It’s fair to say that up until last week it was inconceivable to think that a club would splash out ₤80m on a single player. Smashing Kaka’s short lived world record transfer by more than ₤20m, the Ronaldo saga proves that in football, anything is possible. It will take a numbe of seasons...

Long time coming? Yesterday AC Milan announced the departure of long-serving coach Carlo Ancelotti. As expected, Chelsea today responded to Italian reports by releasing a statement of their own confirming Ancelotti’s arrival at the Stamford Bridge club. While the particulars have yet to be divulged,...

The rest is history 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...

We await the inevitable… 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...

One last dance 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...

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...

Life of the euro riche "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...

Summer of player exchanges 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...

Club v Country Luis Felipe Scolari’s anemic tenure at Chelsea was one more piece of evidence that club football and the international game are completely different beasts.  It’s no news that some excellent footballers completely lose the plot as soon as they put on their nation’s colours (ahem,...

Der Neue Kaiser World Cup glory in Italia '90 Lothar Herbert Matthaeus, the name alone sounds intimidating. Equipped with a stocky, 5 ft 8 inch (1.74m) frame, this diminutive libero enjoyed an illustrious career that spanned over two decades. Winning 7 Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich and a...