put a good run in the qualification campaign. It is going to go down in history, but there is still a lot of work to do after this.”

Bale’s contribution was unmistakable.

One of only four players, alongside goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey and defenders Chris Gunter and Ashley Williams, to start every group stage game, the Madrid man scored seven of his nation’s 11 goals, also providing two assists.

Bale wasn’t alone in shining throughout the qualification campaign, though. Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey showed great attitude having lost the captaincy to Bale when Coleman took over, Swansea City man Williams was a tower of strength in the heart of the backline and goalkeeper Hennessey has provided a dependable last line of defence ensuring the Dragons have a spine strong enough to compete in France.

Throughout the campaign, Bale made no secret of his desire to help his nation at every opportunity, even when his club side would have preferred him to stay at home. Despite only recently having recovered from injury, Bale insisted on playing in Wales’ final group game against Andorra despite having already sealed qualification. “Everyone knows how important Wales are to me and how proud we all are to play for our country,” he confirmed.

Bale hasn’t always thrived as the underdog, however. Breaking through the Southampton academy and in to the first team 10 years ago, his performances in the Championship earned him a £7m move to Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham Hotspur. Initially deployed as a left-back, it took Bale 24 games over two years to pick up his first victory in a Spurs shirt, Redknapp substituting him on in the 85th minute of a 5-0 victory over Burnley to ensure the hoodoo left his shoulders.

An important figure in Bale’s career, Redknapp

‘BALE MARKED HIS 50TH APPEARANCE IN HIS CITY OF BIRTH BY SCORING THE ONLY GOAL OF THE GAME’

FACTFILE NAME: GARETH BALE BORN: JULY 16, 1989 (CARDIFF, WALES) HT / WT: 1.83M / 78KG POSITION: WINGER CLUB: REAL MADRID CLUB STATS SEASON CLUB 2005-06 SOUTHAMPTON 2006-07 SOUTHAMPTON 2007-08 TOTTENHAM 2008-09 TOTTENHAM 2009-10 TOTTENHAM 2010-11 TOTTENHAM 2011-12 TOTTENHAM 2012-13 TOTTENHAM 2013-14 REAL MADRID 2014-15 REAL MADRID 2015-16 REAL MADRID

APPS 2 43 12 30 34 41 42 44 44 48 9

GOALS 0 5 3 0 3 11 12 26 22 17 2

INTERNATIONAL STATS YEAR 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

APPS 4 7 5 7 4 6 5 5 5 6

GOALS 1 1 0 0 1 3 3 2 3 5

When Scoring Matters!

416-745-7045

www.italflorist.com

EURO 2016: THE INTERNATIONALS

also moved the Cardiff-born man further forward at the beginning of the 2009-10 season, allowing Bale to express his more creative nature and forgo the defensive shackles. It worked, Tottenham finishing fourth and qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in over 30 years.

The following year came Bale’s arrival on the European scene, a stunning hat-trick in valiant defeat to Inter at San Siro in the group stage before a Man of the Match performance in the home leg of the quarter final defeat to Real Madrid ensuring the world took notice. Two more seasons at Spurs saw Bale grow even more influential, a career best tally of 26 goals in 2012-13 prompting Spanish giants Real Madrid to part with a world record £85.3m.

BACK IN THE BIG TIME

After an initial struggle with injuries, Bale soon hit the ground running, playing a key role in Los Blancos’ Champions League victory, the club’s 10th and most valued success, scoring the pivotal second goal in extra-time against cross-city rivals Atletico Madrid.

There was something of a homecoming, too, the following season, Bale assisting the first goal in a 2-0 Super Cup victory over Sevilla in Cardiff.

This coming summer, Bale has a major chance of not only becoming a totemic pole a side making history for its country, but also a record breaker. At just 26, both the record for goals and appearances are well within his grasp.

Much like his career so far, Bale will no doubt look to move on to the next challenge with equal hard work.

The last (and only) time Wales reached the finals of a major tournament was in 1958 when they qualified for the World Cup finals in Sweden. Wales thought they had missed out on a place in the finals after finishing second to Czechoslovakia in their qualification group. However, Israel had won their section by default as no African or Asian country would play them following the Suez crisis of 1956. FIFA were reluctant to allow a team into the World Cup finals without playing a match so lots were drawn and, of Europe’s second-placed teams, Wales were picked to face the Israelis. Wales won the first leg 2-0 and sealed their place at the finals after recording the same scoreline in the return leg at Cardiff’s Ninian Park in February 1958.

Featuring in a group that also contained Hungary, Mexico and hosts Sweden, the Welsh battled to three hard-fought draws.

John Charles, of Leeds United and Juventus fame, scored in the 1-1 draw with Hungary, Ivor Allchurch in the 1-1 against Mexico and there was a goalless stalemate against the group winners and eventual runners-up, Sweden. With Hungary and Wales both finishing on three points, a play-off match saw Wales reach the last eight after coming from behind in Solna to win 2–1 with goals from Allchurch and Terry Medwin. However, Charles was injured in the match and missed the quarter-final against Brazil in Gothenburg, a match decided by a single goal after 66 minutes by the 17-year old Pelé. The Wales manager, Jimmy Murphy, reflected that, “with John Charles in the side we might have won.”

As it was, Brazil went on to win the World Cup for the first time. Just 12 years later, Brazil, and Pelé, had won three.

‘QUALIFICATION IS GOING TO GO DOWN IN HISTORY, BUT THERE IS STILL A LOT OF WORK TO DO AFTER THIS.’ – GARETH BALE

Ian Rush, Wales all time scorer.

ALLTIME GOALSCORERS ALL TIME WALES MOST APPEARENCES

ALL TIME WALES MOST GOALS

1 NEVILLE SOUTHALL 92 2 GARY SPEED 85 3 CRAIG BELLAMY 78

1 IAN RUSH 28 2 TREVOR FORD 23 = IVOR ALLCHURCH 23

4 DEAN SAUNDERS 75

4 DEAN SAUNDERS 22 5 GARETH BALE 19 = CRAIG BELLAMY 19

5 PETER NICHOLAS 73 = IAN RUSH 73 7 MARK HUGHES 72

7 ROBERT EARNSHAW 16

= JOEY JONES 72 9 IVOR ALLCHURCH 68

= CLIFF JONES 16 = MARK HUGHES 16

24 GARETH BALE 54

10 JOHN CHARLES 15

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EURO 2016: THE INTERNATIONALS

HE’S ENGLAND’S ALL-TIME LEADING GOALSCORER, THE PREMIER LEAGUE’S JOINT SECOND LEADING ALL-TIME GOALSCORER AND CLOSING IN ON BECOMING MANCHESTER UNITED’S ALL-TIME LEADING GOALSCORER. LIVIO CAFEROGLU ASKS JUST WHY DOES WAYNE ROONEY CONTINUE TO DIVIDE CRITICS

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‘THE 30-YEAR-OLD IS WITHIN TOUCHING DISTANCE OF BEING REVERED AS HIS COUNTRY’S MOST-CAPPED PLAYER AND UNITED’S ALLTIME TOP GOALSCORER’

The 30 -ye now En ar-old is gland’s all time to p goals corer, though has mo re caps than an yo the cou ne else in ntry’s to p 10 list of sc orers

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ver since breaking onto the scene as a 16-year-old for Everton with his lastminute wonder goal against Arsenal in October 2002, Wayne Rooney remains just as relevant as he was back then, both in a professional and marketing sense, but his run at the top could be coming to an end if his critics are to be believed.

On paper, such an assertion could be considered ludicrous, given that Rooney has hit doublefigures in each of his last 10 seasons for the Red Devils and over half-a-century’s worth of strikes for the Three Lions, while he has picked up countless awards for his achievements, most notably a fifth-place Ballon d’Or finish in 2011.

And for all the records he has broken – becoming the youngest and most prolific goalscorer in the English national team’s history, the first player to reach double figures in 11 consecutive Premier League seasons and, previously, the youngest-ever finisher in the Premier League and European Championship – the 30-year-old is within touching distance of being revered as his country’s most-capped player and United’s all-time top goalscorer.

Yet, there is the lingering feeling that Rooney has never truly lived up to his potential for several reasons, from his poor temperament earlier in his career and a multitude of injuries to constantly being shunted around the pitch, when his No 10 jersey seemingly makes it clear where he feels most at home. The most scathing of the recent criticism came from his former teammate Roy Keane, who felt he was not pulling his weight mentally or physically.

Most of the scrutiny directed at Rooney is linked to his struggles to replicate the goalscoring form he showed yesteryear, having only netted seven in all competitions during the first four months of the season.

However, the statistics don’t lie and

DARING TO DREAM?

360 FUNNIES

eternity It feels an since a then ored a d sc 16-year-ol le winner memorab rsenal A t ns agai

United themselves have been accused of chronically lacking in firepower this season. Rooney, in fact, headed into the Red Devils’ Christmas run-in two clear of nearest challenger Memphis Depay.

This can be seen by manager Louis van Gaal’s insistence on a more possession-based style – in stark contrast to the swashbuckling directness exhibited under Sir Alex Ferguson. The Old Trafford giants may have seen more of the ball than any other Premier League team and conceded very little in the process, but at the expense of shots at their opponents’ goal and – subsequently – chances created.

For a player of Rooney’s ilk, however, his team’s deficiencies can only account for part of the problem.

Simply put, the Englishman has looked a shade of his once-threatening self going forward, testing his opposing goalkeeper on the least number of occasions since the 2009-10 season and – in turn – risking failure to achieve double figures in the League for the first time in his United career.

Looking at the records Rooney has broken, the only one which can be debated is his route to becoming England’s greatest marksman.

Needing 107 games to break Bobby Charlton’s 45-year-long reign in the scoring charts, the latter was a midfielder by trade and World Cup champion, with two of his strikes proving matchwinners against Portugal in the 1966 semi-finals.

The ex-Everton star, on the other hand, can only vouch for one World Cup goal in 11 attempts.

Furthermore, his scoring ratio of 0.47 pales in

FACTFILE NAME: WAYNE ROONEY BORN: OCTOBER 24, 1985 (CROXTETH, ENGLAND) HT / WT: 1.76M / 83KG POSITION: STRIKER CLUB: MANCHESTER UNITED CLUB STATS SEASON CLUB 2002-03 EVERTON 2003-04 EVERTON 2004-05 MANCHESTER UNITED 2005-06 MANCHESTER UNITED 2006-07 MANCHESTER UNITED 2007-08 MANCHESTER UNITED 2008-09 MANCHESTER UNITED 2009-10 MANCHESTER UNITED 2010-11 MANCHESTER UNITED 2011-12 MANCHESTER UNITED 2012-13 MANCHESTER UNITED 2013-14 MANCHESTER UNITED 2014-15 MANCHESTER UNITED 2015-16 MANCHESTER UNITED

APPS 33 34 29 36 35 27 30 32 28 34 27 29 33 12

GOALS 6 9 11 16 14 12 12 26 11 27 12 17 12 2

INTERNATIONAL STATS YEAR 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 TOTAL

APPS 9 11 8 8 4 8 9 11 5 5 10 13 8 109

GOALS 2 6 2 1 2 5 6 1 2 4 6 8 5 51

It’s been a fair while since England supporters headed into a major tournament with lofty expectations, once a staple before any footballing occasion, but they have reasons to be optimistic about Euro 2016 after a perfect qualifying campaign, theirs being the only one, and a host of emerging talents such as John Stones, Ross Barkley and Harry Kane proving their worth in the process. Yet, doubts persist over exactly how well they will do in France next summer.

Roy Hodgson was tipped to be the fall guy for the Three Lions’ abject performance at the 2014 World Cup, but he was allowed to stay on as a series of his more experienced heads responsibly made way for the next generation. Fears that his traditionalist approach to management is hindering the side’s development have overshadowed the 68-yearold’s reign to date, but a run of 15 wins in 18 games has gone some way towards easing the media pressure.

Nonetheless, recent history tells us that qualifying campaigns have generally proved easy pickings for England, despite an anomaly in reaching Euro 2008, with their last defeat in the phase coming six years ago. The onus, consequently, will now be on Hodgson straying away from too much more experimentation and shaping up his squad for the finals, including a preferred XI and formation, having utilised 41 players in the past 12 months.

‘YET, THERE IS THE LINGERING FEELING THAT ROONEY HAS NEVER TRULY LIVED UP TO HIS POTENTIAL FOR SEVERAL REASONS’ S360 69

EURO 2016: THE INTERNATIONALS

comparison to the likes of Alan Shearer, who would have certainly netted more than his 30 if he surpassed 63 caps, Gary Lineker’s 48 in 80 and Jimmy Greaves’ mightily-impressive 44 in only 57. The trio also starred in the respective tournaments they featured in, although they benefited from being pure finishers, whereas Rooney is more of a hybrid player.

It is perhaps because of this interpositional identity that Rooney looks set to miss out on the same distinction in the Premier League. Shearer remains the runaway leader with 260, some 60-plus goals ahead of the Croxleth native, who may only have a few years of competing at the highest level left in him. Even so, if he gets his act together sooner rather than later, he will have become United’s all-time top scorer by the end of the season, again pipping Charlton.

The forward finds himself in esteemed company on the Old Trafford list, having already beaten the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and George Best to match Denis Law’s haul of 237 goals, the second-highest tally in United’s history. The Scot is regarded by many to be United’s greatest-ever striker and reached his final figure for the two-time Champions League winners 88 games sooner than Rooney.

They say form is temporary and class is

permanent, but now in the latter stages of his career and viewed as a figure of responsibility for club and country, the chances of Rooney – whose goalscoring ratio has dropped from 0.49 to 0.42 since 2012 – rekindling the magic which saw him act as the perfect foil for Cristiano Ronaldo and score one of the finest goals in Premier League history with his overhead kick against Manchester City in 2011 appear slimmer by the day.

His cause isn’t helped by having been on the block for what feels like an eternity, and it could be argued that burnout is starting to affect him – or has been affecting him since Sir Alex’s final season, when his form suffered as a result of Robin van Persie’s arrival.

The Dutchman scored 30 goals in 2012-13, Rooney only 16 as he was forced deeper due to his lack of a partnership with the then-new boy and his creativity needed in midfield.

Nonetheless, Rooney remains as pivotal to the United cause as he has ever been – more so now that he is their captain and only true centre forward, with Van Persie, Javier Hernandez and Radamel Falcao all long gone and James Wilson loaned out. It takes two to tango, though, and both parties must strive to get the best out of one another if 2015-16 is deemed a success.

Fortunately, they still have plenty of time.

‘NONETHELESS, ROONEY REMAINS AS PIVOTAL TO THE UNITED CAUSE AS HE HAS EVER BEEN – MORE SO NOW THAT HE IS THEIR CAPTAIN AND ONLY TRUE CENTRE FORWARD’

ALLTIME GOALSCORERS ALL TIME ENGLAND TOP GOALSCORERS

ALL TIME EPL TOP GOALSCORERS

ALL TIME MAN. UNTD TOP GOALSCORERS

1 WAYNE ROONEY - 51

1 ALAN SHEARER - 260

1 BOBBY CHARLTON - 249

2 BOBBY CHARLTON - 49

2 ANDREW COLE - 187

2 DENIS LAW - 237

3 GARY LINEKER - 48

= WAYNE ROONEY - 187

= WAYNE ROONEY - 237

4 JIMMY GREAVES - 44

4 FRANK LAMPARD - 177

4 JACK ROWLEY - 211

5 MICHAEL OWEN - 40

5 THIERRY HENRY - 175

5 DENNIS VIOLLET - 179

6 NAT LOFTHOUSE - 30

6 ROBBIE FOWLER - 163

= GEORGE BEST - 179

= ALAN SHEARER - 30

7 MICHAEL OWEN - 150

7 JOE SPENCE - 168

= TOM FINNEY - 30

8 LES FERDINAND - 149

= RYAN GIGGS - 168

9 VIVIAN WOODWARD - 29

9 TEDDY SHERINGHAM- 146

9 MARK HUGHES - 163

= FRANK LAMPARD - 29

10 ROBIN VAN PERSIE - 144

10 PAUL SCHOLES - 155

Alan Shearer

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Bobby Charlton

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MLS: YEAR IN REVIEW

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MLS: YEAR IN REVIEW

MLS BEST. PORTLAND T

THE MLS EVOLVES WITH EACH TURNING YEAR AND AFTER ANOTHER INCREDIBLE SEASON OF NORTH AMERICAN SOCCER; ITS FAIR TO SAY THAT THE LEAGUE’S CREDIBILITY ONLY CONTINUES TO FLOURISH. THE MAJOR LEAGUE’S 20TH SEASON SAW A VARIETY OF UNDERDOGS PERSEVERE, POWERHOUSE CLUBS SLIP AND NEW FACES EMERGE INTO THE LIMELIGHT. WE COUNTDOWN THE BEST MOMENTS WITHIN THE 2015 MLS SEASON.

8.

MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENT SET TO INCREase MLS wages: With the introduction of Targeted Allocation Money investment, clubs will be given a whopping $800,000 over the course of the next two seasons in order to retain higher scale players in the future.

The inclusion of an extra two million dollar investment outside of TAM will inflate wages for homegrown players as well. It seems that as the league’s credibility grows, so do its incentives as they rightfully should.

1.

PORTLAND TIMBERS LIFT THE COVETED MLS CUP: The league has built itself into an exciting balance between conferences allowing the likes of many clubs to have a chance at lifting the glorious MLS Cup. So when Diego Valeri scored to make it 2-1 against the Columbus Crew SC, it signified history for the Timbers and further proof that finances aren’t everything in order to retain success.

2.

THE ARRIVAL OF THE MLS’ YOUNG GUN EXPORTS: : Perhaps the greatest imports this season came in the arrival of two players in their compelling prime; the fantastical Sebastian Giovinco and Giovani dos Santos. This is despite the fact that both men failed to lift their sides to far lengths in the MLS post season. Yet this doesn’t remove the fact that both were heavily influential on the pitch.

9.

3.

THE ARRIVAL OF SOME OF WORLD FOOTBALL’S GREATEST EUROPEAN LEGENDS: The MLS continues to declare itself of its rightful credibility by not only harvesting hidden North American gems, but also reeling in the likes of Europe’s golden vets. Arguably Steven Gerrard, David Villa, Andrea Pirlo, Frank Lampard were unable to distinguish their full appeal, but the same cannot be said for Dider Drogba whose influence took hold in Montreal immediately.

4.

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THE SLIP OF SEATTLE SOUNDERS: When Chad Marshall converted a header in the playoffs within the 90th minute against FC Dallas it seemed that the Sounders were wrapped in safety. But it only took Walker Zimmerman moments to reply and leave the score line to a 3-3 draw forcing the club into a dangerous territory: penalties. The lack of strength from Seattle left them unable to withhold a lead and it eventually lead them to lose 4-2 in the shootout.

5.

7.

THE COLOURFUL SEASON OF THE NEW YORK RED BULLS: Under the profound vision of sporting director, Ali Curtis, the Red Bulls saw the loss of beloved coach, Mike Petke sending fans into a frenzy. But with time, the vision grew to new heights with appointed coach, Jesse Marsch, who revolutionized the attractiveness of the Red Bulls style of play and earned them the Supporters’ Shield.

6.

SUCCESSFUL MLS MARKET EXPANSION IN ORLANDO CITY AND NEW YORK CITY: Although both clubs ambitious aspirations in their inaugural season were not fully met, both clubs’ entrance caused a splash. At the Citrus Bowl in front of a 62,510 crowd, Orlando City played their first match alongside fellow expansion team, NYFC in March. The match saw goals from legendary Brazilian, Kaká and Mix Diskerud to even out in a 1-1 draw introducing a new chapter in the MLS.

THE REVEAL FOR FURTHER EXPANSION WITHIN THE LEAGUE: The growth of the league is building at a blistering pace as its legitimization continues to rise and in 2015, three confirmed teams were added to this mixture. The likes of Minnesota United, Atlanta United and Los Angeles FC are the confirmed teams alongside the possible entrance of David Beckham’s aspiring Miami franchise that is also in the works.

STEVE CLARK’S NIGHTMARE MISTAKE DURING A HISTORICAL NIGHT: Columbus Crew SC’s Steve Clark openly claimed responsibility for the Portland Timbers first goal in the opening seconds of the MLS Cup final. The commonly reliable keeper fell victim to a lapse of concentration and tried to clean up a back pass from Wil Trapp, but with pressure from Diego Valeri, Clark lost his footing and the scoring opened.

Considering the enormity of the night, it’s surely a moment Clark will hope to forget.

10.

MOST CRINGEWORTH MOMENT: Clint Dempsey’s unrivalled passion for the game is inspiring.

But when the tide boils over, he is not someone a referee is keen to deal with.

Against Portland Timbers in the US Open Cup, Seattle’s prized forward ripped up the ref’s notebook which earned him a lengthy suspension and absence from THE GOLD CUP.

D TAKES THE PRIZE BY: LAUREN MAHARAJ

THE MLS 2015 AWARDS FASTEST GOAL IN MLS CUP HISTORY:

MLS PLAYER OF THE YEAR, NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR AND GOLDEN BOOT: Sebastian Giovinco’s inaugural season in North America was nothing short of unprecedented.

His influence upon the often-unsatisfactory BMO Field reignited the essence of the club that for so many seasons was dimly lit. The arrival of the Italian in his prime enforced much criticism, yet it was his performances and now a swoop of accolades that can silence the doubters. His prolific goal scoring saw him win the Golden Boot with 22 goals and 16 assists, he attained the Newcomer of the Year award, he is a part of the 2015 MLS Best XI, and one of his season’s colourful goals were a part of the finalists for the AT&T Goal of the Year award. And now at the summit of his season, he has achieved becoming the MLS MVP of the Year – the first Toronto FC player ever to hold the award.

After a heinous error from Columbus Crew keeper Steve Clark, Diego Valeri found the back of the net for the Portland Timbers within 27 seconds of the 2015 MLS Cup final’s inception.

This nightmarish mistake overtakes the previous record by LA Galaxy’s Eduardo Hurtado who converted a goal in the fourth minute of play back in 1996.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

COACH OF THE YEAR When the New York Red Bulls lost Thierry Henry and Tim Cahill in the offseason; the club’s promise began to dwindle. Then came the dismissal of beloved coach Mike Petke that brought forth the appointment of Jesse Marsch.

Despite the turbulent season ahead for the NYRB, Marsch’s first year saw the club revitalized in style and play. The Eastern Conference side finished their season with a 60-point finish and their second Supporters’ Shield in three years.

Cyle Larin had a record-breaking year achieving the ultimate form of appreciation for his efforts by attaining the 2015 AT&T Rookie of the Year.

The 24-year-old tallied 17 goals in 2015 shattering the previous record inherited by a rookie from Damani Ralph in 2003. Larin’s performances have also always translated internationally for Canada where his presence is a mainstay.

HONORABLE MENTION: The only man in the MLS in 2015 with the goal scoring ability prolific enough to compete with Giovinco for the Golden Boot was Columbus Crew front man, Kei Kamara. The two forwards were tied for 22 goals each, but it was the former Juventus man whose assists’ record of 16 inched him past Kamara. The Columbus man only held eight assists, trailing the Italian immensely.

DEFENDER OF THE YEAR In his first season since departing Standard de Liege last January; Laurent Ciman became a hugely influential figure for the Montreal Impact in 2015. Ciman achieved 27 starts for the FrenchCanadian outfit, two goals and two assists and aided the club in conceding 44 goals, the second least amount in the Eastern Conference that season.

FASTEST GOAL IN MLS HISTORY:

KEEPER OF THE YEAR The ever-reliable Luis Robles of the New York Red Bulls has been the face of the Eastern Conference club since 2013 and has been recognized for his stellar 2015 appearances.

Robles made all 34 of the club’s regular season starts and boasts being a part of one of the leagues best defensive lines. Roble’s beat out Vancouver Whitecap’s keeper David Ousted for the accolade by a stunning 10 percent difference in voting.

CLUB WITH THE MOST SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWERS It took only seven bold seconds for Mike Grella to engrave his name into MLS history by scoring the league’s fastest goal against the Philadelphia Union in October. Grella overtakes former New York Red Bull, Tim Cahill’s previous record of eight seconds, which stood for two years prior to being broken.

SAVE OF THE YEAR Adam Kwarasey does not only possess a team achievement by lifting the 2015 MLS Cup for the first time with the Portland Timbers this year, but he can also add to his personal accolades. Save of the Year belongs to the Ghanaian keeper for effort against Real Salt Lake City that saw him dive for a powerful shot, brushing the ball clear with his fingertips.

In the modern age, it is social media that possesses the greatest link between club and fan. To date the team with the greatest social media presence is the LA Galaxy with 1,625,025 Facebook followers and 261,123 Twitter followers.

Behind the Western Conference club is Toronto FC with 263,702 Facebook followers and 227,738 Twitter followers.

COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR Although unexpected, Tim Melia who has been an MLS vet for six seasons defied fellow Sporting Kansas City keeper, Luis Marin for the starting role in the club in 2015. His presence was first felt to be unlikely, but after 23 starts for Kansas and one appearance in the MLS Cup playoffs it’s clear that his significance has changed. In 2015, Melia tallied eight clean sheets and an 11-8-4 record. Prior to the 2015 season, Melia could only boast a mere six MLS appearances over a three-year period with Chivas USA.

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one on one: Bill Manning

ONE on ONE

MEMO TO TFC FANS

IT’S ALL GOOD

EXCLUSIVE WITH TFC PRESIDENT, BILL MANNING

FANS HAVE BEEN WORRIED THAT WITH A NEW PRESIDENT, TFC MANAGEMENT WOULD BE FOCUSING MORE ON THE BOTTOM LINE THAN THE TOP OF THE TABLE. HOWEVER INCOMING BOSS, BILL MANNING, INSISTS THAT WINNING IS HIS NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. MANNING, FRESH FROM A SUCCESSFUL STINT AT REAL SALT LAKE FC, WILL BE OVERSEEING TFCS TEAM, THE STADIUM AND BUSINESS AFFAIRS. HE ACCEPTED THE TFC JOB OVER COMPETING OFFERS FROM U.S. TEAMS BECAUSE, IN HIS WORDS, TFC OWNERSHIP HAS “THE RESOURCES, FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE” BUT, MORE IMPORTANTLY, BECAUSE HE WAS CONVINCED THAT THEY HAD THE VISION AND DESIRE FOR SUCCESS. AND, FURTHERMORE, THE BEST CHANCE OF SUCCESS! And success is something Manning knows all about. And he has the experience and credentials to prove it. Manning believes the secret to success is consistency.

The mantra of former MLSE President, Tim Lieweke (now helping David Beckham with his Miami stadium plans) was ‘Change the Culture’. Lieweke made substantial progress in that regard but Manning wants to finally install a winning mentality and a desire to be the best, throughout the organization. He wants only winners in the locker room, among the staff, among the coaches …. and on the pitch. With his 15 years of achievements in management with high profile, major sports teams, Manning hopes to ensure that TFC, after nine years of futility, is always in contention for the MLS championship. HERE’S WHAT HE HAD TO SAY IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW FOR SOCCER 360 WITH ‘SOCCER: CANADA’S NATIONAL SPORT’ AUTHOR LES JONES: 1. FAMILY No relation to Peyton or Eli. Bill (50) is married (Jennifer) with two sons. John (16) is a nationally ranked US wrestler while Will (13) may be good enough to make the TFC Academy team.

2. CREDENTIALS As a sports administrator since the age of 28 he has held senior positions with 2 MLS teams (Real Salt Lake & Tampa Bay Mutiny) plus the Philadelphia Eagles (NFL) and Houston Rockets (NBA). Under his direction, RSL twice made it to the MLS Championship final and made the playoffs for 7 consecutive years, the only team to ever do so. As a player, he starred in the United Soccer League, won a US Open Cup medal and earned 4 international caps with Puerto Rico (alongside subsequent US international Chris Armas).

3. EXPERIENCE OF CANADA Just a couple of visits but as President of the Minnesota Thunder for 3 years and living in that state, he won’t be surprised by a Canadian winter. Manning’s first trip was in 1979 to play with the U14 Massapequa team in the Robbie

New TFC president Bill Manning warming up to the Toronto scene.

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“With the stadium renos not scheduled to be completed until May it is likely that the first 7 or 8 games will again be away from home. The target is at least 8 points from the first 8 games, and 18 or more from the next nine, mainly home, games.”

D r Manning’s forme success and s credentials bring the a new hope to franchise

International Soccer Tournament in Scarborough and he returned in 2010 to watch the MLS All Star game. This time, he intends to be around for a while.

4. THOUGHTS ON THE 2015 TFC TEAM Manning was blown away by the fan culture TFC created but embarrassed by the nature of the playoff loss to Montreal. He sees the team’s priority is to improve defensively but believes there is much to build on and, with some fine-tuning, better performances should ensue.

5. ACHIEVING SUCCESS Manning acknowledges there is no ‘magic fix’ and that in a league of commensurate budgets (excluding DVPs) one team is unlikely to dominate.

He wants, and expects, TFC to always ‘be in the mix’. To achieve this, he cites the 3 C’s – consistency, continuity and an unchanging core of players.

This means more predictability on the field, less turnover of players and staff, and patience. Most new CEOs clean house. Manning didn’t as he believes consistency should extend throughout the organization. It was widely anticipated, for example, that he would hire Jason Kreis, his first coach at RSL, who was fired by New York City at season’s end. But in the belief that a coach really needs 3 years to make a team his own, he stayed with Greg Vanney because ‘he knows the game and the personalities” - a major shift for a team that has seen 9 coaches in 9 years and NEVER had the same coach at the start of two successive seasons!

On the playing side, fewer players were released at the end of the 2015 season than in previous years and those to be recruited will usually be with at least a five-year stay in mind. Perhaps TFC will no longer stand for Turnstile FC! 6. WHAT FANS CAN EXPECT More consistent team formations, fewer changes in team selection and more victories while the renovated, classic European-style stadium will provide a game-changing ambiance: The roof, on 3 sides, will ensure an enhanced, noisier, atmosphere with sounds reverberating and more occupied seats in inclement weather. The pitch will be different, artificial fibre being embedded into the grass roots to make it more durable, but it should still play like grass. And it’s TFCs 10th season so expect special events commemorating Toronto’s soccer history. ps And he’s all for operating a TFC women’s team but wants to get the MLS team functioning well first.

7. CLOSE SEASON SIGNINGS Manning believes the off-season is critical. He has confidence in the TFC attack and expects Seba to be given a little more freedom to roam and

Altidore to spend more time in the penalty area and be a classic #9. However Manning wants to get the goals against ratio down to 1.2 from 1.7 per game, to a maximum of 41 from a league-high 58 To this end he expects 4 key pre-season signings including a goalkeeper (both Bendik & Konopka have been released) and two defenders.

He wants players of the right age with skill, character and the right mentality to cope with pressure and adversity if needed. And he very much believes in team spirit – players have to feel that it is their own team, and that they are part of and playing for the city. Mercenaries are not welcome.

8. REGRETS ; Like coach Greg Vanney, who frankly admits he made mistakes last season, Manning has a few regrets: Saying farewell to a Canadian is one of them. After becoming President of Tampa Bay Mutiny in 2000, Manning regrets not retaining assistant coach Frank Yallop who. Instead joined DC United and then went on to great success with San Jose Earthquakes.

9. 2016 SCHEDULE As in 2015, TFC will start the season on the road.

With the stadium renovations not scheduled to be completed until May it is likely that the first 7 or 8 games will again be away from home. Although the unseasonably good weather in late 2015 has expedited stadium construction, committing to an earlier finish date and re-jigging the schedule is not possible.

The target is at least 8 points from the first 8 games, and 18 or more from the next nine, mainly home, games.

10 PREDICTION: Manning expects TFC to always make the play-offs and to reach the MLS championship final within 5 years and Manning follows both MANU & Celtic although he is not a passionate supporter of either. If he can achieve just some of the success of these teams TFC fans should be more than happy.

11. BONUS QUESTION: How the heck did Manning manage to get former TFC fan favourite Joao Plata not only to join Real Salt Lake but to excel once there? As a 19-year old with no English, Plata had problems acclimatising in Toronto. He was just a kid, lost and homesick.

RSL helped overcome that by providing an English tutor twice a week and encouraging social relationships with other South Americans in the squad.

Manning will be looking for his top guns, Bradley and Giovinco to lead the team on a quest for a second playoff appearence with a target on silverware.

MLS: SEBASTIAN GIOVINCO

SEBASTIAN O C N I V O I G WHAT’S LEFT TO SAY ABOUT THE ATOMIC ANT? THE 28-YEAR-OLD HAS REGISTERED THE BEST STATISTICAL SEASON IN MLS HISTORY. HE HAS SET A NUMBER OF CLUB AND LEAGUE RECORDS. HE BECAME THE FIRST PLAYER TO TALLY AT LEAST 20 GOALS AND 10 ASSISTS IN A SEASON. HE WON THE GOLDEN BOOT. Losing affects Sebastian Giovinco more than others. It stays with him longer. You can tell it hurts.

It matters. After being officially awarded MLS MVP honours, the Italian international still regretted how TFC’s season ended. It was that painful. To others, though, losing is a minor nuisance. It comes with the territory. It’s common-place in sport. The 28-year-old Giovinco just doesn’t want it to be. And that, in essence, is what makes Giovinco one of the all-time MLS greats already: Ability on top of an insatiable hunger for victory. At the conclusion of TFC’s 3-0 playoff loss in Montreal, Giovinco darted off the pitch. He didn’t shake a single hand or wait for cameras in the dressing room. Despite having a season to remember, the league’s top player cared more about dropping that result. Despite having 40 million (as in dollars) reasons to smile, Giovinco seemed to hate losing every match more than everyone else. “Soccer is a team sport,” Giovinco said during the MVP announcement at the Air Canada Centre. “It would be better to win with the team. I’m very happy to win by myself, but next year, we will focus on winning as a team.” He can’t win any more individual awards. In a season that saw him collect 22 goals and 16 assists, Giovinco also won the Golden Boot. Then came Newcomer of the Year.

NOT GOING ANYWHERE Sorry, Barcelona, Sebastian Giovinco’s not for sale — or loan. Following the MLS MVP announcement inside Toronto’s Air Canada Centre, Toronto FC general manager Tim Bezbatchenko appeared to address rumours that the Spanish juggernaut is interested in the league’s top player. Italian media outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport reported in October that Barcelona had been keeping a watchful eye on Toronto’s leading scorer.

“We’re an ambitious club,” Bezbatchenko said.

“We’re trying to be a club that’s contending for championships every year. In order to do that, we need stars and players who will take the game on their back and score the game-winning goal.

That’s Sebastian Giovinco. A player who scores 22 goals and 16 assists is always going to have interest from abroad. “It’s flattering to know one of the top clubs around the world— perhaps the top club — over the past 10 years has an interest in Sebastian.

It hasn’t been formalized, but if something comes in, we’ll politely decline.” That’s not to say it wouldn’t be worth bragging about.

“Obviously, it’s something I’d have to share with the owners,” Bezbatchenko continued.

“They’d want to know that our star player is recognized around the world as being a true star.” Sebastian Giovinco was recently named one of the top 100 soccer players in the world. The Atomic Ant placed 94th on the list.

N O

BY THE NUMBERS

spotlight: canada soccer

T

here are not many soccer players in Canada with their own fan club and a song named after them. James Gerald (Jimmy) Brennan was a popular exception, attracting a band of enthusiastic supporters to the NW corner of Varsity Stadium for Canada games and having “You are my Brennan”, an adaptation of ‘You are my sunshine’, dedicated to him by TFC fans. Appreciated both for his play and his personality, not to forget his prolific tattoos, Brennan was a favourite Toronto FC & Canada player. His senior career, however, began in England in 1994 with Bristol City. He became the first Canadian outfield player in the Premiership after he helped Norwich gain promotion to the top division. That, along with Canada’s 2000 Gold Cup triumph, is one of his proudest successes. Brennan has many claims to fame, including 49 international caps for his country. He was the Canadian Player of the Year in 1999, the first Canadian to be transferred for more than £1 million and he was selected to the MLS All-Stars in 2008. It wasn’t until 2007 however that he played professionally in Canada, joining TFC as their first player signing.

Such was his standing that after retirement, he was the very first player immortalized in TFCs Wall of Fame. It was Brennan’s mother, a Glasgow Rangers fanatic, who got him involved in soccer although it was his father’s allegiance to Celtic that prevailed. Now Brennan has the ultimate honour, inclusion in Canada’s Soccer Hall of Fame. He was inducted along other former players, Canadian ‘keeper Pat Onstad (who earned his last cap at the age of 42) and Kara Lang who, by contrast is the youngest person, male or female to score in any FIFA full international! (Lang and husband, former Blue Jay pitcher, Ricky Romero, now have their first child, Sebastian. It is just a rumour that he was named after TFCs Giovinco but it is almost certain that the son will also excel in sport.) While Brennan’s recognition drew the loudest applause of the night, also inducted in the 16th Hall of Fame ceremony, as Builders, were John Kerr Sr, a Canadian international who later fought hard & successfully for players rights, and Jim Hubay who was instrumental in the development of a national youth soccer system. BC based George Anderson (Pioneer), Montreal Carsteel (Organization of

ALL STORIES BY: LES JONES

Distinction) and the1998 Women’s National Team, CONCACAF champions, completed the line-up.

Brennan’s buddy, Craig Forrest, is also in the Soccer Hall of Fame and in many ways the two have had similar achievements: Forrest, with 56 international caps, spent his entire senior career in England and was the first Canadian to play in the Premiership.

In November, Forrest received further recognition, being welcomed into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame. He is just the seventh individual in the soccer category to be so honoured since the Hall was established in 1955, and only the third male player.

His brief time at Chelsea, playing alongside such as Gianfranco Zola, Gianluca Vialli and Roberto Di Matteo under manager Ruud Gullet, he considers special but his proudest memories are helping small-town Ipswich to promotion to the English Premiership and the shocking 2000 Gold Cup success where, as tournament MVP, he led Canada to its first ever Gold Cup trophy. He classifies his penalty stop (one of two in the tournament) from Colombian, ‘Tino’ Asprilla in the final as his most memorable save ever while his biggest disappointment was the 2-1 defeat to Mexico in Toronto in the final game of 1994 World Cup Qualifying. There, if the team had maintained their early lead, Canada would have qualified for World Cup USA 1994 and who knows what that would have done to help promote Canadian soccer and develop more sporting heroes.

FF Fans can nominate individuals and teams for Induction. Contact the Soccer Hall of Fame, 7601 Martin Grove Road, Vaughan, ON Phone: 905264-9390 ext. 239

TEAM TOO GOOD, MANAGER QUITS.

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here is one professional Canadian soccer team that not only exceeded expectations but went all the way this year: The Ottawa Fury, runaway winners of the North American Soccer League Fall season and runners-up in the overall Championship final.

The legendary New York Cosmos took the title, for the seventh time, with a hat-trick from Gaston Cellerino in front of a modern era, post-season, record crowd of 10,166. The Fury more than held their own however despite the disadvantage of playing in the host’s stadium. The Cosmos line-up included such celebrated players as former Spanish internationals Raul and Marcos Senna, in the final game of their illustrious careers before retirement, and desperate to finish on a winning note. Ottawa, on the other hand, were not only without star midfielder Julian de Guzman, on national team duty and on his way to being Canada’s all-time appearance leader with 85 caps, but were down to 10 men for the last third of the game: ‘Fan Favourite’ Mason Trafford was sent off for what might have been accidental contact but, even despite the setback, the Fury still scored twice in his absence.

This was a successful season in other ways for the second year expansion team, owned by former computer magnate John Pugh. The Championship game came after a 22 game run with only one defeat and the semi-final at TD Place in Ottawa boasted a NASL regular season attendance record

of 9,346 spectators,. ‘Keeper Romuald Peiser took the NASL Golden Glove award (partly in recognition of an impressive 648 minute shutout streak) and the team also took the Fair Play Award, unusual for a successful team. Three players made the NASL “Best Eleven” Peiser, defender Rafael Alves and midfielder Richie Ryan.

Not surprisingly, the Fury’s Marc Dos Santos secured the Coach of the Year honours. However, he won’t be around to defend the team’s league title - mid way though the season he announced he would be leaving for a then unidentified club in the MLS. Unusually, a lame-duck manager not usually being good for player motivation, the team did not lose another game during the regular season.

It was expected that Santos would return to his former club Montreal Impact, without a permanent manager since the release of Frank Klopas, but the 38 year-old had taken the position of assistant coach with Sporting Kansas City. There he’ll be responsible for their newly formed and intriguingly named USL side, Swope Park Rangers, while Impact interim head coach Mauro Biello did so well that he has since been confirmed in that position.

Paul Dalglish, son of ‘King Kenny’, has taken over as Ottawa coach and GM but Dos Santos hopes to return to Canada one day – his aspiration is to manage the national team. With his record of success, that’s something to look forward to.

THE RELUCTANT INTERNATIONAL

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rampton born, David ‘Junior’ Hoilett, turned down the chance to represent Canada some 6 years ago.

At the time he was a young player in the spotlight, a 21 year old starring in the English Premiership with Blackburn. The following year, he was named by FIFA as one of 13 players to watch (along with such as Ross Barkley, Thiago & Ahmed Musa).

He had thoughts about playing for England while Canada, his birthplace, and Jamaica, where his father were born, also made representations.

However, despite having joined Blackburn as a 13- year old, loan stints in Germany meant he didn’t have the residency requirements to be eligible for England. And his career stalled: By 2015 he was seeing limited playing time, mainly being used as a late sub by QPR, merely a Championship side.

Although his brother Jaineil played for the Canadian U-20 team, although ‘Junior’ represented Canada as a youth, although he spent summers in Toronto, training with TFC and even took part in Dero’s Testimonial match, he wouldn’t commit to Canada.

It was then that the quiet, persistent, encouragement from Canadian head coach Benito Floro paid off. Hoilett agreed to play for Canada in a friendly against Ghana. A few weeks later, his international allegiance was settled when he started in the World Cup Qualifier against Honduras. In the 38th minute he provided the perfect/pinpoint cross to set up the winning goal and get Canada’s campaign off to the essential positive start. He was named Canada’s match MVP. Hoilett isn’t the first ’Canadian’ to look elsewhere for international honours. Julian de Guzman’s

brother, Jonathan took a World Cup bronze medal with Holland in 2014, Asmir Begovic played for Canada U-20 before becoming Chelsea’s & Bosnia & Herzegovina’s #1 ‘keeper, and Calgarian Owen Hargreaves won his first England cap without even living in the country This habit of defecting started early: Edward Hagerty Parry, was capped by England in 1879 and later, fellow Torontonian, John Kerr collected 16 caps for the USA. Jimmy Nichol was an even bigger loss, the Hamilton born defender making 73 appearances for Northern Ireland.

Canada’s soccer standing has always been hindered by defectors in a classic Catch-22 situation. Hoilett will certainly improve Canada’s World Cup chances. But just imagine a team that also included Jonathan de Guzman, Begovic and a fit, 34 year old, Hargreaves!

“It was then that the quiet, persistent, encouragement from Canadian head coach Benito Floro paid off. Hoilett agreed to play for Canada in a friendly against Ghana. A few weeks later, his international allegiance was settled when he started in the World Cup Qualifier against Honduras”

HOME DAVID

MLS: AROUND THE LEAGUE

David Beckham has revealed that a plot has finally been found to home his planned MLS franchise in Miami. The revelation comes after two years of failed attempts and set-backs.

by the numbers

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Sebastian Giovinco lead the league in goals and shots – 181 shots, 22 goals.

“I will try to make sure that next year we will win another and something for the team as well.

There is a new energy in Toronto: it is winning.” - Sebastian Giovinco promises to win trophies for Toronto after being named MLS 2015 MVP

“I had the opportunity to play in my town in Argentina, where I was born. This is my third year and this is the second place where I have played that amount of years, so it is my second home.”

- Portland Timbers’ Diego Valeri admits that Portland is like home to him.

HOME SICK

THE CHANCE OF A FOUL-FREE GAME Both Orlando City SC and Chicago Fire were tied as the most fouled teams throughout the entire MLS regular season. Both sides were fouled a massive 450 times throughout the campaign, while D.C. United suffered the fewest with just 344 fouls.

After it was announced that Seattle Sounders wouldn’t be renewing the contract of defensive stalwart Leo Gonzalez, the player has admitted that he would rather retire than join another MLS club, as he doesn’t want to relocate his children, who are settled after six years in Seattle.

FELICIDADES DARWIN

Darwin Cerén has been named MLS’ Latino del Ano, or Latin Player of the Year. The Orlando City midfielder trumped the likes of Kaká and Fabián Castillo to land the award.

The achievement is Cerén’s second this season, after he was awarded the Player’s Player of the Year award earlier this year.

WEDDING BLISS

RIDICULOUS

MLS rule-makers have been branded ‘ridiculous’ after they announced that players called-up for the All Star Game that are unable to play will now be hit with a one match ban. The rule change comes as a way of deterring big-name players from feinting injury to avoid featuring in the game.

Portland Timbers fans Cordelia Gillman and Brennen Cissna decided to tie the knot outside the Mapfre Stadium prior to the MLS Cup final. The couple couldn’t afford to plan a wedding and attend the game, so decided to kill two birds with one stone. Luckily, The Timbers made the day special by claiming a historic victory.

“We do think of our responsibility to grow the game in Canada like we’ve been able to do in the United States and ensure the Canadian clubs have the same opportunity to be successful as their U.S.based counterparts.” - MLS

commissioner Don Garber promises to work to improve the standing of Canadabased clubs.

NYCFC INVESTMENT

BAD DAY “America, maybe. Physically I feel like I can still play. But then decisions come in to it with your family. What if it dœsn’t work out?” - Chelsea captain John Terry would consider a move to MLS if his current club fail to extend his contract.

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Jair Marrufo has been slammed for his disappointing officiating during the MLS Cup final. The veteran referee, who is usually solid in the MLS, made a number of poor decisions, including his failure to award Columbus Crew a throw-in after the ball left play – a mistake which allowed Portland Timbers to score their second goal.

MLS EXPANDS

Plans have been proposed to make MLS a 28 club league, despite the fact that the previous 24 club quota has yet to be reached. Atlanta, Los Angeles, Minnesota and Miami will each see an expansion team enter the league over the next few seasons, and more appear to be on their way.

New York City FC could be the face of MLS in China. The expansion team saw a group of high-profile Chinese investors purchase a stake in the club. A total of $400 million was spent in exchange for 13% of NYCFC’s parent company, City Footballing Group.

DID YOU KNOW? Aritz Aduriz has been involved in more La Liga goals than any other Spanish player since 2013-14.

Villarreal have equalled their best-ever start to a season, set in 2008-09.

JOIN THE CLUB

NEW LOOK DC UNITED

Portland Timbers’ 2-1 victory over Columbus Crew in the 2015 MLS Cup means that they become just the third expansion team in MLS history to lift the trophy. Only Chicago Fire, in 1998, and Real Salt Lake, in 2009, have achieved the same feat.

D.C. United unveiled their new logo, as their 2018 move to a brand-new, soccer-specific stadium approaches. Supporters can look forward to an intimate atmosphere at the long-awaited venue, which will be built just two miles south of the US Capitol.

MLS REBIRTH

Premier League flop Radamel Falcao could be the next big name to join MLS, with Columbus Crew lining up a bid. The Colombian striker has struggled for goals since he picked up an anterior cruciate ligament injury two years ago, but the MLS side believe he could reinvigorate his career in America.

CELEBRATION TIME

Following Portland’s 2-1 victory over Columbus, The city hosted a victory parade to celebrate the Timbers and their first ever MLS Cup victory. In the rain and toting banners and flags clad in green in gold thousands of the club’s fans turned out at the free event to show their support for the side, which will undoubtedly go down in the city’s history.

MLS have announced the names of 26 players who are eligible to negotiate a contract with any of the 20 clubs in the league.

Under the new free agent rules, players who are out of contract, over 28 years old and have a minimum of eight years of experience qualify. Big names include Paulo Nagamura and Ricardo Clark (pictured).

RIGHT DIRECTION

MLS is certainly heading in the right direction in its attempts to lead the way on equality.

The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport have upgraded the league’s grade for gender equality from C+ to B. The rise came as a result of the seven women that have entered senior jobs within the league over the past 12 months.

by the numbers

While the 2015 season has only just drawn to an end, sportswear giants Adidas have already unveiled the new official MLS 2016 match ball. The NATIVO ball has been specially designed to improve flight, control and accuracy, which will take MLS play to the next level.

TFC acquired the sought-after Canadian international from the Portland Timbers in exchange for a conditional second round pick in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft and allocation money. The veteran player with tons of MLS experience has won two MLS Cups with two different clubs in his career and will look to bring his winning experience to the Toronto scene.

SET THE DATE

THE TRANSFER GAMES

NATIVO TAKES FLIGHT

WILL JOHNSON TO TFC

2,929

Jorge Villafana logged a Portland team-high 2,929 minutes this year and played some of his best soccer in the playoffs.

36

The number of goals allowed by the Sounders – tied for the fewest in the league this season.

The brightest stars in world soccer are headed to the US next summer.

The US will host the Copa America Centenario in June 2016, with 10 South American national teams joined by six CONCACAF countries – including the US and Mexico – for a 16team tournament. Some of the soccer biggest names will be in the US for the tournament, including Lionel Messi, Neymar and James Rodriguez.

MLS should have a significant presence in the competition, with the league’s sizable US national team contingent likely joined by MLS players from Costa Rica, Jamaica and potentially Mexico, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago The Copa America is South America’s premier international tournament.

The equivalent of the UEFA European Championship or the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The 2016 Centenario will be a little different. In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the tournament, CONMEBOL partnered with US Soccer and CONCACAF to stage a fired-up version of the event in the States.

Sixteen teams will compete in the Copa America Centenario, with all 10 CONMEBOL federations joined by six CONCACAF countries. The US and Mexico automatically qualified for the tournament, and Jamaica and Costa Rica are already in the field as winners of the 2014 Caribbean Cup and 2014 Copa Centroamericana, respectively.

The competition will kick off June 3 and conclude with the final on June 26. Games will be played in 10 stadiums across the U.S. The USMNT will play group stage games at Soldier Field (June 7) and Lincoln Financial Field (June 11); Brazil, at the Rose Bowl (June 4), Citrus Bowl (June 8)and Gillette Stadium (June 12); Mexico, at University of Phoenix Stadium (June 5), the Rose Bowl (June 9) and NRG Stadium (June 13); and Argentina, at Levi’s Stadium (June 6), Soldier Field (June 10) and CenturyLink Field (June 14) List of host stadiums:

CenturyLink Field – Seattle, Wash. • Citrus Bowl – Orlando, Fla. Gillette Stadium – Foxborough, Mass.

Levi’s Stadium – Santa Clara, Calif. • Soldier Field – Chicago, Ill. Lincoln Financial Field – Philadelphia, Pa. MetLife Stadium – East Rutherford, N.J. NRG Stadium – Houston, Texas • Rose Bowl – Pasadena, Calif.

University of Phoenix Stadium – Glendale, Ariz.

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AROUND THE GLOBE: ALEXIS SANCHEZ

THE RUNNING

HAVING EXPLODED ON TO THE PREMIER LEAGUE SCENE WITH GOALS IN 18 MONTHS, EDOARDO DALMONTE WRITES THAT ALEXIS SÁNCHEZ IS EVERYTHING A FOOTBALL COACH COULD WANT IN THE MODERN ERA, AND PLENTY MORE

p form Sanchez to to give continues e Arsenal hope to th both league faithful in ons and champi league play

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rsenal fans who watched their team dismantle Manchester United 3-0 in early October were still rubbing their eyes the following day. One gobsmacked fan took to the internet to say that he thought he’d seen ‘the best team in the world’. He forgot to mention that he’d also witnessed one of the greatest players this generation has ever produced.

Simply put, Alexis Sánchez is the prototypical modern player. In dismantling the Red Devils, the 27-year-old showed that he possesses the ruthlessness to backheel Arsenal ahead on six minutes, and the vision and teamwork to use the same trick again, only this time passing in stride to launch the counter from which Arsenal doubled their lead.

Everything Sánchez touches seems to turns to gold, completing the rout with a stunner from outside the box on 19 minutes.

There’s more: his partner-in-crime at the Emirates, Mesut Özil, claimed that while “Ronaldo scores lots of goals, Alexis plays for the team.”

Repeatedly insisting that he’s ‘just another player’, El Nino Maravilla was recently seen tracking back 40 yards against Dinamo to lunge into a tackle and recover possession.

In a modern era where system, stats (he is seventh in attempted dribbles in the EPL, 78 S360

by the way) and avoiding mistakes can be overemphasised almost to distraction, Sánchez has the trappings of Garrincha in the playful, direct approach he contributes to an Arsenal team that used to be known for passing ad nauseam outside the box.

It doesn’t matter that he’s lost more balls than anyone else in the Premier League by late November, 43 times according to Opta, – when things go his way, and they often do, he turns games on their heads. He went from tripping over the ball during a dribble to scoring twice and setting up another against Dinamo. And the list goes on.

As a fatherless, impoverished child in Chile’s polluted, decaying northern industrial town of Tocopilla, Sánchez helped his family make ends meet by washing car windows and dancing on the streets for a handful of pesos. His first football boots were gifted to him by the town’s mayor when he was 15.

He’s never forgotten his penniless roots. Whilst Garrincha stored rotten banknotes in long-forgotten shoe boxes all over his house, Sánchez is savvy, buying an earthquake-resistant home for his mother which arguably saved her life in 2007, and multiplying his fortunes - he’s reportedly worth $245m according to People with Money - with key investments in real estate and the stock market, as well his own brands of perfume - “From Alexis with Love” - and vodka.

Bought by Udinese for a measly £2.1m from Cobreloa in 2006 when he was only 18, it took him a while to adapt to the complex, toughtackling rigours of Calcio. Three seasons in, however, Francesco Guidolin’s 3-5-2 system

‘His £35m move to Arsenal, as the second most expensive signing in the club’s history, has been a godsend for him’

DID YOU KNOW? ALEXIS SANCHEZ IS MAD ABOUT HIS DOGS. HE LOVES TO SHARE PICTURES OF HIS DOGS WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD. DOGS WITH SUNGLASSES, HATS, T-SHIRTS, … HE SEEMS TO BE MORE A DOG MAN THAN A PERSON MAN.

‘As a fatherless, impoverished child in Chile’s polluted, decaying northern industrial town of Tocopilla, Sanchez helped his family make ends meet by washing car windows and dancing on the streets for a handful of pesos’

G MAN FACTFILE NAME ALEXIS ALEJANDRO SÁNCHEZ SÁNCHEZ BORN: DECEMBER 19, 1988 (TOCOPILLA, CHILE) HT / WT: 1.69 M / 62 KG POSITION: WINGER CLUB: ARSENAL CLUB STATS SEASON TEAM 2005 COBRELOA 2006 COBRELOA 2006 COLO-COLO 2007 COLO-COLO 2007-08 RIVER PLATE 2008-09 UDINESE 2009-10 UDINESE 2010-11 UDINESE 2011-12 BARCELONA 2012-13 BARCELONA 2013-14 BARCELONA 2014-15 ARSENAL 2015-16 ARSENAL

APPS 35 12 18 14 23 32 32 31 25 29 34 35 12

GOALS 3 9 4 1 4 3 5 12 12 8 19 16 6

INTERNATIONAL STATS YEAR 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 TOTAL

APPS 5 4 9 9 7 11 8 11 13 14 91

GOALS 0 1 2 5 4 2 0 8 4 5 31

predicated on speed and neat interplay saw the Chilean repay the investment with a 12–goal campaign in 2010-11, built from hard work and prodigious trickery.

Among the innumerable highlights, El Nino Maravilla can look back on a four-goal special against Palermo in a 7-0 thrashing and a run from the edge of his own box to down Cagliari at the Sant’Elia, leaving the Sardinians to feel like Wile E. Coyote after another fruitless arms deal.

The toast of Europe, Alexis was snatched up

by Barcelona for £35m including bonuses, in a move which looked to have set the Catalan side’s attacking trio for years to come. Instead, it took two injury-plagued seasons for Sánchez to adapt to the Camp Nou side’s tiki-taka, despite a good start. Alexis’ time in Spain was marred by a mistake-prone reputation in front of goal and a nickname Cachai (‘Innit’ in Chilean) which betrayed his shyness-induced monolexical vocabulary.

With Lionel Messi and later Neymar already taking care of the dribbling, the Chilean looked like he was being muzzled in a system which asked him to bow to the collective and pass the ball, instead of letting him express his full potential within it. When given the choice, Coach Gerardo Martino would pick Pedro or Iniesta over him. Despite a 19-goal season in his third year, many fans still didn’t think he’d quite made the grade.

In this respect, his £35m move to Arsenal, as the second most expensive signing in the club’s history, has been a godsend for him. With more space to run into, Sánchez quickly evolved into El Niño the force of nature, netting seven goals and providing two assists in his first nine Premier League games, leading his team to a win against Manchester City in the League and an FA Cup, topping off the 4-0 final thrashing of Aston Villa with a fierce strike,

and earning the Arsenal Fans’ Player of the Year Award.

Not content with this, Alexis flashed his inner Tom Brady by claiming the season was ‘bittersweet’ and a ‘disappointment’, claiming he wanted to win the Premier League to quench his thirst. Not bad for a 25-goal campaign in all competitions.

Then again, his move to a paper-thin Arsenal was also his worst enemy, his goalless spells partly caused by playing in 58 games for club and country in 2014-15. Worse, with Arsene Wenger steadfastly refusing to rest him during the fall, the Chilean aggravated a hamstring injury after going down against Norwich in league play.

The fatigue also came to the surface during this summer’s Copa America, where Sánchez worked hard but lacked sharpness in front of goal. Then again, he bamboozled Argentina in the opening 10 minutes of the final, and was a constant presence in a mazy passing attack, constantly pulling away defenders to either pass to onrushing team-mates, or turn and beat his man, one of his biggest strengths in a game where pinning down an opponent is as often as good as stopping him.

With the game ending 0-0 after 120 minutes of tense football, Argentina fluffed two of their penalties in the resulting shoot-out. Up stepped Alexis, whose typically gutsy Panenka brought Chile its first international silverware. Having missed a key penalty in the previous year’s World Cup, where he still netted twice and set up one more against Australia, Sánchez had finally atoned for his side’s elimination at the hands of Brazil, which he still confessed “would always remain with me.”

Another thing that will always be in the back of his mind are his humble origins: Christmas in Tocopilla were spent chasing council trucks: “They would throw caramellos, sweets, and games. I always wished they would throw a football. That was what I wanted.”

Now, it is Alexis who drives the truck every time he returns for the festivities. And he throws footballs, too, just to make sure that the next Maravilla doesn’t have to wait for one as long as he did. “He is a like a lion,” Wenger recently said of him. “He finishes and you think: ‘He’s dead now’. But then he recovers and gives 100 per cent again.”

WHERE DO CHILE GO FROM HERE? Being a South American dark horse is a daunting task, no-one wants to end up like Colombia’s 1994 team, who were jinxed by Pele and were knocked out of the group stages despite coming off a 5-0 win over Argentina and boasting the likes of Carlos Valderrama and Tino Asprilla.

Then again, the Roja are coming off two spectacular World Cup campaigns and a Copa America win, even beating Spain 2-0 in Brazil.

Unlike that Colombian team, this side has a Plan B. A Copa Sudamericana champion in 2011 with Universidad de Chile, Jorge Sampaoli has shown that he can make clever half-time changes, moving to a 4-3-1-2 to defeat Brazil 2-0 in the 2016 COMNEBOL qualifiers.

The midfield is awash with talent: Eugenio Mena and Mauricio Isla are terrific runners, Charles Aranguiz is a bit of a Latino Marco Verratti, Arturo Vidal is a force of nature and Jorge Valdivia was excellent in the Copa America.

Though Claudio Bravo is good enough to keep Marc-Andre Ter Stegen on the bench in Barcelona, the defence lacks size and quality, and Isla and Mena are often caught out of position.

Still, in an international format where teams are often jumbled together with little coherence, Chile are a well-oiled machine, and are excellent at pressing in the opposition centre-half and compressing space, resembling a cone when the opposition manoeuvres down the wings and putting Lionel Messi in a four-man cage for 120 minutes of a tense Copa America final.

Whilst Messi toils in Argentina’s system, Sánchez fits into Sampaoli’s like a glove, working well in space to retain possession and crafting delightful passes to his teammates, like prolific scorer Eduardo Vargas.

BRINGING BACK ARSENAL’S GLORY DAYS? If Alexis Sánchez is Arsenal’s second-most expensive signing of all time at £35m, Mesut Özil is first, having been acquired in 2013 from Real Madrid for £42.4m.

With both players leaving two clubs - Barcelona and Real Madrid - who needed to break even after splashing out on Neymar and Gareth Bale respectively, Sánchez and Özil came into London with a chip on their shoulder.

Whilst the Chilean took mere minutes to blaze a trail at Arsenal, it took the diminutive playmaker a full season-and-a-half to find his best form, though he is now transcendental, having notched 11 assists in his first 13 Premier League games this season and established a sumptuous rapport with El Nino Maravilla.

Unlike the rest of this talented Arsenal squad (and that still doesn’t do justice to Santi Cazorla or Olivier Giroud when the Frenchman is on song) this dynamic duo isn’t merely a part of a well-oiled system: Özil and Sánchez define it, and often rise above even transcendental levels.

With gaps appearing in this overstretched squad, however, it has become apparent to this reporter that Arsenal weren’t a title contender earlier this season. Rather, their £75m stars were literally carrying the side to a respectability that would otherwise have evaded it, as it did last season. Injuries to the likes of Arteta, Rosicky, Wilshere, Koscielny, Walcott, Gibbs have decimated the midfield and the back-line, exactly as it did last year.

To be even blunter, Arsenal seasons can be overly generalised into two categories since the so-called ‘49ers’ last lifted the Premier League trophy in 2004: the Gunners can either make a concerted early-season push, flash their great play and run out steam in spring… or they run out of steam earlier and snatch Champions League qualification, as they did in 2013.

The purveyors of the most expensive season ticket in England at £2,013 have to do better than this. What’s so galling is that only a handful of players are needed in a side that has no problem churning out good, sometimes great prospects. Until that happens, this team will be football’s answer to Clockwise.

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AROUND THE GLOBE: RONALDO MOVIE

RONALDO BY: LAUREN MAHARAJ

T H E

F I L M

A DEFINITIVE REVIEW

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ristiano Ronaldo’s unprecedented success has come in the form of numbers, trophies and individual accolades over the years. If the footballing world was in need of an advertisement regarding who the greatest footballer of this generation was, then Antho ny Wonke’s film, “Ronaldo” seems as though it was built to cement this fact in an unblemishe d fashion. The film lays the groundwork for a number of interesting themes that all someh ow lose their substance in the presence of one gigantic theme: Ronaldo’s redundant need to portray his desire to be the greatest of all time.

It is this attitude that creates the courageous motivation that Ronaldo has and that the player s outside his level do not, but this is also where the film ultimately loses its luster. In Wonke’s intima te access to the Real Madrid forward’s life over a 14-month period, viewers are presented with the idea that Ronaldo is a simpleton chasin g the virtue of perfection. But this idea is conflic ted when his simple lifestyle is weaved into the luxurious scenery of expensive cars and the former Manchester United man’s wish to “live like a king”. Although the theme of modest man to sporting royalty is interesting, it is loosel y discovered in the film and it is simply becau se of Ronaldo’s egotism taking center stage.

Considering the biopic is meant to offer a revealing portrait of one of football’s most talented men, little of Ronaldo’s footballing career and team achievements are hailed.

Instead, the reoccurring theme of the 30-ye arold’s obsessive emphasis on the Ballon d’Or –a trophy he says dignifies a player as the best in the world – only reminds viewers of Ronaldo’s self-obsessed nature.

Luckily, in between the finely tuned mome nts of Ronaldo’s vanity is the glimpse of an isolate d man who shares tender moments aplenty with his son and family. It is these moments that offer viewers an ounce of empathy towards the superstar whose life is incessantly under a spotlight. One, which only rival, Lionel Messi could understand. And interestingly, Wonk e’s careful creation of the rivalry comes off as a lighthearted sentiment despite Messi being Ronal do’s only obstacle towards his beloved Ballon d’Or. Ronaldo discusses how the rivalry between the two men only motivates them to outdo each other, yet in the opening moments of the film that isn’t clear. Partly due to the fact that Ronaldo expresses his inner despair after watching the Argentine claim the prestigious prize four years in a row. “I’m not coming here anymore,” bemoans Ronaldo. “Why do I come here if I am doing so well for my team? Why do I come here?”

It is this fine difference between humility and self-absorption that exposes Ronaldo’s ultima te weakness: individual perfection. But with little insight for the ambivalent fan, the film is truly just a vanity project for the adoring fan. This glamorous depiction of Ronaldo leaves out the dramatic gravity of his losses, his career scand als, such as the ambiguous birth of his son and leaves in a man obsessively driven to prove to anyone that is listening that Cristiano Ronal do is the ‘absolute best’. Instead of drawing this conclusion on your own, the film offers it in an hour and half package loudly.

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DID YOU KNOW? RONALDO WAS NAMED AFTER FORMER US PRESIDENT, RONALD REAGAN, WHO WAS GREATLY ADMIRED BY RONALDO’S FATHER. HIS FULL NAME IS CRISTIANO RONALDO DOS SANTOS AVEIRO. AS A TEENAGER, HE WOULD BE IN THE GYM TRAINING USING WEIGHTS ON EITHER FOOT, AND THEN DRIBBLING WITH THE BALL. RONALDO THOUGHT TRAINING WITH WEIGHTS WOULD IMPROVE HIS GAME TECHNIQUES BECAUSE WITHOUT WEIGHTS, HE WOULD BE EVEN FASTER. RONALDO’S FREEKICK SPEED IS AROUND 130 KILOMETERS AN HOUR, WHICH MEANS 31.1 METERS PER SECOND, MORE THAN FOUR TIMES OF APOLLO 11 ROCKET’S LAUNCHING SPEED WHICH WAS 7.3 METERS PER SECOND. MIND-BLOWING RIGHT?

FIVE SOCCER FILMS TO WATCH Real: The Movie (2005) – This film is a truly inflated account of one of football’s most successful clubs in Europe. Considering the club produced the film, it makes sense that no success or flattery is left unturned.

Regardless, it offers an interesting look into the history that built Los Blancos.

The Class of ’92 (2013) – Explore the story of Manchester United’s most successful youth unit through the eyes of the men who represent it after their footballing days.

Gary and Phil Neville, David Beckham, Nicky Butt and Ryan Giggs all recall their rise to prominence in this absorbing documentary.

Serving the community for over 40 years Looking For Eric (2009) – Eric Bishop’s life from relationships to family is dwindling and in an effort to resurrect himself he begins to emulate his idol, Eric Cantona. In this charming account of a mundane man escorted by Cantona through his toughest moments, the film reveals the humanity in football through one of its most sensational stars.

The Football Factory (2004) – Based on a novel by John King, Football Factory dives head first into the dark world of hooliganism within English football. Viewers are offered a glimpse into the often-undermined parts of the sport that tarnish its innocence and beauty. Volatile, honest and gritty, this film reminds of the issues less highlighted.

The Damned United (2009) – A fictional account of legendary English manager Brian Clough’s 44-day stint at Leeds United in 1974. The film centralizes itself around how in very little time Clough cemented himself into English football history as one of the most eccentric figures ever to lead a club.

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AROUND THE GLOBE: BALLON D’OR

Four-time consecutive Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi

“Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the only serious candidates for the Ballon d’Or for the fourth year in succession”

THE BALLON D’OR FOOL’S GOLD? DID YOU KNOW?

IT’S TIME FOR THE ANNUAL BALLON D’OR AWARD TO BE MADE ONCE AGAIN. IN AN ERA DOMINATED BY LIONEL MESSI AND CRISTIANO RONALDO, MIKE BARN ES CONSIDERS WHETHER THE FIFA ACCO LADE IS STILL RELEVANT TO THE MODERN GAME OR IF IT HAS LOST ITS CREDIBILIT Y

A

s football’s great and good make their annual pilgrimage to Zurich to attend the FIFA Ballon d’Or award ceremony, there are mixed opinions on the award’s continued relevance to football.

In a modern celebrity-dominated world, the field of realistically potential winners has become so narrow – Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the only serious candidates for the fourth year in succession – that many have questioned if it really matters any longer.

The counter argument is that football is part of the entertainment business and that, far from becoming meaningless, the award’s showcasing of the individual talent and brilliance of the game’s most stellar players is a smart move

by FIFA to align football with the rest of show business. The original intention of world football’s governing body was to acknowledge the player judged to have performed the best during the previous calendar year, with votes cast by national team Coaches and captains as well as football writers from around the globe, but perhaps such judgement is subjective.

The original Ballon d’Or dates back to 1956, when Stanley Matthews was voted the inaugural winner during his time with Blackpool. Johan Cruyff won it three times in the 1970s, Michel Platini in three successive years in the 1980s and Marco van Basten on three occasions between 1988 and 1992.

Messi and Ronaldo disputed the Ballon d’Or in the final two years of its original existence, the 82 S360

BALLON D’OR SHORTLIST Gareth Bale, Wales, Real Madrid Karim Benzema, France, Real Madrid Diego Costa, Spain, Chelsea Thibaut Courtois, Belgium, Chelsea Angel Di Maria, Argentina, Manchester United Mario Gotze, Germany, Bayern Munich Eden Hazard, Belgium, Chelsea Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Sweden, PSG Andres Iniesta, Spain, Barcelona Toni Kroos, Germany, Real Madrid Philipp Lahm, Germany, Bayern Munich Javier Mascherano, Argentina, Barcelona Lionel Messi, Argentina, Barcelona Thomas Muller, Germany, Bayern Munich Manuel Neuer, Germany, Bayern Munich Neymar, Brazil, Barcelona Paul Pogba, France, Juventus Sergio Ramos, Spain, Real Madrid Arjen Robben, Netherlands, Bayern Munich James Rodriguez, Colombia, Real Madrid Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal, Real Madrid Bastian Schweinsteiger, Germany, Bayern M. Yaya Toure, Ivory Coast, Manchester City TWEET US YOUR CHOICE FOR BALLON D’OR FINAL 3!

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Portuguese winning the honour in 2008, having been runner-up the year before, and Messi took it off him a year later. The award in its current form was first presented in 2010 following a merger of France Football magazine’s Ballon d’Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award. Messi won it in 2010, the Argentine then going on to reclaim the title in each of the following two years as he and Ronaldo established their dominance in the world game.

This year’s three-man shortlist featured Ronaldo, Messi and Neymar. Messi had a wonderful 201415 season with Barcelona, where he won the Primera Division title, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League and narrowly missed out on winning the Copa America too after Argentina were beaten by Chile in the final. Messi finished last season with 43 goals in La Liga and 10 in the Champions League.

Ronaldo, meanwhile, scored the same number of goals in Europe, but notched five more in La Liga. The Portuguese had the stronger campaign statistically, but was devoid of silverware as Real Madrid crumbled in the Spanish title race, were eliminated from the Copa del Rey by Atletico Madrid and were beaten by Juventus in the Champions League semi-final. This season, Ronaldo has strengthened his case by taking advantage of Messi’s injury-induced absence.

A perennial conundrum with the Ballon d’Or is whether it should reward the brilliance of an individual regardless of the achievements of the team (or teams) that player has featured in.

THE PRIZE HAS BEEN DOMINATED

BY EUROPEAN AND SOUTH AMERICAN TALENTS DOWN THE YEARS, AND THEIR GRIP HAS PROVED SO TIGHT THAT ONLY ONCE HAS A PLAYER FROM ANOTHER CONTINENT BEEN VOTED THE WORLD’S BEST. THAT WAS GEORGE WEAH IN 1995, THE LIBERIAN FORWARD CLAIMING BOTH THE BALLON D’OR AND FIFA WORLD PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD TO ENSURE AFRICA A PERMANENT PLACE IN THE GLOBAL RECKONING.

Neymar, Luis Suarez and Robert Lewandowski are all worthy of consideration

Cristiano Ronaldo headed into 2015’s award having won the Ballon d’Or three times

The choice between Ronaldo and Messi for this year’s crown is a choice between the individual brilliance and prolific scoring of the Portuguese and the contribution made by the Argentine to his Barcelona’s treble success.

The Ballon d’Or is not a team achievement, although many believe it should be, because football is a team game and any individual player is only as good as the team around him. Many great players never won the Ballon d’Or. One of them, Real Madrid legend Raul Gonzalez, who also played latterly for German club Schalke, once said: “I was runner up for the Ballon d’Or once and came third on another occasion. Could I have won it? Maybe, but I don’t care. Football is a team sport.”

If the Ballon d’Or were a true reflection of individual greatness in football that has nevertheless thrived in the context of a successful club, then star players who have dominated consistently over a period of time, such as Barcelona greats Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta would surely have made a greater impression on the overall vote. Xavi was placed third in three consecutive years between 2009 and 2011 and Iniesta similarly in 2012.

Robert Lewandowski has been prolific for club and country since making his top-flight debut in 2008. The Polish striker began to regularly hit the headlines after moving from Lech Poznan to Borussia Dortmund, notching 103 goals in 187 appearances for the German club. Raising the bar even further, Lewandowski has been on target 45 times in 69 appearances in a seasonand-a-half since moving to Bayern Munich.

Like Messi, Lewandowski has not enjoyed spectacular success with his country, although he has scored 32 times in winning 72 caps for Poland. Unlike the Barcelona talisman, however, he has failed to feature in any Golden Ball deliberations. Scorer of a four-minute hat-trick for Poland against Georgia in June, Lewandowski ended the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign with 13 goals and in September his Champions League hat-trick in a 5-0 win for Bayern over Dinamo Zagreb took him to 10 goals in three games in a week for his club.

In keeping with the cult of celebrity and football’s determination to sell itself worldwide at the highest level, the Ballon d’Or continues to be marketed as a head-to-head confrontation between Messi and Ronaldo. Third-place contenders Suarez and Neymar occupy the same global celebrity space, whereas Lewandowski does not.

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho and Arsenal’s

“I was runner up for the Ballon D’Or once and came third on another occasion.

Could I have won it? Maybe, but I don’t care.

Football is a team sport.” – Raul

Arsene Wenger – contenders for FIFA’s Coach of the Year award alongside Luis Enrique and Pep Guardiola – have both called for the Ballon d’Or to be scrapped, encouraging football to turn its attention back to the team instead. Wenger has publicly opposed the World Player of the Year award and said he would never take part in the voting process, while Mourinho, in rare accord with the Arsenal supremo, also opposes the emphasis on the individual and supports a return to a team focus.

For as long as the Ballon d’Or continues, and as long as Messi and Ronaldo remain the game’s highest-profile superstars, the award will be a slice of showbiz glitz, nothing more, nothing less. More about sparkling celebrity than sporting excellence, the Ballon d’Or comes and goes. Winning the World Cup, the European Championship, the Champions League and the top level national league championships remains the real aspiration and reward for the very best.

360 FUNNIES

BELOW Michel Platini along with Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten all won the Ballon d’Or three times

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IN STORE: PRODUCTS

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WHETHER YOU’RE TRAINING ON THE PITCH OR SUPPORTING YOUR FAVOURITE TEAMS, SOCCER 360 BREAKS DOWN SOME UNIQUE, NEW PRODUCTS TO SPIKE YOUR INTEREST.

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GAME ON: FOOTGOLF

GAME ON

One on One with Footgolf president Donald J. MacKay

360: What is FootGolf about?

FGC: FootGolf is a hybrid sport that sees golf played with a size 5 soccer ball being kicked into a 21”cup customized to hold a regular golf flagpole and flag. The playing routine, scoring and rules are all parallel to golf. The equipment is simply indoor soccer shoes, the soccer ball and your foot. Many have extended the uniform to include argyle socks and peaked caps – but fashion is usually determined in consultation with the host course.

FootGolf courses are set within existing golf courses. The average player can kick a soccer ball 50 yards, so the hole lengths reflect this.

A Par 3 hole is about 75 yards, Par 4 about 120 yards, and Par 5 about 150 yards. Typically an 18 hole FG course can fit within one of the 9 holes of a regulation length golf course, meaning there can be up to 3 or 4 FG holes on the longer golf holes.

Participating courses have score cards specific to the FootGolf course.

360: So how have you adapted your games to different types of people?

FGC: The process is underway to rate and provide a playing factor for FootGolfers so they can compete on a basis that recognizes the various skill levels. In golf there is a handicap factor developed for all players.

Due to licensing and trademark issues, the terminology will differ, but the technology will be the same.

In the end, players of all skill levels have an equal chance of winning (before they start the round) given that the difference in skills will be reflected with the number of strokes a player can deduct from their final score – according to the factor assigned to them based on their past scores. The resultant net score becomes the basis of comparison for all rounds.

360: How do you play your games?

FGC: The games are played according to the Rules of Golf applied to substituting a soccer ball. Official FG rules are being developed to address the areas of judgement and penalties for errant shots that might go out of bounds or into a pond etc.

Most courses are hosting FG rounds later in the day as they experiment with this concept. It is very possible to play golf and FG in the same group – if the players understand the nature of

86 S360

both sports. Typically, FG is played in groups of 4-6 players as FG can be played more quickly than golf due to the less technical nature of addressing the ball and club selection on every shot.

360: How does FootGolf help soccer skills?

FGC: FootGolf is a hybrid of soccer and golf – as the name illustrates. The player uses soccer skills to execute golf shots on a golf course with a soccer ball to a special cup from a normal golf teeing area. The process of negotiating the ball into the cup from a fixed tee area requires some serious calculation on shot making, ball roll and terrain changes. This is the basis for reinforcing some of the basic skills that technical directors love to have their players execute on a repeated basis to ensure they become a natural movement for them over time.

FootGolf is a social outlet for every team to utilize for team-building and socialization amongst players, parents and other fans.

Everyone can play and everyone can enjoy their time together.

360: Then how do you fund the program?

FGC: the program is funded by the players who pay the golf course to use its facility. In addition, the players pay to belong to the Canadian FootGolf Association which entitles them to play in leagues developed by the CFGA. 360: How can FootGolf help Soccer Clubs?

FGC : FootGolf is an ideal fundraiser for soccer clubs to utilize. It permits soccer players to enjoy the ambience of a golf course while letting the fundraising committee to access the draw of a tournament in which everyone can participate. There are examples of clubs running events that have proven very successful – ask Jimmy Brennan at the Aurora Youth Soccer Association.

360: Do you have any online examples for our readers to see?

FGC : www.footgolf.ca where they can see videos of Wayne Rooney using a soccer ball to challenge Rory McIlroy playing golf or Real Madrid playing FootGolf as well as other videos we have posted. Enjoy!!

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LAST WORD: MLS FOCUS

STARS CAN’T GUARANTEE SUCCESS F

‘No team has ever prospered in any league, without balance and cohesiveness’

While international stars may be able to sell merchandise and raise a club’s global stature, Marco D’Onofrio says that the 2015 MLS campaign proved they can’t necessarily guarantee success

LA Galaxy spent almost $15m on Steven Gerrard, Robbie Keane and Giovani dos Santos last season, yet did not move past the first round of the postseason.

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ew top flights on the planet can match the influx of talent that Major League Soccer has seen within the past couple of years.

With the likes of Sebastian Giobinvo, David Villa, Andrea Pirlo, Didier Drogba, Ricky Kaka, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Giovani dos Santos, and many others making the move across the pond in recent times, it is no secret as to how the League has been able to increasingly garner global attention.

Having recognisable names and familiar faces is important for a league fighting for international credibility, and simply looking to make a dent in the crowded North American sports market.

We are seeing teams spend massive amounts of money on players’ salaries to bring in some of the beautiful game’s biggest stars, in the hopes of luring fans to stadiums and increasing television ratings.

Although, as the 2015 season demonstrated, success on the pitch is contingent on a team signing players for what they are capable of in the present or the future, rather than for their past accomplishments. Furthermore, no team has ever prospered in any league, without balance and cohesiveness. Big-money Designated Players could play in MLS and do very well individually, but that doesn’t necessarily ensure that their club will.

None of the players mentioned in the opening paragraph were able to get their side past the second round of the MLS postseason. Even Giovinco, who won multiple individual awards, including the Golden Boot, Newcomer of the Year, and the Landon Donovan MLS MVP, wasn’t capable of leading Toronto FC further than the opening round.

All four of the 2015 Eastern and Western Conference finalists provided an important lesson to the rest of the League about what it takes to triumph in MLS. The Columbus Crew were able to knock out the Supporters’ Shield champions, New York Red Bulls, despite the fact that their only Designated Player is better known as being the older brother of Napoli striker, Gonzalo. Federico Higuain, has been one of the League’s brightest talents since he came over in 2012, but he is far from a household name.

Columbus not only made it all the way to the MLS Cup in 2015 though, they also earned the right to host it at Mapfre Stadium. The team had done a good job in the MLS SuperDraft over the years, and have a head Coach who understands the intricacies of the League.

Along with Higuain, MVP finalist Kei Kamara and Ethan Finlay terrified opposing defences across MLS. Both Kamara and Finlay were selected by the Crew in the draft at one point in time.

Kamara finished level on goals with Giovinco, finding the back of the net an impressive 22 times. However, the Italian international makes an astounding $6.5m more than the Crew striker.

In the West, it was much of the same. FC Dallas met the Portland Timbers for the right to represent the Western Conference in the MLS Cup, and neither team had any major European star. In fact, both of Dallas’ Designated Players, Mauro Diaz and Fabian Castillo, are under the age of 25, earn less than $500,000, and neither of them have any experience playing professionally in Europe.

Truth is, consistency and knowledge of the soccer landscape on the continent signified to be a real key to success in a very unique league. It is no coincidence, that all four teams that reached

the Conference finals had head Coaches that once played in MLS themselves.

Fans of the New York Red Bulls nearly rioted when the team decided to sack former boss Mike Petke and replace him with Jesse Marsch at the start of the 2015 campaign. The club had just lost French legend Thierry Henry to retirement, and hadn’t replaced him with another big name.

At a ‘town hall’ meeting last January, supporters almost got violent as they vented their frustration at the state of affairs within the club.

However, Marsch had played or worked in the League since its inception in 1996 and knew it inside out. Not only did the Red Bulls win their second Supporters’ Shield crown in three years under his tutelage, Marsch was eventually named the 2015 MLS Coach of the Year.

Much like the case with head Coaches, a look at the 2015 MLS Best XI also reflects that experience within the US top flight is an important factor in doing well, regardless of international stature. Giovinco and the Montreal Impact’s Laurent Ciman were the only two newcomers to MLS who made the cut, while just three Designated Players were on the squad.

Of the three Designated Players who did make the 2015 MLS Best XI, two of them had been plying their trade in the League since 2011. Both the aforementioned FC Dallas’ Castillo and the Los Angeles Galaxy’s Robbie Keane, have become staples in MLS, and neither one is a top five highest paid player.

Keane is among the top 10 highest paid players in the League though, as are all three of the Galaxy’s current Designated Players. Los Angeles is paying a whopping total of $14.9m per year on the combination of Keane, Gerrard, and Dos Santos. Toronto is the only team currently spending more, with Giovinco, Jozy Altidore, and Michael Bradley costing them $18.3m annually.

Neither team made it past the first round of the playoffs in 2015.

With an increased amount of international stars willing to come over, club front offices need to become wiser and more selective as to who they want to bring in. Big names might be able to sell merchandise and generate a buzz temporarily, but signing them won’t ensure that a team will prosper on the pitch.

As the League continues to grow and expand, expect more international stars to take the plunge into MLS waters. Regardless of whatever illustrious trophy they’ve lifted in the past though, an MLS Cup is never promised to anyone.

in the TFC heads ion right direct in by bringing experienced ill midfielder W Johnson to inco support Giov and Bradley.

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