FOOTY FAIR

5 Players Who Could Be on The Move Following Euro 2016

2016-07-05T08:00:00.000-04:00

The 2016 UEFA European Championships are nearing a close and with that attention will invariably turn to the transfer market. Supporters of clubs in England might just see the following players end up at their clubs in the next month or two:

5) ALVARO MORATA (23, forward) Real Madrid / Spain

Although Spain's Euro 2016 campaign ended in disappointment, it could still prove to be a big summer for striker Alvaro Morata. After leaving Real Madrid for Juventus in 2014 for £16m he had two mixed seasons with the Turin giants he has just returned to Spain as a result Real triggered his £25m buy-back clause. It could prove a short stay as Madrid are rumoured to have just bought Morata back in order to sell him on for a profit. Despite the uncertainty over his future, he is still a strong forward with an eye for goal, who can hold the ball up well and a forward who seems well suited for the English Premier League.

Possible Destinations: Chelsea, Arsenal

4) KAMIL GROSICKI (28, winger) Rennes / Poland

Polish winger Kamil Grosicki turned heads in helping his country to the quarter-finals of Euro 2016 and could well be on the move before the 2016-2017 season kicks off. The fleet footed winger is another player who could be on his way to England.

Possible Destinations: Leicester, Everton

3) RAGNAR SIGURDSSON (30, defender) Krasnodar / Iceland

With a name that sounds like it's come out of history book on Viking warriors, Ragnar Sigurdsson has been one of the surprise performers of this summer's Euros with the tough centre-back helping his country to an astonishing run to the quarter-finals. He will almost certainly be on his way to a bigger club in the next month.

Possible Destinations: Leicester, Tottenham.

2) JOHN STONES (22, defender) Everton / England

John Stones did not feature for England at all during the Euros and to be fair that's probably for the best as their camping was a disaster. The ball playing centre-back is highly coveted by several big sides in England and will likely leave Everton if the money is right.

Possible Destinations: Chelsea, Manchester City

1) PAUL POGBA (23, midfielder) Juventus / France

It will take a mountain of cash to pry French midfielder Paul Pogba away from Juventus, and chances are that if Real Madrid gets involved they'll smash the world transfer record again for him, but the two Manchester clubs are in the hunt for his signature. The midfield powerhouse was foolishly allowed to leave Old Trafford in 2012 and now United want him back. Rivals City may have something to say about that though.

Possible Destinations: Manchester United, Manchester City

5 Players That Are Surprisingly Missing Out on Euro 2016

2016-06-04T08:00:00.000-04:00

Not all of the biggest stars or in-form players in Europe will be taking part in Euro 2016.

Here are five surprising omissions from the final squads submitted for this summer's tournament in France:

Marco Reus (Germany)

After netting 23 goals in 43 matches this season for Borussia Dortmund, Marco Reus would have seemed to be a lock to make the German squad for Euro 2016. However, after battling a groin injury in the latter part of the season German national side manager Joachim Löw decided that Reus' fitness was too much of a concern and opted not to select him as part of his 23 man squad for France.

Isco (Spain)

Real Madrid's 24-year old midfielder Isco appears to have missed the cut due to being in and out of Zinedine Zidane's squad in the second half of the season. The talented attacking playmaker would have been a certain selection a year ago, but he will need to lock down a starting spot at Madrid or perhaps another club if he is going to get back into the Spanish side.

Danny Drinkwater (England)

Despite a fine season for champions Leicester City, Danny Drinkwater has essentially seen his spot taken in the England squad by the serially injured Jack Wilshere. Hopefully this isn't another case of an England player picked on reputation than on form as it appears to be.

Karim Benzema (France)

After scoring 24 goals in 27 La Liga matches, while being the focal point of France's attack throughout Euro 2016 qualifying, it's a surprise to see Karim Benzema left out of Didier Deschamps' side. But after a season plagued with personal problems it's likely off the pitch matters that see him missing out on playing for his country this summer.

Hatem Ben Arfa (France)

Despite scoring 17 goals in 34 appearances for Nice this season, and reports that several bigger clubs are chasing the talented winger's signature, there was no room on the French side for former Newcastle United player Hatem Ben Arfa.

Simulating Euro 2006 (Group D)

2016-05-28T12:00:00.000-04:00

After a couple of big and small surprises in between groups A, B and C which we simulated this week, it would hardly be a surprise whichever way this group D plays out. Defending European champions Spain were on a high after leaving Ukraine in 2012 with the European trophy in-hand, but failed miserably at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The Czechs, Turks and Croats are all strong sides which makes this Group D a bit unpredictable. But what does the FootyFair simulator say?

Turkey vs. Croatia - Parc des Princes, Paris - June 12, 2016

Euro semi-finalists in 2008, Turkey was taking on Croatia in the first match of Group D and the action on the pitch did not disappoint. Action packed and with lots of chances on both goals Turkey struck first with none other than the captain himself Arda Turan slotting the ball in the back of Croatia's net in the 37th minute after a great passing lead-up play. Croatia would snatch one back just before the half as Inter's Ivan Perišić's shot from outside of the box was too strong for the Turkish keeper to handle. The second half saw the pace slow a bit, as both sides decided to play safer after a very open first 45. But the only goal and the eventual winner came just 7 minutes after the restart with Turkey's Burak Yılmaz handing his side the crucial 3 points.

Final Score: Turkey 2-1 Croatia

Spain vs. Czech Republic - Stadium Municipal, Toulouse - June 13, 2016

Playing a day after the Turkey versus Croatia match, defending European champions Spain were hoping to get off to a better start than their title defense at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. But it was the Czechs who started with confidence as Tomáš Necid's 20th minute goal gave his side the 1-0 lead, a scoreline that would remain after the first 45. But Spain was strong out of the gate for the second half and would mesmerize fans with three goals in a span of 6 minutes with Atletico Madrid's Koke beginning the onslaught in the 64th before David Silva scored twice to give Spain the 3 points.

Final Score: Spain 3-1 Czech Republic

Czech Republic vs. Croatia - Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Étienne - June 17, 2016

Anything but a win would be a huge blow for either side in this match after neither were able to steal a point in their first outings. As they did against Spain, the Czechs came out strong and confident and would take a 1-0 lead for the second straight match when 23 year old Sparta Prague winger Ladislav Krejčí put the ball in the back of Danijel Subašić's net. Unlike in their first match however, the Czech defence came through while Croatia struggled to penetrate and although creating a few good chances were held off the scoresheet and very likely out of the next stage of the tournament also.

Final Score: Czech Republic 1-0 Croatia

Spain vs. Turkey - Allianz Riviera, Nice - June 17, 2016

With both sides picking up the full amount of points in their first matches, a win in this one would be crucial and would send the winner to the next stage of the competition. But unlike Spain's second half against the Czechs, the defending champions struggled to get any kind of flow going against a stubborn Turkish side, who in fact enjoyed the better chances during the scoreless first half. But, as the 64th minute proved to be the time of Spain's first goal against the Czechs, so was the case in their second match when Chelsea's Pedro scored the only goal of the match; a win for Spain that guarantees Vicente del Bosque's side a spot in the quarter-finals.

Final Score: Spain 1-0 Turkey

Czech Republic vs. Turkey - Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens - June 21, 2016

While a draw would guarantee both teams a spot in the next round, the Czech's would need a win against Turkey to secure a second spot in the group due to their opponent's superior goal differential. But it seemed that Pavel Vrba's side were content with settling for one of the four best 3rd place spot (which would be guaranteed with 4 points) as the match was slow in pace and short on scoring chances, as both teams celebrated after the final whistle not needing to know the result of the Croatia versus Spain outcome to know they were through to the next round.

Final Score: Czech Republic 0-0 Turkey

Croatia vs. Spain - Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux - June 21, 2016

While Spain were already guaranteed a spot in the next round, Croatia's chances were slim with only a win against their opponents on the day combined with a loss for either Czechs or Turkey and a better eventual goal differential to that of the losing side from the other match would send the Croats through. Led by midfielder Luka Modrić who plays in Spain's La Liga with Real Madrid the Croats looked confident in their play. With Spain unable to score in the first half for the third straight match, Croatia grew in confidence and were in fact able to score the match's only goal in the 72nd minute when Juventus' Mario Mandžukić put the ball in the back of the net. Their celebrations were short lived however, as they got word of Turkey's 0-0 draw with the Czechs at the end of the match; sending Croatia crashing out of the tournament despite a spectacular effort against the group leaders, which unfortunately proved too little too late.

Final Score: Croatia 1-0 Spain

Final Table

		Wins	Draws	Losses	Gls For	Gls Against	Goal Dif.	Pts
1	Spain	2	0	1	4	2	2	6
2	Turkey	1	1	1	2	2	0	4
3	Czech Rep.	1	1	1	2	3	-1	4
4	Croatia	1	0	2	2	3	-1	3

Review:

Despite their loss to Croatia defending champions Spain move on to the next round as the winners of the group and await their opponents in the quarter finals which will be one of the best 3rd place finishers from one of group B, E or F. Turkey meanwhile came into group D as somewhat of an underdog but proved they can play with the big dogs, finishing in the runner-up spot and awaiting the winners of group E who will be their opponents in the next round. Czech Republic, while guaranteed a spot in the quarter-finals (as both Walse and Northern Ireland finished 3rd in their group but just on 2 points each), but their opponents will likely not be known until the final day of group stage play.

One & Done - Football Clubs That Won Their League Just Once

2016-05-04T08:02:00.000-04:00

With Leicester City miraculously clinching their first ever English league title and after what has already been labeled as one of the most incredible surprises in the history of football, we here at FootyFair would like to take a look at some other clubs from around the biggest leagues in Europe that have captured their domestic title just once. Of course, it is not a guarantee that The Foxes will not repeat this feat once again, but let's face it, the chances are fairly slim.

England

Perhaps Blackburn's 1994-95 performance was the most recent shocker as far as title runs in England are concerned, but as interesting as that was, the Rovers' title that year was their 3rd in the club's history having claimed the honor of best club in England in 1912 and once more in 1914.

To find the most recent "one-off" league winner in England we will have to look back as far as the 1977-78 season when Brian Clough's infamous Nottingham Forest side shocked the English football world as they brushed aside the likes of Liverpool, Everton, Manchester City, Arsenal and the rest of the First Division to claim the league title without a single home loss on the season. Winning the European Cup the following year cemented Clough's Forest into the history books of football forever.

Before Forest, it was Ipswich Town who claimed the Football League First Division title during the 1961-62 season after being lead by Ray Crawford's league-matching best 33 goals on the year. Managed by Alf Ramsey, who later went on to manage the English National Team to their only FIFA World Cup victory in 1966, The Tractor Boys finished atop the league 3 points ahead of Burnley to claim their one and only English top tier title to-date.

Other clubs to win 1 title in England to-date: Sheffield United & West Bromwich Albion

Spain

The La Liga is definitely a tough league to compete for a championship in unless you are one of either Barcelona or Real Madrid. As a matter of fact, only 7 other clubs have ever claimed the domestic title, with 3 of those winning it just once.

Most recently, it was Deportivo La Coruña that shocked the Spanish footballing scene when they were able to come ahead of defending champions Barcelona and Real Madrid (who finished 5th that seasons) during the 1999-2000 campaign. La Coruña's home form was a major part in the title race as shocking 2-0 & 3-0 defeats to Numancia and Racing Santander were the club's only losses at home the entire season. With a 2-2 against Zaragoza being the only other blemish for Deportivo La Coruña at the Estadio Municipal de Riazor, the club managed to collect 16 wins on home soil and finish 5 points ahead of Barcelona to claim the La Liga title. Dutchman Roy Makaay's 22 goals on the year were the club's best and good for 4th overall in the league.

The other two Spanish sides to win the league championship just ones were Sevilla and Real Betis, with the former coming 1 point ahead of Barcelona in 1946, while the latter completing the feat in similar fashion at the end of the 1934-35 season as they finished one point clear of Real Madrid to finish the year.

Portugal

In a league dominated by just three clubs in its 82 year history, only two clubs outside of SL Benfica, FC Porto and Sporting CP have been able to capture the league title; both claiming the Portuguese championship just ones. In 1946 it was Belenenses who managed to win the league, finishing one point ahead of SL Benfica during the 1940's era which saw Sporting win the majority of titles.

Most recently however, it was the unlikely run of Boavista during the 2000-01 season, who despite not having a goal-scorer in the top 10 in the league managed to clear FC Porto by a single point to win the Portuguese title. A remarkable season in which the club lost just three times in their 34 match schedule gave The Panthers their one and only domestic championship trophy.

France

The French top tier had seen nineteen different title holders over the history of the league, with seven clubs having won the title just once to-date. In most recent years Montpellier, RC Lens and AJ Auxerre have managed to capture the French championships. Montpellier's title came in 2011-12 who were led by the goal-scoring prowess of now Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud to finish atop the table, 3 points clear of PSG.

In 1997-98 it was the unlikely success of club RC Lens from Northern France, who finished ahead of FC Metz on goal differential after finishing the season tied on 68 points. And two years earlier, during the 1995-96 season it was club Auxerre who captured their only French title to-date coming in 4 points clear of both AS Monaco and PSG.

Other clubs to win 1 title in France to-date: Club Français, CA Paris, US Tourcoing, Strasbourg, Gallia Club Paris, Saint-Raphaël, Stade Français, Roubaix-Tourcoing.

Germany

Over its long and colorful history, German top tier football has been mostly dominated by a single club. FC Bayern has claimed the title a record 25 times thus far, while no other club in the country has ever reached double digits. That said, there have been numerous other clubs that have claimed the status of best side in Germany, albeit not for a very long stretch of time.

But despite Bayern's domination of football in "Deutschland", a total of 13 clubs have managed to win the league on just one ocassion, with one club now a very succesful side in another country. The club I'm talking about is Austrian Sportklub Rapid Wien, who won the German championship in 140-41 after Austria's annexation to Germany.

More recently however it was VfL Wolfsburg during the 2008-09 season who captured the first place in the Bundesliga with 8 matches to go in the season and would not let it go until the final day to win the club's first and only title so far. The secret behind Wolfsburg's success was the striking partnership between Brazilian "one year wonder" Grafite with his league best 28 goal tally and Bosnia's talented striker and future Manchester City and AS Roma goal-scorer Edin Džeko with his 26 goals. Managed by the always odd bench-boss Felix Magath, the club shocked German football by coming 2 points ahead of the always dominant Bayern Munich.

Other clubs to win 1 title in Germanye to-date: Karlsruher FV, Holstein Kiel, 1860 München, Fortuna Düsseldorf, Eintracht Frankfurt, SpVgg Blau-Weiß 1890 Berlin, Eintracht Braunschweig, Rot-Weiss Essen, Freiburger FC, Karlsruher SC, VfR Mannheim

Italy

The most recent first-time winner in Italy was well-known club UC Sampdoria who captured their first and only Italian title to-date at the conclusion of the 1990-91 season. With defending champions Napoli having a sub-par season, "Doria" who were led by the striking power of Roberto Mancini and league scoring leader Gianluca Vialli, pounced on the opportunity to take advantage of everyone else's mediocrity in the league on the year. With a record of 20-11-3 Sampdoria was able to come in first place, 5 points clear of both Inter and AC Milan to capture their first domestic title.

Hellas Verona who were recently confirmed as the first of three clubs to be relegated to Serie B for next season also won one Italian title to date, that in the 1980's. Cagliari, who will be switching places with Hellas Verona having all but secured promotion to Serie A for next season also won but one title in the club's 95 year history, coming 4 points ahead of Internazionale to claim the 1969-70 Italian championship.

Other clubs to win 1 title in Italy to-date: Novese & Casale

Football's Greatest Sides - Part 5 of 5: Real Madrid (1955 to 1960)

2016-04-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

While the other famous club sides in this series, particularly the Milan side of Arrigo Sacchi and Pep Guardiola's Barcelona were defined in large part by the footballing philosophy of their respective managers, this certainly doesn't apply to the great Real Madrid squad of the late 1950s.

Rather than being influenced by a single manager during their record breaking run of five straight European Cups, Los Blancos went through the tenureship of José Villalonga, Luis Carniglia (twice), Manuel Fleitas, and Miguel Muñoz (twice).

But that's Real Madrid in a nutshell, a football institution that wins titles with colourful players and even more colourful presidents, but where the manager is as disposable as yesterday's daily newspaper.

The story of that wonderful Madrid side began to take shape when Santiago Bernabéu de Yeste was appointed president in 1945. He would become the first in a long line of powerful overseers of the club, but none have come anywhere near close to matching his influence or success.

But it wasn't an easy start for the man who Real's stadium is now named after. Bernabéu took over a club that was in ruins following the Spanish Civil War, with a decimated board room and a subpar playing staff.

He quickly got to work on a two pronged approach of building up the club's youth side and signing the best available talent in Spain and beyond.

Madrid's fortunes took a dramatic upward turn in 1953 when Bernabéu hijacked Barcelona's attempted capture of Argentinian attacker Alfredo Di Stéfano and instead brought "The Blonde Arrow" to the Spanish capital.

If you were to pop into a cafe in Madrid, even today, and engage in conversation with football fans of a certain age they will tell you to forget about Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona and Pele, because the greatest player of them all was Don Alfredo.

Although scant footage exists of the man his contemporaries refer to as football's most complete player ever, when considering the Argentine's influence on the game the old Madridistas may have a point.

Di Stéfano, with a talented supporting cast including Paco Gento and Hector Rial, helped Madrid storm to victory in the first ever European Cup Final in 1956 by virtue of a 4-3 win over Stade de Reims.

Madrid also helped themselves to the signing of Reims best player following the final, when they added Raymond Kopa to their glittering array of attacking talent.

The club would go on to win the European Cup again in 1957 with a 2-0 victory over Fiorentina, and would follow that up with a tense 3-2 extra time win over AC Milan in 1958.

Another win over Stade de Reims in 1959, this time by a score of 2-0, made it four straight cups for Madrid.

Their opus though would come with the last of their five straight European titles in 1960 when 127,621 stunned spectators at Hampden Park in Glasgow witnessed Madrid destroy West German champions Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3.

Scoring in his still record fifth straight final, Di Stéfano plundered a hat trick while Hungarian legend Ferenc Puskas helped himself to four.

The following season saw Madrid finally ousted from the tournament, beaten at the semi-final stage, as age started to catch up to some of their leading stars.

Club football has seen a number of brilliant and innovative teams in the past fifty years, but it's impossible to imagine that anyone will match the five straight European titles by the side that Bernabéu built.

5 Facts About the UEFA European Championships

2016-03-20T08:00:00.000-04:00

The 15th edition of the UEFA European Championships will be played in France this summer pitting Europe's best footballing nations against each other in what promises to be an interesting month long tournament.

To bring you up to speed on the history of a tournament that, with all due respect to the Copa America, is probably second only to the World Cup in terms of international interest, here are five essential facts:

The French Can Take Credit for this Tournament As Well

Like the World Cup and the European Cup (aka the UEFA Champions League), the idea for a European Championship of Nations was proposed by a Frenchman. In 1927, while acting in his role as secretary-general of the French Football Federation and a member of FIFA, Henri Delaunay pushed for the creation of a European Football Championship. Working with Jules Rimet, the man who was largely behind the creation of the World Cup, Delaunay strove for the next two decades to get his idea off the ground. Eventually the qualifying stages for the first European Championships kicked off in 1958, coming unfortunately three years after Delaunay's death. To acknowledge his role in the formation of this great tournament, the trophy is named after him.

The Tournament Used to Only Feature Four Teams in the Final Stages

Unlike the present day European Championships, which for the first time ever will feature 24 nations this summer, the final stages of the tournament initially only included four finalists who had worked their way through two legged, home and away, qualifying rounds. The first tournament included 17 hopeful qualifying nations, with Czechoslovakia, the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, and France making it through to the final stages hosted by the French. In the Semi-Finals, Yugoslavia edged past France in a 5-4 thriller, while the Soviet Union downed Czechoslovakia 3-0 in the other match. In the final in Paris, the Soviets outlasted Yugoslavia 2-1 in extra time to capture the first European Championship. The tournament would continue in this format until 1980 when it was expanded to include 8 finalists before going up to 16 teams at Euro 96 and then finally 24 this summer.

The Most Successful Nations Are Spain and Germany

With three titles apiece the most most successful sides in the history of the European Championships are Spain (1964, 2008, 2012) and Germany (1972, 1980, 1996). Spain are the only side to have successfully defended the Henri Delaunay trophy and will be looking to make it three in a row this summer.

Euro 2000 Was the Highest Scoring Tournament

After expanding to include sixteen sides in 1996, the most goals scored at a European Championships was 85 goals at Euro 2000. That tournament also holds the record of 2.74 goals per match, and featured 20 players that scored at least two goals. Featuring several standout matches in the group and knockout stages, including Spain's 4-3 thriller over Yugoslavia in the opening round and France's last gasp 2-1 win over Italy in the Final, this tournament is widely considered to be the best one ever.

Euro 2020 Will Be Hosted By Several Nations

In a move that banned former UEFA President Michel Platini announced as a "romantic" one-off event to celebrate the 60th "birthday" of the European Championship competition, Euro 2020 will be held in thirteen host cities across twelve different European countries. Set to be staged during the middle of 2020, the exact dates and how the tournament will look exactly is yet to be determined. The reaction to this proposal has been mixed to say the least.

Throwback Thursdays: Real Madrid's Record Breaking Run

2016-02-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

They may currently be playing second fiddle in Spain to their hated rivals Barcelona, but there's no denying the incredible history of Real Madrid.

Nearly sixty years ago this week, Madrid went on an incredible 121-match unbeaten league run at home that will likely never be beaten.

On 17 February 1957, Real Madrid beat Deportivo de La Coruña 1-0, with a goal from Enrico Mateos to start their unparalleled run of home dominance.

Madrid wouldn't suffer defeat at home again until 7 March 1965, when they fell to local rivals Atletico 1-0.

This run of dominance at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium saw the club capture seven La Liga titles in eight years.

Of those 121-matches, they won an astounding 113 of them and drew only 8.

It'll take one heck of a run for any club in one of the world's bigger leagues to come anywhere near matching that. It might even be beyond this current Barcelona side.

Amateur Hour at Real Madrid

2015-12-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

Getting knocked out of a cup for fielding an ineligible player is a mistake a pub league team would make, but it's been that sort of season for Real Madrid.

On Friday it was announced that the club had been expelled from the Copa del Rey for fielding the suspended Russian winger Denis Cheryshev against Cadiz on Wednesday night.

Cheryshev had even scored the opening goal in the 3-1 win.

Following the match, Cadiz filed a complaint with the Spanish footballing authorities stating that the player had three booking in the competition a year ago, while on loan at Villarreal, and should have therefore been suspended.

Although Real Madrid president Florentino Perez yesterday pledged to fight this case, claiming the sanction was "not applicable" because Cheryshev had "not been personally notified" that he was suspended, as of today Madrid are left with egg on their face.

So the next time you're playing in the chicken wing and beer invitational 7-a side league, be sure to check on the status of all of your players and not get punted out on an avoidable technicality like Real Madrid.

4 Strange Stories of the Week That Was

2015-11-28T17:29:00.000-05:00

Another fine week in the world of football, that featured the chills and thrills of the Champions League, also witnessed a few things of the stranger variety.

Besides the on-pitch action here are a few other stories that occurred in the football world this week:

Don't be a Dick

According to Marca a player has been suspended for 12 months for attempting to slap a female assistant referee with his wedding tackle. The dick swinging incident occurred during the final stages of the Andalusian Senior Second Division match between CD Abes and Gabia CF in mid-November. The unnamed player, who was on the bench, stormed pitch side in the 80th minute with his penis hanging out of his shorts and tried to slap the official with it. She apparently dodged his meat and two veg, and yesterday the authorities handed him a stiff ban.

Crooked Watches

On Wednesday FIFA’s Ethics Committee announced that the FIFA representatives who were given £16,000 Parmigiani watches as a sweetener before the 2014 World Cup by Brazilian officials had to return them. The days of dodgy dealings could be over at FIFA. right? Well, probably not.

Plane Stupid

Arsenal drew the ire of a group of environmental campaigners today when they opted to take a 14-minute flight from London Luton airport to Norwich ahead of Sunday's match at Carrow Road, as opposed to taking a two hour coach or train ride. A representative from Plane Stupid (no, really) criticized the decision of the Gunners taking to the air as a needless short haul flight that just contributes to climate change. Back in the George Graham days Arsenal were only really dirty on the pitch or in the pub, now under Arsene Wenger it's only really their mode of travel that's dirty. How times change, eh folks?

Justin Bieber? Nobody Fucking Needs Ya!

When Southend midfielder Ryan Leonard hit a rich vein of form recently, scoring three goals in four outings he credited it to listening to Justin Bieber's latest song. The Pop Scrotum himself then retweeted Leonard's comment about his song helping him find the net to his millions of followers and suddenly kids around the world who couldn't find either Southend or possibly England on a map knew all about Leonard. Pop music... You just can't avoid it. Now only if Rooney can start scoring and get a retweet from Taylor Swift.

Clásico Corruption Allegations Rock La Liga

2015-10-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

Spanish football could either be on the verge of one its most explosive match fixing scandals in years or it could be a story of hearsay, but regardless a story coming out of La Liga this week is sure to raise some eyebrows.

According to reports in the Guardian and the Independent, a linesman has allegedly been instructed to favour Real Madrid in next month’s clásico against Barcelona.

The linesman, who has not been identified as he fears reprisals, claims that he was contacted first by another official and later by a member of the Spanish Football Federation’s referees’ committee.

According to the Independent:

It is understood that one of the pre-designated linesmen had been contacted by the match referee, and informed that the refereeing committee are pressuring him in to favouring Real with his decisions in their clash with fierce rivals Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu on 21 November.

The linesman has also reported Jose Angel Jimenez Munoz de Morales, a member of the referees’ committee, for allegedly contacting him directly to put extra pressure on the official to rule in Real’s favour.

Besides the match in question, the linesman has also told his lawyer that he knows of several matches that have already been illegally influenced and that at least one other linesman has been put under similar pressure to influence results.

For their part the Spanish Football Federation’s referees’ committee are denying any knowledge of the incident.

While like several other major leagues around the world there have been rumours of improper conduct by referees over the years, a scandal like this would rock La Liga to its core.

For their part Barcelona have said that "they hope this isn't true", while Real Madrid are yet to comment.

What Would Barcelona's League Look Like if Catalonia Separated From Spain?

2015-09-23T12:00:00.000-04:00

September 27th is marked in the calendars of all Catalonians. An election day which may as a result see the region push for separation from Spain and an independence the region seems to have craved for hundreds of years. But without getting into the possibility of this happening and dwelling on the issue's political side too much, let's look at the hypothetical of what we here at FootyFair care about most, football.

La Liga president Javier Tebas went on record saying that if the region was to secede, Barcelona would be forced to leave the Spanish league and play in their own regional competition, a scenario that is both odd and unthinkable, but possible nonetheless.

There is no doubt that Barca would be the kings of the league, but how would the rest of the table look like?

Let's pretend that to start the league would consist of just 10 team. After all, it seems pretty reasonable for a "country" that size and is comparable to other European competitions such as the Austrian Bundesliga and the Swiss Super League.

The first name that comes to mind as far as being any kind of competitor to Barcelona would have to be RCD Espanyol. Just eight and a half kilometers from Camp Nou, Espanyol's fourty thousand seat Estadi Cornellà-El Prat could see success like the club hasn't experienced since the 1960's, '70's and '80s when the team finished a club record third place three times.

After Espanyol however, the list of Catalan professional football clubs gets pretty dire. The only other team that has enjoyed top tier football in Spain in recent years would be Club Gimnàstic de Tarragona which was promoted to La Liga in 2006 and was relegated back to Segunda División at the end of that same season.

Two other current Segunda División clubs in Girona FC and Unió Esportiva Llagostera would qualify as Catalan clubs, but neither of them have ever played in the first tier of the Spanish League. That puts our newly formed "Catalan League" at a total of 5 clubs. Should we even continue?

Considering top tier leagues do not allow "B" or "reserve" teams to compete in the same league as their parent clubs, we can take Barcelona B and Espanyol B out of the equation. As such, the current Segunda División B Group 3 competition could potentially provide us with another eight Catalan clubs, five of which would make our made up league.

I'm not even going to start to pretend which five of the eight would make the top tier (if indeed the league was made up of ten clubs), but just for argument's sake let's take a look at the names of the clubs that would qualify based on our (very vague) criteria.

UE Olot, CF Badalona, UE Cornellà, CE L'Hospitalet, CF Reus Deportiu, CF Pobla de Mafumet, CE Sabadell FC and Lleida Esportiu are all Catalan clubs currently playing in Segunda División B, obviously to most of you these names mean obsoletely nothing. CF Badalona is the only club of the eight listed that has ever got higher than the 2B division when they played in the Segunda División pretty much all through the '60's and previous to that as well. Otherwise, we are looking at lower league clubs with stadiums as small as 1000 people capacity.

So it's obvious that the Espanyol and Barcelona supporters have something to think about before taking to the polls this Sunday. After all, the two La Liga clubs would likely not be able to continue their La Liga ways and would have to conform to their new surroundings.

5 Players to Watch in La Liga This Season

2015-08-22T08:00:00.000-04:00

This weekend sees Spain's La Liga kickoff a new season and while the one big story is whether or not Barcelona will be able to retain their title, there are also a few players with things to prove.

The following are five players to watch in La Liga in 2015-2016:

Gareth Bale - Real Madrid

After helping Real Madrid to a record tenth Champions League title in his first season at the Bernabeu, Gareth Bale suffered through a difficult second term. His form and confidence eroded to the point where he was being booed by his own fans. Although there's been speculation surrounding his future at the club, it looks as if Bale is staying put and he will be hoping to bounce back this season.

Paco Alcacer - Valencia

Valencia fans must already be worrying about when Barcelona, Madrid or perhaps another European heavy weight will be coming in for the 21 year old Paco Alcacer. Strong and fast, the forward notched 11 goals for his club last season and has already scored four goals in his six appearances for Spain.

Jackson Martinez - Atletico Madrid

Another summer, another talented striker through the exit door at Atletico. After losing Diego Costa last summer, manager Diego Simeone had to watch Mario Mandzukic depart the Vicente Calderon in this window. Coming over from Porto, the much sought after Colombian striker Jackson Martinez will be counted on to immediately adapt to the quality of La Liga and find the net with regularity.

Ivan Rakitic - Barcelona

For the first time in seventeen years Barcelona will start a new season without the imperious Xavi in midfield and one of the players counted on to fill that gap will be Croatian midfielder Ivan Rakitic. While the high-flying attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez will get the headlines, Rakitic's role of protecting Barca's back line and making well timed surges from deep will be crucial to the Catalan side's season.

Éver Banega - Sevilla

The Argentine play-maker Éver Banega seems to have finally found a home at Sevilla after a difficult time at Valencia which saw him twice loaned out. After being a part of the star studded U20 World Cup winning Argentina side in 2007, much was expected of the slick passing Banega but for numerous reasons his stay at the Mestalla was not a happy one. After a move to Sevilla last summer though, the player looked revitalized and he eventually helped the club win the 2015 UEFA Europa League Final where he was named man of the match. If he can recreate his sparkling form of last season, there's no reason to think that Sevilla won't be pushing for a spot in the top four.

The 5 Spanish Sides Who Have Won the Supercopa de España Just Once

2015-08-19T12:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, after the second leg of the 2015 Supercopa de España Athletic Bilbao joined a very small group of Spanish clubs; a group of now five sides that have won the Spanish Supercup on more than one occasion.

After their 5-1 aggregate victory over Barcelona, Bilbao added this trophy to the one they had previously won back in 1984. The other sides that hold this prestigious record in Spain obviously include Barcelona and Real Madrid who had won the cup 11 and 9 times respectively. The other clubs that got to hold the trophy on more than one occasion are Deportivo La Coruña with 3 Spanish Supercups to their name and Atlético Madrid who only joined this group of clubs last year after winning the 2014 edition of the cup and are now tied on two cup wins with Athletic Bilbao.

But who are the sides that may be joining this group in the next little while? Surely it's not the easiest task to win the Spanish Supercup unless you're Real Madrid or Barcelona, nonetheless, there are five clubs in Spain that had won the cup once before and will definitely be looking to raise the trophy at least once more. Here are the five Spanish football clubs that had won the Supercopa de España just once in their history (from most recent).

Sevilla - 2007

In 2007, Sevilla who had won the Spanish league just once in the clubs history in 1946 was drawn against league champions Real Madrid in the Supercopa de España after picking up their fourth Copa del Rey trophy. With Madrid the obvious favorites, Sevilla picked up a surprise 1-0 victory in the first leg on home ground thanks to a penalty goal from Brazilian striker Luís Fabiano. The slim margine of victory did not seem to worry the Madrid faithful all that much, that until the visitors took a quick lead in the second leg with another Brazilian (Renato) scoring just 16 minutes after the kick-off at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. When Madrid answered with their own goal to tie the game up, Renato scored once more, giving Sevilla another lead on course for a shocking 5-3 road victory and a 6-3 aggregate victory.

Zaragoza - 2004

2004 saw Real Zaragoza try for a third time to capture the Spanish Supercup after failed attempts in 1994 and 2001. On the previous two occasions Zaragoza's opponents were Spain's giants Barcelona and Real Madrid, but in 2004 it was Valencia who had won the league the season before. The first leg went "to plan" and the Spanish champions Valencia left La Romareda stadium in Zaragoza with a 1-0 victory, but the reverse match in Valencia would shock the defending La Liga title holders. A South American duo in Brazilian defender Álvaro and Argentine defender Luciano Galletti would give the visitors a 2-0 lead at the half and despite Valencia's second half goal which tied the aggregate score at 2-2, Zaragoza's striker Javi Moreno would give his team the clear victory with a goal in the 83rd minute.

Valencia - 1999

After winning the Copa del Rey for the 1998-99 season, Valencia faced league champions Barcelona in the 1999 Supercopa de España. The first leg on home ground proved to be a difficult match, but one Valencia was able to take advantage in after Argentina striker Claudio López scored the game's only goal in the 86th minute. Interestingly enough, López's goal would prove to be the crucial decider as Valencia was able to come back and tie the match in Barcelona after the home side went ahead three times, with the match ending in a 3-3 draw and Valencia winning their only Spanish Supercup to date on a 4-3 aggregate score.

Mallora - 1998

A year before Valencia's Supercup victory Mallorca recorded what is likely the most impressive Supercopa de España win to date and what is still the club's only major trophy. After making it to the final of the previous season's Copa del Rey, Mallorca lost to Barcelona, but since the Catalan side had also won the La Liga title the same year Mallorca qualified to play in the Supercup final by default. With the small island club having never won anything but the second tier prior to 1999 and Barca being the club that they are, few gave Los Bermellones a chance to capture the country's Supercup. But Mallorca would shock the nation as they defeated Barcelona both at home and away, coming out with the 3-1 aggregate victory after 1-0 and 2-1 wins.

Real Sociedad - 1982

In 1982 Real Sociedad had won their second consecutive La Liga title; the only two Spanish championships they have managed to date. Their Supercup opponents were Real Madrid who managed to capture the 1981-82 Copa del Rey. After losing by a score of 1-0 in the first leg and unable to score at the half of leg 2, Sociedad's chances of claiming their first Supercopa de España seemed pretty slim. But just under 10 minutes after the second-half kick-off Sociedad's striker Pedro Uralde was able to put the ball in the back of the net and tie the aggregate score at one goal apiece. With neither team able to score before the final whistle the match headed to extra time and if neither were able to change the score would go on to penalty kicks. But before shootouts were even on the players' minds, Real Sociedad would go on to score three times in the extra frame, winning the cup on a 4-1 aggregate score.

Andrés Iniesta - THE Man of the Match

2015-06-07T16:00:00.000-04:00

Spaniard central midfielder Andrés Iniesta has had a spectacular career for both club and country. Playing his entire professional time with Spanish giants Barcelona and of course for Spain's national team, Iniesta has an impressive collection of awards. Having won 7 La Liga titles, a total of 9 domestic cups and 4 UEFA Champions League titles, the more impressive stats are actually in his personal award list.

By receiving the Man of the Match award after Barcelona's victory in the Champions League final win over Juventus this past Saturday, Iniesta became the only footballer to be named Man of the Match in the final games of the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League and the European Championships.

Needless to say, the man is "clutch". Always showing up at 100% effort and contribution during big matches.

His first of the three came in 2010 when he was named the best player during Spain's 1-0 victory over the Netherlands in the final game of the World Cup in South Africa. It was his 116th extra-time minute goal that separated the two teams, giving Spain their first world cup title.

Two years later in Kyiv, Ukraine, it was Iniesta again who claimed the best player in the final of the 2012 Euros, helping his squad to a 4-0 thrashing of the Italians.

And again yesterday, Iniesta picked up his 3rd Man of the Match award in a major competition's final game, this time a club award as Barcelona finished off Italian side Juventus in a 3-1 final in Berlin.

5 Managers Real Madrid Sacked for the Hell of It

2015-05-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

You won't blame me for thinking that the manager's job at Real Madrid is becoming the least desirable post in European football.

Only one year removed from winning the UEFA Champions League, the club's coveted tenth title in the competition, Madrid sacked manager Carlo Ancelotti on Monday after a trophy-less season that saw the side stumble in the homestretch.

Despite this season being a relative disappointment, Madrid were still competing on all fronts domestically and in Europe until this last month of the season, and it's also hard to think of a manager who could get more out of this group than Ancelotti.

But Madrid is a unique beast in world football that has continually shown that even bagging trophies isn't always enough to save a manager's job.

Since the departure of the legendary Miguel Munoz in 1974, no manager has lasted longer than three-and-a-half seasons in the Madrid hot seat and the average managerial reign with the club is only one year and four months.

The following are five other managers that the club have inexplicably sacked for the hell of it:

John Toshack

The 1989/1990 Real Madrid side is often overlooked when discussing the Spanish giants greatest squads, but John Toshack's side scored a then record 107 goals in 38 matches while playing some terrific football. They were particularly imperious at home with 17 wins and 2 draws from 19 matches that season, along with scoring an astonishing average of four goals a match. Despite this season falling within the era of only two points being awarded for a win, Madrid still romped to the title by nine points. With players like the Mexican goal machine Hugo Sanchez, the terrific Emilio Butragueño, and midfield ace Míchel, many regard this as one of the most exciting attacking sides Madrid have ever produced. However when Los Blancos got off to a slow start the following season, Toshack found himself sacked by November.

Bernd Schuster

Not technically sacked, but rather forced out by "mutual consent", the German manager and former Madrid playmaker Bernd Schuster was sent packing shortly into the season following the club's impressive 2007/2008 La Liga winning campaign. The combustible Schuster had done himself little favours though on account of his numerous bust ups with the media and his side suffering a slight dip in form, which always spells certain doom in the Spanish capital.

Jupp Heynckes

For 32 long years fans of Real Madrid had craved one trophy over all others: the European Cup. On 20 May 1998, a goal by Predrag Mijatovic was enough to defeat the favourites Juventus in the Champions League Final and at last the club had its seventh European crown in the trophy cabinet. You would think that would have elevated coach Jupp Heynckes to legendary status, but this is Madrid after all and he was sacked for their poor league form despite the win in Amsterdam. Heynckes, on the left in the picture above, appears to know what's coming even while having one hand on the trophy. That's gratitude for you.

Fabio Capello

After a historically bad run of three trophy-less seasons, Madrid installed serial winner Fabio Capello at the start of the 2006/2007 season to bring glory back to the Bernabeu. The Italian did not disappoint as he led the side to the title. But he was dismissed immediately after winning La Liga by Ramon Calderon for failing to produce a side capable of playing attractive football, as well as winning matches. Surprisingly, this wasn't the first time this had happened to Capello as he had been sacked for similar reasons after leading Madrid to a league title in 1996/1997 as well. One has to wonder if Capello was like a once jilted lover who fooled himself into thinking that things would be better the second time around?

Vicente Del Bosque

Arguably the worst sacking in the club's history and one that took them years to recover from was the axing of Vicente Del Bosque in 2003. Just days after winning La Liga, the current Spanish National side boss was fired by Florentino Perez for not repeating his feat of winning the Champions League, as he had the year before and as a signal of the shifting politics behind the scenes in Madrid. In his nearly four years in charge, Del Bosque had won two European Cups, two La Liga titles, the World Club Cup and a European Super Cup. His sacking and the sale of defensive lynchpin Claude Makelele to Chelsea in that mad summer of 2003 marked the beginning of Madrid's descent into their first full blown, and ill-fated, Galactico era. While Del Bosque had been able to combine Madrid's high priced signings like Luis Figo with local stars like Raul, subsequent managers would fail badly in this regard.

Own a Share of Spanish Club Real Oviedo For Just 11.50 €

2015-05-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

Ever wanted to say that you're a part owner of a professional football club? Now may just be your chance. Third tier Spanish club Real Oviedo has recently made shares of the club available for purchase by the public, but the door to make an investment closes on May 29.

Not a big club in Spain, but Real Oviedo has enjoyed a total of 38 seasons in the top tier of Spanish football, the La Liga. In 2012-13 financial issues at the club became too hard to control and the club called on their supporters to buy shares of the team in order to save the club from bankruptcy. Together with the fans, Spanish footballers such as Juan Mata and Santi Cazorla also contributed financially and eventually received an additional $2.5 million from the richest man in the world Carlos Slim, who in turn became the majority stake holder in the club.

Currently playing in the third tier of Spanish football, Real Oviedo is in first place and is preparing for the promotion playoffs phase which could see the club which was once in trouble playing one division below the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Originally new shares for the club were opened up to those who made an initial contribution 2 years ago, but for a limited time anyone around the world that would like to own a piece of a professional club can do so by purchasing shares at THIS LINK

Perhaps the return on investment is not the promise, because frankly this "ownership" is such a minority stake that the 11.50 € single share is pretty much worthless on its own. But if plenty of kind-hearted "club owners to be" put their wallets together by buying even a single share, the club could be better prepared to face the financials stains of moving up to a division where travel, match-days and pretty much all other aspects of running the club will in fact be more expensive. So, will you be one of the new owners of Real Oviedo?

10 Best Quotes from Diego Simeone

2015-03-24T12:00:00.000-04:00

One of the best coaches in world football, Diego Simeone has taken Atletico Madrid to the top of Spanish football. The Argentine coach is not only known for his ability to lead his club but also for the incredible quotes he has given us over the years.

Sharply dressed and with a sharp tongue, Diego Simeone enters every press conference ready to set the world on fire, and these are ten of my favorite quotes from “El Cholo”.

“Call me crazy, but I would never coach Real Madrid. I am a fan of Racing and Atletico. I would never coach Independiente and I wouldn’t coach Madrid. It would be foolish.”

“I want to thank all the mothers of my players for giving them so big balls.”

“I apologize because I laughed at Ronaldo and Ramos comments after el clasico….Neymar is a real actor.”

“When I reach a Cup final, my players already know what is going to be my headline quote: You don’t play finals, you win them.”

“I manage a team as if it were my family. From that feeling, everyone makes up a part of my team. From the club president to the groundsman. The most difficult thing is to make them all feel that they are an important part within the group. It’s a difficult task, but if you achieve such a thing, it’s easier for success to come.”

“A player who prefers to be comfortable at a small club where he is the big fish in a small pond will watch cup finals on television.”

“The members of our group who are substitutes on the bench or in the stands, are just as important as the starting XI. Titles are not won with only eleven players. The entire team wins them.”

“The ‘Cholo’ nickname was given to me by a Velez Sarsfield youth coach, Oscar Nessi. He had a footballer at Boca Juniors named Simeone who they called ‘Cholo’. One day in training he called me that and it stayed with me.”

“No, absolutely no. Madrid and Barcelona play in a different league. This is a boring championship for the rest of the supporters who can only aspire to be third or fourth. We’ll have to wait for a different distribution of television money because now the league is only of two.”

“The group has to be with you. It has to believe in you, if it doubts or doesn’t trust you, obstacles begin to appear in your path.”

La Liga Cartoon Crests by Peter Willis (Gallery)

2015-02-08T20:00:00.000-05:00

Peter Willis created a collection of illustrations covering some of the bigger La Liga club crests.

The badges are a mixture of cartoon and hand drawing in a very different take on these iconic crests.

Will Martin Odegaard be the Next Freddy Adu?

2015-01-22T20:00:00.000-05:00

With Real Madrid announcing the capture of 16 year old Martin Odegaard today from Norwegian side Stromsgodset many were left wondering if this kid will be the next big thing or if he'll be an obscure trivia question in five years time after failing to cut it.
Odegaard, who made his international debut for Norway last year at age 15, was unveiled at a press conference on Thursday after passing his medical.

He is believed to have signed a three-and-a-half year deal at the Bernabéu.

Moving to Real Madrid, a massive club that is not necessarily known for their policy of bringing youngsters through to the first team is no doubt a gamble for the Norwegian youngster, but £80K a week wages and the chance to train with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Toni Kroos must surely have been too good to turn down.

In contrast, when I was 16 I earned $5.90 a hour at a Fast Eddies Burger joint, cleaning out the grease trap in-between getting abused by customers. So Odegaard has already won the game of life as far as I'm concerned. But will he go on to make it as a professional and will he be the superstar he's been hyped as?

Time will have to tell on that one, but several renown coaches, like Bob Bradley, and other observers of European Football have already said that this kid has something special.

Whenever there is a hyped youngster these days though many of us temper our enthusiasm by casting our minds back to Freddy Adu. The Ghanian born, US international was supposed to be the next big thing, but after a somewhat promising start in the MLS, his career imploded. Adu has now had more clubs than Tiger Woods, but at least as many cocktail waitresses too, if his social media pictures are anything to go off of.

After signing with DC United at 14, and in the process becoming the youngest player in a professional American team sport in a hundred years, much was expected of the supposed "American Pele". Unfortunately from his promising start, he never lived up to the hype and with that comes a mistrust from some of us when the "next big thing" is over-hyped in the media.

Hopefully, for his and Real Madrid's sake, Odegaard continues to develop at Madrid and becomes the player they believe he can become. In the meantime I'm a bit skeptical, but we'll see where this kid is in five years.

Can Fernando Torres Get Back on Track at Atletico?

2014-12-31T16:00:00.000-05:00

Once heralded as one of the greatest strikers in the world the past four years have been difficult for Fernando Torres.

After leaving his first club, Atletico Madrid, for Liverpool seven and a half years ago his career first touched great heights in England and internationally, but while his former clubs fortunes have improved, Torres have plummeted.

His time at Anfield was an unqualified success in terms of personal achievement, after bagging 65 goals in 102 appearances for Liverpool, but honours eluded the club and the uncertainty of the ownership situation for the Merseyside outfit, along with the departure of Rafa Benitez as manager led him to ask for another move.

Moving onto Chelsea in January of 2011, the striker who had helped his country to glory at Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010, at last found the club success he had craved as Chelsea would go on to win the Champions League and FA Cup in 2012, along with the Europa League in 2013.

Personally though he struggled in his seasons at Stamford Bridge, scoring only 20 goals in 110 appearances and making the highlight reels for all the wrong reasons with some comical misses for Chelsea.

What happened to Torres at Chelsea has prompted several theories, all with varying degrees of probability. Some claimed that injuries slowed him down, others that his confidence was shot in his early months at the club and never returned, while more claim that they never played to his strengths in West London.

On that last point though, he has struggled for Spain to a degree in the last two years and only managed 1 goal in 10 appearances for Milan.

Now that Milan have purchased the player from Chelsea and sent him off on loan to Atletico Madrid, Torres will be hoping to recapture the form that brought him so much success in the first place and where better to do that than the club he supported as a boy and first joined at age 13.

For Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone bringing in Torres until 2016 could be a great coup and his assistant Germán Burgos has already promised that, "We will get the best out of him".

So it's move back home for "The Kid" and the Atletico fans will be hoping it's a happy homecoming that results in them moving back up the table.

La Liga Stars on beIN Sports by Javier La Riva (Gallery)

2014-12-28T16:58:00.000-05:00

Javier La Riva put together a collection of illustrations of the best stars of 2013-14 La Liga season.

He added some of the player stats on the design, not that you needed proof that these players had great seasons. He also wants all of us to remember that beIN SPORTS is the only channel we can catch these guys in action.

5 Matches to Watch This Weekend

2014-12-05T12:00:00.000-05:00

This weekend we will be watching an assortment of matches, and unlike on most occasions this time around some of our recommendations come from "parts less known"; a great weekend to follow fixtures you wouldn't usually.

Orlando Pirates vs. Kaizer Chiefs (South Africa - Soweto Derby - Saturday)

The Soweto Derby is one of the most highly contested rivalries in Africa and the two clubs absolutely can't stand each other. That and the fact the the Kaizer Chiefs are currently having a great season sitting in first place in the league makes this match an intriguing one to watch.

Braga vs. Vitoria de Guimaraes (Portugal - Minho Derby - Sunday)

When it comes to Portuguese football it's almost always about the big three clubs in Benfica, Porto and Sporting. But this weekend we will be shifting our attention to a much less likely fourth versus second place match-up, when Braga take on Vitoria de Guimaraes. Guimaraes is having an incredible start to their campaign having lost just once in the first eleven matches. Braga is not too far behind having accumulated 5 less points than their weekend opposition. Did we mention that it's also a derby? That's right, the rivalry beween the two clubs is known as the Minho Derby in Portugal.

Bayern Munich vs. Bayer Leverkusen (Germany - Saturday)

Bayern Munich will likely have one of those seasons where they run away with the title with no other contender in sight. Nonetheless, visitors Leverkusen are in third place and although they don't pose a huge threat we all know that anything is possible in football. Plus, you should be watching Bayern play every week, for their spectacular football and to see who will be the first club to defeat them this year.

Barcelona vs. Espanyol (Spain - Derbi Barceloní - Sunday)

It's crazy how many football fans are unaware of the fact that Barcelona and Espanyol is a city derby. The Derbi Barceloní as it is called in Spain is an 85 year old rivalry between two clubs who's grounds are just 8.5 kilometers from one another. The last time Espanyol was able to defeat their city rivals in league action was during the 2008-09 season, in a match that was coincidentally also at the Camp Nou.

Wisla Krakow vs. Lech Poznan (Poland - Sunday)

Bitter rivals Wisla and Lech Poznan kick-off this Sunday in a match that is always great to watch not just for the decent Eastern European quality football, but for the atmosphere in the stands as well. The two clubs are among the four best supported teams in Poland and contest the rivalry fiercely every season, regardless of their place in the standings.

Rayo Vallecano to Help 85 Year Old Woman Pay Her Rent

2014-11-24T16:00:00.000-05:00

As many of us grumble about the exorbitant price of match tickets or cable packages needed to watch football, and shake our heads at the ludicrous salaries even players of average ability bring home, one club is doing their part to help a resident of their community.

Rayo Vallecano, who play in the Vallecas district of Madrid have come to the aid of 85 year old local resident Carmen Martinez Ayuso, who is facing eviction from her home of five decades.

The senior citizen lost her home after her son, unbeknownst to her, put his mother's apartment up as collateral on a €40,000 loan he was unable to pay off. After the death of her husband the ownership of her home had passed to her son, so legally she could do nothing when seven police vans turned up at her property to turf her out onto the street last week.

The retired cleaner was left with nothing until Rayo coach Paco Jémez and his club stepped in to help.

Jémez had this to say, “We’re not going to stand around and do nothing, we’re going to help this woman. Not just me but the technical team and the players. We’ll give her a hand to find a place where she can live in dignity and not feel abandoned. In this case, because she’s from the neighbourhood, as a club we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to help.”

Rayo Vallecano, a club who has many fans with left wing leanings that are against state allowed evictions, have said that they will help her find other accommodations and pay her rent for the rest of her life.

It's a great move by a club that is by no means one of the richer sides in Spain and reminds us that rather than being 'sports franchises' some clubs out there are still true to their roots of being a part of their local community.

Tip of the cap to Rayo Vallecano and all the best to Seniora Ayuso in finding a suitable new home.

David Moyes's Rebirth in Spain Bumped for Madagascar 3

2014-11-23T20:00:00.000-05:00

After a deeply traumatic season at Manchester United, that saw the once highly respected Everton boss handed the sack, David Moyes recently took up the managerial hot seat at Real Sociedad and finally made his debut against Deportivo La Coruna yesterday.

With over 200 Real Sociedad fans following their side to Riazor, Moyes first match coming after twelve days after taking up the position at the club finished in a fairly dull 0-0 draw.

It hadn't been the best preparation for Moyes's side however as bad weather forced their plane to land at an airport more than 70km's away from La Coruña. They were also without the injured Mikel González, Iñigo Martínez and Xabi Prieto.

Real Sociedad played some good football in the first half, but even Moyes admitted his disappointment at their second half as his side struggled to maintain possession and Deportivo had much better chances to score.

But on a night when Lionel Messi shattered the all-time La Liga goalscoring record and with Real Sociedad's match dumped into the dreaded 22:00 timeslot, Spain's national broadcaster Cuatro opted to drop their coverage of the match to a lesser station and instead show Madagascar 3 on the main network.

Undoubtedly there are quite a few United fans that would have opted for the adventures of Alex, Melman, Gloria and Marty than some of the dreck served up at Old Trafford last season.

But that said, Moyes is a good manager as his time at Everton proved and if he's able to turn around Real Sociedad's fortunes it's inevitable that their media coverage will also improve.

Mid-Week Rants: 5 Reasons Why Sociedad is Not the Right Move for Moyes

2014-11-12T12:00:00.000-05:00

Football fans all over England have been speculating about David Moyes' next move since the very day he was let go of his duties as Manchester United manager. And although this is just my personal assumption, Real Sociedad was most likely on nobody's radar as his next employer. A fresh start is of course a great thing for anyone that has recently lost their job, but here are my 5 reasons why a move to the Spanish club is not the right one for Moyes.

Hidden Expectations

There are numerous reports out of Spain that expectations of David Moyes in his first year as coach at Real Sociedad are 'mild'. Avoiding relegation and perhaps finishing in or close to the top half of the table is what the club seems to want our of the Scotsman as far as expectations go, but looking at the club's surprising record over the past two season and the amount of talent they have in their roster this may not be so true. After spending three seasons in the second division between 2007 and 2010, Sociedad finished in 4th place in LaLiga in 2013 and in 7th last season. Currently sitting in 15th place, Moyes will most likely be expected to turn it right around as the club gotten used to European football over the past two seasons.

Running Scared

Sure it may only seem that way, but a move to Spain may look in the British public's eyes as a run and hide move from David Moyes. First he took a break without taking on another job right after being fired and now that he is taking up a managerial role again, he is moving to a different country. This is a great way to lose faith from whatever fans Moyes still has left back in England.

Managers Turnover at Sociedad

It seems that the former Everton bench-boss has forgotten to do his research, because if he did he would see that in the last twenty years his new club have gone through 18 different managers. Out of those, the longest stint was that of Austrian manager Bernd Krauss which lasted 2 years and 3 months, and the shortest was a 10 match (less than two months) stay of Spaniard Periko Alonso. As a matter of fact, in the 105 year history of Real Sociedad there hasn't been a single manager that was able to match Moyes' record of years spent as a manager with one club; even Welshman John Toshack who managed the Spanish club on three different occasions is about 2 years shy of Moyes' stint with Everton.

Welsh footballer and manager John Toshack spent 9 years with Real Sociedad in his 3 stints as club manager

No Hablo Inglés

This is pretty simple. It is very likely that Moyes will hear the exact words of this title on many occasions as it seems that very few of his newly adopted players speak any English. Only one footballer in Moyes' squad does not come from a Spanish speaking background and that is Alfreð Finnbogason of Iceland, which will probably be little to no help for the new manager.

Forgotten in the Kingdom

Of course for the first little while there will be people all over Britain who will follow the "middle-sized" Spanish club just to see how Moyes is doing. But after a while the interest is very likely to subside. Even if his club does well, they are no Barcelona or Real Madrid and will not be televised outside of Spain on many occasions. A long enough stint in Basque Country could not only hurt Moyes' popularity with the average football fan, but also drop his name in the pecking order of future opportunities in the EPL.