Big names prefer La Liga over Premier League

author: Mike Collett
source: Reuters
date: 1 September 2009
editing: fcbtransfers.blogspot.com





Premier League clubs spent 119 million pounds less on transfers this close season compared to last year, according to a report into their transfer dealings.

Geoff Mesher, head of the Forensic Sports Industry Team at accountants KPMG, told that Premier League clubs' net spending fell significantly from 210 million pounds in 2008 to 81 million pounds this year before the deadline closed on Tuesday.

"There are a number of reasons, but it is not just because of the world financial situation," he said. "Football clubs are very powerful, independent businesses but, apart from Manchester City in England and Real Madrid in Europe, most clubs have spent significantly less.

As far as English clubs are concerned there are a number of reasons, including the exchange rate between the pound and the euro and the tax situation in England. The lack of big name players arriving in the England might appear strange given the recent success of English clubs in Europe, but the reasons are purely financial."

Mesher said the struggle by Premier League clubs to attract or retain big name players reflected the attraction of Spain's La Liga to many players. "Our analysis of the recent transfer window has revealed a reduction in Premier League transfer funds paid to non-English clubs supporting the argument that teams have struggled to entice big names from overseas.

It is no coincidence that the majority of Manchester City's big summer signings were purchased from within the English top flight. For the time being in the international transfer market La Liga and, more specifically Real Madrid, appear to have the upper hand on the Premiership."

read the full and original article here


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The top ten football managers of all time

author: Matt Dickinson
source: The Times
date: 9 August 2009
editing: fcbtransfers.blogspot.com





1. Rinus Michels
The Dutchman, who died in 2005, was named coach of the century by Fifa in 1999. Think Ajax of the late Sixties, think Holland of the 1974 World Cup, think Total Football. Barcelona won the Champions League in May with tactics he introduced to the Nou Camp 30 years ago. Now that’s influence.

2. Sir Alex Ferguson
After knocking over the Old Firm in Scotland, he has built a modern-day monster out of Manchester United. The trophies matter but so does the attacking intent of his sides.

3. Ernst Happel
A man of few words but many trophies, the Austrian won league championships in four different countries (the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Austria).

4. Sir Matt Busby
He faced the most difficult of all rebuilding jobs when he lost a brilliant team in the wreckage of Munich.

5. Brian Clough
No doubt he would put himself top of the pile and his feats were truly extraordinary. He turned Derby County into league champions and Nottingham Forest into the best team in Europe.

6. Bill Shankly
The builder of another of football’s great institutions, Shankly would surely have shared in Liverpool’s later success in Europe had he not retired prematurely.

7. Bob Paisley
Still the only coach to have three European Cup medals the son of a miner would have been too modest to boast about his great signings.

8. Arrigo Sacchi
A one-time shoe salesman, he built one of the greatest club sides at AC Milan and did so with innovative tactics.

9. Helenio Herrera
With an ego the size of the San Siro, the French-Argentine cast a big shadow over European football in the 1960s. A great motivator and disciplinarian who imposed rigid catenaccio on his teams, he enjoyed his greatest success at Inter Milan, where he twice won the European Cup.

10. Arsène Wenger
Ranked above managers who have won more and with good reason. Wenger resolutely defends the game’s most precious values, building sides of dazzling beauty.

read the full and original article here


Read more:
Guardiola has restored the philosophy of Cruijff

Barcelona plays the football of the future

author: Ted Dumitru
source: Mail & Guardian
date: 7 August 2009
editing: fcbtransfers.blogspot.com





Recently I had the opportunity to spend a few days at the headquarters of FC Juventus in Italy and FC Barcelona in Spain.

For some time now my mission has been to search for successful solutions and new developments in the world of football performance that could influence the course of the game in the future. It has been more than a mission -- it has become a passion.

Visiting Juventus and Barcelona was driven by the fact that these two clubs have already introduced unique concepts and solutions potent enough to change or even revolutionise many aspects of football performance. In Barcelona as well as in Juventus, there is this relatively new trend of superior knowledge generated through academic channels, which now required in the performance spectrum of the world's top clubs.

The difference is that, there is a non-compromising ideology about the style identity of FC Barcelona. Arguably the best club in the world today, it has the strictest policy to ensure that the winning features of the most attractive style seen to date remain intact and completely protected from any contrasting influences.

Listening to Barcelona's director of football, Raul Sanllehi, one would agree that many of the unprecedented records and successes of the club are the direct result of innovative and distinct components of its exquisite game mentality. Sanllehi said that by accepting the axiom that ultimately it is the ball that does the work, technique must be perfect. On one of the walls at their offices I saw a slogan that read: "Without the ball, you are stuffed."

It is only when ball-skills are perfect that the most intricate and surprising tactical moves can be applied - in most cases with deadly efficiency. It establishes a superiority in the game to which the opposition - with either an athletic, dynamic, or over-physical approach - will succumb. This was the case in last season’s spectacular victories against Chelsea, Lyon, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Manchester United and such.

Any progressive mind in football would regard Barcelona's technically unique game features as the football of the future. I would even say that, at the moment, what many would perceive to be "modern football" is outclassed and defeated by Barcelona's football of the future. This is wrongly labelled as "attacking football" - it is just optimised football.

Some football journalists and commentators still entertain the idiotic thought that some players and teams take too many passes, too many touches, too much time on the ball or dribble too much. Such ignorant and retrograde statements would provoke nasty reactions at Barcelona.

Any level of coach at the club would convince you that, to outplay and frustrate the opposition, it is imperative that all forms and numbers of passes, dribbling and sustained possession of the ball are available to all the players. They make the decision when there is a need for a one-touch pass or multiple dribbling, passes and ball touches.

I was not surprised when Txiki Begiristain, a former outstanding player and now the technical secretary of the team, told me that the coach, Pep Guardiola, who is generally regarded as a low-profile coaching personality, has, in fact, graduated from the University of Barcelona with an academic coaching diploma, including specialisation in several sport-science subjects. What the team is displaying on the field could be achieved only with advanced coaching knowledge.

One of the leading factors that contributes to maximising performance at the club is the fortunate mixture of Latin American and African talent, which is predisposed to sublime ball touches and disguise, as well as sustained mobility and creativity.

A generator of abundant talent is a school - La Masia - with more than 500 young players between the ages of 12 and 17. Several other academies are established around the world. This excellent programme has made world history by delivering 13 young players to the current squad. The respect for high performance is also illustrated in the quantity and impeccable quality of training grounds, equipment and other support facilities.

Still influenced by the low-risk and simplistic football that dominates, the global audience has only partially embraced the "football of the future" concept as displayed by Barcelona. It will take time, more knowledge and more objectivity from the media.

It should be clear to everybody involved in local football that any progress in today's demanding and sophisticated business of the competitive game imposes advanced solutions. To implement such solutions, the need for expertise based on scientific knowledge is required.

read the full and original article here


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Indian national team using Barcelona facilities

source: Press Trust of India
date: 6 July 2009
editing: fcbtransfers.blogspot.com





The Dubai leg of their training ending on Monday, the Indian footballers are looking ahead to the one month-long sojourn in Barcelona where they will use the facilities of Champions League winners FC Barcelona.

The Indian team will leave for Barcelona on Tuesday morning after a 10-day training in Dubai in preparation for the Nehru Cup. The team will return to India on August 7 and will have a short camp before defending the Nehru Cup title between August 19 and 31.

Senior team member Renedy Singh said they have achieved what they wanted from the Dubai leg, to get into the groove as a unit and work on the fitness to prepare for the Barcelona leg of the national team's training: "We have not been together since the friendly against Hong Kong in January so Dubai leg was more about getting into the groove and work on our fitness. In Barcelona we will play a few matches and test ourselves in match situations," said the midfielder.

Renedy said all the players are excited about training in FC Barcelona, especially the younger lot: "We will be using facilities of one of the most famous clubs in the world. The Nou Camp will be face to face with us for the first time in our lives and naturally it is amazing feeling," he said.

Central defender Gouramangi Singh can't wait any longer for the Barcelona trip: "The last trip to Portugal did us a lot of good. The facilities were great and it should be better in Spain. I am dying to go to Barcelona. I think the European tour is especially good for us youngsters in the side. We will learn a lot from the trip."

read the full and original article here
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Let's all copy Italy! No, France!! No, Spain!!!

author: Martin Samuel
source: The Daily Mail
date: 10 June 2009
editing: fcbtransfers.blogspot.com





So what happened to France? What happened to the plan to reshape English football along the lines of the French model; to create our own Centre Technique National Fernand Sastre, otherwise known as the Clairefontaine academy?

At the weekend, Sir Trevor Brooking, the director of technical development at the FA, said the game in England had to be more like that in Spain. Brooking spoke glowingly of recent trips there, during which FA officials witnessed the devotion to coaching and technique. He admired the way a small physique is no barrier to success.

And no doubt all of this is true and worthy. But was it only eight years ago when everything we did was going to be based on developments in France that had produced a generation of World Cup-winning stars? Before that, English football was going to be more Italian, with pasta diets and conditioning work. That was after we had to go Dutch, teaching six-year-olds the Johan Cruyff turn before they knew how to trap a ball and coaching them to play in every position until their little heads were spinning.

There are splinter groups, such as the Brazilian Soccer Schools run by Simon Clifford, which advocate Futebol de Salao, and no doubt if Japan won the next World Cup, every promising 14-year-old would be placed on a diet of raw fish and manga comics for inspiration. But, for now, Spain are the best, so we must copy all they do.

Not so long ago, it was impossible to get a club to look at a 12-year-old who was less than 6ft 2in. Now, scouts will be trawling the parks each Sunday on the hunt for highly skilled midgets. Anyone would think we are just a ridiculous country without any original thoughts or ideas and that we merely look at whichever team is winning and think ‘Right, let’s do that’, as if it will compensate for our inadequacies.

Brooking’s focus has been largely on five-to-11-year-old children. In June 2007, he was the public face of an initiative that introduced 66 specialist skills coaches across 12 regions to work with that vital age group. Why such a random number? An FA source explained that 66 is a special figure to English football.

The key to elite development in any sport is to focus on the very best; those with exceptional talent. Instead, English youth coaching is wasted by being spread thinly, rather than honing in on the handful of boys in each year who really benefit from top-quality instruction.

Brooking recalls the worrying gap when Spain’s Under 19 team beat England 3-0 in February, playing in a way that mirrored the senior team’s dismantling of Fabio Capello’s side in Seville the following night. ‘The whole coaching structure has to change,’ said Brooking. ‘It can’t be linked to the old style, the dad who coaches the team and wants to win at the expense of development. That can destroy the whole ethos of passing the ball from the back.’

Something is wrong, because England’s teenage footballers do not experience the success that should flow from being part of the most powerful league in the world, with the funding and opportunity that brings. Could this be because English football confuses education with imitation? We have grafted a system of management from Italy on to our senior team, so we believe Spanish values and culture are as easily absorbed at youth level.

Every successful coach is, to some extent, a magpie (Jose Mourinho’s ideas stem mainly from working with a Dutch management school at Barcelona), but to just pick up and drop thought processes according to whatever nation has the best footballers at the time is ludicrous.

If the French academy was worth copying following their World Cup win in 1998 it remains a good idea now, even if their current crop of footballers are not on a par with Spain. Just because Barcelona’s Cantera school did not produce a European Championship-winning midfield until 2008 does not mean it was previously irrelevant.

Brooking now talks of Spain’s diminutive midfield as if one country has shown the way. But many in England have argued against this growing obsession with the
gargantuan for a number of years, counselling that talent is being disregarded in favour of athletes of limited ability. Players such as Claude Makelele and Javier Mascherano show that even the toughest tackling midfielders do not have to be hewn from a cliff face.

The secret of success for English football will never be found on some fact-finding mission to mainland Europe. At home is where the answer lies, but first we must dispense with the gimmicks and quick fixes. Brooking’s homage to Catalonia, like those 66 skills coaches for schoolchildren, are all sound and no bite.

read the full and original article here


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Are defensive forwards the future?

author: Jonathan Wilson
source: The Guardian
date: 4 June 2009
editing: fcbtransfers.blogspot.com





Amid all the praise for the way Barcelona maintained possession against Manchester United in the Champions League final, one comment from their manager, Pep Guardiola, tended to be overlooked. "Without the ball," he said, "we are a horrible team. We need the ball, so we pressed high up the pitch to win the ball back early."

From a Barcelona manager, perhaps that isn't so surprising. After all, since Rinus Michels took charge there in 1971, they have favoured the classical Dutch model, which demanded pressing and an aggressive offside trap. "When I went to Barcelona," remembers Marinho Peres, the Brazilian defender who joined the club in 1974, "Michels wanted the centre-backs to push out to make the offside line. In Brazil this was known as the donkey line: people thought it was stupid. The theory was that if you passed one defender, you passed all the others.

But what Cruyff said to me was that Holland could not play Brazilians or Argentinians, who were very skilful, on a huge pitch. The Dutch players wanted to reduce the space and put everybody in a thin band. The whole logic of the offside trap comes from squeezing the game. This was a brand new thing for me. In Brazil, people thought you could chip the ball over and somebody could run through and beat the offside trap, but it's not like that because you don't have time."

What Barcelona achieved, in other words, was to find a way of pursuing the classic tenets of Total Football – short passing, intermovement of players, winning the ball high up the field – under the modern interpretation of the laws. Their solution, in truth, is not especially complex. Certainly it does not require the intellectual leap of faith Marinho found he needed to accept the efficacy of aggressive offside.

If defenders cannot move forward to defend high up the field because the weakened offside law makes them reluctant to leave space behind them, then logically forwards, when they do not have the ball, act as defenders. This is nothing particularly new but what is surprising is the extent to which Barcelona's forwards are deployed as ball-winners. To traditionalists who prefer to think of forwards as fragile artists who should not be troubled by such negative thoughts that may be unpalatable but the statistics are telling.

For Barcelona Dani Alves stands alone, having committed twice as many fouls as anybody else in the back four last season, but Opta stats show that Thierry Henry committed more fouls than any other member of the back four, with Gerard Piqué only one ahead of Samuel Eto'o, and Leo Messi and the other regular defenders within one foul of each other.

Full-back has become the most tactically interesting position on the pitch because full-backs, as Jack Charlton noted in 1994, tended to be the only players on the field who regularly had space in from of them. Logically, the next step was to close that down, which means forwards, and particularly wide forwards, taking defensive responsibility.

Of course the corollary to defensive forwards is that more defensive players must learn to create. The deep-lying play-making of Falcao and Cerezo for Brazil in the 1982 World Cup, it could be argued, was facilitated by the defensive work of the centre-forward Serginho. More recently, Shevchenko helped drive back the opposition defence to create room for Andrea Pirlo's successful reinvention as a deep regista (central midfield playmaker, literally 'director'). In the Premier League we have seen Michael Carrick and Xabi Alonso offer interpretations of the same role. Would Xavi or Andrés Iniesta be quite so effective without three forwards who tackle in front of them?

Lobanovskyi evangelised universality, foreseeing an age when players could interchange at will, and it is perhaps towards that that we are heading. Some defenders have always been selected with their creative qualities in mind; now we are seeing the rise of the defensive forward.

read the full and original article here


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Who are the super-agents?

author: Rory Smith
source: The Daily Telegraph
date: 12 June 2009
editing: fcbtransfers.blogspot.com





Jorge Mendes (picture)
Cristiano Ronaldo’s agent made his name brokering Jose Mourinho’s move from Porto to Chelsea in 2004 and now stands to make around £5 million from the Ronaldo move alone. Mendes now deals only with the very top clubs in Europe.

Pini Zahavi
The former Israeli journalist went on to become football’s first - and some would say still only - true super-agent. He is close to Roman Abramovich and was the first port of call for Manchester City after they became the world’s richest club last year.

Ernesto Bronzetti
The man who AC Milan and Juventus turn to for advice on all of their transfer dealings. Bronzetti was at the heart of Manchester City’s botched move for Kaka in January - on the Italian side - and remains Serie A’s Mr Fix-It of choice.

Gines Carvajal
The man who represents Raul, Iker Casillas and Guti, as well as a host of other players around Spain, is the most powerful agent in a country with more players’ representatives than any other. Carvajal is closely linked with both Madrid clubs and is a friend of Florentino Perez.

Vincenzo Morabito
Closely linked with both AC Milan and Roma, few deals come to fruition in Italy without Morabito’s involvement. He is most usually mentioned in dispatches in connection with Emmanuel Adebayor, the most high-profile client of his FIMO firm.

read the full and original article here


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Premier League Clubs Deep in Debt

author: David Conn
source: The Guardian
date: 2 June 2009
editing: fcbtransfers.blogspot.com





England's 20 Premier League clubs owe a total of £3.1bn in bank overdrafts, loans and other borrowings, according to the latest published financial information. The accounts for the clubs, mostly documenting the year to May, June or July 2008, show that the FA chairman, Lord Triesman, significantly underestimated football's indebtedness when he cautioned last October that debts in the sport as a whole, including the Football League and the FA itself, were at £3bn.

Manchester United and Chelsea were by far the most indebted, owing £699m and £701m respectively, Arsenal were third, with £416m debts and Liverpool, the other top four club, were understood to owe around £280m; their accounts, due to be filed at Companies House last week, are overdue*.

The debts of those top four clubs, incurred in very different ways, demonstrate the extremes to which Premier League clubs' finances have been taken. United, Premier and European Champions League winners in that 2007-08 season, nevertheless made a loss of £44.8m because of the swingeing interest the club pays on its debts. United owed £699m to financial institutions because the Florida-based Glazer family, who bought the club in 2005 largely with borrowed money, then loaded their own debts on to the club. In just three years to 2008, £263m has become payable by United in interest alone**.

Liverpool's debt is similar, owed by the club's holding company, and including the £185m borrowed by the north American businessmen, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, when they acquired the club in 2007.

At Chelsea, by contrast, no money is owed to banks; the entire £701m was an interest-free loan made by the club's owner, Roman Abramovich, since he bought Chelsea in 2003. The Russian oligarch has poured money in to pay for players whose wages the club would otherwise not be able to afford, in his hunger to claim football trophies. Since the accounts were published, Chelsea, partly as a response to Triesman's warning about high debt levels, announced that Abramovich had reduced his loan to £339.8m, converting the rest to shares in the club.

Arsenal is the only Premier League club that incurred significant debt to carry out long-term investment. The club borrowed £260m originally to build the new Emirates Stadium, and a further £133m to convert the old Highbury ground into flats.

The 20 clubs' accounts*** show that despite booming incomes, which include the first season of a record £2.7bn TV deal which runs from 2007-10, Premier League clubs increasingly rely on subsidies from billionaires who now mostly own the clubs. Manchester United's takeover may have resulted in huge sums going out of the club in interest payments, but 15 of the 20 clubs in last season's top flight are now subsidised by owners. The smaller Premier League clubs are struggling to compete financially, and as they are desperate to avoid relegation out of football's golden circle, they have been urgently seeking backers of their own. In the last week, two more clubs, Sunderland and Portsmouth have announced takeovers.

The Premier League defends the financial picture presented, arguing that the levels of debt are generally manageable, given rising turnovers and the improved TV deal. Wages, for players and administrative staff, rose to £1.095bn, but at an average 55% of turnover that is generally reckoned to be sustainable.

The top clubs' directors have also seen their salaries rise way above those for directors of non-football companies with similar turnover. Ten directors in football were paid over £1m in 2007-08. Keith Edelman Arsenal's former managing director, was paid the most: £2,726,000 in total, including a £1,056,000 payoff when he left the club on 1 May 2008.

Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association, maintained his status as Britain's highest paid trade union official, with a salary package of £972,087.

* Some reports have been published since this article appeared about Liverpool’s finances. Read more here.
** Read more about Mancehster United's debt here.
*** More details with figures included of the returns filed by all 20 clubs here.

read the full and original article here


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No more age limit on players switching nations

author: Simon Evans
source: Reuters
date: 3 June 2009
editing: fcbtransfers.blogspot.com





Many players could get a new chance to play international football after FIFA's congress surprisingly voted last Wednesday to remove the age limit on changing national teams.

Under established rules players with dual nationality, who had already played for a country's national team at youth level, were only allowed to switch loyalties until the age of 21.

A motion from the Algerian Football Association, removing the reference to the age limit, was passed by the FIFA Congress, opening the way for many players to get a second chance in international football. The rule change does not affect any player who was played for the full national team as they are barred from switching nations.

The Algerian change was backed heavily by African countries - many of whom will now hope to 'regain' players who have played at youth level for European countries. Algeria could now for example have access to several players who have featured in France's youth teams.

read the full and original article here

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Transfer Deals Explained

author: Gary Jacob
source: The Times Online
date: 1 June 2009
editing: fcbtransfers.blogspot.com





We are wading into another hotly debated transfer season. It seems to matter little whether our team wins or loses, new players always seems necessary to keep the team fresh and the extent to which they should be brought in, the current players whose deals should be renewed, the transfer fees, player salaries, etc are questions which fans will ponder, argue and agonise over. The following article published in the Times Online outlines some of the procedures, usual practices and events related to transfer deals and player contracts.

How are players transferred?

The permitted approach is for a club to contact a rival expressing interest in their player, but in practice the first contact is with the agent or player (which could be deemed tapping-up). The agent ascertains whether his player would be interested in a move, whether personal terms are acceptable, allowing the buying club to pursue their interest with better information. An agent may be asked to find a move for his player, who is surplus to requirements at his club.

What does a player receive in a transfer?

When a player changes club, he receives a signing-on fee, which could be several hundred thousand pounds in bigger transfers, but he waives that right if he has handed in a transfer request.

How is the salary calculated?

The player’s agent will know what similar players earn, especially at the buying club, and ask for a higher salary for international players. The salary should approximately move in line with a player’s valuation. So a player who moves for £50 million, for example, will not accept £20,000 a week, the average top-flight salary. The player may receive a yearly loyalty payment, possibly in recompense for ensuring that his salary does not exceed the club’s wage structure.

How is a contract structured?

A contract will include clauses to cover many eventualities. These cover points such as bonuses for loyalty, appearances, winning, drawing, goals scored, keeping clean sheets, finishing positions, qualification for Europe and winning trophies. A promotion bonus to the top flight could be about £100,000. A win bonus could vary between £1,000 for a lower club and £9,000 at a top club.

The contract may allow the player to renegotiate his salary if a new team-mate earns more, exercise an option for a new deal when he plays a defined number of matches and include an escape clause, above which a club are forced to inform a player of a bid for him. The contract may force a player to take a cut in salary if the club are relegated. However, clubs are often unable to insert this clause because the player would decline the move.

What could delay or break a transfer?

Being unable to agree personal terms, the length of contract, problems with a medical or the player has a change of heart.

Why do players often sign a new contract after intense speculation about their future?

If the player does not move, he will seek to match his salary with the transfer valuation placed on him when he was subject to interest. The longer contract protects the player’s value for the club, but equally the player’s salary will now be higher, so he can command more in future.

Why does information leak out about transfers or contract negotiations?

Agents and clubs want to steal an advantage. An agent could want to publicise interest in his player to obtain a better deal at his present club or to alert other sides that the player is looking for a move. Clubs may want to use publicity to inform other teams of their willingness to accept an offer for a player. A manager may talk about the transfer to put pressure on his chairman to complete the deal and prevent fans blaming him for a lack of buys or a player leaving.

Do players hold all the power?

It appears so. A club must balance up offering a lengthy contract, which protects the value of the player, but could become a burden if he flops and cannot be moved on. For example, Winston Bogarde sat out his four-year contract at Chelsea, where he earned £40,000 a week, after joining in 2000.

Can players buy out their contract to move?

Some players have threatened to use Fifa’s transfer regulations unless they are allowed to move. The rules state that if the player has signed a contract when aged under 28, he is entitled to buy himself out of the contract three years after the deal was signed. Andy Webster was the first player to invoke it, at Heart of Midlothian, but the rule has yet to be tested by a top player or a leading club through fear of the consequences of a legal ruling. For example, had Frank Lampard employed the rule to move to Inter Milan last summer, he would have almost certainly faced a lengthy legal battle with Chelsea, putting his career on hold. The fear for Inter would be that should Lampard win, it could open the floodgates for players from the Italian club to follow suit.

read the full and original article here

Graphic : Anatomy of a Transfer

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The Final : Brands that hit the Spotlight

author: Matt Barlow
source: The Daily Mail
date: 28 May 2009
editing: fcbtransfers.blogspot.com





It was a Roman contest with a 21st Century twist. A fierce gladiatorial battle but the chosen weapons were 'Flywire' technology and 'Sprintskin' fabrics, not spears and daggers.

Lionel Messi's twinkling toes were encased in his brand new adidas F50i, cyan and black, customised boots, bearing an image of the European Cup and the date. Cristiano Ronaldo strutted confidently in a pair of Nike Mercurial Vapor Superfly, the lightest and fastest football boots known to man, according to their manufacturers.

Like a James Bond movie, the Champions League final is not complete without another wave of state-of-the-art sporting gadgets and designs. This game, beamed around the world, is the extreme example of why Manchester United, Barcelona and their players command huge sums of money to carry a certain logo.

Last night was something of a Nikefest and they celebrated by decorating flagship stores with a 'Great men made Rome great' image featuring Nike wearers in the final, like Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Ronaldo and Andres Iniesta.

They also designed new 'track jackets' for the teams to wear as they took to the field, a high-impact moment for the TV audience. Anyone remember England's pre-match striptease to unveil their new kit?

Ryan Giggs ran out in his new Reebok Instantes and Adidas, who also supplied the match ball, banked on Messi to work his magic and used the half-time break to launch their latest ad campaign featuring the little Argentine.

read the full and original article here


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Rome final will boost European economy

author: Antonella Ciancio
source: Reuters
date: 27 May 2009
editing: fcbtransfers.blogspot.com





The Champions League final will generate an increased boost of 310 million euro for the European economy this year, as more people are looking for fun amid the slowdown.

According to a study commissioned by MasterCard, one of the sponsors of the Champions League, a new community of supporters and organisations will enjoy their first dream final on Wednesday in Rome, contributing to the overall income.

"People are looking to divert tension away on such a special occasion," Simon Chadwick, professor of Sport Business Strategy and Marketing at Coventry University in England, who conducted the study, told Reuters. "What comes into play is a 'recession premium' worth around 25 million euro to the overall total from more people engaging as a result of the downturn." Last year's final between Manchester United and Chelsea in Moscow provided 267 million euros of total revenues.

The winner of Wednesday's final between United and Barcelona will also benefit by a windfall of more than 110 million euros through increased squad value, prize money, sponsorship deals, television rights and season ticket sales, the study said.The loser may also pocket at least 65 million euros. Following the final, the winning club's city will benefit by around 15 million euros through a longer-term enhanced city image, increased tourism and better consumer confidence.

"The UEFA Champions League final proves that sport's mega-events can overcome the downturn, thanks to their huge emotional appeal," Chadwick explained. With each team being allocated about 20,000 tickets, at least 50,000 paying supporters are expected in Rome for the sold-out showdown. Fans unwilling or unable to travel to Rome will generate economic activity at home. Manchester United and Barcelona have more than 80 million supporters across Europe, while in Italy almost half the population will show an interest in the event.

read the full and original article here


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Barcelona's finals through the years

author: John Brewin
source: ESPNsoccernet
date: 26 May 2009
editing: fcbtransfers.blogspot.com





Manchester United and Barcelona are two of Europe's most celebrated clubs.

Yet, while both go into Wednesday's Champions League final with recent European titles to their name, these are two clubs who have suffered long waits to win the continent's greatest competition.

Both were denied triumphs in the old European Cup's formative years. United were victorious in 1968 yet had to wait 31 years to triumph again. Barcelona suffered two horrendous disappointments before finally being able to claim the crown in 1992.


1961: Benfica 3-2 Barcelona
To lose this final was as cruel a blow as Barca have suffered in their history. The previous five seasons had seen Real Madrid win consecutive European Cups at a time when confirmed Los Merengues fan Francisco Franco was Spain's dictator. Barca, champions of Spain in both 1959 and 1960, had knocked Real out of the 1960-61 European Cup in the very first round.

Yet Benfica ended hopes of emulating the hated Castilians. The talents of Hungarian trio Zoltán Czibor, Sándor Kocsis, László Kubala, along with Brazilian Evaristo and Ballon D'Or winner Luis Suárez were bested. Barca's captain-cum-keeper Ramallets suffered a nightmare as he blew the early lead with two terrible errors. A Coluna volley gave the Portugese club a commanding lead. Barcelona got back into it with a Czibor strike but time ran out. A golden opportunity had gone and tears flowed in Catalonia. The Generalissimo probably allowed himself a smirk.

watch a video of this game here


1986: Steau Bucharest 0-0 Barcelona (Steau won 2-0 on penalties)
The pain of Berne 1961 was repeated in Seville after a truly x-rated final. Terry Venables had ended 11 years of domestic misery by coaching La Blaugrana to the Spanish title. Between 1961 and 1985, they had won just one title, when inspired by Johan Cruyff in 1974. Venables' first move had been to sell Diego Maradona to Napoli and replace him with Scottish striker Steve Archibald, a gamble that paid off in their first season together. "El Tel" and team reached the final at Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán. Their Romanian opponents looked to pose few problems. Yet lines were fluffed once again.

A half-fit Archibald played instead of semi-final hero Pichi Alonso and offered little. Steau came to defend, making their game plan of spot-kicks evermore plain as the game went on. Archibald and Bernd Schuster were both subbed as the inevitable arrived. A chanceless game was echoed by all of the first four penalties being missed. Lacatus finally scored before Alonso had the next spotkick saved by keeper Helmuth Duckadam. Balint scored before Marcos' kick was again saved by Duckadam, making him the hero of Romania. Twenty-five years on, Barca were miserable again.

watch a video of this game here


1992: Barcelona 1-0 Sampdoria (aet)
Wembley provided the venue for one of football's greatest names to end a long drought. It also provided Johan Cruyff with the ability to put an end to unfinished business from his playing career. This was the first European Cup to feature a league phase and Barca held off Sparta Prague to reach the final. Barca lined-up against the other group winners in Sampdoria, Italian champions boasting Vialli, Mancini and Lombardo in their ranks.

Yet again, nerves wracked Barcelona, marshalled in midfield by current boss Pep Guardiola, then just 21. Goalkeepers Pagliuca and Zubizarreta were kept busy but neither side's strikers were on form. Bulgarian firebrand Hristo Stoichkov hit a post and Vialli blazed over on a number of occasions. Extra-time came and the doom of penalties lurked in the background before a foul on Eusebio gave Ronald Koeman a free-kick chance from 25 yards out. It was a chance he took, propelling a missile past a despairing Pagliuca and thus ending over three decades of Catalan hurt.

watch a video of this game here


1994: AC Milan 4-0 Barcelona
Cruyff's "Dream Team" was in its pomp and had added Romário to their arsenal while AC Milan, beaten in the previous year's final, lacked their first-choice central defence. Baresi and Costacurta, had provided ballast to Milan's twin triumphs of 1989 and 1990 but were missing through suspension. Van Basten was missing with the injury that eventually ended his career. With Wembley throwing off the curse, Barca entered the game as favourites but were massacred in Athens' Olympic Stadium.

Milan, for whom Balkan pair Boban and Savicevic glittered, positively destroyed them from the start. Savicevic created an opener for squat striker Massaro before the Italian grabbed his second from a Donadoni cross. Two minutes after half-time, Savicevic seized on a defensive mistake to score from an improbable angle. Barca were finished and misery was compounded when Marcel Desailly powered through a shell-shocked defence to score a fourth.

watch a video of this game here


2006: Barcelona 2-1 Arsenal
Paris in the springtime brought together two of European football's flair teams. Barca had rediscovered the flowing football of the Cruyff era under another Dutchman in Frank Rijkaard and possessed the world's most celebrated talent in Ronaldinho. Arsenal featured future Barca striker Thierry Henry. Barca had gained some revenge for 1994 in beating AC Milan in the semi-final after Chelsea were earlier despatched in the second round.

The game had looked to be swinging their way when Gunners keeper Lehmann was dismissed for up-ending Eto'o as the Cameroon striker was through on goal. Giuly had knocked the ball in but Barca had to be content with a numerical advantage in terms of personnel rather than scoreline. That looked poor consolation when Campbell headed in from a lofted free-kick. An understandably tiring Arsenal looked to have weathered the storm until the introduction of veteran sub Larsson. The Swede first set up Eto'o for the equaliser and then played in overlapping sub full-back Juliano Belletti to score the winner.

watch a video of this game here


read the full and original article here


Read more:
Barcelona vs Manchester United through the years

Messi vs Ronaldo: The Statistics

author: Nick Szczepanik
source: The Times
date: 22 May 2009
editing: fcbtransfers.blogspot.com





Champions League finals can often be settled by relative unknowns - put your hands up if you had heard of Juliano Belletti before his late goal beat Arsenal - but many neutrals are hoping that next Wednesday's match between Barcelona and Manchester United comes down to a battle of skills between the two teams' great entertainers, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Which one is more likely to make the difference? Well, according to statistics it looks as though Messi may just have the edge.



According to the table above (click to enlarge), in a similar number of appearances and minutes on the field, Messi is ahead of Ronaldo not only in goals scored (31 to 22) but also in goals created (16 to 8) and even chances carved out (97 to 74).

The Argentina midfield player has not had as many shots on goal, but seems to be more clinical in his finishing, converting 29% of shots compared to to Ronaldo’s 14%. 26 of Messi's goals have been scored from inside the penalty area, compared to 14 for the Portugal winger. So although both have identical shooting accuracy, it is hardly surprising that Messi scores more if he is shooting from closer range.

Of course, if you are looking for the long-range spectacular, Ronaldo is your man, as anyone who saw the explosive shot from 30 yards away to FC Porto will remember. And ask goalkeepers such as David James of England about Ronaldo's potency from direct free-kicks. Furthermore, he is more of a danger when the ball is in the air, with three headed goals to Messi's one.

But one especially revealing fact is that Messi does not appear to need the adulation of a home crowd or the familiarity of his home ground. He has scored 61% of his goals away from the Nou Camp compared to Ronaldo’s 23% away from Old Trafford - and that could make all the difference at Rome's Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday.

read the full and original article here


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Mental approach is the key for finals - Mourinho

author: José Mourinho
source: The Daily Telegraph
date: 25 May 2009
editing: fcbtransfers.blogspot.com





These are two great teams, of course, and obviously there are big expectations, but you must remember that finals are not for playing beautiful football. Finals are made to be won.

One thing that I want to say is that Chelsea deserved to be in the final. Barça are a top team but they were unable to be better than Chelsea. Were there bad decisions? Yes. Where Barcelona lucky? Yes. But they are still a super team and they kept their belief until the last second.

I am sad for the Chelsea players but Barcelona and Manchester United will give the world a great final. I think both teams are very clear in their philosophy. They have a game model, a tactical approach, a style of play, that, while very, very different, is established and automatic.

In this aspect there will be no surprises in the final: Man Utd will be Man Utd and Barça will be Barça. They believe in their way of playing, and in finals the mental approach is much more important than tactical aspects. Tactical aspects are details, but mental approach is the key for finals. Both teams want the cup, and both are confident they can get it.

People have said that there is a big difference between the experience of Sir Alex Ferguson and Pep Guardiola. Experience? What is that? For me, if you are good, you are good at 35 and you are good at 65. It is the same for a player, if you are top at 20 you are also top at 35.

Of course, Sir Alex is in his third Champions League final and Pep in his first as a manager. But when you are at the very top, you feel very comfortable in these moments. We love these moments. So, will Pep be a bit more emotional than Sir Alex because this final represents so much for his young career? Yes. But Sir Alex is a man of soul and heart and he will have the adrenalin that we all need to be at the top level in these moments.

United have absolutely everything as a team in this moment: strength, mentality, speed, magic, solutions. They have quality and experience, with Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney. Three Premier League titles and two Champions League finals – you need no more words to explain how strong they are.

Of course, they have a special player in Ronaldo. He can be everything, play everywhere in attack, in any tactical system. When he plays as a striker, which Sir Alex likes him to do in big games, he doesn't need to defend so much. Rooney is much more adapted to the 'defensive sacrifice', especially when the opponent's full-backs are very strong in attacking. There are many times when Rooney does not get the credit he deserves.

So, as a striker, Ronaldo is much more fresh and has more freedom to move and create. As a winger, he is incredible facing a defender when he has the ball. You look at his dribbling, his creation, his diagonal runs, his crosses, his heading and shooting when he goes inside, it is incredible.

Daniel Alves is out of the game, suspended, so it is easier for Sir Alex to decide who to play in the attacking positions. Alves is crucial for Barça. His width and Lionel Messi going inside are automatic for them. I feel sorry for Alves, he's a super player, and I also think the game will lose something without his dynamic.

I think against Alves, Ji-Sung Park for sure would have been used by Ferguson to control him. Without Alves, a United winger can now just be an attacking winger. So, on the left it will be Rooney or Ronaldo. But, of course these are opinions. The decisions are for Sir Alex. And normally he decides well. Very well.

If Barcelona will miss Dani, Man United will miss Darren Fletcher. Fletcher is more important than people think. His work in midfield, especially in the midfield 'wars', in crucial matches is very important. Man United will miss his pace and aggression in defensive actions: he 'eats' opponents in defensive transition.

In possession he is not magic like Ryan Giggs or a superb passer like Paul Scholes, but he is dynamic, he makes movements, he creates spaces. I like him a lot and I believe it is not an easy decision to replace him. I believe Xavi and Andres Iniesta are happy Fletch is not playing.

I know from experience how good this Man United team is from when we played them in the Champions League in February. Against them I think, especially at Old Trafford, we did very well because we controlled their transition, we closed the wings very well, we had control of the game with ball possession, we created some difficulties for them by playing in between the lines. But at set pieces they are very strong. And Barcelona are even weaker than my Inter in this area. This could be a key point.

read the full and original article here


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Barcelona vs Manchester United through the years

author: John Brewin
source: ESPNsoccernet
date: 8 May 2009
editing: fcbtransfers.blogspot.com





Andres Iniesta's 90th minute goal may have set Chelsea into a furious rage but it seems Barcelona v Manchester United is a highly popular choice for this season's final. Few outside the Stamford Bridge area wanted a repeat of last year's final, and it is hoped that the finalists will again show off the attacking flair that has guided them to Rome. An anti-climax is a possibility, though the two clubs have shared some classic past encounters.


Season 1983-84: European Cup Winners' Cup
Manchester United win 3-2 on aggregate

This now defunct competition was an old-fashioned two-legged knock-out. United, managed by Ron Atkinson, had qualified after winning the FA Cup after a final replay with Brighton and Hove Albion. Barcelona meanwhile, suffering a decade without a Liga title, had won the Copa Del Rey by beating Real Madrid in an unforgettable final. In that game, Diego Maradona had finally begun to look the part under the coaching of compatriot Cesar Luis Menotti.

March 1984 saw a meeting of two clubs both largely confined to cup successes during that era. The first leg took the tie to the Camp Nou where United put up a decent account of themselves but fell to an own-goal from young Scottish defender Graeme Hogg and a late blockbuster from Juan Carlos Rojo.

Back at Old Trafford it seemed United had been handed mountain to climb. Yet on a night still remembered by fans of an evermore August vintage, the roof was very nearly taken off the Stretford End by a United performance matched by the ear-splitting baying from the stands. Bryan Robson, the subject of rumoured bids from Juventus and AC Milan, put Maradona in the shade with the type of lung-bursting and inspirational performance that gave him the monicker "Captain Marvel".

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Season 1990-91: European Cup Winners' Cup Final
Manchester United win 2-1

Seven years later, Robson was an elder statesman at United, while Maradona had departed Catalunya the summer after his only appearance at Old Trafford. "Big Ron" was long gone too and plain old Alex Ferguson had been given time to start the rebuilding process that had first borne fruit when his team won the FA Cup Final in 1990.

Barcelona awaited in Rotterdam, coached by Johan Cruyff and freshly crowned the champions of Spain. This was English clubs' first season back in European competition after the Heysel ban. Ferguson set out to contain, even placing striker Brian McClair as a man-marker on Ronald Koeman, Barca's influential sweeper. Mark Hughes had suffered an unhappy spell at the Camp Nou before being returned to United.

Hughes' first goal came from a Robson free-kick in the 67th minute. Seven minutes later he proved he could score great goals too. Powering on to a long ball, he outpaced the Barca defence, carved past keeper Carles Busquets and from an impossible angle he sliced in a shot that soon nestled in the side of the net. Ferguson had picked up his first European silverware as United boss.

watch a video of this game here


Season 1994-95: Champions League Group Stage
2-2 and 4-0 to Barcelona

Three years on and United had ended their league title drought. A second title saw them qualify for the embryonic Champions League, then made up of league champions only. Barcelona, along with IFK Gothenburg and Galatasaray, made up the quartet. United were hampered by the swingeing foreigner regulations imposed at the time. They were allowed to play just three "foreigners", which also included those players from the UK not of English birth.

The first game at Old Trafford saw United struggle against Cruyff's "Dream Team". An experiment of playing the pacy Paul Parker at sweeper to deal with Romario failed when the Brazilian equalised a Hughes goal. Jose Maria Bakero put Barca into a deserved lead before Lee Sharpe equalised with a brazen of estimable cheek, back-heeling in a Roy Keane cross.

Having been dealt a fair warning, United's naivety was fully exposed in the return game in Spain. Ferguson took an enforced gamble on dropping Peter Schmeichel for the underused reserve keeper Gary Walsh and lost, big time. Hristo Stoichkov scored twice while Romario and Albert Ferrer grabbed the others on a night that had United fans reaching for the Spanish brandy in shame.

watch a video of these games here


Season 1998-99: Champions League Stage
3-3 and 3-3

The summer of 1998 was a watershed time for Manchester United. Not only had they been unseated from the Premiership title, they were also the subject of a massive takeover bid by BSkyB. In amongst the intrigue of due diligence and monopolies there was actually football to be played. These twin encounters were the game at its thrilling best. Both were classics.

The first encounter took place in Manchester and United set off at a rattling pace, Ryan Giggs scoring a great header, Scholes soon had a second. Sonny Anderson's goal after half-time signalled a breathless half in which Beckham, in the process of rehabilitating himself after that sending off in the World Cup, scored a tremendous free-kick. That had put United back in the lead after a goal from Giovanni had levelled matters. Barca passed United to death from then on until Nicky Butt was adjudged to have handled a goal-bound shot and sent off. Luis Enrique converted the penalty.

Two months later, United were beginning to hit the stride that would eventually carry them to a Treble. Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole showed off a telepathic partnership by grabbing three goals between them for United. Yorke, signed in August, scored a long-ranger and a header. That came either side of a thrilling exchange with Cole that resulted in the England striker smashing home. That put United 2-1 up but there was another man in form on the field.

Rivaldo was playing at his irresistible best, cancelling out Cole's goal with a free-kick which bedevilled a visibly angry Schmeichel. Then, after Yorke's second, the Brazilian controlled a Sergi cross and bicycle-kicked in the sixth goal of the match. He was to be denied a hat-trick when his thumping shot smashed off the crossbar. For either of the teams to win would have been an injustice.

watch a video of these games here


Season 2007-08 Champions League semi-final
United win 1-0 on aggregate

Just under a decade on, the pair met up again in a far more tactical affair. Ferguson had abandoned gung-ho in favour of a tactical approach. Barcelona meanwhile, were in the final straight of Frank Rijaard's tenure at the Camp Nou. The tie was billed as Cristiano Ronaldo versus Lionel Messi.

Both fluffed their lines. Ronaldo missed a penalty in the third minute of the tie while Messi played at half-pace with his injured thigh heavily strapped. Having gone so close to scoring, United then played as if they had decided to abandon attack altogether. Wayne Rooney and Ji-Sung Park played almost as auxiliary full-backs as Barca made waves of attacks that never really convinced of their potency.

The tie went to Manchester on a knife-edge and it was a veteran of the 1998 meetings who proved the assassin. Paul Scholes had previously not scored all season but that was forgotten when he lashed in an exocet missile of a strike. The rest of the game followed the pattern of the first leg but United held strong, if extremely nervously. Tension was the order of the night and Mancunian hearts were treated to many a flutter before the final whistle eventually sounded.

watch a video of this game here


read the full and original article here


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Barcelona cannot deal with Manchester United

author: Terry Venables
source: The Sun
date: 23 May 2009
editing: fcbtransfers.blogspot.com





I expect Manchester United to beat Barcelona in Rome on Wednesday to retain their crown as Kings of Europe. And that is regardless of the line-up Alex Ferguson names for each match.

There has been much talk about the teams Fergie may or may not field in his final two games of the season. Such speculation is almost pointless. The astronomic abundance of ability at his disposal is so great that whoever he sends out will be good enough to claim victory. The stark reality is that, when it comes to Manchester United, there is no such thing as a 'weakened team'. I am pretty confident that, come 10pm at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday night, Pep Guardiola and his Barcelona boys will know it too.

United will not only have better players than the Catalans on the pitch. They will also have them on the bench. As Arsene Wenger has found this season, teams get you plaudits but it is squads who get you trophies. At the moment, there is no better group of players in the world than Manchester United's.

While Barcelona have been left reeling by the suspensions of influential full-backs Daniel Alves and Eric Abidal, United have almost shrugged off Darren Fletcher's harsh ban as an occupational hazard. While Barca fret over injuries to Thierry Henry and Andres Iniesta, United are considering leaving Dimitar Berbatov and Carlos Tevez out of their starting line-up. It highlights the gulf in class and squads.

If centre-back Rafael Marquez, as expected, does not return against United, his absence - along with those already mentioned - would leave United holding the whip hand. It would also explain why Ferguson will leave Berbatov and Tevez on the bench and start Cristiano Ronaldo at centre-forward.

Berbatov and Tevez do not have the pace to trouble snail-like Yaya Toure, who may have to fill in at the back. If that is the case, it could be meat and drink for Ronaldo. It was a role Ron played so spectacularly, and to such devastating effect, against Arsenal in the semi-final. Wayne Rooney has become such an accomplished left-sided player. And with Park Ji Sung on the right, Fletcher's suspension may prove a silver lining for Fergie.

Rome will be a place for heroes. It will also be a place for unsung heroes. In the absence of Fletcher, Park and Anderson, who are tipped to fill one of the available midfield berths next to Michael Carrick and the ageless Ryan Giggs, will certainly provide one of those. Anderson will bring the aggression and energy in the middle of the park that is normally supplied by Fletcher.

Park has been a slow-burner at United. He is good on the ball and does the dirty work appreciated by team-mates but often overlooked by fans. He can get into the box and score the odd vital goal. Along with Rooney, he will act as the perfect foil for Ronaldo, whose pace is bound to frighten Barcelona - especially given their injury and suspension worries.

The expected midfield three of Giggs, Carrick and Anderson will be instructed to break up Barca's midfield passing combination before setting the likes of Park, Ronaldo and Rooney off on their rapid attacks. Counter-attacks are usually built on the 18-yard box. In Rome, I suspect they may start on the halfway line.

I would say Barca are more frightened of United than United are frightened of Barca. With good reason. I just cannot see how Barca will cope with United. Whoever Fergie decides to field.

read the full and original article here


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The Perfect Penalty

source: Sky Sports
date: 13 March 2009
editing: fcbtransfers.blogspot.com





The components of the perfect penalty have been pinpointed once and for all by Liverpool John Moores University using Sky+HD technology.

Footage captured by high definition cameras, now installed at the back of football nets, have enabled Director of Sport & Exercise Sciences at Liverpool John Moores University, Professor Tim Cable, to study last season's UEFA Champions League and this season's Premier League penalties, to pinpoint the optimum technique for taking winning spot-kicks.

A penalty strike following these guidelines - requiring extreme accuracy and speed - is, according to Professor Cable, a 'high-risk strategy' but 'virtually unstoppable' by a goalkeeper. With dedicated practice, it would ensure a 100% scoring rate.

Professor Cable said: "Technological advancement is bringing new levels of insight into the nuances of sport. Because high-definition footage is so much more detailed and clearer than standard transmissions, every move of a player taking a penalty can be scrutinised. Many factors make up a 'perfect penalty' but we believe we've finally nailed the key elements."

Professor Cable's perfect penalty tips are as follows:

Perfect Penalty

* The ball needs to cross the goal line at exactly 0.5m below crossbar and 0.5m inside the post.
* The ball needs to be kicked at a speed greater than 65mph.
* This requires a run up of 5/6 steps.
* The striker needs to commence his run up from the edge of 18 yard line with an angle of approach of 20-30 degrees to the ball.

80% success rate

Professor Cable offers further insight into what makes a good penalty. For an 80% success rate, strikers should bear in mind the following:

* The ball needs to cross the goal-line approximately 0.7m inside either goal post and at ground, or just above ground level.
* This is more of a "placement" type penalty rather than powerful, and needs to reach a speed of between 45-55mph.
* The penalty taker routinely approaches this with five steps, although the angle of approach to the ball may be greater, reaching up to 45¢ª.
* "Body Deception" - this requires a player to approach the ball as if to hit into one corner but direct it into the other and to place his support (non-kicking foot) slightly further forward (by a couple of inches) than when placing ball into left corner. A perfect example of this was Carlos Tevez's penalty during this season's Wigan vs Manchester United game - it is almost impossible to tell where the penalty is going until ball contact.
* To turn this penalty into an unstoppable one, optimum deception (i.e. almost at ball contact, like Tevez) is required.

The worst penalty

* Hit, either at speed or slower crossing the line greater than 0.8m inside either post (i.e. middle of goal). This dramatically increases risk by goalkeeper - potentially even if dived wrong way.
* Any penalty hit straight is more likely to fail and suggests lack of practice and confidence in ability of player.
* Player should avoid any shuffle or stop to run up as this reduces contact velocity and ball speed and may not only deceive goalkeeper but provoke confusion in penalty taker.

To avoid taking worst penalty

i) Practice accuracy
ii) Practice deception
iii) Improve impact velocity and therefore ball speed
iv) Practice with team mate causing distraction
v) Practice in all weather conditions particularly in the wet
vi) Penalty takers should have predetermined mind set on where shot is going before commencing run up and should execute this
vii) Ensure stability of support leg (i.e. non-kicking leg) at ball contact in wet conditions
viii) For perfect results aim top left, top right
ix) Practice, practice, practice

read the full and original article here


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The malfunctioning goalkeepers

author: Gabriele Marcotti
source: The Times Online
date: 20 April 2009
editing: fcbtransfers.blogspot.com





One of the established truisms in football is that excellent goalkeeping is essential in knockout competitions. Over the course of a league season, goalkeeping performances can level themselves out, but in a cup format, a blunder or unbelievable save can mean the difference between advancement and elimination. Or so we thought . . .

In fact, the last eight of the Champions League this season would seem to suggest that the above is just a myth. There have been few outstanding performances by goalkeepers in the knockout phase (which may explain the unusually high number of goals scored).

First, one basic caveat: there is no objective, let alone statistical, method of measuring how good a goalkeeper is.

Edwin van der Sar, of Manchester United, was, of course, a great goalkeeper, but, at 38, is well past his best. José Manuel Reina, of Liverpool, and Petr Cech, of Chelsea, are both outstanding goalkeepers, but both made fairly crass blunders when their sides met at Stamford Bridge last week. And, in Cech’s case, it is probably fair to say this is his worst season since joining Chelsea in 2004.

Helton, the Porto goalkeeper, has a knack for making the odd spectacular blunder and, even when on form, seems average at best. Manuel Almunia, of Arsenal, is uncapped by Spain and, at 31, is in only his second season as a regular starter at the club, which probably suggests that he is not the second coming of Lev Yashin (Lukasz Fabianski, who came on when Almunia was injured in the first leg against Villarreal, has started a total of four Premier League games and the jury is still out, as evidenced by events on Saturday). Diego López, another uncapped Spaniard, became Villareal's regular goalkeeper only midway through last season, and had never before been a consistent top-flight starter, which, given that he’s 27, suggests that he is not exactly a prodigy.

Michael Rensing, Bayern Munich’s goalkeeper for much of the season, is also in his first year as a regular. But after conceding five goals against Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga he was dropped to the bench for the match against Barcelona, giving way to Hans-Jorg Butt, the veteran who had not been a full-time starter since early 2007. Butt does have international caps — three — but his last appearance for Germany was nearly six years ago, emphasising how he has declined.

Then there is Victor Valdés, a man destined to divide opinion. To some he is one of the best in the world, to others he belongs in Sunday League football. He has been Barcelona’s first-choice keeper for the past six years and, at 27, is entering the prime of his career. Yet, curiously, he has never been capped by Spain (largely because of the presence of Iker Casillas and Reina). It is safe to say that few would place him among a hypothetical global top ten of goalkeepers.

It is entirely possible that we are misreading these eight goalkeepers. After all, ’keepers are generally judged on highlights — decisive saves and big blunders — and, where there are none, reputation seems overwhelmingly important. You can stick Piers Morgan in the Manchester United goal and, if he doesn’t face a single shot, you’ll probably still believe that he is a rubbish goalkeeper. Put Casillas or Gianluigi Buffon in and you’ll go on thinking he’s one of the world’s best.

That said, it is safe to say that outstanding goalkeeping hasn’t played a big part thus far in the knockout phase of the 2008-09 Champions League. Which is not to say it won’t do so from here on in.

read the full and original article here


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