Barcelona Football Club arguably brings more joy to Palestinians than any other institution in the world. That’s certainly my impression after almost three years in Gaza and the West Bank. Every time the Catalans take to the field you can guarantee you’ll struggle to get a table in the bars of Ramallah and the shisha-infused […]
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Lionel Messi: Here and Gone
Wright Thompson travels to Argentina to investigate Lionel Messi’s youth and the strange relationship between Messi and his hometown in Argentina. Thompson looks at his start from his old club Newell’s old Boys and his move to Barcelona. The article looks at how Messi is perhaps trying to re-establish his roots in Argentina, the country […]
The journey to Madrid – Luka Modric
After initial plaudits that came his way, Luka Modric’s career at the Bernabéu seems to be off to a rocky start. He remained on the bench in the Champions League match at Ajax on Wednesday and is by no means certain to play in Sunday’s Clásico. But if Modric’s personal history is anything to […]
El Clasico Preview
Barca and Real are in good shape going into El Clasico, says Guillem. Barcelona have come from behind four times this season and against Sevilla they came back from 2-0 down for the first time since 1999 to win 3-2 with a last-minute goal from David Villa. That is proof of their character. If anybody […]
Forget Messi & Ronaldo, Falcao should win Ballon d’Or
The gala presentation for the 2012 Ballon d’Or may still be some way off, however talk has already begun over who will be crowned the best footballer in the world. Three-time winner Lionel Messi is favourite for many people, while others believe Real Madrid’s Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo has finally done enough to pip his […]
Johan Cruyff – Interview
It was 30 years ago, that Johan Cruyff played his last match in the European Cup, the three-times winner and four-times finalist bringing the curtain down on one of the great odysseys of the game in Amsterdam against, of all teams, Celtic. Not that the man himself knows, of course. Frankly, he hasn’t a clue. […]
World class “water carriers” – The importance of holding midfielders
Back in the 1990′s, flamboyant France and Manchester United star Eric Cantona derisively labelled Didier Deschamps, the captain of the 1998 World Cup winning French team, a ‘water carrier’. The current Les Bleus coach, who used to play as a central defensive midfielder, did not for sure have the skill and panache of a Zinedine […]
Puyol, Calm & Composed – Will Barca Cope Without Captain Fantastic?
Messi is the best player in the world. Yes, I know. Some of you think it’s Ronaldo. I respect that. Some of you feel it is Casillas. A case could definitely be made. Some of you don’t even think Messi is the best player at Barca. An interesting notion. But instead of debating all these […]
The Messy Messi-Villa incident
Graham Hunter over at ESPN gives his views on the argument between Lionel Messi and David Villa which was captured by television crew when Barca played Granada. I think it’s fair to say that Leo Messi committed a minor error by chewing out David Villa just before halftime on Saturday as Barcelona was sweating out […]
La Liga could kill itself
Spanish football must change course drastically or it will “kill itself” within five years, according to Jose Maria Gay de Liebana, Spain’s most prominent football economist. Gay de Liebana, an economics professor at the Universidad de Barcelona has the following to say: – La Liga’s clubs were increasing their revenues but not quickly enough to […]
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