Life Lessons Through Football: FC Barcelona Learn It The Hard Way Through Ibrahimovic & Chygrynskiy

Super-Flop

The season before the last one, FC Barcelona won everything there was to be won, they won the Copa del Ray, the La Liga and the Champions League, but due to Florentino Perez's arrival at Real Madrid and the signings he made, turned the spotlight on Real Madrid.

FC Barcelona didn't like that one bit, they didn't want the spotlight to be taken away from them, so they started critcizing the philosophies of Real Madrid, while making two mega money signings themselves in the form of Dmytro Chygrynskiy & Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Barcelona paid €25 million for Dmytro Chygrynskiy and €45 million plus the star man of last season—Samuel Eto'o (€30-35 million) for Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

But as fate would have it Chygrynskiy & Ibrahimovic both flopped and fell out of favor at the Catalan club.

FC Barcelona sold Dmytro Chygrynskiy to Shaktar Donetsk for €15 million suffering a loss of €10 million.

And after a long soap-opera in the summer, Zlatan Ibrahimovic finally bid farewell to Barcelona as he is now going to join AC Milan for an year on loan and then AC Milan HAVE to purchase Ibrahimovic for a mere €24 million, with FC Barcelona suffering a loss in the range of €50 million.

FC Barcelona were already covered in the central defender deaprtment, so it didn't cost them to find his replacement but they did spend €45 million on David Villa to replace Zlatan.

Now I agree that David Villa is an amazing signing and is better than Samuel Eto'o, but they have spent nearly €100 million on a player that wasn't even required to be replaced.

Now I agree Real Madrid did a lot of stupid things last season, and two namely being Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben, but Real Madrid weren't the "hexacampeons," Barcelona were, why change a system that wins you things?

Even if Barcelona wins 6 trophies in a season, they'll always be jealous of the club in Madrid that wears the royal whites, and this jealousy has cost them more than €100 million, and it doesn't help when your club has to take loans to pay off the salaries of the players.

Kids, now every experience in life teaches us a lesson, this experience teaches us that jealousy is a bad thing and you should not let what others do determine the things you do.

Okay now enough with the life lessons, lets have a laugh at the expense of our dear rivals! And did you hear, Gerard Pique handed in a request to join AC Milan too, I wonder why.........

Hala Madrid!

Real Madrid's Third Kit For The UEFA Champions League 2010-11 Is Purple!

Photo Courtesy: footballshirts.com

The third kit of Real Madrid 2010-11 season has been leaked on the Internet, footballshirts.com published it on their site a few days ago, I believe this is the real kit because they even posted the leaked pictures of the home and away kits of this season and they were right on both the occasions.

I am still hoping that this time they are wrong because I just don't like purple on the kit.

Home

The kits that Real Madrid wore last season (2009-10) were amazing, and it bums me out that the kits don't looks so good this season.

I like the pattern for the shirts this season though, rays coming out of the club crest but it's just that the colour combination isn't that good, only the home kit of 2010-11 looks good.

Away

The away kit would have looked good too if Adidas hadn't put that green strip on it, it looks completely out of place and ruins the whole look of the shirt!

Internazionale Away

Well at least Real Madrid's home and away kits aren't as bad as their rival Barcelona's ugly green away kit which looks more like a clown costume than a football kit, but then again, it suits them.

I wish that this leaked third kit is a fake and a serpent or dragon or something ends up on the shirt and it looks as awesome as the Internazionale away kit, don't you? Hala Madrid!

Possibble Formation Of Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid

I ran out of ideas for more posts after completeing the Mesut Ozil post, so I asked people for ideas on the blog's Facebook page, I decided to go with the idea of one "Real Madridista" for this post, because most of them seemed to agree with his idea.

Considering the players Jose Mourinho has at his disposal at Real Madrid, it is obvious that he will make them play offensively, despite the no-brained opinion of a clown by the name of Gerard Pique.

Real Madrid will probably use a formation which is hard to explain through the conventional formations. It is much more dynamic, it keeps on changing, like the resonating structures of Benzene.

Lets not get into Resonance, Benzene or Organic Chemistry because I suck at it and I only know the basics, okay, lets talk football.

For the sake of the post, I have chosen a team of: Iker, Sergio, Carvalho, Albiol, Marcelo, Xabi, Khedira, Leon, Ozil, Cristiano and Higuain. I have kept out the players who are injured (barring Raul Albiol). This team should not be taken as the final team, it is just for the purpose of explaining and reasoning how Real Madrid will play, it might be that Arbeloa plays at left-back and Di Maria starts over Pedro Leon.

• 4-3-3

The reason I believe that Jose Mourinho will apply this formation is because this is the formation that he has applied in most of the pre-season friendlies and also the fact that he purchased two wingers.

You can see Cristiano Ronaldo on the right wing, but Cristiano won't be just on the right, his mobility is what makes the formation so versatile.

Cristiano will move from the right wing to the left, then behind the striker and will also pop up as a striker. Pedro Leon (or Di Maria) will keep on switching between the wings giving Sergio Ramos or Marcelo a chance to bomb on forward.

Ozil will take up the role of the playmaker operating behind Higuain and will also be swapping places with Crsitiano Ronaldo and Pedro Leon.

Some expected Sami Khedira to play a sweeping role in midfield tucking in just ahead of the back four running and winning balls, but that is not the case. In the pre-season friendlies, Khedira played ahead of Xabi Alonso, winning the ball forward in attack. We have all seen Sami's stamina in the World Cup and know that he'll be back helping in defense as well as attacking, the role that Pellegrini had for Lass last season (the job which Lass sucks at).

Xabi Alonso will sit deep, winning balls along with Khedira in the midfield. Xabi is probably the most important player in the team, he is the one who is supposed to distribute the ball to the attacking players, as we saw in the Bayern Munich game, when Xabi Alonso (Xabi didn't have a bad day, he was just tired) is struggling the whole attack suffers.

• 4-4-2 Diamond or 4-1-2-1-2

The diamond formation was used by Jose Mourinho at Chelsea too. Jose Mourinho might even start with this diamond formation.

Even if he doesn't, the shape of the formation will change during the game and it will be a diamond at some point in the match with Cristiano Ronaldo joining Higuain as the striker.

Ozil will take the top of the diamond and Xabi Alonso and Khedira will take turns to be the lowest point in the diamond, Pedro Leon will join on any one side of the diamond.

The width will be provided by the full backs—Marcelo and Sergio Ramos.

• 3-5-2

I was intrigued by Jose Mourinho's claim of using a 3-5-2 formation with Real Madrid when needed. At first I couldn't figure it out, I was thinking along the lines of a Higuain-Benzema partnership, and Cristiano Ronaldo on the wings, but it didn't even convince me. I thought Jose might be kidding because Cristiano doesn't like to track back, and for this formation to work, he has to!

But after a few pre-season games, it became clear that it will be a Higuain-Cristiano pairing if the 3-5-2 is applied. The photo I have used shows the formation changing into a 3-5-2 during the game, where Marcelo will take the role of the left-sided winger. If this formation is to be applied when Arbeloa is playing left-back, substitutions will be made.

I do not believe that Real Madrid will start a game with a 3-5-2 but the 3-5-2 will defenitely be a "Plan-B" against stubborn, defensive teams who just want to sit behind.


Hala Madrid!



I would like to thank my friend Mary, for helping me out in this post, I had lost confidence on this post, and she is the reason this post is published, thanks Mary. :)

UEFA Homegrown Player Rule: Real Madrid Don't Have A Thing To Worry About

There is certainly some confusion on the Internet about the "homegrown" rule or the "Protection of young players" rule that UEFA have implied from this season onwards, I too got a few questions because of the last post about how the homegrown quota would be fulfilled if Granero is sold.

I knew a little about this rule, had the idea that Marcelo and Higuain would be considered as homegrown players, but there was more to it so I did a little research and found out that Real Madrid are more than covered in the homegrown department.


This is how UEFA defined homegrown players on their website:

UEFA defines locally-trained or 'homegrown' players as those who, regardless of their nationality, have been trained by their club or by another club in the same national association for at least three years between the age of 15 and 21. Up to half of the locally-trained players must be from the club itself, with the others being either from the club itself or from other clubs in the same association. The UEFA rule contains no nationality conditions whatsoever.

According to this definition, these players can be called homegrown players: Iker Casillas (GK), Sergio Ramos (DF), Esteban Granero (MF), Marcelo (MF) , Antonio Adan (GK), Xabi Alonso (MF), Sergio Canales (MF), Alvaro Arbeloa (DF), Raul Albiol (DF), Ezequiel Garay (DF)*, Gonzalo Higuain (FW), and Pedro Leon (MF).


*I am not too sure about Garay, but he did complete 3 seasons with Racing Santander before he turned 21, so he can be considered homegrown.

 The ones in bold font have completed 3 seasons between the age of 15-21 in the Liga BBVA with different teams, but will be classified as homegrown players because of the condition stated above. The rest of them have completed 3 seasons with Real Madrid between the age of 15-21.

UEFA have set a limit of 25 players to be used in the European competitions, and out of these 25, eight of the players have to be homegrown. Real Madrid currently have 12, out of which 7 are trained by Real Madrid, thus also fulfilling the criteria that 50% of the homegrown players should be trained by the club they represent.

A few of the players are going to be sold, and if Real Madrid fall short in the homegrown department  which is highly unlikely, they can name a few players of the academy in the list of 25, as there is no rule that obliges the club to play a certain number of homegrown players on the field.


So there you have it, Real Madrid are well covered in the homegrown department, I hope this clears the confusion created by the rule. Hala Madrid!

If you want to read more about the rule, visit UEFA's Official Web-Site.

Mesut Ozil's Signing Opens The Exit Door & Shortens Opportunities

Mesut Ozil—Nuevo jugador.

Real Madrid agreed a deal worth €15 million for one of the brightest attacking midfielders in the world. No doubt Ozil for €15 million is a smart bit of business, but looking at the team and the circumstances it's €15 million too much.

I have been torn in the middle ever snice I came to know about that the signing of Mesut Ozil became official, part of me wants to celebrate at the fact that Real Madrid have signed a great player who is just 21 and has a great future in front of him.

But the part of me that is winning and trumping every argument is the one that says Ozil wasn't a neccessary signing for this season. I believe this one is the rational part of me, which knows that there are already three playmakers in the team and there was no requirement of a fourth one despite Kaka being injured for 4 months.

Rafael Van Der Vaart

But now as the number of midfielders at Real Madrid has increased to a ridiculous number and the squad size has become greater than 25, it is obvious that some of the midfielder will be shown the door to make funds and reduce the squad number, and because of another play-maker coming it is only a matter of days that Rafael Van der Vaart will be shown the door.

I feel that it is unfair that Van der Vaart is the one that will be the one sold despite him being so passionate about the club and giving one solid performance after the other last season.

Van Der Vaart's quality isn't hidden from anyone, and it won't be a surprise that he would succeed with whichever club he signs, and the Real Madrid management will be seen with an egg on their face.

If selling Van der Vaart isn't a bad enough thought, the management have overlooked the fact that no one will be willing to pay €20 million or more as speculated at the start of the summer as everyone knows that Real Madrid are in a need to sell him after they inflated their squad with Mesut Ozil's signing. I expect €5-10 million less from the sale of Van der Vaart now, Real Madrid are no longer in a commanding position.

El Pirata

The other one that looks on his way out of Real Madrid is Esteban Granero, after a good start to last season, El Pirata faded away, and Jose Mourinho does not look interested in keeping the Canterano, Sevilla were reportedly interested in reuniting him with Alvaro Negredo, expect Granero to leave for €5-8 million.

And that is not the complete impact of the Mesut Ozil signing, the current young attacking midfielders in the academy (Alex Fernandez & Javi Hernandez), Dani Parejo and Sergio Canales, they will all see their opportunities of making it at Real Madrid cut viciously short.

Sergio Canales

Mesut Ozil's just 21, and the canteranos are just a few years younger than Mesut. Sergio Canales is 19, there is just no age difference between the two attacking midfielders, so it is obvious that Sergio Canales will see his chances cut short, and that is one thing no Real Madrid fan would like.

Sergio Canales has won many fans over with his performances last season and in the pre-season. It would be disappointing to see Sergio Canales on the bench, this will surely hamper his growth as a player.

The Canteranos don't even get their chances with older players at the team, it will make it even more impossible for them to break in the first team with a younger player in the team.

Real Madrid could have got Mesut Ozil for free next season but economically Mesut Ozil's signing is still a wonderful one. Mesut Ozil is one of my favorites but it's the effects like the possible exit of Van der Vaart & Granero, the reduction of the chances for the canteranos and Sergio Canales which reduce the sweetness of this transfer.

What do you think of the transfer?

Hala Madrid!

Official: Real Madrid Sign World Cup Star Mesut Ozil

Real Madrid have made it official on their website that they have signed Mesut Ozil from Werder Bremen.

According to the newspapers Real Madrid have paid €15 million for the 21 year-old playmaker. Mesut Ozil was the best play-maker in the World Cup.

Mesut was persued by FC Barcelona and Manchester United in the summer but Real Madrid beat them to the punch and have signed a player with immense skill who has a lot of years of football in him.

Ozil will undergo a medical on Wednesday.

More of my views on the Mesut Ozil transfer to follow. Hala Madrid!

Source: Real Madrid Official Site.

Florentino Perez Thinking Of Shutting Down La Fabrica For Good [Satire]

"We don't need an academy, creating players is overrated!"

Real Madrid President—Florentino Perez today in a press conference declared that Real Madrid will be shutting down their academy for good, and that the players in the academy will all be all sold for prices less than the price of the cellphones they have on them.

Arsene Wenger & Michel were the first ones to respond to the news and they quickly bought players of all ages, shapes and sizes by the dozen.

The news was taken surprisingly well by the fans of Real Madrid who said they were happy that they wouldn't have to moan all the time about a certain player from the academy not getting time in the first team and how it is unfair that some random 19 year old chick from Argentina is getting chances before a good prospect of the academy.

The Canteranos were the ones most pleased with the news because they think that now that they'll play at different clubs without a buy-back clause, Real Madrid will actually value them and pay some attention to them after they create a name for themselves with different teams, they are 100% sure that Real Madrid will spend millions to buy them and they would get to play for the team they supported since they were little kids after a season or two at max!

This is what Florentino Perez said when he was asked for the reasons of this decision, he said (English translation),  

"I didn't even realize there was something like the academy at Real Madrid, I thought they had shut it down after Iker Casillas graduated from there. Besides it's not like these kids were talented enough to succeed at Real Madrid, you have to be as talented as Drenthe and Gago to make it at Real Madrid!" 

Florentino Perez further went on to say:

"Trophies are the only thing that counts in my books, it's not like the Juvenil A did the double of the European Championship and the Domestic League last year! The academy can be considered a successful one only if almost all the teams in the academy ended up with a trophy or more and ours didn't, it's just a waste of our time and money and it is best to pull the plug on this sham, let these "players" be mediocre like Juan Mata somewhere else!"

I myself was at the press conference when Perez declared that the Canteranos were going up for sale, I tried to buy Pablo Sarabia but unfortunately I fell €5 short and missed out on making a huge profit. :(