La Liga has almost reached its halfway point and there is one team well and truly on top as the winter break approaches – Barcelona. The Catalans lead the Primera Division by nine points from Atletico Madrid, with rivals Real a further four back in third. … In goal we find Betis’ Adrian, who has proved […]
Tag Archives: FC Barcelona
Pretty football and the Nash equilibrium
Ignore Barcelona. Ignore Spain. Ignore 1982 Brazil, Total Football Holland, and the Invincibles. What if the real footballing lesson about aspiration and beauty lies not in art, but in economics? This I have learned from John Forbes Nash, the Nobel Laureate depicted by Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind. In the movie version, Crowe/Nash advises […]
How Argentina finally cracked Barcelona’s Messi code
Past Pele’s record of goals in a calendar year. Ten short of surpassing Gerd Muller’s record of 85 (the all time record), and currently tied with Batistuta for most goals for Argentina in a calendar year. One goal against Saudi Arabia and the Argentinian record will be all his. It would be an understatement to […]
Is Loyalty Barca’s Greatest Strength?
When Lionel Messi declared this week, at the relatively young age of 25, that he wants to spend the rest of his career at Barcelona, it provided an insight as to why the Spanish club has dominated world football in recent years. A hot favorite to be named the world’s best player for an unprecedented fourth […]
Disproportionate – The gap between Europe’s elite and the rest
Celtic’s 2-1 upset win over Barcelona on Wednesday prompted some to describe it as the “second greatest night in the history of the club” after — presumably — that night in 1967 when 11 men born within a few miles of Parkhead went out and became champions of Europe. That generated some interesting discussion, as you would […]
The way we play – An interview with Iniesta
They have seen better nights. Quite a lot of them, in fact. In a village of La Mancha, there is a bar. The village is called Fuentealbilla and has a population of just 1,864; the bar is called the Luján and it is run, as it has been for as long as anyone can remember, […]
A New Hope – Barca’s next Pique, Marc Batra
His patience has finally been rewarded. Marc Bartra had been persistently praised by Barcelona boss Tito Vilanova in recent weeks, but largely ignored by the Catalan coach – despite the club’s crisis in central defence. On Tuesday night, however, he came of age with an accomplished appearance against Celtic in the Champions League. And there is plenty more to come. … […]
Borussia Dortmund – Back In The Game
Last season was truly memorable for Borussia Dortmund’s many supporters, as their beloved Schwarzgelben retained their Bundesliga title and also secured the first double in the club’s 103-year history by winning the DFB Cup too. Not only did they avoid the dreaded second season syndrome, but they actually did so in record-breaking style by setting […]
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