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Five questions for the last competitive weekend:

That’s all about to change in South Africa.

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The Hall of Shame

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Sixteen months after making his first team debut for hometown club Racing Santander, 18 year-old attacking midfielder Sergio Canales is one of the globe’s most sought after talents. A sensational brace against Seville in Santander’s recent La Liga encounter has seen the spotlight firmly focused on the young marvel. But with Sergio’s contract set to expire in the summer, the Canales family have a critical decision to make if their young gem is going to hit the heady heights predicted.  With heavyweights Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona eager to sign the little Spaniard, here’s our evaluation of where the youngling should play next…

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Barcelona Can’t Come Up with the Cash: Manchester City would want to recoup their £32.5 million investment, but the only clubs able to afford that right now are Real Madrid (where the Brazilian is persona non grata), Chelsea (which is hamstrung by its transfer ban) and Manchester United (which is in fantasyland if they think they can snatch back a star from their crosstown rival.)

Barcelona Won’t Part With Messi. One possibility is a transfer swap, but the names being bandied around by the Spanish press include Thierry Henry, Carlos Puyol, and Eric Abidal. Yet we can’t see Manchester City trading away an immensely talented youngster with his best years in front of him for an over-the-hill player who has two years left in him, tops. And no, Messi is going nowhere.

Robinho is Not Worth the Headache. If Man City are intent on letting the Brazilian go it must be because the player is too much of a distraction. But Pep Guardiola just managed to get rid of his club’s dressing room parasite, Samuel Eto’o. Why would he take a chance on another one – notwithstanding Robinho’s eligibility for the Champions League?

The bottom line… It doesn’t add up. (But then again, neither does Eto’o + £42 million = Ibrahimovic.)

The Zlatan Ibrahimovic/Samuel Eto’o trade is a completely different animal. Two players at the very top of their game have chosen to swap highly successful clubs for arguably equally ambitious sides. Both national heroes and cornerstones of their teams’ successes, the deal offers both players a change of scenery and hopefully a few more cracks at the coveted Champions League title.

For Inter and Barca, the Ibra/Eto’o deal ends drawn-out discussions to settle their front-lines for the forthcoming season. With the disruptive Eto’o finally off the books at the Camp Nou, Laporta and Guardiola will be hoping Ibrahimovic can fill the void left by the super prolific Cameroonian and bring renewed energy and optimism to the dressing room. Having chased Eto’o since his early days at Chelsea, the Special One hopes it’s a case of ‘better late than never’ with the Cameroonian. Seeing the Champions League winner as the ideal replacement for the departed Swede, Mourinho will be hoping Eto’o’s recent marriage and young family will help deter hangers oners, silence critics and shoot Inter to European glory.

Here’s a breakdown of the players involved:

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Age: 27

International Caps/Goals: 56/21 (Sweden)

Previous Clubs: Inter Milan, Juventus, Ajax, Malmo

Trophies: Ajax – 2 Eredivisie titles; Inter Milan – 3 Serie A titles, 2 Italian Super Cups.

Fun Fact: Attended Taekwondo classes at an early age, a talent credited to his now famous dynamic and acrobatic shooting and passing style.

Zlatan out to silence his critics away from Inter

Samuel Eto’o

Age: 28

International Caps/Goals: 84/39 (Cameroon)

Previous Clubs: Barcelona, Mallorca, Espanyol (loan), Leganes (loan), Real Madrid

Trophies: Barcelona – 3 La Liga titles, 2 Champions League medals, 1 Copa del Rey; Mallorca – 1 Copa del Rey; Real Madrid – 1 Champions League medal; Cameroon – 1 African Nations Cup, 1 Summer Olympics Gold medal.

Fun Fact: The youngest player at the 1998 World Cup when he turned out for Cameroon against Italy at the age of 17 years and 3 months.

Eto'o salutes the end to a successful 5 years at Camp Nou

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Related posts:

The Ronaldo Effect

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Strapped for Cash

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Leaked Document…Top 50 Best Paid Players

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As a club that doesn’t have the financial pressure to be forced into selling anyone, Roman Abramovich’s Chelsea can turn down any offer, no matter how astronomical it may be.  But in today’s game that’s not always enough. Players have a lot of power too, and if they want to leave, the club risks creating a lot of unrest in the dressing room by denying them that request.  Fortunately for Chelsea, their talismanic captain has few reasons to leave – except for the prospect of an increased pay package (but he’s not doing too badly at the moment…)

No such thing as the Untouchables?

John Terry – as Chelsea insist – just might be untouchable. Are there any others who share the same title?  Playing in a league in your home nation doesn’t hurt. Being captain or a club cult figure is certainly a plus. You must have, at one point in your career, been considered world class. And being a product of your club’s youth system is almost a given. In the Premiership, Steven Gerrard immediately comes to mind. Intrinsically linked to Liverpool’s identity and success, he turned down an offer from Chelsea several years back. In Serie A, there’s perhaps Gigi Buffon at Juventus. He turned down a big money bid from Man City last year – although the most tempting exit came a couple seasons before, when Juve was demoted to the second division.  And what about La Liga? Surely Raul has a spot at Real Madrid for life, even with the arrival of Kaka, Ronaldo and Benzema. Perhaps Lionel Messi at Barcelona, too. The club adopted the Argentine as a teen, and with the winger years away from his prime (scary as that sounds) Barcelona will never let go of the player who most epitomizes the philosophy of their playing style.

Then again, no matter who you nominate for the title of Untouchable…and no matter what line of reasoning you make…there’ll always be a name reinforcing the argument that everyone does have a price.  For every Terry, there’s a Kaka. The bottom line, there are no untouchables.

During a recent pre-season ‘friendly’ against amateur side Navata, Villarreal racked up an astounding 27 GOALS!! with Pereira notching seven of them. Even the perennially injured Robert Pires managed to get his name on the scoresheet…twice!

While Navata failed to breach the Villarreal defence during the entire 90 minutes, home supporters witnessed one of the most lop-sided score lines in the history of football friendlies. However, with next summer’s re-match already in the pipeline, the yellow submarines have a long way to go if they want to match AS Adema’s record-breaking 149-0 thrashing of SO L’Emyrne in 2002.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Pennant will try to Just Do It in Spain

The 26-year-old becomes Zaragoza’s first signing of the summer and joins for free on a three-year deal. It might just be the move that puts Pennant’s once-promising career back on track – since it’s been derailed by a domestic disturbance charge, drink-driving conviction and a short stint in prison.  But the move also signals something potentially larger for the game…

This summer, there’s been a lot of talk about the shift in power from England to Spain. In reality, it’s been a debate between England’s Big Four versus Spain’s Big Two. But Pennant’s defection suggests something deeper. It suggests that Real Zaragoza – a team just promoted to La Liga and more than likely to be relegated come May – is a more attractive destination than Bolton, Blackburn, Tottenham or any of the other teams that Pennant might have joined in England. Some will say that’s the real evidence of one league’s superiority over another: Not the quality of the Champions League competitors, who seem to exist almost independent of the rest of their leagues, but the quality of the teams who make up the middle of the pack and form the foundation of each league.

Or you could just chalk up the move to another misguided decision from a player who hasn’t really shown much intelligence or maturity over the years. Either way, citizens of Zaragoza: Lock up your wives, hide your children… the Premiership’s bad boy is coming to town!

]]> http://footyfactor.com/3573/adios-jermaine-pennant.html/feed 1 http://footyfactor.com/3271/dutch-depart-for-galacticos.html http://footyfactor.com/3271/dutch-depart-for-galacticos.html#comments Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:24:06 +0000 Stan Hughes http://footyfactor.com/?p=3271 With the additions of Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo to the Real Madrid attack and rumors of the impending arrivals of Karim Benzema and Franck Ribery, a host of talented Dutch internationals could be up for grabs. Ahead of a crucial pre-World Cup season, Footy Factor assesses their prospects at the Bernabeu:

Arjen Robben: Bought from Chelsea in summer 2007 for £24m, injury has seen the pacy dribbler drift in and out of the team. On his day there is no better winger in the game but his talents will surely play second fiddle to an £80m Ronaldo? With Man Utd and Inter sniffing around, chances of departure are medium.

Ruud knows a Real with Kaka and Ronaldo spells his departure

Ruud van Nistelrooy: Joining from Man Utd for €18m in summer 2006, the striking sensation has gone on to score 45 times in 67 appearances for Madrid. Following an injury hampered 08-09 campaign and fast approaching 33 years of age, chances of departure are high.

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar: The lanky centre-forward arrived from Ajax for a hefty €20m during the January transfer market. His 8 goals in 20 appearances showed signs of promise but the former PSV youth schemer will have to up his game considerably should Benzema arrive. Considering his recent arrival at the Bernabeu, chances of departure are medium.

Neither van der Vaart nor Sneijder can afford to ride the bench

Wesley Sneijder: Also signed in the summer of 2007, Sneijder’s initial performances far overshadowed the contributions of his compatriots as the tricky speedster notched 3 goals in 2 matches. Considered to be the best of the current Dutch contingent, Sneijder might yet gain Galacticos status alongside Kaka and Ronaldo. Barring Real receiving an astronomical bid, chances of departure are low.

Rafael van der Vaart: Arriving from Hamburg for €13m in summer 2008, van der Vaart has struggled to exhibit the fine form he displayed regularly in the Bundesliga. With only 5 goals to his name, but youth on his side, the Madrid hierarchy may feel the time is right to cash in on the enigmatic talent. Used mainly as a sub under former coach Juande Ramos, and playing in Kaka-esque positions, chances of departure are high.

Our predictions for where the rest of the top transfer targets will wind up next season:

Let the domin-aldo effect begin

Franck Ribery (AC Milan – ₤40 million)

David Villa (Real Madrid – ₤36 million)

Zlatan Ibrahimovich (Barcelona – ₤35 million)

Karim Benzema (Man U - ₤32 million)

Carlos Tevez (Man City – ₤26 million)

Samuel Eto’o (Man City – ₤26 million)

Emmanuel Adebayor (AC Milan – ₤24 million)

Andrea Pirlo (Chelsea – ₤24 million)

Arjen Robben (Man U – ₤19 million)

Rafael van der Vaart (Inter – ₤14 million)

Michael Owen (Liverpool – Free)

Sergio Aguero (stays at Atletico Madrid)

Pato (stays at AC Milan)

Sir Alex Ferguson: During his time in Manchester, Sir Alex has lived by one principle –no player is bigger than the club. (Not Becks. Not RVN. Not Jaap Stam.)  Ronaldo’s departure might throw the team’s starting XI out of shape – but it’s given the gaffer who has won everything possible an exciting new challenge that could keep him at the club for a few more years.

Arsenal’s Defense: Now that Ronaldo will be terrorizing defenses elsewhere, a number of English clubs are probably breathing a sigh of relief – and none more so than the Gunners. Over the past two seasons alone, Ronaldo has scored five goals against Arsenal. That’s one less than Theo Walcott’s entire output over those same two seasons.

Florentino Perez: Admit it… a week ago when the Real Madrid President was talking about landing both Kaka and Ronaldo, you brushed it off as just another case of Spanish bravado. Well, Señor Perez has done it again,and the second Galactico era is now underway. Is there anyone Perez can’t buy?

Perez shines new light on La Liga

Losers

Kaka’s Ego: How could the game’s most beloved Brazilian and former Ballon d’Or winner ever play second fiddle? By playing alongside the game’s most talented prima donna, that’s how. Just because Kaka is a devout humanitarian and strong family man, doesn’t mean his ego doesn’t need to be fed and massaged on a regular basis, too.

The England team: Since 99 percent of the national side plies their trade domestically, it’s essential for their growth and development that they get to play against the world’s top players week in and week out. With Messi, Kaka, and now Ronaldo in Spain, such a situation is now much farther from reality.

Premiership Divers: Yes, we are talking about you, Torres, Nani, and Drogba. The frustrating tendency for attackers to fall to the ground under the slightest bit of pressure was mildly tolerated when Ronaldo was the standard bearer of such a practice.  But now that he’s gone, fans are bound to yearn for the return of the hard-as-nails, take-no-prisoners style of football that England’s been notorious for.

Drogba's innovative 'flying' dive

What are the repercussions? We will find out. Real Madrid’s last experiment with Galacticos ended in failure. Who’s to say the same won’t happen again. Team chemistry can never be underestimated.

Real and La Liga will be a formidable force next season

But one thing’s for sure. In one single week, Real Madrid has officially swung the world’s popular interest from the Premiership to La Liga. Spain is now home to the greatest team of the decade (Barca) and the top three players in the world (Kaka, Ronaldo, Messi). 

The Ronaldo sale will also set off a domino effect in the transfer market with Real now needing to sell – probably much of its Dutch contingent – and Man United and AC Milan flush with loads of cash to plug their holes. It’s just the start of what’s bound to be an exciting summer.

Madrid break the bank for Kaka

The amount Madrid have splashed out for Kaka’s services smashes the previous world record transfer fee of ₤46m for Zinedine Zidane, paid out unsurprisingly by Real and Perez.

There is no argument that this transfer will alter the football landscape forever. Kaka will form a formidable attacking line-up at the Bernabeu that includes Wesley Sneijder, Raul and Arjen Robben. With the signing of the Brazilian, Florention Perez has issued a signal of intent to all the top clubs worldwide – money talks and no player is off limit. Big teams will now be looking over their shoulder hoping Madrid don’t come knocking on their door in search of the next Galactico.

But it is far too early to say if the ₤59m is money well spent. If Kaka can emulate the achievements of Zidane following his arrival from Serie A back in 2001 then Perez will be hailed a hero. Until then the debate will rage on with question marks raised over Perez’s ‘Galacticos’ ethos and AC Milan’s willingness to accept the money, half of what Man City were reportedly offering 6 months ago.

World Record Transfers

£59m Kaka (AC Milan –> Real Madrid)

£46m Zinedine Zidane (Juventus –> Real Madrid)

£37m Luis Figo (Barcelona –> Real Madrid)

£34m Hernan Jorge Crespo (Parma –> Lazio)

£33m Gianluigi Buffon (Parma –> Juventus)

£32.5m Robinho (Real Madrid –> Manchester City)

£31m Christian Vieri (Lazio –> Inter Milan)

£30.75m Dimitar Berbatov (Tottenham –> Manchester United)

With the news of Carlo Ancelotti’s rather unsurprising arrival at Chelsea dominating this week’s football headlines, reports of another choice managerial vacancy being filled have slipped through relatively unnoticed.

Displaying uncharacteristic discretion, Real Madrid’s appointment on Monday of former Villarreal boss Manuel Pellegrini as replacement for the departing Juande Ramos is great news for a number of top European clubs. Thought to have be tracking the likes of Arsene Wenger, Rafa Benitez and Jose Mourinho, Real’s hierarchy have decided instead to go with the La Liga veteran and highly dependable Chilean coach.

Pellegrini will walk the line at the Bernabeu

Interestingly, the arrival of Pellegrini at the Bernabeu coincides with the return to power of controversial president Florentino Perez and the introduction of former player Zinedine Zidane as advisor. Searching for stability in the face of an embarrassing loss to Liverpool in Europe and bitter rival Barcelona’s unprecedented hat-trick of titles, the Real hierarchy has laid down an early marker in the race for next season’s trophies. With Kaka rumored to be the priority summer signing and Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso and Franck Ribery on the radar, the Real faithful can relax in the knowledge that they may just be on the verge of reclaiming their pride.

Manchester United, Inter Milan and Barcelona were yesterday, as expected, crowned champions of their respective leagues.

Hats off to the table toppers

Having had to endure a cagey last 5 minutes against an unusually aggressive Gunners side, the Old Trafford faithful saw through the point needed and erupted at the final whistle reveling in their third Premier League triumph on the trot. With the potential departures of Carlos Tevez and/or Cristiano Ronaldo on the cards, Sir Alex will look to strengthen in the summer ahead of a unique four-peat attempt.

In Italy, AC Milan’s 2-1 loss to Udinese gifted the title to their city rivals without Inter having to kick a ball. With the Special One’s team not scheduled to play until tomorrow against Siena, celebrations into the night will surely take precedent over a match that now bares no significance. Having bagged the Scudetto four times in a row, in the forthcoming season Inter president Massimo Moratti will be expecting a serious assault on Europe in addition to the now routine Serie A success.

Real Madrid’s heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to Villarreal ended their brave defense of the La Liga title and handed the trophy to arch-rivals Barcelona. The usually reliable Iker Casillas’ late gaffe allowed Joan Capdevila to break Madrid hearts as Barca fans rejoiced on Las Ramblas. Having broken Madrid’s recent dominance in Spain and guided the Catalans to the Champions League final in his first season in charge, Pep Guardiola has quietly established himself as one of the best young managers on the continent. Over to Rome…

It all comes down to this weekend for the big three European leagues, with the climatic (or is it anti-climatic?) crowning of their champions taking place Saturday and Sunday.

Premier League

"It's okay Arse, there's always next season"

Following yesterday’s come from behind victory against Wigan, Manchester United will likely clinch its third straight league title on Saturday at Old Trafford against a ravaged Arsenal side. Having thrashed the Gunners 10 days ago in the Champions League semis, the prospects look good for another Red Devils celebration come Saturday evening.

The gods must not be smiling on the Gunners these days – a heartbreaking FA Cup semi-final loss to London rivals Chelsea at Wembley a few weeks back, followed by the aforementioned defeat to Man Utd at home, as well as this past Sunday’s embarrassing home loss to those same Blues has left Arsenal fans pining for the summer transfer season.

And now Arsene’s boys will in all likelihood have to watch Sir Alex’s “reigning, defending, and undisputed” champions raise the trophy in triumph yet again, but this time in person.

Bottom line, by Saturday afternoon, Ricky Hatton’s devastating loss to Manny Pacquiao will be completely forgotten by the Manchester faithful – and yes we know he is a Man City fan.

Serie A

"Go on, give him a medal. I know he didn't play much."

On Sunday, Inter look like collecting their fourth straight league title with a win over Siena, though if this Siena team has as much fight in it as the New York based college basketball squad that almost beat Louisville in the second round of this year’s NCAA tournament, Mourinho will be sweating it out for 90 plus minutes.

Then again, should AC Milan lose at Udinese on Saturday, Jose will have added an Italian championship to his English and Portuguese titles even before the Siena match kicks off.

We expect that exiting AC boss Carlo Ancelotti (there is no denying now that the club owner, and national prime minister lest we forget, reportedly has called Carlo out) will make sure the red and black achieve at least a draw however, so Inter’s celebration will probably have to wait until Sunday evening.

The Special One’s target next term will be to win two (if not four) knockout stage rounds in the Champs League for Inter before he moves on to Spain for the 2010/11 season – you heard it here first.

However, between Sunday night and the start of the next Champions League tourney in the fall, Inter fans (and players, staff, management) can enjoy being Campioni yet again.

La Liga

Eto'o and Henry salute the champions

Finally, speaking of La Liga, Barcelona travel to Mallorca on Sunday to claim their first league title in three years.

Two guarantees: Samuel Eto’o scores at least once against his former mates (see current scoring standings) and…Eric Abidal picks up no red cards (see last two matches vs. Chelsea and vs. Villareal and subsequent bans).

Its been a truly remarkable year for the Barca front line of Henry, Messi, Sammy Eto’o, plus midfield standout Spaniards Iniesta and Xavi, but a shout must go out for rivals Real Madrid too.

Dismissed by most critics and fans as early as December, captain Raul’s men fought back courageously until the knockout blow that was the 6-2 debacle at the Santiago Bernabeu against Barca last week.

In fact, Real’s tremendous run made the Spanish league the most exciting of the year, Liverpool’s proximity to Man United in the table notwithstanding.

ps

So, with all of us lamenting the end of the season, let us remember that next year’s European slots are far from decided (unless you’re in England – go Big 4!) and that the preeminent annual professional sporting event (not just football, but all sports) has yet to occur this year – rejoice, Rome is but two weeks away…

- We at Footy Factor would like to thank JR in NYC for submitting this article.

With the end of the 2008-09 season rapidly approaching, it’s your last chance to see some of the legends of our game. If you have yet to witness their magic in person be sure to book your flights tonight.

Pavel Nedved

Czech sensation

A former Ballon d’Or winner, Nedved was drafted into the Juventus team in 2001 as a replacement for Zinedine Zidane. With a passion and swagger that mirrored aspects of the great Frenchman’s game, Nedved shed the memories of Zidane by leading Juventus to two Serie A titles. Loved from Sparta to Rome, Nedved will feature in 4 more Juve matches before calling it a day.

Ryan Giggs

Only 5 United fixtures remain before the Welsh wizard and Old Trafford icon hangs up his boots. British football’s most decorated player, over a 19-year career Giggs repeatedly terrorized defenders with his pace and trickery. A leader of men, Giggs scored the winning penalty in last season’s Champions League Final against Chelsea and went on to become Manchester United’s all-time appearance record holder. If you haven’t seen him play then you better start looking for tickets to Rome.

Paolo Maldini

What can you say about a man who has done it all…several times over. During a 24-year career at AC Milan, Maldini won Serie A seven times, the Champions League five times and the Supercoppa Italiana five times. Leading from the left-back role, Maldini never failed to impress with his power, precision and professionalism. He has appeared for the Italian national team 126 times and even captained the side for eight years. Maldini will receive a teary-eyed ovation from the Milan faithful on his final appearance at the San Siro on May 23rd.

Claude Makelele

Creator of the 'Makelele' role

Who says size matters? At 5ft 7 inches (1.7m) Makelele, more often than not, stood smallest on the pitch. But what he lacked in height and physical stature he more than made up for in passion and intelligence. The former Real Madrid and Chelsea midfielder transformed tackling and ball-winning into an art form. He mastered his profession to such an extent that there’s even a position named after him – the ‘Makelele’ role. With only 4 matches left to play in the little man’s career, you better get yourself over to Paris toute de suite for one final au revoir.

So there it is, La Liga officials have doled out a ten-match ban to Real Madrid’s Pepe following his mindless assault on Getafe’s Javi Casquero. The ban is the longest ever imposed on a Real player.

Debates have already begun concerning the length of the punishment with manager Juande Ramos expressing his intention to appeal. Though Pepe’s ban for assault is amongst the longest penalties dished out by football officials over the years, the devilish deeds of the following three ‘professionals’ make Pepe’s act of shame look pale in comparison.

Ben Thatcher floors Pedro Mendes

Ben Thatcher – In 2006, Manchester City’s Thatcher, completely unprovoked, knocked Portsmouth’s Pedro Mendes unconscious with a vicious elbow to the face. Mendes required oxygen on the pitch and Thatcher was given an eight-match ban, fined six weeks wages and given a fifteen match ban suspended for two seasons.

Augustin Binya – During a Champions League match in 2007, Benfica’s Binya stamped his right foot on to the  knee of Celtic midfielder Scott Brown. Though Brown miraculously escaped serious injury, Binya received a red card and a six-match European ban. Referee Martin Hansson later said it was the worst foul he had ever witnessed.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Roy Keane – Who could forget his horror tackle on Alf-Inge Haaland? The  United midfielder’s knee-high challenge signaled the end of the Norwegian’s career. Keane initially received a three-match ban and £150,000 fine for his crime. However, after Keane revealed that the tackle was a premeditated act of vengeance for an injury he sustained a season earlier while again trying to foul Haaland, a further five-match suspension was dished out.

Pepe heads for an early bath

It will be interesting to see what sort of punishment is doled out to Real Madrid centre back Pepe after his slightly abbreviated appearance during last night’s clash against Getafe – a must win for Madrid who are just within sniffing range of leaders Barcelona.  In our view, Pepe earned himself three red cards – surely one of the game’s rarest feats. Consider the evidence: First… Pepe blatantly shoves Javier Casquero to the ground as the two of them sprint after a ball in the penalty area.  Second… Pepe swings for the ball, misses, and hits Casquero’s leg during the follow through. He takes another swing, this time clearly aiming for the supine Casquero and not the ball, and rakes his spikes across the midfielder’s back. (Looks like he may have even been aiming for the head.) And third… as Casquero writhes on the ground in pain, Pepe marches over, leans down and drives his knee into Casquero’s back. It all adds up to a potentially lengthy ban for Pepe – maybe until the end of the season.  The good news for Madrid is that they did escape punishment on the pitch, as they squeaked three precious points from Getafe with an Higuain injury time winner.

Click link for Pepe’s assault on Casquero:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dM3IXkywylc

The best strike forces in Europe

Edin Dzeko and Grafite lead a lethal Wolfsburg attack

These are the real teams to fear – sides that boast the most prolific attacking lines in Europe, one each from La Liga, the Bundesliga, Serie A and the Premier League. Data based on domestic scoring charts only.

Barcelona (1st place - La Liga)

Barca’s front line has really been banging them in for fun this season.  Perhaps the most exciting group of goal scorers that football has seen this decade.

Samuel Eto’o (26 league goals), Lionel Messi (19), Thierry Henry (15), Eidur Gudjohnsen (3)

Wolfsburg (1st place - Bundesliga)

Wolfsburg have come out of nowhere, and currently sit top of the Bundesliga. The reason: 23-year-old Bosnian striker Edin Džeko and Brazilian journeyman Grafite.

Grafite (20 league goals), Edin Dzeko (16), Zvjezdan Misimovic (5), Christian Gentner (4)

AC Milan (3rd place - Serie A)

Milan’s touch-and-go collection of old-timers and has-beens is only saved by the twin Brazilian super talents of Pato and Kaka.

Pato (14 league goals), Kaka (11), Filippo Inzaghi (8), Ronaldinho (8)

Liverpool (2nd place - Premier League)

The Reds, but not the Red Devils?  Yes, because when Gerrard and Torres click, they’re without a doubt the most lethal partnership in Europe.

Steven Gerrard (13 league goals), Fernando Torres (11), Dirk Kuyt (8), Yossi Benayoun (4)

"Thanks Man City, but I'm doing fine in Milan"

One year ago Footy Factor received this confidential email from an anonymous source. At first glance the data is hard to digest. Upon further investigation, truths about player salaries become crystal clear.

- Kaka’s annual salary at AC Milan is roughly £7.5 million. You wonder how much Manchester City were willing to shell out in January.

- There are two players from the Bundesliga on the list, both from Bayern Munich, Luca Toni at #22 with over £4.5 million a year and Oliver Kahn at #35 bringing in over £4 million a year.

- 33 year old Sol Campbell is paid more than Raul, Rio Ferdinand, Zlatan Ibrahimovich and Samuel Eto’o.

- There are 5 goalkeepers on the list, the highest ranked, Iker Casillas brings in nearly £6 million per year and the lowest ranked, Petr Cech receiving £3.5 million.

- The Premier League boasts 14 out of the top 20 on the rich list.

- David Beckham at #44 is the sole representative of the non-European leagues, helping to boost the MLS profile with LA Galaxy.

- There are 3 African players, 3 Dutch, 3 French, 1 Ukraine, 1 Australian and 1 Swede on the list.

- Chelsea have 4 out of the top 10 and 5 out of the top 15 highest paid players.

- At 20 years old Sergio Aguero of Atletico Madrid is the youngest player on the list raking it in at #34.

Its fair to say that football salaries have gone berserk and are completely out of touch with modern economics, and that was a year ago. But in football, as in life, if you don’t ask then you don’t get. Full credit to Darren Bent in that respect.

Leaked Document 1 of 2

Leaked Document 2 of 2

With the current global economy suffering its worst decline in recent memory, this might just be the summer when football clubs look to player exchanges as a way of improving their squads without huge financial outlay.

Player trades are widespread in the US sporting community with some of the biggest transfers in basketball history involving the exchange of 5,6 7 or even 8 different players in a single deal. However, the notion of player trades has never quite caught on in the football world. The most high profile player swap deal occurred in summer 2006 when Ashley Cole traveled from Arsenal to Chelsea in exchange for then Blues defender William Gallas and £5 million. Three seasons later and its still unclear who got the better of that deal.

Footy Factor looks ahead to a defining 2009 summer and asks the question, what if…

Sign of the times?

…Arsenal’s Emmanuel Adebayor and Theo Walcott swap for AC Milan’s Kaka?

…Chelsea’s Jose Bosingwa, Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda exchange for Manchester City’s Robinho?

…Real Madrid’s Arjen Robben, Sergio Ramos and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar trade for Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo?

…Manchester United’s Nani and Carlos Tevez switch for Bayern Munich’s Franck Ribery?

…Barcelona’s Samuel Eto’o and Xavi trade for Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas?

…Juventus’ Gianluigi Buffon, David Trezeguet and Tiago swap for Atletico Madrid’s Sergio Aguero?

…Inter Milan’s Zlatan Ibrahimovich trades for Lyon’s Karim Benzema?

Manchester United vs. FC Porto

Vidic can defend and attack

Nemanja Vidic vs. Lisandro Lopez

To prevent an embarrassing upset, United are going to depend on Vidic standing strong against one of the most wily and underrated strikers on the continent. Lisandro has already got a bunch of goals to his name in this years tournament.

Villarreal vs. Arsenal

Rossi up against old foes

Giuseppe Rossi vs. William Gallas

A free-flowing game beckons for these two teams who tend to favor beauty over execution. Gallas, at the helm, will need to make sure his side stays organized, while Rossi, a star in waiting, will be looking to launch Villareal’s trademark deadly counterattacks.

Liverpool vs. Chelsea

Lampard ice cool against Liverpool

Jose Reina vs. Frank Lampard

Lampard, as is his game, is going to take a heck of a lot of shots, so Reina is going to have to be on his toes. One of Lampard’s famous deflections could be enough to settle what has in the past been a low-scoring encounter.

Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich

All-action Puyol

Carlos Puyol vs. Franck Ribery

Two amazing haircuts two gifted footballers. Who will prevail, the mullet or the perm? Ribery might yet end up as Puyol’s teammate next year. Until then, we’ll just have to see whether Puyol can contain Ribery’s darting runs, and whether Barca’s rock at the back can maybe head a goal in from a corner.

Winners:

Italy/Serie A – Yes, I mean it. All 3 sides played hard against faster, stronger and better teams. With a few breaks, 1 or 2 or possibly all 3 could have advanced. Of course none progressed, and moral victories do not count, especially given the tradition of the peninsular teams. But it was a good showing overall, with much work to be done nonetheless. AC, thank you in advance for qualifying for next year.

Future looks bright for Lucho Gonzalez and Porto

Porto - Scored 2 key away goals against a tough Spanish opponent and held the same side scoreless in the return leg. Definitely the pride of Portugal, particularly when one considers the debacle that was Sporting.

Aston Villa & Everton - When Roma’s Tonetto blazed his penalty over the bar, giving Arsenal passage to the quarter finals, the biggest cheers likely came from fans of the two other teams competing for that precious fourth spot in the Premier League. They’ll welcome anything that distracts the Gunners from concentrating on the league.

The case for goal line technology: Even though it didn’t make a difference in the end, Drogba’s disallowed goal in the second leg clearly crossed the Juventus goal line. In a competition that’s won and lost by razor-thin margins, it’s unacceptable for referees to continue to get those decisions wrong.

Losers:

Jose Mourinho – The special one may now just be the mercurial one as much as it pains me to say it.  Look, Inter was not exactly the best place for him to go. Unlike Chelsea which had not won the championship for 50 years and whose nucleus was young, Inter had won several league titles in a row and its core was veteran. But Jose had the itch to coach again and his scratch will likely yield a 1-year stint, regardless of the outcome for the rest of the season now that the champions league campaign is over.  For his sake, the black and blue best hold on to the lead and win the title.  PS: I would love to see him at AC Milan, though I do not see it, as his next stop is definitely La Liga.

Raul sees Real miss out again

City of Madrid – Real’s defeats continued a terrible European trend for the squad, though I think the white shirts may yet three-peat and overtake Barcelona for the league title. Atletico’s task was a difficult one having allowed 2 goals at home several weeks past, but in the end, all the madrilenos needed was one goal in the second leg and it did not happen. Finally, Barca could afford nothing other than a convincing victory at home yesterday. A 5-goal tally, with Henry, Messi and Eto’o putting on a show, really did not do much to offset La Liga’s letdown this round. Villareal contributed much more to that effort in fact.

Sporting Lisbon (and perhaps Bayern Munich) – What happened there?  5-0 at home?  Come on. And then 7-1 against a squad of albeit talented reserves?  Own goal while flying in towards the net!  Hate to say it, but UEFA may want to check out what exactly was going on. Bayern stands only to lose from this, with expectations rising going into the latter stages.

Ariel Ortega, Marcelo Gallardo, Juan Roman Riquelme, Carlos Tevez, Lionel Messi, the list goes on and on. All have been touted as the ‘new Maradona’ but none have lived up to the unique style and success that Diego Armando Maradona enjoyed during his 20-year playing career.

Forever Argentina's No. 10

A winner of trophies with Boca Juniors in Argentina, Barcelona in Spain and Napoli in Italy, Maradona was inspirational in his nation’s road to victory in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. While his infamous ˜Hand of God” goal against England in the semi-finals will live in football folklore forever, it is his second goal in the match that remains the greatest goal scored in World Cup competition. Picking the ball up in his own half, Maradona, with a total of 11 touches, swivels and swerves around five English players before skipping beyond goalkeeper Peter Shilton and slotting the ball into the open net.

Energetic and enthusiastic, Maradona combined beautiful foot moves on and off the pitch. Often seen partying on Las Ramblas while playing for Barca, Maradona’s genius would eventually be undermined by his extracurricular activities. It was during the 1994 World Cup in America when the wheels started to come off. After a scintillating performance against Greece, Maradona was sent packing from the tournament having failed a drug test. After several years fighting cocaine addiction, dealing with weight issues and clashing with the paparrazzi, Maradona has rehabilitated himself and is now manager of the Argentina national team.

Idolised around the world and commanding God-like status in the football community, Maradona is one of the sport’s all time controversial figures.