Posts Tagged ‘la liga’

How Joan Laporta Saved FC Barcelona

Friday, December 9th, 2011

FC Barcelona is currently one of the greatest teams in the world, with a prize cabinet that's bursting with the silverware won over the course of the previous couple of years. While Bara may be very popular at this time, they have experienced something of a alteration of the previous couple of years.

Actually it might be correct to say they've experienced a renaissance ever since Joan Laporta became president in 2003, and after him his former chum and now sour enemy, Sandro Rossell.

When Laporta appeared at the club they hadn't won a major title since 1999 and the self-confidence of the squad had plummeted. He brought on board Frank Rijkaard as team coach, who after a slow start started winning matches; and his right hand man (at the time, until they slid out and he resigned from the Barça board) Sandro Rossell used his contacts to sign Ronaldinho.

While the Brazilian player certainly had talent [*COMMA] he had not always done much with it. However , he did show a lot of flare with FC Barcelona even if they were never making the turn-around needed.

That turnaround happened when Barça signed Edgar Davids for the second 1/2 the season. Whether it was his arrival at the club, or whether his arrival coincided with everything coming together is impossible to point out. What's certain though is that the club started winning game after game. And at last the downtrodden Barcelona rose up again and started to become the team it is today.

The club went from strength to strength after that, though Davids decided to come back to his old club after the half season loan. While he could have been missed, the fortunes of the club continued to enhance and Barcelona won the second season under Laporta. After that the team has continued to go ever upwards and unde Pep Guardiola were the 1st tea, to win the treble – la liga, Champions League and Copa del Rey.

To buy Barcelona tickets for forthcoming matches check out Simply Barcelona Tickets, or check out availability of FC Barcelona tickets for La Liga matches at the Nou Camp.

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Will Jose Mourinho survive the 2011-12 season at Real Madrid?

Tuesday, October 18th, 2011

Jose Mourinho is famous for his psychological posturing against opponents in press meetings and frequently comes across as hardly in charge of himself. Having won a major battle at Real Madrid in the dismissal of General manager Jorge Valdano, his hardest internal critic, and thus securing more power for himself as Madrid’s coach this is the season he should deliver the goods.

However , while Madrid started out well and we are just a few matches in, his dream appears to have started to unravel. He has famously stated that his 2nd season in any club is when he delivers, but with his complete focus seeming to be on arch-rival FC Barcelona he has just had 2 massive problems that he can't afford.

First Real Madrid was beaten by Levante, a team that's the polar opposite to Real Madrid, with poorly paid players and a hardly functional team that's fortunate to be in top flight Spanish football. And then they drew with Racing Santander, losing some vital points which they may need in the long run.

A poll by Sporting paper AS which backs Madrid revealed that lots of its readers laid the blame totally at the feet of Mourinho; while looking to shift the blame to referees and opposition players he has failed to take responsibility himself for what many consider a dismal start. And we are starting to hear talk of another crisis year at Real Madrid.

But what proportion of a crisis is it truly, when a team such as Real Madrid comes second in the league after a much superior groups such as Bara? While fans may be disappointed their side is still principally delivering the goods.

Mourinho’s major issue will be the patience of Florentino Perez, Madrid’s president. While he has backed “the special one” so far in his career at Madrid there will be a time when he can snap. Mourinho is Real Madrid’s eleventh coach in seven years, so the club doesn't flinch in making such changes. Can Real Madrid’s fortunes change before that happens?

For Real Madrid tickets and other sporting events see Euro Sports Events website.

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Real Madrid’s true foe isn’t FC Barcelona – it’s the rest of the Spanish League

Wednesday, October 12th, 2011

It's a funny old game is soccer, or “soccer” as it is more usually known in North America. You only need to take a look at some of the recent ends in the Spanish League, where sour rivals FC Barcelona and real Madrid are slugging it out, in spite of not actually facing one another for the 1st time until December.

While both groups began well, FC Barcelona slipped when what should have been a fairly comfortable win against Real Sociedad turned into a draw. And just when they needed something to show they hadn't lost that special something they once more drew, this time against AC Milan in the Champs League, thanks to an injury time goal before the final whistle.

Critics instantly laid into FC Barcelona, asserting they’d lost their touch; 2 mediocre results is all it takes to call a crisis. Nevertheless they responded with an 8-0 win against Osasuna, their best result since the 90s, straight away silencing their critics again.

While it looked rosy for Barcelona, things suddenly went extremely wrong for Real Madrid. While they had won their first two matches and sat at the head of the classifications they then lost 1-0 against Levante, a team that should hardly be in the first division such is its poor state.

This is supposed to be Real Madrid’s year, the second season under Jose Mourinho. But you can’t help thinking that his total focus on what Barcelona are doing is his best weakness. Fielding an under-strength squad against Levante showed large arrogance, that’s for sure.

But what will lose Real Madrid the league again this season isn’t what FC Barcelona does or doesn't do. It is down to how many points Real Madrid can gain, making absolutely sure that they beat teams like Levante and all the rest of the clubs at the bottom of La Liga. If Mourinho is to bring the success that Real Madrid craves he must shift his focus, fast.

You can order FC Barcelona tickets for la liga and get the latest FC Barcelona news from Simply Barcelona Tickets.

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The Spanish League’s Top Soccer Players

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

There are lots of of soccer superstars plying their trade in Spain’s top division, and it is with good reason that it is regarded as the number one domestic league in the whole world. Listed below are the players who are widely regarded as the best of the best…

Messi : Spearheading Barcelona’s unique treble winning team of 2008-09, Argentinean Lionel Messi continually dazzles Europe with his creativity and flair for goals. Even though he is just 22, he is the current “World Player of the Year” and he well on the way to acquiring the legendary status of all time great Pele and Maradona.

Cristiano Ronaldo : Blistering pace and explosive power are what led to Ronaldo initially being signed by Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson.Now playing for the mighty Real Madrid, Ronaldo is quickly justifying his reputation as the being the world’s most expensive player.

David Villa : Playing for one of La Liga’s less glamorous teams, Valencia, David Villa Sanchez (to give him his full name) boasts an outstanding goals to games ratio. He was the winner of the “Golden Boot” for Spain at Euro 2008 and is closing in on Spain’s all time international scorers record. Villa has attracted a host of top clubs, who are all eager to land this prolific striker’s elusive signature.

Kaka : Brazilian midfielder Kaka, is a creative genius. Able to make pinpoint passes across the entire length of the field, or dribble past several players in a row, Kaka was the jewel of the AC Milan team and led them to “Champions League” success in 2007. Now one of the jewels in Real Madrid’s crown, he aims to bring the La Liga title back to the Bernabau (where Real Madrid play their home games) after a few years absence.

This article is brought to you by http://www.carhiremalaga.org.uk, a spanish car hire site with Malaga airport and tourist information.

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