MESSI VS RONALDO

We are tired of this debate. When things like these happen, it prompts the debate all over.


Then there is a period of peace before the hostilities resume. Let us indulge today.

As Madrid continue their unparalleled dominance on the continent, the final is Cardiff dubbed ‘Bale Final’ quickly turned into another show by Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese star dominated the final unlike the other times he won it. This was the third time he lifted the Champions League title in four years.

Ahead of the final, Ronaldo was on a brilliant run that saw him score 16 goals in ten matches. The potential Ballon d’Or winner scored a brace that sunk a previously very hopeful Juve team. Max Allegri built a solid team that stopped everyone – they did not concede four goals all through the season until they met Ronaldo.

Ronaldo is the greatest goalscorer of all times. His consistency is unparalleled. He keeps adjusting and reinventing his style of play best suited to goalscoring. The Messi-Ronaldo debate will continue until the end of time but on the Art of Goalscoring, not many would side with the diminutive Argentine. Messi has not changed his fundamentals much – he is that brilliant whizkid from La Masia. Continue reading

Barcelona Have Come to the End of the Cycle, Says Arrigo Sacchi

Barcelona have been facing a lot of ramifications after the 4-0 loss against Paris St Germain in the Champions League.


Even though the club has suffered a couple of such heavy defeats in the past, this defeat has started talk about a potential end to the era. One of the greatest managers of all time, Arrigo Sacchi seems to think the same. Arrigo Sacchiwas in charge of the famous AC Milan team that managed to dominate European football during the latter part of the 20th century. He is no stranger to witnessing a team come to the end of its cycle.

In the 21st century, Barcelona have been the team to beat and replicate. Much of the success has been built on the presence of Lionel Messi. However, it seems that the Argentine superstar is not only coming towards the end of his 20s but also the end of his time with Barcelona. Messi was one of the players who was extremely poor in the loss against PSG. The rest of the team also has to take a lot of the blame. Continue reading

Barcelona Will Benefit from Andres Iniesta’s Return, Says Luis Enrique

Luis Enrique says that he is betting big on the return of Andres Iniesta boasting the Barcelona team immensely ahead of the El Clasico of the season with Real Madrid.


After having been involved in two consecutive draws, there is immense pressure on Barcelona to win this match. Since the game is at the Camp Nou, the Barcelona players will also be feeling confident ahead of the tie. Numerous injuries and poor form have curtailed Barcelona’s defence of the league title. The club are in danger of falling nine points behind leaders Madrid if they lose the game.

The club has certainly struggled without the creative presence of Iniesta in the centre of the park. There has also been a major shift in terms of tactics compared with last season, as Barcelona are more focused on getting the ball to the forwards – Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Luis Suarez – as soon as possible. Continue reading

Luis Enrique to get new deal

Barcelona will not offer a new deal to their manager Luis Enrique until January.


Their vice-president has stated that the Spanish team is keen to keep their manager, but any extension will be only offered in January. This statement has given rise to speculations that the club will offer an extension if they are satisfied with the results of the team.

Luis Enrique managed to win the treble with Barcelona during his first season at the club and only won the La Liga title last year. With Real Madrid appointing Zinedine Zidane as their manager last season, there is news that Barcelona might also want to appoint a high profile manager for the club.
However, Barcelona’s Vice-president Jordi Mestre has denied these rumors and has stated that the club does not have any other alternatives in mind. He said that Barcelona is fully satisfied with Luis Enrique, and they do not have any intention to replace him at the head of the club.

Since his arrival, Luis Enrique has managed to keep the team together and allow them to remain at the top of the Spanish league. Jordi Mestre said that they are satisfied with the manager and what he has achieved so far for the team. He admitted however that there are no contract talks going on at the moment and that the manager will be offered a new contract in January.
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Will Arda Turanbeoffloaded in the summertransferwindow ?

Arda Turanjustwentthroughhis first season as a player of Barcelona afterhavingjoined the Spanish club for a transferfee of €34 million as the Turkish midfielder completed his move from Athletic Madrid over to Barcelona.


Unfortunately for Arda Turan and for Barcelona, thistransferappears to have been a failure as the Turkishplayer has not settled in to Camp Nou and struggledtrying to findhis place in the team of Luis Enrique.

For the majority of the season, Turan has had a substitute role in Barcelona whichissurprising for a playerthatwassigned for a fee of €34 million, he was initially expected to become a regular starter for Barcelona after they splashed out so much cash.

During the first few months of ArdaTuran as a player of Barcelona, he was actually a starter but after a string of underwhelming results, his time in the main team started to get more limited.
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Arda Turan will not be able to play for the club until January 2016

Barcelona’s new signing Arda Turan will not be able to play for the club until January 2016 despite having just signed from Atletico Madrid for a mammoth transfer fee of € 41 million.

The 28-year-old is expected to go straight into the first-team as the replacement for Xavi Hernandez. Even though he is a completely different player to the iconic Barcelona legend, it is expected that manager Luis Enrique will sufficiently transformed the team’s tactics in order to suit a player like Turan. Barcelona are under a Fifa ban that will prevent them from adding any new players to the squad until the end of 2015.

The ban has been in place for more than six months, but it has not prevented the club from completing the deals. One of the most important among them is the arrival of Turan. Since the player will not be able to play for Barcelona immediately, there has been suggestions that he will be loaned out to another club for the next five months in order to maintain his fitness levels. Even the 28-year-old suggested that he is frightened at the prospect of being idle for five months. Enrique, though, has stated that the player will not be sent out on loan and that he will want to work with the player until then. Continue reading